The days passed quickly, and Xu Xian’s plan to resign his post by feigning illness went smoothly. The envoy sent by the Prefect took one look at Xu Xian’s complexion and left immediately without asking a single question.

The diagnoses from several doctors only confirmed his suspicions. This elder brother, after glancing at the mountain, didn't even eat lunch before quickly descending the mountain and departing.

Vaguely, Ye Wen overheard the man muttering, “I thought I might curry favor with the new top scholar… who knew he was just a dying consumptive! Such bad luck; I hope he doesn't infect me…”

The rest of the words were lost as the man moved farther away, his voice naturally not loud to begin with, but these few sentences were enough for Ye Wen to know that Xu Xian’s path in officialdom had reached its end.

Once everyone had left Mount Shu, Xu Xian, one of the most senior figures in the Shu Mountain Sect, immediately sprang from his bed. He then circulated the Supreme Pure Yang Art, eliminating a portion of the cold energy that he had been suppressing, and his complexion instantly improved significantly.

When Ye Wen returned, he saw Xu Xian cultivating to expel the cold energy. He didn’t interfere, as by this point, everyone on Mount Shu who was close to Xu Xian knew he was faking his illness. They had simply learned through different channels. Casually peeling an orange for himself, Ye Wen inwardly sighed, “No more fruit to eat later…” Ning Ruxue had deduced it from Ye Wen’s perpetually carefree and unconcerned demeanor, and Hua Yi was much the same. It could only be said that Xu Xian’s performance was spot on; Ye Wen’s acting left much to be desired.

Huang Rongrong’s cultivation method shared the same origin as Xu Xian’s, so she never believed that Xu Xian would be afflicted by the cold energy.

One might say that Ning Ruxue, never having truly practiced the Supreme Pure Yang Art, might have believed it. But how could Huang Rongrong not know? Moreover, when she practiced the Unique Sovereign Art of the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies, she had experienced the might of Xu Xian’s pure yang true qi many times, so she was even less likely to believe it. She only needed to ask a few questions to understand that Xu Xian was using this as an excuse to resign.

None of the other disciples were told directly, but they all harbored some suspicion. The smarter ones mostly knew the truth but simply didn’t say it aloud.

Perhaps the only person who truly believed their Martial Uncle was gravely ill was Guo Jing. He would occasionally bring things to his Martial Uncle, which significantly improved Xu Xian’s impression of the simple-minded fellow. Knowing that Guo Jing had obtained the formulas for the Boundless Pure Yang Art, Xu Xian would occasionally offer him pointers, enabling the boy to avoid some detours.

A month later, not only had the imperial court’s reply arrived, but the Shu Mountain Sect’s annual grand competition had also concluded. As Ye Wen had predicted, there were no exceptionally outstanding disciples this time. The top spot was awarded to a disciple who had merely received the ‘Returning Wind and Descending Goose Sword Technique’ from Ye Wen. How much progress the disciple would make depended entirely on his own comprehension—this was the biggest difference between outer disciples and direct disciples.

Once these matters were settled, the birthdays of Ning Ruxue and Ye Wen passed one after the other. Neither made a fuss; a simple dinner with those close to them sufficed to mark the occasion.

A winter passed by in this quiet rhythm. During this winter, Mount Shu did almost nothing. Ye Wen simply stayed on the mountain, cultivating honestly, occasionally strolling around the mountain with Ning Ruxue, chatting, teaching his disciples, and playing pranks from time to time.

For example, teaching Liu Muyan to draw four-panel comics, or having Guo Jing practice the Lushan Dragon Ascension Blast—though the lack of a suitable waterfall on Mount Shu meant a proper training ground was unavailable.

Of course, these were merely jokes indulged in during leisure, done for a laugh and then dropped. He would also instruct them that these were just for relaxing the mind and should not be taken seriously, lest they ruin their disciples and have no one to cry to.

As for Yue Ning, he was currently focusing intensely on cultivating the Violet Gong (Zixia Gong). He had already crossed the threshold and managed to cultivate a trace of Violet True Qi. This level of progress startled even Ye Wen, who inwardly noted that his disciple had excellent talent in Qi cultivation. It seemed that with diligent practice, achieving the Innate Violet Qi in the future would not be difficult.

