The Old Gods

Chapter 976 The Real Gift

"Brother, let him speak!"

Qiao Yuanxi waved her hand, reminding the human youth who was being executed in her palm.

"Whoosh~" A divine and demonic afterimage emerged from the girl's divine sculpture, quickly creating a celestial body, and then steadily landed on the giant stone hand.

At the same time, Lu Ran also extinguished his soul fire.

The god's screams gradually subsided, but he could not completely shut up and continued to groan in pain.

Yu Fu had a clear and thorough experience of what it felt like to have his soul burned, and when he looked at Lu Ran again, there was even a trace of fear in his eyes.

Lu Ran remained unmoved and said in a deep voice, "Continue."

"Wu Sheng, it was Wu Sheng who ordered me to do it." Yu Fu was still trying to shift the blame, but when he saw the unfriendly look in the human youth's eyes, he hurriedly said, "Qiao Wanjun disobeyed orders, so I followed Wu Sheng's orders and executed Lu Luxing first."

"Dad is dead?" Qiao Yuanxi exclaimed in shock.

Did I just hear that wrong?

Didn't Yu Fu say that Dad isn't dead?

Why the change of heart? Hmm, Yu Fu's original words just now seemed to be "Lu Xing still exists."

"I've collected his spirit, I've kept it safe!" Yu Fu said hastily upon seeing the siblings' reaction.

Qiao Yuanxi pursed her lips tightly, her eyes already slightly red.

"Heh." Lu Ran lowered his head and laughed self-deprecatingly.

I was too naive after all, believing the jade talisman's nonsense.

Yu Fu may not know that the soldiers of the Burning Gate, especially Lu Ran himself, have some knowledge of the mysterious realm of the dead.

At least Lu Ran was absolutely certain that those lingering souls could not exist for very long.

Lu Ran was only 13 years old when his father died.

Lu Ran is now 23 years old.

A whole decade.

No matter what kind of spirit it is, it will all vanish into thin air.
Even a divine soul of the strength of a jade talisman could not possibly survive for ten years, so how could Father still exist?

"I have collected Lu Xing's soul. He must still exist! He must!" Yu Fu's shouts sounded to Lu Ran like those of a desperate gambler.

Lu Ran's voice grew even colder: "Where did you store it? Did you store it in your divine body, turning it into your nourishment?"

"No! I must keep him, I have to keep him!" Yu Fu was so anxious, and his expression and attitude really didn't seem like he was lying.

He spoke incredibly fast: "Lu Xing's death did not make Qiao Wanjun obediently submit; on the contrary, it provoked her to resist even more. She even took action against gods and demons."

The martial arts performer was thoroughly enraged!
He wants to make you both watch you die in front of her, and then he'll personally deal with Qiao Wanjun.

Qiao Yuanxi: !!!

Lu Ran remained silent, his face expressionless.

The fact that the martial arts performer first sent people to attack Qiao Wanjun's husband to force him to submit was already an objective way of threatening Qiao Wanjun's two children.

But clearly, Qiao Wanjun did not give in.

Lu Ran asked himself, if he were forced by gods and demons, would he be willing to give up the grand ambitions of the Ran Clan, give up everything he had worked so hard for, and commit suicide for his family?

That doesn't seem quite right.

After all, no matter how glorious and prosperous the Yunhai Sect was, it could never completely eradicate gods and demons from their roots like the Ranmen Sect.

However, such a judgment is also irresponsible.

Who can be 100% certain that Qiao Wanjun's path is a dead end?
Could such a being, standing at the pinnacle of humanity, harbor any truly small ambitions?

From Qiao Wanjun's perspective, perhaps she, like Lu Ran now, is very close to success.

Since it's hard to explain, let's compare it from a different angle—comrades-in-arms.

Would Lu Ran slaughter the entire Ran Clan to save his family's lives?

Deng Yuxiang, Yu Changsheng, Si Xianxian, Yan Shuangzi.

With just four guardians, Lu Ran was already completely stuck.

Which one would you be willing to hurt?
Besides these four protectors, there are far too many other people in the Burning Gate: the eight great generals, two heavenly emperors, two elders, and those few lovable fellows from his childhood, Deng Yutang, Tian Tian, ​​and Chang Ying.
"My judgment was correct! The decision to collect the souls was the right one, and Jian Yi did indeed make his move!" Yu Fu said eagerly, trying his best to increase his credibility.

"Sword One."

“Yes! Lord Jianyi!” Yu Fu said repeatedly, “Lord Jianyi values ​​Qiao Wanjun highly, and probably has long planned to let her inherit the divine position.”

Jian Yi personally stepped forward to stand up for Qiao Wanjun! He risked confronting the forces led by Wu Sheng to protect Qiao Wanjun.

She brought Qiao Wanjun back to the human world and imprisoned her.

Lu Ran understood.

No wonder Mom treats Jianyi with such respect.

No wonder that during those years in the capital, my mother always took me and my sister to Jian Tian Que City for pilgrimage and worship, begging Jian Da Yi to accept his children as believers.

That being said, although Mother survived and did not personally destroy the power she created, her ending was tragic.

After she left, the Yunhai Sect existed in name only and was constantly suppressed and persecuted by gods and demons.

The once glorious and prosperous sect had hundreds of disciples in the Heavenly Realm, including a large number of the original combat disciples from the 1980s who pioneered the sect.

now
Less than one in ten survives.

Lu Ran traveled all over the Heavenly Realm battlefield and only found a mere five or six former subordinates of Yun Hai.

