Summit of the Old Gods-Chapter 1160 - 1076: Deep Grace, Complete Betrayal

Chapter 1160: Chapter 1076: Deep Grace, Complete Betrayal

The scene of Lu Ran bidding farewell to Sword One was uploaded online, drawing millions to view it.

He looked like a devout believer of the Human Clan, respectfully saluting Lord Sword One, his sorrow and reluctance evident.

Especially at the moment when Lu Ran summoned the Transmission Mirror just before departing, he once again looked up deeply at her, his emotions so complex they could move anyone.

This was not just a farewell, but also a memorial.

It was a... parting forever.

Why Lu Ran could wield the Evil Technique of the Evil Mirror Clan no longer mattered; what mattered was their brief conversation.

No one knew exactly what he said, but the words of Sword One echoed through the heavens, conveying enough information for all beings to perceive.

She asked Lu Ran if the enemy had returned.

So was Lu Ran always fighting in places unknown to people?

In truth, everyone knew that the reason Da Xia was so stable was undoubtedly due to Lu Ran and the gods under his command.

But when Sword One said these words, it once again reminded the world that the Human Clan still existed, able to live relatively stable lives, all because of one person, a group of gods, fighting desperately.

Sword One also said that she accepted this farewell.

For the first time in decades, she smiled at this world, and the way she smiled was so beautiful.

No, that smile was not for the mortal world.

It was for him alone.

Some conspiracy theories were easily dismissed, and no one claimed anymore that Lord Sword One was forced to give way to Lu Ran’s mother.

People began to feel sad and weep, spontaneously mourning the gods who were about to fall.

Because Lu Ran’s actions had already told the world that Lord Sword One wasn’t simply stepping down from the "throne" to enjoy leisure time or something like that.

Stepping down meant the fall of a god.

It meant extinction.

For over forty years, the help Sword One Sect provided to the world, and its role in Da Xia was evident to all.

Every full moon night, wherever a disciple of Sword One appeared, the Human Clan would be invigorated.

The sword cultivators who slaughtered demons like cutting vegetables always managed to eliminate the most powerful and rampant Evil Demons in any area.

Tracing it back, it was Lord Sword One who gave everything to her disciples, protecting the Human World.

And now, she was leaving, forever...

Lu Ran’s visit completely changed the nature of this festival, and the entire Da Xia seemed shrouded in a shadow, with the entire nation mourning.

Unfortunately, the will of the gods will not change because of tiny ants.

New Year’s Day arrived as scheduled.

The moment Sword One left finally came.

The sky over Beijing was somewhat overcast, snowflakes fluttering down, a poignant beauty.

She held Qiao Wanjun in her palm, her indifferent gaze sweeping over the ancient city inside and out, the streets and alleys, watching the crowd kneel in sorrow.

It didn’t feel as she had imagined.

It seemed that the true feeling of goodbye, the ants could not give to her, even if the world mourned in white, heaven and earth in sorrow.

The true farewell, it turned out, was by the Yangtze River half a month ago.

It was two days ago, on her fingertip.

Sword One smiled again, her gaze covering the human woman bowing her head in worship in her palm.

With a series of cracking sounds, magnificent Divine Sculptures began crawling out of cracks.

The top-level divine sword it carried slowly floated to the side, hanging upside down in the sky, witnessing the departure of its master.

The cracking sound of the Divine Sculpture was earth-shattering.

Painfully vibrating the eardrums of all beings, tearing at their spirit.

The inheritance contract signed between Sword One and Qiao Wanjun, much like Lu Ran and his soldiers inheriting the stone sculptures in the garden, she shattered into countless stone pieces, merging into Qiao Wanjun’s body.

The Divine Soul, Divine Position, quickly transformed Qiao Wanjun’s flesh and blood.

All beings didn’t even react before the tiny human had already transformed into a towering goddess sculpture.

This brand-new human goddess sculpture bore a striking resemblance to Sword One, even seventy to eighty percent alike.

The same ancient-style long dress, the same waterfall-like long hair, the same unparalleled grace.

The difference was that Qiao Wanjun’s eyebrows and eyes were more distinct.

More cold and indifferent.

Though her body turned to stone sculptures, and her eyes also became stone, it did not affect the aura that permeated from those eyes.

The deep water of a cold lake, ice-cold and silent.

Where her gaze passed, everyone only felt bone-chilling cold, struggling to breathe as if they were drowning in the cold waters of this lake.

Fortunately, Emperor Jun Tian showed great mercy.

Fortunately, she slowly closed her eyes.

Thus, Sword Heaven Palace has a new master, and Da Xia welcomes a new god.

However, this proud-standing goddess statue still trembles with resonance.

Similar to the process of Ran Sect’s soldiers inheriting Divine Sculptures, Qiao Wanjun still needed a few days of fusion to truly ascend to the God Realm.

The divine sword hanging upside in the sky slowly floated to the new owner’s side.

This sword had an extraordinary name—Heavenly Incline.

It overlapped the name of Guan Yiren’s divine sword! Precisely because of this, the domains of the two divine weapons also overlapped.

It was evident that Guan Yiren, a former disciple of Sword One, knew very little about the god she revered, or maybe it should be said, all people knew very little about Lord Sword One.

People did not have the qualifications to converse with gods; disciples may never receive a transmission in their lifetime, let alone have the right to know information about her divine weapon.

If only Guan Yiren had known Sword One’s divine weapon was named "Heavenly Incline," she would have deliberately avoided it.

