Summit of the Old Gods

"Hoo~"

The headless corpse of Jiao Lieshan kept falling.

The instant the sandy corpse returned to a flesh body, a Magic Artifact darted out from his collar and waist.

"Hmm?" Deng Yuxiang's ears twitched, naturally noticing everything.

She immediately flew downward, lightly tapping her fingertips.

Night Charm Blades rushed over, blocking the two Magical Treasures on the north and south sides respectively.

"Pa!"

Deng Yuxiang grasped a pigeon-egg-sized, earth-yellow Treasure Bead, equivalent in specification to the Sea Grade Divine Power Pearl.

Its entire body was earth-yellow, as if sand particles were surging within.

The earth-yellow Treasure Bead that was desperately fleeing dared not budge once the woman held it.

Her palm was tender, yet held a terrifying strength.

The majesty of a Great Power from the Heavenly Realm made the Treasure Bead dare not defy her at all, fearing it would be crushed directly if there was the slightest movement.

Deng Yuxiang played with the Treasure Bead and turned to look behind her.

The sandstorm rapidly dissipated, revealing several Night Charm Blades pressing another Magic Artifact over.

To be precise, they were "lifting" it.

Because this Magic Artifact was a semi-transparent, smoky blue scarf.

As it flew over, the long scarf fluttered in the air like morning mist drifting in the wind.

Dreamlike and ethereal.

"Was it you who concealed Jiao Lieshan's aura? Hid all the energy fluctuations of Divine Weapon and Magic Artifact?" Deng Yuxiang pinched the thin scarf between her fingers, lifting it to eye level.

The smoky blue scarf showed no reaction, just lightly danced with the breeze, like a dead thing.

"Hah." Deng Yuxiang snorted coldly, temporarily binding the scarf around her hand, taking several turns, and then firmly holding the earth-yellow Treasure Bead, looking diagonally upward.

At this moment, Lu Ran was fully utilizing the Pupil of the Netherworld to bind souls.

At the beginning of the battle, the terrifying Sand Sea emanating from within the cave by Jiao Lieshan not only caused Mo Gu Peak to collapse but also claimed many lives.

In the course of the fight, both sides remained amidst the sandstorm, so the dead souls were barely seen.

Now that the dust had settled, they finally saw the coat-clad youth and were aghast as they watched him devour comrades.

Lu Ran continued to collect souls while monitoring Jiao Lieshan closely.

The opponent's corpse landed heavily in the Great Desert, from which a wisp of dead soul slowly emerged.

"Buzz!!"

Cloud Sea Dust Clear Blade buzzed loudly, likely to slip from the hand at any moment.

Lu Ran raised the blade to inspect, his heavy heart easing a little.

The Cloud Sea Blade was about to ascend to a Divine Weapon!

Finally, it was about to gather its Sword Spirit!

Indeed, it was well prepared, merely lacking the opportunity.

[Sis, go to the location of Blaze Phoenix and capture Jiao Lieshan's dead soul!] Lu Ran flung the Fiery Phoenix Patterned Gourd, leaping ahead to swiftly absorb other souls.

Time waits for no one!

He must calm his mind, guiding the Cloud Sea Blade to forge an Artifact Spirit.

[Ruyi, come out from the gourd, preside over the situation, and capture the remaining remnants!]

[Okay.] Jiang Ruyi, through Blaze Phoenix, closely monitored the external condition, naturally aware of Lu Ran's instructions.

Jiao Lieshan's followers were naturally those he had brought from the Tianhuang Mountain sect.

As the battle commenced, many presumably fled.

However, the location of Mo Gu Peak was peculiar, barren within hundreds of kilometers, with nowhere to hide.

This undoubtedly made it easier for everyone to capture the remnants!

"Hoo~"

Lu Ran landed on the collapsed mountain, personally witnessing Deng Yuxiang binding Jiao Lieshan's dead soul into the Magic Artifact·Rebirth Coin, finally calming himself.

