Watching the Mountain

Chapter 327: Chapter 190: Return

When Xu Ran learned that the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect’s ancestor had broken through to the Divinity Transformation Stage by following the Flying Immortal Stream path, he was genuinely astonished.

Never mind the fact that this person was the first known cultivator to reach the Divinity Transformation Stage through the Flying Immortal Stream.

What he found hard to understand was why a Divinity Transformation cultivator from the Flying Immortal Stream would be so brazen about it.

It was common knowledge that the combat power of the Flying Immortal Stream was the lowest among cultivators of the same Realm.

When the Profound Pure Sect realized that Shen Wuchen showed great promise of reaching the Divinity Transformation Stage via the Flying Immortal Stream path, their first instinct was to have him break through in the Overseas Archipelago. He was to hide his new status to prevent the Sect from being recognized as a Divinity Transformation Influence.

And yet, after the breakthrough, the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect had eagerly announced it to the world, elevating their Sect to a Divinity Transformation Influence.

’Why were they so confident?’

Luo Qianxue had an explanation for this.

After the Jade Radiance Ancestor reached the Divinity Transformation Stage via the Flying Immortal Stream path, he tested his strength against cultivators from neighboring Sects. He easily defeated a combined assault from several Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, including three at the Nascent Soul Late Stage.

This led him to believe that perhaps after reaching the Divinity Transformation Stage, the gap in combat power for Flying Immortal Stream Cultivators of the same Realm wasn’t as significant as it had been before.

Of course, that wasn’t the main reason he decided to announce his breakthrough to the world.

His reasoning was that once the Sect was promoted to a Divinity Transformation Influence, they could relocate to a vast territory like Cyan Cloud County. As long as they didn’t actively stir up trouble, the Sect’s safety would be assured for a hundred years.

Although the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect was low-key, it was by no means weak. Publicly, the Sect had four Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. In reality, not counting the Jade Radiance Ancestor who had just reached Divinity Transformation, they had six Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

This level of power ranked them among the top in all of Changqing County. For comparison, the Profound Pure Sect, the strongest in Changqing County, had ten Nascent Soul True Monarchs before losing its three main peaks. During its subsequent decline, their number dropped to just six.

More importantly, among the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect’s Nascent Soul True Monarchs, one was at the Nascent Soul Late Stage and had already reached the threshold of the Divinity Transformation Stage.

If they moved to a place like Cyan Cloud County, he might find some fortuitous encounters and would have a very real chance of breaking through to the Divinity Transformation Stage within the hundred-year grace period.

Thus, once the hundred years were up, the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect would boast two Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarchs—one from the Flying Immortal Stream and one traditional—allowing them to firmly establish themselves in Cyan Cloud County.

After hearing Luo Qianxue’s explanation, Xu Ran immediately understood the Jade Radiance Ancestor’s reasoning.

To put it bluntly, it was a gamble. If the Sect’s other Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator on the cusp of the Divinity Transformation Stage could break through within a hundred years, the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect would skyrocket to a whole new level.

Faced with such a tempting prospect, most people would have probably made the same choice as the Jade Radiance Ancestor.

Even if they didn’t find any great fortuitous encounters after moving to Cyan Cloud County, the tangible presence of Law Dao Rhyme and the concentration of Spiritual Qi there were far beyond anything a place like Changqing County could offer.

That Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator was already at the threshold of the Divinity Transformation Stage. In a place like Cyan Cloud County, his chances of breaking through were much greater than in Changqing County, even with just regular cultivation.

According to the Jade Radiance Ancestor’s original plan, the probability of success wasn’t low. As long as they could pass the next hundred years peacefully, the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect might truly have been able to leap the dragon gate and reach a new echelon.

Unfortunately, man’s schemes are no match for heaven’s will. Before their plan could succeed, the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect was annihilated.

Logically, given the Jade Radiance Ancestor’s plan and the Sect’s usual low-key, patient demeanor, it was highly unlikely they would have provoked anyone.

There must have been more to the story, but Luo Qianxue was unwilling to elaborate, so Xu Ran remained in the dark about what truly happened.

Xu Ran didn’t dwell on it. That was just how things were sometimes: the plan could be perfect, but the unexpected always arrived first.

He felt sorry for Luo Qianxue, though. He’d grown quite fond of the quirky and cunning girl. ’All I can do now is wish her a smooth journey from here on out.’

Afterward, Xu Ran quietly found Li Daoyi and Lu Mingchen and told them what had happened to Luo Qianxue.

”What? Fellow Daoist Qianxue’s Sect was destroyed? How could that happen? Where is she now? Is she all right?”

The words had barely left his mouth when Lu Mingchen cried out, his expression a mask of pure anxiety.

Before Xu Ran could reply, Li Daoyi, who stood beside them, spoke up to reassure him.

”Don’t worry, Junior Brother Lu. If Fellow Daoist Qianxue was able to get this message to Elder Hidden Mountain, she must be out of danger.”

Realization dawned on Lu Mingchen. He let out a long sigh of relief. ”You’re right. Thank goodness. As long as Fellow Daoist Qianxue is safe, that’s all that matters.”

Xu Ran gave Li Daoyi a slight nod. ’This martial nephew’s intelligence and composure truly are on a different level from ordinary disciples like Lu Mingchen. He figured it out in an instant.’

Just as Xu Ran was having this thought, Li Daoyi tilted his head back slightly, a complex expression on his face as he lamented:

”Ten years ago, when Fellow Daoist Qianxue came to say her goodbyes, I wondered if I would fall too far behind her once she left for Cyan Cloud County. Because of that, I haven’t dared to slack off for a single moment these past years, afraid that the next time we met, I wouldn’t even be worthy of discussing the Dao with her over tea. And yet, only ten years have passed...”

He shook his head and let out a soft sigh, his gaze turning to Xu Ran.