Watching the Mountain

Chapter 47: Chapter 41: This Is Not Right

The Purple Mansion Cultivator leading the Profound Pure Sect was named Chen Minghe, a middle-aged man with a drooping mustache from Celestial Profound Peak, the home of Yue Qingyu and the Sect Leader’s lineage.

Unlike the thrilling careers of most prodigies, his path as a cultivator had been remarkably stable and uneventful. Even his current position as a Steward in the Internal Affairs Hall was one he had obtained by slowly climbing the ranks through sheer seniority.

Stability was all well and good, but it wasn’t what Chen Minghe wanted. He had always envied the exciting and suspenseful lives of the Sect’s prodigies.

But such an opportunity had never presented itself—until yesterday. Aboard the Flying Ship, his gaze fell upon a proud, aloof youth sitting cross-legged at the vessel’s prow.

The moment he saw the boy, his heart gave a sudden, hard thump. He knew the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

’This time, I’m going all in. I’m betting everything on this for the thrill I’ve never experienced in my life.’

Most importantly, the Sect’s upper echelons and his supervising Elder had already approved his decision.

’No one can stop me from experiencing a whole new life now.’

Chen Minghe’s heart was soaring with ambition, but just then, Xu Ran stood up.

He turned his head toward Xu Ran, a hint of impatience in his voice.

”Steward Xu, I have to take you to task for this. These new disciples are the future of our Sect, and they carry our highest hopes. We should place more trust in our future.”

”I know Shen Wuchen’s strength is on the weaker side; you’ve already said as much. But no matter how weak he is, he’s still a prodigy who reached the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer in just ten years! How could he not be up to the task?”

His tone then shifted, becoming more earnest. ”Of course, I understand. In the eyes of you instructors, your students are always children who never grow up. You worry that burdening them with too much responsibility all at once will crush them. But young people need to be tested! We have to give them opportunities.”

”Rest assured, even if he does lose in the end, I won’t blame him.”

”And I won’t blame you, of course. This was all my decision.”

Listening to Chen Minghe’s torrent of words, Xu Ran’s expression grew helpless. He was just about to use a voice transmission to explain Shen Wuchen’s situation.

But Chen Minghe simply waved his hand. ”No need for that, Steward Xu. Go ahead and speak freely, right here in front of our fellow Daoists. The Profound Pure Sect has always been open and aboveboard. There’s nothing that can’t be said publicly.”

Xu Ran’s expression froze. He had been reluctant to reveal Shen Wuchen’s secret, but on second thought, it would all come out once he stepped into the arena anyway.

More importantly, judging by Chen Minghe’s current behavior, a disaster was inevitable if he didn’t speak up.

So, with a sigh of resignation, he gave a simple and clear explanation of Shen Wuchen’s A+ Root Bone, his D- Comprehension, and the circumstances that followed.

After hearing Xu Ran’s explanation, Chen Minghe’s eyes widened in disbelief.

”How is that even possible? If his comprehension of the Dao is really that poor, how could he have broken through to the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer?”

Xu Ran was about to explain further when a cold snort came from behind them.

”Alright, that’s enough. Stop the act, you people from the Profound Pure Sect. We all know your sect churns out prodigies: the White-clothed Fairy, the Evergreen Sword Saint, Deceitful Blade, the Pill-Digging Witch... one after another.”

”And now you’ve got another prodigy who reached the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer in ten years. Probably another Evergreen Sword Saint in the making. Your Profound Pure Sect is impressive, we from the Profound Yin Sect admit it. As for this wager, we forfeit. According to our prior agreement, you can take an extra ten percent of the Cold Iron Vein we’re currently fighting over.”

At this, all eyes in the room turned to the members of the Profound Pure Sect, filled with envy. The four names the man from the Profound Yin Sect had just mentioned were currently the talk of the town, their fame spreading from the Evil Demon Battlefield throughout the entire Cultivation Realm.

’For all of them to come from the same sect... it’s enough to make anyone burn with jealousy.’

Then, their gazes shifted to Xu Ran. They had originally thought this ridiculously fortunate man was just here to ensure his team didn’t come in last place. No one had expected his team to have a disciple at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer—the highest cultivation level among all the competing teams.

It didn’t matter how the disciple had cultivated—whether through heaven-sent talent or incredible luck—as the head of the Instructor Hall, Xu Ran would inevitably receive his share of the credit.

At this thought, everyone present couldn’t help but sigh internally. ’This guy is just too lucky.’

Chen Minghe’s expression went slack when he heard the man from the Profound Yin Sect. He hurriedly explained, ”What act? I’m not acting! We didn’t plan any of this beforehand.”

With a look of innocence and a sincere tone, he said, ”Fellow Daoist, you may not know me very well. Let me tell you, I’m a very straightforward person. I...”

But before he could finish, the man from the Profound Yin Sect simply scoffed, then closed his eyes. Leaning back in his chair with an air of utter composure, he ignored Chen Minghe completely.

Seeing this, Chen Minghe was speechless with frustration. He had won the wager without a fight and secured the minimum payout, but he wanted to raise the stakes!

Besides, what did he mean, the ”Cold Iron Vein we’re fighting over”? That Cold Iron Vein had originally belonged to their Profound Pure Sect! It was only after the incident in the Secret Realm that the Four Major Sects had used the Profound Yin Sect and others to seize it from them.

