Another half-month flew by. Ye Wen was in the front courtyard that day, instructing his disciples in their practice, while also observing the extent of their progress and discerning any excellent candidates worthy of induction into the inner sect.

However, after his inspection, though the disciples varied in skill, they still fell short of his expectations. After watching for a while, he grew somewhat disillusioned, musing inwardly, "If only I had a proper formation, these disciples, whose martial arts are mediocre, could at least serve as a deterrent force. As it stands, they can only stall the ordinary disciples; against true experts, they remain utterly vulnerable."

Setting aside more formidable adversaries, even an enemy with the same cultivation level as Wei Peng would render these disciples useless. Despite their numbers, they would inevitably all be defeated by Wei Peng.

Regrettably, in this month's summoning, Ye Wen had acquired a sword technique: the Miejian (Extinguishing Sword), created by Abbess Miejue. Although this technique had little opportunity to shine in the original narrative, its destructive power was guaranteed. Coincidentally, he currently lacked a sufficiently powerful killing sword art, so the Miejian was not entirely useless. Furthermore, his second disciple, Zhou Zhiruo, followed the path of Emei martial arts, making the Miejian suitable to pass on to her later.

As for Zhou Zhiruo's internal cultivation, he did not intend for her to follow the Emei lineage. Even if he were to summon Emei internal arts later, he wouldn't let her practice them. This was because the deeper the internal art, the more caution required. Currently, the internal arts of the Shushan Sect, though somewhat haphazard, were fundamentally Daoist mind methods. They were, in essence, related disciplines; despite differences, they were generally compatible.

At present, his disciples were all practicing the Quanzhen Xinfa (Complete Truth Mind Method). Although this method was reputed as the most balanced and ideal for laying a foundation, if they were to switch to a completely different system later, the Quanzhen Xinfa might end up being wasted effort.

He wasn't certain about everything, but Ye Wen recalled that Jin Daxia's Emei sect followed a Buddhist path. The root of the Emei Nine Yang Art, the Nine Yang Divine Art, was also a Buddhist martial art. Ye Wen had no idea if practicing the Quanzhen Xinfa first would cause issues if Zhou Zhiruo later cultivated the Emei Nine Yang Art. For safety, he still preferred that Zhou Zhiruo practice his own Zixia Gong (Purple Mist Skill) or Ning Ruxue’s Xiao Wuxiang Gong (Lesser Formless Skill).

As for the Chunyang Wuji Gong (Pure Yang Limitless Art)? Although derived from the Nine Yang Divine Art, by the time this internal art matured, it had become a Daoist mind method, meaning it wouldn't conflict with what they were currently learning. However, Ye Wen couldn't recall any woman successfully practicing this art, and he didn't know if there were hidden drawbacks, so he dared not let Zhou Zhiruo learn it either.

"If only I could conjure the Nine Yin Manual, it would save all this trouble. I could just have Zhiruo practice that."

Yet, the Nine Yin Manual remained unseen. He had no idea when he might 'pull' it, and if his luck was poor, he might never obtain it in his lifetime.

While lost in thought, he suddenly noticed a figure standing before the main gate of the Shushan Sect. The person walked to the entrance, tilted their head back, seemingly examining the plaque hanging above the gate. After appearing to confirm something, they strode in purposefully.

The two disciples guarding the gate immediately stepped forward to intercept, asking, "May we ask what brings the hero to our Shushan Sect?"

The man was initially silent, appearing ready to force his way in. But then, as if recalling something, he changed his demeanor: "Call out the one named Ye Wen from the Shushan Sect. This Divine Lord has matters to discuss with him."

This man was none other than the Crimson Sun Divine Lord, Pei Gonglie. Over half a month ago, he had encountered Elder Guo Nu of the Tianle Gang and learned that Liu Qingfeng, whom he believed he had gravely wounded, was not only alive but had been saved and his internal injuries healed by Ye Wen. He immediately rushed toward Pingzhou. He never paused on his journey; when he reached a town, he bought rations and rested for a night; if he couldn't make it to a town, he would make do in the wilderness. Astonishingly, this allowed him to travel from the south to this remote region in just half a month.

