Jiang Ruyi dropped a rank.

From Fourth Rank of River Realm, she fell to Third Rank of River Realm.

Is it just one rank lower?

Lu Ran didn't think so. After all, before tearing up the contract, Jiang Ruyi had already reached the bottleneck in her cultivation and could have ascended to Fifth Rank of River Realm at any time.

Calculating in this way, she actually dropped two ranks…

Lu Ran felt utterly distressed.

It wasn't just because of the damage to Jiang Ruyi's strength and realm, but also because of her fragile, injured appearance.

Throughout the night, Doctor Lu, Great Doctor Yu, and Spiritual Therapist Jing Hong stayed by Jiang Ruyi's side.

A three-way consultation team, indeed…

At the break of dawn, the patient's condition finally showed signs of improvement.

Doctor Lu transformed into the Master of Pseudo-Gods, appearing together with the pseudo-gods in the garden.

"Hoo~"

A massive phantom expanded from Lu Ran's body.

Jiang Ruyi, seated on the ground, looked frail with a pale complexion.

She slowly lifted her gaze and saw a phantom behind Lu Ran—a figure familiar to her.

Pseudo-God: Jade Talisman!

One day, this pseudo-god would become a true god.

Jiang Ruyi pressed her thin lips together; Lu Ran had already told her everything.

She understood that she would continuously merge with this stone sculpture, inheriting all its attributes until she surpassed and ultimately replaced this pseudo-god statue completely.

And after that…

Jade Talisman,

Ruyi once revered you, worshipped you, and offered sincere devotion to you.

Even within the Immortal Sheep Sect's grounds at Luoxian Mountain, Ruyi specially sought out a house at the foot of the mountain for you, erected a shrine, and prayed to you every day before descending the mountain.

The world believes that gods are saviors.

Ruyi was grateful and dared not slacken even slightly in her worship.

Yet, I was just livestock.

The night of the fifteenth… it was a trap set by gods and demons together.

Generation after generation, we were livestock to eternally satisfy your endless appetites.

Jade Talisman,

You truly disgust me.

Just you wait for me...

"Ready?" Lu Ran asked softly.

Jiang Ruyi's gaze turned cold; she said nothing, but held Lu Ran's hands and pressed them against her forehead.

She slowly closed her eyes, carefully feeling the warmth of Lu Ran's palms.

That heat finally brought a trace of warmth to her cold heart.

"Hoo~"

The phantom leaned down, letting its hand overlap with Lu Ran's.

Jiang Ruyi's body gently trembled.

The contract was formed!

Another pseudo-god took shape under Lu Ran's hands.

The phantom of the pseudo-god quietly dispersed, vanishing completely.

Jiang Ruyi still held Lu Ran's hand, lowering it slightly to her cheek, softly rubbing against it.

Yu Changsheng: "..."

He silently turned his head away, adopting a "don't look at anything inappropriate" demeanor.

Jing Hong, however, observed this tender scene with a smile—a kind of amused "auntie's smile."

Her own children in the human world must have gotten married by now.

She wondered what their husbands and wives were like.

Jing Hong wasn't expecting her children's partners to be divine figures like Master Lu and Lady Jiang.

She simply hoped that their relationships might be as deep as those shared between the sect leader and his wife… that would be more than enough.

"Ooh~~~"

Jing Hong blew the Soul-Calming Horn once again, soothing the spirits of all beings.

"You may leave." As the deep sound faded away, Jiang Ruyi's calm voice echoed inside the stone chamber.

Yu Changsheng immediately bowed and left without saying anything, taking Jing Hong with him.

They left in such a hurry~

Watching the two figures disappear down the tunnel, Lu Ran felt exasperated.

I am your sect leader, alright!

Didn't even glance at me—Jiang Ruyi gives an order, and you follow like that?

"Lu Ran?"

"Oh." Lu Ran snapped back to reality, sitting beside the girl to pass her the Cage Fire. "Feeling better now?"

Jiang Ruyi leaned against Lu Ran: "Don't worry. It won't take long before I'm back to Fourth Rank of River Realm."

