Chapter 779: Fated Enemies

At dusk, on the cliff directly above the canyon.

Lu Ran and Deng Yuxiang stood silently, gazing at the horizon, waiting for the Holy Spirit Qi to descend.

As for the captured souls, Lu Ran had long since imprisoned them within the Divine-Demon Sculpture Garden.

Throughout that day, Lu Ran and Deng Yuxiang had interrogated and digested countless pieces of intelligence.

Even now, they had not fully processed them all.

"Lord Lu." Deng Yuxiang, standing slightly behind and to his side, suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?" Deng Yuxiang stared at his back.

Deng Yuxiang, putting herself in his place, worried he had been shaken too deeply, his inner state unstable.

Previously, no matter how aloof the gods were, treating human lives as slaves, at least they appeared as saviors and protectors.

Merely this one point was enough to inspire devout reverence and worship.

But now, the gods had suddenly become allies of demons, turning into mountains oppressing the human race.

Who could endure such a transformation?

"Do you know the name of this blade?" Lu Ran raised his hand and gripped the hilt on his shoulder.

Of the four blades Lu Ran carried, this was the only one whose scabbard bore no inscribed characters.

"Yunhai Chenqing." Lu Ran answered himself, "This name was given to me by my mother."

Deng Yuxiang remained silent; she naturally knew who Lu Ran's mother was.

Lu Ran, still gazing for the Holy Spirit Qi, continued: "She clearly told me that the 'yunhai' she referred to meant the gods."

Deng Yuxiang's heart trembled!

So, Senior Qiao Wanjun had already prepared Lu Ran for this?

Does this also indirectly confirm our own hypothesis is correct?

Lu Ran gazed at the cloud-sea above: "Mother said the cloud-sea is inevitable—it's the 'chenqing' that matters."

Deng Yuxiang guessed: "Senior Qiao hoped you'd use this blade to sweep the dust from within the cloud-sea?"

"Yes. She also gifted me six words."

"What?"

"Do not lose yourself."

"Do not lose yourself." Deng Yuxiang murmured inwardly.

A mother's warning to her son had given Deng Yuxiang profound insight.

Indeed, no matter how the gods and demons schemed, she needed only to hold firm to her goal.

Become Night Phantom, surpass Night Phantom, earn the right to walk beside him, to clear thorns and brambles for him.

As for who the enemy is—

Deng Yuxiang's gaze grew colder.

Whoever stands in our path—is the enemy!

Lu Ran shifted tone: "My mother doesn't know my secret. In truth, whether or not she gave me this warning, I wouldn't lose myself."

Deng Yuxiang listened to his firm voice, watching his back.

Back in Beifeng City, she had noticed he had already grown taller than her.

He had shed the naivety of youth.

He now appeared more heroic, upright, and imposing, radiating an unmatched sense of safety to those beside him.

"Our goal is to eradicate the scourges of the mortal world."

"That's why we've walked the path of demon-slaying."

"But if along this path, it's not just demons…" Lu Ran shrugged, the implication clear.

"Heh." Deng Yuxiang let out a light laugh.

His meaning aligned perfectly with her own thoughts just now.

"Holy Spirit Qi." Lu Ran suddenly spoke.

Deng Yuxiang looked up, but her senses weren't as sharp as Lu Ran's—she couldn't spot it immediately.

Lu Ran reached to his side, summoning an ancient bronze mirror, then transformed it into a full-length mirror.

Demon Mirror Art: Mirror Flower, Moon Reflection!

Another full-length mirror appeared horizontally in the sky.

The Holy Spirit Qi fell into it—and drifted out from the mirror beside Lu Ran.

Lu Ran's eyes turned into horizontal pupils, drawing the white mist into them.

"Huu~"

The mirrors above and below vanished.

Lu Ran still stood at the cliff's edge, silently gazing at the sky.

Seeing this, Deng Yuxiang frowned slightly: "Lord Lu, next time, wait until more Holy Spirit Qi has fallen before collecting it."

