Lining up their formation, standing at the ready, just as Ye Wen finished his preparations, a contingent of figures materialized at the mountain gate. Among them, one individual leaped directly atop the gate, hurtling toward the plaque bearing the Shu Shan Sect’s name, laughing, "Destroy that plaque first!" "How audacious!"

Unexpectedly, just as this person reached mid-air, a figure abruptly manifested in the space that had been utterly empty moments before.

This newcomer possessed lips like crimson petals and teeth like polished jade; his features were exquisitely handsome, resembling an unparalleled beauty. Even with a menacing aura clouding his face now, one could not help but find him devastatingly beautiful. However, upon closer inspection, a distinct Adam’s apple could be discerned on his neck—he was clearly a man. Seeing this, the man sneered, "Well, well, what handsome little fellow has sprung up here? You are so fetching, why not yield to me, and I might spare your young life!"

Little did he know that calamity follows ill-spoken words. Before the sentence was even finished, a flash of sword light erupted before his eyes. Then, he felt his entire body become strangely light, as if ascending to the heavens. He felt himself spinning endlessly, so much so that his head swam. Yet, this dizziness lasted only a moment; then, the world went black, and he knew nothing more.

While he remained confused about what had happened, the crowd below saw it with perfect clarity. The man had barely leaped into the air when a figure suddenly appeared. Then, one of their own spoke a few words, immediately followed by his head being cleanly severed. It spun several times in the air before landing by his own feet. Compared to the head, the body had long since tumbled to the ground with a dull thud, convulsing relentlessly.

Looking up again, the figure was now gone. Peering toward the interior, one could faintly see a handsome young man standing at the entrance of the main hall, meticulously wiping blood from his sword with a handkerchief. Just one look confirmed that this was the person who had struck. Yet, this young man had moved in and out in the mere span of a breath, and his first move resulted in the instant death of one of their own.

The fellow who had intended to destroy the Shu Shan Sect’s plaque was, in fact, the scout for this invading group. Due to his superior lightness skill (Qinggong), he had been responsible for scouting the path ahead. No one expected that upon reaching the Shu Shan Sect, he would lose his head upon the very first encounter.

"This Shu Shan Sect... indeed possesses some skill! No wonder they dare to oppose our Holy Cult with such arrogance!"

Over there, Xu Xian, basking in the reverent gazes of his sect's disciples, finished cleaning his longsword and murmured quietly to Ye Wen, "If these people only possess this much ability, then our Shu Shan Sect need not fear them." Ye Wen nodded, but his gaze shifted to the leader and the few figures standing behind him. Seeing no trace of surprise on their faces, he knew this day would likely not be easy. "I suspect that fool just now was merely chaff." Let's exchange a few words with the main players first and assess the situation!"

Leaping forward, he bounded directly to a spot on the other side of his disciples, precisely in the exact center of the front courtyard. Ye Wen stood with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting for the group to stop about three zhang away before asking, "As soon as you arrive at the Shu Shan Sect, you attempt to smash our plaque. I take it you are not here as guests, so Ye will not offer further hospitality!"

Since it was clear the opposition had come to cause trouble, there was no need for excessive courtesy. In the span of these few sentences, Ning Ruxue, Xu Xian, and others had already gathered at his side, followed by the main body of disciples, and further back, the outer disciples, gathering in groups of seven, gripping their weapons, their senses sharpened in vigilance.

Strife in the martial world often mirrored the wars described in novels and epics. Before the fighting began, the main generals from both sides always had to exchange words, even in a fight to the death, there were always customary formalities. These exchanges usually involved a round of verbal sparring; if one managed to render the other speechless, it could significantly boost one's own morale.

As soon as Ye Wen finished speaking, the man opposite smiled and said, "I am Sima Xiangzhen, the Vice Sect Master of the Holy Cult. I presume you are Ye Wen, the Sect Master of Shu Shan?" "Precisely!"

Sima Xiangzhen smiled again. "I have a question for Sect Master Ye first!" "Speak!"

