Watching the Mountain

Chapter 68: Chapter 62: Yue Qingyu’s Dao

Xu Ran had been quite idle lately, even more so than when he had first joined the sect.

Back when he first joined, he’d still had to perform basic daily tasks.

But now, he had resigned from his lecturer position at the Instructor Hall and held no official duties. As an Honorary Elder, he wasn’t required to perform basic tasks, and the Spiritual Plant research he had been conducting was long since finished.

His only apprentice, Little Xiyue, was long since grown. Her cultivation and strength had already surpassed his, so he no longer needed to worry about her.

Sometime ago, Little Xiyue had mentioned she was teaming up with a few sect-mates to explore an ancient Cave Mansion, and she had yet to return.

As for his other ”half-apprentice,” Shen Wuchen, he had already heard about the incident on Spirit Stream Peak. Zhang Zhentian had even sent him an excited message, asking what he thought of his performance.

Xu Ran could only shake his head helplessly. He had thought Zhang Zhentian had matured, but it seemed his boisterous, unruly nature hadn’t faded one bit.

Xu Ran could even picture it: after ”thoroughly humbling” Shen Wuchen, Zhang Zhentian would be hiding somewhere, roaring with laughter and gloating over the other’s misfortune.

However, he didn’t go looking for Shen Wuchen. ’It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to show up right now. It’s better to let him get through this on his own.’

The Cultivation Realm had been remarkably quiet lately. No major events had occurred, not even any gossip or rumors, and an air of tranquility prevailed.

It was so peaceful that Xu Ran began to wonder if the Wangyue Sect’s predictions had been wrong. The current Cultivation Realm showed no signs of impending turmoil. On the contrary, it seemed the war against the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race had forged a new unity, leading to even greater peace.

Things at the Profound Pure Sect were also quite harmonious, the only change being a recent surge in activity.

This wasn’t just because people were gradually returning from the Evil Demon Battlefield; more importantly, the Sect was in the middle of a massive recruitment drive.

In the past, the Profound Pure Sect would hold an Immortal Ascension Assembly every ten years to recruit new disciples. But lately, the sect’s gates had been wide open for continuous recruitment.

On Spirit Stream Peak alone, hundreds of new disciples had joined over the past few years, and the number was still growing.

This was all said to be in preparation for the new territory won in the great war against the Evil Demons.

According to the distribution plan established by the Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm and the Demon Race, the Profound Pure Sect had been allocated a sizable plot of land. Once the plan was finalized, a large number of disciples would be needed to go and pioneer it.

Hence the current expansion of recruitment—to prepare for developing the New Domain.

After another period of quiet leisure, Yue Qingyu also returned from the Evil Demon Battlefield.

Not long after her return, she sent a message asking Xu Ran to go see her.

As per their prior agreement, now that Xu Ran had resigned from his lecturer position at the Instructor Hall, they needed to discuss his future arrangements. After all, she had always been responsible for his affairs within the sect.

When Xu Ran arrived at Yue Qingyu’s Cave Mansion, he found her seated on the stone bench in the pavilion by the lake, the same spot where they always met.

Her head was tilted as she gazed at the lotus flowers by the water’s edge.

As a Spirit Plant Master, Xu Ran naturally recognized them. The lotuses in the lake were called Taiyi Cyan Lotus, a Seventh Grade Spiritual Plant that could aid in Enlightenment Dao.

The only problem was that the Cyan Lotus were still seedlings. They would need at least a thousand years to mature; otherwise, he might have been shameless enough to ask for a seed.

The lake, placid as an ancient well, the Cyan Lotus swaying in the breeze, and the ethereal, white-clad figure beneath the pavilion—the scene would make any visitor subconsciously hold their breath, afraid to shatter the tranquility.

”Congratulations, Junior Brother, on your breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. You have set foot upon the true path of the Dao.”

Yue Qingyu’s beautiful eyes fell upon Xu Ran. Noticing the change in his aura, she instantly understood and offered her congratulations with a light smile. But after she spoke, her brow furrowed slightly, as if in thought. A moment later, she looked at Xu Ran and asked softly,

”Do many people know about your Foundation Establishment?”

Xu Ran was taken aback. He frowned in thought for a moment before replying, ”I haven’t reported it to the Sect, nor have I mentioned it to others. That said, I haven’t gone out of my way to hide it, so I assume some people are aware.”

He then asked with a hint of concern, ”Is that a problem?”

Yue Qingyu shook her head gently. ”Junior Brother, your past accomplishments, especially your work with Spirit Rice, have been quite influential. But even if other sects looked into you, they would have learned your cultivation was merely at the Qi Cultivation Stage and wouldn’t have given you much thought.”

”Given the talent you had previously displayed, it was uncertain if you could have broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage even with another three hundred years.”

”The fact that you’ve now broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage proves your talent isn’t as poor as we once thought.”

Seeing the worry on Xu Ran’s face, she added reassuringly,

”But you don’t need to worry too much, Junior Brother. Even with this breakthrough, you are still only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Forces stronger than our Profound Pure Sect won’t go to war over someone at your level, and those who might harbor ideas about you lack the power to act on them.”

Xu Ran breathed a sigh of relief. ’She’s right,’ he thought. ’I’m not some lone cultivator, and the Profound Pure Sect is no minor sect. There’s no need to be overly concerned.’

Then, feigning a look of shame, he asked, ”Will this cause trouble for the Sect?”

’I need to get some things clear upfront, or I won’t be able to rest easy.’

