The process of Ning Ruchue taking the Azure Fruit went smoother than Ye Wen could have possibly imagined. He had assumed that among the group, Xu Xian would be the least likely to encounter trouble, thanks to the inherent restraint of his Pure Yang Supreme Art.

He himself, relying on his profound cultivation base, should also be fine; coupled with the immensely nourishing and regulating capabilities of his Innate Purple Qi, any minor issues could be quickly brought under control.

Ning Ruchue, however, should have had the biggest problem, as her cultivation was the shallowest, and her sword qi possessed a singular attribute, making it solely useful for combat! Yet, the reality proved otherwise.

After consuming the Azure Fruit and Ye Wen helped his junior sister suppress the accompanying toxins, he was astonished to discover that the fierce exclusivity of sword qi caused all the extraneous elements to be expelled to the side. Then, the sword qi spontaneously and ceaselessly began cleaving at this residual aura, digesting a portion with every cut, and utterly annihilating what it could not assimilate.

Thus, Ye Wen’s role was merely to stand by and offer support, dealing only with the residual auras that the sword qi could not destroy. After several days, Ning Ruchue had not only finished assimilating the essence of the Azure Fruit before Xu Xian but had also elevated her cultivation level further, requiring Ye Wen to intervene only a few times.

Following this success, Ye Wen acquired two more Azure Fruits and consumed one himself, finally gaining a more detailed understanding of their nature.

The Azure Fruit contained potent frigid energy, impurities, toxins, and the very essence of heaven and earth drawn from the Cold Pool.

Of the three individuals, this fruit was most beneficial to Ning Ruchue. This was because, aside from the impurities and toxins she could not dissolve, she could slowly segment and digest even the frigid energy, ultimately converting it entirely into sword qi—not to mention the heaven and earth essence, which was a pure tonic for her.

Furthermore, Ning Ruchue’s sword qi could envelop the toxins, preventing them from spreading, allowing them to be expelled from the body with a casual strike alongside the sword qi, causing her no harm. At worst, it merely required Ye Wen to help soothe her meridians.

“Is this the legendary ‘One Sword Breaks All Arts’?”

Of course, this was merely Ye Wen’s casual remark, a spontaneous reflection on the sheer might of the Innate Body-Shattering Formless Sword Qi.

The second most receptive to the Azure Fruit was Xu Xian. Although Xu Xian could only utilize the essence of heaven and earth within the fruit, the frigid energy was not entirely useless. He could leverage the cold to force and accelerate the cultivation of his Pure Yang True Qi, achieving results comparable to, or even surpassing, the Cold Pool, as the confrontation between his True Qi and the cold occurred directly within his physical body.

Xu Xian’s cultivation was slightly more complicated, requiring Ye Wen’s assistance to meticulously purge the numerous impurities, control the toxins, and suppress the frigid energy. First, he had to fully digest the essence, then neutralize the toxins, and finally contend with the cold.

This entire process would take at least several months to complete!

In contrast, Ye Wen’s need for the Azure Fruit was the lowest!

First, although he did not fear the toxins and impurities, they were useless to him. Upon entering his system, he would separate them using his true qi and then release them from his body. Fortunately, both the Qi Sword Finger and the Zixiao Dragon Qi Sword could achieve this.

Second, the frigid energy was also useless to him. This energy only compelled him to expend mental effort to dissolve it, offering minimal benefit to his power progression. This was because his Innate Purple Qi, unlike Ning Ruchue’s sword qi which could decompose and transform other pure internal energies into sword qi, or Xu Xian whose True Qi was inherently opposite to the cold, thereby accelerating his cultivation, was different.

Ye Wen’s Innate Purple Qi prized purity above all else and was averse to external contamination. This frigid energy would either be erased by the Innate Purple Qi or forced out of the body; in any case, it was useless. If allowed to remain inside, it would only hinder the circulation of the Innate Purple Qi, offering no benefit whatsoever.

Finally, what frustrated Ye Wen the most was the heaven and earth essence. This was supposed to be the most potent element in the fruit, yet the essence within the Azure Fruit was not pure enough. Since the Innate Purple Qi demanded absolute purity, only the most refined portion could be utilized by Ye Wen, leaving less than half of the total essence usable after all deductions.

In summary, the fruit was a massive tonic for Ning Ruchue, a supplement for Xu Xian, but offered Ye Wen only minor benefits!

“Cultivating the Innate Purple Qi has significantly reduced my reliance on external resources!”

