Watching the Mountain

Chapter 309: Chapter 183: The Beginning

At that moment, most of the Profound Pure Sect disciples hadn’t figured out what was happening. All they heard was a roar that seemed to echo between heaven and earth, shouting something like ”Give me back my grandson” and ”Sword Dao Ye Shan.”

They couldn’t possibly connect the two. In the minds of the Profound Pure Sect disciples, Sword Dao Ye Shan was the pride of their Sect—a hero who had purged the Cultivation Realm of all lurking evil demons with a single slash of his sword, averting a great crisis that threatened their entire world.

How could a figure like that possibly go out of his way to harm someone’s grandson?

’This has to be slander!’

As righteous indignation swept through the Profound Pure Sect, Supreme Elder Zi Yun was the first to appear in the sky. He held up a hand, motioning for the furious figure in the distance to halt. His aura roiled as he gathered his Divine Techniques, ready to act at a moment’s notice, yet his expression remained courteous as he spoke.

”Fellow Daoist Xu Teng, why are you so angry? Could there be some misunderstanding here?”

The man called Xu Teng appeared as a middle-aged man with black hair and eagle-like eyes. He did not look old, but in truth, he was nearly two thousand nine hundred years of age—not far from the natural lifespan of a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

It was precisely because True Monarch Zi Yun knew this that he spoke so courteously. In the Cultivation Realm, a Cultivator with little time left to live was the last person one should ever provoke.

Upon hearing True Monarch Zi Yun’s words, Xu Teng’s face turned cold, his expression thick with killing intent as he spoke.

”There is no misunderstanding. The other day, my grandson was in seclusion, attempting a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm. At the most critical moment, a sudden affliction struck, shattering his heart meridians...”

”He was my only remaining bloodline in this world. He was about to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, his future boundless. But because of this affliction, he departed before I did. So tell me... shouldn’t I be here, seeking you out?”

Hearing this, True Monarch Zi Yun’s expression soured. ”Fellow Daoist Xu Teng,” he countered, ”you said it yourself. This was due to a malady of the world. What has that to do with our Profound Pure Sect?”

Their exchange was infused with Spiritual Power, allowing their voices to travel far and wide. Everyone in the Profound Pure Sect heard their conversation.

The disciples of the Profound Pure Sect were now furious as well. They felt this Xu Teng True Monarch was just twisting logic and stirring up trouble without reason.

To blame the Profound Pure Sect for his own grandson’s failed breakthrough—it was utterly absurd.

Xu Teng True Monarch paid no mind to True Monarch Zi Yun’s reaction, instead shouting in a stiff, hard voice:

”If not for your Sword Dao Ye Shan, who shattered that other world with a single sword strike, causing fragments of it—steeped in the resentment of all its deceased inhabitants—to fall into our own world, how could this malady have ever appeared? My grandson would never have perished at the most crucial moment of his breakthrough!”

True Monarch Zi Yun immediately retorted:

”Everyone knows that Ye Shan of our Sect saved this world! He prevented our world from falling into a great crisis...”

But before he could finish, Xu Teng True Monarch cut him off with a wave of his hand.

”It’s debatable whether Sword Dao Ye Shan actually saved this world. And even if another world truly was about to invade ours, then so be it! Let them come! Just like with the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race, we would have risen up to fight them.”

”On a battlefield, my grandson might not have died. But now... now, he is dead.”

True Monarch Zi Yun was clearly incensed by his words. His chest heaved as he spoke in a low, heavy voice.

”Fellow Daoist Xu Teng, throughout the endless ages of our Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm, how many lives have been lost in the wars against the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race? Do you truly believe your grandson could have escaped that fate when the invasion from that other world came?”

”The consequences would have been far more severe! Our entire Cultivation Realm would have been plunged into turmoil, leading to widespread death and devastation...”

But at these words, Xu Teng True Monarch’s reaction only grew more violent. His face twisted into a nearly unrecognizable mask of rage as he roared with frenzied madness.

”I don’t care! What does the suffering of the masses have to do with me? All I know is that my grandson is dead!”

He pointed a finger at True Monarch Zi Yun, his voice like the roar of a wild beast:

”It’s because of you all! Because of Sword Dao Ye Shan! He wasn’t supposed to die.”

After speaking, his emotions subsided as quickly as they had flared. He covered one eye with a hand, tilted his head, and spoke in a tone that was chillingly calm, utterly devoid of emotion.

”My own time is almost up. I don’t have many years left. My grandson... he was the only thing tethering me to this world...”

He broke into a wide grin. ”And now, my grandson is dead. What becomes of this world is no longer my concern. I only wish to vent the rage in my heart and avenge him. That is all. Do... you understand now?”

”You...” True Monarch Zi Yun was stunned into silence by this declaration. Faced with a man so completely consumed by extremism, he was momentarily at a loss for how to even begin to refute his logic.

Just as he was struggling for a response, a figure ascended from the Profound Pure Sect below, coming to a stop before Xu Teng True Monarch.

This person was none other than Chu Lingxiao, who had just parted ways with Li Daoyi and the others.

After he appeared, he bowed to Xu Teng True Monarch with a complicated expression on his face and said respectfully, ”Supreme Elder.”

Xu Teng True Monarch waved his hand at him and said, ”I already left the Sect before coming here.”

”But...” Hearing this, the expression on Chu Lingxiao’s face grew even more complicated. An act like this only underscored Xu Teng True Monarch’s determination, causing Chu Lingxiao to swallow the words of persuasion he had been about to speak.

However, before he could think of a new approach, Xu Teng True Monarch raised his hand slightly and said to him: