Mee

Lu Ran sprang to his feet with a thump, turned, and ran for the door.

Yet just as he grabbed the doorknob, Lu Ran's body went rigid!

A jumble of thoughts flooded into his mind, instantly overloading his brain and robbing him of the ability to think or move.

Only several seconds later did Lu Ran gradually come back to himself, feeling as though needles were pricking his back!

Suddenly, a deep voice entered his mind, brimming with authority:

"If I were an evil entity, how could you possibly regain consciousness?"

"Huh?" Lu Ran froze, then a thread of hope rose in his heart.

The words were simple and brutal, but they were also highly effective.

Lu Ran had already entered the other party's sect; this could be understood as the two sides having formed a contract.

Under this premise, the Demon Race could freely manipulate weak humans, causing them to lose themselves and serve as slaves forever.

With that in mind, Lu Ran turned to the shrine. "Are you Immortal Sheep?"

The Black Sheep Head remained silent and gave no further response.

Lu Ran steadied his emotions and looked at the pitch-black sheep head within the shrine. "My apologies, Immortal Sheep. I thought you were a gentle and friendly god.

The Commoners never knew you possessed such terrifying—cough—such terrifying strength."

That deep voice entered his mind again. "You crave proof of yourself. You crave repaying kindness."

Lu Ran slowly nodded. "Yes."

Circumstances were stronger than he was. He could not possibly shake his head.

What was more, Lu Ran sincerely wanted to repay this kindness.

If Immortal Sheep had not come during today's god-worshipping ceremony, Lu Ran's only outcome would have been rejection.

Countless examples had already proven it: worshipping again the next year, including the success rate of worshipping every year thereafter, would approach zero without limit.

It was the same principle as pursuing a Girl:

As for the fact that she does not love you,

you truly do not need to keep confirming it over and over.

If he had been rejected, Lu Ran could only have spent the rest of his life as a frail and helpless ordinary person, trembling his way through this dangerous world.

Saying that Immortal Sheep had given Lu Ran a second life was not an exaggeration in the slightest!

Black Sheep Head: "Good."

This was the Black Sheep Head's third sentence, and also its last.

Lu Ran waited bitterly for a long while, but received no further instructions from Gods.

"Bzzz, bzzz."

The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated, rousing Lu Ran from his silent waiting and contemplation.

He cautiously glanced at the shrine, hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone.

Seeing that it was his Mother calling, Lu Ran immediately answered. "Mom."

Lu Ran had grown up in a single-parent family.

After his Parents divorced, five-year-old Lu Ran had lived with his Father, while his mother had taken his Younger Sister away from the city and returned to her Mother's Home.

When Lu Ran was thirteen, his Father, Lu Xing, died in the line of duty, and he was taken in by his mother again.

At sixteen, believing that he could take care of himself, Lu Ran returned alone to his hometown and moved back into his father's old house.

"How have you been lately?" His mother's gentle voice soothed Lu Ran's mind.

"Pretty good." Lu Ran looked awkwardly toward the shrine.

"Have you been training properly?" his mother, Qiao Wanjun, continued.

Lu Ran instinctively turned his head toward a Wooden Knife leaning in the corner.

Its blade was straight and slender, clearly modeled after a Tang-style Katana.

Under the guidance of his father, Lu Xing, Lu Ran had practiced blade techniques since childhood and possessed considerable talent.

Back when he was young, Lu Ran had even dreamed that one day he would earn the recognition of a Divine Jade Talisman and fight alongside his father.

But now,

the people remained, while all things had changed; everything was over.

"I have."

"Mhm." Qiao Wanjun's voice was soft. After the brief pleasantries, she got to the point. "I heard about what happened to you at school.

Ranran, you need to set your mindset straight. Having a god's favor is already our greatest honor."

His mother did not mention the evil demon at all, speaking only of Immortal Sheep.

Lu Ran looked toward the shrine again, and his heart stirred.

