Having returned from overseas for over a month, it had already been half a month since arriving back on Mount Shu. Ye Wen had done little during this time, spending his days focused solely on cultivation for recovery and adjusting to the sudden surge in his martial power.

"That old hag Shen Yuqing's cultivation was indeed unfathomably deep; I’ve spent a full half-month and still haven't fully assimilated it all!"

Ye Wen's current power was formidable to an extraordinary degree. Ever since absorbing Shen Yuqing's entire cultivation, Ye Wen had been scheming daily on how to adapt to this new state.

Regrettably, a sequence of fierce battles followed by constant travel meant Ye Wen could only barely adapt and digest about six or seven tenths of Shen Yuqing's power.

When Ye Wen absorbed Shen Yuqing’s power, if we say he gained ten parts of power, after his own recovery, the total stored within his [Body] was twenty parts. However, his meridians could not sustain such a volume. Furthermore, after the successive battles, his Dantian had fixed Ye Wen's power ceiling at twenty, causing Ye Wen immense suffering during this period, feeling constant, agonizing distension in his meridians day after day.

After half a month of recuperation and practice, Ye Wen finally escaped the torment and allowed his meridians to adapt to this immense power. But the issue was that during this time, it wasn't just him adjusting; his Dantian and meridians were also constantly adapting, though the direction of their adjustment was entirely different from Ye Wen's. In the end, Ye Wen suffered some loss, but since the inner energy was acquired for free, having this much was a blessing, so Ye Wen paid it no mind.

Thinking of this, Ye Wen felt it was akin to consuming a peerless natural treasure: "If one cannot withstand it, the inevitable outcome is exploding and dying. Most top-tier natural treasures allow the user to digest slowly, rather than experiencing a sudden surge, giving the user time to adapt."

"The other kind increases the body's physical constitution alongside the power increase—those are the supreme treasures. What Wen is wondering now is which category that crimson fruit belongs to?"

"If it only causes a massive surge in power without improving physical fitness, wouldn't that turn it into a lethal poison?"

Substances that greatly enrich the body also carry great toxicity. Ye Wen suddenly realized this fruit could not be casually consumed. Recalling his previous habit of eating whatever he managed to catch truly was the fearlessness of the ignorant.

Standing up from the Cold Spring, Ye Wen leaped out in one bound. Recently, he had been using the frigid energy to digest the qi within his body and temper his physical meridians. Now, leaping ashore and feeling the icy water flow down his increasingly robust body, Ye Wen felt utterly comfortable.

"Martial artists' physical fitness always improves, but in my previous life, I always heard the human body had limits. I just don't know where my limit lies?"

According to the bucket theory, if Ye Wen’s body could continuously strengthen, then his internal arts could also be cultivated to a higher realm. Thinking of the Nine Swords Immortal, that old man was well over a hundred years old, yet his movements showed no sign of age; his strikes and leaps were far swifter than any young man’s, indicating his physical strength had reached a remarkably high level.

Without using internal energy, just a casual wave—Ye Wen watched a small tree in the distance sway slightly from the force of his palm wind and felt quite pleased inwardly: "This physical strength, I imagine, is rarely matched in this era!"

Using his technique to steam his body dry, Ye Wen dressed and left the cave immediately. These days, everyone in the Shu Mountain Sect knew the Sect Master was in seclusion in the back mountains, so no one would dare practice in this secluded valley. Ye Wen didn't linger, leaving the secluded valley, leaping down the cliff, and landing lightly on the ground.

"With this lightness skill, I can jump wherever I please from now on. Who knows what fortuitous encounter I might stumble upon on some cliff!"

He mused to himself, completely disregarding the reality that his current power level was already comparable to someone who gives others fortuitous encounters. He then returned to his courtyard and watched Ning Ruxue diligently practicing, with Hua Yi standing quietly nearby. Another day passed just like that.

The Shu Mountain Sect enjoyed profound tranquility during this period, and all the various sects strictly guarded their own mountain gates, focusing wholeheartedly on recuperation, hoping to cultivate good disciples soon to restore their original strength.

Beichen Yan of the North Sword Gate reorganized sect affairs after returning, taking time to visit the Ximen family. Having lost their Patriarch and several elite disciples, the Ximen family was struck again by the demon cult's soldiers. Though not annihilated, they were severely weakened, and judging by their state, it seemed unlikely they would ever regain the prestige of the Ximen lineage.

