The Old Gods

Chapter 1031 Old

The wind continued to howl, and the rain poured down.

Before the shrine in the small bedroom, Lu Ran opened his eyes, lowered his head and remained silent for a long, long time before whispering, "So, gods and demons are indeed eternal."

But your existence will continually corrupt divine and evil sculptures until they perish.

【Um. 】

"Then why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Lu Ran asked hastily. "Once you have devoured all the gods and demons and lost your food source, won't you also perish?"

The immortal sheep smiled: "When a god falls, a new god will naturally be born. Just like your human race, they continue from generation to generation. It's just that the human lifespan is only a hundred years, so it's more obvious."

The decay of gods and demons requires a long period of time before a divine position becomes vacant and the next deity can be enthroned.

Lu Ran remained silent.

墓，
That's how they become immortal and indestructible.

In the cycle of life and death between gods and demons, it exists eternally.

"The Faceless Jade Venerable is an exception." This sudden remark caused Lu Ran to pause slightly in surprise.

He looked up at the small statue of the celestial sheep in the shrine: "An exception?"

The immortal sheep's voice deepened slightly, and his tone became somewhat complex:

I cannot devour her.

Lu Ran's mouth was slightly open.

In his mind, he had already elevated Yang Zong to an unprecedented height, confirming that he was the only being above gods and demons.

But then, a guy appeared who could escape "control"?

The fairy sheep sighed softly: "She possesses a peculiar soul and a peculiar jade body."

Lu Ran pursed his lips.

He didn't understand the spiritual aspect yet, but the material of the stone sculpture was obvious at a glance.

Every god and demon in the world, without exception, has a dark, stone-carved body.

The Immortal Sheep was merely clad in a white jade robe, comparable in its gentle, lustrous whiteness to the Faceless Jade Venerable. However, as a member of the divine and demonic camp, the Immortal Sheep's actual stone sculpture was also a dark, gray stone artifact, indistinguishable from the other gods.

The Immortal Sheep whispered, "Lu Ran, my rules cannot restrain the Faceless Jade Venerable. What does this mean?"

Suppressing his turbulent emotions, Lu Ran tentatively asked, "Does that mean she is immortal?"

The fairy sheep sighed softly again, and slowly said, "[This means that she is truly eternal and immortal.]"

The Faceless Jade Venerable is an entity that divides eras. Her appearance signifies that I, along with all gods and demons, have become relics of the old era.

[And she is a new god in the truest sense.]

"Gulp." Lu Ran's Adam's apple bobbed.

A bolt of lightning ripped through the rainy night, and the fleeting light revealed the young man's astonished face.

The raging storm outside the window only amplified the deathly silence inside.

The faceless jade vessel, a being that divides an era.

Old gods, new gods.

Decaying, immortality.
Lu Ran lowered his head silently, but what he cared about more were the other words that the Immortal Sheep had said.

Rules, constraints.

It's not hard to tell that the tomb categorizes itself as a rule, rather than a life form in the ordinary sense.

The tomb also used the ability to corrupt divine and evil sculptures as a form of constraint.

The constraints on the life and death of gods and demons.

"Lu Ran, what is your view on eternity?" The hoarse voice flooded my mind.

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment, unwilling to deceive the deity, and replied, "You just said that our human race has a short lifespan, with a lifespan of no more than a hundred years."

Since ancient times, humankind has been pursuing immortality.

My question is, what is your view on eternity?

Lu Ran carefully organized his thoughts before replying, "This disciple is very young, has too little experience, and cannot escape the fundamental nature of the human race."

There are still so many things I haven't experienced, and so many people I want to spend my life with.

You may not be satisfied with the answer I have in mind.

[Hehe.] The fairy sheep chuckled silently.

Lu Ran lowered his head even further.

"At least you're honest." The hoarse laughter subsided, and the telepathic message returned, "I have a question for you."

"You say."

【Your Great Xia Dynasty has a history of thousands of years. Have you ever considered what the world would be like if feudal emperors had truly obtained the elixir of immortality?】

Lu Ran opened his mouth, but hesitated for a moment.

Will your country enter this era? Will the systems that have been in place for thousands of years change?

A rumble of thunder sounded.

The phoenix-patterned gourd attached to her waist snuggled closer to Lu Ran's chest.

Lu Ran remained silent, pressing one hand against the gourd and gently tracing the exquisite golden patterns on its surface with his fingertips.

[Lu Ran, I'll use your world as an example. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say.]

"Yes," Lu Ran replied in a deep voice.

Death is the only fair and just process in the world.

Lu Ran frowned slightly and hugged the little phoenix in his arms tighter.

He longed to see his father, mother, and sister safe and sound forever, and to be with his beloved forever, but the Immortal Sheep told him:

Is death the only right thing to do?
If there were no death, the hierarchy of all things would be solidified.

[Without death, the thoughts and consciousness of all beings would become rigid.]

Without death, the world would be like a stagnant pool, and everything would eventually fall into silence and utter destruction.

Lu Ran slowly raised his head and looked at the small shrine.

The jade carving of the celestial sheep, with its pair of dark, horizontal pupils, met Lu Ran's gaze.

The hoarse voice, clear and serious, imprinted itself into Lu Ran's mind:

If there is no death, then there is no life.

Lightning ripped through the layers of rain, illuminating the dark, rain-soaked alleyways of the small town.

A smile appeared on Lu Ran's solemn face.

There seemed to be a hint of bitterness in his voice. He held Little Phoenix in his arms, patted the chubby little creature, and said softly, "Don't be afraid."