"Is our Cult's Situ Haoyun dead by the hand of Sect Master Ye?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Wen knew immediately that this Demonic Cult intended to leverage the matter of Situ Haoyun. It was clearly a pretext to avenge a fallen brother; having justification meant that even if they were annihilated, they would have no grounds to object. However, Ye Wen had already guessed the true intentions behind the Demonic Cult’s aggression. Seeing the opponent bring up Situ Haoyun made him slightly underestimate them. "You are the Vice Sect Master of the Demonic Cult?" "Indeed!" Sima Xiangzhen looked proud and self-satisfied, clearly pleased to have attained the rank of Vice Sect Master of the Holy Cult.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen immediately poured a bucket of cold water on him: "The Demonic Cult can only produce people like you as Vice Sect Masters? It seems the Demonic Cult is not worth the concern of those of the Righteous Path!" Without waiting for Sima Xiangzhen to respond, Ye Wen continued directly, "The issues between the assembled heroes of the Righteous Path and your Demonic Cult should surely outweigh the fate of a mere Situ Haoyun. Vice Sect Master Sima, do you not think your words are utterly frivolous?"

"The heroes of the Righteous Path and your Demonic Cult are on the brink of a great war; frankly, it is like two nations preparing for battle, on the verge of breaking out at any moment. If you had initiated killing upon arrival, I might have respected your Demonic Cult for being decisive and swift. To bring up Situ Haoyun at a time like this—such petty grievances mean you cannot achieve greatness!"

Having spoken, he abruptly turned, not even deigning to look Sima Xiangzhen in the face, his expression openly showing contempt. This caused Sima Xiangzhen’s fair complexion to turn the color of pig’s liver, yet he was speechless, stammering awkwardly and freezing in place.

Ye Wen was not wrong. The two sides were already hostile, and a major battle was imminent. To bring up the matter of Situ Haoyun now was entirely ill-timed and made the Demonic Cult appear overly affected. Furthermore, one must never agree with the opponent's premise; otherwise, it could negatively impact their own morale, especially since their disciples were hardly battle-hardened veterans.

At this moment, a voice drifted from the Demonic Cult’s ranks: "Vice Sect Master, didn't we already say to skip those matters and just start fighting? You insisted on having a pretext, only making people look down on us! Hmph, we'll see how you explain this to the Sect Master when we return!"

The voice was crisp and melodious, like that of a singing nightingale, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. A figure pushed out from the crowd—a young woman clad in a pink gown. Her skirt was incredibly thin, and when blown by the winter mountain wind, it clung tightly to her body, revealing an alluring figure. This woman seemed completely unashamed; instead, she appeared quite pleased with her physique. As she spoke, she raised her hand and slightly tilted her hip, almost as if deliberately enticing the onlookers, yet her movements were natural and harmonious, in no way seeming contrived.

Ye Wen glanced at this woman and suddenly felt her posturing was familiar. With a quick thought, he sharply turned to look at Hua Yi, only to see Hua Yi’s face had also turned exceedingly grim, staring fixedly at the girl in pink.

Just as he was about to ask Hua Yi if she knew her, the girl suddenly spoke, "Where is Senior Sister Hua? I heard she joined your Shu Shan Sect, didn't she~" As she spoke, her eyes fell upon Hua Yi behind Ye Wen, and she chuckled sweetly, "Oh my, Senior Sister must not have met her little sister before, but little sister has certainly heard much of Senior Sister's great reputation!"

Hearing this, Hua Yi knew this woman was indeed a disciple of her own master. She had suspected as much when she saw the lightness technique used during her leap, and later, the woman's every gesture confirmed her suspicion. Now, with these words spoken, there was no doubt left. Before Hua Yi could respond, the woman giggled a few times and continued, "I heard Senior Sister’s beauty is rare in this world. Seeing you today, I must say, it's nothing special! Moreover, you have fallen to become someone's plaything..." With that, she let out another burst of bell-like laughter, but now, no one found it pleasant; instead, it grated on their nerves.

Before Hua Yi could speak, Ye Wen cut in, "You are the disciple of that old fiend Shen Yuqing?" The woman in pink suddenly scolded, "How dare you! With this young lady present, you still dare to address my master with such disrespect!" Ye Wen scoffed, "Let alone you, little girl, being here—even if that old fiend herself came, the assessment would be the same! Why didn't your master come, sending a little girl like you instead? Perhaps she fears me?" The woman in pink retorted dismissively, "You? You think yourself worthy?"

Before the words fully left her lips, she suddenly saw a purple longsword suspended in the air before her neck. The sword was deep violet, its surface shimmering with fluctuating light, resembling an exquisite ornament crafted from the finest gems. Yet, this sword emanated a chilling sword aura; even just hanging in the air, pressing against her, it felt as if the blade were already touching her throat.

