Early August, Cloud Sea Cliff was shrouded in thick mist.

At dawn, Deng Yuxiang sat steadily in the council hall, draped in a white cloak seized from Tiantu Mountain.

Her long legs elegantly crossed, her elbow resting on the armrest of the chair, her palm supporting her cheek.

She was sitting on an ordinary wooden chair, yet somehow, it exuded the aura of a throne!

Such presence and dominance made her appear more like a leader than Lu Ran ever did.

"Great Protector." Accompanying light footsteps, an elderly voice came forth.

"Elder Bai," Deng Yuxiang softly replied, without looking back.

The mist inside the room was dense, making it difficult for everyone to see one another with the naked eye.

Bai Yanhui bowed slightly and reported, "This old man's moods are steady today. Cloud Sea Cliff is highly likely to remain peaceful as usual."

Deng Yuxiang nodded gently, "Looks like the Sect Master will safely emerge from seclusion."

Since Lu Ran entered closed cultivation in late July, bearing down for nearly ten days, he finally activated his advancement mode by the end of the month.

Counting the days, this was already his third day striving for a breakthrough.

Success should be near.

Bai Yanhui responded, "Let's hope so."

Deng Yuxiang casually spoke, "Elder Bai, please have a seat."

"Of course." Bai Yanhui, holding the Earth Trace Sword, accurately found his seat at the table and sat on a wooden chair.

Deng Yuxiang closed her eyes to listen intently. Suddenly, her tone shifted, "Elder Bai seems to be getting along well with the Earth Trace Sword."

"I must thank the Sect Master," Bai Yanhui, being a seasoned character, naturally knew what Deng Yuxiang liked to hear. "When this sword was handed to me, it had already been tamed by the Sect Master."

Of course, these weren't mere flattering words—they were entirely truthful.

On the night of July 15th, the manner and posture with which Lu Ran gripped the sword handle truly intimidated this Divine Weapon.

Deng Yuxiang nodded in satisfaction, then rose slowly. "Elder Bai, stay in the council hall and perform your magic on time. If any shifts in mood occur, kindly report to me immediately."

"Certainly!" Bai Yanhui stood up once again, bowing his hands respectfully toward Deng Yuxiang.

The woman before him was not merely Ran Sect's Great Protector or the temporary authority figure of Cloud Sea Cliff.

She was also a fearsome demon-slaying power of the Sea Realm!

Bai Yanhui found himself personally more relaxed when facing Lu Ran.

The young Master Lu held him in high regard and had a friendly demeanor, not particularly concerned with trivial formalities.

But in front of Deng Yuxiang?

Bai Yanhui's attitude was always meticulous, adhering strictly to decorum.

In fact, with Deng Yuxiang as the Great Protector, everyone under Ran Sect had to remain respectfully obedient toward the Sect Master.

"Mm." Deng Yuxiang stepped out, but as she reached the door of the council hall, she suddenly halted.

Powerful martial artists are highly sensitive to changes in their surroundings.

She faintly detected a waning trend in the intense energy permeating the heavens and earth.

A few seconds later, Bai Yanhui smiled and spoke, "The Sect Master is about to emerge from seclusion."

The coldness emanating from Deng Yuxiang gradually faded—clearly, she was in a good mood as she strode away.

The entrance to Seclusion Chamber No. 1's tunnel was located amidst the mountain forest behind Lu Ran's residence, Cloud Sea Residence.

When Deng Yuxiang arrived at the site, the cliff's mist had notably thinned.

Yu Changsheng and the others arrived shortly thereafter, eager to be the first to congratulate the Sect Master.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran was still within the pitch-black seclusion chamber, cheerfully cradling the Little Chi Feng.

"Mua~"

He laughed joyfully, planting a kiss on the intricate phoenix pattern adorned on the gourd.

A few days ago, when Lu Ran managed to break through his bottleneck and initiate his advancement mode, he owed a great deal to the support of this powerful magic artifact.

The reward from "Heavenly Pride" was truly spot-on!

