With a cry of fury, Ye Wen unleashed his profound internal energy. To everyone present from the Lei Jian Sect, it sounded like a sudden clap of thunder, leaving them all dizzy and seeing stars. A few of the less skilled practitioners stumbled, barely managing to stay upright.

This was only because Ye Wen was unfamiliar with techniques like the Lion's Roar that used sound waves to injure; this time, he relied purely on oppressive internal force. If he had used a true sonic attack, their condition would have been far more severe than mere dizziness.

Lei Ying, possessing the highest cultivation among them, felt the least impact from Ye Wen's shout, but it was still deeply unsettling. As the sound struck him, his blood rushed violently, and he had to swiftly circulate his inner strength to suppress the turmoil.

Once he regained some composure, Lei Ying was even more convinced that this man’s skills were too high—certainly beyond anyone he should provoke. He had initially assumed this day would be a simple, amusing outing to teach a few country bumpkins a lesson, only to run headfirst into an iron plate, resulting in continuous bleeding. This realization hardened Lei Ying's resolve: he needed to flatter this incredibly skilled Sect Master of Shu Shan, save his own life, and worry about other matters later.

“Wait until I get back and tell my father! The entire sect will be mobilized to wipe out your Shu Shan Sect!”

Although Ye Wen had displayed formidable power, Lei Ying still believed his father would be superior. More importantly, the Lei Jian Sect was a well-known martial arts school; they certainly had more than just Lei Zhenshan as a master. Once they mobilized en masse, no matter how skilled Ye Wen was, it would be useless.

With this plan brewing in his mind, he plastered his face with an obsequious smile, apologizing incessantly. “My brother merely saw that this stone tablet was too antiquated…” It utterly failed to display the might of your esteemed sect, so he was preparing to remove it and replace it with a new one! Sect Master Ye, rest assured, we will give you a satisfactory resolution to this matter!”

Ye Wen disliked Lei Ying’s immediate descent into blatant lies. He snorted coldly and simply stated, “No need for your trouble!” He glanced around and his eyes fell upon the cliff face beside the side courtyard. This cliff was about ten zhang high, incredibly sheer, and smooth as polished jade—with not a single handhold. For years, no one had paid it any mind, treating it as an insurmountable precipice. Fortunately, there was an alternate path up the mountain, so no one had ever paid the cliff any attention.

However, seeing the cliff now sparked a new idea in Ye Wen. This cliff stood right beside the main path leading to Shu Shan—any traveler coming to or passing by the mountain would see it. If the mountain’s name could be inscribed upon this wall, it would first demonstrate the majesty of the Shu Shan Sect and second, prevent such incidents from happening again.

“I have my own method for dealing with that mountain name tablet!” With that, under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, he suddenly sprang upwards.

Lei Ying initially thought Ye Wen was about to attack him. His heart tensed, and his longsword was instantly brought to a ready stance. Yet, as soon as he assumed his guard, he saw Ye Wen leap off in the opposite direction. Though bewildered, he dared not relax in the slightest, keeping his eyes fixed on Ye Wen's retreating figure.

The members of the Shu Shan Sect were equally perplexed, staring at their Sect Master, unable to comprehend what Ye Wen intended to do.

As they wondered, they watched Ye Wen’s form blur into a sprint, reaching the cliff face in the blink of an eye. Some quicker minds began to guess Ye Wen’s objective, but they were intensely curious as to how he would accomplish it.

Hua Yi recalled Ye Wen’s Purple Dawn Dragon Qi Sword and thought to herself, Could Ye Wen be planning to inscribe characters on the cliff using sword qi? But upon reflection, it seemed unlikely. Setting aside the sheer power of sword qi required to carve into stone, writing on such a vast surface meant that if the characters were too small, they would be a laughingstock. If they were large, insufficient power would make the attempt impossible.

While she pondered this mystery, Ye Wen had already reached the base of the cliff. He lightly tapped the crown of a nearby tree, showcasing the divine subtlety of his Cloud-Treading Vertical Leap technique. Ye Wen’s entire body shot skyward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring. Before the onlookers could react, he had already soared five zhang high.

That was not all. Just when everyone expected his ascent to peak and him to begin descending, Ye Wen’s body suddenly bent in mid-air, banking towards the cliff face. Then, his foot tapped the impossibly smooth precipice again, sending him soaring upward another three zhang.