Qiao Wanjun lightly grasped the top divine weapon, the Heavenly Incline Sword, inheriting all of Sword One’s possessions.

Lu Ran was not present.

He was at the southwest of the Heavenly Realm Battlefield, right in front of the White Jade City Wall, ferociously attacking, obstructing the advance of the Jade Venerable Clan.

The rest of the soldiers need to stay at the main camp, waiting for the Evil Shadow Guardian, Heavenly General Yan, and others to dismantle the walls and teleport the Jade Venerable minions near the Divine Mountain.

Only in this way, when the Jade Venerable minions die, the Ran Gate Gods can devour the resources on the spot.

Lu Ran is different.

He can control dead souls from a distance!

Thanks to this, after Lu Ran destroyed the city walls, the subsequent Jade Venerable minions could not devour the souls of their fallen comrades on the spot and recycle the resources.

Therefore, Lu Ran is one of the only two people in the Burning Gate who truly fight on the battlefield’s front lines.

The other is the newly joined Divine General Li—Li Rouyin!

She can scatter illusionary copper coins invisible to common people, imprisoning and reclaiming souls from a distance.

She also possesses the ultimate level Divine Skill—Yellow Springs Road Guide, which can summon paths invisible to ordinary eyes, leading all battlefield souls into her body.

Now, Li Rouyin is at the northwest border, obstructing the approach of the grand city wall under Emperor Lu’s protection.

Racing against time!

At this stage, for every Jade Venerable minion killed by the Ran Sect, there will be one less minion for the soldiers to face when the great battle begins.

But such an action is undoubtedly a drop in the bucket.

The white jade city wall surrounding the entire Heavenly Realm continues to crush towards the Divine Mountain.

Lu Ran does not seek to repel the Jade Venerable army nor to stop the city walls from pressing in; he just wants to delay them.

But reality is so cruel.

He cannot stop the enemies coming from all directions.

It’s truly despairing...

[Lu Ran.]

A cold voice fell in Lu Ran’s mind.

[Hmm.] Lu Ran quickly retreated, with the dead souls he controlled frantically swarming in front of him.

Layer upon layer, some even obstructing his view.

Jiang Ruyi said softly, [Lord Sword One is gone.]

Lu Ran paused in his backward flight.

[Aunt Qiao has turned into a stone body, still merging, and her maid is always by her side, everything about the inheritance is progressing smoothly.]

[Hmm.]

Hearing the youth’s indifferent response, Jiang Ruyi hesitated, and finally asked with gentle concern, [Are you okay?]

Lu Ran lowered his head and smiled, reaching out to touch the cold Venerable Slayer Blade.

The smile was very bitter.

On the peak of the Divine Mountain, the Immortal Jasmine Divine Sculpture looked worried, not receiving a response from Lu Ran for a while, and softly called again, [Lu Ran?]

In his mind, the youth’s hoarse voice finally came: [Half a month ago, I went to the shores of the Yangtze River.]

Jiang Ruyi was somewhat puzzled, not knowing why Lu Ran suddenly mentioned this.

She, of course, knew that on the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, he had returned to the human world, and due to that special experience, the Venerable Slayer Blade had the chance to advance.

[It was at dusk, and Lord Sword One was trying hard to feel... well, to feel everything.]

[A dignified god, just like a little girl unacquainted with the ways of the world.]

Saying this, Lu Ran took a deep breath: [Lord Sword One also inquired about my mother and asked me, in such an environment, at such an imminent farewell moment, what does it feel like in the heart?]

Jiang Ruyi listened silently.

Listening to the stories she didn’t know, accompanying him in reminiscence.

Speaking out is always better than keeping it bottled inside.

[I didn’t know how to answer, and my mother remained silent. Until the sun set, when I sent them back to Beijing, my mother still didn’t answer.]

Lu Ran lowered his eyelids, softly speaking: [Later, I realized that my mother had answered.]

Jiang Ruyi: [Oh?]

[On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, after saying goodbye to Lord Sword One, wanting to calm my mood before returning to the Heavenly Realm Battlefield, I opened the teleportation gate and inadvertently went back to the shores of the Yangtze River, to that little pavilion.]

[I wanted to see the river view, but on the pavilion’s pillar, I saw the words left by my mother.]

[I don’t know when she carved it, it seems... even Lord Sword One shouldn’t have known.]

Jiang Ruyi pursed her lips, inquiring: [What did Aunt Qiao write?]

After a long, long time, a hoarse voice imprinted in her mind: [For more than twenty years, indebted deeply, life and death friendship.]

Jiang Ruyi’s face was complex, a subtle ache rising quietly in her heart.

She seemed to understand why Qiao Wanjun did not dare to respond face to face, perhaps lacking the courage, perhaps too ashamed.

Indebted deeply, life and death friendship.

Eight short words, revealing Qiao Wanjun’s betrayal, powerlessness, suffering, and shame, unable to repay this kindness. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Hoo~~~"

Far in the southwest, Lu Ran continuously flew backward, his black gold emperor robe fluttering, and his short hair blowing forward.

His smile remains bitter.

Since seeing the words carved on the pavilion’s pillar, his heart feels like it’s being stabbed.

Indebted deeply.

Isn’t he the same?

Lord Immortal Sheep had the grace of re-creation for him, like a teacher, like a father, nurturing him, protecting him, and in the end, using his disappearance to help him ascend.

Lord Sword One protected him and his family well, and even Lu Ran himself did not know that his survival was because of her.

Now, both have left.

Leaving Lu Ran alone in this dim world, carrying this burden of betrayal.

Existing eternally.

...