Watching the Mountain

He then conjured a warm sphere of water to envelop her. A moment later, a warm breeze swept over her, drying her completely.

Jiang Ling’er stood there in a daze, offering no resistance.

After a long moment, she suddenly looked at Xu Ran and said, "Master, being a grown-up isn’t any fun. I want to go back to the Sect and eat roasted sweet potatoes."

What she missed most were the days back in the Instructor Hall. Her fellow disciples and the instructors might have called her slow, but they would still encourage and comfort her whenever she put in the effort. And, of course, her master was there to teach her.

Back then, all she had wanted was to grow up quickly and live an independent life.

While she was with the Dog Race, she had considered herself a mature, responsible adult who shouldn’t always be troubling her master. That was why she never dared to tell him what was happening there. But now, tasting the roasted sweet potato again, she was struck by a wave of regret. ’I should have just kept running to Master for comfort.’

Xu Ran froze for a moment at her words, then gave her a gentle smile. He stepped forward, reached out, and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eye. "Then don’t be a grown-up anymore," he said.

With that, he produced a bamboo basket filled with steaming hot roasted sweet potatoes.

A few of them were particularly special, their fragrance rich and enticing. They were the Second Grade Spirit Potatoes that Jiang Ling’er had specifically asked him to bring for her from within the Secret Realm.

However, just as Jiang Ling’er reached for a roasted sweet potato, she abruptly looked up toward the distant horizon. It seemed many powerful presences were rushing toward them.

Xu Ran reached out, placed a hand on her cheek, and gently turned her head to face him. He then spoke in an impossibly soft voice,

"Pay them no mind. Take your time and eat. Your master will handle everything."

With that, he rose silently and strode into the air.

By this point, nearly eight minutes had passed since he activated the Huaque Array, and his body had been wracked with intense pain the entire time.

He had been about to leave with Jiang Ling’er moments ago, but the sight of her preparing to eat the Demon Heart raw had forced him to stop and calm her down.

More importantly, he was still holding Ye Shan’s sword, its influence continually affecting his state of mind, making him regard everything with cold indifference. After witnessing Jiang Ling’er’s actions, a violent energy had welled up inside him, screaming to be unleashed.

Xu Ran gazed indifferently at the distant horizon. He slowly swung his sword, and the fantastically beautiful Sword Qi Star River appeared once more.

A furious roar echoed from the distance. "The plan is exposed, just as we feared! Move now! Capture this Human Race Sword Cultivator! And inform our forces in the New Domain to strike while the Human Race is still unaware!"

The expressions of everyone present changed drastically upon hearing this.

This was especially true for Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge. The only reason they were here was that their respective sects had sensed something strange about the Demon Race’s recent activities and had sent them to investigate.

Now, hearing those words, they knew their suspicions were correct. ’It seems something major really is happening with the Demon Race.’

They never expected to have accidentally stumbled upon the Demon Race’s scheme. Fortunately, they had already sent messages back to their sects reporting the unusual situation and requesting that powerful experts be dispatched.

With the Cross-border Teleportation Array, the experts from their sects should be arriving soon.

*

*

*

Before long, a shocking piece of news spread throughout the entire Cultivation Realm.

The Demon Race had brazenly broken ties with the Human Race. They launched a massive offensive in the New Domain, apparently intending to seize it for themselves—the very territory originally won from the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race.

The ones credited with exposing the Demon Race’s conspiracy were none other than Zhao Wuyang of the Netherworld Sect, Liu Yunge of the Creation Sect, and a group from the Profound Pure Sect: Yue Qingyu, Zhang Zhentian, Chen Chang’an, Shen Wuchen, and True Monarch Zi Yun.

According to the rumors, after uncovering the Demon Race’s plot, they were besieged. At the critical moment, the adoptive father of the legendary Array Master, Master Vermilion Bird, fearlessly activated the Vermilion Bird Array to single-handedly fight off three opponents.

With an invincible display of power, he held off three of the Demon Race’s Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarchs, buying enough time for the experts from the Netherworld Sect and Creation Sect to arrive. Only then were they able to retreat to safety.

As this news circulated, the entire Cultivation Realm erupted. No one could understand it. The Human Race and the Demon Race had set aside their conflicts and been allies for countless ages. Why would they suddenly turn on each other now?

All for a single New Domain? With so many Secret Realms available now, was it really necessary? Besides, after making an enemy of the Human Race, could the Demon Race possibly be confident enough to resist the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race on their own?

The entire Cultivation Realm was baffled as to why the Demon Race would make such a move. The whole affair was bizarre from top to bottom.

At the same time, people were filled with deep admiration for Master Vermilion Bird’s adoptive father—the man who had fought one against three and had even killed a Demon Race Daoist Monarch prior to that.

Everyone in the Immortal Ancient Cultivation Realm knew the consequences of using the Vermilion Bird Array.

People couldn’t help but recall how Master Vermilion Bird, at such a young age, had once sacrificed their own life to activate the Vermilion Bird Array. They had transformed into a sky-blotting Vermilion Bird to help Sword Dao Ye Shan purge the hidden remnants of the Evil Demon Race and Phoenix Race from the Cultivation Realm.

Judging by the Secret Realms that appeared afterward, it seemed they had even preemptively eliminated enemies that would have descended upon the world, resolving a future crisis before it began.

Now, a similar scene was playing out, this time starring Master Vermilion Bird’s adoptive father.

According to the tales, Master Vermilion Bird’s adoptive father possessed only mediocre talent, his Cultivation was not high, and he hadn’t even fully mastered the Vermilion Bird Array.

And yet, he had still activated the Vermilion Bird Array without a moment’s hesitation, all to bring back safely a group of young prodigies—the very hope of the Cultivation Realm, destined to one day become its strongest pillars.

Such selfless dedication left the people of the Cultivation Realm speechless with admiration.

Master Vermilion Bird’s family... they were truly a household of heroes!

*

*

*

"It is I." In response to Xu Ran’s inquiry, Qin Yufeng’s calm voice transmitted from the Communication Jade Talisman.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, my plan is in motion. Now, I invite you to bear witness as the Cultivation Realm is reshaped into the world I envision."