The reactions were varied, but most found it amusing; even Dong Lao of the Azure Dragon Society merely felt a slight complication, as Ye Wen would rarely engage him directly, meaning his battle with Lin Hai was inevitable. The troublesome part was that if no one on his side could handle Ye Wen, Lin Hai might very well seize an advantage.

Only Li Bufan, standing on the arena stage, felt the most tormented and helpless. Since beginning his martial studies, Li Bufan had served many masters, each of whom, after imparting all their lifelong learning, would simply say, "Your talent is extraordinary; I have nothing left to teach you!" and then send him away.

Over time, this fostered an arrogant disposition; he believed himself naturally exceptional, even changing his name to Li Bufan. After leaving Yunzhou, he certainly witnessed many experts.

Occasionally losing a bout, he would still be told, "When I was your age, I didn't have your cultivation. Young man, your future is boundless!" This only made his pride soar higher. His reasons for coming to this Martial Arts Assembly were twofold: to broaden his horizons and to carve out a reputation that would make him famous throughout the jianghu.

However, before he could even make a move, the Shu Mountain Sect had repeatedly seized the spotlight, and their Sect Master, Ye Wen, even possessed the honorable title of the 'Gentleman Sword.'

"I have dedicated my life to the sword and hold some minor renown in the Southwest. Even so, I never achieved such an epithet! What virtue or ability does this Ye Wen possess that the master of a sect I've never even heard of can claim such a title?"

Especially the word 'Sword,' which grated on his ears no matter how he heard it. Coupled with his desire to establish his name, he spotted an opportunity and rushed onto the stage.

But now, having witnessed Ye Wen's sword-commanding technique, he realized he had underestimated the heroes of the world. Although Ye Wen was close to his own age, the fact that he could be gifted such a title by his peers in the jianghu truly demonstrated a measure of skill.

Setting aside other matters, how many in the entire jianghu had mastered that divine technique of controlling a sword in flight? While there were many experts who could telekinetically move objects or command things from a distance, being able to let go of a sword and continue to manipulate it with perfect control was a feat only achieved by the Nine Sword Immortal.

To be able to summon a distant object into one's hand using internal energy was already an astonishing skill; achieving the ability to make it fly like a sword—able to stop, start, speed up, or slow down at will—was utterly impossible.

What so many masters could not accomplish, Ye Wen could. This clearly showed that his skill was far from ordinary. Standing there, Li Bufan felt somewhat unable to retreat gracefully.

After sputtering for a moment, he finally managed to force out, "Sect Master Ye's sword-commanding technique is indeed miraculous, but one wonders if his swordsmanship cultivation matches such a divine skill!"

With these words, Ye Wen could no longer smile. This statement clearly implied that his swordsmanship was crude, and even if he mastered such a divine technique, he would achieve little. He immediately roared in anger, "How insolent! If I don't show you some real power today, you'll truly believe I, Ye, am easy to bully!"

With that, his whole body shook, and a surge of purple qi erupted, circling him. He raised his hand and thrust his sword straight towards Li Bufan's face.

This move employed no specific sword form; it was Ye Wen's self-created technique, 'Purple Qi Coming From the East'! This move was originally a palm technique, but Ye Wen excelled at adapting to the moment—his saber and sword skills could transform into palm strikes or finger gestures at will. Now, using a long sword to execute a palm technique was without hindrance.

Moreover, since this move was inherently direct and did not rely on intricate changes, whether he used a weapon or not was irrelevant! As soon as the move was unleashed, the purple qi circled his body, even coating his long sword with a dense layer of purple energy. As he thrust forward, it appeared as a large, cone-shaped mass of purple qi hurtling towards Li Bufan.

When the crowd below saw this, they realized Ye Wen’s cultivation had reached a level capable of inducing such a phenomenon. All were aghast. Those who had previously clashed with the Shu Mountain Sect instinctively flinched, breaking out in a cold sweat, thinking secretly, "Good thing I didn't speak too harshly back then, or incurring the wrath of the Shu Mountain Sect would have been a grave misfortune!" The disciples of the Shu Mountain Sect below also focused their attention on the battle. Guo Jing, seeing Ye Wen use 'Purple Qi Coming From the East,' exclaimed in surprise, "Master, why are you using this move with a long sword?"

It was Xu Xian who offered instruction, "Sword moves and saber moves are merely expressions of martial arts. As long as they adhere to the essence of the technique, the implement used makes no difference! Master has never been constrained by external objects; he uses whatever he has on hand. This martial art has been cultivated to the realm of complete spontaneity!"

Upon hearing this, not only Guo Jing but the others nodded in understanding, contemplating quietly while never blinking, lest they miss a single detail.

In reality, there were few details to miss. Seeing Ye Wen's terrifying thrust, Li Bufan initially intended to meet it with his sword but was paralyzed by the sheer momentum of the attack, his heart trembling. Even before the clash, a significant portion of his courage had evaporated.

He then considered dodging, but Ye Wen’s strike was as swift as lightning, reaching him in an instant. It was too late to evade now. Helplessly, he raised his sword again, attempting to block. But as he raised it, he felt the oppressive sword energy. Ye Wen's blade hadn't even arrived, yet the ferocious jianqi nearly suffocated him. At this moment, Li Bufan panicked further and wildly swung his sword, hoping to force Ye Wen to change his attack with a flurry of chaotic strikes.

Whether intentionally or not, Li Bufan's chaotic swings failed to strike Ye Wen. Instead, as he retracted his sword towards his chest, Ye Wen used the tip of his long sword to lightly tap the spine of Li Bufan's blade.

A sound like cracking wood echoed, and Li Bufan's sword shattered into countless fragments that scattered across the floor. Simultaneously, Li Bufan’s entire body shook, his face flushed crimson, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a pu. He was thrown backward uncontrollably, falling outside the ring with a thud.

Looking at Ye Wen, after shattering Li Bufan's sword with a single touch, he smoothly sheathed his blade. The purple qi surrounding him vanished. He stood calmly in the center of the stage, looking down at Li Bufan, "This is merely a minor lesson today. Your injury only requires rest for two or three days to heal completely!" This clearly signaled to everyone that he had not been ruthless, lest they think him a cruel and merciless individual. Hearing this, Li Bufan realized the opponent had shown restraint. He initially doubted it, but upon careful consideration, he recalled how the tip had precisely struck the spine of his sword, proving Ye Wen had no intention of killing him. Otherwise, a slight shift of the blade would have resulted in his immediate death. Furthermore, in his random flurry of swings, even he didn't know where his sword would strike next, yet Ye Wen could pinpoint the sword's spine. This precision in swordsmanship was beyond his imagination.

Standing up, Li Bufan bowed solemnly to Ye Wen with cupped hands, then left without a word. His nature was inherently proud, and being unable to withstand even a single move made him feel as if he had fallen from the clouds. Ashamed to face anyone, he lowered his head and melted into the crowd.

Many people at this point mocked Li Bufan for overestimating himself by challenging Sect Master Ye. These words made Li Bufan even more mortified, and after twisting through the crowd, he vanished, presumably having left immediately.

As for what would become of this man—whether he would climb back to the peak after this low point, or fade away into obscurity in the jianghu—it was not Ye Wen's concern. For daring to come out and tarnish his reputation, Ye Wen sparing him the final sword stroke was already magnanimity. The jianghu would praise Sect Master Ye's righteousness and wouldn't concern themselves with Li Bufan's fate.

Having won this bout, Ye Wen shifted his gaze towards the Thunder Sword Gate, coincidentally meeting the eyes of their Master, Lei Zhenshan. He could easily discern the leader from their seating arrangement.

However, in that brief eye contact, Lei Zhenshan averted his gaze. Seeing this, Ye Wen subtly looked down on the man: "Unexpectedly, he's a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong. It's a shame such a great banner as the Thunder Sword Gate has fallen into the hands of such a person!"

Turning around, he saw the disciple from the North Sword Gate smiling at him. Ye Wen had noted before coming up that this person was named Bei Chengxuan, the nephew and senior disciple of Bei Chengyan. Bei Chengxuan said to him, "Congratulations, Sect Master Ye, on another victory. Does Sect Master Ye have anyone you wish to challenge?"

Now that Ye Wen had displayed such power, ordinary people had long abandoned the thought of challenging the Shu Mountain Sect.

"There are plenty of people to choose from to gain fame; there's no need to provoke this Sect Master Ye!" With this thought emerging, most jianghu members would no longer dare challenge Shu Mountain to establish their own prestige. Those from sects whose names were known now worried if the Shu Mountain Sect would use this opportunity to assert dominance over them.

Bei Chengxuan, however, was not worried that Sect Master Ye would target his sect. Firstly, the status difference between Shu Mountain and North Sword Sect was too vast. Even if Ye Wen of Shu Mountain was ambitious, he wouldn't challenge major sects right at the beginning; that would only invite trouble for himself.

