Summit of the Old Gods

Fifteen minutes later, at the mountain peak outside the city.

Lu Ran and He Qifeng stood side by side, one gazing at the sky, one looking at the ground.

"Golden Monk Palm." Lu Ran murmured, seeing a gigantic golden hand appear in the distant night sky, stretching ten thousand meters vast!

Ten thousand meters!

A full ten kilometers, and even the mountain peak Lu Ran stood on was engulfed within its range.

"Let's go, Qifeng," Lu Ran reminded her.

He Qifeng kept gazing at the majestic city beneath her feet, watching the flickering flames within, recalling all the past events.

The hardships and struggles to build this city were known only to her.

And now all her effort was about to be entirely obliterated under the pressure of a gigantic hand...

"Qifeng, let's go." Lu Ran's voice had softened, and without waiting for the Wind Emperor to gather herself again, he wrapped his arm around her waist, fog billowing beneath their feet.

"Sss—"

The pair of them shot backward instantly.

He Qifeng suddenly felt a pang in her nose.

There was no gradual parting in this farewell.

Her sight was obscured by the edge of the cliff, and she could no longer see that Forbidden City.

Lu Ran swiftly carried her backward, as thick mist enveloped them, while the golden monk palm descended from the high heavens with a massive crash.

"Rumble!!"

The golden monk palm carried the force of ten thousand tons, thoroughly crushing the towering ancient city.

The deafening sound made He Qifeng's heart clench violently.

She possessed many excellent qualities, but whenever it involved the Forbidden City, she always lost her composure.

Nothing else,

but the cause of her Dao Heart.

"Qifeng... Qifeng?" Lu Ran called out a bit louder.

"Hm?" He Qifeng turned her head to look at Lu Ran, appearing lost and disoriented.

Lu Ran certainly understood that this city was her emotional support.

It was her step-by-step ladder to heaven.

And this path to the heavens must be straightened out, otherwise, not to mention advancing, she might even lose ranks!

"Qifeng, the Forbidden City is not just a Stone City."

Lu Ran lifted the Fiery Phoenix Patterned Gourd, which contained nearly 500 citizens of the Forbidden City, and said softly, "It's these people."

"Buzz~"

The Treasure Gourd quivered lightly, and the beautiful golden phoenix pattern on it shimmered brilliantly, dreamlike.

He Qifeng was momentarily dazed, her eyes slightly reddened, as she looked at the beautiful Fiery Phoenix Patterned Gourd.

"And it's you." Lu Ran's voice was gentle, "Wherever you are, there will be a Forbidden City."

"Mmm." He Qifeng wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "I'm fine, let's quickly..."

Before she finished speaking, the ground trembled again.

Both of them were a bit stunned, turning to look, only to see the collapsing mountain raising a dense cloud of dust.

"Hiss!"

"Hiss..." The sound of dragon roars informed them what had happened.

Martial Monk Divine Skill·Dragon Soaring to the Sky!

Peak Master Tu... truly ruthless!

A single monk palm had already crushed everything, yet he wanted the dense swarm of golden dragons to emerge from the ground, shattering everything in this world.

Lu Ran patted He Qifeng's back: "The Forbidden City shouldn't be just these four or five hundred people within the gourd."

He Qifeng felt the trembling earth, heard the sounds of dragon roars, and looked at the young man close at hand.

At this moment, Lu Ran was no longer her competitor nor her Sect Master.

He was a comrade-in-arms, perhaps even her support.

"Fusion Stone Sculpture, to replace divinity, to surpass divinity." Lu Ran's expression was resolute, "With you here, the Forbidden City is here.

When the day comes that we sweep away the cloud sea that shrouds the heavens and earth...

The entire human world will be your Forbidden City."

He Qifeng pressed her lips tightly.

"Tell me, is it so?" Lu Ran looked directly into her eyes.

He Qifeng did not respond with words.

She suddenly moved forward half a step and hugged Lu Ran tightly.

Not far away, Peak Master Tu gripped the Divine Weapon·Silent Night Blade, flying over slowly, watching the man and woman under the moonlight.

The He Qifeng he remembered was always resolute and steadfast. Though a daughter by birth, she mingled with powerful Martial Monk Believers at the top sect of Holy Spirit Mountain·Wuji Peak and carved out a place for herself.

Later, she transformed into the vast Yangyang Sea, adorned in a prestigious golden robe, and became the revered Forbidden City Master that everyone admired.

She became the human emperor within this realm.

He had never seen her like this night, like a fragile woman.

Sometimes, Peak Master Tu would even forget, that she's just a twenty-something-year-old girl.

And that youth in the straw raincoat was even younger, likely only in his early twenties...

Peak Master Tu turned his gaze to Lu Ran.

I destroy, you build.

It should indeed be so.

Everything was as Peak Master Tu had thought before:

Heavenly Pride, you should.

Sinner, I shall!

Peak Master Tu did not interrupt them, knowing well what the Forbidden City meant to He Qifeng, that this hurdle must be overcome.

Someone like him in his forties or fifties, with a more mature mind, possesses more experiences and insights.

Great ups and downs, great sorrows and joys.

That Dao Heart was forged over the long years, day and night.

The group known as the Heavenly Pride is quite special.

Though they are merely twenty years old, they have already reached extremely high realms, growing at an astonishing pace.

They are hoisted up by the anticipation of Da Xia and thousands of people.

Their unique mission and ambitious vision are like a double-edged sword, propelling their rapid growth, yet the towering edifice built in such a short time can easily topple and collapse...

