Five years felt like an eternity when one had tasks to complete, yet when the moment arrived, those five years seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye.

Ye Wen stood on the precipice of the Shu Mountain cliff, feeling the mountain wind sweep over him, bringing a refreshing clarity to his entire being. However, the thought of that final vital nexus within his body remaining stubbornly unbreached cast a slight shadow over his mood.

"Thank heavens I am still young... Junior Sister is only twenty-four, no need to rush, no need to rush."

By the standards of the current martial world, reaching the cusp of Innate Perfection before turning thirty marked him as a true prodigy. Furthermore, the prosperity of the Shu Mountain Sect and the heroic deeds performed by its disciples had brought him considerable renown; the title of Grandmaster had been affixed to his name long ago.

"Alas, a bachelor Grandmaster..." He had fully expected to cultivate his Innate Purple Qi to completion within five years, but affairs seldom unfold as one anticipates. This final barrier, Ye Wen could not discern what he was doing wrong; he could not grasp the key, nor could he force a breakthrough with his profound zhenjin (true energy).

But these five years were not wasted. Because his power had always been elevated through fortunate encounters, the internal energy within him was thinner than that of masters at the same level. During these five years, Ye Wen not only opened several more vital nexuses but also tempered his neili (internal force) until it became exceptionally dense and robust.

In essence, he was now truly a master approaching Innate Perfection; five years prior, though he had opened half the nexuses, his actual combat power was somewhat lower, save for the mystique of the Innate Purple Qi.

This should have been a cause for pride, but he reflected on the balance of gain and loss: to achieve such formidable combat strength, he remained a bachelor. His delicate Junior Sister and the incomparably delectable Hua Yi were within reach, yet tantalizingly untouchable.

Ye Wen had been counting on that Crimson Fruit to propel his cultivation to Innate Perfection, but that damned fruit matured agonizingly slowly. The last few green fruits stubbornly refused to drop, with only one ripening in the last year, showing no inclination to fall. The remaining ones hung firm, solid and unwilling to yield.

Even so, that Crimson Fruit had begun to blush red and emanated a subtle warmth. Ye Wen suspected that once fully ripe, an ordinary person couldn't even approach it. This suggested that while it was a supreme treasure and a profound tonic, not everyone could handle its potency.

A profound tonic often carried a profound poison. Consuming such supplements carelessly could be fatal. This realization gave Ye Wen a degree of caution regarding the fruit; he secretly wondered if, once it ripened and his cultivation deepened, he should even partake of it.

Moreover, much had transpired these past few years. The entire household of Minister Lin had been brutally massacred—dozens of souls slain overnight. Even the tavern belonging to that corpulent fellow, Li Xiaoyao, was not spared. Luckily, the fatty was shrewd enough to escape, fleeing the capital while protecting his cousin. However, Lin Pingzhi was already gravely wounded. He passed the long sword Ye Wen had gifted him to Li Xiaoyao, murmuring, "Avenge our entire family!" before breathing his last.

Li Xiaoyao, then only eighteen, fled to Pingzhou clutching the sword. Several black-clad pursuers who attempted to scale the mountain were swiftly dispatched by the numerous disciples guarding the gates using the True Martial Seven Interception Formation (Zhenwu Qijie Zhen), thus giving the sect's protective formation its first baptism of fire. It was also known that the perpetrators who wiped out the Lin family were members of the Demonic Cult. Minister Lin had been in charge of the Ministry of War. Under the current dynasty's system, while direct military command fell outside the Ministry of War's purview, all logistics and intelligence fell under its responsibility. In short, everything short of leading soldiers into battle was handled by Minister Lin.

Minister Lin had served diligently throughout his life. Upon receiving the Emperor’s decree, he made all necessary arrangements, even managing to uncover the main base of the Demonic Cult, which caused them considerable apprehension. Consequently, they spent years gradually infiltrating the capital with high-level experts, culminating in a single, devastating strike to eliminate this deep-seated threat.

As for Li Xiaoyao's family, they were completely caught in the crossfire, slaughtered simply for being related to the Lin family. Fortunately, the Demonic Cult experts sent were not their absolute top tier, which gave Lin Pingzhi and Li Xiaoyao a chance to slip away and escape the city. Lin Pingzhi originally intended to seek aid from the Five Cities Garrison or the Imperial Palace, but those directions were heavily guarded by experts; they would have been discovered before they could reach their destination, forcing them to flee elsewhere.

