The Old Gods

Chapter 996 The Ignition Arrives!

The twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The city of Beifeng was covered in a blanket of white snow, with snowflakes falling gently into the bustling city.

The god North Wind fell on the third day of the twelfth lunar month, nine days ago, yet the ancient city is still crowded with people, a large number of North Wind believers.

Some people came specifically to pay tribute to the North Wind.

People knelt and kowtowed in the direction where the statue of the North Wind God disappeared, sending the deity off on his final journey.

Some people cannot accept Lord Beifeng's death and still harbor a sliver of unrealistic fantasy deep in their hearts.

Deceiving oneself is also a desperate wait for a miracle.

Some people, however, were unwilling to leave their sect. In this darkest of times, only by being among people could they find a sense of security and comfort.

The atmosphere inside the city was terrifyingly oppressive.

Hu Jiaojiao, her face full of worry, was leading a patrol to maintain order in the city.

Nine days ago, on the very day the god fell, she received a special mission from her grandfather, the city lord:

They sheltered the families of their two close friends.

However, after several days of investigation, Hu Jiaojiao was shocked to discover that her former best friend's family members had all disappeared.
One or two people are missing, possibly having perished on the night of the 15th of last month.

But they've all disappeared?

Hu Jiaojiao realized that someone must have gotten there first!

Whether the first to reach the enemy camp were to protect their close friend's family or to carry out a brutal attack remains unknown.

Hu Jiaojiao was very frustrated and returned to Beifeng City two days ago. Unexpectedly, her grandfather was quite optimistic about the matter.

To this day, she still doesn't know what her two best friends did.

The city lord was very secretive and never wanted to reveal too much.

One task was not completed well, and another problem arose.

The night of the fifteenth is almost here!
On the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the gates of the underworld open, and demons and evil spirits come forth.

This is a rhyme that even children know.

For over forty years since the gods descended to earth, evil spirits have invaded every month without fail.

At this time, the strength of the human believers in Northwind City, and even the entire Great Xia Dynasty, had already suffered a devastating blow.

For the vast majority of believers, all that remains is the common technique: Water Armor.

On the night of the fifteenth of the lunar month, people will have to rely on this protective clothing and their own martial arts skills to fight against the invasion of evil spirits.

Thinking back to the fifteenth of last month, the demons invaded the human world like madmen, and the flames of war even spread into the latter half of the eleventh month!
Human tragedies and devastation were rampant throughout the Great Xia.

How many more people will die tragically and how many families will be torn apart this year on the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month?
Is there any hope left for this world?

"Ah! Mount Song, Mount Song, Mount Song, the Vajra Ancient Temple, yes, yes, yes!"

A voice, urgent yet halting, broke the somber atmosphere.

Hu Jiaojiao stopped in her tracks and frowned as she looked at the crowd kneeling on the side of the street.

The speaker was a young man, and judging from his clothing, he must have just arrived in Northwind City.

During this period of social upheaval, transportation in the Great Xia Dynasty was not as smooth as before, making it extremely difficult for people to go anywhere they wanted to.

At this very moment, there should still be former disciples of the North Wind on their way to the Northern Kingdom.

"Vajra Ancient Temple, yes, yes, yes! Ouch!" The young man's face turned red with anger and frustration. He grabbed his phone and slapped himself hard across the face.

I hate my own useless mouth.

"what happened?"

"Tell me! What is it?"

"Shut your dog mouth! Stop yelling!" The street immediately erupted into chaos.

The atmosphere in the city was already oppressive, and people were in low spirits. Some were sad, some were desperate, some were terrified, and some were angry. Any unexpected situation could trigger chaos.

"Silence!" Hu Jiaojiao shouted decisively.

The surroundings immediately fell silent.

Within the human realm, the vast ocean naturally possesses supreme authority.

To Hu Jiaojiao's surprise, just as the streets and alleys on this side quieted down, the streets and alleys in the distance started making noise again.

No, it's not just that one street.

In a very short time, cries of protest arose throughout the city!
"Slap!" Hu Jiaojiao frowned, leaped over the heads of several people, and snatched the young man's phone.

Hu Jiaojiao looked at the screen, then her eyes widened slightly, and she was stunned.

What did you see?
A photo taken from a low angle, depicting a towering female deity.
This stone sculpture, both strange and familiar, is not a deity known to the Great Xia Dynasty.

Moreover, this divine sculpture has a characteristic that no other deity in the Great Xia Dynasty, or even any other deity in the world, possesses—clarity!
She has a neat short haircut and strong facial features, with a high nose bridge and well-defined lips.

