Watching the Mountain

Chapter 271: Chapter 166: Wuchen’s Highlight

With the demonstration over, Xu Ran slowly sheathed his sword, and the suffocating pressure dissipated. The clearing fell silent.

Luo Qianxue took a deep breath to calm the pounding of her heart. Her voice held a barely perceptible tremor born of excitement as she asked, ”So this is... the swordsmanship of Ye Shan?”

She had never imagined that the most basic Sword Techniques could unleash such terrifying power and Mental Realm.

An extraordinary light flickered in Chu Lingxiao’s eyes. After a moment of silence, he finally said, ”...His reputation is well-deserved.”

As a prodigy of the Illusion Spirit Sect, he had extensively studied the variations of Magic Techniques. The impact of this ultimate Sword Intent—one that cut straight to the essence and reduced complexity to simplicity—was therefore especially profound, and the shock he felt was immense.

Li Daoyi, however, stood his ground, his brow slightly furrowed as he sank into deep thought.

He yearned to lead his Sect down a path to power. This was different from Ye Shan’s way—a path lived purely for the sword and for the cut, unattached to worldly things.

But this power itself, this terrifying talent for elevating basic techniques to a Realm that heaven and earth could scarcely tolerate, not only shook him to his core but also created a faint, inexpressible sense of distance.

He gripped the sword at his waist, his gaze complex and unreadable.

After finishing the demonstration, Xu Ran turned his back to the others and slowly sheathed his sword.

He didn’t look at them again, nor did he speak.

This was because, at that moment, his face was deathly pale and his aura was faint.

When demonstrating the Swordsmanship just now, he hadn’t suppressed his Cultivation; he had unleashed his full strength.

’Although I’ve grasped some of the subtleties of the Ye Shan Sword Technique, I can’t reach his state of mind. Forcing myself to execute it is a great burden.’

’Even after all these years, is he still so far beyond my reach?’

’As expected of you, Senior Brother Ye Shan.’

Xu Ran gave a slight shake of his head. He paid no mind to Li Daoyi and the other two, who were still immersed in their shock, and simply left.

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Xu Ran had originally thought that when Li Daoyi and the other two grew into their power, they would become a team of prodigies that would shake the entire Cultivation Realm.

However, he never could have imagined that the first team of prodigies to shake the Cultivation Realm would not be them, but Zhang Zhentian and Shen Wuchen instead.

Some time ago, Zhang Zhentian had received a mission assigned to the Profound Pure Sect by the Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm. He was to team up with members of other Sects and gather intelligence on the Demon Race.

Unfortunately, they were discovered and found themselves surrounded and relentlessly pursued by the Demon Race. As the world-renowned Evergreen Sword Saint, Zhang Zhentian was singled out for ”special treatment,” forced to face the combined assault of five Nascent Soul Stage Demon Cultivators alone.

Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators comprehend the Power of Law. In a battle between cultivators of the same Realm, it’s difficult for the kind of massive power disparities seen at the Golden Core Purple Mansion level to emerge.

Even Zhang Zhentian, hailed as the Golden Core First Person, could barely face two cultivators of the same Realm simultaneously without being defeated after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage.

Facing five Nascent Soul Stage opponents at once was essentially a death sentence.

However, just when the Evergreen Sword Saint Zhang Zhentian was in mortal danger, his fellow disciple, Wuchen True Monarch, arrived on the scene.

The entire Cultivation Realm was aware of Shen Wuchen’s combat ability. In everyone’s opinion, for him to arrive at such a moment was no different from a lamb to the slaughter.

Help? He couldn’t possibly help. With his combat strength, the best he could do was not get in the Evergreen Sword Saint’s way.

However, the turn of events was far beyond anyone’s expectations.

After Shen Wuchen’s appearance, the Evergreen Sword Saint—who had been on the verge of death while besieged by five Demon Cultivators—instantly turned the tables. Within a remarkably short time, he slew two of his attackers, broke through the encirclement, and escaped with his life.

Afterward, during their escape, the same scenario played out multiple times.

Each time the Evergreen Sword Saint found himself besieged and in a seemingly hopeless situation, Wuchen True Monarch would join the fray, and the tide would turn in an instant.

Once or twice might have been a fluke. But after it happened so many times, everyone finally understood what was really going on.

The tide of Zhang Zhentian’s battles only ever turned abruptly after Wuchen True Monarch showed up.

Therefore, the one who was truly making the difference was not the Evergreen Sword Saint, but Wuchen True Monarch, who was providing support.

Could it be that Wuchen True Monarch had been hiding his true strength all along?

After all, he was the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in the last hundred thousand years. When one thought about it, it seemed entirely possible.

It was just that he had hidden his abilities so deeply that he had managed to fool everyone.

In an instant, Shen Wuchen’s name once again resounded throughout the Cultivation Realm in a truly shocking fashion.

And the Chen Qing Team, having slain several of the Demon Race’s Nascent Soul experts during their escape, became a topic of feverish discussion for countless people.