Watching the Mountain

Shen Wuchen was a man of unwavering consistency, just as he had once told Xu Ran he would be his disciple, even if the words had to be carved on his tombstone.

After the Sect’s grand competition, he had already gained immense fame within the Sect. His title, the "God of Certain Defeat," was perhaps even more renowned than that of the Evergreen Sword Saint.

Many believed that, given the strength he displayed, he would likely never have a chance to reach the Purple Mansion Stage in his lifetime.

His comprehension of the Dao alone was enough to convince everyone that he would never be able to condense a Dao Seed.

However, he had now broken through to the Purple Mansion Stage, defying everyone’s expectations. He was even several years younger than the Evergreen Sword Saint had been at the time of his own breakthrough.

So when the news of his breakthrough spread, the entire Sect erupted. Many found it unbelievable, but it was the truth.

It wasn’t until Shen Wuchen, with a proud and aloof expression, announced that this was a Dao bestowed upon him by Master Xu—a path that traded combat prowess for rapid breakthroughs in Realm.

Only then did the disciples of the Profound Pure Sect have a sudden realization: this was the true reason for Shen Wuchen’s weak combat performance.

Shen Wuchen had actually mentioned this back when the disciples of Spirit Stream Peak petitioned the Sect to replace the head of the Instructor Hall, but at the time, they had just assumed he’d been duped.

Now that he had broken through to the Purple Mansion Stage before the age of fifty, everyone was abruptly struck by the realization that it had all been true.

Then, some disciples grew tempted. Naturally, the talented prodigies with high ambitions would look down on trading combat ability for rapid breakthroughs, but for those with average talent, it was a different story entirely.

For those trapped in their current Realm with no hope of advancement, this was nothing short of a godsent opportunity.

The disciples of the Profound Pure Sect weren’t fools. It was true that Shen Wuchen’s strength was exceptionally weak for his Realm, but he was still stronger than anyone in a lower Realm.

More importantly, they understood a crucial principle: a higher Realm meant a longer lifespan, and a longer lifespan meant more time to pursue an even higher Realm. It was a virtuous cycle.

If such a path, completely different from the conventional way of cultivation, truly existed, it would be a tremendous blessing for many.

Many disciples grew incredibly curious about the "Master Xu" that Shen Wuchen spoke of, wondering just who this mysterious figure could be.

If what Shen Wuchen said was true, then this person was the founder of an entirely new school of cultivation.

Even if the school he founded was somewhat weak in power.

But just as they were curiously trying to dig up information about Xu Ran, the Sect promptly stepped in and stopped them. They explained that Shen Wuchen’s situation was unique, and revealed the matter of his A+ Root Bone and D- Comprehension.

They clarified that his rapid cultivation speed was mainly due to his own Root Bone, and that even if others tried to follow this path, they wouldn’t be much faster. Cultivation still required a solid and steady approach.

The higher-ups of the Profound Pure Sect had actually seen the potential in this path as well and wanted to explore it.

But now that the Sect’s disciples were trying to find out about Xu Ran, that was unacceptable. They had to intervene.

Yue Qingyu had just arranged for Xu Ran to go to the Scripture Pavilion, hoping he could fade into obscurity there and be gradually forgotten. How could she let everyone dig up information on him at a time like this?

There was one person who was very unhappy about this matter.

And that person was Zi Teng Master, the one who had helped Shen Wuchen break through to the Purple Mansion Stage.

Previously, when Shen Wuchen had lost five hundred consecutive matches in the New Domain competition, he had been so averse to seeing Shen Wuchen that he avoided him, fearing others would associate them. It had taken Xu Ran a great deal of persuasion to convince him to help.

Although he had agreed, he had repeatedly demanded that Shen Wuchen, under no circumstances, reveal his existence.

When Shen Wuchen broke through to the Purple Mansion Stage, he told everyone he met about "Master Xu." At first, Zi Teng Master was quite pleased that he himself hadn’t been mentioned.

