Summit of the Old Gods

"So sinister, truly sinister..."

Within the fog-shrouded Soul-locking Mountain, Lu Ran gazed at the lifeless "Niu" beneath him, muttering continuously.

He hadn't walked far, having slain a few Prison Sky Demons, presumably still within the Prison Sky Clan's territory, and already bumped into an old friend—the Soul-splitting Demon.

The Soul-splitting Demon Clan, with their bull heads and human bodies, had indeed been a great help in propelling Lu Ran's career!

Whenever Lu Ran interrogated the dead, extracting information, he would employ the Evil Technique of the Soul Prison and Soul Fire belonging to this clan.

No matter how strong-willed a man was, he couldn't endure the ghostly Soul Fire for more than a few seconds.

Lu Ran's interrogation work was always effective, thanks to the excessively cruel Evil Technique of the Soul-splitting Demon Clan!

"Loo..."

Suddenly, Lu Ran heard the whinny of a horse.

Deng Yuxiang furrowed her brow slightly and immediately turned to look.

On the rugged mountain path, amidst the swirling cold fog, a towering figure approached from afar.

Not only was there the sound of the horse snorting, but also the clinking of chains!

"Soul Hook Demon?" Deng Yuxiang spoke softly. She didn't possess Spirit Defense Techniques, but fortunately, her absolutely powerful realm gave her unparalleled mental fortitude.

This allowed her to resist the enemy's mental attacks.

Jiang Ruyi did have a Magic Artifact, the Ice Heart Bracelet, which could help build a spiritual defense system, but it was currently worn by Yan Shuangzi.

"Clang clang..."

The unique sound of clinking chains was bone-chilling, and amidst the cold, damp fog, a gigantic silhouette gradually took shape.

"How sinister can it be~" Lu Ran couldn't help but grin.

This mountain path, already eerie with its gray fog, now saw the arrival of an even more terrifying creature.

Evil Demon·Soul Hook Demon!

If the Soul-splitting Demon Clan were bulls, the Soul Hook Demon Clan definitely had the faces of horses!

It also had a humanoid form, walking upright, with a particularly fierce horse head.

Its entire body was pitch black and muscular, holding an iron chain in its hoof-like hands, which swung as it moved.

"Approximately 4 meters tall, seems like early-stage River Realm," Deng Yuxiang remarked, looking up at the behemoth.

The Soul Hook Demon Clan could be assessed for their realm strength through their size.

Often, these kinds of Evil Demons housed a Demon Crystal in their brains, which wouldn't shatter into energy upon death but would leave behind flesh and bones.

In other words, the Ran Sect disciples would have a new "horse meat" item on their menu.

Well, if they could stomach it...

Lu Ran was also studying the terrifying Evil Demon, mumbling, "I say we stop calling them Soul-splitting Demons and Soul Hook Demons.

Let's just call them Soul Splitting Bull and Soul Hook Horse?"

Deng Yuxiang replied indifferently, "Do you want to play for a bit?"

By "play," she likely meant tormenting till death.

No exaggeration, when facing this clan, no method used by the Human Clan is ever too cruel.

When encountering the Soul Hook Demon Clan, dying miserably is not the worst outcome!

The souls of the deceased would be entwined by the Soul Hook Rope; the iron chains could ignite ghostly flames, continuing to torture the soul.

The cruelty of the Soul Hook Demon Clan was visually shocking enough to break down anyone who saw it!

The Soul Splitting Bull at least encases souls in black fog (Soul Prison), while the Soul Hook Horse likes to bind each Human Clan soul, burning and dragging them along the ground.

A parade for all to see.

Ruthlessly collecting negative emotions like fear and dread from the Human Clan.

The heart-rending screams of the Human Clan's souls were the favorite sound of the Soul Hook Demon Clan.

"Clang clang!"

The Soul Hook Demon stared viciously at the two tiny members of the Human Clan, shaking its chains frantically.

Soul Hook Evil Technique·Life-stealing Sound!

The previously crisp sound of the chains grew increasingly piercing, sending shivers down one's spine and filling them with fear.

Yet the two Sea Realm Great Powers seemed not to hear it.

"Neigh!"

The Soul Hook Demon let out an angry screech, lifted its hoof, and stomped down fiercely.

Instantly, the ground split!

The rift from its hoof extended towards the two.

Soul Hook Evil Technique·Soul Hook Hoof!

"Whoosh!" From within the cracks, gray mist spewed out suddenly.

This time, even the Sea Realm Great Powers like Lu Deng had to dodge.

For the cold gray mist could assault the souls of all beings! Although the damage to the soul was mild, it was enough to make one's spirit tremble.

The moment the two jumped aside, the Soul Hook Demon, gaining the upper hand, let out another screech.

"Neigh~~~"

It abruptly lifted its right hoof, energy surging on it.

In an instant, five chains appeared out of thin air, each aiming to clamp onto Lu Ran's neck, wrists, and ankles.

Soul Hook Evil Technique·Soul Hook Five Chains!

When this skill is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is surely "Five Horse Dismemberment"!

In the past four decades, countless Da Xia people have been brutally killed by these five chains.

"Swoosh~" Lu Ran's figure suddenly vanished, and the five chains wrapped around empty space.

"Loo?" The Soul Hook Demon stiffened, sensing an energy fluctuation behind its head, but before it could turn to defend, a cold blade had already sliced across its neck.

Blood splattered!

A massive horse head rolled off from its gigantic body.

"Thump!"

The headless giant creature fell heavily to the ground.

