The people of the Tianle Gang were discussing matters, while the disciples of the Shu Mountain Sect were resting separately.

Ye Wen took a moment to scout around, and upon confirming no one was nearby, he settled onto the couch to begin his summoning ritual.

Counting the days, this summoning was due to occur within these next few days, though he didn't hold out much hope for this particular draw. In the preceding months, he had attempted several summons on the mountain, but aside from the Seven Intercepting Form of True Martial Arts, everything else had been useless—things so meaningless he simply burned them immediately.

This time, he harbored no great expectations. Moreover, his desperate need for martial arts manuals wasn't as acute as it once was; whether he succeeded or failed hardly mattered to him anymore.

He circulated his internal energy, completing a series of movements with muscle memory honed to the extreme. Finally, he brought the booklet held in his palm up to his eyes—Ye Wen immediately offered a wry smile.

"It’s truly useless stuff... keeping it is just a hassle. Might as well burn it," he muttered.

It was already night, and the room contained oil lamps and other means to start a fire. Ye Wen fetched a bucket, lit the booklet, and tossed it inside. He watched the pages turn to ash before extinguishing the embers with cool tea.

"I was hoping for some kind of martial art, even a mediocre one that could be of some use. To think I got the Gene Lock? What use is that to me? Is it for self-flagellation...?"

Over the past six months, he noticed his luck was finally waning compared to his earlier days. Several summons yielded similar useless items. The ones with potential use he kept; items like the Gene Lock, which he couldn't even properly categorize, were usually incinerated.

In half a year, only the Seven Intercepting Form of True Martial Arts was worthy of keeping, specifically as a defensive formation for the mountain. It was precisely because of this formation that Ye Wen felt secure bringing the others down the mountain.

Fortunately, this formation had no weapon restrictions and possessed its own fixed protocols. It did not require overly harsh standards regarding the martial arts proficiency of the array practitioners themselves. In the original text, although the Seven Heroes of Wudang shared the same master, they each had different specialties and weapons, yet they could still set up this array. Thus, the disciples encountered no difficulty practicing it. Furthermore, since this was considered a profound art, practicing it would allow them to cooperate and protect themselves when traveling with fellow sect members, making their enthusiasm for learning immense.

After destroying yet another useless manual, Ye Wen sighed but remained unconcerned.

At present, the martial arts of the Shu Mountain Sect were sufficient and were gradually forming a coherent system.

For the most basic Outer Gate level, disciples could practice the Grand Ancestral Fist (hereafter, when the text mentions the Grand Ancestral Fist, readers should substitute it with Shu Mountain Fist), the Shu Mountain Basic Swordplay, and foundational internal arts.

Upon achieving minor success, they could move on to the Pine Wind Swordplay, the Five Tiger Gate-Slicing Saber, and Mian Palm. Since acquiring the Iron Palm technique, Ye Wen had categorized the Mian Palm as a learnable Outer Gate skill.

If one entered the Inner Gate, they could learn various martial arts based on their specific master. However, as the Sect Master, Ye Wen decreed that the introductory internal art for the Shu Mountain Inner Gate would henceforth be the Quanzhen Heart Method; the Carefree Heart Method would no longer be taught. Once proficiency was achieved in the Quanzhen Heart Method, disciples could begin cultivating the Shu Mountain Sect’s profound internal arts based on their individual aptitudes.

These include the Purple Mist Divine Art, Minor Formless Art, Pure Yang Limitless Art, Pure Yang Supreme Art, and the Eight Desolations Six Harmonies Only I Am Supreme Art (incomplete). Any one of these five divine arts could be cultivated up to the Xiantian (Innate) realm. Beyond the Xiantian realm, progress was no longer determined by cultivation manuals but relied on personal insight and continuous effort.

As for Ye Wen’s own Xiantian Violet Qi, that was reserved as the Sect Master's unique divine technique, accessible only to the leader. Therefore, the Sect Master must first learn the Purple Mist Divine Art. Ye Wen even used this as an opening line in the manual he wrote for the Xiantian Violet Qi: "The Purple Mist Divine Art is the foundation of entry; the Xiantian Violet Qi is the pinnacle of achievement!"

This somewhat irreverent phrasing was unavoidable. His own cultivation was built upon the foundation of the Purple Mist Divine Art. If someone practiced a different art first and then switched to this Xiantian Violet Qi, he could not predict what unforeseen changes might occur.

