With his internal energy greatly advanced, Ye Wen burned with the desire to immediately find the master of the Zhenquan Sect and challenge him to a duel, intending to crush him thoroughly using his superior internal strength.

He dreamed of defeating the Zhenquan Sect Master right there in public, dealing a devastating blow to the sect, perhaps even wiping them out completely and unifying the entire Mount Shu domain under his banner.

Ye Wen knew these aspirations were no longer mere fantasies; with his current level of power, combined with the expertly practiced Mian Palm and the complete mastery of the Quanzhen Sword Style, he possessed the absolute capability to achieve all of it.

However, there was no immediate rush for such matters. What he needed to do now was hurry back to his own sect, lest the members grow anxious from his prolonged absence.

Standing by the pool, he circulated his internal energy to steam his clothes dry. The benefits of his greatly increased internal power were not limited to martial prowess; they also made many small tasks considerably easier. The rising plume of vapor gave Ye Wen the appearance of an immortal, and he was quite pleased with his current aura.

“It would look even cooler if the steam rising from me were golden.”

With a touch of mischievous fancy, Ye Wen continued circulating his energy while surveying his surroundings. This time, he was determined not to be ambushed by those repulsive venomous snakes again; if possible, he wanted to eradicate every single viper in this secluded valley.

By the time Ye Wen had dried his clothes, the sky had plunged into complete darkness. He casually picked up the corpse of the slain snake, remembering that this particular serpent made for excellent tonic. He then spent a good while rummaging through the thickets of Xiaohan Fruit, finally managing to pluck five or six more berries before stopping, satisfied.

In addition, he unearthed several snake eggs from the grass. Looking down at the dead snake in his hand, Ye Wen suddenly understood why it had attacked him so ferociously. It seemed his foraging for the fruit had startled the creature, which then lashed out in defense of its progeny. Beyond punishing an intruder, its actions were likely driven by the instinct to protect its young.

“A pity. Your aggression only led to your own demise, and now you’ve added a late-night snack to my menu.”

Ye Wen saw nothing wrong with treating the snake eggs as a late meal, especially since doing so would reduce the viper population here. The more he valued this fairy-tale-like paradise, the more essential it was for him to eliminate the dangers lurking within it quickly.

“Otherwise, I’ll be worrying my neck raw every time I come here to cultivate.”

He glanced back toward the inky black mountain cave. The monstrous serpent dwelling within remained a massive threat; Ye Wen had no way of knowing when that beast might charge out and cause harm.

Turning back, he located the narrow path again and returned to the platform where he had first emerged. Before he could settle, he perceived faint, flickering lights moving far below. Moreover, with his massive surge in internal power, Ye Wen’s hearing and vision had improved significantly. Coupled with the profound stillness of the environment, he could clearly discern that the voices below belonged to his junior martial sister, Ning Ruxue, and his junior martial brother, Xu Xian.

Though he couldn't make out their words, Ye Wen surmised they were searching for him, frantic after not hearing from him for a full day and night. This thought brought a wave of warmth: “It seems I’m not entirely alone in this world; at least they care about me.”

Standing on the platform, he shouted down, “Junior Sister, Junior Brother, I am here!” This drew the attention of everyone below. He then heard Xu Xian call back, using all his internal strength, “Senior Brother, where are you?” Although Xu Xian’s eyesight was sharp, he certainly couldn't see Ye Wen perched high on the cliff face.

Realizing this, Ye Wen immediately responded, “I am up here, on the cliff face!”

Mentioning the cliff face immediately told Xu Xian where Ye Wen was. He and Ning Ruxue had come here specifically because Xu Xian knew Ye Wen often used this area to practice his lightness skills. Besides this spot, the cliff near the solitary grave was another favorite haunt of Ye Wen’s. They had searched both locations no fewer than ten times without finding a trace of him, which had caused them great distress.

What truly worried them was that Ye Wen had left his heavy sword—which he always carried on his back—in the courtyard that morning. This suggested he might have met with some unforeseen accident. Consequently, since midnight, the entire group had been searching the mountainsides. But Ye Wen had been trapped in the desolate valley, focusing on healing from the viper venom, and thus heard nothing.

It was fortunate timing that Ye Wen emerged just as Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian found this location again, leading to this reunion among the senior and junior disciples.

Ye Wen called out, “It’s too dark up here, I can’t see clearly. Junior Brother, gather some more torches and light up this cliff face a bit brighter so I can descend.”

Hearing this, Xu Xian recalled that Ye Wen’s lightness skill wasn't quite his equal, making him wonder how Ye Wen had managed to scramble up the cliff face at all. Both he and Ning Ruxue practiced here often and knew the cliff well, yet neither had ever managed to climb to that height.

“Senior Brother, how did you get up there?”

“Heh heh, I’ll tell you all about it when I get down.”

Ning Ruxue, who had been pacing anxiously, finally relaxed upon hearing Ye Wen’s robust voice, realizing he was unharmed. Recalling the anxiety that had plagued her for the past day and night, a surge of annoyance struck her: “Did you just scramble up by chance and now can’t figure out how to get down, so you’re stuck up there?”

