Watching the Mountain

Xu Ran’s "Melting Snow" swordsmanship was inspired by the smile on the Little Witch Ye Qingxue’s face in that final moment.

The Little Witch, Ye Qingxue, was a great beauty capable of enchanting all living things. When she smiled, it felt as if the heavens and the earth paled in comparison, leaving nothing in the world but her smile.

And her beauty wasn’t the kind that sparked lustful thoughts, making you stare at her unblinkingly.

Instead, it was the kind of beauty that, in the moment she smiled, made you forget all your worries. Beautiful images would surface in your mind, and you would resonate with her smile, becoming lost in mesmerized appreciation.

There were no wicked thoughts, no desire—only the world’s purest beauty, compelling you to admire it for just a moment longer.

Xu Ran’s sword was just like that. The moment he brandished it, beautiful images would involuntarily surface in everyone’s mind. They would only think how beautiful the strike was, making them want to greedily cherish the beauty of that moment.

The difference between his sword and the Little Witch Ye Qingxue’s smile was that her smile contained only beauty.

Xu Ran’s sword, however, concealed the deadliest killing intent within that most beautiful moment.

Just as you were marveling at the sword’s beauty, the killing intent would descend—swift, fierce, and erupting in an instant. In the moment of death, your pupils would still be reflecting that beautiful image.

To die in the most beautiful of moments.

This was the essence of the "Melting Snow" sword strike.

When Jiang Ling’Er was about to leave the Sect, Xu Ran had taught her this sword technique. It wasn’t for her Protection Dao, but to teach her not to trust others easily—that the most dangerous killing intent is often hidden within the most beautiful moments.

Jiang Ling’Er managed to learn this sword technique. To master such a profound technique without any guidance was an incredibly difficult task for her.

But she learned it all the same.

At that time, Jiang Xiaohui was still undergoing the inheritance trial, leaving her all alone every day. The entire Dog Race ignored her. Even though she was within the Dog Race’s territory, it felt as if she were the only person left in the world.

She wanted to talk to her master, but she was afraid he would get annoyed. ’I don’t have the courage to disturb him.’

’If I can master the swordsmanship Master taught me and share the good news with him, then he won’t be annoyed. He’ll even praise me.’

So she studied with exceptional diligence and effort, daydreaming every day of the moment her master would praise her upon hearing she had learned the technique.

Later, she did master it, and her master did praise her.

But now, everything had changed.

Jiang Ling’Er stared intently at the back of the figure before her, her pupils flickering with a baleful crimson light.

*

*

*

The galaxy of starlight had yet to completely fade. The air was filled with the wailing of the Law, mourning the fall of a Daoist Monarch, and the pungent stench of blood.

Chen Chang’an stared intently at the galaxy of starlight in the sky, his mind flashing back to the night Senior Brother Ye Shan had come to find him.

It was the day before Senior Brother Ye Shan unleashed that brilliant sword strike. He had sought Chen Chang’an out and said with a chuckle:

"Junior Brother, do me a favor. Help me take care of someone."

He spoke as if it were a matter of course, without a hint of courtesy.

Chen Chang’an wasn’t surprised by this. In his memory, Senior Brother Ye Shan had always been that kind of person—someone without a sense of boundaries, a bit of a free spirit.

What truly surprised him was that this was the first time Senior Brother Ye Shan had ever sought him out. It made him curious—who could this person be, to warrant such concern from him?

But when he heard the person was Xu Ran, he was instantly puzzled. He had met Xu Ran once before. Their meeting took place before he left for the Evil Demon Battlefield. He had given Xu Ran a Sword Technique he had painstakingly developed, asking him to show it to Senior Brother Ye Shan at an appropriate time.

And it was precisely because he had met Xu Ran that he was all the more astonished that Senior Brother Ye Shan would be so concerned about him.

’In my eyes, Xu Ran was completely ordinary, even mediocre. There was nothing special about him at all.’

’This person is far inferior even to me.’

Senior Brother Ye Shan had perhaps seen through his thoughts and took the initiative to explain:

"I’m about to do something that will wrong him. If I don’t do something to make up for it, I’ll feel a bit uneasy. I’m afraid he’ll hold a grudge and really dig up my bones when the time comes. That would be bad."

He laughed heartily and continued:

"Besides, Junior Brother, don’t you underestimate Junior Brother Xu. He’s a Sword Cultivator with a lot of potential. Back when I suppressed my Cultivation to duel him, even I couldn’t defeat him."

"Haven’t you always wanted a rival, Junior Brother? The gap between you and me is too great; we’re not a good match. But if you can help train Junior Brother Xu, perhaps he’ll be the perfect rival for you."

Hearing this, Chen Chang’an’s eyes widened in surprise. The Junior Brother Xu he had looked down upon had actually received such high praise from Senior Brother Ye Shan, who even admitted to not being able to defeat him. This made him incredibly curious about this Junior Brother Xu Ran.

But when he later met this Junior Brother Xu Ran, he was completely disappointed.

’Although the man had comprehended a Dual Realm, his Swordsmanship was truly terrible, a mere crude integration of his Mental Realm.’

’Was this really the man Senior Brother Ye Shan couldn’t defeat?’

He couldn’t help but feel some doubt.

But then he remembered what Senior Brother Ye Shan had said—that he should train Junior Brother Xu Ran.