Summit of the Old Gods

Outside the western gate, Jiang Tian, and Deng were squaring off against a Fog Shadow Man.

This was an Evil Demon from the Mist Realm, specifically a Fourth Rank.

It was superior in realm to the squad members, yet faced them alone; team leader Zhang Feng, willing to offer the team a chance to both practice and earn merits.

However, ever since Lu Ran left, the team's battle system had fallen into disarray.

At that moment, Tian Tian stood at the very front!

Her petite figure hoisted a large petal shield, resisting the mist balls thrown by the Fog Shadow Man.

As the only one with defensive techniques, her positioning was not an issue.

The real problem lay with the tall and upright Deng Yutang, who stayed kneeling behind Tian Tian.

Occasionally, he would extend his spear from the edge of the petal shield, fiercely stabbing at the Fog Shadow Man a few times.

Undeniably, their coordination was effective, repeatedly inflicting damage on the Fog Shadow Man.

But the sight... well, it was somewhat eye-watering.

It couldn't be helped; Deng Yutang had no defense techniques at his disposal.

And the Fog Shadow Man crazily swung mist clusters like throwing bombs!

Without Lu Ran, Jiang Ruyi stepped up to the jungle position, floating around eagerly distracting the Fog Shadow Man.

"Zzz~zz~"

The girl's fingertips sparkled with electricity, tracing her path.

Again and again, the Electric Shackles Talisman struck the Fog Shadow Man precisely.

However, the unique bodily structure of the Fog Shadow Man, composed entirely of gray mist, significantly reduced the effectiveness of the Electric Shackles Talisman.

"Snap!"

Once more, the Electric Shackles Talisman struck the Fog Shadow Man precisely.

Fine electricity, like serpents on the loose, scurried through the dense mist of its body.

"Heh... heh..."

Jiang Ruyi paused in her steps, gasping for air, her chest heaving.

Deng Yutang, quick to react, plunged his spear fiercely.

The spear tip pierced into the mist, creating a hole in the Fog Shadow Man's misty head.

The head of the Fog Shadow Man, like a punctured balloon, leaked whorls of mist steadily.

"Hiss!"

As the currents inside the Fog Shadow Man faded, it immediately let out a roar.

Both of its gray misty claws solidified into tangible forms, firmly grasping the spear tip.

"You fiend dare!" Deng Yutang clenched his weapon fiercely, roaring back.

Upon the battlefield,

the Red Scarf Believers never lack an overpowering aura!

Yet, purely in terms of strength properties, humans of the same realm simply couldn't match the Evil Demon Clan.

Not to mention, the Fog Shadow Man was a full two minor ranks higher than Deng Yutang!

"Hold firm!" Jiang Ruyi's slender jade fingers sparked with electricity once more.

Truly, without Jiang Ruyi, this team would have collapsed long ago.

Deng Yutang's spear would have been snatched away, and Tian Tian's petal shield would have been torn apart countless times.

Right when Goddess Jiang was casting, attempting to suppress the Evil Demon again...

"Whoosh!"

A gust of wind suddenly arose!

A figure flashed past Jiang Ruyi's side, causing her raincoat to flutter and hair to fly.

Jiang Ruyi stiffened, her eyes widening!

Her expression of shock gradually turned to joy: "Lu Ran..."

"Bah~"

The sound of a lamb bleating rose quietly, hidden amidst the sound of wind and rain, undetected by human ears and unresponsive to the Fog Shadow Man.

Useless indeed.

Lu Ran heaved a sigh inwardly.

The Fog Shadow Man's face, merely an outline with no features, thus no ears.

Unclear as to how it perceived the world or even produced howling sounds.

Regardless, Lu Ran's Divine Technique·Desolate Sound had no effect on this uniquely structured Fog Shadow Man.

"Hmm?" The Fog Shadow Man suddenly turned its head to look behind.

Though Lu Ran's Divine Technique was ineffectual, the Fog Shadow Man truly sensed the approaching enemy.

"Sss!"

The slender Dawn Blade sliced through a curtain of rain.

A ghostly figure darted rapidly, crossing past the Fog Shadow Man.

In an instant,

the Fog Shadow Man was bisected at the waist by the Dawn Blade!

Yet it wasn't dead, only its hit waist region constantly leaking gray mist.

"Ha! Brother Lu is back!" Deng Yutang's eyes shone brightly, excitedly cheering, "I knew nothing would go wrong with you!"

Tian Tian bit her lip, secretly thrilled, her small hands trembling with excitement.

When Lu Ran had been taken away by the Yan Zhi creature, disappearing into the vast night, Tian Tian felt as if she'd been struck by lightning.

Over the years, she had finally found teammates who respected her, a warm little unit.

However, this promising tale had only just begun...

Everything was then snatched away by the flamboyant Yan Zhi creature.

Tian Tian's heart was crying, yet as always, her sadness was silent.

Similarly forlorn was Jiang Ruyi.

She watched helplessly as Lu Ran was carried off by the Yan Zhi creature into the rainy night.

It was like a slow-motion scene.

Repeatedly, it cycled through her mind, leaving her distraught.

Everyone knew how dangerous the night of the 15th lunar day could be.

After every fifteenth, the death announcements from around the world repeatedly reminded humanity of this harsh reality.

Yet when a living being vanished from her side, Jiang Ruyi still wasn't prepared.

Especially since it was Lu Ran.