"Could it result in a Xiantian Pure Yang Art? Or a Xiantian Supreme Art? A Xiantian Formless Art..."

After racking his brain to no avail, he decided not to dwell on it. If any of his descendants possessed such pioneering spirit, they could certainly experiment themselves. For now, he had only left behind the Xiantian Violet Qi, so that was the established path!

In truth, having too many supreme internal arts within one sect wasn't necessarily beneficial; an overly complex system could easily lead to schisms. Even the Shaolin Temple, reputed for its seventy-two ultimate skills, did not have such a diverse collection of internal arts. Fortunately, the arts Ye Wen had summoned were mostly Daoist in nature, offering some mutual reference points, making their collection somewhat acceptable.

If he acquired any more internal arts, unless they were overwhelmingly powerful, he would basically refrain from integrating them into the sect’s standard cultivation system. Otherwise, the increasing clutter would certainly not be conducive to a sect that valued clear lineage.

As for external arts, the Shu Mountain Sect would remain primarily focused on swordplay. Currently, the sect possessed numerous sword techniques, which was ample. There were also plenty of fist and palm techniques.

Ye Wen was currently more concerned with how to synthesize all these sword techniques. It would be even better if he could distill the best aspects from them. Otherwise, teaching a group of disciples who were proficient in many but masters of none would be embarrassing in the martial world. Currently, he could select appropriate martial arts based on each disciple's individual needs, but as the number of disciples grew, instruction would inevitably become standardized, making one-on-one detailed teaching impossible.

Therefore, organizing the martial arts was imperative. If not for the upcoming Martial Arts Assembly, Ye Wen probably would have stayed on the mountain to catalog the secret manuals and techniques.

Regarding movement skills (Qinggong), the Cloud-Climbing Vertical Leap was already an excellent skill, and combined with the Heaven and Earth Net Stance—which integrated movement and palm techniques—more would be redundant.

In terms of hidden weapons, Throwing the Heavens and Earth served as a significant unique feature, giving Shu Mountain disciples a ranged attack option. After all, not everyone could injure enemies with sword qi like Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue. Moreover, the attack range of Throwing the Heavens and Earth surpassed that of sword qi.

"Internal arts are sorted, swordplay is covered, palm techniques are present! Movement skills are set, hidden weapon techniques secured..." Ye Wen mumbled for a while, finally realizing that the Shu Mountain Sect already possessed the systematic martial arts required for a major school. Any more would just be trouble. Future new manuals would require careful consideration before being introduced.

Reducing the output of secret manuals would also prevent excessive suspicion. If he were to suddenly produce a new martial art every so often, it would inevitably draw the attention of keen observers. He had already garnered enough attention; it was time to stop seeking the spotlight.

However, thinking of the Ascending Dragon Power of Mount Lu that Qian Mouzi had summoned previously, he mused that if future summons only yielded such things, he wouldn't have to trouble himself with this curation anymore.

Once the heat dissipated from the bucket, Ye Wen inspected it to ensure no unburnt fragments remained. Only when he was certain the book had turned entirely to ash did he return the bucket to its place, then opened a window to air out the smell before retiring to his couch.

The next day, Ye Wen instructed Xu Ping to guard the front hall while he remained in the back courtyard.

The Shu Mountain Sect had certainly made quite an impression and shown off their capabilities the previous day. However, the Martial Arts Assembly had gathered countless heroes, and there were bound to be some defiant individuals coming to issue challenges. Ye Wen had anticipated this and sent Xu Ping out early, simultaneously giving him an opportunity to advance his own cultivation.

In just half a day, no fewer than ten groups of challengers arrived. Fortunately, their prowess was mediocre; even the strongest among them was significantly weaker than Xu Ping, and their techniques were less refined. Xu Ping soundly defeated them using a mix of his Mysterious Saber technique and Blood Saber technique, leaving them with no fight left in them.

A few who possessed slightly more strength were utterly routed under the combined assault of Xu Ping’s saber and sword, losing armor and weapons alike. Some even had their weapons destroyed by Xu Ping and subsequently left in disgrace, no longer daring to linger and boast.

By lunchtime, when Ye Wen emerged, he saw several blades scattered on the table where Xu Ping sat. Although a few were intact, most were damaged.

"Your skill in destroying people's weapons is becoming increasingly proficient!"

