Amusing! The woman casually flicked her leg, still feeling annoyed by whatever had stuck to it. A few flicks proved useless, so she simply gave up. "It's a pity that while what you say sounds interesting, I don't quite understand it!"

"Then forget it!" Ye Wen had no interest in playing the instructor, especially when dealing with someone from the Demonic Cult.

Judging by the methods this person had displayed earlier and the snippets he'd overheard, this woman, whose ugliness was strangely striking, must be a high-ranking figure, perhaps a Protector of the Demonic Cult.

He scrutinized her again from head to toe, this time trying to discern the style of her martial arts. All he gathered after looking her over was that she was certainly skilled in empty-handed combat, as the woman carried no weapons.

Noticing Ye Wen studying her, the woman seemed to know what he was thinking and casually introduced herself. "I am Zhu Yu, the Southern Protector of the Holy Cult. As for my skills, Sect Leader Ye will soon have the pleasure of experiencing them!"

Ye Wen was about to speak when his expression suddenly shifted, followed by a faint smile. "It seems I won't be getting the chance to experience your skill, Madam!" With that, he spoke toward another direction. "Master arrives quite quickly!"

As the words fell, an old monk appeared in Ye Wen's sight. This monk was bare-chested; his lean, muscular body was covered in blood, yet there wasn't a single visible wound—it was clear the blood belonged to others.

Furthermore, his monk's trousers were heavily torn, but his face wore an expression of complete indifference. He clasped his hands together before Ye Wen. "Sect Leader Ye is not slow either; you arrived even before this old monk!" Seeing Master Huixin in such a disheveled state, and with not a single young monk accompanying him, Ye Wen immediately sensed something was wrong. "Master, what happened...?"

"Amitabha. Though my skills fear neither blades nor swords, this cassock is merely common cloth, so it was destroyed during the fight. It's nothing!" Master Huixin seemed unconcerned, though this display made the old fellow look like he was deliberately showing off his toned muscles. If someone saw Master Huixin at this moment, looking only at his bare torso and ignoring his head, they would mistake him for a robust young man, never guessing he was an old monk with a head of white and gray hair.

"What about your martial monks from the temple?" The Chan Sect was the initiator of this siege against the Demonic Cult; they naturally couldn't be casual about it. They had brought dozens of martial monks, and even Master Huineng, the head of the Arhat Hall, had accompanied the Abbot. Yet now, having reached the very heart of the Demonic Cult, Ye Wen saw only Master Huixin. Surely the dignified Chan Sect wasn't reduced to just Master Huixin commanding a lone force?

Master Huixin's subsequent explanation finally made Ye Wen understand what had transpired. It turned out that when the major sects set out, the Demonic Cult forces attacked the righteous path's moored ships from both water and land simultaneously. The forces attacking the southeast and those attacking the Chan Sect to the south, as well as the Northern Sword Sect, all encountered ambushes and suffered heavy losses in the initial strike.

Later, upon learning that their main fleet had been ambushed, Bei Cheng Yan, who had already converged with Master Huixin, decided that Bei Cheng Yan would continue forward while the Chan Sect forces would return to reinforce and secure the large ships first.

After several waves of desperate fighting, nearly every Chan Sect disciple was wounded. It was then they truly felt the Demonic Cult's real combat strength. Following an extremely fierce battle by the seaside, the Chan Sect and the remaining forces managed to barely save one large ship through desperate fighting. And the saving of this one ship was thanks to an unexpected variable.

"If it hadn't been for the sudden appearance of the Second Young Master of the Dongfang family, that last large ship would have been destroyed by the Demonic Cult as well..."

"Dongfang Kui?" Ye Wen hadn't expected this Dongfang Kui to still be on the ship. What was going on?

Master Huixin continued, "Amitabha, Young Master Dongfang... ah, I should say Miss Dongfang... she was actually in closed-door seclusion on the ship. This time, she happened to emerge from her seclusion right as her cultivation completed, thus resolving this crisis!" Recalling Dongfang Kui's lightning-fast movement technique and her intensely scorching inner fire, Master Huixin found her formidable. If Dongfang Kui hadn't possessed such superb lightness skill and struck swiftly to eliminate the Demonic Cult's commanding officer while they were unaware of her, the heroes of the righteous path might have perished in the sea along with those few ships.