He was now near the summit of the sheer drop, a height that satisfied him. The innate purple energy within his body circulated rapidly, causing wisps of purple vapor to drift around him. Combined with his lightness skill, he began to drift downward slowly, appearing like an immortal descending from the clouds. All who watched were struck dumb.

“What marvelous and powerful lightness skill! What profound internal energy!”

Lei Ying, being well-traveled, recognized the purple mist as an anomaly that appeared when inner true qi cultivation reached a very high level. Furthermore, its noticeable density clearly indicated a mastery of internal arts to a significant degree. As for Ye Wen’s lightness skill, it was a miracle he had never witnessed before. Setting aside the mid-air change in direction, the mere ability to lightly tap that nearly frictionless cliff face to gain further altitude was breathtaking.

Moreover, after soaring nearly nine zhang high, Ye Wen seemed to transform into a drifting willow catkin, floating gently downwards. Such divine technique was simply unattainable for anyone who had not crossed into the Innate Realm.

Who in the world have I provoked?

As he repented inwardly, Hua Yi was also astonished: “Ye Wen’s skill seems to have grown much stronger…” She had exchanged blows with Ye Wen before. Though only a few moves, and neither had exerted their full strength in a life-or-death struggle, the power Ye Wen displayed then was nowhere near this terrifying. Otherwise, she wouldn't have managed to hold her own that day; Ye Wen could have defeated her with a casual strike.

Especially the technique of shooting purple sword qi from his fingertips—she was certain Ye Wen could not do that during their last meeting. She still remembered the time Ye Wen used his sword-finger to sever all her ribbons; if he possessed such a divine skill then, he wouldn't have needed to approach her, nor would those subsequent events have occurred.

As she mulled this over, she saw Ye Wen in mid-air suddenly unleash a vast and magnificent sword qi. The power of this qi was so strong that even those standing far away, like Jing and Gen, could faintly sense it. As the qi shot out, the crowd even felt a gust of wind strike their faces, like a knife’s edge.

Before they could exclaim further, they saw Ye Wen twist his arm, and the magnificent sword qi followed the movement of his arm, curving and shifting—yet this qi did not remain condensed in the air. So, with every swing of Ye Wen’s arm, a streak of purple light flashed, dissipating immediately after the swing, followed by another blast of qi, repeating the cycle.

Initially, everyone was captivated by the terrifying sword qi. After a moment, they remembered to look at the sheer cliff face. Already, the upper half of the character 'Shu' () had been carved into the stone by the sword qi. Though they weren't close, they could see clearly enough to know how massive the characters must be to produce such an effect.

How much power does it take to achieve this…

While they marveled, Ye Wen on the cliff was suffering miserably. He had initially thought carving the two characters for Shu Shan onto the cliff would demonstrate the sect’s prestige and display his own skill, but he hadn't realized how immensely difficult it was to write on the sheer rock face.

Especially since the characters had to be large enough; he had to use nearly all his strength for every single stroke. Fortunately, after several strokes, he gradually grasped the knack, simultaneously utilizing all his martial arts experience to conserve as much energy as possible.

Even so, by the time he finished carving the 'Shu' character, his internal energy was nearly depleted. This was despite using every familiar or known technique to circulate and manage his internal energy to conserve strength. It could be said that carving this single character encompassed all of Ye Wen’s martial knowledge and experience; every turn and stroke cost him considerable effort to execute.

He even gained a faint sense of enlightenment, gaining deeper insight into the Purple Dawn Dragon Qi Sword. He was confident that with further contemplation, this sword qi could advance to an entirely new level.

However, he still had one more character to inscribe. Thankfully, the character 'Shan' () had fewer strokes, and after finishing 'Shu,' he could catch his breath slightly. It was in this brief moment that the marvel of his innate purple energy manifested: with a mere turn of his true qi, new energy surged forth, purer than before.

Ye Wen was overjoyed. Although this replenishment wasn't vast, it was enough to finish the 'Shan' character. Moreover, since this true qi was purer, the 'Shan' character inscribed with it carried greater imposing spirit, manifesting the majesty of a mountain.

