With the Demon Cult utterly defeated, the surviving members initially intended to flee down the mountain. However, with three sides of Mount Shu sheer cliffs, only one path led downward, and it was now completely blockaded by Huang Rongrong and her contingent. The remaining Cult disciples, enraged by the slaughter of their brethren, showed no mercy. In a short while, the few surviving Demon Cult members were wiped out entirely, not a single soul left alive.

Ye Wen watched the entire scene unfold with cold detachment, never uttering a word to intervene. Xu Xian eventually asked him, "Should we leave a few alive?" He offered no response. Only after the last body fell did he finally speak: "Keeping them alive is useless; it only wastes rations. Kill them all cleanly!"

No one could truly gauge the nature of these Demon Cult disciples. If a few were spared only to report back to their headquarters, that would be one thing; but if they concealed themselves nearby and attacked the mountain after Ye Wen had led most disciples away, wouldn't that spell disaster?

Besides, since the Demon Cult dared to attack Mount Shu and kill so many of his disciples, how could he vent the rage in his heart without striking fiercely?

Turning his gaze around, he saw the wide front courtyard littered with corpses, a sea of crimson. Many bodies were piled atop one another, making it impossible at first glance to distinguish which side they belonged to. Even the magnificent main hall in the distance looked ravaged: countless roof tiles shattered, and the massive pillars were scored deeply by sword and blade, stained horribly with blood.

Fortunately, the Mount Shu disciples managed to keep the fighting tightly confined to the front courtyard, with very few breaking through to the rear. Even when a few managed to slip through, his second disciple, Zhou Zhiruo, immediately rushed back to slay them, preventing any harm from reaching the unskilled service staff and servants in the rear courtyard.

Once the great battle subsided, Ye Wen turned to Zhou Ding, whose body was slick with blood but who himself sustained only minor injuries, and instructed him, "Leave the cleanup to you. Remember to tend to the injured disciples first, prioritizing the severely wounded."

Zhou Ding’s martial arts skill wasn't top-tier, but neither was it poor. Coupled with his self-awareness, he never sought out the fiercest opponents, relying instead on his slightly passable skill to support and cover others. The initial success of the Mount Shu disciples in repelling the Demon Cult's assault owed much to Zhou Ding’s tireless running back and forth.

Furthermore, the man was sharp-witted and extremely agile. During combat, he would use those around him to create obstacles for his opponents. Often, mid-fight, his adversaries would find themselves subtly maneuvered into the Mount Shu formation, leading to their encirclement and demise.

Thus, despite the long fight, while Zhou Ding was covered in gore, very little of it was his own blood; at that moment, he was merely slightly winded.

Ye Wen glanced around again and was surprised to find Zhang Gui present. This former enemy from the Yuanshan Sect, now a mere servant of Mount Shu, was also covered in filth and blood, but he looked far more haggard than Zhou Ding, sporting a large gash on his shoulder where another disciple was currently applying trauma powder and bandaging it. Ye Wen’s gaze happened to catch this scene.

"Hmm? When did he get out here?"

In the chaos earlier, coupled with his prior duels against Sima Xiangzhen and Xiang Yutian, he truly hadn't paid attention to the fighting floor, so he had no idea when Zhang Gui had rushed out.

It turned out that Zhang Gui had initially retreated into the inner courtyard with the other servants. Seven disciples had been left there, forming the True Martial Seven Interception Formation, to prevent anyone from breaching the interior. Indeed, a few Demon Cult members managed to rush this far; after the disciples combined forces to kill them, an argument broke out among the survivors about whether to go assist in the front.

Zhang Gui volunteered to go check the situation out front. As soon as he emerged, he became embroiled in a fierce fight with Demon Cult members, making it impossible to retreat back inside. Consequently, he remained engaged until this moment.

As for Zhang Gui’s current fighting ability, Ye Wen had never taught him any specific techniques, only imparting the Complete Heart Method. This method had since spread throughout the entire sect, learnable by any outer disciple who possessed even a slight foundation in martial arts. Ye Wen had noticed Zhang Gui maintaining a low profile for years, quietly sweeping and cleaning, so discreetly that some newly inducted disciples didn't even know he possessed any martial skill.

Seeing this, Ye Wen took the time to transmit the entire Heart Method scripture and verses to him, but offered no explanation. How far he progressed depended entirely on Zhang Gui’s own comprehension.

Looking at him now, Zhang Gui had done quite well. At the very least, he had survived this massive battle, which would have been impossible given his previous skill level.

