Whether Li Xuan had truly accomplished this, Ye Wen could not say for certain, still unable to confirm his own suspicions.

After slaughtering every last member of the Demonic Cult aboard the two large vessels, the group began the simple process of tending to their wounded brothers and segregating the bodies of their fallen comrades.

"Burial at sea, or cremation?"

The few men looked at one another, their gazes ultimately settling on Ye Wen. Finally, it was Ye Wen who offered a suggestion: "Let them remain for now. Once we reach the shore, we will properly arrange them, cremate them after dealing with the Demonic Cult, and then carry the ashes back home for a proper burial!"

Everyone understood that floating several corpses on the sea for months was impractical; Ye Wen's solution was the most sensible. As for the sailors' proposal of immediate sea burial, it had been rejected from the start; none of them could bear the thought of their friends' bodies being tossed into the ocean to feed the fish.

Having settled the matter of the dead, Ye Wen suddenly realized Nangong Wentian was nowhere in sight. After searching around, he caught Nangong Tinghai and asked, "Where is your elder brother?" Nangong Tinghai pointed toward the stern of the larger ship: "One of our boats caught fire from the pitch oil and was hit by a flaming arrow; it's almost completely burned now. Big Brother took a few men in a small boat to rescue them!"

Ye Wen turned and finally noticed one of the large ships barely floating on the surface, suspended between sinking and staying afloat.

However, the fire raging upon it meant no one else could remain there, and many were already struggling in the water, trying to distance themselves from the burning hulk. Those who couldn't swim clung desperately to planks of wood, hoping to survive.

Seeing this, Ye Wen immediately ordered Nangong Tinghai, "Go to that enemy warship and find more small boats for rescue! Get those close to the large ship away first—it's extremely dangerous to remain nearby when it finally sinks. Hurry while the ship is still afloat!" Nangong Tinghai nodded, shouted for several Nangong family disciples, and they immediately began searching the Demonic Cult's warship for smaller craft to launch a rescue mission.

Ye Wen remained on his own ship, watching the burning vessel from a distance.

"I thought there would be no losses, but I didn't expect to lose a whole ship!" He had been busy with a chaotic mess, and the burning ship had been obscured from his line of sight by the superstructure, so he hadn't noticed it until now. If he hadn't asked, he likely wouldn't have realized a ship was missing until they resumed sailing.

It was nearly two hours later when they set sail again. This delay did not make Ye Wen feel his plans had gone awry; in fact, the fact that the delay was so brief exceeded his expectations.

He had anticipated being delayed longer on the journey, which would have meant arriving at the Demonic Cult's main headquarters around nightfall. Now, they might reach it by dusk.

"Dusk is fine too! The fading light of dusk provides a better cover than complete darkness!"

Ye Wen was not entirely wrong; dusk was often suitable for a surprise attack, but using large ships to launch a seaborne assault on a land fortress was rather absurd.

There were no obstructions on the open sea; everything was visible at a glance. Even if visibility was slightly impaired, the sight of the righteous factions' several large ships would be noticed from a great distance, and the delay in recognition would be minimal.

"Enemy..."

Before the Demonic Cult scout in the watchtower could utter a word, he tumbled down, a spurt of blood jetting from his throat before he landed with a thud.

Xu Xian, atop the watchtower, glanced at the distant large ships, then surveyed the other sentry posts. Seeing how Zheng Ting and the Zen Master Huixin had effortlessly dispatched their respective sentries without raising any alarm, he chuckled, "Senior Brother seems to have overestimated the Demonic Cult. This level of defense poses no real challenge!"

With that, he leaped down from the watchtower, his gaze lingering slightly on Zheng Ting. He observed that the hero from the Tianshan Sect was still conversing with Zen Master Huixin, appearing entirely normal. However, Xu Xian, who had been monitoring him closely, noticed that the man had intended to feign a warning cry for the sentry but swiftly killed him upon realizing he was being watched.

"This fellow... is indeed suspicious!"

Unbeknownst to him, Zheng Ting was also deeply uneasy, feeling as though someone was watching him, though he couldn't pinpoint the source. He had initially suspected Xu Xian of the Shu Mountain Sect, but every time he tried to focus on Xu Xian, the man was either moving about erratically or, like Zen Master Huixin, simply closing his eyes as if meditating—showing no sign of anomaly.

