Watching the Mountain

Chapter 358: Chapter 199: Cultivation

It was precisely this empathy that made him consider the bigger picture, ultimately choosing to bear the infamy for the Sect’s actions himself.

Was this not a form of growth?

If he hadn’t met Chu Lingxiao and Luo Qianxue, without the time they had spent together, perhaps this nephew of his would never have understood these things and might have turned out completely different.

Even Xu Ran couldn’t say for sure whether this change and growth was truly beneficial for Li Daoyi.

However, he felt that the Li Daoyi of today was absolutely capable of shouldering the weight of the Sect.

Thinking of this, he nodded at Li Daoyi with a smile and asked, ”That’s a thousand years. Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

Li Daoyi shook his head. ”Cultivation is still possible before the Heaven and Earth Dao completely recedes. I will reach the Nascent Soul Stage before that happens.”

”After I’m unsealed, even if Heaven and Earth claim thirty percent of my lifespan, it will still be enough for me to go much further.”

His eyes brimmed with absolute confidence. He had no doubt whatsoever about his ability to go further.

In his mind, the goal he wanted to reach had always been perfectly clear.

Watching him, Xu Ran gave a small smile, feeling genuinely gratified.

’My nephew has grown up, but his pride and youthful spirit are still intact, never lost.’

’Perhaps he can carry that pride all the way to the very end.’

”In that case, let’s you and I—uncle and nephew—guard the Sect together as we enter the Dao Concealment Era.”

Li Daoyi was taken aback by the smile on Xu Ran’s face, a look of shock flashing in his eyes. He had assumed his Martial Uncle would surely be among the first to be Dust-sealed.

”Martial Uncle, you...”

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

”Just focus on yourself for now. If you want to boss me around, you can wait until you’ve inherited the Sect Leader position from Senior Sister Yue. Ha ha.”

Without waiting for Li Daoyi to react, Xu Ran let out a laugh, turned, and descended the bluestone steps of the Scripture Pavilion’s Floating Island.

*

*

*

After parting ways with Li Daoyi, Xu Ran returned to his Cave Mansion. He had barely settled in when Li Daoyi’s master, Zhang Zhentian, came rushing over.

”Senior Brother, Senior Sister Yue told me you’re planning to wait until the very last moment, just before the Dao completely conceals itself, to become Dust-sealed. Is that true?”

Zhang Zhentian asked impatiently the moment he saw Xu Ran.

Xu Ran waved a hand, gesturing for him to calm down. Only after Zhang Zhentian was seated did he slowly begin to speak.

”That’s right. As you know, my Cultivation may be relatively low, but I’m just drowning in good fortune. All this time, all sorts of lifespan-extending Spiritual Objects have just fallen into my lap.”

His tone was rather boastful. ”You saw it yourself back with the Demon Race. The disciple I took on a whim brought me the Sacred Object of the Dog Race. That’s over a thousand years of lifespan right there, tsk tsk.”

”And before that, there was Senior Sister Yue...”

”So, you see, I have plenty of lifespan. I plan to wait until after I break through to the Golden Core Stage. It won’t be too late to be Dust-sealed then.”

Only Yue Qingyu knew the truth of Xu Ran’s longevity. He had only told everyone else that he would be Dust-sealed at a later date.

This was what he and Senior Sister Yue had agreed upon.

Besides, everyone else would be Dust-sealed during that time. When they were unsealed in the future, it would seem perfectly normal for him to be there. No one would know that he hadn’t been Dust-sealed at all, but had simply lived all the way from the present into the future.

To that end, Senior Sister Yue had already begun arranging his new identity and records.

Once the Heaven and Earth Dao completely receded in the future, active Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm would be so weak that even a Golden Core would likely be a rare sight.

Senior Sister Yue had warned him that when the time came, he was only permitted to intervene if the Sect faced a major crisis.

At all other times, he was to continue as he was now: keep a low profile, live the quiet life he preferred, and not meddle in every affair.

The corner of Zhang Zhentian’s mouth twitched. He finally understood how his Senior Brother had managed to get into arguments with his grandfather. With an attitude like that, it would have been a miracle if his grandfather *hadn’t* argued with him.

He let out a slow breath to calm himself and was about to try and persuade him, but Xu Ran, sitting opposite him, spoke first.

”Say no more. I have my own plans. You should know me—I value my life more than anyone. I wouldn’t gamble with my own future.”

Zhang Zhentian froze for a moment, his gaze flickering. On second thought, it made sense. ’Senior Brother has always been someone who cherishes his life above all else. If he’s making this choice, perhaps there’s a reason he has no other option?’

As he was mulling this over, he heard Xu Ran continue, ”You don’t need to worry about me. But what about Daoyi? Has he told you his plans?”

Zhang Zhentian nodded. ”He told me. He plans to guard the Sect for a thousand years and then be Dust-sealed.”

Xu Ran nodded slightly, then asked, ”What do you think about that?”

Zhang Zhentian had clearly given the matter some thought. ”According to the information from the Creation Sect, the Laws of Heaven and Earth will only begin to fade noticeably in a hundred years. After that, the process will accelerate.”

”I plan to be Dust-sealed in a hundred years, once I’m sure the Sect is stable. In the meantime, I will guide Daoyi from the sidelines.”

He fell silent for a moment before continuing, ”Daoyi has a mind of his own and knows what he wants. I respect his choice, and I trust that he can do it well.”

Xu Ran wasn’t surprised by Zhang Zhentian’s answer. He had always taken a hands-off approach with his disciple, Li Daoyi, never forcing him to act according to his own will.

Seeing that Zhang Zhentian was still trying to figure out how to persuade him, he decided to change the subject.

”How is the Sect’s collection of Dust-Sealed Stones going?”