Chapter 934: Unifying the World?

In early August, a thick fog blanketed Yunhai Cliff.

At dawn, Deng Yu wore a white cloak seized from Tian Tu Mountain, seated calmly in the Council Hall.

Her long legs elegantly crossed, elbows resting on the chair arms, her palm propping up her cheek.

The chair she sat on was plainly wooden, yet she made it feel like a throne.

Her aura and presence made her seem far more like a true leader than Lu Ran.

"Great Protector." A faint footstep echoed, followed by an aged voice.

"White Old Man." Deng Yu responded softly, without turning her head.

The mist inside the room was dense; even with their eyes, they struggled to see each other clearly.

Bai Yanhui bowed slightly and reported: "This morning, my mind is calm. Yunhai Cliff will likely remain as stable as ever."

Deng Yu nodded lightly: "Then the Master should emerge safely."

Since Lu Ran entered seclusion in late July, he had prepared for nearly ten days, finally activating his advancement mode on the last day of July.

By now, it was already the third day of Lu Ran's advancement.

It was time for success.

Bai Yanhui replied: "I hope so."

Deng Yu casually said: "White Old Man, sit."

"Yes." Bai Yanhui gripped the Earth-Trace Sword, precisely locating the chair, and sat down.

Deng Yu closed her eyes, listening, then suddenly shifted tone: "You've gotten along well with the Earth-Trace Sword."

"I owe it all to the Master," replied the old man, knowing full well what Deng Yu wanted to hear. "When this sword came into my hands, the Master had already tamed it."

Of course, these words weren't flattery—they were simply the truth.

On the night of July 15, Lu Ran's grip and posture on the Earth-Trace Sword's hilt had truly awed the divine weapon.

Deng Yu nodded in satisfaction, rising slowly: "You'll remain in the Council Hall, performing the ritual on schedule. Should your inner state shift, inform me immediately."

"Of course!" Bai Yanhui stood again, bowing and clasping his fists toward Deng Yu.

The woman before him was not merely the First Great Protector of Ruan Sect or the temporary ruler of Yunhai Cliff.

She was a sea-level killing deity.

Bai Yanhui felt more at ease when facing Lu Ran.

The young Master treated him with deep respect, and his nature was relaxed—he cared little for formalities.

But before Deng Yu?

Bai Yanhui's demeanor was rigid, strictly disciplined.

In truth, with Deng Yu as Great Protector, every soldier of Ruan Sect must behave with utmost propriety toward the Master.

"Mm." Deng Yu stepped away, but halted just as she reached the Council Hall's entrance.

Powerful cultivators were acutely sensitive to changes in their surroundings.

She faintly sensed the immense energy of heaven and earth was weakening?

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

Deng Yu's chill faded; clearly, her mood had improved. She strode out.

The entrance tunnel to Closed Chamber #1 lay within the forest behind Lu Ran's residence, Yunhai Manor.

By the time Deng Yu arrived, the mist within the cliff had already thinned considerably.

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

Meanwhile, Lu Ran remained inside the pitch-black closed chamber, cuddling Xiao Chifeng.

"Mua~"

He grinned, planting a kiss on the exquisite phoenix pattern etched onto the gourd.

Days ago, Lu Ran's successful breakthrough and activation of his advancement mode owed much to this powerful artifact.

The reward from "The Heavenly Prodigy" was truly perfect!

"Li~" The golden phoenix pattern suddenly glowed; a tiny phoenix woven from golden threads fluttered out, its hollow wings beating.

It soared up, soared down, circling its master joyfully.

Ecstatic!

Over the past three days, Xiao Chifeng had feasted well.

Lu Ran gazed at the beautiful Xiao Chifeng: "Don't just revel in joy—do you still remember our goal?"

"We don't just absorb demonic corpses—we must absorb living beings too!"

Xiao Chifeng darted playfully, flapping its wings: "Li~"

Lu Ran: "..."

Fine.

Lu Ran took a deep breath, set aside other thoughts, and felt utterly refreshed.

River Realm—Stage Four!

Finally advanced. Next up: Stage Five!

Once I enter the peak tier,

Will the Sea Realm be far off?

For over half a year, Lu Ran had endured countless storms.

Whether in thought, understanding of the world, or his unwavering goal, all had forged within him profound insight.

Lu Ran had every reason to believe his Dao Heart burned brilliantly!

So—

On the day I reach the peak, I shall ascend to the Sea Realm!

"Shh~" Lu Ran tucked Xiao Chifeng away, his figure flashing to his usual spot.

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

The sky was clear blue, the heavens vast, the sea boundless—perfectly matching his inner state.

Exhilarating. Thrilling!

"Congratulations." A woman's voice came suddenly from behind.

Lu Ran turned and saw Deng Yu stepping forward, her feet gliding atop celestial mist.

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

Deng Yu stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lu Ran: "I waited at Yunhai Manor for a while, then realized you'd come here."

Lu Ran asked: "Has Yunhai Cliff remained stable these past ten days?"

Deng Yu stood with hands clasped behind her back: "No human intruders came, but a foolish Flame Serpent of the Furious Sea appeared—I slew it."

