Watching the Mountain

Chapter 345: Chapter 195: Not Injured?

A speck of dark red, undried blood at the corner of her lips was like a winter plum blossom suddenly blooming on pure white snow, so piercing it made his heart clench.

From a few steps away, he could clearly hear her breathing—so faint it was almost imperceptible, carrying a barely detectable tremor.

Every inhalation seemed to take immense effort, and every exhalation released a faint chill, like the first melting of ice and snow, that silently brushed through the air.

This chill, originating from her severely injured body, was colder than the secret chamber itself. It spread silently, seeping into Xu Ran’s pores.

It was the first time Xu Ran had ever seen Senior Sister Yue look so weak. He felt as if an invisible hand had ruthlessly squeezed his heart, making it pound, heavy and fast.

Senior Sister Yue was very strong. She had previously undergone a Scattering and Rebuilding and was now only at the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

He quickly brought the Thirteenth Grade Infinite Creation Pill to Senior Sister Yue and said softly, ”Senior Sister, this is the Creation Sect’s Infinite Creation Pill. Take it, quickly.”

Yue Qingyu, her eyes tightly shut, twitched her brows and slowly opened them. She looked at the junior brother before her, an indescribably complex expression appearing on her beautiful face.

”Junior Brother, you always have a way of bringing surprises at the most critical moments.”

”Even I never anticipated you could acquire an elixir as precious as the Infinite Creation Pill.”

Seeing Senior Sister Yue’s reaction, Xu Ran immediately felt that something was wrong. Her expression, her tone—none of it seemed like someone who was severely injured. He asked, somewhat puzzled:

”Senior Sister, your injuries...”

Yue Qingyu nodded lightly and spoke in a soft voice:

”Elder Wuya only said that to protect me. In my battle with him, I was the one who won.”

”This...” Xu Ran was stunned. It was shocking, yet at the same time, felt perfectly logical. He remembered Little Xiyue saying that before Senior Sister Yue’s Scattering and Rebuilding, the Dao she had cast off was already incredibly advanced—far beyond the Divinity Transformation realm, at the very least.

Now that she was rebuilding, her new path might have just begun, and the road ahead might not be so clear. However, the path to Divinity Transformation, at least, should be perfectly clear to her.

All she lacked was time.

Since her duel with Wuya Daoist Monarch was a Dao battle—a contest of comprehension of the Great Dao—then her victory didn’t seem all that strange.

Just as he was pondering this, Yue Qingyu continued to speak:

”Although it was a Dao battle, a contest of comprehension, for someone at the Nascent Soul stage to defeat a Divinity Transformation Middle Stage expert is, in Elder Wuya’s eyes, perhaps far too shocking. To prevent me from becoming a target for all, he helped me conceal the outcome.”

”This was an act of kindness from Elder Wuya. Since he went to such lengths to protect me, I couldn’t very well refuse his good intentions. Playing along was the best option, and it will indeed save me a lot of trouble.”

After hearing Senior Sister Yue’s explanation, Xu Ran finally understood. ’So that’s what happened.’

’No wonder I felt something was off but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. When I heard Supreme Elder Zi Yun say that Senior Sister Yue’s Divine Soul Dao Foundation was severely injured, I didn’t even have time to think straight.’

”Then, Senior Sister, you...” he began hesitantly, unsure of what to ask.

Seeing his hesitation, Yue Qingyu smiled faintly and said, ”To challenge a Divinity Transformation Middle Stage expert like Elder Wuya while at the Nascent Soul stage... even if I won, I would still suffer from the backlash and face some consequences.”

”Elder Wuya is probably still worried about whether I can survive this ordeal and recover. It’s just that my Dao is more advanced than he anticipated. That, combined with a few techniques to mitigate the burden, means the damage isn’t as severe as he imagines. At the very least, it’s recoverable.”

Hearing this, Xu Ran let out a long sigh of relief.

’No matter what, as long as Senior Sister Yue isn’t truly hurt, that’s all that matters.’

Yue Qingyu watched Xu Ran’s reaction, her beautiful eyes fixed on him as a ripple seemed to pass through them. Then, in a soft, earnest, and gentle voice, she said:

”I’m sorry for not telling you beforehand, Junior Brother. I made you worry.”

Xu Ran stared at her, slightly dazed, then quickly waved his hands and said, ”It’s fine, as long as you’re okay, Senior Sister. But what about Supreme Elder Zi Yun and the others...?”

Yue Qingyu nodded lightly. ”I’ll explain it to them.”

Xu Ran nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, he pressed the Infinite Creation Pill into her hand and said:

”The Sect’s future is uncertain right now. As the Sect Leader, you carry the fate of the Sect on your shoulders. Since we already have this elixir, we shouldn’t return it. I’ll only feel at ease if you keep it.”

Seeing the lingering fear in his eyes, Yue Qingyu thought for a moment before nodding lightly and saying:

”Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother.”

Xu Ran smiled faintly. He didn’t explain the details about the elixir to Senior Sister Yue. Liu Yunge and her master, Elder Cloud Sea Guest, were waiting for him right now. It wouldn’t be too late to explain after he took care of that.

He then bid her farewell, saying he had other matters to attend to and that she should focus on healing. He promised to tell her the details later and then left the quiet room.

After leaving the quiet room, he saw Supreme Elder Zi Yun approaching. He simply said, ”Rest easy,” and hurried away.

Afterward, he invited Liu Yunge and Cloud Sea Guest to his Cave Mansion. Only after everyone was seated did he voice the question that had been on his mind.

”Elder, did you never once suspect my identity?”

Cloud Sea Guest stroked the small goatee on his chin and laughed heartily.

”First, you are my disciple’s good friend. Second, you cannot afford the consequences of deceiving me. You sought a Healing Elixir, which means you were trying to save someone you care about. Why would you go to the trouble of saving someone only to have your own life erased immediately after, and even risk the fate of your entire Sect along with it? What would be the point?”