Ye Wen stood up, first walking over to Chris, patting him on the shoulder. This was his silent acknowledgment to his disciples that Chris had performed admirably.

Truthfully, Chris's performance had far exceeded Ye Wen's expectations. To fight Bei He to this extent using only the strength of Green Dou Qi, and even manage to land some relatively rare, subtle attacks against Bei He, proved that Chris was not a one-track mind. He knew how to maximize the output of his own abilities.

Disciples like this were the ones who could truly be of help to Ye Wen.

At the same time, having witnessed the power of Hermit Bei He this time, Chris would now understand what a truly powerful master looked like, giving him a concrete goal to strive for. Before this, Ye Wen’s true strength remained obscured to Chris, leaving him unsure of the direction his efforts should take.

As Chris retreated to the side of the arena, Ye Wen beckoned to Hermit Bei He in a gesture of greeting. "Since the Hermit has extended the invitation, I, Ye Mou, shall not decline!"

Hermit Bei He appeared genuinely pleased, nodding. "That is best. I beg the senior for guidance!"

With that, the azure Divine Saber materialized before him. The blade aura emanating from it was incomparably more potent than when facing Chris earlier, indicating that Bei He had exercised considerable restraint in his previous exchange, defeating Chris without making it seem like bullying.

Ye Wen had initially intended to use his Zixiao Sword, but after a moment's thought, he changed his mind.

"Since Hermit Bei He takes me for a martial cultivator, I should display some martial arts! If I use my Yudao Shu (Control Art), it's the same as a sword cultivator; it won't show any distinction!" With this thought, he dismissed the idea of using Sword Control and adopted a stance, calling out, "Please!"—preparing to engage Hermit Bei He with pure hand-to-hand combat.

If this were a fight to the death, Ye Wen would never make such a choice. Against a true enemy, he would use the most decisive means to send them to the afterlife. With techniques like Yudao Shu in his arsenal, there was no need to resort to fists and feet. Even if Yudao Shu proved insufficient, he still had the Wan Jian Jue (Myriad Sword Art)!

He couldn't believe anyone could stand unharmed after taking a blast from Wan Jian Jue. At that point, whether he finished the opponent with Yudao Shu or charged in to kill them with a punch would be entirely up to him.

However, since this was merely a spar, he didn't need to overthink it. Even drawing a long saber and demonstrating a few standard swordsmanship moves wouldn't be a major issue.

"Senior, please!"

Because Ye Wen still held the title of 'Senior,' Hermit Bei He naturally made the first move. As soon as the word 'please' left his lips, the Celestial River Divine Saber before him suddenly condensed into a single point, losing its previous dazzling brilliance. Yet, the azure blade light was far more terrifying; the mere aura it emitted while hovering in the air carved a long trench into the ground.

Ye Wen inwardly praised, "Excellent focus!"

If he had only just reached the Shattering Void realm, this strike might have been difficult to deal with. Hermit Bei He's slash shared a similar essence with the sword strike Ye Wen used to force Li Xuan to concede back then—both involved condensing the blade or sword aura to a significant degree before unleashing a single, overwhelming blow.

Only, Hermit Bei He's blade had a slight arc, a gentle upward sweep as it traveled. This suggested that at the moment of impact with Ye Wen, he was still employing the 'slicing' principle of sabermanship, rather than the 'stabbing' motion of swordsmanship.

This was the inherent difference between blades and swords, something Ye Wen, after years of martial study, saw clearly. Thus, the instant the long blade struck, he stepped laterally, avoiding Hermit Bei He's attack.

If that were all, it would amount to little. After dodging the strike with a single step, Ye Wen immediately surged forward. But the moment he left his original spot, the azure blade light abruptly halted, then spun rapidly in place. To onlookers, the blue saber transformed into a large disk, rotating wildly on the spot.

Had Ye Wen merely sidestepped by one step, he might have been caught by this follow-up maneuver. But Ye Wen seemed to have anticipated such a possibility; after shifting sideways, he immediately rushed forward, precisely avoiding the move.

Moreover, upon bursting out, Ye Wen flipped his palms up and down—his inner Innate Violet Qi swirling, dividing his energy into Yin and Yang according to the Taiji incantations, sending forth a burst of vigorous Yang energy and a wave of gentle Yin energy. His right palm followed through with a strike from the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms.

The moment this palm was unleashed, before Ye Wen’s hand even reached Hermit Bei He, Bei He felt the might and momentum of the strike. Seeing the roaring dragon head coiling around Ye Wen’s right palm, he felt an impulse to retreat.

"I cannot retreat." He was, after all, someone who had cultivated for several centuries, a name that carried weight in the cultivation world. To retreat and evade the very first move from Ye Wen, even in a mere spar, would lead to utter disgrace.

So, he quickly formed a seal with his left hand. The Celestial River Divine Sand, still suspended near him, immediately gathered, forming an exceptionally solid protective barrier before him.

