The Old Gods

Chapter 1076 I Go to Qin

As the days passed, the disciples of Sword Heaven City were busy preparing.

This ancient city is about to host the grandest ceremony in its history!
The people of Great Xia, and even the people of the world, already know that Master Jianyi will pass on his position to his disciple, Qiao Wanjun, on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

A dignified deity passing on his position?

When people first heard the news, most of them found it unbelievable.

The gods and demons have ruled the human world for decades, and the established principles and mindset ingrained in believers cannot be changed overnight.

The believers knew their status was lowly, and there were certain things that were insurmountable, things they couldn't even think about.

But this is really going to happen!
Qiao Wanjun's information was quickly exposed.

This is a powerful disciple of Sword One!

In today's world of advanced internet technology, it's astonishing that no one knows the exact level of this person's strength and skill.

However, she has one identity that is out in the open: the peak master of Jinghong Peak, one of the nine spiritual mountains under the Jianyi Sect!
Strictly speaking, Jinghong Peak is not a sacred mountain, because it has never been enlightened by Jianyi, but Qiao Wanjun's status as the peak master is undeniable.

This is enough to show his status and position within the sect.

Qiao Wanjun's other identity is quite intriguing.

She was actually Lu Ran's mother?!
Once this identity information was revealed, things took a turn for the worse.

Everyone knows perfectly well who Lu Ran is.

The number one prodigy of the Great Xia Dynasty!

He is the head of all gods and the absolute leader who governs all the gods of the Great Xia Dynasty!
Many of the gods of the Great Xia Dynasty today are related to Lu Ran, such as his fiancée Jiang Ruyi, his sister Qiao Yuanxi, and his high school teammates Deng Yutang, Tian Tian, ​​Chang Ying, and so on.

Speaking of this, countless people have sighed with regret over the long term.

Lu Ran's former classmates, in the quiet of the night, huddled under their blankets, regretted why they hadn't spoken to Lu Ran when they were in elementary, middle, or high school.

Otherwise, wouldn't I also become a chicken or a dog, and ascend to heaven with the Burning God after he attains enlightenment?
As for why no college classmates sighed... well...

In short, since Lu Ran can bring blessings to his relatives and friends, why can't he help his mother become a god?
There is a common speculation online that Lu Ran, the head of all the gods of the Great Xia Dynasty, forced Jian Yi to abdicate and let his mother become a god.

Although this argument is hidden in the shadows, like a rat in a dark sewer, it truly exists.

It has to be said that this speculation is quite reasonable.

But if Lu Ran found out, he'd probably be so angry he'd laugh.

What kind of existence is Jian Yi?
With such strong combat power, he would rather serve her well every day, beg her and coax her to go to the battlefield. How could he possibly force her to abdicate?
It's going to rain, and my mother is going to get married.

Lu Ran was truly at his wit's end.
When the population base is large enough, there are all kinds of people. In the mouths of a very small minority, Lu Ran has long been nailed to the pillar of shame, and is purely a despicable villain who repays kindness with enmity.

After all, people were still kept in the dark, believing that the gods had saved the world and given humankind protection.

However, such comments are still a very small minority and are limited to the edges of the internet, after all, Lu Ran's identity is what it is!

Moreover, he did indeed do it.

Since the Great Xia Dynasty underwent a major reshuffle, the entire society has become much more stable.
The number of evil spirits has decreased, presumably because they have been eradicated.

On the night of the fifteenth of each month, the intensity of the demonic invasion also drops sharply, and the losses to human society are reduced to the lowest point in decades.

The vast majority of people are still grateful to Lu Ran and the gods of the Ranmen.

Someday in the future, when all the information is made public, Lu Ran's prestige will probably rise several levels again.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the eyes of the Great Xia Dynasty and even the whole world are focused on Sword Heaven City.

Lu Ran also devoted a small portion of his energy to occasionally keeping an eye on this side.

After all, the great cause was not yet accomplished, and the war in the Heavenly Realm never ceased.

His Venerable Slayer Blade is at the third tier, but it can still advance to the next level!
If the effects of a third-tier weapon are already this strong, what would happen if it could become a top-tier divine weapon with the effects of a fourth-tier divine weapon domain?

The boastful words of the Venerable Slayer Sword from years ago, "I will surely slay the Venerable," are now beginning to bear fruit.

The unprecedented Divine Weapon Domain - Slaying the Supreme Body - delivered a slap in the face to Lu Ran, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

Lu Ran was very happy with the beating.

I just want to be hit harder.
It is worth mentioning that Lady Ranmen released information about the Zun-Zhan Dao (Slaying Venerable Blade), and the entire Ranmen pooled their wisdom and efforts to offer suggestions to the sect leader based on the effects of the first two divine weapons.

