The Old Gods

Chapter 923 News from an Old Friend

Lu Ran teleported back to the courtyard of Luo Xian Ju, looked up at the towering divine statue, and finally asked the question that had been bothering him: "Do so-called gods also grow old and die?"

There was no telepathic response in my mind.

Only a gentle breeze rustles through the forest, carrying the sound of leaves.

Risking a scolding, Lu Ran cautiously asked, "Lord Immortal Sheep?"

"What is lifespan?" A deep voice suddenly fell.

Lu Ran opened his mouth, but hesitated for a moment.

For stone sculptures, lifespan is the accumulation and dissipation of vital energy.

The gathering and dispersal of primordial energy?
The Immortal Sheep said calmly, "Even gods and demons cannot escape the trajectory of birth, growth, peak, and decline. If a stone statue exists long enough, absorbing energy will become increasingly difficult."

Lu Ran nodded thoughtfully.

Your subordinates, newly ascended to godhood or demonhood, are yet unaware of this bitterness.

Sour and spicy?

It's hard to imagine that these two words would be used to describe arrogant gods and demons.

A wisp of holy energy descended from the heavens, and the stone sculpture beneath your hands was able to absorb it completely.

[The same wisp of holy energy, if it falls into the hands of gods and demons, might only yield two or three tenths of its power, with the vast majority being wasted.]

As time goes by, the proportion of energy that gods and demons can draw upon will decrease until, at a certain point, they can no longer obtain energy and begin their countdown to death.

Lord Immortal Sheep rarely spoke at such a long pace, and at the end, he added with a cold laugh:
At that time, the amount of energy stored within the gods and demons will determine how long they can remain in their twilight years.

"Gulp." Lu Ran's Adam's apple bobbed.

That's it!

So even though the gods and demons have reached their peak, they are still frantically fighting for the Holy Spirit's energy.

While pondering, Lu Ran suddenly thought of Lord Immortal Sheep.

As Yang Zong said several years ago, it will eventually disappear!
Take everything it just said into account.
"Then, Lord Immortal Sheep, if the gods and demons guard the energy stored within their bodies and never use it again, wouldn't they be able to continue existing indefinitely?" Lu Ran's words carried a hint of hope.

Decline and destruction are irreversible; regardless of whether it is used or not, the energy within the body will gradually dissipate.

Lu Ran silently lowered his head.

Therefore, death is inevitable.

However, for humans, whose lifespan is short, even the "final moments" of gods and demons are far longer than the lives of humans.

Lu Ran was secretly heartbroken when he received another telepathic message:
The power of faith and extreme emotions provided by higher species can flow smoothly into the stone sculpture, making it relatively easier for the gods and demons to absorb.

"A higher species?"

In this world, humanity is the most advanced species.

Lu Ran raised his head and stared blankly at the statue of the Immortal Sheep God.

The power of faith that humans provide through their daily worship of the gods, and the fear, despair, and other emotions that the fifteenth night brings to the demons, are all so unique?

Gods and demons can only extract a small amount of nourishment from all the energy they absorb through cultivation, plunder, and other means.

Everything provided by humans can flow into the bodies of gods and demons without hindrance, and is more easily digested and absorbed.

The Faceless Jade Venerable once told you that gods and demons are nothing but a pack of stray dogs.

"so?"

So, why did the gods and demons, fleeing in panic and wandering through the galaxies, ultimately choose to settle here?

Lu Ran frowned and pondered, "Because humans are a higher species, the faith and emotions they provide can better maintain the fighting power of the gods and demons and prolong their lives?"

[This child is teachable.] It's rare for the immortal sheep to praise him like this.

Lu Ran's emotions were churning.

So, lowly servants are so important to gods and demons, then why do they treat humans this way?

Is it because they've been in a high position for too long and can't bring themselves down?

There must be one reason for that.

Some things are indeed incomprehensible. During the previous team battle, even when the goddess Yue Ling was pushed to that point, she was still sternly reprimanding Lu Ran and ordering him to bow his head and admit his mistake.

But the deeper reason is probably that the human population is large enough that there is no need to cherish them too much.

Come to think of it, the human race's reproductive capacity is undeniable.

Before the gods descend, they can send out demons to slaughter humanity, and then in just a few decades, cause the world's population to explode.

The Great Xia Dynasty is relatively better off, as the official legal marriage age is 18.

In some countries, the couple is often the child themselves when they have a baby.
"Don't linger in the mortal realm for too long. While you rest, the Faceless Jade Venerable is still looking for an opportunity." The Immortal Sheep's tone returned to normal, though it had become much colder.

"Yes!" Lu Ran nodded emphatically.

In this respect, the Faceless Jade Venerable is Lu Ran's rival. The fall of the sixth-rank divine demon Yaoqin-Demon Qin and Immortal Pa-Demon Pa is the best example.

According to Lord Immortal Sheep, the time required for independent cultivation and attainment of a divine position would be extremely long.

Nothing beats the satisfaction of simply robbing someone.

Lu Ran immediately thought of Xiao Yuanxi.

Other gods and demons, such as Beifeng and Yufu, are quite powerful.

The combination of the lantern and the black lantern, a pair of gods and demons, is a true support class, just like the Yaoqin and the Xianpa.

Hmm. We need to hurry up and get my sister a divine position.

Lu Ran thought to himself, then turned to look behind him.

While he was communicating with the gods, the Cloud Sea Dust Clear Sword had already manifested its sword spirit, standing behind him and waiting.

"Mom," Lu Ran said softly.