"Am I being overly cautious?"

The group spoke in hushed tones, occasionally glancing toward the large ships, hoping they would dock sooner. Yet, the ships, which had seemed small moments ago, still appeared just as distant, as if they hadn't moved at all.

The others knew this was due to the great distance, but if they didn't hurry, the Demonic Cult would surely detect them, rendering all their meticulous arrangements useless.

Among the group, only Zen Master Huixin kept his eyes closed, softly chanting Buddhist phrases, never once looking up.

After watching for a while, Zheng Ting suddenly announced, "The large ships will take a long time to reach the shore. Perhaps I should scout ahead and eliminate a few more sentries. That will make landing safer."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xian, who had been sitting nearby appearing only to meditate, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, realizing Zheng Ting was likely plotting something devious. Just as he considered following him, he heard Zen Master Huixin interject, "No need, Great Hero Zheng. You and this old monk shall remain here to guard. If any of the Demonic Cult scoundrels arrive, we can defend this area side-by-side."

Zheng Ting was utterly surprised that the old monk had rejected his suggestion and was momentarily speechless.

Xu Xian, standing nearby, vaguely sensed something: "Could it be that this old monk has already detected that something is amiss with Zheng Ting?"

As he pondered this, a sudden clamor echoed from a distance. Xu Xian realized other sentry posts had spotted the large ships, but the brothers here had not noticed anything amiss and had not sent anyone to investigate.

He estimated that someone must have already gone to relay the message and warn the others. Now, everything depended on whether they could secure this area long enough to establish a landing zone for their allies.

Zen Master Huixin reacted even faster, directly ordering a nearby Azure Dragon Society disciple, "Go light the firewood and notify True Man Tianyi and the others of our location!"

The objective of this advance party was not only to ascertain the situation and secure landing space for the main righteous forces but also to select an appropriate spot for disembarkation. Ye Wen had only shared this plan in secret with Xu Xian, who then relayed it to Huixin; no one else knew.

Once a suitable landing area was located, the party was to wait in place. If they remained undiscovered (a possibility almost nonexistent and thus generally ignored), they would wait for the ships to draw nearer before lighting the fire. If they were discovered, the fires were to be lit immediately so the ship crews would know their target and advance at full speed for the landing.

At Zen Master Huixin's command, the pile of firewood nearby was instantly ignited. Since the Demonic Cult had already detected them, there was no point in concealing their location any longer by keeping the fire low. They could only hope the large ships would move faster.

Ye Wen stood at the bow of the ship, flanked by members of the North Sword Sect and the Ximen Family. Long Batian was once again standing near Xuanyuan Wudi, their gazes locked in a fierce, non-verbal contest.

Seeing the smoke rising from the island, Ye Wen immediately pointed, "Full speed ahead toward where the smoke rises!" As he gave the order, the sailors used simple hand signals to communicate with the other large ships, and the vessels cut through the waves, surging toward the island.

Only then did Ye Wen notice the considerable size of the island chosen by the Demonic Cult. If properly developed, it could resemble a small city in the sea; he just didn't know where the main headquarters was situated.

"Could it be on that mountain in the center of the island?"

Ye Wen looked up but quickly dismissed the thought, reasoning that if it were on the mountain, he should see structures.

While building an entourage on a mountain certainly projected an imposing aura, in the event of a siege, there would be no need for a full frontal assault up the slopes—a tight encirclement would put them in a very awkward predicament.

"Either they've built a separate castle fortress, or they are situated in a strategically defensible location, perhaps a valley? But a valley seems easier to surround and trap?" After thinking it over, Ye Wen realized he was confusing himself; if a mountain position was vulnerable to encirclement, a valley wasn't necessarily a better choice either.

"I am clearly no military genius; I should save my brainpower!"

After this period of thought, the large ships were drawing ever closer to the shore. Those standing on board could vaguely make out the situation on land: Zen Master Huixin and the elites from the various sects who had gone ahead were already engaged in fierce combat with a group of Demonic Cult members. Fortunately, the righteous side was composed of masters, so there was no immediate danger; the Demonic Cult members seemed like lambs to the slaughter before these experts, utterly incapable of fighting back.

