Wheeling the Star River vortex, five furious fireballs were flung out by the force Ye Jiao exerted, a move inspired by the revolving circular barrier once wielded by the Nine Sword Immortal. However, compared to the Nine Sword Immortal’s perfect control, Ye Wen’s execution appeared somewhat clumsy. Though the general direction of the five fireballs was correct, their flight paths were slightly off.

Wang Zhao, after recalling his Moon Gold Wheel, immediately created distance from the black-clad figure. He only just managed to hastily evade being struck by one of the fireballs Ye Wen had launched.

Of course, he said nothing. Because although the fireball had put him in a slightly embarrassing spot, it had also forced back that elusive black-clad figure who had suddenly appeared above him.

“Hm? Strange. Isn’t this guy impossible to hit?” Just now, the Hermit of the Northern River had struck this man’s head with the Heavenly River Starlight, a blow that should have been fatal, yet it had no effect, as if striking a mere phantom.

This gave Wang Zhao a distinct chill. He had assumed ordinary attacks couldn’t harm this fellow, but Ye Wen’s flung fireballs forced him to retreat. This suggested the man wasn't entirely fearless.

“As long as you’re afraid, it’s manageable!”

He spurred the Lunar Essence contained within the Moon Gold Wheel, causing the entire magical artifact to emit a gentle moonlight that brought a faint chill to those nearby.

This was the Moon Gold Wheel’s greatest quality. Though merely a counterfeit item, Wang Zhao was a favored disciple of the Kunlun Sect, so his artifact was certainly not subpar. Unleashing his full magical power to wield his artifact in this manner would normally prompt others to immediately start thinking about escape routes.

The black-clad figure’s eyes narrowed with gravity. Yet, recalling that he relied on the illusionary realm, these people were merely birds trapped in a cage; no matter their skills, they couldn't utilize even half their true strength. What was there to fear?

With that thought, he lunged forward, but halfway through his charge, he vanished again. Wang Zhao, having summoned the Moon Gold Wheel and preparing to attack, paused momentarily. Then, with a swift turn of his right hand, the Moon Gold Wheel, which hadn't yet flown out, seemed to receive a command and slashed violently behind him, leaving a dazzling trail of pale yellow moonlight and emitting a crisp sound.

“Sneaky little devils!” he cursed. Wang Zhao knew these types were elusive and extremely difficult to deal with. Carelessness could lead to instant death.

He scanned his surroundings and saw that Chris and Tommy were also entangled by the first black-clad figure. Simultaneously, he worried about Claire’s safety. Tommy was responsible for protecting Claire, while Chris was the main force fighting that individual.

Zheng Ying, a familiar friend, seemed to have learned something new; his innate flame ability was significantly more formidable than before. He had clearly picked up good techniques studying under Elder Ye these past few days. While he wasn't making a major display now, he was clearly not in danger. Of course, this was also partly because the enemy forces were focusing their main attention on Wang Zhao’s group.

Jiang Ning, the junior sister disciple, had also brought out her magical artifact: twelve electric fire orbs. This artifact was nothing rare; many in the cultivation world possessed them. However, rarely did one see someone summon twelve simultaneously, and what was even rarer was Jiang Ning’s ability to manipulate these twelve electric fire orbs with such ease, displaying immense power in both offense and defense, making her invulnerable to ordinary cultivators.

With the twelve orbs crackling with lightning and fire light surrounding her, she was vaguely shielded by a barrier of thunderous light, and for the moment, no one bothered her. They likely assumed her artifact couldn't be broken quickly, and since her own power wasn't overwhelming, it was better to save the troublesome item for later.

Currently receiving focused attention were the Hermit of the Northern River and Wang Zhao himself. Conversely, Elder Ye seemed quite relaxed. Apart from that initial attack, no one seemed to be engaging him.

However, this was merely Wang Zhao's perception; Ye Wen would absolutely disagree with his judgment. Ye Wen remained still because he felt he was being targeted, and the posture suggested an attack could launch at any moment.

The Zixiao Sword hovered beside him, spitting out purple sword light, gathering its momentum. Should anyone appear before him, the Zixiao Sword could strike instantly.

Furthermore, Ye Wen himself had his energy circulating through his entire body, his gaze constantly shifting, observing the surroundings. If any abnormality appeared, he could instantly adjust his body into the optimal posture for battle, confident he could handle any form of attack, be it "firearms? spells? or magical artifacts?"

As he was pondering, the space to his side suddenly distorted, and a burst of firelight emerged. Ye Wen’s brow tightened, and the Zixiao Sword received the unspoken order, instantly unleashing fierce sword energy toward his flank. The ball of fire, before it could fully manifest its imposing shape, was shattered into pieces by the Zixiao Sword’s energy and vanished without a trace in the space.

Immediately following this, the strange spatial fluctuation disappeared. Ye Wen’s Zixiao Sword swept through the area, leaving only a brilliant streak of dark purple light, achieving nothing else.