"Mm-hmm." Lu Ran gently smoothed her jet-black hair.

Beauty Jiang clearly had no inclination to lie.

If she said she could, Lu Ran naturally believed her.

"Hah…" Jiang Ruyi exhaled deeply, only feeling that her upward path had never been clearer.

Once upon a time, she had rare moments of childishness, demanding that Lu Ran carry her step by step up the stone stairs to the summit of Luoxian Mountain.

In the deepest part of her Dao Heart, she had long since erected a divine temple.

The temple always honored one person alone.

Now, her inner convictions had perfectly aligned with reality!

Everything was as Jiang Ruyi had previously imagined. After tearing up the contract, she experienced no moments of confusion or emotional turmoil.

On the contrary, her mental state had only grown more steadfast.

"Hmm?" Jiang Ruyi suddenly opened her eyes.

In front of her floated a beautiful treasure gourd.

"Hoo~" The Fiery Phoenix Patterned Gourd swayed back and forth, as if greeting her.

"Hello, Little Chi Feng." Jiang Ruyi leaned against Lu Ran's shoulder, her face softening into a tender smile.

"Chirp~"

The phoenix patterns shimmered.

Little Chi Feng flapped its exquisite phoenix wings, flying out of the gourd.

Jiang Ruyi raised a hand, letting Little Chi Feng rest on her palm.

But in the next moment, an apologetic expression appeared on her face: "In the future, I'll miss you too."

Lu Ran didn't know the specifics of their conversation, but he could guess.

He silently chuckled to himself.

Little Chi Feng is so tiny—you could just fool it!

As he mused, Lu Ran sensed something strange near his hand.

A cold sword hilt carefully prodded his fingers and slipped into his palm.

Cold Night Sword?

A voice spoke directly into his mind: "Did you miss me?"

Lu Ran nodded immediately: "I missed you, missed you so much."

Cold Night Sword possessed a voice as cool and crisp as Jiang Ruyi's, though its tone carried a faint hint of bitterness:

"Liar."

Lu Ran: "..."

Awkward!

Lu Ran grips the sword hilt, hastily changing the topic: "By the way, have you unlocked your Divine Weapon Domain yet?"

"No."

A single solitary word, icy cold—reminiscent of how Jiang Ruyi acted around strangers.

Lu Ran's tone softened: "Haven't decided on the path to take?"

Cold Night Sword: "I decided long ago."

"Then why haven't you...?"

"Blocked off. There's some mysterious power that won't let me delve deeper along this path."

"Oh?" Lu Ran furrowed his brow slightly. "Where is it? Can you sense its presence?"

Cold Night Sword: "Not in the human world, nor in the Mountain Realm."

Lu Ran laid the Cold Night Sword flat on his knees, his fingers gliding along its icy blade: "Silent Night Blade was also blocked at the gateway.

Don't lose heart. We'll find them sooner or later."

"I trust you." Cold Night Sword replied.

That voice, identical to Jiang Ruyi's, made Lu Ran feel momentarily dazed.

"Buzz~" Cold Night Sword suddenly trembled lightly.

Lu Ran looked puzzled, then realized he had stopped moving.

He smiled faintly and stroked the sword again with his fingertips.

Amusingly, the Fiery Phoenix Patterned Gourd nearby also snuggled into its master's arms, like a child seeking affection.

The stone chamber fell silent.

A sword and a gourd.

A pair of quietly nestled souls.

...

In the following days, Jiang Ruyi led the main forces to rest inside the cavern.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran continued to reposition his subordinates, leading small teams on several expeditions.

Armed with information from Elder Peng, he easily located the territory of the Evil Dog Clan, eliminating numerous evil dogs.

Lu Ran did not rush headlong, avoiding trouble in the Evil Dog Clan's headquarters.

Though this slowed the progress of the mission, it greatly increased safety.

This was also at Jiang Ruyi's repeated urging, and Lu Ran certainly did not wish to add to her worries.

Over the course of five days, Lu Ran successfully completed his mission.

Thanks to careful preparation, the task was carried out without incident, and Lu Ran swiftly pulled his team back, avoiding prolonged engagement.

