Summit of the Old Gods

In the depths of the rainforest, the crisp sound of whipping continues.

"Snap! Snap! Snap..."

Chang Ying tightly presses her lips together, curls up on the ground, holding her head.

Her tattered clothes are whipped to pieces, her body covered in dense whip marks, skin unbroken, constantly bleeding fresh blood.

Blood drips, a shocking sight.

She silently withstands everything, the pain from her body making her feel alive.

But her gaze becomes increasingly dispersed.

"Hoo..." Shen Xiaotang takes a deep breath and slowly exhales.

The Valley Master finally stops, venting all the frustration built up in his chest recently.

Looking at Chang Ying curled up like a dead dog on the ground, Shen Xiaotang lets out a cold snort and orders:

"Drag her to the dungeon, do not treat her, lock her up directly!"

"Yes, Valley Master." A man steps forward quickly, grabs Chang Ying's ankle, and swiftly walks away.

Of course, the subordinates dare not defy the Valley Master's orders; if he commands "drag," then drag they must.

"Splash~"

In the rainforest, the vegetation is lush, around where Chang Ying passes, grass blades are stained with fresh red blood, the ground dyed a bloody red.

Moments later, an invisible figure flies from high above, constantly searching for something.

Divine Temple?

Lu Ran furrows his brows, seeing a well-developed temple deep in the rainforest, far from the main buildings, and many servants wearing multicolored clothes.

A few men and women dressed in black seemed to be overseers.

The most special person is the woman holding a long whip.

Her clothes are the most luxurious, draped in a purple robe, her long whip still dripping blood, her face emotionless, watching the slaves working diligently.

Under the woman's gaze, the slaves work harder, dare not speak a word, as if they don't even dare to breathe heavily.

This woman must be Shen Xiaotang, right?

The blood-dripping whip in her hand...

The fury in Lu Ran's heart stirs, he already realizes something! Earlier, the Flying Eagle Hall Master expressed that Chang Ying was being punished with whips... Hmm?

What is that?

Lu Ran's eyes sharpen, seeing a blood-red path in the deep forest beside the temple, he disregards everything else, quickly flying over.

This blood-red path leads him to a cave entrance.

Lu Ran dives deeper along the "blood road," faintly hearing voices.

"Valley Master ordered, no treatment allowed."

"But sir, her wounds are so many and so deep, letting her bleed like this..."

"Stop your damn nonsense! Valley Master ordered no treatment! If she survives, she survives; if not, let her die! Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Yes." The voices of two women are heard.

"If you dare not follow orders, the same fate will befall you." The man coldly says, turning around and leaving.

Lu Ran's expression is extremely grim; hearing the approaching footsteps, a sudden plum fragrance emanates from his body.

Ice Plum Demon Queen Evil Technique·Soul Capturing Cold Fragrance!

The man's steps suddenly halt, not only sensing a trace of coldness but also smelling a faint fragrance.

What is this?

Soon, the man is fixed in place, his spirit bewildered, his senses unclear, completely intoxicated by the cold fragrance.

Five thin red lines quietly reach over, sticking to the man's body, dragging him away, sending him directly into a Landing Mirror.

[Wu Xiao.]

[Sect Leader!]

[Force him to tear up the contract, by any means necessary! Just don't let him die!] Lu Ran's expression is extremely grim.

Every remnant of Jingting is accounted for!

All the harm they caused to Chang Ying, Lu Ran wants her to repay it with her own hands!

[Got it!] In his mind, Wu Xiao's robust voice resonates.

Lu Ran glances deeper into the tunnel, where faint light comes from two Flower Lantern disciples holding lanterns.

They wear multicolored clothes, obviously not from the ruling class.

It shows that the leftover forces of Jingting are stretched thin, sending Flower Lantern disciples to act as prison guards, also serving as doctors, estimating that each person imprisoned suffered greatly, right?

"You two, shut up." Lu Ran directly lights up, enters.

