Watching the Mountain

The "plague" sweeping the world hadn’t erupted suddenly. It started with just a few people feeling unwell.

The symptoms weren’t severe either—just similar to a cold, with some listlessness and a lack of energy.

At first, no one paid it any mind, including those who felt unwell. They simply assumed they were overworked and that a few days of rest would suffice.

However, as time passed, their symptoms didn’t improve. Instead, they worsened, leaving everyone groggy and listless day after day.

When more and more people around them began to exhibit the same condition, the Sects finally started to take notice.

Furthermore, the illness initially appeared only among Qi Cultivation Stage disciples. It gradually spread to the Foundation Establishment Stage, and later, even Purple Mansion Stage Cultivators began to show the same symptoms.

The Cultivation Realm was thrown into a panic, especially those who hadn’t yet "fallen ill." If this trend continued, it wouldn’t be long before the sickness spread to them as well.

And so, the top experts from the Major Sects of the Cultivation Realm sprang into action, hoping to find the "root of the illness" and solve the problem.

But the "plague" had arrived suddenly and silently. The only certainty was that it was connected to the Secret Realms that had recently merged with their world.

Those Secret Realms were clearly fragments of other worlds. Some speculated that the Dao of the Secret Realm worlds was different from their own. They theorized that when the realms merged, it altered this world’s Dao, and the current symptoms were a result of everyone’s inability to adapt to the change.

To put it more bluntly, the situation was like being transplanted to an entirely new world, causing a universal case of "acclimatization sickness." Perhaps after some time, everyone would adapt, and things would return to normal.

If this theory held true, it would be a huge relief for the Cultivation Realm and put everyone’s minds at ease.

However, it was clear this theory was just a comforting lie. The way the "plague" was spreading made it obvious that it couldn’t be explained away as simple maladjustment.

The way it spread from a handful of individuals to an ever-increasing number of people was much more like a "plague" from the Mortal World.

Moreover, as time went on, it began showing signs of spreading to even Higher Realms of cultivation.

Another key observation was that, so far, every single person who had fallen ill had entered one of the Secret Realms. Not a single person who had stayed out of them had shown any symptoms.

However, some powerful experts predicted this immunity wouldn’t last. They believed that, in time, everyone in the Cultivation Realm would be infected. Not even Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarchs, Daoist Venerables of the Daoist Venerable Realm, or even stronger beings would be exempt.

Furthermore, while the current symptoms weren’t severe, they could potentially worsen over time.

Even the current listlessness had a massive impact. In such a state, it was impossible for anyone to focus on their training. Forcing oneself to cultivate would, at best, lead to Qi deviation and damage to one’s foundation; at worst, it would be fatal.

’A Cultivator who can’t cultivate? What a joke.’

This threatened the very foundation of the Cultivation Realm. The entire realm was now mobilized, with everyone trying to find a solution to the "plague."

Amidst all this, Xu Ran received a piece of good news.

Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge had sent word. Citing the current crisis in the Cultivation Realm, they’d stressed the urgent need for all Sects to unite in sincere cooperation.

They had proposed sacrificing their "future personal freedom and happiness" by becoming Dao Companions, framing it as the first step toward cooperation between their two Sects. The proposal had been accepted.

Now, they were "dating" under orders, putting on daily displays of affection for the disciples of their respective Sects. Next on their agenda was a tour of all the Major Sects in the land for the express purpose of showing off how in love they were.

When news of their "sacrifice" spread, the entire Cultivation Realm began to sing the praises of the young couple.

Previously, to hide any hint of their relationship, the two of them would act like mortal enemies the moment they saw each other, looking as if they wanted to kill one another.

And now, for the sake of cooperation in the Cultivation Realm, they had made such a great "sacrifice"—setting aside their "hatred" to become Dao Companions.

This spirit of self-sacrifice earned them endless praise from countless people in the Cultivation Realm. They were showered with blessings, and many even vowed to write books and biographies immortalizing this "celestial couple," ensuring they would live happily ever after.

When Xu Ran heard the news, he offered them his sincere blessings as well.

The couple had finally seen their bitter days turn sweet. All they had ever wanted was to be together openly. And now, they were ordered to be in a relationship, showing off their love for the "greater good," all with the blessing of the entire Cultivation Realm.

For them, the feeling could only be described with a single word: bliss.

However, the young couple, Zhao Wuyang and Liu Yunge, were still very worried about the current situation. They were both Nascent Soul Cultivators and had not yet been affected by the "plague." But according to the experts’ predictions, it wouldn’t be long before even those at the Nascent Soul Stage were afflicted.

More importantly, given the current crisis, no one could say what the future held for the Cultivation Realm. They had finally, against all odds, gotten together. They didn’t want to be robbed of a beautiful and complete future; they wanted to live happily ever after, together, forever.