Ye Wen looked the young man up and down carefully, finding him somewhat familiar, yet absolutely unknown. Then, a possibility suddenly struck him, although he felt it wasn't a very reliable one.

The young man pointed at himself: "Master, you don't recognize me? I'm Xiaoyao!" As he spoke, perhaps to prove his identity, he reached behind him and with a clank, pulled out the weapon he carried on his back. Only when revealed did everyone clearly see it wasn't a long sword at all, but a wok spatula (wrapped in oilcloth while carried, with only the handle visible, making it resemble a sword).

The crowd: "..."

Seeing the familiar wok spatula, Ye Wen finally confirmed that the impossibly handsome person before him was his Sixth Disciple, Li Xiaoyao, because no one other than that glutton would carry a wok spatula as a personal weapon.

"Why are you so thin?"

Hearing this, Li Xiaoyao burst into tears and fell to his knees, weeping bitterly, "Master... after you shattered the void and ascended, my senior brothers and sisters have been abusing me!"

"Ah?" Ye Wen was startled, wondering if his other disciples had begun fighting amongst themselves.

Unexpectedly, what Li Xiaoyao said next made Ye Wen want to spit blood.

"My senior brother and sister ration my meals every day, never letting me eat my fill! And they arrange so many tasks for me, running up and down the mountain all day long. My figure is completely ruined now; look, I'm practically skin and bones..."

The crowd: "..."

Ye Wen then understood that Yue Ning and Zhou Zhiruo must have finally had enough of their constantly eating junior brother, forcing him into rigorous exercise and strictly controlling his diet.

However, as he shifted his gaze aside, Xu Xian gave him a smile, and Ye Wen immediately understood that Xu Xian had likely been involved, perhaps even as the mastermind.

Having grasped the core of the matter, Ye Wen certainly wouldn't let Li Xiaoyao continue his farce. He scolded him sternly, "Your senior brother and sister are doing this for your own good. What kind of appearance is this? Get up quickly!"

As he spoke, he noticed Li Xiaoyao shiver slightly, likely chilled by the environment. Fortunately, everyone had spare padded coats. Ning Ruxue immediately pulled one out and handed it to Li Xiaoyao: "Put this on first; the weather here isn't very warm!"

"Thank you, Mistress!"

Li Xiaoyao happily wrapped the coat around himself before looking around at his surroundings. He had just noticed the scene of ice and snow, and the many people present. He recognized the few from the Shushan Sect, but not the others. Under the circumstances, he didn't dare ask much, simply smiling and greeting the unfamiliar faces.

Seeing that he had put on the coat, Ye Wen pointed out Zheng Ying and the others to introduce them. But when he introduced Chris and Tommy, Li Xiaoyao was full of curiosity, having never seen people like them. If not for his Master’s introduction, he might have mistaken them for monsters.

Everyone else learned that this was Ye Wen’s former disciple, surnamed Li, named Xiaoyao, nicknamed 'Big Mouth,' skilled at cooking, and an extremely prodigious eater. He used to be a very fat man, weighing over 200 catties, nearly 300, and even when he left, he weighed over 200. No one knew how he lost weight so quickly, which was why Ye Wen hadn't recognized him immediately.

After all, the former Li Xiaoyao had a round face, round eyes, and a round body, with a double chin. Even if he wasn't unattractive, he looked drastically different from how he looked now—he had transformed into a face shaped like a melon seed!

Furthermore, when Li Xiaoyao introduced his name and nickname, Chris and Tommy didn't react much, but Zheng Ying and Zhang Ling looked extremely embarrassed, especially upon hearing that the dignified Li Xiaoyao's nickname was 'Big Mouth.' Their embarrassment deepened when they recalled his former obese appearance...

"It's ruined, the image of the most perfect swordsman in my heart has collapsed!"

Although Zhang Ling said nothing, her displeased expression conveyed that her thoughts were likely similar to Zheng Ying’s. As for Guan Luyan—the old man had never played Xianjian, and although Guan Shuying had, her interest in the game was limited.

