Having accepted the gift, Ye Nu kept the matter of Wuzhen in his heart, but since he had no idea when he could repay the favor, he simply set it aside for the time being. Fortunately, his memory was quite strong now, so he wouldn't forget the entire affair the moment he turned away. This, too, could be counted as one of the benefits derived from his deepening cultivation; as his physical constitution continuously improved, his memory had also steadily enhanced. "While it hasn't directly turned me into some monstrous genius with an IQ in the hundreds, with a formidable memory combined with rich experience, my intelligence ought to increase somewhat, right?"

Ye Wen sat cross-legged by the lake, supporting the Nine Heavens Demonized Blood God Sword with both hands, gazing blankly at the clear, deep water, though his mind was swirling with entirely unrelated trivialities. He had originally intended to sit there and meditate on how to use the Glazed Fire to break the seals on this demonic sword and then guide the vengeful souls within to salvation. However, after sitting for half a day with no progress, he had ended up simply staring into space. At first, he hadn't been like this. He had cautiously released some of the restraints set by Wuzhen, allowing a wisp of black miasma containing vengeful spirits to escape, followed by a slight application of the Glazed Fire. The result was that the undead wailed as they turned to ash. The sight clearly indicated they had been burned by his own Glazed Fire. "Screaming so miserably, they definitely weren't saved!" After trying a few more times with identical outcomes, he grew disheartened and temporarily stopped, deciding to ponder the situation thoroughly before proceeding.

The lake water before him was so clear that one could see the bottom. Numerous fish swam back and forth in the depths. The small animals, scared away earlier by the soaring malevolent energy, had mostly returned, and a small deer was even drinking water near Ye Wen, led by its mother. Furthermore, a rabbit was perched on its hind legs, munching on a fruit it had somehow procured from somewhere, watching Ye Wen. What left Ye Wen speechless was that this fluffy creature was standing on two legs. "..." Ye Wen scrutinized the rabbit a few times and noticed it met his gaze without the slightest fear, which irritated him. "You're a rabbit! You need to have the awareness of a rabbit—your proper job is to stay on four legs and nibble on roots!" With a casual shoo, the rabbit vanished in a flash, leaving no trace. A moment later, its head peeked out from the undergrowth to steal a look at Ye Wen. Seeing Ye Wen still watching, it bolted away again. "Could this rabbit have become a spirit?"

Just as he was pondering this, a sudden cheer erupted nearby. Huang Rongrong darted out, swinging a fat, large white rabbit by its ears. The rabbit's eyes—Ye Wen suspected his vision was playing tricks on him—seemed to hold two enormous... "Rongrong!!" He called out to Huang Rongrong, who was just about to leave with the captured rabbit, asking curiously, "What are you doing with that rabbit?" Although he asked that, what he was thinking was: Huang Rongrong might be a bit willful and fond of mischief, but she was a girl after all, always interested in such cute little animals. Huang Rongrong looked at the rabbit in her hand and replied, "Eating it, of course! I spent ages fishing over there and didn't catch a single one. I was just worrying about what to eat tonight, and then this rabbit practically ran into my hands!" "..." Ye Wen was speechless for a long moment. It explained why there were so many fish near him—they had all been scared away by Huang Rongrong! He had just thought the fish were particularly lively, swimming so enthusiastically, when in fact, they were fleeing for their lives!

While he was thinking, Huang Rongrong's gaze suddenly shifted to the two deer drinking nearby. With a quick movement, she pulled out a large club from an unknown place, looking ready to bring it down hard on the oblivious deer. Seeing the club, Ye Wen understood how the rabbit had been caught. He hadn't paid much mind initially, but the rabbit’s recent behavior had struck him as odd; he felt it had gained some sentience, making eating it feel a bit strange. He said to Huang Rongrong, "Let the rabbit go. I'll go catch something for us to eat later!" "Let it go?" Huang Rongrong looked puzzled at Ye Wen’s request. Could it be that Ye Wen had suddenly developed a fondness for cute animals? A bizarre image flashed through Huang Rongrong’s mind: Ye Wen standing with his hands clasped, eyes shining with adoration, shouting at rabbits and kittens, "So cute!" A shiver ran down her spine. After shaking off the strange notion, Huang Rongrong handed the rabbit over to Ye Wen. "Here you go..." Ye Wen took the rabbit and casually tossed it aside. Ignoring Huang Rongrong’s peculiar expression as she left, he simply waited for the rabbit to wake up on its own.

