Watching the Mountain

Chapter 296: Chapter 179: Divinity Transformation

And yet, for all her talent and aptitude, her current Cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul Stage. To the common people of the world, the Nascent Soul Stage was that of an undisputed powerhouse.

For Senior Sister Yue, however, this meant she had yet to reach her full potential. And yet, she was the master of an entire sect.

A Cultivation Realm at the Nascent Soul Stage was not enough for her to shoulder the fate of the entire Sect with ease.

Xu Ran sighed helplessly to himself. ’Senior Sister Yue looks so cold and otherworldly, as if nothing could ever faze her. But on the inside, she’s incredibly gentle. She walks the Path of Emotion, and the Sect is what she truly wants to protect.’

’With the weight of an entire sect on her shoulders, how could she possibly remain as composed as she once was?’

Everyone in the Cultivation Realm knew that this affliction was a curse—that something had gone wrong with the Laws of Heaven and Earth. Yet no one could find a solution.

Xu Ran had tried as well, but he’d made no headway. He didn’t think someone like him could resolve a crisis of this magnitude, so he had simply given up.

But seeing Senior Sister Yue now, he felt he shouldn’t have given up so easily. ’Even Chen Minghe and Qing Li—two ordinary mortals, one old and one young—are trying to rely on their own strength to do something about this affliction. How can I just lie down and do nothing?’

’Just as Chen Minghe and the others said, you have to try, even if it yields no results.’

’Everyone I care about is in the Profound Pure Sect. If we lose the Sect’s protection, these quiet, leisurely days will be over.’

’I might not be able to solve the problem, but at the very least, I shouldn’t just lie down and accept it. This isn’t just for Senior Sister Yue and the Sect—it’s about taking responsibility for my own destiny.’

Xu Ran steeled his resolve, but he didn’t reveal his thoughts to Senior Sister Yue. He simply chatted with her for a while before taking his leave.

Although Senior Sister Yue’s spirits were clearly heavy, he wasn’t worried. She wasn’t the sort to need comfort from others.

After parting ways with Yue Qingyu, Xu Ran began to research the curse in his spare time. Whenever the effects of his *Locking God Spell* wore off and he entered the afflicted state, he would calm his mind and carefully study the sensation.

He hadn’t found any leads yet, but he wasn’t worried. After all, with all the talented experts in the entire Cultivation Realm, no one had found a solution in over a hundred years. If he figured it out in an instant, now *that* would be strange.

He certainly didn’t believe his wisdom alone could surpass that of the entire Cultivation Realm.

During this time, Jiang Nian returned the Jade Scroll to the Scripture Pavilion on Qing Xuan Peak. When Xu Ran asked if he had learned anything, Jiang Nian replied that he had gained a great deal and was now trying to bring some of the ideas within it to fruition.

In response, Xu Ran offered him a few words of encouragement.

The shy, earnest boy flashed him a wide, toothy grin, his face radiating both brilliance and confidence as he said:

”Senior Brother, I’ll make sure you see the fruits of my labor!”

With that, he raised his arm, gave Xu Ran a wave, and eagerly ran off.

From the looks of it, he couldn’t wait to get to the Spirit Field.

Xu Ran watched him go, a faint smile on his lips. ’Ah, to be young and full of passion.’ He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d felt that kind of burning eagerness for something he loved.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

He then shook his head lightly, casting the stray thoughts from his mind.

’A life bursting with energy like that... it belongs to the younger generation, to people like Jiang Nian and Li Daoyi.’

Xu Ran also took the time to discreetly check in on Li Tianhe’s grandson, Li Shaobai. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he got the sense that the boy, inheritor of an Ancient Body Cultivator’s legacy, seemed to lack confidence.

He observed Li Shaobai’s daily interactions with his fellow disciples from a distance. No matter who the boy was with, he seemed overly meek, as if anyone could just boss him around.

This surprised Xu Ran. When Li Tianhe passed away, Li Shaobai had been quiet and lost in grief, and Xu Ran hadn’t spoken with him much. He realized he didn’t know the boy well at all.

While Body Cultivators were rare in the Profound Pure Sect, they weren’t nonexistent. Xu Ran had met a few, and in his experience, even if they weren’t boorish brutes, they always had an imposing aura and a powerful, intimidating presence.

He had truly never seen a Body Cultivator as timid and meek as Li Shaobai.

However, he didn’t approach Li Shaobai. Li Tianhe’s wish had been for his grandson to live a peaceful, uneventful life. As long as the boy wasn’t in any real trouble, Xu Ran wouldn’t interfere.

Still, the boy’s personality made Xu Ran keep a closer eye on him, checking in on his situation from time to time.

Amidst this routine, five years slowly passed. Li Daoyi, who had been wandering the world as a traveling swordsman with his companions Chu Lingxiao and Luo Qianxue, finally returned to the Sect.

After his long period of tempering, Li Daoyi’s aura had grown even stronger than before.

Before, he had merely seemed extraordinary, giving off an air of boundless potential. Now, his edge was fully exposed, like a newly honed, razor-sharp sword.

Merely half a month after his return, he sought out Xu Ran to request a duel. After their battle, he took the initiative to explain: