The Old Gods

Chapter 819 Holding Back a Plan?
Lu Ran was overjoyed!

Has Xiao Ruyi started her advancement mode? She's heading straight for the Celestial Realm!
He dared not delay and immediately carried Jiang Ruyi to the secluded training room. He then hurriedly withdrew, afraid of disturbing her advancement.

After returning to his bedroom, Lu Ran was secretly pleased for a while before entering his mental world.

"A great nightmare!"

"Hmm?" Deng Yuxiang raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked at the tiny human so close to her. "What's wrong? Why are you so happy?"

Being inside the sculpture park was no different from being locked in a dark room; she was completely unaware of what was happening outside.

"Ruyi is advancing to the Heavenly Realm," Lu Ran said with a grin.

"Oh." Deng Yuxiang also smiled slightly, not finding it surprising.

She was least worried about Jiang Ruyi, and even believed that among the people of the Burning Gate, Jiang Ruyi's Dao heart was the purest.

It contains absolutely no impurities.

Jiang Ruyi didn't need to consider anything else; her path forward was crystal clear and unique.

The higher Lu Ran stands, the better, because Jiang Ruyi will eventually be led to the heights he has reached.

"Let's go, shall I help you create a physical body?" Lu Ran suggested.

Deng Yuxiang tilted his head slightly, gesturing to the area behind him: "Conglong has something to say to you."

"Mr. Long?" Lu Ran flew towards the third row.

"Sect Master!" Yu Changsheng said succinctly, "While you're back at the mountain, I'll try having the stone statue stand in the sea to see how much energy it consumes."

"Hmm, that's fine." Lu Ran thought for a moment, then left the sculpture park.

In the next instant, he appeared beyond the edge of the sky, and as he plummeted into the sea, a magnificent silver-white fish tail grew from his waist, enveloping his legs.

With a splash, waves sprayed everywhere!

Lu Ran descended two or three hundred meters before hovering in a dark expanse of sea, slowly raising his right hand.

"call!!"

With terrifying energy fluctuations, a massive stone sculpture was rapidly assembled.

Lu Ran covered his face with one hand, letting the turbulent current push him backward.

"Mr. Conglong?" Lu Ran tried to transmit his voice.

"Sect Master, please wait a moment." Yu Changsheng's words were imprinted in his mind.

Although Longshi was indeed removed from the sculpture park, the two sides were still able to communicate.

Lu Ran nodded secretly, which was consistent with his past experiences. Every time he asked the stone sculpture to leave the garden and merge with the soldiers of the Ran Clan, Lu Ran could clearly give the stone sculpture orders.

He pondered for a moment, and a surge of energy coursed through his right hand.

"Pop~" A small black carp quietly appeared, its mouth opening and closing, spitting out a string of small bubbles.

Very cute.

Lu Ran felt much more at ease!

Not only can he transmit sound, but he can also continue to use the techniques related to dragon stone sculpture.

But here's the problem: hasn't Conglong already left the sculpture park?
Every time Lu Ran casts a divine or evil spell, he must be closely connected to the false god stone sculpture in the garden in order to cast the spell.

From this perspective...
Although he had indeed left Longshi Sculpture, Lu Ran clearly sensed that the two were still closely connected through that mysterious sculpture garden!
Therefore, the sculpture garden is the medium for everything!

It originated from the stone sculpture of Longshi and is deeply rooted in Lu Ran's mind.

"Hmm." Lu Ran nodded secretly, then suddenly a thought struck him.

If I were to return to the human world at this moment, would I still be able to communicate with the Dragon Stone Sculpture through telepathy and cast spells smoothly?

We should give it a try.

As Lu Ran was pondering, he received another telepathic message from Yu Changsheng: "Sect Master, the situation is good."

【oh? 】

"As my body takes shape and stabilizes, it consumes less of my primordial energy." Yu Changsheng's face lit up with joy.

This made it possible for him to implement the next step of his plan!
"Okay." Lu Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

If the stone sculpture continues to consume a huge amount of primordial energy during its existence, that would be a terrible tragedy.
Who can afford it?

