Watching the Mountain

Chapter 324: Chapter 189: Hidden Mountain Spell

The Chen Qing Team was surrounded by twelve Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators—five at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, and seven at the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

In a single battle, they slew one Nascent Soul Middle Stage and two Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivators, and heavily wounded many others.

But this was not their most brilliant achievement. What was even more shocking was that Zhang Zhentian and Shen Wuchen later rushed to another battlefield to help Supreme Elder Zi Yun heavily wound another Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator, forcing him to flee in disgrace.

The other two Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivators, seeing the situation on both battlefields, also beat a hasty retreat to avoid being surrounded and attacked.

This battle was different from the Chen Qing Team’s previous fight against the Demon Race. This time, the battle took place within the Cultivation Realm, and eyewitnesses returned to tell the tale.

And so, the renown of Wuchen True Monarch, Shen Wuchen, instantly threatened to surpass that of the Evergreen Sword Saint.

Shen Wuchen’s Mental Realm could silently influence a person’s thoughts, making them seem as if they were possessed. In a life-or-death battle, it caused them to lower their guard. Even if only for a brief moment, that was far too terrifying.

This was a battle of life and death, not some ordinary tournament match. But facing him, it became like child’s play. It actually made battle-hardened Nascent Soul True Monarchs entertain such ridiculous notions.

”I can guarantee it! That was definitely not the Power of Realm! I am a dignified Nascent Soul True Monarch! How could I possibly be affected by the mere Power of Realm? It was a Demon Technique, an Evil Technique! There’s no doubt about it.”

A Nascent Soul Cultivator who had returned from the Profound Pure Sect battlefield swore this to those who were probing for intel about the battle.

His twisted expression made everyone who came to gather information feel that his Dao Heart might have been so severely damaged that he had lost his mind.

For a dignified Nascent Soul True Monarch to actually utter words like ”Demon Technique” and ”Evil Technique”—wasn’t that a joke?

One could well imagine how much he was agonizing over the fact that his mind had been influenced during his battle against the Evergreen Sword Saint and Wuchen True Monarch.

However, this only made those who came to inquire even more terrified of Wuchen True Monarch’s bizarre Power of Realm.

Wuchen True Monarch’s Mental Realm, which made one relax their guard in battle, paired with the Evergreen Sword Saint’s terrifying Life and Death Reincarnation Law—the power unleashed by the Chen Qing Team sent a chill down one’s spine.

They had won despite being surrounded by twelve Nascent Soul True Monarchs. Didn’t that mean that defeating this duo would require even more people?

There were many Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the world, but only a few held a true grudge against Sword Dao Ye Shan and the Profound Pure Sect. Even if some felt a slight sense of injustice, they were unwilling to risk their lives to attack the Profound Pure Sect over it.

It was precisely because of the Chen Qing Team’s deterrent power—or more accurately, the deterrent power of Shen Wuchen’s bizarre Mental Realm that could affect even Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivators—that no one came to the Profound Pure Sect for a long time afterward.

However, this did not mean the Profound Pure Sect could rest easy. When force failed, they resorted to subversion.

In the period that followed, rumors claiming that the increasing calamities in the world were because of Sword Dao Ye Shan and the Profound Pure Sect began to circulate throughout the Cultivation Realm, gaining immense traction.

This led to people coming to harass the Profound Pure Sect from time to time, preventing the Sect from knowing any peace.

Because of this, the Sect recruited an extremely small number of new disciples during its latest recruitment drive.

If this continued, the Profound Pure Sect would decline and fall not because of an attack, but because there would be no one to carry on its legacy.

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Xu Ran sighed softly as he looked at the dozen or so sparse figures inside the Instructor Hall on Qing Xuan Peak.

No wonder Elder Xu was in a bad mood. After the disciples had returned from the Secret Realm, the Sect had massively expanded its recruitment, and this Instructor Hall had been expanded several times.

At its peak, it could accommodate several thousand disciples.

And now?

Such a huge space, yet only a dozen new disciples. Anyone would feel a chill and a sense of unease seeing such an empty scene.

Although Xu Ran hadn’t interacted much with Elder Xu of the Instructor Hall, he had occasionally passed by and seen him lecturing his disciples. Xu Ran could tell that he was a man who took his duties to his students very seriously, and who felt a strong sense of responsibility and mission toward the Sect.

To see such a desolate scene now must be a huge blow to him.

Xu Ran had a good impression of Elder Xu. The old man looked stern, but for over a hundred years, he had always thought fondly of his own ”stupid apprentice,” Jiang Ling’er. It was easy to imagine how much he cared for the students he had taught.

Thinking of this, Xu Ran offered a comforting word to Elder Xu. ”Elder Xu, there’s no need to worry. The Sect’s current situation is just due to some recent, unfavorable rumors in the Cultivation Realm. Once this blows over, things will definitely improve.”

Elder Xu snorted coldly. ”And what if it doesn’t blow over? Are we supposed to just sit here and wait for our doom? By then, who knows what will have become of the Sect.”

Xu Ran didn’t mind his attitude. He knew the Elder’s reaction wasn’t directed at him, but at the injustice the Sect was facing.

Just as Xu Ran was thinking, Elder Xu, who was opposite him, frowned slightly and said thoughtfully:

”No, I can’t let this continue. Since we can’t recruit new disciples, I’ll change my approach. I’ll focus on quality over quantity and train these dozen or so disciples into exceptional talents.”

”This way, even if we have fewer disciples, as long as they all grow up to become powerful experts, the impact on the Sect will still be within an acceptable range.”