Li Xiaoyao was unaware of these things, and Ye Wen naturally wouldn't bring them up. However, Xu Xian kept a straight face, struggling hard not to laugh—he had seen the certain dramatic series, the certain game, and the adapted television drama. The gap between those versions and reality made it hard for him to contain his amusement.

Ye Wen coughed lightly and said to Li Xiaoyao, "The current situation of our Shushan Sect is not ideal. We are currently taking refuge in this Changbai Immortal Realm, and the environment here is such that ice and snow persist year-round. You should first build yourself some temporary lodging to shelter from the wind and snow."

Li Xiaoyao nodded; this was fine. In truth, this was much better than he had anticipated. Because his ascension was so sudden, he hadn't had time to prepare or make arrangements; he hadn't even had time to return to the mountain before shattering the void. Being able to see his Master and Martial Uncles immediately upon arrival made him very happy.

As for building a house? That was a trivial matter. Were not all those present beings beyond the ordinary? Tommy, the enthusiastic fellow, ran off and returned in the blink of an eye with a pile of logs. What followed was everyone joining forces to build the wood into houses.

Of course, this wasn't something that could be done in a moment, so Li Xiaoyao's accommodation needed to be arranged separately...

"Let him stay in my room!"

This statement caused everyone's gaze to swivel in unison toward Guan Shuying. She blinked in surprise, and only after seeing everyone's suggestive eyes did she realize the misunderstanding.

"What are you thinking? I mean, let him stay in my room, and I'll stay with Zhang Ling or my father for a while!"

"Oh! So that's what you meant!" The few who were overly fond of gossip looked disappointed. They had imagined someone had been instantly smitten by Li Xiaoyao's handsome appearance!

However, Li Xiaoyao then revealed a charming smile capable of making anyone's heart race. As he thanked Guan Shuying, everyone noticed the reaction of the great beauty Guan—it seemed she hadn't been instantly smitten, but it was close enough.

"This Li Xiaoyao, just like in the original work, can instantly conquer everyone."

Zheng Ying mused wickedly from the side, while also being curious why Li Xiaoyao treasured that wok spatula so much. Although he had heard Ye Wen explain that Li Xiaoyao was an extreme eater, he hadn't expected it to be to that degree.

After chatting for a while, Li Xiaoyao suddenly announced, "It's mealtime. I'll personally cook a feast!"

As soon as he said this, everyone realized it was unconsciously late into the night. Was this Li Xiaoyao intending to make a late-night snack too?

Ye Wen, who knew his disciple reasonably well, did not stop him. He merely asked Huayi to lead Li Xiaoyao to the wooden hut used for cooking, explaining some of the spices and condiments before leaving them alone.

"Everyone just wait for the food... Your Sixth Senior Brother's culinary skills are still quite impressive!"

Everyone present, including Zheng Ying and Zhang Ling, were considered registered disciples of Ye Wen. Although they were not counted in the seniority ranking, they still had to respectfully call Li Xiaoyao Sixth Senior Brother.

It was only at this point that these few realized Li Xiaoyao ranked sixth under Ye Wen, with five seniors above him, though they didn't know who they were or how skilled their martial arts were. However, Ye Wen had once mentioned that any disciple emerging from that cauldron must have reached the Earth Immortal realm. By this calculation, their current strength was roughly comparable.

Now, most of the people present had already surpassed the threshold of Earth Immortal. Ye Wen had once wondered if becoming an Earth Immortal required no tribulation? It was also possible that their cultivation techniques were somewhat unique, thus negating the tribulation.

The group chatted for a while, but shortly thereafter, Huayi returned carrying dishes. Upon seeing this, Zhang Ling and Guan Shuying immediately knew the food was ready and got up to help carry the dishes and set out bowls and chopsticks. A table quickly filled with fragrant dishes.

Though the ingredients were very ordinary, they were now prepared with perfect color, aroma, and flavor. Several people had wondered if the nickname 'Big Mouth' was deserved, but now they were full of praise.

When Li Xiaoyao finished cooking and appeared, everyone called him to sit down and eat. However, Li Xiaoyao maintained his old habit: after sitting down, he turned his gaze to Ye Wen, waiting until Ye Wen picked up his chopsticks before he dared to pick up his own.

