Summit of the Old Gods

Two days later.

In the western part of the Second Heaven, near a Divine Mountain shrouded in dust.

Lu Ran concealed his figure, his Simurgh's Eyes peering through the light dust, gazing at the towering Divine Mountain reaching into the clouds.

He had found the Divine Mountain where the Ghost Talisman Doll Clan resided!

Following the gap in the sky, Lu Ran could directly blink to the Third Heaven, diving into the vortex of dark clouds in an instant.

He just needed to be mindful of the floating sand particles.

This was the Dry Sea's Divine Technique · Floating Dust Sand Realm, every grain of sand was closely linked to the perception of the Dry Sea minions.

Because of the high precision of this technique, the effective range was not as vast as other perception techniques.

The Heavenly Grade Floating Dust Sand Realm had a perception radius of only 500 meters.

Sufficient for Lu Ran to act stealthily.

"This combination is really impressive," Lu Ran murmured to himself, carefully observing the Talisman Sand Divine Mountain.

On this Divine Mountain, there were eight types of God Demon minions: Jade Talisman-Ghost Talisman Doll; Dry Sea-Sand River Doll; Red Cloth-Ghost General; Blazing Blood-Black Fire Colt.

If forced to count, a ninth type could be added—the Soul Jade.

Don't underestimate the Evil God · Soul Jade, even though it's ranked ninth, due to its ability to absorb dead souls, this clan is widely present in the defensive forces of various Divine Mountains.

Lu Ran observed quietly for a long time before he was shocked to find that the third-class God Demon minions like Jade Talisman and Sand River were not the main forces guarding the mountain.

It was the black armored Ghost Generals riding fiery war horses that were the main attacking force.

Really fierce, aren't they?

The Ghost Generals and Black Fire Colts could both voidify, having a natural advantage when fighting against Faceless Jade Venerable.

"Deng Shao, Deng Shao, when will you come down from the mountain..."

Lu Ran murmured in his heart, continuously approaching the Divine Mountain.

The perception techniques of the Dry Sea sect only had a radius of 500 meters, so Lu Ran could get closer to the mountain, secretly plundering dead souls, while waiting for news from Lord Immortal Sheep.

"Seize the opportunity to cultivate the Mountain Lord Divine Sculpture," Lu Ran muttered to himself.

Lu Ran was prepared for a long-term lurk, but to his surprise, within just seven or eight days, he received a voice transmission:

[The Jade Venerable has already broken through the defenses and gone in.]

At that time, Lu Ran was absorbing the soul of a Faceless Jade Venerable and his eyes lit up at the news: [And the disciple...]

[Are you ready?]

[The disciple is on this side of the Talisman Sand Divine Mountain and has also locked onto the vortex where the Evil God · Ghost Talisman Doll resides,] Lu Ran immediately responded.

Evil Demon minions would fall from the dark cloud vortex in the Highest Heaven.

Most would walk out from within the Divine Mountain, reaching the Second Heaven, the First Layer of Heaven, and join the mountain's defensive force.

But some minions would fly down along the mountain.

After so many days, Lu Ran had confirmed the dark cloud vortex of the Ghost Talisman Clan.

[Ready.] Another brief voice transmission fell.

So few words, yet they made Lu Ran's heart pound anxiously.

Is it finally time?

After so many years, he was finally going to strike the first blow against the God Demon!

Lu Ran looked up at the Divine Mountain, gazing through the swirling sand dust and the gap in the cloud sea, looking toward the high sky of the Third Heaven.

Be cautious not to blink into the sand.

"Swoosh~"

Lu Ran's figure flashed, and he appeared several kilometers away from the Divine Mountain in the Third Heaven.

Silence enveloped the world!

In the Highest Heaven, there were almost no defensive forces around the Divine Mountain, nor were there Faceless Jade Venerables.

Occasionally, traces of God Demon minions were seen falling from the vortex, rushing to the Lower Realm for support.

[Lord Immortal Sheep, should I directly enter the Ghost Talisman Doll's Demon Cave? Just say the word, and I'll start the killing?!]