During these past days, Ye Wen noticed that his cultivation speed in the Cold Spring was far slower than before. He surmised that the Innate Purple Qi had reached a substantial level, and from now on, progress would only come through the slow accumulation of time. The lightning-fast advancements of the past were no longer possible.

Looking at the remaining fruits before him, Ye Wen fell into contemplation.

He had just consumed one and now understood the nature of the Azure Fruit and its effect on him; giving this remaining one to himself seemed somewhat wasteful.

Ning Ruchue had only recently eaten one. Although she had mostly assimilated it, a portion of the essence within her body had not been fully utilized, making another serving useless at this time.

Xu Xian was still grappling with the frigid energy. Although his complexion was much better than that day, it certainly wasn't good. Moreover, the lingering cold in his lungs had yet to be addressed, making it unsuitable for him to consume more of this substance.

Among his disciples, Yue Ning and Zhou Zhiruo were too young. Consuming such a powerful tonic at this age would actually harm them, potentially leaving behind future complications, which would be undesirable.

Xu Ping and Li Sen had only recently begun venturing into the Cold Pool. With their current Qinggong, they were still unable to leap onto the stone walls. Ye Wen had lowered a vine slightly, allowing these two to manage half the climb using their Qinggong before utilizing the vine to ascend the cliff and enter the Isolated Valley.

Ye Wen had begun gradually opening access to the Cold Pool within the Isolated Valley to his disciples. Since Ning Ruchue and Xu Xian were already practicing inside the cave, and he himself was getting closer to the spring's source, the secret of the fruit was safe from Li Sen and Xu Ping, who couldn't even approach the cave entrance, thus removing any risk of them discovering it.

Giving them the fruit now seemed unnecessary, as utilizing the Cold Pool had already pushed their training speed to its current limit.

“Give it to Ah Niu?”

After some thought, Guo Jing should probably begin cultivating the Pure Yang Boundless Art. Given his simple-minded nature, attempting to master the Purple Haze Divine Skill would make it difficult for him to grasp its true essence. The Pure Yang Boundless Art, which emphasized purity, would suit him better. However, he was still practicing the Quanzhen Heart Method, and Ye Wen doubted he could handle the fruit right now.

His original intention was to give it to Huang Rongrong, with Xu Xian assisting in its digestion. After all, Huang Rongrong was desperate for revenge. Unfortunately, Huang Rongrong’s cultivation was not going smoothly!

The Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies Only I Am Supreme Art, modified by Xu Xian, was not a fully developed technique. Many issues only surfaced during actual practice.

This technique was not the set described in the original novel; although it was infinitely close to the version in the comic, even that was not a finalized product. Huang Rongrong had to practice while enduring the constant danger of Qi deviation leading to madness, requiring her to adjust her cultivation path at any moment.

Xu Xian dared not leave Huang Rongrong’s side, fearing that if he stepped away even for a moment, she might suffer Qi deviation and instantly die. He had to constantly shield her with his Pure Yang cultivation's true qi, stopping her practice immediately upon sensing trouble.

With this cycle of stopping and starting, Huang Rongrong suffered immeasurable hardship, enduring repeated internal injuries. Ye Wen, the foremost healing master of the Shu Mountain Sect, was called upon countless times. Chen Yizhong was powerless to treat these injuries; Ye Wen had to intervene personally.

Privately, Xu Xian felt deeply ashamed, saying to Ye Wen, “Only today do I realize how formidable it is for Senior Brother to have created these numerous internal arts. I merely made modifications based on the perfected techniques Senior Brother provided, yet so many problems have arisen. It seems I truly lack any talent in this area!”

Ye Wen inwardly mused, “I was working with the complete, original version, complete with an instruction manual, so of course, there were no issues! It’s already a decent feat that you managed to research a generally correct training direction without killing anyone…”

Huang Rongrong’s skill level was indeed improving. Although the modified Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies Only I Am Supreme Art had numerous flaws, the overall direction was correct. As she continued practicing and refining it, the technique was approaching perfection.

Ye Wen even privately joked when no one else was around, “Huang Rongrong’s experience of testing this technique upon herself has made a huge contribution to our Shu Mountain Sect!” However, he dared not let anyone hear this, especially Xu Xian.

“It pains me to see Rongrong suffer so much,” Xu Xian replied, his face etched with guilt. After all, every time Huang Rongrong ran into trouble during practice, it happened right under his nose—seen daily, known intimately—how could his conscience be clear?

