Summit of the Old Gods

Lu Ran stood silently in the air, watching the emperor-robed man who was both crying and laughing.

Presumably, this man had a significant connection to his mother.

Otherwise, how could he have such a reaction?

Listening to the man's choked laughter, Lu Ran couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow; the ability of Heavenly Great Powers to influence their surroundings is truly formidable.

Gratitude, sadness, surprise, bitterness...

So complex, constantly switching.

How could one person's emotions be so intense?

What exactly had this person experienced?

"May I... may I ask, your esteemed mother's... full name?" the emperor-robed man suddenly lowered his pale hand and asked tremulously.

His cautious demeanor was completely out of place with his imposing aura.

This majestic Heaven Realm being seemed somewhat humble.

Under the emperor-robed man's exceedingly hopeful gaze, Lu Ran slowly spoke: "My mother's surname is Qiao, her name is Wanjun."

A simple name caused the emperor-robed man's figure to sway once more.

Qiao Wanjun!

Qiao Wanjun...

With a thud, the man kneeled on the ground, his pale hand covering his eyes once more, muttering incessantly:

"Good, good..."

"May I know your name, sir?" Lu Ran asked appropriately.

"With due respect, my surname is Yan, first name Chou," the emperor-robed man quickly lifted his head to look at Lu Ran, responding with great respect.

Lu Ran was somewhat startled.

It's truly hard to imagine a Heaven Realm executioner being so deferential when facing his task target, Da Xia's genius.

"Yan as in King Yan, Chou as in ugly," the emperor-robed man kindly explained.

"Yan Chou," Lu Ran slightly furrowed his brow.

The surname follows the lineage, nothing to say there.

But Chou, meaning ugly?

Even though the emperor-robed man appeared sickly, it couldn't hide his handsome face.

Even with his disheveled long hair and unkempt clothes, his noble demeanor was ingrained, impossible to erase.

This name,

The contrast is too stark.

"Young Master may call me Ugly Servant," Yan Chou said softly, offering a humble title.

"Young Master?" This form of address was unique, and Lu Ran had deduced some details.

Yan Chou lowered his head and said: "Ugly Servant once... once followed your esteemed mother."

Lu Ran sighed inwardly.

Indeed!

Mother must have come to Holy Spirit Mountain, likely ascended to the Heavenly Realm, fought through it, and then returned to the human world of Da Xia.

When could it have been?

It shouldn't have been while the parents were together, even though Lu Ran was young, he remembered things.

Back then, Father was guarding the Demon Cave year-round, and Mother was raising the siblings.

After Lu Ran turned 5 and the parents divorced, Father applied to the military for a transfer back to the human city, to accompany his son's growth.

So...

Could it have been after the divorce, when Mother took little Yuanxi to live in Beijing?

The Lu Family was not wealthy.

And then, within a few years of moving to Beijing, Mother with little Yuanxi had everything.

From a worldly perspective of wealth, the area of Immortal Scenic Garden, the luxurious grand apartment of the Qiao Family, was wealth ordinary people couldn't even dream of across generations.

Housing was just one aspect.

Other various things were innumerable.

Little Yuanxi transformed from a poor child by the Wu Lie River to a wealthy Beijing lady overnight.

Was it during that period?

By the time Lu Ran was 13, he was taken to Beijing to live with his mother.

From ages 5 to 13... eight or nine years?

No!

In the sister's impression, although Mother was especially busy with work, and they were often apart, Mother still took care of little Yuanxi.

Could someone else have taken care of Qiao Yuansi back then, perhaps disguised?

Or was it some magic artifact's effect?

Lu Ran locked his brow tightly.

No matter how you calculate it, the time it took for the Qiao Family to rise was extremely short!

Two words popped into Lu Ran's mind:

Speedrun!

Mother must have ventured into the Mountain Realm, fought through the Heavenly Realm... a speedrun for sure!

Just like himself.

Lu Ran entered the Mountain Realm in early January 2020, and now it's August 2022...

He too went from being Jiang Realm·Second Rank upon entering the Mountain Realm, to the current Sea Realm·Fifth Rank.

No,

Mother must have been even faster?

Lu Ran sighed deeply, looking up at the sky where clouds were surging.

Two and a half years, still trapped in the mountains seeking a breakthrough.

In the same time frame, Mother must have already slain her way into the Heavenly Realm...

"Sigh~"

A gentle breeze blew, bringing wisps of mist that swept through Lu Ran's short hair, awakening him from his thoughts.

Lu Ran looked down to find the noble emperor still kneeling properly on the peak.

The other seemed immersed in his own world, unable to extricate himself.

Lu Ran said softly, "Mr. Yan, please rise."

Yan Chou suddenly lifted his head, slightly agitated: "Young Master may call me Ugly Servant!"

He seemed to desperately need Lu Ran's approval?

A sudden wave of emotion, carrying immense heavenly power, surged violently like a raging sea, making Lu Ran feel like a small boat in the storm, almost shattering his very being.

"Whew~"

Lu Ran quickly retreated, flying back over twenty meters.

Yan Chou opened his mouth, but finally in a dejected manner, bowed his head deeply.

Lu Ran forcibly suppressed the tremors of his heart for quite a while, finally calming down.

Mother... truly remarkable!

Even her servants possessed such strength, a disciple of a first-class Evil God.

Such loyalty is even more so.

"How did you meet my mother?" Lu Ran inquired.

Yan Chou lowered his head, his eyes full of guilt, remaining silent.

Lu Ran was silent for a moment, and suddenly said, "Chou Slave."

"Yes!"

"Answer the question."

"I... I met Sect Master Qiao in the Heavenly Realm."

"Sect Master?" Lu Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.

Yan Chou's expression was gloomy: "Your mother founded the Cloud Sea Sect and is the master of a sect.

However, the sect has always been oppressed, constantly shattered and dismantled, and to this day, barely one-tenth of the old members remain."

"By whom are you oppressed?"

Yan Chou lowered his eyes, and an astonishing hatred bloomed in them:

"Gods, demons."

Lu Ran's face also darkened: "Are you, in the Heavenly Realm, helping the gods and demons resist foreign enemies?"

"Yes."

"And yet you are still oppressed by the gods and demons?" Lu Ran's voice was icy.

Yan Chou's deeply bowed head directly hit the ground: "Chou Slave is incompetent and failed to relieve the sect master's worries and difficulties."

Damn it!

This group of dogs!

Lu Ran looked up at the sky, staring at the thick sea of clouds.

He didn't know how much grievance his mother must have endured.

He had never personally been to the Heavenly Realm, nor seen the harsh environment there with his own eyes.

But just being in Holy Spirit Mountain was enough for Lu Ran to catch a glimpse—within this world, the Human Clan was like pigs and dogs awaiting slaughter, already humiliated beyond measure.

His mother struggled out of the slaughterhouse, finally ascended to the Heavenly Realm!

She must have done immense mental preparation, swallowed all her grievances, willingly becoming a soldier under the gods and demons to resist foreign enemies...

To such an extent!

And yet still oppressed by the gods and demons?

"Why do the gods and demons oppress the Cloud Sea Sect," Lu Ran asked solemnly.

"The Human Clan... is too powerful."

"Powerful?" Lu Ran looked at Yan Chou in disbelief, "The Human Clan is oppressed to such an extent, powerful?"

"Young Master may not know, but our Human Clan's talent is extraordinarily strong. In just a few short years, top-tier experts can emerge, causing fear among the gods and demons."

Lu Ran: ???

Yan Chou softly explained: "Compared to the gods and demons, our Human Clan has short life spans and fragile bodies, but possesses extremely high intelligence and unparalleled talent qualifications.

Within the very short life of the Human Clan, some people... like your mother, can reach extremely high realms in an even shorter time."

"Gulp." Lu Ran's Adam's apple bobbed.

In his conception, gods and demons have always been entities above all, and the Human Clan merely base ants.

But Yan Chou's words abruptly awakened Lu Ran:

The so-called ants were actually such frightening beings!

Indeed, not to mention others.

Just speaking of Lu Ran himself, he successfully honored the gods on the first day of June, 2018, and became a believer, which was barely over four years ago.

And Lu Ran, has reached the peak of the Sea Realm!

Heading straight towards the First Level of Heaven Realm!

Perhaps Lu Ran, Jiang Ruyi, Deng Yuxiang, and others are somewhat special, then let's talk about an ordinary person—Chang Ying.

She was later found by Lu Ran and is merely a disciple of a fourth-class god, not outstanding in talent. Yet this young woman of the Human Clan, even before binding with a stone sculpture, was already at the Fourth Rank of the River Realm.

People's lives,

indeed fragile, indeed short.

Yet capable of blooming with the most brilliant radiance!

Yan Chou clawed at the ground with both hands, his fingertips deeply embedded into the stone: "Under your mother's command, she gathered quite a group of such people, who are utterly loyal to Sect Master Qiao.

The gods and demons, were afraid."

Lu Ran slightly opened his mouth.

The last four words set off tremendous waves in his heart.

The gods and demons... were afraid?

Yan Chou was filled with overwhelming hatred: "The gods and demons needed our help to resist foreign enemies, yet could not let us grow strong. Your mother..."

"What?"

"Sect Master Qiao was invited back to the Human World."

"What??"

Yan Chou raised his head, this middle-aged man, this majestic figure of Heaven Realm, with tears glistening in his eyes:

"Your mother never abandoned us, never gave up the struggle. She was invited back to the Human World."

Lu Ran's heart trembled.

He always thought, for Human Clan believers, the journey to ascend the heavens was a path of no return.

He also always believed that the very few who could return to the Human World had undergone countless ordeals, a brush with death, to finally reunite with their families.

But Lu Ran never imagined that his mother was invited back.

Killed her way back to the Human World.

Invited back to the Human World.

A single word difference completely overturned Lu Ran's understanding and made him realize an even more frightening truth.

Mother has the power to oppose the gods!

Otherwise, there would be no need for a word like "invite"!

So it seems, even if the Human Clan and the gods signed a master-servant contract, if the strength and realm of the Human Clan grow strong enough, to an excessive degree...

They have a shred of resistance capability?!

With a "clang" and a crisp sound, the sharp sword was drawn.

Yan Chou held the Divine Sword with both hands, offering it deferentially: "Young Master, this sword was left on the battlefield by Sect Master Qiao before she was invited back to the Human World, and Chou Slave has been keeping it for her.

Now that the Young Master has entered the mountain, it should return to its rightful owner.

In the future, when the Young Master ascends to the Heavenly Realm, you can use this sword to rally the old forces of Cloud Sea!"

Lu Ran gazed numbly at the three-foot-long cyan peak, it seemed to be forged from Tianchen Steel, radiating a sharp, cold glint.

The bigger issue is, it was this sword that blocked the path of the Cloud Sea Dust Clear blade.

"What is its name?"

"This sword shares the same name as the Young Master's blade."

"It... is also called Cloud Sea Dust Clear?"

"Cloud Sea Dust Clear!"

...

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