The days of preparing for battle passed one by one.
Amid gloomy rain, Lu Ran and his Rain Alley City welcomed the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.
That morning.
Lu Ran sat before the shrine, receiving wisps of mist sent forth by the White Goat Jade Carving.
A faint glow still flickered at his neck—the Divine Power Bead!
Whether within his body or inside the Divine Power Bead, Lu Ran had filled everything with "ammunition."
"On the lunar fifteenth, the yin gate opens, and demons, monsters, and evil spirits come of their own accord."
Lu Ran muttered to himself, pressing his palms together. "Immortal Sheep, please bless this disciple.
Tonight, this disciple will follow the Moon Watcher team on a mission. I should be able to slaughter quite a few demons and activate many demon sculptures."
"Nourish them." A Voice Transmission came without warning.
"What?" Lu Ran looked up at the Small Shrine.
The White Goat Jade Carving said, "You are weak, and your Spiritual Power is insufficient.
You may capture demon souls and use them to nourish demon statues, saving them to be activated later.
If you insist on activating too many demon statues, it will bring you harm and no benefit. You may even suffer their backlash."
Lu Ran's heart jolted!
The sudden news caught him completely off guard. "Then, before this disciple kills demons, do I need to screen them first?"
Was this a joke?
In my own team, I can decide which Demon Lair to enter and what kinds of demons to kill.
But on this Night of the Fifteenth, I'll be in the Moon Watcher squad!
What demons we encounter and how many we kill will all be up to fate.
The Moon Watchers couldn't possibly stop killing descended demons just because of me!
"No need to worry. Simply collect demon souls and use them to nourish all manner of evil sculptures."
Another Voice Transmission arrived, brimming with authority. "Whether to activate demon statues will be decided by me."
"Alright." Lu Ran felt somewhat reassured.
With Immortal Sheep taking responsibility for everything, nothing could be better.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Ran asked, "How many demon statues can I activate now?"
The White Goat Jade Carving said, "You are merely in the Mist Realm. Activating one demon statue is already your limit.
Do not be greedy and rash.
Only once you make a Great Realm breakthrough may you activate more evil sculptures and make them your own."
Lu Ran said, "..."
You could have said that earlier!
There was only one slot, so he had to choose with the utmost care!
After all, this concerned what kind of evil technique he would be able to wield.
Perhaps sensing Lu Ran's state of mind, the ever-overbearing Lord Sheep gave a rare explanation.
"The Vicious Dog Clan is an ideal starting point."
"Their evil techniques are relatively concealed. You may use them freely. Beyond heightening your senses, their later techniques can also make your body swift and nimble."
"Vicious Hounds are comparatively weak and easier for us to control."
"Powerful demons, such as the Yanzhiren you have encountered time and again, are by no means easily tamed."
"With your current mental strength, if you activate a Yanzhiren evil sculpture first, you will likely find it difficult to control! One careless move, and she may instead toy with you in the palm of her hand."
Lu Ran listened with trembling fear and said solemnly, "This disciple understands."
From this Voice Transmission, Lu Ran also gleaned another piece of information.
The Vicious Dog Clan naturally had strong members at levels such as the River Realm and Jiang Realm.
The rare Yanzhiren Clan would also have weak Mist Realm underlings.
Yet Immortal Sheep had directly defined the two, making it clear that Yanzhiren were stronger than Vicious Hounds!
In other words, the demons Immortal Sheep spoke of referred to the stone statues behind entire clans!
Come to think of it, the divine sequence had ranks.
Naturally, the Evil Sequence did as well!
The White Goat Jade Carving asked in return, "What do you understand?"
Lu Ran considered his words. "When this disciple activates demon statues in the future, they should also be relatively weak within the Evil Sequence.
Step by step, the absolute prerequisite is never suffering backlash!
Neither hasty nor greedy. As Immortal Sheep previously instructed, this disciple should grow steadily."
"Not bad."
Rarely, Immortal Sheep actually praised Lu Ran.
Lu Ran's heart stirred. "Does Immortal Sheep have any good demon recommendations?
I am currently at Mist Realm, Level Four, and am not far from the Stream Realm."
On this Night of the Fifteenth, what demons Lu Ran encountered and what souls he could capture were matters of fate.
But after the fifteenth, Lu Ran would be able to make his own choices. Demon Lairs were scattered throughout Great Xia, containing every kind of demon.
It was like an all-you-can-eat dining room filled with an entire room of lavish dishes. Lu Ran merely had to choose what he wished to eat.
The White Goat Jade Carving said, "I see that you are quite fond of Yanzhiren."
"N-not at all." Lu Ran looked a little embarrassed.
That was not something one could say!
If outsiders heard it, they might think I wanted to become a traitor.
The White Goat Jade Carving said, "Demons lie in refinement, not quantity. The same is true of evil techniques.
Once you reach the Stream Realm, you may activate another two or three demon statues.
However, you may also sacrifice quantity in pursuit of quality."
"Oh?" Lu Ran's eyes lit up.
That could be done?
Immortal Sheep meant that after I advance to the Stream Realm, I should go straight for the main point. Mm, directly activate a Yanzhiren evil sculpture?
