Watching the Mountain

Chapter 429: Chapter 221: Wuchen’s First Victory

The disciples of the Profound Pure Sect, however, were in a state of dreamlike disbelief.

They stared in disbelief at Shen Wuchen, who stood tall and imposing in midair. With dazed expressions, they stammered, ”W-we won?”

”Wuchen Daoist Monarch actually defeated an enemy of the same Realm! Someone, pinch me. I must be dreaming, right? Did the enemy really retreat? Are we actually safe?”

Ever since they joined the Sect, every story they’d heard about Shen Wuchen claimed he was the weakest cultivator at his Realm.

Before the battle began, everyone had already resigned themselves to his defeat. That was why they had been ready to charge out, heedless of their own lives, to fight alongside Wuchen Daoist Monarch.

Yet, at their most desperate hour, Wuchen Daoist Monarch had won.

He had made it look so easy, compelling the enemy to retreat.

It took a long time for the crowd to process this display, but when they did, they erupted into cheers for Wuchen Daoist Monarch.

Their laughter and tears mingled, filled with the joy and relief of having survived a catastrophe.

If not for Wuchen Daoist Monarch, would any of them even be here to celebrate?

Even Li Daoyi, Chu Lingxiao, and Chen Chang’an stared at one another in shock. Just moments before, they had been secretly discussing how the three of them could intervene in the battle between Shen Wuchen and Vast Sea Daoist Monarch for a chance to drive him back.

Never in their wildest dreams did they expect this outcome.

They let out a collective sigh, their expressions strange. However, they didn’t let down their guard. Vast Sea Daoist Monarch may have retreated, but that didn’t mean the Sect’s crisis was over.

After the crowds dispersed, Shen Wuchen quietly approached Xu Ran. He cupped his hands and called out respectfully:

”Master Xu.”

His voice carried a hint of guilt and unease.

’No matter how you look at it, I deceived Master Xu. That’s a fact. I wonder if he’ll be angry.’

Xu Ran gazed at the extraordinary figure before him, whose white robes were purer than snow. His eyes flickered as his memory drifted back to a day long ago, on the cliffs of Spirit Stream Peak. Shen Wuchen had been sitting dazedly on a large boulder when Xu Ran had approached and told him that he might be able to help.

Now, that young man had become a Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarch, a true powerhouse standing among the highest echelons of the Cultivation Realm. He was far beyond the reach of Xu Ran, who was still merely in the Golden Core Stage.

Time had changed much, but one thing remained constant: he still called him Master Xu.

And when facing him, Shen Wuchen was still like an ordinary student—nervous and guilt-ridden.

He understood. ’Shen Wuchen was acting this way because he thought he’d be scolded for deceiving me.’

At this thought, a hint of resignation flashed in Xu Ran’s eyes.

’Even after reaching the Divinity Transformation Realm, he’s still exactly the same, as if nothing has changed.’

’Of course. Classic Shen Wuchen.’

He let out a soft chuckle and gave Shen Wuchen a slight nod, his voice filled with a hint of pride as he praised him:

”Very impressive.”

Shen Wuchen froze for a second at his words, his tense body immediately relaxing. A smile spread across his face as he turned toward the Cave Mansion, saying:

”Master Xu, let me tell you about my plan.”

Xu Ran nodded lightly. ”Alright.”

After returning from the Profound Pure Sect, Vast Sea Daoist Monarch recounted his experience to a fellow Daoist at his side.

In return, he heard some rather unsettling news from his companion.

”What did you say? That Wuchen Daoist Monarch is weak? That he might even be the weakest of everyone in the Divinity Transformation Realm?”

His eyes widened as he stared at his companion in utter disbelief.

Seeing his shocked expression, the man replied with a wry look, ”I’ve told you before to stop focusing only on your closed-door cultivation and pay more attention to what’s happening in the outside world. You never listen. See? Now you’ve paid the price for it, haven’t you?”

”Wuchen True Monarch, the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in the Eastern Domain Cultivation Realm in a hundred thousand years. He’s quite famous, you know.”

Truth be told, the man himself had only heard of the title. He only learned of Shen Wuchen’s subsequent battle record from others after arriving in the Cultivation Realm.

After all, no matter how sensational Shen Wuchen’s breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage had been, for experts at the Divinity Transformation Realm like them, it was merely a fleeting surprise. They had simply thought, ’Looks like the Cultivation Realm has produced another remarkable genius.’

Back then, they hadn’t yet started plotting their invasion of the Cultivation Realm, so such matters were of little concern.

Only now, after invading the Cultivation Realm, had they started to take notice of its local prodigies.

Before this, he too had assumed that someone like Shen Wuchen—hailed as the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in the Eastern Domain Cultivation Realm in a hundred thousand years—would surely be a peerless prodigy, invincible within his own Realm.

But when he finally learned the truth about Shen Wuchen, his jaw nearly hit the floor.

’Not a single victory since his debut?’

’Could such a bizarre person really exist?’

’And this same person managed to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage at such a young age? It’s simply unbelievable.’

’Even for someone on the Flying Immortal Stream path, it’s still far too fast.’

As Vast Sea Daoist Monarch heard Shen Wuchen’s story from his companion, his expression went completely blank.

’So what I thought was just a casual strike... was actually his all-out attack?’

’Was I just overthinking things?’

But then he frowned. Something felt off. ’If Wuchen Daoist Monarch is really as weak as the reports say, how did he shatter my attack?’

’Even though it was just a probe, I still used seventy or eighty percent of my power.’

’If that Wuchen Daoist Monarch is truly as weak as they say, he shouldn’t have been able to block my attack at all.’

’And even if he did manage to block it, he definitely shouldn’t have had enough power left to counterattack.’

’Something’s fishy. There’s definitely something fishy going on here.’

He mulled it over for a moment before turning to his companion. ”I sense something is off about that Wuchen Daoist Monarch. Want to go and check it out with me?”

His companion considered it for only a moment before agreeing.

He was quite curious himself. Wuchen Daoist Monarch, and the Profound Pure Sect that had produced both Sword Dao Ye Shan and Master Vermilion Bird... he was incredibly intrigued by it all.

Seeing his agreement, Vast Sea Daoist Monarch gave a single command, ”Let’s go.”