Watching the Mountain

Chapter 432: Chapter 222: The Plan

Vast Sea Daoist Monarch’s misjudgment had been almost laughably wrong. But one couldn’t blame the man; this student of his possessed truly bizarre Divine Techniques.

’Impossible to defend against.’

Xu Ran shook his head slightly. Just then, Shen Wuchen, who was opposite him, took the initiative to explain why he hadn’t entered the Dust-covered state and what his original plan had been.

In response, Xu Ran didn’t say anything to alarm Shen Wuchen, contrary to his student’s worries. His reason for objecting to Shen Wuchen remaining in this era was his fear that after the Heaven and Earth Dao Concealment, the world’s environment would make it impossible for him to cultivate normally. That would be a waste of time and life.

Shen Wuchen’s cultivation path had already been severely hindered by the external environment. Back when he first broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage, the former Sect Leader, Taihua True Monarch, had said that given the potential and momentum he displayed, he could hope to achieve Divinity Transformation in as little as five hundred years, or a thousand at the most. For this reason, the Sect had even prepared an escape route for him: to go to the Overseas Archipelago to make his breakthrough.

But then the world was afflicted by a great malady that severely affected normal cultivation. After that was resolved, the era of Dao Concealment began.

Still, for Shen Wuchen to have broken through to the Divinity Transformation Realm in the 599th year of the Hidden Dao Era—the year before the world completely entered the age of Dao Concealment—was already remarkably fast.

Now that Shen Wuchen had already broken through to the Divinity Transformation Stage, what reason did Xu Ran have to object? Moreover, the young man had just resolved the Sect’s crisis, giving him even less cause to reproach him.

Seeing Xu Ran’s reaction, Shen Wuchen finally let out a complete sigh of relief.

Xu Ran watched Shen Wuchen’s reaction, then asked after a moment of contemplation:

”What are your plans for the future? Are you still going to follow the original plan, staying in this era to try and break through to the Daoist Venerable Realm?”

Shen Wuchen pondered for a moment before shaking his head. ”The Overseas Archipelago is currently launching a full-scale invasion. I will definitely remain in this era until the war is over.”

”As for after the war, I’ll follow the original plan and travel the world, searching for resources to break through to a higher Realm. But I won’t force it. If I don’t make any significant progress within a certain amount of time, I will enter the Dust-covered state.”

Xu Ran nodded slightly. Hearing Shen Wuchen say this, he felt relieved. As long as his student wasn’t going to be a stubborn fool, bashing his head against a wall and staying in this era indefinitely, he was fine with it.

After another moment of thought, he asked, ”What if... this war drags on for a very long time, and doesn’t end before your lifespan is depleted?”

After the Dao Concealment comes the golden age of the Great Dao. That moment is what everyone in the Dust-covered state is waiting for.

To the cultivators of the current age, everything else was meaningless compared to living to see that golden age.

Therefore, even with the Overseas Archipelago’s massive invasion, as long as it didn’t disrupt those in the Dust-covered state, the major powers would not awaken them.

So what if the Overseas Archipelago occupied the entire mainland of the Cultivation Realm right now? In the future, when the Dao Concealment receded and the powerhouses returned, everything would eventually be restored to its original state.

Of course, the specifics would depend on the course of the war. The Overseas Archipelago surely understood this principle as well and would ultimately aim for a satisfactory outcome for themselves without crossing the mainland Cultivation Realm’s bottom line.

Hearing this question, Shen Wuchen answered directly, without much hesitation, ”If the war never ends, then I will remain in this era indefinitely.”

”So decisive? After the golden age of the Great Dao arrives, you might be able to reach a Realm far beyond your imagination. Besides, that girl, Qingyue... she should still be waiting for you, right?”

”If it comes to that, then I will have no choice but to break my promise to her.”

Xu Ran watched him in silence. At this moment, he once again felt the profound difference between himself and those chosen by heaven.

The chosen of every era were individuals of unyielding will. Once they set a goal, they would press forward without faltering, devoid of fear. They never seemed to consider the matter of life and death.

Zhang Zhentian, Chen Chang’an, Shen Wuchen, Li Daoyi—every one of them was like this. They cared only for their goal, never fearing death.