[Yes.]

[Alright.] Lu Ran fixed his gaze on the dark cloud vortex, patiently waiting.

Following another wave of falling Ghost Talisman Dolls, Lu Ran's figure flashed, instantly delving into the vortex, arriving at the lower Demon Cave.

The scene changed!

A crescent moon hung in the night sky, casting a shadow over a sinister forest below.

"Woo woo woo~~~"

"Ah!" Everywhere in the forest, there were cries and strange calls, making Lu Ran's skin crawl.

He hurriedly flew upwards to avoid the vortex, so as not to block the path for the Ghost Talisman Doll Clan descending.

Lu Ran heightened his senses, scanning his surroundings, seeing little ghosts flitting through the forest, ghostly shadows overlapping.

Immediately, his gaze locked onto a distant withered tree.

The withered tree was towering!

Its bark was lined with ugly cracks, and the twisted branches resembled long, dry fingers.

It looked utterly eerie!

Beneath the withered tree stood a pair of children who seemed four or five years old, dressed in ancient garb with festive tiger head hats, joyfully playing together.

"Hee hee~"

"Ooh ooh!" They held hands, turning circles around the big tree, clearly very happy.

However, an anomaly suddenly occurred!

For some reason, the yellow paper talisman attached to the little girl's tiger head hat suddenly fell off.

"Whoosh~"

In an instant, flames ignited on the hat, reducing it to ashes.

The little girl's adorable face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Her eyeballs vanished!

All that was left were two dark, empty sockets, an especially terrifying sight.

"Huh?" The little boy suddenly stopped.

Originally, he was holding the girl's hand, hopping around the withered tree.

But with the yellow paper talisman drifting away, the little girl's appearance and form changed; her body completely voidified, and the boy could no longer hold her hand.

"Ah!" The little girl reached backward to grasp the boy's hand.

However, this pair of children, one was solid, one was void, and neither could touch the other.

"Oh~ ooh wah!" The little girl cried out anxiously.

Time after time she reached for her playmate, and time after time she grasped nothing.

"Wah wah wah!" The little boy pouted and started crying too.

Lu Ran didn't feel much pity for them.

Putting aside their identities as evil demons, their appearance... and the intense ghost energy emanating from them were truly terrifying!

Speaking of which, after Jiang Ruyi devoured the Fake God Ghost Talisman Doll's Evil Sculpture, she also gained the ability to voidify her body.

However, she didn't have a tiger-headed cap or anything like a yellow paper talisman.

She could voidify her body at any time and didn't need to remove a yellow paper talisman before changing form.

I wonder if, after Jiang Ruyi crushes the real Evil God, she will add this process?

Lu Ran raised his head and looked upward along the mountain wall, seeing a pitch-black curtain.

Diving into it would lead to the upper layer of the Demon Cave.

Lu Ran heightened his Evil Sense, vigilantly observing his surroundings and cautiously flying upward.

In the lower layer of the Demon Cave, there were indeed many Ghost Talisman Dolls.

But Lu Ran clearly sensed that the energy fluctuations within the mountain were more terrifying, and ghostly howls constantly emanated from within.

Obviously, the vast majority of evil demon lackeys were born within the mountain.

"Hoo~"

Lu Ran suddenly sensed a surge of divine power beside him and quickly dodged away.

What you fear truly comes to pass!

A pair of childlike boy and girl rapidly assembled, suddenly appearing where Lu Ran had just been.

They lacked flight capability and immediately fell downward.

During the fall, they lost their yellow paper talismans and both turned into ghost-faced pale children...

"Goodness~" Lu Ran's heart pounded. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly dived into the curtain above.

In just an instant, he felt a chilling aura enter his body, filling him from head to toe!

Lu Ran: !!!

He dared not flicker or use Divine Technique for flying, fearing that he would expose his presence.

Lu Ran tried his best to conceal his divine power fluctuations and, with the help of the Divine Weapon, flew backward.

