The old Daoist struggled to his feet, casually taking a cloth from the hand of a nearby middle-aged Daoist to wipe his face. "Right, what is this Mount Shu Sect best at? Do you happen to know?"

The middle-aged Daoist paused, thinking to himself, I told you before we left, and you said it wasn't necessary to know. Why are you asking me now?

Yet, he still replied with utmost deference, "Reporting to Martial Uncle-Ancestor, it is rumored that the Mount Shu Sect is a hidden martial cultivation sect. Furthermore, this Ye Wen seems to possess an excellent flying sword, though I don't know its name!" The scene where Ye Wen deployed the Myriad Sword Art occurred within an illusion, unseen by many in the current age, which is why this man was unaware.

The old Daoist knitted his brows and muttered, "Not like it! Not like it!"

"Martial Uncle-Ancestor, what do you mean, 'not like it'?" This middle-aged Daoist had no idea what whim had taken his Martial Uncle-Ancestor. He had been dispatched specifically to probe Ye Wen's true depth, expecting the elder to remain meditating, but instead, the old man had opened his eyes shortly after closing them, and the sweat clinging to his brow suggested the probing had not gone smoothly.

The old Daoist ignored him, shaking his head repeatedly. "The martial cultivation lineage excels in close-quarters combat, possessing robust physiques and tenacious spirits. While they don't fear illusions, their application of Divine Sense is not very agile... Just now, when my Divine Sense reached out, I was repelled by an invisible sword qi condensed by Ye Wen's own Divine Sense. This shows Ye Wen has cultivated his Divine Sense to a considerable level, yet this path is not the specialty of martial cultivators..."

Besides this, the old Daoist found it strange that although martial cultivators used weapons, they preferred to hack at people with them, rarely using them like flying swords—though similar techniques existed, they were always auxiliary; they preferred closing the distance to fight hand-to-hand.

He hadn't seen what Ye Wen’s flying sword looked like, so he couldn't judge, but surely martial cultivators wouldn't specifically train in flying swords, right?

The old Daoist didn't know that Ye Wen's Divine Sense was trained because of that curse cast by Mudrak, and his flying sword technique was merely another form of the martial concept of projecting internal energy externally. Although the Zixiao Sword might resemble a true sword closely, it wasn't one, and even if its application looked strikingly similar to a sword cultivator, there was a fundamental, enormous difference.

However, these matters were secrets within the Mount Shu Sect, unknown even to many of its own disciples unless they reached the requisite level. How could this old Daoist possibly know the distinction?

Thus, he couldn't fathom the crucial point no matter how he thought, eventually causing his mind to ache. "Truly troublesome. The current state of the Cultivation World is already vexing enough, and now such a figure has emerged. I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse for the Cultivation World?"

The old Daoist sighed and bemoaned for quite some time before standing on the windowsill, staring blankly at the sky devoid of any starlight. Behind him, besides the middle-aged Daoist, stood two younger Daoists... Compared to the middle-aged man, the status of these two was evidently much lower; they stood there meekly, not daring to even breathe loudly.

With their two seniors before them, they dared not use techniques like sound transmission to converse, knowing that such minor tricks would certainly not escape the notice of the two elders. So, they could only stand awkwardly, awaiting the next instruction from their seniors.

The old Daoist gazed at the night sky for a while, then suddenly spoke, "We have all rushed to Europe this time precisely because we want to resolve that matter overseas. Frankly, this matter isn't exactly glorious for us. The Cultivation World can no longer withstand major upheavals..."

The middle-aged Daoist merely nodded in agreement. "Martial Uncle-Ancestor, do not blame yourself. It is not just our Wudang Sect taking action this time, is it? Which of Huashan, Qingcheng, or Emei has not sent experts? The Kunlun Sect publicly claims to be helping Ye Wen find the God-Smiting Whip, but isn't that Layman Beihe using the pretext to guard him closely? I suspect when the real fight breaks out, Kunlun might strike harder than anyone else..."

The older Daoist’s frown deepened as he listened. "Alas... To think that we, the dignified orthodox sects, are now engaged in this sort of underhanded assassination... Truly..."

He didn't finish what 'truly' was, simply because he suddenly couldn't conjure words fitting enough to describe the actions of their entire group this time.