The brutal death of Minister Lin's entire family enraged the Court and the Emperor, especially as it happened under his very nose—an intolerable offense. Not only were all the Imperial Guard experts dispatched to hunt down these audacious rebels, but the court's enshrined masters (gongfeng) were also sent out. Furthermore, they sent urgent messages to the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Dao Sect, demanding the swift eradication of the Demonic Cult rebels. As for the location of the Demonic Cult’s main headquarters, Wei Hong had already informed both Chan Master Huixin and True Man Tianyi.

According to Wei Hong's plan, the most straightforward approach was a direct military invasion to wipe out the Cult. However, intelligence suggested that the Cult had established its headquarters on a secluded overseas island and maintained private armies across the Nine Provinces. For Wei Hong, resolving the ongoing rebellions took precedence, leaving the matter of the Demonic Cult to the martial arts world.

Seeing the fatty's haggard appearance and tattered clothes, and recognizing Ye Wen’s personal token, Ye Wen immediately accepted Li Xiaoyao into his fold, making him the sixth disciple under Ye Wen.

Three years had passed since then. Li Xiaoyao's progress in martial arts had been swift. More importantly, the fat man, who once weighed over 200 catties, had finally shed weight toward a normal physique. Though still somewhat round, he could finally be categorized within the standard range of a healthy weight. However, due to the tragedy of his family's slaughter, he maintained a grim expression constantly, making him difficult for ordinary people to approach, thus becoming one of the two 'Cold Faces' of the Shu Mountain Sect.

Additionally, Yue Ning had also grown into an adult, and Zhou Zhiruo had blossomed into a delicate young lady. Both had descended the mountain several times, carving out reputations through their chivalrous acts, becoming shining examples among the new generation of the martial world.

Naturally, admirers had emerged, particularly for Zhou Zhiruo, attracting those seeking marital ties with the Shu Mountain Sect. However, after inquiring about the girl's wishes, Ye Wen politely declined all proposals, citing, "Zhiruo is still too young."

The third disciple, Xu Ping, had already made a considerable name for himself in the jianghu. He spent most of his time below the mountain, making him a rare sight on the peaks. His title of 'Dual Sword Master' was even louder than those of his senior siblings. Aided by Green Fruits and the Cold Spring, his Pure Yang Limitless Art (Chunyang Wuji Gong) had propelled him into the Innate realm, but when—or if—he would advance further remained unknown.

Li Sen’s situation was considerably less stellar. His cultivation was stuck at a certain bottleneck, unable to advance further. Fortunately, martial arts were never his forte, so he focused entirely on managing the numerous affairs of the Shu Mountain Sect, effectively becoming the sect’s chief steward. All its enterprises relied on Li Sen’s administration and management.

He now carried the distinct air of a merchant, looking less and less like a martial artist. Fortunately, Ye Wen didn't mind this, offering only occasional reminders not to neglect his martial cultivation.

Simultaneously, Ye Wen's fifth disciple, Guo Jing, had surprisingly cultivated the Pure Yang Limitless Art to an impressive level, poised to breach the Innate threshold at any moment. This greatly astonished Ye Wen, especially since, after Ye Wen taught him portions of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms (Xianglong Shiba Zhang) he had intermittently acquired over the past five years, his combat strength likely rivaled that of masters newly entered into the Innate realm.

The frustrating part was that Ye Wen only possessed twelve forms of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, and he could grant Guo Jing a maximum of two at a time during summons; no more, no less. Reflecting, receiving palm techniques six times across sixty total summons over five years wasn't excessively unlucky.

Regarding the Six Meridians Divine Sword (Liumai Shenjian), Ye Wen had obtained the Middle Focus Sword (Zhongchong Jian). This technique, capable of killing with a mere flick of the middle finger, was observed by Ye Wen for its unique sword patterns and variations before he moved on. With the deepening of his internal energy from the Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword (Zixiao Longqi Jian), he held little true desire for the Six Meridians Divine Sword.

Beyond these, he had gathered miscellaneous items like the Ascending Dragon Fist (Shenglong Quan) and Diamond Stars, akin to the Seven-Colored Battle Qi (Qise Douqi) and Mount Lu Ascending Dragon Hegemon (Lushan Shenglong Ba). Once separated, he paid them no further mind. These techniques belonged to entirely different systems; he could only reference them for novel applications, but true cultivation was impossible. As for Ning Ruxue's disciple, Nangong Zixin, after four years of tutelage, she had inexplicably struck up a rapport with Xu Ping... Initially, she found Xu Ping utterly disagreeable, but now she followed him everywhere, refusing even her family's summons to return. This enraged Nangong Wentian, who cursed, "A daughter sent away is water spilled!"

