Summit of the Old Gods

After more than a year, Lu Ran returned to Luoxian Residence.

This secluded courtyard, filled with many memories for him, remained as clean and tidy as ever. It seemed Senior Sister Cheng Rou frequently came to tidy it up.

Speaking of which, if Xun Luo and his wife needed it, they could entrust their children to Senior Sister Cheng Rou for care?

The ends of the earth are clearly unable to provide the children with a happy childhood.

The islands often have the soldiers of the Ran Sect advancing, summoning mists that envelop the islands for ten days or half a month.

To young children, such a life is quite harsh.

Lu Ran thought quietly to himself as he entered the bathroom.

Indeed, after people advance to the River Realm, they become frighteningly clean.

But Lu Ran still solemnly turned on the shower.

As the hot water poured over his face, he felt completely relaxed...

How wonderful is the human world!

Look at this bright light, look at that clear mirror!

And look at the heroic youth in the mirror!

Tsk tsk, how can one be so dignified... oh, it turns out it's me.

Then it's fine.

"I come from the mountains, bringing orchids~" Lu Ran hummed a little tune, enjoying his bath happily.

In the eastern bedroom, Yan Shuangzi, who was making the bed, paused.

She seemed to hear the tune of a sprinkler truck?

Memories from the depths of her heart, awakened, left Yan Shuangzi somewhat dazed.

The childhood song he hummed softly seemed to come from his past life...

"Sister Shuangzi, what's wrong?" Jiang Ruyi asked.

In private settings, she would change her mode of address for certain subordinates; both Deng Yuxiang and Yan Shuangzi were among the fortunate ones.

"He's singing." Yan Shuangzi snapped back to reality and continued to make the bed.

Jiang Ruyi couldn't help but smile.

Singing in the shower seems hard to associate with the majestic Heaven Realm or with Lu Ran's face, exuding terrifying divinity.

This indeed represented that he hadn't changed.

Jiang Ruyi asked herself, if she ascended to the Heavenly Realm, her state of existence would likely change greatly.

This so-called path to ascension is, in fact, a road that extinguishes humanity.

"It's quite good." Jiang Ruyi said softly, "With him holding things down, we can feel more human."

"Yes." Yan Shuangzi responded softly, suddenly twitching her ear.

Without needing Lady Ran Sect to ask, Yan Shuangzi immediately said, "My lady, someone is coming, from the south."

Jiang Ruyi looked out the window and happened to see an elderly man in a white Taoist robe arriving at the courtyard gate.

Cheng Li also saw the woman standing by the window, and couldn't help feeling a bit excited.

After a year,

Did the Mountain Master and Lady break free from the Divine Ruins again?

Did they complete the task entrusted by the Divine One?

A moment later, Jiang Ruyi came out and said softly, "Master."

"My lady." Cheng Li was full of emotion, through the fairy-like beauty of the woman, he saw an even more ethereal, beautiful long sword.

The ethereal style naturally inherited from Cheng Li, this swordsmanship master's lineage.

But this beauty...

Cheng Li slowly said, "It seems the lady has improved her swordsmanship after the Divine Ruins."

"I've been practicing sword dance with someone, absorbing some of their aura." Jiang Ruyi's eyes revealed rare apologies, "That Cheng Xin grandfather, we didn't find him."

In the mountains, there was no trace of Cheng Xin to be found.

Even Bai Rao and Yan Chou, who came from the sky, hadn't seen Cheng Xin.

"There's no need for my lady to feel this way, everyone has their own destiny." Cheng Li was mentally prepared.

The Mountain Master and Lady helping him search for his brother was already very satisfactory, he dared not ask for more.

In fact, not only was Cheng Xin missing, but also Hao Tian, the disciple of Dong Ting whom Wang Quan disciple Li Rouyin had asked Lu Ran to search for, was also not found.

One must know that Lu Ran had been fighting and wandering all around the Holy Spirit Mountain.

