The arrival of Zhang Sanfeng was not, to Ye Wen’s surprise, concerning the matters of his disciples. Once they were seated, the renowned figure spoke, and only then did Ye Jian realize that Zhang Sanfeng had come to inquire about the Penglai Immortal Realm.

“Sect Master Ye… this old Taoist did not wish to impose, but merely—” The aged Taoist seemed somewhat awkward. Ye Wen pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood precisely where the problem lay.

In essence, it all came down to his Nine Tripod Cauldrons! Although he had managed to silence the righteous faction with a few well-chosen words, buying the Shu Mountain Sect some time, the Nine Tripod Cauldrons had displayed a new capability: traversing into the Penglai Immortal Realm.

Ignoring the potential catastrophe of the cauldrons exploding, this single fact was enough to throw the entire cultivation world into chaos! Currently, only a select few could cultivate within the Kunlun Immortal Realm.

Countless cultivators still endured harsh environments, and which sect did not desire the best training conditions for its disciples? Thus, upon learning through various channels that Ye Wen had reopened the Penglai Immortal Realm, these groups hoped that Zhang Sanfeng, currently the one with the best rapport with Ye Wen, could mediate on their behalf.

“They ask for little, only that Sect Master Ye allocates some spots to the various sects so their disciples may also enter for cultivation!” Ye Wen considered it; it wasn't impossible, but definitely not right now! Long-term, stable development for the Shu Mountain Sect depended on shared benefits.

He currently lacked the strength to hoard everything for himself; provoking the wrath of the masses would be troublesome. Of course, he could feign compliance now, then lead his entire sect into the Penglai Immortal Realm and never emerge.

However, that prospect felt utterly stifling! “This isn’t entirely out of the question,” Ye Wen mused, feeling this matter held immense potential for maneuverability.

If handled correctly, the status of his Shu Mountain Sect could immediately soar. Even if they couldn't stand shoulder-to-shoulder with sects like Wudang, they wouldn't be far behind.

More importantly, he could leverage the Penglai Immortal Realm to make the Shu Mountain Sect the next Kunlun. Did not the Kunlun Sect secure its millennia of unbroken prosperity and its pinnacle position in the cultivation world entirely through that single Penglai Immortal Realm?

After much thought, he decided the matter was negotiable, though Ye Wen had no intention of granting favors just yet: “Just not at this moment!” “For what reason?” Ye Wen replied, “Venerable Master Zhang must know, this Ye has only just barely managed to bring the Nine Tripod Cauldrons under control. Many of their profound techniques remain inaccessible.

Even opening the passage to Penglai using the Cauldrons is quite troublesome… this is inconvenient for our many peers.” Zhang Sanfeng nodded; the situation was indeed as described, as he had witnessed the events firsthand. Ye Wen's statement was reasonable and logical!

“Why don’t we do this: allow this humble one a period of secluded cultivation. I will spend time further refining the Nine Tripod Cauldrons and simultaneously exploring the peculiarities within the Penglai Immortal Realm.

I anticipate establishing a stable passage within three to five years. Wouldn't it be better to then open the Immortal Realm to our fellow cultivators?” Zhang Sanfeng smiled: “Sect Master Ye speaks wisely!

This old Taoist did not expect you to yield the Penglai Immortal Realm immediately upon my arrival. Stating three to five years already demonstrates considerable sincerity!” Ye Wen was momentarily stunned, then realized the nature of these cultivators.

Were they not beings who lived for eight hundred or a thousand years? Even those who appeared young were well over a century old; a mere three to five years was insignificant in their view.

Perhaps if he had requested twenty or thirty years, they would have found it reasonable. Since the Shu Mountain Sect was reopening the Penglai Immortal Realm, using it for twenty or thirty years first would be normal.

Now, Ye Wen offered merely three to five years—why would they be unhappy? Thus, upon hearing Ye Wen’s proposal, Zhang Sanfeng perceived the Sect Master as upright, broad-minded, and exceptionally generous.

