The method Ye Wen used to vanish was nothing extraordinary; it was merely a utilization of the Tiyun Si technique! The only difference this time was that he chose vertical movement instead of horizontal!

When a person sees something suddenly disappear right before their eyes, their instinct is to look around, not up or down! This is habitual; even cultivators are not immune because they were once ordinary people.

Ye Wen poured all his power into an instant evasion into the thick clouds, simultaneously retracting his internal Zhenqi to prevent any leakage that might give away his presence. Only then did he hide within the cloud cover, moving slowly. The immense commotion caused by the Jiutian Mohua Xueshen Sword provided Ye Wen with considerable cover.

By the time he emerged from the clouds, he was leagues away from those people. He immediately activated his sword light, flying at full speed, ensuring no one could easily catch up.

He flew for an unknown duration until Ye Wen had a clear sense of direction. He had been heading west the entire time, estimating he had crossed into Canadian or American territory by now.

Slightly lowering his altitude, Ye Wen made out vast expanses of primeval forest with his exceptional eyesight. Clarity dawned in his mind: "It seems I've reached Canada." He decided, "If I keep flying west until I see the ocean, that will be the Pacific. First, I must find Junior Sister and Hua Yi, settle them in, and then deal with those bastards!"

With his plan set, his speed increased once more. This long flight had greatly refined his mastery of sword-riding; imperfect details were gradually polished. Ye Wen’s current sword flight was vastly different from his initial attempts—the speed alone was incomparable, making them seem like two entirely different sets of techniques.

He had been confident that with this speed, even if targeted, he could use his sword light to escape. Yet, when Ye Wen saw the ocean again, no joy surfaced; instead, a persistent gloom settled over his spirit.

Ye Wen was no longer an ordinary person; if his feelings indicated something amiss, there was surely a problem. This was a sort of inherent skill developed by those who had achieved high levels of cultivation—a bizarre, almost intangible sensation that most cultivators trusted to avert disaster.

However, the current situation forbade him from stopping. He could only continue to accelerate forward, but the faster he flew, the more pronounced the warning signs in his heart became, leaving Ye Wen deeply frustrated.

"What in the world is going on?"

After a moment of thought, a possibility struck him: "Could it be that they have already set up an array somewhere ahead, waiting for me?"

The more he considered it, the more likely it seemed. His trajectory was aimed straight toward the ancestral home of the Chinese cultivation world; it was perfectly normal for them to station people around their base. Moreover, flying in that direction meant passing through that island nation, and they were also watching him!

"I'll take a detour!"

He acted on the thought instantly. Since flying in a straight line guaranteed a confrontation, bypassing their defensive line from the flank meant that even if he encountered enemies, he wouldn't be immediately trapped in a deadly situation.

Unbeknownst to him, this impulsive deviation allowed him to slip past a defensive line set up by the Japanese cultivators. Although Ye Wen had vanished from Grandmaster Dihong’s sight without a trace, these individuals were top-tier existences in the cultivation world. With a brief consultation, they accurately guessed Ye Wen's destination.

"He must be heading back to his own sect's mountain gate!"

Given that the Shu Mountain Sect had managed to remain hidden for centuries, their gate must be incredibly secret. If they truly intended to hide, finding them would be arduous. Some even suspected that the Shu Mountain Sect possessed its own minor world, similar to the Kunlun Immortal Realm, which rendered them undiscoverable.

If that were the case, their plans would be utterly ruined once Ye Wen safely reached home. To prevent this, the group immediately used their respective means to contact the experts still remaining in China, hoping they could intercept Ye Wen.

The alarm bells ringing in Ye Wen's mind were a direct result of these machinations. It wasn't some profound magic; it was merely a vague sense that his plans contained a crucial flaw, a feeling that would gradually amplify as events unfolded until he recognized it.

Ye Wen noticed it relatively quickly, which bought him precious time. After circling widely to the north, Ye Wen reoriented himself toward the mainland. However, just as he sighted land again, the Danzhong acupoint in his chest, where the Nine Provinces Tripod resided obediently, began to vibrate violently, emitting a faint glow. Seeing this, Ye Wen immediately knew danger was near, hastily halting his flight and releasing his divine sense in all directions.

He didn't actually need his divine sense to search, because the moment he stopped, an aged Daoist priest stepped out of the void. This priest had completely white hair and beard, impeccably groomed, wearing a Purple Gold Daoist Crown on his head. He held a horsetail whisk in his left hand, and though his Daoist robe was not flashy, it was instantly recognizable as being far from ordinary. Ye Wen looked closer and detected a faint, flowing brilliance across the fabric, confirming it was a magic artifact.

Examining the old Daoist’s face, though his advanced age was apparent, there were few wrinkles. A subtle flush of rosy color hinted at vitality—truly embodying the saying: "White hair and a youthful face!"

"This humble Daoist is Zhang Sanfeng. Is the one approaching the esteemed Sect Master of Shu Mountain, Ye Wen?"

Hearing the old Daoist introduce himself, Ye Wen’s heart lurched. He thought: Why has this old Daoist appeared? Is he here specifically to intercept me?

He respectfully returned the bow: "I am indeed Ye Wen of Shu Mountain. Greetings, True Master Zhang!"

Zhang Sanfeng’s age was not the greatest in the cultivation world; merely over seven hundred years. Even if he had begun cultivating from birth, that was only seven centuries. However, this Daoist possessed extraordinary talent. Seven hundred years of cultivation had made him more formidable than some old veterans who had cultivated for nearly a millennium. Coupled with numerous fortunate encounters early in his life, he had not only achieved immense renown but also elevated the Wudang Sect into a major pillar of the cultivation world!

Furthermore, because Zhang Sanfeng was not ancient, there were many cultivators of a similar age. These peers maintained the required respect but spoke to him relatively casually, as they were familiar with his temperament. Only the younger generation addressed him with the formal "True Master Zhang." This formal address surprised Zhang Sanfeng slightly.

Before these recent events, many had speculated privately about how long Ye Wen had cultivated and how old he truly was. The general consensus, based on known intelligence, placed Ye Wen's cultivation time between four hundred and eight hundred years. Even at the lower estimate, he was significantly stronger than Scholar Beihe; if he was on the stronger side, he might be nearing the level of these "old undying ones."

Subsequently, Ye Wen defeated two experts, Wang Pan and Zhang Jiyu, killed Ren Tuze, and battled Grandmaster Dihong. All these feats led everyone to believe that even if Ye Wen hadn't cultivated for a thousand years, he possessed the cultivation base of seven or eight hundred years.

By that reckoning, he should belong to the same generation as Zhang Sanfeng. Even if the Shu Mountain Sect had withdrawn from the world, Ye Wen should not have heard of Zhang Sanfeng's name. Yet, based on his current demeanor, Ye Wen seemed to know him, and it didn't appear to be recent hearsay.

Setting aside Zhang Sanfeng's internal musings, Ye Wen was also contemplating how he might escape being intercepted by this True Master Zhang today.

He never considered defeating Zhang Sanfeng. He knew his own limits clearly. Dealing with someone like Ren Tuze was manageable, but someone on the level of Grandmaster Dihong was already beyond his capability. Ye Wen could deploy the Myriad Sword Art, but that was his ultimate trump card; if it failed, he could only await death.

As for Elder Tian Lao Tianxing Daoist of the Emei Sect, Ye Wen had no idea how powerful that man was, but he was certain he couldn't kill him and escape. And Zhang Sanfeng, the Patriarch of Wudang, was the undisputed foremost expert in the cultivation world, firmly surpassing Tianxing Daoist—a supreme master. For Ye Wen to think he could eliminate the Wudang Patriarch would mean he was either brain-dead or insane.

"I wonder why True Master Zhang awaits me here..." Zhang Sanfeng interrupted, "This old Daoist speaks plainly: I am waiting here for Sect Master Ye to arrive..." He then glanced at the faintly glowing Danzhong point on Ye Wen’s chest: "Sect Master Ye likely understands why I am here, so..." Ye Wen nodded. He understood the matter, but he was trying to stall for time, searching for an escape route. However, Zhang Sanfeng, merely hovering in the air, exerted considerable pressure on him—a pressure emanating from all directions, leaving only the space directly behind him without abnormality.

