The council hall was filled as everyone took their seats.

Lu Ran looked at the disciples gathered together from various factions, feeling a slight sense of accomplishment.

All along, Ran Sect had taken the elite route, with nearly every believer personally recruited by Lu Ran.

Yet this time, Jiang Ruyi had built her own faction and brought a full eight people!

It truly added some liveliness to Ran Sect.

"You've all met each other now." Seated at the head, Lu Ran spoke, "From now on, we are partners who live and die together."

The crowd seated around the table showed solemn expressions and nodded in agreement.

"On the way back, I discussed with Pavilion Master Jiang merging Luoxian Pavilion into Ran Sect." Lu Ran glanced at the eight newly joined believers.

Naturally, no one dared to raise objections.

You two lovebirds decide everything; whatever you say goes.

"Xiong Xiong, Shi Yong, Shi Biao." Lu Ran called out three names.

"Screech..."

The sound of wooden chair legs scraping against the floor broke the silence as three burly men immediately stood up.

The vibe of these three was entirely different from everyone else in the room.

The scene was quite amusing~

Lu Ran looked at the bald man and said, "The three of you will join Demon Control Hall. Xiong Xiong will be Vice Hall Master, and Shi Yong and Shi Biao will be hall members.

Later, go and report to Hall Master Jing Hong."

"Yes!"

"Yes." The three responded on the spot.

For Xiong Xiong, the former leader of Split Mountain Gang, Lu Ran had given him a position.

A reward for leading his people to side with Jiang Ruyi.

The Shanwei Sect's perception technique, Mountain's Intent, was exceptional. It could detect hidden enemies inside mountains and deep underground, making it perfect for guarding the stronghold.

Demon Control Hall's primary duty was to guard Cloud Sea Cliff.

With the increasing number of Evil Demon troops, Jing Hong, previously a lone commander, naturally needed help.

"Demon Control Hall will be under the leadership of Nightmare Guardian." Lu Ran glanced at Deng Yuxiang.

The woman gave a slight nod but didn't say anything.

Lu Ran turned his gaze to the "Two Birds of the West Desolation," namely Fengchen and Yunyan. "If it weren't for you two defecting to the light, whether I would have been able to see Ruyi remains uncertain."

Gao Yunyan responded solemnly, "Sect Leader, you flatter us."

Xue Fengchen added, "Actually, it was Lady Ruyi who saved us."

Lu Ran chuckled. "Ran Sect has a sequence called the Eight Divine Generals.

Both of you are disciples of the Second-class God·West Desolation and are at the peak of the River Realm.

How about this: whoever advances to the Sea Realm first will get the title of Divine General, and the other will serve under them. How does that sound?"

Gao Yunyan smiled and looked at the bold young man beside her.

Xue Fengchen: "..."

Lu Ran then turned his attention to the Jade Talisman disciple trio: "Today, Ran Sect establishes its second branch—Feixian Hall.

Song Yu will be Hall Master, and Zhang Zhenghu and An Xian will be hall members."

"Yes!"

"Yes." The three immediately stood up.

Lu Ran observed keenly, noticing Song Yu's subtle expression, seemingly harboring some excitement.

Sigh...

He couldn't help but wonder how loyal this diehard follower would be to Jiang Ruyi.

Whether Song Yu would willingly cooperate later was a question lingering in Lu Ran's mind.

Lu Ran surveyed everyone present and said, "Cloud Sea Cliff is remote and rarely visited by believers.

However, everyone should still stay vigilant.

Xun, later arrange accommodations for everyone."

Xun Yifei promptly nodded.

Back when Lu Ran was in the Northwest, he had reached out to Evil Shadow Guardian to ask Xun Divine General to help build houses.

Lu Ran added, "Alright, you've all worked hard during this period. Go back and rest."

The crowd rose one by one.

Jiang Ruyi spoke softly, "Feixian Hall."

Song Yu looked to the girl and asked respectfully, "Lady?"

Jiang Ruyi nodded lightly. "Stay behind."

An Xian and Zhang Zhenghu exchanged glances and obediently stood behind Song Yu.

As the others departed, Lu Ran looked at the three members of Feixian Hall:

"Do you all know what Feixian Hall represents?"

Song Yu appeared somewhat puzzled.

The Sect Leader had given him the title of Hall Master but hadn't explained his exact responsibilities.

Lu Ran smirked. "I wanted to name this hall the 'God Creation Hall,' but Jiang Fairy said it sounded unpleasant."

Jiang Ruyi turned her head and playfully rolled her eyes at Lu Ran.

Song Yu's mind raced.

God Creation Hall?

Feixian Hall... and the Sect Leader deliberately referred to Jiang Ruyi as "Fairy."

Jiang Ruyi sat in the chair beside Lu Ran and examined the three disciplined Jade Talisman disciples. "We've been in Holy Spirit Mountain for over a month now.

You've all seen the situation here with your own eyes."

The trio nodded.

Jiang Ruyi spoke softly, "In this slaughterhouse, do you all still hold the same reverence for the gods as you did in the human world?"

Listen carefully to the tone.

Though Jiang Ruyi posed it as a question, her stance was evident.

Perhaps, she was testing them?

An Xian nervously wrung her fingers, bowing her head silently.

The term "slaughterhouse" was first uttered by her, and fortunately, Lady Ruyi hadn't pursued the matter.

"Xian?" Jiang Ruyi gently called out.

