Summit of the Old Gods

The Divine·Lantern's stone sculpture is located in Hang City, Qiantang River Province.

Lu Ran had visited the Bamboo Sea Demon Cave before, which made the journey much easier. Under the cover of the dark night, he directly opened a Transmission Mirror and with one step, he was in the deep mountain forest outside Anji City.

With a single flash, he stood high in the night sky, gazing at the distant, towering Divine·Lantern avatar.

At the base of this avatar stone sculpture lies the Demon Cave·Bamboo Sea.

Within the Bamboo Sea, there is a secluded passage.

Inside this passage is a mysterious chef, her current spiritual realm unknown.

As the only surviving member of the Forget Spring Sect, Li Rouyin was certainly handpicked, with top-tier talent and aptitude.

She often accompanies Lord Wang Quan, so her growth rate should be swift?

The last time the two met was long ago.

On that occasion, Lu Ran went to deliver good news, informing the young lady that he had found her longed-for Qin Yanzhi.

Thick-skinned, he asked for a few pieces of dowry money, and then took on a task.

Unfortunately, there's been no news from Hao Tian since.

"Alas..." sighed Lu Ran heavily in his heart, unsure of how to face her.

Gradually, his gaze fell upon the Lantern Stone Sculpture.

Lu Ran remembered very clearly, last time when he saw Li Rouyin, the young lady let slip that every month, the Lantern Believers would go to the secluded passage to demand Dead Souls.

Whether Lord Wang Quan is a prisoner or living under someone else's roof, the fact is he has to offer tribute monthly.

Evidently, the Forget Spring Sect has been living a life of humiliation, from the divine to the believers.

The old saying goes: if you take someone's money, you must relieve them of their disaster.

Since I can't find your brother, I'll kill the extortionists and robbers tormenting you first!

"Hmm..." Lu Ran nodded secretly, turned around, and flashed away.

From Anji City to Hang City, the straight-line distance is only seventy to eighty kilometers, and with just one flash, he was above the bustling metropolis.

Overlooking the Human World, Lu Ran's eyes became somewhat distant.

He was just in such fantastical places as the Mountain Realm and Heavenly Realm, and now he's come to the Human World with buildings rising high, neon lights flashing.

Anyone would feel a bit dazed.

Under the night sky, Hang City was bright with lights.

On this evening of the lunar calendar's eleventh night, the city was peaceful, giving an illusion of peace and prosperity.

Hang City is really big, but the Lantern is not small either!

The gigantic stone sculpture, a towering 270 meters high, can be found by anyone.

Especially in the night, the ancient Lantern City is surrounded by exquisite eight-sided lanterns, like sky lanterns released by people, floating high and far in the night sky.

Lanterns surround the Divine·Lantern, dressing the dusky stone sculpture in gorgeous red attire.

Lu Ran shook his head silently.

Why is such a beautiful woman so malicious-hearted?

Stepping back, this stone sculpture before him should be an empty shell.

The real body of the Lantern should be hiding deep in the Demon Cave, and the stone sculptures, avatars of the Lantern in other regions, are also just stone shells.

Yan Shuangzi, who holds a Double Divine Position, has already comprehended many abilities.

These include creating fake shells, similar to small divine sculptures worshiped in every household, objects imbued with divine aura that can better collect people's Power of Faith.

"Swish~"

Lu Ran's figure flashed to the outskirts of the ancient city, slowly descending with the help of Smoke and Mist Silk.

Following the usual path of a trainee, he infiltrated through the Demon Cave Gate and then saw a very familiar scene.

A magnificent and majestic Stone City!

Under the pitch-black night, paths of torches extend from inside the city outward, like winding dragons of fire, stretching to the limits of vision.

The Black Lantern Clan's Demon Cave!

Also known as Black Grave Mound.

Upon arriving here, Lu Ran inevitably thought of Si Xianxian.