Unfortunately, nearly half a month has passed, and neither the master nor the soldier has yet gained any insight into the next area.

The soldiers, deep in thought, did not neglect their work, continuing to frantically destroy the white jade city walls, killing as many of the Jade Lord's minions as possible, and plundering resources.

During this period, Ying Wushi also worked day and night inside the Holy Spirit Mountain and Mogu Peak.

There's no 996, only 007!

Occasionally, when Lu Ran went to Mogu Peak for inspection, he felt a great sense of accomplishment looking at the mountain of Shadow Five henchmen.

The more wealth Lu Ran accumulated, the more secure he felt.

He had thought he could personally see Kenichi off.

However, on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the evil protector, far away in the Northeast war zone, sent back a message:
The Jade Venerable Clan has made a move!

[The army has set off?] Outside the Immortal Jade Mountain, Lu Ran shattered the head of the Faceless Jade Venerable with a single strike, his brows furrowed.

In his mind, Yan Shuangzi's solemn voice echoed: "Yes, the White Jade City Wall is advancing towards our sacred mountain!"

"Continue dismantling the wall, and report back as needed," Lu Ran commanded telepathically, also noticing the others praying.

Yan Tianjiang, who was far away in the northwest frontier, and Huangfu Tianjiang, who was located in the southeast border, sent messages to report the unusual movements of the Jade Venerable Clan.

Lu Ran turned his head to look at the Immortal Jade Mountain and saw that Qiang Xiu had returned and was now kneeling properly at the feet of Madam Ran.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will bring back the same intelligence.

"There's no time left." Lu Ran weighed the Zun-Zhan Dao in his hand.

The Supreme Slayer Blade advanced to the second tier during the great battle with the Jade Venerable Clan; that day was the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month.

It has been less than two months since then.

A top-tier swordsman, a top-tier enemy;
A struggle for the survival of the race, and a touch of indispensable luck.
A combination of factors led to the miracle of the divine weapon's advancement within two months.

What is certain is that if there were no sharp blade hanging over his head, and it were just ordinary times of struggle, Lu Ran would never have been able to grow so explosively with the divine weapon!

Such a report card would be considered an excellent result by any evaluation standard.

But clearly, that's not enough.

The Jade Venerable Clan is ready; they have arrived once again.

This time, it will definitely be even more terrifying than the last time!
At the end of the last war, when Lu Ran executed the last enormous jade vessel, she personally told Lu Ran:
"Next time, Lu Ran."

"When we meet again, only you and I will remain in this world."

Or perhaps, it's just me.

Lu Ran absolutely did not believe that she was bluffing.

"Sigh," Lu Ran sighed deeply, as images of sacred mountains floated through his mind, passing over the faces of his comrades.

In this battle, it is unknown how many will survive and how many will perish.

Several people were terrified.

Perhaps I am still too optimistic, after all, the Faceless Jade Venerable made such a solemn vow!

Perhaps the entire Burning Gate
From afar, Lu Ran saw the Divine Mountain Peak, where the Immortal Jasmine statue raised its hand, its fingertips slightly upturned.

He flashed over and looked up at her enormous and exquisite stone surface.

Jiang Ruyi noticed his melancholy and said softly, "You know everything?"

"Yes, the soldiers have reported to me."

"This day will come eventually." Jiang Ruyi slowly raised her hand, placing the tiny human race before her. "The soldiers are ready."

She has a very conflicted mindset.

The image of the imperial robe-clad youth on her fingertips sent shivers down her spine. Yet, reason told her that behind this fear lay a sense of security.

The stronger Lu Ran becomes, the more confident the Ran Sect will be, and the more the entire human race and the Three Realms will have something to rely on.

“The White Jade City Wall is moving slowly,” Jiang Ruyi said in a trembling voice. “Based on the Jade Venerable Clan’s last advance, it will take them at least four or five days to reach us.”

"Om!!"

The Blade of Slaying the Venerable hummed.

It only takes a few minutes, at most half an hour, for it to advance.

The only problem is whether its owner can help it break through the bottleneck and kick open the door to advancement.

Lu Ran toyed with the hilt of the knife and nodded, saying, "Yes, we still have four or five days to prepare."

Jiang Ruyi then said, "Shouldn't Emperor Jun be able to catch up?"

Lu Ran thought for a moment and nodded, "It should be possible."

Jiang Ruyi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you still going to see off Master Jianyi the day after tomorrow, the first day of the lunar new year?"

“How could I possibly leave the battlefield at a time like this?” Lu Ran shook his head decisively.

Even if the White Jade City Wall hasn't advanced to the Burning Gate Divine Mountain by the day after tomorrow, he still won't have the luxury of being carefree.

Jiang Ruyi suggested softly, "Then go over now and say goodbye formally."

