Chapter 184: Return to the Floating Dream Sect

Leaving the Star Arrow Sea's suffocating stillness and demonic qi, they breathed the outside air faintly fragrant with grass and trees, and all three felt as if they had crossed worlds. Yet they had no time to lament, as their injuries and fatigue surged like a tide.

Gu Yusheng forced himself to summon the flying boat, lifting the barely mobile Shi Ran and the similarly badly injured Mei Ruoxue aboard. The flying boat turned into a stream of light, racing toward the edge of the shattered wasteland in his memory, the direction of the temporary teleport point they had used coming here. They needed to quickly find a safe place to close off and heal their wounds, especially Shi Ran, for the price of burning her blood and soul far exceeded imagination, her realm teetering on collapse.

Several days later, deep in a mountain range rarely trodden by humans, Gu Yusheng opened a temporary cave dwelling. The three hid there, beginning a lengthy healing process.

Inside the cave, spiritual qi swirled. Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue each took medicinal pills, circulating their profound arts to repair the internal organ tremors and meridian damage caused by colliding with the demonic shadows. Their recovery was relatively swift, given their deep foundations, and the demonic qi corrosion was promptly cleansed by the Heavenly Patrol's power.

Shi Ran's condition, however, was far graver. She lay on a stone bed layered with gentle spiritual power by Gu Yusheng, her complexion ashen, her breath weak as a spider's silk. The loss of her life's origin could not be made up by ordinary pills. She spent most of her time in a coma, only tightly clutching the dark-gold Heavenly Patrol Token in her hand, which continuously emitted a warm, gentle energy like a trickling stream, slowly nourishing her nearly dried-up meridians and soul, clinging to her last breath.

Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue would regularly infuse her with pure spiritual power each day, protecting her heart vessels and smoothing her chaotic breath. More often, Mei Ruoxue silently stood by, occasionally taking out some extremely precious soul-nourishing spiritual liquid and carefully feeding it to Shi Ran. The atmosphere in the cave dwelling remained mostly silent and oppressive.

During this period, Gu Yusheng tried to probe the newly born Heavenly Patrol Token. But when his divine sense drew near, he felt a majestic dignity, as if facing an endless starry sky—deep, ancient, and inviolable. The token showed a gentle repulsion toward him and Mei Ruoxue; only in Shi Ran's hand did it appear calm and obedient.

"This token has become bound to her life; others cannot meddle with it." Gu Yusheng withdrew his divine sense and softly told Mei Ruoxue.

Mei Ruoxue nodded, her ink-black eyes gazing at the comatose Shi Ran, a fleeting hint of complex emotion crossing them. She knew that if not for Shi Ran's final decisive self-immolation, which activated the fusion of the Heavenly Patrol Token and its fragments, the three of them would likely have perished on the altar. This karmic debt is huge.

Time slipped by quietly in the healing process, and before they knew it, over a month had passed.

One day, Shi Ran's long eyelashes twitched a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was initially scattered and dazed, but quickly focused, feeling the familiar warmth transmitted from the Heavenly Patrol Token in her hand, as well as the genuine though weak flow of spiritual power within her body.

"You're awake?" Gu Yusheng's voice, tinged with surprise, sounded from beside her.

Shi Ran turned her head to see Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue looking at her with concern. Gu Yusheng's complexion had improved greatly, though a hint of fatigue still lingered in his brows. Mei Ruoxue remained her usual cool self, but her gaze had softened somewhat.

"How long… have we been out?" her voice hoarse and dry.

"Thirty-seven days." Mei Ruoxue replied succinctly, handing her a cup of sweet dew made from spiritual spring water.

Shi Ran sipped slowly; the sweet dew entered her throat, bringing a bit of strength. She inwardly examined herself: her condition remained poor, the spirit lake in her dantian withered, her golden core dim and covered in cracks, her soul as fragile as a candle in the wind, and though her sea of consciousness had not sealed shut, it was no better.

Regardless, she had survived, and she could clearly feel that her bond with the Heavenly Patrol Token had never been tighter, as if it had become part of her body, or she had become an extension of it.

"How do you feel?" Gu Yusheng asked.