This barrier was different from the one used to defend against Chris. The defense against Chris's Wave Fist had been mostly transparent; the Divine Sand had formed only a few points, with energy flowing between them to create a defensive crystal wall.

This time, however, he gathered the Divine Sand to build his defense. The entire barrier shimmered with blue, starlit radiance—it looked inherently thick and impenetrable.

What he never anticipated was that after striking with his palm, Ye Wen had no intention of using that single blow to shatter the defense. Having witnessed Bei He use a protective barrier against Chris's Wave Fist, Ye Wen had been wary of this exact move. Therefore, as he struck with his right palm, his left hand held a subsequent maneuver.

Since achieving the Shattering Void realm, Ye Wen had set aside many of his previously cultivated techniques, but there were still several he highly valued, among them the Qi Sword Finger, which he considered very important.

More significantly, since attaining success with his Divine Sense, he had gained ancillary benefits. Focusing his Divine Sense into his eyes, the purple light in his pupils shifted, allowing him to discern the crucial weak points within the defensive shield formed by the Celestial River Divine Sand.

It turned out that while Hermit Bei He's Divine Sand possessed endless utility, it was extremely difficult to refine. Currently, Bei He was manipulating the sand through a method akin to leading an army: among the countless grains, a few were most critical. If those few were shattered, the remaining sand particles would naturally disintegrate.

Ye Wen's gaze sharpened. Though faint, he pinpointed the location of the most vital grains. Immediately, his left hand executed the Qi Sword Finger, striking the protective wall before his right palm landed. Then, the soft, resilient inner energy of the Qi Sword Finger erupted, instantly severing the connection between the divine grains. The entire barrier shattered instantly.

It was precisely at this moment that Ye Wen’s right palm arrived, punching straight through the dissipating sand particles. The powerful kinetic energy carried by his right palm seemed to ignore the still-scattered Divine Sand, rushing toward Hermit Bei He’s face like an enraged dragon breaking through a pass, jaws wide open.

This move startled Hermit Bei He, who turned pale. But in the next second, the illusions before him vanished, and a pure white palm stopped just an inch from his eyes. It looked harmless, yet only he knew that if that palm had moved forward just a fraction further, he would have sustained grievous injuries today. And that was assuming the best-case scenario; if Senior Ye had applied full force, his life would have been forfeit.

The two men backed away slightly. Ye Wen stood proudly, hands clasped behind his back, while Hermit Bei He stared at the Senior, his thoughts racing.

"With my cultivation, even if I couldn't defeat Senior Ye, I should have been able to last a hundred or eighty rounds. I never expected to be defeated in the first exchange..."

His intention in seeking this contest was partly to show the old Senior his strength, hoping for greater regard in the future. Instead, this act was merely self-humiliation. His protective magic item was broken in the first confrontation. If Senior Ye hadn't pulled back his strike just in time during this mere spar, he...

Ye Wen did not seem overly triumphant. He knew his victory over Hermit Bei He was entirely due to Bei He's lack of understanding of him; Bei He had started defensively from the very first move.

Bei He’s combat experience had mostly been gained fighting cultivators similar to himself. In such battles, both sides maintained distance and summoned their Dharma Treasures to clash. Defeating the opponent required first breaking their magic artifacts or flying swords; personal safety was rarely a primary concern unless it was a chaotic melee involving many people.

Thus, when Ye Wen ignored the Celestial River Divine Saber and charged directly at Bei He from the start, Bei He's reaction was inevitably slower.

If his protective artifact, the Celestial River Divine Sand, had been fully manifested from the beginning, shattering it with a single finger strike would have been an impossibility. Although the Divine Sand had a flaw, it wasn't easily broken. Bei He manipulated a few key grains to control the rest for easier management. But if the sand had been fully aggregated from the start, it would have been a unified whole; even Ye Wen's potent inner force would likely not have managed to disperse it with a single touch.

It was precisely because Hermit Bei He had only gathered the Divine Sand mid-fight that the connections were not yet tight enough for him to succeed with his first strike and break the artifact.

Furthermore, Ye Wen's speed of movement surpassed Bei He’s anticipation, making his initial attack seem reckless. Not only did it fail to affect Ye Wen, but it also exposed all of Bei He's vulnerabilities, allowing Ye Wen to exploit the gap while the Divine Saber was still recovering to secure the win.

In truth, if someone of similar cultivation to Bei He had attempted to perfectly replicate Ye Wen’s sequence, they might not have won. The core reason, ultimately, was that Bei He was significantly inferior to Ye Wen in terms of power, leading to such an easy defeat.

"Senior’s strength is indeed formidable. This junior has learned much..."

However, this exchange gave Hermit Bei He much to consider about issues he had previously overlooked. If he could resolve these matters one by one, his combat strength would rise by a significant margin. Yet, these matters were of little consequence to Ye Wen; he had merely exchanged a few moves casually.

"I haven't guided you on anything. Whether you learn something is your own business. I merely exchanged a move with you!"

