The Old Gods

Chapter 969 Gift
Inside the gourd with the phoenix pattern, a goddess statue slowly descends.

Wang Hanchuan suppressed his pounding heart and tried to bow in respect, but found that he couldn't move at all.

Although he was at the Heavenly Realm, being inside a fourth-tier magic artifact not only imprisoned his body, but also disrupted the divine power within him.

Even if the North Wind were dead, or even if the gods were still alive, Wang Hanchuan would not be able to use his divine magic.

"My lord," Wang Hanchuan said in a trembling voice.

Fortunately, this top-tier magical artifact's control over him hadn't reached the point of forbidding him to speak. He could still express respect and obedience through words, giving himself a sliver of hope for survival.

"Whoo~~~"

Her phoenix robe fluttered and danced gracefully.

Jiang Ruyi slowly fell, and the stone robe she wore emitted a faint golden light.

With the aid of the magical artifact, Jiang Ruyi could see through any lie told by any living being in the Heavenly Realm or below.

"What did the North Wind say to you?"

"My lord! The North Wind has ordered me to immediately report to the gods, providing information about the two human women who murdered him."

Jiang Ruyi frowned slightly: "What else did you say?"

"That's all. Beifeng told me to go and report immediately, and to find Lord Jianyi and Lord Qiangxiu."

Jiang Ruyi pondered for a moment and asked, "How many disciples of the Northern Wind Sect like you are there in the Heavenly Realm?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, there were originally three people, but since the North Wind Divine Mountain was attacked by the Faceless Jade Venerable, I am now the only one left."

Jiang Ruyi nodded slightly, then said, "From now on, you will be my servant."

"Yes, sir!" Wang Hanchuan replied crisply and decisively.

He took the initiative to report the matter, hoping to find a glimmer of hope.

Wang Hanchuan had long heard that a mysterious group of humans was slaughtering gods and demons. Now, he had witnessed the death of the gods and heard the last words of Beifeng.

How could he dare to have the slightest thought of resistance towards this group of people?

Wang Hanchuan even harbored a sliver of hope; after all, he was also human, a fellow citizen of the Great Xia Dynasty, and both suffered enslavement and persecution at the hands of gods and demons! So, could it be...?
"唳~~~"

Suddenly, a melodious phoenix cry rang out.

A golden phoenix phantom flew out from within the phoenix robe and landed directly on Wang Hanchuan's brow.

Wang Hanchuan trembled, then his expression twisted, and he couldn't help but groan, "Uh, sir, what's wrong?"

"This Phoenix Soul Imprint will monitor every moment you live. After you die, it will also send your soul into my palm." The goddess statue's voice was icy, filling the entire world.

Wang Hanchuan: !!!

Jiang Ruyi looked at the former leader of Blade Ridge Peak: "If you dare to have even the slightest disloyal or disloyal thought, or even the slightest rebellious idea, you will receive the punishment you deserve."

Wang Hanchuan hurriedly replied, "My lord, I swear to follow you to the death and will never have any disloyal thoughts!"

"Heh." Jiang Ruyi sneered, slowly closing her eyes and connecting with Lu Ran's spirit.

Wang Hanchuan looked pained, but dared not say anything.

He was powerless to struggle and could only be imprisoned, allowing the so-called Phoenix Soul Imprint to be engraved into the depths of his soul.

This tastes awful.

Jiang Ruyi continued to communicate with Lu Ran, during which time one after another violently trembling stone sculptures flew down from above and fell into the "divine power lake" below.

Clearly, Lu Ran was carefully collecting the stone sculptures that had finished devouring the divine souls.

Thanks to Little Blazing Phoenix's advancement to the fourth rank!

If the stone sculptures were still taken into the God and Demon Sculpture Garden as before, Lu Ran would probably become mentally disabled on the spot.

Ranmen did acquire a new magical artifact, the Treasure Bag.

However, that exquisite little purse was only a pitiful first-tier item, and its only function was storage.

Throwing the stone sculptures that are currently undergoing advancement into it is not a safe move. It's hard to say whether the treasure bag can withstand the intense divine power fluctuations caused by so many stone sculptures.

