Watching the Mountain

Shen Wuchen was very busy.

Recently, countless Golden Core Cultivators, all seeking to make a name for themselves in one fell swoop, had come to challenge him.

He welcomed all comers, but on one condition: win or lose, as long as he made a move, the challenger had to hand over ninety percent of their personal fortune.

And as the number of challengers grew, he set another rule: he would only deign to offer his guidance to those with a net worth of over one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

He was Wuchen True Monarch, the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in the Cultivation Realm in a hundred thousand years. If someone couldn’t even produce a hundred thousand, it would make him seem far too cheap.

At first, when so many people were challenging him, the other Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm treated him as a laughingstock.

After all, more and more challengers were able to last more than a day against him. There was even one who held out for ten days before being defeated.

With a track record like that, his title as the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in a hundred thousand years gradually morphed into the "weakest Nascent Soul True Monarch in the history of the Cultivation Realm."

Some Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm even expressed that they were ashamed to be associated with Wuchen True Monarch.

But now, they regretted it. They were feeling utterly miserable.

Because the speed at which Wuchen True Monarch was earning Spirit Stones was simply too effortless.

Some people did the math: in just three short months, Wuchen True Monarch had earned over three million Spirit Stones from challenge fees alone.

How was this the weakest Nascent Soul True Monarch? This was clearly a bid for the title of the wealthiest Nascent Soul True Monarch!

The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators of the Cultivation Realm were beating their chests and stamping their feet, secretly lamenting why no one ever came to challenge them.

Of course, they also knew it was unrealistic to become the wealthiest Nascent Soul True Monarch just by collecting challenge fees. As time went on and the hype died down, the number of challengers would only dwindle.

But even though they understood, they were still green with envy. After all, he was making Spirit Stones way too easily.

*

*

*

Shen Wuchen’s business was booming. So far, not a single challenger had managed to defeat him.

It seemed it wasn’t that Shen Wuchen was too weak, but that Zhang Zhentian was too strong.

Seeing this, Xu Ran stopped paying much attention to the matter.

However, he still wasn’t sure how Wang Zhenye and Hao Miaomiao, whom he had arranged to join the sect earlier, were doing.

Since he was the one who got them in, he felt he should check up on them.

With this in mind, Xu Ran quietly made his way to the Instructor Hall on Qing Xuan Peak, where he happened to see Wang Zhenye chatting with a few other disciples.

One disciple asked Wang Zhenye, "You’re so old. How did you get into the Sect? I thought there were strict rules about the age of new recruits."

Hearing this, Wang Zhenye grinned and said, "Because I got in through the back door."

He didn’t try to hide it at all, just came right out and said it. In an instant, every eye in the Instructor Hall turned to him.

Some, recalling that he had joined the Sect with Hao Miaomiao, couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Did Junior Sister Miaomiao get in that way too?"

Seeing the topic turn to her, Hao Miaomiao subconsciously prepared to deny it. She wasn’t as thick-skinned as Wang Zhenye and couldn’t calmly endure the strange looks from her fellow disciples.

But it was too late. Before she could speak, Wang Zhenye nodded with a smile. "Of course. We came in through the back door together. The same person arranged for both of us to join the Sect."

After speaking, he winked at Hao Miaomiao. "Right, little sister Miaomiao?"

Hao Miaomiao’s expression froze. Faced with the stares of so many fellow disciples, she could only stammer out an affirmation, "That’s right."

"To be able to bypass the Sect’s rules and arrange for you to join, that’s something only an Elder could do, at least, right? Junior Brother Wang, it seems you have an extraordinary background. You’ll have to look out for us from now on, eh?"

A few people started to jeer good-naturedly.

Hearing this, Hao Miaomiao froze for a moment. She suddenly understood. So that was Wang Zhenye’s goal. By revealing he’d gotten in through the back door, he was draping himself in a tiger’s skin. From now on, he could borrow the tiger’s might and not have to worry about being bullied.

She cast a sidelong glance at Wang Zhenye. ’This rogue is quite cunning, isn’t he?’

However, the moment that thought popped into her head, she heard Wang Zhenye beside her shake his head and deny it.

"What extraordinary background? My fellow disciples, you think too highly of me. The only reason we were able to join the Sect is that our ancestors once did a great favor for that Elder. Moreover, our ancestors themselves were disciples who sacrificed their lives for the Sect."

"Now that he has arranged for our entry, that Elder’s debt of gratitude has been repaid, so naturally, we have no connection to him anymore."

Hearing this, Hao Miaomiao stared blankly at Wang Zhenye. She had no idea what this guy was trying to do anymore.

Wang Zhenye didn’t notice her reaction at all and continued to chat enthusiastically with the disciples around him.

The hall only quieted down after the lecturer from the Instructor Hall arrived.

After the lecturer from the Instructor Hall entered, he suddenly stopped as he walked past Wang Zhenye and asked him:

"A few days ago, this old man overheard you telling some fellow disciples that you cultivate for a life of freedom and pleasure? And that you wanted them to introduce you to some senior and junior sisters?"

Wang Zhenye was slightly taken aback, then rose with a sheepish smile. "I didn’t expect even you to have heard about that, Lecturer. You must be laughing at me. But it’s the truth. I, Wang Zhenye, went so far as to get myself removed from my family register for the sake of cultivation, all for a life of freedom and pleasure. There’s nothing to hide."