"Cry~" Suddenly, the golden phoenix pattern lit up, and a small phoenix formed by golden lines fluttered out, its hollow wings flapping as it soared into flight.

It flew upwards and downwards, circling its master with exuberance.

It was overjoyed!

Over the past three days, Little Chi Feng had feasted delightfully too.

Lu Ran gazed at the beautiful Little Chi Feng, "Don't just revel in happiness; remember our goal, don't you?

Not only are we going to absorb demon corpses, but we'll also absorb living creatures!"

Little Chi Feng continued its vibrant circling, wings flapping. "Cry~"

Lu Ran: "..."

Alright then.

Lu Ran exhaled deeply, temporarily setting other thoughts aside, feeling utterly refreshed.

River Realm·Fourth Rank!

He had finally advanced—a step closer to the Fifth Rank!

Once he entered the ranks of the peak...

The Sea Realm wouldn't be far away!

Over the past six months, Lu Ran had weathered so many storms.

Whether it was his intellectual depth, his understanding of the world, or his unwavering goals, all were enough to bolster him with profound insights.

Lu Ran had every reason to believe his Dao Heart glimmered with unparalleled brilliance!

Thus...

On the day he ascended to the peak and advanced to the Sea Realm!

"Swish~" Lu Ran tucked away Little Chi Feng, his figure flickering as he arrived at a familiar spot.

Once again, he stood at the edge of the sea cliff.

The blue sky was pristine, the heavens vast and boundless, perfectly mirroring his current emotions.

Exuberant, exultant!

"Congratulations." Suddenly, a woman's voice arose behind him.

Lu Ran turned and saw Deng Yuxiang stepping through the Immortal Fog to approach him.

"Impressive," Lu Ran smiled, "You knew I'd be here?"

Deng Yuxiang took a step forward, standing beside Lu Ran: "I waited for a while at Cloud Sea Residence, then figured you'd likely come here."

Lu Ran asked, "Has Cloud Sea Cliff been peaceful these last ten days?"

Deng Yuxiang stood with her hands behind her back: "No humans have caused trouble, though an ill-fated Angry Sea Flame Flood Dragon did show up—and I dispatched it."

"Tsk, tsk~" Lu Ran gazed at the side profile of the woman. "Advancing to the Sea Realm sure makes a difference, huh?"

She had an undeniably commanding presence~

Confidence and charisma stem solely from absolute strength!

After all, the Angry Sea Flame Flood Dragons were essentially the demonic equivalent of the Fierce Heavenly Sect, capable of terrifying cross-realm slaughter.

Whether in the River or Sea realms, they could strike fear into anyone.

But now, the nightmare of the sea realm spoke of them with such nonchalance.

"It's just the Sea Realm. You're not far off yourself," Deng Yuxiang said with a faint smile.

Her trust in Lu Ran exceeded even her belief in herself.

Ding~

Triggering a keyword!

Lu Ran cast a glance at the majestic Sea Realm great power, and his thoughts drifted to a certain "unreliable" younger brother.

He wondered how Mr. Deng was doing these days.

And the other team members: Chang Ying, Tian Tian...

Were they all attending university now?

And most importantly—their critical member Jiang Ruyi.

Lu Ran shook his head abruptly, refusing to delve deeper into the thought.

Since arriving in this world, Lu Ran had come to terms with his true nature.

He wasn't all that ambitious.

If he let his longing run wild, it wouldn't favor the stability of his mindset.

"Soon, soon," Lu Ran mumbled to himself.

Then he redirected his attention to the present: "By the way, a few days ago, when I was in seclusion, Silent Night Blade contacted me."

"Oh?" Deng Yuxiang glanced at Lu Ran. "Is Big Wind Hall in trouble?"

"No, it was He Qifeng who requested Silent Night Blade to reach out to me. She claimed she had accomplished something major!"

Deng Yuxiang became intrigued, "What major accomplishment?"

Lu Ran's expression turned somewhat peculiar, "He Qifeng led her hall members in constructing a city."

