To blast the Nine Provinces Cauldrons? Then, utilizing a special formation, stimulate the massive spiritual energy released by the explosion of the Cauldrons, allowing it to purify and restore the ambient vital energy of Earth to a healthier state as it disperses.

A crazed plan—hmm, an idea almost impossible to fathom.

Had this request arrived a few years earlier, if those from the cultivation world had come to discuss the matter, Ye Wen might actually have agreed. After all, in this cultivation realm, he possessed no foundation, no renown, no disciples, no status—absolutely nothing! He could easily have traded the Nine Provinces Cauldrons for favor with these people, gaining an opportunity for his Mount Shu Sect to rise in this world.

But now...

Ye Wen had just been speculating that the world he previously traversed was the one contained within the Nine Provinces Cauldrons, and many of his Mount Shu disciples were still living there. If they were obliterated by the blast, what would become of those disciples?

Even if Ye Wen were selfish enough to disregard the lives of his disciples and friends, the current situation was not one where he had merely detached from the Cauldrons; rather, upon leaving them, he had returned several years into the past. If, at the moment he was supposed to transmigrate, the Cauldrons had already been destroyed, preventing the transmigration from ever occurring—would the 'him' who had already transmigrated still exist now?

"Damn it, under no circumstances can I hand over the Nine Provinces Cauldrons in this situation. Or should I destroy the thing myself?"

At this moment, the old Daoist Wang Pan had no idea that for Ye Wen, the Nine Provinces Cauldrons were tied not only to the fate of his Mount Shu Sect but to Ye Wen's very life. A single misstep, and Ye Wen could vanish from this world.

He continued, assuring himself that if he simply explained the critical nature of the situation to Ye Wen, he could persuade this formidable Mount Shu Sect Leader to relinquish the Cauldrons: "Of course, Sect Leader Ye will not suffer a loss in vain. Our various sects in the Huaxia cultivation world have long traditions, many possessing ancient supreme treasures. At that time, Sect Leader Ye can select several items from the treasures offered by the various sects as compensation."

"Furthermore, this humble Daoist has heard that your esteemed master's sect, Mount Shu, has been sealed off for centuries and is only now considering reopening its gates. I imagine you are troubled by the matter of the Kunlun Immortal Realm... I can offer some assistance with that!"

In truth, Wang Pan offered this favor merely as a gesture. If Ye Wen yielded the Nine Provinces Cauldrons, the entire Huaxia cultivation world would owe the Mount Shu Sect Leader a debt of gratitude; the matter of the Kunlun Immortal Realm was trivial by comparison. Even if Wang Pan hadn't mentioned it, the others from the sects would have gladly granted Ye Wen and his Mount Shu Sect entry qualifications to Kunlun.

Honestly, a few days prior, these conditions would have been enough to sway Ye Wen. But now...

Ye Wen took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and replied, "It is not that Ye Wen is unappreciative, but the Nine Provinces Cauldrons are critically important to my Mount Shu Sect, concerning the lives of hundreds of my disciples. I cannot simply hand them over to you all so casually..."

Upon hearing this, both Wang Pan and Zhang Jiyu frowned. They hadn't anticipated that even after negotiations had reached this point, Ye Wen would refuse.

As for the talk of hundreds of lives in the Mount Shu Sect, both men dismissed it as an excuse—the only reasons Mount Shu remained undetected while sealed for centuries were the presence of a supreme master and a small number of disciples. This was the consensus reached after their discussions.

If they truly had a hundred disciples, how could they possibly remain unnoticed?

Therefore, neither Wang Pan nor Zhang Jiyu believed Ye Wen's assertion of having hundreds of disciples. They even suspected Ye Wen might be issuing a threat—thinking his sect’s size granted him leverage? Did he imagine boasting his numbers made him formidable?

They were unaware that Ye Wen’s words were not only true but actually an understatement. Under his stewardship over the years, the sect had recruited extensively. While there were only a few dozen inner disciples, the number of outer disciples was countless; gathering them all, even if not a thousand, would easily reach eight hundred.

More importantly, if the Nine Provinces Cauldrons truly represented the world Ye Wen had lived in, the implications extended beyond just his Mount Shu disciples; even ordinary civilians might perish as a result.

Zhang Jiyu glanced at Ye Wen, finally letting out a helpless sigh and taking the initiative to speak, "Sect Leader Ye saying this—does it mean today’s matter cannot be resolved peacefully?" Until now, the old Daoist Wang Pan had handled the negotiations with Ye Wen, while he stood aside like a statue. If Ye Wen hadn't known of his formidable cultivation, he might have forgotten this man entirely.

Hearing Zhang Jiyu’s words, Ye Wen offered no reply, as he himself was unsure how to proceed. He maintained a stoic silence while channeling his internal energy throughout his body, guarding against a sudden attack from the pair.

It was no fault of Ye Wen’s for being so cautious; the situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable. Nearly every master within sight was his adversary. A single slip, and his life would be forfeit, compelling his vigilance.

Zhang Jiyu seemed to divine Ye Wen’s intent, realizing the Mount Shu Sect Leader was prepared to stand against the entire cultivation world. This realization struck him as utterly baffling; he could not comprehend why Ye Wen was so fiercely devoted to the Nine Provinces Cauldrons, refusing to yield even in the face of such peril.

"Sect Leader Ye, while I don't comprehend why you are so fixated on the Nine Provinces Precious Cauldrons, to risk your very life for them..."

Cultivators generally cherish their lives; their entire endeavor is aimed at achieving eternal life. Who would willingly gamble their life when their cultivation had reached a certain height? They were not ruffians. Moreover, these cultivators considered their lives far more precious than those of ordinary mortals, making them even less inclined to risk death in a brawl.

Ye Wen’s current posture suggested he was ready for a life-or-death struggle, something Zhang Jiyu found utterly incomprehensible. He muttered internally, Are all Martial Cultivators just madmen? After a moment’s thought, he exchanged a glance with Wang Pan. Finally, Zhang Jiyu tossed the bamboo scroll he held high into the air. The scroll, intricately bound by bamboo slips, abruptly unrolled, transforming into sixty-four massive cylindrical logs that encircled Zhang Jiyu.

"This is the supreme treasure of my Mount Hua Sect, the 'Jian Shu' (Book of Slips). It consists of sixty-four bamboo sections, capable of forming the Heavenless Blazing Fire Array, famed throughout Mount Hua! Sect Leader Ye, be wary!"

Zhang Jiyu proved to be a gentleman. He revealed the nature of his magical artifact and the array he was about to employ, demonstrating forthrightness. Even as he prepared to fight Ye Wen, he did not wish to gain an unfair advantage.

Ye Wen remained silent. The current circumstances did not allow for gentlemanly conduct. Zhang Jiyu dared to act this way because he had backup; even if Ye Wen managed to shatter his artifact, Wang Pan was there to support him, and moreover, within the hotel below were formidable sword cultivators from Mount Emei. Thus, he had no concerns. Win, and it would be best; lose, and it wouldn't matter catastrophically.

Ye Wen, however, had no retreat. If he won, even more dangerous threats awaited him. If he lost, the outcome would be far worse—he might die immediately, dragging countless others down with him.

Bowing slightly to Zhang Jiyu, Ye Wen frowned. Suddenly, a flash of violet light erupted above his head as the Zixiao Sword shot forth from his Baihui acupoint toward the sky.

The sword light flared brilliantly, dyeing the pitch-black night sky with a layer of purple. As Ye Wen urged the Zixiao Sword forward, he channeled his Purple Star River vigorous energy, causing the sword radiance to subtly shimmer with points of starlight. The long streak left by the Zixiao Sword in the air was dotted with these starlights, resembling a magnificent, violet, stellar river.

Under ordinary circumstances, such a beautiful sight would surely elicit applause and perhaps even prompt Wang Pan and Zhang Jiyu to bring out wine for a celebratory drink. But given the current tension and the sheer menacing aura radiating from the Zixiao Sword, both men frowned, realizing that today’s confrontation was poised to be far more difficult than they had anticipated.

The Zixiao Sword circled twice in the air before pausing beside Ye Wen. This position was ideal whether Ye Wen chose to manipulate it remotely using Sword Control techniques or to grasp it and engage in close-quarters swordsmanship, allowing him to select different countermeasures based on the evolving situation.