Zhou Zhiruo had grown a bit older, and since girls mature early, she was gradually taking on an adult appearance, her height having shot up considerably. Her final height would likely be set within another year or two.

Xu Ping’s blade and sword techniques were entering their final stages: the Profound Mystery Saber Technique, the Blood Saber Technique, and the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber, all integrated with the existing Shu Mountain sword arts to forge the Yin-Yang Reversal Blade Technique—a method undoubtedly more potent than the original versions. Ye Wen was now quite curious to see what heights Xu Ping would ultimately reach.

Liu Muyan continued to practice the Complete Heart True Formula, while Guo Jing had already begun to touch the threshold of the Boundless Pure Yang Art. This lad was pure of heart, perhaps making him the most suitable candidate for cultivating this internal art. Many initial hurdles proved to be no obstacles for him; he practiced without even realizing the difficulties that others faced.

“Everyone has their own destiny!” Seeing that this disciple required no guidance from him, Ye Wen could only sigh in emotion and let him cultivate freely.

As for himself, Ye Wen was becoming increasingly proficient with the Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring. After several months of experimentation—even recruiting Xu Xian as a sparring partner for practice drills (he dared not practice with Ning Ruxue, as her first move was often lethal)—he thoroughly tested the Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring.

He finally discovered that the normal output of his purple lotus qi was weaker than the original version. Lacking the scorching heat that could sear an opponent's meridians, Ye Wen’s lotus energy output was comparable to a standard strike condensed with various true qi. It was even less domineering than the move he had devised himself, the Purple Qi Arriving from the East.

However, the Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring had greater sustained power than Purple Qi Arriving from the East, making it suitable for continuous engagement in sparring. Unlike Purple Qi Arriving from the East, even relying on the marvel of his Innate Violet Qi, he needed a few seconds to recover after deploying it.

Furthermore, his purple lotus transformations were quite variable, and the underlying force could be slightly adjusted. Thus, although it was not as fiercely dominant as the original, its overall destructive power was not necessarily much inferior.

More interestingly, one month ago, a fellow martial artist, perhaps having some acquaintance with Liu Qingfeng of Tiger Mountain Sect, arrived seeking Ye Wen’s help for internal injuries, carrying a letter of introduction from Liu Qingfeng. Ye Wen casually shot out a lotus flower, placing it above the man’s Baihui acupoint. The purple lotus then spun, its energy entering from the top. By the time the lotus shrank and vanished completely, the man’s internal injuries were mostly healed; he only needed self-regulation to fully recover.

“What the—a healing technique! And one with sustained recovery!”

Ye Wen had merely been testing it out casually and hadn't expected such a miraculous effect. He had been guarding nearby, so no accident could occur. It seemed his lotus flower could not only injure but also heal.

“Forget Holy Light Technique, Holy Healing Technique, or Rejuvenation Technique—once this Sect Leader’s purple lotus emerges, any negative status effect vanishes instantly!”

He inwardly reveled in his success, smiling as he accepted the man’s thanks before finally asking, “How is Daoist Master Liu these days?”

In truth, Liu Qingfeng’s letter didn't contain much information. It merely stated that the current recipient had a past acquaintance with him and had shown him some kindness. Now that the man was injured and Liu Qingfeng was powerless to help, he could only direct him to Ye Wen.

The Tiger Mountain Sect had heard about the events at the martial arts tournament. Liu Qingfeng’s senior martial brother, Zhao Mingyue, deeply regretted his previous rash decision, which resulted in the current relationship between the two sects being far less cordial than before. Fortunately, Liu Qingfeng and Ye Wen had some connection, so the Shu Mountain Sect hadn't bothered the Tiger Mountain Sect. At most, they would just be more polite when interacting with Shu Mountain Sect in the future.

After the Shu Mountain Sect gained renown in the martial world, the disciples of Tiger Mountain Sect didn't think much of it, believing their new neighbor had just gotten lucky. However, Zhao Mingyue knew that Ye Wen could steal the spotlight at the tournament only because his martial arts were formidable. Furthermore, Ye Wen had fought the leader of the Tianle Gang to a draw. Zhao Mingyue wasn't arrogant enough to believe he possessed such strength.

But regret was too late now. Coincidentally, an old acquaintance of Liu Qingfeng sought his help, and Zhao Mingyue couldn't help but offer a few pointed hints. Liu Qingfeng, unwilling to lose face, was forced to write the letter asking the man to seek out Ye Wen; otherwise, Liu Qingfeng might not have written it at all.