"Closed-door seclusion?" Ye Wen now understood why he couldn't find Dongfang Kui—she was cultivating in seclusion and had just broken through. However, one point puzzled him: "Miss Dongfang should have cultivated her Phoenix Nirvana Skill to the fifth transformation, right? Doesn't the sixth transformation require one hundred and forty days to master?"

He calculated and recalculated; the time elapsed since Dongfang Kui disappeared simply couldn't account for that long. Did the Phoenix Nirvana Skill have a method to shorten the necessary period of simulated death?

Master Huixin didn't know this detail initially, but after jointly repelling the Demonic Cult with Dongfang Kui, she didn't keep it from him and explained everything to the monk.

"The Phoenix Skill, besides the mandatory simulated death, has an extra feature: the ability to voluntarily enter simulated death to enhance one's power! However, the process is agonizingly painful, so no one attempts it. Beyond the necessary seven required simulated deaths, power accumulation is achieved through slow, steady cultivation. But Miss Dongfang adopted this method this time, pushing her power to the peak of the fifth transformation. She will likely enter the sixth transformation stage very soon... However, from this old monk's perspective, with Miss Dongfang's current power level, only a handful of people in the current Jianghu could possibly subdue her!"

Hearing this, Ye Wen couldn't help but suck in a breath. He hadn't expected Dongfang Kui to be so ruthless, deliberately throwing herself into the torment of simulated death just to boost her power. He knew for a fact he could never do something akin to self-mutilation.

"Being ruthless to oneself is true ruthlessness. Dongfang Kui truly lives up to her surname; she is indeed ruthless!" While the two were chatting at length, Zhu Yu had remained silent until now, when she finally spoke. "Have you finished chatting?"

As soon as Zhu Yu spoke, Master Huixin turned around. "I was too engrossed in talking with Sect Leader Ye and forgot to ask Protector Zhu—has Sect Leader Bei Cheng of the Northern Sword Sect fallen by your hand?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu immediately wore a foul expression. "No!" She pointed at the corpse of Long Batian on the ground. "I was too preoccupied fighting this idiot and accidentally let that Northern Sword Sect person escape. Now I don't even know where he is!" Ye Wen and Master Huixin exchanged glances, and the old monk quietly recited another Buddhist invocation. "I did not see Sect Leader Bei Cheng or the disciples of the Northern Sword Sect on my way here. I suppose they have already stormed into the Demonic Cult's palace!"

If they weren't on the way, they must have already advanced inside. Ye Wen hadn't expected Bei Cheng Yan to be so formidable as to charge straight in. Compared to him, who had reached the entrance only to stop, the gap in their actions was vast.

Master Huixin didn't see anything amiss, merely saying, "In that case, this old monk cannot linger here!" Then he turned to Zhu Yu and said, "Protector Zhu, let us begin as well!"

From the moment he sensed Master Huixin's arrival, Ye Wen knew that this Protector Zhu Yu was no longer his concern. As a leader among the righteous heroes this time, Master Huixin certainly wouldn't stand by idly, happily watching Ye Wen fight to the death. Moreover, dealing with the Southern Protector was precisely the task assigned to the Chan Sect.

Although the old monk sometimes employed roundabout methods, he was ultimately a martial figure of the righteous path and would execute the necessary steps flawlessly. Thus, Ye Wen only needed to step back a few paces and quietly watch the two masters decide the outcome of life and death.

The speed at which the fight concluded was much faster than Ye Wen had anticipated.

The old monk stood his ground, enduring all thirteen of Zhu Yu's strikes, emerging completely unharmed. He then counter-attacked with a single punch that sent Zhu Yu staggering back seven or eight steps, unable to regain her footing. Master Huixin then closed the distance in a few large strides and followed up with another punch—the aftershock pressing forward before the initial impact had dissipated. Zhu Yu was killed instantly by the old monk's double-force punch.

"What the? It’s over just like that? Is this old monk that ferocious?"

As he marveled, the old monk suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Ye Wen then realized the old monk hadn't won easily; it seemed those thirteen strikes from Zhu Yu were difficult to withstand.

But...

"Master, why did you intentionally take the hits? Why didn't you dodge?"

The old monk smiled. "If I had dodged, who knows how long this round would have lasted!"

It turned out Master Huixin perceived Zhu Yu's skill to be considerable, so he willingly endured her thirteen strikes, waiting for a fatal flaw to appear in her boxing technique before delivering a fatal blow. If he had used his movement skills to evade and trade blows with Zhu Yu, the fight would easily have dragged on beyond a hundred moves. At a time like this, such delays were unacceptable.

