As Chan Master Huixin threaded his way through the woods, the Maiden Ye remained silent, but the old monk could not stop chattering. "That display just now, Sect Leader Ye's technique of condensing qi into a sword and controlling it in mid-air—it was utterly magnificent, yet overwhelmingly powerful!" The old monk had seen clearly, without missing a single detail, how Ye Wen had used sword control against Dongfang Sheng just moments ago. Although the purple sword, formed from his pure inner force, appeared ordinary—perhaps even less sharp than some genuine treasured blades—its movement revealed its true menace.

This purple sword was condensed from Ye Wen's true qi. And what was Ye Wen most famous for? Naturally, the sword energy of his Zixiao Dragon Qi Sword.

A sword formed from the essence of this sword energy would inherently carry its characteristics, making it even more elusive. Firstly, the sword energy of this purple qi sword could be held back, undischarged. An unfamiliar observer would surely underestimate it at first glance.

But only when they were close would the surging sword energy contained within erupt suddenly. The old monk reckoned that even he, with the defense of the Arhat Body, a divine technique of the Chan Sect, would suffer greatly if struck by such an unexpected blast. For anyone else, the outcome was uncertain.

Furthermore, how the sword energy within the purple sword erupted was entirely at Ye Wen's discretion. If that sword energy carried further variations, wouldn't it become even harder to defend against? It had to be said that Chan Master Huixin was indeed a master of martial arts with extraordinary insight.

Although he did not know that Ye Wen’s Zixiao Dragon Qi Sword had already developed numerous variations, he could generally surmise them, even imagining that any new developments Ye Wen might research could be applied to this purple qi sword. Considering this, Ye Wen had clearly shown restraint during his exchange with Dongfang Sheng. If he had unleashed the vibrating sword energy, or even if the purple sword had released two streams of sword energy to employ spiral force, it would have been no different from a massive drill under his command.

In such a scenario, even a slight graze would result in grievous injury, let alone a direct hit. "A mere trivial skill, making Master laugh!" Although Ye Wen felt immensely pleased internally, he maintained a degree of modesty in his words. This was not pretense, but understanding that the man beside him was also a leading expert.

When one praises an exquisite technique, the compliment might not always be sincere; it could merely be customary courtesy. Yet, he did not realize how miraculous his technique of condensing qi into a sword—this 'art of controlling a sword from afar'—truly was. To these figures of the Jianghu, it bordered on divine skill, especially the manner of its execution, which opened the old monk's eyes.

He mused, Can this distant kinetic energy truly be utilized in such a way? Especially since he could not discern the connection between Ye Wen and the qi-condensed purple sword, his admiration deepened: "Sect Leader Ye is young, yet a rare genius in martial arts, capable of creating such a marvelous technique!" The old monk stood a bit distant, unaware that Ye Wen required a connection through his field of energy (qi field) to control the detached true qi. If the flying sword shot too far, outside the range of the qi field, Ye Wen would lose control.

Fortunately, the range of this field was not small. If Ye Wen intentionally sacrificed the effect of influencing his opponent, focusing only on maintaining the link with the flying sword, he could expand the qi field to a radius of nearly ten zhang centered on himself. Of course, to retain the original effect, the radius was much smaller, barely reaching a single zhang at its limit.

"Sect Leader Ye is too modest. With the mastery of such a divine skill, it won't be long before the title of 'Sword Immortal' is conferred upon you!" The Nine Sword Immortal earned that elegant sobriquet due to his sword-controlling methods, acclaimed by everyone in the martial world. Now, Ye Wen had created an astonishing technique, no less marvelous than the Nine Sword Immortal’s control over nine long swords, and arguably much more formidable in power.

Earning the title of Sword Immortal would not be an overstatement. As for why not titles like Sword God or Sword Saint, the martial world believed those titles were reserved for those whose swordsmanship had reached the absolute pinnacle. However, the title of Sword Immortal was vastly different: unless one's swordplay was as miraculous as an immortal's, anyone acquiring such a title without merit would only invite endless trouble.