The illusory Qiao Wanjun, with a faint smile on her face, carefully examined the handsome young man with her eyes, looking at the boy's spirited eyebrows: "Are you alright?" Lu Ran smiled as well.

Others will only focus on his achievements and watch him make great strides.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Lu Ran's smile softened as he looked at the woman's outstretched hand.

He really wanted this hand to be real.

Unfortunately, this is just an illusory sword spirit.

It seems that what I have done is not enough. The current losses of the God and Demon faction are not enough to make them release this peerless disciple of the Sword One.

Qiao Wanjun suddenly asked, "You've achieved such results, why are you sad?"

Since the gods fell one after another, the atmosphere of the end of the world has spread among the people, who were kept in the dark and cried out in despair as if they had lost their parents.

Qiao Wanjun stood alone on Jinghong Peak, gazing at the clear sky and drifting clouds, thinking of the stubborn face of the young man.

No one else had any idea what this list of dead gods at the end of October really meant.

Qiao Wanjun, on the other hand, was someone who had actually been to the Heavenly Battlefield!
She could tell from the fallen divine beings that her own son had slaughtered an entire mountain!
Faced with his mother's question, Lu Ran hesitated to speak.

"Hmm?" Qiao Wanjun raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I want to fight alongside you," Lu Ran said in a deep voice.

"Hehe~" Qiao Wanjun chuckled and gently tapped Lu Ran's brow with her fingertip, but unfortunately, her illusory finger could not actually touch his forehead.

Lu Ran looked directly into the woman's eyes: "It seems I'll have to slaughter a few more sacred mountains."

A ripple appeared in Qiao Wanjun's eyes.

At this moment, the phrase "youthful spirit" seemed to have found its best interpretation.

"By the way," Lu Ran took out the Phoenix Pattern Gourd from his waist and presented it to his mother, "Yuanxi has already merged with the Flower Lantern - Black Lantern Stone Sculpture, and is now moving towards the third level of the Heavenly Realm."

Qiao Wanjun lowered her eyes and looked at the shimmering gourd.

It's hard to imagine that the girl who used to be so playful and coquettish would be associated with terms like "the third level of the Heavenly Realm".

However, under his son's protection, the little guy is about to reach the pinnacle of humanity.

"I will help Xiao Yuanxi obtain a divine position as soon as possible, so that she can become a goddess." Lu Ran patted the chubby magic gourd.

"The lantern, the spear, and the mace are all on the same sacred mountain, and they work together very well. Be careful," Qiao Wanjun finally spoke.

Fourth-class Divine Spear - Sky Spear.

Fifth-Rank God - Cloud Mace.

Both gods are quite powerful, especially Xiaoqiang, who is ranked fourth and deserves special mention.

This is a handsome and valiant male deity statue with sharp features, skilled in wielding a long spear and possessing unparalleled martial arts prowess.

If we say that the winter plum is hailed as the Little Sword One.

Then the Xiaoqiang can be called "Xiaoqiang Xiu".

Just from this nickname alone, one can tell how powerful this deity is; it is definitely not just a showy but ineffective weapon.

"I'll be careful." Lu Ran nodded, then said goodbye, "Mom, I have to go back now."

"Go ahead." Qiao Wanjun stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes carrying a hint of encouragement.

Lu Ran summoned the ancient bronze mirror, then suddenly turned to look at the divine statue: "Immortal Sheep, this disciple will now continue the mission. Is there anything else this disciple needs to be aware of?"

The gods remain silent.

Lu Ran was certain! Since there were no special reminders, he would proceed as usual.

"call!!"

The floor-to-ceiling mirror tore through space and time, and the sword spirit merged into the Cloud Sea Sword.

Lu Ran bowed to the divine statue and strode into the mirror.

Returning to the edge of the world, he slowly raised his head, looking at the dark, cloud-covered sky, feeling a sense of oppression.

Qiao Yuanxi and some of the Burning Gate warriors are still advancing in rank inside the magic gourd. Today, they will first study the battle plan.
【Owner.】

"Huh?" Lu Ran responded subconsciously.

Among the members of the Burning Gate, Yan Shuangzi is almost the only one who can communicate directly with Lu Ran without needing to pray or beg.

After all, Burning Dog can use the Greedy Wolf and Vicious Dog techniques at any time, and is always closely connected with the Great Evil Shadow.

[The Shadow Guards have just sent word that the Wang family uncle and nephew have appeared at Thousand Flower Ridge.]

[Oh?] Lu Ran's heart skipped a beat.

The uncle and nephew had been traveling for almost a month; had they finally arrived at their destination?

[We were just in the human world, and the Shadow Guard couldn't contact us, so they temporarily took the two of us into a house in the valley.]

"Okay, I'll go take a look." Lu Ran summoned the bronze mirror in his hand, then suddenly remembered something.

He searched the garden and found the two stone statues, Tianluan and Liehunniu (Demon): "[My Lady, Bull Head, you two come to the End of the World.]"

The sudden telepathic transmission disturbed the two who were diligently cultivating.

Yes. Guan Yiren's voice is very elegant and pleasant to the ear.

【Alright, Ran-ge, I'm coming right now!】Niu Zhengzheng's voice transmission was no different from his real, hoarse voice.

This address of "Brother Ran" really amused Lu Ran.

The unchanging form of address was, of course, something he insisted on.

I just hope that when we meet later, Niu Zhengzheng will still maintain his rugged and unrestrained style, and not turn into a timid little lamb.

Brothers, one update today. Three updates tomorrow, I'll make up for the missing chapter.

(End of this chapter)