Chapter 875: She, the Pilgrim

Seven days later, in Closed Room No. 2 of Yunhai Cliff.

Inside the pitch-black stone chamber, Deng Yuxiang sat cross-legged in meditation, but for some reason, she suddenly shivered.

Here it comes!

Without hesitation, Deng Yuxiang decisively rolled onto her side, curling her slender body tightly.

Damn Lu Ran!

"Mm."

As expected!

Her trembling intensified, and within mere seconds, she lost all control.

Each upgrade of the Night Phantom Sculpture greatly deepens the fusion between person and sculpture.

The deeper the fusion, the more Deng Yuxiang's innate talent and cultivation ceiling improve.

Undoubtedly, this is a tremendous blessing!

Deng Yuxiang continually inherits the traits of the Night Phantom clan, allowing her to sense wind elements with extreme sensitivity without using any technique.

Logically, she should be delighted?

In truth, Deng Yuxiang did eagerly await the sculpture's upgrade—the only problem was that some vile person kept bringing up that embarrassing incident.

Thus, she felt both love and hatred toward the sculpture's advancement.

This time, the sculpture's upgrade brought effects far beyond any previous one!

Perhaps it was due to breaking through a major realm?

Lu Ran, Yu Changsheng, and Yan Shuangzi had departed five days ago.

Their goal this time was the main base of the Wu Seng sect—Wu Jifeng.

Three days ago, Lu Ran suddenly sent Deng Yuxiang a voice transmission, telling her to be ready at all times!

He said: "The Lord of Demons intends to show mercy and bestow a blessing."

"Mm." Deng Yuxiang gritted her teeth, eyes shut tight, a vile face flashing through her mind intermittently.

At the same moment, on the edge of the Night Phantom clan's main base.

In a vast white snow forest, golden light erupted!

Pale golden fish formed a terrifying school, filling the sky and earth, frantically darting about.

"Go go go!" Lu Ran shoved Yu Changsheng and plunged into the floor mirror.

"Boom!"

A colossal blade descended from the heavens, slashing down with terrifying speed—and before Lu Ran could disperse the mirror, it shattered the mirror!

"Splash!"

In a dark cave somewhere, an ancient bronze mirror suddenly exploded, its sound piercingly loud.

And before the mirror completely shattered, a gust of wind surged inside!

A dull thud.

Lu Ran slammed into the cave wall, pinning Yu Changsheng against it.

And Yu Changsheng—well, he was embedded right into the wall.

It felt like a cartoon had bled into reality.

"Damn." Lu Ran winced, quickly pulling back.

Yu Changsheng: "..."

"That was too brutal!" Lu Ran muttered, prying Yu Changsheng out of the wall.

Lu Ran genuinely thought it would've been better if he'd just slammed into the wall himself!

Yu Changsheng looked like a living cushion, but his body was covered in Sea-grade Water Armor.

It was that hard!

"Pop~"

A pale golden fish surfaced.

Yu Changsheng waved his hand, sending the Changsheng Carp forward: "Is the sect master alright?"

Lu Ran laughed: "Poor Mr. Follow-the-Dragon—you got smashed into the wall yourself, yet you're still worrying about me—uh!"

As the Changsheng Carp shattered, Lu Ran felt a surge of potent vitality flood into his body.

Yu Changsheng gazed silently at the human-shaped imprint on the wall, saying nothing.

In the Vast Sea, pain was impossible.

Well, just a bit embarrassing.

Every time they came here to slay demons, all four were chased into frantic flight, living a life of hiding and running.

And just now's scene was the most perilous one since they began their missions.

A Sea-grade Night Phantom suddenly appearing? Utterly ruthless!

"Sect Master?" Yan Shuangzi hurried forward.

"I'm fine, let's move farther away." Lu Ran had no intention of staying and immediately cast a spell.

Drawing from their previous expedition, this time Lu Ran deliberately carved out numerous caves while leading the team to slay Night Phantoms.

He recorded their spatial coordinates one by one.

For this retreat, Lu Ran didn't touch the surface at all—three spells, three dives into mirrors, moving from one cave to another.

Silent, invisible, vanished without a trace.

"Ugh." Lu Ran stepped into another pitch-black cave, far from the Night Phantom base.

His head buzzed, his steps unsteady.

Leaning against the cave wall, Lu Ran finally exhaled: "You two rest. I need a long while to recover."

The Night Phantom Sculpture had broken through a major realm; recalling the previous surge when the Ink Carp Sculpture reached Sea-grade, Lu Ran knew his mind wouldn't settle anytime soon.

Here we go again—suffering!

Couldn't sleep, couldn't think clearly.

Just had to tough it out.

But thinking of the Night Phantom Sculpture reaching Sea-grade, and how he could now create River-grade Night Phantom minions, Lu Ran felt a little happier.

He shed his large straw cloak and sent a mental transmission: 【How's it going, Lord Demon? Are you collapsed yet? Did you receive the Lord of Demons' blessing?】

In his mind came Deng Yuxiang's cold snort.

【Why so harsh? I'm collapsing right beside you!】 Lu Ran grumbled.

Deng Yuxiang: "..."

【I'm telling you, that was terrifying】 Lu Ran removed his conical hat and lay down on the ground too.

Meanwhile, in the Great Xia of the mortal realm.

Ye Yucheng, located in Cai Nan Province, was usually a scene of blue skies and white clouds.

