No matter the cost, Ye Wen had thoroughly made the name of the Shushan Sect ring out this time. Though it was uncertain how long it would take for the cultivation world to truly know of such a sect, at the very least the nearby Diancang and Emei Sects would certainly be the first to learn of Shushan’s existence.

As for the Diancang Sect, there was no need to dwell on them. Emei had disciples present, and after returning, those two would undoubtedly recount every detail of today's events to their elders. By then, the Shushan Sect’s name would surely reach the ears of their neighbors.

Simultaneously, the Qingcheng Sect, closely allied with Emei, might also become aware. Further afield, it would likely reach the Kunlun Sect, provided that Hermit Beihe truly kept the Kunlun Sect in mind and specifically reported today’s matters to the Kunlun Sect Leader upon his return. If Hermit Beihe held little attachment to the Kunlun Sect to begin with, it was likely that Kunlun would remain ignorant of their affairs for some time.

Other sects like Shaolin, Wudang, and Huashan need not even be mentioned. Although many disciples from other minor sects were present, there were truly no disciples from those great powers. It was likely that the Diancang affair hadn't even caught their attention enough to warrant a special journey over. Emei sending representatives was out of consideration for neighborly relations; otherwise, failing to appear would reflect poorly on them.

After a round of pleasantries, only a select few remained in the hall, and these were the individuals of the highest standing. There was Liu Tao, the Sect Leader himself, and his friend Xuan Ningzi, who naturally stayed to accompany him. Besides them were Hermit Beihe, Yan Xing, and Zhou Chong. The only ones remaining were Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue.

Their seniority afforded them seats of honor. Furthermore, Liu Tao felt indebted to Ye Wen for his intervention, so he urged Ye Wen to take the superior seat. After summoning his disciples and issuing some instructions, he finally began to speak with the group.

With the Diancang True Master casually dispatched by Ye Wen, the Diancang Sect had narrowly survived this ordeal. Liu Tao appeared visibly more relaxed, occasionally interjecting jokes into the conversation. With Xuan Ningzi offering support, the conversation flowed pleasantly for everyone.

Naturally, Hermit Beihe and Yan Xing couldn't resist probing for details about Ye Wen's Shushan Sect. To this, Ye Wen remained deliberately vague, only hinting, "I still need to travel around a bit in a while. At that time, I will certainly pay a visit to Mount Emei... Hmm, perhaps I will bring a few disciples along to broaden their horizons!"

"Senior’s visit would be the utmost welcome to our sect. My junior brothers and I will certainly greet you personally when that time comes!" Yan Xing understood Ye Wen’s implication upon hearing this: the Shushan Sect must possess some degree of backing.

Previously, he had speculated whether the Shushan Sect comprised only these two individuals, with no one else? If so, perhaps this Elder Ye had urgently left the mountain with his spouse to search for disciples to carry on the lineage? In that case, maybe he should have discussed the matter thoroughly with the Sect Leader, prompting the Leader to invite these two seniors to remain at the Emei Sect, which would significantly boost Emei's strength.

However, Ye Wen’s statement revealed that the Shushan Sect was not merely running on fumes; Ye Wen certainly had subordinates! Even if he hadn't seen them yet, since the person had put it out there, it wouldn't be idle talk. After all, true cultivation disciples were not like others who could be temporarily rounded up to fill numbers and deceive people.

Meanwhile, Ye Wen was contemplating finding a time to take Hua Yi and Tuomi for a tour of Mount Emei. Although Tuomi, this 'Old American,' might cause some controversy... but without controversy, how could the sect’s reputation be elevated? Given the current overall climate, perhaps no one would pay too much mind.

More importantly, the techniques he had taught Tuomi were truly extraordinary. Never mind the original game, even the current comic iteration already featured concepts like the Seven-Colored Dou Qi and the Absolute Domain, which were not entirely unknown. If he intended to establish these two sets of techniques as the foundation upon which the Shushan Sect stood in this world, some preparatory work was essential.

The simplest approach was to first take Tuomi to Mount Emei and show off that Seven-Colored Dou Qi. The goal wasn't immediately to shock countless people, but rather to send a signal: this senior master is truly formidable; he can even produce martial arts straight out of a comic, making him no ordinary figure...