Waving his hand, Ye Wen turned and stepped back. He then glanced at the devastation around them and muttered, "Hmph, next time I need to build a proper training ground. Ruining the garden every time isn't sustainable!" Although Ye Wen lacked no money, frequently hiring people to repair the garden made it look as if he were conducting hazardous experiments, which could easily invite unwanted trouble.

At this moment, he failed to notice Jiang Ning, who had always looked down on him, standing with his mouth agape in shock. He hadn't expected the revered Hermit Bei He to be defeated so easily; his mind was blank, and he likely wouldn't recover for a while.

Ye Wen had no time to attend to him. He took Chris and Tommy straight back to the study; he had matters to discuss with these two disciples, and he was sure Hermit Bei He had things to discuss with his peers.

Zheng Ying, the newly accepted outer disciple, followed Ye Wen back to the study, standing with Tommy and Chris to receive Ye Wen's instruction.

Ye Wen first checked on Chris. He found that his Dou Qi was full, and there were no physical injuries from the brief clash with Hermit Bei He.

"Has your Red Dou Qi just begun to manifest?" Chris nodded. "I've only just touched the threshold of Red Dou Qi. But I believe I can truly step into that level soon!" Today, he had displayed his Red Dou Qi before Ye Wen, but during the fight with Bei He, he relied mostly on Green Dou Qi, reserving the hidden killing move for Red Dou Qi, and even then, its power was mediocre—enough only to startle someone. This showed that Chris’s Red Dou Qi was not yet fully mastered.

Still, Ye Wen was satisfied with this performance. After offering some praise, he inquired about the Church.

"What was the Church's reaction this time? Did Flores say anything?"

Chris shook his head. "The Church's actions this time were very discreet, and when they spoke to me, they were clearly reserved. There was a lot of information I couldn't get!" Ye Wen chuckled. "Of course, they were reserved. Because you are my disciple. Even though we have been on good terms with the Church for years and often cooperate, that doesn't mean they consider you one of their own!" At this, he dropped the matter of Flores. After all, Flores was a Paladin of the Church. Even if he had a good relationship with Ye Wen and the others, he likely wouldn't abandon his own sworn principles. Moreover, his connection with Flores was merely a partnership of mutual interest, far from true friendship.

At this point, Chris suddenly spoke up. "Master, although there was no intelligence from the Church, your disciple did hear some interesting rumors from other sources!"

"What rumors?"

Chris paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts before relaying the story. "It was about half a year ago, rumors began circulating in Europe about an Eastern secret treasure appearing there. Supposedly, this object could slay gods and had other functions. The European underground powers stirred quite a bit upon hearing this, causing many problems. I picked up the information while handling one of those incidents!"

"At that time, I followed some faint clues and located a group of Blood Clan members, seemingly a family. This family had been in contact with some people. While investigating, I happened to stumble upon them. In their panic, they knocked over a box, and I saw that the box contained a weapon resembling the iron whip you mentioned."

"I didn't pay much attention then, but when Master mentioned searching for something called the God-Slaying Whip, I remembered this incident!"

Ye Wen's eyes narrowed; this matter seemed more complicated than he had initially thought.

"Could what you saw be the God-Slaying Whip?" Before Ye Wen could speak, Zheng Ying grew anxious. He had come to Europe specifically for this item. If he could obtain it sooner, he could bring this whole affair to a close.

But Chris shook his head. "Impossible!"

"So certain?" Ye Wen was also surprised. Chris shouldn't have seen the God-Slaying Whip; why was he so sure that what he saw wasn't it? According to the intelligence they had, the Kunlun traitor who stole the God-Slaying Whip was closely associated with the Blood Clan; perhaps the one Chris encountered was indeed that person!

But what Chris said next left them dumbfounded.

"I immediately clashed with them at that time, and the iron whip in the box was destroyed during the conflict. Master said the God-Slaying Whip is a weapon capable of killing gods—it shouldn't be destroyed so easily, right?" Ye Wen stared, surprised by the development. What puzzled him even more was why a group of Blood Clan members would treasure an ordinary Eastern weapon and keep it locked in a box.

After some thought, he suddenly recalled that Chris mentioned the Blood Clan meeting with a group of people. "Who were the people meeting with the Blood Clan?"

Chris shook his head. "Those people were very mysterious; they never showed their faces from beginning to end. And the moment we engaged, they vanished!" "However," Chris thought carefully, "as they leaped away, I noticed the clothing beneath their black cloaks seemed to be... the long robes worn by Taoist priests!" Ye Wen started. He hadn't expected this affair to involve Eastern cultivators. If it had been Tommy, he might not have noticed this anomaly, but having followed Ye Wen for years, Chris seemed aware he had an Eastern master and must have learned some Eastern culture, making it unlikely he would mistake the attire for something other than that of a Taoist priest.

"A group of Taoists... a group of Blood Clan members, an ordinary iron whip, and a suddenly appearing God-Slaying Whip!" Ye Wen rubbed his chin, feeling a headache coming on. "Damn it, this isn't turning into a mystery novel, is it?"