The more he thought, the more agitated he became. He recalled how formidable the Eastern Cultivation World once was! And precisely because of their formidable nature, the people of Huaxia had always been the center of the world.

But as the environment changed, it became increasingly difficult for cultivators to advance. The lives they led these past few hundred years were worlds apart from those thousands of years ago, and even incomparable to a thousand years prior.

Even some individuals from the island nation next door dared to defecate upon the heads of the Huaxia Cultivation World. If not for the collective rage that compelled them to summon the many old experts cultivating in the Kunlun Immortal Realm, who then exerted immense effort—at the cost of severe power depletion—to salvage the situation, the Huaxia Cultivation World might have become a relic in that violent conflict.

After that, the status of the Huaxia Cultivation World plummeted significantly. Now, the Western Holy See had essentially become the top dog among the various powers. Their current presence in Europe was only thanks to certain conveniences provided by the Holy See.

Of course, these profit-driven Westerners wouldn't be so kind as to offer advantages to Eastern cultivators without reason. The current situation was achieved because both sides reached certain agreements in secret, and the Huaxia Cultivation World even paid a price for it.

"But the matter of the Nine Provinces Cauldrons is too significant; otherwise, we would never have made this choice!"

Back in the Kunlun Immortal Realm, many had opposed such a decision, but when the current predicament was brought up, everyone had to admit that if they didn't find a solution soon, within three hundred years, there would be no cultivators left in the secular world, and the cultivators would be forced to crowd into the narrow Kunlun Immortal Realm to barely survive.

"Martial Uncle-Ancestor, the Nine Provinces Cauldrons... could that refer to nine divine cauldrons?"

The middle-aged Daoist had heard the term 'Nine Provinces Cauldrons' countless times recently. He knew this was a treasure passed down from ancient times in Huaxia, but he wasn't sure if it meant nine bronze cauldrons, each symbolizing a province, or a single cauldron representing the Nine Provinces.

The old Daoist looked at the middle-aged man, sighed deeply, and then explained, "Although the Nine Provinces Cauldrons has the number nine in its name, there is actually only one, which is the one in Ye Wen's hand!"

When he spied with his Divine Sense just now, though quickly discovered and repelled by Ye Wen, he had indeed spotted the Nine Provinces Cauldron held by Ye Wen, confirming that the rumor was true.

Even though the rumor originated from the notoriously disreputable Old Ancestor Qiu Yuanlong of the Bloodstained lineage, they couldn't help but react now. Even knowing Qiu Yuanlong harbored ill intentions, they still had to proceed.

Naturally, they knew that after this incident, everyone involved would bear a stain. Qiu Yuanlong could even openly mock them—these old guys—as hypocrites pretending to be morally upright.

"But... this matter concerns not only the survival of our Huaxia Cultivation World but, more importantly, the ability of Huaxia's descendants to stand tall in the world!"

This world contained various powerful entities, the Holy See being one of them. The Holy See represented the interests of Europe, or rather, the Caucasian race. If other races weren't backed by their own formidable powers, this world would become a domain of white people.

If the Cultivation World perished, Huaxia would surely fall!

"I recall the legend says the Nine Provinces Cauldrons is a treasure that suppresses destiny/fortune (Qiyun). I wonder what use we can derive from obtaining it?"

The old Daoist pondered for a moment, then glanced at the two younger Daoists and fell silent. The middle-aged Daoist immediately waved, signaling the two youngsters to go rest.

He was quite puzzled as to why his Martial Uncle-Ancestor would hide things even from their own kin, but then the old Daoist spoke words that nearly made him stumble in shock: "This matter is too grave. If those two juniors learned of it, it would not be a blessing! Do not speak of what you heard today to anyone else; remember that!"

"Yes!"

The old Daoist paused, organizing his thoughts before saying, "It is rumored the Nine Provinces Cauldrons is a treasure for suppressing destiny, but in reality, it has many unknown miraculous uses that only the most ancient members of various sects are privy to!"

This statement actually included himself in the insult, but he didn't care. At his level of cultivation, such titles could no longer affect him; besides, he was speaking the truth—he truly was an old relic.