Yet, Huang Rongrong never uttered a single complaint, merely gritting her teeth and continuing. If Xu Xian couldn't figure out a solution to a problem in time, this girl would actually continue practicing along the flawed route just to increase her power, terrifying Xu Xian so much that he almost knocked her unconscious.

“As long as my power increases, it’s good enough! In any case, as long as I can exact my revenge, nothing else matters!” Her words implied that even if this technique left her with hidden injuries and a shortened life, she wouldn't care. Indeed, if Ye Wen were to offer her the Azure Fruit at that moment, claiming it carried immense danger but promising a massive power surge if she survived, she would swallow it without hesitation.

It was precisely because of Huang Rongrong’s many issues that Ye Wen was unwilling to give her the fruit until those troubles were resolved. Even if he were to give it to her, he would wait until Xu Xian had completely perfected the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies Only I Am Supreme Art, ensuring Huang Rongrong would no longer face danger while practicing.

“Perhaps give it to Mu Yan?”

After much deliberation, none of his current disciples urgently needed this item. Liu Muyan, due to various reasons, had the slowest progress. Ye Wen wondered if feeding him this fruit could directly cultivate him into an accomplished master.

Liu Muyan currently wielded the Judge’s Brush in his right hand and an iron hook in his left, possessing a style reminiscent of the Fifth Hero Zhang. However, the techniques he cultivated were vastly different. This strange set of martial arts, adapted from the Golden Snake Sword Style, was still in the slow cultivation phase for Liu Muyan; mastering it properly would likely take at least a year or two.

Furthermore, to increase the lethality of this style, Ye Wen had fused some moves from the Tang Family Overlord Spear into the Judge’s Brush—essentially turning a long spear into a short one. Even if not all maneuvers were adaptable, many moves could still be directly transplanted!

In addition, Ye Wen instructed Liu Muyan to study anatomy with Chen Yizhong, aiming for him to be able to instantly discern the location of a person’s major pressure points upon sight. Only then could his Judge’s Brush unleash its maximum power. Otherwise, with his inherently weak cultivation base and insufficient internal force compared to others, how could he defeat an opponent?

If Mu Yan consumed this fruit and his power increased, then even if he couldn't strike the pressure points with perfect precision, he could still inflict damage. The problem was that Liu Muyan’s power level was currently inferior even to Ah Niu’s.

“I’ll put it away for now.”

Placing the fruit back safely, Ye Wen continued his nightly work in the Isolated Valley. These past few days, he had been busy transporting the original secret manuals he had summoned to the cold cave within the valley, then digging a pit in a secluded corner to carefully bury the texts. Because he did not want to be discovered, he always worked under the cover of night.

Considering that many more manuals would be stored there in the future, digging the hole was quite troublesome. He finally settled on carving a cavity into the corner wall of the stone cave, sealing it with smaller stones, and then covering the opening with a large boulder.

Once this task was finished that day, he wouldn’t need to make these nighttime trips anymore. Any manual he summoned in the future, he could simply store it while heading out to practice.

However, above the cave entrance, he inscribed a few characters: Langhuan Jade Cave!

“It’s a pity that Shu Mountain has no pond, otherwise, I would certainly construct a pavilion over the water solely to house our sect’s martial arts manuals, naming it the Huan Shi Water Pavilion!” Having completed everything, Ye Wen, immensely satisfied with the inscription above the cave, turned and headed back. At this point, he could only rely on these esoteric inside jokes to remind himself of his unique status, lest he accidentally reveal his greatest secret in the future.

Thus, time flew by quickly, and autumn arrived in the blink of an eye.

Ning Ruchue had truly consolidated her realm and was steadily moving towards breaking through the next profound barrier. In the martial world now, she could certainly be considered a master. Coupled with her sword qi, which she controlled with effortless fluidity, it was doubtful that anyone of comparable cultivation could defeat her.

Ye Wen’s cultivation had progressed slowly, currently stuck at a bottleneck. One more step forward, and he could break through another profound barrier. He was confident that with a little more time, breaking through another barrier would only be a matter of time. Unfortunately, he could not remain on the mountain to cultivate any longer. Although the Central Plains Martial Arts Assembly was scheduled for late autumn, he could not wait until then to depart.

Xu Xian was also ready. The frigid energy within his body had finally been completely purged, but due to that cold, he had been unable to address the lung ailment in recent days, so the lung sickness continued to plague him.

“Junior Brother, you still need to travel to the capital to take the imperial examinations, correct?”

