Summit of the Old Gods

"Yin... Hall Master Yin, calling Master Lu by his full name, isn't it... not quite appropriate?" said a Sword Lotus disciple tremblingly beside Yin Tianlong.

Who the hell is this person?

Not to mention this person has saved us twice, just talking about their strength...

This is someone who duels on the peak of the Forbidden City with Master Tufeng!

Do you just call out someone's full name like that?

"Ah!" Yin Tianlong remained dumbfounded, gazing up at the 'rival' in the night sky.

The time before last, Lu Ran was still a person of the River Realm.

The last meeting in the Martial Arts Arena inside the city, Lu Ran had already become a Sea Realm Great Power.

Seeing him again today, Lu Ran could even contend with the Heavenly Realm·Master Tufeng!

Is this right?

Moreover, he... changed his profession, becoming an Evil Demon Disciple and apprenticing under the Jade-faced Snake?

"Master Lu told you to organize people to clean up the battlefield; can't you hear him?" Suddenly, a stern female voice came from the night sky.

A terrifying pressure swept across the sky, crushing towards the city walls.

Inside and outside the city walls, everyone looked up, seeing the City Lord standing in mid-air, holding a Golden Zen Staff.

"Yes!" Yin Tianlong quickly agreed, finally returning to his senses.

"City Lord He!"

"City Lord!" Everyone knelt and bowed their heads.

He Qifeng was undoubtedly the backbone of the Forbidden City, his personal prestige and his standing in the hearts of the city's people was unmatched by anyone.

Seeing the City Lord arrive, everyone noticeably felt more at ease.

[As long as I'm here, it's fine. You go rest; it's unbecoming for people to see you like this.] A voice transmission imprinted in He Qifeng's mind.

Her body still trembled slightly, indeed not suited to appear. Luckily, with everyone bowing their heads, no one dared to look longer at the Forbidden City Master.

He Qifeng turned to look at Lu Ran, wanting to express gratitude but stopped himself.

After all, he said, this city also belongs to him.

The Star-picking Platform invaders outside the city were single-handedly dealt with by Lu Ran; the chaos-causing ones from Wolf Bee Village inside the city were cleaned up with the help of Lu Ran's brought reinforcements from Pear Garden Sect and the city's guards.

If Lu Ran hadn't been there today, the Forbidden City would have been destroyed who knows how many times...

"Sigh." He Qifeng sighed inwardly, gazing at the young man flying around in a rain cloak, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"City Lord!" Just then, Yin Tianlong spoke shakily, "We... we can't perform the Divine Technique anymore."

"Hmm?" He Qifeng was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, City Lord, Lord God won't let us cast spells anymore!"

"No techniques can be used! City Lord, what's happening..."

"Silence." He Qifeng commanded solemnly, and the inside and outside of the wall fell silent immediately.

Her gaze swept down, seeing the real being of wine and meat, and the fat monk nodded to confirm it was true.

He Qifeng's face showed a hint of anger.

Having joined Lu Ran's sect, she was unaware of this, and now hearing such absurd words made her furious!

"Heh." While binding souls, Lu Ran couldn't help but let out a cold snort upon hearing such statements.

He had long noticed that Martial Monk disciples were prohibited from casting spells, being near the city walls.

Does Divine·Monk really want them to die?

Or should it be said that the Monk wants He Qifeng dead, wishing for the complete destruction of the Forbidden City.

It seems that Master Tufeng, acting with the Heavenly Realm's power, was supposed to wipe out the Wuji Peak Sect, but who would have thought that such a powerful being couldn't do the job properly, leaving some residues.

So the Divine gave orders to not allow any followers to cast spells?

Lu Ran understood well; within the Holy Spirit Mountain, the connection between followers and the Divine was extremely weak, could the Divine really distinguish which Martial Monk disciple belonged to the Forbidden City and which belonged to elsewhere?

Even Lu Ran, being among the few who entered the mountain under the Immortal Sheep Sect, was the only one cared about by Lord Immortal Sheep...

Lord Immortal Sheep can only vaguely give Jiang Ruyi the information of a "sea" character.

With so many disciples under a first-class god like the Martial Monk in the mountain...

Apart from the remaining two or three dozen Martial Monk disciples here in the Forbidden City, there must be many more scattered Martial Monk disciples all over the Holy Spirit Mountain.

Could it be that their Divine Technique is forbidden as well?

To annihilate this Forbidden City, Divine·Monk doesn't hesitate to sacrifice... hmm.

Lu Ran's face turned somber.

Yes, when have the gods ever cared about the lives of ants?

A batch dies, then just throw in another batch, continuing to collect Holy Spirit Energy as needed.

To the gods, the ever-proliferating human clan of Da Xia is an inexhaustible and endless resource.

[Qifeng, I've sent the pear garden sect's hall over to guard the city; you gather all martial monk disciples to retreat, do not enter the battlefield yet.]

[Yes!] He Qifeng responded solemnly, immediately giving the orders.

Lu Ran quickly collected the dead souls of the Star Official disciples and hurriedly flew back into the city, absorbing the dead souls of the Greedy Wolf disciples and Poison Bee disciples into the Pupil of the Dead World one by one.

"Buzz!!"

Lu Ran's body stiffened.

In the God Demon Sculpture Garden, the Greedy Wolf's Divine Sculpture of the Sea Realm·Fifth Rank began to tremble and increase rapidly in scale.

Plus, with the still trembling Stone Sculpture of the Martial Monk, it made Lu Ran quite overwhelmed.

He struggled to endure the buzzing in his brain, transmitting his voice: [Evil Shadow, come find me.]