This demonstrated the profound and lasting influence Ye Wen still held over his former disciples; such small details revealed everything.

After finishing the late-night meal, Ye Wen talked with Li Xiaoyao about the events before he shattered the void and how he achieved success.

Naturally, he also inquired about the current situation of the Shushan Sect.

Only Xu Xian and Ning Ruxue were present during this conversation. Huayi had gone to brew tea for them, and the others had dispersed, knowing that this topic was not for them to meddle in.

Li Xiaoyao respectfully recounted the matters of Ye Wen and Xu Xian shattering the void. Generally speaking, most of the news was good.

Firstly, Xu Xian's void shattering had no negative impact on the Shushan Sect; instead, it elevated the sect's prestige to its peak. Until Li Xiaoyao shattered the void, the Shushan Sect was unequivocally the number one sect in the world. All martial artists felt honored to know someone from Shushan, and the number of people seeking entry into the sect was countless.

"Before I left, the Head Senior Brother had already ordered a halt to taking new disciples!"

Within the Shushan Sect, not just the direct disciples, but even the outer disciples were numerous beyond counting. In such a situation, it wasn't suitable to continue recruiting en masse. In the future, the strategy would likely shift from broad recruitment to accepting only a select few exceptionally talented disciples.

Ye Wen also expressed approval of Yue Ning's decision, believing that the Shushan Sect was indeed on the right path under Yue Ning's leadership. Moreover, continuing to recruit disciples endlessly would only bring the sect unnecessary trouble without much benefit.

However, from Li Xiaoyao's words, Ye Wen understood that his Shushan Sect seemed to have reached its zenith. There is an old saying: 'Prosperity must be followed by decline.' The Shushan Sect's current might meant that a downturn was almost inevitable, the only question being whether the descent would be slow or sudden.

Furthermore, the lifespan of this group of disciples would determine the future of the Shushan Sect. If every one of them was short-lived, the sect's current glory would be a castle in the air, destined for swift destruction.

Fortunately, the news from Li Xiaoyao indicated that everyone in the Shushan Sect was currently in good health. Considering that only two years had passed between Xu Xian's void shattering and Li Xiaoyao's, if there were true physical issues among the Shushan disciples, Xu Xian likely would have informed him sooner.

At this moment, Ye Wen suddenly recalled a strange question: "Why did the Nine Provinces Cauldrons not react when Xu Xian shattered the void?"

Calculating the time—three years after Ye Wen shattered his void, Xu Xian shattered his, and five years later, Li Xiaoyao ascended. Yet, Ye Wen only felt the fluctuation of the Nine Provinces Cauldrons during his own ascension; he hadn't sensed Xu Xian's. But Li Xiaoyao came up directly. It seemed Xu Xian’s void shattering truly held a peculiarity, likely caused by the ring Ye Wen possessed. (Ye Wen glanced at the: Actually, you forgot, didn't you? It must be that!)

But those were minor details. Since Xu Xian stood safely before him, there was no need to dwell on the past.

"Right, how are the martial arts of your several senior brothers?"

Li Xiaoyao pondered: "Head Senior Brother's Innate Purple Qi has always been difficult to master fully. Now that he's married, I suppose it will be hard for him to reach Master's realm!"

Yue Ning was different from Ye Wen; Yue Ning still had his father alive, and the Yue family placed great importance on lineage continuation. Naturally, they couldn't allow Yue Ning to perpetually cultivate the virgin technique. Thus, since his Innate Purple Qi couldn't reach completion, Yue Ning, believing he wouldn't break through to the final realm anytime soon, took a wife to continue the Yue family line.

Ye Wen sighed inwardly upon hearing this, estimating that Yue Ning now had little hope of shattering the void in this lifetime. Even if his Innate Purple Qi eventually mastered, at most, he would reach the realm Li Xuan was in before Ye Wen ascended, perhaps slightly lower. Of course, if this eldest disciple had some miraculous fortune, that would be another matter, but Ye Wen thought it over and concluded Yue Ning wasn't the type to possess such great luck or wear a halo.

"Second Senior Sister has been diligently cultivating. Even though suitors seeking her hand have almost worn out the main entrance to Shushan, she has no intention of marrying!"

