Watching the Mountain

Chapter 370: Chapter 203: Gazing at the Moon

Hearing what Li Daoyi said, it dawned on Lu Mingchen. ’That’s right. Now that we’re fellow disciples, isn’t my relationship with Fellow Daoist Chu even closer?’

Once he processed this, he gave Chu Lingxiao a bashful smile and hesitantly called out, ”So... Junior Brother Chu?”

”Mm.” Chu Lingxiao replied calmly, his face betraying no emotion.

With this form of address, Chu Lingxiao’s status was officially settled. Starting today, he was a disciple of the Profound Pure Sect.

The Sect’s leadership wholeheartedly welcomed the addition of a new prodigy. The Profound Pure Sect itself had been suffering from a lack of talent; due to past rumors and attacks, an especially low number of new disciples had joined in recent years.

Most people in the Sect were familiar with Chu Lingxiao. Many guessed that he had chosen the Profound Pure Sect because of their own Chief Disciple, Li Daoyi.

This led many to silently admire Li Daoyi’s charisma.

After Chu Lingxiao’s arrival, Li Daoyi took out a Dust-Sealed Stone for him. It was from his personal extra allotment as the Sect’s Chief Disciple.

Chu Lingxiao refused it outright. He said he had just joined the Sect and could not accept a reward without having earned it. He declared that before the final hour of the Dao Concealment, he would rely on his own abilities to earn enough contribution points to acquire a Dust-Sealed Stone.

Hearing this, Li Daoyi silently put the Dust-Sealed Stone away. He wasn’t surprised by Chu Lingxiao’s reaction; with the other’s pride, a refusal was inevitable. He had only made the offer to express his goodwill.

”When will you enter the Dust-Sealed state?” Chu Lingxiao then asked Li Daoyi.

”I’ll enter the Dust-Sealed state at the very last moment,” Li Daoyi replied, then looked at Lu Mingchen behind him and said,

”Junior Brother Lu, on the other hand, was originally supposed to enter the Dust-Sealed state. But after hearing you were coming, he kept putting it off, saying he wanted to see you before he did.”

Hearing this, Chu Lingxiao turned his head slightly and gave Lu Mingchen a deep, thoughtful look.

’Based on his understanding of Lu Mingchen, the latter definitely wouldn’t have been able to secure a Dust-Sealed spot through the Sect’s selection trials. But he was Wuchen True Monarch’s apprentice, so he never had to worry about getting a spot in the first place.’

At this thought, a flicker of gloom passed through his eyes.

’If the Illusion Spirit Sect were still around, he could have freely chosen when to be Dust-Sealed, instead of having to struggle now just to earn a spot for a Dust-Sealed Stone.’

But he quickly shook his head, casting aside these stray thoughts. He had made his choice, and he would not regret it.

Moreover, he believed that with his abilities, he could definitely obtain a Dust-Sealed Stone.

*

*

*

After joining the Profound Pure Sect, Chu Lingxiao integrated himself smoothly. This came as no surprise to either Xu Ran or Li Daoyi.

As a chosen one of heaven, he would not feel out of place no matter the environment.

As for Lu Mingchen, seeing Chu Lingxiao integrate so smoothly into the Profound Pure Sect, he finally entered the Dust-Sealed state with his mind at ease.

Before entering the Dust-Sealed Stone, he was still muttering about Luo Qianxue, telling Li Daoyi and Chu Lingxiao that the four of them would reunite in the future.

In response, Li Daoyi and Chu Lingxiao both nodded and replied, ”We will.”

Hearing this answer, Lu Mingchen wore a smile as he entered the Dust-Sealed Stone, his mind at peace.

After Lu Mingchen was Dust-Sealed, Xu Ran looked at Shen Wuchen and Ye Qingyue, who were standing to one side. He then turned to Ye Qingyue and asked, ”When will you enter the Dust-Sealed state?”

’He had originally thought Ye Qingyue would enter the Dust-Sealed state before Shen Wuchen, but she hadn’t yet shown any intention of doing so. Surely she wasn’t planning to wait for Shen Wuchen, was she?’

Hearing Xu Ran’s question, Ye Qingyue fell silent for a moment before saying with a hesitant expression, ”Master, this disciple... wants to make a trip to the Overseas Archipelago first.”

Xu Ran was slightly taken aback by her words, but he immediately understood Ye Qingyue’s thoughts.

She was previously a disciple of the Wangyue Sect, which had relocated to the Overseas Archipelago. If she entered the Dust-Sealed state now, by the time the long eons passed and the Heaven and Earth Dao Concealment faded, things might have changed beyond recognition. There was no telling what the Wangyue Sect would be like by then.

Therefore, she wanted to see her former fellow disciples, old friends, and family one last time before then.

Xu Ran could understand Ye Qingyue’s feelings. After a moment of silence, he gave her an encouraging look and said,

”If you want to go, then go. Follow your heart. You don’t need to have any reservations.”

He didn’t want Ye Qingyue to enter the Dust-Sealed state with regrets.

’After countless years, to see one’s former sect changed beyond recognition, with everything familiar gone...’

As a Longevity Seeker, he understood this feeling better than anyone.

His mind then recalled the image of Su Yingxue from the Wangyue Sect. She was Ye Qingyue’s master. Back then, she had been the one to stumble upon the plot of the Spirit Stream Peak Master’s disciple, silently saving him.

Afterward, she had even given him a set of robes, saying it was a Wangyue Sect tradition—a gift for a Spirit Plant Master they acknowledged.

As these scenes replayed in his mind, Xu Ran didn’t grow sentimental. He had no connection to the Wangyue Sect back then, yet they had quietly helped him numerous times. A sect renowned for its intelligence gathering, they had even covertly helped his own sect conceal information about him.

He remembered all of these things.

’I wonder how the Wangyue Sect and Su Yingxue are doing now. Relocating an entire sect to the Overseas Archipelago... they must be facing resistance from the powers already there. Just surviving would be a challenge.’

Hearing Xu Ran’s answer, a happy smile spread across Ye Qingyue’s face. ”Thank you, Master,” she said.

She then lifted her head slightly, her gaze drifting toward the horizon. As she thought of her former sect, her eyes softened, and she spoke softly,

”Let’s wait a while. In a hundred years, the Dao Concealment will have reached a certain stage, and the Cultivation Realm will have stabilized. I’ll go then.”

Her tone was incredibly gentle, filled with anticipation for reuniting with her former sect and family.