Watching the Mountain

The Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm needs factions and prodigies who can stand out among their peers, not behemoths built by the strong monopolizing power and oppressing the weak.

After hearing Supreme Elder Zi Yun’s words, Xu Ran instantly realized something. The Profound Pure Sect was currently a Nascent Soul Stage faction. Whether in the New Domain or their native territory, any disputes they encountered would only be with other Nascent Soul Stage factions.

If Shen Wuchen were to break through to the Divinity Transformation Stage, then the disputes they would have to face would also be elevated to the level of Divinity Transformation Stage factions.

Having a Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarch presiding over the sect was something every faction desired. The problem, however, lay with Shen Wuchen’s combat power. His Divinity Transformation would only be strong enough to bully Nascent Soul cultivators; when facing peers of the same realm, he would be completely outmatched.

Of course, even among Divinity Transformation Stage factions, the Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarchs themselves wouldn’t typically intervene personally. General disputes would still be resolved at the Nascent Soul Stage.

But a sect’s strongest member was its source of confidence. If a conflict arose that required the entire sect’s mobilization, and their strongest member was Shen Wuchen, then what confidence could the sect possibly have?

Thinking of this, Xu Ran looked at True Monarch Zi Yun and asked, "Then, Supreme Elder, what is it you hope for me to do?"

’If it’s something like making Shen Wuchen not break through, or delaying his breakthrough, I would definitely be against it.’

True Monarch Zi Yun seemed to notice his concern and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Rest assured, we would never obstruct your student’s cultivation path."

"As for the specific plan, we haven’t quite figured it out ourselves. After all, there’s still a long time, and anything can happen."

"However, our current idea is this: if that day truly comes, we hope that when he senses his breakthrough is imminent, he will leave the Sect, find another place to break through, and temporarily stay out of the public eye."

"Where would he go?" Xu Ran asked, a bit puzzled. As long as it didn’t obstruct Shen Wuchen’s cultivation path, he certainly had no objections.

True Monarch Zi Yun looked at him and said slowly, "The Overseas Archipelago."

He then added, "The situation in the Cultivation Realm is currently uncertain, so his going to the Overseas Archipelago could also establish a retreat path for us. Of course, we won’t send him alone. The Sect will arrange for a few True Monarchs to accompany him."

Xu Ran was slightly taken aback when he heard the name "Overseas Archipelago." He instantly remembered that the Wangyue Sect, Su Yingxue, and the others were there. ’Given Shen Wuchen’s relationship with Ye Qingyue, couldn’t the Overseas Archipelago technically be considered his in-laws’ territory?’

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The matter of sending Shen Wuchen to the Overseas Archipelago was just a provisional plan, and it was hard to say if it would even be implemented. Shen Wuchen had only recently reached the Nascent Soul Stage; the Divinity Transformation Stage was still a long way off.

The reason they had spoken to Xu Ran was so he could be the one to gauge Shen Wuchen’s attitude on the matter. If he was unwilling, the Sect could make other arrangements sooner rather than later.

When Xu Ran brought the matter up with Shen Wuchen, he agreed without a second thought, saying that if he ever sensed a future breakthrough, he would report it to the Sect on his own initiative.

Shen Wuchen understood his own combat power. He himself lacked the confidence to be the Sect’s backbone and had no desire to face Divinity Transformation Stage opponents in the future. If it could be avoided, that would be for the best.

With that matter settled, it wasn’t long before Ye Shu emerged from his seclusion. His cultivation had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

That year, he was exactly one hundred years old.

Reaching Foundation Establishment at one hundred years old—while not unheard of in the history of the Cultivation Realm, it was certainly very rare.

"You didn’t use the Foundation Establishment Pills?" Xu Ran asked, a surprised look on his face as he looked at the Foundation Establishment Pills Ye Shu was returning. Inside the pill bottle, not a single one of the ten pills was missing.

Ye Shu nodded. "I know you care for me, Uncle Xu. If I hadn’t accepted the elixirs when you first gave them to me, you surely would have worried. So, I had to accept them first to put your mind at ease."

"Now that I’ve broken through, I can return these Foundation Establishment Pills to you, Uncle Xu."