[{"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-952":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},2363080,4618,"Chapter 952: Life and Death Divided","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-952",952,"\u003Cp>“Boom boom boom”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far to the west, another violent sound echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran reluctantly released his lips, letting go of Jiang Ruyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi lowered her eyelids, breathing lightly, her cheeks growing redder, even her delicate little earlobes flushed with a faint pink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait for me—the battle isn’t over yet.” Lu Ran removed his wide-brimmed hat and placed it on her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.” Jiang Ruyi nodded gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tender, obedient demeanor stood in stark contrast to her earlier cold, dignified aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran no longer delayed; he turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scattered members of the Falling Immortal Pavilion stared dumbly at their Pavilion Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, people seemed to finally realize that Jiang Ruyi was merely a nineteen-year-old girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this one specific person, she could be a gentle maiden, not the aloof, celestial immortal above all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Song Yu.” Jiang Ruyi readjusted her veil and called softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pavilion Master!” Song Yu snapped back to attention, gazing at the woman in a white robe, her head crowned with the wide-brimmed hat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the hat’s shadow, she appeared somewhat mysterious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even more beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gather the team members and count the numbers.” Jiang Ruyi ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!” Song Yu replied firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a dragon’s roar surged toward them, sending chills through everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yu whirled around, gazing westward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, floating in the western sky, was another figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a large straw cloak, frozen mid-bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A colossal, terrifying mosasaur descended from the heavens, shattering the gushing yellow sand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant mosasaur shattered too, breaking into countless small mosasaurs that burrowed into the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared, dumbfounded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These hat-and-cloak people—what level of power do they have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, a Long Li Sky Vessel had appeared, crashing down with a thunderous boom and even snapping a towering stone pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That collapsed pillar still lay on the ground, stretching across Ten Thousand Swords Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew the hat-and-cloak figure was a Long Li devotee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a Sea Realm powerhouse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the emergence of the Ten Thousand Dragons Calm the Sea Arrow, people now realized the archer was also an A Sha devotee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another vast sea!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sss!” Xiong Xiong sucked in a sharp breath and slapped his bald head hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell kind of organization is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiong Xiong had reason to believe there were more than two Sea Realm masters among these cloaked figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, a hat-and-cloak figure wielding a broken blade had sprinted across the high sky, leading the team at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That man was surely a Sea Realm master too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, how would he dare charge ahead to pursue the Sea Realm powerhouse You Tianyao?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Xiong Xiong’s understanding, any group that gathered to form a faction must consist of disciples from the same sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you saw an outsider among the disciples of the Western Wastes, you didn’t need to think—he was a servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only sects like the Falling Immortal Pavilion, whose master radiated humanity and upheld boundaries, might have such people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiong Xiong had only ever seen one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ruyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this mysterious team? Not only did they possess earth-shattering power, but each member seemed to come from a different sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then who, exactly, could have made these terrifying Sea Realm masters set aside suspicion and unite?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of being could that be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s Lu Ran?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Song Yu’s escort, Gao Yunyan landed steadily beside Xue Fengchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! Yes!” Xue Fengchen’s expression was excited, nodding rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yunyan looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with shock: “Didn’t you say Lu Ran was the mortal patriarch of Xiang Xianyang’s sect, a Xiang Xianyang devotee?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Fengchen immediately replied: “Yes, Yan-jie, I wouldn’t lie to you—Lu Ran is a Xiang Xianyang devotee—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words cut off abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was the Lu Ran before them now, resembling a Xiang Xianyang devotee?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Fengchen was equally bewildered, not knowing what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in the mortal realm,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Divine Lu Ran never acted like this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rescued crowd, stirred by the presence of one Sea Realm master after another, felt either exhilarated or terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so many Sea Realm masters weren’t the most shocking thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cloaked youth who had first appeared and forcibly blocked Elder Peng of Tianhuang Mountain was the truly astonishing one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Immortal Sky Snake of the Jade Face Snake Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fiery Sky Sovereign and Explosive Sky Dome of Lie Tian Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Evil Shadow Flash of the Evil Dog Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which sect did this youth belong to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather—was he even a “devotee” at all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yunyan gripped her divine weapon tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yellow Sand Axe, which had been struggling and trembling moments ago, now lay still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if resigned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Jiang Ruyi hurled a Flame Explosion Talisman that blasted Gao Yunyan and her axe back, the Yellow Sand Axe had found no chance to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yellow Sand Axe had calmed, but Gao Yunyan’s heart pounded wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just days ago, her sharp questions to Xue Fengchen still echoed in her ears: “Is that Lu Ran really worth risking your life for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Gao Yunyan had her answer firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was worth it—way more than worth it!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among all living beings in the mortal realm, the mountain realm, and even the heavenly realm above the clouds,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran was likely the only one like him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To freely wield every technique, harnessing both divine and demonic power as his own?