Summit of the Old Gods

The 19th day of the seventh lunar month, the first day of the city's reopening.

In Rain Alley City, in an ordinary residential house.

A middle-aged couple was putting on shoes at the doorway, and the woman kept reminding them: "Mom and Dad are going to work now, be good at home alone."

"Okay, okay." A petite short-haired girl nodded with a face full of obedience.

The middle-aged woman put on her high heels, turned her head to see her daughter's charming and lovely appearance, and couldn't help but look with affectionate eyes: "Don't open the door to strangers, okay?"

"Don't nag." The man said with a hearty laugh, "Our Tian Tian is a Sword Lotus believer, very powerful, right?"

Tian Tian seemed a bit embarrassed, protesting, "Oh, Dad!"

"Haha." The man chuckled lightly and turned to leave the house.

Tian Tian, clearly a twenty-year-old young lady, was often a strong warrior entering Demon Cave, guarding the city on nights of the fifteenth!

Yet, the couple still treated their daughter as a child.

Perhaps it was due to Tian Tian's charming appearance or her introverted personality.

Tian Tian watched her parents leave until they disappeared at the staircase corner, then gently closed the door.

"Click~"

Tian Tian was locking the door while sighing.

Summer vacation was soon ending, and she had to go back to school. She wondered how Chang Ying was doing now.

How was Manni recovering after childbirth...

"Buzz~Buzz~"

A sound of phone vibration came from the bedroom.

Tian Tian returned to her senses, bouncing her small short legs, and ran back to the bedroom, picking up the phone from the computer desk.

At the next moment, Tian Tian's almond eyes slightly widened.

In the message list, appeared a person she hadn't contacted in a long, long time.

That WeChat avatar, Tian Tian had secretly looked at countless times during the deep quiet of night.

It was at Wu Lie Riverside under the moonlight, a tall girl in a white dress, with a calm expression, quietly gazing at the river water.

"Sister Ruyi..."

Tian Tian murmured, holding the phone with her small hands, trembling somewhat.

How long had it been?

A year? Or two years?

The chat box mostly consisted of messages from Tian Tian, with the other party rarely responding.

Especially in the past year, there were only messages from Tian Tian; Sister Ruyi had not responded anymore.

Gradually, Tian Tian sent fewer messages.

Understanding not to disturb the other.

She and Sister Ruyi... seemed never to have been on the same path.

In high school, Jiang Ruyi was the school's big figure, a renowned scholar, the recognized Jiang Beauty.

That elegance and brilliance were something Tian Tian could only glance at from a distance, making her inwardly feel inferior.

But later, due to unexpected twists.

She joined Jiang Ruyi's team, thus gaining a gentle Sister Ruyi.

However,

They were ultimately not on the same path.

Just happened to be grouped together, spending part of the senior year together.

After graduation, they were destined to part ways.

Sister Ruyi didn't stay at Wulie River University for long, just after school started, she left for Luoxian Mountain, and later became a Great Power of the River Realm.

Became the lofty Human World Sect Master's Lady.

Such noble identities were simpler for Tian Tian: Sister Ruyi reverted to the high school era, the unreachable Jiang Goddess.

Drifting further and further apart.

And now today, Jiang Ruyi actually sent a message?

"Sister Ruyi..." Tian Tian whispered, both nervous and expectant, small hands tapping to open the chat box.

A cold string of words came into view:

Wu Lie Riverside community, second building rooftop.

Confidential.

"Hmm." Tian Tian read it over and over, confirming again that the message was sent by Jiang Ruyi, then looked at the wardrobe.

She hurried forward, quickly changed clothes.

Meanwhile, at Wu Lie Riverside, on a shabby rooftop.

A tall figure stood at a corner of the rooftop, she wore a duckbill hat, casually draped a white knitted sweater, wore a white T-shirt and jeans, and had on a pair of white skate shoes.

Though the outfit was ordinary, compared to retro-style long dresses, it better showcased the figure.

Especially those high-waisted jeans!

Made those long legs look even more elongated...

"Hmm?" Jiang Ruyi slightly turned her head.

With a faint energy fluctuation, Lu Ran silently appeared.

"Well, well~" Lu Ran clicked his tongue secretly.

Returning to the Human World had been three days, and Lu Jiang had already changed into modern clothing.

But every time he saw her, Lu Ran's eyes would light up!

And light up again...

For Lu Ran, the knitted sweater draped over his girlfriend's shoulders was truly annoying!

Without this piece of clothing, he could feast his eyes more, see her proud body lines, see her little waist...

"Tian Tian received the message?" Jiang Ruyi extended her hand, waving her slender fingers before Lu Ran's eyes.

"Ah!" Lu Ran came to his senses, "She received it, and then she hurriedly opened the wardrobe. I saw her about to change clothes, so I quickly came back."

Jiang Ruyi smiled and gave Lu Ran a sideways glance.

Consider you honest!

Not to mention, the Greedy Wolf Divine Technique·Wolf Concealment is simply a criminal Divine Skill!

In combination with the Instant Teleportation Technique, it results in two big words:

Invincible!

No exaggeration, Lu Ran in modern society is purely a troublemaker...

Luckily, he's not a villain.

Otherwise, things would truly be messed up.

