Watching the Mountain

Chapter 211: Chapter 146: You Join In Too

Similarly, if you haven’t mastered the Power of Law yourself, you can’t withstand the force of the Laws of Heaven and Earth. That’s another barrier.

He pondered for a moment before shaking his head in resignation. ’This is truly difficult.’

He then looked at Shen Wuchen and asked, "So, what if you approached it like with Flying Immortal Stream cultivation? You wouldn’t need a deep understanding or to master much of it. Could you use a method of forced comprehension and simulation to just barely brush against the level of Law?"

"It would be incredibly crude, just enough to cross the threshold from nothing to something. If you do that, given your Realm, you should be able to withstand the strain, right?"

Shen Wuchen paused, slightly taken aback. ’Like Flying Immortal Stream cultivation?’ The Flying Immortal Stream’s method was, in essence, a clever shortcut. The comprehension for each Realm was minimal—just enough to go from nothing to something. There was some understanding, but not much.

’If I did the same with the Power of Law... it might just work. Once I cross that threshold from nothing to something, even if it doesn’t give me a huge boost, at least I won’t have my defenses so easily shattered.’

He nodded thoughtfully and replied, "I can give it a try."

Xu Ran gave a slight nod. "I was just spitballing. My Realm is far too distant from yours, so there’s a lot I don’t understand. Ultimately, you’ll have to figure it out for yourself."

Shen Wuchen said nothing in response. He simply stepped forward and gave Xu Ran a formal bow, making his gratitude clear.

’In his heart, Master Xu was the one who had set him on the path of cultivation. That was something that would never change.’

*

*

*

After they entered the Cave Mansion and took their seats, Zhang Zhentian waved his hand, and a row of wine jars instantly appeared on the table.

He laughed heartily. "Senior Brother, Junior Brother Shen, since we’re all here today, let’s drink to our hearts’ content!"

Xu Ran looked at him, a little surprised. "Since when do you drink?"

As far as he could remember, Zhang Zhentian had become quite well-behaved after losing to him in the ring all those years ago. Even after growing up, Xu Ran had never seen him drink.

Zhang Zhentian grinned at his words, a smug look crinkling the corners of his eyes. He said:

"Senior Brother, care to guess where I got all this wine?"

Xu Ran blinked, then shot him a dumbfounded look. "You didn’t... steal this from your grandfather, did you?"

’True Monarch Flowing Clouds was a notorious drunkard, so that part wouldn’t be surprising.’

Zhang Zhentian nodded, his voice thick with pride. "I know every single place Grandpa hides his collection, and I know exactly how to disable the Arrays protecting them."

He chuckled, his eyes narrowing as he continued:

"Senior Brother, want to guess *when* I stole... er, *acquired* this wine from my grandfather?"

Seeing his gloating expression, Xu Ran mulled it over for a moment before replying hesitantly:

"It wasn’t... when you were really young, was it?"

Zhang Zhentian gave him a surprised look. "As expected of you, Senior Brother," he said with a sigh of admiration.

He then leaned his head back, a flicker of reminiscence in his eyes, and began to speak wistfully,

"Back in the day, my favorite pastime was getting together with my buddies and raiding our elders’ collections."

He turned his head to look at Xu Ran. "You should remember those buddies, Senior Brother. They were the ones I brought along to watch when I lost to you."

Xu Ran nodded slightly. ’They were a bunch of kids from the families of the Sect’s higher-ups—a pack of little hellions led by this guy, Zhang Zhentian, who were always stirring up trouble.’

’Back then, True Monarch Flowing Clouds had to call in a huge favor with Teacher Qing Xuan just to get him to train Zhang Zhentian.’

After hearing Zhang Zhentian’s story, Xu Ran looked at the wine on the table again and suddenly felt he understood what his junior brother was feeling.

’He’d picked up a few hobbies on the side, but before he came of age, he always had to keep them hidden, never daring to let on. Now, he could finally bring them out into the open in front of his senior brother.’

’Yes, he’d felt that same way in his past life.’

Xu Ran smiled, then took the initiative to stand up, open a wine jar, and pour three cups.

"Alright, then. Let’s have a drink."

Zhang Zhentian’s face lit up, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. It was the thrill of finally being able to relax after a long period of tension.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Ran understood instantly. ’Yep, my guess was right. This guy just wanted to be able to drink openly in front of me.’

He shook his head slightly, finding the situation rather amusing.

’The man was nearly five hundred years old, and he was only just now pulling a stunt like this. A bit late for a rebellious phase, wasn’t it?’

After they’d finished a jar of wine, Zhang Zhentian suddenly sighed. "It’s a shame. Those old buddies of mine... they’re either gone or grown old. Even if we meet again, they’re so deferential, they hardly dare to breathe in my presence. It’s just not fun anymore."

Xu Ran fell silent at his words. Zhang Zhentian now stood among the powerhouses of the Cultivation Realm and held the title of Supreme Elder of the Sect. His childhood friends were no longer mischievous kids. Of course they wouldn’t treat him the same way they used to.

’This sort of thing was perfectly normal, whether in the Mortal World or the Cultivation Realm.’

’How could there be friends who never grow up?’

Still, hearing Zhang Zhentian’s lament, he felt a little dazed.

’His own junior brother had reached a sentimental age.’

After a moment of silence, Xu Ran looked at Zhang Zhentian and asked, "True Monarch Flowing Clouds went to Qing Xuan Peak. Why did you stay here on Celestial Sea Peak instead of going with your grandfather?"

Zhang Zhentian shook his head and declared with an air of great righteousness:

"That’s where you’re wrong, Senior Brother. My grandfather was the previous Grand Elder of Celestial Sea Peak. As his grandson, it’s only natural that I inherit his position—and even take it a step further. I must ensure Celestial Sea Peak is forever marked by my grandfather’s legacy!"

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