After another brief look around and seeing nothing else noteworthy, Ye Wen, supported by Ning Rushue and Huayi, proceeded into the main hall. He needed to anchor himself there temporarily; anyone requiring consultation could seek him out immediately.

Tables and chairs were set up in the main hall. After Ye Wen sat down, he gestured, and the others found seats for themselves. Dongfang Sheng, being a guest who had come specifically to aid the fight, naturally took a seat in the front row, not far from Ye Wen, making conversation convenient.

"Dongfang... Miss! May I ask how Madam Shi knew of Mount Shu's peril?"

Dongfang Sheng smiled faintly. "After returning home, I was restless and went out for a walk. Unintentionally, I noticed batches of Jianghu figures moving toward Pingzhou, carrying weapons. At first, I paid it no mind, but after several days, I saw more and more. Later, I overheard from a few people that this group's destination was Mount Shu, so I followed along to see what was happening, and just happened upon the Demon Cult attacking!"

This account sounded straightforward, but the reality was far more complex.

The Demon Cult’s massive mobilization could not have gone unnoticed. The Azure Dragon Society, bordering the sea, had detected the abnormality early on but couldn't ascertain the Cult's true objective and dared not respond rashly. Dongfang Yi urgently sent letters to notify Chan Master Huixin and True Man Tianyi while rallying his own disciples in case the Demon Cult took advantage to strike the Azure Dragon Society.

Just then, the Demon Cult spread a rumor that they had learned the orthodox sects were preparing to sail out and attack their headquarters. Thus, the Demon Cult decided to strike first, aiming to annihilate one or two sects to deflate the morale of the orthodox heroes. At that time, their proclaimed slogan was the destruction of the Jade Cave Sect, and a large number of Jianghu figures did indeed head toward the Jade Cave Sect.

No one suspected that a separate contingent of Cult members had already dispersed toward Pingzhou to attack Mount Shu. While the attention of the orthodox heroes was fixed on the Jade Cave Sect, the fight breaking out in Pingzhou went unnoticed.

Dongfang Sheng discovering this was pure coincidence. Ever since leaving Ten Thousand Buddha Mountain, he had been deeply troubled. He found the way his family looked at him increasingly irritating. Upon returning home, Dongfang Sheng, in a fit of rage, donned women's clothing.

"You look down on me? Think I’m a monster? Then I’ll truly become a woman!"

As a man who had transformed into his current state, appearing like this and now running about in women's attire, Dongfang Yi was both shocked and furious. He immediately erupted in curses, but Dongfang Sheng met him with cold eyes and simply stated, "Father made it impossible for me to be a man, so this child will be a woman instead!" Then, he turned and left home, intending to wander outside.

Coincidentally, Dongfang Sheng's childhood sweetheart was also present that day. Dongfang Yi was speaking with the girl and her father regarding the engagement settled between their families years ago, which now seemed certain to be broken because of his son's transformation.

The girl and Dongfang Sheng had grown up together, their bond deep, though Dongfang Sheng had spent the last few years training and then disappearing (by deliberate avoidance). She had come that day intending to seek an explanation, but she never expected to witness such a shocking scene. Not only was the girl stunned into silence, but her father stood with his mouth agape, unsure how to respond.

The young lady remained confused, but the older gentleman, who was of considerable age, came from a prosperous background, and understood many things, immediately connected Dongfang Sheng's appearance with certain favored playthings. After staring, trembling slightly for a good while, he finally blurted out, "Brother Dongfang, let us speak no more of the engagement between our families!" Then he dragged his daughter away from the Dongfang household.

Leaving home, Dongfang Sheng wandered aimlessly until he stumbled upon a small squad of Demon Cult members. Seeing his exquisite appearance, these men harbored evil intentions. Unexpectedly, even though Dongfang Sheng had not yet mastered the Phoenix Nirvana Skill, he was more than a match for these petty thugs. He dispatched them quickly and, in the process, gleaned that this group was heading to Pingzhou.

Connecting this information with the earlier intelligence, Dongfang Sheng deduced that the Demon Cult’s grand movements were merely a smokescreen; their real target was Mount Shu in Pingzhou. Dongfang Sheng immediately followed the Cult members north, just managing to catch up with this major battle at Mount Shu—the letters sent by the Azure Dragon Society to various sects were still en route, and the one destined for Mount Shu was no different. Had Dongfang Sheng’s Qinggong not been exceptional, he would likely have missed it too.