His brows exuded a strong air of heroism!
Even looking at photos through a screen can still stir one's heart!

Beneath her striking eyebrows, her bright eyes gazed down upon the masses below.

strangeness,

This is because the goddess statue with its clear features is not among the gods of the Great Xia Dynasty.

It's familiar because...
Isn't this He Qifeng, the second prodigy of the Great Xia Dynasty?!

"He Qifeng?" Hu Jiaojiao, who was maintaining order, couldn't help but join the crowd in exclaiming.

The Second Pride of Great Xia, who doesn't know him?
Yes, this is He Qifeng!
She was already famous throughout the Great Xia Dynasty and was a spiritual pillar for hundreds of millions of people. She was also the only female disciple of the martial monks in the more than forty years since the gods descended to earth.

It is highly legendary.

Now this is what she is.
Hu Jiaojiao's hands trembled slightly. She was incredulous and struggled to process the shocking news. Her fingertips accidentally touched the screen.

As the image shrinks, the comments below immediately come into view.

"Why pray for the wind?"

"Who the hell photoshopped this picture? Are they looking for trouble?"

"The gods are all dead, stop dreaming! The gods are dying in droves, and we will die too, so stop fantasizing!"

"Why make these kinds of pictures? Are you trying to comfort yourself? I'm laughing. If you really want a savior, why don't you Photoshop a picture of a hot dog?"

"Idiot! I reported it, all you do is cause trouble."

"Holy crap!! It's real! This is real!! Mount Song! The Vajra Ancient Temple! A new god has descended upon the world!"

"what???"

"There's a live stream! A new god has descended upon the world, right here at the Vajra Ancient Temple!"

"Are you telling me that He Qifeng, the second prodigy of the Great Xia Dynasty who has been missing for many years, has become a god?"

Hu Jiaojiao was stunned for a while, then quickly exited the post and swiped down to refresh. Sure enough, a bunch of posts that were going viral appeared.

Really?

Is it really true?

"Gulp." Hu Jiaojiao swallowed and clicked on the first post, but there were no pictures of the divine statue. Instead, it seemed to be a post summarizing information.

Hu Jiaojiao was completely stunned!
She just wanted to confirm whether He Qifeng had transformed into a divine statue and descended upon the Vajra Ancient Temple on Mount Song in the Central Plains, but she did not expect to see an even more unbelievable message.

When she clicked on the post, the poster was still frantically updating the content.

It changes almost every few seconds! It continuously summarizes the many divine sculptures that have descended in various places and ancient cities of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The comments below were even more numerous:

"Guangdong! In the ancient city of Liyuan within the Guangzhou-Foshan metropolis, a new god has descended upon the world!"

"Holy crap!!"

"Wow! The ancient city of Hangzhou on the Qiantang River also has lanterns. Look at the photos!"

"Wait a minute, why does that goddess statue in your Flower Lantern Ancient City look so familiar?"

"Shanghai. Thunder City, a new god has arrived in Shanghai! It's a very imposing male deity statue! Quickly revise it, quickly add it to your register!"

"What...what is all this? What are you all talking about? Is all of this true?" "Lord Asha is back! No! A goddess statue with a bow has come to our Qiongya Island. She looks just like Asha!"

"Dragon Carp City! Our Dragon Carp Ancient City has a goddess blessing us too, wait! It seems to be a man?"

"They're here, they're all here."

"Waaaa, Mom, I think I'm going crazy. Am I really crazy? Or is there really hope for this world?"

"Yumen Pass! Lady Luoxian! My God, I saw Luoxian in another post! I saw Ran Gou's fiancée, Jiang Ruyi!"

"What did you say??"

"what???"

Hu Jiaojiao was breathing rapidly, her fingers trembling with excitement.

One person might be deceiving.

However, in a short period of time, news came from all over the Great Xia, accompanied by a large number of pictures of divine statues. Could they be fake?

Suddenly, Hu Jiaojiao's breath hitched.

I felt as if I were shrouded in a shadow.

As a result, the once bustling Northwind City fell silent in an instant.

It's not just Hu Jiaojiao who's shrouded in shadow.
Inside and outside the ancient city, all the people looked up and saw a magnificent divine sculpture that blotted out the sky.

She was 270 to 280 meters tall, wearing a straw hat and a wide raincoat, and carrying a huge broken blade on her back.

Another wisp of light gauze, seemingly made of stone, is soft and flowing, cascading through the goddess statue's long, flowing hair.

"Crack!"

In her excitement, Hu Jiaojiao accidentally crushed her phone.

Just now, she saw amazing news from all over the Great Xia in a small post.

