Ye Wenzheng was smug, certain that this twin-sword assault would surely take the life of that Sima Xiangzhen.

To his surprise, Sima Xiangzhen suddenly flipped in mid-air, his body righting itself in an instant. Simultaneously, his hand vibrated, revealing a crescent moon, while his palm turned into a blade, sharply hacking down at the purple sword that Ye Wen was manifesting behind him. This purple sword, never particularly solid to begin with, was instantly shattered by Sima Xiangzhen's move. Concurrently, he raised his right palm vertically, and a wall of energy materialized out of thin air, faintly exuding the scorching aura of the sun.

From Ye Wen’s vantage point, the approaching purple sword seemed faintly distorted. He knew this was because his angle required him to look through that sun-like energy wall, the extreme heat causing the visual anomaly.

A sharp ding echoed. Though the trailing purple sword wasn't instantly dispersed like the first, its brilliance flickered, and its form nearly fragmented under the shockwave.

By then, Ye Wen had landed. Without raising his hand or moving his shoulder, the purple sword, repelled slightly, merely spun for a moment before regaining stability, then circled back to hover by Ye Wen’s shoulder, pointed menacingly at Sima Xiangzhen.

Sima Xiangzhen had also descended. The crescent-like energy on his right hand still lingered, emitting a soft, pale-red glow, but his left hand was now clasped behind his back. Ye Wen hadn't witnessed the fleeting, sun-like energy wall that had appeared earlier.

Facing Ye Wen across the distance, Sima Xiangzhen suddenly declared, "Sect Master Ye’s skill is indeed peerless, forcing me to deploy my ultimate technique to counter!" Hearing this, Ye Wen cursed inwardly: Fool! If you have an ultimate move, don’t pretend to be modest; just use it. Be glad you didn't lose your life, prattling on about IQ here!

Unfortunately, Sima Xiangzhen couldn't hear Ye Wen’s scorn and continued, head held high with arrogance, "Since cultivating this divine art, few have ever witnessed it. Within our cult, only the Cult Master can see its full might! As for others... hehehe!"

The implication of his speech was clear: after mastering this technique, his power had grown immensely, and ordinary people couldn't withstand even three to five of his moves, let alone forcing him to go all out. If he unleashed the full power of this art, anyone other than the Cult Master would certainly perish.

He expected these words to instill fear in Ye Wen, but instead, Ye Wen merely dug his ear and sneered, "Like what you just displayed, Sect Master? It’s true that ordinary people seldom see the full power of this art!" He was mocking Sima Xiangzhen for overdoing the posturing—and for potentially losing his life before he could even deploy his supposed trump card in a real fight.

Recalling his own awkward performance just moments ago, Sima Xiangzhen felt a flush of shame, which Ye Wen’s mockery only exacerbated. "Hmph! Stop relying on clever talk! I shall let you witness the might of the Sun Moon Divine Art!"

Ye Wen laughed even harder at this. "It seems you've been the one doing all the talking! I, Ye, have always believed in acting over speaking! If you don't believe me, look behind you!" Sima Xiangzhen scoffed, "You think I'm an idiot? Look back?" Before the words fully left his mouth, he heard the sound of sword qi slicing the air from behind his head. In panic, he immediately ducked, and just as he squatted, a streak of purple sword qi whistled over his head. This qi was swift and fierce; as it passed over his head, the resulting air pressure made Sima Xiangzhen's scalp tingle intensely.

"What is this..."

This purple sword qi was clearly Ye Wen’s Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword. He had just seen Ye Wen conjure sword qi with his fingers, but where had this one come from?

Startled, Sima Xiangzhen rapidly scanned his surroundings as he straightened up. To his astonishment, he noticed countless wisps of purple clouds drifting around him. These clouds were incredibly thin and unremarkable; in the midst of talking with Ye Wen, he had completely failed to notice them.

Across the way, Ye Wen spread his arms, his expression changing dramatically, and shouted, "Vice Cult Master Sima, behold this move of mine!"

He flicked his hands, and a wave of purple energy rose from his body; even his exhalations carried a faint purple tint. Suddenly, the purple clouds scattered across the sky churned, instantly transforming into the sword qi of the Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword, all stabbing toward Sima Xiangzhen.

