Watching the Mountain

Chapter 72: Chapter 66: You Have Grown

The New Domain, which had been seized from the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race, had mostly stabilized. Now, it was time to divide the spoils.

Aside from distributing rewards based on Contribution Points, the Cultivation Realm had a long-standing tradition of holding competitions among the cultivators of various sects and realms. Tournaments between the younger disciples, in particular, were an essential part of the process.

It was as if, to the Cultivation Realm, dividing the spoils without this event would be like losing its very soul.

What greatly reassured Xu Ran was that in the following days, the old ancestor of the Flame Sun Sect didn’t come storming their gates. In fact, there had been no news of him at all recently. Perhaps this was also related to the ongoing division of spoils in the New Domain.

All eyes in the Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm were now focused here, pushing all other matters to the side.

The Profound Pure Sect’s four prodigies, who had shone brightly on the Evil Demon Battlefield, were all participating in this grand tournament: White-clothed Fairy Yue Qingyu, Evergreen Sword Saint Zhang Zhentian, Pill-Digging Witch Ye Qingxue, and Deceitful Blade Chen Chang’an—the one whose accomplishments always landed him just on the cusp of being a genius.

In addition, the disciples from Spirit Stream Peak sent to participate in the tournament were Ye Qingyue and Shen Wuchen.

Xu Ran was stunned when he saw the list. He could understand everyone on it, including Ye Qingyue. Even though she had transferred from the Wangyue Sect midway through her training, she had already been a somewhat famous genius there, and now her strength had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.

’But what the hell is Shen Wuchen doing on the list?’

’Did some big shot in the Sect add his name on a whim? This is a complete joke.’

’Or did the Sect figure everyone else was guaranteed to win? If every single participant won, it would draw too much attention. So, did they bring Shen Wuchen, a disciple guaranteed to lose, to single-handedly take all the losses the Sect was supposed to rack up?’

Xu Ran’s feelings were complicated. Though Shen Wuchen was his semi-disciple, he theoretically shouldn’t be thinking of him this way. But his skill was truly...

Sigh!

Before the Profound Pure Sect’s team departed, Xu Ran met with Shen Wuchen.

When he saw Shen Wuchen, the latter had his arms crossed, an aloof expression of a lonely master on his face. With his eyes shut tight, he completely ignored the disciples behind him who were cheering and seeing him off.

’To think he even closed his eyes... one can only imagine how anxious he must be right now.’

Xu Ran sighed internally, silently walked to his side, and whispered in his ear, ”What’s going on?”

Hearing his voice, Shen Wuchen slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was vacant. Without a word, he stiffly shook his head.

After a moment of silence, Xu Ran asked, ”Should I go have a word with them for you? See if there was a mistake with the list?”

At these words, light instantly returned to Shen Wuchen’s vacant eyes. A hint of joy appeared at their corners, and he was just about to agree.

But just as he was about to, he caught a glimpse of a beautiful, smiling figure watching him from nearby. His face froze. He shook his head and forced out three words:

”I... am fearless!”

Xu Ran’s expression faltered. He had noticed Shen Wuchen’s odd behavior, and after glancing at Ye Qingyue in the distance, he stared straight at Shen Wuchen. ”Is your heart still set on pursuing the Dao, as it was in the beginning?”

Shen Wuchen seemed dazed for a moment. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he raised his chin slightly, his expression aloof and his gaze distant, and declared with resolute finality:

”I will attain the Great Dao and stand at the pinnacle of the Immortal Ancient.”

Watching him, a vein throbbed on Xu Ran’s forehead. He could swear to the heavens that this was one thing he had absolutely not taught Shen Wuchen.

Ever since he’d known Shen Wuchen, the boy would naturally adopt that blank, arrogant expression whenever he was nervous. It was all innate.

Xu Ran nodded, reached out, and gently patted Shen Wuchen’s shoulder. ”Well then, do your best. I’ll be here in the Sect, waiting for news of your victory.”

Hearing this, Shen Wuchen’s body gave an imperceptible shudder, but the expression on his face didn’t change in the slightest.

”There’s no need to wait, Master Xu. You already know the result.”

Xu Ran’s lips twitched uncontrollably. ’So you do know, huh?’

He sighed helplessly and added, ”Forget it. Nothing else matters, just be careful.”

Shen Wuchen froze for a second, then nodded lightly. When he saw the Flying Ship arrive, he turned to Xu Ran, his face blank. ”This disciple is leaving.”

With that, he began walking toward the Flying Ship, his steps rigid.

Xu Ran silently watched him board the Flying Ship. Not until it was far in the distance did he gently shake his head.

’It’s just losing, after all. Shen Wuchen is used to it. Nothing to worry about.’

*

*

*

This New Domain tournament involved many stages and would take a long time, an estimated five to ten years. The exact end date was still unknown, so all anyone could do was wait patiently.

After the Profound Pure Sect’s team departed, things were uneventful both within the Sect and throughout the Cultivation Realm. It was a period of peace and harmony.

By the time a Supreme Elder from Inference Dao Peak, at the Nascent Soul Late Stage, returned from the New Domain, the attack Xu Ran had feared from the Flame Sun Sect’s old ancestor still hadn’t occurred.

This put him greatly at ease. Now that the Sect had a Nascent Soul Late Stage Supreme Elder holding down the fort, he no longer needed to be as worried as before.

And so, half a year passed in quiet leisure, until the day Wang Xiaohu sought out Xu Ran once more.