Upon seeing this display, Wang Pan's brow furrowed deeper. He mused, Ye Wen’s inherent strength is already immense, and Martial Cultivators emphasize physical cultivation; even without magical artifacts, ordinary cultivators cannot best him. Judging by the might of that long sword, this purple-glowing blade must be a top-tier artifact... With the aid of such a treasure, and one with such malevolent killing intent...

He glanced over at Zhang Jiyu, feeling uncertain about the outcome of the Mount Hua master’s engagement with Ye Wen. Although the Mount Hua School's Heavenless Blazing Fire Array was notorious, and the Jian Shu was a well-known artifact, an array source was inherently inferior to a direct weapon in terms of raw, killing sha energy.

Zhang Jiyu was aware of this drawback, but he could not simply withdraw now; admitting defeat before the fight even began would be too humiliating. Thus, he merely said, "Please proceed," and activated his artifact, launching his assault against Ye Wen.

As the Jian Shu scattered, sixty-four gigantic pillars, each three meters tall, plummeted toward Ye Wen. Setting aside any other complex functions, these massive wooden stakes, hurtling down with fearsome momentum, would severely injure or certainly kill any ordinary person they struck.

Unfortunately for them, their target was Ye Wen, who was anything but ordinary. Seeing a pillar descend, he did not draw his sword. Instead, he let out a resonant shout, channeling the Rosy Sunset Rippling True Qi from his Dantian. A cloud of rosy, ethereal mist rose from his right hand, intensifying rapidly until it seemed his hand was engulfed in crimson flames, illuminating the surrounding night sky in a fiery red hue, much like the dawn when the sun first breaks the horizon.

Then, Ye Wen charged straight forward and unleashed a punch, meeting the massive pillar in a head-on collision. Wang Pan and Zhang Jiyu witnessed a flash of red light, dazzling (rosy glow), followed by a thunderous boom. In the next instant, one pillar shot backward with a whoosh—the exact one struck by Ye Wen’s punch.

Witnessing this, the expressions of Zhang Jiyu and Wang Pan soured considerably. While they knew Ye Wen’s physique was robust, they hadn't expected him to be this ferociously powerful.

To meet a magical artifact head-on with a bare fist—what did that imply? Although Zhang Jiyu’s artifact was not primarily known for direct destructive power, and Ye Wen had only batted away one of the sixty-four pillars, the sheer force of the stake could not be ignored. Wang Pan was certain that facing the same scenario, he would choose to use an artifact to parry the blow, or simply retreat rapidly. He would never choose to counter with his bare fist like Ye Wen.

But the barrage was not over. Zhang Jiyu had launched this wave using more than a dozen pillars. The sound of successive booms echoed, and the rosy light from the impact zone shone brilliantly. In moments, not only was the area around Ye Wen bathed in crimson, but even Zhang Jiyu, standing some distance away, was touched by the ethereal glow.

"What a terrifying Martial Cultivator..."

Watching his artifact pillars repeatedly knocked back, Zhang Jiyu secretly congratulated himself for having sixty-four stakes in total. Moreover, the attack with these dozen-plus pillars was not intended to wound Ye Wen, but to buy time for his formation.

Just then, Zhang Jiyu’s face lit up with joy, and he softly exclaimed, "Success!"

He snapped a hand seal. Several pillars that had been struck, sent flying far back, and were now returning to attack Ye Wen, suddenly halted. They abruptly spun in mid-air, changing direction entirely, and shot toward a different location.

Ye Wen had been enjoying the rhythm of meeting one powerful strike after another when the pillars suddenly vanished. His momentum faltered slightly, but a quick glance around revealed why they had ceased attacking him.

"The array is formed?"

The sixty-four pillars had arranged themselves around him. There were even several above and below him—the sixty-four stakes had established a resonance, connecting with one another.

That wasn't all. Red light began flashing between the pillars in pairs. Then, the gap at the top of each pillar, which should have been used for threading ropes, erupted with dazzling crimson light. Ye Wen immediately felt the ambient temperature rising sharply, as if he were trapped inside a colossal furnace.

"Sect Leader Ye, beware! This is the Heavenless Blazing Fire Array of my Mount Hua Sect... If you wish to change your mind, there is still time!"

At this point, Ye Wen could no longer discern the external environment. Trapped within the array, he couldn't even tell east from west, only vaguely hearing Zhang Jiyu's voice.

"Heavenless Blazing Fire Array... I wonder what its true power is."

Ye Wen was unaware that the Heavenless Blazing Fire Array was considered one of the Mount Hua Sect’s major killing formations. Legend claimed that if a true Immortal cast this array, they could summon the Dushui Fire—said to be the most profound flame in existence, infinitely versatile and subject to countless transformations—including the Purple-Green Dushui Fire and the Supreme Dushui Fire.

It was rumored that the Supreme Dushui Fire was the divine fire mastery held by the Grand Supreme Elder (Laozi), largely responsible for the immortal elixirs he forged! Beyond this, the Dushui Fire had many other variations, but one thing was certain for all of them: the Dushui Fire could burn away everything.

Fortunately, with Zhang Jiyu's current level of cultivation, summoning the Dushui Fire was utterly impossible. With his present power, he could only summon the Ghost Fire, which specialized in incinerating the soul, or the Buddhist Liulihuo (Glazed Fire)!

Mount Hua Sect traced its lineage to the Quanzhen Dao, which synthesized the Three Teachings. The Heavenless Blazing Fire Array perfectly embodied this synthesis: the array structure was Daoist, yet faintly incorporated elements of Confucian thought, and the incantations contained knowledge of subtle Buddhist techniques.

Because of this convergence, the Seven-Colored Glazed Fire was currently Zhang Jiyu's ultimate weapon!

Under normal circumstances, Zhang Jiyu would never deploy the Seven-Colored Glazed Fire; even the mundane flames he wielded were sufficient against most opponents.

He hesitated to use the Seven-Colored Glazed Fire for several reasons. Firstly, its power was immense, and with his cultivation, he could only force it into existence, making it difficult to control smoothly. Secondly, it inflicted heavy damage on magical artifacts; after each use, he needed time to repair his Jian Shu, rendering it useless for a period. Furthermore... it was also highly detrimental to himself. Using this move, while capable of annihilating an opponent, would leave him severely weakened, potentially causing lasting harm.

But now, he could no longer afford restraint. Ye Wen’s power was too terrifying, and Martial Cultivators excelled at direct combat. After observing the brief clash, Zhang Jiyu understood that if he couldn't eliminate his opponent swiftly, he was certain to lose. Thus, he hadn't held back a single ounce of power from the moment he struck, directly summoning the Seven-Colored Glazed Fire.

As Zhang Jiyu flipped through his hand seals, Wang Pan, observing the changes in the sixty-four pillars of the Jian Shu, also showed a flicker of alarm.

The fire blazing atop the pillars was gradually changing. It seemed the visible flames had vanished, replaced only by a churning mass of seven-colored radiance that resembled a terrifying, yet exquisitely beautiful, flame.

Yet, this beauty was horrifying. Even Wang Pan, standing outside the array, felt the intense temperature, let alone Ye Wen, trapped within. Wang Pan even suspected that Ye Wen might be reduced to ash before Zhang Jiyu had to fully mobilize the Seven-Colored Glazed Fire.

Regrettably for them, not only was Ye Wen not incinerated, but he even offered a slight smile: "You want to crush me in one go? That's easier said than done." Ye Wen raised his hand, and over a dozen more purple flying swords materialized beside him. These swords differed from the Zixiao Sword; they were uniformly purple, clearly not solid objects.

He then closed his eyes, sensed for a moment, and flicked his finger. The dozen-plus flying swords seemed to detonate simultaneously, scattering outward. They weaved effortlessly through the dense lattice of the massive pillars. Even where the heat between the pillars was scorching and faint traces of the seven-colored flames danced, nothing could halt the progress of these flying swords—being aggregated true energy, they naturally feared no high temperature.

As for the terrifying searing capability of the Seven-Colored Glazed Fire, Ye Wen had taken precautions. However, he relaxed when he realized that this fire did not unleash its full destructive power until it received a direct command, indicating it was awaiting deployment orders.

With a shift of his divine sense, Ye Wen felt a resonance. The speed of the dozen-plus flying swords increased sharply as they darted toward their respective targets.

"Break for me!"