Upon arriving at Shushan County, the Crimson Sun Divine Lord did not proceed directly up the mountain. Instead, he rested at the base for a night, then tidied his appearance and changed into clean clothes before coming here. It was these procedures that accounted for his arrival at the Shushan Sect at this particular time.

Hearing the visitor speak disrespectfully to their Sect Master, the two disciples knew instantly that his intentions were hostile. They roared in unison, "How dare you disrespect our Sect Master?"

The disciple on the left threw a punch, while the disciple on the right drew a long saber and swung it down overhead. One aimed directly at the heart, the other at the skull, effectively sealing off the attacker's front, left, and right approaches, leaving only a path for retreat. Their intent was clearly to warn the man, not to take his life immediately.

The Crimson Sun Divine Lord, Pei Gonglie, naturally perceived this. However, he was more curious that the techniques of these two mere gate-guarding disciples showed the circulation of inner energy. The moment the saber and fist were unleashed, Pei Gonglie sensed it.

"Interesting. Even two common disciples understand inner Qi cultivation. This Shushan Sect does have some strength."

His thoughts raced, but his hands were swift. Pei Gonglie shook his hands, unleashing his Crimson Sun Fire Power. The two Shushan disciples felt a flash of red light before their eyes, as if a ball of flame had erupted out of thin air. Simultaneously, a scorching wave washed over them. They felt a jolt in their chests, and immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, sent flying backward by the impact.

Even more startlingly, the blood that had been moving toward Pei Gonglie evaporated into mist before it reached him, dissipating into nothingness in mid-air.

Pei Gonglie then withdrew his palms and stood still, his vital energy instantly receding into his body, as if the strange phenomenon had been an illusion that never occurred.

"Two boys actually dared to strike this Divine Lord. If this Divine Lord were in a foul mood, I would surely take your lives."

As he spoke, he glanced left and right. The two Shushan disciples lay on the ground, unable to move, both clutching their chests—the clothes on their chests were completely incinerated, revealing their skin beneath, clearly imprinted with a palm mark that was still emitting wisps of heat.

"A minor offense requires a penalty, though death is avoided. This Crimson Sun Fire Power will linger between your lungs and heart for forty-nine days, manifesting at noon each day, as if your internal organs were being burned by raging fire. Consider it a small punishment."

Pei Gonglie finished speaking with a smile, as if he had performed a great benevolent deed. But before the smile faded, a young man slowly approached him and said, "Sir has great arrogance, and since when did Shushan disciples require outsiders to mete out punishment?"

This person was Ye Wen. He had been standing before the main hall and had witnessed the entire process of Pei Gonglie injuring the two disciples. It was only because he was too far away and Pei Gonglie acted too quickly—the two disciples were injured in the blink of an eye—that Ye Wen couldn't intervene in time.

He walked up, placed his palm on the palm print, and circulated his true Qi to investigate the disciple's injury. After a moment, Ye Wen frowned.

Pei Gonglie watched this without stopping him, instead adopting the air of someone enjoying the spectacle. Especially when Ye Wen frowned, Pei Gonglie felt smug, thinking, "How could the Crimson Sun Fire Power of the great Crimson Sun Divine Lord be overcome by a youth like you?"

However, his smugness was short-lived. He saw Ye Wen's face suddenly blaze with purple Qi. Even the hand pressed against the disciple's chest turned a deep violet. His surrounding robes fluttered, and a faint breath seemed to rise and fall. In just a moment, all the phenomena vanished, and the young man stood up, saying to the other Shushan disciples who had rushed over, "Help him up and take good care of him. A period of quiet recovery will suffice for him to heal."

He then moved to the other disciple and repeated the process. After the young man stood up, although the two Shushan disciples' chests still showed slight burns, the extremely obvious palm prints had disappeared. The Crimson Sun Divine Lord could see clearly that the Fire Power he had left on the two Shushan disciples had indeed been purged.

Seeing this, he guessed the young man's identity, though it differed from his expectation: "You are Ye Wen, the Sect Master of Shushan?"

