The Old Gods

Chapter 1074 Jun Xiang Xiao Xiang
Lu Ran's worries came true.

The faceless stone deity truly has no divine status whatsoever!

After Shi Zun advanced to the Heavenly Realm, Lu Ran, along with Ying Wu, signed an inheritance contract with him and subsequently inherited the stone sculpture.

Then, with a mix of trepidation and anticipation, Shadow Five ultimately remained at the third level of the Heavenly Realm, with no possibility of advancing further.

It can only be said that things in life rarely go as planned.

Lu Ran sent Shadow Five to the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm, placing him in the desolate Northwest, on the desolate Desert Peak, so that he could keep making minions without stopping.

To prevent Shadow Five from running out of energy, Lu Ran specifically ordered Lu Yuan and Qin Yanzhi, the master and disciple pair, to take turns going to Mogu Peak every five days to supply Shadow Five with their source energy.

From this day forward, the two divine mountain forces where Elder Lu and General Qin reside will also allocate resources towards the master and disciple duo.

Everything was for the secret weapon of the Burning Gate!
Lu Ran was once worried, unsure of what the Jade Venerable Clan was preparing.

What's even more frustrating is that the Ranmen suffered incredibly heavy casualties and had neither the capability nor the means to launch a long-distance expedition.

The Burning Gate also needs to take into account the situation in the other four war zones to prevent the Jade Venerable Clan from launching a sneak attack and breaking through from other war zones into the human world.

Protector Long had raised this concern early on and had spies in all major war zones, ready to lead his troops to provide aid to all sectors at any time.

However, everyone's worries seem to be unnecessary.

In other regions, the Jade Venerable Clan consistently adhered to the "boiling frog in lukewarm water" policy, slowly eroding the gods and demons.

Lu Ran came to a conclusion from this.

Judging from the current situation and considering Yu Zun's several conversations with her, she probably not only wants to win, but also wants to crush the Burning Gate head-on.

To completely destroy this being who is beyond her comprehension!
From body to mind.

Yu Zun was undoubtedly a proud and fearless being, and there was no reason for him to avoid the sharp edge of the Burning Gate.

She was even completely open and honest, having already told Lu Ran her attitude and plans in detail:

How many more attacks can the Burning Gate withstand from my attack?
Once, or twice?

For every god and demon you bring back from the realm of the dead, I will slay that same god and demon.
Lu Ran naturally realized that the longer the time dragged on, the more terrifying the Jade Venerable's next offensive would be!
As she said, how many attacks could Ranmen withstand?
Now, Lu Ran has a solid foundation!
Every second, Shadow 5 is creating Heavenly Realm minions. This special group will help the Burning Gate warriors take down Jade Venerable himself without taking any damage!

Once the massive Jade Emperor suffers heavy casualties, the sheer number of his minions will no longer be a problem.

The Burning Gate has sounded the horn of counterattack, and it's just around the corner!
Lu Ran's confidence grew day by day as the number of Shadow Five minions increased. He would occasionally return to the Mountain Realm to check on the situation, but most of the time he was fighting in the Heavenly Realm.

Cultivate a worthless, despicable sword that slays the sovereign!

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, a visitor arrived at Xianmo Sacred Mountain.

At that moment, Lu Ran had just dealt with a wave of teleported enemies when he saw Lady Ranmen waving her hand from a distant mountain peak.

"What's wrong?" Lu Ran asked telepathically, drawing upon the souls of the dead.

[Your aunt's maid has come and wants to see you.]

Chen Jingjing?
Lu Ran was somewhat surprised, after all, the other party was also under his command and could pray and transmit messages.

He teleported back to the palm of the Immortal Jasmine Sculpture and saw the woman bowing respectfully: "What is it?"

"Sect Master, the first day of the Lunar New Year is just around the corner. Master Jianyi is going to fulfill his promise and pass on the divine position to Peak Master Jun Tiandi."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ran felt a mix of emotions.

Is Mother finally going to become a goddess?
The price was that Sword Master would be gone forever, his soul scattered.

Chen Jingjing continued, "Master Jian Yi is quite interested in this matter and has already notified Jian Tianque City to have the disciples of Jian Yi Yi Sect begin preparations."