Yan Shuangzi quickly came to Lu Ran's side, looking at his expression, feeling a bit worried.

"Help me store it for now, it'll teleport, don't let it escape." Lu Ran handed over the Magic Artifact·Tear Star Pendant, "Protect me, I'm not fit for combat right now, and don't transmit messages, I can't hear them well."

Yan Shuangzi immediately said, "Master, let's call for more reinforcements; it's been so many days, Jingxian Mountain should have stabilized by now."

"What did you say?" Lu Ran frowned, looking at the woman.

Yan Shuangzi leaned forward, whispering, "Ask Lady Ran to bring people over and take charge of the situation."

Lu Ran's head wasn't very clear, he was half a beat slow, but he still understood: "Hmm, let's return to the mansion first."

With those words, Lu Ran's figure flickered.

Upon returning to the Castle Lord's Mansion, Lu Ran immediately activated the Ashar Divine Skill·Azure Dragon Sea Domain.

Confirmed that within a hundred-meter radius, there were no petty fellows.

Afterwards, he sent a sound transmission to Jiang Ruyi and smoothly activated the Transmission Mirror.

In just over twenty seconds, a group of people flowed out like a stream.

Lady Ran brought along the Nightmare Guardian, Mad Immortal Guardian, Xuan Shuang Guard, and a full four Shadow Guards to protect "His Highness."

"Phew~"

On Si Xianxian's Mad Hammer, flames ignited, lighting up the hall.

Everyone saw Lu Ran sitting on the Taishi chair, his face stiff.

"What happened?" Jiang Ruyi hurriedly stepped forward to inquire.

The Evil Shadow Guardian explained for Lu Ran: "Lady, the Forbidden City is not peaceful..."

As Yan Shuangzi introduced the situation, the room fell into a dead silence.

Jiang Ruyi and Deng Yuxiang's eyes were unexpectedly identical, staring at Lu Ran on the Taishi chair.

You're crazy!

Actually clashing head-on with a Heavenly Realm Power!

Are you tired of living?

Si Xianxian was even more at a loss!

In just five or six days of not seeing you, kid, your abilities have really improved?

Daring to confront even a Martial Monk of the Heavenly Realm... Hmm, truly worthy of our young master!

How impressive~

"S... save the scolding for later." Lu Ran waved his hand, "First help hold the fort at the Forbidden City."

Jiang Ruyi also knew the importance of urgency, and said coldly, "Nightmare, Evil Shadow, you two take the Shadow Guard Team and protect him well. Whether he's in a daze or Soul Binding, not one step away from him."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Jiang Ruyi then said to Lu Ran, "You summon the Wind Emperor, I need to talk to her."

"Alright."

...

For the citizens of the Forbidden City, this night was very trying.

The battle ended rather quickly.

The members of the Zhenyue Hall and Hundred Battles Hall from the Pear Garden Sect, together with the city guards possessing perception techniques, nearly crushed the den of the Wolf Bee Village.

As for the people from the Star-picking Platform, those in the city didn't even see their shadows, dealt with outside the city gates.

Although the battle subsided quickly, anxiety naturally lingered in the city.

The Forbidden City is now a piece of fat meat, anyone might come to take a bite!

It wasn't until daylight that people felt slightly at ease.

The Forbidden City remained under martial law, every household unlocked their doors, and teams of guards patrolled the city employing various perception techniques.

As for Lu Ran...

After the night passed, his Greedy Wolf Stone Sculpture ascended to the Heavenly Realm and finally settled down, making Lu Ran feel much better.

This was his fourth Heavenly Realm Stone Sculpture!

Martial Artist, Dong Ting, Ash, Greedy Wolf.

Perhaps in a few days, Lu Ran would have a fifth Heavenly Realm Stone Sculpture—Martial Monk.

Lu Ran's heart was full of accomplishment!

If... the Big Nightmare's eyes weren't so sharp, he would feel even more comfortable.

"Sister."

"Hmm." In the bedroom, Deng Yuxiang sat in a chair by the window, responding coldly.

"Don't stare at me like that, it's creepy." Lu Ran lay on the bed, murmuring softly.

He'd been emptying his mind, and now that he was clear-headed again, with his perception back, being stared at by Lord Night Charm indeed gave him the creeps.

"Heh." Deng Yuxiang laughed coldly, "More frightening than Tufeng Master?"

Lu Ran: "..."

He paused for a moment, then spoke, "The Shadow Guard Team is here, give me some face."

Deng Yuxiang pursed her lips and eventually swallowed her words.

Lu Ran said softly, "You know, I can't back down."

Deng Yuxiang remained silent for a moment, then changed the subject: "You're awake, has the Stone Sculpture stopped vibrating?"

Lu Ran nodded gently: "The Greedy Wolf Stone Sculpture has stopped, and there's one Martial Monk Stone Sculpture advancing, already at the Sea Realm."

Deng Yuxiang turned to look out the wooden window, seemingly casual: "Do you want me to give your head a massage?"

"Yes!" Lu Ran immediately got up from the bed and quickly came to the Eight Immortals Table.

Deng Yuxiang looked at Lu Ran's expectant face, silently got up and walked behind him, her slender fingers pressing on his temples, gently kneading.

"How's the development of Jingxian Mountain?" Lu Ran sighed in enjoyment, slowly closing his eyes.

"Everything is going well, the sect is already taking shape, and the disciples are all quite disciplined." Deng Yuxiang's tone softened with her gentle fingertips.

"And Mr. Conglong?"

"He returned to Cloud Sea Cliff two days ago to work on his breakthrough."

"You're almost advancing, right? You could try hitching a ride with Mr. Conglong."

"Hmm."

...