"Hmph... did you hear?" "Hear what?" "Those mountain bandits who were camped twenty miles out—they were wiped out a few days ago." "What's that? Everyone knows about that." "Then do you know who delivered the blow?" "Who?" "A master from the Shu Mountain Sect." "The Shu Mountain Sect?" "Let me tell you..."

Ye Wen sat to the side, a faint smile playing on his lips as he listened to the endless chatter around him. The rough wine in his hand seemed to transform into fine nectar, which he savored with gusto, just as he heartily consumed the two simple side dishes before him.

Having secluded himself on the mountain for a full three months, Ye Wen, thanks to the powerful aid of the Cold Pool and the Red Serpent Gallbladder, finally managed to bring the initial stages of the Zixia Divine Art to fruition. Now, not only had his internal energy cultivation advanced further, but his command over its usage was vastly superior to before. To put it plainly, if he encountered Yu Dahai—the man he fought a year ago—Ye Wen could now instantly kill him with the same level of force he used to merely make the man vomit blood back then.

The progress he made was certainly inseparable from the Zixia Art, but battling the chilling energy of the pool day and night had also elevated his control over his internal strength to an exceptional degree.

As for his descent from the mountain this time, it was due to an unforeseen event.

After more than three months of dedicated training, Ye Wen naturally felt he was in a period of rapid advancement and had no inclination to attend to anything else. However, as the outer disciples who had been traveling the world began to return, bringing news of their expanded experience and martial growth, they also brought Ye Wen tidings that were far from good.

One of these outer disciples was injured internally during a skirmish while traveling. He was recuperating down the mountain and unable to attend to martial matters. Upon hearing this, Ye Wen issued a few instructions and then hurried down the mountain. This was how he found himself sitting here, drinking wine and listening to talk of the martial world's affairs.

The injured outer disciple was named Xu Ping. He was originally a guard for the Xu family before joining the outer sect of Shu Mountain, and he was one of those who practiced the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade style. His martial arts skill was considered top-tier among the outer disciples.

While he might not have been counted among the absolute masters in the Pingzhou region, ordinary folk couldn't harm him. Being injured, and suffering a severe internal wound at that, led Ye Wen to suspect there was more to the story. Since he was likely the only one on the entire mountain capable of healing such internal injuries, he personally traveled down.

After learning the details, Ye Wen discovered that Xu Ping had been traveling with another companion. Along the way, the pair had done many deeds of chivalry, making sure to announce themselves as members of the Shu Mountain Sect, which actually brought the sect considerable renown. They even collaborated to assault a group of bandits' lair, slaughtering them until the survivors scattered in disarray. For this, they were praised by the local villagers and earned some fame themselves, with some even nicknaming Xu Ping the 'Soul-Severing Blade.'

However, just as the two were feeling proud of their accomplishments, they were intercepted on their way back to the mountain. The interceptor spoke no pleasantries, immediately engaging them both in combat.

The two fought together against the man for about thirty exchanges before he spotted an opening and struck Xu Ping squarely on the chest with a palm strike. He then uttered, "The Shu Mountain Sect is nothing remarkable," before turning and vanishing in the blink of an eye, showcasing terrifying qinggong (lightness skill).

Fortunately, this person did not deliver a killing blow immediately, but instead left a surge of true energy inside Xu Ping's body that clashed and rampaged, making movement extremely difficult. At first, the pair paid it little mind, but by the time they reached Shushan County, the internal injury worsened significantly. They had no choice but to find an inn for immediate rest and ask their junior martial brothers at the Yueshan Escort Agency to report back up the mountain, while Xu Ping remained at the inn to recover—as his condition grew critical, he couldn't even move, so he wasn't taken to the Yueshan Agency.

Ye Wen rushed down the mountain immediately upon receiving the news. After examining the injury, his expression became exceedingly grim. He was also deeply thankful that his Zixia Art had reached a minor level of mastery; otherwise, he would have had no choice but to watch his disciple suffer and die. Having attained this initial success in the Zixia Art, while not yet complete, allowed him to neutralize foreign true energy. Moreover, while this energy was formidable to the disciples, it was nothing significant in his eyes.

He dismissed the idlers and activated the Zixia Art to treat his disciple. Although he was confident, his skill was new, so the process took considerable time—a full day passed before he managed to dissipate the true energy within the body. Ye Wen himself was severely depleted, drenched in a sweat of exertion.

Still, the true energy was ultimately neutralized, and perhaps this disciple would even benefit from the misfortune, as his cultivation might advance. After all, Ye Wen's Zixia Art only decomposed that foreign energy, breaking the tightly clustered mass into scattered, ownerless fragments that no longer caused harm, though they technically remained within Xu Ping’s body. If Xu Ping could utilize these dispersed fragments wisely through dedicated practice, his cultivation could be further elevated.

However, he would only discuss this once Xu Ping awoke. For now, both he and his disciple, whose life he had just saved, required rest and recovery.

Having finished his task, Ye Wen sat in meditation to restore his strength for a while. Then, he took a quick wash and headed to the main hall downstairs for a meal. His disciple was, of course, being attended to by others, relieving him of that responsibility.