Xu Xian, using his Qinggong, manifested countless illusory figures, darting back and forth through the fray, entirely unblockable. A shadow would flash by, and ordinary men couldn't even catch the glint of the sword before the target had succumbed, their lives ended.

Judging by Xu Xian's performance, Ye Wen knew his skill had improved nearly as fast as Hua Yi's; he was now either at the peak of the Xiantian realm or on the very verge of it.

Zen Master Huixin, meanwhile, stood perfectly still with his palms pressed together. Seven or eight Demonic Cult members charged him simultaneously, their weapons striking at the old monk.

Seeing the Zen Master make no move to dodge or parry, the Demonic Cult members laughed wildly, thinking the old monk had been paralyzed by fear: "Old monk, die!" However, when one of them struck with his saber, it shattered into pieces upon impact with the monk's (kasaya), which hadn't even cracked.

Before he could react, the attacker looked up to see a massive fist hurtling toward him.

Zen Master Huixin delivered simple, straightforward straight punches—left, then right. Each member of the Demonic Cult was sent flying a great distance, landing without a sound, presumably killed instantly by that single blow.

While Ye Wen was still marveling at the scene where seven or eight weapons had been broken simultaneously by the force emanating from Zen Master Huixin's body, he heard Bei Cheng Yan remark beside him, "Zen Master Huixin's Arhat Body is truly formidable and overbearing!"

"So, this technique is the Arhat Body of the Zen Sect!" As Ye Wen pondered this, he heard Ximen Cuixue, standing beside Bei Cheng Yan, laugh, "In my opinion, it's the Master's use of the Tathagata Heavenly King Fist that is truly exquisite! Those few punches are the pinnacle of martial technique! In today's martial world, in terms of sheer boxing skill, perhaps no one surpasses Zen Master Huixin!"

"In terms of boxing skill only?" Ye Wen noticed that while Ximen Cuixue showed no outward disrespect to Zen Master Huixin, his words carried a subtle hint of arrogance.

Ximen Cuixue turned to glance at Ye Wen a few times, then suddenly stated, "I hear that Sect Master Ye's swordsmanship is not bad, and you have the reputation of the 'Gentleman Sword' in the Jianghu! I also heard just now that Sect Master Ye used the Divine Sword Control Art to shatter the Demonic Cult's warship—a pity I didn't get to witness it! Why don't we make a wager? See who can wipe out the villains on the shore first?" Ye Wen sized up Ximen Cuixue, puzzled as to why this man suddenly wanted to challenge him.

He did not know that Ximen Cuixue had long held feelings for Bei Cheng Yan. However, Bei Cheng Yan was entirely devoted to the North Sword Sect, and after succeeding as its leader, she completely neglected her personal life, focusing only on sect affairs. Furthermore, Ximen Cuixue's dissolute and unrestrained personality was not the type of man Bei Cheng Yan admired, so his decade-long efforts had yielded no return.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. The problem was that Bei Cheng Yan had benefited from Ye Wen on one occasion, gaining insight into many profound sword principles from his Sword Qi Calligraphy. Thus, she often spoke of Ye Wen with great respect. Combined with Ye Wen's success in developing a small, provincial sect to its current stature, Bei Cheng Yan praised him constantly. Hearing such things day after day naturally irritated Ximen Cuixue.

But the worst blow came when Bei Cheng Yan said, "When will you ever be serious? You are the head of the Ximen Family, yet you show none of the bearing expected of a patriarch. You are old enough; can you not mature a little? Look at Sect Master Ye of the Shu Mountain Sect..."

This comment was like poking a hornet's nest. Already deeply displeased, Ximen Cuixue had now been compared unfavorably to someone else by the woman he desired. Although Ximen Cuixue was a renowned top-tier master in the current martial world, while he wouldn't commit a truly nonsensical act, the impulse to suppress Ye Wen slightly became uncontrollable.

He had expected Ye Wen, being so young, famous, and possessing peerless martial arts, to be arrogant and high-spirited. Unexpectedly, Ye Wen completely ignored his challenge, saying faintly, "Ye has no interest in competing or gambling with others. Family Head Ximen should seek someone else!"

