Chapter 393: People?!

Within the mental world, in the Garden of Divine and Demonic Sculptures.

Lu Ran stood before a massive stone sculpture, watching as the deity Lie Tian absorbed the origin energy into its body.

Without a doubt, Lu Ran was the master of these divine and demonic sculptures.

He could command them, control them, and even act as their sole proxy!

Upholding the philosophy instilled by Master Xianyang, over half a month ago, Lu Ran had acted as the full proxy for the Night Charm demonic sculpture to complete a contract with Deng Yu Xiang.

And at this moment, Lu Ran had brought the Lie Tian divine sculpture to absorb this strand of pure origin energy.

"Master Xianyang? Are you there?"

After finishing all this, Lu Ran looked around, searching for the deity's figure.

However, the black-fire goat head that had always guarded the sculpture garden was now missing.

"Master Xianyang?" Lu Ran called out loudly.

The garden was filled with divine sculptures, yet it remained deathly silent.

Lu Ran waited for a moment, then sighed inwardly.

Had the connection been severed?

Don't do this; I still need you to oversee things and help activate the sculptures... wait.

I am the master of demons, and the master of deities.

More accurately, I am still the "Master of False Deities."

Should I be able to activate the sculptures myself?

I just don't know how much of my mental resources activating the Lie Tian divine sculpture would consume.

Currently, I have activated a total of 11 demonic sculptures.

Master Xianyang clearly stated: at the Mist Realm, I could activate 1 sculpture.

At the Stream Realm, I could add 2 more; at the Jiang Jing, 5 more; and at the River Estuary Realm, 8 more.

Currently, I have reached the River Estuary Realm.

1 + 2 + 5 + 8.

That makes 16 activation slots in total.

Subtracting the 11 slots already used, I still have 5 slots left?

Since that's the case, should I try to activate the Lie Tian divine sculpture?

Master Xianyang often repeated one phrase: "Walk your own path."

So...

Should I try?

Just now, when Lu Ran absorbed the origin energy, he had indeed made a hasty decision.

But his choice to have the divine sculpture Lie Tian receive the energy wasn't random.

First, in Lu Ran's heart, he had already reserved a spot for the second protector of the Lu Sect: Mad Immortal!

At the current stage, Xu Xu was barely hanging on, appearing to have no major issues.

But as she advanced to the River Estuary Realm, who knew what might happen!

Secondly, Lu Ran was also considering himself.

Among all the deity factions, if you had to pick one capable of killing across realms, which would you choose?

The world's first choice would inevitably be the Lie Tian faction!

The explosive output of the Lie Tian faction was merely the foundation.

The fundamental reason was that the Lie Tian faction possessed a unique divine technique—Heavenly Helmet of Blazing Fire!

This technique would ignite the body with raging fire, continuously consuming divine power and physical strength to drastically increase divine technique output!

This was the greatest confidence for killing across realms!

Master Xianyang had said a thousand times that the world after the Divine Ruins was dangerous.

Lu Ran naturally wanted that confidence!

"Open!"

Lu Ran roared in his heart.

However, the Lie Tian divine sculpture remained motionless.

Lu Ran: "..."

He felt carefully for a moment and realized he had the ability to activate the sculpture.

It was just that the reserve of origin energy for the Lie Tian divine sculpture was not yet sufficient.

Lu Ran had been fighting in the human world for so long and had absorbed many souls of human believers.

But among them, there were no Lie Tian believers, as the Divine Bureau rarely recruited these "powder kegs."

Hmm... then I'll just have to go collect some more origin energy!

Thinking this secretly in his heart, Lu Ran opened his eyes.

Beside him, Deng Yu Xiang was silently keeping watch, acting as Lu Ran's escort.

"Sister."

"Hmm?" Deng Yu Xiang turned to look at him. "Are you done?"

Lu Ran nodded, the joy on his face not yet faded.

Deng Yu Xiang asked, "What kind of energy was that?"

Lu Ran explained, "It is the energy cultivated by gods and demons; it is the most fundamental power that supports divine and demonic sculptures.