Yet he still hadn't seen Hao Tian.

Lu Ran could only comfort himself that the Holy Spirit Mountain was too vast; if Hao Tian was shrewd enough to see through the essence of Holy Spirit Mountain early on and hid purposefully, it would indeed be very hard to find him.

"My lady's progress is incredibly rapid, such strength and realm is beyond my own." Cheng Li sighed, feeling amazed.

"Master, do not underestimate yourself." Jiang Ruyi appraised the old man, now standing on equal footing, able to perceive Cheng Li's power clearly.

Sea Realm·Fourth Rank.

Indeed, he was the first-generation disciple!

Even remaining in the human world, such a "low martial world", he achieved such results.

Now that Lu Ran had ascended to the Heavenly Realm, gaining many stone sculpture activation slots, perhaps Cheng Yi and Cheng Li could inherit one or two of them?

The Cheng family's grandfather has given his all for the Human Clan, for the sect; his loyalty towards the Mountain Master indeed deserves another step forward.

Jiang Ruyi thought quietly, giving instructions softly, "Tomorrow morning, have Senior Sister Cheng Rou send some meals, picking what the Mountain Master enjoys."

Cheng Li naturally understood that the lady was sending a guest away, suppressing the thought of continuing to inquire, he bowed and said, "Yes, this old man takes his leave."

But just as he turned and walked two steps out, his whole body trembled!

Cheng Li's cloudy eyes widened, turning swiftly, his sword at the waist already half unsheathed.

The next moment, Cheng Li was stunned.

In his sight, a young man draped in a large white robe, stood at the entrance of Luoxian Residence, smiling and nodding in greeting.

"Mountain Master?" Cheng Li was shocked!

Lady Luo Xian was only in her early twenties, and with Sea Realm·Fourth Rank's strength and realm, was already enough to astonish him.

However, when the Luoxian Mountain Master appeared, Cheng Li truly realized what "one mountain is always higher than another" meant!

What, what, what?

What exactly is this... what kind of existence?

"Grandfather Cheng Li." Lu Ran stepped into the courtyard.

It was clear that he arrived in a hurry, still holding a white bath towel in his hand, rubbing his damp hair.

"Mountain Master." Cheng Li paused for quite a while before speaking again, "You really frightened this old man."

"Hehe~" Lu Ran chuckled, passing by Jiang Ruyi, and said, "I'm going out for a stroll."

"Come back soon." Jiang Ruyi casually took the large bath towel and watched the older and younger man leave the small courtyard.

Until the two disappeared into the forest path, she held the bath towel and gently sniffed.

A faint jasmine fragrance.

Sister Cheng Rou was indeed thoughtful, not only regularly coming to clean the room but also often replacing the bath supplies with new ones, and it's the same brand that Lady Luo Xian often used.

"Lady, the bedroom has been tidied up." A voice came from behind.

Jiang Ruyi instinctively put down the bath towel, her cheeks slightly flushed: "Oh, you... you rest as well."

The sky was full of twinkling stars.

A gentle breeze brushed through the mountains and forests, bringing along the rustling sound of shaking branches and leaves.

On the forest path, Cheng Li maintained a distance of several meters and followed Lu Ran forward.

"Lately, is everything well in the mountain?" Lu Ran suddenly spoke.

"Everything is peaceful."

"The Immortal Sheep has no abnormalities, does it?" Lu Ran halted briefly at the fork and walked towards the Luoxian Pavilion.

"Abnormalities?" Cheng Li was somewhat confused.

As a believer, there is an insurmountable gap between him and the divine, and he doesn't even have the privilege of communicating with it.

"If not, that's best." Lu Ran sighed softly and entered the Luoxian Pavilion.

The Immortal Sheep had repeatedly stated that Lu Ran could act recklessly within the Holy Spirit Mountain.

As Da Xia's genius, Lu Ran would naturally do what he must.