But he was different. From the very beginning, his entire focus had been on how to survive.

He admired and respected these prodigies who did not fear death, but he wouldn’t change himself because of it.

’Everyone has their own path. My path was set from the very beginning. There’s no need to deny who I am. The right choice is to follow my own path, just as steadfastly as they follow theirs.’

”What about you, Master Xu? When will you enter the Dust-covered state?”

Shen Wuchen asked with a concerned expression while Xu Ran was still lost in his reflections.

Hearing this, Xu Ran mulled it over for a moment before replying, ”Soon, soon. There’s still one more thing I want to do. After that, I’ll enter the Dust-covered state.”

Shen Wuchen asked with some curiosity, ”What is it you want to do, Master Xu? Perhaps I could...”

Xu Ran cut him off with a wave of his hand. ”You can’t help with this. Don’t worry, I’m someone who cherishes his life dearly. I won’t waste too much time in this era.”

Senior Sister Yue had given him more than enough Identity Jade Talismans. He could announce that he was entering the Dust-covered state at any time and then reemerge to operate under a different identity.

But before that, there was still one thing he had to do.

Xu Ran slowly rose to his feet, clasping his hands behind his back. He tilted his head up slightly to gaze at the distant horizon as a powerful aura surged within him, rushing to his chest and filling him with a sense of heroic grandeur.

He wanted to try and bring this war to a halt.

The idea had just occurred to him.

The way Shen Wuchen had scared off Vast Sea Daoist Monarch by bluffing and putting on a mysterious front had given him an idea. Perhaps he could pull off a similar stunt.

He already had some ideas on how to do it, but first, he needed one more thing to fall into place.

The Ye Shan Sword in Ye Shu’s hands.

However, Ye Shu was still in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. This time, he had failed to make a breakthrough before his lifespan reached its limit, unlike in the past.

After the world fully entered the age of Dao Concealment, Ye Shu’s Cultivation had also been affected. He had taken the initiative to find Xu Ran and ask him to go to the Sect Treasure Vault to redeem an elixir that could extend his life by three hundred years. After taking it, he immediately entered seclusion.

But calculating the time, the three hundred years of life granted by the elixir were now almost completely depleted. This made Xu Ran a little worried; he didn’t know if Ye Shu would be able to break through.

If Ye Shu failed to break through this time, Xu Ran would have no choice but to give him the Sun-Devouring Demon Essence Fruit that Jiang Ling’Er had given him, and then have him enter the Dust-covered state.

In any case, he couldn’t just stand by and watch his nephew, Ye Shu, grow old and die before his very eyes.

Before that, he also needed to design a few Arrays. These wouldn’t be the Huaque Array left behind by Little Xiyue. He had inspected it before, and just as Senior Sister Yue had said, the Arrays Little Xiyue had set up had been destroyed. The Huaque Array was no longer effective.

Besides, he wasn’t planning to set up a Huaque Array to temporarily boost his Cultivation. What he needed was an Array that could fool his enemies, just like Shen Wuchen had done.

However, just as Xu Ran’s preparations were getting underway, the Vast Sea Daoist Monarch, who had departed earlier, reappeared outside the Profound Pure Sect’s gates. And this time, there was another person by his side.

When the disciples of the Profound Pure Sect felt the two terrifying, undisguised auras in the sky, their eyes immediately filled with despair.

”T-two Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarchs?”

”Can we possibly defeat enemies like this? No matter how strong Wuchen Daoist Monarch is, he can’t possibly face two Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarchs at the same time, can he?”

Some couldn’t help but look toward Shen Wuchen.

However, facing the two enemies in the sky, the expression on Shen Wuchen’s face remained unchanged. He stepped out of the sect gates, his demeanor calm and aloof.

Upon seeing Shen Wuchen, dressed in robes whiter than snow, the companion beside Vast Sea Daoist Monarch let out a soft sound of surprise. He curiously sized up the young man, who looked like a Banished Immortal descended upon the world, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes.

’This is Wuchen Daoist Monarch?’

’With such a bearing, he doesn’t look as fragile as the rumors made him out to be.’