The demonic sculptures in my garden have grown to this day by relying on it.

You can call it 'Qi'."

"Qi." Deng Yu Xiang was lost in thought.

"Let's call it Source Qi," Lu Ran decided on the name. "Actually, you and I both have a trace of Source Qi in us."

Deng Yu Xiang listened intently, waiting for what followed.

Lu Ran said, "The moment we become believers, the deity grants us a trace of Source Qi.

Source Qi is the foundation for signing the contract, and it is also a mark.

In our daily lives, it hides in our souls, and we cannot use it.

After we die, the Source Qi will lead our souls to the deity to nourish the divine sculpture."

Deng Yu Xiang frowned slightly.

She suddenly remembered that after the Battle of Lord Bei Feng City, when she woke up in the hotel bed, Lu Ran had told her:

Lord Bei Feng wants your life; it wants to take your soul to nourish the stone sculpture.

At that time, Deng Yu Xiang's mind was in chaos, and she had lost her focus after hearing only the first half.

Recalling it now...

That day, Lu Ran had truly told her many secrets.

"Do people's souls have to be taken away after they die?" Deng Yu Xiang's complexion was not very good.

Whenever souls were mentioned, people were generally very wary.

The world knew very well that death was definitely not the worst ending.

Many demonic races possessed techniques to imprison and torture souls, and their methods were so cruel that they made one's hair stand on end!

Lu Ran shrugged. "Deities must really like human souls.

Otherwise, why do major deity factions rarely have techniques that harm souls?

Heh,

Perhaps the deities are worried about damaging their food."

Deng Yu Xiang's complexion turned even worse.

She remained silent for a long time before whispering a warning: "Be careful with your words."

After all, the two of them were believers under the deity Xianyang.

"Oh." Lu Ran smiled.

To this day, he still hadn't told Deng Yu Xiang that the so-called Garden of Demonic Sculptures was actually a "Garden of Divine and Demonic Sculptures."

After all, Deng Yu Xiang had grown up in a unique era, and the concepts instilled in her since childhood could not be changed in a day or two.

Hmm... take it slow; there will be appropriate opportunities in the future.

Or perhaps, is he so easily satisfied?

Deng Yu Xiang pondered, "Because I am a Night Charm?

In essence, am I a demonic sculpture?"

"Yes!" Lu Ran nodded repeatedly; talking to a smart person was so much easier.

Deng Yu Xiang mused, "When I faced that strand of Source Qi just now, I didn't feel anything; it must be because my compatibility with the Night Charm demonic sculpture isn't high enough yet."

Saying this, she looked at Lu Ran. "Did you use the Source Qi to cultivate the demonic sculptures in your garden?"

Lu Ran remained calm. "Yes, I used it to cultivate the sculptures; the results are quite good."

Deng Yu Xiang immediately said, "Then let's continue searching."

"Good!" Lu Ran immediately summoned the Mirror of Fate, scanned it, but found no Source Qi.

He looked up again, using his keen eyesight to search the sky.

Unfortunately, Lu Ran searched for a long time but still couldn't find any falling Source Qi.

He said, "Let's expand our search range."

"Which direction do you want to go?"

"East, I suppose; 'Purple Qi comes from the East'." Lu Ran smiled, a black cloud gathering beneath his feet.

Deng Yu Xiang naturally had no objections, and the two immediately headed east.

However, just a few minutes later, Lu Ran, who was riding the clouds, suddenly turned around.

While flying backward, he looked at Deng Yu Xiang, who was running, and a sorrowful expression appeared on his face:

"Poor Great Nightmare, still having to run on her own feet~"

Hmm... at least she didn't waste those two long legs?

Deng Yu Xiang: "..."

"Here." Lu Ran drew his Blade of Radiant Light and handed it toward the rear.

"Whoosh!"

Deng Yu Xiang suddenly summoned two Night Charm blades and stabbed them toward her ankles.

She leaped lightly, stepped onto the dual blades, and while controlling the Night Charm blades to fly forward, she tilted her head at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran: "..."

