[{"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-45":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},2362173,4618,"Chapter 45","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-45",45,"\u003Cp>The days at home passed in a rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the nineteenth day of the sixth lunar month, early morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a single building in the Yuxiang Jiayuan community emerged a tall, slender figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally, clear weather.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran tilted his head, gazing at the bright sun overhead, squinting involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today was the day of lifting the lockdown, meaning the disaster had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the effects of the demonic invasion still plagued this world and could not vanish overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly visible was the fact that every survivor was working hard to dispel the gloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran stood merely at the entrance of the building and saw several people walking, walking dogs, or playing with birds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he stepped out of the community and reached the breakfast shop, he saw an even livelier scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuxiang City,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this small county town with few inhabitants, radiated a unique vitality on this day after the calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of this tiny steamed bun shop,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>people striving to live smiled and greeted one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The laughter of children, the chatter and banter of diners, and the vendor’s calls as he delivered dishes\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>blended with the steaming bamboo steamers to form a uniquely warm scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yanhuo  of human life most soothes the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifteenth night seemed never to have come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these people, even those striving a little too hard, conveyed a message:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifteenth had come,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the fifteenth, was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, two layers of xiaolongbao, one cup of soy milk, to go,” Lu Ran said, stepping up to the steamers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steam from the steamers rose thickly, swirling in white mist, nearly triggering Lu Ran’s instinctive reaction to begin cultivation on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no helping it—this mist resembled divine energy too closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two layers of xiaolongbao, one cup of soy milk, and I’ll throw in a tea egg for you, kid, take it,” said the boss, a middle-aged man with a slight paunch, smiling warmly as he handed over a plastic bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No no, I’ll pay,” Lu Ran said, scanning the code with his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s on me, take it,” the boss grinned, his face earnest. “Next month’s fifteenth, kill a few more demons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran hesitated a moment, then smiled and accepted the breakfast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His identity as a believer was not hard to guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Statistically, among those aged seventeen and above, seven out of ten were believers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention the faint mist swirling around Lu Ran’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one thought Lu Ran was showing off, because believers who trained hard were everywhere!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The social atmosphere was like this—everyone was fighting to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary people did so,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and divine believers had to give even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” Lu Ran said his farewell and walked off, pulling a xiaolongbao from the plastic bag and shoving it into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The streets bustled with people; behind him, the shop remained noisy and lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene, perhaps, was a microcosm of the entire Yuxiang City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding his hometown, Lu Ran could find many flaws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, it was small and old, not prosperous; or that it rained constantly, leaving people gloomy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lu Ran’s reasons for loving it were simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be the unique memories of growing up here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be the Wuli River, rolling through the town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or it could be a steaming tea egg in the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A bit too dry,” Lu Ran quickly picked up his soy milk cup and took a big sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, much better~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Buzz!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pocket vibrated; Lu Ran immediately pulled out his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening the four-person group chat, he found a message from Jiang Meiren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang: “Report to school at eight. Don’t forget.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran looked at Jiang Meiren’s pretty profile picture and unconsciously smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beautiful things truly lifted the spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Tian: “Sister Ruyi, I’ve finished eating and am on my way to school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang” patted “Tian Tian”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran raised an eyebrow and immediately tapped his screen to reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ran: “Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran stared at his phone screen, waiting a long while, but Jiang Meiren didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to type again, his phone vibrated once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deng Yu Tang” patted “Ran”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a WeChat group—why did it suddenly feel like browsing a forum?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was even helping him save face!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tian Tian” patted “Ran”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Lu Ran couldn’t help but chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You little brat, patting me now? Can you even reach my head?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran tapped back at both their profile pictures, then put his phone away and continued eating his xiaolongbao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today was return-to-school day; the school would release rankings and reorganize teams based on each group’s performance and students’ traits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s Team 98 should remain unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, all four members had no intention of switching partners—they worked well together and got along harmoniously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, having long finished breakfast, Lu Ran arrived at the gates of No. 1 High School.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the sides of the gate were packed with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, Lu Ran immediately spotted a familiar figure—Tian Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was petite, standing outside the crowd, clearly eager to see the rankings but unable to push through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lu Ran walked over, he saw Tian Tian tiptoeing, holding her phone high, trying to photograph the main leaderboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden voice startled Tian Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned her head, barely recognizing the person before her phone was snatched away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran was 1.77 meters tall—not exceptionally tall, but high enough to photograph the leaderboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Click~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the shutter sound, Lu Ran lowered his phone and stared at the photo, his eyes lighting up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me see,” Tian Tian whispered, tugging gently at Lu Ran’s sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, we made it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran beamed with excitement, handing the phone back to the girl. Too thrilled, he absentmindedly ruffled Tian Tian’s hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, if his teammate had been Jiang Meiren instead of Tian Tian,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran would’ve seized the chance to hug her and lift her up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow!” Tian Tian gasped, forgetting to be shy, her face glowing with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month, the first city-defense mission of Yuxiang No. 1 High School: team rankings:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First place, Team No. 98!