Hearing Dongfang Sheng’s account, Ye Wen understood why he was there, yet he found it odd that Dongfang Sheng had come alone. Didn't he think to send word home? Dongfang Sheng had omitted his personal troubles when speaking, so Ye Wen was unaware that he had effectively severed ties with his family.

When Ye Wen posed this question, Dongfang Sheng’s face fell, and he said mournfully, "However vast the world, there is no place for me. That so-called home... is no different." He then looked on the verge of tears, invoking pity in anyone who saw him. However, the few in the hall qualified to speak knew his situation. During the recent skirmish, Xu Xian had learned about Dongfang Sheng from Ning Rushue. Thus, after Dongfang Sheng voiced his sorrow, the others felt both sympathy and regret, unsure how to respond.

The conversation hit a deadlock here, but thankfully, Xu Xian reacted quickly and suddenly asked, "Right, Senior Brother, what martial arts did you teach Jing'er? How did that single punch from Jing'er make that wicked woman flee in panic?"

This redirected everyone’s attention to Guo Jing. Seeing all eyes on him, Guo Jing mumbled shyly, "Disciple merely saw the wicked woman mid-air and used the move Master taught me: Lushan Ascending Dragon Roar!"

At this declaration, everyone inside simply thought to themselves: What kind of technique is this Lushan Ascending Dragon Roar?

Ye Wen nearly popped his eyeballs out. Did everyone else not know? He knew perfectly well! The Lushan Ascending Dragon Roar was just a move he had taught Guo Jing casually when messing around. Calling it the Lushan Ascending Dragon Roar, it was merely an uppercut incorporating rotational force. Without the influence of some absurd power like the Big Bang (Cosmo), this move possessed negligible actual power—though Ye Wen had managed to mimic the spiral force with his inner energy, its destructive potential was meager, certainly not enough to cause a waterfall to reverse and a blue dragon to soar as exaggeratedly described.

But why did this one punch cause Shen Yuqing to flee in such a hurry? Everyone turned to look at Dongfang Sheng, recalling the words he had spoken earlier.

Dongfang Sheng smiled and explained, "When I exchanged a palm strike with that wicked woman, my left hand simultaneously unleashed a hidden burst of energy. I intended to sneak-attack her, but unexpectedly, that energy was blocked by her protective true Qi, unable to harm her in the slightest. I assumed it was a fruitless effort, never dreaming that this punch would happen to assist, sending my blocked energy inside..."

Ye Wen heard this and inquired, "Miss Dongfang, what kind of hidden energy was that burst?"

Dongfang Sheng's face suddenly flushed crimson at the question. "I... I sent out an acupuncture needle-like hidden force. Because it was minute, it was hard to detect." This surge of energy was inspired after Dongfang Sheng returned home and observed a maid embroidering. If an embroidery needle could easily pierce cloth and silk, perhaps compressing true Qi into a needle shape could penetrate protective Qi. Today, facing Shen Yuqing's formidable martial arts, he employed this move. To his surprise, the strike seemed swallowed by the void, eliciting no reaction from Shen Yuqing whatsoever. Ye Wen inwardly scoffed: Oh my god... an embroidery needle! Brother Dongfang, are you practicing the Sunflower Manual? However, he maintained an expression of deep thought, finally delivering a conclusive analysis with a right-hand strike followed by a left palm: "I see now. It seems that although your hidden energy, Miss Dongfang, failed to penetrate the wicked woman's body, it became lodged within her protective Qi. Though unable to advance further, it remained solid enough not to dissipate."

"Coincidentally, Jing'er struck that point of hidden energy with an Ascending Dragon Roar. Since the Roar's force is rotational, your hidden energy received assistance from the Roar’s momentum, began to spin, pierced through Shen Yuqing's protective Qi, and then violently erupted—that is what severely wounded the wicked woman!"

"And the wicked woman, unaware of the mechanics, assumed Jing'er's internal power was formidable—that his fist possessed such might—so she retreated in haste! Otherwise, if we had pursued and Jing'er blocked her path, no matter how strong her cultivation, she could not withstand an assault from so many!"

With Ye Wen's explanation, everyone finally grasped the full sequence of events. Li Xiaoyao even laughed heartily, "Then in the future, whenever we see that wicked woman, we'll just have Fifth Senior Brother step forward. Won't that scare her into running away every time?" Having killed so many Demon Cult members today, Li Xiaoyao was immensely relieved and could joke with everyone, entirely shedding his earlier look of unconcealed anger.