He was unaware that Ye Wen was accustomed to the reckoning of the mortal world and had not yet adapted to the cultivators’ perception of time. However, these misunderstandings were beneficial to Ye Wen, and he saw no need to clarify them.

After further discussion with Zhang Sanfeng, he inquired in detail about the methods for opening the passage. The founding master of Wudang frowned in contemplation for a while, finally offering a suggestion based on the traditional characteristics of the Penglai Immortal Realm: “If Sect Master Ye deems it appropriate, it would be best to find an island and establish a stable passage there!” Ye Wen considered this but disagreed: “Technological development in the mundane world is progressing too rapidly now, and the human population growth is terrifying.

Establishing it on an island would inevitably invite numerous complications!” “Then where does Sect Master Ye deem it most suitable to open the passage?” Zhang Sanfeng considered, having to admit Ye Wen’s point held merit. The current situation differed vastly from the past, when finding a desolate island to carve out a hermitage would likely cause no issues.

But under present circumstances, such an action was highly inappropriate. Ye Wen pointed toward the sky above: “This Ye believes that opening a passage high in the sky, amidst the clouds, would be the most suitable!

Firstly, the sky remains a domain largely beyond human reach—though instruments like airplanes exist, they still face numerous limitations. Creating a disturbance in the skies above the great ocean would certainly escape public notice.

Furthermore, the clouds can serve as a screen, concealing sights that should not be revealed to the world. Even if someone glimpsed something, the cloud cover would obscure the view, making any required excuses much easier to manage.” In short, the matter was thus settled.

Ye Wen would not involve himself in the specifics of the execution. Having promised to offer the Penglai Immortal Realm to his peers for cultivation demonstrated ample magnanimity and sincerity.

Must he now personally throw open the gates and invite everyone in like honored guests? Zhang Sanfeng certainly didn't expect Ye Wen to do that.

From this, it was clear that had Ye Wen still possessed little renown, these people would not have let him off so easily. But the current Ye Wen had first defeated Wang Pan and Zhang Jiyu, then slew Ren Tuze with a single sword stroke, and fought a major battle against Master Dihong.

Though this earned him the permanent enmity of the Emei Sect, it made many cultivators realize they had provoked a formidable figure. Even if these groups could rely on superior numbers, they would no longer place themselves on such a high pedestal relative to him as they had before.

The mere fact that Zhang Sanfeng was dispatched to converse with Ye Wen proved the orthodox cultivators’ respect for him. If it were some minor figure, sending a sect disciple would suffice.

Like the initial approach, sending high-level experts such as Wang Pan or Zhang Jiyu was already seen as giving him considerable notice; such a display was now impossible. Moreover, Ye Wen learned that the hermit Beihe remained in a coma.

Though he had been returned to the Kunlun Sect, their various masters and seniors were helpless, completely unaware of the cause. Only one highly skilled elder examined him and declared: “His Three Souls and Seven Spirits are displaced.

Though a sliver of vitality remains in the body, he is no different from a dead man!” This single statement threw the entire Kunlun Sect into turmoil; no one knew how to proceed. If only their own disciples were killed, it was easier to resolve: march over, slay the culprit, and avenge the disciple.

At most, they would consider Beihe’s strength was not insignificant, and the enemy’s power might be high. But the current situation was that they had no idea how Beihe was struck or by what technique, thus rendering them clueless on how to retaliate.

Hearing this news, Ye Wen was also puzzled. Given how suddenly Beihe was injured, he couldn't grasp the situation either.

In the end, he let the matter rest—after all, Beihe had tricked him into going to Europe, and they shared no real camaraderie now; Ye Wen had no reason to trouble himself over Beihe. After discussing these matters, Ye Wen inquired about the God-Smiting Whip.