But Ye Wen would not mistake this as Zhang Sanfeng kindly leaving him a path to safety. Perhaps leaving the path behind him was merely a tactic to herd him into a trap they had already laid.

He was not wrong. In truth, Zhang Sanfeng was here because the old Daoist had pursued him using his superior, formidable cultivation. Ye Wen’s detour had not only bypassed the blockade set by the Japanese cultivators but also circumvented numerous pre-arranged snares set by various cultivators.

By the time they realized something was amiss, Zhang Sanfeng possessed the deepest cultivation and managed to catch up just in time. Upon spotting Ye Wen, he instantly manifested to intercept him.

The other cultivators were still rushing toward Ye Wen’s location. If Ye Wen truly tried to flee now, he would simply run headlong into the mass of cultivators arriving, forcing him to fight Zhang Sanfeng as well as a mob of others.

Seeing that Ye Wen did not take the opening he left, Zhang Sanfeng understood that the Shu Mountain Sect Master had seen through his tactic. However, he didn't care; the old Daoist was playing an open game now: either fight me, or fight me alongside that crowd of cultivators—either way, you must choose!

The only thing that surprised Zhang Sanfeng was the strange phenomenon occurring with the Nine Provinces Tripod. Initially, their plan was to obtain the Tripod and then detonate it in Europe—Europe had already prepared arrays and magical formations; all preparations were complete, only requiring Ye Wen and the Nine Provinces Tripod to arrive.

But then they heard that Ye Wen had merged the Nine Provinces Tripod into his own body. Did this mean that killing the Shu Mountain Sect Master had become an absolute necessity?

As for the feud between Ye Wen and the Emei Sect, the old Daoist viewed it with detachment. Since their side intended to kill Ye Wen, Ye Wen was certainly justified in killing them; it was merely the way of the world, not a matter of right or wrong!

Unexpectedly, at this precise moment, the Nine Provinces Tripod in Ye Wen’s chest flared with a blinding light, engulfing his entire body. From this angle, it looked less like Ye Wen had merged with the Tripod and more like the Tripod was swallowing Ye Wen.

This transformation caught Ye Wen completely off guard; he couldn't quite grasp what was happening. Worse still, once the Tripod’s light shone, he felt as if he were immobilized, unable to move a muscle, forced to watch the strange phenomenon unfold.

Zhang Sanfeng was shocked, but what astonished him even more was the sudden appearance of a rift behind Ye Wen. As soon as the rift manifested, it exerted immense suction, pulling in the surrounding air. Seeing this, Zhang Sanfeng immediately exclaimed, "Trying to flee?" He mistook the strange occurrences surrounding Ye Wen for some profound escape technique, even blaming himself for being too complacent—perhaps serving too long as the foremost expert in the cultivation world had dulled his reflexes?

With that thought, a beam of sword light shot forth—it was Zhang Sanfeng’s personal sword, the True Martial Sword. The blade burst with dazzling golden light, aiming straight for Ye Wen’s face. However, the flying sword emitted a sharp ding the moment it touched the light radiating from the Nine Provinces Tripod, and the sword was violently repelled, flying backward back into Zhang Sanfeng's hand.

Zhang Sanfeng caught the sword, but the immense force nearly made him drop it; his entire arm vibrated. Fortunately, having meticulously practiced Tai Chi techniques, he understood the method of deflecting force. With a smooth draw, sweep, and rotation, the overwhelming power transmitted through the sword was completely neutralized.

He followed up by surging forward and launching a palm strike—Zhang Sanfeng had been a martial artist traversing the world in his early years, a person who attained the Dao through martial arts. Although he later focused on Daoist cultivation, he never abandoned his martial prowess. While not a formal martial cultivator, his close-combat ability was considerable.

The palm strike unleashed carried intertwined Yin and Yang energy currents, perfectly forming a Tai Chi diagram. This Tai Chi kinetic force was generated purely from Zhang Sanfeng’s spiritual energy, unreliant on any artifact, yet its power was undeniable. Ordinary cultivators would never dare let it touch them.

Under normal circumstances, Ye Wen would never allow this palm to strike him, but bound as he was, he could only watch Zhang Sanfeng advance. Fortunately, the light emanating from the Nine Provinces Tripod proved effective; Zhang Sanfeng's palm strike was blocked by the light barrier, though the impact caused the barrier to tremble violently, nearly collapsing—a testament to how powerful Zhang Sanfeng's blow had been.