Seeing this, a bead of cold sweat formed on the woman in pink's forehead. She hadn't even sensed the purple sword approach. Being so exceedingly confident, how could she not be alarmed? Let alone her, even Sima Xiangzhen had no idea when the purple sword had appeared. The fact that it hung suspended in the air, remotely pointing at vital spots, was enough to make one's heart pound with fear.

"I have long heard that this Sect Master Ye also understands the Art of Sword Control, but I never believed it. Only today do I realize that rumors in the martial world are not always exaggerated boasts!"

At this moment, Ye Wen spoke softly, "Then let the young lady see if Ye is worthy!"

Sima Xiangzhen was about to move when the woman in pink suddenly channeled her lightness skill and retreated rapidly. Her figure twisted and turned several times before she landed. Looking back at the purple longsword, it remained suspended where it was, motionless. This single action made her previous posturing seem like that of a monkey being teased.

Realizing this, she became furiously enraged, assuming the suddenly manifested purple sword was merely a scare tactic. She immediately roared, "You seek death!" and lunged forward. Unexpectedly, the moment she moved, the tip of the purple sword flicked upward, and whoosh—it stabbed toward her.

The transition from stillness to action took less than a blink of an eye. One moment the purple sword hung motionless; the next, it unleashed terrifying sword energy, tracing a brilliant purple streak straight toward the woman in pink’s heart.

The woman in pink was mid-leap when she saw the purple sword surging toward her with killing intent—she was greatly alarmed. Fortunately, her sect’s lightness technique was unique, allowing for utterly arbitrary mid-air maneuvers. She twisted her body sharply, turning to the side, certain this move would allow her to evade the swiftly flying longsword. However, halfway through its flight, the trajectory of the purple longsword suddenly changed. The entire blade began to rotate. The onlookers saw a streak of purple light flash, and an incessantly spinning sword wheel materialized in mid-air. With a slight adjustment, it positioned itself exactly in the direction the woman in pink was trying to dodge.

It now appeared as though the woman in pink was intentionally crashing into the sword wheel. Sima Xiangzhen cried out in alarm, "Be careful!"

But the moment the words left his mouth, he heard the sound of a palm wind tearing through the air before him. His breath hitched; the exclamation was forcibly choked back by the sudden pressure of the incoming palm strike. Turning his head, he saw a monstrous dragon head opening its massive jaws and lunging at him, accompanied by a voice saying, "Worry about yourself first!" as it reached his ears.

He recognized the voice immediately; the attacker was Ye Wen, the Shu Shan Sect Master. Sima Xiangzhen never imagined the Shu Shan Master would attack so abruptly, without the slightest warning. Little did he know that Ye Wen not only attacked but also instructed his junior brothers and sisters beside him: "First strike, best defense. We don't know how many reinforcements they have; eliminating these people first is the main order!"

Xu Xian and Ning Ruxue both nodded. Hua Yi had intended to say, "Let me handle that woman," but Ye Wen’s Sword Control technique was already deployed, and within a few moves, he had forced the woman to a dead end! Seeing this development, Hua Yi could only sigh, "I didn't even get to ask her name!"

Just as she thought this, the woman in pink twisted her body, tumbling to evade Ye Wen's piercing thrust aimed at her heart. But the moment she shifted, she felt a sharp sword energy graze her flank. A slight turn of her head brought a look of utter horror to her face: a purple sword wheel was slicing toward her waist. In her current contorted posture, it looked exactly as if she were charging headfirst into her doom.

Alarmed, she immediately tried to halt her movement. Thanks to her wondrous lightness art, she managed to stabilize her body. She then attempted a backward somersault to land on the ground. But the moment she stopped moving, the purple sword wheel suddenly accelerated. Just as the woman in pink was about to flip, she felt a searing pain at her waist, and her body lurched uncontrollably toward the ground.

With two distinct thuds, the woman in pink looked at her lower half falling beside her and let out a piercing scream. However, before the sound could fully escape, another flash of purple light blinded her eyes. The purple longsword, having transformed into a wheel, cleaved her body into two sections at the waist, then immediately plunged downward, piercing directly through the pink-clad woman’s throat.

With her throat pierced, no sound could escape. The woman in pink could only endure the agony as blood gushed uncontrollably from her severed body. The wound itself was excruciating, yet she could emit no sound whatsoever. Even after the purple longsword flew away, she was powerless, staring wide-eyed as her life slowly ebbed away.

