Watching the Mountain

Afterward, Xu Ran gazed into the distance. This was the third time he had said goodbye to the young couple, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge. According to their plan, this farewell might be the last time they would be in contact for a very long while.

And there was a condition for that: he had to be able to continue existing openly with his current identity.

If he couldn't break through to the Core Formation Stage before his apparent lifespan ran out, he would have no choice but to discard his current identity and live on with a new one.

In that case, he would have to sever his friendship with Zhao Wuyang and the others. This goodbye would become their last-ever contact.

The young couple, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge, were the ones who had shown him the meaning of pure friendship since he arrived in this world.

Being with them felt like being with his school friends from his past life. Their situation now was also just like his past life: a few reunions after graduation, a few goodbyes, and then, eventually, losing touch completely.

If he could, he truly didn't want to sever his friendship with them. But this was the plight of a Longevity Seeker like himself. Before he was strong enough, he could never reveal his secret. Once his apparent lifespan was depleted, he could only abandon his current identity and live on with a new one.

'Perhaps, in this life, I'm doomed to experience countless feasts that must come to an end…'

Xu Ran let out a long sigh. Zhao Wuyang and the others' plan had given him a bit of inspiration.

'If I really have to abandon this identity, maybe I can do what they're doing—go to the other Four Domains through a Secret Realm. That way, I wouldn't even have to change my appearance to start a new life under a new name.'

He then shook his head, casting aside these stray thoughts. 'I shouldn't think about failure yet. The most important thing now is to cultivate diligently and try to keep this identity.'

Images of Senior Sister Yue, Little Xiyue, Teacher Qing Xuan, Shen Wuchen and his wife, Zhang Zhentian, and Ye Shu flashed through his mind.

'If possible, I want to stay in the Profound Pure Sect until the day none of these people are around anymore... Only then will I consider leaving.'

*

*

*

Ever since lending five thousand Contribution Points to Jiang Ling'Er, Xu Ran had gained another student to teach at the Scripture Pavilion.

Jiang Xiaohui. The dog had now gained sentience and become a Spirit Beast, and Jiang Ling'Er had even redeemed a Cultivation Technique for the Dog Race for him.

And perhaps because Jiang Ling'Er had constantly been giving him medicinal baths, he already possessed Cultivation comparable to a human at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage and had even learned human speech, despite having just become a Spirit Beast.

"Teacher, why does a dog like me have to learn about worldly wisdom and how to act like a person on top of cultivation?"

Jiang Xiaohui lay sprawled on the table, his tongue hanging out. A look of pure distress was written all over his doggy face as he eyed the thick stack of books beside him.

This was the course of study Xu Ran had assigned him. The books were full of classic stories, mainly teaching one how to interact with people and understand social etiquette.

Facing Jiang Xiaohui's complaint, Xu Ran pursed his lips and glanced at Jiang Ling'Er, who was squatting in a corner. He said calmly,

"You know what your master is like better than I do, right? If you don't learn the ways of the human world, are you really expecting her to learn them?"

"Your master is still a new disciple, so she can stay in the sect and study for now. But sooner or later, she'll have to deal with people. Tell me, would you feel at ease letting her interact with people all by herself?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xiaohui's eyes darted around. He glanced at Jiang Ling'Er for a moment, and an image of his master's clear, watery eyes surfaced in his mind. His tail instantly shot up, standing ramrod straight.

He then excitedly scrambled onto the stool and said with agitation, "How could I feel at ease? She'd definitely get cheated!"

Xu Ran nodded in deep agreement, a pleased expression on his face, and said to Jiang Xiaohui in a heartfelt tone,

"So you understand now, don't you? The task of learning how to be a proper person can only be entrusted to you."

Jiang Xiaohui nodded vigorously. "I understand, Teacher. I'll study hard."

"Work hard. I have high hopes for you."

With that, he rose and slowly walked out of the Scripture Pavilion.

On his way back, he heard some disciples excitedly discussing the Secret Realm.