Mother was exceptionally powerful and knowledgeable. Perhaps she knew something about the Black Goat Head?

Even if she did not, she could at least offer some advice.

Yet just as Lu Ran was about to ask, he was forcibly frozen in place!

A jumble of thoughts abruptly surged in, and in a single instant, Lu Ran's mind went blank, leaving him barely able to speak.

Only after a full five seconds did Lu Ran gradually recover. He looked at the shrine in terror.

No wonder the Commoners never knew that Immortal Sheep had such a side to it!

Did it not allow its believers to reveal its existence?

In his daze, Lu Ran caught the latter part of his mother's words: "...The Immortal Sheep Sect's divine techniques are very special. Used well, they can produce extraordinary results."

Qiao Wanjun misunderstood Lu Ran's silence, assuming that her son was deeply dejected.

After all, Lu Ran was proud, trained hard every day, and had prepared meticulously for so many years, only to receive Immortal Sheep, the very last god in the Ninth Rank.

Such a blow could not be called insignificant.

What was more, before Immortal Sheep had arrived, her son had actually summoned an evil god!

That only further proved from another angle that Lu Ran was exceptionally gifted and should have been fought over by the gods in the front rows.

As for where exactly the problem lay, Qiao Wanjun did not know either.

Qiao Wanjun said softly, "When you brought the god statue home, the school gave you a little booklet too."

"Y-yes." Lu Ran answered haltingly.

A copy of Immortal Sheep Sect Rules lay on the Computer Desk, containing nothing more than warnings and admonitions.

It required believers to pray devoutly every day, treat others kindly in their daily lives, remain united and friendly, and the like.

The booklet also recorded a unique divine technique of the Immortal Sheep Sect—Compassionate Sound.

The name of this technique sounded quite intimidating!

In truth, it was simply begging for mercy out loud.

Celestial Goat Believers could use their voices to make their opponents feel compassion.

Once an opponent sympathized with you and pitied you, they might avoid conflict or spare you, and so on.

As for its actual combat effectiveness...

This was merely the Immortal Sheep Sect's most basic divine technique, and its effects truly were not much to speak of.

Not to mention encountering the savage Demon Race—even when facing someone resolute and decisive, no amount of crying or begging would make them spare you.

Qiao Wanjun said, "Look over the basic divine technique and make sure you understand it properly."

Lu Ran said, "When Teacher Li brought me home, he coached me through it and explained it."

"I see." Qiao Wanjun nodded lightly. "When you became a believer, Immortal Sheep granted you a trace of Divine Power."

"Mhm." Lu Ran answered casually. Earlier, at the God-Worshipping Platform, Immortal Sheep's phantom had given him a wisp of Divine Mist.

This Divine Mist was the so-called Divine Power. It had also helped transform Lu Ran's constitution, enabling him to absorb and cultivate Divine Power in the future.

Qiao Wanjun said, "Feel the Divine Power inside your body. Mobilize it and wrap it around your vocal cords."

Hearing this, Lu Ran had already guessed what Mom wanted to do.

She was probably trying to divert his attention and improve his mood by having him perform a wondrous divine technique.

Lu Ran's heart also stirred intensely!

After all, whenever any believer used a divine technique, they had to go through one procedure—praying to their own god.

Only after their own god approved and lent them aid could believers perform their sect's unique ultimate art.

In other words, Lu Ran could try to use the unique divine technique, Compassionate Sound, to verify whether the Black Sheep Head was truly Immortal Sheep itself!

"Alright." Lu Ran made his decision at once and, under his mother's careful guidance, properly completed the preparations.

Qiao Wanjun spoke softly, "Look at Immortal Sheep and pray for it to grant you assistance."

Lu Ran gazed at the shrine and softly murmured, "Mhm."

Qiao Wanjun said, "Call."

Lu Ran: "..."

What kind of thing was that to say!

It sounded so embarrassing.

Qiao Wanjun waited patiently for quite a while, yet her son still did not perform the divine technique.

