The events at the entrance of the Azure Dragon Society were but a brief interlude, not lasting long, especially since Dongfang Yi himself did not wish to escalate the matter. The contingent from Mount Shu was soon ushered inside and accommodated.

From that day forward, Ye Wen never saw Dongfang Sheng again. Although the reactions of Dongfang Yi and Dongfang Sheng upon meeting were perplexing, it was, after all, a family affair, and Ye Wen chose not to involve himself further.

Having settled into their quarters, they engaged in some light tidying up, taking the opportunity to shake off the fatigue accumulated during the journey.

Ye Wen himself felt relatively fine, but all his disciples had collapsed, utterly unable to move. From the look of them, none would recover without sleeping a full day and night.

"Where is Huayi?"

"I sent her to rest as well!"

Ning Rushue brushed back a lock of her hair and sat down beside Ye Wen.

"And Junior Brother?"

"Junior Brother took Rongrong to the county town for some shopping. Those two have endless energy; they are quite a match!" Ye Wen paused, then turned his head to ask, "Junior Sister, would you like to go out for a stroll too? This coastal county town has its own unique scenery, completely different from the inland areas!"

Ning Rushue shook her head. "After all those days tossing about on the sea, I’ve seen enough of everything!"

"Then rest," Ye Wen concluded.

With those words, both fell silent, merely sitting there quietly. Ye Wen would occasionally sip his tea and nibble on some snacks, while Ning Rushue sat gazing into space.

After an indeterminate time, Ye Wen suddenly mused aloud, "I wonder how that girl Zixin is doing now..."

Meanwhile, back on Mount Shu, a certain young woman was relentlessly pounding on a large door: "Senior Brother, let me out! I want to go with Master and Martial Uncle to encircle the Demonic Sect!"

After battering it for quite a while, Zhou Ding's helpless voice finally sounded from outside. "Junior Sister Nangong, you’ve been smashing that door for a month. The Sect Master and the others have already boarded the large ship and sailed out. Even if you rushed now, you wouldn't catch them. You had better settle down and cultivate on the mountain!"

Nangong Zixin heard a reply at last and struck the door with renewed vigor. "Senior Brother, Martial Uncle sealed my inner energy! How am I supposed to cultivate?"

"Then practice your swordsmanship or something else! Our Mount Shu Sect has so many techniques; surely we have something for you to practice?" Zhou Ding then sighed. "Junior Sister, not to act superior, but your ability to be accepted into the Inner Sect is an immense blessing. You have the liberty to choose from so many of Mount Shu Sect's ultimate skills. Why can't you apply yourself just a little more?"

Nangong Zixin bristled, feeling wronged, but then she recalled that her martial arts stood near the bottom among the Mount Shu Inner Sect disciples; indeed, she had no grounds to refute his words. After thinking it over and over, she finally blurted out, "My father and my uncles all say that girls ought to learn less about fighting and killing. Being able to protect oneself is enough..."

"Can your martial arts ensure your self-protection?"

"..." Nangong Zixin gritted her teeth, muttering inwardly that Senior Brother Zhou certainly knew how to say things that infuriated people. "I... I have Senior Brother Xu to protect me, don't I?"

"..." This time it was Zhou Ding’s turn to be speechless. If she brought Xu Ping into it, he truly had nothing more to say. He finally concluded with one sentence: "Since that is the case, let it be. If Junior Sister has no desire to advance further in martial arts, there’s no need to force it! But with your current skill level, going to find the Sect Master and the others would only cause them trouble. What if you implicate Senior Brother Xu when the time comes?"

As soon as Nangong Zixin heard this, she didn't know how to respond. She was fully aware of her own martial prowess. If she truly went to fight the Demonic Sect, she doubted she could retreat unscathed. If she ended up being a burden to Xu Ping, would she still have the face to live on this earth?

Zhou Ding listened from outside. Seeing Nangong Zixin suddenly fall silent, he knew his words had hit home. He inwardly thought, The Sect Master’s foresight is truly divine. He told me to gauge the time and say exactly this, ensuring this Junior Sister won't cause further trouble. Once she calms down for three to five days, that great ship will be so far away that she'll never catch up!

In truth, these reasons were not hard to grasp. Nangong Zixin had only been subconsciously ignoring the issue because her desire to be with Xu Ping had overshadowed all other thoughts.