In the time that followed, Ye Wen closed his eyes to meditate. He no longer held the demonic sword, but rather the Buddha Wheel gifted to him by Wuzhen. Using this wheel to circulate Qi and heal allowed his injuries to recover much faster. He didn't know how long he sat there. When he finally came back to his senses, night had already fallen! As for going to find food, that had been completely forgotten. The Penglai Immortal Realm did have a cycle of day and night, with daylight and darkness each occupying exactly half the time. Ye Wen and the others felt no discomfort living there. Moreover, the climate in Penglai was exceedingly pleasant. Although all the scenery looked to be in its prime, it didn't feel unbearably hot. He wondered what the other Immortal Realms were like. He had chatted briefly with Zhang Sanfeng during his leisure time. He knew that the Kunlun Immortal Realm was characterized by towering peaks, many of which floated in the air, with the ground mostly consisting of plains and relatively few animals. In comparison, the Penglai Immortal Realm seemed to have more forests and a slightly cooler climate than Kunlun, making it perhaps more suitable for ordinary people. It was then he realized that the environments in these various minor worlds varied significantly. He became quite curious about what the other small worlds were like. "I don't know about Changbai or Luofu, but the East Sea Immortal Palace and South Sea Immortal Palace—they wouldn't be underwater, would they?" The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Especially since they bore the title of 'Immortal Palace,' it implied previous habitation, very likely by those so-called Dragon Kings from ancient times. "I wonder if those Dragon Kings are still residing there now?"

He glanced to his side and noticed the rabbit was gone. Perhaps having learned its lesson, it understood that "humans" like Ye Wen were dangerous creatures, so it had fled immediately upon waking! This rabbit reminded Ye Wen of a short story, generally about the sparsely populated regions beyond the pass in ancient times. A certain animal called the paozi (roe deer) hadn't encountered humans much and therefore didn't know to hide. When they saw people, they would just stand there and watch, resulting in them being clubbed one by one, captured, and eaten, earning the creature the moniker of the 'silly roe deer.' If the rabbit that just fled had truly gained sentience, it should run back and warn its brethren, right? If so, he might not be able to eat rabbit meat anymore!

Lost in random thoughts while healing, Ye Wen soon put the matter aside. However, seeing Xu Xian and Huang Rongrong occasionally bring back a rabbit to stew, he figured his earlier worry hadn't materialized. Now that they had settled down in the Penglai Immortal Realm, their residence was gradually being completed. Combined with the pleasant climate, even rain didn't make anyone feel miserable. The house primarily served to keep out wind and rain and to sleep in; it didn't need to be too elaborate. Moreover, none of them were ordinary people, so constructing a simple wooden hut was effortless. "But... you guys went a bit overboard with this, didn't you?"

Hua Yi and Ning Ruxue, perhaps out of boredom, had built their dwelling excessively tall and large, resembling a three-story villa made entirely of wood. If Xu Xian hadn't insisted on having a separate room to live with Huang Rongrong, the two women might have built a wooden castle! Features like glass windows were things they bought when they had free time outside. Since both women possessed storage magical artifacts, they weren't worried about space. With some furniture added inside, a brand-new, all-wood house was ready. "Wait, while I was healing these past few days, you were busy building all this?" Ning Ruxue nodded. "Yes, Senior Brother, what do you think of the house?" Ye Wen couldn't say much, only nodding stiffly. "Good! Very good! It would be even better if you only made one bedroom on the third floor!" The third floor was where he and the two women rested, but it had two bedrooms: one for Ning Ruxue and one for Hua Yi! What about Ye Wen's? That depended on whose room he chose to sleep in that night! Generally speaking, Ning Ruxue’s room was larger, more like the master bedroom, since, nominally, Ning Ruxue was the primary wife, and Hua Yi was, at most, a concubine! In that world, such concepts were deeply ingrained, and even though the two women had lived in this world for over a decade, it wasn't easy to change those habits. To put it plainly: both women were very traditional, extremely traditional, in their views.

