When the Void Shattering occurred, under normal circumstances, Ning Ruxue and Huayi, although they had vaguely reached the realm of Void Shattering, were still somewhat lacking in true strength.

The situation with Ye Wen was the complete opposite; he had fully met that standard and even surpassed it considerably, which is why he was able to safely bring the two women through the Void Shattering process without incident (although under the current circumstances, he couldn't tell if he had succeeded or failed).

Now, learning the current state of the cultivation world from the mouth of Hermit Beihe, Ye Wen was uncertain whether Ning Ruxue and Huayi could truly be considered Earth Immortals.

"If every tribulation also tempers the person undergoing it, then my junior sister and Huayi, who endured that passage with me, should count as Earth Immortals... According to Hermit Beihe, if one steps into the Earth Immortal realm, regarding age..." Ye Wen suddenly realized that while his own age had been increasing over the years, his physical condition seemed entirely unchanged. Not only him, but Ning Ruxue and Huayi showed absolutely no signs of aging; in fact, the two women seemed slightly younger in appearance.

"Could it be that we have actually succeeded in passing the tribulation, and our lifespans have significantly increased?" However, this was difficult to ascertain. Ye Wen truly couldn't be sure if this was the case, because the cultivation techniques refined by Ning Ruxue and Huayi were both secret arts that defied the erosion of time, and even his own Innate Purple Qi possessed remarkable health-preserving effects. He currently couldn't determine whether this was due to that specific tribulation or the effect of their respective cultivation methods.

"Thinking too much is useless; as long as we continue to cultivate diligently, we will eventually attain longevity!" In the past, not knowing this truth, Ye Wen had never considered this issue. Now that he understood the possibility of immortal life, he naturally began to harbor thoughts. Which powerful being would willingly depart from the mortal world prematurely?

As soon as this notion took root, he found common ground with Hermit Beihe, and their conversation became much more pleasant. In essence, what was the motivation for these cultivators if not the pursuit of eternal life? Therefore, conversations between cultivators naturally revolved around cultivation matters.

Hermit Beihe spoke: "I have heard that in ancient times, the world was filled with countless spiritual veins and numerous cultivators, and many naturally occurring spiritual treasures could be refined into magical artifacts for cultivators to use." "But over the past few hundred years, most spiritual veins have withered, few spiritual mountains remain, and those so-called naturally occurring spiritual objects have long since vanished..." As he spoke, he pulled a handful of Heavenly River Divine Sand from his artifact pouch: "I was lucky enough to acquire this Heavenly River Divine Sand by chance, which serves as my means of self-preservation! If I were like those younger generations now, only able to purchase an ordinary artifact from the Artifact Forging Pavilion, who in the cultivation world would even recognize me, Hermit Beihe?" Ye Wen offered no reply; the words were truly difficult to respond to. He simply drank his water quietly until Hermit Beihe put the artifact away before saying, "It is truly your fortune to have obtained this rare treasure, Hermit..." "Fortune?" Hermit Beihe shook his head: "Because of this Heavenly River Divine Sand, I was nearly hunted down by the entire Righteous Path!"

"Oh?" Ye Wen was surprised to hear there was gossip involved and felt a surge of curiosity, adopting a posture eager to hear the details.

Hermit Beihe held nothing back and stated directly: "When I found this treasure and was about to secure it, a disciple from the Qingcheng Sect suddenly rushed out, claiming this treasure was destined for him, and demanded I hand it over!"

"Uh..." Ye Wen had not anticipated such a turn of events and was curious how Hermit Beihe had handled it, so he continued to listen to the man opposite him speak.

"At that time, the Qingcheng Sect was a prestigious great sect, and its power was incomparable to what it is now. These Qingcheng disciples spoke with arrogance. Moreover, this naturally occurring spiritual treasure is said to be obtained by the virtuous; on what grounds could he claim it was destined for him with just a few words? I became indignant and started a fight with that Qingcheng disciple..." Having reached this point, he stopped speaking, but Ye Wen instantly grasped the outcome of the matter.