And now, it's the turn of Northwind City, far away in the north!
A new god has arrived!
"Boom!!"

The magnificent divine sculpture slowly descended into the inner city, as if connecting heaven and earth, causing the earth to tremble.

Beneath the wide brim of the conical hat, the goddess statue's sharp eyes gleam.

She slowly lowered her eyes, looking down at the living beings at her feet.

"Crack."

Hu Jiaojiao's pupils contracted sharply, and she crushed the bent phone completely.

She finally saw the face of the goddess sculpture clearly!

That stone surface was majestic and solemn, yet beautiful and bright.

"Yu Yuxiang?" Hu Jiaojiao stood there in a daze, muttering to herself.

Countless people gazed up at the statue of the newly descended goddess, their expressions varied.

Whether it was surprise or fear.

Some people were at a loss and uneasy, while others were excited and full of anticipation.

There were also people like Hu Jiaojiao who already knew Deng Yuxiang, but couldn't react for a moment.

Inside the inner city, a middle-aged woman of unusual status was struck dumb.

Liao Wushuang's face was ashen as he stared blankly at the broken blade behind the goddess statue.

That huge, broken stone knife
Is it the Greatsword that I once cut in half?
Is this woman, who has been turned into a stone statue, the junior who once challenged her?
"God! The divine being has arrived!"

"Northwind City has one too, and we also have a new god to save us."

"That's great, that's great, waaaaah!"

Wherever Deng Yuxiang looked, the crowd suddenly knelt down.

The once silent Northwind City erupted in an astonishing commotion, with cheers and cries of joy filling the air.

Deng Yuxiang did not stop people from venting their emotions.

Her sweeping gaze paused slightly before settling on a spot within the inner city.

There was a very distinctive woman there; although she was middle-aged, her hair was completely white.

"Ah." Liao Wushuang's body trembled violently, her legs shaking and shivering as she backed away.

She looked up at the strange yet familiar statue, as if confirming something.

As the gazes of the human and the god intersected, Liao Wushuang's suspicions were confirmed, and he completely lost all his strength.

"Plop!"
Liao Wushuang knelt on the ground, trembling as she lowered her head, staring wide-eyed at the snow, cold sweat pouring down her forehead.

The junior who once harbored a grudge against him has now taken the place of Lord Beifeng and stands proudly between heaven and earth.

Perhaps, the other party could crush him with just a flick of their finger.

No, not maybe.

It is certain.

The overwhelming power of the gods can be felt by all living beings in this world.

It is in no way inferior to the north wind!

Liao Wushuang trembled under the gaze of the gods.

Unexpectedly, the deity did not stomp down and crush the tiny ant to pieces, but instead slightly raised his hand.

With the back of your hand facing up and your fingertips slightly raised, your palms are facing down.

The deity's sudden action naturally attracted everyone's attention.

The bustling North Wind Ancient City fell silent once again.

People were astonished to discover that on the fingertips of the goddess statue, there appeared a figure as small as the masses of humanity.

He wore a wide white robe, his sleeves and short hair fluttering horizontally in the cold wind.

A ribbon fluttered lightly behind him, dreamlike and ethereal, like a flowing river.

She should have been ethereal and otherworldly, like a banished immortal.

But he was wearing a blood-red mask on his face, with wisps of blood mist slowly flowing inside the crystal-clear blood crystal, both beautiful and eerie.

"Ignite!"

"Is it me? Is it the one I'm thinking of?"

"You saw it, right? You saw him too, it wasn't my imagination, was it?"

"Lu Lu Tianjiao?"

People wanted to recognize him but dared not, after all, the young man's appearance had changed a lot, and the fact that he was standing high in the sky, perched on the fingertips of a god, made it even more difficult for them to recognize him.

"Take it off," the goddess statue said softly, her gentle voice filling the sky.

Lu Ran placed one hand on the blood crystal mask.

He knew what he had to do. In some ways, his appearance and He Qifeng's appearance were even more inspiring and uplifting to the human race than the descent of a god!
In these darkest of times, people need this.

Lu Ran removed his mask and looked at the dense crowd in the city. His gaze then wandered into the modern city outside the ancient city.

On every street, traffic and pedestrians had come to a standstill.

All beings eagerly await.

Amidst the towering skyscrapers, on the rooftops of shelters, and in front of bedroom windows in residential buildings, stand all sorts of figures.

Different people have different faces, yet their faces gradually develop the same expressions.

Lu Ran smiled.

In this cold season of falling frost and snow, his smile seemed so warm.

So radiant.

Great Xia, your Great Xia's Number One Pride
came back.

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(End of this chapter)