Hearing this, Xu Ping immediately stood up and bowed, "Master!"

Ye Wen nodded, signaling him to sit. "Did you gain anything today...?"

"Disciple fought against many people today and gained some insight into the technique of wielding saber and sword together in a mixed fashion..."

Ye Wen was slightly surprised and pondered for a moment before understanding. Xu Ping had been immersed in the saber and sword for a long time and should have gained insights earlier, but he lacked real combat experience until now. While there were people on the mountain who sparred with him, it wasn't a genuine fight. Today, facing multiple challengers, spurred on by the need to defend the sect's honor, Xu Ping naturally reached a breakthrough when giving his all.

Hearing of his epiphany, Ye Wen did not keep him guarding any longer but instructed him, "Since that is the case, you don't need to stay here guarding this afternoon..."

"But what if someone comes...?"

"We have so many people from the Shu Mountain Sect here; can't we find even one person to watch the house?" Ye Wen cut off Xu Ping’s words and directly addressed Guo Jing at another table, "Jing'er, you watch this place this afternoon. If anyone comes to challenge, teach them a good lesson!" Now knowing the immense benefit of real combat for his disciples, Ye Wen was eager to find more opportunities for them. Yue Ning had fought Nangong Yun yesterday, and those experiences would keep him busy digesting for quite some time. Zhou Zhiruo was too young and didn't need to be involved in such matters yet.

That left Xu Ping and Guo Jing. Since Xu Ping was resting, Guo Jing was the perfect replacement.

As for Guo Jing’s lack of sufficient power, Ye Wen wasn't worried. Since he himself was free, holding the fort here wasn't a major undertaking. Moreover, most challengers were low-tier troublemakers, so sending Guo Jing posed no significant problem.

Indeed, after lunch, someone arrived to challenge them. Before the gathered crowd could exchange many words, the man was sent fleeing in disarray by Guo Jing’s heavy sword.

"Master... did I win this?" The man only withstood two strikes from Guo Jing before turning and running without a word, leaving the earnest young disciple utterly confused as to whether he had won or not. Ye Wen was amused by the man's haste and replied, "If the man ran away from you, then naturally you won..."

Guo Jing replied with a simple, "Oh," and propped his heavy sword upright in front of him. The crowd heard an incredibly dull thud, and the patch of ground struck by the sword vibrated, sending up a cloud of dust. Only then did they realize the weapon held by the somewhat simple-minded boy was not only large but also exceedingly heavy.

"Good heavens! Seeing how easily that lad swung it, I thought the thing was hollow!" A voice exclaimed. "Hearing that sound, it's clearly solid!"

"If this thing is solid, it must weigh at least fifty or sixty pounds! No wonder that challenger was useless; he ran after only two moves. If I were hit by that, I’d probably fall down instantly!"

"If it were you, you’d probably be smashed into a meat patty in one go..."

"Hahaha..." As they chatted happily, they failed to notice a group approaching in the distance, happening to pass by the inn. The elderly man leading them, though his hair and beard were white, had a ruddy complexion with few wrinkles. Except for his silvery hair, his face resembled that of a vigorous man in his forties. He also carried a large weapon on his back, comparable in size to the heavy sword Guo Jing held. Initially, the old man paid little attention to the inn, as such scenes were common during these gatherings.

However, a younger disciple behind him suddenly remarked, "Master, that large sword the young man is leaning on looks strikingly similar to the one Martial Uncle uses..."

"Oh..."

That single sentence drew the attention of the entire group. Seeing the swordsman, the old man turned his gaze over and happened to see Guo Jing, gripping his heavy sword, staring sternly out at the crowd.

"What sect has set up this formation here...?"

Whenever a Martial Arts Assembly was convened, disputes often arose among various sects and gangs over lodging. Eventually, an unwritten rule developed: if your martial skill was inferior, you yielded your lodgings to the victor. Thus, sects likely to be challenged would send disciples to stand guard, effectively setting up a challenge reception.

The Shu Mountain Sect was unaware of this custom. Ye Wen’s decision was spontaneous but coincidentally fit this rule. Later, when Guo Nu explained it to him, Ye Wen hadn't cared: "People are going to challenge us anyway; setting up a visible formation lets outsiders see clearly. If they are defeated by the Shu Mountain Sect, no one can raise objections!" Earlier that morning, he had assumed if Xu Ping couldn't manage, he could step in. Now he realized that setting up a challenge formation meant they couldn't afford to lose casually; even winning back face later would be humiliating. This realization prompted him to take a seat himself, ready to support Guo Jing if necessary.