"Precisely." Ye Wen, noting the visitor's lack of courtesy and the immediate assault on his disciples, was hardly polite in return, even though he now knew who the visitor was. "I presume you are Pei Gonglie, known in the martial world as the Crimson Sun Divine Lord?"

"Hmph hmph, this Divine Lord indeed," Pei Gonglie replied.

Ye Wen had formed an initial suspicion when he saw Pei Gonglie attack, but he didn't know why Pei Gonglie had come to Shushan. Only when examining the two injured disciples did he confirm that the scorching true Qi between their heart and lungs was indeed the Crimson Sun Fire Power that had injured Liu Qingfeng, confirming the visitor was indeed Pei Gonglie, the so-called Crimson Sun Divine Lord.

It was fortunate that he had been intimately familiar with the Crimson Sun Fire Power from treating Liu Qingfeng's internal injuries. Coupled with the recent progress in his Zixia Gong, his control over inner energy was much stronger than before, allowing him to clear the Fire Power from the two disciples in a blink of an eye—though the fact that the Fire Power within these two disciples wasn't particularly potent was also a contributing factor.

Even so, Ye Wen had exerted his full strength to clear the Fire Power in such a short time, yet this was merely from two casual strikes by Pei Gonglie, who stated he hadn't intended to kill them with those light blows.

Considering this, and recalling the scene just witnessed—Pei Gonglie's body blazing with red light like raging fire when he used his Fire Power—Ye Wen couldn't help but marvel, "This Crimson Sun Divine Lord truly lives up to his reputation. The title 'Divine Lord' is well-earned."

Ye Wen was now largely convinced that in this world, due to the influence of ambient spiritual energy, once internal cultivation reached a certain level, it would manifest phenomena related to the technique's characteristics. The confirmation came from Xu Xian, whose sword edge faintly glowed red after mastering the Chunyang Wuji Gong.

Both the Pure Yang True Qi and the Crimson Sun Fire Power were vigorous, masculine internal arts, and their manifested effects bore some similarity. However, comparing the faint red glow on Xu Xian's blade to the vivid explosion of energy surrounding Pei Gonglie just now, the immense gap was glaringly obvious.

The two scrutinized each other for a while. Before Ye Wen could ask the purpose of his visit, he heard Pei Gonglie ask coldly, "Was it you who healed that old Taoist from the wretched Tiger Mountain Sect?"

This statement caused Ye Wen to pause, then immediately understand that the old Taoist from Tiger Mountain Sect referred to Liu Qingfeng. Simultaneously, he grasped why the Crimson Sun Divine Lord had come seeking him. However, the reason he suspected seemed utterly bizarre. Was Pei Gonglie simply acting on a whim?

"It was indeed done by me. What guidance do you seek from me?"

Pei Gonglie chuckled darkly, "Guidance is hardly the word. But do you know who injured that old Taoist?"

With the Crimson Sun Divine Lord’s question, Ye Wen was even more certain of his conjecture. It seemed the day's events were progressing toward the worst-case scenario.

"The Crimson Sun Raging Fire Power is your unique martial art. Isn't that question rather redundant?" Ye Wen felt like adding that Pei Gonglie had just explicitly displayed his Crimson Sun Fire Power, clearly intending to draw out the Shushan Sect Master who healed Liu Qingfeng—meaning, Ye Wen himself. Asking now was truly irritating.

"Since you knew that old Taoist was injured by me, how dare you treat him? Are you not treating this Divine Lord as nothing?" Pei Gonglie felt his words were perfectly reasonable and waited to see how Ye Wen would respond.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen retorted directly, "Who I save is my business. Why should I care who injured him? Sir's jurisdiction extends too far."

"Heh!" Pei Gonglie was momentarily stunned, then let out a cold laugh. "Young man, though young, you possess an immense tone. You dare speak to this Divine Lord in such a manner? Do you think this Divine Lord dares not kill you?"

