Watching the Mountain

Chapter 396: Chapter 212: Forbidden Land and Arrangements

”I have established several Forbidden Lands within the Sect. Once the Dao Concealment is complete, this place of yours, Junior Brother, will also be designated as a Forbidden Land.”

Yue Qingyu spoke softly, then with a graceful flip of her hand, a bundle appeared in her palm.

She offered the bundle to Xu Ran and continued,

”Take these Identity Jade Talismans, Junior Brother. The information for each one has been recorded in the Sect’s archives. Once the Dao Concealment is complete, you can use these identities to appear before the world.”

Xu Ran wasn’t surprised by Senior Sister Yue’s arrangements. She had told him before that she would help conceal his identity, allowing him to remain active during the Dao Concealment Era.

As for the specific details, Xu Ran didn’t ask. He trusted that with Senior Sister Yue’s wisdom, everything would be arranged perfectly.

He took the bundle and opened it curiously. His expression froze for a moment. Inside were a thousand Identity Jade Talismans.

He was astounded. ’How could there be so many?’

His expression shifted as he instantly understood. According to the top powers of the world, the Dao Concealment Era could last anywhere from ten thousand to thirty thousand years.

But nothing is certain. No one could guarantee the exact duration. It was entirely possible for the Dao Concealment to last even longer than thirty thousand years.

’Senior Sister Yue’s plan must be a long-term strategy. She’s considered all sorts of contingencies and countermeasures, not just calculating for a maximum of thirty thousand years. She’s definitely left a surplus.’

At this thought, everything became clear to Xu Ran. He curiously picked up an Identity Jade Talisman to inspect it.

The moment the Identity Jade Talisman was in his hand, the information on it flooded into his mind.

”Mountain and Sea Master, Elder of the Supreme Profound Peak’s Hidden Sect, entered Dust Peak in the thirty-sixth year of the Hidden Dao Era.”

After reading the information, Xu Ran looked at Yue Qingyu with a puzzled expression.

”Senior Sister, what is this Hidden Sect? Why have I never heard of it before?”

Yue Qingyu’s beautiful eyes rested on him, a slight smile playing at their corners as she spoke softly.

”I thought with your wisdom, Junior Brother, you would have figured it out by now. I didn’t expect you to have such a ’naive’ side.”

Xu Ran was taken aback. Seeing the smile in Senior Sister Yue’s eyes, he paused for a moment before saying hesitantly,

”Senior Sister, do you mean... this was established specifically for me?”

Yue Qingyu nodded gently. ”The so-called Hidden Sect is something one doesn’t ordinarily see. It will only appear before the world to ensure the Sect’s legacy continues when we face a crisis of life or death.”

”Many factions in the Cultivation Realm have arrangements to preserve their lineage—their ’embers’—in times of crisis. The specifics vary from one power to another.”

”Whether or not other powers have similar arrangements is a secret, unknown even to their own disciples, ordinary Elders, or even Supreme Elders.”

”Our Sect never had such a plan before. But now, I am the Sect Leader. If I say the Sect has a Hidden Sect, then it has one.”

”At the very least, the top-secret archives of the Sect now clearly record the existence of the Profound Pure Sect’s Hidden Sect, and its specific members are known only to each successive Sect Leader.”

”When a member of the Hidden Sect appears, the corresponding records will be automatically unsealed.”

After hearing Senior Sister Yue’s explanation, Xu Ran’s mouth fell open, and his eyes flickered. ’Now that she puts it that way, it seems perfectly reasonable.’

’Since its purpose is to preserve the Sect’s legacy, it would naturally be a top secret. Isn’t it perfectly normal for ordinary disciples to be unaware of it?’

Of course, the Identity Jade Talismans from Senior Sister Yue were not all for the Hidden Sect; there were also many for regular Elder Jade Talismans.

Seeing this, Xu Ran was about to ask a question. ’If I use the identity of a regular Elder, won’t my cover be blown quickly?’

But before the words could leave his mouth, he understood.

’By the time I become active using one of these identities, the world will have fully entered the Dao Concealment Era.’

