The Old Gods

Chapter 993 The King

Tianluan, Zhiluan, Rongxiong.
Lu Ran took out stone sculptures from the sculpture garden, led them to devour the souls, and then threw them into the fiery phoenix-patterned gourd.

"Master!"

“Mr. Conglong?” Lu Ran turned his head and saw Yu Changsheng flying over.

Not long after Longshi had devoured the soul of the dragon carp (Ink Carp), his body was still buzzing and trembling. Now was the time to concentrate on seizing the divine position and ascending to the top.

The other party came all this way, so it must be something very important.

"Sect Master! Jade-Faced Serpent and Martial Artist have led their elite troops to attack. Presumably, there are still divine and demonic guards remaining on Golden Jade Mountain and Pear Garden Mountain. We can seize this opportunity and wipe out this force in one fell swoop!"

Yu Changsheng spoke in a serious tone, and since he was a stone statue, his voice was naturally quite loud.

Many soldiers turned to look, but unfortunately, Lu Ran was enveloped in a dense aura of holy spirit, and they could not see him.

"Hmm," Lu Ran nodded slightly, indicating that there should be garrison troops present.

Among the forces under the Jade-Faced Serpent alone are a group of gods and demons from Bee Elephant Mountain.

The third-tier demon god Poison Flower Bee, the seventh-tier demon god Xuan Black Ape, and even the curse masters and Ghost Moon Fox that Lu Ran had been thinking about, none of them appeared on this battlefield.

It seems they were left to guard the Golden Jade Mountain.

Furthermore, the sacred mountain of the Pear Garden, which is led by martial arts performers, should also have guardian deities and demons.

While pondering, Lu Ran looked westward again, still feeling uneasy.

At this time, the battle at Yanzhishan Mountain was nearing its end.

Both Rongxiong and Tianluan have been beheaded, leaving only Yumianshe struggling in its death throes, entangled with Bai Rao.

Lu Ran pondered for a moment, then connected mentally with his soldiers: "[Nightmare Protector will lead the second team to guard this place, acting as a rearguard for the daytime general. The rest of you follow me.]"

As Lu Ran finished giving the order, Yu Changsheng spoke again: "Sect Master!"

"What is it, sir? Do you think there's something wrong with the arrangements?" Lu Ran looked at his strategist, only to see that the other's face was full of worry.

Yu Changsheng cupped his hands and said, "Sect Master, you should soak in the Holy Spirit Qi and rest well. Lady Rouge told me that if you continue like this, your body won't be able to take it."

Lu Ran: "."

Because Yu Changsheng can speak, everyone around him can hear him.

Qiao Wanjun immediately flew over and said, "I will take Yunhai's old troops with me. You can assign the Evil Shadow Protector to me and let her lead another team."

Yu Changsheng hurriedly chimed in, "The gods and demons who remained to guard the two sacred mountains are not strong overall, and their leaders have all been defeated and killed. We can simply recruit them directly."

Furthermore, you really should work on your physical fitness; this is a rare opportunity.

Good guy~
Lu Ran grinned.

I just let you devour a divine soul, and you haven't even become a god yet, and you're already complaining that I'm only at the second level of the Heavenly Realm?
This was, of course, a joke, and Lu Ran was well aware of his physical condition.

He had just recovered from his illness, but now, after being tormented by the martial arts performer and the fire spirit, he's practically a lump of mud.

"Alright! Evil Shadow, you take him with you." Lu Ran's gaze swept over the soldiers, and he felt a pang of sadness.

Deng Yuxiang and Tu Feng were both severely injured, their bodies covered in scratches and horrific wounds, and they were being healed by Xiao Yuanxi.

Hua Qingying was in an even more miserable state, her body was broken into pieces, and she had even been on the verge of death.

Fortunately, the maid Hongzhu'er of Yanzhiren used the candlelight to continuously heal Huatianjiang and keep her alive, eventually pulling her back from the brink of death.

Otherwise, Hua Qingying's fate would be the same as Wuya's.

As for the other soldiers, they were all injured to varying degrees.

Yan Shuangzi, Huangfu Zhao, and the Leng siblings.
Seeing that Lu Ran suddenly fell silent, Yu Changsheng suggested at the right moment: "We can send soldiers to temporarily replace Lady Nüying in guarding the front line, and let Lady Nüying personally come forward to recruit them. This should be twice as effective with half the effort."