It was rumored that the two families were considering a merger, where the remaining Ximen disciples would all join the North Sword Gate, especially since Beichen Yan claimed the identity of Ximen Cuixue's surviving relative. The merger seemed inevitable.

Ye Wen wasn't concerned about this; he merely noted the situation. He considered that if these two families merged, it might avert the crisis of completely vanishing from the martial world, which counted as a good thing. At the same time, Beichen Yan might also be repaying the kindness Ximen Cuixue had shown her, thus wishing to preserve the nearly collapsing Ximen lineage.

The Nangong family's situation was slightly better. Although Patriarch Nangong Wentian died in battle, his eldest son, Nangong Feng, survived. Unfortunately, Nangong Feng suffered severe injuries; although his life was saved, his martial arts could never advance further. Under these circumstances, the Nangong family intended to install Nangong Tinghai as Patriarch, but Nangong Tinghai refused, insisting instead on assisting Nangong Yun to ascend.

Nangong Yun, whose position in the family had been awkwardly in-between, thus became the new Patriarch of the Nangong family, with Nangong Tinghai pledging full support, while Nangong Feng remained in recovery.

Meanwhile, Nangong Zixin had returned to the Nangong family to help revitalize her own lineage. Xu Ping, worried about the girl getting into trouble, asked Ye Wen for leave.

"Go. You have learned all you can here at Shu Mountain. The road ahead you must walk on your own now."

Watching another disciple graduate and leave the sect, Ye Wen felt a touch of reluctance, but disciples eventually leave their masters to carve out their own territories. Thus, Ye Wen supported Xu Ping's departure. Moreover, even if Xu Ping left Shu Mountain, he could still visit often; he wasn't expelled from the sect.

Xu Ping left, Nangong Zixin left. Nangong Huang had also returned to the Nangong family, but he said he would return to Shu Mountain once the situation there stabilized. Nangong Huang, now grown, understood how awkward it would be for him to remain within the family long-term, so he never proposed leaving the mountain after completing his apprenticeship.

With a few people gone, Ye Wen felt the sect seemed much quieter. Furthermore, Yue Ning now had to diligently cultivate while also beginning to learn from Ye Wen how to handle the sect's daily affairs. As a result, only Guo Jing was left asking him for martial arts guidance every day.

Zhou Zhiruo and Li Xiaoyao both possessed extraordinary talent, especially Li Xiaoyao—whatever Ye Wen taught him, he grasped immediately, requiring no pointers, so the boy simply didn't need Ye Wen to worry over him.

Zhou Zhiruo also didn't require much detailed explanation. Only Guo Jing would occasionally come to ask questions, but even then, he asked less and practiced more.

Ye Wen suddenly found himself with ample free time, wandering aimlessly in his courtyard or the back mountains all day.

"Is this what success feels like?" Wen muttered while sitting on a rock holding a basin of fruit, gazing at the scenery.

He recalled that a few days prior, the county magistrate who had gifted him a grand ship had specifically come up to Shu Mountain to pay his respects. Seeing how his eyes were nearly invisible from grinning, Ye Wen guessed that a letter he sent had caused a massive turning point in the magistrate's official career. However, Ye Wen didn't inquire further, merely exchanging a few words with this 'Your Excellency.' During the entire meeting, Ye Wen never mentioned anything about officialdom, nor did he utter the three words 'Liu Muyan' once.

The man was clearly astute. Seeing Ye Wen remain silent, he understood that the Shu Mountain Sect Master did not wish to discuss those matters. Thus, this 'Excellency' spoke briefly, presented gifts of tea, silk, and some exquisite jewelry, and then promptly descended the mountain.

However, Ye Wen did glean some intelligence about the current movements of the imperial court from this man.

Indeed, after numerous rebellions erupted across various provinces, the court reacted swiftly, controlling the situation to the lowest possible impact almost immediately.

Currently, only north of Pingzhou and in the Xizhou area were two or three relatively strong rebel armies entrenched. Rebellions that flared up in key cities and counties were almost instantly suppressed; only in remote areas, where the rebel forces were strong, were the armies currently in a standoff with the imperial forces.