This way, it could explain the multitude of Shushan Sect’s bizarre techniques drawn from novels and comics. In fact, even if he were to unleash the Hun Tian Bao Jian, people likely wouldn't find it strange or veer off into wild speculation.

However, this path presented one complication: he absolutely had to ensure his image as a profound senior expert did not crumble, or everything would fall apart disastrously.

After running through these thoughts, Ye Wen sat and listened to a great deal about the affairs of the cultivation world. Through the discussions of this group, he finally grasped a general overview of the current state of the cultivation realm.

The situation was rather similar to the martial world he had known previously. The strongest in the cultivation world was naturally the Kunlun Sect, because the Kunlun Immortal Realm—the only place where cultivators could currently practice—was located on Kunlun Mountain. To be precise, the entrance was on Kunlun Mountain. Ye Wen had understood: the Kunlun Immortal Realm was a parallel pocket dimension entirely separate from this world, but there was a rift on Kunlun Mountain, which had been stabilized by the mighty ancestors of the cultivation world, forming a passage for travel.

Hermit Beihe attaching himself to the Kunlun Sect was partly motivated by the prospect of using Kunlun's connection to cultivate within the Kunlun Immortal Realm, thus avoiding the fate of watching his cultivation steadily decline outside until he dissolved into dust.

After Kunlun came Shaolin and Wudang... these two sects, famed in the secular world, also held considerable prestige in the cultivation world. If Kunlun hadn't possessed the trump card of the Kunlun Immortal Realm, these two sects might genuinely have vied to become the paramount powers of the cultivation world.

As for the Shaolin Sect, no more need be said; this sect cultivated Buddhist doctrines, which, while sharing similarities with Daoist studies, also differed significantly. Each possessed unique marvels, and their strength was immensely formidable.

The Wudang Sect differed slightly from the Wudang Ye Wen knew. It was said that the Wudang Daoist lineage in the cultivation world was inherited from the Quanzhen Sect. Furthermore, the Huashan Sect also inherited the Quanzhen lineage, though Huashan’s was purer, having been passed down from Hao Datong of Quanzhen.

Ye Wen did not hear anyone mention the specific origin of the Wudang Sect's lineage. He only learned that the situation at Mount Wudang was not as rosy as it appeared externally. Wudang on Mount Wudang was not a single, pure lineage but a collection of many traditions aggregated together. In essence, it was a coalition of several sects, with the publicly endorsed branch merely claiming descent from the Quanzhen Daoist tradition.

Moreover, Zhang Sanfeng held a high status in the cultivation world, as rumor suggested he was the most likely expert to achieve ascension in the past thousand years—yes, the old Daoist was still alive, currently in secluded meditation within the Kunlun Immortal Realm, and would not emerge unless the Wudang Sect faced existential threat.

Below Shaolin and Wudang were Huashan, Emei, and Qingcheng, among others. The Artifact Pavilion, the Artifact Refining Sect, and the Hundred Herbs Gang were roughly on the same tier. Among these factions, Huashan and Emei's strength nearly rivaled that of Shaolin and Wudang. Qingcheng was considerably weaker and, in recent years, had pledged allegiance to the Emei Sect, effectively acting as Emei's subordinate. United, the two sects were not afraid even of Shaolin, Wudang, or the Kunlun factions if disputes arose.

The other three sects held a place in the cultivation world due to their specialized skills. Naturally, their inherent strength was not lacking either, otherwise, they wouldn't have survived to this day.

After discussing these major sects, they moved on to Diancang, Huangshan, Longhu, Qingjing, Maoshan, and a jumble of other minor sects. Hearing these names made Ye Wen slightly surprised, as these were all renowned schools with long histories, which had now fallen to the status of third-rate sects in the current era.

Setting aside Diancang and Huangshan, the Longhu Sect and Qingjing Sect were both orthodox descendants of the Quanzhen Daoist tradition, enjoying inherent status within Daoism. Moreover, the title of Orthodox Xuanmen in the cultivation world was quite useful. Maoshan was also a famous Daoist sacred site, yet it had unexpectedly declined to such a state.

However, Maoshan's prestige in the secular world remained robust, comparable to Shaolin and Wudang. It was surmised that to preserve their lineage, Maoshan had invested heavily in the secular world, while Shaolin and Wudang treated it as secondary, which is why the secular reputations of these sects were relatively close.

