Watching the Mountain

The next day, the first thing Xu Ran saw in the morning was that Little Xiyue looked a little off. His heart tightened, and he quickly asked with concern:

"My disciple, why do you look so pale? Are you hurt?"

Little Xiyue shook her head gently. "I came across a problem last night that I couldn’t figure out."

"What kind of problem? Tell me about it. While I might not be able to solve it for you, maybe seeing me get a headache and feel dizzy over it will make you feel better."

He made Little Xiyue laugh, her eyes curving into a pair of beautiful crescents. "There’s no need, Master," she chuckled. "I’ve already solved it. I just mentally overexerted myself a bit. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest."

Seeing the look on Xu Ran’s face, she spoke up before he could. "I will be more careful in the future. I’m sorry for making you worry, Master."

Xu Ran was taken aback for a moment, then he put on a stern face and said seriously, "Hmph. As long as you know. Remember, you must never be hasty in your cultivation."

That’s what he said on the surface, but inwardly, he was quite pleased. ’My disciple is so sensible.’

Little Xiyue nodded lightly and gave him a beautiful smile in return.

*

*

*

Perhaps because Xu Ran’s reaction a few days prior had been so dull, this time when Flowing Clouds Master saw him, he didn’t risk another snub by mentioning his grandson, Zhang Zhentian. Instead, he sidled up and asked with some curiosity:

"I heard that Shen Wuchen was a student you brought up?"

Hearing Shen Wuchen’s name, Xu Ran stared at Flowing Clouds Master with a hint of vigilance. ’Is this guy planning to use my student to show off how amazing Zhang Zhentian is?’

He nodded impassively and replied, "Yes, he was. Has Elder Flowing Clouds also heard about my student?"

Flowing Clouds Master rolled his eyes and said gruffly, "Isn’t that obvious? With what your student has done, who in the entire Sect *doesn’t* know about him?"

"Then I wonder, what is Elder Flowing Clouds’ opinion of my student?"

"I admire him!"

"Huh?" Xu Ran looked at him, his face a mask of surprise.

Seeing his reaction, Flowing Clouds Master nodded again, his tone exceptionally firm.

"I don’t know what others think, but I truly admire that student of yours from the bottom of my heart."

"What did he do to earn such high praise from you, Elder?"

"He’s already lost three hundred matches in a row."

"Huh?"

Flowing Clouds Master shot him a look and said with a hint of exasperation:

"You kid, why don’t you think about it properly? Forget three hundred losses—for an ordinary person, even thirty consecutive defeats would be enough to shatter their Dao Heart. But he was able to persist through three hundred straight losses, completely unfazed. Just that ability alone, to calmly face failure, puts him far above ninety-nine percent of the cultivators in this world."

Flowing Clouds Master seemed moved. He raised his head slightly to gaze at the distant horizon, his eyes far-reaching, and said in a wistful tone:

"My grandson’s fame may be soaring now, and he’s been invincible among his peers, but my only worry is this: if he were to suffer a defeat one day, would he be able to face it calmly and rally himself?"

Xu Ran stared blankly at Flowing Clouds Master, surprised that this old man, who had been showing off everywhere just a few days ago, would say something like this.

But on second thought, he realized it made sense. Perhaps this was the true affection a grandfather had for his grandson.

While everyone else was cheering for Zhang Zhentian, only his grandfather was looking toward the distant future, worrying for him even as he felt proud.

Perhaps this was the true thought in every parent’s heart when faced with a child they were proud of—proud, yet anxious, worried they might fall.

Seeing this, Xu Ran offered some comfort. "Don’t worry, Elder. It’s not like Junior Brother Zhang has never experienced failure. Didn’t he lose to me when he was a child?"

He said this in a slightly teasing tone, hoping to dispel the somewhat heavy atmosphere.

But Flowing Clouds Master only shook his head, his expression grave.

"It’s different. Back then, he was just a child who had just started cultivating. He hadn’t built up any momentum yet. Now, he has forged a momentum of invincibility. If he suffers a defeat, it will be completely different from before. If his will isn’t firm enough, he will collapse completely, and from then on..."

He shook his head, not finishing his sentence. He then sighed with emotion, "That’s why I admire that student of yours, Shen Wuchen. If my grandson had that kind of mental fortitude, I could finally be at ease. Even if I were to meet an untimely end someday, I could rest in peace with a smile."

After speaking, he stared intently at Xu Ran. "Xu Xiaoyou, you’re the one who taught Shen Wuchen. His performance today shows that you have a real talent for tempering a disciple’s willpower.

I want to ask a favor of you. If, one day, my grandson truly encounters the situation I described, I hope you can step in and help him get back on his feet."

Xu Ran quickly waved his hands and tried to explain, "Elder Flowing Clouds, you give me too much credit. Shen Wuchen, he..."

But Flowing Clouds Master gave him no chance to explain, saying with a determined expression:

"I don’t want to hear your explanations. I’ve already made up my mind. Just tell me if you agree or not. That boy, Zhentian, is a Junior Brother who you watched grow up. What, are you, his Senior Brother, planning to abandon him?"

"Well..."

"Don’t force me to get on my knees and beg you."

Hearing Flowing Clouds Master threaten him with kneeling again, Xu Ran could only nod with a pained expression. "Elder, please don’t say that. As you said, he’s the Junior Brother I watched grow up. How could I possibly ignore him?"

Hearing this, Flowing Clouds Master finally smiled, relieved.

Seeing him like this, Xu Ran felt a bit emotional. Flowing Clouds Master really had been looking out for Zhang Zhentian ever since he was a child.

"I heard from that boy, Zhentian, that your student sees him as a rival?"

"Heh, I suppose that’s the case."

Flowing Clouds Master nodded and remarked emotionally, "Perhaps one day in the future, he really will grow to become that boy Zhentian’s nemesis. He’s a truly remarkable person."

Just as Xu Ran was about to say something to take some pressure off Shen Wuchen, the aura between heaven and earth suddenly changed. A thundercloud abruptly appeared in the sky.

"Is someone undergoing a tribulation?" Xu Ran and Flowing Clouds Master’s expressions changed at the sight.

"Is that... the Peak Master?"

When he got a clear look at the person undergoing the tribulation, Xu Ran was shocked. He had worried that the Spirit Stream Peak Master would fall into a slump and never recover after his disciple had tried to attack him. He never expected him to suddenly be breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

After the radiant glow dissipated, cheers erupted throughout the Profound Pure Sect. After Qing Xuan True Monarch, the Sect had produced another Nascent Soul expert. This was truly a blessing from the heavens upon the Profound Pure Sect.

However, this was only the beginning. Just one year after the Spirit Stream Peak Master’s promotion, a Golden Core Elder from Inference Dao Peak also broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage. The cultivation of the Supreme Elder of Guiyuan Peak also advanced from the Nascent Soul Early Stage to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

The number of Nascent Soul experts in the Sect had once again returned to what it was before the incident in the Secret Realm.

Not long after, more news arrived. The New Domain Grand Competition had concluded, and the Sect’s overall performance was exceptionally strong, earning them a large swath of territory.

Hearing this news, the Sect’s morale was boosted once again. Many people remarked with emotion that the Sect’s fortune had truly turned, and its destiny even seemed to be trending toward a new peak.