The Old Gods

Is this the fifth son of the Zhang family, Chapter 868?

Who is he?
Are you a follower of the Fairy Sheep?
Qingying quickly composed herself and pondered silently. Among all the disciples of the gods and demons, there were not many who could reach this level of speed.

Combined with the sound of bursts of mist being sprayed, a jaw-dropping answer emerged.

This person is a disciple of the Ninth-Rank God, Immortal Sheep!
Cheng Xin?

No, how could it be Senior Cheng?

Judging from the mysterious person's voice, he was clearly a young man.
Qingying held the magical artifact, the Listening Umbrella, tightly in one hand, while wrapping her other arm around the invisible young man.

"Snapped!"

Unexpectedly, an equally invisible ribbon precisely wrapped around the woman's wrist, pulling her hand away and preventing her from touching her owner.

Very domineering.

Her owner had his arm around her waist, which was acceptable.

She wanted to touch him, but no!
Qingying naturally realized that what was blocking her was a magical artifact, and it was well hidden.

She was clearly in contact with this magical artifact, yet she couldn't sense its presence at all.

Since she was convinced that the mysterious young man was a follower of the Celestial Sheep, she did not regard the invisibility technique as a divine magic, but rather as the effect of some kind of magical artifact.

Qingying's expression was complicated as she bit her lower lip.

I really don't know just how powerful this mysterious member of the clan is.

Just as her thoughts were churning, she suddenly felt herself flying backward. She immediately opened her oil-paper umbrella, adjusted her body, and landed firmly on the ground.

"Whoo~~~"

In the thick fog, Qingying slid backwards, stirring up layers of gray mist.

"Hello?" she called out, looking around.

"Boom!"

In the far distance of the sky, the terrifying sounds of gods clashing could be heard.

The deafening crash only served to highlight the utter stillness of the place where she stood.

"Thank you for your help. May I see you?" Qingying asked, still holding her oil-paper umbrella.

The surroundings remained deathly silent.

The mysterious young man seems to have left?
Qingying waited patiently for a long time before speaking softly, "Are you a disciple of the Immortal Sheep Sect? I have a past connection with Senior Cheng Xin of your sect; we fought side by side before."

"Huh?" The sudden exclamation startled Qingying.

Actually, Lu Ran was also startled!
After abandoning Qingying, he immediately returned to the front line and devoured the souls of the dead.

Just now, Lu Ran was almost caught in the crossfire and instinctively teleported to avoid it.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he returned, he heard Qingying reveal this information.

Grandpa Cheng Xin?

The fifth son of the Cheng family who has been missing for decades?

"My benefactor?" Qingying looked in the direction the voice came from.

"Wait for me here."

The mysterious young man left behind a sentence and then fell silent.

Qingying hesitated for a moment, then stood silently in place, gazing southward.

The third heaven was already shrouded in darkness.

So far away, she couldn't even see the most iconic sacred mountain; she could only hear the sounds.

Qingying habitually bit her lower lip, constantly recalling the few words the mysterious young man had said.

Don't give up.

Wait for me here.

The first sentence was a gentle whisper, while the second sentence was much more serious and sounded a little domineering.

This doesn't seem like the style of a disciple of the Immortal Sheep.

So, the mysterious "young man" is also a senior figure, a first-generation disciple like Senior Cheng Xin, just with a very young voice?
That's right. Apart from the first generation of disciples, how could anyone from the Immortal Sheep Sect possibly enter the Heavenly Realm?

Or perhaps, he really is very young.

However, his fate was similar to his own; he was also once a disciple of a first-class deity, but was later forced to switch to another sect.

Qingying's mind was in turmoil.

Holding the oil-paper umbrella in both hands, she imagined countless images of the mysterious man in her mind.

He constantly shifted between a handsome young man and a wise, white-bearded old man.

Qingying never expected that this wait would last until the end of the battle.

Lu Ran hadn't expected that even with a pair of first-class gods and demons, the Faceless Jade Venerable could still suppress the god and demon camp!
Moreover, despite clearly having the upper hand, the Faceless Jade Venerable actually retreated.

Could it be that if this drags on, other gods and demons will come to our aid?
This was no longer within Lu Ran's considerations; he had eaten enough, and his head was buzzing.

【Young Master!! I love you to death!!】

"Shut up!" Lu Ran snapped.

Eating won't shut you up.

Even advancing in the competition won't shut you up?

Yes, the Mad Immortal Stone Sculpture has already begun to tremble, taking a significant step towards the third stage of the Heavenly Realm.

After just one trip to the front lines, encountering a great battle between gods, demons, and foreign enemies, Lu Ran ate his fill!
This is far better than waiting around near the sacred mountain in the first and second heavens.

What's even more wonderful is that four gods are participating in this battle!

The martial arts performers, the female lead, the female warrior, and the faceless jade master all possess the ability to directly absorb the souls of the dead!
Whose fault is it that so many resources are missing on the battlefield?

You two can just guess each other's answers~
I'm just packing my bags and leaving!
At this moment, both the stone sculptures of Xianmo and Fengxian in the sculpture garden were advancing. Lu Ran was in poor condition and dared not be careless, so he teleported back immediately.

Qingying had completely adjusted her state and finally sensed the faint fluctuations of divine power.

She tentatively asked, "Senior?"

Lu Ran: "."

"May I ask your honorable name, senior?" Qingying inquired.

"And you?" Lu Ran asked in return.

"My surname is Hua, and my given name is Qingying," Hua Qingying replied immediately.

What is your surname, Hua?

It's rare.

However, Lu Ran was not surprised. There are many famous people like Hua Mulan and Hua Rong.

Lu Ran may not be good at much else, but he listens to a lot of storytelling. Back in the mortal realm, he used to fall asleep to this kind of thing.
"Hua Qingying, what a beautiful name~" Lu Ran murmured. Hua Qingying's heart fluttered slightly.

Both their voice and tone sounded like a young person, showing no signs of old age.

"Oh, right!" Lu Ran added, "You said you fought alongside Cheng Xin?"

"Yes."

"Where is Cheng Xin? Is he also in the Third Heaven?" Lu Ran asked.

"Senior Cheng is on the front lines! He should be permanently stationed at Blood Dust Divine Mountain in the southwest."

Hua Qingying was very puzzled. Was the reason for bringing up the Immortal Sheep disciple in order to change the situation?

But this mysterious person doesn't know anything about his fellow disciples?

"Blood Dust Divine Mountain." Lu Ran understood and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Grandpa Cheng is not dead!
It turns out that the long-lost fifth son of the Cheng family had been under the command of Lord Xianyang all along.

You heartless sheep!
Why don't you just tell Cheng Yi and Cheng Li directly? Why make those two old men worry for so many years?

Blood Dust Divine Mountain
This is the sacred mountain where Lord Immortal Sheep resides!

When Lu Ran was exploring the first level of heaven, he never went to such remote places.

He had no reason to go there intentionally, and it was impossible for him to live in seclusion near Blood Dust Divine Mountain.

Trying to steal food from its own divine sheep master?

Is Lu Ran even a human being?
Most importantly, according to Huangfu Zhao, in addition to the Dust Shadow Flower - Mirror Demon minions residing on that mountain, the Blood Skull Clan also appears there.

Blood skull!
These kinds of evil spirits are the fundamental reason why Lu Ran stayed away from Blood Dust Divine Mountain.

However, Huangfu Zhao's wording was unusual. The Blood Skull Clan was not a permanent garrison; their terrifying fighting power meant they spent most of their time wandering outside.

Other demons and monsters were gathering holy energy everywhere, avoiding the Faceless Jade Venerable like the plague.

Blood skull is different!

Carrying a blood-stained knife, he travels the world "enforcing the law".

"Senior?" Hua Qingying called softly.

"Hmm," Lu Ran replied casually, sounding somewhat absent-minded.

In the past, he would have already figured many things out, but now his mind was buzzing and he was having difficulty thinking.

In the first level of heaven, there is no concept of a "front line".

