Summit of the Old Gods

Lu Ran was very steady.

The signing and tearing of contracts with the executioners needs to be completed in the Heavenly Realm, trying to let the Faceless Jade Venerable take the blame as much as possible.

The fusion of the executioners with the stone sculptures, however, has to take place in the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm.

After all, Lu Ran needed to invite the stone sculptures out, and with their massive size of two to three hundred meters, they were too conspicuous.

Thus, Lu Ran led the team to the Holy Spirit Mountain·Mo Gu Peak.

The two generals, Feng Yan, had been waiting here for a long time. With the experience from last time, the couple released the Sand Sea to cover the vast cave walls, ensuring the stability of the mountain.

With the assistance of the two divine generals, Yan Chou successfully merged with the Evil Spear Emperor Stone Sculpture.

Afterward, he followed Lu Ran's pupils into the God Demon Sculpture Garden.

"Umm..." Lu Ran's face looked very unpleasant, as he pressed his hand on his forehead, with his thumb and middle finger rubbing both sides of his temples.

Seeing this scene, Bai Rao immediately crawled over, leaning on Lu Ran's back, reached out with a pair of soft jade hands, and placed them on Lu Ran's temples.

Gently massaging him.

Next to them, Deng Yuxiang watched this scene with a blank expression.

This woman... is really quick and sharp, isn't she?

"Xiao Lu~"

"Hmm?" Lu Ran responded softly.

"I have been fighting in the Heavenly Realm for years, collecting a lot of Holy Spirit Energy and I've also swallowed many Faceless Jade Venerable's dead souls~" Bai Rao's eyes sparkled.

Lu Ran nodded quietly.

In fact, he had already thought of this, which is why he chose her over Tu Feng first.

The improvement in human cultivation is not entirely consistent with the stone sculpture cultivation method.

The human clan enhances through purifying Holy Spirit Energy, using the brief stay of energy in the body to nourish and strengthen their bodies, thus continuing to break physical limits.

The advancement of stone sculptures is incredibly pure, purely relying on the accumulation of Holy Spirit Energy!

Bai Rao, as a disciple of the Jade-faced Snake, possesses a special move·Immortal Python Devours Heaven, allowing her to devour both the enemy's body and dead souls together.

In other words, the Holy Spirit Energy contained in Bai Rao's soul must be extraordinarily vast!

"Didn't Xiao Lu say that after I merge with the stone sculpture, I will transform into the Fake God deity and be able to harness the Holy Spirit Energy hidden within my body?"

Speaking, Bai Rao couldn't help sticking out her scarlet long tongue, licking the corner of her lips, "Maybe, I can directly ascend to the Second Heaven!"

"That would be best." Lu Ran responded softly.

He had already learned from Lord Immortal Sheep that the gap between the First Layer of Heaven and the Second Heaven is a significant difference in the Great Realm.

The amount of Holy Spirit Energy needed for the human clan to ascend to the Second Heaven is hard to quantify; it all depends on how people utilize the Holy Spirit Energy and the degree to which their bodies are nourished and strengthened.

The Fake God Stone Sculpture advancing to the Second Heaven, however, is relatively clear, requiring approximately a hundred thousand of Holy Spirit Energy.

A hundred thousand strands of Holy Spirit Energy!

Aunt Bai actually able to consume so many?

Lu Ran was quite looking forward to it!

If she really could, wouldn't the Evil God·Jade-faced Snake feel unbearable losing such a "blood pack"?

Hehe~

Lu Ran reached out with one hand and said, "Come on, let's try it and see."

If she could really ascend to the Second Heaven, she would be able to create a body with the strength and realm of the First Layer of Heaven and accompany Lu Ran on his journeys...

The key point is, Lu Ran still carries her original stone sculpture with him!

Is this the Fake God·Jade-faced Snake?

No, this is Lu Ran's great reliance, a Stabilizing Needle!

"Hoo!!"

Pure yet terrifying energy surged up all at once.

The Jade-faced Snake Evil Sculpture slowly pieced together, with its long lower snake body coiling around, appearing in the vast cave.

"I'm going~" Bai Rao couldn't hold back her excitement, quickly crawling toward the massive Jade-faced Snake.

As one person and one sculpture lightly touched, the pieces of stone sculpture peeled away.

Soon, Bai Rao entered Lu Ran's mind in a brand-new form.

"Ugh." Lu Ran's face looked even worse; two Heavenly Realm·Stone Sculptures merging left him feeling overwhelmed!

With his head buzzing, even his body swayed a bit.

Deng Yuxiang immediately stepped forward, supporting Lu Ran's arm, and frowned, "Take a rest for a while."

"Okay." Lu Ran nodded.

In his current state, he certainly wasn't suited for battles in the Heavenly Realm.

With the assistance of Deng Yuxiang, he reached a spot in front of a stone wall and sat down heavily.

Feng Yan's two generals withdrew the Sand Sea and were about to take their posts when they heard the sect leader's words: "Feng Yan."

"Yes!"

"Sect Leader?"

"Come." Lu Ran waved his hand, forcing himself to endure the buzzing head, and opened a Landing Mirror, "Go back and cultivate well, in the near future, you will have this day too."

"Yes!"

They respectfully saluted and successively stepped into the mirror.

"Whew..." Lu Ran exhaled a long breath, like a puddle of mud, and his body slumped down.

Only Deng Yuxiang remained beside him, so he no longer had to maintain the facade of a sect leader.

In private, Deng Yuxiang finally shared his own thoughts: "The stone sculptures in the Sculpture Garden require you to personally slay enemies and devour dead souls to cultivate, so it's better not to let too many warriors merge with the stone sculptures."