These sword qis originated from the purple clouds; each cloud could become a strand of qi. Sima Xiangzhen had only glimpsed the scene fleetingly, but he saw that he was surrounded on all sides by these clouds, which had now all turned into sword qi—it was as if dozens of Ye Wens had surrounded him, all simultaneously unleashing the Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword.

Sweat instantly coated Sima Xiangzhen’s forehead. He had already sensed that the sword qi formed by these clouds was not weak, though perhaps not as potent as that summoned directly by Ye Wen's hand, its force was still beyond the capacity of an ordinary person to withstand. Yet, with sword qi coming from every direction, he had nowhere to evade. He could only activate the Sun Moon Divine Art, using his left hand to condense another sun-like scorching energy wall to protect his vital areas.

In a blink, the nearest Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword reached him. Sima Xiangzhen swung his energy wall to meet it, but as soon as the sword qi touched the wall, it vanished without a trace. The focused power Sima Xiangzhen had gathered felt like striking empty air, leaving him utterly discomforted.

In that instant, he understood: "Bad! I've been tricked!"

He thought that this flashy technique was nothing more than a worthless, superficial display—all show, no substance—and that Ye Wen had played him for a fool. Annoyed, he roared, "Cunning wretch, daring to deceive me! Die!"

As he shouted, he condensed another crescent-moon energy in his right palm, ignoring the Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword that was already upon him. He assumed it was just a harmless strand of qi that couldn't possibly breach his protective energy, so he barreled straight forward without regard.

To his shock, the sword qi zipped past his shoulder, followed by a sharp, searing pain that jolted him back to his senses. Without needing to look, the pool of hot blood already spattering the ground confirmed that the qi had sliced an open wound across his shoulder.

"Feint and reality mixed?"

The pain cleared his head, and he instantly realized that Ye Wen’s barrage of sword qis were not all illusions; some were truly imbued with the formidable power of the Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword.

Ye Wen had exerted his full strength from the very first move. Before these people even arrived, he had begun secretly condensing the purple swords required for his Sword Control Art, which is why he could deploy the technique stealthily while talking.

Then, relying on the mysterious nature of his Innate Purple Qi to recover expended true essence, he poured his full effort into every move to contend with his opponent. Otherwise, he wouldn't have killed a member of the demonic cult instantly upon confrontation. Since that woman was Shen Yuqing’s disciple, she certainly wouldn't be easy to deal with. Moreover, the impression Shen Yuqing left on him was one of superb Qinggong (lightness skill); if that girl resorted to stealth attacks on his disciples during a chaotic melee, the harm to the Shu Shan Sect would be far greater. Thus, he prioritized taking her life first.

He had initially intended to press the attack and kill the so-called dummy Cult Master, but this Vice Cult Master indeed possessed some skill, forcing Ye Wen to resort to such measures. Initially, he created this technique so he could unleash sword qi anywhere within his energy field at will, but his insufficient cultivation forced him to use this crafty method instead.

First, he dispersed the wisps of purple clouds, spreading them around the opponent while the man was distracted. Yet, even with this trick, Ye Wen’s current power wasn't enough to release so many clouds. Of course, given enough time, the wonder of the Innate Purple Qi could achieve it, but life-or-death combat seldom grants time to prepare grand techniques.

So, Ye Wen had to settle for the next best thing: mixing true and false strikes, throwing Sima Xiangzhen into disarray. A stream of sword qis attacked him one after another, making it impossible to discern which carried immense power and which were mere phantom lunges that would dissipate on contact. He could only use his energy wall to spin and block. If he managed to block a killing blow, fine, but if he moved his wall only to encounter a feint, he would inevitably feel sickened.

While Sima Xiangzhen was frantically occupied, Ye Wen seized the opportunity to recover more energy. He pointed a finger, releasing another Purple Heaven Dragon Qi Sword, while simultaneously drawing his left hand toward his waist and exhaling sharply, unleashing the full force of his power with the Purple Qi Coming from the East.