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Members: Senior 2 Class 4, Jiang Ruyi; Senior 2 Class 4, Lu Ran; Senior 2 Class 4, Deng Yu Tang; Senior 2 Class 7, Tian Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Comprehensive mission score: 80.5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All members gain +10 believer points!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid their joy, murmurs never ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again them? Again Team 98!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Obviously—Jiang Meiren leads, how could they not be strong? And they’ve got a little lamb hidden in their team!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you talk about my Ran Brother? Is he a little lamb? My Ran Brother’s a big, big, BIG lamb leg!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, wasn’t Wu Banzhang in Team 98? Why’s he replaced?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s with Ma Tianchuan’s team—Team 17, ranked fourth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha! First place isn’t scary—it’s the missing one who’s embarrassed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the buzzing chatter, Tian Tian clenched her tiny fist and looked up at Lu Ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t think her own performance was particularly outstanding; the team’s achievement was due entirely to the person beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s expression was strange as he stared at the fourth-ranked team on his phone screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Shanshan was right there on the list!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Lu Ran’s emotions remained largely unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in the city defense mission, where the demons appeared and their cultivation levels were highly uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For new believers, simply surviving was already considered a success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single mission’s performance meant nothing, so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran pressed his lips together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One lead was far from enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be repeated, again and again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hehe, that’s settled then!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran strode toward the other side of the school gate, Tian Tian fell silent and hurried after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the left side of the gate, this side was much noisier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, they said becoming a believer would shake up the rankings, but this is a total mess!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gao Zhonglin’s second? The Greedy Wolf believers are really fierce—they really know how to hoard points!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The top spot’s still the lamb! How’s that? Is the lamb greedier than the wolf?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is insane! Is the Xiang Xianyang sect really this powerful? One time was luck, but not again, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Powerful my ass! Have you ever seen a lamb make a name for himself? It’s just that Lu Ran’s kid is damn weird!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I rode the same bus with him—he came back with his clothes and pants torn to shreds, nearly beaten to death by demons!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy shit! Seriously? Even if his pants were shredded, didn’t he change them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the slightly chaotic crowd, Lu Ran held up his phone, staring at the red leaderboard, hesitating to press the shutter button.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Tian bounced on her toes in agitation, while Lu Ran stared blankly at his phone, his heart bursting with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month, the first city defense mission at Yuxiang No. 1 High School: individual rankings as follows:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First place, Grade 11 Class 4, Lu Ran—91.2 points, Xiang Xianyang believer. Believer points +10!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second place, Grade 11 Class 11, Gao Zhonglin—73.7 points, Greedy Wolf believer. Believer points +8!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third place, Grade 11 Class 4, Jiang Ruyi—72.1 points, Yu Fu believer. Believer points +8!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, quiet down! Congratulations to Jiang Meiren for returning to the top three of the grade!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up! Loyal followers, step back! Get behind the nice guy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re a girl—why are you talking like that? Is that guy behind you Lu Ran?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Ran? Where?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd turned in unison to look back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran, lost in his joy, hadn’t yet realized the gravity of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro Lu is awesome!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First again! Two in a row!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations!” Waves of praise washed over him, making Lu Ran grin widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a moment ago you called me little lamb, but now that you see me, you call me Bro Lu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’d you get this score? How many demons did you kill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard your pants got torn to shreds by demons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say something!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t get it—real masters don’t talk! Bro Lu, are you adjusting your team again? Need members?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How the hell did you score this? No one’s ever broken 90 in history!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah,” Lu Ran finally spoke, “it’s bizarre.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the crowd perked up instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the score wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you—the score must be wrong! Did they misrecord it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right! It’s the fifteenth night—what could a Mist Realm believer possibly achieve? How could he score this high?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Ran, are you sure the score’s incorrect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the crowd’s intensely expectant gazes, Lu Ran nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s definitely off—where did my 8.8 points go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Second Bloom”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the crowd fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, every different face bore the same expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all fucking question marks!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence, someone somewhere shouted, “Beat him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran spun around and ran!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Tian stood with her mouth open, watching the immortal mist swirl beneath Lu Ran’s feet as he vanished into the school gate in a flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after Lu Ran disappeared from sight did Tian Tian whisper weakly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My phone… my phone…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1874,"2026-06-21T06:12:58.056Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","45da08a2c00f921cfed9ffca0c864ebd4f2f0f948ca1c6f037b7aeaa3ce1f241","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-46","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-44",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fat-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-cover.jpg"]