Ordinarily, an attack yielding no effect would cause anyone to momentarily lose focus. The enemy seemed to rely on this very tactic. Just as Ye Wen was focusing on his flank, a figure materialized above him. Clad entirely in black, like the previous two figures, this person brought a Japanese katana sweeping down in a dazzling arc aimed directly at Ye Wen’s head.

Initially, this attacker was wary of Ye Wen’s strange, galaxy-like protective artifact. But as his blade neared the opponent’s skull, the protective river of stellar energy surrounding Ye Wen showed no reaction whatsoever. The attacker inwardly rejoiced, assuming Ye Wen had failed to react in time—this blow was surely fatal.

Unfortunately, before the thought could fully form, the attacker found his long blade unable to advance further; he felt frozen in mid-air.

Veins bulged on his hands gripping the sword, yet he couldn't push forward an inch. The cause was merely two seemingly ordinary, even somewhat delicate, fingers.

Ye Wen had caught the sneak attacker’s long blade between two fingers, unyielding no matter how hard the man struggled. The blade didn't move a millimeter, and the man himself was suspended in the air, legs kicking uselessly with no purchase, a rather comical sight.

Perhaps realizing the situation, the black-clad figure snapped his feet together and used the resulting momentum to kick forcefully toward Ye Wen’s chest, determined that even if he couldn't cleave him with the sword, he would kick him dead. At the very least, he hoped to force Ye Wen to release his grip.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen’s left hand remained motionless, his two fingers still clamping the blade. His right palm simply swiped out—an action as casual as waving a hand, yet it instilled a profound sense of danger in the attacker, who felt that if he didn’t dodge, his legs might be ruined.

With that realization, he twisted his body slightly. The legs, initially aimed at Ye Wen’s chest, shifted direction. He even used the long blade as a pivot to spin around, narrowly dodging Ye Wen’s seemingly casual palm strike.

“Oh? Has a bit of skill!” Ye Wen hadn't expected this person to perceive the subtle intricacies of his strike and react correctly so quickly. However, this was only a slight surprise to him; it wouldn't hinder his next move.

Although the palm strike missed, he could always change maneuvers. Since the attacker still clung fiercely to the blade, it meant their distance remained close. Ye Wen rotated his arm, transforming the inward-sweeping strike into a direct forward thrust. If this one connected solidly, the attacker would certainly die.

In truth, Ye Wen had anticipated an ambush. The fire attack meant to draw out his flying sword was merely a tactic to lure the artifact away—a transparent ploy. But the Zixiao Sword was intentionally released. How else could he draw this specific opponent out?

Clamping the opponent’s weapon with his fingers now was intended to keep him under control. If this man were as untraceable as the other two, dealing with him would be far more troublesome.

Seeing Ye Wen’s palm moving towards him, the attacker knew that unless he let go of the sword, he would perish from this blow. He couldn't understand when these Eastern cultivators had become so proficient in close-quarters combat. Yet, facing life and death, he couldn't afford such musings.

He released his hands and rapidly retreated! Simultaneously, after muttering something, the long blade held between Ye Wen's fingers suddenly shattered, transforming into a flurry of petals.

“This is… cherry blossoms?” The pink petals caused Ye Wen to momentarily pause. He hadn't expected the long blade to possess such a transformation. But then, his expression shifted to one of subtle strangeness: “Isn't this move just…”

The black-clad figure let out a triumphant laugh, seemingly certain of Ye Wen's demise. In that instant, the exploding pink petals completely enveloped Ye Wen. Based on his past experience, no one could withstand the ensuing attack. The black-clad figure sneered, roared, “Die!” and clenched his outstretched right hand into a fist. The sky full of petals, as if commanded, rushed toward Ye Wen.

Innumerable petals abruptly collided, emitting a dull, heavy sound. The noise was so loud that everyone involuntarily turned to look.

They saw a large sphere formed by clustered pink petals. The image showed that Ye Wen, who should have been standing there, had vanished.

The black-clad figure laughed wildly in triumph, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Looking down, he saw a long sword shimmering with purple light piercing through his stomach. The sword then vibrated, passing completely through him, the sword energy it expelled allowing it to slice through without obstruction.

“Over… is that…?”

It was only then he remembered that the cultivator had summoned his flying sword at the beginning and never recalled it. He had fought the man for a while and completely forgot about the flying sword. But he believed he had eliminated the cultivator; why was the flying sword still attacking him?

He raised his head, full of astonishment, only to see an even more terrifying sight. The pink petals slowly rotated, gathering into a mass, gradually revealing the scene encased within—Ye Wen stood there, his expression one of disdain, hands hanging naturally, making no defensive posture. Yet, the surrounding stellar energy spun ceaselessly, the cyclones within the energy trapping his pink petals. As the rotation continued, more and more petals were drawn in.

