Watching the Mountain

Chapter 48: Chapter 42: Inscrutable

Xu Ran patted Shen Wuchen, who stood at the very front of the Profound Pure Sect’s contingent, arms crossed, face cold, and posture aloof. He said softly, "Go on."

In the entire arena, perhaps only he knew just how nervous Shen Wuchen was at this moment.

After being touched by Xu Ran, Shen Wuchen’s body trembled slightly. He then said coldly, "Do I have to go?"

It wasn’t that he was being impolite; he had simply grown accustomed to maintaining this expression and tone of voice, and couldn’t switch back so quickly.

Xu Ran gave a faint smile. "What do you think?"

"Then I’m really going?"

"Can you stop saying such discouraging things with that cold, arrogant act of yours?"

Shen Wuchen flinched slightly. Glancing around, he realized that every eye in the arena was now fixed on him. This made him freeze up, a hot flush spreading through his body as his mind went blank with anxiety.

Fortunately, he had experience with this. Faced with the situation, he let out a cold snort, his face returning to its previous blank, arrogant mask. He stared straight ahead and walked toward the arena stage without a word.

The rest of the crowd hadn’t quite understood the meaning of his conversation with Xu Ran. Seeing his current demeanor, they nodded slightly.

’He’s got character. A true genius.’

As he walked onto the stage, Shen Wuchen’s mind was filled with the instructions their team leader, Chen Minghe, had given him last night:

"The Wangyue Sect, like our Profound Pure Sect, is an ancient sect with a long history and deep foundations. Anyone they place their hopes on will be no simple character. Perhaps they’re a prodigy capable of fighting above their realm."

"Your comprehension of Dao Rhyme is too shallow, worse than even an ordinary person’s, let alone a genius’s. But you have your own advantage: the vast amount of Spiritual Power from your Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer Cultivation is something your opponent can’t match. So, once you’re on stage, engage in close combat immediately. You must aim for a quick victory, overwhelming them with sheer volume and momentum."

The Wangyue Sect’s participant was a woman in a green Daoist Robe, with waist-length hair. She was exceptionally beautiful.

But Shen Wuchen was in no mood to pay attention to that. Right now, all he wanted was to win.

"Ye Qingyue."

"Shen Wuchen."

After both announced their names and the proctor of the match shouted "Begin!", Shen Wuchen instantly flipped his hand and brandished a large warhammer from his Storage Bag.

The weapon had been Xu Ran’s suggestion. Since he had decided to take the path of overwhelming others with his higher realm, it was only natural to choose the heaviest weapon.

His body then erupted forward, and in a flash, he appeared above the woman, bringing the hammer down with the full force of his Spiritual Power.

The woman’s reaction was also swift. With a wave of her hand, she deployed several Spiritual Shields above her head. However, the shields shattered the instant the warhammer touched them...

Seeing this, many spectators couldn’t help but nod in assessment. "Looks like the Profound Pure Sect is going to win this one."

This was especially true for the members of the Profound Yin Sect and the other sects that had previously conceded. They cursed inwardly, ’Those shameless bastards from the Profound Pure Sect actually tried to bait us into a trap. Hmph, in their dreams.’

However, this thought didn’t linger for long. The situation on the stage shifted. After taking an initial hit, the woman from the Wangyue Sect quickly pulled away, using agile footwork to prevent Shen Wuchen from engaging in close combat, forcing him to rely on Daoist Techniques.

And the moment Shen Wuchen used a Daoist Technique, the spectators furrowed their brows.

’What’s going on? Why does that Profound Pure Sect guy’s Daoist Technique feel a bit off?’

After watching a little longer, someone in the crowd finally couldn’t help but shout, "How did he even cultivate to the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer? That unstable Spiritual Power, that level of Dao Rhyme comprehension... is... is he really at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer?"

Many people wore speechless expressions. It wasn’t that Shen Wuchen was at a disadvantage on the stage; the two currently looked evenly matched.

But that in itself highlighted the problem. The very fact that he was at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer should have been proof of his genius, yet now he couldn’t even defeat someone at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. This was truly beyond everyone’s expectations.

*

*

*

At this moment, among the Profound Pure Sect’s contingent, Chen Minghe was clutching his head, his face contorted in pain. He whispered to Xu Ran, "Junior Brother... Xu, I hear you’re familiar with Senior Sister Yue. After this is over, can you talk to her for me? Ask her to be the one to pass judgment on my transgression?"

Although the match wasn’t over yet, Chen Minghe knew they had already lost the moment Shen Wuchen failed to seize the initial advantage and quickly defeat his opponent.

