The Old Gods

Chapter 889 Fourth Order! Eight Desolations!
“Lu Lu.” Guan Yiren stared blankly at the young man who was both unfamiliar and familiar.

It was familiar, because Lu Ran's appearance had not changed.

The reason it's unfamiliar is because of its strength. Is such a terrifying pressure something a human should possess?

Also, what's the deal with this little golden dragon carp?

Has he switched allegiance to the Dragon Carp faction?

"Yes, it's me." Lu Ran stepped onto the slope of the cave wall, looking at the pale-faced woman, and said in a gentle tone, "Breathe, Yiren, breathe."

Guan Yiren finally came to her senses and took a deep breath.

Lu Ran didn't look at her again, but sat down against the cave wall.

Admittedly, his very existence is a tremendous oppression to weak creatures, but by no longer looking at her, he can at least alleviate her pressure a little.

"I never expected to meet you here," Guan Yiren said softly.

“Yes.” Lu Ran looked at the still calm water surface in the golden rain. “I thought the gods would no longer send the pride of the Great Xia to Holy Spirit Mountain.”

"Tianjiao" has been running for one and a half terms.

Long before Lu Ran entered Holy Spirit Mountain, the second season of "The Pride of Heaven" had already begun, but it was forcibly stopped by the gods and demons after only a few episodes.

Qiao Yuanxi has three teammates: Guan Yiren, Wang Ling, and Niu Zhengzheng.

Among them, Guan Yiren, a follower of Jianyi, and Wang Ling, a follower of Qiangxiu, were both participants in the second Tianjiao competition.

This also shows just how formidable the team that Mother arranged for Xiao Yuanxi was.

In the vast country of China, only one hundred people are selected for each year's "Tianjiao" competition, and Qiao Yuanxi's team produced two of them.
"Why?" Guan Yiren asked, puzzled.

Lu Ran smiled and shook his head, probably because he had taken too big a step.

Seeing that Lu Ran didn't want to explain, Guan Yiren asked softly, "You're so strong, what level of strength are you at?"

"Above the sea, lies the heavenly realm."

"Heavenly Realm."

“The second level of the Heavenly Realm,” Lu Ran said more specifically, “is also a vast difference from the first level. So you don’t need to feel embarrassed or blame yourself.”

Gods and demons brought with them a strict hierarchical system.

Your misfortunes are none of your business.

Guan Yiren lowered her head, looking at the young man sitting at her feet.

He seems to have not changed at all.

She remains as gentle as ever, just as she was when she was in the human world.

In that instant, Guan Yiren thought of so many things.

Back then, through her family's arrangement and Xiao Yuanxi's connections, she led a team to Yuxiang City to participate in the city's defense on the night of the fifteenth.

At that time, Lu Ran was still participating in "Tianjiao".

The Beijing team did this to increase their exposure and to promote their trainees.

As it turned out, this approach was very successful, and both she and Wang Ling became the second annual "Supreme Pride of Summer".

In that cursed little town, the team experienced one extraordinary event after another.

To this day, she still remembers the scene when Lu Ran saved her from the Evil Spear Emperor's spear at the last moment on that special night when a hundred ghosts paraded and the Demon Lord descended.

Back then, if it weren't for his blade, that Evil Cloud Spear would have already pierced her skull.

A slight ripple stirred in Guan Yiren's heart. She slowly squatted down, her long skirt falling onto the water and gently swaying.

“You adapted very quickly.” Lu Ran turned his head and looked at the woman squatting beside him.

Guan Yiren kept her head down, her mind filled with many thoughts, but she didn't say anything.

"How long have you been at Holy Spirit Mountain?" Lu Ran asked casually.

Guan Yiren shook her head, she couldn't remember anymore.

"Why are you here?" Lu Ran asked again.

Guan Yiren was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The outside world is dirty."

Lu Ran smiled.

He smiled silently and nodded.

If you could only use one word to describe Mount Holy Spirit, then "dirty" would certainly be the most fitting.

Such a filthy place was indeed out of place for this woman dressed in white, elegant and aloof.

Lu Ran sighed softly and said, "I heard you were summoned by Jian Yi to go on a pilgrimage, so I didn't dare to look for you. I thought you were a prodigy and wouldn't be thrown into this sinful place, but I didn't expect this."

Or perhaps, the God Sword One is different from other gods?

Other deities would deliberately avoid sending the first and second generation of geniuses into the mountain to avoid disrupting the order of the mountain realm, but Jian Yi did not care about those and always did things his own way.
Guan Yiren was shocked and turned to look at Lu Ran.

From those words, she deduced an unbelievable piece of information—Lu Ran had returned to the human world?!

Xiao Yuanxi once said that her brother had successfully challenged the Divine Ruins.

According to her investigation, a divine ruin did indeed open on Luoxian Mountain in the first month of 2020.

Guan Yiren absolutely did not believe that any other Immortal Sheep believers were qualified to challenge the Divine Ruins; the only candidate could be this leader of the Great Xia Pride!

However, it was several months later that she obeyed the summons of Master Jian and went on a pilgrimage to Jiantianque City.
"You...you've been back to the human world?"

"Hmm." Lu Ran smiled and then revealed another surprising piece of news, "When I went back that time, I brought many people into the mountains, including your teammates Qiao Yuanxi and Niu Zhengzheng."

Guan Yiren's willow-leaf eyes widened slightly.

Lu Ran added, "Xiao Yuanxi is admiring the Heavenly Pool up there. Do you want to go see her?"

Guan Yiren's thin lips were slightly parted, but she remained silent for a long time.

"Yiren?"

"Okay." Guan Yiren finally responded.

"Let's go~" Lu Ran leaped lightly, and a gorgeous silver-white fish tail suddenly grew from his waist downwards.

Like a drop of water, it merged into the cold water surface.

Guan Yiren gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, and then saw Lu Ran emerge from the water:

"Come on, do you need me to show you around?"

Guan Yiren nodded subconsciously.

"Hold your breath," Lu Ran whispered. As she took a deep breath, he grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her underwater. The fish's tail was very long, longer than Guan Yiren's entire body.

It shimmered with silver light, like an expensive evening gown, and as it gently swayed, it carried her swiftly through the long underwater tunnel.

Although the lake water was clear, Guan Yiren's vision was still blurry.

Aside from the swaying, long fishtail beside her, what she felt most was the large hand holding her wrist.

A certain feeling from the past resurfaced in my mind.

Six unforgettable words resurfaced in my mind:
It originates from emotion, but is restrained by propriety.

Her self-respect and self-love made it impossible for her to ruin a childhood sweetheart relationship or do anything cheap.

In this chaotic world, even if she took that step, it could lead to separation by death.

Not to mention, she didn't even take that step.

It was inevitable that they would drift apart.

Unexpectedly, she met him again in this clear, cold pool of water.

Years later,

Once the pride of the Great Xia Dynasty, he is now like a god.

"puff!"

Lu Ran did as he pleased, with only his head sticking out of the lake, gazing at the distant lakeside: "Yuanxi?"

"Brother!" Qiao Yuanxi hurriedly asked, "Have you found that divine weapon?"

"Found it! Buy one get one free, and we even found someone." Lu Ran smiled as he swam toward the lake.

"A person?" Qiao Yuanxi blinked and, by the moonlight, saw a figure in white reflected in the lake under the brilliant starry sky.

Who is this man?

Wow, what a huge honor! They even had my brother personally escort you. Hmm?
Qiao Yuanxi's eyes narrowed!
As the two reached the shore and stood up, the woman in the white dress tidied her hair, revealing a fair and charming face.

"Sister Yi Yiren?" Qiao Yuanxi asked blankly.

Guan Yiren smiled and nodded.