"The Nine Provinces Cauldrons can condense, refine, and purify the ambient Yuan Qi of heaven and earth. It contains terrifying spiritual energy, and since the beginning of time, it has not manifested in the world for thousands of years. The spiritual energy contained within it..."

The middle-aged Daoist sucked in a sharp breath. Only then did he understand why the mere rumor of the Nine Provinces Cauldrons' location caused such a massive reaction throughout the Cultivation World.

What does cultivation require?

Spiritual energy!

What is most scarce in the current environment?

Still spiritual energy!

And what does the Nine Provinces Cauldron represent?

Spiritual energy! Spiritual energy! Spiritual energy!!!

No other reason was needed. This single factor made the Nine Provinces Cauldron the ultimate treasure craved by every cultivator. Anyone who could have such a treasure to aid their practice would never again have to worry about finding a place rich in spiritual energy; they could simply cultivate while holding the cauldron.

The old Daoist saw the middle-aged Daoist's expression clearly, eliciting a soft 'hmph' of displeasure from him, which snapped the subordinate back to attention.

"Disciple lost composure!"

Seeing his immediate self-reflection, the old Daoist nodded. "Now do you understand why this matter cannot be revealed to the younger generation?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged Daoist broke out in a cold sweat. Only then did he grasp why the youngsters couldn't know; if the knowledge got out, the entire Cultivation World would erupt into chaos, with all cultivators fighting over a single Nine Provinces Cauldron.

He considered that he had cultivated for over two hundred years, diligently refining his cultivation, and his Dao heart was stable, yet in such a situation, he nearly lost control. If his Martial Uncle-Ancestor hadn't been present, he might already be contemplating how to seize the treasure for himself.

"Disciple has learned the lesson!"

The old Daoist sighed deeply. "In fact, this isn't even the most important part. The Nine Provinces Cauldron is an ancient ultimate treasure; its miraculous uses cannot be this few! It is said the Nine Provinces Cauldron can not only suppress destiny and refine infinite spiritual energy but can also evolve heaven and earth—though this phrase is brief, no one knows what it truly means. But a magical artifact capable of evolving heaven and earth cannot be ordinary. If one can grasp the profound mysteries within, ascending to immortality in broad daylight might not be impossible! Alas..."

"Alas?" The middle-aged Daoist was confused here. What was his Martial Uncle-Ancestor lamenting? Logically, with so many seniors taking action, the Nine Provinces Cauldron surely wouldn't escape. He didn't believe Ye Wen could keep the cauldron safe against so many experts. In that case, the cauldron would eventually become common property for the Cultivation World, allowing them to slowly decipher its mysteries. He couldn't understand what there was to regret.

The old Daoist shook his head and sighed, revealing a shocking fact: "Although the Nine Provinces Cauldron is extraordinary, there is only one way to change the current grand environment!"

"What way?"

The old Daoist took a long breath. "Blow up the Nine Provinces Cauldron!"

At these words, the middle-aged Daoist was dumbfounded. He never expected such a method—to destroy such an ancient ultimate treasure?

The old Daoist sighed again. "Do you know why this matter became entangled with the God-Smiting Whip this time?"

"Could it be..." The middle-aged Daoist immediately understood after a moment of thought. To blow up the Nine Provinces Cauldron, ordinary magical artifacts would certainly not suffice. Although the Nine Provinces Cauldron wasn't an artifact for combat, it was an object from ancient times; an ordinary flying sword probably couldn't even chip a single strand of it. Therefore, a more potent magical artifact was needed for the task.

The God-Smiting Whip, although primarily capable of striking those listed on the Investiture of the Gods or sending others there, was itself an artifact passed down from antiquity, with a quality no inferior to the Nine Provinces Cauldron. Moreover, the God-Smiting Whip was an artifact of the weapon type, inherently designed for conflict. Using it to strike the Nine Provinces Cauldron should achieve the desired effect.

"The God-Smiting Whip has been stolen for decades. Do you really think the Kunlun Sect couldn't trace its whereabouts?" The old Daoist gave a cold laugh. "That story was merely to fool those unaware of the truth. Every one of us old relics knows that the Kunlun Sect did this intentionally!"

