Needless to say, Zhao Heng and Liu Qingfeng felt immensely grateful to Ye Wen, but putting aside their thanks, Ye Wen had been so preoccupied with healing Old Man Liu and diligently practicing the Zixia Secret Manual that he had neglected sect affairs entirely.

Now that Liu Qingfeng’s injuries were no longer critical, Ye Wen only needed to dedicate a small amount of time each day to regulate his condition; he was spared the exhaustive labor of constantly channeling internal energy for healing, only to exhaust himself further before rushing to the Cold Pool to temper his internal arts. For an entire day, he had been constantly running back and forth almost exclusively between Liu Qingfeng and the Cold Pool.

Although this high-intensity use and cultivation of the Zixia Secret Manual had allowed his Zixia Gong to break through again in a short span, the mental strain of such a life was simply too great. Ye Wen calculated the days and was shocked to realize that an entire month had passed in this relentless cycle.

“If Venerable Liu’s injuries had been more severe, I might not have had time to do anything else for half a year.”

While Liu Qingfeng’s injuries were mostly healed, recovery was still incomplete. Conservatively, Ye Wen estimated he would need another half a month to a month to assist this martial arts elder before he could finally be free of the duty.

Ceasing his practice and exhaling, Ye Wen felt a trace of true Zixia energy beginning to accumulate within him—a phenomenon signaling a transition to the later stages of the Zixia Gong. The shift from manipulating one's own internal energy to convert it into Zixia force, to slowly cultivating pure Zixia essence, was a pivotal transformation.

According to the manual, even Yue Buqun in the original text only reached this stage. Once here, wielding the Zixia Gong would become far more effortless. Moreover, because he could now cultivate pure Zixia essence, the potency of his internal strength and the rate of internal energy consumption changed drastically. It could be said that only at this point did the Zixia Gong truly gain direct combat effectiveness; generally, what people referred to as 'mastery' meant achieving this phase.

However, this phase was the longest and most difficult to complete successfully, as the sole method of improvement relied on relentless, unyielding practice to incrementally refine the internal energy within the body, slowly transforming ordinary true energy into Zixia true energy, while simultaneously using the Zixia Gong to cultivate this essence to fill the void in the Dantian.

This was a painstaking, time-consuming endeavor. Due to the inertia of previous internal arts training and certain characteristics of the Zixia Gong, both the conversion process and the cultivation of the true Zixia essence were exceedingly laborious, often yielding only tiny amounts after immense periods of cultivation—a difficulty explicitly noted in the manual, seemingly as a stark reminder of the arduous nature of this technique.

Yet, Ye Wen did not notice this difficulty, which was intrinsically linked to his current circumstances. The existence of the Cold Pool, which allowed him continuous cultivation without fear of zouhu ruomo (Qi deviation) while also accelerating his progress, coupled with supplementary aids like the Red Thread Snake gallbladders (Ye Wen would rush to catch snakes, swallow their gall, and then soak in the Cold Pool to practice after every healing session for Liu Qingfeng), meant that the speed of Ye Wen’s internal cultivation was changing daily. Even Liu Qingfeng, unaware of the full details, was startled.

“Sect Leader Ye’s internal cultivation progress is truly astonishingly swift.”

Compared to others, Liu Qingfeng, who received Ye Wen’s treatment daily, understood the depth of Ye Wen’s internal advancement most intimately; he could sense the shift in Ye Wen’s internal energy almost every day.

Still, he refrained from asking for the specific reason. After all, every sect harbored its secrets; marvelous manuals and miraculous elixirs were things kept strictly confidential. Having navigated the martial world for so many years, Liu Qingfeng understood this fundamental etiquette.

Ye Wen merely laughed it off casually and replied, “My internal art is quite unique. This rapid advancement I’ve achieved lately is largely thanks to Venerable Sir.”

“Oh?” Liu Qingfeng was intrigued, unsure what this statement implied.

Ye Wen smiled, “My internal art emphasizes meticulous control and subtle transformation. By treating you for x days, I have effectively been exercising this technique with my entire focus daily. How could my internal skill not advance significantly?” Although this explanation wasn't the whole truth, it was certainly a contributing factor to his progress.

Indeed, without Liu Qingfeng serving as a living specimen for him to practice the Zixia Gong, Ye Wen could never have mastered the initial stages so quickly, even with the aid of treasures.

Liu Qingfeng harbored no suspicion. Hearing this, he merely marveled at the miraculous nature of the art Ye Wen practiced: “The Jianghu is vast indeed, full of wonders. Some months ago, this old Daoist witnessed the Chiyang Liehuo Palm of the Scarlet Sun Divine Lord, truly astonishing. I thought such divine skills could only be seen in the Central Plains. But witnessing Sect Leader Ye’s divine art now, I realize Pingzhou is not without its wonders. May I ask what this magnificent art of yours is called?”

Ye Wen was unpretentious: “This art of mine is called the Zixia Divine Skill, but I have only just managed to grasp the entrance. Calling it a 'Divine Skill' is an overstatement; at most, it can be called Zixia Gong.”

Liu Qingfeng disagreed vehemently. “Sect Leader Ye’s technique can regulate meridians and smooth internal energy. Such a miraculous method deserves the title of Divine Skill without question.”