Since there was no conflict of interest, and Ye Wen was a man of commendable bearing with formidable strength, Bei Chengxuan spoke with a degree of politeness. He was now almost certain that with Shu Mountain's current strength, they wouldn't want to remain among the riff-raff. It seemed only natural for Ye Wen, as Sect Master, to seek a seat for his faction.

"Sect Master Ye likely wishes to secure a position for his sect as well, doesn't he? I wonder which one he will select?"

The fellow martial artists below also began to speculate, wondering which sect Ye Wen would choose as an opponent to establish his authority.

Choosing an opponent also required skill. If you chose someone too weak, you might be looked down upon.

If you chose someone too strong, you might suffer a beating and gain nothing.

With this discussion, the area below erupted into noisy chatter again. The sect masters whose positions were clearly more remote looked quite grim, wondering what they should do if the Shu Mountain Sect targeted them.

Based on Ye Wen's single sword strike just now, few among this group were confident they could withstand it. If they lost the hard-won seat, the loss of face would be immense; even returning home, they would be ashamed to face the disciples who remained behind.

It was only then that Ye Wen recalled that during the Martial Arts Assembly, one could directly challenge sects to seize their existing seats. He had completely forgotten this possibility.

"Since that is the case, let us not waste such a fine opportunity!" He cupped his hands towards Bei Chengxuan, "I do indeed have someone I wish to challenge!" Then, turning towards the Thunder Sword Gate, he roared, "Lei Zhenshan! Since your Thunder Sword Gate has initiated hostilities with my Shu Mountain Sect, why are you remaining silent now?"

At these words, the crowd realized the Shu Mountain Sect and the Thunder Sword Gate were already hostile, and the situation seemed severe. "Could this be another dead end?"

When Ye Wen spoke, both Tianyi Zhenren and Abbot Huixin frowned. Abbot Huixin said, "I didn't expect the Shu Mountain Sect to have conflicts with the Thunder Sword Gate. Judging by this display, it seems unlikely to end amicably!" Tianyi Zhenren added, "Just from this declaration, it's clear that this round between the Thunder Sword Gate and the Shu Mountain Sect will not end well! Earlier, we thought a new rising talent had joined the righteous sects, but now it seems fortune is unpredictable!"

When the Shu Mountain Sect first emerged, Tianyi Zhenren and Abbot Huixin were delighted that the righteous path had gained another master. But in such a short time, internal fighting had already erupted among the righteous sects, even resulting in fatalities.

The previous incident with Liu Bishi, while regrettable, had a discernible cause. If the Thunder Sword Gate and Shu Mountain Sect fought now, regardless of who won, it would be no good for the martial world of the righteous path.

"It seems we must play the role of mediators shortly!"

These two were unaware of the exact enmity between the two factions, believing that if the matter wasn't too serious, their intervention should be able to suppress it. After all, their status and standing ensured that the jianghu figures would likely grant them face.

Mediation had occurred many times during Martial Arts Assemblies, but they rarely intervened for minor scuffles. They only stepped in for feuds between major sects, or at the very least, tried to limit the scope of the conflict to prevent heavy losses for the righteous path.

After Ye Wen's loud shout, all eyes turned to Lei Zhenshan. The Master of the Thunder Sword Gate looked deeply troubled, appearing stuck between retreat and advance.

This hesitation caused the onlookers to look down on him even more.

"Hey, someone has called him out by name, and he still won't respond. He's not a real man!" "Exactly! The Thunder Sword Gate is a well-known sect in the jianghu. If someone issues a challenge, they dare not reply? How can he have the face to sit there? He should step down quickly!"

As Lei Zhenshan hesitated, boos and jeers rose around him. Now, they were no longer afraid that the Thunder Sword Gate would retaliate; after all, there were too many people present. Unless the Thunder Sword Gate could kill everyone in the arena, they were safe. If they tried such a thing, the major sects nearby would likely annihilate the Thunder Sword Gate first.

Seeing Lei Zhenshan remain motionless, Ye Wen frowned and was about to shout again when a figure darted out from the Shu Mountain ranks. This person was small in stature and carried two short swords at his waist—it was none other than Huang Rongrong.

Although Huang Rongrong had studied under the Shu Mountain Sect for a short time, her martial progress was rapid. The occasional bouts of qi deviation she experienced weren't without benefit; after recovering, her skills always saw some improvement. Thus, her movements in rushing and leaping were quite swift. Just as the crowd was jeering the Thunder Sword Gate, they turned to find a petite young girl suddenly on the stage.