Such news genuinely startled Deng Yuxiang. "A city?"

Lu Ran confirmed with a nod, "Apparently, it's located 30 kilometers south of Wuji Peak. He Qifeng has invited us to visit whenever we get the chance."

Deng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking, "She intends to rely on Wuji Peak to cultivate her own power, doesn't she?"

Lu Ran shook his head, then nodded again. "Based on He Qifeng's explanation, she wants to turn that city into a neutral zone—or one should define it as a safe haven.

No one is allowed to settle disputes within the city.

That place will serve as a sanctuary within the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm—a safe harbor for the entire Human Clan."

Deng Yuxiang squinted slightly, her thoughts spinning rapidly: "If she truly achieves that, her power will grow explosively."

In the realm of Holy Spirit Mountain, everyone lives in constant fear.

No matter how strong you are, someone stronger exists.

No matter how cautious you are, there will eventually be schemes against you.

In a world riddled with extreme dangers, the sudden emergence of a 'safe zone?'

If this city genuinely proves safe and its reputation spreads, it will undoubtedly attract a large number of believers to reside there.

By then, He Qifeng, the City Lord, would see her individual prestige soar to unimaginable heights!

The number of her members and the overall strength of her forces would also continue to rise steadily!

Lu Ran displayed an admiring expression, sighing softly, "What a protagonist dedicated to her ambitions and pursuits…"

Was He Qifeng merely building a city?

No, she was treading the path of fulfilling her aspirations and dreams.

She was using this single city to shake the survival rules underpinning the entire Holy Spirit Mountain Realm!

Ha,

No wonder she caught my eye.

She dares to dream, and she dares to act! Damn impressive!

Deng Yuxiang spoke softly, "Though the city may be easy to establish, maintaining it will prove immensely difficult."

Lu Ran remarked, "That's why the city was built 30 kilometers south of Wuji Peak."

He Qifeng is truly brilliant, isn't she?

Backed by Wuji Peak, she undoubtedly intends to leverage its benefits to the fullest!

Yet Deng Yuxiang remained skeptical, pacing her thoughts: "He Qifeng's approach will eventually invite trouble.

Even if she manages to maintain it for some time, other forces within the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm won't allow her to grow uncontrollably."

Lu Ran nodded silently.

He agreed with that perspective.

As soon as He Qifeng's power reached a certain scale, however much she promised peace or behaved dutifully, she'd inevitably attract collective attacks.

The Holy Spirit Mountain Realm's current state is a result of its vast expanse and the equal partitioning of power among various major sects.

They each consume resources within their territories (Holy Spirit Energy).

Though minor altercations are unavoidable, most conflicts occur between individuals or between small teams and factions.

These could be considered minor disturbances.

The larger sects typically coexist peacefully.

But when one's strength surges uncontrollably, enabling them to overwhelm any sect, the other factions would likely set aside their grudges and unite to eliminate this collective threat.

What's your intention?

To conquer everything?

From this perspective, He Qifeng is undoubtedly courting disaster.

Wuji Peak's current Peak Master sure possesses audacious determination!

Lu Ran naturally didn't believe He Qifeng would dare to construct a city on her own—she must have received substantial support from Wuji Peak's Tufeng Master!

"Let's head to the council hall," Lu Ran said, "Discuss this matter and draft our upcoming plans."

Deng Yuxiang asked concernedly, "Should you return to your seclusion chamber first to stabilize your realm?"

"There's no need; a meeting won't take long," Lu Ran replied casually. "Go inform everyone."

"Understood!" Deng Yuxiang didn't say anything further and turned to leave.

Lu Ran faced the sea and stretched out fiercely:

"Aaah~~~"

This Holy Spirit Mountain Realm truly gets more interesting with time.

In the end, could it really become Wuji Peak + Big Wind Hall + Ran Sect, collectively opposing all Divine Sect forces in the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm?

Now wouldn't that...

Be utterly exhilarating?!

...

Last day—asking for monthly votes.

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