Chapter 292: Silver River Bay

On a small mountain path, Lu Ran walked alone with his hands in his pockets, gazing up at the drifting white clouds.

This was only his second day on Lady Luo Sister Xian Mountain, yet he had already fallen in love with this place.

The sky was clear, and the breeze was gentle.

There was also a clan of warm-hearted people.

"Hoo~"

A clear breeze drifted over, ruffling his clothes.

Lu Ran suddenly stopped, looking at the fork in the road before him.

Deng Deng Shijie Cheng had said this path led to a cliff, where there was a pavilion?

Lu Ran thought for a moment, then walked toward the fork.

Ten-plus minutes later, Lu Ran indeed saw the cliff, and before the precipice, he spotted a pavilion.

"Lady Luo Sister Xian Pavilion."

Lu Ran gazed at the three large characters on the plaque, written in a vigorous, cursive style, and read them aloud one by one.

Inside the Daoist temple at the rear mountain, Lu Ran had seen a series of buildings; although they contained the element of "Immortal," none dared to use the two characters "Lady Luo Sister Xian."

Yet here, with Lu Ran, whether it was his mountain courtyard or this pavilion built for him, all were bestowed with the name "Lady Luo Sister Xian."

"Heh." Lu Ran couldn't help but shake his head with a smile and stepped forward.

This was a wooden pavilion; its roof had two tiers and eight corners, constructed with considerable elegance.

It was evident that the believers of Xiang Xiang Xianyang had put in great effort.

Lu Ran entered the pavilion and gazed northward, indeed catching sight of the beautiful Erhai Lake.

West of Erhai Lake stood the equally famous Diancang Mountain, stretching horizontally like a screen.

Lu Ran's eyes gradually grew misty; leaning his shoulder against a pavilion pillar, he watched in silence.

Faced with such splendid scenery, he could not help but think of a certain person.

His thoughts drifted farther and farther, finally settling on his earlier conversation with my lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang:

"On what grounds do you believe she will follow you?

On your shared past?

On what you humans call emotions?"

Sentence after sentence stabbed straight into his heart!

Lu Ran pulled his phone from his pocket and opened WeChat.

Jiangjiang Ruyi's profile picture showed a tall figure by a riverside under the night sky.

The bright moonlight draped her graceful form in a layer of cold, clear radiance akin to that of the Moon Palace.

The river surface shimmered with ripples; just then, a night breeze blew, lifting her jet-black long hair.

Lu Ran remembered every detail, because he had taken this photo himself while they were taking an evening stroll together.

Framed by the moonlight, Jiangjiang Ruyi was undoubtedly a beauty of cold elegance.

Jiangjiang Ruyi simply had a good temperament, often wearing a gentle smile on her face.

But as she grew, her figure became ever taller, and the youthful immaturity faded from her features.

Her overall image was indeed of the refined and aloof type.

Especially when Jiangjiang Ruyi quietly gazed at the river, lost in thought, that intangible sense of distance became even more pronounced.

Lu Ran still remembered that after secretly snapping the photo, he had stepped forward and taken her hand.

Only when she turned to look at him, a gentle smile returning to her face, did he let go.

Lu Ran looked at the screen again and again, then typed out a string of words.

Ran: "We'll be together forever, right?"

As soon as he sent it, Lu Ran's expression turned somewhat strange.

These words—

didn't they look a bit pathetic?

Before the phone screen could automatically dim, a reply message arrived.

Jiang: "What's wrong with you?"

Lu Ran raised an eyebrow slightly; she had clearly stated that before he advanced in rank, she would not reply to his messages.

The "Cloud Girl" he had sent her earlier was still sitting there silently, having received not the slightest response from her.

Yet this time, she replied instantly?

Lu Ran pondered for a moment, and just as he was organizing his words, another message appeared before his eyes.

Jiang: "Don't let your thoughts wander; focus on cultivation."

Lu Ran's fingers paused; he wanted to say he had already advanced, but suddenly a wave of vexation rose in his heart, and his thoughts drifted away again.

My lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang had said that once she recognized the true nature of the world, everything would resolve itself.

So, what exactly was the true nature of this world?

Lu Ran lifted his head and gazed into the distance, looking at the verdant, dew-laden Diancang Mountain under the midsummer sun.

After a long while, Lu Ran finally came to his senses: "Yes, don't let your thoughts wander; cultivate."

He walked to the very center of the pavilion, sat cross-legged on the ground, and slowly closed his eyes.

Within Lady Luo Sister Xian Mountain, divine power was dense.

In less than a moment, wisps of immortal mist began to float around Lu Ran's body.

A body that had undergone tempering and marrow cleansing was truly extraordinary!

His meridians were broad and exceptionally unobstructed.

Both the speed of absorbing divine power and the speed of condensing the mist into flowing water had improved dramatically!

If the body is likened to a vessel, the amount of divine power it could currently hold was far greater than before.

Lu Ran was completely immersed in it, enjoying this reborn physique.

This single sit-down session lasted a full day.

The sun set in the west, while stars and moon wheeled across the sky.

Lu Ran indulged in the wonderful sensation of cultivation and improvement.

His body could long ago hold no more energy, yet he still strove to absorb divine power, replacing the divine power within him.

This was certainly not futile effort.

Lu Ran continuously nourished his body, expanding his meridians, striding forward toward a higher tier.

Until the birds in the forest chirped noisily and a fish-belly white hue appeared on the horizon.

Feeling a trace of drowsiness, Lu Ran finally opened his eyes.

In his pitch-black pupils, a faint luster still shimmered, not yet faded.

Cultivating at the feet of a god truly yields twice the result with half the effort!

"Ugh-ah~~~"

Lu Ran stretched fiercely, accompanied by several crisp cracks of bones.

He rose and walked to the long bench inside the pavilion, picked up his phone, and wanted to check the time.

The moment the screen lit up, he saw a message in the notification bar.

Lu Ran tapped into it and discovered it was a message she had sent last night.

Jiang: "I will. Forever."

These four brief characters froze Lu Ran in place.

He stared for a long time, then a happy smile spread across his face as he stepped out of Lady Luo Sister Xian Pavilion.

Three days later, Lu Ran, fully equipped, descended the mountain under the guidance of Deng Deng Shijie Cheng.

The destination of this journey was, naturally, the Sin-Mirror Demon Cave.

However, the military camp guarding the demon cave was not on the surface, but within the mountain itself.

The statue of my lord Sister Xian Xiang Xianyang stood with feet firmly planted, stepping upon the mountain.

Since the Sin-Mirror Demon Cave was not open to the public, there were no reception issues, and the entrance to the military camp was rather secluded.

Had Deng Deng Shijie not guided the way, Lu Ran would indeed have had to search for a while halfway up the mountain.

"Junior Brother, you must be careful," Cheng Rou said, standing outside the camp gate, watching Lu Ran's retreating figure.

"Mm-hmm, rest assured, Deng Deng Shijie."

With a worried expression, Cheng Rou waved repeatedly in farewell: "Come back early; I'll simmer the mushroom soup you like best."

Lu Ran halted, turned to look at his gentle senior sister, and nodded with a smile.

"Mr. Lu, pleased to meet you!"

A male soldier strode over, extended his hand to Lu Ran, and introduced himself: "My name is Li Zhen; I am the person in charge here."

"Hello." Lu Ran shook hands with him, looking at the middle-aged officer standing straight as a ramrod. "I must also thank you for helping guard the demon cave and stationing troops at the immortal observatory."

"No need for such courtesy; this is our duty," Li Zhen said with a smile.

He could indeed discern from what perspective Lu Ran was speaking.

Li Zhen was very polite toward Lu Ran.

First, Lu Ran was a prodigy of the Da Xia Realm; second, he was a disciple highly favored by the god Sister Xian Xiang Xianyang!