As he spoke, he looked at the other disciples and laughed heartily. "If any of you have unmarried older or younger sisters at home, you can introduce them to me. I guarantee I’ll make them very happy."

Hearing him say such things right to his face, the lecturer’s expression instantly soured. He snorted coldly and chided him with a pained expression:

"Joining the Sect at your age, your cultivation is already a step behind. If you indulge in worldly relations between men and women, how can you possibly cultivate?"

"This old man will set a rule for you: before you break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, you are absolutely forbidden from getting close to any women. Of course, this is just my suggestion. Whether you follow it or not is up to you."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenye’s expression shifted. After a moment of internal struggle, he clenched his fists and said with a determined look:

"I, Wang Zhenye, may be lecherous, but I am not desperate. Since you have said so, Lecturer, this disciple will listen to you. I hereby swear an oath: until I break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, I will absolutely not engage in those ’pleasurable activities.’"

He was a man of his word. The moment he finished speaking, he raised his hand and made a Great Dao Oath in front of everyone.

This act shocked everyone present. No one had expected him to actually do it.

After making the oath, Wang Zhenye turned to the disciples, spread his hands, and said in a somewhat helpless tone:

"Consider what I said earlier null and void. As you all can see, for the time being, I am unable to give them happiness."

Xu Ran, who had been secretly observing from outside, felt a wave of emotion. He had never truly understood what a ’social butterfly’ was until this very moment, watching Wang Zhenye.

’To be able to speak such nonsense so brazenly in front of so many people... that’s a skill in itself.’

It seemed he didn’t need to worry about Wang Zhenye. A guy like that would definitely never let himself be taken advantage of.

As for Hao Miaomiao, however... because she entered the Sect with Wang Zhenye, everyone else saw her as his companion. That must be putting a lot of pressure on her.

Xu Ran recalled the words she had spoken when she first joined, and a flicker of light appeared in his eyes.

*

*

*

"How have you been feeling lately? Are you adjusting to life in the Sect?"

After the lecture in the Instructor Hall ended, Xu Ran found Hao Miaomiao, who was engrossed in a book titled *Basic Alchemy Techniques*, and asked her with concern.

When Hao Miaomiao saw him, she quickly stood up and bowed, then replied respectfully:

"Thank you for your concern. Everything is going well."

Xu Ran nodded slightly, then looked at the *Basic Alchemy Techniques* in her hand. "Are you studying Alchemy Technique to cure the sick and save people?"

Hao Miaomiao paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

Noticing his expression, she asked with some hesitation, "Is there a problem?"

Xu Ran shook his head, sighed softly, and said, "You’re wrong."

Hao Miaomiao looked bewildered. "What’s wrong?"

"If you truly want to rid the world of all suffering and disease, then Alchemy Technique shouldn’t be the first thing you learn."

"Not Alchemy Technique? Then what is?"

Xu Ran pondered for a moment before asking, "Let me ask you, with your strength alone, how many people can you save?"

"I don’t know, but I’ll work hard to save as many as I possibly can."

"And what happens one day, when you’re gone?"

"That..." Hao Miaomiao was instantly stumped. She thought for a moment, then bowed deeply to Xu Ran and said with a solemn expression, "I sincerely ask for Senior’s guidance."

Xu Ran nodded slightly, his expression calm as he spoke. "A world without disease is an immense ideal. I don’t know if it can be achieved, but I believe it certainly can’t be done with Daoist Techniques and Magic alone. Otherwise, with how long the Cultivation Realm has been developing, disease would have been eradicated from the world long ago."

"Perhaps you can try starting with the power of mortals themselves. A sound healthcare system, while it might not create a world without disease, can at least eliminate the vast majority of illnesses..."

"A healthcare system?"

"Training healers, organizing and compiling all the world’s medical knowledge and books, establishing well-equipped clinics everywhere... So, you see, what you need to learn isn’t Alchemy Technique, but management..."

"This..." Hao Miaomiao stared blankly at Xu Ran, feeling as if her entire worldview had just been shattered.

’Has the way I’ve always thought about this... been wrong?’

*

*

*

Half a year had passed since Huang Yunxiao of the Purple Sun Sect initiated his challenge, and the Cultivation Realm’s enthusiasm for challenging Wuchen True Monarch had gradually faded.

Anything, when seen too often, becomes dull. Besides, in all this time, aside from the Evergreen Sword Saint at the very beginning, Wuchen True Monarch had never been defeated again.

However, just when everyone thought that Wuchen True Monarch would never lose again, he was defeated.

Moreover, the person who defeated him this time was no simple character; he came from the Profound Celestial Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects.

That person battled Wuchen True Monarch for ten days before defeating him.

Afterward, with an indifferent expression, he slowly said to Wuchen True Monarch, "To be able to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage at less than one hundred and fifty years of age, you’re quite good."

As soon as these words were spoken, the scene fell deathly silent. The countless disciples of the Profound Pure Sect who were watching clenched their fists and glared at him, grinding their teeth.

Even the people from other sects who had come to watch frowned.

A Golden Core Stage Cultivator praising a Nascent Soul True Monarch with "You’re quite good."

How was that praise? It was blatant, undisguised humiliation.

Shen Wuchen stood there silently, staring impassively at the young man not far away, his face still wearing that same aloof and arrogant expression.