Chapter 392: Raising a Divine Sculpture?

"Little Lu Ran?"

Suddenly, a figure blocked the blood-red setting sun.

She stumbled and fell to her knees beside Lu Ran with a thud, her blood-stained hands trembling as they lifted his shoulders.

"It's fine, I'm fine," Lu Ran whispered in comfort.

Both had been severely ravaged by the Divine Ruin, suffering grave internal injuries; their organs felt as though they had shifted positions.

"Mm." Deng Deng Yuxiang exhaled in relief, supporting Lu Ran so he leaned against her chest.

Unintentionally, blood began to spill from the corner of her mouth again.

Crimson blood flowed down her chin and dripped onto the top of Lu Ran's head.

Sensing this, Lu Ran lifted his face to look at the woman.

Her wretched, miserable appearance and the deep concern in her eyes made Lu Ran's heart ache terribly.

She could barely save herself, yet she was still worrying about—

"Boom!!"

A sudden, violent rumbling interrupted Lu Ran's thoughts.

The earth shook and the mountains quaked!

The entire world seemed to tremble.

Both changed color simultaneously, looking up toward the source of the sound.

At a time like this, they possessed no strength to fight!

The sky was cloudless for ten thousand li, yet there was nothing there?

Terrified, Lu Ran pushed his Xie Fa technique, Evil Consciousness, to its limit, yet still saw nothing.

Deng Deng Yuxiang frowned tightly, searching carefully for a long time, but likewise found nothing.

She then vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

She discovered they were situated on a cliff of Shanfeng.

To the west, the view was open, revealing continuous rolling mountain ranges; to the east, the mountain forests were dense, and it was unknown whether dangers lurked within.

"Hoo~"

Lu Ran struggled to raise his hand; amidst a surge of energy, an ancient bronze mirror materialized out of thin air.

The Demonic Mirror Evil Technique: Fate-Tethering Mirror!

With a thought from Lu Ran, the scene within the mirror constantly shifted, scanning the surroundings.

Deng Deng Yuxiang remained silent, but the images in the mirror filled her with secret dread.

A blood-red setting sun, a cliff at the end of the road.

The afterglow of the setting sun framed two figures leaning against each other.

Tragic, yet poignantly beautiful.

It was as if foretelling an ending.

Deng Deng Yuxiang wiped the blood from her mouth; she was not satisfied with this ending.

Looking at the unfamiliar environment, she strove to rally her spirits.

From this moment on, everything from the past was severed.

Family, friends, the familiar society, the life they had lived before...

All had drifted far away from her.

Indeed, when Deng Deng Yuxiang looked in all directions, she could not even find the path they had come by.

Could they still return?

She did not know.

How far was this place from home?

It was unclear.

Behind this mysterious Divine Ruin, she and Lu Ran had only each other.

Whatever the ending might be, it would be written jointly by the two of them.

"Fire in a cage," Deng Deng Yuxiang murmured softly.

Lu Ran, meanwhile, gazed at the ancient bronze mirror and once again saw himself.

He said softly, "Within a radius of five hundred meters, there is no one."

With another thought from Lu Ran, the oval ancient bronze mirror gradually expanded, transforming into a rectangular full-length mirror.

Several hundred meters away in the forest, a full-length mirror quietly materialized.

Lu Ran continued, "Let us go into the forest."

It was always better to be cautious.

With unknown existences in the sky above, staying on this cliff made them far too conspicuous.

"Alright." Deng Deng Yuxiang, who was already kneeling beside Lu Ran, placed one hand on his back and slipped the other under the bend of his legs, directly lifting him horizontally into her arms.

Lu Ran:???

No way!

Did the Lord of Demons have no shame?

Lu Ran hurriedly struggled, but he was extremely weak.

His injuries were indeed far more severe than Deng Deng Yuxiang's.

After all, during the previous assault on the Divine Ruin, Lu Ran's output had been far higher than hers.

"Don't move; no one else is watching," Deng Deng Yuxiang said, somewhat unsteady, scolding in a deep voice.

Lu Ran: "."

