Watching the Mountain

Chapter 330: Chapter 190: Return

They used to talk about facing off against the Five Young Demon Saints of the Demon Court, about ascending to the pinnacle of the Great Dao together, and about shaping the world into the image they wanted to see.

But so little time had passed. One friend’s Sect was annihilated, and she now bore the heavy burden of continuing its legacy. The other had ”defected” from his Sect and was now a fugitive, hiding in some unknown corner of the world.

The fates of the three most dazzling young talents of their generation in Changqing County had taken such a drastic, sudden, and bizarre turn.

This left Li Daoyi with a faint sense of unease. ’Both of my friends have suffered such calamities. What about me?’

’Will I be next?’

What unsettled him even more was that his worry wasn’t just baseless anxiety; it was a very real possibility.

The Sect had not been at peace in recent years. If not for its profound foundation and the deterring might of his master and Uncle Wuchen, he might have ended up just like his two friends, adrift and struggling in the Cultivation Realm.

The Sect seemed fine on the surface, but it was actually weathering a storm, its future uncertain.

In the battle ten years ago, when his master and Wuchen True Monarch fought off twelve Nascent Soul True Monarchs, the Sect had not escaped unscathed.

When the other Supreme Elders joined forces against that one Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator, four of them were gravely injured. Three Supreme Elders from the Flying Immortal Stream and one from Inference Dao Peak were so severely wounded that they still hadn’t recovered.

Furthermore, over the past decade, people had intermittently appeared at the sect’s gates, attempting to sabotage the Sect Protection Array. And at the most recent recruitment assembly, they had only managed to enlist about a hundred new disciples.

Everything pointed to the fact that the Sect’s future would not be easy.

It wasn’t that he didn’t worry about Chu Lingxiao, nor was it that he was heartless. Rather, he carried a more important responsibility.

As the Chief Disciple, he had to consider the future of the Profound Pure Sect. He also had to strengthen his own cultivation and power so that if the Sect were to truly face a calamity in the future, he would be able to protect it.

Lu Mingchen stared blankly at his Chief Disciple, then lowered his head slightly. After a long moment, he nodded forcefully and replied:

”Chief Disciple, I understand. I will work hard on my cultivation.”

He knew everything the Chief Disciple had said; he was just worried about Fellow Daoist Chu. He truly envied his Chief Disciple, who could remain calm and find a solution no matter the circumstances, unlike himself, who always panicked and lost his composure.

He then lifted his head slightly, his gaze drifting to the distance as he prayed silently in his heart, ’I hope Fellow Daoist Chu is safe. And Fellow Daoist Qianxue... I hope she can lead the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect back to its former strength soon.’

Even so, his heart was in turmoil. He remembered how happy they had all been when Fellow Daoist Qianxue and Fellow Daoist Chu visited the Profound Pure Sect—when the four of them discussed the Dao, joked around, and talked about the future.

He never would have thought that after just a few years, things would turn out like this. Given Fellow Daoist Chu’s and Fellow Daoist Qianxue’s current situations, they would surely never be able to get together happily like before.

It would be difficult for them to even meet.

As for going to the Demon Race, there was definitely no chance of that now.

Lu Mingchen gazed at the sunset clouds in the sky. The crimson-tinted wisps reminded him of their smiles from when they all sat together. The smiles on everyone’s faces back then had been just as beautiful and captivating.

A ripple of emotion passed through his eyes as he thought, ’I really hope... I really hope I’ll get to see them again.’

Then, he silently lowered his head.

*

*

*

Xu Ran had also been keeping an eye on news about Chu Lingxiao, but three months had passed without a single word.

He figured Chu Lingxiao must have already left Changqing County. As for where he had gone, Xu Ran had no idea.

As far as Xu Ran was concerned, no matter how close he was to Luo Qianxue or Chu Lingxiao, they were ultimately not from the same sect. There was nothing he could do for them, aside from wishing them well.

Today, however, on his way to the Scripture Pavilion on Qing Xuan Peak, he ran into Chen Minghe and Qing Li, who had just returned from the Mortal World.

They had gone to the Mortal World together to collect and research medical arts, hoping to complete Hao Miaomiao’s medical texts and also do something about the world’s affliction.

They had finally returned. But what surprised Xu Ran was that Chen Minghe’s current state seemed a little strange.

His cultivation seemed to have vanished.

This stunned Xu Ran. When he first met Chen Minghe, he was already at the Purple Mansion Stage and had led their team in the inter-sect tournament.

When he left the sect with Qing Li, Teacher Qing Xuan’s daughter, his cultivation had been at the Core Formation Stage.

’Could something have happened in the Mortal World?’ But if that were the case, Qing Li, who was right beside him, still had her cultivation. Besides, neither of them seemed to have any injuries.