The upper layer of the Demon Cave was no different in environment from below.

The same crescent moon hovered in the sky, but amidst the sinister and dead woods stood two giant stone sculptures.

Evil God Ghost Talisman Doll!

Lu Ran gazed upward, continuously flying backward.

The stone sculptures of the Ghost Talisman Dolls weren't particularly large in scale.

Other Divine Sculptures and Evil Sculptures would be as tall as 270 or 280 meters, but the two Ghost Talisman Dolls seemed under a hundred.

Their entire bodies were made of dark stone; their cute tiger-headed caps and the paper talismans stuck on the caps were all stone artifacts.

Honestly, the boy and girl in stone form weren't quite as "eerie".

They held hands, with faces showing... well, alright.

Still eerie.

Their faces were obviously cute, yet their smiles were so bizarre?

Lu Ran retreated several kilometers, then gently hovered, continuing to scrutinize the Ghost Talisman Dolls.

Who knows when the Faceless Jade Venerable that broke through the defense line will make an impact and turn the battlefield upside down...

[Lord Immortal Sheep, do you have time?] Lu Ran transmitted a message.

After waiting for a moment, there was no response in his mind.

Lu Ran thought for a bit and added: [Disciple would like to take this opportunity to report the battle plan to you.]

[Hmm.] Lord Immortal Sheep finally responded.

Lu Ran felt assured and immediately transmitted a message: [Doesn't the Ghost Talisman Doll clan have a trait? Once the yellow paper talisman drops, they become void...]

[The lackeys are like that.]

[Ah?] Lu Ran was taken aback.

[If the talisman on the Evil God Ghost Talisman Doll's head is removed, the body is most likely to voidify, but it's not guaranteed.]

Lu Ran's heart tensed.

After all, the plan discussed by the Ran Sect's members was centered around the "yellow paper talisman".

[Heh.] Lord Immortal Sheep snorted coldly, [You have a whole set of Divine Weapon and Magic Artifacts, didn't they tell you?]

[Tell disciple wha...] Lu Ran paused in his speech.

A moment later, Lu Ran's eyes opened slightly wider as he became aware of a piece of information.

The Evil God Ghost Talisman Doll's body has the aura of a Magic Artifact!

Lord Immortal Sheep spoke mildly: [The two talismans pasted on the heads of the Ghost Talisman Dolls are fourth-rank Magic Artifacts.

They are specifically used to reveal the true forms of all creatures.

Not only can they make creatures with void bodies reveal their true forms, but also those with misted, dusted, or invisible bodies...]

Lu Ran was shocked, his mouth slightly agape.

Four... fourth-rank Magic Artifacts?!

If a yellow paper talisman sticks to me, will my invisibility be broken?

[Those two talismans stuck to the Evil God's head will definitely reveal the true form of the Ghost Talisman Doll. If the talisman falls, the doll can keep a solid state or voidify.]

Lu Ran calmed his mind, his expression growing more solemn.

No wonder young Ruyi doesn't have a talisman, nor needs procedures, and can voidify at will.

So those two talismans are actually Magic Artifacts?!

Fourth-rank Magic Artifacts!

[However...]

[However what, Lord Immortal Sheep?] Lu Ran hurriedly asked.

[The Ghost Talisman Dolls are not very intelligent. If you truly remove the talismans, they will mostly voidify their bodies. I mention this just to inform you of the possibility of exceptions.]

[Disciple understands.] Lu Ran nodded lightly, his expression still serious, [Do those fourth-rank... talismans have other functions?]

[Their function is broad but also specific, targeting any creature that doesn't reveal its true form honestly.]

Lu Ran remained silent for a moment, whispering a question: [Disciple is always invisible; it doesn't know where I am, so it can't stick to me, right?]

The reply dropped coldly: [That's why I permitted you to enter the Demon Cave, to allow you to strike at this clan first.]

[Oh.] Lu Ran shrank his neck.

...

Brothers and sisters, only one update today. Tomorrow will be three updates, and the missing one chapter from tonight will be made up.