"Yan Chou and Bai Rao's merging is quite necessary." Lu Ran tapped his forehead in distress, "Yan Chou has fought in the Heavenly Realm for more than ten years, even longer than Bai Rao."

Unfortunately, Yan Chou, as a disciple of the Evil Spear Emperor, does not possess the skill to devour the dead souls of enemies, and can only collect the scattered Holy Spirit Energy.

Lu Ran pondered, "I don't know if Yan Chou can advance to the Second Layer of the Heavenly Realm. It would be best if he could, but if not...

After he devours the stone sculpture of Qiang Xiu, he can then teleport instantly."

Deng Yuxiang caught up with Lu Ran's line of thought and mused, "Even if he's still at the First Layer of Heaven, only able to create a Sea Realm Peak physical body, if he can teleport, he has the capital to operate in the Heavenly Realm.

He can collect the Holy Spirit Energy on his own and grow himself."

"Right, he and Yan Shuangzi are of the same kind, not needing my personal nurturing," Lu Ran replied weakly, with his head resting against the stone wall.

They can be left to develop on their own.

"The most important thing is, Yan Chou becoming a Pseudo God Stone Sculpture now has the ability to devour dead souls," Lu Ran continued.

The stone sculpture itself cannot be easily summoned, due to the hefty appearance fee.

But the physical body created by Pseudo God Yan Chou, its soul comes from the god demon remnant shadow that can fully represent the original stone sculpture!

Deng Yuxiang nodded secretly, sat beside him, and took off his bamboo hat.

"Mm~" Lu Ran enjoyed the massage from the Big Nightmare, feeling somewhat more comfortable.

There's no denying, the technique of the Big Nightmare is far superior to Bai Rao's…

In the pitch-black environment, there came a faint female voice: "I will not merge with the stone sculpture for now, I will accompany you as a human clan to fight and continue to grow."

Within Lu Ran's sculpture garden, there were already four pseudo gods of the human clan.

Even if you exclude Yan Chou and Bai Rao, there were still Yu Changsheng and Luo Ying, who needed Lu Ran's personal cultivation.

Adding one more Deng Yuxiang was too much pressure for him.

"Sis."

"Hm?"

"I admit you have excellent talent, but don't forget, you were chosen by the Second-class God·Beifeng."

Hearing the words "Beifeng," Deng Yuxiang's fingertips pressed slightly harder.

Lu Ran grimaced, "Yan Chou and Bai Rao are disciples of the Evil Demon, and even the top-class disciples, their talent might be above yours."

Deng Yuxiang: "..."

Indeed so.

Lu Ran, with a spirit of mischief, continued, "Two first-class evil demon disciples with top-tier talents have been fighting in the Heavenly Realm for so long, yet they are still at the First Layer of Heaven!

You, a Second-class God disciple... ouch~ it hurts~"

Deng Yuxiang hurriedly eased the strength in her hands.

She really didn't do it on purpose; she realized her own weakness and slight loss of composure.

Undoubtedly, becoming a pseudo god, embarking on another path of advancement, relying solely on the accumulation of Holy Spirit Energy, step by step reaching the top is her best choice!

She is not Qiao Wanjun.

How many Qiao Wanjun are there in this world?

Deng Yuxiang thought well, hoping Lu Ran could be a bit more relieved, but reality did not allow it!

"Everything is difficult at the beginning," Lu Ran gently advised, "Once you pseudo gods reach the Second Layer of the Heavenly Realm and can create a heavenly-realm-strength physical body, I can be liberated.

The more pseudo gods, the more you help each other, the more I can let go and lie at home, allowing you to grow wildly..."

"Mm." Deng Yuxiang quietly responded.

Lu Ran was comforting her, but what he said was the truth!

Once the snowball started rolling, the pseudo gods in Lu Ran's sculpture garden would indeed grow frantically!

Lu Ran suddenly turned and looked at Deng Yuxiang, "You seem unaware that Mr. Conglong and the Luoshen General are now being let loose by me."

Deng Yuxiang slightly raised an eyebrow.

Lu Ran shrugged his shoulders, "Their Sea Realm Peak bodies are left in the Mountain Realm! They are slaughtering in the sea at the ends of the earth.

They are constantly devouring dead souls, drawing in Holy Spirit Energy, and continuously growing."

Deng Yuxiang nodded, "Leaving just the Dragon Guardian in that sea area is enough; Luoshen General can be sent back to the mainland, thrown into the evil demon headquarters."

"There are plenty of Ink Carp clan, Sea Shark clan, and Angry Sea Flame Flood Dragon in the ends of the earth sea area..." As he spoke, Lu Ran suddenly leaned his forehead forward.

Deng Yuxiang: ?

Lu Ran's forehead rested on her arm, and he mumbled, "Oh, sis, just listen to my arrangements. My head is aching, don't make me think for now..."

Deng Yuxiang looked at the young man with his face buried on her arm, his expression growing increasingly strange.

Are you acting coquettishly?

You're already twenty-two, you know that?

Being in your twenties doesn't matter, but the fact is you are a Majestic Heaven Realm! You know that?

Indeed, birds of a feather flock together.

He must have been led astray by that bad woman Bai Rao...

"Nightmare Guardian."

"Here." Deng Yuxiang subconsciously responded.

"Your sect leader just said his head hurts." Lu Ran's voice was low, with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Ha." Deng Yuxiang suddenly laughed, "The soft approach doesn't work, so you're trying the hard way?"

"How should I know you're so ruthless, just watching me, not moving at all." Lu Ran grumbled, then suddenly muttered, "Do you think I'm Deng Shao?"

"Ha." Deng Yuxiang laughed again.

This time she was laughed out of anger.

She gently yet firmly turned Lu Ran's head straight, "Shut up and rest."

"Okay."

...