It turned out the location of the God-Smiting Whip had always been under the control of the Kunlun Sect; they simply hadn't recovered it to see what results that fellow could stir up. If they could truly research the divine uses of the God-Smiting Whip, they could reap the benefits later.

Kunlun wasn't afraid that their single faction lacked the power to accomplish this. Because if they truly figured out the divine uses of the God-Smiting Whip, the matter would no longer be theirs alone. Kunlun only needed to release a message, and the entire Huaxia Cultivation World would mobilize—under such circumstances, they were confident they could reclaim anything they wanted to seize. Besides, the item was originally theirs, giving them justification.

If it weren't for the emergence of the Nine Provinces Cauldron, leading to this discussion and the formulation of this plan requiring a formidable ancient artifact to complete their objective, the God-Smiting Whip might have remained out in the world until they reached a conclusion before they even remembered to recall it!

As for blowing up the Nine Provinces Cauldron, it certainly wasn't as simple as just destroying it. Many preparatory steps needed to be taken beforehand to ensure that after the explosion, the spiritual energy contained within wouldn't be destroyed along with it, but rather dispersed as they hoped.

More importantly, they hoped that at the instant of the explosion, the Nine Provinces Cauldron would maximize its own function, using the shockwave of the blast to re-refine the heaven and earth Yuan Qi across the entire globe. This would allow the structure of the ambient Yuan Qi—which was almost devoid of spiritual energy—to change again. Even if they couldn't return to the spiritually abundant environment of thousands of years ago, they could at least restore it to the state of a thousand years ago.

In that case, some depleted spirit veins might be revitalized by this strong surge of spiritual energy. If the spirit veins could recover, they could slowly change the Earth's environment, restoring it to a more balanced state—the cultivators were even preparing to mobilize every available resource, asking the secular population to cooperate, for instance, by planting more vegetation to reduce ecologically destructive actions.

In short, everything that happened in Europe this time was aimed squarely at the Nine Provinces Cauldron in Ye Wen's possession. One could say that for the survival of the Cultivation World and the people of Huaxia, the high-level cultivators had disregarded their own reputations and united to bully a junior like Ye Wen who had appeared from nowhere.

Ye Wen, targeted by so many seniors and masters, was currently contemplating the unremarkable bronze cauldron in his hand.

"It seems all these recent changes hinge on this cauldron. I wonder what is so special about it?"

Ye Wen had studied it more than once, but each time he returned empty-handed, unable to glean any useful information. Over time, he had grown lazy about it. But now that such a grand mobilization was focused on him, he couldn't afford to ignore this plain little cauldron.

While he was pondering, the little cauldron suddenly emitted a glow. As the light flowed, scenery of mountains and rivers materialized out of thin air. Ye Wen was startled, unsure what he had triggered to cause such an anomaly.

However, the beauty of this picturesque scenery allowed Ye Wen to temporarily set aside his concerns and focus on admiring it. Mountains, great rivers, lakes, and oceans were all displayed before him. Then, various rare birds and strange beasts appeared, delighting Ye Wen. As he watched, he realized the depicted scenery was becoming increasingly familiar. After about half an hour of observation, a mountain suddenly appeared in the scene, a mountain Ye Wen knew intimately.

"This is... Mount Shu?"

No matter how he looked at it, this mountain was the Mount Shu he had lived on for nearly ten years, yet the words 'Mount Shu' that he had inscribed himself were nowhere in sight.

As he was marveling, the scene suddenly shifted, moving to the foot of the mountain. An old man, looking rather disheveled, was teaching two children martial arts in a dilapidated courtyard. The boy among them wore an impatient look, while the girl, who looked about ten years old, appeared very focused.

"What... what is going on?"

Chapter 60: Huashan and Wudang

Ye Wen was unfamiliar

He considered it carefully and no longer found it strange. Due to a series of coincidences and mishaps, Ye Wen’s life in that other world had gone exceptionally smoothly.

After establishing the sect, he encountered no significant, troublesome hurdles. Moreover, given the peculiar circumstances within the Jianghu at the time, several seniors treated him with kindness, even offering inadvertent help.

This allowed the Shu Mountain Sect, under Ye Wen’s leadership, to rise to become a renowned first-rate power in the Jianghu in less than ten years. But here...