"Lady?" An Xian jumped in surprise, raising her gaze.

"Speak honestly," Jiang Ruyi encouraged.

An Xian took a leap of faith. "I… I think the gods put us here under the guise of gathering Holy Spirit Energy, but it's actually to clean us out!"

Jiang Ruyi nodded in satisfaction and turned to Song Yu.

Understanding Jiang Ruyi's intentions, Song Yu spoke boldly, "Gods and demons alike are heartless, treating all beings as fodder."

Lu Ran nodded silently, finding the summary precise.

These people were clever, keeping their true thoughts hidden until now.

Jiang Ruyi shifted her gaze to Zhang Zhenghu.

With the precedent set by the other two, Zhang Zhenghu nodded vigorously. "I think so too!"

Jiang Ruyi nodded. "Since the gods are heartless, would you all be willing to break your contracts with them?"

"What?" An Xian's eyes widened in shock.

How perilous was this realm?

Even if she resented the gods, breaking the contract was unthinkable!

Without it, how could one even survive?

Jiang Ruyi stepped forward, positioning herself behind Lu Ran's chair, resting a hand on his shoulder as her gaze fell upon the trio:

"No more faith in the Jade Talisman.

From now on, believe in us.

Whatever the Jade Talisman can give you, we can provide as well."

"Gulp." Zhang Zhenghu swallowed hard, struggling to process everything.

Song Yu was shocked to his core but didn't believe the duo was lying.

An Xian trembled and stammered, "Believe… believe in the Sect Leader and Lady?"

Lu Ran chimed in at the right moment. "You've all seen me wield techniques from various factions, yet I'm not a believer of these gods or demons.

I can steal the powers of all gods and demons and make them my own."

The trio: !!!

The fact that Lu Ran could use different techniques had sparked curiosity among many.

But none dared discuss it openly.

Now, Lu Ran explicitly revealed he could steal the powers of all gods and demons...

Lu Ran casually beckoned and pinched a piece of White Jade Talisman with two fingers. "With the stolen power, I can cultivate brand-new gods."

As he spoke, Lu Ran tilted his head slightly, gesturing toward Jiang Ruyi behind him.

The implication was clear:

Jiang Ruyi is the new god I'm cultivating!

The council hall fell deathly silent!

Cultivating... gods?

Since they first met Lu Ran, he had already been mysterious and intimidating in their eyes.

But these words still left them flabbergasted.

"Damn it! What did I say earlier?" Zhang Zhenghu's mind raced. "I actually voiced the truth, and now I'm really facing a genuine god!!"

Jiang Ruyi spoke softly, "I am no longer a Jade Talisman believer. A few days ago, the Sect Leader passed the Talisman's power onto me.

I know these words sound incredible, but I truly am on the path to replacing the gods.

If you are willing, you will be my first believers."

"Thump!"

Song Yu immediately knelt down, his voice firm. "Song Yu is willing to serve Lady."

Zhang Zhenghu quickly knelt down in response.

His actions were hurried, as if fearing a delay might provoke the young gods' displeasure.

Only An Xian remained somewhat dazed, struggling to react...

"If Xian has reservations, you don't have to break your contract," Jiang Ruyi said as she looked at An Xian. "You'll still be a part of Ran Sect and Feixian Hall. It's alright."

An Xian finally snapped out of her daze.

Noticing the situation in the room, she quickly knelt down to declare her loyalty. "Oh, Lady! No, I've no reservations. I believe in you! My life is yours!"

Jiang Ruyi observed the three trembling followers, paused for a moment, and gave an order: "You can leave now.

I'll bring the doctor to find you later; we'll break the contracts then."

"Yes!"

"Yes." They responded in unison, rising and departing.

Lu Ran watched their retreating figures and let out a long breath.

Immortal Sheep Lord had explicitly stated that in the world of gods and demons, supreme rules reigned.

In the human world, when Lu Ran entered into contracts with believers, the believers had to pray in his presence. Only by doing this could the fake god sculptures in the sculpture garden absorb the Power of Faith.

If believers strayed too far from Lu Ran, the Power of Faith would be taken by true gods who possessed divine positions!

But Holy Spirit Mountain was different!

The gods themselves were stuck in Da Xia, unable to reach further into this realm.

If Lu Ran used fake god Jade Talisman stone sculptures to sign master-servant contracts with these three, their prayers would direct condensed faith power into Lu Ran's body and the sculpture garden!

Paying respect to gods and cultivation were not mutually exclusive.

In the human world, believers were already accustomed to kneeling before small god shrines and cultivating while offering prayers in devotion.

At Cloud Sea Cliff, they could build a "Immortal Worship Hall" or something similar nearby.

Close to Lu Ran's residence.

Feixian Hall members could simultaneously cultivate and pray, continually providing energy to the fake god Jade Talisman stone sculptures.

Until now, Lu Ran had only two methods to cultivate stone sculptures:

One was through battles, and the other was painstakingly gathering Holy Spirit Energy.

If this new method worked, could Lu Ran start cultivating Divine Sculptures simply by staying home?

Of course, this was merely Lu Ran's idea for now. Whether it would succeed required careful experimentation.

If the results were favorable, Feixian Hall could continue to expand...

"What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Ruyi patted Lu Ran's shoulder.

Lu Ran grinned slyly. "Snatching believers from the Jade Talisman feels kinda nice~"

What's the point of believing in that crappy Jade Talisman!

From now on, believe in your Sect Leader!

...

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