Summit of the Old Gods

"Oh?"

In the sky to the west of the Sword Mountain Peak, Lu Ran concealed himself, overlooking the Holy Spirit Mountain's first sect, feeling somewhat astonished in his heart.

The sect's buildings seemed to be relatively intact, at least not appearing to have gone through a fierce battle.

This shouldn't be the case, right?

The executioners descending from the Heavenly Realm would definitely come here to search for Da Xia's genius. Could these Sword One disciples be strong enough to turn them away?

Moreover, where did everyone go?

Could it be that to escape, the entire clan relocated...?

Lu Ran, full of doubts, slowly flew around the mountain peak, not daring to get too close for fear of being perceived.

The Divine Technique: Wolf Concealment could indeed help him hide and conceal his aura, but he still existed in physical form.

Moreover, the drifting frost and snow in the air might be linked to the Ice Butterfly believers' perception.

"What's that?" Lu Ran's heart fluttered slightly.

As he kept flying and changing angles, he suddenly discovered an impressively sized altar situated on the eastern side of the towering peak, atop which stood a humanoid statue.

Though the statue's face was somewhat blurred, Lu Ran recognized it at once; it was Divine·Sword One!

Sword One?

Lu Ran immediately hovered in the high altitude, not daring to approach any further.

The massive Sword One statue stood twenty to thirty meters tall, backing the mountain peak and facing east, proudly standing between heaven and earth.

Beneath the altar were figures kneeling in devotion, all female, mostly dressed in light-colored long skirts with swords hanging at their waists.

No surprise, these should all be Sword One disciples?

No wonder it's so deathly quiet over on the west peak, with no one to be found; it turns out all the disciples are here.

Roughly estimating, there are probably over two hundred of them.

However, in such a scene, the Sword One disciples no longer mattered.

Lu Ran's gaze fixed on the Sword One stone sculpture; the more he looked, the more anxious he felt.

Alike!

Too similar...

Though it was a stone sculpture, Divine·Sword One's long dress and long hair were all carved into a flowing state, one hand holding a sword behind her back, the other forming a seal in front.

Its blurred visage further added a touch of mysterious aura.

Most critically: this stone sculpture was identical to the stone sculptures of Divine·Sword One scattered throughout the human world.

Is it real or fake?

Lu Ran was somewhat dumbfounded.

Was it that the Sword One disciples were so extraordinarily skilled at carving stone sculptures that they were indistinguishable, or...

Did Divine·Sword One actually bring her avatar's stone sculpture to Holy Spirit Mountain?

Thinking carefully, Lu Ran felt deeply suspicious.

After all, the hands of All Gods couldn't reach within Holy Spirit Mountain, nor could they even communicate with ordinary disciples.

If the Divine really brought an avatar's stone sculpture into the Mountain Realm, Holy Spirit Mountain wouldn't have developed to its current state.

Let alone requiring executioners to descend and rectify the mountain's order.

Though that made sense, this Sword One Divine Sculpture was indeed rather intimidating!

To thoroughly verify authenticity, it would actually be straightforward. If it were a divine avatar, its energy fluctuation would undoubtedly be significant.

Currently, Lu Ran felt nothing.

He also dared not get too close...

"Hm." Lu Ran observed from above for a long while, letting out a cold snort.

Goodness, what a Sword Mountain Peak!

They played it quite well.

These sword cultivators likely relied on this solemn stone sculpture to escape disaster?

Secretly pondering, Lu Ran cast his gaze at the disciples below the altar, inspecting the Sword One female disciples.

Suddenly, Lu Ran's eyes narrowed!

The Sword One disciple kneeling at the forefront was unexpectedly a familiar face!

Dongfang Ning?

This name was naturally imprinted in Lu Ran's mind! It was also the one Yu Changsheng mentioned to Lu and Deng after they'd fled to the high mountain lake.

This very middle-aged woman had resolutely intended to disrupt Deng Yuxiang's advancement, even going so far as to unleash the Sea Realm Technique: Frost Sky Sword Fall to crush Deng Yuxiang on the spot.

Now, several years have passed, and she has become the leader of Sword Mountain Peak?

Her position was very prominent, kneeling alone at the forefront of the disciples.

Lu Ran's face grew increasingly somber as his eyes swept over one Sword One disciple after another before discovering another familiar woman—Leng Jin!

She was kneeling in the first row, appearing to hold a high status within the sect.

In those days, she was the first to discover Deng Yuxiang's advancement location, ordering slaves to scout the mountain thereafter.

Lu Ran silently observed for a moment, then flickered away.

"Sect Leader, how's the situation?"

As Lu Ran appeared, Yu Changsheng was the first to ask.

Lu Ran shared everything he had observed from afar with the few of them.

Everyone listened with peculiar expressions.

Sword Mountain Peak did well, huh?

Even brought out the ancestor!

To slaughter her disciples before Lord Jian Yi, that indeed requires some courage.

"Honestly, that stone sculpture is too realistic!" Lu Ran remarked, "Even without sensing any Divine Power fluctuation, I'm somewhat worried that Sword One might possess the stone sculpture."

"Master Lu, no worries." Bai Rao smiled faintly, "Lord Sword One wouldn't bother with such minor matters within the Mountain Realm."

Lu Ran looked at Bai Rao and couldn't help but blink.

The woman's demeanor was dignified, vastly different from her usual self.

"What's wrong?" Bai Rao's eyes were deep and serene as her soft body moved closer, "Does little Master Lu not remember me?"

Lu Ran: "..."

This feels just right!

