The cultivation method provided by Xu Xian, while effective, offered little to Ye Wen. Primarily, he was the sole practitioner of the Innate Purple Qi within the entire sect.

Furthermore, Ye Wen’s Innate Purple Qi had reached the stage of Great Accomplishment. Any further progression would involve slow, incremental accumulation to deepen his internal energy, while simultaneously focusing on the art of applying this immense cultivation to maximize its potential output.

“It seems that truly manifesting one’s actual strength is the key determinant in judging whether a martial artist is a master or a grandmaster!” Ye Wen mused. Among the top experts he knew, the Nine Sword Immortal's profoundness was immeasurable. During their brief exchange, Ye Wen could not gauge the extent of the elder’s formidable power; he was certain the senior had held back significantly, perhaps using only a fraction of his true strength.

Li Xuan’s power was formidable, yet Ye Wen felt he could now perceive the contours of his ability. Observing how Li Xuan could effortlessly infuse his pure cold energy into wine with a mere gesture, without any visible change to the liquid’s appearance, indicated that his control over his own power had reached a state of perfection.

“Viewed this way, Li Xuan and the Nine Sword Immortal’s comprehension of the martial way should be nearly equal; the only difference lies in the depth of their internal energy. Yet, this disparity results in the Nine Sword Immortal achieving Void Shattering while Li Xuan remains stagnant?”

“Could it be that shattering the void in this world still relies fundamentally on the sheer depth of one’s cultivation?”

Ye Wen frowned in deep contemplation. Hua Yi stood silently a short distance away, unwilling to interrupt his focus until Ye Wen finally surfaced from his thoughts. Hua Yi then spoke softly, “Master, your servant has noticed something!”

“What is it?”

It was already past noon. After finishing lunch, everyone retrieved their baggage from their rooms. Hua Yi had naturally packed Ye Wen’s belongings, and everything was ready, yet their departure was delayed because Ye Wen remained deep in thought.

Hua Yi suddenly whispered, “Your servant… your servant’s cultivation seems to have increased significantly!”

“Huh?”

Ye Wen looked up at Hua Yi. She stood there, her face flushed, her fingers intertwined as if about to share something embarrassing. “Last night… when Master favored this servant, I noticed a strange movement in my internal True Qi. At the time, I assumed it was due to the passion, so I said nothing…”

“How could you not mention something like that?” Ye Wen was surprised; he had no idea such a thing had occurred last night. But now that Hua Yi mentioned it, he recalled a faint stir in his own True Qi during the night. The movement had been so slight that he attributed it to the slight loss of his Primordial Yang, causing a reaction in his True Qi, and had dismissed it.

Hua Yi lowered her gaze, her voice even softer. “Afterward, I felt no further abnormalities and did not tell Master. However, when I returned to my room to circulate my energy just now, I discovered that the vital nexus within my body…”

“How is it?”

“I broke through several sections consecutively; only two nexus points remain! And my Demonic Heavenly True Qi has become even purer!” A hint of excitement flashed across her face as she spoke. A significant boost in martial arts naturally brought immense joy, as it meant she stood a better chance of killing more Demon Sect brigands during the upcoming campaign and perhaps even killing Shen Yuqing with her own hands.

Hearing Hua Yi’s report, Ye Wen felt a degree of surprise. While he knew her cultivation had advanced, he hadn't anticipated such a large leap. It suddenly struck him that his Innate Purple Qi could indeed aid others in advancing their power. Moreover, having cultivated energy refinement for so many years, his Yang energy was incomparably pure; it was hardly surprising that Hua Yi’s power surged after receiving the benefit of his Primordial Yang.

More importantly, now that his Innate Purple Qi was complete, his Primordial Yang would remain eternally pure. This meant he had effectively become a giant tonic, a supreme cauldron—anyone who used him would certainly know the benefits!

“Damn, I almost forgot that after achieving Great Accomplishment in my Divine Art, I turned into a walking cauldron!”

What delighted Hua Yi even more was that after her Demonic Heavenly True Qi was tempered by the True Qi from Ye Wen’s body, her energy not only remained stable but became far more formidable, all without the issue of rapid, uncontrollable power surges. It was practically a cheat code for instantaneous power enhancement.

Hua Yi picked up her bundle and added, “It feels like the last two nexus points can be broken through at any moment!” As she said this, the look she gave Ye Wen made the Grand Sect Master feel like a frog being eyed by a snake.