Normally, the others on Mount Shu were hesitant to voice such things plainly. Now, with most of the Mount Shu disciples gone down the mountain, only Zhou Ding remained. Speaking without reservation, his timely words enlightened Nangong Zixin, and naturally, she stopped making a fuss.

"Junior Sister, eat your food honestly! In three or five days, it will be the day the Sect Master has set for your secluded training to conclude. Wherever you wish to wander then, Senior Brother will happily accompany you!"

"What conclusion of seclusion? It's more like being released from prison!" Nangong Zixin returned to the table, grumbling as she ate. "Accompany me? More like monitoring me!"

Zhou Ding couldn't hear these mutterings outside. Seeing no response from within, he left, instructing a few remaining disciples to guard the entrance carefully. Ye Wen’s arrangements this time were thorough: the small cottage was guarded on all four sides. Nangong Zixin couldn't even slip out through a window, completely severing the possibility of her running out and stirring up more melodramatic drama.

Hearing Ye Wen mention his disciple, Ning Rushue was reminded of the various arrangements her Senior Brother had made for the girl, and she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Senior Brother, is it necessary to make such a grand effort for that girl?"

"Of course it is necessary!" Ye Wen answered without hesitation. "Otherwise, if she chases after them and needlessly endangers Ping'er, there will be no tears left to cry then!"

With Xu Ping's current martial arts skills, he should be able to protect himself during the assault on the Demonic Sect, provided he avoided the few top experts. However, adding Nangong Zixin as a burden would make things uncertain.

Ning Rushue still felt Ye Wen was overreacting, but Ye Wen casually remarked, "Over the last two years, I've heard many storytellers in the teahouses recounting tales. Does Junior Sister remember how many plots in those stories unfolded like this?"

Hearing Ye Wen say this, Ning Rushue felt sweat trickle down her forehead. After all her contemplation, she never imagined her Senior Brother would use the plots from popular fiction as a reference point.

"Senior Brother... you..."

"Alas, Junior Sister, don't forget that so many stories originate from life! Since they are told that way, it means they have the potential to happen. One must guard against potential problems before they arise!"

The two chatted for a while. Around noon, Dongfang Yi sent his eldest son, Dongfang Wuji, to invite them over.

After following Dongfang Wuji around for a while, Ye Wen and Ning Rushue arrived at a grand hall. Tables and chairs were already set up. As before, each person had a small individual table before them, laid with bowls, chopsticks, and wine cups.

As Ye Wen entered, he saw True Man Tianyi already seated in the place of honor. Noticing Ye Wen enter, Tianyi cupped his hands from afar. "Sect Master Ye arrived swiftly!"

"So, the True Man is here too!" Ye Wen had thought they were arriving quite early, never expecting True Man Tianyi to already be present, looking as if he had been there for several days.

Glancing around, he saw that many places had been set, indicating that quite a few heroes of the righteous path had already arrived at the Azure Dragon Society; otherwise, so many seats wouldn't be needed.

Dongfang Yi, as the host, hastened forward to greet Ye Wen upon his entry and invited him to a slightly more forward position.

Ye Wen roughly counted; only the sects like Chan Sect, Tiandao Sect, Mount Tian, and North Sword Gate were seated above him. His position clearly reflected the current standing of the Mount Shu Sect in the Jianghu.

There were still many seats below him, showing that the gathering of righteous heroes included more than just these major sects. Even counting the martial arts families, this many seats were still excessive.

"Strange, I recall they didn't mention that people from other sects would be joining?"

While Ye Wen was pondering this, Dongfang Wuji led in another group. The person in the lead had his hands behind his back, a proud expression, and an imposing aura that, were it not for his appearance, might have suggested Li Xuan had arrived.

Just as Ye Wen wondered who the visitor was, Dongfang Yi greeted him with a smile, saying respectfully to the man, who looked to be under thirty, "Brother Xuanyuan, you've arrived so early this time?"

The man called Brother Xuanyuan laughed heartily, showing no sense that interacting with Dongfang Yi as an equal was inappropriate. He boldly clapped Dongfang Yi on the shoulder. "I arrived late; I hope Brother doesn't blame me!"

Afterward, the two shared hearty laughs (in Ye Wen's view), as if they were the deepest of friends. But even the least perceptive person could tell they were merely going through the motions, exchanging pleasantries.

