In the afternoon, Lu Ran finally received a phone call.

The trio quickly got their gear ready and headed to the entrance of the residential complex.

Both Jiang Ruyi and Lu Ran brought the gifts given by Qiao Wanjun.

Jiang Ruyi chose to hang the sword sheath at her waist, while Lu Ran had two knife sheaths slung diagonally across his back, in parallel and both slightly leaning towards the right shoulder.

At the gate of the Immortal Scenic Garden, everyone saw a black sedan.

A tall figure stood next to the car.

"Chen Jingjing?" Lu Ran stepped forward.

The young woman in front of him perfectly fit the stereotype of a Divine·Sword One follower—a cold beauty.

Her demeanor was noble and as cold as ice.

She looked quite young, about twenty-four or twenty-five, wearing a white tracksuit that emphasized her tall, slender frame.

Her skin was excessively pale, giving off a "glowing white" kind of vibe.

This inevitably reminded Lu Ran of the Forget Spring Believers deep in the Qiantang River · Bamboo Sea Demon Cave.

He wondered if Li Rouyin was doing well lately, whether she had put on more Copper Coins.

Hmm... let her collect more Dead Souls as well.

Find a chance to go there and ask for some food.

"Little Lu." Chen Jingjing's icy countenance softened considerably, and she revealed a gentle smile.

The trio felt as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

It turned out that Divine·Sword One followers could be pleasant, depending on whether you were worthy enough.

"Thanks for the trouble, Chen Jingjing," Lu Ran nodded in thanks, "and for accompanying us on this trip."

Considering her status, he did not presume to shake her hand.

The most common greeting in the mundane world, the handshake, was completely inapplicable to Divine·Sword One followers.

Ever since learning that he was the "son of a Peak Master," his attitude had shifted slightly.

He became more cautious with his actions, fearing he might bring shame upon his mother.

"Get in the car, we're heading to the airport," Chen Jingjing's gaze swept over the two girls behind Lu Ran as she smiled and nodded.

Everyone put their weapons in the trunk, with Lu Ran sitting in the front passenger seat and the two girls, Jiang and Si, in the back.

"Chen Jingjing, I still don't know your full name," Lu Ran spoke up as the vehicle started moving.

"My name is Chen Jingjing, the 'Jing' from Beijing," the woman said with a smile. "You can also call me Sister Jingjing. 'Chen' sounds a bit old."

Lu Ran: "..."

What happened to the aloof and proud Divine·Sword One followers?

Heh, women.

Indeed, they are all concerned about age.

In the backseat, Si Xianxian held onto Jiang Ruyi's arm and whispered in the girl's ear:

"This chick is so pretty, you'd better keep a close eye on Lu Ran."

Jiang Ruyi: "..."

It's not just the one in front of us!

Jiang Ruyi trusted Lu Ran, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow in her heart.

All of Sword One's female disciples were of this type.

Each one more outstanding and beautiful than the last.

Today, Jiang Ruyi also learned that Lu Ran's mother held a high position and was a master of a peak.

Under Qiao Wanjun, one could only imagine how many young and beautiful juniors there were...

In the front passenger seat, Lu Ran awkwardly twitched his mouth.

Si Xianxian's voice had indeed been very soft, but whether Chen Jingjing could hear it, given her abilities, was uncertain.

Lu Ran quickly changed the subject: "Are you and my mother close, Sister Jingjing?"

"Peak Master Qiao often takes good care of me and keeps me by her side," Chen Jingjing responded softly.

Lu Ran turned to look out the window, letting out a soft sigh: "Peak Master..."

Chen Jingjing had her suspicions and realized that this child, Lu Ran, did not know much about his mother's situation.

After hesitating for a moment, she still spoke up: "Currently, Ms. Qiao is not officially a Peak Master.

But she will be in the future, so everyone refers to her as such in private."

"Oh?" Lu Ran turned his head with curiosity.

Chen Jingjing said, "Jinghong Peak has not yet been enshrined by the Divine Being, so it is not yet counted as a part of Spirit Mountain within our sect's sphere of influence.

Ms. Qiao's title as Peak Master is missing the final step."

Lu Ran frowned slightly: "Lord Jian Yi's incarnate Stone Sculpture has not yet been placed on Jinghong Peak?"

Chen Jingjing shook her head gently.

Lu Ran: "Is there a problem with that step?"

Chen Jingjing: "We are also trying to investigate and pray day and night, awaiting the arrival of the Divine Being."

Lu Ran did not respond again, instead looking back out the window.

The nature of a Sword One disciple was clear; Chen Jingjing was not likely to be talkative.

Combining this with what she had said on the phone: "Your mother hasn't been in a good mood lately. It's been a long time since I've seen her so happy."

One could conclude that Chen Jingjing was indeed a close person to Qiao Wanjun and really cared for her.

Perhaps, in her heart, she thought that Lu Ran's comfort would be more effective than anyone else's in easing the ever-frowning Qiao Wanjun by a bit.

Lu Ran wasn't foolish; he naturally realized the seriousness of the issue.

His mother seemed composed on the surface, but her heart must be in great distress.

The Divine·Sword One had explicitly ordered his disciples to prepare a mountain.

But now, the mountain was ready, and yet Lord Jian Yi was reluctant to come.

All this time, as the primary responsible person, Qiao Wanjun would inevitably endure huge pressure and face great criticism!