The White Goat Jade Carving said, "The evil techniques of the Yanzhi Faction possess considerable defensive power and can indeed keep you safe."
Lu Ran said, "..."
He finally understood. Immortal Sheep's entire approach to activating evil sculptures was to help Lu Ran survive more effectively.
But he could not deny that he was deeply tempted!
Who wouldn't want a Yanzhi Sister?
And Lu Ran's ultimate goal was not merely the Yanzhiren's evil techniques, but her Evil True Self in the future!
With such a powerful being guarding his side,
wouldn't he be able to kill gods that blocked gods and slay demons that blocked Buddhas?
Lu Ran thought for a moment, then said, "But the evil techniques of the Yanzhi Faction aren't concealed."
No one was blind.
If I suddenly wore a Great Red Xiapai, who wouldn't notice?
Besides, did that count as cross-dressing?
Though the Great Red Xiapai was highly defensive and could stir up monstrous waves, it still felt...
rather embarrassing~
The White Goat Jade Carving suddenly said, "The Yanzhi Evil Technique, when combined with the divine techniques of my sect, holds boundless mysteries."
"Huh?" Lu Ran froze. "Divine techniques and evil techniques can be combined?"
Sure enough, Immortal Sheep would not activate a Yanzhiren evil sculpture merely because Lu Ran liked it.
Immortal Sheep had its own considerations!
Another Voice Transmission came. "What is the most famous divine technique of my Immortal Sheep Sect?"
"Sheep, and the Scapegoat Body!" Lu Ran named two highly representative divine techniques in one breath.
As for Divine Technique: Sheep, Lu Ran had already given it much thought when he was trapped on the rooftop.
And Divine Technique: Scapegoat Body was even more heavyweight!
Among the people, this technique was also called—the scapegoat.
Its effect was similar to nullifying an attack.
When an Immortal Sheep believer faced a fatal blow, they could pray for Immortal Sheep to protect their body and escape death.
Of course, while the believer escaped the fatal wound, Immortal Sheep's True Self would suffer!
Because Immortal Sheep was the one who "took the blame."
This was also the strongest protection God Immortal Sheep gave to its followers.
One point needed special emphasis: never! Never dream that Immortal Sheep would manifest!
You should even prepare yourself mentally and act as though you had never learned this divine technique.
Immortal Sheep was your god!
It was the existence you should protect unto death!
Not your servant or livestock, to be summoned at a call and used as a substitute for death upon arrival—
If, in your entire life, you could activate Divine Technique: Scapegoat even once, it would count as gods looking upon you with special favor.
Over sufficiently long years, your loyalty and devout offerings would earn you one chance at "life."
But more often than not, it would be useless no matter how you called.
God Immortal Sheep had never wished to involve itself in conflict, yet you dreamed of summoning it onto a battlefield to take a blade for you?
Were you even an Immortal Sheep believer?
How did Immortal Sheep usually discipline you?
You might as well just die.
The White Goat Jade Carving asked again, "What evil technique of the Yanzhiren Faction is most feared?"
Lu Ran answered without hesitation, "Paper Effigy!"
On last month's lunar fifteenth, Lu Ran had watched with his own eyes as a Yanzhiren summoned a little Paper Effigy and clenched it in her palm.
Meanwhile, a Moon Watcher pursuer had seemed to be caught in an invisible giant hand and squeezed into a meatball.
"What do you think of combining Paper Effigy with the Scapegoat Body?" There was actually a trace of gloominess in that deep voice.
Lu Ran's eyes widened slightly!
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.
After a long while, he asked in a trembling voice, "Immortal Sheep, are you saying that you can transfer the damage you suffer onto a Paper Effigy?"
"You."
"Me?"
"The Paper Effigy is in your hand, and the scapegoat is upon your body. The point of combination lies with you."
"Gulp." Lu Ran's Adam's apple wriggled, and his head buzzed.
Evil Technique: Paper Effigy had never been a Defense Technique. A tiny paper figure barely the size of a palm could not protect all of Lu Ran's vital points.
But if Evil Technique: Paper Effigy and Divine Technique: Scapegoat Body could be skillfully combined...
For Lu Ran, damage immunity would become damage transfer.
For Immortal Sheep, it would no longer need to take the blame. It merely had to assist Lu Ran in casting the technique, and after that, it would be up to the enemy to suffer.
"Beep—beep—"
A car horn suddenly sounded outside the window.
In this quiet residential complex, it seemed especially abrupt.
Lu Ran stared blankly at the White Goat Jade Carving, feeling that its gentle, friendly smile had become increasingly eerie.
"Beep beep!"
The horn finally jolted Lu Ran awake.
"Thank you, Immortal Sheep, for your guidance. Allow this disciple to think it over!" With that, Lu Ran bowed respectfully.
He then quickly rose and went to the window.
In the drizzling rain, a luxury sports sedan was parked by the sidewalk.
Inside the car, a striking woman draped in a yellow raincoat waved at him. "Time to go."
"Wait a moment. I'm going to get my blade."
Before you continue