But once Chan Master Huixin returned and transmitted the news that the high command of the Demon Cult headquarters had all perished, these rebel factions would likely fight independently due to leadership disputes, perhaps even resulting in internal strife, making it easier for the court to divide and conquer them.

This situation was not uncommon—unless the Demon Cult, much like the Ming Cult, had a commander of immense prestige deeply beloved by the soldiers within these armies.

In reality, Ye Wen guessed correctly. Although these Demon Cult armies were not unified under a single banner, they held deep respect for the general leading one particular contingent. Especially as the court launched successive sieges, these people realized that remaining a scattered force meant only annihilation. Therefore, they decisively acknowledged him as their commander, directing all the various armies.

When the court issued official documents announcing that all the Demon Cult masters had been executed, this group immediately proclaimed him their ruler, stating that once the empire was taken, they would enthrone him as Emperor.

Thus, aside from achieving very objective initial victories, the court and the rebels entered a period of stalemate for some time. Especially since the main base of one army was clearly outside the court's jurisdiction—situated in the desolate far north—the Pingzhou border army was passively forced into a defensive posture, lacking the strength to initiate attacks.

Ye Wen heard these developments piecemeal over the following period. By this time, the various sects had generally recovered some vitality and had almost entirely digested the aftereffects of the campaign against the Demon Cult.

The Chan Sect, just as Chan Master Huixin predicted, officially announced a fifty-year closure of their temple, declaring they would no longer involve themselves in martial world affairs. During this period, martial artists seeking entry to Chan temples would be refused service!

When this news broke, the heroes of the Jianghu were greatly shocked!

Everyone had assumed that the Chan Sect, having retained the most significant combat strength among those who returned, would shoulder the banner of the righteous path for the next several decades. Who expected these monks to simply throw in the towel! The actions of these monks left everyone utterly bewildered.

Subsequently, the Heavenly Dao Sect announced that Miaolian Zhenren, the senior disciple of Tianyi Zhenren, would assume the position of Sect Master. The Heavenly Dao Sect did not choose to seal its gates, but they recalled all disciples scattered abroad. Even many Heavenly Dao Sect disciples who had established families relocated, settling near the sect's main mountain.

This contraction of forces made it clear to everyone that the Heavenly Dao Sect would likely focus on self-preservation and recovery for the next decade or so, unlikely to regain the majestic glory of the preceding decades. They even recalled many disciples serving the imperial court, prompting the court to naturally absorb a group of disciples from other sects—and the Shu Mountain Sect was certainly among them.

While others failed to comprehend the Heavenly Dao Sect’s concession, Ye Wen understood it clearly. This was the Heavenly Dao Sect Master deliberately yielding benefits to foster goodwill with the Shu Mountain Sect. Since the other party had shown him such courtesy, Shu Mountain naturally had to reciprocate.

Ye Wen instructed his senior disciple, Yue Ning, to take Zhou Zhiruo and several other disciples to the Heavenly Dao Sect to congratulate the new Sect Master on his succession. He himself could not attend due to his injuries and his current—somewhat conspicuous—status. Why should he go to pay respects to Miaolian Zhenren? Everyone would likely be looking at him anyway. He mustn't steal the host's thunder, right?

As for whether this seemed too arrogant, Ye Wen didn't care about others' opinions. He specifically penned a letter, believing that once Miaolian Zhenren read it, he wouldn't mind.

Furthermore, the Jade Cave Sect's situation was quite miserable. Besides the passing of Yuqingzi and the shattering of Jiujian Xian’s transcendence, the Jade Cave Sect suffered a devastating blow when the Demon Cult abruptly launched its massive rebellion.

Currently, the surviving disciples of the Jade Cave Sect, along with those who returned from overseas, were working hard to rebuild their mountain gate. Ye Wen had provided considerable assistance during this period, even sending Li Xiaoyao out—since the boy loved to play and fool around, and with the Demon Cult destroyed, his great revenge was essentially complete, making him much cheerier.

However, when he returned, the fellow had gained considerable weight. It seemed the Jade Cave Sect was so grateful for Li Xiaoyao helping them rebuild that they treated him to such good food and drink that all the weight he lost during months at sea was regained.

"I felt something off ever since returning from sea; only now do I feel much more comfortable."