Ye Wen had once been called Sword Immortal by ordinary folk after remotely recalling his sword, and at that time, he absolutely refused to accept it, holding precisely that consideration in mind. But now that Master Huixin mentioned it, he felt accepting the title might not be so bad. "At least I can finally shed the name 'Gentleman Sword'!" Emerging from the woods onto a main road, Ye Wen finally regained his sense of direction.

It turned out the forest he had traversed was the same one lining the road leading to the Chan Sect temple. But while he was inside, looking up, he had only seen towering trees, making it impossible to discern direction, hence his confusion. Of course, with his lightness skill, he could have picked a direction, rushed forward for a while, and exited the woods to find his location, but that seemed utterly foolish, especially since he then encountered Chan Master Huixin, a most suitable guide.

Changing direction, Ye Wen suddenly recalled: "Dongfang Sheng was injured in the leg. Since Master was worried about him, why not send him straight back up the mountain instead of seeking me out?" Master Huixin smiled, "Dongfang Sheng probably didn't want his current state to be witnessed. Why should this old monk show up to invite scorn!" Ye Wen inwardly clicked his tongue, thinking, This old monk's mind works fast; no wonder he holds the position of Chan Sect Abbot!

Dongfang Sheng clearly did not wish for others to see his secret. Summoning Ye Wen and revealing his secret was likely intended to gauge a look of disgust on Ye Wen's face, providing a pretext for an attack, forcing Ye Wen to counter, allowing Dongfang Sheng to conveniently die by his hand. As for the trouble this might bring to the Azure Dragon Society or the Shu Mountain Sect later, did such things matter to a man seeking death?

Moreover, why Dongfang Sheng chose him specifically? Perhaps there was no specific reason; he simply happened to intercept Ye Wen as he and Master Huixin were searching for Yu Qingzi. However, Dongfang Sheng hadn't anticipated Ye Wen would hold back and spare his life, not even questioning him, but simply turning and leaving.

This left him both frustrated and helpless, yet somewhat relieved that no one truly wished to die; otherwise, Dongfang Sheng might not have survived even the agony of his feigned death, instead perishing in endless torment. Returning to the courtyard of the meditation rooms, the moment Ye Wen stepped in, the figures of Ning Ruxue and Huayi greeted his sight. Seeing their worried expressions, Ye Wen immediately smiled, "Oh my?

Waiting up for me? Is it really necessary?" Ning Ruxue’s worried face instantly stiffened as her senior brother returned with such flippancy. The incipient tears of excitement she was about to shed were abruptly held back: "Senior Brother is as unserious as ever!" But then she noticed Ye Wen was only wearing an inner garment; his outer robe was gone.

She immediately asked, "Where is your long robe?" Ye Wen glanced at himself and smiled, "It got snagged and torn while scrambling through the woods just now, so I tossed it aside!" "How could you be so careless?" Ning Ruxue first chided him, but then realized something was amiss. Though she didn't know the exact extent of her senior brother's cultivation, his lightness skill was certainly not weak. How could he have torn his clothes?

Just as she was about to question him, Ye Wen, noticing the doubt on her face, anticipated her query. "Just now I compared lightness skills with Brother Dongfang, and…" As these words left his mouth, Huayi suddenly interjected, "Is Dongfang Sheng's lightness skill that formidable?" During this time, Ning Ruxue had already told Huayi about Dongfang Sheng, meticulously detailing the Phoenix Nirvana Art. Only then did Huayi understand why Dongfang Sheng, despite having the appearance and demeanor of a woman, was introduced by his father, Dongfang Yi, as his son.

It turned out this was caused by such an unorthodox technique. Now hearing Ye Wen mention it, although the depth of Dongfang Sheng's skill was unknown, his lightness skill was certainly impressive enough to force Ye Wen into such a ragged state. "Yes, very strong.

Even giving my all, I couldn't keep up with him!" This statement brought surprise to Ning Ruxue's face, but even greater shock to Huayi. If Ning Ruxue wasn't entirely sure of Ye Wen's lightness skill level, Huayi was far clearer on the matter. She distinctly remembered that when she first began cultivating the Heavenly Demon Art, no matter how she tried to evade, she couldn't escape that master's opportunistic hands.