Then, Lu Ran tightly grasped the knife handle, closed his eyes, and concentrated his attention.

"Buzz!!"

Cloud Sea Dust Clear Blade reacted fervently.

It had been arduously sustaining the ascension window, awaiting a guide.

Divine Weapons differed from Magic Artifacts.

Magic Artifacts acted independently, capable of self-completion during ascension and spellcasting.

Divine Weapons required constant companionship from their master!

Consequently, Divine Weapons connected more intimately with their master, forming a higher bond.

"Cloud Sea Dust Clear..." Lu Ran murmured, gripping the knife handle and positioning the Cloud Sea Blade before him.

The knife tip flipped away the wide bamboo hat.

The cold blade adhered closely to Lu Ran's forehead.

"Mother said that the Cloud Sea objectively exists; where there are people, there are hierarchies, inevitably."

"What's important is Dust Clear."

"Jiao Lieshan descended from the Heavenly Realm as the Executioner, embodying the will of God Demon; he is the Cloud Sea enveloping Holy Spirit Mountain Realm, the speck of dust within the Cloud Sea."

"Buzz~" Cloud Sea Dust Clear Blade resonated, affirming its master's ideology.

Strengthening its belief.

"Now, this filthy speck of dust has been swept clean by us."

Indeed, Holy Spirit Mountain Realm remained under the dominion of God Demon, existing within their established rules, enduring the Cloud Sea.

Yet Lu Ran and the Cloud Sea Blade had embarked upon the first step of a thousand-mile journey!

Effacing the minion under God Demon, purging this speck that descended into the Mountain Realm completely...

"Buzz!!"

Cloud Sea Blade pulsated more violently, mist faintly rising throughout the world.

Over ten kilometers away, amid the vast, desolate Great Desert.

"Ssst—"

Fog surged beneath Deng Yuxiang's feet, shooting towards the ground at an angle.

"Ah!" A fleeing woman felt the overwhelming pressure behind her, and, panic-stricken, stumbled to the ground.

Deng Yuxiang landed steadily, her gaze cold, toward the crawling woman: "Initial Stage of Sea Realm?"

"Immortal! Please spare me… ugh." Before the woman could finish, she was stomped on the head, her face grinding against the earth.

Deng Yuxiang gazed at the trembling being underfoot: "You're the Hall Master of Tianhuang Mountain?"

"Yes...yes."

Deng Yuxiang snorted coldly in her heart; no wonder this person ran the fastest. She turned back to look, and there were still a few trembling people in the distance.

The Hall Master was trembling at the feet of the woman in the straw raincoat.

A few remnants of Tianhuang Mountain at the back, each with a deathly look, dared not move.

"How many of you are there, and in which direction did you run?" Deng Yuxiang interrogated, her icy gaze suddenly softened a bit.

She noticed clouds gathering in the sky.

Especially in the Mo Gu Peak area, there were fog dragon rolls descending from the sky.

This kind of advancement scale, when applied to the Human Clan, occurs only when breaking through to a Great Realm.

Did Lu Ran advance to the Heavenly Realm?

Possibly.

But more likely, the Cloud Sea Blade gathered the Artifact Spirit and advanced to the rank of Divine Weapon!

Deng Yuxiang was quite confident in Lu Ran.

But no matter how you say it, Lu Ran had just reached the Sea Realm·Peak stage this afternoon, and it wasn't quite yet evening.

The sun was still some time away from setting...

Half an hour later, at the chaotic Mo Gu Peak.

Qiao Yuansi stood quietly protecting her brother from behind Lu Ran, when she suddenly sensed a violent energy fluctuation emerging from the mist in front.

"Hmm?" Qiao Yuansi's heart lifted with joy.

Was it successful?

The time for a Divine Weapon to upgrade is very short, some even just last a few minutes.

