It wasn't entirely without question that Zhang Ling dressed that way, yet Ye Wen silenced all dissent with the completely nonsensical excuse: "I need to see exactly what style suits the ethos of my Shushan Martial Arts School!"

Though secretly subjected to suspicious glances from his junior sister and Hua Yi, since he had already spoken his piece, Ye Wen had no intention of backing down. Besides, he had always held a deep-seated grievance against the shapeless, utterly hideous school uniform adopted by his own school, so taking this chance to make a change was no big deal.

Riding his sword light, after exchanging a few brief words with Zhang Sanfeng, Ye Wen agreed to meet at Mount Emei in a month—as the Grand Cultivation World Assembly was scheduled to be held there. Ye Wen raised no objection to this decision; in fact, he offered no commentary at all, merely nodding to show he understood, before telling Zhang Sanfeng, "Ye has some private matters to attend to; Master Zhang, please forgive me!"

"Go on, Sect Leader Ye. This old Daoist also needs to return to Wudang Mountain!"

With the Assembly drawing near, the elders who had been secluded in the Kunlun Immortal Realm for years also had to rush back to their respective sects to make arrangements and decide whom to bring. The main headache was selecting which junior disciples to bring; the older generation was a foregone conclusion.

After all, while the Cultivation World Assembly was lauded as the grand gathering of China’s cultivators, its most crucial purpose was for each sect to display its strength.

If a major sect failed to present outstanding junior disciples, it created an implicit sense of being suppressed by other sects, even fostering the unfortunate impression that they would decline in the next few decades or century. Such an outcome would severely damage the sect’s prestige, making everyone take this matter extremely seriously.

"Mount Emei... I suppose it will be those two young ones again?"

Yan Xing and Zhou Chong, wielding the flying swords Ziying and Qingsuo respectively—hailed as the most formidable pair among the current generation of the Purple and Green Double Swords—and bolstered by Mount Emei’s intentional publicity, often traveled about. Thus, they were quite famous, and virtually every sect knew Emei had two exceptional rising talents.

"Too bad for them. Not only have I cultivated a batch of disciples this time, but my junior brother has also succeeded in shattering the void and rushed back to aid me. So what if we go to your Mount Emei?"

After that encounter with Master Dihong, he had roughly ascertained the monk’s cultivation level; it was on par with his own back then—a situation where neither could kill the other, but neither could be killed either. Both possessed their own unique methods, and neither could definitively overcome the other. If a true fight broke out, it might take ten days or half a month without a clear result.

But now?

Setting aside Ye Wen's pair of eyes, which were not yet fully controllable, his Hunyuan Baojian (Primordial Chaos Treasure Tome), which had been the focus of his cultivation since arriving in this realm, had advanced from the second layer to the seventh. His strength had soared immeasurably. Facing Master Dihong again now, Ye Wen possessed absolute confidence that he could leave the monk beaten to a pulp.

"If that monk is foolish enough, he can go join his so-called junior brother!"

As for Master Dihong's specialty, the Water Art of Kui, Ye Wen, who had now mastered the Dian Canghai (Indigo Sea), held no fear. Furthermore, with the Dian Canghai, the power of his Meixia Dang (Rose Haze Swing) had increased significantly, subtly gaining a counter to the Kui Water Arts. Therefore, if Master Dihong refrained from using it, so much the better; but if he dared to use it... hmph.

Of course, Mount Emei was certainly not limited to just Master Dihong. The current Emei Sect Leader, Daoist Tianxing, was Master Dihong’s senior brother and the eldest of the Emei Three Elders. It was rumored that this Daoist's power was unfathomably deep, with some even speculating that Daoist Tianxing's strength was already pressing close to that of Zhang Sanfeng, the current foremost master in the cultivation world.

Although Ye Wen had never met Daoist Tianxing and did not know his actual prowess, he had certainly experienced Zhang Sanfeng before. At that time, Ye Wen was completely on the defensive, barely able to fight back.

Now...

From that brief glance just now, though he could vaguely sense Zhang Sanfeng’s power still surpassed his own, the gap was no longer the massive chasm between heaven and earth it once was.