As Ye Wen was trying to figure out who this person was, True Man Tianyi had somehow arrived beside him and introduced, "This man is called Xuanyuan Wudi. He is a lone swordsman, one who has encountered countless fortuitous encounters throughout his life. He is certainly a unique phenomenon in the martial world today!"

Ye Wen rose and exchanged courtesies with True Man Tianyi for a moment, then asked, "What makes him so unique?"

True Man Tianyi smiled and quietly explained Xuanyuan Wudi’s origins. "This young man’s original name was Xuanyuan Qiuyu. His parents were a well-known pair of chivalrous heroes in the Jianghu, and they were blessed with him late in life. Naturally, they doted on him dearly. From childhood, Xuanyuan Qiuyu displayed extraordinary traits that amazed people!"

"I once heard this old Daoist that a certain Xuanyuan family had a late child who was exceptionally gifted: he could speak at three months and run at one year. At the time, people dismissed it as Jianghu gossip, but later I learned it was about this young man!"

Ye Wen immediately sensed the man's unusual nature from these few lines. "That peculiar?"

But he did not expect this was only the beginning. True Man Tianyi continued, "It is said that this child was born carrying a not insignificant amount of Innate Qi, marking him as having superior aptitude for martial arts. Old Mr. Xuanyuan initially did not wish to teach his son martial arts, having wandered the perilous Jianghu his entire life. However, the boy's innate talent was too strong. Before he was even three, he had learned everything his father knew just from casually observing his daily practice movements!"

"..."

"At four years old, this child had mastered all his father's skills, and even learned some of his mother's techniques, modifying them slightly for his own use!"

"..."

"If it were only this, it wouldn't be much. After all, the child was very young then; even with the aid of Innate Qi, his power was quite weak. Unexpectedly, this child was not only gifted but also possessed great fortune. At the age of five, while out for an outing, he accidentally fell off a cliff and gained a major fortuitous encounter!"

"Was there a spiritual fruit, a secret manual, or an old master at the bottom of that cliff?"

"What old master?" True Man Tianyi looked perplexed, momentarily forgetting he was telling a story, and asked Ye Wen instead.

Ye Wen smiled. "A highly skilled expert who, due to some convoluted reason, has been living like a savage in a ravine!"

True Man Tianyi looked greatly surprised. "How did Sect Master Ye know?"

"..."

The old Daoist continued, "After falling, he happened to be caught by a tree branch, which led him to discover a platform below with a cave entrance. He fell onto the platform and entered the cave, where he met his first master..."

"First master..." Ye Wen was already running out of energy to comment.

"Not only did this child immediately win the old man's affection, but he also happened to consume a fruit that the elder had painstakingly nurtured for fifty years until it finally ripened. As a result, his entire cultivation base surged directly into the Innate Realm! Following that, the venerable elder imparted all his lifetime's knowledge, hoping only that the boy could help him avenge his death!"

"At the age of ten, this child used his profound power to climb out of the cliff and returned home to reunite with his parents. However, he didn't expect that due to his fall back then, his parents, overwhelmed by grief, had already passed away! Grief-stricken, the young man knelt and cried before his parents' graves for seven days and nights, nearly dying from qi deviation!"

"Nearly... so he was fine in the end?"

True Man Tianyi nodded. "A fortunate man is blessed by fate! At that time, Xuanyuan Qiuyu, unable to move due to qi deviation, was fortunately rescued by a passing young maiden. After she helped him regulate his true qi, not only was the young man alright, but he even benefited from the misfortune, and his power increased significantly!"

"As expected..."

"Afterward, Xuanyuan Qiuyu stayed quiet for a few years, mourning his parents' passing. During these years, he not only practiced diligently, further refining his martial arts, but also immersed himself in hundreds of books, mastering classics, history, philosophy, and the arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In his spare time, he even went to take some imperial examinations—it was rumored among scholars at the time that if he hadn't skipped the final palace examination, achieving the top three scores consecutively would have been effortless."

"Later it was discovered that just as he was preparing for the palace examination, two high-level experts of the time were fighting on the roof of his house. They accidentally broke through the roof and landed squarely upon Xuanyuan Qiuyu, who was cultivating below. Not only was Xuanyuan Qiuyu unharmed, but he shockingly absorbed the full power of both men. His extraordinary meridians and channels were immediately cleared!"