Now, recalling what Yan Chou said during our first meeting:

“Your mother never abandoned us, nor did she ever give up the fight; she was invited back to the human world.”

please?
This wording is too mild. If it were printed in history books, it would convey the wrong message.

That was coercion, forced removal, or perhaps a desperate measure taken after reaching a dead end.

The viewpoint revealed in Yan Chou's words was completely consistent with that of the other former Yunhai subordinates. When Lu Ran gathered the scattered former Yunhai subordinates in the Heavenly Realm, almost everyone had the same opinion about his mother.

She never stopped fighting.

They have never abandoned us.

This belief, however, was based on the fact that Qiao Wanjun had truly left the Heavenly Realm and that the Cloud Sea Sect was nearly destroyed.

It's hard to imagine just how far Qiao Wanjun went back then.

That's why, in such a cruel ending, he received such a comment.

As a result, every former subordinate of Yunhai whom Lu Ran met was greeted with respect and loyalty.

"I don't know how the martial arts faction allowed Jianyi to do that, or how they negotiated it."

Yu Fu's words were resounding, though it was unclear whether they contained an element of exaggeration: "But I know that Qiao Wanjun may become another side of Jianyi in the future."

It might even become the new Sword One!

"Become Sword One?" Qiao Yuanxi knelt beside Lu Ran, her hands tightly holding Lu Ran's arms, staring blankly at the dying god, listening to the other uttering one shocking word after another.

Yu Fu hurriedly said, "Yes! The reason your mother hasn't become Jian Yi's other side yet is probably because Wu Sheng has been watching her closely, waiting to strike at the crucial moment!"
Your human race has too short a lifespan. In a hundred or two hundred years, Qiao Wanjun will eventually die of old age.
If this continues, Jian Yi will ultimately fail to achieve his goal; the energy he absorbs will decrease, and his strength will diminish day by day.

"Get to the point," Lu Ran said in a deep voice.

Yu Fu hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly said, "I can't be abandoned! Even if there's only the slightest chance that your mother will become Jian Yi, she'll come after me sooner or later!"

So Lu Ran, trust me!
I secretly collected Lu Xing's spirit; it still exists! Wu Sheng doesn't know, no one knows, that I hid the spirit!

"Where is it?" Qiao Yuanxi asked immediately.

This time, however, Yu Fu, who was always forthcoming with his knowledge, did not provide a definitive answer.

He looked at the brother and sister: "I can hand over your father's spirit to you! But you must do one thing for me first!"

Before he could finish speaking, a scream rang out.

Lu Ran toyed with the black mist in his hand, a faint soul fire burning in his palm.

"Burn me, and you'll never get Lu Xing's soul! You... hand me over to the Evil Spear Emperor, and I'll tell you something else!"

"If you hand yourself over to the Evil Spear Emperor, aren't you afraid he'll devour you?"

"No, no! Hand me over to the Evil Spear Emperor, give him my soul, and I'll tell you where your father is... ahhh!"

Qiao Yuanxi's eyes were red, and she raised her little face to look at her brother beside her.

"The soul of the jade talisman can only be in my hands, it cannot be given to anyone else." Lu Ran gently pulled his sister into his arms and said softly.

"Hmm," Qiao Yuanxi responded softly, burying her head in her brother's arms, not interfering with any of his decisions.

She only had one small hand, tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.

Lu Ran lowered his head slightly and gently kissed her hair through the blood crystal mask: "Don't worry, he will tell us. He will tell us everything."

"No! Impossible!" Yu Fu screamed in agony, "You must hand me over to the Evil Spear Emperor. Otherwise, burn me to death, burn me to death!!"

"Heh." Lu Ran chuckled, his soul fire burning continuously. "Remember what you said. Let's see how long you can stay hard."

"It seems you've received the gift I sent you." A deep voice suddenly entered his mind.

"Lord Immortal Sheep?" Lu Ran subconsciously raised his head.

Do you like it?

Lu Ran opened his mouth, only then realizing what the "gift" the Immortal Sheep Lord was talking about actually was.

People are always slow to realize things.

He suddenly remembered that before they killed Yu Fu, Lord Immortal Sheep had given him a special instruction:

Eat carefully.

Be careful.
That’s what it meant.

"Thank you, Immortal Sheep!" Lu Ran said with heartfelt gratitude.

It's too early to express gratitude now.

Lu Ran opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Where do you think your father's spirit might be hidden in the jade talisman?

Lu Ran frowned, looking at the struggling soul in his hand: "Perhaps it has been stored in some magical artifact and hidden somewhere?"

[You also possess magical artifacts that imprison souls. Do you really think a deceased soul can remain for so long? The jade talisman is quite certain that your father's soul still exists.]

“If the magical artifact’s power is insufficient, then it can only be…” Lu Ran paused in his speech.

"Gulp." Lu Ran's Adam's apple bobbed, and he slowly raised his head to look up.

[Hehe.] The fairy sheep's laughter was a little hoarse. [I have nothing to do with this matter.]

"Yes." Lu Ran lowered his head, feeling both embarrassed and guilty.

There are many gods and demons in this world who can imprison and torment the souls of the dead.

But those simple methods are merely superficial applications.

Demons can only find pleasure in this, drawing upon negative emotions such as fear, and then obtaining the energy carried within the soul.

It is definitely not about gaining the power of the dead themselves!
In the true sense, those deities who delve into the realm of the dead, who can utilize souls, and even whose existence is based on such means, are only the Immortal Sheep.
Lu Ran suddenly opened his eyes wide and stood up abruptly:
"The Forgotten Spring?!"

(End of this chapter)