After the Secret Realm incident, the Four Major Sects couldn’t openly retaliate against the Profound Pure Sect. Instead, they covertly used various powers within Changqing County to strike by proxy. Faced with a siege by numerous sects, the Profound Pure Sect couldn’t fend them all off and suffered heavy losses.

The sects he had just called out were among the most deeply involved in that affair, and they had seized the most resources from the Profound Pure Sect.

He had wanted to use this opportunity to win back everything they had lost, but he never imagined his opponents would simply refuse to play.

Fuming, Chen Minghe pointed at the man from the Profound Yin Sect. ”Where’s your backbone? Your honor? Surrendering without a fight—do you feel no shame at all?”

The man from the Profound Yin Sect lifted a single eyelid and spoke coolly, ”Backbone? Honor? How many Spirit Stones are those worth? How many Spirit Stone Veins?”

With that, he closed his eyes again, refusing to respond no matter what Chen Minghe said.

’His heart was truly as calm as his expression. Reaching the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer in ten years, by any measure, placed someone in the ranks of prodigies. And as for the combat strength of prodigies... the White-clothed Fairy and the Evergreen Sword Saint on the Evil Demon Battlefield had already made that abundantly clear to the world.’

’There was no point in getting worked up. Getting rich quietly was the smart move. Besides, they had snatched that Cold Iron Vein from the Profound Pure Sect in the first place.’

’Moreover, the Profound Yin Sect was a relatively new Nascent Soul Sect; its foundation couldn’t compare to an old, established sect like Profound Pure. They were well aware of the caliber of their own disciples. Even without this Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer disciple showing up, they probably wouldn’t have won this wager anyway.’

’They had come mentally prepared to lose that ten percent share. It was just happening sooner than expected.’

’Therefore, he felt no burden at all in making this decision.’

Chen Minghe was at a complete loss. No matter what he said, the man wouldn’t respond. He then turned his gaze to the other sects.

”Fellow Daoist Chen, our Cyan Wood Sect also forfeits. As for the disputed Spirit Stone Vein, you can just take the ten percent share.”

”The Nine Yang Sect...”

”And the Spirit Wind Sect...”

Chen Minghe clenched his fists. Every time one of them named a resource, a vein throbbed on his forehead. He desperately wanted to scream, ”They’re ours! All of those were originally ours!”

But he held it in. In the Cultivation Realm, the victor takes all. The Profound Pure Sect had lost those resources. The only way to get them back was to seize them with their own hands. Shouting and screaming here was useless.

”Fellow Daoist from the Wangyue Sect, you aren’t going to forfeit too, are you?”

Chen Minghe fixed his gaze on the last person.

The Wangyue Sect had six Nascent Soul True Monarchs, placing them at the forefront of power in Changqing County. They were the strongest of the sects Chen Minghe had just called out, and they had seized the most resources from the Profound Pure Sect.

The Purple Mansion Cultivator leading the Wangyue Sect was a woman in a pale green gown. Her figure was graceful and her features, exquisite.

She met Chen Minghe’s gaze calmly. ”The Wangyue Sect does not have a habit of surrendering without a fight. Fellow Daoist Chen, my sect accepts your wager. The properties in several market cities and the other mines you want... we will add them to the stakes, just as you wish.”

”Excellent!” Chen Minghe shouted, then immediately praised her with excitement. ”The Fellow Daoist from the Wangyue Sect truly has spirit! Fairy, one can see you are a true heroine. I am thoroughly impressed! Unlike some other sects...”

*

*

*

「That night.」

In the lodgings arranged for the Profound Pure Sect by the Celestial Feather Sect, Chen Minghe stared blankly at Shen Wuchen. He then turned his head, looking at Xu Ran in utter disbelief as he stammered:

”H-h-how... how can he be so weak? This is impossible! It doesn’t make any sense! It shouldn’t be like this.”

After the meeting about the wagers had concluded, Xu Ran had summoned Shen Wuchen so that Chen Minghe could witness his strength firsthand.

And now, Chen Minghe had seen it.

Xu Ran nodded, saying helplessly, ”He really is that weak.”

An expression of utter devastation washed over Chen Minghe, as if the sky were falling. He clutched his head, his face contorted in agony. ”I... I... I’m the Sect’s greatest sinner.”

After a long moment, he calmed down. His eyes flickered as he stared at Shen Wuchen, and after frowning in thought for a moment, he said:

”No, wait. It’s not hopeless. His Spiritual Power is immense. It’s true that his lack of Dao Rhyme comprehension makes his Spiritual Power hollow and his Daoist Techniques weak, but he can still win through sheer volume.”

For a cultivator to unleash the full potential of a Daoist Technique and make it lethal, comprehension of Dao Rhyme is paramount. Only then can Spiritual Power be effectively converted into the technique’s unique properties.

Shen Wuchen’s comprehension of Dao Rhyme was only equivalent to that of a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, but the amount of Spiritual Power he possessed was genuinely that of the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.

With that, Chen Minghe gave Shen Wuchen a few instructions.

The wager duels were to be held before the main tournament battles between the sects. After all, the wagers involved significant assets, and competing while not at one’s peak could affect the outcome.

The first wager duel was between the Profound Pure Sect and the Wangyue Sect.

Before the contestants took the stage, Xu Ran saw the woman in the green dress giving some last-minute instructions to her sect’s disciple. The disciple looked up at her, his face a mask of shock.

The woman in green nodded. After a moment of conflicted hesitation, the disciple finally nodded back and walked, step by step, onto the fighting stage.