Today, thick fog blanketed heaven and earth.

And numerous "fog tornadoes" descended from the sky, connecting to Luoxian Mountain.

The spectacle was magnificent!

Undoubtedly, someone here was breaking through a realm—and not a low one!

Outside Luoxian Pavilion, two elderly men with white hair and beards stood silently.

Inside the pavilion, a young woman in a white dress sat elegantly, legs crossed on a long bench.

Her beautiful eyes could not pierce the thick mist, yet they remained fixed on the pavilion's center.

"Huuu!"

Suddenly, a gust of wind spread, dispersing some of the fog.

The figure within the mist finally revealed her true face.

She was equally beautiful, her slightly curled long hair loosely falling over her shoulders, clad in a white Taiji robe.

Silence filled Luoxian Pavilion, inside and out.

The woman in white and the two elders waited patiently.

Suddenly, the woman seated in the pavilion's center turned her head toward the bench.

The two women stared at each other silently, faces expressionless.

Three seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds.

The atmosphere grew heavier, almost tense with hostility.

The two elders outside the pavilion had already subtly prepared themselves.

"Hehe~" At that moment, Si Xianxian suddenly smiled, playfully blinking her eyes, "Did I scare you?"

Jiang Ruyi:???

Si Xianxian rose and plopped down beside Jiang Ruyi, grinning: "Were you terrified I'd fly into a rage?"

Jiang Ruyi's face remained cold; she stood up immediately, preparing to leave.

"Lady!" Si Xianxian quickly rose and hugged Jiang Ruyi's arm, "Lady, kind lady, I was just joking!"

Jiang Ruyi gave Si Xianxian a cold glance.

She was indeed slightly angry.

Anger came because she truly cared.

After a Lietian disciple breaks through to River-grade, they inevitably suffer deeper torment from the Divine Lietian.

Jiang Ruyi was so worried about Xian Xian, and now this is what she gets?

"I'm sorry~" Xian Xian clung tightly to Jiang Ruyi's arm, burying her face against her shoulder, rubbing side to side.

Her pouting and wheedling skills had improved considerably.

Jiang Ruyi whispered, "This isn't funny."

"Please forgive me!" Xian Xian pouted, gazing at Jiang Ruyi with wide, pleading eyes.

Jiang Ruyi fell silent for a long while, then finally gave Xian Xian a reproachful glance.

Seeing Jiang Ruyi's reaction, Xian Xian knew her pouting tactic had succeeded!

She laughed, released her grip, and stretched out comfortably: "Ah~ This is what Jiang Jing feels like!"

Jiang Ruyi's voice softened slightly, laced with quiet concern:

"How is your inner state? Is your mind still clear?"

"A little restless," Xian Xian's smile faded, her expression turning grave. "I'm restless for no reason—I don't know why."

Jiang Ruyi encouraged gently: "You're controlling it well. Keep it up."

"Mm." Xian Xian's frown deepened; the more she searched for the source of her emotion, the more she sank into it.

"Xian'er!" Jiang Ruyi called out sharply.

"What are you yelling for?" Xian Xian's expression darkened—but as soon as she spoke, she snapped back to awareness.

Jiang Ruyi pressed her thin lips together, sighing softly inside.

"Sorry, Ruyi," Xian Xian hurried to apologize.

She didn't even call her "Madam" anymore—she used her name directly. Xian Xian was truly apologizing.

Jiang Ruyi extended her slender, jade-like hand and brushed it against Xian Xian's cheek, a deep worry flickering in her eyes.

Xian Xian had stayed at Luoxian Mountain so long, her emotions always steady, her inner state increasingly peaceful.

Was all that progress about to vanish just because she'd ascended to Jiang Jing?

Jiang Ruyi thought this, but spoke soothingly: "It's fine. You've just ascended to Jiang Jing—you're still adjusting."

Keep your emotions steady. It'll get better slowly.

Like when you first came to Luoxian Mountain—this world will help you."

"Mm-hmm." Xian Xian closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

As if expelling the gloom from her heart.

She even rubbed her cheek against Jiang Ruyi's palm like a little cat.

Jiang Ruyi didn't urge her to stabilize her realm—instead, she said: "Shall I go with you to pick mushrooms?"

"Huh?" Xian Xian opened her beautiful eyes, her face lighting up again with a radiant smile. "Is the sun rising in the west?"

Before she finished speaking, Xian Xian's expression changed.

Jiang Ruyi: "What's wrong?"

Xian Xian seemed not to hear, her face darkening.

"Baa~~~"

Outside Luoxian Pavilion, Cheng Li let out a faint, drawn-out bleat.

Both women inside were affected.

Naturally, all their emotions were replaced by a wave of compassion.

But this method only treats the symptom, not the cause!

Xian Xian's expression didn't lighten for long before sinking again.

"Xian'er? What's really going on?"

"I received a divine message."

"A message?" Jiang Ruyi's heart tightened.

Among all believers, those who receive divine messages are exceedingly rare.

Cheng Li was already a Hai Jing powerhouse, towering in status within the Immortal Sheep Sect—yet even Old Man had lived his whole life and heard the Immortal Sheep Lord's message only a handful of times.

Jiang Ruyi asked in a low voice: "What did the Divine One say?"

Xian Xian's expression was complex; she spoke softly: "Lord Wulie has summoned me. He wants me to make a pilgrimage."

"A pilgrimage…"

(End of Chapter)