Zongman: All Heavens and Worlds Begin with the Devil's Curse

He didn't like the dirty environment.

But right now it didn't seem like the time to care about these things. Just as he was about to raise his hand to dispel the poisonous mist, suddenly, the bluebird circled around him, and a semi-transparent wind barrier gently enveloped him, keeping all these filthy beings out.

Zhou Lan carefully sensed the wind barrier. It was indeed the power of the wind authority he was looking for, even if it was very weak.

After the barrier was placed over Zhou Lan, the bluebird's form suddenly became more ethereal, and its already frail appearance became even more mysterious.

Zhou Lan seemed to understand something, and with a flash, she followed the bluebird into the lower level of the city.

Passing through... Piltover, the city of progress, and over Zaun's thick toxic fog and dusty pipes...

Zhou Lan stood in front of a stone wall with statues.

Here.

It is in the continent called Runeterra, in the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun.

A secluded place in the low-lying city of Zaun, abandoned for an unknown period of time.

Aside from the pervasive poisonous fog and the thick pipes filled with various unknown gases, the only thing standing here is a wall sculpted with a statue of a goddess.

Zhou Lan carefully examined the statue.

This is a goddess.

The statue depicts her ethereal and divine appearance, holding a scepter, her long hair seemingly lifted by the wind, and her chin slightly tilted upwards, revealing a divine aura that looks down upon all living beings.

This is exactly where the bluebird wanted to take him.

This is Runeterra. There is only one reason why Zhou Lan appeared in this world: there is only one entity here that can meet the requirements for the authority to replace Xiao Feng and release him from prison.

That is the city, and the gods it used to worship.

Janna, the goddess of wind.

Zhou Lan had come looking for her, but unexpectedly, she brought him to her side on her own.

Standing suspended in mid-air before the statue, Zhou Lan concealed the thoughts in her eyes, gently patted non-existent dust off her sleeve, and quietly spoke:

"It seems you have something you want to say to me. Why don't you speak now?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the bluebird seemed to have found salvation and disappeared into the sculpture carved on the wall.

A burst of blue light immediately appeared, rising even without wind.

The woman's voice rang out softly, like a gentle breeze brushing past her ear, as she spoke tenderly to Zhou Lan:

"Guests who have come from afar, I am about to die."

Chapter 459 The Wind Will Stop, The Wind Will Not Stop

Janna, the goddess of wind.

In the League of Legends universe, Runeterra, he is one of the many demigods.

As a powerful elemental demigod, her words now spoke as if she were about to die.

Her words conveyed two messages.

Firstly, she knew Zhou Lan was an outsider; secondly, she made no attempt to hide her weakness.

“I can tell.” Zhou Lan nodded slightly.

The wind goddess who appeared before her could not even materialize, and could only appear in her most original form as a bluebird, which showed how weak she was.

"It's not bad that you can still tell I'm a true outsider," Zhou Lan said with a smile.

“Guest, my days are numbered. Your appearance has brought me a glimmer of hope. I beg you, I need your help,” Janna said bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lan smiled wryly.

Having experienced many worlds and seen all sorts of beginnings, this was the first time someone had come to him seeking help right away.

It's clear that this goddess of wind has fallen into some kind of inescapable predicament, so much so that when she finally encounters a powerful outsider, regardless of whether he is good or bad, she is eager to find him and seek his help.

Zhou Lan has never been a kind-hearted friend who is easy to get along with, but the power of the wind is exactly what he needs, so listening to it now won't hurt.

"Go ahead and speak, I'm listening," Zhou Lan said gently.

Having received permission, Janna quickly said, "In the past, I was the god worshipped by this city, but now I am weakened and nearing death due to the loss of faith..."

"But my remaining strength is frantically foreshadowing that an unprecedented crisis is about to sweep through Oshra. Please forgive my bluntness, but I do not have the power to protect these mortals right now. I can only seek help from the outside."

"Crisis?" Zhou Lan murmured softly.

If I remember correctly, this is the timeline of the Battle of the Two Cities.

As a local demigod, Janna could only sense one danger.

That's the Wild Rune that will be available soon.

Runes.

A powerful and uncontrollable natural force, the very name of this world, Runeterra, hints at its might.

Most runes possess the power to easily destroy several cities, and for some runes, destroying the civilization of the vast continent of Runeterra is as easy as turning one's hand.

As far as I can recall, Janna was not involved in resolving this crisis.

But in the current situation, it seems that the other side is simply weakened by the loss of faith and has no way to cope.

Zhou Lan's appearance undoubtedly brought a glimmer of hope.

This demigod was like a traveler on the verge of dying of thirst; any suddenly appearing stranger would become a lifeline she clung to desperately.

Zhou Lan's appearance was perfectly timed.

“I understand, but,” Zhou Lan said, then suddenly changed the subject, “what benefits can you bring me?”