Xu Xian nodded. “I’ve calculated the dates. If we attend the Martial Arts Assembly, I can then proceed to the capital, and it will align perfectly with the examination days.”

Since it was the final palace examination, the test would take place within the Imperial Palace. There wouldn't be as many questions, concluding in just over half a day. Thus, the seasonal climate would not have much effect, unlike the previous exams that lasted several days, often requiring selection of an early autumn day when the weather was crisp.

The only necessary preparation for the Palace Examination was to arrive in the capital early to register with the examining officials.

Ye Wen was pleased to hear the two events did not conflict. This meant that after attending the Martial Arts Assembly, they could take a detour to the capital for a look around. “It’s been so many years, and I’ve never even been to the capital!”

In truth, he had never even left Pingzhou, reaching no further than the border between Pingzhou and Dongzhou. His predecessor had been a total homebody, rarely even descending from Shu Mountain.

Ning Ruchue, however, looked worried. “If we all go to the Martial Arts Assembly, what about the mountain gate?”

Ye Wen smiled slightly and comforted his junior sister. “Did you not see the disciples practicing the True Martial Seven Intercepts Formation a few months ago? Ordinary petty villains won’t gain any advantage! Moreover, Zhou Ding’s skill is not poor now; with him guarding the place, there should be absolutely no trouble!”

More importantly, the top experts of the martial world would all be attending the Assembly. According to intelligence gathered by Li Sen, the Thunder Sword Gate was temporarily unable to concern themselves with Shu Mountain, only stating: “We will settle accounts with those bumpkins after the Martial Arts Assembly concludes!” Lei Zhenshan did not know that the Shu Mountain Sect would also be present.

The other major adversary, the Heavenly Joy Sect, was entirely focused on the Assembly and temporarily had no interest in Shu Mountain’s affairs. Thus, even if the elite forces of the Shu Mountain Sect departed, there was no inherent danger.

What was even more crucial was that even if all the elites left, anyone plotting against the Shu Mountain gate would have to consider the ensuing, endless retaliation! The Shu Mountain elites had merely stepped out; they were not wiped out!

This time, Ye Wen was determined to let everyone see the world. Not only were his junior sister and junior brother accompanying him, but all the direct disciples would go as well—with the exception of Liu Muyan, who remained on the mountain diligently practicing martial arts and calligraphy.

Even Guo Jing was brought along.

“Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. The same principle applies to martial arts cultivation! Going out to see the world benefits one’s cultivation immensely!”

Yue Ning nodded. Now fourteen, Yue Ning still possessed a somewhat youthful face, but his physique was already respectable. Coupled with his not-insignificant cultivation, Ye Wen had taught him the initial stages of the Purple Haze Skill early this year. Even though he hadn't mastered it yet, he was already a promising young talent with considerable skill.

Zhou Zhiruo, however, didn't quite understand, but she obeyed when her Master said it was for the best! At ten years old, she was gradually shedding the immaturity of childhood. Coupled with the drastic changes she experienced at home early in life and subsequent severe shocks, her expression was now cold, like a little block of ice. Ye Wen could do nothing about this, even his occasional attempts to tousle her hair or pat her head to tease her were futile.

“Alas! Never mind!”

Xu Ping and Li Sen, despite frequently venturing out, were eager to witness the assembly that gathered all the famous figures of the martial world. Furthermore, their Pure Yang Boundless Art, aided by the Cold Pool, had seen modest success, and they were keen to test the extent of their current power. Therefore, these two were the most excited about this trip.

Between the two, Li Sen had slightly inferior talent, resulting in marginally lesser cultivation. However, because he was constantly running around, his Qinggong was significantly better than Xu Ping’s.

Xu Ping had first learned the essence of the Blood Saber, then the subtleties of the Profound Void Saber Technique, and with the wealth of sword techniques available in the Shu Mountain Sect, he was finally no longer walking with a limp. Both his saber and sword skills were quite good, though fusing and perfecting the two styles into one cohesive technique would still require some time.

As for Huang Rongrong…

Ye Wen glanced at the girl. Her obsession with revenge was indeed too strong; she had managed to endure practicing a technique riddled with flaws. Although she had finally crossed the most difficult threshold, she could only be considered just starting out. Upon hearing that the Thunder Sword Gate would also be present at the Martial Arts Assembly, the murderous intent radiating from her had not dissipated.

Furthermore, without the aid of the Cold Pool, while Huang Rongrong’s progress was fast, it was still limited. Facing the Thunder Sword Gate this time, the hope of her achieving revenge on her own was slim.