That wasn't all. The purple sword hovering above his head suddenly shot into the air, then plummeted downward, aiming directly for Sima Xiangzhen’s crown.

Sima Xiangzhen was already dealing with the successive waves of sword qi. Seeing Ye Wen attack with one sword qi followed by a full-power palm strike, he immediately used the crescent energy in his right palm to deflect the first incoming sword qi. Then, channeling power into his left arm, the sun-like scorching energy wall on his palm flared brighter and hotter. He swung his left hand, intending to meet Ye Wen's blow head-on.

Before either could think further, a massive explosion erupted as their palms collided. The purple energy emanating from Ye Wen gathered entirely onto his left palm, relentlessly pressing against the searing energy wall. Because of the surrounding purple aura, he was not harmed by the intense heat radiating from the wall.

In truth, a direct clash like this was disadvantageous to Ye Wen. From the beginning, every move had been all-out effort. If he hadn't cultivated the rapidly regenerating Innate Purple Qi, he would have collapsed long ago.

Furthermore, although Ye Wen looked down on Sima Xiangzhen, the man's actual cultivation level was slightly higher. In terms of raw internal energy strength and volume, Ye Wen had no advantage. A straightforward clash like this would seem suicidal to any outside observer.

Sima Xiangzhen thought so too. Seeing Ye Wen's face grow increasingly strained, he gloated, "Hahaha, daring to clash power directly with me, Sect Master Ye, have you grown tired of living?"

He shook his left hand, and the sun-like energy intensified further, its scorching heat subtly beginning to overwhelm the purple qi on Ye Wen's hand and creep up his upper arm.

Just as he was savoring his advantage, Ye Wen suddenly let out a dry laugh: "When death approaches, you still have final words? Speak quickly! It will be too late later."

Sima Xiangzhen, hearing this, assumed Ye Wen had gone mad and was about to mock him, when he felt a dull ache growing on the top of his head—a clear sign of an incoming sharp object.

Panicked, he looked up, but the high-hanging winter sun momentarily blinded him. Even a weak winter sun was difficult to stare at directly. In that brief moment of distraction, Ye Wen urged his remaining power, forcing the scorching energy back, and with a final burst, the force erupting from his body caused the energy wall to show faint signs of collapse.

The impact instantly snapped Sima Xiangzhen back to his senses. He clearly saw the purple sword descending from the sky. His left arm was immobilized, and Ye Wen's sudden counter-offensive had nearly shattered the energy projection on his left hand, preventing him from daring to withdraw the block. In that brief moment, the purple sword was close. Sima Xiangzhen hastily tried to use the crescent energy from his right hand to parry.

"It's just one long sword..."

Though the long sword was sharp and powerful, the point of impact was small. Sima Xiangzhen felt confident that with a slight application of focused energy, he could deftly deflect the purple sword aside.

Unexpectedly, just as he raised his right hand, Ye Wen let out a sharp hey!, and the purple sword abruptly exploded in mid-air, instantly transforming into countless streaks of sword qi that rained down.

"It's over!"

Witnessing this sight, Sima Xiangzhen’s eyes filled with shock, dullness, and a trace of despair. However, these expressions vanished a second later.

The rain-like sword qis shredded Sima Xiangzhen into a pile of minced meat in an instant. Ye Wen had confined the barrage to a small area, resulting in every muscle in Sima Xiangzhen's body being struck by at least ten beams of sword qi.

Looking at the heap of shredded flesh, Ye Wen let out a long breath. From start to finish, he had fought with everything he had, finally slaying Sima Xiangzhen through careful calculation and stratagem.

He looked up at the sun hanging high in the sky and waved his slightly weary arm. "Brother Sun! Thank you!" If Sima Xiangzhen hadn't been momentarily dazed by the glare when looking up, Ye Wen wouldn't have had the chance for that sudden counter-attack and subsequent immobilization. It also gave him more time to react and prepare, rather than having to hurriedly summon that moon-like force to try and deflect his purple sword with mere finesse, as he had done earlier.

If his crescent sword energy could have grown as large as the sun-like energy on his left hand, Ye Wen’s downpour of sword qi might not have killed him.