"In the eyes of those old fogeys… I am still an outsider!" So, it was not entirely incomprehensible that those people wanted to deal with him. After all, the Shu Mountain Sect held no reputation in this world; they wouldn't even give his sect a second glance.

"If it weren't for my considerable strength, they might not have made things so complicated—they would have just tried to seize it outright!" Ye Wen glanced at the Nine Provinces Cauldron, which had returned to its unremarkable state, and slowly began to understand the connection forming between him and this little object. "Could this Cauldron be the key linking me to that other world?" He initially thought so, but after today, a much bolder, more terrifying speculation surfaced in his mind: that other world was actually contained within this Nine Provinces Cauldron.

"It must be so! Otherwise, there's no explaining why successive dynasties could only divide the world into nine provinces—it had to conform to the rules of this Nine Provinces Cauldron!" The Nine Provinces Cauldron was a treasure of destiny and fortune.

If one harmonized with it, destiny would be long-lasting and the nation prosperous! If one acted against it, it was tantamount to defying the heavens, and the Cauldron would naturally respond.

No need for grand schemes; a few major disasters, crop failures leading to mass starvation, and the common people unable to survive would naturally ignite boundless conflict. The downfall of a dynasty would then be imminent.

This also explained why Ye Wen, despite having reached the pinnacle of one world and shattering the void upon ascension, had arrived in this world where the ambient spiritual energy was so thin, seemingly a full tier below that previous world. The world within the Nine Provinces Cauldron, while rich in spiritual energy, was merely a small world contained within a magic treasure; in some ways, its level wasn't particularly high.

The world capable of housing the Nine Provinces Cauldron, however, must be far superior to the Cauldron world. Furthermore, the legendary Immortal Realm, in Ye Wen's view, was an even higher-tiered world!

Conversely, places like the Kunlun Immortal Realm were merely other small worlds, similar to the Cauldron world, just slightly more advanced and with slightly richer ambient spiritual energy. As for why the scene he witnessed today was from his junior sister's childhood, it was because Ye Wen suddenly recalled an anomaly with his ring when he shattered the void, causing him to return to a point eleven years before his transmigration.

He had initially thought it was the Cauldron's doing, but now it seemed this unexpected event was due to his ring. Ye Wen now wore two rings: the one on his right hand was his Summoning Ring, and the one on his left was the Ring of Bèthsaida, obtained from Mudrak.

He had planned to research information related to the Ring of Bèthsaida after arriving in Europe, but now he had to put that aside. Calculating the time, the current period should correspond to the time within the Cauldron World.

But if that was the case, did it mean that even if the world inside this Cauldron was indeed the one he lived in before, he would have to wait another decade or more for the time there to catch up to when he left? "It can't be like this, can it?" He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it for now, as he faced a far greater problem: if his guess was correct, and he had lived in this Cauldron World for nearly ten years, with his Jianghu peers and fellow disciples still residing there, he absolutely could not hand the Cauldron over to anyone else.

He hadn't entirely dismissed the idea of returning to his original world and bringing everyone to his side before, but he had no clue how to achieve it. Now that he finally had a lead, how could he possibly relinquish such a critical item?

Moreover, he shared absolutely no camaraderie with the current cultivators of this realm; to him, they were all strangers. If they tried to forcefully take it, their status would instantly shift to enemies.

"Against enemies, there is only the fist!" Ye Wen put the Nine Provinces Cauldron away. He noticed he could now exert some minor control over it.

When the small Cauldron first came to him, it was only finger-sized, allowing him to carry it easily. Today, for some unknown reason, it had grown to the size of an apple.

Testing it slightly, he found he could exert some control. With his vital energy circulating, a mere thought caused the Nine Provinces Cauldron to shrink back into an inconspicuous small object, which Ye Wen tucked close to his body.

Having done all this, Ye Wen closed his eyes and extended his divine sense. With just a slight probe, he immediately discovered no fewer than three formidable powers lurking within the very same hotel where he stayed.

This included the person who had spied on him earlier. Furthermore, Ye Wen's method of divine sense probing originated from a Soul-Searching Talisman based on intent, which gave it a unique advantage in reconnaissance.

