Chapter 172: Seeking Them

Shi Ran lifted her gaze, her eyes calm as she met Situ Hao's stare: "My meaning is, if I truly am a hidden danger of the Demon Abyss, possessing the 'ferocious lethal qi' capable of causing a great catastrophe, then back when the Blazing Heaven Valley's Flame of Extinction erupted, I could have simply stood by, even fanned the flames—why would I have fought to the death to stop it, ending up in this situation? The Deputy City Lord and this elder of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, based merely on deduction and the reaction of a single magical artifact, wish to condemn my guilt—is that not overly arbitrary? Could the merit of quelling the Flame of Extinction possibly not outweigh a baseless 'speculation'?"

Her words were clear, her logic distinct, and she directly placed the identities of "hero" and "culprit" in opposition on the table.

The elder of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion flushed with anger: "You brat, cease your quibbling! The Calamity-Determining Disk has never erred! The demonic qi and misfortune intertwined on your body are an ill omen!"

"Demonic qi?" Shi Ran curled the corner of her mouth into a half-smile, she raised her right hand; in her palm, that wisp of dark-golden aura surfaced again, writhing like a living thing, exuding pure yet strange demonic intent—"Is this what you mean, senior?"

Pure demonic qi! Everyone present could clearly sense it! Several stewards behind Situ Hao even instinctively retreated half a step, their faces wary.

Yet Shi Ran controlled that wisp of demonic qi, making it twine around her fingertips like a docile pet, showing no sign of rampage or infringing upon others.

"It seems the senior wasn't mistaken; there really is demonic qi." Shi Ran spoke flatly, as if stating a trivial matter unrelated to herself, "But this demonic qi is now under my control, for my use. Just as cultivators command swords and fire, what's wrong with that? Must one tainted with demonic qi inevitably become a puppet of the Demon Abyss? The Deputy City Lord, whose cultivation reaches the heavens, surely knows that power itself holds no inherent good or evil—the key lies in the heart of its wielder."

She turned her gaze to Situ Hao, a hint of challenge in her tone: "Or does the Alliance believe that my, Shi Ran's, resolve is insufficient to master this power, destined to fall into the demonic path and bring harm to all creation?"

Situ Hao's brows knotted tight, he fixed his stare on the wisp of demonic qi perfectly controlled at Shi Ran's fingertip, his heart churning with tumultuous waves. To master demonic qi to such exquisite, minute degree—even not a trace of violent qi leaking—this utterly overturned his understanding of demonic qi! This is absolutely beyond what an ordinary demon-entangled cultivator could achieve!

Could it be… that this woman has truly found a way to command demonic qi?

The elder of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was also dumbstruck, pointing at Shi Ran and stammering "You… you…" for a long while, yet unable to speak. The Calamity-Determining Disk continued to spin wildly, clearly unable to accurately assess Shi Ran's current state.

"As for misfortune…" Shi Ran gathered her demonic qi, her gaze sweeping over the elder of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion; deep in her eyes, a pale-white flame flickered and vanished.

The elder's Calamity-Determining Disk suddenly emitted a "crack!"—a fine fissure appeared on the disk's surface, and the needle froze instantly.

"Ugh!" the elder grunted, his face paling as if struck by some invisible force recoiling upon him; he stared at Shi Ran in shock.

Shi Ran, however, seemed to have done nothing, still speaking calmly: "Perhaps my fate indeed bears some peculiarity, making me prone to attract trouble. But this misfortune, I shall bear it myself—no need for you seniors to waste effort calculating it. If, out of fear of misfortune, we were to strangle potential, then the path of cultivation, which defies heaven, would itself be the greatest misfortune."

The entire hall fell silent, not even a sparrow's chirp.

Shi Ran's performance far exceeded everyone's expectations. She not only showed no sign of being controlled by the Demon Abyss, but displayed astonishing command over her internal power (including demonic qi), and presented a view that deviated sharply from convention yet was hard to refute.

Standing there, she herself was a huge "variable," shattering conventional understanding.

Situ Hao remained silent for a long while, his gaze sweeping over Shi Ran, Mu Cangming, and Ling Xiao, before finally speaking softly, his tone no longer as rigid as before: "You are indeed… different. What you say is not without reason. Power holds no inherent good or evil; the heart determines virtue and vice."

He shifted his tone: "However, the matter of the Demon Abyss is of great importance, not ordinary. The power within you is enigmatic and hard to fathom; though presently controllable, whether it will change in the future, none can guarantee. The Alliance cannot simply lower its guard based on your one-sided account."

"What does the Deputy City Lord mean?" Ling Xiao asked.

"Shi Ran may temporarily stay at the Heavenly Mystery Sect," Situ Hao said in a deep voice, "but the Alliance must place a 'Surveillance Mark' on her and regularly send personnel to examine her condition, ensuring safety. This is the Alliance's bottom line."

"Leave a Surveillance Mark?" That amounts to surrendering part of one's freedom and privacy to others! Ling Xiao and Mu Cangming's faces instantly darkened.

Shi Ran, however, spoke again, looking at Situ Hao with deep eyes: "Very well."

Everyone was taken aback.