At the special moment when the stone sculpture ascends to godhood, heaven and earth tremble!
The magic bag is very likely to be shattered!

A sudden, piercing scream rang out.

Jiang Ruyi opened her eyes and looked down.

It seems the mark has been made.

Wang Hanchuan was trembling with pain, his expression extremely ugly, with bulging veins on his forehead and his eyeballs protruding as if they were about to jump out of their sockets.

Jiang Ruyi seemed to have already seen through his words of loyalty and was not surprised by this scene.

She said coldly, "It seems you're not as loyal as you claim."

"My lord! I will serve you from now on, please! Ahh... please spare me, spare me!" Wang Hanchuan wailed in agony.

It was an indescribable pain, one he had never experienced before in his life.

My soul felt as if it were being burned by some kind of peculiar flame.

It hurts more than having your heart ripped out with a sharp knife.

It hurts more than being eaten away by thousands of ants!

"My lord, my lord, I beg you, I plead my whole life... I beg, I dare not!"

The dignified peak master of Blade Ridge Peak, and even more so a towering figure in the Heavenly Realm, was now weeping and sniffling, unable to even speak clearly.

The aloof fairy remained unmoved and flew upwards expressionlessly.

Jiang Ruyi could certainly erase the Phoenix Soul mark, but she wouldn't do that. If Wang Hanchuan wanted to escape this extreme torment, he could only save himself.

How to save yourself?

Jiang Ruyi had already told him.

No disloyalty or disloyalty is permitted.

Not even the slightest thought of disobedience is allowed.

Once Wang Hanchuan understands these things, or once he completely submits, he will naturally no longer be punished.

Jiang Ruyi flew out of the gourd. The wind and waves outside had subsided considerably, but they still hadn't stopped, and mist swirled between heaven and earth. Lu Ran held the magic gourd, and with a flash, it landed on her fingertip: [You've engraved your mark?]

"Let him stay inside the gourd for now. Once he's tamed, let Little Phoenix tell you," Jiang Ruyi replied telepathically. She added, "It seems we need to speed things up."

【Um】

This place is very close to the North Wind Mountain; the North Wind might also be sending messages to the believers on Earth.

"It's alright, anyway, we're going to descend to the mortal realm openly and legitimately." Lu Ran gazed at Deng Yuxiang, who was advancing with her divine weapon. "The nightmare will probably last a while longer."

Jiang Ruyi suggested: "Give the Blazing Phoenix Pattern Gourd and the Treasure Bag to Evil Shadow and Huangfu Tianjiang respectively. If any gods or demons attack during the Night-Slaying Blade's advancement, we'll engage in battle directly."

If not, the moment the Night-Slaying Blade advances, you, Evil Shadow, and Huangfu Tian should simultaneously gather all the soldiers, and we should leave as quickly as possible.

[Okay.] Lu Ran readily agreed, his figure flashing.

But he didn't leave. Instead, he landed beside Jiang Ruyi and kissed her fingertips deeply.

Then, the tiny human race disappeared into the wind.

Jiang Ruyi chuckled to herself.

what is this?
award?

She has indeed worked very hard to help Lu Ran, overseeing the overall situation, fighting on the battlefield, offering him advice, and filling in the gaps in his knowledge.

This great battle between gods and demons has come to this day, and he has indeed lived up to expectations, about to lead the Burning Gate to descend upon the mortal realm.

Descending to Earth
Lu Ran has mentioned this matter several times.

And every time it is mentioned, it is accompanied by words like "upright and honorable".

It seems that Lu Ran really looked forward to this day.

They broke into the Holy Spirit Mountain from the human world.

They ascended from the mountain realm to the celestial battlefield.

Then fight their way back down from the heavens to the mortal realm!
When the greatest genius of the Great Xia Dynasty, leading the gods of the Burning Gate, reappeared in the eyes of the world.
That scene, just thinking about it, is truly exhilarating.

Unlike the hypocritical saviors of more than forty years ago, Lu Ran and the generals of the Ran Clan truly want to change the world.