In an instant, not only did he detect several strong enemies watching him, but he also discerned the distinct energy signatures of the three. One signature was like a drawn longsword, so sharp it was intimidating to behold.

Ye Wen estimated this person must be a sword cultivator, though he couldn't tell which sect; Emei or Qingcheng were the most likely candidates. The aura of another was balanced and peaceful, giving the impression that this person was utterly righteous—though this was merely a superficial feeling, much like how some people immediately strike you as a certain type upon first glance.

The final individual, the one who had spied on him, was recognizable to Ye Wen because he recognized the aura: balanced and peaceful, yet subtly containing the duality of Yin and Yang, where the two were indistinguishable and perfectly merged. In Ye Wen's memory, one particular cultivation technique matched this description best: the Tai Chi Art of the Wudang Sect!

Though he wasn't sure if the Wudang Sect in this world specialized in the Tai Chi Art, the evidence suggested this person was likely from Wudang. "Wudang, Qingcheng, or perhaps Emei, and the last one is highly likely to be Huashan!" He recalled hearing once that the characteristic of the Huashan Sect's technique was nourishing a single breath, and this breath would manifest differently based on the practitioner.

The person he encountered now exuded pure righteousness, leading Ye Wen to suspect the breath he nurtured was one of vast, noble integrity. "If this skill truly depends on the cultivator's own heart, then the one radiating such righteousness is unlikely to resort to base tricks against me.

The only complication is not knowing whether that sword cultivator is from Emei or Qingcheng!" If it was Emei, that would be easier. Ye Wen had no conflict with the Emei Sect, and even if a fight broke out, there might be room for maneuver—these sects all considered themselves righteous.

Ye Wen hadn't committed any heinous, universally condemned acts; their current goal was merely to seize the Nine Provinces Cauldron, not necessarily to kill him. Otherwise, why scheme so much?

They could have simply located Ye Wen and launched an attack. While Ye Wen believed his strength was not lacking, facing so many masters simultaneously, he couldn't guarantee a clean escape.

"Perhaps I should probe them first…" Ye Wen reached a decision and walked over to the window that had never been closed—he was staying on the twentieth floor, so the window shouldn't be open. However, Mai Shiranui had secretly slipped in earlier, and Ye Wen had been arguing with her.

After the woman left, Ye Wen hadn't bothered to close it, which was now convenient. Stepping onto the windowsill, Ye Wen gave a strange smile, then circulated his Innate Violet Qi.

With his body enveloped in a swirling mist, his true energy erupted completely. To cultivators hyper-sensitive to energy, this action was like lighting a massive bonfire in the dead of night—impossible to miss.

The moment he moved to the windowsill, the three individuals also converged by their respective windows. A glance outside was enough for them to faintly discern a subtle trace of violet light shimmering in the sky.

"What is Ye Wen trying to do?" One man, dressed in an ordinary long robe and still holding a bamboo scroll as if reading something ancient, felt his concentration broken by Ye Wen. Standing by the window, his mind was filled with question marks.

But before he could figure out what was happening, he saw a streak of violet light flash across the sky not far from him. It left behind a remarkably beautiful, long violet tail, twisting once in the air before shooting straight up toward the heavens!

The man paused slightly at the sight, then gave a slight smile, thinking inwardly, "Interesting!" He opened his window and stepped out, his body instantly suspended in mid-air. After looking in the direction the violet light vanished, he turned to look at the other elderly Taoist who had also stepped out of a window.

As the elderly Taoist stepped out, he too stood upon the void, but a Tai Chi diagram materialized beneath his feet, its Yin and Yang fish spinning ceaselessly, seeming to support him like a tray. The old Taoist exchanged a look with the middle-aged man in the long robe, then glanced towards the quiet, unopened room belonging to the third party, before smiling slightly, making a gesture of invitation to each other, and then swiftly followed the violet light into the sky.

After activating his sword light and soaring upward, Ye Wen hovered above the clouds, his eyes closed, using his divine sense to observe everything happening above the hotel. He knew that with his cultivation level, this probing could not be hidden from those few individuals.