It was easy to deduce: now that the Qingcheng Sect was in decline, relying entirely on the Emei Sect for support to maintain its status as a major sect, it was clear that the dispute between Hermit Beihe and the Qingcheng Sect had ultimately concluded with the Qingcheng Sect's defeat.

If one considered this further, Hermit Beihe later becoming a Guest Elder in the Kunlun Sect might even be related to this incident... Hermit Beihe was a mere unaffiliated cultivator; how could he possibly contend with a major sect without support?

However, Hermit Beihe suddenly sharing these matters with Ye Wen gave him cause for deep thought. What exactly was Hermit Beihe's true intention?

As he was pondering, Hermit Beihe directly laid his cards on the table: "For your sect to emerge, Senior, it will inevitably lead to disputes with the current major sects..." "Recently, I have heard that the Qingcheng Sect seems to be stirring again, targeting..." On the surface, Ye Wen remained calm, but his gaze grew heavy. He inwardly thought: "The Qingcheng Sect is moving fast enough. My own Shushan Sect hasn't even made a move yet, and they are already preparing?" Thinking of this, he suddenly recalled those two disciples from the Emei Sect, estimating that after those two Emei disciples returned, they must have said something, prompting the Emei Sect to subtly push things, leading to the Qingcheng Sect's actions.

All of this was within Ye Wen's expectations, so he wasn't overly surprised; the slight change in expression was merely a hint of dissatisfaction upon receiving confirmation. This was only human nature; no one would be happy to learn someone intended them harm.

Hermit Beihe observed him clearly from across the table. Seeing Ye Wen's expression change slightly but show no shock, he assumed Ye Wen had long anticipated the Qingcheng Sect's movements. He inwardly mused: "It seems Senior Ye already foresaw the Qingcheng Sect's actions. This level of insight is extraordinary; it’s no wonder other martial cultivation sects have vanished, yet the Shushan Sect has managed to survive to this day!" Although the Qingcheng Sect's matter unfolded as Ye Wen expected, why had Hermit Beihe specifically gone out of his way to deliver this warning?

He reflected that he had no particular connection with the Kunlun Sect, and his acquaintance with Hermit Beihe was limited to a few chance meetings. In terms of deep affection, it probably wouldn't even surpass the Diancang Sect, whom he had helped once.

As for the reason that Hermit Beihe had a previous grudge with the Qingcheng Sect, Ye Wen had considered it. But if he were to first mention the Qingcheng Sect's impending actions to Ye Wen and then bring up his own actual grievances with them, Ye Wen might believe it. But as it stood now...

Ye Wen even suspected that Hermit Beihe’s previous monologue was deliberately crafted to give him a certain impression, and that the current revelation was meant to make Ye Wen believe Hermit Beihe sought nothing in return for running over here just to deliver a message—that, Ye Wen would never believe!

"Then... is it the Kunlun Sect?" After much thought, Ye Wen could only conclude that this matter must involve the Kunlun Sect, currently the foremost great sect. Perhaps this was a maneuver by the current Kunlun Sect Master?

Perhaps sensing Ye Wen's doubts, or perhaps Hermit Beihe realized his words might arouse suspicion, he decided to be frank: "The current cultivation world is not a single, solid block. The Emei and Qingcheng sects are virtually one family—Senior must already know this. Beyond them, the Huashan and Wudang sects, while competitive, often unite because both sects trace their lineage to the Quanzhen Dao tradition." "Furthermore, Shaolin follows its own distinct lineage. However, their methods of cultivation differ significantly from our Daoist practices. Although they frequently interact within the cultivation world, there is little conflict between us..."

It turned out that the Buddhist practices refined by Shaolin did not require practicing within the Kunlun Immortal Realm. Buddhism emphasizes the cultivation of the next life; in cultivation terms, this means their current practice is geared toward achieving direct rebirth into the Immortal Realm upon Nirvana. This contrasts sharply with the Daoist focus on achieving immortality in the present life.

Simply put, Daoist cultivation focuses on ascending in this very life to achieve Immortal status! Buddhism, however, emphasizes that all cultivation is for the sake of the next life. No matter how one cultivates in this life, they remain in this world, but their present efforts lay sufficient groundwork for their next reincarnation. If cultivation is sufficient, one might be reborn directly into that so-called Immortal Realm.