Under the setting sun, Deng Deng Yuxiang's steps wavered, scattering drops of blood.

Carrying him, she turned sideways to step before a floor-to-ceiling mirror, but suddenly her legs gave way, and with a thud, she collapsed before a large tree.

Bearing the weight crashing onto him, Lu Ran grimaced in pain once more.

Great Nightmare, why don't you just give me a quick death?

First attacking my heart, then torturing my body.

Torturing people always comes as a complete set.

"Cage Fire." Deng Deng Yuxiang struggled to roll off Lu Ran.

Leaning her back against the large tree, her chest heaved violently as she panted heavily.

"Hoo~"

In Lu Ran's hand, pitch-black flames ignited.

Black Lamp Xie Fa · Cage Fire (Bath)!

In just a few short seconds, Lu Ran's entire body was covered in black fire.

"Come closer," Lu Ran whispered.

"Mm." Deng Deng Yuxiang leaned slightly, pressing her shoulder against Lu Ran's.

The pitch-black flames spread from her shoulder, gradually engulfing her entire body.

The gentle black fire healed the severely injured and weak bodies of the two.

Tense nerves gradually relaxed, and a wave of drowsiness struck.

The Divine Ruin's trial of humans is comprehensive, naturally including the mental aspect.

"Sleep for a while; I'll have the divine weapons keep watch," Lu Ran said softly.

As he spoke, Xia Guang Dao and Zhan Ye Dao unsheathed one after another, circling the pair and gradually expanding their territory.

"Mm." Deng Deng Yuxiang did not refuse; given her current physical state, she truly wouldn't be able to help much if danger arose.

The most urgent task was to recover their condition as quickly as possible.

The setting sun on the horizon slowly descended.

Nestling against Lu Ran's shoulder, feeling the nourishment of the black fire, her eyelids gradually drooped.

"Hoo~"

A mountain breeze blew through, carrying a pungent scent of blood.

And a faint fragrance of mountain camellias.

Lu Ran forced himself to stay alert, continuing to cast the technique.

He could indeed summon the Evil Spirit · Black Lantern.

But he could only summon a River Realm Black Lantern and cast the River Grade · Bathing Fire Cage; the healing effect was worlds apart.

Moreover, this type of item-based Evil Spirit possessed low intelligence, making it very troublesome to train.

"Lord Xiang Xianyang?" Lu Ran called out in his heart.

It was just right to inquire about the situation with the Divine Lord, which would also keep him from falling asleep.

"Lord Xiang Xianyang?"

Despite repeated calls, the deity did not appear.

Lu Ran's expression turned Grim as he realized a serious problem!

The contract between one human and one deity seemed not as smooth as imagined?

Lu Ran circulated his divine power, and his eyes gradually transformed into a pair of horizontal pupils.

Yong Shen Fa · Immortal Pupil!

No problem; he could still cast techniques.

It must be known that every time human believers cast a technique, they must beg the Divine Lord for approval before they can utilize Zhi Shen Fa.

The fact that Lu Ran could still utilize the Zhi Shen Fa of Xianyangyi Sect meant he could still connect with Lord Xiang Xianyang.

It was just that the "communication signal" between the two parties was very weak!

Lu Ran could cast techniques, but it seemed extremely difficult to transmit voices and communicate with the deity?

"Damn it," Lu Ran cursed inwardly, "Where the hell is this?"

"Boom-boom-boom!!"

High above in the heavens, an earth-shattering sound rang out once again.

Between heaven and earth, another tremor spread out!

Deng Deng Yuxiang suddenly opened her eyes; her instinctive reaction was to place a hand in front of Lu Ran to block him.

To say Lu Ran was not moved would be false.

When people are awake, they can act and they can deceive.

But a person's instinctive reaction is most likely derived from the subconscious, originating from the depths of the heart.

"It's nothing; it's still the rumbling from the sky," Lu Ran soothed softly. "It doesn't seem to have much impact on the place where we are."

Deng Deng Yuxiang frowned tightly, raising her eyes to look.

The setting sun had already fallen behind the mountain peaks, leaving the world between heaven and earth in darkness.