"Oh! Sister Yiren!" Qiao Yuanxi exclaimed and ran over quickly, not caring that her ankles were soaked by the cold water, and threw herself into Guan Yiren's wet and cold embrace.

Guan Yiren instinctively wrapped her arms around Qiao Yuanxi's back, but in the next moment, she realized a terrible truth.

Xiao Yuanxi, who was once the weakest member of the team, is now at a higher level than me?
Guan Yiren is a third-level expert in the Sea Realm!
He is truly worthy of the title of the pride of the Great Heaven, and even more worthy of the title of a follower of Jianyi.

In the human world, she would be the most supreme being.

Even within Mount Holy Spirit, she is undoubtedly the queen!
She had simply had enough of the scheming and betrayal among her compatriots, and enough of people's humble appearance and fawning faces, which is why she secluded herself in the clear, cold lake.

Guan Yiren never expected to see the adorable little Yuanxi again in this filthy Holy Spirit Mountain.
The opponent has reached the peak of the Sea Realm!

No matter how high Lu Ran's strength level was, Guan Yiren could convince herself otherwise.

But what about Xiao Yuanxi?
How on earth did she do it?
"Sister Yiren, I miss you so much." Qiao Yuanxi tiptoed and buried her face in Guan Yiren's neck, rubbing her cheek against hers.

"Mmm." Guan Yiren gently patted the girl's back.

Her deep-seated belief in Jianyi makes it difficult for her to say much in most situations.

Lu Ran smiled as he watched this scene, then turned and flew into the sky.

He gently gripped the hilt of the sword, not intending to disturb the other party until the Eight Desolations Blade spoke.

However, a telepathic message entered Lu Ran's mind: "That little bit."

Lu Ran paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Silver Moon Pattern?"

"That little spot before the ripples spread." The Eight Desolate Blades responded in a deep voice.

Lu Ran's heart stirred slightly, and he raised his finger to the sky.

With a surge of intense energy, moonlight gathered at his fingertips, and he made a point in the air.

"Boom~"

It was as if time and space had been punctured, and then circles of poignant moonlight rippled outwards.

"Buzz!" The Eight Desolate Blade trembled violently.

Lu Ran pondered for a moment, then guessed, "You want the tip of your knife to be like my fingertip?"

The ripples that followed clearly failed to catch the eye of the Eight Desolations Annihilation Blade.

It was this seemingly insignificant dot that gave the Eight Desolate Blades a tremendous inspiration!
The Eight Desolate Blades were born to destroy everything.

It had no intention of piercing the evil god's stone body through the wounds inflicted by others.

That's a disgrace!

The annihilation of all eight directions should be the most destructive force.

It wanted to concentrate all its power at the tip of the blade, to forcefully pierce the powerful body of the god-demon, to...
At the lakeside.

Guan Yiren looked up at the beautiful crescent moon patterns spreading across the night sky.

The young man wielding a sword beneath the moon's crescent moon still looked heroic, but he was also enveloped in a layer of ethereal light, exuding a touch of otherworldly charm.

Cold and desolate, yet unattainable.

"What is that?" Guan Yiren murmured softly.

"The Eight Desolate Blades, my brother is currently comprehending the domain with this divine weapon." Qiao Yuanxi misunderstood. By now, she had taken Lu Ran's ability to use countless techniques for granted.

"By the way, the Eight Desolations Blade is already a third-tier divine weapon~" Qiao Yuanxi looked extremely proud, as if she had cultivated the blade herself.

Third level?

Guan Yiren listened to the niche vocabulary and looked up silently.

"If you advance to the next level, then...?" Qiao Yuanxi suddenly blinked.

In the starry sky, clouds gradually gathered.

A thin mist was faintly spreading across the clear lake surface.

Under the starry sky, atop the mountain.

A young man held a divine weapon, the blade of which trembled violently.

"Boom!!!"

(End of this chapter)