Ye Wen began his assault with the "Raging Dragon's Regret" from the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, forcing Sima Xiangzhen into stunned silence. He then seized the opportunity to dispatch the loquacious woman in pink using his flying sword. Seeing her dead, he instantly recalled the purple sword to his side. Just then, Ye Wen launched a sudden palm strike, forcing Sima Xiangzhen to lean sideways to dodge, while simultaneously directing his sword to strike Sima Xiangzhen’s back heart.

He expected to finish Sima Xiangzhen instantly, but the Demonic Cult’s Vice Sect Master indeed had some skill. As soon as he evaded Ye Wen’s palm, he felt a sharp sword attack coming from behind. He ducked low sharply, sliding more than three chi along the ground before suddenly springing up, turning to look in the direction from which the sword had come.

The moment he saw, his eyes flared crimson—he was looking directly at the horrific state of the woman in pink. He wasn't enraged by the savage death of a fellow cult member; rather, this woman was the disciple of the Cult’s Saintess, Shen Yuqing.

In the Holy Cult, below the Sect Master were the Vice Sect Masters and the Saintess. Although Sima Xiangzhen and Shen Yuqing held equal ranks, they were rivals. Sima Xiangzhen had been irritated by this woman accompanying him on this mission, but worse, if anything untoward happened to this girl, Shen Yuqing would surely use it as an excuse to cause him trouble back at headquarters.

He was just about to roar when Ye Wen also leaped forward, moving even faster, a cold smile plastered on his face. He scoffed, "You still have the leisure to worry about the life and death of others?" Even while still ten zhang away, he flicked his finger, sending a bolt of purple sword energy hurtling toward Sima Xiangzhen’s face.

The Violet Heaven Dragon Qi Sword remained Ye Wen's signature skill. As his power grew more formidable, the power of the Violet Heaven Dragon Qi Sword increased proportionally. Previously, its guaranteed power extended only within three zhang, but now, if Ye Wen executed it with full force, shooting the sword energy ten zhang away was not impossible.

Moreover, the sword energy was now used with greater swiftness and force. Ye Wen simply pointed his finger, and the purple sword energy arrived before Sima Xiangzhen. Although he dodged the strike by turning his head, his cheek was grazed by the sword energy. The dragon’s roar that whistled past his ear jarred his hearing and made his footing unsteady.

"A pity I haven't managed to research infrasound or ultrasound! Otherwise, that strike would have completely unbalanced you, making you face-plant!"

Although he mused this internally, his movements slowed by half. Following the first sword strike, his left hand followed immediately with another. This time, he aimed where Sima Xiangzhen was dodging. If Sima Xiangzhen failed to react quickly enough, he would run directly into the sword energy and be beheaded by Ye Wen’s technique.

Sima Xiangzhen could hold the rank of Vice Sect Master because he certainly possessed skills. After evading the first sword energy, he had already anticipated a second. He immediately flipped his body, using his slightly superior height advantage over Ye Wen to invert himself and charge downward, thrusting his palm upward toward Ye Wen’s head.

"What’s this, the Hundred Buddhas Pay Homage?"

Of course, Sima Xiangzhen did not wield the Buddha's Manifestation Palm; this move was merely an imitation. Ye Wen remained unfazed. Sword energy surged from his hand but was held back, condensed but not released. At his fingertip, a three-foot-long shard of purple sword energy suddenly coalesced, appearing as if he were gripping a true longsword. He instantly executed a move from the Recoiling Swan’s Descent Sword style—"One Sword Falls, Nine Swans"—Sima Xiangzhen was suddenly met with a dazzling array of sword shadows. The fierce sword aura scraped his body painfully before even making contact. He could no longer strike downward with his palm. In a panic, he instantly changed his maneuver, twisting his body and using the rotational force to slide past Ye Wen.

"Trying to run? Not so easily!" The purple sword energy Ye Wen held in his hand flared brightly as he channeled all his remaining internal energy to condense another purple sword. Although this sword faintly resembled a true longsword, it was clearly formed of sword energy, far less substantial than the one he had secretly formed earlier, and utterly incomparable to the one he had manifested against Dongfang Sheng. However, he couldn't afford to be picky now. With a wave of his hand, the first purple blade shot out, while the second purple sword circled in the air before attacking Sima Xiangzhen, who was still descending, from another direction.

"Let’s see how you dodge this time?"