Watching the Mountain

Wuchen True Monarch, Shen Wuchen.

Though he rarely roamed the Cultivation Realm, his legend was everywhere.

Hailed as the most inspirational person in the Cultivation Realm, he was a legendary figure the Sect Elders of every Major Sect would invariably mention to motivate new disciples.

He first appeared in the Cultivation Realm at the great competition between the sects of the New Domain, where he suffered five hundred consecutive losses in five hundred matches, becoming the butt of jokes and sighs across the realm.

However, he was not crushed by these failures. Instead, he channeled them into motivation, striving relentlessly until he broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage in one fell swoop, becoming the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in the last one hundred thousand years of the Cultivation Realm.

The very people who once laughed at him now had to bow respectfully and call out, "Greetings, Wuchen True Monarch!" whenever they saw him.

While others were mocking and looking down on him, he was cultivating diligently.

What an inspirational story.

Every junior disciple in the Cultivation Realm would feel their blood boil with excitement upon hearing the legend of Wuchen True Monarch from their Elders and senior sect members. They would then secretly vow to follow his example and become the next Wuchen True Monarch.

Then, just a few days ago, sudden news spread through the Cultivation Realm: Wuchen True Monarch, the role model everyone sought to emulate, was going to challenge the Evergreen Sword Saint—who was still at the Golden Core Stage—with his Nascent Soul Stage cultivation.

When this news came out of the Profound Pure Sect, the entire Cultivation Realm was in an uproar.

The name of the Evergreen Sword Saint, much like Wuchen True Monarch’s, had long since spread to every corner of the Eastern Domain Cultivation Realm. Both men were legendary figures who had shaken the Eastern Domain.

More importantly, the two were from the same sect.

The word "challenge" usually implies a weaker party confronting a stronger one.

But now, with Wuchen True Monarch, a Nascent Soul, challenging the Golden Core Stage Evergreen Sword Saint, anyone who heard the news instantly imagined a grand drama playing out.

It must be that the Evergreen Sword Saint had once looked down on and suppressed Wuchen True Monarch. Now, having returned as a powerhouse and become a Nascent Soul True Monarch before the Sword Saint, he was naturally going to repay the hardships he had once endured.

This kind of underdog story—where the tables are turned and a young hero rises against the odds—is always the most talked-about, no matter the world.

It was said that on the day the duel between Wuchen True Monarch and the Evergreen Sword Saint began, the New Domain—a place typically ravaged by war and daily bloody battles—experienced a rare day of peace. All fighting throughout the New Domain came to a halt.

Even the Demon Race and the people from the other Four Domains of the Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm ceased their own disputes, all to witness this battle.

As the protagonist of this underdog story, Wuchen True Monarch was cheered on by everyone. Whether they were watching in person or waiting for the result, all were hoping he would defeat the Evergreen Sword Saint and bring the tale to a perfect conclusion.

And then... under the watchful eyes of the masses, the battle between Wuchen True Monarch and the Evergreen Sword Saint began. The two fought for an entire month, and in the end...

It ended with Wuchen True Monarch’s defeat.

When this outcome was announced, the Cultivation Realm was in an uproar. It was said that on that day, the sound of weeping could be heard everywhere from the young people who had once seen Wuchen True Monarch as their life’s goal.

A Nascent Soul Stage cultivator defeated by someone at the Golden Core Stage.

After setting the record for the youngest Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator in the last hundred thousand years, Wuchen True Monarch had now set a new one.

And this time, it was likely an unprecedented one in all of history.

Before him, the Cultivation Realm had never even heard a rumor of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator losing to a Golden Core Stage one. Such a thing was not recorded in orthodox histories, or even in apocryphal tales.

After all, it was simply too outrageous.

Yet, something that not even the writers of apocryphal tales dared to invent had become a reality today.

The combat prowess of a Flying Immortal Nascent Soul, following the Profound Pure Sect’s five-on-one incident, had once again hit a new low, becoming a hot topic of discussion.

As for the Evergreen Sword Saint, after that battle, he left the front lines he had long been guarding. It was said that his fight with Wuchen True Monarch had allowed his Dao to reach a state of complete perfection. He was now going into seclusion to consolidate his gains before making a push for the Nascent Soul Stage.

What was supposed to be Wuchen True Monarch’s underdog story had instead become the Evergreen Sword Saint’s stepping stone to the Nascent Soul Stage. It was truly a sad and lamentable turn of events, much to the dismay of his countless supporters.

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"Master Xu, I apologize. I lost. It seems I’ll have to wait a little longer to formally become your disciple."

Having returned from the New Domain, Shen Wuchen stood in Xu Ran’s Cave Mansion, his face etched with shame as he spoke.

Xu Ran studied his expression carefully. Seeing that Shen Wuchen was not dejected by the loss, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

To be honest, while he had been somewhat concerned for Shen Wuchen, he had ultimately believed he could defeat Zhang Zhentian.

When the news of Shen Wuchen’s defeat arrived, even his jaw had dropped in surprise.

He knew for a fact that before Shen Wuchen had left, he had sparred with fellow sect members and emerged victorious even when facing a siege by eight Golden Core Stage cultivators.

It wasn’t surprising that Shen Wuchen, a Nascent Soul, could accomplish this, even as a Flying Immortal Nascent Soul, the so-called "Pseudo-Cultivator."

For someone so powerful to have lost to Zhang Zhentian, however, was truly astonishing.

Xu Ran sighed to himself. He then looked at Shen Wuchen, and after a moment of contemplation, asked, "From the looks of you, it seems you haven’t been crushed by this. That puts my mind at ease."

Shen Wuchen replied with a straight face, "Although I lost to Senior Brother Zhang, I’ve definitely gotten stronger. The last time I fought him, I was defeated in just a few rounds. This time, I managed to fight him for a whole month before losing."