Ever since Lu Ran took up residence on Xianshan, the military had, through a series of investigations, obtained an important piece of intelligence!

Lu Ran had moved into the Luo Sister Xian Residence!

Upon receiving this news, everyone realized that the master of this mountain had returned.

Within the Da Xia Realm, any area beneath a god's feet was rather special.

For instance, Lord Bei Feng City, and likewise, Sword Heaven Gate.

Though these two ancient cities indeed stood within Bingcheng and Jingcheng, the ancient city zones were firmly controlled by the gods' disciples, and the authorities could not manage them entirely.

This could be considered a special product of a special era.

It just so happened that the Xianyangyi Sect lacked the ability to guard the demon cave, which was why the military could station troops on Xianshan to implement containment.

Precisely because of this, the relationship between Lu Ran and the military here was rather delicate.

Should there come a day when Lu Ran insisted on taking over this demon cave, with the support of the god Sister Xian Xiang Xianyang, the military would most likely withdraw from this mountain.

After all, Sister Xian Xiang Xianyang was a god.

Regardless of its reputation, the one truly suppressing the Sin-Mirror Demon Cave was Sister Xian Xiang Xianyang itself.

"Regimental Commander Li, I can go in alone in a moment," Lu Ran said as he walked forward with Li Zhen. "No need to worry."

On the way here, Deng Deng Shijie Cheng had already introduced Lu Ran to the leader of this regiment.

She had said that Regimental Commander Li Zhen was a good man, that his troops maintained strict discipline, and that they had driven away many ill-intentioned individuals on behalf of the Xianyangyi Sect.

As everyone knew, most believers of Sister Xian Xiang Xianyang were gentle-natured and submissive.

Anyone could bully them, leeching off their backs.

Most believers of Sister Xian Xiang Xianyang would endure it, yielding whenever possible without rising up in resistance.

Of course, if villains truly turned the place upside down and forced Old Master Cheng, who was cultivating bitterly at the rear mountain, to emerge, that would be another matter entirely.

In short, this regiment had guarded Xianshan very well, so Lu Ran naturally held an extremely favorable impression of Regimental Commander Li Zhen.

"Very well." Li Zhen did not press the matter, but cautioned, "Please proceed with caution, Mr. Lu.

We await the fifteenth day of the eighth month, when you will once again shine brilliantly in 'Prodigies'!"

"Thank you," Lu Ran replied softly.

The military camp located within the mountain resembled an underground secret research facility; the accompanying soldiers swiped through layer after layer of access controls, finally leading Lu Ran to a vast, open area.

A massive Shi Zhu descended from the ceiling, plunging straight down into the starry curtain below.

A spiral staircase had also been built upon the Shi Zhu, but Lu Ran did not take it.

He drew his Xia Guang Dao and plummeted straight downward.

"Whoosh!!"

Lu Ran plunged headfirst into the starry curtain, feeling only the surrounding light dim instantly.

He continued to fall, scanning his surroundings.

Below lay another stone city as well; torches flickered, yet there were no torch-lit paths.

Dense forests filled the Demon Cave, and it was said that many lakes were situated within it.

With a dull "thump."

Under the gaze of the soldiers, Lu Ran landed steadily.

He looked up, unable to stop his heart from trembling.

The night sky blazed with a brilliant river of stars, like a ribbon shimmering with strange luster, spanning the entire firmament.

It left Lu Ran dazzled and bewitched!

Other Demon Caves also possessed starry skies, but where could one find such an iridescent and aesthetically perfect galaxy as this?

No wonder the Mirror Demon's Demon Cave was called "Galaxy Bay."

This was simply too beautiful.

If only the Mirror Demon clan were as simple-minded as the Bamboo-Wood Demons, then this Demon Cave would likely have been developed into a holy land for leisure and vacation!

Lu Ran stood silently for a long while, then held his blade slanted toward the night sky.

Mirror Demons, Flowers in the Mirror, Moon in the Water.

I have come.

Asking for some monthly votes.

(End of Chapter)