Watching the Mountain

Xu Ran was completely bewildered. "Why look for someone who resembles you but has the complete opposite personality?"

Ye Shan waved his hand dismissively. "I knew you’d ask that, Junior Brother. It’s to be expected. After all, you’re just an ordinary person. Of course you can’t understand my way of thinking."

Xu Ran’s face stiffened. He stared blankly at Ye Shan. ’Can’t he just talk normally?’

Ye Shan continued on his own, "Let me ask you, Junior Brother. Do you think there’s anyone in this world who could truly be like me or replace me?"

Xu Ran was slightly taken aback. He didn’t have to think hard about that question. The answer was definitely no. Zhang Zhentian had tried so hard to replace Ye Shan as the new idol in the hearts of the Profound Pure Sect’s disciples, but he still fell just a little short.

Ye Shan smiled faintly. "Junior Sister Qingxue certainly knows this as well. That’s why I’m looking for someone who bears some resemblance to me. It will lower her inner resistance and make her accept the girl as her disciple."

"But that alone won’t be enough to convince her. I have to make a bet with her about what level she needs to train this disciple to. That’s the only way she’ll throw herself into it completely."

"Knowing Junior Sister Qingxue’s personality, she might try to use other means or focus on superficial aspects to make the child somewhat like me, just to win the bet. To prevent that from happening, I found someone with a personality completely opposite to mine. This way, even if she wants to play tricks, she won’t be able to."

"So, as long as she accepts my bet, she’s already lost from the very beginning."

Xu Ran stared at Ye Shan in surprise. ’Damn, he really has Ye Qingxue wrapped around his finger.’ He then asked, full of curiosity:

"So, Senior Brother, what are you planning to wager? If you lose, will you become Dao Companions with her?"

He stared intently at Ye Shan, extremely interested in the matter.

Ye Shan waved his hand. "How could that be? Knowing my Junior Sister, I just need to tell her that if she can do this to my satisfaction, I’ll spend a day out with her. That should be enough."

After speaking, he stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before adding with some uncertainty, "Three days at most. That’ll definitely do it."

Xu Ran stared at him, dumbfounded. He suddenly felt a pang of pity for Ye Qingxue. He said, somewhat speechless:

"Seriously, Senior Brother? She’s your Junior Sister. What’s the big deal about spending a few days out with her?"

Although he was closer to Ye Shan, this time he was on Ye Qingxue’s side. Seriously. He felt she was just too pitiful. If things really went according to Ye Shan’s plan, she would put in so much effort, and her prize would be just a few days out with him. That was more pathetic and tragic than a beggar on the street.

Ye Shan shook his head and said with a straight face, "Junior Brother, you don’t understand. I can’t give my Junior Sister any hope at all. Before she changes, I can’t have too much contact with her. That’s the only way to be responsible for her."

As he spoke, his expression brightened, and his tone grew excited. "But I have a feeling that this time, I can definitely get my Junior Sister to change."

He looked at Xu Ran with gratitude. "And for this, I have your idea to thank, Junior Brother. I made a special trip to the Mortal World to observe for a while, and I found that women do indeed change a great deal after having a child."

Ye Shan didn’t elaborate further. He asked if Xu Ran had anything to add to his plan, and after they discussed some details, he left in high spirits, saying he would call Xu Ran over to witness everything once Ye Qingxue returned.

Watching Ye Shan’s determined expression, Xu Ran couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional. ’It seems Ye Shan is really serious about changing Ye Qingxue.’

He even seemed a little too anxious, which Xu Ran found hard to understand. Although Ye Qingxue was a bit of a yandere, she wasn’t some evil person. She only lost her composure when it came to matters involving Ye Shan; on a normal day, she was a perfectly normal person.

’Why is Ye Shan in such a hurry to change her? This kind of thing could be handled slowly, yet he insists on trying to achieve it all at once. He’s far too impatient.’

*

*

*

The Supreme Elders had already procured a Tier Seven Spirit Vein for Qing Xuan Peak. A location for Qing Xuan Peak had also been chosen: a seemingly ordinary mountain ten li away from Spirit Stream Peak.

However, once the Supreme Elders embedded the Tier Seven Spirit Vein into the mountain, the ordinary peak immediately began to shake violently, transforming into a magnificent and strange summit that was majestic and towered into the clouds.

With the Spirit Vein in place, the next step was to set up the peak’s infrastructure. For this, the Sect dispatched dozens of Core Formation Stage Elders who spent a month laying out the rough foundations of Qing Xuan Peak. It would then take another few months to half a year to arrange the finer details.

Both Xu Ran and Little Xiyue were called over to help.

Little Xiyue was summoned because Master Xuan Zhen and the others from Inference Dao Peak were setting up an Array on Qing Xuan Peak, and they wanted her to help while she learned.

Xu Ran, on the other hand, was called over because he was a Spirit Plant Master. He was to help manage the earth veins and water qi, as well as to see what should be primarily planted in the Spirit Fields on Qing Xuan Peak.

After being busy on Qing Xuan Peak for a while, he suddenly ran into someone unexpected.

Flowing Clouds Master, who had lost a leg.

This came as a huge surprise. After Zhang Zhentian had told him that Flowing Clouds Master had lost a leg, Xu Ran had been meaning to visit him.

Who would have known that when he went to Celestial Sea Peak, the man was nowhere to be found? According to the reply from Celestial Sea Peak, Flowing Clouds Master had already resigned from his position as Grand Elder. Upon returning from the battlefield, he had gone straight back to his hometown without ever returning to the Sect.