[{"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-90":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},2362218,4618,"Chapter 90: Confession?","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-90",90,"\u003Cp>Five days later, in Evil Dog Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark shadow sprinted across the torch-lit path, vanishing once more into the boundless night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wo!!” Two evil dogs barked furiously, chasing the dark figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene felt familiar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This precisely demonstrated: Lu Ran’s squad had mastered their tactics—and succeeded once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, the situation differed slightly from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the Jiang Tian-Deng trio, only Deng Tian was fighting, and he was also tasked with protecting his teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi did not join the battle; instead, she sat cross-legged on the ground, her energy violently fluctuating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, she was leveling up right on the battlefield!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mee~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black wilderness, Lu Ran deliberately slowed his pace, emitting cries of despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wo!!” The evil dogs sprinted like mad, rapidly closing the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left.” Lu Ran, blindfolded with a red cloth, had lost his sight—but his other senses had sharpened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed an energy fluctuation to his right-front, immediately tilting his body to dodge left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four fangs suddenly appeared, snapping shut with a piercing sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Lu Ran stomped hard on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turned, crouched, slid backward, Immortal Hoof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The movement flowed seamlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ssshh—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mist swirled beneath Lu Ran’s feet; he halted abruptly, then surged forward, charging straight at his pursuers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sudden maneuver caught the evil dogs off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead dog, unprepared, instinctively opened its jaws toward Lu Ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dog behind reacted swiftly, immediately activating a dark technique!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four razor-sharp fangs materialized mid-air along Lu Ran’s path, determined to tear him apart!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mee!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lu Ran rushed forward, a pair of thick ram’s horns suddenly manifested above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stream-grade Divine Art: Immortal Horns!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s expression was grim, advancing without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick waves of killing intent radiated from his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crack!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark technique—Evil Fangs—was shattered outright by the ram’s horns!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Lu Ran kept charging forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little lamb first shattered the fangs, then smashed the dog’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was his motion fluid, but his aura was heroic and dominant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, Lu Ran—the Iron-Headed Kid!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thick ram’s horns slammed into the dog’s mouth; a crisp bone-cracking sound rang out instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dog’s jaws were crushed, teeth flying everywhere, its body launched backward by the impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woo~ wooo~~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil dog howled pitifully, flying farther and farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran licked his lips, excited—his killing intent surged even higher!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, the dog behind seemed to hesitate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a cruel, violent demon had been intimidated by Lu Ran’s ram’s horns—and had cowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He charged straight ahead; the dog frantically twisted its body, trying to flee sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ssshh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadow darted; blade raised, blade fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade sliced through flesh, cutting the dog cleanly in half!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Drip… drip…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran tilted his head slightly, listening—only the sound of blood droplets falling from the Radiant Blade’s tip reached his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned slightly. Why couldn’t he hear the dog whose mouth he’d shattered?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it been thrown too far?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reluctantly, Lu Ran gripped the red cloth and lifted it slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His dark eyes glowed faintly, locating the fallen evil dog far off in the pitch-black wilderness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its mouth was a bloody pulp, gushing blood, unable to close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran turned his head toward the torch-lit path—just in time to see that battle there had ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran pulled the red cloth back down, re-covering his eyes, then pulled out the River-grade Divine Power Pearl and pressed it against the dog’s corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Lu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Done!” Lu Ran called out loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still barking over there!” Deng Yu shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dying gasps—it’s nearly dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath Lu Ran’s palm, the evil dog’s corpse dissolved rapidly, all its energy absorbed into the Divine Power Pearl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran picked up the demon crystal and strode toward the dying dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Radiant Blade fell, ending the dog’s life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lu Ran knelt on one knee, using the Divine Power Pearl to absorb energy, he suddenly felt something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his mind, within the lifeless Demon Sculpture Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil dog sculpture trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon statue had already been massive—ten meters tall—but now it could grow even larger?