It was even possible to be born in the Immortal Realm already possessing immense Buddhist power, drawing the attention of various Buddhas from the West to personally escort them away. Or perhaps reborn into strange objects, like the wicks of lamps used by Buddhas or the meditation cushions sat upon by Bodhisattvas!

Of course, it was not entirely impossible for certain great masters of Buddhist law to achieve sudden enlightenment and ascend directly to chat with the Buddha, but no such individual had been seen in millennia, so this remained purely theoretical.

Because of this fundamental difference, the Buddhist faction generally did not participate in the many covert struggles within the cultivation world. Most of the time, Shaolin acted as a mediator. When disputes arose between the two main factions, it was usually these monks who stepped in to smooth things over. The minor issue between Hermit Beihe and the Qingcheng Sect years ago escalated so severely that the Kunlun Sect even engaged in direct warfare with the Emei and Qingcheng sects. If Shaolin had not stepped in to resolve the conflict, the cultivation world might have suffered a major depletion of vitality.

"Actually, my little affair was merely a pretext! There are factional struggles within the cultivation world, and every side wishes to have more say regarding the matter of the Kunlun Immortal Realm..." In truth, if the Kunlun Immortal Realm were not located on Kunlun Mountain, making the Kunlun Sect semi-proprietors, perhaps the Kunlun Sect would never have ascended to become the so-called number one sect!

With these few sentences, Ye Wen understood that the seemingly glorious Kunlun Sect was actually not faring well: the Qingcheng and Emei sects were united below them, and Huashan and Wudang could unite when necessary, while other smaller factions supported each other! Only the Kunlun Sect stood isolated and without allies; in the event of any trouble, they would struggle to find anyone willing to speak up for them.

They couldn't possibly rely on those Shaolin monks to intervene in every matter, could they? Frankly, in such situations, Shaolin had no real reason to get involved. After all, they didn't need the Kunlun Immortal Realm for their own cultivation. If it weren't for the consideration that they were all cultivators from Huaxia, Shaolin could completely stand aside and coldly watch them fight until one side was decimated.

"These monks... are quite kind-hearted..." Ye Wen pondered, then decided those monks couldn't possibly be so altruistic. Just as he was about to voice his question, Hermit Beihe let out a cold sneer.

"Kind-hearted? Those bald donkeys are only looking out for themselves!" Uncapping another beer handed to him by Ye Wen, Hermit Beihe downed half of it in one gulp: "The Buddhism practiced by our Huaxia monks, while now a complete system, still ultimately derives its heritage from the West. If our native sects clash and are severely weakened, those fellows from the West will naturally seize the opportunity to invade..." "And those monks, whether they resist or not, will find themselves in a difficult position. They'll be caught between two fires!" Upon hearing this, Ye Wen understood. These monks were in a dilemma: to avoid such an awkward situation, they needed a powerful Huaxia cultivation world to shield them. Consequently, they could not allow the cultivators to deplete their strength through internal strife.

At the same time, having reached this point in the conversation, Ye Wen finally grasped the crux of the matter: Hermit Beihe's visit this time must have been at the behest of the Kunlun Sect. His goal in finding Ye Wen was nothing more than to curry favor and establish a slight measure of goodwill.

If his Shushan Sect could suppress the Qingcheng Sect, that would naturally be best, and the Kunlun Sect might then seek to ally with him, establishing a preliminary alliance to compete for the necessary cultivation resources.

Even if his Shushan Sect could not defeat the Qingcheng Sect, it could at least exhaust some of the Qingcheng Sect's strength. This would slightly alleviate the pressure on the Kunlun Sect—perhaps even making it possible to drive the Qingcheng Sect out, provided Ye Wen's Shushan Sect was ruthless enough to deal a crippling blow to Qingcheng.

In any case, from every angle, it was highly advantageous for the Kunlun Sect to actively seek good relations with Ye Wen's Shushan Sect, meaning Ye Wen absolutely could not miss this opportunity. Hermit Beihe was likely dispatched because he and Ye Wen had met a few times, making the discussion smoother.