"Start preparations?"

"Yes," Chen Jingjing confirmed. "Lord Jianyi intends to pass on his divine position to Emperor Juntian before the world, the Lord said."

"say what?"

"He said he wanted to experience parting. In the past two months, Lord Jianyi has traveled to many places and, at the recommendation of Emperor Juntian, has read many ancient poems and texts, which has enriched his emotions a little."

Lu Ran frowned slightly.

In his opinion, there was no need to make a big fuss about this.

But this was, after all, Jianyi's choice. She wanted to officially put an end to her life, which was understandable.

"Emperor Juntian sent me to ask the sect leader if this matter is permissible."

Lu Ran sighed inwardly. Since things had come to this point, why bother to obstruct them further?
“Alright.” He reached into his waistband and grasped the Cloud Sea Dust Clear Blade, then asked after a moment, “Is my mother with Lord Jian Yi?”

"Yes, I am resting at my home in Xianjingyuan."

"Whoosh~" Lu Ran casually waved his hand, summoning a full-length mirror, and stepped into his residence located in the capital city.

He arrived at the study door, only to find it ajar. Through the crack, he could see two female sword immortals kneeling in front of and behind the low desk.

One of them is pouring tea.

The other female swordswoman was admiring the calligraphy on the Xuan paper.

To be honest, Lu Ran was a little unaccustomed to seeing such a tranquil scene after suddenly retreating from the battlefield.

"Dong Dong Dong~"

Lu Ran knocked on the door.

Jian Yi remained unmoved, still gazing at the still-wet ink of the poem.

Qiao Wanjun turned her head to look at him, but her usual gentleness was gone. Her cold eyes stared at him silently.

Lu Ran felt a chill run down his spine!

For more than a month, he has been busy with important matters and has not had a chance to communicate with his mother.

The last time I heard news about her was when Xiao Ruyi told him that his mother noticed something was wrong with Xue Lu, stopped the other person, and couldn't get any answers.

"Lord Jianyi, Mother," Lu Ran said softly, his head bowed.

Even now, there are very few people who can make Lu Ran so intimidated.

Jian Yi also benefited from Qiao Wanjun's success.

"My lady, I'm going out to have a chat with Ranran," Qiao Wanjun said softly, pushing the teacup forward.

Jian Yi seemed to be immersed in the imagery of the poem, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Lu Ran was extremely curious, and looking in the direction of the poem, he saw:
The willows at the Yangtze River in spring, the poplar catkins make people who are crossing the river sad.

The sounds of windpipes leave the pavilion late, you go to Xiaoxiang and I go to Qin.

A farewell poem.
It's a very sad read, conveying a sense of reluctance and helplessness. However, the individual characters of the Great Xia dynasty seem quite out of place with the overall mood of the poem!

If nothing unexpected happens, this should have been copied by Qiao Wanjun, but her handwriting is a bit too sharp.
Seeing that Lord Jianyi did not react, Qiao Wanjun got up and walked towards the door of the study.

Lu Ran decisively stepped back, lowered his head slightly, and looked like a well-behaved child.

"Click~" Qiao Wanjun gently closed the door, turned her head, and once again stared directly into Lu Ran's eyes with her cold gaze.

silence.

An eerie silence.

Unable to bear seeing his mother suffer, Lu Ran broke the silence in a low voice: "Mom is so brave, staring into my eyes like that for so long. Doesn't your soul tremble?"

"Heh." Qiao Wanjun laughed.

He must have been so angry he laughed.

"I was just asking out of curiosity." Lu Ran coughed awkwardly, showing none of the demeanor of a sect leader in private, and whispered, "Don't be angry."

Qiao Wanjun didn't say anything, but simply walked away to the French windows of the south balcony. Gazing at the gently falling snowflakes outside, she said softly:
"You did something behind my back."

"What's wrong?" Lu Ran stood behind her.

Qiao Wanjun frowned slightly, turned her head slightly, and glanced at the young man in imperial robes out of the corner of her eye: "I heard that the fourth Heavenly Emperor of the Burning Gate shares the same surname as you?"

Lu Ran: "."