Under such sky conditions, she could see even less.

After thinking for a moment, she turned her head to look at Lu Ran: "Whatever that is, its strength must be terrifying; for now, we should not go investigate."

Lu Ran nodded in agreement: "Good. Once we have rested and recovered, we will first gather intelligence on this world to see if we can understand it from a side angle."

Both of them possessed the ability to fly.

But go up and take a look?

How is that any different from seeking death?

Lu Ran asked himself honestly; with his current strength, even if he unleashed the Jiang Jing ultimate moves of various demonic paths, he still couldn't create such a disturbance!

"Go back to sleep for a while," Lu Ran said softly.

His voice seemed to carry a kind of magic that gradually calmed her heart.

Nourished by the black fire, she felt warm all over, extremely comfortable, and also drowsy.

She slowly closed her beautiful eyes, then suddenly thought of something and asked, "Why don't you make a black lantern?"

"The fire within Jiang Pin's lantern has a better healing effect," Lu Ran simply explained the reason.

"You need to rest too," Deng Deng Yuxiang advised softly, "Make a black lantern."

After several attempts at persuasion, Lu Ran could not resist Deng Deng Yuxiang and ultimately summoned the black lantern.

A four-sided lantern, antique in style, pitch-black throughout, with black fire flickering within.

Lu Ran spent considerable effort before the black lantern finally understood his intent.

As the black lantern took over the healing work, Lu Ran also fell into a deep sleep.

This sleep was very restless.

From time to time, a loud boom echoed through the night sky.

Lu Ran was startled awake again and again; he felt he was nearly suffering from neurasthenia.

It was not until a fish-belly white hue appeared on the horizon that the sounds finally subsided.

Lu Ran could finally rest properly for a while; when he blurry-eyed opened his eyes, there was no one beside him.

Only an ancient lantern, "exhausted of oil and dried of wick," was still diligently working.

The black lantern would absorb energy for a moment, then immediately cast Li Ji Shi Fa to heal its master.

Mere seconds later, its energy would be depleted, whereupon it would go absorb energy again.

Thus the cycle repeated.

It really... I could cry to death.

"Thank you," Lu Ran said, cupping the lantern with both hands and applying slight pressure.

"Crack!" The lantern shattered, finally escaping its sea of bitterness.

Lu Ran looked left and right, spotting a figure standing proudly at the edge of the mountain forest, near the cliff.

He stood up, stretched his body slightly, and his figure flashed.

"Whoosh~"

Deng Deng Yuxiang's body tensed; while retreating, she raised one hand and gripped the hilt of the blade on her shoulder.

Yet she discovered the figure before her was Lu Ran.

Vicious Dog Xie Fa · Vicious Shadow Flash!

Deng Deng Yuxiang: "."

Lu Ran wore an obedient expression, pursing his lips into a smile.

Deng Deng Yuxiang glared at Lu Ran: "Rested well?"

"More or less. What about you?"

"Not bad," Deng Deng Yuxiang replied casually as she approached the cliff's edge, "We must be amidst a range of mountains."

Lu Ran gazed out, seeing thick clouds and mist shrouding the rolling, continuous mountain ridges.

Looking left, looking right: mountains.

Looking behind: mountains.

Nothing but mountains, endless as far as the eye could see... the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains!

"Where are we going?" Deng Deng Yuxiang's eyes showed a hint of confusion.

The path they had come from was nowhere to be found.

The path forward was also unclear.

Lu Ran fell silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't know."

Deng Deng Yuxiang looked up; high above, a sea of clouds churned, revealing neither the sun nor anything else.

Lu Ran summoned a Fate-Tethering Mirror and casually swiped across it: "How about we just head in one direction for now?"

Deng Deng Yuxiang immediately looked at the bronze mirror.

There, she saw a wisp of immortal mist slowly descending.

What is this?

With a thought, Lu Ran zoomed the mirror's view out.

He happened to see the treetops beneath the immortal mist, just about to plunge into the mountain forest.