Her martial art was the Little Formless Art (Xiao Wuxiang Gong) taught by Ning Ruxue, but lacking any real desire for martial pursuits, this profound technique felt like a terrible waste in her hands. Ning Ruxue was often furious at her lack of ambition and scolded her numerous times to no avail.

In truth, Nangong Zixin possessed considerable natural talent, but having been spoiled since childhood, her aversion to diligent practice, though somewhat tempered now, remained difficult to change. In the end, Ning Ruxue let her be. As long as Xu Ping was watching over her when she ventured out, nothing serious was likely to happen.

Ye Wen, especially, viewed the relationship between Xu Ping and Nangong Zixin with encouraging approval, even remarking, "Don't let the good fortune flow to outsiders!" which left Ning Ruxue feeling both exasperated and amused.

"What are you smiling at? Junior Sister, you didn't flow to an outsider either; you were secured by your own Senior Brother!"

"Hmph!"

Ning Ruxue had gradually grown accustomed to such teasing. As a result, she was no longer as demure as she once was, occasionally retorting and bantering with her Senior Brother—a pleasant seasoning to life.

As for Ning Ruxue's cultivation, her progress was nothing short of meteoric. She still had three vital nexuses in her extraordinary meridians yet to open, but the third to last one showed signs of yielding, suggesting another breakthrough was imminent.

Furthermore, Ning Ruxue's Azure Lotus Sword Song (Qinglian Jiange) was finally complete. Hua Yi offered suggestions based on her own prior practice, noting that the vibration of the sword energy could produce melodious sounds, manageable with precise control.

Ye Wen recalled the Azure Dragon's Hum (Qinglong Yin) from the Azure Dragon Society, suggesting that the pleasing melody should possess the effect of disrupting an opponent's mental state—even if it couldn't injure them, it should at least cause distraction. After several years of exploration and testing, a rudimentary form had taken shape, and Ning Ruxue could use fine control to ensure the singing did not affect allies.

"Lotus emerges, song takes form! Sword energy cleaves the void, one life is gone..."

Ye Wen's verse left everyone present sweating, and Ning Ruxue was distinctly displeased: "Senior Brother, what nonsense is that? It’s neither a poem nor a lyric!"

Xu Xian knew his Senior Brother was indulging his perverse humor, merely spouting nonsense, so he paid it little mind. Moreover, his lung ailment had finally healed, greatly lifting his spirits. The thought that he wouldn't have to cough constantly filled him with refreshment and ease of breathing.

However, in a moment of excitement over his Pure Yang Limitless Art, he had let his guard down slightly, and his cultivation had been surpassed by his Senior Sister. Although he also had three nexuses unopened, unlike Ning Ruxue, he showed no immediate signs of breaking through the next one.

He didn't care. He lived a comfortable life on the mountain, occasionally chatting with Huang Rongrong and teaching her poetry and literature—a subject Huang Rongrong had zero talent for yet insisted on learning. Fortunately, Xu Xian had ample time, and spending more moments with his intended future wife brought him joy.

As for his family? They no longer held hopes that this younger son would provide heirs for the Xu family. Everyone assumed that since Xu Xian had left home to become a Daoist, the betrothed woman was merely someone brought in to placate them.

Furthermore, Elder Xu suffered a fall that injured both his legs last year, dying shortly thereafter. His sudden passing left people little time to react. Without the Elder’s constant pressure, Xu Xian cared even less about his lifelong commitment.

Every time Ye Wen saw how unconcerned Xu Xian was, he sighed, "Why can't I achieve such equanimity?"

Lost in thought for a moment, he sensed someone approaching rapidly behind him using qinggong (light body technique). Ye Wen turned around: "Hua Yi, is it time for dinner? Time truly flies!"

He knew without looking that the person approaching was Hua Yi, the woman who was growing ever closer to him, her relationship resembling that of a master and a personal maid. Over the years, her allure had only deepened. The changes time etched upon her face were increasingly captivating, not fading.

"Master is hungry so early?" Hua Yi tilted her head in feigned surprise, her silken sash fluttering—truly not resembling an earthly woman. But everyone in the Shu Mountain Sect knew that Hua Yi's sash was a treasure few could ever hope to possess. The entire sash was woven from celestial silkworm silk, incomparably tough, capable of resisting even ordinary blades.

If one were to face Hua Yi, focusing only on her twin short swords would be disastrous; those two ribbons, hard as steel whips, would surely teach the aggressor a lesson. Moreover, Hua Yi’s Demonic Qi Field (Tianmo Qichang) was now used with consummate skill; an unguarded strike meant instant death.

