[{"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-54":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},2362182,4618,"Chapter 54: The First Heretical Art!","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>The 10th day of the seventh lunar month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of the central building in the camp beneath the Divine Being · Wu Ya.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of men and women, dusty and ragged, like refugees, were driven out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh~” Lu Ran blended in, exhaling deeply, gazing up at the bright midday sun, his heart filled with countless emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Demon Den · Evil Dog Village, there was no such thing as dawn; the longer one stayed inside, the more one longed for light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortune smiled—the perpetually rainy Rain Alley City was today clear and boundless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Jiang Ruyi slowly closed her beautiful eyes, tilting her face slightly to feel the sun’s warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After twenty-one days of slaughter, it finally came to an end here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Feels like all this was for nothing?” Lu Ran suddenly said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?” Jiang Ruyi didn’t open her eyes, still savoring the warm sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran said: “We killed for twenty-one days and didn’t get a single demon crystal—came back empty-handed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I I.” Tian Tian pulled a Mist Realm demon crystal from her pocket and held it out to Lu Ran, “I still have one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran immediately smiled: “Keep it. As a memento.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm-hmm.” Tian Tian’s heart leapt; she carefully tucked the crystal away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mere Mist Realm demon crystal wasn’t worth much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the time it represented meant a great deal to Tian Tian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could it be for nothing?” Jiang Ruyi spoke slowly, “We all advanced. The mission was completed perfectly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upgrading gear wasn’t the main point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key was the surge in combat power, the tactical coordination, the seamless teamwork—it could truly be called a transformation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Class leader Jiang?” A voice came from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi turned to see a figure in tattered clothes, looking utterly worn down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third-Rank Divine · Greedy Wolf Follower · Gao Zhonglin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin adjusted his rimless glasses; the only clean thing on him was the glasses: “You stayed in Evil Dog Village that long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t close; Jiang Ruyi merely nodded politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Goddess of the Class wasn’t inclined to speak, Gao Zhonglin turned to Lu Ran and grinned, extending his hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Ran, I’ve admired you for a long time!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Funny enough, ever since the exam results were announced, Lu Ran had also been called “Big Brother Ran.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out in the world,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>face is earned by oneself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No no no.” Lu Ran shook hands with him, shaking his head humbly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin chuckled: “Big Brother Ran, when are you going to let up a little so I can taste first place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The throne rotates; next year it’ll be your turn!” Lu Ran’s eyes sparkled with encouragement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha!” Gao Zhonglin laughed heartily, “Next year? We’ll all graduate by then!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oops.” Lu Ran glanced at Jiang Ruyi beside him, “He caught on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi gave Lu Ran a playful side-eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few bystanders who’d been eavesdropping were utterly speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d genuinely thought Lu Ran was encouraging Gao Zhonglin—at least being polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after this exchange did everyone realize what Lu Ran had actually meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A true master!” Lu Ran wore an expression of mutual admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, not at all.” Gao Zhonglin released his hand with a smile, “Did you complete your gear upgrade mission?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Completed.” Lu Ran nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Completed?” Gao Zhonglin was stunned, his gaze darting between Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran was joking around, maybe not saying anything serious—but Jiang Ruyi nodded too. Gao Zhonglin was truly shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin licked his dry lips, his eyes flickering slightly: “You two ranked first in both exams—you’re not like us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To complete your mission, you had to kill at least two thousand Mist Realm Evil Dogs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words caused those around them to glance over in silent surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Social trainees knew these student followers were absolute beginners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet hearing such a feat, even they couldn’t help but be stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two thousand Evil Dogs?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two thousand??\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are these students? They’re all butchers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We took a shortcut.” Lu Ran studied Gao Zhonglin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That little expression, that little look—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>little wolf cub,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>finally showed his tail, didn’t he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it’s no wonder outsiders viewed Lu Ran, a “Xiang Xianyang Follower,” with prejudice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A human follower really can grow to resemble his Divine Being more and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, teenagers aged seventeen or eighteen are in a critical phase of shaping and perfecting their personality. At this stage, a Divine Being’s strong influence inevitably affects every aspect of the follower’s growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that Divine Beings themselves prefer recruiting followers whose temperaments mirror their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Ran, teach me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin’s face turned urgent; he grabbed Lu Ran’s hand tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran put on a magnanimous air, revealing everything without reservation: “We went to hunt Stream Realm Evil Dogs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin: ???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin’s face, once full of anticipation, twisted in disbelief: “This is your shortcut?