Summit of the Old Gods

The ends of the earth.

Lu Ran, returning to the sect, took off his warm fox fur cloak and put on a loose white robe. He came to Heaven's Edge and sat silently at the cliff's edge.

Those small legs dangling outside were unusually still.

Obviously, someone was lost in thought.

"Whew~"

A gust of wind and waves came.

Yan Chou knelt behind Lu Ran, frowned slightly, and turned to look.

Naihe Island was shrouded in thick fog, with Fog Dragon Rolls descending from the sky, connecting the distant islands of Jingxian Sect. Yan Chou couldn't see the visitor.

He could only use the Magic Artifact·Black Cloud Pattern Gourd to lock onto the opponent.

"Sect Leader, you called me." Wu Xiao respectfully saluted, naturally noticing the unfamiliar man nearby.

From Lu Ran's state of sitting with his back to this man and quietly dazing out, Wu Xiao could infer: no matter where this Heavenly Realm Great Power came from, this person had already submitted to Ran Sect!

Following the Sect Master.

"Martial Emperor, how have you been lately?"

"Good." Wu Xiao responded.

Lu Ran sighed lightly: "For you, both Mr. Cong Long and Luoshen are newcomers who have surpassed the old ones."

Wu Xiao silently lowered his head.

"Martial Artist Divine Sculpture, I give it to you. In opposition, the Yin Flower Dan Evil Sculpture, I have also prepared for you."

"I am ashamed." Wu Xiao lowered his head further.

"In your heart, has our goal wavered?"

"Never."

"Then you must be questioning me as a person."

"Never!" Wu Xiao said in a deep voice.

"Hmm." Lu Ran crossed his legs, elbows supported by his knees, and his palm supporting his cheek.

Heaven's Edge fell into a long silence.

Lu Ran was indeed asking Wu Xiao.

But he was also asking himself.

Since the goal in his heart had never wavered, and he had never doubted himself, then where exactly was the problem?

Is my Dao Heart not yet polished to brilliance?

Is every step not yet solid enough?

"Brother! Brother?"

After an unknown amount of time, a pleasant voice came closer.

The white mist at Heaven's Edge was also replaced by black mist.

Black Lamp Evil Technique·Caged Fire (Smoke) allows the caster to hide within and perceive everything within the black mist's range.

"Huh." Qiao Yuansi then found that there were two other guys here.

Each more imposing than the other!

"Your situation is similar to Mr. Cong Long's; interact more with him." Lu Ran issued a dismissal order, "Go."

"As you command." Wu Xiao stood up and left.

"Ugly Slave, step back a bit; Yuanxi is still young." Lu Ran added.

"Yes."

Qiao Yuansi, holding the Cloud Sea Dust Clear Sword, flew beside Lu Ran and whispered, "Is that guy mom's subordinate?"

"Why aren't you cultivating properly and running here?" Lu Ran asked.

"Eh? You're so annoying!" Qiao Yuansi pouted her lips, "When I ignore you someday, you'll behave."

Lu Ran: "..."

Indeed.

Qiao Yuansi knelt down, hugging her treasured sword, suddenly leaned forward, and planted a heavy kiss on Lu Ran's cheek:

"Mua~"

"Uh?" Lu Ran was a bit stunned.

"So happy~" Qiao Yuansi's smiling eyes curved into crescent moons, tightly hugging the Cloud Sea Dust Clear Sword, her shoulder leaning against Lu Ran's arm.

Lu Ran understood in his heart, it seemed the Cloud Sea Sword Spirit got along well with little Yuansi.

"This mom is so gentle!" Qiao Yuansi excitedly babbled, "The key is, she's not scary!"

Lu Ran laughed, "She's gentle, but you can't be too spoiled."

"What's wrong with that? Someone's willing to pamper me~" Qiao Yuansi nudged Lu Ran's shoulder, speaking with a bright smile, "Right?"

Lu Ran rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.

The siblings joked for a while, and only then did Qiao Yuansi settle down somewhat, whispering:

"Mom really loves you."

"If you were called by the gods to pilgrimage, she would arrange everything." Lu Ran was very certain.

Back then, before departure, mother had asked Lu Ran to choose a Divine Sword in the study, which he refused.

Thinking about it now, someone really didn't know what was good for him.

If it were Qiao Yuansi, mother would equip her with both Divine Swords... no, wait!

More likely, mother would prohibit Qiao Yuansi from going on the pilgrimage, to avoid any subsequent situations.

Now Lu Ran already knew, mother was not a mere ant.

She was personally invited back to the human world by the gods!

Then, she should be able to communicate and discuss with the gods to some extent?

"Hmm?" Lu Ran suddenly realized something.

Does this mean that regarding his coming to the Mountain Realm, mother privately discussed with Immortal Sheep?

Lu Ran recalled the scene on Jinghong Peak; when he expressed that Immortal Sheep would open a Divine Ruins for him, mother's smile vanished, and her eyes turned ice-cold.

Her mouth coldly spat out two words: "Immortal Sheep."

Lu Ran was astonished!

Mother dared to be disrespectful to the gods, directly calling the god by name?

Thinking about it now, she wasn't impulsive; she already had the qualification.

All information is hidden in the details.

Unfortunately, Lu Ran didn't realize it.

"By the way, brother, what about your Cloud Sea Blade?" Qiao Yuansi asked with concern.

"No rush, there will always be a way." Lu Ran laughed casually, "Even if there's no way, Cloud Sea Blade and I are willing to accept it."