The Lu Ran she had sat beside for two years, joking and playing.

The one who trained day and night on the old rooftop, vowing to join the Jade Talisman Sect to exterminate all the Evil Demons in the world.

Every detail of the memory made his missing figure incredibly distinct in her mind.

Jiang Ruyi dared not think further, nor ponder his outcome.

It was only Deng Yutang who constantly boosted morale, cheering the team with comforting words like "he will definitely come back," "don't worry," "Brother Lu will be alright."

Interestingly,

it was the Evil Demon from the Fog Shadow Man clan that ultimately "revived" this team.

The sudden crisis momentarily reawakened their lost souls.

Jiang Ruyi suppressed her churning emotions, gathering the strength to fight, yet unexpecting that...

the figure whose life or death was uncertain reappeared, back here again!

Like an impractical dream.

"Whoosh!"

His tattered black raincoat danced wildly in the heavy rain.

The dark ghostly figure flashed past the side of the Fog Shadow Man again.

"Roar!"

The infuriated Fog Shadow Man trembled violently, its misty body flaring.

It had already released the spearhead, mist balls gathering continuously in its pair of mist claws, frantically flung at Lu Ran.

"Die!" How could Deng Yutang miss such an opportunity?

He wielded his spear, stabbing rapidly.

For a moment, the Fog Shadow Man's large arm, shoulder, and side head were riddled like Swiss cheese, mist leaking profusely.

"Roar!" The Fog Shadow Man turned to fight Deng Yutang again, its sharp claws barely extending when Tian Tian's petal shield solidly blocked them.

The Fog Shadow Man fiercely grabbed the petal shield, attempting to swing both the shield and its bearer!

Simultaneously, a familiar scene replayed.

The Electric Shackles Talisman swiftly arrived, causing the Fog Shadow Man's body to shiver tremendously.

Deng Yutang immediately stabbed at the Fog Shadow Man's claws, relieving Tian Tian.

And such a scene had already been repeated countless times.

On the ever-changing battlefield, while Deng Yutang was still trying to fend off attacks, the dark phantom appeared again!

"Sss!"

The dispersing Immortal Fog delineated Lu Ran's maneuvers.

He drew a massive amount of Divine Power from the Divine Power Pearl around his neck, instantly appearing behind the Fog Shadow Man, unleashing a flurry of fatal moves.

Beheading!

The chilling blade of the Dawn Blade swept across the neck of the Fog Shadow Man.

Diagonal slash!

The blade flipped, chopping from the right shoulder of the Fog Shadow Man to its left waist.

Horizontal slice!

His wrist flipped, the blade moving right, shoulder leading to arm, arm leading to hand.

Lu Ran turned the blade into a brush on the canvas of spreading gray mist, harshly sketching a "Z" shape.

In an instant, mist spewed wildly.

"Hiss..."

The enraged Fog Shadow Man screeched, cornered, and struggling.

Its solidified sharp mist claws found nothing but air.

The little painter behind it, his feet jetting mist, had already flown backwards.

The tattered tails of his black raincoat fluttered forwards, making a whooshing sound.

As if mocking the Fog Shadow Man's helpless fury.

"Sss!"

Once again, Deng Yutang's spear pierced through the back of the Fog Shadow Man's head.

Even the gleaming spear tip protruded from the forehead of the Fog Shadow Man!

Finally, the crazily leaking Fog Shadow Man quieted down completely.

For the Fog Shadow Man clan, a spear through the head did not mean a fatal blow.

It was because the mist inside had dispersed to a certain extent, reaching a critical point.

This strangely constructed creature finally lost its life.

"Pfft!!!"

In the pouring rain, the body of the Fog Shadow Man exploded with a bang.

It was quite a spectacle.

"Heh." Lu Ran flicked his blade, his fingers landing on the slender, chilly blade, slowly wiping towards the tip.

All the adhered gray mist was wiped away.

Don't ask,

he was practically digging out a plastic bag.

However, Lu Ran hadn't finished digging when he suddenly thought of something and hurried towards the mist.

Then, he vigorously urged the Divine Power Pearl around his neck.

The translucent jewel quietly lit up, the initially scattered mist finally finding its structure, no longer vanishing.

Wisp after wisp of mist, like bizarre lines, meandered through the air, converging around Lu Ran's neck, continuously flowing into the Divine Power Pearl.

Such a scene,

magical yet eerie!

Tsk, that feels good~

Lu Ran rested one hand on his neck, feeling the tendrils of mist pass through his fingers, rushing into the pearl.

The Divine Power expended in the recent battle, wasn't it all replenished now?

Suddenly, a hand landed on his back.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran turned his head to look, and by the lights of the gym, he saw the girl's drenched face.

Rain was a good cover, drenching everyone fighting in it.

Yet her reddening eyes clearly had nothing to do with the rain.

"You... you're alright." Jiang Ruyi's voice was very soft, very light.

A heart full of words, ultimately condensed into few.

"Yeah." Lu Ran nodded with a smile, noticing the girl's unusual demeanor.

Miss Jiang's eyes were filled with complexity.

There was too much emotion in her eyes, making Lu Ran uncertain whether she was worried or delighted.

Lu Ran spoke with a smile, seemingly unharmed, consoling his teammate in his own style: "I told the Yan Zhi creature that marriage is no trifling matter, how could it be so casual?

I'm not aft...