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yunyan’s thoughts were chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet also wildly excited, brimming with longing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Lu Ran was darting across the battlefield, a circle of white jade plaques wrapped around his body, aiding his flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The divine art of the Jade Token Sect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy shit, we’ve met a true god…” Zhang Zhenghu muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Xian stared blankly at the scene, frozen like a statue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside them, Song Yu diligently carried out his Pavilion Master’s orders, gathering Xiong Xiong and several other Mountain Wraith devotees, while closely watching Lu Ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yu was immensely grateful he’d made the right choice—to faithfully follow Lady of the Falling Immortal Pavilion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the first elder of the Falling Immortal Pavilion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loyal guardian who helped Jiang Ruyi rise and ascend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone could see how deeply Jiang Ruyi and Lu Ran cared for each other!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undoubtedly, Lu Ran would notice him—so how could his future destiny and career possibly be poor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All present, each harboring their own thoughts, watched the cloaked organization storm into the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Lu Ran had already crossed the sky above the battlefield and arrived near the combat zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t blink because he needed to capture souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The souls of the many dead Evil Dogs had already drifted high into the air; Lu Ran certainly wouldn’t let them escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also a few lingering human souls scattered across the battlefield ground—he glanced roughly, about ten of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people must have been caught in the crossfire between the two Sea Realm masters, killed just moments ago, their souls still lingering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the battle wasn’t over, Lu Ran didn’t rush to collect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the Evil Dog statues in Lu Ran’s Sculpture Garden had entered upgrade mode, continuously expanding in size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran groaned inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wild Barbarian Nüba demonic statue was still vibrating—and now this Evil Dog one too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One demonic statue humming was bearable, but two stone statues vibrating at once was truly overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huuu!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran snapped his head up—beneath the churning sea of clouds, a wind blade a kilometer long was rapidly forming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Night Phantom Clan’s ultimate technique: Night Phantom Evil Blade!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran felt deeply satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer the weak, isolated man he had been when he first arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now had many powerful allies, and even Mingyan Dashancha, whom he had personally trained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his condition was poor, he could watch his allies unleash their full power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A kilometer-long blade shattered the already cracked earth and continued slicing downward, sinking deep into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dream Nightmare and Long Li two guardians followed the Night Phantom Evil Blade straight into the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless small Canglong still slammed into the ground, carving a path to pursue enemies hidden deep beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed this Sea Realm—Drought Sea devotee had changed tactics: no longer trying to flee, but instead digging deeper into the earth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Burn Dog! It’s really Burn Dog.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice echoed from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t heard this peculiar nickname in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s head had been buzzing; he thought he was hallucinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Burn Dog!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Lu Ran turned his head downward and saw a soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure appeared to be in his mid-twenties, tall and slender, with curly hair, his face now filled with shock as he stared this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xuyang’s voice trembled: “Burn God, can you see me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran sighed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had experienced this scene many times before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, it left him quietly heartbroken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xuyang’s eyes seemed to gleam: “Help me, Burn God! Can you help me? I don’t want to die! You must have a way, Burn God!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s face showed regret: “I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Xuyang’s soul drifted closer, Lu Ran felt a pulling force—his speed increasing rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way?” Wang Xuyang was struck as if by lightning, utterly desolate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran fell silent, turning his gaze back to the battlefield below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not cold-hearted—he simply could not bear to see the other’s despair and pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran did not know this young man, but he could guess: he was a latecomer to the mountain, likely an audience member of The Heavenly Prodigy, perhaps even one of his own admirers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, Lu Ran truly had no power to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xuyang drifted helplessly toward Lu Ran, his expression dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at Lu Ran’s “cold” back, and slowly, a bitter smile appeared on his face: “Then… you must live well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s body stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpected care, from a stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dead man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran’s heart churned with mixed emotions—mostly a profound helplessness, unable to turn back fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xuyang stared at Lu Ran’s silent back, a bitter ache rising in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Lu Ran was the Heavenly Prodigy of Great Xia, the sect master of humanity, a noble figure of high status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why should he even look at me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why should he help me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xuyang lowered his head, his voice growing fainter as he murmured softly: “Burn Dog… you must live well with the Grand Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Wang Xuyang suddenly lifted his head, gathering courage to face that cold back: “If the two of you return to Great Xia… will you hold a wedding? Will you upload the wedding video online?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My mother adores you both—she’s been waiting for you to marry. I wonder if she’ll live to see it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran closed his eyes and took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long ago, when Master Xiang Xianyang had taught him the Eyes of the Dead World, those words still echoed in his ears:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You will see the souls of the dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You will see twisted faces, people writhing in agony.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You will see souls clinging to the world, weeping bitterly… until their spirits scatter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still… do you wish to learn it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Lu Ran reached to his side and summoned an ancient bronze mirror, rich with antiquity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thought, the basic technique—Mirror of Sin—changed its nature; though its appearance remained unchanged, it had become a Soul-Calling Mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Soul-Calling Mirror surged with energy, intercepting Wang Xuyang’s soul before the Eyes of the Dead World could claim it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-this?” Within the mirror, Wang Xuyang’s startled face appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ran gripped the mirror’s edge, rotated it downward toward the Drought Sea devotee buried beneath the earth, and spoke in a low, firm voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was it him who killed you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1973,"2026-06-21T06:13:01.220Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","442a3ecbc53546d967a5095dc3332f1d741f7697620e40791ba49f2d18ba2397","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-953","at-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-chapter-951",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fat-the-summit-of-the-old-gods-cover.jpg"]