Besides these, many miscellaneous sects still lingered. But based on the information revealed, perhaps within another one or two hundred years, this large batch of minor sects would completely vanish—without the environment conducive to cultivation and without disciples to carry on the tradition, the demise of these sects was merely a matter of time.

The Tianfu Sect, for instance, was one such small sect, surviving only because a few elders with decent cultivation were holding on. Once those few passed, the sect would immediately splinter.

Even those who came today to aid the Diancang Sect were mostly small households from the vicinity. It was rumored that one of them was the Sect Leader of the Luofu Sect, who had rushed from a thousand miles away to offer support simply to forge a connection with the Diancang Sect, hoping to secure a backer for his own sect to eke out a few more years of survival.

Pity that such a person couldn't even enter this hall; it was unknown whether he had left or was chatting with other colleagues elsewhere.

Upon hearing all this, Ye Wen felt a wave of melancholy. Mount Luofu was one of the sacred Daoist sites since antiquity; he hadn't expected it to have fallen to such straits.

As he pondered, he heard Hermit Beihe sigh, "It is a pity that the great catastrophe a century ago destroyed the formation array leading to the Penglai Immortal Realm in the East Sea. Otherwise, our cultivation world wouldn't be in such a desolate state."

Only then did Ye Wen realize that, besides the Kunlun Immortal Realm, there was another place for cultivation: the Penglai Immortal Realm. He wondered what caused the destruction of the Penglai Immortal Realm—or perhaps that wasn't quite right; it must have been the pathway to Penglai that was destroyed, making it inaccessible. If people couldn't enter, then the existence of the Penglai Immortal Realm was meaningless.

After a moment of thought, Ye Wen spoke, testing the waters: "What happened to the Penglai Immortal Realm?"

He didn't ask "What happened?" or "What was the situation?" but only "What happened?" This phrasing suggested to everyone that this senior master knew of the Penglai Immortal Realm but was unaware of the recent developments due to prolonged seclusion.

Hermit Beihe glanced around. Among those present, he was the eldest, so he spoke first: "A century ago, numerous wars began breaking out in the secular world. At that time, we cultivators became involved, and the repercussions of that great battle happened to destroy the entrance to the Penglai Immortal Realm, so..."

He didn't elaborate further. That event was not a glorious one for the cultivation world, so speaking vaguely and glossing over it was fine. Detailing it might provoke this senior, whose temper seemed a bit volatile, into doing something rash.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen immediately understood what Hermit Beihe was referring to. After a quick realization, he asked no more, simply nodding to show he understood.

After they had talked for quite a while longer, Ye Wen suddenly spoke up: "Might I ask about the Kunlun Immortal Realm... What are the requirements to enter and cultivate there?"

Liu Tao and Xuan Ningzi inwardly murmured, "Here it comes!" They assumed Ye Wen was an elder emerging from long seclusion, and now, with the pressure of his sect on his shoulders, such a person would naturally inquire about the Kunlun Immortal Realm. They hadn't spoken earlier to see how long this senior could hold back; they themselves felt their patience paled in comparison, having chatted for half a day already before this topic arose.

They didn't know that Ye Wen had been quietly listening, wanting to glean more about the cultivation world, which is why he hadn't raised the matter until now. Having heard enough, he wished to inquire about the Kunlun Immortal Realm—the previous conversations had only glossed over it, revealing no concrete information.

Hermit Beihe looked around and realized that he was the one who had to answer this question. Among those present, only he had visited the Kunlun Immortal Realm. Others like Yan Xing and Zhou Chong had not reached that level of cultivation, and their seniority within their sects was low. Even if Emei valued them, they would likely need further tempering before being sent to cultivate in the Kunlun Immortal Realm.

The Diancang Sect had no right to send anyone there for cultivation, and Xuan Ningzi, as a lone cultivator, was in the same boat. Only Hermit Beihe, due to his profound cultivation and having the backing of the Kunlun Sect, could enter and exit frequently.

"Because the Kunlun Immortal Realm concerns matters of great importance, all the sects have reached a joint agreement: only those with profound cultivation or elite disciples capable of inheriting a lineage may enter for cultivation..."

