Watching the Mountain

Chapter 389: Chapter 209: Dust-covered Qing Xuan, Hidden Mountain Golden Core

He hadn’t experienced this kind of bustling energy, this lively, worldly atmosphere, since before he joined the Sect.

The three of them walked into the town and quickly blended into the lively crowd. However, they only looked at the various stalls from a distance, showing no intention of joining in.

Xu Ran noticed this and said to Qing Li, who was beside him:

”Qing Li, neither Teacher Qing Xuan nor I have ever been to the Mortal World. You used to be a traveling doctor here, so you must be familiar with everything. Why don’t you show us around? Tell us what’s good to eat and what’s fun to do. Let us experience the vibrant life of the Mortal World too.”

This was, of course, a lie. He was sure Teacher Qing Xuan must have been to the Mortal World before, but he said it anyway to give the father and daughter a chance to share a warm moment.

Upon hearing this, Qing Li looked at Teacher Qing Xuan with some hesitation.

Teacher Qing Xuan gave her a gentle smile. ”Show us around.”

”Okay.” Qing Li nodded, quickly pulling them over to a stall. She picked up an item, handed it to them, and began to introduce it in a low voice.

Teacher Qing Xuan listened with great interest, his eyes slightly narrowed, never leaving her face for even a second.

Qing Li was indeed exceptionally familiar with the Mortal World. It was clear her time as a traveling doctor had allowed her to fully immerse herself in its way of life.

Food, games, clothes—she led the two of them through one experience after another.

At first, Xu Ran tagged along, but he later slipped away from the group, leaving the father and daughter to themselves.

Late that night, Xu Ran, who had already returned to Qing Xuan Peak, watched as Teacher Qing Xuan came back holding Qing Li’s hand. In their other hands, they each held a skewer of snacks.

Seeing a great Nascent Soul True Monarch like Teacher Qing Xuan holding a snack from the Mortal World didn’t seem the least bit strange to Xu Ran. On the contrary, he found the scene before him to be perfectly harmonious.

It was the image of a father returning from an outing with his daughter.

It had nothing to do with one’s Realm.

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In the end, Teacher Qing Xuan entered Dust-Sealing. The semicircle left by his wife’s Dust-Sealed Stone closed, forming a complete circle.

The Dust-Sealed Stone enveloped the two of them as they held each other in an embrace. In the center of the circle, a space was left for Qing Li. Even if she would not join them in Dust-Sealing, there would always be a place for her in the family.

Before entering Dust-Sealing, Teacher Qing Xuan thanked Xu Ran for allowing him to enjoy the happiness of being a father in his final moments.

It wasn’t until Teacher Qing Xuan said this that Xu Ran finally understood why the father and daughter’s interactions had been so strange.

Shortly after Qing Li was born, Teacher Qing Xuan, then at the Golden Core Stage, sensed an opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm and went into seclusion to attempt it.

As for what happened next, Xu Ran already knew. Due to an unstable state of mind, the breakthrough failed, and he nearly perished, his cultivation wiped out.

Later, due to the matter of the Sect’s compensation funds, he successfully broke through to Nascent Soul and founded Qing Xuan Peak. However, he was still incomplete in some way and spent most of his time in seclusion.

It wasn’t until Chen Minghe’s transformation that he found his path beyond the Nascent Soul Realm and remedied his deficiencies.

But by then, Qing Li was already decades, even a century old. After a gap of nearly a hundred years, how could they possibly interact normally?

So, Teacher Qing Xuan had always longed for a daughter, but it was only today that he had truly experienced what it was like to be a father for a day.

Just one short day.

For both Teacher Qing Xuan and Qing Li, that time was far, far too short.

Xu Ran’s emotions churned, and he frowned. He truly hoped that Teacher Qing Xuan could find lasting happiness.

His gaze flickered as he looked at Qing Li beside him. He thought of Little Xiyue. Although she had left him for now, he was fortunate that she would one day return.

But what about Teacher Qing Xuan? After experiencing just one day of paternal happiness, he would awaken from his sealing in the future only to find his daughter gone. For his teacher, this was a bit too cruel.

As his student, he wanted his teacher to be happy. But what Qing Li was doing was her own choice, a choice that both her father and mother respected...

’What should I do?’

He was momentarily at a loss.

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After Teacher Qing Xuan entered Dust-Sealing, Xu Ran calmed his feelings of farewell and began to wander around the Sect.

He was recalling a lesson Teacher Qing Xuan had given him before. In that class, Teacher Qing Xuan had taught him a great deal.

At the end, Teacher Qing Xuan had said that he could have achieved his Golden Core long ago. The reason he had been unable to break through was that he was not resolute enough in his own Dao.

This left Xu Ran confused. As far as he was concerned, he had always been resolute in his Dao.

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Teacher Qing Xuan had asked lightly:

”If you believe you are resolute enough in your Dao, then why haven’t you broken through?”

Xu Ran was taken aback and was about to explain when Teacher Qing Xuan waved his hand and said, ”I’ve told you before, you already meet all the conditions.”

”Your inability to break through means you are either denying your Dao or denying yourself. Think back carefully. Is your heart truly resolute?”

”Think about it carefully. Once you understand, the breakthrough will be a matter of course.”

”I hope that when we meet again, your Cultivation is no longer at the Purple Mansion Stage.”

Teacher Qing Xuan’s lesson ended there, and he said no more.

Xu Ran walked aimlessly until late at night, when a full moon hung in the sky. The question still echoed in his mind.

He still believed he was resolute enough in his Dao. But just as Teacher Qing Xuan had said, why hadn’t he broken through yet?

’Could it be that I’m really denying my own Dao?’

He shook his head. The Dao of Sentience was a choice from his own heart. He had never regretted it. Life in the Sect had only made him more resolute in his decision.

Just as he was lost in thought, a faint, ethereal fragrance drifted from the mountains.

He looked up slightly and saw a graceful figure standing silently under the moonlight.

Moonlight spilled down, making her simple white dress glow with a soft radiance.

Her ink-black hair contrasted with her skin, which was as smooth and clear as jade, seeming to emit a soft glow in the night.

She stood quietly beneath the moon, surrounded by a cool, flowing moonlight that made her seem so otherworldly she couldn’t possibly belong to the Mortal World. Instead, she looked like a Fairy who had stepped out of an ancient painting.

”Senior Sister Yue.”

Seeing the figure standing there, Xu Ran called out.

Hearing his voice, Yue Qingyu glanced back. Her gaze fell upon him, and a slight smile graced her lips as she responded softly:

”Junior Brother.”