However, the Heavenly Realm executioner's arrival completely awakened Lu Ran, making him realize that even the Immortal Sheep he revered might be targeted by the God Demon.

Might even be questioned for past deeds?

Is the Immortal Sheep truly without abnormalities? Or perhaps, from Cheng Li's standpoint, he is unaware of the situation.

Lu Ran came to the side of Luoxian Pavilion, leaned sideways with his shoulder against a pavilion pillar: "Sorry, I couldn't find Grandpa Cheng Xin."

"Mountain Master, do not blame yourself." Cheng Li sighed softly, "In life, nine out of ten things are unsatisfactory, and my second brother and I have long accepted this."

"Hmm." Lu Ran gazed at the Cang Mountain and Erhai under the night sky, responding quietly.

Cheng Xin, Hao Tian...

Wonder if they can be seen again.

Lu Ran knew too well about the harshness of the Holy Spirit Mountain, he just didn't want to admit the most likely outcome.

"Mountain Master, are you... above the Sea Realm already?"

"Heavenly Realm."

"Heavenly Realm..." Cheng Li chewed over the term.

"Still not enough."

Cheng Li secretly clicked his tongue, asked, "Above the Heavenly Realm, what is there?"

"Uh." Lu Ran thought about the divisions like the First Layer of Heaven, the Second Heaven, and said, "Heaven's Edge?"

Cheng Li: "..."

Lu Ran chuckled, "I will leave soon. Don't inform others of our return."

"Lady just instructed to have Little Rou send some food tomorrow morning."

"Oh?" Lu Ran immediately thought of the extremely fresh mushrooms, his intention changing swiftly, "Stir-fried mushrooms, I want to eat green mushrooms!"

"Hehe." Cheng Li laughed silently.

Just a second ago, said not to disturb others, and the next moment, directly ordered food?

"Hehe~" Lu Ran grinned widely, looked at the elder, "Go back, I'll stay by myself for a while."

"I take my leave." Cheng Li bowed and replied, swiftly departed.

The Mountain Master, still that Mountain Master of Luoxian Mountain.

Gentle in temperament, even with some youthful innocence, yet sharing a pavilion with him was truly too pressuring.

Lu Ran turned his head, gazing at the beautiful Erhai under the moonlight, watching the shimmering lake surface.

After a long time, he reached sideways with one hand and called forth an Ancient Bronze Mirror.

Nine out of ten things unsatisfactory?

There are always some satisfactory ones.

Accompanied by intense Divine Power fluctuations, in the cave beneath Heaven's Edge of the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm, Yan Chou looked forward.

"You can't return to the human world temporarily." The youth's voice lingered in the pitch-black cave, "I will tell her...

Her ugly slave has been guarding the Cloud Sea Dust Clear Sword for her."

"Thank you, Young Master!" Yan Chou's hands trembled slightly, bowing to offer the Cloud Sea Sword.

The sword hilt entered Lu Ran's hand as he slowly retreated into the mirror.

"Phew~" The Landing Mirror dissipated.

"Buzz~" The Cloud Sea Dust Clear Sword lightly trembled.

Under the same starry sky, in the distant Beijing.

In a study of a residence, a woman wearing snow-white garments knelt at a low desk.

She held a brush with her slender hand, concentrating as she wrote something on Xuan paper.

A small flower pot sat on a corner of the desk, the exquisite weeping Xian Mo released a faint jasmine fragrance.

Mixing with ink fragrance, permeating the study.

Quiet night, elegant fragrance, dignified and tranquil person.

But all this beautiful atmosphere was abruptly disrupted.

The woman's hand holding the brush suddenly halted, the tip lingering on the Xuan paper, letting the ink stain more and more.

Staining deeper...

Her eyes, like deep cold pool waters, no longer icy cold as they quietly rippled.

The unfinished poetry on the paper seemed fitting:

"One mountain, two mountains, mountains high and sky far, chilly smoke and waters..."

...