After touring the new house, Ye Wen's injuries were almost healed. Everyone was pleased that Ye Wen had finally recovered his health. Furthermore, with the prestige of the Shu Mountain Sect now firmly established, orthodox cultivators dared not cause trouble for them anymore, making everyone feel as if a great weight had been lifted from their chests. Over the past few years, Ye Wen had not concealed these matters, explaining the general situation to those closest to him, so they were well aware of the predicament of the Shu Mountain Sect. It was precisely because they understood the situation and remained loyal that they gradually earned Ye Wen's approval. The individuals before him now—Chris and Tommy aside, as they had followed him for many years, practically since he returned to this world—if those two couldn't be trusted, then the only ones he could trust were his junior disciples and a few others. Tommy, despite being smooth-tongued, was never sloppy in his work. These past few days, while healing, Ye Wen had also given him some guidance, teaching him the Seven Revolutions Slash. The Seven Revolutions Slash could be used with bare hands, weapons, or even kicks. With Tommy’s current Green Battle Qi cultivation combined with the movements of the Seven Revolutions Slash, he should be able to unleash greater power. Furthermore, the moves of the Seven Revolutions Slash were rather direct, suiting his personality, so he learned the technique relatively quickly. In just a few days, he had grasped the basics, though mastering it for actual combat would require more time.

Due to Chris, Claire, who had grown closer to the group, had long since resigned from her job in America. After all, her brother was no longer an ordinary person, and with Chris looking out for her, those people couldn't do anything to Claire. However, Ye Wen wasn't optimistic about how far Claire could cultivate; at the very least, he wasn't sure if she could successfully reach the Red Battle Qi level. Besides them, Zheng Ying still maintained his job, but these days he rarely dealt with matters there, spending most of his time cultivating by Ye Wen’s side. Similar to him was Zhang Ling, though this girl was rather unfortunate, still looking like she was neglected by everyone. The organization didn't bother with her much, and due to her status, she was in an awkward position with Ye Wen—truly frustrating. Fortunately, Ye Wen didn't treat her poorly during his instruction, so she devoted herself entirely to following Ye Wen. Of course, this inevitably drew suspicion from Ning Ruxue, but Ye Wen dismissed it by saying, "There’s no one else here in Penglai Immortal Realm. Finding someone to serve you is like taking on a maid!" Ning Ruxue responded with a fierce glare. "I'm hardly some rich young mistress, is that really necessary?" However, having this excuse allowed the recently opened jar containing some kind of secret desire to be sealed tightly shut once more.

Apart from these people, there were Guan Luyan and his daughter, Guan Shuying. Guan Luyan had initially wanted his wife to cultivate as well, but unfortunately, Mrs. Guan’s health had deteriorated further during the years Elder Guan cultivated. Ye Wen had examined her and found that Madam Guan wasn't suffering from any specific illness, but rather natural aging, a continuous decline in bodily functions—something incurable. Even if she were given a divine cultivation method, her body would be unable to practice it. Because of this matter, the father and daughter had not come to the Penglai Immortal Realm together, choosing instead to stay home and accompany Madam Guan. If Elder Madam Guan didn't have much time left, accompanying her respectfully through her final journey would be a gesture of deep filial piety.

