[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods":3,"chapter-at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-16":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","At the Summit of the Old Gods",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2362144,4618,"Chapter 16: The Beautiful Lamb Strategy","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>Please,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>don’t break down!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran sincerely cried out: “Damei~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t—you don’t talk,” Jiang Ruyi said, flustered and annoyed, glaring at Lu Ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she stumbled slightly, she had at least come back online.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran exhaled in relief and pushed Jiang Meiren toward the torch-lit path: “Let’s head back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, two teammates arrived to assist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened to you two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you alright?” Wu Lie and Deng Yu looked at Jiang-Lu’s squad with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need to reassign teams or adjust our tactics,” Lu Ran said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does the Divine Law greatly affect the squad leader?” Deng Yu examined Jiang Ruyi closely and speculated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah,” Lu Ran sighed, “just now, your squad leader almost ate me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you dare say that!” Jiang Ruyi stomped her foot, flustered and furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Wu Lie widened her eyes—she had never seen the quiet Jiang Meiren act like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kinda fun~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s pair up?” Deng Yu volunteered, “You call out, I’ll add battle intent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran spoke softly: “You really want to kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yu: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battle intent can dilute the effect of the Zhengban  Divine Law: Sound of Compassion, driving everyone to fight and abandon pity for their foe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem is, Lu Ran is casting the Sound of Despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Divine Law already awakens primal lust; adding battle intent would—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>make Deng Yu pick up a cleaver and become a demon on the spot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re all Mist Realm Stage One—your mental resistance is still low,” Lu Ran thought, then said, “I’ll patrol alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran knew his role clearly—he was the flexible jungler of the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That doesn’t seem right,” Wu Lie whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We won’t split up. Fight normally,” Jiang Ruyi pressed her hand to her forehead, her emotions finally returning to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her head, her eyes fixed on Lu Ran: “When fighting the hellhounds, seize the chance to circle behind and cast softly, alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flickering torchlight cast her beautiful face in shifting shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brows furrowed slightly, lost in silent sorrow, bearing the fragility of mental torment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beautiful Ruyi was nearly broken,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and Lu Ran was utterly numb!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt like a total jerk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could take this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine!” Lu Ran nodded decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go, let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of ranking and rewards, the four didn’t delay—they set off swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combat experience is earned one kill at a time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In constant battle, Jiang Ruyi gradually adapted to the hellhounds’ speed; her fingertips flickered with electric sparks, and her Electric Shackles Talisman grew ever more accurate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each hellhound struck would freeze in place, helpless and at their mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Lie held her own, her arrows flying in rapid succession, growing ever more composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yu remained as fierce as ever, and with Lu Ran’s support, he grew even more confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Lu Ran—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was not human!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, he was a sheep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plump little lamb constantly luring hellhounds to hunt him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tragically, the lamb bleated all the way—and every single one that came was a dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This trick—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this trick is called the Beautiful Lamb Strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ancient times, seductive beauties bewitched kings; today, a fragrant little lamb torments slender hounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three hours, Lu Ran couldn’t speak human anymore—his mouth only produced “baa,” and everyone looked like a dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad operated effectively; each member maximized their strengths and grew dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet two things became stumbling blocks on their path to slaughtering hounds: stamina and divine energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Puff puff puff~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black crow descended from the sky, transforming into human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The squad halted, turning to look behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time’s up,” Dou Zhiqiang announced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Already?” Deng Yu removed his sweat-soaked red headband and shook his head left and right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Deng Yu was reluctant to stop, Lu Ran felt immense relief and collapsed onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi turned to look at him, her expression slightly worried: “Are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the journey, Lu Ran had been the tactical engine, the roaming jungler luring enemies—he was undoubtedly the hardest-working and most exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran waved his hand, too tired to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, he couldn’t tell if he was exhausted or drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though divine energy was abundant in the demon cave, Lu Ran couldn’t recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sound of Despair was a beginner-level Divine Law, but Lu Ran was a novice—his divine energy reserves and absorption speed were both low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they advanced deeper, encounters with hellhounds grew more frequent; in the latter half of the journey, Lu Ran’s divine energy remained completely depleted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d absorb a little, then use it all up—this “energy drought” had nearly broken him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This also caused his steps to grow increasingly unsteady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet for the sake of ranking, he refused to absorb demon crystals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who isn’t a rank slave?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only he had a divine energy bead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran had never craved such a stamina item so desperately as he did today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Team 98, return to the city with me—immediately!” The iron-faced instructor showed no mercy, offering no rest, turning on his heel and walking off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Ran?” Jiang Ruyi stepped forward, bending down to reach for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the instructor stride away, Lu Ran raised his hand and grasped the girl’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soft. Tender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm. Just like his legs right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The return to the city was quiet—after all, they’d fought their way here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some hellhounds wandered nearby, but Dou Zhiqiang cleared them all, sparing the students any further combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking for what felt like forever, they finally returned to Hellhound Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the towering stone city with its flickering torches, Lu Ran had no energy left to imagine epic background music.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he stared, pale-faced, at the hundred-meter-high stone pillars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly remembered—he still had to climb over thirty floors of spiral stairs to truly exit the demon cave!