Yue Qingyu smiled faintly and spoke in a soft voice, ”Junior Brother, you must remember one thing: for a Cultivator, a breakthrough in cultivation—taking another step on the path to attaining the Dao—is the most important thing there is.”

Her eyes locked onto his. ”When you first joined, you told me your heart was that of a Seeker. You weren’t wrong. Why, then, do you feel so uneasy now?”

”No matter what consequences your breakthrough brings, it is not a mistake. It is something worth celebrating. The Sect will never prevent any disciple from making a breakthrough.”

She smiled gently. ”Besides, as I just said, it won’t cause any major trouble. All you need to do is cultivate in peace, without any reservations.”

Hearing her words, Xu Ran sighed inwardly. ’That’s Senior Sister Yue for you. Not only is she so considerate and meticulous, but even her words of comfort cut straight to the core and set a person’s heart at ease.’

Seeing Xu Ran relax, Yue Qingyu thought for a moment and said, ”Now that you’ve resigned from your lecturer position at the Instructor Hall... I’ve noticed you seem to enjoy researching Cultivation Techniques. How about I arrange for you to go to the Scripture Pavilion? Except for the techniques on the top two floors, you may freely browse the rest.”

’Hearing this, Xu Ran was overjoyed. ’My decision to pause my cultivation and research Spirit Rice was absolutely the right one! Senior Sister Yue is truly my greatest benefactor. She understands me so well!’’

Seeing his reaction, Yue Qingyu nodded slightly and said softly, ”From now on, stay within the Scripture Pavilion. Do your best to keep a low profile.”

”However, the path of the Dao is a solitary one. I hope you can endure the loneliness, cultivate diligently, and one day attain the Dao and roam free.”

The phrase ”the path of the Dao is a solitary one” gave Xu Ran pause. It made him think of his own chosen path, the Path of Sentience, and he cupped his hands to ask for her wisdom.

”Senior Sister, when you say the path of the Dao is solitary, do you mean that a Cultivator must ultimately walk a path of heartlessness, severing all emotion?”

Yue Qingyu shook her head at his question. She replied,

”In the Cultivation Realm, there are certainly many who advocate for that view, but it is not my path.”

”The path of the Dao being solitary means that from the moment you begin to cultivate, you embark on a lonely road.”

”Everyone’s Dao is different. Even when using the exact same Cultivation Technique, the Dao that different people cultivate will be distinct.”

”And so, every person’s Dao is lonely, because every person’s Dao is unique.”

”But just as a single path cannot create this vibrant, flourishing world, it is the intersection of countless Daos that gives rise to the world we see before us.”

”On this solitary journey, you will encounter many people and events. It is precisely these encounters and intersections that prevent the path of cultivation from becoming monotonous.”

”It is like with Que’Er. I was powerless to change the outcome of her departure, but I would not avoid contact with her or choose to forget her simply because she was fated to leave. I will always remember her. That includes you, Junior Brother, and every person and event I have ever encountered. It is these encounters, time and again, that keep my path of cultivation from feeling so desolate.”

”Do you understand now, Junior Brother?”

Xu Ran raised his hands and gave Yue Qingyu a deep bow. ”Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. I believe I understand.”

’After listening to Yue Qingyu, Xu Ran felt her Dao was quite similar to his own. Both of them walked a Path of Sentience, yet it wasn’t a passionate one of actively immersing oneself in the world to experience its every facet. It was a path of tranquility.’

’No wonder Yue Qingyu seems so aloof and otherworldly, yet acts with such consideration. Her transcendent air comes from being a pure Seeker, but her Dao is not one of heartless, worldly detachment. She is both an observer and a participant, committing every step of the journey to memory.’

Yue Qingyu saw his reaction and nodded slightly, adding one last piece of advice. ”The Cultivation Realm will not be peaceful in the days to come. Be careful.”

Her words made Xu Ran pause. His thoughts went to the earlier incident with the Wangyue Sect. ”Senior Sister, do you think that new territory is an overt plot by the Evil and Demon Domains?”

Yue Qingyu glanced at him. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head gently and said,

”I am more inclined to see it as a wager between both sides. The Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race believe they can use a single domain to cause our self-destruction, while we believe we can emerge even stronger, tempered by the flames of war.”

Xu Ran was stunned for a moment, then, after some thought, he understood. The various sects of the Immortal Ancient World must have seen through the plans of the Evil and Demon Domains. They had simply chosen to ”raise a gu”—to let a world-sweeping conflict temper and forge even stronger experts.

Perhaps this was a tacit understanding between both sides. Just as Yue Qingyu said, it was a gamble that would decide their respective fates.

He mulled it over for a moment, then asked, ”But isn’t that a bit of a stretch? Wouldn’t the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race be taking a huge loss? What gives them the confidence they can win?”

Yue Qingyu considered this for a moment. ”They must have something to fall back on, an ace up their sleeve. They would only offer up an entire domain for their scheme if they were certain of victory. Over these long ages, who can say how many pawns they have placed throughout the Immortal Ancient World?”

”Then is there any way for us to uncover these schemes?”

Yue Qingyu shook her head. ”They have spent ages laying this groundwork; they are surely not worried about it being discovered. Unless someone can achieve Heart Melt Heaven and Earth and perceive every trace in the world, there is no hope.”

”But these are not matters for us to worry about. Reasonable or not, it is already in motion, so we can only let nature take its course.”

”Cultivate diligently. That is the only way to have a greater chance of protecting yourself in the coming turmoil.”