Between the gods and her son, whom would she choose?

Lu Ran tried to restrain himself, yet he couldn't help but let his mind wander.

The gods would eventually notice the existence of the Sculpture Garden; whether he revealed it voluntarily or it got exposed inadvertently, in any event, the All Gods would never spare him.

When the moment came, and the gods drew their weapons to slaughter him, would his mother stand by his side?

"Mom," Qiao Yuansi called out, awakening Lu Ran from his deep thoughts.

Qiao Wanjun nodded slightly, not looking at her daughter.

Immediately, Qiao Yuansi pouted.

Qiao Wanjun observed Lu Ran quietly, and after a long pause, she slowly raised a hand.

That hand was slender and pale, like an exquisite piece of art.

It had also descended upon Lu Ran's head time and again.

Lu Ran certainly understood the gesture; hesitating for a moment, he still stepped forward.

The closer he got to Qiao Wanjun, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.

Auras may be invisible, but they were indeed tangible.

Fortunately, her eyes smiled gently.

This was quite a paradoxical scene.

Qiao Wanjun was clearly an aggressor, her presence crushing all beings around her.

At the same time, she was strenuously softening herself, consoling the mortal before her.

"It seems you've grown taller."

Qiao Wanjun's voice was soft, and her raised hand descended upon Lu Ran's head.

Lu Ran spoke, "Just came out from the Demon Cave. I'm dirty."

Despite saying that, Lu Ran did not dodge.

Qiao Wanjun smiled and didn't mind.

Slowly, her palm moved down, a single slender finger gently tracing the contours of Lu Ran's face.

This face was still somewhat green.

Yet his eyes had toughened a bit.

Lu Ran spoke softly, "Mom."

"Mm," Qiao Wanjun came back to her senses, "You've become much stronger."

Her hand fell to grasp his, the one clutching the Dawn Blade.

Qiao Yuansi still pouted, "Mom noticed, huh? I thought you only had eyes for Brother."

Qiao Wanjun's beautiful eyes gently looked at Lu Ran,

"Indeed, I first saw the blade, and then, I found this one."

Lu Ran suddenly exclaimed, "How long have you been standing here? Your hand is ice cold!"

"Starting to care about me now?" Qiao Wanjun rotated her wrist.

The sudden movement startled Lu Ran.

Holding Lu Ran's hand meant she also grasped the Dawn Blade, sweeping toward Lu Ran's neck.

Lu Ran instinctively resisted, but in terms of strength, he was no match for her.

"Buzz!"

The Dawn Blade immediately rebelled, unwilling to harm its master.

The next moment, Lu Ran's pupils shrank slightly!

The mighty Divine Weapon was equally unable to escape the woman's control; she held it, inch by inch, pressing toward its master's throat.

The process was excruciatingly slow, each moment a heart-wrenching ordeal!

Qiao Wanjun obviously did not intend to harm Lu Ran; she was giving the Divine Weapon the chance to resist.

"Buzz!!"

The Dawn Blade trembled violently, a layer of rosy light spilling over the blade.

Qiao Wanjun paused, looking at the beautiful red halo, whispering, "As expected."

Finally, she released her hold.

At the same time, Lu Ran's palm was violently jolted away from the hilt.

"Whoosh!!"

The Dawn Blade, constantly resisting, suddenly lost its opposition and, like a wild horse breaking free, flew in the opposite direction, burying itself in the snowy ground.

"Don't!" Lu Ran hurriedly reached out, positioning himself beside Qiao Wanjun.

Because the Dawn Blade, now aloft, reversed direction and pointed directly at the woman.

Qiao Wanjun remained motionless, completely unconcerned by the Divine Weapon's threat.

She quietly observed Lu Ran, enjoying the sight of her child protecting her.

After more than a dozen seconds, Lu Ran finally calmed the Dawn Blade and slung it behind his back.

He lifted his gaze to the divine woman before him, "Mom, what are you doing? If you wanted to see the Divine Weapon, I could have simply asked it to demonstrate."

While he spoke, a storm of thoughts whirled through Lu Ran's heart.

What level of power did his mother possess?

Not even a Divine Weapon could contend with her?

Sword One was not known for strength, so this must be attributed to her own level of power!

Lu Ran sighed inwardly. His mother, as a Human Clan believer, was able to achieve such might.

Then how powerful could the gods themselves be?

Qiao Wanjun stood with her hands behind her, a hint of pride in her eyes, "The blade lives up to its name. What he couldn't accomplish, you've done for him."

"Huff!"

A shadow suddenly emanated from the Dawn Blade behind Lu Ran.

The Artifact Spirit appeared displeased, its gaze fixed on the woman.

Qiao Wanjun looked up at another "son," her eyebrows lifting slightly with apparent surprise at the Artifact Spirit's image.

After all, now that the Dawn Blade belonged to her son, it made sense for it to be as it was.

Lu Ran sensed a shift in Qiao Wanjun's demeanor.

Initially, she had been indifferent to the Divine Weapon's feelings, even forcibly using it to attack its master.

Now, she gave a polite nod of acknowledgment, whispering softly, "Alright."

Those two words weren't a conventional apology; rather, they seemed more like placation.

But coming from a powerful Sword One believer, they were almost equivalent to an apology.

Lu Ran grasped the hilt with a reversed hand and, through their shared consciousness, the Artifact Spirit slowly retracted into the blade.

Qiao Wanjun's eyes met Lu Ran's, "Don't be disheartened. Once it opens the Divine Weapon Domain, it will show another side. Then it will be quite difficult for me to wield it."

