Watching the Mountain

Chapter 207: Chapter 143: The Third Sword Technique: Melting Snow

Jiang Ling’Er blinked her incredibly clear, watery eyes. She tilted her head, her soft, fair little face filled with yearning.

She seemed to be fantasizing about her future life.

The moment Xu Ran heard she was going to the Demon Race, he knew it must have something to do with Jiang Xiaohui.

"It’s about Xiaohui? What are the specifics? Tell me about it."

Jiang Ling’Er nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice, and said with some excitement:

"A few days ago, Xiaohui and I entered a Secret Realm. Inside, we met an Elder from the Dog Race. He saw how smart Xiaohui was and decided to take him as a disciple."

Xu Ran nodded slightly. "And you? Did he take you as a disciple as well?"

Jiang Ling’Er shook her head. "No, no. But Xiaohui’s master said I can go live with Xiaohui in the Demon Race territory. And I don’t have to do anything! He’ll provide all my cultivation resources."

As she spoke, the corner of her mouth quirked up, and she let out a silly giggle. "Ehehehe, I don’t have to do anything, and someone will take care of me. It’s so great."

Looking at her, Xu Ran was momentarily speechless. "What does Xiaohui say? Is that Dog Race Elder reliable?"

He didn’t trust Jiang Ling’Er’s judgment at all. The girl was too gullible. If someone scammed her, she wouldn’t just help them count the money; she’d probably empty her own pockets and give them everything she had.

He needed Jiang Xiaohui’s confirmation before he could rest easy.

Hearing this, Jiang Ling’Er patted her flat chest and said, "Don’t worry, Teacher. Xiaohui said the Elder is a good person and won’t trick us."

Xu Ran glanced at her and felt slightly more at ease. He nodded, then said:

"So, you’re here to say goodbye to me, then?"

"Yes."

Xu Ran shook his head and sighed softly. "Saying goodbye, and you’re this happy? It seems your teacher doesn’t hold much of a place in your heart, huh?"

He had experienced many partings in his life, and each one had weighed heavily on his heart. Even when Senior Sister Yue had simply left his Cave Mansion to return to her own, he had felt a touch of sadness.

This was the first time someone had ever run up to him, face full of excitement, to say goodbye.

"Th-that..." Jiang Ling’Er’s expression froze. She began to fidget with her fingers, at a loss for words as she tried to explain, "No... I-I-I..."

She looked flustered, wanting to explain but growing more tongue-tied the more anxious she became. Finally, in a panic, she blurted out:

"But they said they’d take care of me! Without me having to do anything! I... I’m just really happy. It’s not that I don’t like you, Teacher."

Looking at her nervous little face, Xu Ran waved his hand and smiled.

"Alright, don’t be nervous. I’ve always worried about you, wondering if you could take care of yourself after leaving the sect. Now that the Demon Race is willing to look after you, I can finally be at ease."

"This is a good thing. And since it’s a good thing, of course you should be smiling happily."

Hearing this, Jiang Ling’Er let out a sigh of relief. She then stared at Xu Ran with her big eyes and said in a very serious tone:

"Teacher, rest assured, I’ll think of you even when I’m with the Demon Race. I’ll contact you often."

Xu Ran nodded slightly. "As long as you take good care of yourself, that’s the best thing you can do for me. You don’t need to worry about anything else."

Jiang Ling’Er stared at him blankly for a moment, then raised her hands and gave him a slight bow.

Then she lowered her hands, bowed her head slightly, and began fidgeting with her fingers again as she spoke somewhat sheepishly:

"Teacher, after Xiaohui and I entered the Secret Realm, we were surrounded by five Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators. Xiaohui drove off four of them, and I defeated one who was at the same Foundation Establishment Early Stage as me."

After she finished, she furtively rolled her eyes upward to watch Xu Ran’s reaction, holding her breath as she waited for her teacher’s reply.

However, she waited a long time but didn’t get the words she was hoping for.

So she bit her lip and continued:

"Teacher, I defeated that Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator all by myself! Xiaohui didn’t help me. I just used the Magic Technique you taught me to defeat him."

After speaking, she held her breath again, secretly observing Xu Ran’s reaction.

In truth, the moment she started speaking, Xu Ran knew what she was after. But her reactions were just too amusing, and he couldn’t resist observing her a little longer.

This student, Jiang Ling’Er, was the purest person he had ever met, which was why he treated her with such special care.

It wasn’t until he saw she was on the verge of crying from anxiety that Xu Ran finally chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up in praise.

"To think you could defeat an enemy all on your own. That’s amazing. You’re truly a student I taught. You haven’t brought me any shame; you are my pride."

The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Ling’Er, who had been on the verge of tears from disappointment, instantly bloomed like a field of flowers caressed by a spring breeze.

She smiled with pure joy. Her teacher had finally praised her! She had waited decades for these words of praise.

She raised her hands and gave Xu Ran another slight bow. "Teacher, thank you for your guidance. Please take care. This disciple will contact you often."

Seeing this, Xu Ran fell silent for a moment, then nodded gently. After a moment of thought, he said:

"As my student, there isn’t much more I can teach you. Before you leave, let me impart to you one more Divine Technique... and one more Sword Technique."