Ye Wen let out an embarrassed chuckle. Thankfully, the distance between them prevented them from seeing each other’s expressions; otherwise, Ye Wen would have been utterly humiliated. Ning Ruxue had, in fact, hit the nail on the head. He had climbed up accidentally and hadn't considered the descent. It was only now, standing there, that the problem occurred to him.

With his original power level, descending so rashly would not have killed him, but it carried a high probability of leaving him severely injured.

Fortunately, he had experienced a miraculous encounter that day, boosting his power significantly. Although his descent might appear somewhat clumsy, it shouldn't pose any real danger.

“I suppose so…”

Since he hadn't actually attempted it yet, Ye Wen couldn't be entirely certain. In the short time they spoke, Xu Xian had already directed the servants to fetch plenty of dry firewood and start a bonfire. The flames roared high, casting a brilliant crimson glow that illuminated the cliff face perfectly, allowing Ye Wen to see the group gathered by the fire with crystal clarity.

With the aid of the firelight, Ye Wen could clearly make out every foothold on the rock face. He activated the Cloud Ladder technique, carefully descending inch by painstaking inch, channeling his vital energy during each leap to cushion the landing impact.

Maintaining such intense concentration, Ye Wen landed safely back on the ground with surprising ease. Upon touching down, he felt he still had energy to spare—he could have done it again without trouble.

“It seems my power increase this time was exceptionally significant.”

His inner joy was so great that he completely forgot about going without food for a full day and night. Upon landing, he immediately started teasing his junior martial brother and sister: “Did you worry yourselves sick searching for me for a whole day and night?”

Xu Xian merely rubbed his nose and smiled, seemingly unperturbed by Ye Wen’s jest. Ning Ruxue, however, was instantly incensed.

“Senior Brother, you speak so irresponsibly! Do not forget that you are currently the Sect Master of the Mount Shu School. How could you vanish without a single word? What were the entire sect members supposed to do?” She had been frantic with worry during those twenty-four hours since Ye Wen disappeared, feeling a surge of internal heat. She worried that the Master’s absence would cause chaos within the sect, compelling her to work tirelessly to soothe everyone, only telling Ye Wen’s two disciples that their master was practicing and should not be disturbed.

Simultaneously, she feared he had met with disaster, which would undoubtedly be a catastrophic blow to the rapidly developing Mount Shu School. At that moment, Ning Ruxue never once considered that if Ye Wen were gone, she would naturally assume the mantle of leadership. Instead, she rushed everywhere searching for him, even visiting treacherous cliff edges repeatedly—fearing Ye Wen had accidentally fallen while practicing, which would have left no hope.

She also feared that experts from the Tianle Gang had captured him, or that he had been assassinated and his body dumped into a deep ravine.

Now that she saw him, all the pent-up fury was finally unleashed, and she began to scold Ye Wen soundly. However, after only a few sharp words, she realized many sect servants were standing nearby. It was improper to berate their own Sect Master in front of subordinates, so she abruptly stopped speaking.

Seeing Ning Ruxue’s anxious expression, her haggard face, the faint darkening beneath her eyes, and her usually lustrous black hair looking disheveled and dull—all clear signs of the distress from searching for him without rest—Ye Wen understood. He also recognized that he was not a solitary figure; he carried the entire Mount Shu School on his shoulders. Such behavior was unbecoming of a sect master. He immediately conceded, “Junior Sister is right to lecture me. I was too reckless this time.”

Ning Ruxue was slightly taken aback, seemingly surprised that Ye Wen so readily admitted his fault. Moreover, much of her intense anger had already dissipated. She huffed and said no more.

It was Xu Xian who leaned in secretly toward Ye Wen’s ear and whispered, “Senior Brother, when you vanished so suddenly, Senior Sister nearly went mad with worry. She turned all of Mount Shu upside down. She was just overwrought just now; don't be angry with her.”

Ye Wen nodded, giving Xu Xian an understanding smile. Then, addressing the confused servants (Ning Ruxue had kept the matter of Ye Wen’s disappearance quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble), he said, “It’s nothing. Everyone return to rest. Do not speak of today’s events to outsiders.”

He then turned to Xu Xian and Ning Ruxue: “Let’s head back too. I have things I need to discuss with you both.” As he spoke, he glanced at his arm, where the wounds from the viper bites were still visible, along with a large stain of dark, coagulated blood from where he had forced the venom out. Though faded from soaking in the pool water, the mark was still prominent.

This gesture finally drew Xu Xian’s attention to the anomaly on Ye Wen’s arm, causing him to jump in alarm: “Senior Brother, what happened to your arm?”

Ning Ruxue also looked intensely concerned. She had been so relieved to see Ye Wen that she hadn't noticed any abnormalities on him in the dim light, where the firelight failed to reach fully.

Seeing their worry, Ye Wen shook his arm to show it was fine: “Nothing serious. Just a sneak attack from a little long worm, but I actually gained quite a bit from it.” He then pulled out the snake eggs and the dead snake: “By the way, since neither of you has eaten, let’s add a few dishes for tonight.”