"When he turned seventeen, Xuanyuan Qiuyu ventured out for the first time. By then, he had already established a family. His wife was the very maiden who had rescued him. The couple traveled the Jianghu hand in hand, achieving over a decade without a single defeat. Hence, he changed his name to Xuanyuan Wudi."

Hearing this, Ye Wen suddenly became curious and asked softly, "With that name, didn't anyone feel displeased?" The first person who came to his mind was that fellow Li Xuan. How could such an arrogant person tolerate another claiming to be invincible?

True Man Tianyi understood Ye Wen's doubt and smiled. "Sect Master Li, though very proud, is also very magnanimous. When he first heard Xuanyuan Qiuyu renamed himself Wudi, he merely smiled and said nothing more!" At this point, True Man Tianyi even felt admiration for Li Xuan, thinking his own demeanor utterly inferior.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen merely muttered to himself, Said nothing? He was probably too angry to bother speaking! If he hadn't been absent, wouldn't Sect Master Li have just started fighting right then and there?

No one knew that Li Xuan had privately told his junior brother: "This child is so brazen; his life won't last long! Is it worth stooping to the level of such an ignorant person? As long as he doesn't provoke me, I won't bother with him."

This conversation never reached the outside world, yet Ye Wen had guessed the situation with uncanny accuracy.

Afterward, True Man Tianyi briefly recounted Xuanyuan Wudi’s exploits. They mostly involved eradicating the wicked and diligently helping his master avenge his death. Along the way, he received guidance from several more masters and accumulated many beautiful companions, some of whom were initially his enemies but were eventually brought into his embrace.

At that time, he earned considerable acclaim, being lauded as "Benevolent and Invincible Xuanyuan," capable of moving even demonic cult temptresses to abandon darkness for the light!

In the end, he not only fulfilled his master’s great vengeance but also foiled a major conspiracy, finally establishing his immense reputation and earning the deep respect of the entire martial world.

"At that time, the child was only twenty. This old Daoist and Huixin both believed he would be a future leader of the righteous martial arts world... but looking at him now... alas..."

"Twenty?" Ye Wen calculated. Xuanyuan Wudi was now over thirty, slightly older than himself. At twenty, he had already achieved fame, whereas Ye Wen at that age... "I think I was still memorizing vocabulary in college?"

He also noticed that True Man Tianyi had ended with a long sigh and couldn't help but ask, "Why the sigh, True Man?"

True Man Tianyi said, "As time went on, we realized this fellow acted arbitrarily, following only his own whims! Moreover, he lacked broad-mindedness and was somewhat arrogant. Remembering how many predecessors, seeing his extraordinary talent, intervened and secretly supported him to cultivate such a person—I wonder if it is a blessing or a curse for our righteous martial world!"

In truth, it was nothing more than this: if he disagreed with someone, he would move to exterminate their entire family without mercy, even if the target was also a member of the righteous path. Since Xuanyuan Wudi held greater prestige, everyone naturally believed his word that the other party had committed a misdeed.

Furthermore, Xuanyuan Wudi seemed overly fond of women. Any woman with even moderate beauty he noticed would inevitably end up in his chambers.

Upon hearing this, Ye Wen immediately reached out, pulling Ning Rushue behind him, using his body to shield his Junior Sister from Xuanyuan Wudi, before continuing to speak with True Man Tianyi: "In that case, did no one reprimand him?"

True Man Tianyi replied, "Mainly because those women willingly went to his side, so others naturally couldn't say much! However, it is truly a pity that several talented young masters died because of it!"

Ye Wen saw the lament in True Man Tianyi’s expression was genuine and squinted, muttering inwardly, I bet among those talented young masters were disciples from your Tiandao Sect!

Turning his head, he happened to meet Xuanyuan Wudi's gaze. The man acted as if he had just noticed Ye Wen now, scrutinizing him from head to toe, and asked, "This young brother looks entirely unfamiliar. May I ask your name?" As he spoke, he exerted his aura, which struck Ye Wen dumb with shock.

Is he trying to blast me with his 'King's Aura' for no reason? Does he expect this Sect Master to immediately bow down? Doesn't he know I'm immune to that stuff?

With a slight smile, Ye Wen ignored the man's entire body, down to every hair, radiating an overbearing presence. He, too, exerted his own presence: "I am Ye Wen, the Sect Master of Mount Shu. I haven't had the pleasure of asking your name...?" As he spoke, he shielded his Junior Sister even more tightly.