So... what exactly was the reason?

Chen Jingjing revealing this was meant to encourage Lu Ran to comfort his mother.

Little did she know, Lu Ran was not an ordinary Believer!

Ordinary believers wouldn't dare blame the Divine Being, even if you lent them ten thousand guts.

They would introspect and see where they might have fallen short.

Whether it was a lack of devotion, insufficient Power of Faith offered, or not enough flourishing incense, it was something that might have displeased the Divine Being.

Believers would look for reasons within themselves.

Lu Ran was completely different!

He dared to contemplate the unthinkable, considering the problem from various angles.

Why did Lord Jian Yi go back on his word?

Having declared his intention to consecrate the ninth Spirit Mountain, why does he now seem to shun it?

Is this a power play between Gods, or between Gods and Da Xia, or is there an issue with the Divine Being himself?

Could it really be that his mother was at fault?

Lu Ran was highly skeptical of that latter possibility.

After all, anyone could see how dedicated his mother was to the Sword One Sect.

The inside of the car was silent.

Lu Ran was lost in thought, and the others did not speak up.

It wasn't until they arrived at the airport that Chen Jingjing broke the silence, alerting everyone to get off.

Chen Jingjing had already bought the flight tickets; their destination was West Sea Province.

This province was located in the west of Da Xia, far from Beijing, and would be too time-consuming by car.

Flying was quick, and in just two and a half hours, the four-person group arrived at the capital of West Sea Province—Qingtang City.

Chen Jingjing had made all the arrangements; after collecting their checked weapons, they barely stepped out of the airport before boarding a business vehicle that had been waiting for a long time, heading directly for the eastern outskirts of Qingtang City.

To be honest, Lu Ran felt increasingly guilty.

The better Chen Jingjing managed everything, the more Lu Ran felt the care and attention from his mother.

He reflected on himself...

He seemed unable to relieve his mother of any burden.

Indeed, if it weren't for Chen Jingjing's shared information, Lu Ran would be completely unaware of the suffering and pressure his mother was enduring.

"Oh my god."

In the backseat of the business vehicle, Si Xianxian was dumbstruck, murmuring under her breath.

As they drove into the eastern outskirts and approached a military camp, a huge Stone Sculpture came into everyone's view.

Jiang Ruyi spoke softly: "Finally realizing it?"

Si Xianxian was bewildered: "Ah..."

Si Xianxian, as a Believer, was not quite up to snuff.

The moment she got the flight ticket and knew their destination, she should have realized—they were about to be graced by a holy presence!

Including Qingtang City, some areas in West Sea Province were under the domain of Divine·Lie Tian!

And yet, it was only when the vehicle nearly arrived under the feet of the Divine Being that Si Xianxian reacted...

Well, that was quite deserving of a beating.

"Little Lu." Chen Jingjing called softly.

"Sister Jingjing." Lu Ran snapped back to reality.

Chen Jingjing took a deep look at Lu Ran: "We're about to enter the Demon Cave. Adjust your state of mind."

She felt she had been somewhat reckless and should have waited until after the experience was over to disclose these things to him.

She hadn't expected that Lu Ran's thoughts would be so heavy, silent for most of the journey, drastically different from when they first met.

Hmm... Perhaps it's better to be cautious.

The state of Peak Master Qiao, as seen by several Sword One Disciples close to her, was a matter of heartfelt concern.

If this continued, the Peak Master might even destabilize her own mental state.

That was a major taboo!

A truly strong Cultivator could not simply crash their way up like the minions of the Stream Realm and Mist Realm.

With Lu Ran's strength and realm, he hadn't yet encountered these things.

But Qiao Wanjun had already embarked on a path to reach the pinnacle, and the requirements for her inner self and spiritual level were extremely high.

No mistakes were tolerable!

"Hoping that Lu Ran can help Peak Master Qiao," Chen Jingjing thought to herself.

"Ma'am, we've arrived," said the driver, steering the car into a parking space and coming to a smooth halt.

"Let's get out," Chen Jingjing opened the door first and stepped out.

She brought her hands together and bowed slightly towards the Divine Statue.

As a Sword One Disciple, such etiquette was already sufficient.

Si Xianxian, who followed, knelt down immediately, mumbling words like "my offense" and "blessing."

Jiang Ruyi also brought her hands together, while Lu Ran looked up, carefully admiring the demeanor of Divine·Lie Tian.

Even though it was only an incarnate Stone Sculpture, it gave Lu Ran a visual shock and spiritual tremor.

The Divine·Lie Tian had a style reminiscent of a chieftain from an ancient tribe.

Rugged facial features, a dense beard, long hair tied up at the top of his head into a bun.

He was robust, with a great war hammer in his right hand, commanding and reverent, gazing down upon all beings.

An ancient and age-old aura blew in his face, making it somewhat difficult for Lu Ran to breathe.

Divine·Lie Tian!

Lu Ran stared up in contemplation, heaving sigh after sigh.

What a majestic and ancient statue, what a Divine·Lie Yan!

The Yan Zhi of the Demon Cave should indeed be guarded by a God of such caliber.

The only issue was,

From the image and temperament of Lie Tian, Lu Ran couldn't sense the slightest hint of vehemence.

Instead, he conveyed an incredibly stable and solemn feeling.

Is it a case of knowing the godly face but not the godly heart?

Or, perhaps...

Is violence just your lie?

...

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