Qiao Wanjun parted her lips slightly and uttered two words: "What a coincidence."

Lu Ran grinned: "It can't really be considered a coincidence, since he had the surname Lu first, so I had it too."

Qiao Wanjun turned to look at the white world outside the window and said softly, "Why did you hide it from Mom?"

"The resurrection of my father was all arranged by Lord Xianyang. At that time, I was still in the Heavenly Realm and did not know how powerful Lord Xianyang was, so I dare not make any guarantees about this matter."

Lu Ran said softly, his face apologetic: "I was really worried that something might go wrong, that this matter might cause you further harm, so I didn't dare to tell you in advance."

Qiao Wanjun remained silent.

I quietly watched the snowflakes falling outside.

"Don't be angry." Lu Ran carefully reached out and, imitating Xiao Yuanxi's coquettish manner, gently tugged at her sleeve. "I'll tell you everything. Back then, it was Wu Sheng who gave the order to have Yu Fu kill him."

When Yu Fu carried out the order, he was careful, fearing that you might become the new Sword One in the future and he would punish you.

Therefore, Yu Fu approached Lord Wangquan and entrusted the deceased's soul to him for safekeeping.

Lu Ran recounted the story in detail: "Wangquan had been keeping his soul safe until I went to retrieve him."

After he finished speaking, the living room fell silent again.

After a long silence, Qiao Wanjun sighed deeply: "Does he blame me?"

Lu Xing's death was, of course, due to Qiao Wanjun.

“No, that won’t happen,” Lu Ran said immediately. “He was reincarnated from another body, so he will retain the appearance of the blood skull for a period of time.”

Once he returns to his original form, he should be willing to see you.

Qiao Wanjun nodded slightly, then remained silent for a long time before softly saying, "Ranran."

"Ok?"

"Thank you."

Gratitude is never without reason.

It's clear that Qiao Wanjun has always felt guilty about Lu Xing's death, but she has never shown it.

"What are you thanking me for? He's your husband, and also my father. No, wait a minute," Lu Ran paused, then said, "He's your ex-husband."

"Hehe." Qiao Wanjun chuckled.

She turned around and tapped Lu Ran's forehead with her finger.

Seeing his mother smile, Lu Ran seized the opportunity and asked curiously, "Why did you two get divorced in the first place?"

Qiao Wanjun tapped Lu Ran on the forehead again: "Children should not get involved in adult matters."

Lu Ran felt a little numb.

Am I not grown up enough?
I've shouldered the life and death of the entire Three Realms; doesn't that mean I've grown up?
Qiao Wanjun changed the subject: "You must be having a tough time lately, right? When the sun sets, Lord Jianyi is going to take a look at the Yangtze River. Would you like to come along?"

"Because of that poem?"

"Ah."

Lu Ran pursed his lips, feeling a pang of regret.

"What's wrong?" Qiao Wanjun asked gently, her expression softening with concern.

Lu Ran said helplessly, "You know how critical the situation of the Ran Sect is. Actually, we could have two Jian Yis."

Sword One,

But it's number one in the world!
Even if this head of the Great Xia gods were to cede half of his divine position, he could still maintain peak-level combat power and even create a top-tier god out of thin air.

"Ranran, Jianyi's mind is made up. It would be impolite to try to persuade him further." Qiao Wanjun's tone also carried a hint of emotion.

This is advice given to a child.

It was also a way of persuading her.

“The ‘one’ in Jianyi’s name doesn’t just represent the leader.” Qiao Wanjun raised her hand and gently smoothed his short hair. “It also signifies that his word carries great weight.”

In this respect, you share similar qualities with her.

Once you've made up your mind about something or decided on a certain path, you won't turn back or retreat even a single step.

Lu Ran was about to say something when he suddenly froze.

Qiao Wanjun immediately noticed the child's abnormality, only to see him suddenly reach into his robes and grasp the hilt of the Zhanzun sword.

"Om~"

The Venerable Slayer Blade trembled slightly, the amplitude of which grew larger and larger.

getting bigger and bigger
Until a huge vortex of clouds appeared in the sky above the northern suburbs of the capital.

(End of this chapter)