Watching the Mountain

Chapter 431: Chapter 222: Plan

Before this, he had always been proud of being the first Cultivator of the Flying Immortal Stream, a path created by Master Xu, and had never thought there was anything wrong with it.

But after becoming the person with the highest Cultivation in the Sect, he suddenly discovered something... it seemed that those who practiced the Flying Immortal Stream were incapable of bearing the weight of an entire Sect.

He thought of Luo Qianxue and the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect, whom his disciple Lu Mingchen constantly talked about. He had heard from Master Xu that the fall of the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect was apparently because their Divinity Transformation Realm patriarch was a Divinity Transformation who followed the Flying Immortal Stream.

Because that patriarch of the Jade Radiance Immortal Sect was too weak, he couldn’t carry the weight of the Sect forward. This led to the Sect’s downfall not long after it had begun to rise.

How similar that was to his own situation and the Sect’s current state.

In the end, Cultivators of the Flying Immortal Stream were just too weak.

Of course, this wasn’t to say he regretted walking the path of the Flying Immortal Stream. He had never regretted it; even now, he was still proud to be the very first Flying Immortal Stream Cultivator.

Without the Flying Immortal Stream that Master Xu created, he never would have made it this far.

He was just worried whether he could shoulder the Sect’s destiny and protect it as it moved forward. If the Sect were to decline under his watch, it wouldn’t just be his failure; it would also bring eternal shame to the Flying Immortal Stream that Master Xu had created, preventing it from ever holding its head high.

But even though he was afraid, the thought of backing down never crossed his mind.

The Sect was home to people he loved and people who loved him, his master and his disciple, elders who had cared for him, peers he was close to, and juniors who looked up to him... All of this made it impossible for him to even consider retreating.

Xu Ran watched Shen Wuchen with a complicated expression. This was the first time he had sensed such complex emotions from this student of his.

The Shen Wuchen of the past had been an exceptionally simple person. He never seemed to overthink things, simply living his life and moving toward his goals.

But now, the aura about him had changed, becoming somewhat unlike him. It seemed he had started to ponder some particularly complex problems.

He wasn’t surprised by this. ’Everyone changes, even someone as steadfast as Shen Wuchen is no exception. He’s bound to grow and change.’

Xu Ran looked at the expression on Shen Wuchen’s face and smiled gently, saying,

”That you’re thinking this way is a good thing. It means you’ve become strong enough. I’m very proud of that. Even I never expected you to reach this point so quickly.”

He was speaking the truth. Back when he first taught the ways of the Flying Immortal Stream to Shen Wuchen, Senior Brother Ye Shan had not yet swung that brilliant sword, and he had always believed that the heavily injured Ye Shan would be able to get back on his feet.

At the same time, the Sect also had four prodigies: Senior Sister Yue, Zhang Zhentian, the Little Witch Ye Qingxue, and Chen Chang’an.

Compared to them, Shen Wuchen was still far too green. He had always thought that the Sect’s first to reach the Divinity Transformation Realm would be one of them.

But he never would have imagined that Senior Brother Ye Shan would disappear after swinging that brilliant sword. As for Senior Sister Yue, her Cultivation had always been unhurried, and even after undergoing the Scattering and Rebuilding, she continued at her own steady pace.

With all that had happened, it was Shen Wuchen who ended up surpassing them, becoming the first to break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm.

It was truly a lamentable turn of events.

Xu Ran sighed with emotion, then continued, ”I know what you’re thinking, and I won’t deny your feelings. After all, they’re a reflection of your sense of responsibility.”

”What I want to say is, just do your best.”

”Even if you fail, don’t blame yourself for it. You must learn to forgive your own shortcomings. From the moment you set foot on the path of the Flying Immortal Stream, it was destined that your combat power would be weaker than traditional Cultivators of the same Realm. That’s something you can’t change. Acknowledge it, face it, and then carry those shortcomings with you as you walk forward, unwavering.”

After speaking, he gave Shen Wuchen a faint smile and said, ”You saw how the disciples reacted just now, didn’t you? They never expected you to be able to defeat the enemy. Where there are no expectations, there can be no disappointment.”

”That being the case, why even talk about not being allowed to fail? Wouldn’t you agree?”

Shen Wuchen stared at the relaxed smile on Xu Ran’s face, slightly taken aback. Although he understood that Master Xu was trying to guide him, he had to admit it was genuinely helpful.

He understood his own shortcomings were unchangeable. All he could do was his best.

Seeing Shen Wuchen’s reaction, Xu Ran smiled faintly. He believed his student could handle it. With a light wave of his hand, he changed the subject and asked,

”What happened during the battle just now?”

Like everyone else, he hadn’t understood the previous battle and didn’t know why the Vast Sea Daoist Monarch had retreated.

Faced with Xu Ran’s question, Shen Wuchen didn’t hide anything and recounted the events of the battle.

After hearing Shen Wuchen’s account, Xu Ran’s eyes widened slightly, and his heart stirred.

’He quietly lowered his opponent’s attack power? It can even work like that?’

His gaze on Shen Wuchen turned peculiar.

Even though Shen Wuchen was his student, Xu Ran couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. ’It seems this student of mine is heading further and further in a strange direction.’

’I wonder what he’ll become in the future...’

Xu Ran sighed to himself and instantly understood. The Vast Sea Daoist Monarch must have retreated because he felt he had no certain way to defeat Shen Wuchen.

He didn’t find it strange. It was simply a miscalculation—something that was perfectly normal in a battle between Cultivators.