"Let's go." He Qifeng exerted strength in her arms, giving Lu Ran one last firm hug before standing upright.

She left behind the reliance.

Lu Ran softly asked, "Feeling better?"

"Mm." He Qifeng managed to force a slight smile on her face.

She must be "better," for the citizens of Forbidden City were waiting for her to settle them.

Just as Lu Ran had just said, the entire human world was waiting to become their Forbidden City!

When He Qifeng looked at Lu Ran again, her eyes, misty with emotions, were exceptionally bright.

Peak Master Tu was slightly surprised, unsure of what kind of magic Lu Ran had or what he had said to He Qifeng before.

Was it a blessing in disguise?

The ancient city beneath their feet collapsed.

But the Forbidden City in He Qifeng's heart seemed more solidified.

"I will first send you to the island, where you can settle the citizens." Lu Ran said while casting spells, "A large group will arrive later, showcasing your leadership skills."

"Yes." He Qifeng replied solemnly.

"Let's go, Senior Tu." Lu Ran led with his hand, and the landing mirror rapidly formed.

Peak Master Tu looked at the Evil Technique·Mirror Flower Moon from the Evil Mirror Clan, without uttering a word, he flew over with Silent Night Blade.

In just a step, he reached the northern mountains of Mist Rain Lake.

Light rain drizzled here, dark clouds cover the sky, plunge everything into darkness.

"Lu...Ran." A clear and cold female voice came from the side, Jiang Ruyi arrived with several soldiers, having waited there for quite some time.

Yan Shuangzi was not among them.

Just two days ago, she successfully broke through her cultivation bottleneck, now in the midst of advancing.

Even as strong as Jiang Ruyi, facing the Heavenly Realm·Great Martial Monk emerging from the mirror, hesitated in her words.

"Is everything going smoothly?" Lu Ran inquired.

"The Divine General has already notified the islands, everyone is gathering, but some island masters have expressed doubts." As Jiang Ruyi spoke, her tone became icier.

At times like this, they cling to the notion of staying rooted.

Some Sea Realm island masters seem unable to find their rightful place.

"I'll send a message urging her." Lu Ran frowned slightly, summoning the Ancient Bronze Mirror with one hand, while two black crows flew out from the gourd in the other.

When Alliance Leader Yun advanced, the Witch Crow Believers, Big Black and Four Black, were once sent by He Qifeng to serve as scouts for Lu Ran.

Though night and dense mist obscure vision, the crow's eyes could see through everything, gathering intelligence.

There were still two Witch Crow Believers inside the gourd, which He Qifeng planned to bring to the island.

"Thank you, Peak Master Tu." Before entering the mirror, Lu Ran turned to speak.

"Go." Peak Master Tu responded softly, holding the Silent Night Blade.

Lu Ran stepped into the mirror, directly arriving at a fairly large island.

His numerous experiences at sea proved invaluable at this moment!

Without any searching or locating process, Lu Ran knew this place directly, saving a massive amount of time and energy.

This island wasn't solitary, within a radius of several hundred meters, there were several smaller islands.

A perfect base for the Ran Sect.

In the night, the Ran Sect's soldiers who arrived first spread out swiftly, searching for any potential enemies.

Lu Ran also consulted with the small Blazing Phoenix, releasing the remaining two Witch Crow Believers.

In the thick night, all was silent.

Only the sound of waves crashing against the shore could produce a sense of tranquility.

Moments later, Lu Ran came to Qin Yanzhi's side: "Did you record the coordinates?"

"Yes, Sect Master." Qin Yanzhi nodded immediately.

"Mm." Lu Ran turned to Jiang Ruyi, "Cloud Sea Cliff and Jingxian Mountain are entrusted to you. I will go to Pear Garden Sect, Tiangang City, Longxiang Valley, and Sky Sparrow Pavilion."

"Rest assured." Jiang Ruyi gently nodded.

The composed demeanor of the aloof fairy reassured Lu Ran immensely.

Back at Forbidden City, he became someone else's reliance, yet back home, Jiang Ruyi, standing behind him, was always his most solid support.

"Phew~" Lu Ran released the citizens of Forbidden City from the gourd, cleared the small Blazing Phoenix's belly, and immediately activated the Transmission Mirror, stepping away.

After Lu Ran departed, Jiang Ruyi's face gradually became tense, no longer the tranquil demeanor she had earlier.

All Gods actually sent great powers of Heavenly Realm into the mountains to hunt Lu Ran...

Once, the Mountain Realm was a slaughterhouse for the Human Clan.

Will it become a hunting ground for slaughtering the Heavenly Pride in the future?

At the same time, within the torch-lit Tiangang City.

The city was bustling with activity, dense footsteps echoed throughout, with people loudly calling and urging something.

Inside the great hall, led by Wu Xiao, the crowd saw the youth stepping out from the mirror, and they instantly bowed respectfully:

"Sect Master!"

"Sect Master!"

Lu Ran slightly furrowed his brows, sensing the heavy atmosphere, and asked, "What happened?"

Guard Liu Huo immediately disclosed: "Sect Master, the Spiritual Fortune disciples in the city tonight mostly drew middle fortunes, there was one upper fortune, and two lower fortunes.

Yet several Ghost Moon Fox believers reported increasingly uneasy minds in real-time."

"Phew~" Without saying another word, Lu Ran directly cast a spell.

He slightly raised his head, his eyes turning into eerie crescents, with Divine Power surging violently around him.

Lu Ran's breath slightly froze!

His heart, which had just been calmed by Jiang Ruyi, was abruptly shattered.

A growing sense of unrest stirred within him...

...