"I won't die." Shi Ran forced a smile, trying to mobilize a strand of the Heavenly Patrol Token's power. The dark-gold token flickered slightly, and a stream of energy far purer and gentler than the spiritual power she cultivated herself flowed out, beginning to actively repair her damaged meridians and soul, much faster than before.

Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue both noticed this, their eyes flashing with astonishment. The power of the Heavenly Patrol Token seemed to possess a healing trait beyond their comprehension.

"This token……" Gu Yusheng started to speak but stopped.

Shi Ran gripped the token tightly, and clearer information naturally surfaced in her mind: "It… is now preliminarily bound to me as its master. It contains a great deal of information, messy, concerning the Heavenly Patrol Path, and… the Void Annihilation. I need time to sort it out slowly."

She did not elaborate, and Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue did not press. Everyone has their own opportunities and secrets, especially those involving the Ancient Heavenly Patrol Emissaries.

After another half month of rest, with the aid of the Heavenly Patrol Token's miraculous power, Shi Ran finally regained some mobility, her Dao foundation barely stabilized, not on the verge of total collapse. They decided to leave this temporary cave dwelling and return to the Floating Dream Sect.

First, Shi Ran needed the sect's environment and higher-grade medicinal pills for long-term conditioning. Second, their experience in the depths of the Star Arrow Sea, especially the warning about the Void Annihilation, made them feel it necessary to report to their master. Third, Gu Yusheng and Mei Ruoxue also needed to return to report their duties.

After producing their sect token and confirming the direction, the three once again boarded Gu Yusheng's flying boat and headed toward the Floating Dream Sect.

Along the way, the atmosphere was no longer as relaxed as on the outward journey. The three fell silent for long stretches, each digesting the gains and shocks of the Star Arrow Sea trip. Gu Yusheng's sword intent seemed more condensed, faintly carrying a calm forged through tempering. Mei Ruoxue's ice spiritual power also became purer, though her aura seemed a bit colder than before.

Shi Ran, for most of the time, sat cross-legged in a corner of the flying boat, her mind immersed in communication with the Heavenly Patrol Token. As her condition stabilized, the token opened up more information to her.

She "saw" a vaster starry map, countless worlds like grains of sand in the Ganges, with fuzzy "Heavenly Patrol Paths" running through them. She felt the ancient era when Heavenly Patrol Emissaries rode Heavenly Patrol Treasure Ships, patrolling the myriad heavens, maintaining order and balance in glorious splendor. But she also "saw" something ineffable, like background noise permeating the dimensions of all heavens, a "Void Annihilation" shadow—not a concrete enemy, but more like a rule‑level erosion, an ultimate trend of all things returning to ruin. The "Void Annihilation" spoken of by the demonic leaders seems to be just this. Moreover, the demonic calamity now spreading through this realm is marked in the Heavenly Patrol Token's information library as a "Low-intensity Void Energy Erosion Phenomenon," one of the products of the Void Annihilation's influence.

At the same time, she initially grasped some basic functions of this newly born Heavenly Patrol Token. Besides the lowest‑level purifying halo, it could deploy a small‑scale "Heavenly Patrol Shield," perform short‑range "Star Marker Sense" (mainly sensing other Heavenly Patrol Tokens or fragments), and the item that made her heart race—an extremely vague "Interworld Dao Marker Guidance." That faint pull pointing toward the depths of the distant starry sky is precisely the way home! Although activating cross‑world transmission with her current strength and the token's energy reserves would be sheer fantasy, at least she now had a clear direction.

This information was as vast as a sea of smoke; with her current soul strength she could only glimpse the tip of the iceberg, yet it was enough to make her heart surge and also feel a weighty responsibility.

After ten‑odd days, the flying boat pierced the cloud layer, and the familiar outline of the mountain gate below gradually came into focus. Mist‑wreathed immortal mountains, flowing spiritual springs, and the great protective array's luminous halo enveloping the whole sect—Floating Dream Sect, they had arrived.

The flying boat slowly descended onto the vast platform at the sect entrance. The mountain gate remained unattended, but the protective shield rippled open layer by layer like a halo.

After a brief discussion, the three decided to first settle in their own residences, then go see their master later.