The two female Flower Lantern disciples are shocked at heart, their vision a blur, seeing a mysterious figure wearing a green straw hat.

And the Sea Realm pressure exuding from this person, along with the raving anger, makes the two even stop breathing; how could they dare resist?

Under the dim red lantern's light, Lu Ran steps forward, his voice seemingly trembling: "Chang Ying?"

Inside the cave, the "dead dog" with wounds all over her, remains motionless, curled up on the ground.

Yet she keeps her eyes open.

Her gaze dispersed, her expression dull, her whole body bleeding, continuously staining the ground red.

Lu Ran quickly steps forward, kneels down to lift Chang Ying, while his left hand brings out a small black carp, his right hand transfers dark flames.

Mo Li Evil Technique·Resurrection Carp!

Black Lamp Evil Technique·Cage Fire (Bath)!

"Hoo~"

Gentle black flames ignite on Chang Ying's body, healing her dense whip marks and restoring her spirit.

"Chang Ying?" Lu Ran softly calls, "Chang Ying?"

She's his high school classmate, his former team member.

Lu Ran remembers when he first revered gods, he saw this shaman girl in the school corridor on the first day.

She blocked the corridor, giving fortune-telling everywhere, finally opening shop with Lu Ran.

To this day, Lu Ran still owes her the divination fee.

A packet of spicy strips.

The story begins here.

Later, she stood with Lu Ran outside the school gate, looking at the big chart posted on the wall, snatched his fish canned food.

Later, on the rainy night of July 15, she hid behind the window in her family's auto repair shop, took the little tabby cat Lu Ran handed over, and cared for Cat Sister they rescued.

Later, when the team lacked people, she shouted, saying she drew the best lot and joyfully joined Lu Ran's team.

And later on...

Time and again through the trials of the Demon Cave, over and over, both good draws and bad draws.

The ever-carefree dark-skinned girl, her emotions clearly displayed on her face.

Yet all those expressions of laughter, anger, or rambling ultimately transformed into this vacant face before Lu Ran's eyes.

Hollow eyes, a blood-stained face.

Drooped arms, a heart devoid of life.

"Chang Ying, wake up, Chang Ying..." Lu Ran called out repeatedly, his earlier rage gone, replaced by worry and heartache.

Perhaps there was some guilt as well.

The dark-skinned girl enveloped in Black Fire seemed to be burning, yet the gentle flames brought extreme comfort, as if she were soaking in a hot spring.

Her eyes remained vacant, but at last, she uttered a murmur: "Mmm."

Lu Ran was instantly invigorated, supporting her back with one hand while continuously wiping the blood off her face with the other: "Chang Ying?"

The girl suddenly lifted her eyes to look.

In the dim red lantern light, through her blurred vision, she saw a face both strange and familiar.

"Lu..."

"Yes, it's me!" Lu Ran nodded repeatedly, his right hand continuing to transfer the Cage Fire to her, while his left hand summoned a Resurrection Carp, pressing it against her abdomen.

Chang Ying stared blankly at the face before her, dazed for a long time, slowly raising her hand.

That long finger poked at Lu Ran's cheek, murmuring in disbelief: "How could this be..."

"It's me, it's me." As Lu Ran spoke, he immediately sent a transmission, [Ruyi, pick them up in the back courtyard of Cloud Sea Residence.]

[Okay.] The sudden transmission caught Jiang Ruyi by surprise, but she quickly made her way there.

However, after waiting for a while, she didn't see the Landing Mirror activate.

In the dark prison of Starry Valley, far southwest of the Holy Spirit Mountain Continent.

The girl, with Black Fire burning on her body, wrapped trembling arms around Lu Ran's neck, her blood-stained face buried in his neck, rubbing against it, murmuring:

"How could it be, is it real..."

The voice was so small and soft, it almost broke Lu Ran's heart.

"Why is it not possible, didn't you draw the best lot?" Lu Ran gently patted her back, only feeling the arms wrapped around him sometimes tighten, sometimes loosen.

