Watching the Mountain

Chapter 316: Chapter 185: Wuchen’s Rejection

If you were to ask the disciples of the Profound Pure Sect who in the entire sect gave them the greatest sense of security, who made them feel grounded, allowing them to remain in the sect and cultivate peacefully, fearless of the storm, even amidst the many malicious rumors circulating about the sect in the Cultivation Realm...

...then that person, without a doubt, would be the Evergreen Sword Saint, Zhang Zhentian.

Everyone knew that both the current Sect Leader, Yue Qingyu, and the previous one, Taihua True Monarch, were very strong.

But as for exactly how strong they were, many people had no concrete idea.

The Evergreen Sword Saint, however, was different. Just a few days ago, everyone had witnessed him single-handedly cut down five Nascent Soul True Monarchs with his sword outside the sect gates.

That invincible might, that world-scorning posture, was deeply seared into everyone’s minds. It made them feel that as long as he was there, the sect would be as solid as a fortress, no matter what storms it faced. There was no need for any fear.

This absolute trust was already beginning to rival the near-blind worship Ye Shan had commanded when he first emerged.

And this was precisely the goal Zhang Zhentian had always pursued.

All along, the driving force behind his relentless efforts was the desire to replace Ye Shan and become the sect’s new symbol of faith.

But then, Ye Shan had unleashed that brilliant sword strike, raising the bar to a height Zhang Zhentian could only gaze up at in awe.

Yet even so, he had never given up.

Even if he couldn’t reach the heights Ye Shan later achieved, he had to at least match his initial level.

Before this, Zhang Zhentian had experienced all sorts of major events—the Evil Demon Battlefield, the New Domain’s grand competition, the New Domain war, and more. He had displayed absolute might and dominance, stunning nearly the entire Eastern Domain Cultivation Realm. His fame had even spread to the other Four Domains of the Immortal Ancient.

But even so, within the Profound Pure Sect, he had never achieved the same level of near-blind worship as Ye Shan once had. He was never seen as a symbol of faith.

This was the reality, even though what he had accomplished had long since far surpassed Ye Shan’s initial achievements.

And now, he should have succeeded.

But the price... was that he no longer had a grandfather.

This Evergreen Sword Saint, now regarded as a new symbol of faith by the entire sect, finally revealed a look of grief and sorrow a few days after losing his grandfather.

Seeing the corners of Zhang Zhentian’s eyes glistening with tears, Xu Ran felt a pang of sadness but also breathed a sigh of relief.

When he had found Zhang Zhentian after hearing the news of True Monarch Flowing Clouds’s death, he hadn’t seen any trace of sorrow on his face, which made him extremely worried about his condition.

Perhaps in some people’s eyes, Zhang Zhentian, being hundreds of years old and having reached the Nascent Soul Stage in his Cultivation Realm, should have long since become indifferent to death and been able to calmly accept True Monarch Flowing Clouds’s passing.

But in Xu Ran’s view, the opposite was true.

It was precisely because of Zhang Zhentian’s current age and Cultivation Realm that he could feel the pain of losing a loved one more acutely.

If one hadn’t experienced enough, how could one know what pain truly was?

Besides, as someone who had watched Zhang Zhentian grow up, Xu Ran knew very well that no matter how mature, steady, and reliable Zhang Zhentian appeared, as long as True Monarch Flowing Clouds was still around, the mischievousness of the bratty kid within him would never be completely erased.

Because as long as True Monarch Flowing Clouds was alive, he was still a grandson doted on by his grandfather.

That was why, even after becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch and a Supreme Elder of the sect, he would still say something like, ”I don’t like the feeling of being watched over all day.”

Now, there was truly no one left to watch over him.

Xu Ran knew why Zhang Zhentian hadn’t shown the slightest bit of sadness or grief in the past few days.

Because he was the sect’s Evergreen Sword Saint, the one who brought the sect peace of mind, he couldn’t show his weaker side. He couldn’t let everyone lose faith.

Until he came to him.

Xu Ran was different from the others. After True Monarch Flowing Clouds’s departure, perhaps the only ones in the entire sect whom Zhang Zhentian could call his elders were him and Qing Xuan True Monarch.

But to Zhang Zhentian, his relationship with Qing Xuan True Monarch was more that of a teacher and student within the sect, lacking a certain personal closeness.

But Xu Ran... he was a senior brother, and also an elder brother.

That was what set him apart from the others.

That was why he had sought him out alone to reveal his true emotions in his presence.

Xu Ran sighed in relief internally. ’It’s good that he can feel sad, that he can cry. He won’t be wound so tight all the time.’

He waved his hand, taking out several jars of Spirit Wine from his Storage Ring and placing them on the table.

He hadn’t liked to drink before. He felt that as a Longevity Seeker who wanted to live to the very end of time, he had to remain clear-headed at all times to avoid losing his life due to a moment of carelessness.

It was only after getting to know True Monarch Flowing Clouds that he started drinking Spirit Wine.

He opened two jars, and without using bowls, he and Zhang Zhentian took one jar each.

After they both took a large swig, he looked at Zhang Zhentian and began to speak slowly.

”Every time your grandfather and I drank together, we would argue. We’d argue all night. Do you know what we argued about?”

Hearing this, Zhang Zhentian raised his head slightly, his eyes fixed on him. He didn’t speak, silently waiting for him to continue.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Ran tilted his head slightly, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips as he began his story softly.

”The first time we argued was after Teacher Qing Xuan established Qing Xuan Peak and your grandfather returned to the sect. By then, you were already the Evergreen Sword Saint who had made a name for himself on the Evil Demon Battlefield.”