Shi Ran continued: "But the mark shall be formed by myself, containing the power of my own Dao principle. The Alliance may use the corresponding law disk to sense its presence and stability, yet has no right to probe my internal state via the mark, nor to interfere with my cultivation. Should the mark dissipate or issue a warning, it would signify that I may have lost control, at which point the Alliance may then act—this is my bottom line."

She actually agreed, yet added conditions! Forming the mark herself equates to seizing back part of the initiative!

Situ Hao gazed deeply at Shi Ran; this young woman, whether in temperament, courage, or grasp of the situation, far surpassed his imagination. She appeared to concede, yet in truth she would not yield an inch, striving for herself the utmost autonomy.

"Good!" Situ Hao finally nodded, "Then let it be as you say! I hope you conduct yourself well, not disappointing… the expectations of your master and sect, and also not treading that path of eternal damnation."

Those words already carried a hint of cherishing talent and a warning.

A conflict that seemed unavoidable was actually temporarily eased in this manner.

The Alliance Inspector finally departed, taking with him the strange seal Shi Ran had formed herself—containing the three Dao resonances of Extinction, Demonic Intent, and Nirvana (its outward appearance like a tricolor interwoven ice crystal)—and its corresponding sensing law disk.

Inside the hall, only the members of the Heavenly Mystery Sect remained.

"Ranran, you…" Ling Xiao looked at Shi Ran, his feelings complex—both proud and worried. He knew his disciple had embarked upon an exceedingly arduous and solitary path.

Shi Ran bowed again to Ling Xiao and the various elders: "I have troubled Master, Sect Leader, Uncle-master, and Grandmaster-uncle. After this incident, the Alliance should not in the short term forcibly intervene. Next, I wish to enter secluded cultivation, thoroughly consolidate my realm, and explore the future of this path."

The Sect Leader nodded: "Go. The sect is your strongest backing."

Mu Cangming also said: "If you have need, come to the Law Enforcement Hall to find me."

The divine sense of Grand Elder Yun Yin transmitted a gentle sigh and encouragement: "The road ahead is long and arduous, yet as long as the heart's lamp remains unextinguished, it can pierce the mist. Child, cultivate well."

Shi Ran thanked again, then turned and walked toward the hall's exterior.

Sunlight fell upon her, casting a clear shadow on the ground. Her steps were firm and steady.

Several people watched Shi Ran's back in silence; the solemn atmosphere in the hall likewise had not fully dissipated. Shi Ran's act of forming the Surveillance Mark herself, while temporarily defusing the crisis, was also like a thorn hanging in the hearts of those who cared for her.

Ling Xiao's heart leapt; he took a few steps to catch up with Shi Ran, "Ranran, that mark…" His brow still bore worry. Forming it oneself means it is linked to one's own Dao foundation; should the Alliance side experience any disturbance, or Shi Ran's cultivation encounter a hiccup, a chain reaction could be triggered.

Shi Ran returned a soothing gaze: "Master, rest assured—the mark is based on my own Dao principle; unless my Dao foundation shatters, the mark will not readily warn. Conversely, if I truly reach the brink of loss of control, the mark's dissipation will also serve as a warning to the Alliance and the sect, preventing great disaster." She paused, her voice sinking slightly, "Moreover… by this opportunity, I can also perceive the subtle changes in my own Dao principle more clearly, which counts as another form of cultivation."

She turned risk into tempering; this disposition made Ling Xiao both ache for her and feel relieved. He knew she had truly grown, possessing the ability and resolve to stand alone.

"As long as you have it in mind, that's enough." Ling Xiao finally let out a soft sigh, saying no more.

He could not articulate his own feeling—it seemed both relief and confusion; Shi Ran's growth was too swift, swift enough that he could hardly keep pace with her steps, always thinking he could still protect her, yet this time he actually began to doubt himself.

Shi Ran has found her own Dao—what about his?

Mu Cangming's icy voice sounded from behind the two, cutting off Ling Xiao's self-examination: "Although Situ Hao has temporarily withdrawn, certain individuals within the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and the Alliance will not easily relent. During your secluded cultivation, the sect will heighten its defenses; you need only focus on yourself, for we shall shield you from the world's wind and rain."

"Thank you, Uncle-master Mu." Shi Ran felt sincere gratitude. The Heavenly Mystery Sect's up-and-down support for her is an important cornerstone enabling her to advance with peace of mind.

She knew the road ahead would by no means be smooth. The Alliance's surveillance is merely temporary; the covert watchings in the dark will not cease, and the power within her demands she expend endless effort to explore and master it.

But, what of it?

She has returned from Extinction, holding her heart amidst Demonic Intent, carrying Nirvana forward.

The threefold power within her circulates slowly; the Extinction Dao principle lets her see through appearances, Demonic Intent grants her the uncanny ability to erode and transform, while the Nirvana flame provides unceasing vitality and motive force.

She will surely, soar against the wind!

Shi Ran smiled at Ling Xiao, then turned and departed.

Returning to the depths of the Ice Heart Cave, Shi Ran did not immediately begin deep seclusion. She needed time to digest the various aftermaths of her awakening, to adapt to this renewed body and the surging yet obedient power within. She sat cross-legged, her awareness turned inward, carefully examining her Purple Mansion.

The original Sea of Qi had vanished, replaced by a chaos-like expanse. At its center burned a cluster of steady moon-white flames—the initially refined Azure Heaven Flame (Flame of Extinction), exuding an aura of conclusion and chill, yet its core speck of golden light (Nirvana vitality) prevented it from being pure destruction. Around this core flame swirled dark-gold mist like a nebula—the pure demonic intent constrained by Extinction Intent and purified by the Nirvana flame, no longer frenzied but endowed with a profound, mutable force. The three formed a stable triangular cycle, checking and nourishing each other.

Her meridians and bones, too, under the scouring of these three forces, grew ever tougher, faintly glowing with a jade-like sheen, upon which were etched subtle, ineffable patterns of the Great Dao.

"Extinction, Demonic Intent, Nirvana… life and death, beginning and end, purity and turbidity… where should my Dao lead?" Shi Ran fell into contemplation. The traditional divisions of cultivation realms, for her, seemed no longer wholly applicable. She needed to forge a path her own.

Time flowed in stillness. Shi Ran immersed herself in the sense of Dao, continually attempting to mobilize and combine her inner three powers. She discovered that when leaning toward the Extinction Dao principle, her spiritual force becomes extremely erosive and terminal, even able to provoke the opponent's internal "waning" qi; when leaning toward Demonic Intent, it becomes fickle and varied, adept at bewildering the mind and eroding spiritual defenses; whereas the Nirvana flame, besides being the cornerstone of balance, grants her powerful recuperative ability and a surging vitality, usable for healing as well as countering the gradually invasive Extinction Intent.

This is not a simple three-unity union, but rather an embryonic chaos pregnant with infinite possibilities.

In the mountains where time passes unnoticed, just as Shi Ran had preliminarily sorted her own power and was about to begin her first deep seclusion to break through to a higher level, a message talisman pierced the Ice Heart Cave's restriction and landed lightly before her.

It was Ling Xiao's message.

Shi Ran probed with her divine sense, her expression slightly tightening. The message concerned Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue.

Originally, to find the Five Directions Immortal Treasure, they had split ways; Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue have wandered the mortal realm and not returned till now. Ling Xiao has always sent people to monitor their movements, but the latest report sent back is somewhat unsettling.

According to a report from a hidden outpost planted in the Southern Border, about half a year ago someone saw Gu and Mei in the Miasma Rainforest at the edge of the Southern Border, apparently fighting a group of unknown cultivators, after which they vanished completely. In the Southern Border, witchcraft and Gu techniques are rampant, the environment perilous, and there are many ancient secret realms left over, extremely dangerous. Recently, the Southern Border has been unsettled, with faint undercurrents stirring, seemingly linked to the resurgence of a long-dormant evil sect.

"Gu Yusheng… Mei Ruoxue…" Shi Ran opened her eyes, a flicker of worry crossing her gaze. She felt nothing special about Gu Yusheng, while Mei Ruoxue had been hot and cold toward her, but initially they had been close; moreover, they had entered dangerous territory because of her. Now that she has preliminarily stabilized, both emotionally and rationally she cannot stand by and do nothing.

She pondered for a moment, then rose and left the stone chamber of her retreat.

On Purple Dawn Peak, Ling Xiao saw Shi Ran leave her retreat, not surprised, evidently guessing her purpose.

"Are you going to the Southern Border?" Ling Xiao asked directly.

Shi Ran nodded: "Master, Senior Sister… she ended up in danger because of me; now their whereabouts are unknown, and I cannot rest easy in seclusion. Moreover, my power has just taken shape, I need real-world tempering, and the perilous lands of the Southern Border might help me grasp what I've learned more quickly."

Ling Xiao looked at Shi Ran's determined gaze, knowing her mind was made up and persuasion useless. He pondered: "Your situation is special; though the alliance has temporarily ceased hostilities, who knows how many eyes watch in the shadows. This journey requires utmost care; unless necessary, try not to reveal your identity or full strength."

"I understand."

"The Southern Border Witch Tribe has had little contact with our immortal cultivation sect; their arts are strange and hard to guard against. Though your inner power is strong, do not be careless." Ling Xiao handed her two jade slips and a token: "This jade slip contains the sect's records on Southern Border geography, forces, and witchcraft and Gu techniques; study it carefully. This token is a sect token that may prove useful in certain situations. The other jade slip gives the location last reported by the hidden outpost and a brief description of that group of unknown cultivators."

"Thank you, Master." Shi Ran received them, a warm current surging in her heart.

"Go; this time I won't accompany you, putting your own safety first. If danger arises, send me a message immediately—over mountains and miles I will seek you." Ling Xiao gazed at her, his affection surging like sea waves, but he quickly turned away so Shi Ran would not see, "Remember, the Floating Dream Sect… and I am your eternal backing."

Shi Ran smiled, her fingers lingeringly touching Ling Xiao's shadow, finally sighing inwardly, she said no more, turned into a streak of light and silently departed from the Heavenly Mystery Sect.