Because of these matters, Ye Wen gradually felt the growing disparity between his group and ordinary people. Among his disciples now, apart from Claire whose strength was still too low, the others were slowly escaping the erosion of time. Tommy and Chris had been with him for nearly ten years; calculated by age, they should be in their early thirties, yet their appearance had barely changed from when they first started, showing very little alteration. Chris, having mastered Red Battle Qi, had almost no visible change. Ye Wen estimated that if he managed to achieve Blue Battle Qi, his body might undergo a true tempering, restoring his entire physical form to that of a vigorous young man. Although Claire’s appearance had changed more noticeably, she was naturally beautiful and didn't show her age easily, so there was no immediate worry about suddenly turning into an old woman. Furthermore, the Penglai Immortal Realm had exceptionally abundant spiritual energy, an environment that was quite nurturing, so the difference between mortals and immortals wouldn't manifest clearly among them for a while. But the seeds of divergence had been sown. Claire had been cultivating diligently lately; perhaps her innate vanity had unleashed a more terrifying surge of power. As for Zhang Ling and Zheng Ying, Zhang Ling had a baby face and a small frame, making her age hard to guess. Orientals naturally look younger, so she hadn't changed much. Zheng Ying had matured considerably, but Ye Wen believed that once he broke through to the Absolute Domain, he might revert to a younger appearance.

Watching these changes daily, Ye Wen gradually understood that it was time to sever ties with the mundane world! Otherwise, constantly witnessing familiar faces age while he remained unchanged would either drive him mad or drive them mad! Moreover, the arrangements he had made in his early years had fulfilled their intended purpose. What he needed to do now was shift his entire focus to the cultivation world. However, he felt rather idle right now and couldn't decide what he should do first. "Cultivate? Although the injury is stable, it hasn't fully healed! And the issue with the Glazed Fire won't be solved anytime soon; it seems like a long-term project! Maybe I should go out for a while?" Thinking of this, Ye Wen recalled his previous thoughts about what the environments of the other Immortal Realms might be like. Perhaps he should visit those realms to see for himself; who knew what discoveries he might make!

Having settled his plan, he announced to the others, "I plan to go out for a stroll. Who wants to accompany me?" In his heart, he hoped to take one of his wives along, treating it as a trip for leisure. Unexpectedly, Ning Ruxue shook her head. "I've just had some insights recently and plan to dedicate myself to rigorous cultivation here for a while. Ask Hua Yi to go with you!" Turning his gaze to Hua Yi, he found that this woman was also vehemently shaking her head. "I need to bring the Kui Water Divine Light to perfection; I won't be wandering around these days either. I was planning to find a place rich in water essence for some secluded cultivation!" "None of you are going?" He turned his gaze to the others. Finally, Xu Xian spoke up. "I haven't properly explored since arriving here. I'll accompany Senior Brother on this trip!" He then turned to Huang Rongrong. "Rongrong, you should come too!" But for some reason today, it was as if these women had conspired; Huang Rongrong also shook her head. "I'm not going. Zhang Ling told me so much about the outside world, and it sounds boring! Besides, the last time I went out, the air there made me very uncomfortable!" In the end, Huang Rongrong also decided against it, leaving only Ye Wen and Xu Xian. "Heh, looks like it's up to us two martial brothers in the end!" As soon as they left the Penglai Immortal Realm, Xu Xian stretched languidly. "Life has been too leisurely lately; my body is getting lazy. This is a good chance to get out and stretch my legs with Senior Brother!" Ye Wen sighed, then ignored Xu Xian. In his mind, he decided to check out the Changbai Immortal Realm first! The East Sea Immortal Palace should have been closer geographically, but he couldn't be sure if any Dragon Clan resided there. If they did, rushing in with his injuries unstable could lead to a tragic end, so he decided to check the place that sounded safer first. The Changbai Immortal Realm was located on Mount Changbai, and that area didn't seem to house any major sects. On the surface, it looked quite safe—unless Xu Xian mistook the Ginseng King, which others had been eyeing for a long time, for a white radish and ate it! "You trouble-making brat!" Xu Xian looked aggrieved. "Who could have imagined a human body could grow to look like a radish? And such a huge white radish!" Just as Ye Wen was about to say more, he suddenly exerted his power to guard against the group of people aggressively rushing toward them. Unexpectedly, his mind spun violently, and his spirit shook intensely. If Xu Xian hadn't swiftly steadied him, he would have nearly collapsed onto the ground. "What... what is happening?"