Seeing Lu Ran deal with this clan so decisively, Deng Yuxiang didn't say anything. She carried the Blood Drinking Scimitar and walked over, stabbing the horse's corpse with it.

"Buzz~"

The blood-colored Divine Weapon·Blood Drinking Scimitar trembled slightly, massively absorbing the horse's blood.

This Divine Weapon is quite unique!

It is only a First-tier Divine Weapon and has not activated the Divine Weapon Domain, yet it can absorb the blood of the Human Clan and Evil Demons.

Deng Yuxiang was initially somewhat surprised when she learned of this.

For her, this was undoubtedly a good thing!

This means that this Divine Weapon has a very clear cultivation direction. She thought that as long as it drank enough blood, this saber would eventually activate the Divine Weapon Domain.

After draining the horse's blood from the corpse, Deng Yuxiang walked towards the horse's head that had rolled to the side.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran was half-kneeling on the ground, removing the Divine Power Bead Chain from around his neck. Under the Divine Power Beads, the Evil Demon's remains gradually dissolved, turning into pure energy.

Deng Yuxiang looked at Lu Ran and said, "I'll get you another Divine Power Bead Chain to wear on your ankle when we return."

"Okay." Lu Ran nodded.

Stomping the remains of the Evil Demon to dissolve and absorb them was indeed convenient.

The two of them completely absorbed the remains of the Soul Hook Demon and also obtained a palm-sized Demon Crystal from the decomposed horse's head.

It was a rhombic polyhedron with a strong energy flow visible within.

In the Human World, this would be an invaluable cultivation treasure, capable of helping the Human Clan overcome cultivation bottlenecks.

However, in "High Martial World" such as Holy Spirit Mountain... it's just so-so.

When Lu Ran previously slaughtered the Ghost Moon Fox Clan, he also collected a large number of Demon Crystals, which were piled up in the backyard storage room for his friends to use freely.

[Master.]

[Hmm?] Lu Ran tucked the Demon Crystal into his pocket.

"Little Wu discovered a battle group, and the fight is intense!" Yan Shuangzi quietly appeared, standing beside Lu Ran.

Lu Ran nodded and said, "With so many types of Evil Demons scattered throughout Soul-locking Mountain, it's strange that they're not fighting."

Yan Shuangzi immediately said, "It's not Evil Demons fighting against each other. Little Wu said he saw the Human Clan."

"Ah?" Lu Ran's heart stirred, and he hurriedly asked, "Where? Who are they?"

Are there really members of the Human Clan hiding in Soul-locking Mountain?

And did Little Wu find them so quickly?

"Flap flap flap~"

The sound of wings flapping in the misty sky came from afar to near.

Lu Ran immediately raised his hand, feeling a pair of claws grip his forearm.

Not until the black crow flew back to Lu Ran's side did it cancel its invisibility state and spoke, "Sect Master, I spotted a team about thirty to forty kilometers away.

There're about twenty people, mainly composed of Red Cloth Believers and Industry Bull Believers.

They were being surrounded and intercepted by Soul-splitting Demons and Soul Hook Demons. I helped them break through the encirclement..."

The more Wu Huan spoke, the smaller his voice became.

His task was reconnaissance, not fighting, and he wasn't supposed to expose himself.

Without the Sect Master's order, Wu Huan was likely to be punished for entering the battle without permission.

It's just...

Fifth-class God·Believer of Red Cloth, Sixth-class God·Believer of Industry Bull, they are all Weak God Disciples.

Wu Huan couldn't stand to see his fellow Human Clan souls suffer cruel torture.

Wu Huan also thought these Weak God Disciples could become Ran Sect disciples and revere the Sect Master, living peacefully in Holy Spirit Mountain like him.

With these considerations, Wu Huan unleashed the Witch Crow Divine Skill·Witch Cry!

It released sonic attacks over the Evil Demon camp, covering patches of the area, causing the Evil Demon forces to go into chaos and suffer mental shocks.

"In which direction?" Lu Ran immediately asked, "Quick, lead the way, let's go see."

The black crow turned its head and pecked towards the deeper part of Soul-locking Mountain with its beak.

Lu Ran lifted his head, looking off into the hazy mist, faintly visible cliffs, and immediately summoned the Ancient Bronze Mirror.

The black crow spoke again, "Sect Master, the leader of that group is a general clad in silver armor with a red ribbon tied around his head.

Although he is male, he should be a Nu Ying disciple."

Third-class God·Nu Ying?

Lu Ran couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

An image immediately flashed in his mind: a tall, heroic female general, covered in blood, bravely fighting on the battlefield.

Nu Ying disciples are mostly natural-born leaders, decisive and brave.

What is even more commendable about these disciples is their unwavering loyalty and readiness to die!

Even if you don't know the other person, you can use such a stereotype to characterize them.

The accuracy is very high!

Due to the strict disciple selection criteria of Divine Nu Ying, the number of disciples is not very large.

Moreover, the Nu Ying faction is quite unique, with over 80% of its believers being female.

Therefore, when you are lucky enough to see a male Nu Ying believer, your stereotype accuracy will be infinitely heightened!

"Whew~"

The Landing Mirror silently took shape, and Lu Ran stepped in, setting foot on the edge of the cliff, looking towards the deeper part of Soul-locking Mountain.

Nu Ying disciples... Hmm, better get to know them well.

Hopefully, this filthy Holy Spirit Mountain hasn't tainted your pure and noble spirit.

Don't let me down.

....