Li Xiaoyao recalled how countless young heroes in the Jianghu, who considered themselves suave, were repeatedly rebuffed by his Second Senior Sister, leading many young swordsmen in the current Jianghu to take pride in earning a smile from Miss Zhou—though most ended in failure.

"How is Second Senior Sister's cultivation level?"

Li Xiaoyao considered: "A tiny bit below mine!" He sounded quite pleased when he said this, yet he did have the capital to be proud, as he himself had shattered the void.

Ye Wen laughed and scolded him lightly, then thought it over. With Zhou Zhiruo assisting Yue Ning, even if Yue Ning's martial arts progression stalled slightly, it wouldn't cause major harm to the Shushan Sect, and he felt relieved.

"What about Third and Fourth Senior Brothers?" He had asked Xu Xian about them before, but Xu Ping had already left Shushan to live elsewhere, and Xu Xian only knew generally. Liu Muyan was an official in the imperial court, and Xu Xian didn't have the time to constantly visit the capital, so Ye Wen only got a general idea of those two disciples' situations.

Li Xiaoyao thought for a moment: "Before I shattered the void, I did visit both Senior Brothers separately. Third Senior Brother's cultivation has stagnated, but he doesn't seem to mind it much and lives quite happily, currently focusing all his energy on teaching his son!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Wen could only say: "As long as he is happy, it's good. It's rare for Xu Ping to be so clear-minded about his focus!" As for Xu Ping's son, Ye Wen didn't ask further. Whether Xu Ping's son would join the Shushan Sect was Xu Ping's business.

Li Xiaoyao paused when mentioning Fourth Senior Brother, and his eyes darted towards Ye Wen from time to time, suggesting the next news might not be pleasant.

Seeing his demeanor, Ye Wen understood. His expression darkened, though not directed at Li Xiaoyao. He merely said, "Speak plainly; it's alright!"

"Fourth Senior Brother has changed!" Li Xiaoyao recalled his visit to the capital to see his Fourth Senior Brother—what he saw and heard made him realize that man was no longer the Fourth Senior Brother he was familiar with. The person before him was clearly a high-ranking official in the imperial court, and a powerful one at that!

Ye Wen didn't ask for specifics, but this much was enough for him to understand that this disciple was no longer entirely aligned with the Shushan Sect. Although he could understand that Liu Muyan holding a high position in the court would naturally lead to such changes, and from Li Xiaoyao’s words, Liu Muyan still looked after the Shushan Sect and treated Li Xiaoyao kindly—at least the man hadn't forgotten his roots. Ye Wen could only sigh, "Your Fourth Senior Brother is also constrained by circumstances; don't blame him."

Li Xiaoyao nodded and didn't press the topic, but he did mention that Fourth Senior Brother's health seemed to be gradually declining. Ye Wen said nothing more, only nodding to show he understood.

The topic then shifted to Guo Jing. Mentioning this Fifth Senior Brother instantly energized Li Xiaoyao: "Although Fifth Senior Brother's progress in martial arts is slow, I genuinely felt hesitant fighting him!" As he spoke excitedly, he even stood up and made gestures: "And Fifth Senior Brother has completed the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms that Master taught—it's no longer just twelve moves!"

Ye Wen was stunned and looked at Li Xiaoyao in disbelief: "Completed?" He never imagined that simple, honest boy could complete that palm technique into eighteen strikes: "Have you ever seen your senior brother use it?"

Li Xiaoyao nodded: "I saw him use it once when sparring with Fifth Senior Brother!"

Ye Wen quickly urged, "Perform it for me!"

If someone else had been told this, they would have instantly broken out in a cold sweat. How could one recall and perform a technique seen only once during a spar? But for Li Xiaoyao, it was child's play. As soon as Ye Wen finished speaking, Li Xiaoyao followed him outside to the open ground and performed the six palm strikes one by one.

Ye Wen's eyes lit up as he observed them, finding that these six moves were extremely close to the descriptions he had consulted in his research. The Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms was finally worthy of its name.

I was delayed discussing future plans with my mother! But there will be no less than ten thousand characters today, though the second chapter might be late!

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