Therefore, in that exchange, Ye Wen had not only utilized everything he had learned but had also relied heavily on strategy. Without it, defeating Sima Xiangzhen, whose cultivation was slightly higher, would have been impossible.

He looked around and saw that the Shu Shan disciples were already locked in a bloody melee with the forces Sima Xiangzhen had brought. At a glance, Ye Wen noted that individually, these demonic cult members were significantly stronger than the Shu Shan disciples. Fortunately, the Shu Shan disciples possessed the True Martial Seven Interception Array, a powerful group-fighting weapon. Seven disciples forming a unit could trap anyone who dared to break in, and then they could surround and kill the trapped foe with the combined might of seven.

A few demonic cult members recognized the formidable nature of the Shu Shan array. In fact, reports had reached the main headquarters long ago when people first attempted to assault Mount Shu, mentioning a very powerful array used by the sect.

Witnessing it now, many began plotting to forcibly separate the formation’s core members and break them down one by one. However, the True Martial Seven Interception Array was wondrously flexible; even two people could form a basic array. Even if someone managed to break up the seven disciples through sheer force, the nearby disciples could still quickly form a smaller arrangement and slowly regroup to restore the seven-person formation. Should there be casualties, the smaller groups would spontaneously move closer together—a result of years of diligent practice.

Ye Wen glanced around and noticed that many corpses of the demonic cult members bore multiple types of wounds—the Shu Shan disciples did not unify their weaponry, and the True Martial Seven Interception Array did not strictly limit weapons. Thus, some cult corpses showed a sword hole in the chest and perhaps a knife cut across the throat, making it impossible to determine the fatal injury.

Conversely, the corpses of the Shu Shan disciples were unnaturally mutilated. Some were dismembered and died tragically; others showed no external marks, their faces even appearing strangely peaceful; still others were curled up like shrimp, clutching their throats with tongues extended and faces bearing a strange black hue.

"A poisoning expert?"

Ye Wen’s pupils contracted, and he searched the area. He couldn't afford to be careless; such an expert in a chaotic battle was the most troublesome, causing massive casualties while creating unending complications that prevented opponents from fighting at full capacity.

He searched but couldn't find the poison master. As he wondered about this, he suddenly heard shouts from the direction of the main hall. Turning his head, he saw fluttering colorful ribbons and flashing sword light above the roof of the hall—Hua Yi was fighting someone up there.

Ye Wen looked closely. The person facing Hua Yi was a gaunt old man with a face that, in isolation, might be considered handsome; Ye Wen might have mistaken him for a righteous elder if he hadn't been actively fighting.

But as soon as the fight began, Ye Wen sensed something sinister. His movements were ghostly, and faint black wisps occasionally seeped out when his palms and claws moved. Moreover, his laughter was gratingly unpleasant. The Hua Yi fighting him kept her brow furrowed without relaxing, and the short swords tethered to the ends of her sash flashed their cold light incessantly toward the old man's vital points.

Seeing this, Ye Wen should not have worried, but he faintly perceived Hua Yi's robes swaying, and her footing appeared slightly unsteady. Many intricate killing moves intended for her sword weapons were easily thwarted by her opponent, not because the foe was overwhelmingly strong, but because Hua Yi encountered problems at crucial moments.

Ye Wen immediately knew the old man was suspicious and was likely the poisoning expert he had been seeking; otherwise, there was no explaining Hua Yi’s anomaly.

He glanced around. His junior sister remained rooted, only her fingers flying rapidly. Demonic cult members near her were pierced by countless strands of green sword qi and killed instantly. If anyone managed to withstand one of Ning Ruxue's sword qis, his junior sister would immediately flip her wrist and send out a green lotus flower. The green lotus spun while emitting melodious sounds, but if anyone touched it, countless sword qis would erupt, killing them instantly—Ning Ruxue was simply annihilating fodder, not facing any experts.

"Junior Sister needs no worrying for now!" He then checked on Xu Xian, only to find that Xu Xian had vanished, his location unknown. Ye Wen immediately launched himself toward the roof of the main hall.

Hua Yi spotted Ye Wen approaching and immediately shouted, "Master, be careful! This old man cultivates poison arts!"

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