Watching the Mountain

Chapter 326: Chapter 189: Hidden Mountain Spell

’In that case, her breakthrough must be thanks to her master.’

Then, an excited Elder Xu said to Xu Ran:

”Elder Hidden Mountain, how do you teach your disciples? Could you teach me?”

Xu Ran was slightly taken aback by his excitement and asked hesitantly, ”Elder Xu, what is this about?”

The words had barely left his lips when Elder Xu bowed deeply. ”Elder Hidden Mountain, I know this is presumptuous, but I truly wish to learn your philosophy for teaching disciples. If I had your skill, I could absolutely guide this batch of disciples to greatness.”

Hearing this, Xu Ran quickly waved his hands. ”Elder Xu, you’ve misunderstood. Ling’Er reaching the Nascent Soul Stage was due to other fortuitous encounters. It has little to do with me.”

”You’re being too modest, Elder Hidden Mountain.” Elder Xu was unmoved, his gaze burning as he stared at him.

’He believed that while Jiang Ling’Er must have had some fortuitous encounters to reach the Nascent Soul Stage, it didn’t negate the credit due to her master, Elder Hidden Mountain.’

No matter how Xu Ran tried to explain after that, Elder Xu remained unconvinced, certain that he was just being modest.

’Looking at Elder Xu’s determined expression, Xu Ran understood. He was doing this for the sake of cultivating pillars for the Sect.’

Seeing this, he fell silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh of resignation, he took out a Jade Scroll and handed it to Elder Xu. ”Perhaps it has something to do with this Cultivation Technique.”

’His Cultivation Technique was just a basic template. The specific traits one developed from it varied from person to person; everyone’s result was unique. He wasn’t worried about any negative consequences from sharing it.’

After taking the Jade Scroll, Elder Xu examined it seriously. His expression shifted subtly before he finally sighed in admiration:

”What a unique Cultivation Technique. It’s completely different from any existing path in the Cultivation Realm.”

He paused, then added with a strange look, ”It’s just... the name of this technique is... ’Hidden Mountain Spell.’”

’The corner of his mouth twitched. The name alone didn’t inspire much desire to even look at it.’

Seeing his reaction, Xu Ran gave an embarrassed smile. ”It’s a Cultivation Technique I created myself, so I just gave it a casual name.”

Elder Xu fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft breath. ”It’s excellent. The name doesn’t matter; its core philosophy is what’s important... May I teach this to the disciples of the Instructor Hall?”

Xu Ran nodded. ”If it helps cultivate talent for the Sect, I would be honored.”

He was speaking from the heart. After creating the Cultivation Technique and receiving the approval of Senior Sister Yue and Teacher Qing Xuan, he had placed it in the Scripture Pavilion of every peak.

But in all the years since, it seemed no one had ever tried to learn it. It hadn’t made the slightest ripple, a fact he found quite disheartening.

”Then, on behalf of the Sect’s disciples, I thank you, Elder Hidden Mountain.”

Elder Xu spoke with a look of deep admiration for Xu Ran, but he didn’t offer excessive praise. ’In his eyes, an elder who could create such a technique yet remained unknown within the Sect must be someone who was naturally indifferent to fame and fortune. Too much praise might only displease him.’

*

*

*

A few days after his meeting with Elder Xu, things at the Profound Pure Sect were calm, with nothing major happening. But then, Luo Qianxue, whom he hadn’t heard from in a very long time, suddenly contacted him.

”Elder Hidden Mountain, our Sect... is gone.”

Luo Qianxue’s devastated voice came through the Communication Jade Talisman.

”What?” Xu Ran cried out in shock. ’The Jade Radiance Immortal Sect was destroyed?’

’How is that possible? Didn’t they just relocate ten years ago? The hundred-year protection period hadn’t even passed yet, so how could they have been suddenly wiped out?’

Hearing Xu Ran’s confusion, Luo Qianxue sobbed for a moment before speaking, her voice choked with tears:

”The hundred-year protection period means others can’t attack us unprovoked. But if *we* were the ones to provoke them...”

”Our Ancestor fell for a scheme... In a moment of impulse...”

After listening to Luo Qianxue’s explanation, Xu Ran fell silent, a wave of melancholy washing over him.

He still remembered how spirited she had been when she came to bid them farewell ten years ago, her eyes filled with anticipation for a new world. He never imagined that in just ten years, it would all end like this.

It was all so sudden.

He opened his mouth to speak, but it felt as if something was caught in his throat. Not a single word would come out.

An image of Luo Qianxue flashed through his mind: her smug grin as she’d secretly revealed her ancestor had achieved Divinity Transformation. Then another: her from ten years ago, head held high as she bid them farewell, full of confidence. ”I am Qianxue Fairy, and I’m destined to astound the entire Cultivation Realm!”

He saw her again, squinting at Lu Mingchen with pride. ”I’m going to Cyan Cloud County! Only a place like that is worthy of this Fairy.”

Those bright, vivid memories now dissolved into the image of a broken figure announcing the fall of her Sect, a contrast that violently tore at his understanding of the world.

He had always assumed that once Luo Qianxue reached Cyan Cloud County, she would soar to new heights, leaving Chu Lingxiao and Li Daoyi far behind.

Changqing County was the second-smallest in the Eastern Domain. Cyan Cloud County was over a thousand times larger; its resources and foundation were on a completely different level.

’Her talent was already on par with Li Daoyi’s and Chu Lingxiao’s. In a place like Cyan Cloud County, she was sure to grow rapidly. It wouldn’t be long before she made a name for herself throughout the Cultivation Realm.’

Xu Ran knew this. After Luo Qianxue had come to say her goodbyes, he could clearly sense that Li Daoyi had started cultivating even more diligently.

Clearly, he didn’t want to be left too far behind her.

Even though they were separated, they were companions who had once vowed to change the world together. How could he let himself fall so far behind?

”Elder Hidden Mountain, I can’t bring myself to tell Fellow Daoist Li and Fellow Daoist Lu. Please, could you tell them for me? Let them know not to worry. I escaped. From now on... I’ll take care of myself. Tell them to take care of themselves, too.”

”You too, Elder. Take care.”

With that, Luo Qianxue silently ended the communication.

’She had contacted him because she wanted him to be the one to break the news to Li Daoyi and the others.’

’Perhaps her current circumstances made her unwilling to face her former companions.’

Xu Ran stared at the Communication Jade Talisman in his hand, lost in silence.

He could almost see it—the shattered light in the eyes of the once quirky and vibrant girl.

The Cave Mansion was deathly still. Only the mountain wind wailed as it passed through the corridors, as if it, too, were sighing at this sudden, cruel twist of fate.

Luo Qianxue had brought another piece of news. As it turned out, the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect’s ancestor who had broken through to the Divinity Transformation Stage had done so using the Flying Immortal Stream path.

’No wonder Senior Sister Yue said it felt strange. This must have been the reason.’

As far as Xu Ran knew, this was the first Cultivator to ever break through to the Divinity Transformation Stage using the Flying Immortal Stream. That was news he had to take seriously.