Ye Wen extended his hand, and finally, the large mass of petals was drawn by his energy into an extremely dense, solid pink sphere, swirling in his palm. “A meager trick. What is there to be proud of?”

With that, Ye Wen couldn't be bothered to look at the black-clad figure again. Without any discernible movement from him, the Zixiao Sword suddenly burst forth with dazzling sword light. The onlookers saw a flash of purple light tinged with red, and the black-clad attacker was simply gone, as if evaporated into thin air.

It was close to that. As Ye Wen erupted with the Zixiao Sword's light, he simultaneously urged forth the searing energy of the Rose Mist. After the Zixiao Sword’s light shredded the attacker into fragments, the intensely hot Rose Mist True Qi incinerated those pieces until not even ash remained. As Ye Wen's power grew deeper, the profound utility of the Hun Tian Treasure Mirror gradually manifested; "If nothing else, this skill of destroying evidence and bodies has become increasingly practiced."

Ye Wen even mused to himself: "If I master the Earth Kunlun, perhaps I won't need much effort to dig up graves in the future!"

Having swiftly dispatched an intruder, the gazes of the others toward Ye Wen shifted.

They were still trapped and helpless against the enemy, yet this elder had already eliminated one opponent (in reality, six, but the other five died silently, far away, and obscured by the illusionary array, so they were unaware). This stark difference vividly demonstrated the chasm between them and Ye Wen.

But that wasn't all; Ye Wen's subsequent actions filled them with even greater dread.

Seeing that he had dealt with the immediate attacker and intimidated those lurking in the shadows, Ye Wen recognized an opportunity. He summoned his full power. A purple mist surged around him, and then, one by one, Zixiao Swords materialized beside him.

“What… this senior possesses more than one flying sword?”

Ye Wen stood rooted to the spot while the number of flying swords beside him increased continuously. At first, they were merely astonished, but as the swords multiplied, the onlookers gaped, speechless.

In just a moment, over twenty Zixiao Swords encircled Ye Wen, and the count continued to rise. Whenever the swords formed a circle around him, another sword would appear further out, forming a new ring. In that brief span, Ye Wen was surrounded by no fewer than three full rings of swords, and the layers were still building.

The spectacle terrified everyone into helplessness, not just the visible group, but also those hidden in the shadows. One figure, seemingly the leader, widened his eyes and shouted, “Impossible! How can one cultivator summon so many flying swords simultaneously?” This individual seemed somewhat familiar with Eastern cultivators. The white man beside him stared with the awe of someone witnessing a deity: “Just how many swords can this Eastern man control?”

He had seen Ye Wen commanding the Zixiao Sword earlier. He had roughly estimated the power of a single flying sword to be comparable to a rocket projectile. This multitude of swords suggested that the Eastern man could unleash terrifying power equivalent to hundreds of rockets firing at once!

“Oh, my God! Is this all a hallucination?”

Unfortunately, although Ye Wen was within an illusionary realm, the techniques he employed were anything but illusory. When the Myriad Sword Art was unleashed, all parties were filled with horror. But Ye Wen paid no mind to their thoughts. Seeing that the number of surrounding swords was sufficient, he raised his right hand, forming a sword finger, and pointed upward.

The surrounding multitude of swords simultaneously erupted in dazzling sword light, soaring into the sky. The observers witnessed a massive cluster of swords ascending, their combined light almost merging into one. Even from a distance, they could clearly feel the formidable sword energy emanating from the mass of weapons.

At this moment, whether friend or foe, or even Ye Wen's few registered disciples, the single thought in everyone’s mind was: “I hope this pile of swords doesn't come flying toward me!”

No one could muster the thought of challenging such might; everyone scrambled to get out of the way.

Ye Wen, however, was unaware of their reactions. He had one immediate problem: where to direct this swarm of sword light.

He looked around and suddenly noticed the spot that was supposed to be an exit but had transformed into a steel wall. He suddenly realized, “The place that should be the exit suddenly became a wall. Our instinct tells us this path is blocked! While this environment isn't like Eastern formations that require hiding a life gate to prevent breaking the array, doesn't this sudden change prove it is the critical point of the illusionary realm? If I destroy this spot with the Myriad Sword Art, I can surely break the entire environment by targeting a weak point!”

With that thought, Ye Wen hesitated no longer. The countless swords wheeled in the air, then unleashed even fiercer sword energy. Though there were only just over a hundred swords, they manifested the momentum of a thousand troops, plunging toward the steel wall.

The crowd heard a tremendous rumbling sound. Where the steel wall had stood, a massive cloud of dust billowed up, accompanied by ceaseless, deafening roars. Each sound made the listeners' hearts tremble.

The hidden enemies, witnessing this scene, broke out in cold sweat, secretly thanking their stars this attack hadn't struck them. But they also understood that these people were about to shatter the environment, and they needed to quickly consider their next move.