The Old Gods

Chapter 1039 Jian Yi's Smile

"Speaking of which, the Faceless Jade Venerable hasn't shown up for more than half a year," Deng Yuxiang changed the subject.

"The Burning Sect is currently riding high, so she probably wants to avoid the limelight for now," Lu Ran analyzed.

Deng Yuxiang snorted: "I think she's raising a tiger to cause trouble. In the battle on the third day of the third month, the Ranmen sect completely took over the Northwest Gods and Demons, and many disciples in the sect became gods."

In recent months, Uncle Lu, Chen Jingjing, Cheng Li, and Cheng Yi have also become gods one after another.

Yu Tang and his group have now also achieved results.

Lu Ran did not respond immediately.

He discussed this matter extensively with Jiang Ruyi.

The meticulous Fairy Jiang even suggested to Lu Ran that even if the Faceless Jade Venerable were given a chance to invade the mortal realm, he might not crush millions of people.

Lu Ran was quite taken aback when he first heard this theory.

Jiang Ruyi offered an irrefutable reason: after the Faceless Jade Venerable destroyed the world last time, the gods and demons fled.

They embarked on a long journey of escape, eventually ending up in exile here.

This time, if the Faceless Jade Venerable were to undermine the very foundation of the gods and demons' existence, they would once again flee and seek another way to survive.

During this process, many things will slip out of the control of the Faceless Jade Venerable.

world,

It is the fundamental reason for the existence of gods and demons.

From another perspective, the human world is also a prison for gods and demons!

Having learned her lesson, the Faceless Jade Venerable may want to wipe out all the gods and demons in the world here.

In that case, slowly eroding the resources over a long period of time, like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, is undoubtedly the best strategy!
There are two crucial factors that led Jiang Ruyi to this view:
First, the faceless jade vessel is eternal and immortal!
Time meant nothing to her.

Secondly, the Faceless Jade Venerable possesses unparalleled strength, and she should have enough confidence to confirm that no matter how the gods and demons of the world develop, they cannot shake her foundation.

She understands the limits of gods and demons.

Lu Ran is the only variable; he is a guy who has never appeared before and can integrate thousands of techniques into one.

But it seems that's all.

No matter how much Lu Ran draws on the strengths of various schools of thought, the so-called "various schools" are nothing more than gods and demons.

Even with his extraordinary abilities, Lu Ran cannot escape the framework of gods and demons.

That being said, Jiang Ruyi still expressed concern when she put forward her opinion, believing that the Faceless Jade Venerable would do everything in his power to eliminate Lu Ran as a variable.

The fact that no action has been taken so far and everything in the Great Xia War Zone is as usual is probably because the Faceless Jade Venerable is trying to lull Lu Ran into a false sense of security.

The other party may be secretly planning something, or patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow!

"You also carefully selected soldiers and trained other gods."

"You let Hu Jiaojiao inherit the Poisonous Bee God Sculpture."

"You bestowed upon Song Yu, the head of the Flying Immortal Hall, and Jing Hong, the head of the Demon-Suppressing Hall, the Junlan and the War Horn Divine Sculpture," Deng Yuxiang continued.

Lu Ran snapped out of his daze and looked at the woman.

"Conglong's team is still infiltrating various war zones and may bring in powerful gods and demons at any time." Deng Yuxiang looked directly into Lu Ran's eyes. "We should continue to advance steadily and grow stronger."

Lu Ran suddenly smiled, finally understanding what she meant.

The words were tactful, but the intention to persuade was clear.

"What are you laughing at?" Deng Yuxiang frowned slightly.

Looking into those perpetually sharp eyes, Lu Ran shrugged: "You are the sharpest knife in my hand."

Deng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes: "What, can't your knife remind you to be cautious and steady?"

"Yes." Lu Ran conceded defeat to those beautiful eyes and whispered, "I'm not steady enough yet. Yu Tang is about to come online. Save your temper for when you go teach him a lesson."

