The Old Gods

Chapter 1040 Burning

The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is a day of national celebration.

On this day, two more human deities descended upon the Great Xia! Judging from the ancient city where they resided, the young man and woman respectively represented the Red Scarf and the Heavenly Phoenix.

The loyal and valiant Red Turban disciples have returned!

Although the Red Turbans are a fifth-rank deity, their followers have always been the main force in the Moon Gazing People's army, guarding the city on the fifteenth of every month and enjoying extremely high prestige among the people.

The return of the Red Turban faction is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the human race!

Extraordinary effect.

The Tianluan Sect is even more extraordinary; they are a group of doctors who save lives and heal the wounded, and their treatment techniques are the best among all the major divine sects in the Great Xia Dynasty!

Now, the Tianluan believers are returning to the human world to relieve suffering and distress.

How could people not be excited and overjoyed?
This joy naturally infected Lu Ran.

In Jinyang City, Shanxi Province, in the former Red Turban Ancient City, Lu Ran stood on the shoulder of the Jade Hall God statue, looking at the jubilant city, and was filled with emotion.

Such scenes have occurred several times in recent months.

Even so, he was still deeply moved!
At this moment, the struggle takes on a concrete meaning.

Cheng Yi, who possesses the dual divine positions of the third-tier gods and demons Dry Sea and Sand River Doll; Chen Jingjing, who possesses the dual divine positions of the fifth-tier gods and demons Ice Butterfly and Ice Burial Man; and Cheng Li, who possesses the dual divine positions of the sixth-tier gods and demons Biwu and Tree Face Demon.
Every time a human god descends to earth, it causes a tremor in the world.

The gods and demons beyond the realm witnessed the flourishing of the Great Xia human race's gods!
The growing strength of the Burning Gate forces is highly advantageous for Yu Changsheng's team to infiltrate other war zones.

Gods and demons control the human world.

The human world is also a prison for gods and demons.

They would not abandon this foundation, yet they lacked the ability to launch an expedition to the Great Xia war zone, and thus could not prevent all of this from happening.

Faced with the rising behemoth of the East, submission and dependence will ultimately become the mainstream choice.

"Young Master Deng, enjoy your moment! Establish your sect and recruit followers." Lu Ran chuckled as he transmitted his voice. "I'm off now!"

Yes, Sect Master!

Lu Ran suddenly remembered something and added, "Oh, right, I should let you know in advance, your sister is going to give you special training."

Deng Yutang's heart tightened immediately: [Special training?]

His nervousness didn't come from the special training, but from the people around him.

From childhood to adulthood, Deng Yuxiang left countless psychological shadows in his heart! Whenever she is mentioned, Deng Yutang's heart will always be in turmoil.

"Hmm, I probably wanted to help you improve your combat power." Lu Ran showed a sad expression and was about to leave when he suddenly felt a tremor in his waist.

Is this the Cloud Sea Dust Clearing Blade?

That's quite strange.

Lu Ran gripped the hilt of the knife with one hand and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Mother has returned to the human world; she is in the East.

The Cloud Sea Blade Spirit cannot lock onto Qiao Wanjun, but due to the conflict of divine weapon domains, it can always sense the location of the Cloud Sea Dust Clear Sword.

"Oh?" Lu Ran was quite surprised.

Since the third day of the third lunar month, my mother has been staying at Jianyi Divine Mountain.

Slay the enemy, cultivate divine weapons, and do everything possible to ensure that Sword Master lives in peace.

How did she suddenly return to the human world?
Lu Ran pondered for a moment, then his figure flickered and he left.

The straight-line distance from Jinyang City to the capital is only 400 kilometers, and Lu Ran arrived at the destination in just a few teleports.

Under the perception of the Cloud Sea Blade Spirit, Lu Ran confirmed the exact location, and with another flash, returned to his home in the Immortal Garden residential area.

This luxurious, single-level apartment has been uninhabited for a long time, but it is spotless, indicating that someone has just cleaned it.

"Who goes there?" a cold voice rang out.

"Me." Lu Ran turned his head and revealed his true form.

He was indeed completely hidden and showed no signs of energy fluctuations, but there were barely perceptible specks of frost and snow inside the room, a technique of perception used by the Ice Butterfly School.

"Young Master." Upon seeing the young man in imperial robes, Chen Jingjing immediately sheathed her sword and hurriedly bowed.

The hem of the imperial robe swayed gently, supporting Chen Jingjing.

Now, even her mother's personal maid has become a deity. Everything is just as Lu Ran predicted. Chen Jingjing, who is close to Shuangxue, is very suitable to continue to accompany her mother.

"Is there something you need?" Lu Ran asked telepathically.

"The Peak Master and Sword Master are in the study." Chen Jingjing replied truthfully, "I don't know what they're discussing."

Before the words were finished, a voice called out from the study: "Ranran is here."

"Ah!" Lu Ran flashed to the door of the study, still behaving himself properly, and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," the woman said softly.

"Click~"

Lu Ran opened the door, and a faint fragrance of jasmine wafted into his nostrils.

On a corner of the low desk, a small jasmine flower was still in full bloom, evoking many memories for Lu Ran.

It's also thanks to the fact that these are rare and precious herbs from the Demon Cave·Lingyun Mountain. If they were ordinary flowers and plants, they would probably have withered long ago due to neglect over the years.

On either side of the low desk, Lu Ran saw two female sword immortals sitting opposite him.

Although they are both made of flesh and blood, they feel like two ice sculptures, each one colder and more icy than the last.

However, Qiao Wanjun is gradually "thawing," and her gaze towards me is becoming increasingly gentle.

"Mother," Lu Ran greeted respectfully, then clasped his hands together and bowed to the woman in white, "Lord Jianyi."

