Watching the Mountain

A quick glance revealed at least five or six hundred disciples in the Instructor Hall—several times more than when he had taught here.

It wasn’t just the Profound Pure Sect; sects throughout the entire Cultivation Realm were now recruiting far more new disciples than before.

This was partly due to the emergence of the New Domain, but it also had something to do with Xu Ran.

High-yield Spirit Rice had now become widespread throughout the Cultivation Realm. This was especially true for the strains that could be grown in ordinary fields, allowing the Cultivation Realm to be much more generous in nurturing its entry-level disciples, who no longer had to worry about resources.

At least, for the first one or two cultivation realms, Spirit Rice was considered the most efficient and common resource.

Now, his title as the "contemporary Shennong" had become truly well-deserved.

Xu Ran glanced at the scene inside the Instructor Hall and was about to leave when the instructor on the lecture platform suddenly stood up. In a flash, he appeared before Xu Ran.

The man wore a purple robe and had a graying beard. A few streaks of white hair were visible on his head, but he didn’t look old, his face appearing to be that of a man in his fifties.

He appeared before Xu Ran, staring at him intently for a long moment before asking in disbelief, "Are... are you Master Xu?"

At Little Xiyue’s urging, Xu Ran had been maintaining the appearance of a young man in his twenties. When he had taught in the Instructor Hall, however, he had looked like an old man with a full head of white hair. His students had never seen him like this; only someone familiar with his aura could recognize him.

Hearing this form of address, he searched his memory for a moment, then nodded lightly and spoke with a smile to the man before him:

"It’s you, Tianhe. You’re an instructor in the Instructor Hall now?"

This was none other than Li Tianhe, who had achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation after receiving Xu Ran’s guidance in the Scripture Pavilion.

Hearing his words, Li Tianhe’s eyes glimmered. He nodded vigorously and replied respectfully, "Yes, it is I, your student."

"I am indebted to you, Master Xu, for your guidance back then. You helped me recognize my own path, achieve Bright Heart Illuminating Self, and break through in my cultivation. However, my talent is ultimately limited. I was stuck at the Foundation Establishment Stage for a long time and only managed to break through to the Purple Mansion Stage a few years ago after several attempts."

He added with a sigh, "But I also know that reaching the Purple Mansion Stage is my limit. Core Formation is basically hopeless for me. After the previous Instructor Hall instructor stepped down, I volunteered for this position."

Xu Ran silently studied Li Tianhe. This student, who had once been so arrogant and had led the opposition against him, was now living a much more sober and ordinary life.

After a moment of silence, he nodded at Li Tianhe with a smile. "That’s good too. Speaking of which, my cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Your cultivation has already surpassed mine. I should be the one calling you ’Senior’."

Li Tianhe’s face paled at his words, and he quickly waved his hands. "Master Xu, please don’t say such things! You’re embarrassing me. If it weren’t for you, I would have long since been reduced to a pile of bones and departed from this world."

He shook his head helplessly. "Are you still holding a grudge against me for opposing you before the sect back then? If you are, you can slap me a few times right now, until you’re no longer angry."

"As for all this talk about ’Senior,’ please don’t say it. It makes my heart heavy to hear it."

Seeing his flustered expression, Xu Ran shook his head and chuckled. "Don’t be so nervous. I was just joking."

He then changed the subject. "Right, I remember you mentioning you had a child. How is your child now? They should be old enough to join our sect."

At the mention of this topic, a smile appeared on Li Tianhe’s face, and he spoke with a hint of pride in his eyes. "He has joined. His talent is far greater than mine. He even broke through to the Purple Mansion Stage earlier than I did. Right now, he’s in the New Domain, fighting for the sect."

Xu Ran gave him a surprised look. "You’re not worried?"

Li Tianhe looked at him and chuckled. "Master, I may have accepted my own mediocrity, but that doesn’t mean my heart is content with it. If a young person has the ability to venture out and make a name for themselves, they should."

Xu Ran was slightly taken aback by his words. Li Tianhe was looking up at the distant horizon, his eyes shimmering.

Seeing his expression, Xu Ran suddenly understood.

’That’s right. In his heart, Li Tianhe was still that ambitious young boy who yearned to spread his wings and soar. His current ordinariness was just a reluctant concession to reality.’

’It was like someone moving from youth to adulthood, forced to set aside their old dreams and accept their current life. But setting something aside doesn’t mean forgetting it. Given the chance, he would still reignite the dormant fire in his heart.’

After a moment of silence, he nodded slightly and said, "Letting your child go see the world you once wanted to see but couldn’t... that’s a good thing too."

Li Tianhe turned back at his words and said, "Yes. I’m very lucky."

He then looked at Xu Ran, a hesitant expression on his face.

Seeing his expression, Xu Ran waved a hand. "If you have something to say, just say it."

At his words, Li Tianhe looked embarrassed. "Master, I’m supposed to teach the disciples the Cloud Rain Technique today, it’s just that..."

Xu Ran stared at him, his eyes wide with shock. "Don’t tell me a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator like you doesn’t even know the Cloud Rain Technique?"

Li Tianhe rubbed his hands together awkwardly. "It’s not that I don’t know it, I’m just not very good at it. Back when I was a student in the Instructor Hall, I looked down on these low-level magic techniques. Later, even after my attitude changed, I didn’t think I’d ever need them, so I never went back to practice. If I hadn’t suddenly realized I had to teach this technique during today’s lecture, I would’ve almost forgotten about it..."