He and Xian'er Sister got acquainted inside a Black Grave Mound, and thus began a fateful encounter.

A wicked maid!

Always thinking about how to climb into the Lady's bed...

Lu Ran secretly mocked, surveying the city in all directions, and quietly flashed away.

This was his first time coming from the Human World side, moving through Instant Teleportation, comparing the whole way, and ultimately choosing the direction with the most Evil Demon henchmen and the most densely packed Human Clan fortifications.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

At nightfall, he hesitated under the whirl of clouds in the Third Heaven.

In the pre-dawn hours, he borrowed a path through the Human World, took a big detour, and finally arrived at the location of the Evil God·Black Lantern.

Lu Ran hung in the night sky, looking at the area shrouded in black fog, and couldn't help but grin.

Lucky I didn't act impulsively!

The Evil God·Black Lantern sat atop a stone pillar, and the area within three kilometers was already filled with black fog.

If Lu Ran had crawled in from below the Starry Sky Curtain of the stone pillar, he would surely have been discovered!

Also, because of the black fog shrouding everything, the two Divine Weapons, Skyspear and Cloud Mace, brazenly stood beside the stone pillar.

One on the left, one on the right, like two guardian deities!

Always guarding the Demon Cave Gate.

Indeed, these two great generals, Skyspear and Cloud Mace, can also release clouds and fog and perceive the creatures within.

Lu Ran saw the back of the Divine·Lantern, she sat in the border region of the black fog, kneeling three thousand meters north from the stone pillar, her long skirt spread like waves.

With closed eyes, she seemed to be meditating, a graceful and tranquil sight.

Suddenly, Lu Ran squinted his Simurgh Eyes, which cut through the dense black fog, spotting a stone sculpture standing three kilometers to the southeast of the stone pillar.

Bi He?

Lu Ran's heart twitched.

Wasn't she over by the Bamboo Forest Divine Mountain... oh, right!

The Evil God·Tangled Silk Shadow has already been slain by the Ran Sect.

Now Bi He has become alone, with no living vessel for the summoned divine henchmen.

So, was she invited by the Divine Lantern to ambush the enemy together?

This is troublesome.

Lu Ran's expression wasn't looking good.

The Tangled Silk Shadow has the Silk Thread and Tangled Silk; Bi He similarly has the Lotus Silk Connection and Lotus Silk Chaos!

Their control abilities are top-tier in the evil demonic ranks.

Just now Lu Ran was thinking, it's a good thing he didn't act recklessly; if he had directly emerged from the lower Demon Cave, he would have exposed his tracks.

Looking at it now, how could it be as simple as just exposing his tracks?

With Lu Ran's Heavenly Realm at the Second Level, if any Divine Grade Lotus Silk touches him, even blinking to escape would be difficult.

Good, good, good,

What a Divine Lantern!

Arrogance is indeed a smokescreen; secretly they have already found helpers.

Lu Ran slowly circled and suddenly came to a stop.

Southwest three kilometers from the stone pillar, he unexpectedly saw another impressive Divine Sculpture.

This was a male Divine Sculpture, with disheveled hair, slightly bowing its head, resembling a silent fierce beast, imposing in its presence.

It was draped in a wide robe, and held a chain in its hand.

Although the Divine Sculpture was in a gray hue, in Lu Ran's mind, he had already imagined its robe and chain to be deep red.

Third-class God·Prisoner Demon!

This damn thing came too?

Lu Ran's expression darkened; the Divine Lantern sure has good connections?

In the Bamboo Forest Divine Mountain, there are only two pairs of Third-class God Demons: Bi He-Tangled Silk Shadow, Prisoner Demon-Prison Sky Demon.

The Divine Lantern has invited the main forces of Bamboo Forest Divine Mountain!

The question is, is Prisoner Demon an individual god, or has he already devoured Prison Sky Demon's Divine Soul, becoming a God and Demon Unification entity?

Moreover, what about Bamboo Forest Divine Mountain?