At that moment, the sword-bearing old man glanced at Guo Jing, and Ye Wen immediately sensed it. He turned to look outside and saw the elderly man.

His glance caused the old man a moment of surprise. He spoke to a senior figure beside him who appeared to be the leader, "This young man’s cultivation is not low..."

The leader responded with surprise, "It's rare for Martial Brother to take an interest in someone!" Curious, he cast a few more glances over. He observed Ye Wen’s composed and extraordinary bearing, coupled with his handsome features—truly a rare talent. He inwardly praised him: "A pity! Judging by his attire, this young man seems to belong to the same sect as the sword-wielding disciple. Otherwise, I would truly like to recruit him..."

"Martial Brother Sect Master, your habit has resurfaced..."

The two paused their observation without attracting notice from others, as no one typically turned to look at events happening behind them. Just then, another group rushed into the inn, shouting immediately, "Which one of you is from the Shu Mountain Sect? Vacate this place at once!" Upon finishing the shout, the surrounding onlookers simultaneously raised their fingers, pointing at Guo Jing, who was leaning on his sword: "It's him..." The synchronized response suggested they had repeated this action so many times it had become instinctive.

The man who shouted was momentarily stunned by the unified response but didn't take it to heart. He glanced at Guo Jing and sneered, "Are you the Shu Mountain Sect's 'Gentleman Sword' Ye Wen?" It turned out this man wasn't entirely unprepared; he had researched beforehand and knew the Shu Mountain Sect Master was named Ye Wen, nicknamed the Gentleman Sword. However, when he asked the question, quite a few people in the back burst out laughing. They explained, "The esteemed Sect Master Ye is called the Gentleman Sword; he naturally wouldn't use such a large weapon! This is the Sect Master's youngest disciple, called Guo Jing..."

Though his initial words held sarcasm, they contained a helpful correction. Most people would have politely bowed and offered thanks. Unexpectedly, this fellow was boorish. He frowned and barked, "Just a disciple? Call your Master out! I want him to properly experience my 'Fivefold Mountain-Splitting Palm'..."

His arrogant speech naturally displeased the crowd. Someone who recognized him chimed in, "It's the Mountain-Splitting Palm, not the 'Fivefold Mountain-Splitting Palm.' Do you need to attach your name because people don't recognize you as Liu Wulang?"

Liu Wulang became furious and turned to strike the noisy heckler. However, the crowd behind him was too dense, making it impossible to identify the speaker. After searching briefly without finding the culprit, he turned back to Guo Jing and demanded, "Didn't you hear me? Call your Master out!" Guo Jing, not skilled with words, was about to honestly reply that his Master was sitting right nearby, but he was a step too slow. Ye Wen spoke first: "I am here. If you wish to fight me, you must first defeat my disciple!" Liu Wulang froze, then turned to look at Ye Wen seated there. Seeing his seemingly frail appearance, he was skeptical, "You are Ye Wen? Are you trying to fool me...?"

Fortunately, the surrounding crowd bore witness, "He is indeed the 'Gentleman Sword' Ye Wen you are looking for! You wanted to fight him, didn't you? Go on and make your move..." It turned out that while the Shu Mountain disciples and junior siblings had displayed their skills over the past two days, the crowd had yet to see Ye Wen in action. Driven by curiosity, they couldn't help but egg the situation on.

Seeing someone specifically challenge Ye Wen to a duel, the crowd became instantly excited. Some opportunistic individuals even set up betting pools, wagering how many moves Liu Wulang could last against Ye Wen. After all, if Ye Wen's disciples and junior siblings were so formidable, their Sect Master couldn't possibly be weak.

"Ten moves! Three..." "I bet on five moves! Five..." "Eight moves, ten silver taels..."

As bets were being placed, a deep, resonant voice suddenly carried from the back: "One move! One hundred taels!" The crowd was stunned, and the noisy entrance of the inn suddenly fell silent. Everyone turned to see who would make such a bold wager.

Upon turning, everyone saw a sturdy, white-haired old man standing there, smiling faintly. Some well-traveled individuals, recognizing the old man's attire and appearance, immediately cried out, "The Nine Sword Immortal..."