Lu Ran stood with arms crossed behind his back, proud and upright: "Are you teaching me how to do my job?"

Has my Xian'er-jie come to Holy Spirit Mountain too?

Lu Ran rubbed the back of his head, disgruntled: "Aren't I your Lord?"

Damn it!

I let my guard down with you, and you slap me on the back of the head?

Deng Yuxiang retracted her hand and stepped back two paces: "Lord Lu, did you remember that?"

Lu Ran: "..."

What a traitorous rebel!

But come to think of it, this matter is indeed serious.

Lady Luo had provided intelligence: the sky is a forbidden zone for humans.

Extremely dangerous!

Even if the sky is clear, seemingly empty, any human who dares to fly upward might be struck down by an invisible force!

Lady Luo said she had once witnessed someone fleeing pursuers, continuously ascending into the heavens.

Since this mysterious energy didn't exist constantly, the fugitive, driven by Jiaoxing, flew desperately upward!

In the end, the pursuers didn't even need to act.

The invisible, mysterious energy suddenly appeared—and instantly shattered the fugitive into pieces!

Limbs and fragments rained down in a shower of gore!

Terrible, just terrible.

This so-called Holy Spirit Mountain realm, though seemingly vast and open, is in truth a prison.

Lu Ran thought for a moment, then explained: "The cloud-sea is less than a kilometer above our peak. Lady Luo's 'high sky' is still higher than that."

Deng Yuxiang interrupted: "Hmm?"

Lu Ran hesitated, then said: "Alright, I was reckless. Uh… how about this?

Guardian, kneel down first—I'll apologize to you."

Deng Yuxiang was speechless, ignoring him.

Lu Ran, in turn, ignored the traitorous rebel, turning his focus inward.

"Hum~"

Inside the Divine-Demon Sculpture Garden, the Lietian Divine Sculpture finally began to tremble.

The energy is sufficient!

Lu Ran felt reassured—even without Xianyang, he could activate the divine or demonic sculptures himself.

In his mind, he quickly reviewed the Lietian Sect's divine arts.

Behind him, Deng Yuxiang's eyes narrowed!

Lu Ran casually clenched his fist—and a phantom great hammer appeared, its surface crawling with cracks.

The usually calm and composed Deng Yuxiang was momentarily stunned: "This… this is?"

Lu Ran finally regained a shred of his Lord's dignity, retorting: "What is it?"

In an instant, Deng Yuxiang realized the gravity of the situation!

"This is Lietian Divine Art: Lietian Hammer?"

"Mm." Lu Ran dispersed the hammer with a wave of his hand. "Lietian Hammer."

Deng Yuxiang suppressed her turbulent thoughts, her mind racing: "Your demonic sculpture garden contains divine-aligned statues?"

Lu Ran finally turned to face Deng Yuxiang: "That's why I won't lose myself.

Because my goal has never been just demons."

Deng Yuxiang lifted her gaze, meeting Lu Ran's lifeless horizontal pupils.

After a long silence, she suddenly lowered her head and smiled: "Heh."

Deng Yuxiang had believed she understood Lu Ran well.

She had met him not long after he became a believer, then taken him on missions, accompanying him all the way to this point.

But reality had slapped her again and again.

After the battle in Beifeng City, she had been stunned to discover the human boy who had fought beside her through life and death was the Lord of Demons.

And today, she suffered another massive shock.

Lu Ran is not merely the Lord of Demons.

Should he be called the Lord of Gods and Demons?

"You," Deng Yu's expression was complex, "how many more secrets are you hiding from me?"

"Only these," Lu Ran said apologetically. "Sorry for keeping them from you so long."

Only?

Only these?

Are these few?!

You have a sculpture garden where demonic and divine statues coexist!

You can replace every god and demon in this world.

Deng Yu fell silent, unsure what to say.

She truly disliked deception.

She believed Lu Ran could trust her!

But Deng Yu also knew this secret was too shocking—only when she shed her awe and illusions toward gods could Lu Ran reveal them.

