Watching the Mountain

Ye Qingyue had made her feelings clear, and Shen Wuchen now knew them. This time, it wasn’t just his own wishful thinking. Junior Sister Qingyue had no intention of harming his Dao Heart; she genuinely wanted to become Dao Companions with him.

Now that things were clear, Xu Ran didn’t intervene any further.

If, even at this point, Shen Wuchen still let Ye Qingyue get away, then he deserved to be single.

Xu Ran didn’t pay any mind to the development of Shen Wuchen and Ye Qingyue’s relationship, just as he hadn’t paid any mind to the battles between Shen Wuchen and Zhang Zhentian.

When he next saw Zhang Zhentian, his disposition had changed drastically compared to the past.

He no longer had the spirited pride and confidence of the Evergreen Sword Saint, nor the dejected numbness that followed his defeat. His aura was contained, making him seem like an ordinary person.

Seeing this transformation, Xu Ran was astonished and asked quizzically, "What have you been through these past few years?"

Zhang Zhentian shook his head and replied, "Nothing. I just fight Junior Brother Shen every day."

Xu Ran asked curiously, "How many times have you two fought?"

Zhang Zhentian pondered for a moment before replying, "Over the past three years, we’ve fought once each morning, noon, and night. Sometimes more. All told, it must be over three thousand battles, wouldn’t you say?"

"Over three thousand?" Xu Ran was a little shocked to hear that number.

He mulled it over for a moment before asking, "And... has Wuchen ever won?"

"No," Zhang Zhentian replied without a moment’s hesitation.

"You never let him win, not even once?" Xu Ran asked, a little curious.

Zhang Zhentian was silent for a moment, then shook his head and replied in a low voice, "Junior Brother Shen doesn’t need me to let him win."

Xu Ran gave a slight nod. After a long silence, he looked at Zhang Zhentian and asked, "What are your plans for the future? Are you going back to pioneer the New Domain? You’re not here to say goodbye again, are you?"

"No. I’ve come to challenge you, Senior Brother."

Xu Ran’s expression froze. He stared at Zhang Zhentian in disbelief, and only after seeing his dead-serious expression did he sigh in resignation. "Can we not fight?"

"We cannot."

*

*

*

On the Martial Arts Arena, Xu Ran stared blankly at the man before him, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

Zhang Zhentian hadn’t suppressed his strength to the same Realm as Xu Ran’s, but to an even lower one. He was fighting with only the Cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer. And, just like their previous battle, he had been trapped by Xu Ran’s ultimate technique, the Ten Thousand Woods Transformation Spell.

But the final outcome was completely different. This time, Xu Ran had lost.

"How did you do it?" Xu Ran asked in resignation.

"Your technique is impressive, Senior Brother. It’s like a domain; inside it, one can only submit to the judgment of your rules. It’s just that... I’m stronger than you."

Zhang Zhentian stated faintly.

After saying this, he let out a long breath and smiled at Xu Ran, his expression relaxed. "Senior Brother, I’m stronger than you again."

Xu Ran fell silent for a moment, then said coolly, "But everyone knows that the Evergreen Sword Saint once lost to me."

"Uh..." Zhang Zhentian’s expression turned awkward, and then he gave a helpless laugh. "Doesn’t the fact that you take such pride in that, Senior Brother, just go to show how strong I am?"

Xu Ran gave him a curious look, not having expected such a response. "It seems you’ve really changed a lot over these past few years. You’re like a whole new person."

He remarked with a sigh.

Zhang Zhentian smiled faintly and said, "It’s nothing, really. I’ve just come to a realization."

"A realization about what?"

"I am Zhang Zhentian, the Evergreen Sword Saint. I am not Ye Shan. It’s okay for me to lose. All that matters is that I’m the one left standing at the very end. The one who couldn’t afford to lose—that was never me. It was always Ye Shan."

Xu Ran stared at Zhang Zhentian in surprise, never expecting to hear such words from him. After all, surpassing Ye Shan had always been his driving goal. To say this meant he had truly come to terms with everything and let go of his obsession.

This gratified him immensely. He felt that the Zhang Zhentian who had fully transformed into the Evergreen Sword Saint was bound to be even more powerful than he was in the past.

He looked forward to it, wondering what Senior Brother Ye Shan would make of the Zhang Zhentian of today.

After another long silence, he couldn’t help but ask, "I’m curious. What did you and Shen Wuchen talk about back then? What made you suddenly have this epiphany?"

Zhang Zhentian gave a faint smile. "It was nothing special. It’s just, when I heard that even someone like Junior Brother Shen was focused on getting stronger by accumulating power bit by bit, what reason did I have to continue wallowing in despair?"

Xu Ran’s expression froze. ’It was because of such a simple reason?’

He let out a faint sigh, wondering what Shen Wuchen’s reaction would be if he ever learned this was the reason.

*

*

*

A month later, under the watchful eyes of numerous disciples, Zhang Zhentian, the Evergreen Sword Saint, broke through to the Golden Core. Then, man and sword as one, he charged into the New Domain once more.

This time, he was stronger than ever. Immediately upon arriving in the New Domain, he eliminated several troublesome enemies for the Sect and secured a number of disputed mineral lodes for its territory.

Countless disciples of the Profound Pure Sect cheered at the news, especially the older disciples who had lived through the era of Ye Shan. Their eyes filled with tears of joy.

They had worried that after the Evergreen Sword Saint was dismissed from the New Domain’s pioneering team, he would become another Ye Shan—that once he fell, he would never be able to get back up.

Fortunately, the Evergreen Sword Saint didn’t remain dejected as they had feared. Not only had he risen again, but he had become even stronger than before. They could finally set their minds at ease.

With the Evergreen Sword Saint present, the Sect would enjoy everlasting prosperity.

Just as everyone in the Sect was cheering for Zhang Zhentian, Shen Wuchen, the very person who had helped him get back on his feet, rushed to find Xu Ran.

Shen Wuchen looked absolutely thrilled, giving Xu Ran the impression that he was so pleased with himself his tail was about to curl up to the heavens.

This baffled Xu Ran; he had never seen such an expression on Shen Wuchen’s face.

In response to Xu Ran’s confusion, Shen Wuchen said with a hint of arrogance, "Master Xu, I think I’ve comprehended a Mental Realm."

"Hm?" Xu Ran uttered in astonishment, asking in disbelief, "A Mental Realm? Are you serious?"

He had originally predicted that when Shen Wuchen eventually reached Core Formation, he would only become an ordinary Core Formation Stage Cultivator. He hadn’t thought Shen Wuchen capable of comprehending a Mental Realm, so hearing this now was a pleasant surprise.

Shen Wuchen, however, replied with some uncertainty, "It should be a Mental Realm, right?"

"’Should be’?" Xu Ran was flabbergasted. "Try using it on me."

Then he added, "Control your strength. Don’t want you injuring me."

When Shen Wuchen actually unleashed his Mental Realm, Xu Ran discovered his worry was completely unfounded.

At that moment, he felt himself enveloped in a peculiar emotion. As he looked at Shen Wuchen before him, a single thought surfaced in his mind: ’I can beat him.’

"How did you comprehend this?"

"Uh, I don’t know. I just... after fighting Senior Brother Zhang, I suddenly had this strange feeling. I experimented with it for a while and eventually found I could control it at will."

He finished speaking and looked at Xu Ran apprehensively. "So, Master Xu? What do you think? Is this a Mental Realm?"

Xu Ran fell silent for a moment, then replied with a hint of uncertainty, "I suppose... it is, right?"