"Only over two hundred Sword One disciples and no slaves?" Deng Yuxiang inquired.

"The number is indeed a bit low." Lu Ran pushed Bai Rao away with his elbow, not wanting to be a human pole.

Sword Mountain Peak is a First-class God Sect!

It could even be called the "First Sect of the Mountain Realm," and should not be so lacking in talent.

Perhaps Sword Mountain Peak isn't as stable as it seems, or are there many hiding in the shadows?

Lu Ran pondered, "Anyway, over by the altar, it's probably mostly Sword One disciples. I dare not get too close, as the peak is filled with frost snow, and I'm afraid there might be Ice Butterfly believers secretly on guard... Wait a minute!"

He turned to Deng Yuxiang: "I saw that woman, Dongfang Ning!

She might be the current leader of Sword Mountain Peak and is leading a group of disciples to kneel before the Divine Sculpture."

Deng Yuxiang's eyes grew colder: "I'll just go and ask directly."

"Huh?"

"I'll descend on the altar as an Executioner," Deng Yuxiang proposed, "If there are slaves, I'll take them away just like we did at the scorched mountain before."

"Hmm..." Lu Ran deliberated for a moment.

Yu Changsheng nodded lightly, "It's a good method!"

Lu Ran glanced towards his own strategist.

Yu Changsheng smiled, "Sword Mountain Peak has openly displayed the Divine Sculpture and extensively repaired the altar, placing the Divine Statue on the main peak, evidently to attract and intimidate Heavenly Realm executioners searching for them.

At the very least, they want to use the might of the divine to seek a chance to communicate with the executioner.

Since Sword Mountain Peak has this attitude, we should go along with it! The Nightmare Guardian going to demand lowly servants shouldn't be a problem."

Listening to Yu Changsheng's analysis, Lu Ran nodded approvingly, "Makes sense! Since they are so eager for peace and survival, the Big Nightmare could even demand Divine Weapons from them?"

Yu Changsheng laughed silently and nodded repeatedly, "Master is indeed thorough in his considerations!"

The mighty eagle spares no effort to catch a rabbit!

Before the great battle, weakening the enemy's strength is certainly advantageous.

"It's not that thorough," Lu Ran humbly waved his hand, "I'm just a bit greedier than Mr. Cong Long."

...

Sword Mountain Peak·Altar on the East Side of the Main Peak.

A middle-aged woman in a white dress was quietly kneeling at the feet of the Sword One Divine Statue.

Even in a kneeling position, she exuded a grand presence, her long hair coiled at the back of her head, revealing a face of cold beauty and solemn majesty.

[The one kneeling at the front is Dongfang Ning?] Deng Yuxiang slowly flew towards the altar, conveying thoughts in his mind.

Amusingly, Deng Yuxiang had never truly seen his enemy.

[Yes.] Lu Ran concealed his presence, following beside Deng Yuxiang.

Previously, he was afraid of being discovered during his investigation.

But now it's different!

Deng Yuxiang descended powerfully upon Sword Mountain Peak with the presence of the Heavenly Realm, aiming to intimidate these Sword Cultivators.

In this situation, Lu Ran accompanied him in invisible form, if discovered by scouts, it would only enhance Deng Yuxiang's imposing image.

"Sect Master Dongfang, someone has come from the south!"

"Sect Master, there's...someone coming!" The group of disciples was slightly panicked.

This is Sword Mountain Peak!

Their intimidating arrival clarified their identity!

Dongfang Ning turned her head and saw a mysterious woman in a green cloak flying through the specks of frost snow.

She seemed... too young?

However, as soon as this thought emerged, Dongfang Ning's expression changed!

As Deng Yuxiang transmitted his thoughts, the smokey blue veil paused its magic artifact effects, and the terrifying aura of the Majestic Heaven Realm descended overwhelmingly.

In an instant, the area around the altar fell into a deathly silence.

"Sect... Sect Master!" Beneath Dongfang Ning's knee, from under the stone slab, came a trembling voice, "Someone has attacked from the south, two people in total..."

"Two people?" Dongfang Ning's face didn't look good to begin with, and now she was even more shocked.

She certainly didn't think the Ice Butterfly disciple sensed incorrectly, but in everyone's eyes, there was only a solitary cloaked woman!

"Yes, two people, one before the other, less than a meter apart."

"Continue the alert," Dongfang Ning said softly, slowly standing up.

Deng Yuxiang stood high in the sky, his gaze sweeping over the solemn Divine Sculpture of Sword One, then looking down at the ants below.

"Could senior be a descendent from the Heavenly Realm, here to execute a mission?" Dongfang Ning raised her head and inquired loudly.

Dongfang Ning didn't recognize Deng Yuxiang either.

In the past, she had only seen Lu Ran and never understood which deity's follower had advanced in the mountain or what they looked like.

Deng Yuxiang looked coldly at Dongfang Ning.

Senior?

How could you, at forty years old, have the audacity to utter that?

Dongfang Ning clearly sensed the increasingly fierce gaze of the cloaked woman and hurriedly said, "Senior, please do not be angry. There are no Da Xia geniuses on Sword Mountain Peak.

In recent years, my sect has met three geniuses. They either died or fled, none stayed on the peak.

Before the divine, I swear in the name of Lord Sword One! My sect will not harbor those bastards..."

Dongfang Ning suddenly fell silent, feeling a chill, and hastily stepped back.

High above, the cloaked woman's eyes widened slightly, her gaze like two sharp blades piercing straight into Dongfang Ning's heart!

You... what did you call him?

Do you want to die!

...