Ye Wen waved his hand dismissively. "Today was merely a collection of coincidences. I suspect that once the wicked woman recovers, she will realize the truth! After all, Miss Dongfang exchanged blows with her; she absolutely won't mistake the nature of that energy!"

In reality, this was largely true. After descending the mountain, Shen Yuqing fled a great distance in panic, then found a hidden spot to channel her energy for healing. The moment she began cultivating, she immediately sensed that the energy within her was the burning force belonging to that pink-clad woman of the Dongfang family—both originating from the same source, indistinguishable. She found it impossible to believe that the boy from Mount Shu understood Dongfang family techniques. Considering the slight tremor she felt near her Dan Tian earlier, she quickly pieced together the cause and effect.

"Hmph. My divine technique has only just begun to take shape; I cannot yet control the deployment and retraction of my power freely. Otherwise, I wouldn't suffer this loss!"

Shen Yuqing understood the crucial point and was furious that she had been scared off by an opponent's trickery. A wave of uncontrollable anger nearly made her strike Xiang Yutian, who was meditating nearby.

"Once I solidify my divine skill, I certainly won't be fooled by this group of petty thieves!" She glanced at Xiang Yutian, who was still healing, and snorted, "It’s not too late to deal with them after the Overseer leads the attack on our headquarters!" With that, she swept up Xiang Yutian and headed straight for the coast, where a rescue ship had already been arranged. Getting the injured Protector Dongfang back to the headquarters for proper treatment was now paramount.

The news of the Demon Cult’s failed attack on Mount Shu, along with their significant losses, was swiftly spread by Ye Wen. It was only then that the Azure Dragon Society’s letters reached Ye Wen. Reading the dispatch, he sneered, "Dongfang Yi is actually asking me to send someone south to rescue the Jade Cave Sect! Doesn't he understand that urgent missives like this should be delivered faster? If the Demon Cult had truly attacked the Jade Cave Sect, by the time my people arrived, that sect might already have been erased from the Jianghu!"

Ye Wen was in his private quarters and didn't fear being overheard. Ning Rushue frowned upon hearing this and asked, "Surely the Azure Dragon Society Master isn't that muddle-headed?"

Huayi stood behind Ye Wen, gently massaging his shoulders, and chuckled, "Perhaps Master Dongfang saw that Mount Shu is too far away, and even with the desire to help, he was powerless. So this letter was merely symbolic; he didn't actually intend for Master to send anyone, did he?"

Ye Wen nodded slowly. "That is also a possibility!"

In truth, he considered another possibility: Dongfang Yi might be deliberately negligent. If the Jade Cave Sect were destroyed, he might even be secretly pleased. If that were the case, Ye Wen would need to be wary of this old man plotting behind the scenes during this encirclement of the Demon Cult.

While Ye Wen wouldn't definitively label Dongfang Yi as a villain, his impression of the elder had soured considerably due to the incident with Dongfang Sheng. Moreover, Dongfang Yi had never concealed his ambition to dominate the martial world, and anyone holding such ambition was likely to harbor some cunning motivations.

"Even if he doesn't intend to use such means to harm others, he must guard against others harming himself!"

A sect leader cannot operate like a lone wanderer. A lone wanderer can afford to be upright, open, and straightforward, but a sect leader, even one aspiring to be a true gentleman, must understand these sordid tactics—not to employ them, but purely for defense.

Ye Wen casually burned the letter, then waved his hands. "You two step out for now; I need to circulate my energy for healing..."

"Yes, Master! (Senior Brother)"

The two women withdrew from Ye Wen's room. Ning Rushue, however, remained worried, saying to Huayi, "It's been half a month, and Senior Brother’s injuries show no sign of improvement. Moreover, less than a tenth of his power has recovered. Over..."

Huayi replied, "Doctor Chen said that Master forcibly used the Myriad Swords Art, injuring the meridians in both arms. Afterward, he violently pushed out a stream of sinister, venomous energy, further damaging the Ren Channel. The Ren and Du Channels are critically important; among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, these two are the most vital. Having injured the Ren Channel this time, recovery naturally won't be quick!"

Ning Rushue understood this well enough, but her Senior Brother's condition remaining stagnant was naturally worrying. Furthermore, she feared Ye Wen’s own anxiety might impede his recovery.

At this moment, Ye Wen’s voice drifted from inside the room: "Don't worry; this injury is not serious!"