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!” Lu Ran confirmed, “Two thousand Mist Realm Evil Dogs became just two hundred Stream Realm ones, didn’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin nearly choked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snorted: “Then by your logic, you’d only need twenty River Realm Evil Dogs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you’re brilliant—I see why you’re a master!” Lu Ran’s eyes lit up, nodding vigorously, “Next time I’ll try it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhonglin was completely speechless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this even human speech?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Class leader, all the info’s registered. Instructor Dou said we should go to school after reopening to exchange our gear.” Deng Yu walked over, “The vehicle’s arranged—it’ll be here soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Deng Yu glanced curiously at Lu Ran and Gao Zhonglin still shaking hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To those in the know, this scene was peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the two stood first and second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One a sheep, the other a wolf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks for the lesson, Big Brother Ran—I’m off to submit my mission!” Gao Zhonglin released his hand, nodded to Deng Tian and Deng Yu, then turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a ridiculous day—not worth talking about!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to extract some intel, learn some dog-killing secrets, ask about Team 98’s tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got played hard by him?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s so frustrating~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it.” Lu Ran muttered under his breath, watching Gao Zhonglin’s back, “I just pulled off another act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hand suddenly landed on Lu Ran’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran turned to see Jiang Ruyi, still watching Gao Zhonglin’s retreating figure, whispering:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s chasing hard, full of momentum, and a Greedy Wolf Follower—he’ll likely grow even fiercer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.” Lu Ran nodded immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether from a team or personal standpoint, they were each other’s most direct rivals!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, Lu Ran was ahead—but he couldn’t afford the slightest slack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold truth lay before them: ranking meant resources; resources meant potential for growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re going to take another exam. Be careful on the fifteenth night.” Jiang Ruyi spoke softly, “Follow the Moonwatcher’s instructions. Don’t be reckless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worry in the girl’s eyes was impossible to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran dropped his smile, nodding solemnly: “Don’t worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, no other woman will carry me off again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slap!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi gave Lu Ran’s shoulder a light, scolding tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy really—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>has never stayed serious for more than three seconds!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At ten-thirty in the morning, Lu Ran dragged his weary body and opened his front door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even bother taking off his shoes, walking straight into the bathroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His ragged clothes were beyond washing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in Evil Dog Village, every time he entered Shitoucheng to recuperate, he would wash his clothes while bathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clothes, often stained with blood, had long lost their original color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after a full half-hour did Lu Ran emerge, refreshed, carrying the clean Radiant Blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He changed into dry clothes, came before the shrine, and bowed properly: “Greetings, Elder Xiang Xianyang. Your disciple will now rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhausted, Lu Ran offered a brief greeting to his patron deity, then rummaged through a drawer for his phone, plugged it in, and collapsed onto the small bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran dreamed of sleeping until the world turned dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the moment he fell asleep, he stood within a mist-shrouded garden of demonic statues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Xiang Xianyang, let your disciple rest just a little longer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran was utterly defeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being a devotee meant even sleep wouldn’t leave him in peace?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran: “I really can’t take it anymore. I’ll go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange phenomena erupted within the statue garden, nearly jolting Lu Ran awake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Evil Dog statue had been perfectly still, but suddenly, its dog eyes glowed with a faint, eerie light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it had come to life!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic statue stared directly at Lu Ran, sending chills down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You often close your eyes, trying to sense battlefield movements through other senses,” came a low, hoarse voice from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran turned and looked up, seeing a massive, jet-black ram’s head floating in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black flames drifted above the ram’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those lifeless ram eyes gazed gently upon the tiny human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Lu Ran said, forcing down his fear and nodding firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those horizontal pupils—no matter how many times he saw them, he could never grow accustomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This demonic art will aid you greatly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black ram’s head did not speak, yet the voice rang clearly in Lu Ran’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Lu Ran’s body trembled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, the demonic statues suddenly emitted a thick thread of mist, like a slender stream descending from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mist-thread finally connected to the tiny human’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hss~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran suddenly sniffed—the air reeked of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also seemed to hear the faint rustle of the black flames drifting atop the ram’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demonic Art: Evil Dog Clan’s Demonic Perception—Xie Shi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please support with monthly votes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1604,"2026-06-21T06:12:58.056Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9d87283c1d7e5413c194f17315d2513f71715b2f6acfe948a961faac2ecb07ab","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-55","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-53",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fat-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-cover.jpg"]