"Sect Master, are you still able to use my techniques?"

"Yes, I just tested it." Lu Ran then explained his understanding of the relationship between the sculpture garden and the stone sculptures.

After a moment's thought, Yu Changsheng slowly said, "[This subordinate dares to ask, but I would like to discuss something with the Sect Master.]"

"Why bother, Mr. Long? Just tell me." Lu Ran said, somewhat puzzled.

"In my opinion, Sect Master should still keep a backup plan," Yu Changsheng said solemnly.

Keep something in reserve?
Lu Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.

The sect leader treated people with sincerity and compassion for his subordinates. He generously gifted stone sculptures to those he recognized as followers. Yu Changsheng spoke slowly, seemingly organizing his thoughts. "But in the future, no one can guarantee that no unexpected events will occur."

Lu Ran remained silent, waiting for what was to come.

[Actually, I know you just used my technique. You can do whatever you want as long as I don't interfere, but if...]

【What if?】

"Sect Leader, why don't you try again and see if you can use my technique?"

Lu Ran immediately summoned the little black carp.

What happened next made him frown deeply.

He felt an unprecedented obstacle, and the little ink carp did not appear in his palm.

Yu Changsheng said in a deep voice: "I am not a stone sculpture born in the sculpture garden. Your previous prohibition against me casting spells was essentially an order to the stone sculpture, thereby forcibly restricting me."

The stone sculpture is no longer there; I have completely replaced it.

I am intelligent, have my own thoughts, and can make my own decisions.

Lu Ran silently looked at his palm, but the little black carp still hadn't appeared.

[Your subordinate knows that the soldiers of Ranmen are all loyal to you and do not believe that anyone would dare to disobey your orders, but]

"I understand," Lu Ran said in a low voice.

Yu Changsheng decisively skipped over this point and said, "Also, perhaps the stone statue is too far away from the sect master, so you cannot cast spells."

Perhaps a certain false god stone sculpture will be severely injured or killed in battle, and you will no longer be able to use its techniques.

Yu Changsheng did save face for his colleagues by not mentioning that they had been turned or anything like that. After all, this not only concerned the colleagues' character but also Lu Ran's judgment in choosing people and his ability to manage subordinates.

【Hmm.】Lu Ran nodded slightly. Regardless of subjective or objective factors, he should find a substitute for the core technique.

So, what are your core techniques?

Teleportation?
Yan Shuangzi will eventually merge with the Greedy Wolf-Evil Dog stone sculpture and then leave the sculpture park.

Lu Ran wasn't hoping for her to die in battle, but as Yu Changsheng said, he wanted to keep something in reserve!
Therefore, the evil Bloodskull, who possesses the ability to teleport, cannot be given to others.

But is teleportation really that important?

During the past month-long campaign in the Heavenly Realm, I had hardly used this skill.

If you don't even use it, what kind of core technology is that?
Lu Ran pursed his lips, deeply analyzing himself, and finally realized what the most important aspect of his combat system was.

False consciousness!

Enhance the five senses and the ability to collect and process large amounts of information in a short period of time.

Evil!

To maximize one's control over the body, resulting in swift movements and agile reactions.

And power boost!

Yes, these hidden, unassuming techniques are the foundation of everything.

The Blood Skull Evil Technique - Burning Blood Body can enhance physical attributes in all aspects.

The terrifying techniques from the leader of the demons amplify attributes such as speed, agility, and strength to an unparalleled degree.

However, in terms of perception, it ultimately falls short.

Therefore, it seems that I should keep the second-class god-demon mountain lord, Yin Lihu.

At least one of them must be kept.

"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Conglong. I will consider it carefully when I get back," Lu Ran replied solemnly.

He picked up the huge stone fan from the dragon stone sculpture, bowed slightly to Lu Ran, and cupped his hands in greeting.

He then changed the subject: "Sect Leader! How about I stay in this sea area, take root at the bottom of the ocean, and guard the ends of the earth?"

