Watching the Mountain

Chapter 53: Chapter 47: Awakening Liquid

Just as Yue Qingyu had said, the war on the battlefield against the Evil and Demon Domains was proceeding smoothly. It wasn’t long before news of victory arrived.

Moreover, it was said that this war had achieved the greatest victory in history: an entire domain’s worth of land.

Currently, the territory occupied by the Human Race in the Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm consisted of only the Five Domains—Center, South, East, North, and West. Even the Demon Race only held four and a half domains.

A war that had lasted just over a decade had yielded an entire domain.

When this news broke, the entire Immortal Ancient World erupted.

The first reaction of everyone who heard the news was disbelief, because it was simply too fantastical.

A single domain in just over a decade—it seemed impossible no matter how you looked at it.

The people of the current Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm actually didn’t know much about the Evil Domain and the Demon Realm. In a bygone era, it was said that the two sides had been locked in constant, brutal conflict.

But as time went on, the frequency of war dwindled. It had been a long time since the two sides had any contact. The most recent interaction was a minor dispute nearly a thousand years ago, but it never escalated into a large-scale war and ended within a few years.

The last time a true battle had been fought between them was nearly twenty thousand years ago.

During that time, both sides had kept to themselves, never instigating conflict, almost as if the other didn’t exist. They were separated by natural chasms and arrays, completely cutting off any interaction.

A period of nearly twenty thousand years, even in the long-lived Cultivation Realm, was enough to change many things. The long years of peace had caused many to gradually forget them.

Sect records contained information about them, such as details on their local customs and unique resources, like the Awakening Liquid that could enhance one’s Comprehension.

But no matter which records one scoured, there was no precedent for such a massive victory. Thus, it was only natural for people to be skeptical upon hearing the news.

It was only after repeated confirmations that countless people began to cheer and celebrate. This was a victory that absolutely deserved to be recorded with great fanfare in the entire history of the Immortal Ancient world.

And this victory had occurred in their generation, filling everyone with a shared sense of honor.

But it wasn’t just a matter of honor; there were tangible benefits involved.

More land meant more resources. At any time, land is the primary factor limiting a race’s survival.

Word was that they were now consolidating their victory on the battlefield. Experts from various sects were joining forces with the Demon Race to set up a grand world array, which would sever that domain from the Evil and Demon Domains and fully incorporate it into their own territory.

This initial phase required a large amount of manpower for support. In about ten or twenty years, those on the battlefield would be able to return.

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Not long after the news arrived, an unexpected person appeared on Spirit Stream Peak.

It was none other than the Wangyue Sect disciple who had faced Shen Wuchen in the duel, Ye Qingyue. And her current identity was a newly-enrolled disciple of Spirit Stream Peak.

When Xu Ran saw Ye Qingyue appear in the Instructor Hall with a batch of newly recruited disciples for Spirit Stream Peak, he was stunned. After his lecture ended, he curiously asked her what was going on.

Faced with Xu Ran’s question, Ye Qingyue simply replied with a calm expression, "Because I lost the last duel, my sect lost a great deal of resources. The losses were heavy, so I was expelled from the sect."

Xu Ran was taken aback. ’Didn’t they throw that match on purpose?’

Anyone with eyes could see there was something wrong with that competition. Considering the hushed whispers from her team leader when Ye Qingyue took the stage, along with the unwilling look in her eyes when she conceded, it was obvious she had been forced to forfeit against her will.

’So why is she the one being expelled now?’

He didn’t press the issue, however, instead asking curiously, "Then why did you join our Profound Pure Sect?"

Normally, other sects wouldn’t accept someone who had been expelled. It was a stain on a person’s life record, and who would be willing to take in someone with a tainted past?

Ye Qingyue replied just as calmly, "Because my great-grand-aunt is in the sect."

Great-grand-aunt?

Xu Ran pondered for a moment. ’My great-grandmother’s sister?’

He then looked at Ye Qingyue and asked hesitantly, "Is it appropriate for me to ask more about this?"

Ye Qingyue gave a slight smile. "There’s nothing to hide. My great-grand-aunt is Ye Qingxue. I’m sure you’ve heard of her name."

’The Pill-Digging Witch, Ye Qingxue? The one who supposedly shares some unspeakable secret with Ye Shan?’

Xu Ran glanced at her with some surprise, then nodded slightly and didn’t ask any more questions.

Since she had this connection, it was no longer strange that she was able to enter the Profound Pure Sect.

Just then, however, Shen Wuchen suddenly burst in. Judging by his hurried expression, he must have just heard the news about Ye Qingyue from someone.

After entering, he saw Ye Qingyue sitting quietly among the Instructor Hall disciples. His pupils constricted slightly, his face filled with disbelief.

He opened his mouth and asked Ye Qingyue, "Fellow Daoist Ye, you... why are you here?"

Hearing this, Ye Qingyue slowly rose to her feet. She raised her hands and gave him a very formal Daoist salute. "Greetings, Senior Brother Shen. Qingyue pays her respects."

Seeing this, Shen Wuchen hurriedly and clumsily returned the salute, then asked in a bewildered tone, "Did you really join our sect?"