Seeing this round figure, Ye Wen couldn't help but feel a flicker of annoyance. But after a moment's thought, Ye Wen let him be: "As long as he doesn't eat the entire sect, whatever he wants..."

What surprised Ye Wen the most was that the Azure Dragon Society had fractured. The Leader was dead, the Young Leader was dead, and the Second Young Master was currently in assumed death—his fate unknown. Even if he woke up, it would be useless; Dongfang Kui would almost certainly never return to the Azure Dragon Society. It was precisely because of this realization that Ye Wen brought her back to Shu Mountain; otherwise, if she woke up to find herself still within the Azure Dragon Society, wouldn't she immediately start slaughtering?

"Amitābha, I have truly done a great deed of charity!" The fake monk Ye Wen put on a show, then remembered the woman who had arrived at Shu Mountain along with the Shu Mountain contingent.

"My name is Xia Qinghe. I grew up with Zhengsheng; we were even engaged, but..."

Ye Wen then learned that this woman was Dongfang Kui's fiancée. Considering Dongfang Kui's current state... the memory of what he had seen that day suddenly flashed in Ye Wen's mind, causing his face to flush slightly.

"So it is Miss Xia. I was planning to take Dongfang..." This... "her to our Shu Mountain Sect to recuperate!"

"I'll go with you!" Before Ye Wen finished speaking, Xia Qinghe interjected urgently, glancing at the still unconscious Dongfang Kui: "I want to take care of him..."

Ye Wen looked at the woman. Seeing her genuine concern for Dongfang Kui, he agreed to bring her along to Shu Mountain. On the journey, he learned that this girl was the eldest daughter of the Eagle Claw Sect, a major power in Jiangzhou.

"Oh, no wonder her grip is so strong!"

He recalled how this young mistress had shaken his arm until it ached, realizing she must have practiced Eagle Claw techniques.

But this was a relief for Ye Wen. Since the young lady cared so much for Dongfang Kui, she could take charge of caring for him.

However, this matter caused many further complications.

Ye Wen asked Xia Qinghe to look after Dongfang Kui, only for Xia Qinghe to suddenly blush and say, "Men and women should not touch. How can Sect Master Ye ask me to do such things?" Although she said this, her hands were quick, immediately fetching the basin of water, towel, and other items.

If it had ended there, it would have been fine, but Ye Wen suffered a strange moment of mental lapse and remarked, "She is currently no different from a woman; naturally, it is more suitable for you to handle these matters..."

After saying this, he saw Xia Qinghe's eyes glaze over, and she staggered into Dongfang Kui's room. Later that evening, after Ye Wen finished dinner and was sipping tea, enjoying his hard-won leisure time, Xia Qinghe walked in looking utterly lost.

"He... he really has turned into a woman..."

From her appearance, it was clear she had observed him very meticulously. Ye Wen continued drinking his tea without answering, unsure how to comfort her in such a situation.

This woman clearly held feelings for Dongfang Kui. She had initially assumed Dongfang Kui's current state was merely psychological and had hoped Ye Wen could guide him back to the right path—this was partly related to Dongfang Yi intentionally keeping things vague; the Xia family had assumed Dongfang Kui was psychologically warped.

Now that she had seen it firsthand, she knew Ye Wen’s words that day were not false. Dongfang Kui had indeed transformed into something like a woman. Xia Qinghe grew more startled the longer she looked, until finally, she became disoriented and lost all awareness, mechanically completing her tasks before wandering out in a daze.

She glanced at Ye Wen, who was drinking tea, and said nothing until Ye Wen finally asked, "He is already like this now. Do you still wish to follow me to Shu Mountain?"

At this point, the group had only just set off; it wouldn't be a huge matter if Xia Qinghe changed her mind. More importantly, Ye Wen felt it would be better to settle all this before Dongfang Kui woke up; otherwise, facing these circumstances while conscious would likely inflict another major blow to her spirit.

Xia Qinghe stood stunned for a long time, then walked out without a word. Ye Wen expected that the harsh reality would cause this hopeful young woman to choose to give up. However, unexpectedly, when they were scheduled to depart the next day, Xia Qinghe stood before him again, her expression firm, saying, "I will go to Shu Mountain with you!"

And so, the Shu Mountain Sect gained a guest, and Dongfang Kui gained a caregiver!……………………