"Heh heh, the Kunlun Sect has played a smart hand!" However, this was also an opportunity for the Shushan Sect. When Ye Wen was considering how to deal with the Qingcheng Sect, he was quite concerned about the Emei Sect. Now, if he could reach some sort of agreement with the Kunlun Sect, they wouldn't even need to make an open move; simply deterring the Emei Sect would greatly ease his pressure, making it much easier to deal with the Qingcheng Sect alone.

So, from every perspective, agreeing to this held no disadvantages for him. Moreover, if he handled this matter well, the Shushan Sect and Kunlun Sect could draw closer in the future, which would greatly benefit his goal of securing eligibility to enter the Kunlun Immortal Realm.

After all, since the Kunlun Immortal Realm was on Kunlun Mountain, the Kunlun Sect, as the semi-proprietor, must hold significant influence!

With this in mind, Ye Wen had settled his strategy. He directly expressed his gratitude to Hermit Beihe: "I almost forgot the favor of your message, Hermit..." This statement conveyed an implicit message to Hermit Beihe: the Shushan Sect accepted this arrangement.

However, because this so-called alliance was meant to be discreet, and the Kunlun Sect preferred not to state things too clearly, Ye Wen could not give a direct confirmation; both parties left room for maneuver in their speech.

The Kunlun Sect's implication was: if you can manage it, all is well, but if something goes wrong, our Kunlun Sect will deny any connection to the matter.

Ye Wen, conversely, believed it was best to keep the matter concealed so that the Kunlun Sect's influence could serve as the ultimate card at the critical moment.

As for the Kunlun Sect's reservations, Ye Wen could guess them. However, he was confident that after the gathering several years later, as long as he could demonstrate the requisite strength according to his original plan, the Kunlun Sect would harbor no more fears! If the matter was handled skillfully, the Kunlun Sect might even eagerly seek an alliance with him.

After chatting with Hermit Beihe for a while longer, Ye Wen saw him out the main gate. However, just before leaving, Hermit Beihe suddenly mentioned: "Oh, right, the previous Master of our sect once told me that the Kunlun Sect also had a traitor who stole an artifact from the sect and fled to Europe. Due to the great distance and unfamiliarity with the local powers there, we have never taken action!" "Recently, we managed to gather some intelligence regarding that traitor through worldly channels. I plan to travel to Europe in a few days. I wonder if Senior, at that time..." Ye Wen considered that he would also be heading to Europe in a few days, as he was still the owner of Liverpool and needed to make occasional appearances there. A trip there would indeed be convenient.

More importantly, Hermit Beihe actively seeking him out this time served as a signal: the two factions had preliminary intentions to cooperate, but perhaps they should engage in deeper communication. "You see, we have a small problem here; if you could lend a hand to resolve it..."

The matter might not be significant, but the attitude was key. Ye Wen had nothing pressing, so helping out was not out of the question! Since he already had thoughts of cooperating with the Kunlun Sect, there were things he needed to do.

More crucially, if he wanted to obtain what he desired from the Kunlun Sect, he first had to offer something in return! As the saying goes, 'to receive, one must give.'

As for what he desired? The people of the Kunlun Sect were not fools. Although Hermit Beihe made no mention of what benefits the Shushan Sect would receive this time, it was because everyone understood the underlying context! Moreover, Hermit Beihe's words had not been entirely devoid of hints.

Factions, the struggle for cultivation resources!

What were cultivation resources? Naturally, they were the limited slots for the Kunlun Immortal Realm, and since the Kunlun Sect intended to build its faction and suppress others, it was naturally because of the resources within the Kunlun Immortal Realm—the very thing Ye Wen coveted.

Watching Hermit Beihe depart on a streak of sword light, Ye Wen turned back into the villa, specifically pouring himself a glass of vodka and downing a large gulp.

"I was just worrying about how to establish connections with those so-called great cultivation sects, and then this happened! It's like the pillow arrived exactly when I was sleepy..." In his excitement, he took another large drink, but he quickly calmed down.

"However, getting the Kunlun Sect to acknowledge us won't be that easy! If only our Shushan Sect were stronger... currently, relying only on myself, my junior sister, and Huayi, our strength seems a bit thin..."