Later, even after mastering the Heavenly Demon Art and further advancing her lightness skill, Ye Wen could still take liberties if she was caught off guard. This proved Ye Wen's palm techniques were exquisite, and his lightness skill was no weaker than hers. Huayi had always been extremely confident in her own lightness skill; the fact that Ye Wen, who could catch her, couldn't catch Dongfang Sheng, spoke volumes about Dongfang Sheng's prowess.

Ye Wen rubbed his nose: "Moreover, as he sped through the trees, he didn't touch a single branch or leaf, yet I struggled to follow behind and even ruined my clothes!" This was pure fabrication. First, Ye Wen hadn't exerted his full strength, and second, his clothes weren't actually ruined. But explaining that would lead to further questions, so a few vague words to gloss over it was simpler.

In his estimation, given the current circumstances, neither woman would bother running over to Dongfang Sheng to confirm. After reassuring the two women, Ye Wen retired to his room. It was already late into the night; everyone else was fast asleep.

The entire temple was silent, save for the barely audible footsteps of a few patrolling monks. At that moment, a young novice monk turned a corner and suddenly felt a faint whoosh of air above his head. He looked up, but saw nothing except a large, round moon hanging high in the sky.

"The moon is so round tonight!" the novice remarked, before continuing his patrol. He failed to notice a small patch of bluish-purple clothing slightly exposed in the blind spot he had just looked toward. Dongfang Sheng coldly watched the young monk move away, simultaneously pressing a wound on his leg that was deep enough to expose bone.

If not for this injury, how could a mere novice have noticed anything amiss? He felt a slight discomfort but no anger, pulling his outer robe tighter before leaping away, returning to the meditation courtyard occupied by the Azure Dragon Society. Unexpectedly, due to severe blood loss, his mind was slightly hazy, and he failed to notice a person standing near the bushes in the courtyard.

The moment he landed, the person who had been draining water suddenly cried out, "Who's there?" Dongfang Sheng turned his head. Illuminated by the bright moonlight, his features were revealed. He also clearly saw that the person lurking by the bushes was merely a menial servant accompanying them.

"Se... Second Young Master?" Dongfang Sheng's current appearance filled the servant with terror and shock. They had witnessed the gradual change in the Second Young Master’s appearance over the past two years, especially the increasingly feminine movements and actions, which had fueled much suspicion and private gossip among them.

However, in his presence, they maintained their respectful demeanor. The servant, realizing it was his Second Young Master, immediately bowed respectfully, "Where has Second Young Master gone so late? And why is your..." He glanced up and down, noticing that the Second Young Master's clothes barely covered him, revealing a slight hint of his shoulder and a glimpse of his calf.

Although wrapped tightly in a long robe, it gave the impression of wearing almost nothing. "This... this..." Such an appearance was certainly conducive to wild speculation.

Furthermore, Dongfang Sheng’s disheveled hair only added to the awkwardness. As a mere servant, he could only stammer open-mouthed before hearing his Second Young Master say, in a slightly weak voice: "... If you speak of what you saw today, watch your life!" Then he watched the Second Young Master limp back to his room and close the door.

Thump! The servant swallowed hard, but his mind raced, wondering where on earth the Second Young Master had been so late, and looking like that? Due to the angle, he hadn't seen the terrifying gash on Dongfang Sheng's right calf.

But while he missed it, another person saw it. This figure waited until the servant had also returned to his room to rest before emerging from a corner. Smiling, the figure murmured, "Heh heh, Master indeed didn't speak the whole truth!" The person glanced around, saw no one else, and immediately utilized lightness skill, vanishing in a flash.

Little did she know that an old monk was seated at a higher vantage point, observing these comings and goings. He then glanced at the unsuspecting night-patrolling monks scattered around and sighed, "Alas! This temple is turning into an outsider's backyard!" After a moment's thought, however, he conceded that since their cultivation levels were high, it was truly difficult for ordinary martial monks to discover them.