“The God-Smiting Whip indeed has an issue now. The Kunlun Sect truly captured the person who stole it and recovered the treasure.

But the problem is…” Zhang Sanfeng gave a wry smile, “They recovered a fake treasure!” “Fake?” Ye Wen recalled Chris mentioning seeing an iron whip and immediately connected the incidents: “Could it be the European blood races or werewolves?” Zhang Sanfeng pondered for a moment: “Not impossible. Various sects have left experts in Europe, primarily tasked with tracing the whereabouts of the real God-Smiting Whip!” Ye Wen secretly rejoiced at this.

If the whip remained unfound, these groups could not execute their plan to detonate the Cauldrons, and he would not have to worry about the righteous forces banding together to pressure him! Currently, the only people he needed to worry about were the greedy ones harboring ambitions to monopolize the Nine Tripod Cauldrons.

However, such individuals were unlikely to attack en masse. Although forces from both orthodox and demonic factions, as well as foreign powers, existed, they were far from unified, making them simpler to handle.

With Ye Wen’s current strength, while he couldn't wipe them all out, he could certainly preserve his own life and teach these groups a lesson in the process. More importantly, Ye Wen was about to enter seclusion in the Penglai Immortal Realm; no one would find him for several years.

Unless someone could open a spatial rift just as he had, entering the now completely sealed and independent Penglai Immortal Realm. But anyone possessing such ability would hardly covet his Nine Tripod Cauldrons.

From the Cauldrons alone, Ye Wen had learned that the world contained many such minor realms; those people could simply find an unoccupied one and cultivate there at their leisure. Ye Wen did not believe such minor realms were exclusive to China; he wasn't that naive.

If his guess was correct, similar places must exist in the Middle East and Europe, especially in lands famous for birthing numerous myths. With this thought, a wild idea suddenly struck Ye Wen.

“If I fully refine the Nine Tripod Cauldrons until I can manipulate them freely, and advance the Primordial Chaos Scripture to the Profound Universe realm… could I forcibly fuse these minor realms into a new world?” The advantage of those Immortal Realms was their abundant spiritual energy, which continually regenerated because only cultivators resided there. As long as cultivators were mindful and cared for the environment, the richness of the spiritual energy could be maintained.

The reason the environment in the mundane world had become so dire was not solely due to the unchecked cultivation by practitioners, but the contributions made by the mortal inhabitants were far greater. Therefore, if a world housed only cultivators, and they paid slight attention, a situation like the Earth’s current state might never occur!

“If it were possible… wouldn't I have essentially created a new cultivation world?” If successful, wouldn't his Shu Mountain Sect be revered by all other sects? He considered it, realizing the difficulty might even surpass ascending to the Immortal Realm with his entire sect.

First, he had to successfully refine the Nine Tripod Cauldrons at will, and second, the Profound Universe realm needed the spatial manipulation power he envisioned; otherwise, it was all for naught. After sending off Zhang Sanfeng, Ye Wen returned to his own tasks.

At this time, the Shu Mountain Martial Arts School had reopened. One major difference from the previous semester was that Principal Ye Wen personally selected thirty students and ten teachers to form a peculiar special class.

During this period, the curriculum for this class was taught separately. Although Ye Wen offered no explicit explanation, most teachers and students privately referred to this class as: “Principal Ye’s favored sons!” Especially when, during a school assessment, this class’s average scores significantly surpassed those of the regular classes, this designation became even more firmly entrenched, often with an addition: “The only place in the Shu Mountain Martial Arts School where one truly learns worthwhile things!” Indeed, Ye Wen was imparting knowledge to this class that others did not receive: the very foundation of the Seven-Colored Battle Qi—cultivating Qi sensation!

Tommy had found his Qi sensation in a short time, but that didn't mean everyone would be like him. Although the current world environment was unfavorable for martial cultivators seeking Qi sensation, the unique properties of the Seven-Colored Battle Qi compensated for this problem to some extent.