With that, Ye Wen pointed toward the front of the other large ship. There, a person suddenly leaped off the bow, flung a wooden plank onto the surface of the sea, used the plank for momentum to leap forward again, and then simultaneously kicked off the plank with his rear foot, sending it ahead of him. He thus rushed toward the shore in a series of leaps.

"And conveniently, someone else couldn't hold back either!" But Ximen Cuixue was not the only one impatient. Upon seeing someone steal the limelight, Xuanyuan Wudi and Long Batian were greatly displeased. They quickly prepared their gear, tossed it onto the water, and used their Qinggong to sprint toward the shore.

Even though these two often behaved erratically, Ye Wen didn't particularly care for them. However, their martial arts were undeniable; in just a few bounds, they had already overtaken the first person who had set out, reaching the shore first. Then, Xuanyuan Wudi drew his treasured sword and roared, "Let you Demonic Cult scoundrels know the might of my Xuanyuan Divine Sword!" It was unclear to whom he was directing this shout; every person on the shore heard it clearly, as did everyone aboard the large ships.

"Xuanyuan... Divine Sword..."

Hua Yi murmured quietly, "That is Xuanyuan Wudi's personal blade; it truly is a fine sword! He once offered to trade that treasured sword for me with the Master!"

Ye Wen turned to look at Hua Yi, "When was this?" Hua Yi covered her mouth, glancing toward Ning Qiaxue, "The Master was not present then, but the Madam was nearby. Then, Xuanyuan Wudi said he wanted to take the Madam away as well, which enraged the Madam, and she chased him away, leaving him scrambling and fleeing in defeat after using the Green Lotus Sword Song!"

"..." Ye Wen thought to himself, "He was truly asking for trouble, daring to speak to my Junior Sister like that!"

"However, this servant observes that Xuanyuan Wudi seems not to have given up!"

"Rest assured, I will make him give up!"

In the time it took for their brief exchange, the large ships were drawing very close to the shore. Many who were confident in their Qinggong could no longer restrain themselves and began using various methods to leap ashore. It required Ye Wen to shout out, "Leave a contingent of men to guard the ships! Otherwise, if we destroy the Demonic Cult but have no vessels to return, that would be a disaster!"

Upon hearing this, Bei Cheng Yan immediately agreed, "Yes, each sect should leave a few disciples aboard the ships to guard them; the rest can go ashore!"

Ye Wen then instructed seven outer disciples, "You seven will remain on the ship. If any enemies attack, use the True Martial Seven Intercept Formation to respond! If the enemy uses flaming arrows or pitch oil jars to destroy the ships, attempt to save them if possible, but if not, abandon the ships immediately and come ashore!" "Disciple understands!" After giving his instructions, Ye Wen glanced around; all the disciples nodded in unison before he turned and leaped from the bow. The large ships had stopped, unable to proceed further because the water ahead was too shallow and would cause them to run aground.

The righteous heroes now began jumping off the ships like dumplings being tossed into a pot—plop, plop, plop—the sound of their descent filling the air. This was where the disparity in their Qinggong levels became evident.

The most skilled, like Ye Wen, did not simply fall but ascended, glided horizontally, and then slowly began to descend.

Those slightly less skilled, like Bei Cheng Xuan, glided smoothly for a considerable distance before dropping.

The ordinary disciples were a different story, truly like dumplings dropping into boiling water—not only did they drop directly upon jumping, but quite a few landed right in the water with loud splashes. Those unfamiliar with the situation might have thought they had arrived at a water park instead of a battlefield!

Unlike the majority, Ye Wen chose a direction heading straight toward the densest concentration of Demonic Cult villains. Even before he landed, countless Demonic Cult members, armed and sneering coldly, waited for Ye Wen to descend so they could hack him to pieces.

However, these scoundrels failed to account for Ye Wen's own playful intent: "Laugh away, you think I'm an idiot? Take this: Lightning Speed Fist!" This cry was, of course, made up on the spot. As Ye Wen casually waved his hand, purple mist rose around him, followed by a torrent of crisscrossing purple sword light. The interwoven sword Qi formed a massive net, enveloping the leading group of Demonic Cult members. Instantly, they were struck repeatedly by countless shards of sword energy, torn to pieces in the blink of an eye.

......................