The Ten Thousand Blade Mountain region was perilous!

Not to mention Tianhuang Mountain standing tall there.

Given the current strength of Ran Sect, they had no way of contending with such a major faction. The sooner they left, the sooner they found peace of mind.

Besides, Lu Ran did not find the rugged terrain to be an obstacle.

Once he ascended to Sea Realm, he could execute Sea Grade: Mirror Flower Moon, enabling teleportation over a radius of three thousand kilometers!

At that time, Lu Ran could traverse the continent freely.

Ten Thousand Blade Mountain?

He could come and go as he pleased!

And so, the Ran Sect members embarked on their journey home.

On the 29th day of the eighth lunar month, those maintaining their post at Cloud Sea Cliff received good news from Bai Yanhui.

Elder Bai announced: "Something good will happen today."

Such words seemed entirely out of place with the solemn character of Holy Spirit Mountain!

Si Xianxian immediately sensed something was up and sent multiple "voice call" requests to Lu Ran, eventually receiving the reply she hoped for.

As Mad Immortal Guardian spread the message, the people on the cliff grew excited.

Especially Xun Yifei!

He hadn't seen his wife for nearly a month—his children had been crying day after day for their mother for the entire time...

Finally!

Their mother had returned, and their father was finally saved!

At last, he'd be able to show the kids that their mother hadn't abandoned them. Although… um, it was true that their mother had run off with someone else, she still loved them.

"Hoo~"

A standing mirror suddenly appeared at the west side of Cloud Sea Cliff, along the only mountain path leading in.

"Hiss!" The eerie lilting voice of the Night Charm Clan reverberated, echoing far into the distance.

"I!" Lu Ran stepped out of the mirror and gestured downward toward the rushing Night Charm figures, motioning for them to halt.

The Night Charm members stopped mid-flight, hovering in place.

From inside the mirror, more figures began to emerge, catching sight of this scene with secret astonishment.

During the past few days, these people, who had "never stepped out of Ten Thousand Blade Mountain in a lifetime," found every sight and sound utterly novel.

When they saw the rolling mountain ranges and lush forests, they nearly jumped for joy.

When they caught sight of the endless blue ocean stretching to the horizon, they were dumbfounded!

In mere days, they had moved from the barren, sand-laden expanse of the Great Desert to the lush Sea Cliff forests under cerulean skies...

Two different extremes?

It was practically two separate worlds!

"Sect Leader, you've returned." A tall figure teleported close to Lu Ran, offering a respectful bow.

Lu Ran glanced at Yan Shuangzi and spoke: "You've worked hard during this time."

"Haha! So you're finally back..." A delighted voice rang out in the distance but abruptly cut off.

Si Xianxian hesitated as her gaze fell upon the woman in white beside Lu Ran.

Jiang Ruyi smiled, looking at her dearest friend from her days in the human world—the one who had stayed by her side through thick and thin.

"Good heavens…" Si Xianxian looked stunned.

Jiang Ruyi's gentle eyes remained unchanged, warm as ever.

Just by standing quietly, she could pull Si Xianxian back to the human world, to the tranquility and serenity of Luoxian Mountain.

Si Xianxian's nose twitched, her eyes reddened, and she rushed forward: "Ruyi..."

"Oh." Jiang Ruyi took a small step back but soon adjusted her stance to steady herself, embracing the girl rushing into her arms.

"Why on earth would you come to such a hellish place!" As she spoke, Si Xianxian quickly let go of the hug, inspecting Jiang Ruyi up and down. "You aren't hurt, are you? Is anyone hunting you?"

Seeing through her heart...

Jiang Ruyi already knew from Lu Ran about Si Xianxian's experiences since entering the mountains.

Thus, Si Xianxian's panic and fear was unsurprising.

Entering Holy Spirit Mountain meant inevitable suffering.

Fortunately, we each encountered individuals who ended that suffering.

Jiang Ruyi reached out tenderly, brushing Si Xianxian's cheek and wiping away the moisture from her eyes:

"It's been a long time, Sister Xian'er."

...

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