Only the most naive and virtuous people would do something without any personal gain.

Clearly, he's not that kind of guy.

Janna seemed to understand this as well, and said, "In return, I am willing to exchange all my remaining faith in the wind. If you possess the power to resolve that crisis, the very thing that brought about the crisis itself can also become yours."

“Interesting.” Zhou Lan smiled. “You should know that I could have just taken all of these things you’re talking about.”

“So…” Janna’s voice suddenly became weak, “I’m gambling.”

She had no other choice but to gamble.

“Gambling is not a good word.” Zhou Lan smiled silently, as if she had thought of something.

In return, the demigod was willing to hand over all remaining authority to him, solely to protect Zaun and its people who were about to face crisis.

She was gambling on Zhou Lan's character; this was her last resort.

Just like her first statement, this wind-attribute elemental demigod is really about to die.

Unlike other demigods, Janna, the goddess of wind, is powerful because of the faith of the people of Zaun. When that faith is lost, she will eventually vanish and disappear.

In the past, when technology was not advanced, everyone in this coastal city was a fisherman, making a living by fishing at sea.

The goddess of wind at that time possessed all the power of a demigod, and the people who lived by the sea all believed in the power of the wind.

She is the goddess of this coastal land, the coastline of the entire Shurima Kingdom, and all territories including Zaun.

But as technology advanced, machines replaced everything, and people no longer relied on fishing or the sea, ushering in an era of rapid expansion of productivity.

In addition, in history, the Ascended King of Shurima ordered all his subjects to abandon their faith and convert to the Celestial Warriors.

She is destined to be forgotten by history.

Now, Zhou Lan is simply witnessing her impending demise.

As humanity evolved, the people of Zaun almost completely forgot about her.

But she still remembers everyone on this land.

She was even willing to give everything to protect these mortals who no longer believed in her during the crisis to come.

"You may take your time to think it over, and give me your answer before my power completely dissipates." The voice of the demigod Janna drifted by like a gentle breeze.

A gentle breeze suddenly rose from the very bottom of the Zaun dungeon, like a song of the wind.

The goddess of wind recounts her past here.

Zhou Lan listened quietly.

Before this land was known as the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun, when the clock of time was turned forward a thousand years.

This land has its own name.

Oshla Vazuan.

Fishermen and sailors who make their living by the sea can foresee the coming storms by seeing bluebirds flying across the sky before setting sail.

Over time, a faith called Gana was formed.

She gathered faith, ascended to the position of demigod, protected mortals from storms, and single-handedly stopped a tsunami that could have swallowed an entire city.

This story is like a lament.

She spoke of her past power and prosperity, but as her voice faded, all that appeared in Zhou Lan's eyes was a dusty, forgotten old stone wall statue in the depths of Zuan.

This may be the only place in history that still remembers the Goddess of Wind.

Even though it is dilapidated, plagued by toxic fumes and dust, and buried in a garbage heap.

But this was the only place where that powerful demigod once lived.

She contributed greatly to the prosperity of Shuangcheng in the past.

But she will not be able to witness the future of the two cities.

When the last note faded completely, the place fell into a deathly silence.

In the dead silence, Zhou Lan slowly spoke: "I agree to your request, or rather, I came here for you."

"But, in return, you must surrender yourself to me now."

Zhou Lan needs her authority to unleash Xiaofeng.

Janna needs his power to save the people of Zaun.

This is a win-win situation.

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Lan said something that Janna couldn't understand.

He said, "Just as one wave pushes another forward, the wind also gives rise to another gust of wind..."

"The wind will stop, but it will never stop."

Chapter 460 Inviting the King to Come Out

Zhou Lan lowered her eyes and looked at her outstretched palm.

Between his well-defined fingers, a nimble bluebird is freely circling in his palm.

This is all that remains of the demigods of Zaun.

She was already extremely weak.

Faith is a poison.

It can help people ascend to godhood, or it can drag gods down from their altars.

Perhaps this goddess of wind never anticipated that she would end up like this.

But by the time she realized it, the divine power had already dissipated due to the loss of faith.

Fortunately, she met Zhou Lan, an elder.

The wind may be strong or weak, but it will never completely disappear.

Janna had no choice but to gamble, gambling on Zhou Lan's character, because she had long since run out of time. Her demigod status had brought her the prophecy of the Rune Calamity, and she desperately needed a solution.

Even more fortunately, she made the right bet.

Zhou Lan is hard to categorize as good or bad, but he is certainly a trustworthy person.

Standing quietly in the air, the bluebird circled in the elder's hand, stirring up a gentle breeze that fluttered the hem of his Taoist robe.

The carved stone wall in front of them slowly crumbled. Without Janna's power, the last statue in this unknown place that witnessed the miracle finally began to collapse.