For example, if in the world Ye Wen formerly inhabited, a person of average aptitude could find Qi sensation in half a year, that same person would never find it in this world in their lifetime, a possibility of one hundred percent, with no exception; only those with exceptionally superior talent could succeed. The Seven-Colored Battle Qi slightly loosened this restriction, meaning someone of above-average potential could find Qi sensation here by relying on it.

This was why the Seven-Colored Battle Qi could be cultivated in this world. Furthermore, cultivating the Seven-Colored Battle Qi here was not identical to cultivating it in his previous world.

For instance, if someone wished to learn to swim, who would have better swimming skills after learning—one who learned in a narrow ditch or one who learned in the vast ocean? The difference was self-evident.

Ye Wen’s consideration for bringing these people to the Penglai Immortal Realm was based on this insight. While the Seven-Colored Battle Qi could still be cultivated in the mortal realm, the scarcity of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi (which includes spiritual energy, but is not equivalent to it) was like a shallow pond in the Earth’s mundane world; practice inevitably felt constrained.

In contrast, under the abundant Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi within the Penglai Immortal Realm, they could see a significant jump in their strength in a very short time. Take the Absolute Domain, for example.

If cultivators cultivated there, they would rely solely on the internal energy of their innate abilities for cultivation fuel. But in the Penglai Immortal Realm, merely breathing normally would allow them to inadvertently absorb substantial Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, greatly aiding their progress.

Actually, as Ye Wen contemplated these matters, he felt a touch of regret: “If only I had cultivated the Seven-Colored Battle Qi earlier, perhaps I would have shattered the void by now…” But upon reflection, if he had truly practiced the Seven-Colored Battle Qi, he might have died long ago. No matter how fast the Seven-Colored Battle Qi cultivated, it still required practice; one didn't instantly become an expert.

Many of the later fortuitous encounters he experienced were survived thanks to his Innate Violet Qi. Thinking this over, Ye Wen felt balanced.

Cultivating the Seven-Colored Battle Qi might have meant saying goodbye to those encounters. If he had truly pursued that path, it might not have been faster than his current progress.

Lost in thought while instructing students, ten students were culled from the thirty after one month, and among the ten teachers, only three ultimately remained—two of whom were disciples of Guan Shuying and Guan Luyan, namely Zhao Qing. Surprisingly, one familiar face among the remaining twenty students was the Sanda master who had failed to secure a teaching position during the previous recruitment but instead insisted on becoming a student: Guan Jie!

This fellow had genuinely enrolled in school and managed to secure a spot through sheer performance, slightly changing Ye Wen’s initially unfavorable impression of him. Finally, these twenty-three individuals, plus Guan Luyan, became the final contingent chosen to accompany him to the Penglai Immortal Realm.

Guan Luyan and Guan Shuying were not learning the Seven-Colored Battle Qi; this father and daughter had already decided to join his Shu Mountain Sect. Ye Wen was still pondering which cultivation techniques to impart to them, reasoning that with the abundant Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in the Penglai Immortal Realm as backing, even choosing the orthodox Shu Mountain techniques would suffice.

Zhao Qing, however, had learned the introductory level of the Seven-Colored Battle Qi. To Ye Wen’s surprise, the old master’s disciple possessed remarkable aptitude for Qi sensation.

In just one month, he was already getting vague feelings; given more time, he might be able to explore the threshold of White Battle Qi. It was only at this point that Ye Wen vaguely explained the situation to the twenty-odd individuals.

“Let me state clearly beforehand: this cultivation trip might see us gone for three or four years, and the place we are going is extremely remote; communication with home will be impossible!” Ye Wen looked at the assembled group, but saw no expressions of doubt. Glancing aside, the pulverized giant rock at Chris’s feet had resolved many potential issues.

How could these young people, who hoped to become as formidable as Chris, pass up such an opportunity? This was a chance that could change their entire lives.