These matters were vaguely mentioned in the letter. Ye Wen understood that the old Daoist was in a somewhat awkward position between two parties. Considering the old man wasn't inherently evil, and his senior brother's thinking wasn't entirely wrong—at least the Tiger Mountain Sect hadn't done anything truly detrimental to Shu Mountain—Ye Wen wrote a letter while chatting with the recipient, asking him to deliver it back to Liu Qingfeng. Besides that, there was another letter for the leader of the Tiger Mountain Sect. The content was nothing unusual, merely stating that there was no feud between the two families; they once held some friendship, and now that the Tianle Gang was destroyed, the two sects should work together to support the martial world of Ping Province.

The words in the letter were neither subservient nor overbearing. After reading it twice, Ye Wen sealed the letter and handed it to the man.

Having just received the great favor of being saved by Ye Wen, the man naturally did not refuse, especially since it was just delivering a letter. He readily agreed, without even mentioning that his hometown was in the opposite direction, meaning a trip to Tiger Mountain would be a major detour.

Simultaneously, Ye Wen hadn't anticipated that casually striking out a purple lotus would heal the man. Because the man took a long detour and spread the word, this incident inadvertently boosted the reputation of the Shu Mountain Sect and himself.

First, people praised the marvel of his divine skill, saying that even when treating injuries, he could easily heal them with a mere wave of his hand.

Second, they praised his righteousness and helpfulness, noting his extreme courtesy toward a nameless commoner. Unless seen firsthand, it was hard to believe such a renowned master in the martial world would be so polite to a nobody.

“Sect Leader Ye truly lives up to the name of a gentleman!”

This sentiment traveled throughout Ping Province over the next few days and became even more pronounced after several other people shamelessly sought help from Mount Shu.

In reality, the matters these people came to settle were not major ones. Although Ye Wen met them, it was mostly the disciples like Xu Ping and Zhou Ding who were sent to resolve the issues. This somewhat helped build a name for the many disciples of the Shu Mountain Sect.

However, since these visitors were always met by Ye Wen personally, coupled with the recent widespread rumors about Ye Wen's profound martial prowess, the fact that such a master would personally see them was considered a rare treat, leading to even more praise. Then, Xu Ping and the others proved themselves worthy; whenever they were sent out, they managed to resolve the situation successfully, further strengthening the prestige of the Shu Mountain Sect.

After the New Year, the number of guests on Mount Shu gradually increased. Some people were just passing through but still made a point to climb the mountain for a visit. Ye Wen endured this patiently; he met every guest who came. He wasn't fond of these formalities, but he knew that the Shu Mountain Sect had risen too quickly, and many people had only heard of them without ever seeing their leader. They might harbor doubts or even a hint of disdain. Ye Wen showing his face helped solidify the sect’s reputation.

Moreover, meeting people all day long was helping Ye Wen weave a vast network of relationships for the Shu Mountain Sect—many traditional major sects owe their enduring stability in the martial world to such extensive networks! Take the Thunder Sword Sect, for instance; they rampaged unchecked in East Province only because of the network they had cultivated over many years. If not for the incident involving Huang Rongrong, that sect would not have vanished overnight.

After a full day of business, Ye Wen returned to his courtyard and sat down, where Hua Yi immediately used a fine cloth to wipe the sweat from his brow. “Master is tired again today!”

Having spent so much time together, Hua Yi’s disposition had gradually returned to normal, no longer as constrained as before. This was also what Ye Wen desired. Perhaps he felt that this was the true Hua Yi; if she were as rigidly proper as the others, he might as well have bought a maid—obedient, honest, and capable of everything. She was certainly better than Hua Yi, who could manage to prick her finger eleven times while mending a piece of clothing.

Still, small tasks like wiping sweat were perfectly appropriate, and having such a maid accompanying him was incredibly impressive. On a few occasions, when some young heroes passing through Ping Province stopped by Mount Shu for a visit, their eyes nearly popped out when they saw Hua Yi. Especially the looks on their faces when Hua Yi stated she was Sect Leader Ye’s maid—Ye Wen always felt an urge to laugh thinking about it.