Have Mud Venerate-Mud Swamp Doll, Nine Bamboo-Bamboo Wood Demon gone somewhere?

Lu Ran quickly searched, looking for any possible swamp traces on the solid ground.

The weaker Nine Bamboo, foolish Bamboo Wood Demon, pose no concern.

But Mud Venerate and Mud Swamp Doll, at least as Fourth-class God Demons, deserve some attention.

Lu Ran flew on, his brows furrowed: [Immortal Sheep, may I interrupt you for a moment?]

[Mm.]

[The chain in Prisoner Demon's hand seems to be a Fourth Rank Magic Artifact, do you know its exact effect?]

[Prisoner Demon?]

[Yes, disciple saw the ambushed Bi He, Prisoner Demon...] Lu Ran quickly described the situation.

[Heh, this is a complete heaven and earth trap set for you.] Immortal Sheep's tone surprisingly sounded slightly gloating.

Lu Ran: ?

No!

Which side are you on?

But Sheep General isn't wrong, look at this positioning!

The Black Lantern as bait, perched atop the stone pillar.

The sides of the Demon Cave Gate, guarded firmly by Skyspear and Cloud Mace, ready for a massacre.

At the edge of the black mist, the Divine Lantern, Bi He, and Prisoner Demon divided into three directions, completely surrounding the Demon Cave Gate.

Divine Lantern is the absolute monarch of the Support Realm.

Bi He and Prisoner Demon possess both hard and soft control, with top-tier control abilities.

Anyone can see Divine Lantern's determination; she truly wants to bury Lu Ran in this Black Grave Mound!

[That's a Fourth Rank Magic Artifact, the Prisoner Demon Chain, born to bind gods and demons, its exact effects can be compared to Tangled Silk Shadow's Evil Technique Silk Thread, Tangled Silk.]

Lu Ran: !!!

This damn...

A divine being like Bi He is already enough to make my heart tremble; just a touch of the Lotus Silk could lead to death by control.

And now there's a magic artifact for binding gods and demons?

Prisoner Demon is also a master of control, adding such an elite artifact surely makes him even stronger!

Lu Ran's expression turned grim, carefully maneuvering around a hundred meters from Prisoner Demon, ensuring he had no other Divine Weapons or Magic Artifacts.

He flew behind Bi He, scanning up and down uncertainly: [Immortal Sheep, Bi He seems to have vibrations of a Divine Weapon or Magic Artifact, but I can't find it.]

Immortal Sheep snorted coldly:

[Can't find it, can't your dog nose smell it?]

After getting scolded, Lu Ran's expression turned slightly awkward, weakly transmitting: [Disciple truly didn't smell it.]

[That's a sachet, its fragrance can calm all beings, ensuring peace of mind.] Immortal Sheep sounded a bit gloating again, [All your spiritual output techniques will be ineffective in this battle.]

Lu Ran looked quite troubled.

No wonder it's a human-shaped Stone Sculpture, it sure delivers, damn it.

Lowering his voice even more, he muttered deeply: [Scared, better run quickly.]

Lu Ran pursed his lips, ignoring Immortal Sheep, and circled half around the black mist, probing behind the Divine Lantern.

[Why does the Divine Lantern not have any Divine Weapons or Magic Artifacts, could it be her own ability is too strong to care for them?]

Immortal Sheep didn't reply, but said: [Aren't you leaving? What, are you unwilling?]

Lu Ran slowly flew back, glancing at the well-prepared gods and demons, his tone gradually turning sinister: [Since Divine Lantern painstakingly set up a heaven and earth trap, if disciple doesn't charge in...]

Immortal Sheep's tone was playful: [What?]

Lu Ran's eyes turned cold, licking his lips: [Then disciple would be too unappreciative of a beauty's kindness.]

Immortal Sheep: ?

You cheeky boy!

Knew you could act, and you're doing it right in front of me today?

...