As for the second heaven, Lu Ran was still unclear about it, and Huangfu Zhao only knew the general situation of the first heaven.

But within this third realm, Lu Ran received a piece of information: Blood Dust Divine Mountain was the front line.

Is it the same as the sacred mountain guarded by the goddess Nüying in front of us?

strange!
Why does the Faceless Jade Venerable run rampant without restraint in the First Heaven and the Second Heaven?

How come there's a "front line" in the highest heavens?

Lu Ran followed Hua Qingying all the way here and found the road peaceful; the fighting was mainly concentrated on the defensive lines.
"Uh." Lu Ran held his forehead with one hand and rubbed his temples.

My little head is buzzing!
"Senior, are you injured? You can come back to Huaqing Divine Mountain with me. The Crying Willow Clan has healing techniques."

Eighth-Rank Evil God - Crying Willow.

The deity Rain Master is two sides of the same coin, but it is not the image of a willow tree. Rather, it is more like the willow branch that Rain Master holds in his hand when he performs sacrifices and prays for rain.

The Crying Willow does indeed have healing techniques, but as for its effectiveness... well, it's hard to describe.

The "Huaqing Sacred Mountain" that Hua Qingying mentioned is probably the sacred mountain she guards.

“Go back?” Lu Ran snorted. “The ten green lamps you brought have all been destroyed. You haven’t completed the task assigned by the gods. If you go back, you’ll probably be insulted again.”

Hua Qingying gripped the umbrella handle tightly.

She realized that this mysterious senior knew many things!
He didn't use the word "punishment," but rather "insult."

Did this person see the scene of being trampled underfoot by Master Chenghua and tortured to the point of vomiting blood?
"Don't go back. From now on, you'll stay with me."

Lu Ran rubbed his temples, looking quite troubled.

From the moment he offered his help, there was no way he would let the woman go back.

There is a risk of exposure!

"Sigh," Lu Ran sighed inwardly.

With the great task of slaying the demon within reach, I shouldn't cause any unnecessary trouble.

But how could I remain indifferent to the dying struggle of such a fellow human?

"Follow you?" Hua Qingying was a little confused.

“Yes, follow me.” Lu Ran closed his eyes, his brows furrowed. “There’s a great battle between gods here, so it’s fitting that you die in this battle.”

Hua Qingying was even more confused.

What does that mean? Are you faking your death?
Gods and human believers are bound by a contract, so there's no possibility of faking death unless the contract is severed. Hmm?
A huge wave of emotion surged through Hua Qingying's heart, as if she realized what the other party was about to do.

"Senior, you are unaware!" Hua Qingying said anxiously, "Qingying...Qingying cannot leave the Chenghua faction."

"why?"

"I...I..." Hua Qingying opened her mouth, but hesitated for a moment.

Lu Ran finally opened his eyes, looked at the helpless woman, and suddenly said, "They say your appearance reflects your heart."

You are so dignified and serene; you must be a person with sound values ​​and a strong sense of gratitude.

Hua Qingying: ? ? ?

She was completely dumbfounded.

They gradually came to realize that the mysterious person who had been hiding was a young man.

In this dark and oppressive celestial battlefield, she hadn't heard such vivid and lively words in a very long time.

"I'm telling you straight up, I'm going to use this to blackmail you for something in return!" Lu Ran said directly. "Don't bother offering any more gifts or anything like that from now on."

"I'll teach you the techniques of the 'braiding' school."

Hua Qingying's eyes widened: !!
After a long while, she said in a trembling voice, "Senior, who exactly are you? Are you a senior?"

Now it was Lu Ran's turn to be dumbfounded.

He had anticipated that Hua Qingying would ask all sorts of questions, so he had prepared plastic bags.

As a result, you...
The previous sentence was packed with information, but all you're interested in is my age?
good good!
I've been pretending my whole life, and you're the first person who's made me put the plastic bag back in my pocket!
Lu Ran rubbed his temples, muttering in dissatisfaction, "Sure, I'm fine with anything~"

Hua Qingying: "."

(End of this chapter)