Watching the Mountain

Chapter 258: Chapter 162: Succession

”Hidden Mountain Elder, I hear that boy Daoyi visits you often, so you must be quite familiar with his situation. I’ve called you here today to hear your assessment. What do you think? Is he like the Evergreen Sword Saint of old, or perhaps...”

True Monarch Zi Yun paused for a moment. Then, his tone shifted, his voice growing serious. ”In your opinion, how great is the gap between him and the Ye Shan of old?”

Hearing Supreme Elder Zi Yun mention Senior Brother Ye Shan’s name stunned Xu Ran for a moment. He frowned and sank into deep thought for a long while before shaking his head and answering honestly:

”When I first came into contact with Senior Brother Ye Shan, his Cultivation was already at the Purple Mansion Stage. He had just taken first place in the Sect-wide grand competition and was already beginning to make a name for himself.”

”I don’t know what he was like when he first began his Cultivation.”

”As for Li Daoyi, based on my interactions with him, he’s a cut above his own master when he was young. However, if we’re comparing him to Senior Brother Ye Shan, he still has a very long way to go.”

When Ye Shan had commented on Zhang Zhentian, saying he possessed only a tenth of his own flair, Xu Ran had been indignant.

But after Ye Shan unleashed that resplendent sword strike, he finally understood. Ye Shan’s claim—that for Zhang Zhentian to possess even a tenth of his flair was the greatest honor of his life—was no exaggeration.

True, Zhang Zhentian was hailed as the strongest combatant among the Golden Core cultivators of his generation, and he was powerful. But compared to Ye Shan, the gap was simply too vast.

Forget Zhang Zhentian; after Ye Shan unleashed that one sword strike, anyone else in the world paled in comparison.

Perhaps only Senior Sister Yue could be mentioned in the same breath as him.

Of course, in Xu Ran’s heart, Senior Sister Yue had always been closer to the Dao than Ye Shan. But that was just his personal opinion. In the eyes of everyone else in the Cultivation Realm, no one could possibly compare to Ye Shan.

After hearing Xu Ran’s words, Supreme Elder Zi Yun didn’t look surprised. He just nodded lightly and let out a soft sigh.

”That’s true. It would be a great blessing to see another Evergreen Sword Saint. To hope for another Ye Shan... that would be asking for too much...”

Despite his words, he couldn’t hide the look of disappointment on his face.

In truth, everyone knew it was impossible for another prodigy on par with Ye Shan to appear. But he had heard so many rumors about Li Daoyi lately that, even knowing it was unrealistic, he couldn’t help but harbor a sliver of hope.

Seeing this, Xu Ran hurriedly said, ”That’s just my personal opinion. Perhaps...”

But before he could finish, True Monarch Zi Yun cut him off with a wave of his hand. ”Hidden Mountain Elder, say no more. We both know it’s impossible for another Ye Shan to appear in this world. It’s best we let go of such fantasies. It’s better for that boy, Daoyi, as well.”

After he finished speaking, he asked for a detailed account of Li Daoyi’s performance, which Xu Ran recounted honestly.

Upon hearing his account, True Monarch Zi Yun nodded, pleased. His earlier disappointment was completely swept away.

”To see another heaven-blessed prodigy rise in the Sect is truly a great fortune.”

With that emotional remark, the topic of Li Daoyi came to a close. It seemed that Xu Ran had been summoned merely to provide an update on the situation.

Next, Yue Qingyu turned to Sect Leader Taihua True Monarch to discuss a recent problem: the growing wariness among the Sect’s disciples.

”Master, from its very founding, our Profound Pure Sect has stressed that we should support and love one another, treating every fellow disciple as family. Now, trust has eroded, and we are all on guard against each other. This disciple believes this is a very serious matter. We must find a way to restore that trust quickly. If this goes on too long, the Profound Pure Sect may lose the very essence of what it is.”

Taihua Daoist Monarch nodded, his expression serious. ”I and the other Supreme Elders have also been monitoring this. Do you have any thoughts, my disciple?”

Yue Qingyu didn’t hesitate, immediately laying out her ideas. ”I believe the Sect can take the lead. Outside of everyone’s regular Cultivation, we could introduce more group-oriented tasks and social gatherings...”

She laid out one targeted proposal after another. With each suggestion, Sect Leader Taihua True Monarch would listen with a serious expression, contemplate it, analyze it carefully, and finally give his approval.

Perhaps it was his own bias, but even though the Sect Leader delivered a long-winded speech for each point before finally agreeing, in Xu Ran’s eyes, it all boiled down to the Sect Leader looking at Senior Sister Yue with a doting expression and saying, ”As you wish. As you wish. Whatever you say.”

’I shouldn’t be thinking this way, it’s too disrespectful to the Sect Leader.’ But he couldn’t help it. That was just the impression the Sect Leader gave him, making his imagination run wild.

After they walked out of the Sect’s main hall, Xu Ran noticed the expression of the Senior Sister Yue beside him was rather grim, as if she had something on her mind. This surprised him.

In his memory, his senior sister was always calm and composed, completely unflappable. He had rarely seen her wear such a serious expression.

Seeing this, he asked with concern, ”Senior Sister, is there something on your mind?”

Yue Qingyu studied his expression, and after a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

”Junior Brother, you must be curious why Master and Supreme Elder Zi Yun are so invested in a disciple like Li Daoyi, aren’t you?”

Xu Ran nodded lightly. He was indeed puzzled. He felt that the Sect seemed to be acting with undue haste regarding Li Daoyi inheriting the position of Chief Disciple.

”Master is preparing to enter seclusion in the coming years. This time, it will be a life-or-death seclusion, one he will not leave until his Cultivation breaks through to the Divinity Transformation realm.”

”At that time, I will likely be the one to succeed him as Sect Leader.”

Xu Ran was about to congratulate his senior sister on her future succession, but then he froze. A startling realization hit him: with the ”plague” still not over, for the Sect Leader to enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough to Divinity Transformation at this time was a tremendous gamble.

He looked at Senior Sister Yue’s expression. ”Life-or-death seclusion” sometimes carried another meaning: that one’s Cultivation was insufficient, and this was a desperate attempt to force a breakthrough.

No matter how calm and composed his senior sister appeared, she was still a disciple who had grown up being doted on by the Sect Leader.

Besides, while Senior Sister Yue looked aloof and transcendent, she was, in reality, a deeply sentimental person who walked the Path of Emotion.

’Now that her master is preparing to force a breakthrough, she must be terribly worried inside.’