Deng Yuxiang: ?

"Ahem, well, you keep training my dad, I'm heading back to the battlefield now."

As he spoke, Lu Ran weighed the Zun-Zhan Dao in his hand again: "When I killed my father just now, this sword actually trembled twice, as if it had gone a little off course."

"Oh?" Deng Yuxiang was quite surprised, and her attention was indeed diverted.

Lu Ran looked troubled: "It was clearly made specifically to kill the Faceless Jade Venerable, but I've been trying for three months and there's still no sign of it."

I don't know what happened, but it reacted after killing my dad only once.

Deng Yuxiang pondered, "The formation of a weapon spirit requires the guidance of its master. Think about your mental state during the battle just now."

Lu Ran thought for a moment and said with shame, "I feel a little guilty. I feel that I am being disrespectful to my father and that this is against the principles of nature and human ethics."

Lu Ran knew exactly what he was doing, so he naturally overcame his psychological barrier.

Of course, his father's fierce appearance also helped Lu Ran a lot.
Deng Yuxiang said, "Insubordination."

"More or less." Lu Ran nodded.

"Take advantage of this psychology." Deng Yuxiang, a top-notch swordsman, immediately offered a solution: "After you return to the Heavenly Battlefield, don't treat the Faceless Jade Venerable as a lackey."

Treat them as part of the original.

To you, the Faceless Jade Venerable is the absolute dominant force, the superior, an existence above gods and demons.

“That makes sense!” Lu Ran’s eyes lit up.

The more I think about it, the more excited I become.

"What a nightmare! No wonder you're a master of the sword!" Lu Ran looked at the beautiful woman and immediately started praising her.

"Heh." Deng Yuxiang snorted coldly and turned to look at the distant battle.

She maintained a cold expression, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but slightly curve upwards, the arc almost imperceptible.

However, Lu Ran had a pair of dog eyes.

I just thought the curve of her lips was beautiful.

She was clearly happy, but she insisted on keeping a straight face.

A little awkward.

It's also a lot of fun!
Lu Ran weighed the Zun-Slaying Blade in his hand, glancing at his father's bloodied figure as he fought: "Dad, I'm leaving now."

"Hmm." Lu Xing responded, his swordsmanship still sharp and fierce.

Unexpectedly, Lu Ran transmitted his voice again: [Keep in good shape, Dad. Once Nightmare thinks you're ready to leave seclusion, I'll take you to find Mom.]

Lu Xing froze.

His mind was in turmoil, and his knife moved slowly.

If you dare to be even slightly distracted in front of the Nightmare minions, that will mean certain death.

With this, Lu Ran's stats became 7-0-1.

Originally, it was just seven kills and zero deaths, now it needs an assist as well.
The enormous afterimage of the evil god expanded once more, and Lu Xing's gaze swept over it.

"Uh." Lu Ran scratched his head awkwardly. "I'm off, see you later~"

As soon as he finished speaking, he fled quickly and disappeared without a trace.

It seems that the father still cares about the mother, otherwise he wouldn't be so upset.

I wonder if that cold woman who stands at the pinnacle of humanity will still feel anything when she sees her ex-husband who has been resurrected.

Lu Ran pondered to himself, and with the guiding principles of the Great Nightmare in mind, returned to the Heavenly Battlefield.

The results are really good!
In just a few days of fighting, the Slaying Venerable Blade trembled several times.

However, one thing slightly delayed Lu Ran's sword-nurturing plan: on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, two young gods arrived at Immortal Jade Mountain!

Deng Yutang possesses the dual divine positions of Red Scarf and Ghost General!
Although she holds a single divine position, Guan Yiren possesses techniques from both the Heavenly Phoenix and Paper Phoenix schools!
As a second-tier deity, Tianluan-Zhiluan possesses the most powerful healing ability within the Great Xia deity-deity system.