He recalled his own profound internal power being violently disrupted by Pei Gonglie’s Chiyang Liehuo Palm, the tyrannical, unparalleled Chiyang fire essence causing him excruciating pain—his own skill unable to suppress it in the slightest. Yet, Ye Wen had neutralized it with the Zixia Divine Skill. That tyrannical fire force, enveloped by Ye Wen’s true Zixia energy, became as helpless as a tiny mouse caught by a cat, unable to stir before being dissolved and dispersed.

Simultaneously, the Zixia energy exhibited a miraculous healing effect on his damaged meridians. Now, about eighty percent of the injuries to his internal channels were repaired. Even if Ye Wen stopped treating him, with a few months of careful seclusion, his internal wounds would heal, albeit slower than with Ye Wen's direct treatment.

He had never even heard of such a wondrous technique, let alone experienced it firsthand. Thus, his appraisal of Ye Wen’s divine art was exceptionally high. In his estimation, this skill must surely be the foundational treasure of the Shu Mountain Sect, and Ye Wen’s ability to secure the position of Sect Leader at such a young age must also be related to this divine art.

This was where he erred, but Ye Wen saw no need to correct him. If everyone assumed this in the future, it might save him some trouble. At least Ye Wen’s immense power would have a plausible origin, preventing others from speculating that he had obtained some celestial treasure and subsequently harboring desires to seize it.

After settling Liu Qingfeng and his disciple, Ye Wen’s first order of business was to find his junior sister to inquire about the current state of the sect.

Xu Ping had returned. Although his injuries were not fully mended, he had already resumed normal cultivation. Ye Wen examined him and found that Xu Ping’s cultivation had progressed further, likely because he had finally grasped the true meaning behind the words Ye Wen had spoken to him that day. This conviction was only strengthened by the look of gratitude in Xu Ping’s eyes.

Since Xu Ping’s performance was satisfactory, Ye Wen no longer held back his instruction. First, he pointed out some unclear aspects in Xu Ping’s foundational internal arts training, and then he guided him through the vital essentials of the Five Tiger Gate-Slaying Saber Technique.

Although Ye Wen had never actually practiced saber techniques, one crucial fact must not be forgotten: he had summoned all these secret manuals himself. Moreover, the manuals he summoned were different from ordinary copies. They contained not only the necessary written incantations and essential diagrams required by the original texts but also detailed annotations explaining solutions to training difficulties. Otherwise, no matter how brilliant Ye Wen’s mind was, he couldn't have possibly mastered everything he summoned.

Consequently, these summoned items were inherently secret and could not be shown to others. When he provided manuals to his junior sister and brothers, he always made a separate copy containing only the common incantations and moves, omitting those detailed commentaries.

These annotations also served as evidence Ye Wen could use to assert that these martial arts were his own 'creations,' preventing him from being unable to offer coherent explanations when others sought his advice.

As a result, even though Ye Wen had only briefly glanced at the Five Tiger Gate-Slaying Saber Technique without truly practicing it, his understanding of the technique was no less than anyone else’s. Furthermore, as his own martial cultivation deepened, he developed unique insights into various moves, making it easy for him to guide others.

However, this situation was poised to change. In the initial stages, the summoned martial arts were not powerful, so Ye Wen had no issue. But now, as his internal cultivation reached a certain level and he had even summoned the Zixia Divine Skill, he realized that even with the manual still filled with annotations, trying to pass it off as his own creation was becoming unrealistic.

Fortunately, Ning Ruxue’s cultivation of the Tianluo Diwang Posture provided Ye Wen with sufficient guidance. A few days prior, after summoning the Huifeng Luoyan Sword technique, he decided to apply a similar approach when presenting it to Xu Xian.

At that time, he had merely presented the sword style to Xu Xian, outlining the general movements, expected effects, and training methods, while offering guidance on key points. Then, if Xu Xian strayed off course, Ye Wen could pull him back. This way, the martial art was learned, but Ye Wen could claim that since he hadn't mastered it deeply, he might lack understanding in certain areas, urging Xu Xian to meditate on them himself, thus avoiding exposure.

Of course, this method involved considerably more trouble, but caution was always the better part of valor, especially since the ring was his greatest asset—a secret he intended to keep to himself.

As for whether the Huifeng Luoyan Sword painstakingly developed by Xu Xian would still resemble the original, Ye Wen was unconcerned. As long as he remained nearby, even if Xu Xian practiced it incorrectly, Ye Wen could challenge him to a bout and gently steer the routine back onto the proper track. Ultimately, what Xu Xian ended up mastering would still be the Huifeng Luoyan Sword and nothing else.

While this meant the creator's name attached to the technique might end up being Xu Xian’s, Ye Wen didn't care. The Shu Mountain Sect had so many martial arts; having all of them bearing his name would, in fact, be a nuisance.

However, as his collection of martial arts grew, Ye Wen realized he needed to consider storage issues. He looked at the rows of neatly arranged secret manuals hidden in a special, thermally insulated compartment beneath his bed and felt a familiar headache coming on.

P.S.: Next week features a strong recommendation slot; if all goes well, going on sale won't be far off. That's all for now.