After his palm strike was nullified, Zhang Sanfeng prepared a second attack. But just as he intended to strike again, the scene before his eyes blurred (hua), and Ye Wen had already been sucked into the rift. Any subsequent strike would only hit empty air. However, the old Daoist displayed superb reaction time; instead of retracting his hand and retreating, he followed the momentum, lunging forward and plunging into the rift himself.

This all happened in an instant. The rift appeared only for a moment before vanishing. The world around them returned to tranquility, showing no sign of the preceding events.

Moments later, countless cultivators arrived, but they saw nothing. They assumed Ye Wen had gone further ahead and unleashed their techniques to sweep past the area, none stopping to investigate.

As for Ye Wen, moments after being pulled into the rift, he regained his freedom. The Nine Provinces Tripod in his chest was still emitting light, but it was significantly weaker, resembling a common, dim lightbulb. The brilliant, dazzling barrier had long since disappeared.

However, when Ye Wen took a deep breath, he was astonished to find that the spiritual energy in his current location was far richer than in the world he had previously inhabited. As he inhaled, every pore in his body felt profoundly refreshed.

"What is this place?" He surveyed his surroundings: mountains, rivers, and forests were perfectly rendered, as if he were standing within a masterful painting. Occasional birds and fish appeared, adding a touch of vitality to this tableau.

His question was casual, expecting no answer, yet a voice from behind him replied, actually answering his query.

"This is the Penglai Immortal Realm!"

Hearing this, Ye Wen was greatly startled. He immediately spun around to look behind him, and upon seeing the speaker, his expression instantly turned distressed: the person speaking was none other than Zhang Sanfeng.

The True Master said the Nine Provinces Tripod saved my life and brought me to safety. I didn't expect this old Daoist to follow me in!

Perhaps sensing the wariness in Ye Wen's eyes, Zhang Sanfeng sheathed the True Martial Sword and stated, "Sect Master Ye need not be tense. This old Daoist will not make a move for the time being!" Not making a move for the time being meant no immediate danger, but what about later?

Ye Wen dared not relax his guard. Currently, his greater concern was how he ended up in this location: "True Master Zhang just said this is the Penglai Immortal Realm? Isn't Penglai Immortal Realm..."

Zhang Sanfeng nodded. "Yes. During a great battle long ago, I inadvertently destroyed the entrance to the Penglai Immortal Realm. Many fellow Daoists believed it could never be found again. Unexpectedly, I return to this place today..." He paused, then looked back at Ye Wen: "How did Sect Master Ye accomplish this?" He couldn't help but care deeply about this matter. If Ye Wen truly knew the method to open the Penglai Immortal Realm, it could significantly alleviate the predicament facing the cultivation world, so he had to ask for the method.

Little did he know, Ye Wen was equally bewildered, having no idea what had transpired. The only certainty was that everything was connected to the Nine Provinces Tripod within his body!

After thinking it over, Ye Wen could only reply: "I am also unaware. If True Master Zhang is certain this is indeed the Penglai Immortal Realm, then the next problem is: how do we get out?"

Zhang Sanfeng hadn't anticipated this turn of events. Seeing Ye Wen’s expression, which did not seem feigned, he finally sighed, "It is Heaven’s will. Perhaps Heaven saw that this old Daoist was about to commit an act of injustice and specifically punished me? It seems I am destined to spend my remaining years here!"

If Ye Wen spoke the truth, then both of them were effectively trapped here. Fortunately, for cultivators, the Penglai Immortal Realm was an excellent place for practice, so it wasn't entirely terrible. They could cultivate anywhere, and cultivating within Penglai offered some hope of ascension.

Ye Wen was far from pleased. Although the Penglai Immortal Realm was beautiful and rich in spiritual energy, it contained only him and the old Daoist—it was dreadfully boring.

Moreover, Ning Ruxue and Hua Yi were outside, and he constantly worried about the safety of the two women. Until those matters were resolved, even possessing a peerless cultivation paradise would not calm his heart enough to practice.

"What should we do now?"