The Divine Technique he intended to teach her was, of course, the Ten Thousand Woods Transformation Spell. It was his favorite Magic Technique, and it was perfectly suited for someone with a pure heart like Jiang Ling’Er.

After imparting the Ten Thousand Woods Transformation Spell to Jiang Ling’Er, he flipped his palm, and a longsword appeared in his hand.

The moment he grasped the longsword, a wondrous aura emanated from his body, spreading out into the world around them.

Across from him, Jiang Ling’Er felt a pleasant warmth wash over her, as if she were bathing in the morning sun, surrounded by colorful flowers. It was beautiful, filled with a warm and comfortable aura that made one want to drift off to sleep in its gentle ocean.

However, just as that thought surfaced in her mind, a flash of sword light suddenly streaked past. The beautiful world before her eyes shattered in an instant, and a boundless killing intent assailed her from all directions...

When it all faded, she collapsed weakly to the ground, drenched in a cold sweat. Her face was deathly pale as she stared at Xu Ran, her eyes still filled with an unshakeable terror.

"Teacher, what Swordsmanship is this?"

"Melting Snow."

Xu Ran said calmly. This was an application of the Warm Spring Realm he had comprehended from the Little Witch’s final smile before she left.

It was also his third Sword Technique, following Silent Sparrow and Autumn Sorrow.

Unlike before, after sixty years of sparring with Deceitful Blade Chen Chang’an as if it were a single day, his Swordsmanship was no longer just a simple and crude application of infusing his Mental Realm into his strikes.

His Swordsmanship now was truly exquisite and profound. Even without comprehending the Mental Realm, one could learn it and produce effects similar to it. If one mastered it completely, there was even a chance to comprehend the corresponding Mental Realm.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Jiang Ling’Er and said:

"I know you are kind-hearted, but just like that Sword Technique, the beauty you see with your eyes is not necessarily real. An endless killing intent may be hidden behind it."

"Your kindness is your own. When interacting with others, you must look through their goodwill to see the malice that might lie beneath."

He then stepped forward gently, reached out, and tapped his finger on the center of Jiang Ling’Er’s forehead, transmitting the Melting Snow Sword Technique to her, along with a wisp of comprehension of the Warm Spring Realm.

After doing all this, his face pale, he turned his back to Jiang Ling’Er and said:

"Once you get to the Demon Race, take care of yourself."

With that, he strode away.

*

*

*

"Xiaohui, did you see that? Teacher just praised me!"

After Jiang Ling’Er recovered, she hugged Jiang Xiaohui, showing off excitedly.

Jiang Xiaohui rolled his eyes, a look of resignation on his doggy face. He stuck out his tongue and said:

"I saw, I saw."

Jiang Ling’Er looked thrilled. Tilting her head, she said, "Hee hee hee, Teacher finally praised me. Including my previous fellow disciples, this makes it the..."

She counted on her fingers. "Teacher is exactly the one-hundredth person to praise me!"

Jiang Xiaohui nodded. "The one-hundredth already, huh? That’s great. Keep it up."

"Mhm, mhm." Jiang Ling’Er nodded vigorously. Then she tilted her head back, her gaze fixed on the distance as she said with anticipation:

"Xiaohui, after we get to the Demon Race, will your clan members praise me too?"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Xiaohui replied, "Of course! Ling’Er is so amazing, they’ll definitely praise you."

Jiang Ling’Er immediately broke into a happy grin, her eyes crinkling as she laughed. "Hee hee hee, you said it! If we get to the Demon Race and they don’t praise me, I’ll get angry."

She put her hands on her hips and stared at Jiang Xiaohui, pretending to be fierce.

"If that really happens, then we’ll just leave. What Demon Race, what Dog Race? If they can’t even see how great Ling’Er is, then there’s no point in staying."

"Hee hee, you’re the best, Xiaohui." Jiang Ling’Er hugged the back of Jiang Xiaohui’s head and gently stroked it with her small hand.

Jiang Xiaohui closed his eyes, a blissful expression on his face.

’Rescuing Ling’Er from those kidnappers was the best decision I ever made.’

After completing the necessary procedures, Jiang Ling’Er lost her status as a disciple of the Profound Pure Sect. Accompanied by Jiang Xiaohui and the Dog Race Elder, she rode a Teleportation Array to the territory of the Demon Race.

Along the way, she was filled with curiosity, her big eyes darting everywhere. It turned out there were human Cultivators in the Demon Race’s territory too. This both piqued her curiosity and put her much more at ease.

The Dog Race was a major clan, with several Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarch Level experts presiding over it.

Jiang Xiaohui’s master was a Nascent Soul True Monarch and held a high position within the Dog Race.

On the day of Jiang Xiaohui’s formal apprenticeship ceremony, many experts and young prodigies of the Dog Race were present.

They gathered around Jiang Xiaohui, their faces wreathed in warm smiles.

Jiang Xiaohui greeted each of them with a smile.

Seeing this, Jiang Ling’Er was overjoyed. No one was ostracizing Xiaohui; everyone welcomed him.

’This is wonderful.’

However, she also felt a small pang of disappointment deep down, because since arriving, not a single person had praised her.

In fact, none of the Demon Race members present even gave her a second glance.

They all just swept their gaze over her once and then ignored her completely.

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