With a wave of his hand, the character 'Shan' seemed to be completed in one breath, yet to the observers, every stroke appeared distinct, with pauses and turns executed perfectly.

Looking at the character, though merely carved into a rock face, it radiated the aura of a true mountain. Especially the central vertical stroke, where one could vaguely perceive a towering, cloud-piercing peak shooting into the heavens. Even those unskilled in calligraphy recognized the profound artistry of this single character.

As soon as he finished the 'Shan' character, Ye Wen landed. Though slightly breathless and his true qi spent, just a brief period of rest—even catching a few breaths—would allow his energy to recover significantly. The speed of recovery granted by the innate purple qi greatly surprised Ye Wen. In the short time between nearly exhausting all his power finishing 'Shan' and lightly floating to the ground, he had regained a substantial amount of energy.

Writing those two characters with his utmost effort had drained the entirety of his learning. The 'Shu' character incorporated all his techniques for directing force and handling complex transitions, while the 'Shan' character focused purely on imposing spirit, lacking complex flourishes, moving forward relentlessly without considering retreat—a style brimming with the intent to overwhelm through sheer momentum. If Ye Wen returned and digested these insights properly, his martial cultivation realm would certainly see another leap. Unlike Zhang Sanfeng, who possessed vast experience, Ye Wen, having only touched upon enlightenment, would require a long time to fully assimilate it.

However, he had no time to digest these matters now. Sensing that lifting his body and leaping presented no difficulty, to the others, Ye Wen simply turned and sprinted back after landing, showing no sign of fatigue. The Lei Jian Sect members stared at him, faces filled with horror.

By the time Ye Wen returned before them, his breathing was already even, and he hadn't gasped for air once, as if he hadn't been the one inscribing characters on the cliff just moments ago.

“From now on, this cliff face will serve as the stone tablet bearing the name of Shu Shan! I’d like to see who dares destroy it now…” The words were spoken with utter arrogance, but no one could refute them.

Not just the Shu Shan members, but the Lei Jian contingent shared the same thought, never even harboring a doubt: That cliff is so sheer, a weakling couldn't even climb it, let alone destroy it. Moreover, with such a powerful Sect Master guarding the place, anyone capable of such an act would have to seriously consider if it’s worth the trouble…

They paid no mind to what those men were contemplating. All they knew was that destroying the Shu Shan tablet on a whim today was a catastrophic mistake. Doing something that equates to smashing someone's signboard might be overlooked against a weak sect, but against one guarded by a powerful master, it was tantamount to suicide!

Indeed, they had hoped that after Ye Wen displayed his might and forced them to apologize, he would let them leave. But Ye Wen opened his mouth and said, “I have resolved the matter of the mountain name myself! Now, tell me how you plan to resolve the issue of injuring my disciples and insulting my Shu Shan Sect?”

Cold sweat streamed down Lei Ying’s face. He finally realized this man had no intention of letting things end amicably. This matter could have been minor—a mere apology and replacing a tablet, perhaps a few kowtows to the new inscription would suffice. But if treated seriously, it meant a situation where one side would not yield until the other was dead.

Is today the day I meet my end?

His mind raced anxiously. Suddenly, his eyes landed on Huang Rongrong in the crowd, and an idea struck him. He smiled and said, “Actually, I am Huang Rongrong’s fiancé. It was only because I accidentally heard rumors that Rongrong was quite close to your sect member Xu Xian that I acted rashly and committed many offenses out of jealousy. I beg Sect Master Ye’s understanding!”

Ye Wen was momentarily stunned by this unexpected turn of events. He glanced back at Huang Rongrong, who looked equally surprised, before she rushed out of the crowd shouting, “Don’t talk nonsense! I don’t even know you!” Her face flushed crimson, whether from anger or panic was unclear.

Fearing this girl would sever his lifeline, Lei Ying immediately added, “I proposed marriage to Old Village Master Huang several times, but he initially refused. That’s why I didn’t tell the young lady! Later, seeing my sincere devotion, even after repeated rejections, I persisted in visiting. Finally moved by my sincerity, he agreed to the match! Only then did he tell me that Miss Huang was currently at the Shu Shan Sect… Otherwise, how would I know you were here?”

“This…” Huang Rongrong scratched her head, finding his explanation plausible and hard to refute. Finally, Ye Wen asked, “Since you say the engagement was settled with Old Village Master Huang, and you learned Rongrong’s whereabouts from him, do you have any token of proof?”