This time, Wang Xiaohu looked extremely anxious. After giving Xu Ran a customary salute, he asked impatiently:

”Senior Brother Xu, can you get in touch with Elder Qing Xuan? If we can’t reach him soon, there might be unrest in the Sect.”

Xu Ran was taken aback. ”What’s going on?”

This time, Wang Xiaohu didn’t hold back, telling him everything that had happened in the Sect.

It turned out he was looking for Qing Xuan Master because the Sect had fallen behind on paying the pensions for the many disciples who were killed or wounded on the Evil Demon Battlefield.

The Sect had made promises several times, but in the end, they just kept putting it off.

As a last resort, the families and friends of the fallen disciples thought of asking Qing Xuan Master to step forward and seek justice for them.

When faced with such injustice, the only person in the entire Sect they could think of who would dare to stand up for them was Qing Xuan Master.

Hearing this, Xu Ran’s face filled with disbelief. ”Withholding pensions for the dead and wounded? That’s impossible, isn’t it? Our Sect wouldn’t do something like that.”

He was genuinely stunned. In his mind, while the Profound Pure Sect had its darker aspects, it was, on the whole, a Righteous Dao sect with integrity and principles.

He found it hard to imagine the Profound Pure Sect being capable of something that crossed such a moral line.

Hearing his words, Wang Xiaohu shook his head helplessly. ”Under normal circumstances, the Sect would indeed never do such a thing. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”

”But the Sect has been through several hardships and is already struggling. Although things had improved for a while, the Sect has recruited many new disciples in recent years, increasing the strain on our resources several-fold.”

”When the families and friends of the fallen disciples went to the Internal Affairs Hall to demand an explanation, the Hall Master was candid and laid the Sect’s situation bare for all to see. The Sect’s current burden is truly overwhelming. If they pay out the pensions, they won’t be able to cover the current disciples’ expenses.”

”According to the Sect, it’s not that they won’t pay, but that they need to wait twenty or thirty years. Once the Sect has recovered some of its vitality, they’ll make up for the missed payments.”

”This...” Xu Ran fell silent. The situation was indeed complicated. There were only so many resources to go around, and one group would have to go without...

Watching Xu Ran’s reaction, Wang Xiaohu took a deep breath. ”Senior Brother Xu, everyone knows the Sect will make good on its promise in the future. We all trust the Sect’s reputation. But... some people can’t afford to wait. Twenty or thirty years from now, they might not be around anymore. They want to live, too.”

”So, if you can get in touch with Qing Xuan Master, could you please pass on a message for us? Just tell him... he’s the only one we can rely on now. We hope he can come forward and see that justice is done.”

*

*

*

After Wang Xiaohu left, Xu Ran was lost in thought. His mind was in turmoil. Faced with this situation, he truly didn’t know what the right choice was.

In the past, whenever he faced a problem he couldn’t think through, he would ask Qing Xuan Master for guidance. But now, his teacher wasn’t here.

After thinking for a long time, he finally got up and headed toward Qing Xuan Master’s residence.

Regardless of whether he ended up telling Qing Xuan Master about the situation, the elder had been in seclusion for so long without any news. Xu Ran really did need to go check on him.

Qing Xuan Master was not in seclusion in his own Cave Mansion, but in his Dao Companion’s. He had not told many people that he had a Dao Companion. Aside from a few close acquaintances, no one in the entire Sect knew, which was why Wang Xiaohu had been unable to find him.

Qing Xuan Master’s Dao Companion was a gentle-looking, middle-aged woman in a simple green dress. While not stunningly beautiful, she had a kindness about her that made one feel instantly at ease.

She was a Spirit Talisman Master at the Core Formation Stage. It was said she had joined the Sect at the same time as Qing Xuan Master. She was usually very low-key and not well-known.

When Xu Ran arrived, she welcomed him inside with a smile, served him Spirit Tea and Spirit Fruit, and kindly asked about how he had been doing recently.

But when Xu Ran asked about Qing Xuan Master’s condition, the smile on her face froze, and she fell silent.

Seeing her reaction, Xu Ran’s heart lurched, and a terrible premonition suddenly surfaced.

But before he could ask, a cough suddenly sounded nearby, and a frail, aged voice reached his ears:

”COUGH, COUGH. Come in and speak.”

Xu Ran was startled by the voice. Qing Xuan Master’s Dao Companion slowly rose, gestured to him, and led him toward a hidden chamber.

When the door to the chamber opened, an aged figure came into view, his hair completely white and his body emaciated, little more than skin and bones.

He wore a purple robe and sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. His aura was feeble, his cheeks were sunken, and his eyes seemed to bulge from their sockets.

When he got a clear look at the figure in the chamber, Xu Ran’s heart lurched again. The breath caught in his chest, and his body felt immensely heavy, as if a pair of invisible hands were dragging him down into the earth, suffocating him.

He compared the withered figure before him to the tall, dignified, and righteous image of the man in his memory. He clutched his chest, only a single thought remaining in his mind.

’How did it come to this?’

Qing Xuan Master sat on the cushion. Though his condition was dire, his eyes were still deep and bright.

His sharp gaze studied Xu Ran for a moment before he let out a gratified chuckle, stroking his chin and nodding slightly.

”Xu Ran, I can sense that your heart has gained more of a sense of justice.”

He sighed, a touch of emotion in his voice. ”It seems you’ve grown a great deal over the years.”