Watching the Mountain

"She told me we should compete to see who reaches the Core Formation Stage first. If she loses, we’ll become Dao Companions."

Upon hearing Shen Wuchen’s explanation, Xu Ran was suddenly interested.

His eyes flickered as a profound expression appeared on his face.

’If that’s true, how is this any different from Ye Qingyue simply handing herself over?’

Many in the Sect knew that Shen Wuchen’s cultivation speed far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Unlike other Cultivators, his comprehension of the Dao was remarkably poor, which saved him a great deal of time that would otherwise be spent contemplating it.

’So, this wasn’t a bet at all. She was just trying to give herself to Shen Wuchen.’

Xu Ran felt a sense of relief. Though his student had lost all his matches in the New Domain Grand Tournament, he had won someone to accompany him for life on his cultivation path. In that sense, he was still a winner.

"So, you two have a bet going on?"

Shen Wuchen shook his head. "I didn’t accept her bet."

"What?" Xu Ran exclaimed in disbelief.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Shen Wuchen declare with a look of firm resolve:

"Rest assured, Master Xu. My Dao Heart is resolute in its pursuit of the Dao. It will not be shaken in the slightest."

He sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. "That woman is trying to use her tricks to corrupt my Dao Heart again. What a joke. If I, Shen Wuchen, am to break through to the Core Formation Stage, it can only be because of my own desire to seek the Dao. How could it possibly be for a ridiculous reason like a woman—hey, Master Xu, what are you hitting me for?"

Shen Wuchen looked at Xu Ran in a daze.

He hadn’t even finished speaking before Xu Ran rapped him on the head a few times.

Upon hearing this, Xu Ran raised his fist again and said furiously, "Hitting you? I ought to be thrashing you!"

"It’s always ’that woman, that woman.’ Who do you think you are, some overbearing Senior Brother from a novel? She’s your Junior Sister! Junior Sister! Junior Sister! Do you understand me?"

Pointing a trembling finger at Shen Wuchen, Xu Ran glared, his face flushed with anger. The expression "hating iron for not becoming steel" was no longer enough to describe his mood. He felt like he was choking on a mouthful of old blood, the pressure in his chest building to an explosive point.

’Right now, he desperately wanted to pry open Shen Wuchen’s head and see what the hell was rattling around in there.’

’A wife delivered right to his doorstep, and he just kicked her to the curb.’

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Unable to find an outlet for his frustration, his eyes widened in a glare as he pointed at Shen Wuchen and ordered:

"And another thing—wipe that sneer off your face. If I see it again, you are not to set foot in here ever again."

Shen Wuchen was still puzzling over why Xu Ran was so worked up. Hearing his master’s ultimatum, he flinched and nodded several times, mumbling a few "ohs" before frantically trying to change his facial expression.

In his flustered state, however, he had no idea what expression to make. He tried several in quick succession, but none of them felt quite right.

Finally, in his desperation, his face went rigid. As if by reflex, it settled into his typical, expressionless, arrogant mask.

The sight of that face made Xu Ran, who had been seething just a moment ago, freeze. His anger stalled. He slapped his forehead and sighed helplessly.

"Never mind. Just... never mind."

’What could he possibly do with a student like this?’

He was silent for a long while before his temper finally subsided. He slowly turned to Shen Wuchen and asked, "If I recall correctly, weren’t you quite fond of her during the Grand Tournament between the sects?"

Shen Wuchen’s expression stiffened, and he turned his head away slightly. "It’s precisely because I fell for that wom... for my Junior Sister’s scheme back then that I will never fall for her tricks again."

He tilted his head back slightly, his mind flashing back to the scene at the Sect’s Grand Tournament. It had been the first time he’d ever felt such stirrings of romance. Ye Qingyue was stunningly beautiful, and at the last moment of their match, she had deliberately conceded.

At the time, he’d thought she couldn’t bear to let him lose the match, so he decided to respond to what he believed were her feelings for him.

But instead, she had looked at him in utter shock and said:

"Fellow Daoist Shen, with a Dao Heart like yours, how on earth have you managed to cultivate to your current level?"

To this day, he could still vividly recall the mocking glint in her eyes. It was a memory he couldn’t erase.

Watching Shen Wuchen’s reaction, Xu Ran covered his eyes with his hand.

’Looks like he’s been scarred by love. If this emotional knot isn’t untied, he’ll probably end up a bachelor for life, just like me.’

’But heartbreak is hard to mend. This is going to be tricky.’

He thought for a long time, then sighed softly. "What I want you to understand is that people aren’t set in stone. With the passage of time, many people and many things change, eventually becoming completely unrecognizable."

Shen Wuchen looked at Xu Ran blankly. He blinked, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. ’Weren’t we talking about my Junior Sister?’ he thought. ’Why is Master Xu suddenly saying all this?’

Seeing his student’s reaction, Xu Ran rubbed his forehead, then waved a hand dismissively and said,

"Forget it. There’s no point in just talking about these things. You have to experience and feel them for yourself to understand."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Although your path of cultivation doesn’t require much deep comprehension, as a Cultivator, mindfully experiencing the small details of the world around you is a basic quality."

"I hope that in your spare time from cultivation, you don’t forget to mindfully experience everything around you. Even if you can’t grasp or comprehend anything from it right away, that’s fine. For now, just remember it. Then, one day in the future, perhaps you’ll naturally understand."

Shen Wuchen’s Comprehension was abysmal. He had a feeling Master Xu was trying to impart some great wisdom, but upon careful reflection, it all sounded very profound, yet utterly incomprehensible.

Deep, but he just didn’t get it.

’But it didn’t matter. Since Master Xu said it, he just had to do as he was told.’

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Xu. I will take it to heart." He gave Xu Ran a solemn bow.

Xu Ran waved his hand. "Go on. I look forward to the day you finally understand."

Watching Shen Wuchen’s retreating back, Xu Ran felt a little wistful. ’It seems this sort of thing will have to depend on that girl, Ye Qingyue,’ he thought. ’There’s certainly no hope if I rely on Shen Wuchen.’

’Oh well. I’ll just leave it to fate.’

*

*

*

Xu Ran felt that perhaps the Profound Pure Sect’s rising fortune was causing his own luck to improve along with it.

Not long after Shen Wuchen and the others had returned, a piece of news suddenly spread through the Cultivation Realm.

The Flame Sun Sect had been personally annihilated by a Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarch for violating the Cultivation Realm’s ironclad law against attacking the Mortal Realm.

Many had personally witnessed the Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarch’s move. The Flame Sun Sect’s mountain stronghold was instantly reduced to a field of ruins, and Ancestor Yanyang was killed on the spot.

The top Sects in the Cultivation Realm were now issuing orders to hunt down any surviving Flame Sun Sect disciples, vowing to leave none behind.

When Xu Ran heard the news, he was utterly stunned. His expression grew dazed; it felt like a dream, completely unbelievable.

He had never expected that the Flame Sun Sect—the very Sect that had been after him and caused him so much anxiety—would simply be wiped out. Just like that, his own personal crisis had been resolved along with it.

This turn of events was truly beyond his expectations. After Ancestor Yanyang had attacked the Sect and retreated, Xu Ran had thought he wouldn’t know a moment of peace for a long time to come.

He never imagined this would be the outcome. All he could do was sigh with emotion. Fate truly was unpredictable.

Then he paused, and a sudden question came to mind.

’If that’s the case, then what about Qin Yufeng? Is he still alive?’