Lu Ran looked up at the woman.

Jiang Ruyi nodded and said, "Regrets are inevitable, but at least there will be fewer."

"Alright." Lu Ran waved his hand casually, and a teleportation mirror forcefully tore through space and time, appearing directly above the human capital, Sword Heaven City.

Today, Sword Master no longer wanders around. Her true form has long since returned to the ancient city, where she watched as the insignificant human race prepared a grand farewell ceremony for her.

"what?"

"What is that?" In an instant, exclamations of surprise rose from both inside and outside the ancient city.

A throng of people looked up at the sky.

The Demon Clan of the Mirror of Evil has not appeared for a long time.

People naturally assumed that this race had been eradicated by gods like Lu Ran.

But at this moment, an antique bronze mirror appeared blatantly in front of Jianyi's face.

Instantly, countless eyes looked up at the sky, and one by one, the disciples of Sword One took to the air on their swords.

However, in the next moment, everyone stopped.

The person who stepped out of the mirror was a young human wearing a black and gold imperial robe.

That's Lu Ran?!
He can actually use the evil magic of the Niejing clan?

What...what...what?
Has he completely stopped pretending?
"Lord Jianyi," Lu Ran called softly, his hands clasped together.

"Hmm." The deity's faint response filled the world.

Inside and outside the ancient city, everyone looked utterly astonished!
How could ordinary mortals ever hear the words of the gods?
Lu Ran looked apologetic and lowered his head, saying, "On the first day of the month, I will not be able to come to see you off."

What shocked people even more was that the Sword Goddess statue actually moved. Her hand, which had been held in front of her in a sword-finger shape, slowly reached forward.

Lu Ran fell naturally downwards and landed on her fingertips.

It's hard to imagine the profound emotional impact this scene had on everyone.

The mighty head of the Great Xia gods, the eternally cold and indifferent Jian Yi, would actually do such a thing.

In fact, Lu Ran was also somewhat surprised.

He had never been so "intimate" with Jianyi before.

I suppose it's because she's about to leave that her state of mind has changed.

"The enemy is here again?"

The cold words caused the temperature in Sword Heaven City to plummet, and made everyone in the city tense.

enemy?

Evil demon?
It seems that Lu Ran has been on the front lines of the battlefield, blocking the enemy.
"Yes." Lu Ran nodded with a solemn expression.

"Heh." Jian Yi suddenly laughed.

That smile truly captivated everyone.

Thanks to the God of Burning, the ancient city was not only packed with people, but also had cameras set up as the grand ceremony approached.

Countless people in the high-rise buildings outside the city are also watching, with some even live-streaming on their phones.

For the first time in their lifetime, people have seen Lord Jianyi's smile.

It's so beautiful it's unbelievable.

She parted her lips slightly and said softly, "You mustn't leave with me."

Lu Ran, who had been feeling heavy-hearted, couldn't help but smile helplessly upon hearing this: "Lord Jianyi, please don't say any more. It's easy to cause panic."

Jian Yi looked into the distance, his expression returning to its usual blank look, gazing at the humble and insignificant creatures at his feet.

I could never seem to care about their existence.

Lu Ran looked down and then knelt down.

Jian Yi's gaze once again fell upon his fingertips.

"Lord Jianyi, thank you for saving my mother's life." Lu Ran placed his hands on her cold nails, knelt down and kowtowed with utmost solemnity.

Jian Yi looked at this terrifying being who was above gods and demons, and also at his humble and grateful manner as he bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you for protecting me and Xiao Yuanxi back then," Lu Ran said in a deep voice.

Unlike the enormous divine sculpture, Lu Ran was very small, and being two hundred and seventy or eighty meters in the air, no one could hear him when he spoke.

"Thank you for your continued help to the Burning Gate, which has saved the lives of our soldiers."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ran's forehead pressed heavily against her cold fingernails.

"Lu Ran".

"exist."

“You are a god, the leader who rules over all the gods, and you should not condescend to such a position before the mortals.”

"It's alright. In our Great Xia Dynasty, there's a saying: 'Respect for the dead is paramount.'"

"Hehe~" Jian Yi chuckled to himself.

She had an unusually large number of smiles today.

Lu Ran's expression became slightly solemn: "It was all as I should have done. I only regret that I am incompetent and unable to repay your kindness to my mother and me."

Jian Yi silently gazed at the young man for a long time, then nodded slightly: "I accept this farewell. It's a little bittersweet, but the feeling is quite interesting."

Go, Lu Ran.

Go and fight for the life you want.

Lu Ran silently stood up and activated a teleportation mirror beside him.

Before stepping into the mirror, he looked up once more and gazed deeply at that cold face.

You head towards the Xiang River region, while I head towards Qin.

Farewell
Lord Jianyi.

(End of this chapter)