Qiao Yuansi pressed her lips together, feeling a bit worried and a bit regretful.

"Here." Lu Ran handed the Cloud Sea Dust Clear Blade, together with its sheath, to his sister.

Qiao Yuansi, not understanding, accepted the Divine Weapon.

Lu Ran smiled and said, "Now, you'll be even happier, with Mom and your brother both by your side."

"Hmph~" Although Qiao Yuansi was quite happy, she muttered, "I have my real brother here, why do I need a fake... um."

She immediately realized the mistake and hurriedly shut her mouth.

A few simple words hurt the hearts of the two Divine Weapons.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean it that way." Qiao Yuansi hugged the pair of blades to her chest, nearly crying from anxiety.

"It's okay."

The sound of her mother's voice suddenly came through.

Qiao Yuansi looked ahead, but the fog was too thick.

"It's nothing." Her brother's voice also came from behind, with a faint smile.

Qiao Yuansi carefully held the Cloud Sea Sword, feeling guilty and self-blaming, she silently lowered her head, pouting without making a sound.

At this point, Lu Ran found it hard to blame her too.

He reached out, wrapping his arm around little Yuansi's shoulders, pulling her into a hug, gently smoothing her long hair with his hand.

Seeing Lu Ran not scolding her, but instead comforting her like this, Qiao Yuansi felt even more remorseful.

She struggled to sit up, whispering, "Brother, why don't you ponder here, I won't disturb you."

"It's not a big deal." Lu Ran said casually.

"Actually... I have some thoughts."

"Oh?"

"Your goals are very clear, and you've been following them, achieving many, many things, so your Dao Heart must be fine." Qiao Yuansi sat up straight, speaking seriously.

Regarding this, Lu Ran was deeply convinced, having just self-reflected.

"Maybe, brother just needs a bit of a nudge."

"A nudge?" Lu Ran's expression turned strange.

Qiao Yuansi handed the Cloud Sea Sword back: "Let it tell you about all mom's journey, everything she endured, maybe it could help you?"

"Hmm..." Lu Ran grasped the Cloud Sea Sword.

He couldn't help but recall, just now in Hidden Thousand Mountain, when the Cloud Sea Sword revealed that mom was dreaded by gods and demons, and the sect was scattered, the fury boiling within him.

His hatred for the gods and demons had reached its peak.

What he couldn't bear to imagine was, what kind of grievances his mom suffered.

A member of the Human Clan who swallowed all humiliations, resisted foreign enemies, yet was constantly oppressed by internal rulers.

How did she walk out of it?

In such a filthy environment, she reached a height where she could confront the gods and demons.

Or should it be said... did she really walk out of it?

To put it nicely, she was invited back to the human world.

In the end, wasn't she stripped of everything?

The gods and demons were both the clouds over her head and the mountains in front of her eyes.

Her goals, her sect that she built with her own hands, those comrades who always followed her, who lived and died together...

All were isolated on the other side of the mountain.

Her wishes remained unfulfilled.

Her subordinates, one by one, perished.

How deep was the sorrow within Qiao Wanjun, who was stuck in the human world?

Introspectively ask yourself, if Lu Ran were left on this side of the mountain, while his Ran Sect soldiers, Jiang Ruyi, Deng Yuxiang, Yu Changsheng, and others were abandoned in the Heavenly Realm, dying one after another...

Lu Ran would go mad!

He would truly explode!

"Gulp." Qiao Yuansi held the Cloud Sea Blade, sensing the enmity emanating from her brother.

She just wanted to help, which is why she made this suggestion, not knowing why it provoked such anger in her brother.

Suddenly, a gentle female voice came through, it was the unique tone of her mother:

"Ranran, want to hear it?"

The Cloud Sea Sword Spirit fulfilled its promise, indeed being very gentle to little Yuansi, and this way, helped her out of the situation.

While Lu Ran was immersed in a special emotion, thinking about all that his mother went through, putting himself in her shoes, he suddenly heard his mother's voice.

In a daze, he felt as if something shattered.

Gods and demons,

had already completely decayed.

Or perhaps, that pile of stones was rotten from the start.

The gods and demons were indeed resisting foreign enemies, and objectively helped the continuation of the Human Clan, but they also oppressed those with great abilities.

Compared to repelling foreign enemies, the gods and demons only cared about their eternal reign.

The miserable and humiliating fate of the Human Clan was boundless.

Like the calamity wrought on the fifteenth of every month in the human world; like the long lamentations and endless devastation of the Holy Spirit Mountain.

All of it was endless...

Slaughtering all gods and demons was the only way to end it all.

Gods and demons can't fend off foreign enemies, let my Ran Sect fight!

We will bear the fate and continuation of the Human Clan!

Why need a pile of rotten stones for hypocritical charity, to dictate fate?

"Hoo!!"

A violent energy fluctuation rippled out from Lu Ran's body.

The ethereal face of Qiao Wanjun was startled.

It seemed, no storytelling was needed.

He stepped towards the Heavenly Realm on his own.

"Oh!" Qiao Yuansi hurriedly backed away, afraid to disturb her brother's advancement.

She didn't know, Lu Ran was being disturbed.

Just when he fiercely broke through the cultivation bottleneck and entered the advancement stage, an unexpectedly low and hoarse voice imprinted in Lu Ran's mind.

This unique voice, carrying a faint hint of approval, Lu Ran hadn't heard it for a long time:

[Finally.]

———— "Volume Four · Holy Spirit Lamentation · End of Volume"