Ye Qingyue nodded.

Shen Wuchen stared blankly. After a long silence, he finally said, somewhat woodenly, "Then... why did you choose our Spirit Stream Peak?"

Ye Qingyue glanced at him and, after a moment of silence, said, "It’s just as you’re thinking, Senior Brother Shen. There are reasons related to you in my choice of Spirit Stream Peak."

Shen Wuchen’s eyes slowly widened.

Then he heard Ye Qingyue continue, "The entire Profound Pure Sect is unfamiliar to me. The only point of contact I’ve had is with your Spirit Stream Peak. As a newcomer, I would naturally prioritize a place where I know someone."

Shen Wuchen was momentarily stunned, but before he had a chance to be happy, he heard Ye Qingyue cup her fists towards him and say with a light laugh:

"Senior Brother, although we had some misunderstandings, it’s as they say: no discord, no concord. And you yourself said that your life’s ambition is the Great Dao, so I’m sure you won’t mind our past misunderstandings, right? In that case, may I ask Senior Brother to help me get familiar with the sect from now on?"

Hearing this, Shen Wuchen’s expression froze. It quickly returned to his usual emotionless, aloof face.

He nodded and replied in a stiff tone, "Of course. As the person with the highest cultivation of my generation, I naturally won’t refuse a request from a newly-enrolled junior."

Ye Qingyue smiled slightly. "Then, I’ll be counting on your guidance from now on, Senior Brother."

After speaking, she turned, gave a nod of acknowledgment to Xu Ran, and left the Instructor Hall.

After she left, Xu Ran slowly walked over to Shen Wuchen, who was still standing there in a daze. He patted his shoulder and asked softly, "What are you going to do?"

Shen Wuchen turned slightly, his back to Xu Ran, and replied stiffly, "Master Xu, there is no need to worry. Since this disciple has stated his ambition is the Great Dao, my determination will not waver. The affairs of the mortal world are but illusions to me."

With that, he bid farewell to Xu Ran. "I’m going to cultivate. I will work hard to break through and prove to the world that your teachings were not wrong."

Watching his departing figure, Xu Ran couldn’t help but sigh. He could tell at a glance that Ye Qingyue was on a completely different level. A guy like Shen Wuchen couldn’t handle her.

’I hope he can really do as he says.’

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Xu Ran had never expected that the boomerang he had thrown during the sect competition would first hit his own Instructor Hall on Spirit Stream Peak.

For some time now, he had noticed during his lectures that this batch of new disciples was covered in bruises.

At first, he was rather surprised, thinking, ’This batch of disciples is really something else, to train so hard and diligently.’ He had even felt a great sense of gratification.

Later, when he was advising them that cultivation required a balance of work and rest and that there was no need to push themselves so hard, he learned from them that their injuries were all from sparring with the older disciples, who had suppressed their cultivation to fight them.

The senior disciples euphemistically called it "guidance," a way to let the new disciples feel the passion of their seniors.

But they just so happened to repeatedly emphasize their own names before every match, making sure the new disciples remembered exactly who they were.

Anyone with eyes could see what their real motive was.

Xu Ran inquired a little and found that it wasn’t just Spirit Stream Peak. The trend of senior disciples suppressing their cultivation to challenge new disciples was now popular throughout all the branches of the Profound Pure Sect.

He estimated it wasn’t just the Profound Pure Sect, but that this kind of thing was probably trending in many sects throughout the Cultivation Realm.

After all, the matter of him defeating the Evergreen Sword Saint, Zhang Zhentian, was already widely known. On top of that, he had made those speeches during the various competitions, opening the door to a new world for everyone.

Those who were envious of his fame would naturally rush to imitate him, also hoping their names would become widely known.

After learning the truth, Xu Ran couldn’t help but look up at the sky and sigh. ’What a mess I’ve made.’

It seemed the new disciples of the Instructor Hall would just have to suffer for a while. He could only hope this trend would die down soon.

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In the past few days, news came that with the war on the Evil Demon Battlefield over, the injured disciples were being escorted back ahead of schedule.

As the one currently in charge of Spirit Stream Peak’s Instructor Hall, Xu Ran naturally went along with everyone else to welcome the heroes’ return.

He had heard from Yue Qingyu during the sect competition that Spirit Stream Peak’s situation was very good, with almost no casualties.

Yue Qingyu had said back then that the war was about to end, so he figured there wouldn’t be any surprises now and wasn’t too worried.

But when he actually saw the returning disciples, he saw a young man with a missing arm. With a solemn expression, the man handed a Jade Bottle to him.

Xu Ran recognized him. This was Ye Xingchen, the one who, on the night before his departure, had declared he would one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Xu Ran at the end of the river of time and gaze into the past.

He used to look like some young master from a nouveau-riche family, his words and actions a bit frivolous. Now, he was a completely different person, exuding an iron-willed, battle-hardened aura. Even with a missing arm, his body stood as straight as a pine tree on a solid rock.

Meeting Xu Ran’s gaze, Ye Xingchen spoke with grave importance: "Awakening Liquid."