"Mm." Lu Ran nodded.

He kept the three Rebirth Coins containing the souls of Wuya, Xuelu, and Huoshenpo for himself, and gave the remaining few copper coins to his mother and Yan Shuangzi.

Under the strategist's command, both teams were teleported away.

Lu Ran immersed himself in the holy spirit's energy, which nourished his body, while also keeping a close eye on the distant battle.

"Ring ring~ Ring~"

The phoenix crown rustled softly.

Lu Ran turned around and looked up, only to see a huge stone hand descending.

He instinctively tensed up, but then immediately relaxed, letting the paper figure gently hold him.

The paper figure closed its eyes in apparent enjoyment, absorbing the primordial energy, and asked softly, "Sword One, have you joined our faction?"

Although it was a question, she seemed very certain.

On the contrary, Lu Ran dared not make any boasts and replied, "I suppose so. Master Jian likes peace and quiet, so it should be fine for her to remain still."

But getting her to come out of retirement is probably hopeless.

The paper doll said softly, "It would be fine if your mother shared the divine position with Jian Yi."

Lu Ran nodded secretly.

That's one way to do it.

Now that the martial arts faction has been destroyed, they will no longer keep a close eye on Jian Yi's movements, ready to take advantage of any weakness and strike a fatal blow at a crucial moment.

Lu Ran also has the ability to provide a stable environment for his mother and Jian Yi.

"The forces of Wusheng and Jade-Faced Snake have been wiped out, and now only the Evil Spear Emperor in the northwest is left to put up a last-ditch resistance."

"Heh." Lu Ran's smile was somewhat bitter.

The battle just now was so brutal.

The forces in the Northwest are becoming even stronger!

Gun Rot, Evil Gun Emperor, Western Wilderness, Savage Woman, Radiant Sparrow, Nine Nether Sparrow, Thousand Bones, Drought Sea, etc.
The key is that there's also Lie Tian!
There are also divination sticks!

"Why worry, Lu Lang? After this battle, our forces will surely grow stronger, and your soldiers will become the new Wusheng, Jade-faced Snake, and Asha."

As she spoke, a smile appeared on the exquisite face of the paper doll. The words of "despicable" uttered by the martial arts master and other gods and demons still echoed in her ears. Now, these despicable human ants had slaughtered all the gods!

How could the person I have chosen be so lowly?
He rose to prominence with a series of brand-new stone sculptures and was the leader of the gods of the Burning Gate.

He is also someone who will surely stand at the pinnacle of the Three Realms someday in the future!

"The news of the annihilation of the martial arts forces cannot be kept secret. Once the Northwest learns of it, they will surely react." Lu Ran sighed. "There are also first-class gods and demons in other war zones."

The arrival of the Fire Goddess undoubtedly changed the rules.

The best option for the Burning Gate is to charge over there now!

However, the warriors of the Burning Gate were severely injured. It was still possible for them to recruit the weak gods and take over the sacred mountain, but to start such a top-level team battle was simply asking for trouble.

Not only is Ranmen unable to send troops, but it must also be constantly vigilant against the northwestern forces taking advantage of the situation and launching a large-scale invasion.

"Young Master Lu is overthinking it."

"Oh?"

"There's a principle in the Great Xia culture: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.'" The paper-paper figure said softly, "Do you really understand your opponent?"

Lu Ran remained silent, waiting for what was to come.

"Do you know why the Evil Spear Emperor was able to win over the masses and gain the support of a large number of gods and demons?"

"The Evil Gun Emperor?" Lu Ran couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

He suddenly remembered that when he burned the Jade Talisman's soul before, the Jade Talisman had made a condition that Lu Ran should first hand over his soul to the Evil Spear Emperor.

Lu Ran once asked Yu Fu: Aren't you afraid of being swallowed by the Evil Spear Emperor?
Yu Fu didn't seem worried.

The paper-paper figure sighed softly, "The Evil Spear Emperor is not only powerful, but also a true king."

"King?"

"Yes, the Evil Gun Emperor, like you, has many excellent qualities that a leader should possess, but like you, he also has his own inherent flaws."

"For example?"