And during the Dao Concealment Era, even a person of exceptional talent could probably only cultivate to the Golden Core Stage. An ordinary person might only reach the Purple Mansion Stage or the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Even if some peerless genius managed to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage during the Dao Concealment Era, they would still only have a lifespan of three thousand years.

In other words, during the Dao Concealment Era, the population of living cultivators, both within the Sect and in the wider Cultivation Realm, would turn over several times every twelve hundred years or so.

’After three thousand years, those still active in the Cultivation Realm will all be people born in the Dao Concealment Era. The people of my own time will have long since become history.’

’So how would people born in that new era know whether such a person existed in the previous one?’

’And the only place to verify an identity—the Sect archives—will have a record of this person.’

’Therefore, even if I use an identity that doesn’t exist in the present day to be active during the Dao Concealment Era, I won’t have to worry about anyone being suspicious.’

’Whether this identity exists isn’t for the people born in the Dao Concealment Era to decide. As long as the Sect archives say the person exists, then they exist.’

’In normal times, this might present some problems. But in the Dao Concealment Era, when the people of this age have either died of old age or entered a Dust-covered slumber, everything becomes plausible.’

Watching the expressions shift on Xu Ran’s face, Yue Qingyu knew he had understood her plan. A smile touched her lips, and she chuckled softly.

”Once the Dao Concealment is complete, Junior Brother, you will stay within the Forbidden Lands I’ve prepared and watch the world change. If the Sect faces a crisis, you can emerge from the Forbidden Land and protect it in the name of a Sect Elder whose records were unsealed ahead of time.”

Xu Ran nodded. As the Mountain Guardian, his role would naturally be to keep a low profile. He would either stay within a Forbidden Land, his own Cave Mansion, the Scripture Pavilion, or any other place he favored.

In short, even if he were to leave the sect to travel the world, he wouldn’t be meddling in the day-to-day management of the Sect’s affairs.

Senior Sister Yue had already discussed this with him. The Sect’s future would be left to new generations of leaders. He would only intervene if the Sect faced a major crisis, or if a future leader made a decision that violated the Sect’s core principles or threatened its very existence.

The rest of the time, he could simply follow his heart—staying in some quiet corner of the Sect or traveling the mortal world, watching the passing of ages like clouds drifting by.

All the arrangements Senior Sister Yue had made for him perfectly suited his status as a Longevity Seeker. They allowed him to operate logically within the Dao Concealment Era without exposing his true nature.

Senior Sister Yue explained a great deal more, and at the end, she gave Xu Ran a very serious warning.

”Junior Brother, the allure of longevity to a Cultivator is absolute. Once you are exposed, it won’t matter who they are or what kind of person they were before. Even if they know there’s no hope of seizing it for themselves, they will try everything to capture you and attempt to refine and steal your power.”

”While I am here, I can protect you. But after I am Dust-covered, you will have to rely on yourself to guard your own secret.”

Her lashes fluttered, and her voice was filled with concern. ”Though I am entrusting the Sect to you, everything must be secondary to ensuring your own safety.”

”Junior Brother, do you understand what I mean?”

Xu Ran fell silent. He understood. Senior Sister Yue was telling him that if it came to it, if he was left with no other choice, he shouldn’t hesitate to flee and forget everything else.

She didn’t want her request to become shackles that bound him. That wasn’t what she wanted to see.

He understood this from what she’d told him before—that the path of emotion was not one of blind devotion and sacrifice.

He was silent for a long time, his bright eyes fixed on Senior Sister Yue. He nodded and replied,

”Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I know what to do.”

Yue Qingyu smiled gently. ”That’s good.”

Her gaze then fell on the Phoenix Egg beside them, where Little Xiyue slumbered, already encased in a Dust-Sealed Stone. After a moment of thought, she spoke slowly.

”Then I shall become Dust-covered beside Little Xiyue.”

With that, she took out a Dust-Sealed Stone.

Seeing this, Xu Ran stopped her. ”Senior Sister, wait. Please use this Dust-Sealed Stone I have. It’s the very first one in all of existence; it carries a good omen.”

Yue Qingyu paused, her gaze falling on the Dust-Sealed Stone in his hand. She considered it for a moment, then a smile bloomed on her face.

”Very well.”