Since Daoist Tianxing was rumored to be closely pursuing Zhang Sanfeng, it meant he was still weaker than Zhang Sanfeng—likely possessing strength similar to his own, or perhaps slightly stronger.

"But I still have the Glazed Fire in my eyes as the ultimate shield, and in the end, I can rely on the Divine Fire to defeat the enemy!"

Calculating everything, Ye Wen truly had nothing to fear. The only concern was whether his disciples could remain safe on Emei's home turf.

But thinking it over, the Cultivation World Assembly was not hosted by Mount Emei alone. With so many people present, Emei certainly wouldn't dare to act recklessly; where would they save face otherwise?

More importantly, if Mount Emei truly dared to attempt such a thing, Ye Wen would not hesitate to become a peerless Demon Lord and bathe Mount Emei in blood!

In the past, lacking strength, he could only keep a low profile to survive. Now that he had power, there was no need to pretend to be subservient any longer! At this moment, even if he hadn't reached invincibility, he certainly had the capital to show off. The breath that had been suppressed in his heart for several years finally flowed out smoothly, and with his spirits lifted, even his flying speed increased slightly.

When Ye Wen snapped back to his senses, he had already arrived at his destination—the city he had visited years ago, the city where he had originally lived.

It was night now. After identifying his bearings in the sky, Ye Wen brought his sword light down, landing on a modest residential building. He stood there, feeling the cool wind brush past him, leaving a slight chill.

He had come here only to confirm one thing. He had originally thought it would take some time for confirmation, but unexpectedly, the moment he landed, a surge of agitation swept through his chest. The Nine Provinces Tripod, whose characteristics Ye Wen had spent years gradually deciphering and which rarely showed anomalies, stirred again, exhibiting a distinct urge to rush out of his body.

"Is it really like this?"

Ye Wen murmured the thought just as he noticed a staggering figure walking up the dark, deserted street beneath his feet. Seeing this scene now, Ye Wen finally recalled the events of that day—finishing a farewell drink with classmates, feeling the sudden need to urinate on the way back, seeking a dark corner to relieve himself, and then... and then came the current Ye Wen.

Watching the person sway and look around furtively, clearly searching for a suitable spot, Ye Wen hadn't decided what to do when a beam of light suddenly erupted from his chest, and the Nine Provinces Tripod directly shot out of his body. It immediately reverted to its original size and zipped straight toward the figure below.

Then...

With a crisp smack, Ye Wen involuntarily slapped his own cheek a few times. The sound, similar to a bug being crushed, made him incredibly uncomfortable, especially considering that the thing crushed like an insect by the Tripod was...

"Don't think about it. The more I think, the worse I feel!"

Rubbing his forehead, Ye Wen shook his head, only to see that the Nine Provinces Tripod hadn't returned but was instead spinning in place. As it spun, a powerful suction force generated from the mouth of the Tripod, and the person, now pulverized, was completely sucked inside!

Ye Wen suddenly noticed that as the Nine Provinces Tripod rotated, something rose from within its depths, emitting a faint glimmer of light. If he hadn't been observing with his Inner Eye, he might truly have overlooked this faint light, as it was utterly unremarkable, completely overshadowed by the brilliant radiance of the Tripod itself.

But precisely because he observed with his Inner Eye, he could see clearly. What astonished Ye Wen even more was that the object emitting the light turned out to be a ring—identical to the one Ye Wen himself had once worn!

"That's... So this ring of mine has always been inside the Tripod, which is why it came with me into the Tripod's world?"

As he pondered this, the Nine Provinces Tripod suddenly shot into the air, and all its light was retracted. It resumed the appearance of an ordinary bronze tripod, and as it neared Ye Wen, the entire object shrunk until it was only the size of a finger before plunging into Ye Wen's Dantian acupoint and vanishing.

"Now I can finally rest easy!" Ye Wen let out a sigh of relief. Watching his past self turn into mincemeat was truly an unpleasant experience, and recalling it still brought a wave of discomfort. What was more unsettling was that he could sense the culprit was still inside him; fortunately, that person hadn't truly died, and he had gained a great fortune because of it.