“Uh… don’t look at me like that!”

“Yes, Master!” She covered her mouth and chuckled softly. “But Master always looks at Madam that way!”

“Haha, is that so?” Ye Wen laughed awkwardly, stood up, lifted his bundle, and waved his hand. “Enough idle chatter. They must be getting anxious waiting!”

“Yes!”

The two emerged from the room and, after winding through the corridors, arrived at the front of the main hall. Ning Ruxue, Xu Xian, and the others were already waiting; only Ye Wen’s presence was needed to commence their journey.

Seeing Ye Wen’s tardiness, Xu Xian’s gaze was overly suggestive, and the barely suppressed anger in Ning Ruxue’s eyes showed signs of flaring up again.

“Senior Brother, why were you so slow?”

Ye Wen waved his hand. “Nothing, just thinking about a few things, which caused a delay!” He glanced around and asked quietly, “Is that girl Zixin being watched properly?”

Ning Ruxue pursed her lips and signaled Zhou Ding with her eyes. “I’ve instructed Zhou Ding to watch Zixin closely. Her cultivation has been sealed by Senior Brother; she won’t be able to escape Shu Mountain even under careful watch. By the time the seal naturally lifts in a month, we will already be aboard the great ship, sailing away! Even if she descends the mountain then, she won’t catch us!”

Ye Wen nodded. Since everything was arranged, there was no need for further delay. With a grand sweep of his hand, he commanded, “Set forth!”

The group followed behind Ye Wen, walking slowly down the mountain path without employing lightness skills, taking the time to observe the surrounding scenery. This battle was of utmost importance, and the outcome was uncertain; it was possible few of these disciples would return.

Ye Wen brought only his five personal disciples who remained by his side (Liu Muyan and Wei Hong were absent). Xu Xian brought Nangong Huang. Ning Ruxue brought none of her disciples. In addition, they were accompanied by twenty-one outer disciples with relatively good martial arts skills. These disciples had all learned the Complete Perfection Manual. In external skills, some practiced the Pine Wind Sword Style, some had been taught a few moves of the Returning Wind Aloft Swan Sword or the Morning Sun Unity Sword, and others practiced the Profound Void Saber Technique.

Furthermore, all twenty-one disciples knew the True Martial Seven Intercept Formation, allowing them to arrange into exactly three such formations.

Ye Wen was not well-versed in formations and did not know how to scale the True Martial Seven Intercept Formation up to something like the Complete Perfection Sect’s massive Heavenly Dipper Formation, as the requirements were too high for him to manage.

He could only manage to arrange the three formations in a rough Three Powers configuration, allowing for some minimal coordination between them, which marginally increased their collective combat power and improved their survivability in a chaotic melee.

But even with this enhancement, survival in such a massive conflict remained uncertain. While the struggles between martial sects were generally less perilous than military campaigns, the difference was not vast. Once a large-scale mêlée erupted, unless one’s martial arts reached a very high level, one could easily die without even knowing how.

Ye Wen’s main concern was whether the Demon Sect, aiming to overthrow the Imperial Court, employed military formation tactics in their fights.

When the Demon Sect attacked Shu Mountain previously, the initial assault involved too few members, allowing Ye Wen to strike first, disrupting the Demon Sect’s deployment and immediately descending into chaotic free-for-all combat. Thus, he remained unsure if the Demon Sect understood such troop discipline.

“If they truly understand the art of war formations, this expedition will be even more perilous!”

In addition, Ye Wen was contemplating the true strength of the so-called Four Protectors of the Demon Sect. Xiang Yutian alone, whom he had already encountered, had given him a severe beating. Although Ye Wen’s power had increased substantially since then, he estimated his chances against Xiang Yutian remained fifty-fifty.

As for the other three Protectors—were their powers greater than Xiang Yutian’s, weaker, or perhaps similar?

Lost in his worries, he barely noticed the scenery along the way. Ning Ruxue considered saying something to him, but seeing his persistent frown, she decided not to disturb him.

Upon reaching Shushan County town and settling into their own You Jian Inn, Ning Ruxue knocked on Ye Wen’s door. Ye Wen was eating dinner inside, with Hua Yi attending to him.

Seeing his junior sister arrive, Ye Wen gestured toward an empty set of bowls and chopsticks. “Junior Sister has arrived. I assume you haven’t eaten dinner yet; come and join us!”

“Senior Brother knew I would come?”

Ye Wen smiled, pointing to Hua Yi. “Hua Yi mentioned that you seemed to have something to tell me during the day, but you held back when you saw my frown. I figured you wouldn’t be able to resist waiting until dinnertime, so I prepared extra settings for you!” He gestured to the dishes on the table. “Come eat; the food will get cold if we wait any longer!”

Hearing this, Ning Ruxue ceased her suspicions. She wasn't surprised that her Senior Brother understood her so well, just as she could infer what good deed her Senior Brother had been up to upon seeing Hua Yi emerging from his room. Having spent so many years together, their level of mutual understanding surpassed that of ordinary people. In fact, Ning Ruxue vaguely felt that the current Senior Brother differed significantly from the one she had known, a feeling that had intensified over the last two years, though she dismissed it as the natural evolution of his personality as he matured.

Sitting down beside Ye Wen, Ning Ruxue picked up her chopsticks, took a couple of bites, and then asked, “Senior Brother… are you worried about something?” She had noticed his constant frowning since descending the mountain, a look rarely seen in recent years. Ning Ruxue had been deeply concerned throughout the journey and could barely eat, finally breaking the silence after just a few bites.

Ye Wen sighed and recounted all his concerns. Upon hearing them, Ning Ruxue finally spoke comfortingly. “Senior Brother is worrying too much. When we surround the Demon Sect, I will stay near the disciples, watching over them in all directions, ensuring none of our sect’s disciples lose their lives in vain.”

“That would be best!” This arrangement not only provided the disciples with a high-level guardian but also served to keep Ning Ruxue away from confrontations with true experts.

Now that he had reached Perfection in the Innate realm, even with many experts in the Demon Sect, his life shouldn't be in immediate danger; he could retreat fully if necessary. Ning Ruxue, however, could not. Although her cultivation was considerable and her techniques formidable, she was ultimately a step behind. If she ran into a Demon Sect expert, she could easily lose her life, something Ye Wen desperately wanted to prevent.

Especially when he recalled the myriad of classic tropes where if one half of a romantic couple said something like, “After this battle ends, we’ll return home and marry,” or “We’ll retire from the martial world,” tragedy was guaranteed for someone. Ye Wen instantly regretted the words he had spoken to her earlier.

“Isn’t that cursing myself? Why did I have to bring up marriage right after a major battle!”

However, those words were hard to retract. Thus, he could only scheme to keep Ning Ruxue out of the vanguard, away from immediate danger.

“At that time, I’ll tell Rongrong and Junior Brother Xu not to charge recklessly either. I know Junior Brother Xu has a carefree nature, but this battle is not only critical but also incredibly dangerous. Moreover, we will be on the Demon Sect’s territory; charging blindly could lead us right into a trap!”

“Senior Brother means we should proceed steadily, advancing inch by inch?”

“Exactly!” This approach countered all manner of plots, traps, and mechanisms. As long as the attacking force proceeded methodically, pushing forward slowly like plowing a field, most of the threat from these supposed traps would be neutralized.

“But if we do that, our Shu Mountain Sect…” Ning Ruxue felt this approach seemed a bit too cowardly? If other sects stormed directly into the enemy's main headquarters while the Shu Mountain Sect was still lingering outside…

Ye Wen waved his hand. “The rise of our Shu Mountain Sect has only occurred in the last few years; those major sects can afford losses, but we cannot. It is better to be cautious! As for those grandmasters…, it’s time those old fellows got moving. I can’t be the junior who always charges to the front, can I?” Besides, Ye Wen suspected these high-level experts might not be exerting their full effort, perhaps intentionally leaving a path for the Demon Sect to escape.

Ning Ruxue nodded, finding his reasoning sound. Those renowned sects often had hundreds or thousands of disciples, with at least a hundred personal disciples; even if all were lost in this fight, the sect’s foundation would remain intact, allowing them to recover within a decade or two.

The Shu Mountain Sect had only this small elite force, and if they were all wiped out overseas, the sect would effectively exist only in name.

After discussing for a while, Ning Ruxue suddenly asked, “Did you tell Junior Brother?” Ye Wen shook his head and chuckled slyly. “I’ll tell him tomorrow. It’s too late today; he might be… with Rongrong…” He stopped speaking there, but the wicked smile conveyed his meaning perfectly.