"Tsk tsk~" Lu Ran studied her profile. "Being at the Sea Realm really changes things, huh?"

So damn impressive.

Confidence and charisma stemmed from absolute power.

The Flame Serpents of the Furious Sea were the demonic counterpart of Lie Tian Sect, possessing terrifying ability to kill across tiers.

Whether River or Sea, they struck fear into any heart.

Yet now, the Great Nightmare spoke of it as if it were nothing.

"Just the Sea Realm. You're close too," Deng Yu said with a faint smile.

Her trust in Lu Ran surpassed even her trust in herself.

Ding~

Keyword triggered!

Lu Ran gazed at the imposing Sea Realm adept and thought of a certain "worthless" younger brother.

I wonder how Deng Shao is doing now.

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

Are they still in university?

And most importantly—Jiang Ruyi.

Lu Ran shook his head sharply, refusing to dwell further.

Since arriving in this world, Lu Ran had come to understand his true self.

Pathetic.

Letting nostalgia run wild would destabilize his inner peace.

"Soon, soon," Lu Ran muttered under his breath.

Then he turned his focus back: "By the way, while I was in seclusion, Silent Night Knife contacted me."

"Hmm?" Deng Yu looked at Lu Ran. "Did Da Feng Tang face a crisis?"

"No. He Qi Feng asked Silent Night Knife to reach out—she's done something huge."

Deng Yu's interest sparked: "What's so huge?"

Lu Ran's expression turned peculiar: "He Qi Feng led her sect members and built a city."

This news genuinely surprised Deng Yu: "A city?"

Lu Ran nodded: "Reportedly, it's located thirty kilometers south of Wu Jifeng. He Qi Feng invites us to visit when we have time."

Deng Yu paused, then said: "Is she trying to build her own power base, anchored to Wu Jifeng?"

Lu Ran shook his head, then nodded: "According to He Qi Feng, she intends to make that city a neutral zone—or rather, a safe zone."

No one entering the city shall engage in conflict.

It will be a sanctuary within the Sacred Spirit Mountain realm, a haven for all of humanity.

Deng Yu narrowed her eyes, thoughts racing through her mind: "If she truly can achieve this, her power will grow at an astonishing rate."

Within the Sacred Spirit Mountain, everyone lives in fear.

No matter how strong you are, there are those stronger than you.

No matter how cautious you are, there will come a day when you are outmaneuvered.

In such an extremely dangerous world, a "safe zone" suddenly appears?

Once this city is truly secure and its reputation spreads, it will draw in vast numbers of followers to settle within.

At that time, He Qi's personal prestige will surely reach unprecedented heights!

The number of her subordinates and the overall strength of her forces will inevitably continue to grow!

Lu Ran's face showed admiration as he murmured, "What a true female leader with ambition."

Is He Qi merely building a city?

No, she is walking the path toward fulfilling her ambition and dream.

She is using this one city to pry open the very rules of survival in the Sacred Spirit Mountain realm!

Hmph,

No wonder she caught my eye.

How boldly she dares to think—and even bolder to act!

Deng Yu whispered, "Building this city may be easy, but maintaining it will be far harder."

Lu Ran: "That's why this city was built thirty kilometers south of Wu Jifeng."

How astute is He Qi?

With Wu Jifeng at her back, she naturally intends to exploit it to its fullest!

Yet Deng Yu still did not hold much hope, pondering: "He Qi's actions will ultimately bring fire upon herself."

Even if she can sustain it for a time, the other factions within the Sacred Spirit Mountain will not allow her to expand without limit."

Lu Ran nodded silently.

He thought the same.

Once He Qi's power grows to a certain point, no matter how much you verbally pledge peace or behave with restraint, you will still draw a coalition attack.

The Sacred Spirit Mountain realm has reached its current structure because it is vast enough, with each major sect holding its own territory.

Each draws resources from its own land (Sacred Spirit Qi).

Minor conflicts are unavoidable, but mostly occur between individuals or small teams and factions.

They are little more than squabbles.

The major sects have generally coexisted in peace.

But when your power surges uncontrollably, becoming dominant enough to swallow any one sect, the other factions will almost certainly set aside their differences and unite to eliminate this looming threat.

What do you intend to do?

Want to unify the world?

From this perspective, He Qi is indeed inviting fire upon herself.

The current master of Wu Jifeng truly has boldness!

Lu Ran certainly did not believe He Qi would dare build this city on her own—she must have received strong backing from Wu Jifeng's Master Tu!

"Let's head to the Council Hall first," Lu Ran said. "Discuss this matter, and plan our next steps."

Deng Yu asked with concern: "Shouldn't you return to your meditation chamber first to solidify your realm?"

"No need," Lu Ran replied casually. "A meeting won't take long. Go notify everyone."

"Yes!" Deng Yu said no more and turned to leave.

Lu Ran faced the sea and stretched out with a fierce yawn:

"Ughhh~~~"

This Sacred Spirit Mountain is becoming more and more interesting.

In the end, could it be Wu Jifeng + Da Feng Tang + Ran Men standing against all the Divine Sects of the Sacred Spirit Mountain realm?

That would be…

Too thrilling!

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(End of Chapter)