Of course, Lu Ran had to keep a backup plan for himself!
The evil sculpture, Paper Phoenix, within the garden has seized the divine position of the Heavenly Phoenix, thereby gaining access to two schools of techniques. It will remain forever within the sculpture garden, serving only Lu Ran in the future.

"Master of the Gate."

"Sect Master, Madam." The two deities stood before Madam Ranmen, kneeling and bowing respectfully.

"Get up." Jiang Ruyi seemed to be in a good mood, looking her old classmate up and down. Deng Yutang stood up and saw Tian Tian, ​​the goddess statue, secretly pleased with herself, sitting diagonally behind his wife.

Including the tiny Lu Ran, the former Rain Alley Team is all together again.

Yes. The initial version.

After all, the team had undergone some adjustments and had added a new member, Chang Ying.

Chang Ying is not at the Immortal Jade Mountain. She has taken over the position of the previous spirit divination stick and is now personally leading a sacred mountain on the northwestern front of the battlefield.

"Get yourself in the right state as soon as possible; this is a battlefield," Jiang Ruyi said softly, then instructed, "Yu Tang, go to the Northwest front and join Chang Ying's forces. I've already informed the Blazing Blood Steed; it will become your mount."

Deng Yutang was taken aback.

Would you let yourself ride... ride a god?

Although Blazing Blood Steed is an eighth-rank god, it is still a true deity.

"Young Master Deng, just follow orders." Lu Ran said with a smile on the fingertips of the Immortal Jade Goddess.

"Yes!" Deng Yutang immediately replied.

The Burning Gate has two warhorses: one is Blazing Blood, and the other is Pomegranate Fire, which stole the position of the evil god Blackfire Steed.

The Fire Guard would never serve as a mount for the eldest son of the Deng family!
She belongs only to the Martial Emperor!
Even Lu Ran wouldn't lay a finger on it.

"Yiren, you will stay by my side from now on." Jiang Ruyi looked at the woman who was similar to herself.

As a former believer in Jianyi, Guan Yiren also has a cool and aloof style.

However, the two now have a fundamental difference in temperament.

While both are cold beauties, Lady Ranmen has risen to a higher level, becoming the leader of the gods and demons of the Great Xia Dynasty, and is the undisputed empress.

"Yes, Madam." Guan Yiren lowered her head slightly and moved her lips again.

"What, you don't want to?" Jiang Ruyi's voice turned cold.

"No." Guan Yiren quickly shook her head, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword at her waist. "This Heavenly Inclination Sword of mine has found the divine weapon that is hindering it."

"Which direction?"

“Northeast,” Guan Yiren replied immediately.

Xianmo Divine Mountain is located in the southwest of the battlefield, while there are many other divine mountains in the northeast direction.

Lu Ran's expression was strange: "Could it be my mother's divine weapon?"

He then gave a brief explanation of the divine weapon domains of the Dragon Abyss Sword and the Heavenly Edge Sword.

There's no need to count the Cloud Sea Dust Clearing Sword, since Lu Ran always carried it with him when they were in the Mountain Realm, and Guan Yiren had seen it with her own eyes.

"It shouldn't be." Guan Yiren analyzed the effects of the Divine Weapon Domain and slowly shook her head.

“We’re all on the same side, let’s talk about it later.” Jiang Ruyi said casually, “The ancient city in the human world has already made preparations for you two, and many believers are waiting for the return of the Red Scarf and the Heavenly Phoenix.”

Tian Tian will explain the specifics of your stay at the sacred mountain.

After you understand everything, the sect leader will bring you down to the mortal realm.

Lu Ran immediately said, "You two go and learn quickly. Today is the Double Ninth Festival, an auspicious day. Let's establish our own sect today!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!" The two accepted the order and walked towards Tian Tian.

Meanwhile, in the northern part of the Celestial Battlefield, at Sword One Divine Mountain.