But as people began to talk about the founding of a new school, he started to feel a bit upset. It dawned on him that the path Shen Wuchen was walking really did seem to be the creation of an entirely new route of cultivation.

And when he heard Shen Wuchen constantly crediting "Master Xu," he started to feel it was unfair. While the idea had come from Xu Ran, he was the one who had painstakingly figured out the path after Foundation Establishment and helped Shen Wuchen break through.

’Xu Ran was the founder, true, but I’m the one who developed and promoted it!’ he thought. ’If this school ever truly emerges in the Cultivation Realm, then I would be one of its two great patriarchs.’

At that moment, he really wanted to tell Shen Wuchen, ’You know, there’s no need to listen to my words so literally. I wouldn’t mind if you mentioned this old man out in the world.’

But he was a man who cared deeply about his reputation, and he simply couldn’t bring himself to say such a thing. He couldn’t just admit he’d gone back on his word, could he?

That was when the Sect’s higher-ups approached him, asking him to step forward, take Xu Ran’s place, and draw all the attention onto himself.

Upon hearing the Sect’s request, Zi Teng Master feigned reservation for a moment. Then, mimicking Shen Wuchen, he put on a blank, aloof expression, clasped his hands behind his back, gave a slight nod, and said coolly:

"Since it is for Xu Xiaoyou, then this old man is naturally duty-bound to help."

Then, with his hands clasped behind his back and his chest puffed out, he began to wander around the Sect, proclaiming, "Hahaha, yes, that’s right! The one who created this Dao was none other than this old man!"

"What’s that? This old man’s surname isn’t Xu? Well, I can be surnamed Xu if I want! We are Cultivators, you know. Don’t get bogged down in such mundane affairs."

*

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When Xu Ran heard what Zi Teng Master was doing, he couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle.

The man had once declared with absolute certainty that he would never regret his decision, yet now, in the blink of an eye, he was being so proactive.

Truly, the more someone cared about their reputation, the more they were ensnared by the pursuit of fame.

However, even though the matter with Shen Wuchen was resolved, it didn’t mean Xu Ran could finally have some peace and quiet.

Because of Li Tianhe’s breakthrough, the Spirit Stream Peak disciples from his cohort all knew that he had comprehended his own path and broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage thanks to Xu Ran’s guidance.

So after that, many other disciples from the Spirit Stream Peak’s Instructor Hall whom Xu Ran had once taught came to find him, requesting his guidance.

Xu Ran felt quite helpless about this. But since he had already guided Li Tianhe, he couldn’t very well play favorites and ignore everyone else, could he?

Besides, he discovered that a few of them were indeed in a similar situation to Li Tianhe, just a hair’s breadth away from complete enlightenment. By employing his unique Melancholy Realm, he was actually able to help several of them achieve a state of Bright Heart Illuminating Self and break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

As for the others, each gained their own insights, whether in Daoist Techniques or other aspects of their cultivation.

Then, their fellow disciples on Spirit Stream Peak began to notice that the disciples from Li Tianhe’s cohort had all been making immense progress recently.

However, Xu Ran had specifically instructed them not to mention his name.

Thus, when asked, their response became a single, meaningful phrase: "There is an expert in the Scripture Pavilion."

For a time, the disciples of Spirit Stream Peak flocked to the Scripture Pavilion every single day. This annoyed Xu Ran to no end, and he was forced to occasionally appear and selectively offer guidance on Daoist Techniques to a few people.

This only served to further confirm the rumor, and the Spirit Stream Peak disciples became even more frenzied.

Fortunately, at this time, Qing Xuan True Monarch contacted him to say that the Scripture Pavilion on Qing Xuan Peak was now built and that he should head over. This finally allowed him to make his escape.

However, for a long time after he left, the legend of an expert in the Scripture Pavilion continued to circulate throughout Spirit Stream Peak.

Xu Ran made a firm resolution: once he arrived at the Scripture Pavilion on Qing Xuan Peak, he would absolutely keep a low profile and not casually offer guidance to anyone.