Hermit Beihe intended to spout some boilerplate platitudes but was cut off when Ye Wen waved his hand, saying directly, "Let's speak plainly. Don't waste time with such nonsense; just tell me the practical terms."

Rubbing his cheek awkwardly, Hermit Beihe could only continue, "Truthfully, I don't fully agree with these regulations either, but my voice is small and I can’t change them, so I must adapt! Now, I can only rely on the Kunlun Sect to scrape by with whatever scraps are left, so..."

Ye Wen dismissed it casually, "This has nothing to do with you; just tell me."

"Simply put, as long as your senior's sect can become one of the established great powers in the current cultivation world, you can enter the Kunlun Immortal Realm to cultivate..."

"Established great powers..." Ye Wen mulled it over, finally glancing at the two young men from the Emei Sect. "About the same standing as Emei and the like, right?"

From their earlier conversation, he already knew that the Emei Sect possessed the qualification to send people to cultivate in the Kunlun Immortal Realm, while the Diancang Sect did not. This indicated a huge dividing line between the two. His Shushan Sect was currently inferior to Diancang; becoming a great sect comparable to Emei would likely be a long and arduous task.

Seeing that Ye Wen was ready to talk openly, Hermit Beihe stopped holding back and nodded, "If your sect's prestige can reach that level, you will not only have free access to the Kunlun Immortal Realm but might even be able to select a location within it to establish your sect's own training ground... though the prime locations within the Kunlun Immortal Realm are already occupied. If you go..."

With Ye Wen's own level of cultivation, he could naturally enter the Kunlun Immortal Realm. The prerequisite was being willing to affiliate with one of the major sects. If he wanted to bring others in, it became much more troublesome. They would examine not only the strength of the Sect Leader but also the capabilities of his disciples. If everyone deemed his group of disciples lacking and without potential value for development, they would still be barred entry.

And what was the simplest way to win everyone's respect? Strength! Ye Wen needed to ensure his disciples developed combat power. Gaining entry qualifications would then become a natural consequence.

Fortunately, both the Seven-Colored Dou Qi and the Absolute Domain were techniques capable of rapidly forming combat strength. Given some time, securing a spot should not be a problem.

The real difficulty lay in how to make his sect famous throughout the cultivation world. After all, cultivators in this world generally acted discreetly and secretly; even if someone were chopped into minced meat and stuffed into dumplings, it might take three to five years for anyone to find out.

Perhaps sensing Ye Wen's dilemma, Hermit Beihe suddenly said, "We cultivators hold a grand gathering every twenty years. The time for the next one is not far off, Elder Ye..."

"Call me Sect Leader Ye!"

"If Sect Leader Ye is interested, why not bring your disciples along?" Hermit Beihe's words finally resolved Ye Wen's immediate issue. Although he had heard rumors of such a gathering, he knew neither the time nor the location. Moreover, without an introduction, even if he found the place, gaining entry would be difficult.

He had initially considered building a relationship with Emei to attend together. Now, however, he could start by questioning Hermit Beihe for more details.

Regarding the Shushan Sect's ambition to gain fame, Hermit Beihe remained indifferent. Yan Xing and Zhou Chong exchanged glances, feeling that this neighbor was not simple and would need to be reported to their Sect Leader immediately upon their return.

"Moreover, both Sect Leader Ye and his consort possess considerable strength! Now, we just don't know the strength of their disciples. If the disciples are also formidable, then we might have another competitor..."

Zhou Chong's eyes darted, and he suddenly sent a divine sense message to his senior brother: "Perhaps we should let the Qingcheng Sect test the Shushan Sect first? After all, if the Shushan Sect snatches a spot, it might not matter much to our Emei Sect, but Qingcheng's position could become perilous..."

Yan Xing nodded impassively, then bowed to everyone present: "Since matters here are concluded, my junior brother and I must return to Mount Emei. I offer my apologies to all seniors here. Should you visit Mount Emei in the future, your juniors will certainly step out to welcome you!"

After exchanging farewell gestures with the others, he and Zhou Chong left the hall, harnessing their sword light and departing instantly. Watching the direction they flew, Ye Wen murmured softly to his junior sister, "For our Shushan Sect to rise up, there will inevitably be much trouble!"

Though he spoke softly, everyone present was an influential figure and heard him clearly. They all thought, "This senior sees the situation clearly!"