Ye Wen hadn't intended to get involved in this personal drama, but Lei Ying infuriated him—injuring his disciple and defiling his mountain gate. Furthermore, the constant darting of his eyes clearly marked him as a scheming individual. If he simply taught him a lesson, fine. But what if this was a lie? Wouldn't Ye Wen end up looking like a fool easily misled?

Lei Ying hadn't expected Ye Wen to interject so suddenly and paused briefly. Luckily, he reacted quickly, pulling a gold ring from his inner robes. “Old Village Master Huang feared the young lady wouldn't believe my words, so he gave me this ring he always wears as proof!”

He was certain this token would fool these people, as the ring was indeed a personal belonging of the old man, Huang Shiren. He had met the old bandit several times and always seen the ring on his finger. He had once scorned the old robber for his lack of taste, never imagining it might save his life today.

However, he hadn't anticipated that the moment he revealed the item, Huang Rongrong’s expression would change drastically, and she hastily demanded, “How did you get this?”

Though Lei Ying felt something was amiss, he could only press on. “Didn't I just say? Old Village Master Huang feared you wouldn't believe me…”

Before he finished speaking, Huang Rongrong cut him off: “Stop talking nonsense! This ring is the token of the Huang Family Village Chief—it is the seal my father uses to command everyone! My father never takes it off. How could he give it to you as proof? Do you take me for a fool? Tell me! What have you done to my father?”

Tears were beginning to well in Huang Rongrong’s eyes. She realized that something terrible must have happened to her father, otherwise, his chieftain's seal wouldn't have been taken and used to deceive her!

Lei Ying had absolutely no idea that such an unremarkable, tarnished gold ring was the actual talisman of the Huang Family Village Chief. Moreover, for years, rumors had circulated that Huang Rongrong had already taken over as the chief. Why was the token still with her father?

What he didn't know was that the old Village Master, feeling his age and growing weary of constant raiding, had significantly curtailed his bandit activities over the last few years. But the Huang Family Village still needed to survive, and since Huang Rongrong was naturally spirited, she often led the men out—though she mostly just watched the excitement, rarely participating in the actual fighting. At most, the bandits would boast on behalf of their young chief, allowing her to gain some minor prestige.

However, rumors grow wilder the more they are repeated, and people unfamiliar with the facts speculated wildly that Huang Rongrong had indeed assumed the role of Village Chief.

In reality, the old Village Master Huang still held the reins of the village.

Lei Ying, having believed the rumors, assumed the old Chief had retired, failing to consider the deeper implications. Now, revealing this token without a credible explanation meant today’s predicament would only become more perilous.

As he frantically searched for an excuse, the composure of the Lei Jian members deteriorated worse than his own; most of their faces had already changed color. Ye Wen took one look at their expressions and understood there was a hidden story here, and Lei Ying was almost certainly lying.

With this realization, and before Huang Rongrong could press further, Ye Wen suddenly spoke, “It seems I need to teach you a lesson before you tell the truth!” He flipped his palm, producing a copper coin, and unleashed the seldom-used Qiankun Yi Zhi (Cosmic Throw), smashing it directly into Lei Ying’s shinbone.

“Ah!”

The resulting scream startled countless birds and beasts; flocks of birds erupted from the forest canopy, providing a perfect, chaotic soundtrack to the shriek.

“If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll truly think we Shu Shan people are idiots! Stop spouting nonsense and tell the truth, or the next time won't just be a painful moment!”

Lei Ying gritted his teeth, enduring the agony, thinking inwardly, I absolutely cannot speak, or I will surely die today…

But at that very moment, a new complication arose. A man burst from the main road and sprinted directly before the crowd, throwing himself down in front of Huang Rongrong: “Young Chief! Old Chief and all the brothers… they died so tragically! You must avenge the Old Chief and the village brothers!”

Upon hearing this, Huang Rongrong froze as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at the familiar face before her. “What… what did you say? My father is dead?”

As this statement resonated, Ye Wen’s furious roar echoed from nearby: “Trying to escape? Think you can get away?” Before his shout faded, another chorus of agonizing screams erupted, punctuated by crisp sounds of shattering bone.

………………