She comforted him. "It's alright. It's only natural to feel awkward when first learning a divine technique. We'll be fine after practicing a few more times."

Lu Ran immediately explained, "Mee~ No, Mom!"

Qiao Wanjun: "..."

Lu Ran: "..."

Awkward!

So awkward that Lu Ran spun in circles on the spot, clawing at his hair.

What the hell kind of crappy divine technique was this!

Why was I bleating like a goat?

So! Humiliating! Ah!

"Hehe~" What left Lu Ran even more speechless was the soft laughter coming from the other end of the phone.

She had clearly done it on purpose!

As a powerful believer, how could she not know the predicament an Immortal Sheep believer might encounter when using a divine technique for the first time?

"I'm hanging up first." Lu Ran spoke irritably.

"Ranran."

"Mhm?"

"Cultivate your Divine Power well, and train properly." Qiao Wanjun reminded him gently.

"Got it." Lu Ran hung up and dropped into his chair, feeling utterly miserable.

At seventeen, one's pride was at its strongest.

Bleating like a goat in front of his mother truly left Lu Ran mortified.

Aaaah!

I really want to smash my head against something and die here.

As his emotions churned, Lu Ran suddenly shuddered.

He abruptly realized that there was still a god watching him!

Lu Ran slowly turned his head toward the shrine.

The jade-carved body inside was still gleaming white, with only the sheep head pitch-black.

Now that Lu Ran had confirmed that it was Immortal Sheep, another question rose in his mind.

After hesitating for a long while, Lu Ran softly asked, "Why won't you allow me to ask others about your existence?

Do you have some unspeakable difficulty?"

The Black Sheep Head remained silent. Instead, its color gradually faded, and the sheep head returned to its gleaming white hue.

"Hey? Don't leave!" Lu Ran hurriedly called out. He still had far too many questions.

At that very moment, Lu Ran's mind went blank again!

A flood of thoughts struck him, not only forcing Lu Ran to shut up but also leaving him dizzy and muddled. His body went limp, and he collapsed onto the floor, falling directly asleep.

Gods seemed to have grown annoyed and no longer wished to hear Someone fire off questions like a string of cannonballs.

Within the silent little room, wisps of mist flowed from the shrine, surrounding the sleeping Lu Ran and nourishing his frail human body.

Lu Ran slept all the way until evening.

Only when Bright Lights first came on in Rain Alley City did Lu Ran, lying on the floor, slowly open his eyes in a daze.

He took a while to react before finally remembering everything that had happened!

"Did you have to be this overbearing?" Lu Ran looked at the night beyond the window, his expression somewhat bitter.

If you tell me to shut up, I have to shut up; if you tell me to sleep, I have to sleep?

What am I, your ideal Girlfriend?

Such precious cultivation time had been wasted for nothing. Hm?

Lu Ran frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

Why was his body brimming with such dense Divine Power?

Lu Ran had only become a believer this morning. The only Divine Power inside him had been a wisp bestowed by Immortal Sheep, thin as mist.

Yet now, that thin mist had become far denser!

He also felt full of strength, as though his body had been nourished and transformed by Divine Power.

So...

Lu Ran raised his head and looked at the wooden shrine.

After Gods knocked me unconscious, did it bestow a blessing upon me?

"Wow." Lu Ran clenched his fist, sensing the abundant Divine Power and wave after wave of strength.

It felt unbelievably good!

There was nothing wrong with Immortal Sheep!

What was wrong with a mighty god being a little overbearing?

I just liked the domineering kind!

Ah~

So good!

Thank you, brothers, for coming to show your support. I'll post a Single Chapter later to thank you all.

After writing for so many years, Yu was truly grateful and deeply honored to have such a group of readers supporting him with all their strength, never leaving or abandoning him.

An extra chapter today, to express my respect to all my brothers!

As for the extra chapters for the Alliance Leaders' rewards, Yu would deliver them one by one after the book went premium.

In short—

Third Watch today, 12.17.20.