Feeling the handkerchief gently wipe the sweat from his forehead and carry a faint fragrance, Ye Wen felt that this was the life he wanted. For a moment, he experienced the illusion of living the happy life of a man busy with work by day, returning home to be served by his lovely wives and concubines.

But the moment he opened his eyes, Ning Ruxue’s almost fiery gaze, returning from her cultivation, snapped him back to reality.

“Martial Sister is back!” Ning Ruxue replied with a noncommittal grunt before heading to her room to change. Seeing Ye Wen’s awkwardness, Hua Yi covered her mouth with a laugh, said, “This servant will go assist Madam in changing!” and quickly disappeared.

“The goal of having lovely wives and concubines seems harder to achieve than expected!”

Just as he was lamenting this, Xu Xian walked in, holding a red lotus flower in his palm, grinning happily at Ye Wen. “Martial Brother, I finally succeeded!” Seeing the lotus flower in Xu Xian’s hand, Ye Wen offered his congratulations, recalling that he had thought this junior brother, given his aptitude, would master this skill with ease. Who knew it took him several months of practice before he finally managed to condense the lotus energy successfully today.

“What is the effect?” Although he had succeeded, Ye Wen was curious if the lotus energy Xu Xian emitted had any unique characteristics.

Xu Xian shook his head. “It’s similar to what you described before, Martial Brother. Rongrong tried one move, and after that lotus energy entered her body, she only felt unbearable heat and searing pain in her meridians.” Ye Wen pondered for a moment and concluded, “Perhaps your internal energy route inherently aligns with the path of the Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring, so the lotus energy you unleash most closely resembles its original effect!”

Xu Xian agreed, feeling this was the case. He was a bit dejected that his lotus energy held no special trait, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He casually drew his long sword. “By the way, Martial Brother, look at this!” Before Ye Wen could ask what he wanted to see, Xu Xian shook his sword several times, and then seven or eight red lotuses appeared, flying toward Ye Wen. They not only carried a slight heat but also a discernible edge of sharpness, like blades.

“Using the Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring through a sword technique?” Ye Wen finally understood why Xu Xian had spent so long learning the skill—it turned out his junior brother wanted to integrate this skill into his swordsmanship, which explained the prolonged effort.

Flipping his palm, Ye Wen unleashed a rapid series of strikes, sending out seven or eight purple lotus flowers in response. Moreover, each of his seven or eight lotuses carried a different force. When they collided with Xu Xian’s red lotuses, some instantly dissipated into the air along with the purple lotuses; others suddenly veered off to the side; still others pushed against the purple lotuses for a short distance, slowing down until they vanished, while the purple lotuses continued their flight, albeit depleted, before finally disappearing.

The seven or eight streams of lotus energy, each distinct, showcased the marvelous nature of Ye Wen’s cultivation. Furthermore, his internal energy inherently surpassed Xu Xian’s. One strike was pure brute force, directly crushing the red lotuses into fragments before continuing toward Xu Xian, forcing Xu Xian to block with his sword, which vibrated incessantly, emitting a long hum.

“Martial Brother’s skill seems to have improved again!” Ye Wen smiled and remained silent. Although his internal energy couldn't increase much further during this period, constantly pondering the use of the Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring had led him to discover many clever applications for his internal force. Moreover, his Innate Violet Qi was inherently balanced and peaceful, allowing him to deploy forces of both hardness and softness, making his techniques complex and taxing for an opponent to counter. He had indeed become slightly stronger.

“Junior Brother, watch this move next!”

As soon as Ye Wen finished speaking, without moving his body, a thin layer of purple qi suddenly flashed out from him, expanding like a bubble. Xu Xian was initially on high alert, but as the protective field grew wider—eventually encompassing a radius of about two zhang (about 6.6 meters)—even he was enveloped. When the thin purple qi slid over his body, it caused no harm, which confused Xu Xian.

“What is this?” But as soon as he spoke, he realized something was wrong. He felt as if his entire body was being entangled by something. Lifting his arm or raising his leg required slightly more effort. Although the restraint was subtle, in a life-or-death struggle, even this minor difference could be fatal.

Sensing the entanglement, Xu Xian immediately understood the nature of the move: “Violet Qi Heavenly Net?” Ye Wen nodded, simultaneously retracting his power and sighing, “It’s a pity it’s only in its nascent form. If I could maintain this field for a long time, then it would be considered perfected!”