Xu Ran heard this and asked, puzzled, "Why Senior Sister Yue?"

Chen Minghe hesitated for a moment before saying, "The resources I wagered this time are just too great. Even though the Sect authorized this beforehand, seeing this situation, the Elders will probably lose their composure and punish me severely."

"But Senior Sister Yue is different. She can see the true nature of things, she’s fair in her dealings, and she’s rarely swayed by emotion. If she’s the one to judge my crime, even if she sentences me to death, I’ll accept it without a single complaint."

"Then why don’t you just talk to her directly?"

"I don’t have a way to contact her," Chen Minghe said with a pained expression. He then pleaded:

"I already said it: if we lose, it’s my error in judgment. It has nothing to do with you or Shen Wuchen. This is my responsibility. I’m a man of my word. I guarantee the Sect won’t hold you accountable afterward."

Xu Ran was slightly taken aback by his words. He looked deeply at Chen Minghe, and after a moment of silence, nodded lightly. "Alright, I’ll try."

The fact that Chen Minghe could say such things showed he was someone who dared to act and take responsibility. Wanting Yue Qingyu to pass judgment on him wasn’t an attempt to evade his duty.

’Besides, I bear some responsibility for this matter too, one way or another. Since he’s taking all the blame, it’s only right that I do something in return.’

Hearing Xu Ran’s reply, Chen Minghe’s face lit up with relief. "In that case, I’ll have to trouble you, Junior Brother Xu."

His tone was heavy. No matter who delivered the verdict, it would still be a punishment; there was no escaping it. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth. ’I really am not suited for this kind of intense, thrilling life. A stable one is much better, otherwise, my heart can’t take it.’

He then glanced at the stage and silently closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer.

’We’re going to lose,’ he sighed to himself.

"The Profound Pure Sect is about to lose." By now, many in the crowd were voicing this sentiment. The situation was clear. The strangely performing Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer disciple from the Profound Pure Sect had been forced into a corner by the Wangyue Sect disciple, Ye Qingyue. He would be defeated on the very next blow.

But just then, the situation on stage changed abruptly. The female disciple from the Wangyue Sect was lightly grazed on the corner of her robes by Shen Wuchen and was sent flying backward.

She glanced at Shen Wuchen, then turned her head to look at the Wangyue Sect’s leader. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes with a look of reluctance and shouted:

"I concede!"

As her voice fell, the arena fell silent.

On the stage, Shen Wuchen’s eyes were vacant. He stared in disbelief at the exceptionally beautiful woman in the green robe before him.

’I don’t even have the strength to fight anymore, so why did she concede first? She clearly still had power to spare.’

Just as bewildered was Chen Minghe, who had only opened his eyes when he heard a woman’s voice conceding.

He looked from the dazed Shen Wuchen on stage to the Wangyue Sect disciple with her eyes closed, then turned to Xu Ran and asked, his face a mask of confusion, "What just happened?"

Xu Ran froze for a moment, then replied with a stiff expression, "The opponent conceded."

"Wha-wha-what... Really?" Chen Minghe felt as if happiness had struck too suddenly, his face a picture of disbelief.

At that moment, the green-robed disciple, Ye Qingyue, ignored the murmurs from the crowd and silently walked off the stage.

After she returned to the Wangyue Sect’s contingent, the leader, a woman in a green skirt, slowly stepped forward. From a distance, she formed a Dao Seal with her hands toward the Profound Pure Sect and spoke in a peculiar tone:

"Fellow Daoists of the Profound Pure Sect, you are truly skilled. My Wangyue Sect accepts this loss completely. As per our prior wager, we will transfer the industries and mineral veins to your esteemed Sect within half a year. We will not maliciously damage them in the interim. All our peers present today can bear witness."

Chen Minghe was still a bit dazed. Faced with the Wangyue Sect leader’s words, he could only raise a hand and say with a nervous chuckle, "You were too kind."

Xu Ran watched the Wangyue Sect leader return to her group, feeling puzzled. He couldn’t figure out what she was up to.

’She clearly could have won, yet she chose to concede. But if that was her plan, why didn’t she just concede when the bet was being made? Why go through the trouble of wagering a massive amount of industrial resources, fighting a serious match, and only conceding at the last second?’

’Could it be... intentional?’

’But if so, what’s the reason?’

It wasn’t just Xu Ran; many spectators in the crowd had the same question. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell there was something strange about this match, but no one could figure out the Wangyue Sect’s motive.

They could only sit there, staring blankly and feeling helpless.