As for the ring, Ye Wen was somewhat puzzled why it was inside the Tripod. Perhaps it had always been there, unnoticed? After all, the ring's original appearance was inconspicuous, and in the darkness inside the Tripod, it was normal for no one to notice. Yet, Ye Wen suddenly recalled that when he first emerged from the Tripod, something small had hit him on the head, and that object seemed to have fallen into the Tripod then?

"..."

Thinking of this made Ye Wen speechless. It turned out that everything was caused by himself! He even suspected that if he hadn't figured this out and specifically come back to confirm his transmigration, that other Ye Wen might have just continued living as an ordinary person?

"I'll leave these frustrating questions for the scientists to puzzle over. I should focus on what lies ahead!"

Turning around, having settled one worry, Ye Wen prepared to depart. He planned to return to the school first and then, in a month, pick up his junior sister and the others to go to Mount Emei—or rather, have them meet him at the school.

However, the moment he turned, his brow suddenly furrowed, and he spoke into the void, "The Old Ancestor still loves lurking in the shadows!"

Before the words fully faded, the figure of Ancestor Bixue materialized not far in front of Ye Wen. Unlike his completely silent arrivals in the past, Ancestor Bixue seemed quite concerned with his presentation today. As he appeared, a burst of crimson light washed out, and Ye Wen, standing nearby, could even smell a pungent scent of blood.

"The Ancestor’s demonic arts seem to have improved again!"

"Hahahaha! Sect Leader Ye is not the only one striving diligently in cultivation across this world!" Ancestor Bixue laughed loudly, head held high. His once highly peculiar pupils had also become much more normal, though occasional flashes of emerald light hinted at his unusual nature.

Ever since Ye Wen developed his pair of eyes, he had suspected that Ancestor Bixue might also have practiced some unique skill that resulted in a pair of divine eyes. Now he realized that Ancestor Bixue’s pupils were a strange transformation caused by his own cultivation method. Their return to normalcy suggested a return to the original essence.

"Has the Ancestor sought me out today perhaps to exact revenge for that day?"

In the past, Ye Wen had tricked Ancestor Bixue once to escape the pursuit of the righteous path, forcing Qiu Yuanlong to unleash the Nine Heavens Demonic Blood God Sword and battle numerous righteous masters. However, Ye Wen assumed that after being cornered like that, Ancestor Bixue would be severely injured even if not killed, and wouldn't dare to cause trouble again for at least a century or two.

He hadn't expected this fellow to reappear before him so quickly, and judging by his bearing, he seemed to have even made a breakthrough—could that great battle have actually helped this demon?

"Although I suffered some injuries in that battle, it also allowed me to break through a bottleneck that had plagued me for a hundred years!" Ancestor Bixue declared proudly, a hint of triumph in his voice. "I must thank Sect Leader Ye for forcing this old ancestor into such a desperate situation. Otherwise, relying on my Thousand-Mile Instantaneous Formless Escape, I truly wouldn't have been able to break through that barrier!"

It turned out that Ancestor Bixue had sensed a bottleneck a century ago, preventing his power from advancing further. It was only when he was forced into a dead end this time that all his potential was unleashed. Combined with a hundred years of steady accumulation, he was able to break through in one go, significantly increasing his power, and thus escaping the siege by the righteous alliance.

This realization led him to understand that his past stagnation was due to the Thousand-Mile Instantaneous Formless Escape—because he possessed such an overwhelmingly powerful escape technique, Ancestor Bixue always had a retreat route, thus preventing him from breaking through his limits when facing a bottleneck.

"From this perspective, I truly must thank Sect Leader Ye for making this possible!"

Ye Wen was not foolish enough to believe Ancestor Bixue had come to thank him. Given how he had betrayed him, it would be surprising if the Ancestor didn't immediately attack him.

But Ye Wen paid it no mind. Ancestor Bixue had troubled him first, so his 'repayment' was only natural.

"So, has the Ancestor come today to seek friendly association with me, to repay that past kindness?"

Ancestor Bixue looked coldly at Ye Wen, waiting a long moment before finally replying, "This old ancestor would indeed like to settle past scores with Sect Leader Ye. However, I came today for another matter to discuss with Sect Leader Ye!"