Yet, the matter felt distinctly strange. Who exactly was this sudden assailant? And why target the disciples of Shu Mountain? If these two disciples had made enemies during their travels, then the attack should have been lethal.

"Could it be the Heavenly Joy Gang?"

This was the only plausible explanation Ye Wen could conceive. Perhaps the frequent travels of the outer disciples had drawn attention and earned them some reputation, alerting the Heavenly Joy Gang to send someone to test the strength of Shu Mountain disciples, thereby gauging the sect's true power.

"If that’s the case, the Heavenly Joy Gang is about to miscalculate severely."

It was obvious that the assailant had mistaken these two outer disciples for the core strength of the Shu Mountain Sect. Especially since they had just pacified a bandit stronghold, which in the Pingzhou martial world was considered respectable skill. They were likely disciples who held some standing in sects with moderate power. Nobody would have suspected these two were mere outer disciples of Shu Mountain.

Once this possibility solidified in his mind, Ye Wen couldn't help but feel a malicious sense of pleasure. The more the Heavenly Joy Gang underestimated him and Shu Mountain now, the more room he had to grow. When he and Shu Mountain eventually matured, even the Heavenly Joy Gang would struggle to shake them in the slightest.

Listening to the chat among the other martial travelers in the hall, Ye Wen confirmed that sending the outer disciples out to gain experience was indeed the right choice. Shu Mountain was already beginning to make a name for itself around Shushan County. As long as they maintained this momentum and gradually expanded their influence further, the Shu Mountain Sect would begin to establish a foothold.

However, there was another matter awaiting the Shu Mountain Sect. He had intended to arrange it before descending the mountain, but this incident caused a delay.

"No matter, those fellows temporarily staying at my 'home' can wait a few more days."

In these three months, not only had his own power increased significantly, but Ning Ruxue had also finally completed her cultivation of the Heavenly Net and Earthly Web Stance. Ye Wen’s few Small Cold Fruits had acted as powerful catalysts, boosting her overall cultivation while assisting her in completing the final stage of her training. At this point, Ning Ruxue had finally become a top-tier combatant capable of representing Shu Mountain. Ye Wen estimated that, perhaps besides himself, only that reckless junior martial brother Xu could match her in a fight.

Speaking of Xu Xian, he truly lived up to his reputation for severely lacking martial common sense. Upon receiving the Small Cold Fruits, he swallowed all three at once. This caused chaos within Xu Xian's body; the surging cold energy thrashed around, nearly freezing the living man into an ice sculpture. If Ye Wen hadn't discovered the situation quickly and managed to catch a Red Serpent to immediately extract its gallbladder and stuff it into Xu Xian's mouth—while simultaneously using his internal energy to help digest the chaotic mixture of cold and hot energies—the junior martial brother might have become nothing more than a lonely mound atop the mountain.

When everything settled, Xu Xian realized how close he had come to losing his life and profusely bowed and thanked Ye Wen, which made it impossible for Ye Wen to stay angry. "Forget it. Just don't be so reckless next time."

He then instructed Ning Ruxue, "I was immersed in cultivation these past few days and neglected things. Junior Sister, please teach Junior Brother some common sense when you have time."

Ning Ruxue, frightened by the near-disaster, quickly nodded in agreement.

However, Xu Xian's reckless actions had greatly boosted his internal strength, allowing him to meet the criteria for ascending the cliff into the Secluded Valley before Ning Ruxue. Although Ning Ruxue had mastered the Heavenly Net and Earthly Web Stance, her internal cultivation was still slightly insufficient to meet the threshold.

Seeing this, and considering he had fed Xu Xian a Red Serpent Gallbladder, Ye Wen felt it was unfair to neglect his junior sister. So, he specifically caught another one and prepared a gallbladder for Ning Ruxue as well.

"Do I really have to swallow this?"

Initially, Ning Ruxue was very resistant to the item. Finally, Xu Xian happened to pass by and remarked, "If Senior Sister doesn't want it, give it to me." This spurred her on. With a glare, Ning Ruxue swallowed the gallbladder whole and then stared pointedly at Xu Xian, whose cultivation level had now surpassed hers.

Watching this scene, Ye Wen felt a wave of helplessness. "Why has my Shu Mountain Sect turned into a kindergarten?" Yet, he said nothing aloud. After protecting Ning Ruxue as she digested the gallbladder, he returned to the Secluded Valley to continue cultivating his Zixia Art.

However, this string of events had significantly boosted the overall strength of the Shu Mountain Sect. While cultivating the Zixia Art, Ye Wen had also acquired the Returning Wind and Falling Wild Goose Sword Style. He hadn't practiced it himself but casually gave it to Xu Xian, who was becoming increasingly interested in swordplay. Ye Wen himself focused solely on the Zixia Art, which allowed him to achieve minor mastery in just three months—though the help from the Cold Pool and the Red Serpent Guts could not be overlooked.

Recalling the events of the past few months and pondering how the Shu Mountain Sect should take its first step toward expansion, Ye Wen suddenly spotted a familiar figure entering the main hall. But this senior, whom he recalled possessing considerable martial skill, was now being helped into the hall by one of his disciples.