The human woman on the mountaintop suddenly turned and looked up at the divine statue: "Lord Jianyi, did you call me?"

A cold wind blew.

A touch of frost and snow bathed this place.

The sacred mountain was silent. Gradually, Qiao Wanjun turned her head and looked to the southwest.

Ranran or Ruyi, how did they manage to cultivate their swords and sabers into divine weapons so quickly?

That's incredible.
Its domain is actually the same as that of Sword Master's divine weapon.

"Please rest assured and recuperate, my lord. I will contact Ranran now, and no one will disturb you," Qiao Wanjun said softly, her hands clasped together.

This response also shows that Qiao Wanjun has reached a different level of understanding.

On the one hand, Jian Yi has no will to live and is unlikely to be interested in crushing enemies or divine weapons.

On the other hand, Lu Ran and the Ran Sect's strength is undeniable! With their divine weapon domains clashing, it's hard to say who will face a life-threatening situation.
It will never be a human, but the head of the Great Xia gods!
"Whoo~"

Amidst the snow and mist, a woman in white rode a sword and descended to the edge of the cliff.

She stood with her hands behind her back, gazing towards the southwest: "I have hindered your path to godhood and blocked your counterattack against the Faceless Jade Venerable."

Qiao Wanjun shook her head and said, "Defeating the Faceless Jade Venerable is not something that can be done overnight. The Burning Sect is still accumulating strength and is still in a steady development stage."

The woman in white remained silent for a moment, then turned to look at Qiao Wanjun: "You and your child are indeed true to your word."

"You protected both my life and Ranran's."

The woman in white remained expressionless and spoke calmly: "Have you ever considered that perhaps a hundred years from now, I will still be on my deathbed?"

Qiao Wanjun smiled and said, "My name is Qiao Wanjun, and I am also the Heavenly Emperor of the Burning Gate."

A wise person knows what to do and what not to do.

The woman in white silently observed Qiao Wanjun for a long while, then slowly turned her head to gaze at the dim sky in the southwest:

"You would be a good Sword One."

Qiao Wanjun remained silent, unsure of what to say.

"I have long tasted the bitterness of decay and decline, the bitterness of growing weakness."

"Lord Jianyi, you..." Qiao Wanjun realized something, hesitated, and rarely saw a hint of vicissitude in the god's cold eyes.

A smile suddenly appeared on the perpetually expressionless face of the woman in white: "This dying life has nothing new to offer."

Qiao Wanjun silently lowered her head.

A ripple appeared in those eyes, which were like deep, cold pools, revealing a trace of sorrow.

"Wanjun."

"grown ups."

"Tell me, what is the meaning of existence?" The woman in white asked, her tone somewhat lost.

Qiao Wanjun pondered for a moment, then gently shook her head: "Perhaps not."

But while you're alive, finding a goal and carrying some responsibility gives you the motivation to keep living.

The woman in white asked, "If gods and demons didn't descend and enslave you and other humans, what would be the meaning of your life?"

Qiao Wanjun lowered her eyes.

There are no heavy shackles, no thick sea of ​​clouds.

Am I just an ordinary woman?
After a long silence, Qiao Wanjun spoke softly: "The meaning may lie in experiencing life and accepting all its gifts."

"Gift?"

"Sunrise and sunset, spring flowers and autumn leaves, the bitterness of life and death." A hint of reminiscence flashed in Qiao Wanjun's eyes, her voice soft, "The stars in his eyes."

"These are special?"

"I am merely a human, and my life is but a hundred years."

The woman in white nodded gently: "Therefore, when my life is short enough and fragile enough, everything has meaning."

Qiao Wanjun's lips trembled, but she ultimately lowered her head and said no more.

"Three months later," the woman in white said softly.

Qiao Wanjun's heart trembled, and she slowly raised her eyes to look at the deity.

Jian kept his eyes fixed on Qiao Wanjun's, and smiled gently.

(End of this chapter)