Top-tier magical artifacts cannot fear the storms of the human world.

But the young man in imperial robes, listening to the teachings before the shrine, was filled with too many worries.

"Rumble"

The thunder arrived as expected, deafening and resounding.

Lu Ran understood the principles taught by the Immortal Sheep, but he still couldn't accept them.

At only 23 years old, he possessed extremely vigorous vitality; his physical health was merely a superficial aspect, the key being his spirit.

He lived a life of vengeance and slaying gods and demons.

He is rising powerfully and growing wildly.
Life is the foundation of all of this.

[Lu Ran, you've repeatedly asked me what price is needed to resurrect your father.]

"I humbly request Your Excellency's guidance," Lu Ran immediately asked.

[Hahahaha.] The immortal sheep suddenly burst into laughter, its laughter ancient and hoarse. [I am immortal, so what price could I possibly pay?]

Energy? Lifespan?
Does anything before me even deserve to be called a price?

Lu Ran: "."

There was no cost involved, which should have been a cause for celebration.

But Lu Ran couldn't be happy at all.

Because that laughter contained absolutely no joy.

"Lu Ran, now I'll tell you what the price will be." Xian Yang's tone turned serious. "I broke my own principles."

Lu Ran's face stiffened.

He now knows that the tomb has always guarded "death".

Therefore, dragging Lu Xing back from the realm of the dead means that the tomb has broken its own concept of existence.

You have your principles, and I have mine.

Lu Ran lowered his head, no longer filled with gratitude for the immortal sheep's resurrection of his father, but with deep remorse.

"sorry."

The word "perseverance" is just an abstract concept, but it becomes much easier to understand when applied to a specific matter.

For example, let Lu Ran let Ling Qian and Lie Tian go.

For example, Lu Ran could be made to collude with the gods and demons, becoming their lackey and suppressing the human race.

Or perhaps, it will make him repay kindness with enmity and turn his sword against Lord Immortal Sheep.

Therefore, Lu Ran had no other words at this moment. The only thing he could express to Lord Immortal Sheep was his deepest apology.

"It's alright!" Immortal Sheep changed the subject, "Given your nature, you will eventually bring Lu Xing back to the human world."

Since you're going to replace me, I'll just consider it as me doing what you were supposed to do ahead of time.

Lu Ran whispered, "Is your insistence on leaving also because of this commitment?"

If there is no death, then there is no life.

"Hmm." The fairy sheep responded with satisfaction. "Those who enforce the rules shouldn't break free from the constraints of the rules themselves, should they?"

Lu Ran: "."

As if relieved of a heavy burden, the immortal sheep's tone gradually returned to calm: "The moment the faceless jade venerable appeared, I knew it was time for me to leave."

Her bright jade body was like a dazzling ray of light, cutting through the ancient night.

I have become something old.

Lu Ran's expression was very grim, and he hurriedly said, "But the Faceless Jade Venerable is a new thing that is eternal and immortal! She is immortal!"

"Yes," the fairy sheep murmured softly, seemingly somewhat bewildered. "New things are immortal."

Lu Ran's heart clenched painfully.

Since becoming a believer, he had never heard the murmurs of the Fairy Sheep.

Not to mention feeling lost!
For a fleeting moment, the supreme deity in Lu Ran's heart seemed to have become a lost and dejected ordinary person.

[Lu Ran, how have I taught you all these years?]

The sudden change of topic caught Lu Ran off guard.

What's the thing I say to you the most?

Lu Ran pondered, "Walk your own path?"

"Walk your own path." The fairy sheep repeated, confirming, "Are the principles I uphold necessarily correct?"

[Your divine magic, the scapegoat, and your evil paper magic, the paper offering, have never been able to combine. In the process of repeated failures, you have learned to question me.]

I am old, and I should be eliminated.

Lu Ran was dumbfounded.

Are scapegoats and paper effigies inherently incompatible?
Lu Ran did indeed question it time and time again, but later attributed it all to his own lack of strength and the low quality of his spellcasting.

"I will perish and be replaced like everything else, carrying my convictions." Xian Yang's calm words continued to touch Lu Ran's heart.

And you, you will forge your own path.

The voice gradually faded, as if the deity was getting further and further away.

"Lord Immortal Sheep!" Lu Ran clasped his hands together and looked up at the small jade carving of the Immortal Sheep in the shrine. "I don't care whether the Faceless Jade Venerable is new or old, or whether it is immortal."

Lu Ran paused, his expression extremely serious: "Once she invades the human world, she will turn the entire world into jade and destroy everything, so I must destroy her!"
I am too ashamed to ask you to make an exception. I only hope that you will stay a little longer.

Whether she dies or I perish, let it be as if you're accompanying your disciple on the final leg of the journey, okay?

After the words were spoken, the small, dark room fell silent.

"Whoosh~~~" The wind howled outside the window.

It was as if the wind could penetrate the window and blow into Lu Ran's heart, stirring up his emotions and making him restless.

I do not know how long it has been
A deep sigh was imprinted in Lu Ran's mind.

"Lord Immortal Sheep?" Lu Ran looked nervous and uneasy.

The telepathic message that echoed in my mind seemed to carry a hint of helplessness, yet also a touch of indulgence:

【You.】

I spent six or seven hours writing three thousand words, and finally, this bowl of vinegar was served.

My head is about to split open from writing all this, I didn't even have lunch~T^T
One update today. I'll fill in the detailed outline for the rest tonight.

(End of this chapter)