[Shadow, don't move.] Lu Ran flashed into Yan Shuangzi's palm, embedding the small gourd into the shallow lines of her palm. [Once the Night-Slaying Blade advances, immediately store the Nightmare in the gourd.]

"Yes," Yan Shuangzi replied immediately.

"Subdue the Night Demon Blade as soon as possible. Its divine weapon domain is very powerful and will be very useful to us," Lu Ran instructed again.

In Yan Shuangzi's other hand, she was holding the fourth-tier divine weapon sword that Ranmen had seized from the evil god Ye Mei.

Lu Ran directly named it "Night Phantom Blade" and made it clear that he would give the blade to her.

This sword has only one divine weapon domain, which is quite similar to the Nightshade Clan's ultimate move, Night Shadow Thousand Trace.

When the master of the divine weapon wields his sword and strikes down, it will summon a fierce storm, with countless sword marks tearing through the wind, densely packed and spreading forward.

Yan Shuangzi does possess two divine weapons: the Evil Moon Scimitar and the Owl Blade.

However, both are second-tier divine weapons, and despite her hard work, her twin blades haven't shown any signs of advancing in rank.

Judging solely from the intensity of the battlefields Yan Shuangzi participated in and her grand goals, Lu Ran absolutely did not believe that her divine weapon should remain at the second tier.

The only possibility is that, given her current tactical role in the Burning Gate, she really can't focus on the divine weapon anymore.

Come to think of it, Yan Shuangzi devoured the soul of the Greedy Wolf-Evil Dog, and her claws are extremely sharp, making her more suitable for close-quarters combat.

She also carries a top-tier magical artifact, the Demon-Binding Lock, which she uses to bind enemies during battles, so she rarely has the opportunity to train her divine weapon.

Since that's the case, let's just equip her with a top-tier divine weapon, the Night Phantom Blade!

in case the emergency.

Yan Shuangzi holds a very high tactical position within the Burning Gate, and she absolutely cannot be allowed to get into trouble. Giving her as many divine weapons and magical artifacts as possible to protect her is not excessive.

"Yes." Yan Shuangzi gripped the Night Demon Blade, which had long since ceased its struggle.

Lu Ran teleported away, jokingly sending a message: "How about I give the North Wind Blade to Nightmare? Then you two best friends can become a couple again."

Yan Shuangzi then said, "Yu Xiang will be very happy to have the North Wind Blade."

"Yes," Lu Ran sighed.

He personally slays his enemies, makes the divine weapon that originally belonged to the North Wind submit and change its master, and then uses this sword to kill the other colleagues of the North Wind, slaying gods and demons!

This is what it means to settle scores quickly and decisively.

Lu Ran thought to himself, then smiled and shook his head.

Oh, the nightmare!
Meeting me in this life is truly a blessing you've earned through eight lifetimes of good deeds!
After handing the treasure bag to Huangfu Tianjiang, Lu Ran gave him some more detailed instructions.

Among the warriors of the Burning Gate, few could see through the fog, but Huangfu Zhao, who possessed the evil technique "Demon Roc Eyes," was one of them.

In the Great Xia pantheon, the eyes of bird deities are indeed more functional than the pupil techniques of other gods and demons.

Huangfu Zhao also possesses absolute speed, making him the perfect person to carry the treasure bag and summon soldiers.

Having accomplished all this, Lu Ran prayed to the gods:

[Lord Xianyang. 】

【Um? 】

[Disciple has successfully captured North Wind Mountain; North Wind is dead.]

【Good!】The Immortal Sheep raised his voice slightly, seemingly quite satisfied.

Has the cold-hearted sheep turned into the happy sheep?

Lu Ran said in a deep voice: "This disciple will need to stay at the North Wind Divine Mountain for a while longer. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, this disciple will go to the divine mountain where you are as soon as possible."

I will return all the primordial energy scattered by the north wind to you.

Come on over if you're ready, I've prepared a gift for you too.

[A gift?] Lu Ran asked, somewhat puzzled.

[Heh.] The fairy sheep's laughter was somewhat hoarse, carrying a unique chill. [You'll find out when you get here.]

(End of this chapter)