Jian Yi quietly looked at Lu Ran.

The last time we met, this young human was still trying to overthrow the rule of gods and demons; today, he has become the absolute leader of the gods and demons of the Great Xia Dynasty.

If nothing unexpected happens, this imperial robe was a gift from the Evil Spear Emperor.

This is an honor.

The greater significance lies in the fact that this is a form of recognition.

This was the Evil Spear Emperor's final declaration to the gods and demons of Great Xia, and indeed to all gods and demons in the world. "Come here." Qiao Wanjun patted the cushion beside her.

Lu Ran walked to his mother's side and knelt down in front of the low desk: "What are you two doing here?"

Qiao Wanjun said in a low voice, "Lord Jianyi wants to experience some things."

Lu Ran looked at the woman in white opposite him on the desk, feeling extremely puzzled.

Experiencing things?

Jian Yi's cold eyes met Lu Ran's, his tone calm, yet it stirred up a storm in Lu Ran's heart:

"Three months from now, your mother will be the new Jianyi."

Lu Ran's hand, which was resting under the table, trembled slightly.

Without a doubt, he was delighted.

Unlike Lord Xianyang, Lu Ran did not have strong personal feelings for Jian Yi.

However, Jian Yi had saved his mother's life and sheltered his family of three, so Lu Ran's feelings were somewhat complicated.

"The first day of the Lunar New Year," Jian Yi said calmly.

Is it the first day of the Lunar New Year?
Lu Ran's heart was heavy, and he couldn't tell at all that Jian Yi was already on his deathbed.

Could it be that Lord Immortal Sheep secretly exerted his power?

The tomb knew that Jian Yi was blocking the path of the Burning Gate, and then began to devour Jian Yi's divine statue.

Qiao Wanjun whispered, "Lord Jianyi can still exist for a long time, but..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ran realized he had misunderstood the Immortal Sheep, and his doubts deepened.

Jian Yi reached out with her jade hand, her fingertips landing beside the fairy jasmine flower: "Your mother said that when life is short enough and fragile enough, everything has meaning."

Lu Ran's eyes narrowed.

This world is really something.
People want to live long lives, to live forever.

Jian Yi, however, had no attachment to anything and deliberately set a date for his own death, just so that he could feel the meaning of life in his short time.
"I've never really appreciated flowers before," Jianyi said, gently twirling a delicate petal between his fingertips.

Lu Ran remained silent, sensing the faint sadness permeating the room.

The mother's mood clearly affected the atmosphere around her.

Lu Ran's hand, which had been resting under the table, moved slightly to the side and picked up her cool, soft palm, gently holding it.

"Lu Ran".

"Lord Jianyi?"

"If you have no mission, and gods and demons have never come to the human world, what is the meaning of your life?" Jian Yi looked at the mother and son opposite him on the desk and could feel the faint warmth between them.

The emotions between tiny human beings, the connection stemming from blood ties, are indeed a wondrous thing.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

As a result, Chen Jingjing, who came to deliver tea, stopped outside the door, hesitating whether she should knock.

Just as she hesitated, a young man's voice came from inside the house: "Does the master know what a mayfly is?"

"I don't know." The omniscient and omnipotent god in the eyes of the world didn't care about such a response at all.

"Mayflies are like grains of millet in the vast ocean, existing only as tiny creatures in the boundless universe." Lu Ran recited a Chinese text he had learned in high school. "Mayflies are very small and fragile creatures."

So insignificant as to be born in the morning and die at dusk.

"Life and death."

“Yes.” Lu Ran paused for a moment and said softly, “Mayflies will lie dormant for several years, patiently waiting for a suitable opportunity to emerge from the mud and sand at the bottom of the river and swim to the surface.”

"They will undergo a transformation in a short period of time, growing thin wings and soaring through the sky."

"They chase the light, feel the wind, smell the fragrance of grass and trees, and use their fragile lives and short time to measure this boundless world."

Jian Yi seemed to have become interested: "Continue."

"They will soon run out of everything and fall back into the river with countless others of their kind, completing their final continuation before their lives are gone."

"The next generation of mayflies will continue to lie dormant, waiting for the right opportunity to break out of the mud with their companions, fly out of the water and soar into the sky."

"Transform into the next torrent of life, born in the morning and dying at dusk."

Jian Yi's eyes flickered slightly as he listened to the young man's gentle voice.

In just a few words,

She has already experienced the life of a mayfly.

Lu Ran said in a low voice, "To a god like you, we humans are no different from mayflies."

Born in the morning, dying at dusk; living towards death.

Jian Yi nodded slightly; a hundred years was but a blink of an eye to her.

Lu Ran: "Whether or not I have a mission, I want to burn brightly, to flap my wings like a mayfly, and leave behind the traces of my burning life."

Even in this vast world, in the long river of history, it is insignificant.

But this mark belongs to me; it's proof that I lived a life of utmost intensity and passion.

Jian Yi said softly, "So, your name is Ran."

Lu Ran paused for a moment, then shook his head: "My name was given to me by my parents."

“It suits you well.” Jian Yi smiled and shook his head. “Indeed, only the short-lived has meaning. But in the future, when you break free from the shackles of humanity, will you continue to burn brightly?”

"Probably," Lu Ran said in a low voice.

Jian Yi turned to Qiao Wanjun and said, "It's a pity I won't live to see the day he breaks his promise. You be my witness."

Qiao Wanjun remained silent and did not respond.

In Lu Ran's mind, an image of an eternally burning black ram's head appeared.

Will I eventually take over everything, and eternally burn with that profound expectation?

He looked up at Jian Yi, his expression serious, and replied in a deep voice:
"Will do."

(End of this chapter)