"Of course~" Lu Ran grinned, "Has daddy finished eating?"

Jiang Ruyi looked at the railing in the corner of the rooftop, where there was a box of milk and a piece of bread: "It's only been a few minutes, let's wait a bit more."

"No worries, he eats quickly." Lu Ran stepped forward and picked up the milk.

Jiang Ruyi dissatisfaction slapped Lu Ran, scolding lightly: "Put it back."

Lu Ran: "..."

Alright then.

Lu Ran placed the milk box back on the railing, turned around, and sat down leaning against the stone wall.

Dirty, it's okay.

This kind of dust will soon be "washed" clean by the Water Flow Armor.

He looked up at his girlfriend: "It's still summer now, late August in the solar calendar, aren't you hot wearing a sweater?"

Jiang Ruyi seemed to see through Lu Ran's little scheme, glanced at him lightly, then looked at her phone:

"Do you think Tian Tian will agree to go with me?"

Lu Ran thought for a moment and said: "She should, she really admires you and quite relies on you."

Jiang Ruyi pursed her lips, muttering softly: "After ascending to the River Realm, towards my former teammates..."

"That's not your problem, don't blame yourself." Lu Ran's voice softened, comforting his girlfriend, "This path to ascension is one of gradually shedding human color.

Moreover, back then you were always nestled in the mountains, focused solely on cultivating and improving."

"Hm." Jiang Ruyi responded softly.

Under the system of divine and demonic powers, she was indeed the normal cultivator.

The abnormal one was instead Lu Ran!

He still cared.

"I..." Lu Ran was about to say something more, but paused slightly, listened attentively for a moment.

Soon after, Lu Ran's figure became invisible.

He couldn't appear before Tian Tian, but Jiang Ruyi could.

After all, ever since Jiang Ruyi joined the Immortal Sheep Sect·Luoxian Mountain, she had gradually severed ties with the outside world.

This behavior, instead, became an excellent "buffer zone."

Subsequently, no one knew Jiang Ruyi was summoned by the Divine·Jade Talisman and thrown into the Holy Spirit Mountain.

"Ha... ha..."

A petite figure ran onto the rooftop, panting and looking around.

Tian Tian blinked and indeed saw a familiar yet unfamiliar back in the corner of the rooftop.

More unfamiliar than familiar.

Jiang Ruyi had changed so much.

The girl just over 1.7 meters tall in high school was now 1.77 meters.

Her ponytail falling from the back of her cap now reached her waist, instead of just hanging down her back as it did before.

What made Tian Tian hesitate to recognize was the powerful aura the woman exuded.

So different from the gentle Sister Ruyi of the past.

"Sister Ruyi?" Tian Tian cautiously called.

Jiang Ruyi slightly turned, a gentle smile on her face: "Come."

"Um." Tian Tian's heart fluttered, and her just flushed face from running turned slightly pale, instinctively stepping back.

Jiang Ruyi turned away, back to the girl, and said softly: "I scared you."

You could feel that Tian Tian was just at the River Realm, yet to take the first step of Becoming a God.

Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi having stayed long on the Holy Spirit Mountain, would have a tendency to feel the whole world was River Realm, with a minority at Sea Realm.

How could that be?

Mist Realm, Stream Realm were the mainstay among the Believer community!

And someone like Tian Tian at the River Realm was already considered strong.

She could join the Moon Gazer squad, the strong ones who protect the city and its people!

The Holy Spirit Mountain was the abnormal existence!

Those qualified to enter the mountain were strictly selected by the Divine from among thousands of Believers.

"I... I..." Tian Tian stammered, looking at Jiang Ruyi's back.

After just one glance, Tian Tian felt that the figure was like a mountain pressing on her.

Making it hard even to breathe.

Lu Ran, invisible, watched silently with a thought dawning in his mind.

Perhaps he shouldn't interfere with Tian Tian.

Perhaps, with her strength at the River Realm remaining in the Human World, she wouldn't be picked out by the Divine·Sword Lotus and thrown into the mountain...

Suddenly, Lu Ran's expression brightened.

Because the petite figure was timidly stepping forward.

Step by step, walking towards Jiang Ruyi.

"Wow!" Lu Ran marveled in his heart.

A seemingly simple action actually required immense courage!

If Jiang Ruyi were only at River Realm, it would be easier, but she was at Sea Realm·Second Rank.

She didn't need to do anything, just standing there quietly was enough to intimidate the weak living beings.

Yes!

Tian Tian, walk, move forward!

Lu Ran murmured in his heart, watching as Tian Tian forced herself through the fear, step by step towards Jiang Ruyi.

Come a bit closer!

Move closer still.

The journey ahead, let's walk together...

"Um." A muffled sound came from behind Jiang Ruyi.

The petite figure surprisingly hugged Jiang Ruyi's waist from behind.

Lu Ran was quite surprised.

Such intimate actions he hadn't expected.

Tian Tian's emotions clearly weren't normal, otherwise, after not meeting for so long, there would be some awkwardness or a sense of distance, wouldn't there?

Jiang Ruyi was equally surprised, looking down at the small hands around her waist.

Gradually, a subtle smile appeared on her face, she gently patted Tian Tian's small hand, asking softly:

"Did you miss me?"

"Mm, I did, really, really did..."

...