As the two spoke, they both suddenly stopped. They had heard someone calling out in the distance—the caller was shouting Ye Wen's name.

"It must be someone from my sect who has tracked us down. Master, why don't you join my sect in storming the Demonic Cult's main headquarters!" Hearing those two familiar voices, Ye Wen knew it was Hua Yi and Ning Ruxue. Since they had arrived, his own group of disciples must not be far behind.

After circling back with Master Huixin to Ye Wen's previous location, Ning Ruxue was overjoyed to find Ye Wen safe and sound. However, after observing him back and forth, Master Huixin suddenly asked, "Why is your young hero disciple, Xu, missing?"

"Junior Brother sustained some injuries and is recuperating behind us!"

"I see!" Master Huixin had initially assumed the Shu Mountain Sect had also suffered casualties and lost Xu Xian along the way. Hearing this, he realized Xu Xian was unharmed, merely slightly injured and resting.

However, he soon learned that the Nangong family had been nearly annihilated, with Nangong Tinghai and Nangong Yun both severely injured and unable to fight, while Nangong Wentian had died in battle. Master Huixin's face grew solemn, and he quietly recited a scripture passage.

Ye Wen also learned about the situation in the south from Master Huixin. Because the Chan Sect forces had been fighting fiercely in two locations, Master Huixin's junior brother, Master Huineng, was injured. Additionally, he had to guard the last large ship, so he remained by the seaside.

The Northern Sword Sect also suffered heavy losses. When the two sects regrouped, the Northern Sword Sect had far fewer disciples, and Bei Cheng Yan himself had sustained wounds, though fortunately, they were not severe.

As for the Azure Dragon Society in the southwest, Master Huixin didn't know their status, but he mentioned that as soon as Dongfang Kui confirmed the ships were safe, she used her lightness skill to rush toward that area. "With Miss Dongfang's martial arts, the Azure Dragon Society has gained a strong reinforcement. Even if they encounter trouble, they shouldn't suffer major losses!" Ye Wen secretly thought, "Is she a reinforcement or a killing god? That's the question..." Master Huixin likely hadn't overlooked this point either, but he still hoped Dongfang Kui could set aside past grievances and focus on the Demonic Cult first. Only Ye Wen vaguely suspected that Dongfang Kui's sudden decision to endure immense pain to elevate her power definitely wasn't for the sake of some mere Demonic Cult.

At the same time, Ye Wen had grasped the general situation of the Demonic Cult. The four Protectors were indeed incredibly skilled, but they were likely to be defeated when facing the leaders of the major sects. Therefore, the Demonic Cult's initial deployment of heavy forces against the eastern front (himself) and the Nangong family was very likely a strategy to eliminate the weakest faction first before redirecting forces against the other heroes.

However, no one expected that everything going smoothly would hit a snag at Ye Wen's location. While eliminating the Nangong family contingent was proceeding normally, Xiang Yutian failed to hold out until the Three Envoys returned, and the returning Three Envoys failed to take advantage of the situation to eliminate the Shu Mountain contingent.

As for the Saintess Shen Yuqing, her actions were even more absurd. Acting entirely on whim, this Saintess was still contemplating absorbing Ye Wen's power before returning to deal with the Shu Mountain Sect. Perhaps in her eyes, the Shu Mountain Sect could be crushed with a mere wave of her hand, which is why she didn't take them seriously. By increasing her power, she could also better deal with the other righteous path experts.

But the most unexpected part was that Shen Yuqing failed to absorb Ye Wen's vital energy; instead, she lost all of her own cultivation, which once again increased Ye Wen's strength and simultaneously caused the Demonic Cult's defensive plan to fail.

Ye Wen estimated that the situations in the other directions, where they waited fruitlessly for reinforcements, were likely not optimistic for the Demonic Cult. Perhaps many righteous heroes had already gathered inside the palace by now!

When Ye Wen and his party forced their way into the deepest part of the palace, they didn't see many people, only the contingent from the Heavenly Mountain Sect. Li Xuan and a young man around thirty years old were in a standoff, both exuding astonishing auras and holding their heads high with an air of looking down on the world.

"Are these two brothers?"

The person confronting Li Xuan frowned after glancing over at the group that had just rushed in. "This Master must be Master Huixin. I wonder who this other...?"

