Watching the Mountain

Chapter 437: Chapter 224: The Assertive Li Daoyi

The members of the Profound Pure Sect had rather complicated feelings about Wuya Daoist Monarch.

It was this very man, a world-renowned ”Knight,” who had once brought immense despair to their Sect. That had been their first time facing the oppressive might of the Divinity Transformation Realm.

If Yue Qingyu hadn’t appeared and challenged him to a duel in the ancient tradition of a Dao battle, the Sect might have ceased to exist.

Although he had ultimately retreated without attacking the Sect, he was, by any measure, someone who had once intended to harm them.

But they never would have imagined that this very person, who had once brought them such immense pressure and despair, would come to their rescue when the Sect faced a crisis.

Though he had arrived a step too late, that was not his fault. Rather, it was a stroke of luck for the Profound Pure Sect; the enemy had already retreated, intimidated by the might of Wuchen Daoist Monarch.

The fact that Wuya Daoist Monarch had rushed over at all spoke volumes of his intentions.

Yue Qingyu’s pact with him had only been a verbal agreement. The fact that he honored it, traveling thousands of miles to support the Profound Pure Sect, proved that he was truly worthy of his widespread reputation as a Knight in the Cultivation Realm.

This only deepened everyone’s confusion. Why would such a renowned Knight choose to move against the Profound Pure Sect in the first place?

When he first appeared at the Profound Pure Sect, he had indicated that attacking them was not his true intention, but the specific reason for his actions remained a mystery.

They could only speculate, based on the legends surrounding him, that it had something to do with his Dao Companion.

But this was, after all, just speculation; the actual truth remained unknown.

At that moment, Xu Ran, Li Daoyi, and the other Profound Pure Sect disciples who were now converging on the location after learning of the enemy’s retreat, were all filled with curiosity. They all wanted to know the truth.

Yet, no one dared to ask, fearing they might touch upon a sore spot for Wuya Daoist Monarch.

This continued until Shen Wuchen, after studying Wuya Daoist Monarch for a long moment, suddenly asked with a bewildered expression:

”Elder Wuya, your Realm...?”

He remembered that Wuya Daoist Monarch was supposed to be at the Divinity Transformation Middle Stage. However, the aura the man currently exuded didn’t seem to match. It was chaotic, completely lacking the self-contained stability of the Divinity Transformation Realm, which made him sense that something was amiss.

Hearing Shen Wuchen’s question, Wuya Daoist Monarch was momentarily taken aback. Then, with a soft ”Ah,” he replied:

”This is the price I paid for moving against you all back then.”

He explained with a light wave of his hand,

”Our Cultivation Realm has an ironclad rule: unless one is provoked first, the strong are absolutely forbidden from preying on the weak.”

”To have my Cultivation cut down by a Small Realm, to be forbidden from entering the Dust-covered state after Dao Concealment, and to stand guard over the Dao Concealment Era—that is my punishment.”

He let out a soft sigh and added, ”And that’s only because your Sect Leader Yue and I fought in a formal Dao battle, and no greater consequences ensued. Otherwise, the price would have been much higher.”

”In fact, when I moved against you back then, I was already prepared to pay with my life.”

No one was particularly surprised by this answer. After all, he had chosen to move against the Profound Pure Sect; it was only natural that there would be a price to pay.

But hearing the story of what happened from Wuya Daoist Monarch’s own lips, everyone present wore a complicated expression.

At this, Li Daoyi seized the opportunity to voice the question on his mind:

”I am very curious, Elder. What reason could have compelled you to move against us, even at the cost of your own life? Would you be willing to enlighten us?”

Hearing this, Wuya Daoist Monarch fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh and speaking slowly.

”Back then, my Dao Companion failed in her attempt to reach the Divinity Transformation Realm. Her Dao Foundation shattered, and her life hung by a thread...”

”I sought help from someone with the power to save her. The condition they gave me was to test whether your Sect’s Sword Dao Ye Shan still existed.”

He saw their reactions and waved a hand dismissively. ”I know what you’re about to ask, but I’m afraid I cannot reveal that person’s identity.”

”I have wronged you in this matter. Now, I stand guard over the Dao Concealment Era. If you should ever face a calamity, I will come to your aid. This... is the only thing I can do for you now.”

At his words, the group fell silent. They knew Wuya Daoist Monarch would never reveal the identity of the person who had sent him.

Besides, what could they do even if he told them? Anyone capable of commanding Wuya Daoist Monarch had to be immensely powerful, both in personal strength and influence. Even if they knew who it was, they would be powerless to act.

Wuya Daoist Monarch observed their reactions, then said after a moment’s thought, ”Don’t dwell on it too much. There is both light and shadow in this world. To the vast majority, your Sect’s Sword Dao Ye Shan is the hero who saved this land.”

”But the power he displayed was simply too immense. It’s only natural that some rats lurking in the shadows would not want to see him return.”

”You wouldn’t believe me if I said everyone would welcome his return, would you? For now, it’s unlikely to affect you directly. Don’t worry about it too much. Your current goal should be to focus on becoming stronger.”

”As long as you are strong enough, you need not fear any lurking evils.”

Li Daoyi and the others nodded, giving Wuya Daoist Monarch a slight bow with cupped hands.

Seeing that they understood, Wuya Daoist Monarch gave a slight nod and changed the subject. His gaze then fell upon Shen Wuchen, and he said with admiration,

”For Wuchen Daoist Monarch to repel two Divinity Transformation cultivators single-handedly... such a feat is truly admirable. With you here, I suppose I need not worry about the Profound Pure Sect.”