With a sigh, he descended and returned to his own meditation room. In the following days, Ye Wen did not see Dongfang Sheng again, nor did he see anyone from the other sects. It wasn't until Nangong Wentian and Nangong Tinghai came to bid farewell that he learned the current situation of the other major sects and aristocratic families.

The Tianshan Sect had all left the mountain, and they had departed very early—almost immediately after Ye Wen’s competition concluded. This group descended under the cover of night, heading straight back to Tianshan. The official reason given was to return early to coordinate with the other sects.

No one found this suspicious; only Chan Master Huixin and Ye Wen knew that Zheng Ting was afraid that if Ye Wen’s condition were discovered, the fact that he cultivated the Profound Ice Separating Fire Demonic Art would be exposed to the righteous heroes. Whether it was exposed or not, leaving early was the correct choice. If exposed, the Tianshan Sect, already departed, wouldn't have to fear being surrounded and attacked on foreign soil.

If it remained hidden, it was even better! They could return, prepare, and wait for Ye Wen to grow progressively weaker until his death. Zheng Ting was extremely confident in the hidden strike he had dealt, certain Ye Wen was doomed.

He was unaware that Ye Wen had long since neutralized that hidden energy, while simultaneously mapping out the scope and depth of Zheng Ting's cultivation technique—it was barely past the introductory stage. The Northern Sword Sect, being closer to the Chan Sect, was not in a hurry to leave and remained lodged in the temple. Moreover, Ximen Cuixue had not left either.

Ye Wen hadn't caught sight of this Ximen family head during these days and had assumed he had left long ago. "Cuixue is fine in every aspect, except for his stubbornness regarding the position of the North City Gate Master!" Upon hearing this, Ye Wen knew Ximen Cuixue still had some entanglement with Yan of the North City Gate. He mused internally, Do such seemingly unrestrained men all have a preference for strong women?

Is this an attraction of opposites? Yet, outwardly, he continued discussing Nangong Zixin and Nangong Huang's situation with the Nangong brothers. "Huang'er's progress in martial arts is quite fast.

I imagine it won't be long before my junior brother has nothing more to teach him!" Hearing others praise his son, Nangong Tinghai’s mouth stretched to his ears with paternal pride. Although he knew Ye Wen’s words were likely meant to flatter, Nangong Tinghai found them incredibly pleasant to hear and let out a burst of meaningless, foolish laughter: "Hehehehe!" What father wouldn't wish for his son to excel? Moreover, his son's master was Xu Xian, the famous great scholar of the age, and one of the top martial artists among the younger generation in the Jianghu.

He had initially hoped his son would learn enough to protect himself, but he never expected his son to be so promising, learning nearly everything Xu Xian possessed. "For now, Huang'er just lacks some refinement and experience. After a few more years of tempering, he will surely be one of the foremost experts among the younger generation in the current Jianghu!" As he finished speaking, Ye Wen glanced around, seeing no outsiders, and began: "For the upcoming siege against the Demonic Cult, this Ye does not wish for that girl Zixin to go.

I plan to take Huang'er instead. I wonder about your views, sirs..." The father of these two disciples sat right before him, and he was a figure of some standing in the Jianghu. To take their child to a dangerous place to fight was certainly a matter requiring prior consultation.

Upon hearing this, Nangong Tinghai's expression shifted. His face cycled through various changes so rapidly that Ye Wen watched, impressed. Nangong Wentian intended to speak, but found himself unable to articulate a response, so he could only wait for his brother to make a decision.

Nangong Tinghai let out a long sigh and said, "Since he entered the Jianghu, it is hard to remain detached, isn't it? Even if I protect Huang'er this time, what about the future? How many times can I protect him?

The child must gain experience; let it be decided then!" Hearing this, Ye Wen felt immense admiration for Nangong Tinghai. Everyone knew these theories, everyone could speak them, but how many could truly execute them? Just as he was thinking this, Nangong Wentian spoke up: "Tinghai speaks rightly.

These youngsters must grow up sooner or later. This time, I will take Feng'er along as well; consider it a form of tempering!"

For more novels, visit storyread.net.