Tight, maybe for fear he'd leave.

Loose, perhaps because she still couldn't be sure of the reality before her, fearful that applying a bit of force would shatter this beautiful illusion.

"Lu Ran, Lu Ran..."

The murmured words kept coming from Lu Ran's neck.

As she spoke, the voice carried a hint of a sob, until the crying could no longer be suppressed: "Lu Ran... Wuwuwu Lu Ran..."

The sound of a young girl's sobbing was so heartrending that even the two Flower Lantern disciples outside the cell could feel their noses twinge with sadness.

In this cruel world, they were used to the comings and goings of life and death, and they had seen many slaves brutally tortured and thrown into dungeons.

Yet the girl's weeping was too heartbreakingly poignant.

It touched the last fragment of softness remaining deep in their hearts.

"It hurts so much, Lu Ran, she whipped me, whipped me wuwu... it hurts so much..."

"I'll avenge you." Lu Ran's heart trembled violently, his whole being nearly exploding.

"No, no! Don't!" Chang Ying hurriedly let go of the embrace.

Eyes brimming with tears, she spoke anxiously: "We need to leave quickly, we need to escape! They are disciples of Dong Ting, they..."

Chang Ying's words halted.

Her mind was not very clear, having always ignored the Cage Fire and the Resurrection Carp.

But the activated Landing Mirror beside her, she could not ignore.

"Go to a safe place first." Lu Ran released a Silk Thread, clinging to Chang Ying's body, carefully sending her toward the Landing Mirror, "Give me some time, I'll make Shen Xiaotang kneel before you."

"Lu..." The girl's vague voice stopped abruptly, only seeing heaven's light shine brightly.

The dark dungeon disappeared, the damp mildew smell vanished.

Replaced by blue skies and white clouds.

By a faint jasmine fragrance.

Jiang Ruyi's face stiffened, seeing the girl covered in blood, she rushed forward to hold the girl delicately, then carefully placed her on the ground.

Chang Ying?!

No matter what, Jiang Ruyi couldn't have imagined that the person Lu Ran sent would be Chang Ying.

"Ah!" An exclamation came from the east wing.

Beneath the Immortal Jasmine Tree, Tian Tian, who was diligently cultivating, suddenly stood up and hurriedly ran over: "Yingying? It's... Chang Ying?"

The peaceful Cloud Sea Residence made this exclamation all the more jarring.

Qiao Yuansi also came along, and upon seeing the bloodied Chang Ying, quickly released the Cage Fire.

And outside the thick northern courtyard wall, the real body of the Pseudo Evil God·Soul-splitting Demon, who was guarding the gate, came to the front of the grand mansion, peeking into the courtyard with curiosity through the crack in the door.

And upon seeing, Niu Zhengzheng widened his eyes and pushed the door open!

"I..." Chang Ying lay weakly on the ground, looking up at the familiar faces above, her eyes grew more bewildered, "Am I... dead?"

"No, no." Tian Tian, eyes red, looking at Chang Ying's tragic state, immediately knelt on the ground, holding Chang Ying's head, letting her rest in her lap, "Yingying, what's happened to you, you're... you're..."

Chang Ying blankly gazed at Tian Tian, saw Little Yuanxi, saw Jiang Ruyi.

She also saw her boyfriend, the one who smiled goofily, looked so silly, and whose embrace felt so warm, Niu Zhengzheng.

Chang Ying lay on her back, looking up at the faces.

In a daze, she returned to Starry Valley, back to a tranquil night.

The stars in the night sky finally transformed into faces that truly existed, appearing in her starry sky.

"Heh."

Suddenly, Chang Ying smiled.

Despite her face being a mess of tears and blood, looking terribly wretched, her smile was incredibly infectious.

She smiled so happily.

She slowly raised her hand, reaching for the stars in the sky.

So...

The best draw.

...

Asking for some monthly votes.