Lu Ran frowned slightly: [Slaying ten powerful sea-realm demons in the Mountain Realm is only equivalent to killing one Heavenly Realm minion in the Heavenly Realm.]

Yu Changsheng then said, "The most urgent task for the sect leader is to cultivate General Luo Shen and Emperor Wu Tian."

Lu Ran: "."

Yu Changsheng advised: "My support playstyle is not the highest priority for the formation of the Burning Gate team."

The physical bodies we summon are essentially proxies. Even if they are injured or die, the loss is only in resources; it will not harm the pseudo-god stone sculpture itself.

Lu Ran remained silent, a sense of guilt rising in his heart.

Despite being the first to advance to the Heavenly Realm, Yu Changsheng is now willing to give way.

From beginning to end, the strategist's every action was motivated by a desire to ignite the gate.

For Lu Ran.

[Sect Master, warriors often advance in rank from the ends of the earth. For example, right now, my true form, this stone statue, stands here, capable of refining a large amount of pure Holy Spirit energy.]

This is true.

The mist that Jiang Ruyi attracted when she advanced to the Heavenly Realm had a radius of eight hundred meters. Although there was no mist in the sea, the energy was real.

Yu Changsheng laughed: "Sect Master, don't forget, the great demons of the Sea Realm are the kings of Holy Spirit Mountain, so it's unlikely that anything unexpected will happen. In the vast sea, there may be demonic minions who have been wandering this realm for decades."

The total amount of resources they contain must be quite astonishing.

[Mr. Conglong.]

"Master, please speak."

Lu Ran solemnly said, "I will find the sacred mountain as soon as possible, plunder the souls of the dead, and train General Luo and Emperor Wu as quickly as possible, then I will come to fetch you."

Yu Changsheng said softly, "Sect Master, I truly believe that catching a certain powerful sea demon would be enough to satisfy our hunger."

Lu Ran smiled silently.

Yu Changsheng also smiled: "Now, many soldiers of the Ranmen have arrived at the fourth and fifth stages of the Sea Realm."

In the coming period, the overall strength of our Burning Gate will experience an unprecedented explosive growth!

Lu Ran wholeheartedly agreed with this.

Yu Changsheng's expression turned solemn: "There will be more and more stone sculptures that need to be nurtured by the sect leader! I believe that the sect leader should prioritize the establishment of teams and choose the order in which the stone sculptures are nurtured."

Once the team is formed, the soldiers can help each other and grow faster; we can't all rely on you, the sect leader, alone.

Lu Ran nodded slightly and said again, "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

Yu Changsheng: [Before some stone sculptures are designated as key training targets, the sect leader can hide them in the mountains and let them venture into the demon's stronghold to grow on their own.]

These words inevitably reminded Lu Ran of Tu Feng.

Perhaps, we could send Tu Tianjiang to Soul Locking Mountain?
The area was shrouded in gray mist, and three or four evil nests were hidden in the mountains. The demons there were generally not very intelligent and were not lacking in the means to devour the souls of the dead.

It would be most appropriate for Tu Feng to grow up there first.

"Sect Master, I will stay here and focus on my cultivation." Yu Changsheng transmitted his voice while holding a stone fan and sending it forward.

"Whoosh!!" A surge of energy erupted.

The enormous stone fan kept changing shape, with pebbles peeling off piece by piece, eventually revealing its original form.

Divine Weapon: A Fan of Misty Rain and Clouds!

Another black command flag, which had also transformed from a large stone artifact, returned to its original form.

Magical artifact: Xuanjia Command Flag!

Lu Ran turned his head and saw Yu Changsheng's marine body, wrapped in two soft, flowing veils, one gold and one black, swimming quickly over and picking up the fan and the command flag respectively.

"Sect Master, let me see you off." Yu Changsheng turned and swam to Lu Ran's side, speaking directly under the protection of the light veil.

"Then I won't disturb Mr. Long's cultivation any longer." Lu Ran gave Yu Changsheng a deep look. "No need to see me off."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ran disappeared without a trace.

In a tranquil sea, only one large and one small figure, one sculpture and one person remain.

(End of this chapter)