Deng Deng Yuxiang immediately looked up to search; the instant she turned, her beautiful eyes narrowed: "Over there!"

Lu Ran flipped his palm, and the bronze mirror once again transformed into a full-length mirror.

He stepped inside, and a black cloud rose beneath his feet.

Evil Spear Emperor Xie Fa · Evil Cloud Treading Mist!

Deng Deng Yuxiang followed closely behind, likewise standing in mid-air.

Ye Mei Xie Fa · Night Dance Toppling Cities!

"What is this?" Deng Deng Yuxiang did not rashly reach out but examined it carefully, "Such pure energy!"

"Gulp." Lu Ran's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes growing ever brighter.

Source Qi?

Lu Ran was all too familiar with this sensation, this type of energy!

Every time he crafted a demonic minion, he utilized the energy contained within Yemo Yemo Xiesu.

Origin Qi,

was the exclusive domain of true gods and true demons.

Humans of lowly status like Lu Ran had no qualification to cultivate such power.

Until now, the path by which he obtained Origin Qi had been relatively singular.

He achieved it by capturing demonic dead souls, merging them into demonic sculptures of corresponding races, and thereby extracting the wisp of Origin Qi carried within those souls.

Here came the problem!

This method of cultivation was directional.

Although Origin Qi was universal, the soul of a Rouge Paper Man that Lu Ran captured could not possibly be used to cultivate the Sinful Mirror Demon's Yemo Yemo Xiesu.

Yet this wisp of Origin Qi before his eyes...

It was not mixed within a dead soul, nor would it be drawn toward any Yemo Yemo Xiesu.

It was purely a wisp of refined energy!

For a moment, Lu Ran's heart surged with excitement!

Did this mean he could use this wisp of Origin Qi to cultivate any Yemo Yemo Xiesu?

No, far more than just Yemo Yemo Xiesu!

Lu Ran grew increasingly excited, licking his lips.

He could use this refined Qi to cultivate divine sculptures!

"You recognize it?" Deng Deng Yuxiang, who had been observing Lu Ran's expression all along, reminded him, "The mist is about to touch the ground."

"Mn." Lu Ran stood upon a black cloud, flying downward alongside the immortal mist.

Upon hearing this, he immediately extended his hand.

The immortal mist fell into his palm, gradually merging into his skin.

Lu Ran's expression froze in shock.

He lacked the ability to absorb such energy belonging to higher existences, energy of supreme nobility.

He had only subconsciously reached out to catch it.

The Origin Qi had merged into his palm automatically!

And then what?

It entered my body, yet I cannot use it—damn it!

Lu Ran's face darkened.

He realized that in another dimension, the Origin Qi was merging into his soul.

So, humans were being treated as vessels?

Once human believers died, their souls would ultimately fly into the embrace of the gods.

By that time, the gods could naturally eat heartily and enjoy their fill.

"Hoo~"

Energy churned violently within Lu Ran's eyes as he opened a pair of Death Realm pupils.

With the Origin Qi inside his body, hidden within his soul, it was utterly useless.

Of course, it had to be used to cultivate the sculptures in his garden!

Lu Ran immediately tilted his head back and raised his hand.

Under Deng Deng Yuxiang's stunned gaze, he poured the immortal mist directly onto his own eyes.

This wisp of Origin Qi, lacking a demonic dead soul as a carrier, would naturally not be inhaled by the Death Realm pupils.

So the current problem was:

Which sculpture should Lu Ran employ to absorb and take over this refined energy!

Liangye Jian Yi or Master Yu Fu?

The Spirit Talisman or Divine Lie Tian?

Ah, never mind; in another moment, all the Origin Qi will have fully merged into my own soul!

"Hoo~"

Suddenly, the immortal mist flowing freely across Lu Ran's face found its destination, surging entirely toward those pair of cold, horizontal pupils...

Lu Ran's heart thrilled with excitement; it worked!

This world actually produced Origin Qi?

If that was the case,

then didn't those dozens of divine sculptures within his sculpture garden all have a solution?

Continuing with 4,100 words; begging for some monthly tickets!

(End of Chapter)