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran stared in shock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t entered a dream—but the image of the evil dog sculpture was crystal-clear in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it trembled violently, the evil dog sculpture surged upward, growing until it reached twenty meters, then finally stilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil dog sculpture had advanced in realm—it had finally reached Stream Realm, First Stage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before entering Evil Dog Village, Lu Ran’s evil dog sculpture had been roughly Mist Realm, Third Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just two hundred Mist Realm evil dogs’ souls would have elevated it to Mist Realm, Fifth Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the second day after entering the village, Lu Ran had already achieved that goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though progress had been swift, Lu Ran always felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because on the night of the fifteenth of the seventh month, he’d killed several evil dogs with his squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were River Realm evil dogs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Lu Ran suspected: had Immortal Ram been embezzling souls, secretly devouring some himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if helping Immortal Ram meant giving it some reward, Lu Ran was willing to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he never asked—chose to pretend nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for these past few days, Lu Ran had been struggling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When human cultivators break through major realms, they no longer need quantity—they need a “sudden enlightenment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what about demon sculptures?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran had specifically asked Immortal Ram—but the latter gave no clear answer, only told Lu Ran to keep killing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No clear answer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the potential for profit here was even greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Lu Ran said nothing—he wasn’t foolish, just willing to repay his debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the Demon Sculpture Garden was created by Immortal Ram; as its sole user, paying a management fee was only fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, it had finally succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immortal Ram, may I now unlock the dark technique—Dark Agility?” Lu Ran asked softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low voice replied: “Take it yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!” Lu Ran tucked away the two demon crystals and hurried back toward the torch-lit path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Lu, next time come back sooner,” Deng Yu Tang said as the dark shadow drew near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Tian said nothing, but her relieved sigh made it clear she’d been deeply worried about Lu Ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.” Lu Ran murmured, raising one finger to his lips, signaling the two to stay silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Jiang Meiren was leveling up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deng Yu and Tian Tian were very obedient and fell silent; Lu Ran also lowered his head slightly, exploring his own spiritual world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No dream entry was needed—the evil dog statue had already been activated and remained tightly linked to Lu Ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a few seconds later, the divine power within Lu Ran quietly surged forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like flowing water, the divine power circulated in orderly fashion, streaming continuously along Lu Ran’s bodily meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The method of casting the Evil Art: Evil Agility bore striking resemblance to the human cultivation process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran was extremely familiar with this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this just using divine power to nourish the body?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—it was more like activating the body!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran carefully sensed everything, his excitement growing deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having fought repeatedly, he was inevitably tired, his steps slightly heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after activating Evil Agility, Lu Ran felt his body suddenly light and agile?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this what it feels like to boost agility?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait a minute!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the evil dog statue had reached Stream Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the Evil Art: Evil Perception and Evil Art: Evil Fang should also be able to ascend in quality to Stream Grade!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran had used Evil Fang relatively little, since a black crow (Dou Zhiqiang) followed him in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Evil Art: Evil Perception?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran used it extensively!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouldn’t Stream Grade: Evil Perception grant a larger perception range and sharper senses?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran tilted his head slightly, pushing Evil Art to its limit, listening intently to his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, Lu Ran happened to hear a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Meiren’s thin lips parted, releasing a soft, drawn-out sigh tinged with a faint tremor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear she was doing her best to suppress it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could she evade the ears of Deng Tian and the other, when she couldn’t escape the ears of a certain dog?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Lu Ran felt utterly unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi was clearly a quiet, refined lady, yet Lu Ran somehow detected a hint of seduction in her sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder it’s called Evil Art!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It deserves that “Evil” character!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm… yes, it must be that the Evil Art is too filthy—definitely not my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” Jiang Ruyi whispered, thanking her teammates for their protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Ruyi, did you succeed?” Tian Tian crouched down, her eyes sparkling with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flickering firelight illuminated Jiang Ruyi’s delicate features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slowly opened her eyes, her pupils shimmering with luminous radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran spoke at the right moment: “Maintain this state. Try to condense the mist within your body into flowing water—you may ascend at any moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi lifted her eyelids, her expression serious, gazing at the man with red cloth over his eyes: “Mm, I’ll work hard to catch up with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran froze for a moment, then after a few seconds, muttered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s too humble! You don’t need to work hard to catch up—I promise you already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi: ???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1567,"2026-06-21T06:12:58.056Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1928a5be17e656753862edcddc870e1b61e966e1ded8838eb411978626e75e84","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-91","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-89",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fat-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-cover.jpg"]