[{"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-68":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},2362196,4618,"Chapter 68: Yellow Raincoat","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-68",68,"\u003Cp>A pitch-black sedan sped out of the Rain Alley Housing Complex, racing through the downpour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?” Deng Yuxiang glanced at Lu Ran in the passenger seat as she drove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s expression was grave, lost in deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing.” Lu Ran snapped back to himself, brushing damp hair from his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing?” Deng Yuxiang laughed. “You look like you lost your soul—remembered to bring your sword, but forgot your raincoat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran felt awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago at home, Xiang Xianyang’s words had shaken him to his core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been lost in thought ever since, even forgetting how he got into the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry,” Deng Yuxiang said, her voice unusually soft. “I’ve got you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran stared at her in surprise—the domineering heiress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d known each other for over a month; this was the first time he’d heard Daimengyan speak so gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yuxiang: “July fifteenth is unusual, but you really don’t need to feel so much pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I can’t protect you, then you deserve to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran: “Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yuxiang shrugged. “At least you wouldn’t die unfairly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just praised you for being gentle, and this is all you’ve got?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran had seen Daimengyan’s brand of comfort many times before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But every time, Deng Yuxiang managed to say something even more shocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You,” Lu Ran sighed inwardly, adding silently: Always coming up with something new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong with me?” Deng Yuxiang glanced at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re beautiful,” Lu Ran turned to look out the window, watching the rain-soaked streets blur past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weather forecast said rain would continue for the next few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, on the fifteenth, he doubted he’d see the moon at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The luxury sedan sped on, soon reaching a desolate area and entering the Wu Lie River Housing Complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the car came to a stop, Deng Yuxiang said, “I’ve a spare raincoat in the trunk. Wait—I’ll get it for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could respond, she opened the door and stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran was genuinely bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Daimengyan change her personality?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Has she become too nice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Click.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The passenger door suddenly swung open—Deng Yuxiang held up a yellow raincoat. “Put it on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” Lu Ran reached out to take the yellow raincoat, a thought flashing through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is Daimengyan… myself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran and Deng Yuxiang were similar in height, and the raincoat was loose-fitting—he slipped into it easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lu Ran stepped out of the car, Deng Yuxiang suddenly reached out and adjusted his collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a tender gesture made Lu Ran deeply uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yuxiang frowned, displeased. “What’s that expression for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sis,” Lu Ran felt numb. “Don’t do this. It makes me feel like I won’t see tomorrow’s sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just go back to being yourself—I can’t take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yuxiang laughed and shot him a glare, then lightly tapped the brim of the raincoat’s hood. “Enough nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran exhaled deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, that’s better~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow me!” Deng Yuxiang turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran grabbed the Xiaguang Blade from the back seat and hurried after her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reached the central residential building in the complex and climbed to the rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the dilapidated rooftop, all three teammates were present—but the mysterious team leader, Ge Bin, was still nowhere to be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report!” Deng Yuxiang called out loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Zheng looked at the two “little yellow figures,” pointing toward the stairwell. “Grab your gear. In thirty minutes, we’ll patrol the district again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Lu Ran and Deng Yuxiang turned back toward the stairwell, picking up earpieces and headlamps from a broken wooden table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the table, leaning against the corner, lay a massive zhanma dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Deng Yuxiang’s weapon—its surface looked like ordinary steel, but Lu Ran knew it was made of extremely expensive Tianchen steel!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade was astonishingly long—its hilt alone measured seventy to eighty centimeters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade itself approached two meters in length!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that length, the blade didn’t appear wide—only slender and elongated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was double-edged, resembling both a sword and a dao, like an ancient cavalry weapon, yet Deng Yuxiang wielded it as a foot soldier’s weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Interested?” Deng Yuxiang, having finished equipping herself, noticed Lu Ran’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran nodded silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s Deng Yuxiang was unusually indulgent: “Take it. Go play on the rooftop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s its name?” Lu Ran didn’t hesitate—he stepped forward and gripped the divine blade with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhan Ye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So violent?” Lu Ran lifted his hand and gently traced the cold edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others name their blades “Slayer of Demons” or “Demon-Cutter”—but you? You cut night itself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Zhan Ye had been wiped clean, Lu Ran faintly smelled a trace of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wondered how many lives it had taken in Deng Yuxiang’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Violent?” Deng Yuxiang said casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—wait?” Lu Ran’s fingertip trembled, and he quickly pulled his hand back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Deng Yuxiang’s lips curled into a faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Zhan Ye blade,” Lu Ran’s eyes lit up as he turned to Deng Yuxiang, “it has a spirit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, as his fingertip brushed the blade’s edge, he’d clearly sensed a surge of killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That dangerous sensation made his temples throb!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhan Ye and I are both one step away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Deng Yuxiang’s smile faded, replaced by quiet frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was at the fifth level of He Jing—just one step from what mortals called “Great Power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her Zhan Ye blade was also one step from becoming sentient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this goal, seemingly within reach, had eluded both woman and blade for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s cut tonight, and maybe we’ll break through!” Lu Ran offered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yuxiang said nothing, offering no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran suddenly reached out and tapped the blade’s edge lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ding~” A clear chime rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran looked at the silent woman: “You heard it—Zhan Ye agrees.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh.” Deng Yuxiang chuckled softly. “Who taught you this childish trick?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daimengyan was gracious enough not’t call it self-deception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two-word reply left Deng Yuxiang stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran, meanwhile, hugged Zhan Ye and walked toward the rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truer answer: a childhood spent living alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the rooftop, the Wei brothers, seeing Lu Ran carrying the great blade, felt a flicker of anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Lu Ran began swinging it, their expressions turned strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s flailing wildly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could Lu Ran possibly have experience with such a heavy weapon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt head-heavy and unsteady, struggling with every motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran now truly understood how terrifying Deng Yuxiang’s strength was!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Deng Yuxiang rescued him, reclaiming Zhan Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because she was stingy—mainly because she feared Zhan Ye might get upset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yuxiang never expected Lu Ran, who always amazed her, to suddenly fumble and perform such an abstract, clumsy sword dance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His feet stumbled, his body twisted awkwardly—he looked like a lame man harvesting jujubes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him, Deng Yuxiang grew furious—she wanted to kick his good leg hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The daylight hours slipped away slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran followed the Moonwatchers squad, patrolling methodically through the district, round after round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until night fell, Rain Alley City sank into utter silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran stood at the empty intersection, beneath a streetlamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dim yellow light suited the color of his raincoat well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the streetside held a few shops: an auto repair shop, a hardware store, a supermarket with locked doors, and a pharmacy with its sign lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the shops stood rows of residential buildings; looking up, one could see warm lights glowing in household windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>there were long-abandoned wastelands and dark, silent abandoned residential complexes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intersection was indeed illuminated by streetlamps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the figure standing in the rain seemed to stand on the dividing line between light and darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rain,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>grew heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if foretelling something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1299,"2026-06-21T06:12:58.056Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","320f2a866e5f5763a5b9083e9e84f302d9d635d9c89e23fd21eee2fa20045e7d","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-69","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-67",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fat-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-cover.jpg"]