"Did you hear? They say a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Celestial Essence Sect found some kind of treasure in the Secret Realm, and after refining it, he broke through to the Divinity Transformation Stage in one go."

"That powerful? Weren't the otherworldly civilizations in the Secret Realm supposed to be weak? How could they have a treasure like that?"

"Hah, that's where you're wrong. Their civilizations are weak because they lack a deep foundation. They're sitting on a mountain of treasure but don't know how to use it. That doesn't mean their resources aren't abundant. In this short time, how many people have broken through their own bottlenecks and become Golden Core Masters or even Nascent Soul True Monarchs thanks to the opportunities inside?"

"That's true. If they were as strong as the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race, they wouldn't have been wiped out by our Sword Dao Ye Shan with a single sword strike."

When the disciple heard the name Ye Shan, his eyes filled with boundless admiration.

"The resources in the Secret Realm are just too plentiful. I heard that all the sects in the Cultivation Realm are recruiting disciples in large numbers, and the requirements have been lowered to rock bottom.

Basically, as long as you have some cultivation aptitude and aren't too old, they'll take you. Our sect seems to have a similar plan. I'm going to tell my family in the mortal world to come take the test, and I'll also register with the Sect to go to the Secret Realm. Do you want to come with me?"

The other disciple looked hesitant. "I feel like the appearance of that Secret Realm was too convenient. Even the resources inside seem too easy to get. Don't you think there might be something wrong with it?"

"What could be wrong? More than half the Cultivation Realm has already gone in. If they're not afraid, what are you afraid of?"

The disciple struggled for a moment before finally shaking his head. He said,

"No, no. My strength is low. Even if there's nothing wrong with the Secret Realm, there are no rules inside. It's just too dangerous. I heard that in our Changqing County, several sects have nearly disbanded because their Nascent Soul True Monarchs were killed while fighting over resources in the Secret Realm. So, I think I'll pass."

The other person shot him a look of exasperation. "You're a Cultivator, yet you don't even have the courage to strive against the odds. Fine, suit yourself."

Xu Ran watched this scene from a distance. The Cultivation Realm had never lacked cautious people; in fact, there were a great many of them who were meticulous in everything they did.

Right now, attitudes in the Cultivation Realm toward the Secret Realm were basically divided into a few camps: those who thought something was wrong, those who thought everything was fine, and those who couldn't be bothered to care.

And just as that disciple had said, there was no order within the Secret Realm. The casualty rate was quite high, and news of people perishing was common.

This included the Profound Pure Sect, which had lost many people in the Secret Realm during this period.

For now, there was no news of any Nascent Soul Stage cultivators perishing, as only a few of the Profound Pure Sect's Supreme Elders had entered previously.

However, now that news of someone obtaining an opportunity in the Secret Realm and breaking through to the Divinity Transformation Stage was spreading, it was likely that many more Supreme Elders would be unable to resist going in.

And indeed, things turned out just as he had expected. In just a few days, more than half of the Sect's Supreme Elders had entered the Secret Realm.

This included Teacher Qing Xuan.

But he wasn't going for a chance at Divinity Transformation. He was going for his wife, hoping to find an opportunity for her to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

As batch after batch of disciples entered the Secret Realm, the Sect truly became deserted. But soon, more new disciples joined, and it became lively once again.

Xu Ran watched as one group of disciples left after another, only to be replaced by new arrivals. It was a cycle, and it seemed that ever since the Secret Realm appeared, the whole point of cultivation had become to enter it.

Chen Chang'an went in as well, but Zhang Zhentian did not leave. In response to Xu Ran's puzzlement, he said in a deep voice,

"I am the Sect's Evergreen Sword Saint. I will stand guard over the Sect and go nowhere else."

Xu Ran looked at him in silence. When they first met, he had a feeling that this brash kid might one day become a major figure.

Now, that belief was proven true. He had become the pillar of the Sect. As long as the Evergreen Sword Saint remained, the Sect would not fall into chaos.

And so, time passed quickly with the departure and arrival of people. Xu Ran's Cultivation also finally broke through to the Purple Mansion Stage.

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