Fine, you're amazing; you know how to play the game.

Lu Ran retracted the Blade of Radiant Light. "Then why didn't you use that earlier?"

Deng Yu Xiang looked at his frustrated expression and curled her lips. "Warming up, loosening the muscles and bones."

Lu Ran suddenly had the urge to channel his inner Qiao Yuanyuan, becoming a bobble-headed copycat: "Loosening the muscles and bones~"

But he didn't dare.

Lu Ran looked up at the sky, checking the Mirror of Fate in his hand from time to time.

Although the two had a goal, they could only search aimlessly.

After traveling for a long time, Deng Yu Xiang said, "This world isn't normal; there are no birds or beasts, nothing at all."

"Hmm." Lu Ran nodded.

Endless trees decorated the mountains, appearing lush and full of life, yet not a single animal could be seen.

It was truly eerie.

Lu Ran was just about to say something when his eyes suddenly lit up!

"It spawned!"

Lu Ran was very excited; seeing the Source Qi in the mirror, he directly changed the nature of the Mirror of Fate.

Demonic Technique of the Mirror Demon: Mirror Flower, Water Moon!

He rushed into the floor mirror, locking his gaze on the low shrubs, where a wisp of fairy mist was continuously flowing down along the lush leaves.

Lu Ran immediately activated his Eyes of the Death Realm, leaned down, and brought his face toward the shrubs.

The next moment, Lu Ran suddenly twitched his ears: "There's movement!"

"Hmm?" Deng Yu Xiang was quite surprised and turned to look.

In this deathly silent world, there were finally living things?

That is...

Deng Yu Xiang's beautiful eyes widened slightly; she had expected to see birds or beasts.

She never expected to see... a few human figures?

People?

The forest was dense, obscuring their view.

When a man approached and saw this pair of man and woman, he was clearly taken aback as well.

"Two fellow Daoists, you look quite unfamiliar," the middle-aged man said from afar.

Lu Ran had long since retracted all his demonic techniques and did not respond, focusing instead on absorbing the last wisp of Source Qi into his eyes.

Following the man's loud call, several other searchers were also attracted over.

"May I ask, two fellow Daoists, which deity's disciples are you?" The man smiled in a friendly manner and walked forward.

He wore a black robe that looked somewhat worn, with long hair draped over his shoulders, appearing as if he had been staying in this world for quite some time.

Deng Yu Xiang observed for a moment and said, "Master Xianyang."

"Xian... Xianyang?" The man's expression was stunned.

Deng Yu Xiang looked displeased. "What?"

"Ah, haha." The man showed an apologetic look, smiled, and cupped his hands. "In this world, it is very rare to see high disciples of Master Xianyang."

"Step back." A woman's voice came from the forest.

Deng Yu Xiang turned to look, only to see a graceful middle-aged woman in a large red robe flying down slowly.

The man lowered his head and respectfully stepped back several paces.

The woman looked at the two, smiling: "Two fellow Daoists are young yet possess such demeanor; you must be exceptionally talented and have already reached the River Estuary Realm. My respects, my respects!"

While speaking, the woman kept observing the expressions of Deng Yu Xiang and Lu Ran.

She continued, "I observe the state of you two; perhaps you have not been in this world for long?"

Deng Yu Xiang did not respond but asked, "Who are you people?"

"Heh." The woman smiled and shook her head, her face somewhat bitter. "Just a group of people who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth and challenged the Divine Ruins.

You two have just arrived here; you must have many questions about this world.

If you don't mind, you can come to the mountains for a chat."

【Eight people; four are in the open in front, four are hidden in the dark.】

Suddenly, Lu Ran's transmission entered Deng Yu Xiang's mind.

The woman walked forward, her smile gentle: "You two are on guard, which is understandable.

I truly have the intention to befriend young talents.

To show my sincerity, you two fellow Daoists may ask anything; I will tell you everything I know without reservation."

Lu Ran's transmission came again, his voice serious: 【The four in the back are making hand signals; something feels very wrong!】

(End of chapter)