Ye Wen had taken Hua Yi down the mountain several times over these years. Those blinded by lust who dared to harbor ill intentions towards her ended up with no survivors. Consequently, few people realized how formidable Hua Yi's martial arts had become.

Ye Wen jumped down from the massive boulder he favored most and asked, "Do we have a visitor?"

Hua Yi nodded, "The Jade Cave Sect's Nine Swords Immortal has arrived, wishing to see the Master. It seems to be something important!"

"Hmm? The Nine Swords Immortal?"

Since the grand gathering five years ago, he hadn't seen this foremost figure of the jianghu. To think that after several years, the Nine Swords Immortal had come directly to his doorstep today.

"Did she mention the nature of her business?"

Ye Wen felt a surge of curiosity. Logically, even if there were matters to discuss, she shouldn't have traveled personally to Shu Mountain. Moreover, the five-yearly Martial Arts Assembly was only a few months away; any discussion could wait until then.

As he pondered, he mused internally, "Could there be some change?"

If a genuine emergency had prompted the Nine Swords Immortal to make this journey, it must be an event of monumental importance. He genuinely couldn't imagine what could compel this supreme figure to act as a messenger. Even if the Demonic Cult formally declared war on the righteous path, it shouldn't require this legend to run errands.

"It's nothing specific, merely wishing to view the great hall of the Shu Mountain Sect..." The Nine Swords Immortal placed her tea cup down, her gaze sweeping across the main hall of the Shu Mountain Sect. "Master Ye, this main hall is constructed with remarkable grandeur. I hear when you first initiated its construction, the entire sect consisted only of yourself and your Junior Sister?"

Since the rise of the Shu Mountain Sect, Ye Wen’s prestige had swelled, and details about the sect were eagerly sought by many. Especially the fact that Ye Wen had single-handedly elevated a sect almost wiped out to its current scale—it earned widespread admiration. Even masters from major sects offered praise: "The foremost talent of the new generation of the martial world, the Gentleman Swordsman Ye Wen, holds the undisputed top position!"

The Nine Swords Immortal had initially suspected Ye Wen relied on some fortunate encounter, but observing this hall, rumored to be completed long ago, she understood that Ye Wen possessed immense ambition; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to build such a magnificent main hall when survival itself was uncertain.

"He is an extremely confident and highly ambitious young man!"

She made a mental note, then looked at Ye Wen a few more times, making him feel quite uneasy. He wondered what this old master’s true motive might be.

Thankfully, the Nine Swords Immortal withdrew her gaze after a moment, only asking verbally, "Master Ye’s cultivation, I presume, is close to the realm of Innate Perfection?" Ye Wen smiled: "Did Senior perceive it?"

The Nine Swords Immortal shook her head. "How can one truly discern a person's cultivation with a single glance? At best, one can make minor deductions based on bearing, demeanor, and movement. What I said was purely speculation!"

Ye Wen also sipped his tea, smiling, "Senior guesses quite accurately!" In any case, his cultivation was not something he needed to hide from the Nine Swords Immortal. Since he couldn't immediately discern her intentions, he decided to follow her lead.

The Nine Swords Immortal observed him again, then glanced at Hua Yi, who stood attentively by, waiting. She noticed that while Hua Yi’s movements retained faint echoes of Demonic Cult movement techniques, they now appeared far more ethereal and carried a touch of transcendent serenity. She must have learned some supreme technique from the Shu Mountain Sect; not only had her cultivation recovered, but it had advanced significantly.

"Master Ye's Shu Mountain Sect is truly extraordinary!"

On her way in, the Nine Swords Immortal had already discerned that the strength of the Shu Mountain Sect was hardly inferior to that of the great sects. The sect possessed top-tier combat power led by Ye Wen. Ye Wen's disciples were now beginning to show their brilliance, forming the backbone of the sect, supported by a large contingent of foundational disciples.

"It is truly difficult to imagine Master Ye accomplished this in less than ten years!" The number of outer sect disciples in Shu Mountain had grown immensely. The earliest batch had long since completed their training and could choose whether to stay or leave. While some remained on the mountain, most ventured out to make their own way, only returning occasionally for visits. Only now had the outer sect of Shu Mountain truly formed a complete, self-sustaining cycle.

However, this seemed to have little to do with the Nine Swords Immortal. Ye Wen found her pronouncements fragmented and became increasingly perplexed, until her next sentence finally made sense to him.

"Master Ye, are you interested in sparring with this old one again?"