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Brother, hold on,” Deng Yu slung Lu Ran’s shoulder over his own, his voice still strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran felt ashamed—he, a Mist Realm Stage Two believer, was weaker than a Stage One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the cost of overusing his power and overextending his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 2:47 PM, they finally exited the demon cave and returned to the barracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky remained overcast, drizzling lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four, battered and weary, stepped out from beneath the massive structure housing the Divine Crow, standing in the steady rain, filled with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi and Wu Lie were disheveled, filthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top laner Deng Yu and jungler Lu Ran had become two “bloody men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the squad’s unique tactics, Lu Ran and Deng Yu had killed the most hellhounds up close—their clothes soaked in blood, which now dripped steadily in the rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the squad appear, a nearby bus shook violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The waiting classmates shouted, crowding to the windows to stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re out! Someone’s out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See? I told you it was Wu Lie and Jiang Ruyi’s team!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How far did they go? They only came back now? It’s almost three!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Hao’s fat face turned bright red as he trembled, staring out the window as if enduring unbearable pain:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The squad leader’s finally out! I’m about to burst—I need to pee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was Lu Ran’s classmate, and on the day of worship, Qian Hao had even schemed from below the stage, urging Lu Ran to burn more paper figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why Qian Hao was squirming like this\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because beneath Wu Ya’s feet lay a military stronghold!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one was allowed to enter or leave freely; students had to move in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single bus held 40 passengers, and before Lu Ran’s team emerged, the first nine buses had already departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this final bus remained, with four empty seats, waiting for the last team to return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, the last group of students to emerge were all locked inside the bus, doors sealed, no movement permitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could imagine how unbearable the 36 students felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to see just how many dogs they’ve killed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at the blood on their uniforms—enough to warrant censorship on TV. There must be a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t they walk for a full three hours? Not a single pause?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Hao, face twisted in distress, squeezed his thighs together and muttered softly: “I need to pee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hand landed on Qian Hao’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Hao’s face flushed crimson; he shuddered violently and clenched his legs tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to curse—but when he saw who it was, he wisely swallowed the words on his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top student of the year—Ma Tianchuan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy was tall and slender, wearing rimless glasses, exuding an air of quiet refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing in the aisle, he leaned forward, resting his hand on Qian Hao’s shoulder, peering out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, he saw Wu Shanshan pull a handful of magic crystals from her pocket and place them on the table beneath the small awning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier assigned to record immediately began counting; inside the bus, students erupted in chatter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, I thought they’d have more—what a waste of emotion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it? Only seven or eight magic crystals?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That can’t be right! Jiang’s class rep has some too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the gaze of the students inside, Jiang Ruyi, beneath the awning, also pulled out nearly ten magic crystals and placed them on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s about twenty total? That’s a decent result.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, my brother Ma brought back thirty-one magic crystals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re two girls—don’t expect too much. It’s their first time killing demons; just being willing to act is impressive, damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gasp rose from inside the bus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yu, drenched in blood, also pulled a handful of magic crystals from his pocket and tossed them onto the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh.” Qian Hao felt the hand on his shoulder suddenly tighten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Tianchuan’s face was stone-cold. For the first time in two years, he felt his number-one position slipping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what followed next made Ma Tianchuan’s eyes widen in shock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the final Xiang Xianyang devotee also pulled a handful of magic crystals from his pocket and threw them on the table!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stone hanging in Ma Tianchuan’s chest finally dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No chance left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t even close competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other side was far, far ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way!” After a brief silence, the bus exploded in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could there still be magic crystals?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder they’re second and third in the year—those two girls went berserk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Saying not to expect too much from girls? Let me tell you—women’s hearts are the cruelest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too many magic crystals! Did this team cheat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes—how was this possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Tianchuan found it equally unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mission lasted only three hours; he and his three teammates had gathered thirty-one magic crystals—an average of one demon dog every six minutes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For new recruits, that efficiency was already terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Jiang and Wu’s teams had pulled out forty magic crystals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this team truly this strong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, Wu Shanshan was a devotee of the Second-Rank Deity A Sha, and Jiang Ruyi was a devotee of the Third-Rank Deity Yu Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yu, as a devotee of the Fifth-Rank Deity Hongjin, was also a capable fighter, not a liability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lu Ran—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a devotee of Xiang Xianyang, how could he not be a dead weight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Tianchuan frowned; he had heard rumors of Lu Ran’s legendary feats—driving the Third-Rank Deity Qiumo devotees into retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this lamb really be special, unlike other Xiang Xianyang devotees?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the blood on Lu Ran’s clothes, it seemed he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Ma! Ma-ge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Ma Tianchuan still pressed his hand on Qian Hao’s shoulder, leaning out the window, not looking down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Hao was on the verge of tears, his fat face buried against the seat in front: “Stop squeezing! If you squeeze any harder—I’ll pee!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Tianchuan: ???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you to Sheng Da Meng’s 100,000 reward—your generosity is immense, thank you for your support!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>May your dreams come true and all go smoothly! Wula~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1985,"2026-06-21T06:12:58.056Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0bf8b11e3f5ac6c919ddd53e088e672e751d64d9aced9123c6c493b8d9a7076a","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-17","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-15",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fat-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-cover.jpg"]