The paper doll held Lu Ran in its hands and murmured, "You are a very pure being. Your heart is soft and you are easily taken advantage of."

Lu Ran rolled his eyes and said irritably, "I was asking about the Evil Gun Emperor."

"Hehe~" The paper-cut figure smiled gently, "He is a proud king."

Lu Ran grinned and said, "Among all these gods and demons, which one isn't proud? Aren't martial artists proud?"

The woman in the rouge still had a smile on her face, but it had changed slightly, as if she were being sarcastic: "Fawning on superiors and bullying inferiors, what pride do you have? You don't know Wu Sheng's past, you haven't seen his true colors."

However, since you witnessed him summoning the Fire Goddess, you should be able to imagine the humiliating conditions he agreed to and the amount he sacrificed.

Can you even imagine his ugly, subservient appearance?

"I see." Lu Ran said thoughtfully.

“The Evil Spear Emperor is different; he would never humiliately request reinforcements,” the Paper Man sighed softly. “Given his pride, he probably wouldn’t even allow gods and demons from outside the Great Xia to interfere in matters within his sphere of influence.”

"Huh?" Lu Ran was quite surprised.

He had long since dispelled the mystique surrounding the gods and had witnessed their ugly faces.

Unexpectedly, the one that actually looked quite presentable was not a god, but an evil god.
"Where's the gun?" Lu Ran suddenly asked.

The paper-man shook his head: "That old thing is very eccentric, his ambition is not to become king, and he likes things outside. That's why Gun Xiu and Evil Gun Emperor can work together."

However, the supreme leader of the Northwest forces must be the Evil Spear Emperor, so Lu Lang shouldn't need to worry about outsiders intervening in the Northwest forces.

"Yes, thank you," Lu Ran said sincerely.

The paper doll slowly closed her palm, as if to forever embed the insignificant human race into the lines of her hand: "Why should you thank me?"

"I...I understand. Open your arms, I'm watching," Lu Ran quickly said.

The paper figure kept its hands closed for a full three or four seconds before slowly opening them.

Lu Ran gazed at the tireless white-scaled python in the distant sky and gradually fell into deep thought.

Today is the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the fifteenth is just around the corner.

The warriors of the Burning Gate need to rest. Wu Xiao, Luo Ying, Yu Changsheng, Jiang Ruyi, and others will need two or three days before they can transform into gods.

His father, Lu Xing, had no idea when he would be able to revive.

Since the Evil Gun Emperor is such a leader...
Could the Burning Gate send an envoy to try and negotiate with them?
Let's at least let the world get through this fifteenth night in peace.

In addition, only the Evil Spear Emperor and Lu Ran remain in the Great Xia territory.

Could we make some tactical adjustments to target the Evil Gun Emperor's characteristics?

【Owner! 】

"Speak!" Lu Ran quickly responded.

When we arrived at Golden Jade Mountain, we didn't see any gods or demons, only their henchmen resisting. The mountain was about to be destroyed, but we just managed to defend it.

Lu Ran frowned slightly: "[Let's occupy it. It's located in the very center of the Heavenly Realm battlefield, and it's close to Sword One Divine Mountain, making it convenient for support.]"

The gods and demons who were supposed to be guarding the Golden Jade Mountain have actually run away?

Indeed, with the sorcerer Ghost Moon Fox around, disasters will always be one step behind them.

"Huangfu Tianjiang, how's it going at Liyuan Shenshan?" Lu Ran asked in turn.

【Young Master, please wait a moment. Your subordinate is currently speaking with the Faceless Jade Venerable】 Huangfu Zhao fell silent before he could finish speaking.

Lu Ran was immediately startled!
Just as he hesitated about which of his former subordinates from the Cloud Sea to contact again, Huangfu Zhao's voice transmission resumed: "Young Master, the Faceless Jade Venerable has retreated. Sect Leader Qiao said not to pursue a cornered enemy, and he has led us to withdraw."

"How is the situation?" Lu Ran asked hurriedly.

Huangfu Zhao said solemnly, "We are all fine. The Faceless Jade Venerable has no intention of fighting, but there are many casualties at Pear Garden Divine Mountain and many more in the mist."

Taking advantage of the weakened defenses of the sacred mountain, the Faceless Jade Venerable slaughtered many gods and demons.

(End of this chapter)