Lu Ran nodded thoughtfully.

A weapon that manifested an Artifact Spirit was merely a Divine Weapon in the eyes of mortals.

In the eyes of a powerful believer, was the Dawn Blade simply an inferior item?

Only once it had unlocked the Divine Weapon Domain would the Dawn Blade be truly a "Divine Weapon"?!

"Mom, look at me!" Qiao Yuansi complained, "Here stands your precious daughter!"

Qiao Wanjun still fixed her gaze on Lu Ran, "Ever thought about what kind of Domain the Dawn Blade might have?"

Qiao Yuansi: "..."

Her little face puffed up with indignation, yet she dared not act too rashly.

In the end, she huffed and huffed and squatted in the snow to play...

Lu Ran, however, was intrigued. To get pointers from his mother would be invaluable.

He promptly shared his own ideas and how the Dawn Blade had been promoted, explaining everything to her.

It was only after Lu Ran finished speaking that she whispered, "Not a bad train of thought."

Lu Ran asked, "Mom, do you have any suggestions?"

Qiao Wanjun shook her head, "You already possess the qualities to cultivate a Divine Weapon; I can't teach you anything. You have your unique experiences and your own path."

Lu Ran inwardly regretted, "Oh."

Qiao Wanjun sighed softly, "I had hoped to keep you here, but now it seems you are becoming increasingly inseparable from Rain Alley City."

Lu Ran nodded silently.

Breaking through the dawn or gifting humanity, the foundation of it all, the root of a man and blade's rise—everything lay in Rain Alley.

From this perspective, his mother had indeed provided guidance—take root in Rain Alley.

Qiao Wanjun spoke plainly, "If one day, you and the Dawn Blade unlock the Domain but are unable to possess it, remember to tell your mother."

Lu Ran realized something and looked at his divine, resplendent mother,

"Mom, will you help me shatter that Divine Weapon?"

Through the veil, Lu Ran caught a glimpse of a faint smile on Qiao Wanjun's face.

She simply smiled and did not respond.

Good Lord~

Lu Ran thought, it might be time to write a book!

"My Overbearing Female Sword Immortal Mom"

Wait a minute!

What if that Divine Weapon wasn't in the hands of the Human Clan but instead belonged to one of the gods?

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment and chose not to ask.

Currently weak, some probes were unnecessary and might inadvertently expose his disloyalty.

"How do you find this place?" Qiao Wanjun turned around, gazing at the vast snow-covered mountains, her eyes somewhat lost.

Lu Ran looked up and admitted, "It's majestic."

Qiao Wanjun, "If I were to seclude myself here and you didn't see me for a few years, would you come to see your mother?"

"Of course," Lu Ran replied without hesitation.

"Eh? Mom is going to seclude herself?" From the snowy ground, Qiao Yuansi raised her head, quickly asking.

Finally deigning to speak to her daughter, Qiao Wanjun said, "Isn't this what you've been hoping for? When I'm in seclusion, nobody will constrain you anymore, and you won't have to complain about me behind my back."

"Wha─what?" Qiao Yuansi's face soured, "I never complained behind your back! I like being with Mom."

Her stammering speech clearly lacked credibility.

Qiao Wanjun, "Then I'll keep you by my side and have you seclude with me to cultivate."

"Well… that…" Qiao Yuansi opened her mouth, her voice trailing off, "I'd rather not."

Lu Ran took the opportunity to ask, "Mom, is your seclusion for breaking through to a new level of strength?"

"Go back," Qiao Wanjun said softly, "On Yuanxi, I will come back and be with you."

Lu Ran: "..."

She remained as ever, keeping the affairs of her sect and her own strength shrouded in mystery.

It's unclear whether this was a rule set by the gods.

Qiao Wanjun turned to Qiao Yuansi, instructing, "Once back, listen to your brother and don't be naughty."

"Oh," Qiao Yuansi replied softly.

"Go ahead," Qiao Wanjun issued the leave.

The siblings exchanged a glance, not saying anything more.

Lu Ran drew the Dawn Blade from his back, and Qiao Yuansi took the Black Ice Sword, quickly stepping forward.

She took Lu Ran's Silent Night Blade, then nimbly leapt up, clinging to Lu Ran's back.

"Head home early." Lu Ran whispered, promptly leaping high, gripping the hilt tightly, and diving down from the mountaintop.

He always felt his mother's gaze following him.

Moments later, Lu Ran still couldn't resist, letting the Dawn Blade carry him down while he turned his head toward the peak.

At the summit, Qiao Wanjun stood silently, like a solitary fairy cut off from the world.

The mountain wind lifted flecks of frost, blowing her long hair and dress into a gentle dance.

Lu Ran's vision was exceptional; he could see so much.

Her eyes, which should have been cold, were now filled with warmth and affection, silently watching him depart.

Lu Ran silently turned his head to face the snowy forest below.

His desire for strength grew even more intense!

Lu Ran didn't know when he would be qualified to lay his cards on the table with his mother.

He simply hoped that on the day the gods drew their swords, his mother would still look at him with that same affectionate and gentle gaze, standing steadfastly by his side.

Mm... she surely would.

She definitely would!

Lu Ran clutched the hilt of the Dawn Blade, trusting not only his mother but also believing that he could handle all this.

If there must be a battle one day, those so-called Sword Immortals...

Sword One deserves it,

And so might the family matriarch!

...

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