"Shu Mountain Sect, Ye Wen!" Upon hearing this, the man's frown deepened, and he immediately asked, "Shen Yuqing, the Three Envoys of Water, Fire, and Earth, and Xiang Yutian are all dead, right?" He then let out an angry snort. "A bunch of trash!"

"Who are you?"

When someone in the crowd asked who he was, the man coldly sneered before announcing proudly, "You all came here presumably to confront me. I am the leader of this Holy Cult—Situ Haolong!"

"Situ Haolong?" Ye Wen recalled Situ Haoyun, who had gifted him a treasure back then. "What about Situ Haoyun...?"

"That useless person is my younger brother!" Situ Haolong sounded immediately displeased at the name. "But seeing Sect Leader Ye here, and knowing he killed so many of my subordinates, it seems Sect Leader Ye's skill is considerable. Perhaps I misjudged my younger brother all these years!"

After a few exchanges, Situ Haolong ignored the rest of the group and turned back to Li Xuan. "Sect Leader Li, haven't you decided yet?"

Only then did everyone notice that Li Xuan was standing there completely unharmed, and even the Heavenly Mountain Sect members standing near him showed no injuries and not a single speck of blood on them; their weapons were still sheathed!

This situation shocked everyone. Master Huixin realized that events were perhaps developing in the worst possible direction.

"Sect Leader Li, what are you...?" Li Xuan didn't answer, but Situ Haolong smiled, "As long as Sect Leader Li agrees, your sect will become the number one sect in the world once things are settled. Isn't this what Sect Leader Li has always desired? What is there to hesitate about?"

At this moment, Zheng Ting and Li Zhen, who had remained silent, both spoke up. "Senior Brother, agree to it!"

Only then did Li Xuan smile faintly and say to his two junior brothers, "You two finally couldn't hold back, could you!"

It turned out that after the Heavenly Mountain Sect went to the western side of the island, they hadn't encountered a single enemy, proceeding unimpeded all the way to Situ Haolong. But even so, the two junior brothers, who had long been in contact with the Demonic Cult, hadn't spoken until this moment. Perhaps the appearance of Ye Wen's group convinced them that Li Xuan had no choice but to agree, so they discarded any pretense.

Once spoken, Li Zhen and Zheng Ting couldn't figure out what their Senior Brother meant by that statement, but they no longer concealed the fact of their alliance with the Demonic Cult.

They had assumed that once they revealed their stance, Li Xuan, as the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Mountain Sect, would have no choice but to agree, as Master Huixin and Ye Wen had clearly seen their treachery, leaving Li Xuan deeply implicated and unable to easily clear his name.

However, they had ultimately overlooked one crucial factor: Li Xuan's character.

Everyone watched as Li Xuan vanished in a blur of movement and reappeared behind Zheng Ting and Li Zhen. He placed a palm on each of their shoulders and said quietly, "I have known about your affairs for a long time. I remained silent previously out of consideration for fraternal bonds. But now..."

The rest of the words were unnecessary and unheard by the two. With a mere touch of Li Xuan's palms on their shoulders, the two felt an extremely powerful, frigid inner force penetrate their bodies. Their meager frost energy was like an ant trying to trip an elephant—it disintegrated completely in the blink of an eye.

Subsequently, two human-shaped ice sculptures materialized in the spacious hall. Seeing two living people turned into ice sculptures in an instant, everyone marveled at Li Xuan's profound power.

Having done this, Li Xuan cupped his hands toward Master Huixin. "Li is sorry for his poor discipline, allowing these two traitors into the sect. I hope Master and Sect Leader Ye can overlook this offense!"

Without waiting for Huixin's or Ye Wen's reaction, he turned to Situ Haolong. "It is true that my ambition is to make the Heavenly Mountain Sect the foremost sect in the world, but rather than achieving this ambition by borrowing the power of your cult, I prefer to accomplish it through my own strength!"

"As for the method you mentioned that could allow me to cultivate the Profound Ice Departing Fire Divine Skill, I am somewhat interested, but that is all!" As he spoke, he subtly raised his palm. A brilliant ice orb spun incessantly in his hand, generating shimmering ice crystals in the surrounding air. "Moreover, Li doesn't believe that relying solely on the Ice Soul Chill Skill, I cannot become the foremost expert in the martial world!"

……………………,