"Huh? When did this girl get up there?" "Did the Thunder Sword Gate send such a young girl to deal with the situation?" "Are you blind? Didn't you see that this woman's attire is nearly identical to Sect Master Ye's? She's clearly from the same sect!" "Huh? Why is a Shu Mountain disciple going up?" "Who knows?"

Amidst the murmuring, Huang Rongrong was earnestly pleading with Ye Wen, "I beg Sect Master Ye, please let me take this bout!"

Ye Wen looked slightly troubled: "Although your skill has greatly advanced, you are about to face Lei Zhenshan. Wouldn't this be too rash?"

Huang Rongrong replied, "I don't seek to kill Lei Zhenshan, only to kill a few of his disciples to force him out. Then, even if I fail, I will have a clear conscience!" Ye Wen scratched his head. He had planned to engage the Thunder Sword Gate in a bout to suppress them first, and then deal with them later! He hadn't expected Huang Rongrong, consumed by vengeance, to rush out now.

Seeing the determined look in Huang Rongrong's eyes, Ye Wen sighed, "Don't push yourself. If it's too difficult, retreat! That revenge will be exacted eventually; there is no need to rush this single moment!"

Huang Rongrong nodded, thanking Ye Wen for his understanding. Once Ye Wen stepped down, she turned and shouted at the Thunder Sword Gate, "Lei Zhenshan, you condoned your son and disciples slaughtering over a hundred people in my Huang Family Village! Today, I, Huang Rongrong, will make you pay this blood debt personally!"

At these words, there was another massive uproar! Previously, everyone only assumed a minor dispute or general conflict between the Shu Mountain Sect and the Thunder Sword Gate. No one expected such a history to be involved.

Judging by Huang Rongrong's clothing, she was clearly a Shu Mountain disciple. The Thunder Sword Gate had annihilated the entire family of a Shu Mountain disciple, which explained why the Shu Mountain Sect was specifically targeting them now.

"No wonder Lei Zhenshan's expression was so strange; it turns out he committed such an evil deed and his conscience is uneasy!"

"The Huang Family Village were bandits, weren't they? Killing them was fine... The Shu Mountain Sect standing up for a group of bandits... Hmm... But seeking vengeance for parents is understandable!"

"Pah! What do you know? The Huang Family Village were famous heroes in the Green Forest road. They mostly robbed wicked villains who were excessively wealthy, and unless the target was utterly depraved and unforgivable, they never killed. Even so, when robbing, they only took a portion, never everything! Who in the Dongzhou region doesn't know the name of the Huang Family Village? If not for that, how could the mountain bandits of Dongzhou look to the Huang Family Village as their leader, respecting the old Village Master's character?"

"Then why were they wiped out by the Thunder Sword Gate?" Most people present came from all directions and weren't clear on the details. Someone from Dongzhou whispered quietly, "It's said that the young master of the Thunder Sword Gate proposed marriage, was refused, and in his rage, committed this atrocity!" "The Thunder Sword Gate is truly that arrogant?"

"Yes! Morals are declining!"

"Damn it! Refused marriage and then massacred the whole family? Such villains deserve to be called righteous sects?"

These whispers started among a few people, slowly growing to thirteen or fourteen, and in moments, spread to three or five hundred mouths. Soon, the entire venue was buzzing with discussion, fingers constantly pointing at the Thunder Sword Gate members with expressions of disdain.

Indeed, many martial artists from Dongzhou had suffered bullying and suppression from the Thunder Sword Gate before. Seizing this opportunity, they naturally began to recount their grievances, sharing their tragic experiences, which drew waves of sympathy.

"Brother, don't worry. The Thunder Sword Gate commits many unjust acts; they will eventually face retribution! See, aren't the Shu Mountain Sect coming to stir up trouble for them now?" In just this short time, the Thunder Sword Gate had become a rat crossing the street, universally despised. The disciples of the Thunder Sword Gate, who were initially glaring at the pointing crowd, now hunched down like turtles under the chorus of curses. One even said to Lei Zhenshan, "Master, if we let them keep talking, our Thunder Sword Gate will be finished!"

If things continued this way, the Thunder Sword Gate might not need the Shu Mountain Sect to act; they would be ostracized by the jianghu on their own. Lei Zhenshan turned to look and saw Tianyi Zhenren and Abbot Huixin frowning and conferring, their gazes seemingly directed this way as well.

The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for the Thunder Sword Gate!