Ye Wen now clearly saw that Pei Gonglie was an extremely arrogant and unreasonable individual. Further talk was likely futile. However, since the man had come to his doorstep and several disciples were nearby, it was difficult for him to back down verbally. Moreover, humility was not in his nature. Pei Gonglie’s arrogant words had stirred Ye Wen’s temper as well: "If you wish to spar, Ye will gladly accompany you to the end."

Pei Gonglie looked Ye Wen up and down. "Heh heh, what sparring? Killing is killing. No matter how nicely you phrase it, this Divine Lord still intends to kill you." After scrutinizing Ye Wen again, he surprisingly sighed, "What a pity..."

"A pity for what?"

"A pity that such a young talent must perish here today." Although the Crimson Sun Divine Lord expressed some admiration for Ye Wen, his intent to kill Ye Wen was perfectly clear, leaving no room for negotiation.

Seeing that the two were about to fight—a battle that Ye Wen was highly likely to lose—he recognized the gap in cultivation. He was certainly no match for the long-established Crimson Sun Divine Lord, Pei Gonglie. This much was evident from the sheer force carried by Pei Gonglie's two casual strikes, which required Ye Wen's full exertion to neutralize.

In terms of experience, the Crimson Sun Divine Lord had been famous for over a decade, a well-known figure in the martial world. Who knew how many battles he had fought to attain such terrifying cultivation—and given his temperament, he likely attracted disputes everywhere.

In contrast, since his transmigration, Ye Wen had stayed diligently on Shushan to practice. His experience in actual combat amounted to only a few encounters. His only true life-or-death struggle had been his confrontation with Wei Peng a few months prior. No matter how much of a genius Ye Wen was, he couldn't possibly acquire over a decade of combat experience that the Crimson Sun Divine Lord possessed through just a few skirmishes.

It was safe to say that in this confrontation, Ye Wen had no chance of winning, but since the Crimson Sun Divine Lord was clearly there to cause trouble for Ye Wen, there was no evading it.

Furthermore, Ye Wen commanded a large enterprise; an entire sect stood here. Even if he managed to escape with his life today, what would become of his martial brothers, sisters, and his disciples?

Although Ye Wen had been wary of everyone immediately after transmigrating, he was certainly not heartless. After spending so long together, both Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian had treated him with sincerity. How could he remain unaffected forever? He had long since opened his heart, regarding these people as his family in this world.

If he fled, what would happen to them? Given this Pei Gonglie’s strange temper, he might very well massacre everyone in the Shushan Sect.

Even if Ye Wen could later cultivate world-shattering divine power through the ring's mysterious ability and seek revenge on the Crimson Sun Divine Lord, he would likely never forgive himself in this lifetime.

Ye Wen did not consider himself a gentleman, but he certainly did not see himself as a villain. Even in the society he lived in previously, which espoused the theory of "true villains," Ye Wen felt he could never reach that level.

And now, if he were to save his own life at the cost of condemning a group of brothers, sisters, and others who treated him so well to death, how would he differ from those petty people he despised? He felt he would be worse than an animal.

Therefore, he absolutely would not flee.

"I suppose this counts as a sect master's responsibility?" After a self-deprecating mutter, he instructed the disciples to retreat, clearing the entire front courtyard to facilitate his duel with Pei Gonglie. Given the terrifying aura of Pei Gonglie's Crimson Sun Fire Power, he worried about collateral damage if they remained close. To avoid accidental harm, he made sure the disciples retreated far away.

In truth, Ye Wen was worrying excessively. No matter how high Pei Gonglie's cultivation was, it hadn't reached an exaggerated level; the influence was limited to a small area around his body. However, Ye Wen lacked broad experience and hadn't fully grasped the nuances of this world, leading to this behavior.

Pei Gonglie didn't interrupt, just stood there, smirking coldly. In his view, Ye Wen was already a dead man; letting him fidget a bit longer was harmless. Moreover, he wasn't afraid of Ye Wen playing any tricks. Pei Gonglie had supreme confidence in his own cultivation, so much so that he believed he could counter any trick Ye Wen attempted.

When Ye Wen stood before him again, Pei Gonglie sneered, "Are you ready to die..." His words cut off halfway. Ye Wen then noticed Pei Gonglie staring behind him in shock.

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