Lu Ran and the Cloud Sea Blade gathering the Artifact Spirit took half an hour, which made Qiao Yuansi a bit worried, fearing something went wrong.

"Whew!!"

A wave of gust spread all around.

Qiao Yuansi was even happier, covering her face with one hand, wishing the surrounding mist would immediately vanish.

The heavens seemed to hear the girl's wish, as a gust of wind swept through, and the mist that obscured vision quickly retreated.

Qiao Yuansi gradually opened her eyes wide, seeing Lu Ran still standing with the blade.

In front of Lu Ran stood an illusory figure.

He...was also Lu Ran.

But he was far more "pure" than the real Lu Ran!

Cloud Sea Blade Spirit?

His illusory eyes bore no trace of the seven emotions and six desires of the Human Clan, so clean and clear.

He was draped in an illusory robe, and Qiao Yuansi could recognize it as the style of her brother's white robe.

The robe's hem moved without wind, and his hair gently floated.

Like an Immortal standing apart from the world.

"Wow..." Qiao Yuansi marveled aloud, accidentally making a sound.

The Cloud Sea Blade Spirit glanced lightly at Qiao Yuansi.

The clear gaze finally bore some emotion, with a hint of doting, shaking his head slightly.

As if asking the sister not to speak and disturb the master.

"Hmm." Qiao Yuansi was a bit startled, covering her little mouth with one hand.

Lu Ran had four Divine Weapon Blades.

This also meant, Qiao Yuansi had four "Blade Spirit Brothers."

Dawn, Silent Night.

Eight Desolate Annihilation, Cloud Sea Dust Clear.

Among them, the Silent Night Blade Spirit was the rarest, rarely appearing and barely communicating even with those closest to Lu Ran.

The Eight Desolate Blade Spirit had appeared, but he was very ferocious!

Those bright eyes were filled with extreme destructive desire, like he could erupt in anger at any moment.

It made people's hearts skip a beat.

Only the Dawn Blade Spirit was always gentle to Qiao Yuansi, his gaze and smile always so kind.

The Dawn Blade was also the one that protected Qiao Yuansi the most.

And now...

Qiao Yuansi encountered another "brother" who liked her.

Though he seemed like an Immortal not tainted by worldly affairs, he was willing to show a touch of emotion when facing her.

Very faint, yet truly present.

"You made me wait so bitterly." The young man in the straw raincoat slowly put down the Cloud Sea Blade, looking at the Cloud Sea Blade Spirit in front.

The illusory white-robed youth showed a faint smile:

"The name was given by the master's mother, and reaching her standards is difficult."

Lu Ran also smiled, his mind in sync with the Divine Weapon, naturally sensing the other's mood: "No need to restrain yourself, you can call her mother."

A Divine Weapon,

Is the continuation of the Master's thoughts.

It is the manifestation of the master's spiritual will.

The way the Cloud Sea Blade Spirit treated Qiao Yuansi was also because its essence was Lu Ran.

Qiao Wanjun not only gave it a name, but on a deeper level, she bestowed the inception of life to the Cloud Sea Blade, giving it a mission to exist.

To the Cloud Sea Blade Spirit, Qiao Wanjun was an exceedingly special existence.

It was a dual-aspect mother, a merged existence.

"Hmm." The Cloud Sea Blade Spirit responded softly, looking up at the sky.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the desolate Great Desert.

Desolate, yet magnificent.

The Cloud Sea Blade Spirit had no desire to appreciate it; he merely looked up at the sky, speaking quietly: "Having come this far, mother would be happy for you."

"For us," Lu Ran corrected.

The Cloud Sea Blade Spirit wore a faint smile, gazing at the sky as if seeing through the invisible cage to the Heavenly Realm beyond: "The fiery mountain is just a speck of dust."

"Then you should hurry to open the Divine Weapon Domain and accompany me to conquer the heavens, making her even more satisfied."

"Yes, I will."

...