Yet, they seemed utterly unconcerned, making no aggressive countermeasures, merely stepping out of their windows, employing their techniques, and following him—it seemed these two understood his intent and wished to have a face-to-face discussion. As for the third party who offered no response, Ye Wen surmised this person might be from the Emei Sect.

It was inconvenient for them to meet him directly now, as they were secretly instigating the Qingcheng Sect to cause trouble for him. If they reached some agreement with him at this juncture, it would complicate their subsequent actions.

It was better for them to simply avoid contact. Ye Wen believed they were not Qingcheng, because if they were Qingcheng, his solitary emergence perfectly served their interests.

With experts from Wudang and Huashan beside him, it would be idiotic for the Qingcheng faction not to seize the opportunity to surround and kill him. While contemplating this, Ye Wen retracted his divine sense.

Almost simultaneously, just as his divine sense pulled back, the two figures arrived before him. Only then did Ye Wen get a proper look at the two masters who had been lurking nearby—both looked utterly ordinary.

One was an old Taoist with white hair and beard, his robe looking somewhat aged but perfectly clean and tidy, without any signs of wear. Recalling the Wudang founder, Zhang Sanfeng, was known as the 'Sloppy Taoist,' Ye Wen had expected the older generation of Wudang might bear some influence.

However, this figure immediately taught Ye Wen that he had been mistaken. The other man was in a long robe and was actually holding a bamboo scroll—it seemed he had been reading just moments ago, but Ye Wen's disturbance had caused him to pursue without even setting his book down.

However, the appearance of this Huashan disciple surprised him somewhat, prompting Ye Wen to ask, "I heard the Huashan Sect inherited the Quanzhen Taoist tradition. Esteemed Sir..." The man hadn't even stated his name, yet Ye Wen already knew his lineage, causing the man to view Ye Wen in a much higher light.

He replied with a smile, "Although our sect inherited the Quanzhen tradition, we do not strongly mandate that disciples must cultivate Taoism! Moreover, the Quanzhen teachings advocate the integration of the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—and many within our sect choose to cultivate the essence of one independently..." When the Quanzhen Sect was founded, it absorbed considerable essence from Confucianism and Buddhism.

While Taoist thought remained primary, it wasn't unusual to cultivate a disciple who appeared closer to Confucianism. However, due to the significant divergence from Buddhist thought, the Huashan Sect primarily cultivated Taoist disciples, supported by Confucian disciples, with no known disciples practicing Buddhist principles.

Ye Wen had assumed that since the Huashan Sect inherited the Quanzhen tradition, it would strictly adhere to Taoist principles. He hadn't expected that after centuries, the Huashan Sect would evolve into this somewhat unique configuration.

But considering the Emei Sect not only contained Taoist philosophy but also many monks within its ranks, the Huashan Sect's situation seemed less strange. While the two exchanged these few sentences, Ye Wen noticed the old Taoist continuously scrutinizing him, his brow occasionally furrowing as if sensing something amiss, then relaxing as if a problem had been mentally resolved.

As he wondered what the old Taoist was pondering at this moment, he heard the elder speak, "I heard the Master of Ye is of the Martial Cultivation lineage. This old one has a few points of confusion and hopes Master Ye can enlighten me!" "You are too kind.

What matter is it?" The old Taoist paused, seemingly carefully considering how to phrase his question. Finally, feeling the matter was difficult to articulate clearly, he suddenly made a gesture toward Ye Wen—it was the starting stance of the Wudang Sect's fist technique, used when sparring with fellow adherents, serving as a formal greeting.

A general cultivator might not grasp the meaning of this move, but Ye Wen, being a martial artist, certainly did! Moreover, not just Wudang, but various sects possessed similar moves used for friendly sparring or martial arts contests between peers.

As the Taoist displayed this stance, Ye Wen habitually responded in kind. At this, the two stood suspended on the clouds.

The old Taoist separated his feet, and the Tai Chi diagram beneath him divided into Yin and Yang—one foot Yin, one foot Yang—continuing to support him. Ye Wen's stance had no visible support beneath his legs; he merely shifted his body slightly to the side, his left hand extending slightly, faintly forming a gesture of invitation.

Seeing this, the old Taoist thought to himself, "Could he truly be of the Martial Cultivation lineage?"