Ning Ruxue glared at him. “You think Junior Brother is like you? I suspect Junior Brother is instructing Rongrong in her skills; haven't you noticed how fast Rongrong’s cultivation has progressed lately?”

Ye Wen nodded profusely upon hearing this. “Yes, yes! Practicing that certain Divine Art!” Then, he took Ning Ruxue’s hand and asked, “Junior Sister, would you like to practice with Senior Brother?” Ning Ruxue was unaware of the specifics, but Hua Yi knew perfectly well. Ye Wen made no effort to hide his relationship with the woman he had already taken, knowing that Xu Xian and Huang Rongrong were using dual cultivation to advance their skills. Ye Wen had even teased her about using him as a cauldron for practice, which Hua Yi had deftly countered with: “Your servant will certainly serve Master diligently to repay the kindness of Master helping this servant cultivate!”

Hearing Ye Wen’s suggestion, Hua Yi’s face immediately flushed crimson. She secretly exchanged several glances with Ning Ruxue. Ning Ruxue was initially puzzled, but seeing Hua Yi’s gestures, she finally understood, letting out a playful reprimand. “Senior Brother is having wicked thoughts again!” She lightly struck Ye Wen’s hand with a chopstick, withdrawing her own in the process.

However, as she pulled her hand back, Ning Ruxue’s expression suddenly bloomed with a blush. She furtively glanced at Ye Wen, then at Hua Yi, and whispered softly, “Once we return from this campaign and I marry Senior Brother, I will be completely at Senior Brother’s disposal…” As she finished, the blush on her face became even more vivid, spreading to her neck and behind her ears until they were entirely crimson.

Ye Wen was startled, not expecting his junior sister to utter such words. He stared at her a few more times, which only made Ning Ruxue more embarrassed. Feeling she could find no place to hide, she put down her chopsticks and fled.

“Ah? She ran off again?”

Ye Wen had wanted to share some intimate words with his junior sister but, reacting a beat too slowly, he let her escape again.

“Is my junior sister a rabbit? Why does she run so fast?” Unfortunately, the concept of zodiac animals didn’t exist in this world, so he couldn’t calculate her sign; he could only mutter a few words inwardly and let it go.

But when he turned to look at Hua Yi, Ye Wen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Right, did Junior Sister say anything to you this morning?”

There had been many matters that day; he had almost forgotten this. When he saw Ning Ruxue call Hua Yi into the room, he expected a confrontation between the two women. Instead, after an hour of discussion, the two emerged laughing happily, as close as sisters.

“Madam asked this servant to watch Master carefully, absolutely forbidding Master from bringing anyone else into the courtyard!”

Hua Yi covered her painted lips with her sleeve and smiled faintly, recalling the conversation she had with Ning Ruxue during the day. Ning Ruxue’s sharp tongue but soft heart had been fully revealed during their talk. On the surface, she might express dissatisfaction with Ye Wen, but in private, she only showed concern for her Senior Brother.

First, she asked if Hua Yi and Ye Wen were consummated. Upon receiving an affirmative answer, she insisted that Senior Brother must give Hua Yi an official title. Although Hua Yi didn't care about titles, she was deeply moved. The two women talked and talked, eventually forming an alliance.

Especially when Ning Ruxue quietly implored Hua Yi to keep an eye on Ye Wen during that activity, ensuring her Senior Brother didn't bring home any more romantic debts from outside! Previously, Ning Ruxue hadn't worried about such things due to Ye Wen’s Innate Purple Qi, but seeing Ye Wen consume Hua Yi immediately after achieving completion made her concerned now.

Hearing this, Hua Yi was momentarily astonished. “You mean… take care of Master…”

“Squeeze him dry!” Ning Ruxue had finished speaking fiercely, immediately flushing crimson, feeling utterly inappropriate as an unmarried woman saying such a thing.

Ning Ruxue’s demeanor was quite amusing to Hua Yi, who replied, “This servant knows what to do!” And so, that night, the deep silence of the bedroom was periodically punctuated by soft, delicate sounds: “Master, this servant needs more!”

“Good!”

“Master, this servant can continue!”

“No problem!”

“Master, this servant still wants more!”

“…”

“Master…”