Chapter 60: Can the Demonic Energy Be Dispelled?

Upon seeing Fantian, the crow, which is also the Xuan Niao, became even more excited. She asked who it was, and it turned out to be this old coot!

The old coot smugly coiled on Shi Ran's hair, "Hey! Excited! Ah, don't, you being excited just goes 'ga ga ga'! Better not say anything!"

The Xuan Niao kicked its legs, flapped its wings hard and took off, releasing her. She wanted to kill that old coot! She wanted to kill him! "Ga! Ga!! Ga ga ga!!"

Shi Ran, annoyed by the bird and dragon, simply let go of her hands. Fantian froze, the Xuan Niao stared, then they began to entangle in combat. For a moment, the forest echoed with bird calls and dragon roars, from underground to the heavens, wonderfully exciting and bustling.

Yun Tingliao sat expressionlessly beside Shi Ran, black bird feathers falling all over his head. He twitched his eyebrows a few times, then, unable to bear it any longer, said, "You summoned me just to watch this dragon and bird fight?"

Shi Ran nodded, "How lively! You don't like it?"

Yun Tingliao, word by word: "I! Do! Not! Like!"

"Then let's have a match!" Shi Ran stood up. The fastest way to grow is through battle, constant battle! This is a classic line from hot-blooded anime.

Shi Ran thought it wonderful, yet Yun Tingliao shook his head: "Impossible!"

Although he really wanted to defeat Shi Ran and then act high and mighty, it's now impossible because Shi Ran is his master; if he moved against her, he would suffer backlash from the contract, especially for their White Wolf Clan, where such backlash is nearly fatal.

After the reason was made clear, Shi Ran felt even more depressed. This won't work, that won't work—how on earth is she supposed to cultivate?

The Xuan Niao and Fantian had already finished fighting; the Xuan Niao lost many feathers, Fantian didn't get any good outcome, his dragon eyes both swelled up—fighting a dragon still meant fighting its eyes. Fantian, angry, withdrew into seclusion, hiding in Shi Ran's hair bun, unwilling to come out.

"Ga ga! Ga Ga Ga, ga ga ga ga!" Shi Ran, you can let them fight; watch and learn!

The Xuan Niao came up with a good idea, but Fantian refused to translate. Annoyed, the Xuan Niao started ga-ing again. Shi Ran, hearing it in fits and starts, could only pull Fantian from her hair bun and point at the Xuan Niao, "What did she say?"

Fantian had wanted to hide again, but he didn't expect the fire mark on his forehead to flash, so he had to honestly translate.

Shi Ran thought the Xuan Niao's idea was good; she clapped her hands: "Then it's settled—I'll also let Bai Xiao Hong out, and you'll have a free-for-all while I learn from the midst!"

And her affairs?! The Xuan Niao startled, spread its wings to fly high, but Shi Ran grabbed its claw in one hand, smiling sinisterly, "Where do you think you're going? Let's begin!"

From then on, for dozens of days, the tragic lives of the four monsters began!

Ling Xiao handed Yi Tong over to the Celestial Pivot Sect, then nonstop fetched Luo Changfeng and Qi Chengshuang; the three flew on their swords to the Floating Dream Sect.

Luo Changfeng had become gaunt all over—not that the Celestial Pivot Sect was overly harsh, but because it wasn't his own sect; he ate poorly, slept poorly, and kept thinking about the upcoming Lotus Secret Realm, losing weight in just a few days.

Qi Chengshuang, on the contrary, didn't lose weight; instead, she became refreshed and clear-eyed, with thick brows, large eyes, dark hair and a handsome face, looking even more dashing than when she was at the Floating Dream Sect. Luo Changfeng couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy—people comparing themselves to others is deadly!

"How do I feel about you...." Luo Changfeng struggled for words, "It's as if I've been nourished by something—tell me, did you secretly drain my vital essence in the middle of the night?"

Qi Chengshuang's face flushed: "Senior brother, do you want to hear yourself say that again?"

"That doesn't seem right!" Luo Changfeng looked ahead at the teacher whose robes were fluttering; fortunately the old man hadn't heard anything! "Junior brother, I heard the master bought a new Cloud Boat—why aren't we using it?"

"Hmm!" Qi Chengshuang looked grave: "I suppose we feel you and I aren't worthy of it."

Luo Changfeng turned his head—serves him right for being mouthy!

The three, travel-worn, arrived at the Floating Dream Sect just as the evening sky was filled with rosy clouds, beside the blue stone slabs, luxuriant grass, as if waiting for old friends to return.

The Floating Dream Sect had no gate disciples, only two stone lions. When they sensed someone approaching, they opened their eyes, looked, saw it was Ling Xiao and company, then closed their eyes again and lay down to snore loudly.

The master and three disciples shook their heads, laughing helplessly; Ling Xiao raised a hand, and the barrier opened.

The three were proceeding up the mountainside when they suddenly felt a ripple of spiritual energy. Ling Xiao glanced at the two exhausted ones, waved his hand, and said, "Master will go check it out; you settle yourselves."

Luo Changfeng had wanted to follow along, "Master, disciple still not…"

"Senior brother, let's go! Since the master has spoken, you needn't worry, let's go!" Qi Chengshuang grabbed Luo Changfeng.

Ling Xiao nodded, leaving the two disciples behind and heading toward the source of the spiritual energy.

After Ling Xiao left, Luo Changfeng looked puzzled at Qi Chengshuang, "Senior brother, I notice that after your trip to the Celestial Pivot Sect you've become someone else—just like Xiao Muyu's doppelgänger!"

Qi Chengshuang said nothing: "It's not that I've changed, senior brother, it's that you can't figure it out, can't see clearly!"

"Explain yourself, what can't you fathom?" Luo Changfeng caught up with Qi Chengshuang, and the two gradually faded into the afterglow of the setting sun.

Ling Xiao followed the spiritual energy ripple all the way; ahead lay dense woods, seeming pathless, he turned a bend, and suddenly the willows grew dark and the flowers bright.

The autumn evening wind blew, lifting Shi Ran's pink gauze robe; she held a thin branch, no thicker than a finger, yet she wielded it with tiger-like vigor.

No opponent, no clashing of metal, just a branch and a girl moving freely with the evening wind, each move swift, precise, fierce—like a spirit deer darting through the forest, light and agile in its twists and turns.

Spiritual energy radiated from Shi Ran with glory, shifting with each motion—expanding, withdrawing, advancing—gathering the fallen leaves into a whirl, spreading them apart, then gathering them again.

Sunlight gilded the flying strands of Shi Ran's hair, illuminating her brows and eyes; in her hand it felt not like a branch but a peerless sword.

"Not bad!" Ling Xiao gave a slight nod, just a tiny movement, yet it startled Shi Ran into a blink—"Who?!" She turned to attack, saw it was Ling Xiao, meant to stop, but mischief rose, and she thrust the branch forward—"Take this!"

Ling Xiao smiled, tapped the tip of his foot, flipped to Shi Ran's rear; Shi Ran frowned, turned and swept sideways—Ling Xiao was unscathed, but Shi Ran lost balance and fell backward.

The anticipated pain never came; she landed in a warm embrace, Shi Ran opened her eyes, Ling Xiao's pupils glittered like stars, on closer look a faint warmth seemed to linger—"Have you taken your pill on schedule?"

Shi Ran held her breath—indeed, some people are only suited to live in pictures; open their mouths, and they're no longer the same.

Shi Ran struggled to her feet and bowed, "Greetings, Master, my injuries have largely healed!"

In truth she didn't know what injury she had; it was only one day when Mei Ruoxue let slip that she noticed a trace of demonic energy on her.