Returning to the small courtyard they had long been apart from, Shi Ran looked at the familiar scene and felt as if she had crossed worlds. She had regained her original lovely appearance, though her complexion remained pale.

"Rest well first and consolidate your injuries. I will submit a summary of this ordeal to our master; for the details, I'll tell you when you've recovered a bit." Gu Yusheng settled her in and said in a low voice.

Mei Ruoxue also left a few bottles of medicinal pills suitable for warming her meridians in her current state, and said lightly, "If… if you have anything, come find me." With that, she turned into an ice‑blue streak of light and departed.

Seeing this, Gu Yusheng also turned and left, heading to the master to report.

At last peace returned. Shi Ran lay on her familiar bed, feeling the relatively rich and tranquil spiritual qi around her, her long‑tensed mind finally relaxing. She clutched the Heavenly Patrol Token, feeling its warm, moist energy flow within, and slowly closed her eyes.

The master had not yet returned to the sect, so in the following days Shi Ran began a reclusive recuperation routine. Each day, besides circulating the sect's basic cultivation method to slowly restore her spiritual power, she spent most of the time using the Heavenly Patrol Token's power to repair her Dao foundation, while organizing and digesting the massive jumble of Heavenly Patrol information in her mind.

From Gu Yusheng, Shi Ran learned that their warning about the Void Annihilation, which they had brought back, had indeed drawn serious attention from several Supreme Elders of other sects. They secretly held several meetings and perused many ancient texts, seemingly finding some vague records that corresponded to it.

But the Void Annihilation calamity is too illusory and vast; opinions within the sect differed on how to handle it. Some thought they should prepare in advance, actively seeking ancient relics to find a countermeasure; others believed the urgent priority was to cope with the worsening demonic disaster, and that the so‑called Void Annihilation might merely be the demonic leader's exaggerated lie to confuse people.

Regardless, beneath the seemingly tranquil surface of the Floating Dream Sect's lake, their return had already cast in a sizable stone.

One day, Shi Ran was trying to guide the Heavenly Patrol Token to release a miniature Heavenly Patrol Shield in the courtyard; a thin, almost transparent golden‑light membrane flickered before her, exuding a stable and harmonious aura. After over a month of conditioning, her cultivation had barely stabilized at mid‑Foundation Establishment, and her complexion had grown noticeably rosier.

Suddenly, a faint disturbance came from outside as the barrier was triggered.

Shi Ran's thought moved; she dispelled the shield and called out, "Please come in."

The gate was pushed open, and a white‑clad Ling Xiao stepped in, spiritual qi swirling around him, he looked at Shi Ran and gave a faint smile, like ice meeting spring.

"Ah! Master!" Shi Ran exclaimed joyfully, rushing to Ling Xiao's front, she stretched out her hands then pulled them back, not daring to say, "Master, you're back!"

Ling Xiao nodded, his gaze faintly falling on her face; after a careful look, he gave a slight chin lift: "Your complexion has improved a lot; it seems you're recovering well."

"This time, thanks to the medicinal pills brought back by Gu Yusheng and my senior sister, and… this." Shi Ran shook the dark‑gold token in her hand.

Ling Xiao gazed at the token, now completely merged with Shi Ran's aura, his eyes complex; after a moment of silence he said, "Regarding the altar in the depths of the Star Arrow Sea, and the detailed circumstances of the Heavenly Patrol Token. This matter is of great importance; several Supreme Elders wish to hear your account personally."

Shi Ran's heart tightened slightly, then eased. What must come will come. She possessed news of the Heavenly Patrol Token, a suspected ancient treasure of great weight, which she could not keep hidden forever. The master's attitude will determine her future standing.

"I understand." Shi Ran nodded, "Master, when shall we go?"

"Now is fine." Ling Xiao said, "Don't worry, I'll accompany you."

The two left the Floating Dream Sect, flying on their swords—toward the main hall of the Heavenly Pivot Sect.

The hall was towering and solemn, its spiritual qi so thick it almost became substance. As Shi Ran followed Ling Xiao into the temple doors, she instantly felt several immensely powerful divine senses sweep over her, carrying scrutiny and inquiry. She drew a deep breath, gripped the Heavenly Patrol Token in her sleeve, and forced herself to calm.