More precisely, only when he was certain she would never leave him would he speak.

Deng Yu smoothed her wind-tousled hair, as if organizing her thoughts, and sighed softly: "Do all the gods exist in your sculpture garden?"

Lu Ran: "Pretty much."

Deng Yu probed: "Are you planning to strike first at Wu Lie?"

In her mind surfaced a face of breathtaking beauty.

In the future, that maid beside Lady Luo Xian would become her colleague too.

Lu Ran shrugged: "Wu Lie's followers are neither human nor demon, unfit for society, and they die too often."

"Besides, they're too dangerous—too many have died at their hands."

Deng Yu suddenly remembered something, her face darkening: "When you're spiritually linked to the Wu Lie divine statue, do you become emotionally volatile?"

Lu Ran reassured her: "How could I? I'm tightly bound to the Evil Hound statue too!"

"And I haven't become stupid or started biting everyone randomly."

Deng Yu: "..."

Lu Ran said: "Actually, you're better qualified to speak on this than I am."

"You've fully bonded with the Night Phantom demonic statue—have you felt its influence on your personality?"

Deng Yu finally relaxed and gave a clear answer: "I am myself."

Lu Ran nodded: "Right. You won't turn cruel or crave blood and flesh."

"You're an inheritor—you've taken Night Phantom's power, replaced her identity, seized her place."

"You've inherited only external things."

"Your inner self—your heart—belongs forever to me! Sacred Spirit Qi!"

Deng Yu: "..."

Lu Ran immediately summoned the ancient bronze mirror.

Deng Yu immediately warned: "Distance."

Lu Ran froze mid-motion.

Fine. Caution is never wrong.

Lu Ran waited patiently until the Sacred Spirit Qi was dozens of meters from the cloud sea, then transformed the basic technique, Ancient Bronze Mirror, into a floor-length mirror.

The Sacred Spirit Qi drifted out of the mirror again; Lu Ran opened his cold, horizontal pupils and drew the Qi into his eyes.

"Hum!"

The Wu Lie divine statue trembled.

Mist Realm Stage Two, Three, Four, Five

Creek Realm · Stage One!

"Whoa!" Lu Ran sucked in a sharp breath and casually dispersed the floor mirror.

My god!

The two previous strands of Sacred Spirit Qi had successfully activated the statue.

This latest strand just shoved Wu Lie's divine statue from Mist Realm Stage One straight to Creek Realm Stage One?

Roughly speaking, one strand of Sacred Spirit Qi equals one River Realm soul?

No wonder—it's energy spilled from the war between gods and demons.

So pure. So nourishing!

Lu Ran had just acquired the Divine Art: Wu Lie Hammer, and now gained two more techniques.

Divine Art: Wu Lie Thousand Flames: Slam a hammer into the ground, unleashing a roaring sea of fire forward.

Divine Art: Wu Lie Sky Explosion: A ranged attack—hurl a blazing war hammer, then detonate it for area damage.

The ultimate output of the Wu Lie sect? Not to be taken lightly!

But for Lu Ran to kill across realms, he needed the Divine Art: Wu Lie Heavenly Titan—suitable for River Realm Stage One.

"Hmm," Lu Ran felt eager, his spirit brimming with drive.

To speak loudly before a Sea Realm powerhouse, he still had to cultivate his divine statues!

"Someone's coming!" Lu Ran suddenly tilted his head, listening intently.

Deng Yu immediately turned, gazing toward the forest.

Moments later, she looked up to see six men and women speeding toward them, clinging to the treetops.

Two wore white robes; the other four wore dark clothing.

Without exception, each was surrounded by jade tablets.

Are these Yu Fu's followers?

Deng Yu's face remained calm, but her heart sank.

She spotted a man with long hair—a distinctive oval birthmark on his right cheek, shaped like a fingerprint.

Could this be Luo Tian Tu, the leader of Tian Tu Mountain Village, Luo's lover?

Today's three updates: 12, 18, 22.

(End of Chapter)