"Oh?" Ye Wen was startled, finding this unexpected, then grew quite curious. "What does the Ancestor wish to discuss?"

Ancestor Bixue paused, seemingly gathering his thoughts, and after a while, slowly said, "I know Sect Leader Ye is at odds with Mount Emei. I wonder if Sect Leader Ye is interested in completely suppressing Mount Emei so that your Shushan Sect can take its place?"

To take its place naturally meant in terms of status within the cultivation world. Ye Wen understood what the Ancestor meant, but he couldn't fathom why this was being brought up. Did Qiu Yuanlong perhaps want to join his Shushan Sect?

Since he couldn't figure it out, Ye Wen remained silent, listening to Ancestor Bixue continue: "This old ancestor has some words for Sect Leader Ye..."

"Please speak!"

"Although Mount Emei’s influence is considerable, its rapid development is recent, only truly flourishing in the last few hundred years. In terms of deep foundations, they are far inferior to other major sects. If Sect Leader Ye is truly interested, there’s no need to worry about stirring up any ancient monsters!"

Indeed, Mount Emei’s leading figures were just the Emei Three Elders; there were no rumors of older generation masters presiding over the sect. In this regard, they were far behind Kunlun or Huashan. Even Wudang, founded around the same time as Emei, couldn't compare—though Wudang inherited the legacy of Quanzhen Daoism, many cultivators from the dissolved Quanzhen Sect had defected to Wudang.

Even if these old ghosts weren't top masters back then, after a thousand years of cultivation, whoever managed to survive to this day would possess formidable power; if they ganged up on someone, few could withstand it.

Mount Emei didn't have such reserves. Therefore, to deal with Emei, eliminating their visible fighting power would mean success! Furthermore, Emei's excessively fast growth meant the sect lacked a large number of mid-level cultivators to serve as pillars. This implied that once the experts were eliminated, an Emei composed of only a few general cultivators and many young disciples would instantly collapse.

"Moreover, Mount Emei’s rapid momentum in recent years has made its disciples arrogant and presumptuous, causing displeasure among many..."

Ye Wen paused, seeming to catch something, and asked with a smile, "And that includes your Qingcheng Sect, correct?"

Ancestor Bixue let out a hearty laugh. "It's refreshing to talk to someone intelligent! Yes, our Qingcheng Sect has long been displeased with Mount Emei. If Sect Leader Ye is interested, our Qingcheng Sect is willing to lend a hand!"

Ye Wen had indeed harbored suspicion that Ancestor Bixue, though publicly a traitor to Qingcheng, was actually still serving his former sect, otherwise there was no reason to approach him with such matters. But he hadn't expected the fellow to admit it so readily; it was quite straightforward.

Qingcheng Sect's decline was not a matter of a single day. Its ancestors had realized this long ago, and the growing strength of their neighbor, Mount Emei, caused Qingcheng great unease. Thus, as the most valued disciple at the time, Qiu Yuanlong was tasked with officially leaving Qingcheng and choosing another path to protect his sect—rapidly increasing his power through heretical arts and secretly supporting Qingcheng.

This was a last resort, as following orthodox methods, Qingcheng found it impossible to regain its former strength, so they chose this route.

The method for refining Qiu Yuanlong's Nine Heavens Demonic Blood God Sword was also provided by the sect elders, and the evil demonic arts Qiu Yuanlong practiced were derived from the legacy of demonic experts executed by their elders.

By secretly supporting Qiu Yuanlong, they finally managed to cultivate a demonic master after several centuries. However, this elder had not foreseen that this demonic disciple would now devise a method to unite others against Mount Emei. If successful, Mount Emei would never recover, especially since Ye Wen's Shushan Sect was also rooted in the Sichuan region.

Ye Wen understood all this, but one point perplexed him: "Aren't you afraid that my Shushan Sect will become another Emei?"

Qiu Yuanlong laughed heartily: "For Sect Leader Ye's sect to truly gain control of Shu, it will not happen overnight. The time I have bought for my sect is more than enough!"