Ye Wen retrieved the kitten and tucked it back inside his robes, his mind replaying the recent events.

"Although I ended up with that She Yue's inner elixir, it's a pity I didn't gain a single benefit from it..." He had initially thought he boosted his cultivation using She Yue's inner elixir, thus managing to unleash the Six Paths of Reincarnation. But once everything subsided, he realized the spell had been powered entirely by the elixir itself. He had merely served as the conduit between the fuel tank and the engine, purely a transportation mechanism.

In essence, he hadn't absorbed any of that immense power; it was all completely consumed by the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Thankfully, Ye Wen understood that such things were never truly his to keep, and their absence was destined, so he didn't dwell on it excessively.

Yet, to say he gained nothing at all would be inaccurate. At the very least, the stimulus from the inner elixir had finally provoked a reaction from his Buddhist divine abilities, even leading him to comprehend a supreme technique like the Six Paths of Reincarnation—more importantly, after careful consideration, Ye Wen realized this technique could be slightly modified into a move he himself could utilize.

He needed more time to figure out the specifics, but for now...

His gaze sharpened, and Ye Wen urged his sword-light straight toward Changbai Mountain. The thought of his junior brothers, junior sisters, and several disciples possibly already locked in fierce battle with the Kunlun Sect members filled him with mounting anxiety. He wondered if he could return to the Changbai Immortal Realm before the Kunlun contingent did.

While he was rushing there, Xu Xian and Ning Ruxue, leading the others in the Changbai Immortal Realm, were standing off against a group of uninvited guests from a distance. Ning Ruxue didn't recognize these people, but Xu Xian had met their leader, Tiangangzi, once before, immediately realizing the Kunlun Sect had tracked them down.

"These people actually managed to enter the Changbai Immortal Realm?" Xu Xian pondered briefly, recalling that if the Kunlun Sect could exploit a loophole to open the South Sea Immortal Palace, gaining entry to the Changbai Immortal Realm wasn't exactly shocking.

But then, what was the deal with the sudden appearance of a vast ocean?

Ye Wen and Xu Xian had thoroughly mapped out the Changbai Immortal Realm. While vast, the realm wasn't boundless; its edges were clearly defined. If one ventured far enough in any direction, they would encounter a terrifying sight: raging blizzards roaring just a meter away, while where they stood, not a single snowflake fell. A slight probe would reveal that the blizzard seemed to be held back by some invisible force, unable to spill over into their present domain.

Ye Wen had theorized that these blizzards were similar to the edges of the East Sea and South Sea realms—areas of extremely dense spiritual energy. If he accidentally blundered into the blizzard, even with his cultivation, he wouldn't instantly freeze to death, but he would certainly lose his bearings in the blink of an eye, left only to await death in the howling snowstorm.

The environment surrounding the Changbai Immortal Realm was like this on all sides. Combined with the examples of the East Sea and South Sea Immortal Palaces, Ye Wen understood these marked the boundaries of these immortal realms. Furthermore, the boundary of the Penglai Immortal Realm was shrouded in thick, impenetrable mist, obscuring any distant view, though it didn't convey the same intense sense of peril. Ye Wen had only learned from Zhang Sanfeng that this was the edge of an immortal realm, but he hadn't given it much thought until later, observing these different locales and instantly grasping how dangerous the borders of these realms truly were.

However, now, the area that should have been a raging blizzard had transformed into a massive ocean. This genuinely caused a stir of surprise. Even with the many ice floes drifting on the seawater, it felt profoundly dissonant to Xu Xian.

Simultaneously, the dense moisture emanating from the sea caused strange phenomena to ripple across the entire Changbai Immortal Realm. Although the incessantly falling snow gradually ceased, the clouds overhead grew thicker and thicker. It was clearly daytime, yet the realm was as dark as night.

Xu Xian and the others stood on a snow plain, while Tiangangzi of the Kunlun Sect led his group by the shore. The two parties faced each other across the distance, neither speaking, yet both sides were engaged in intense internal debate.

"Senior Brother, it seems the people across from us are the entirety of the Shushan Sect! Ye Wen is absent; why don't we eliminate these people first!"

The speaker was Tiangangzi's junior brother, the Disha Daoist, whose accompanying magical treasure was the Seventy-Two Disha Swords.

The Tiangang and Disha Swords were originally a single set of treasures, one hundred and eight blades in total. They were marvelous when wielded together, and by arranging these flying swords, one could set up the Tiangang Disha Grand Formation to annihilate enemies.

But controlling this set of treasures was incredibly complex and demanded high levels of cultivation. Therefore, when their master passed the set down, he split the flying swords, giving half to each of his two disciples—Tiangangzi and the Disha Daoist—as a covert way of supporting the hermit Beihe.

It must be said that this senior from the Kunlun Sect possessed sharp insight. Although Tiangangzi and the Disha Daoist were fellow disciples and even shared a set of flying swords, the two were not unified in purpose.

Tiangangzi yearned to rise to prominence, somewhat unwilling to live perpetually under the shadow of the hermit Beihe. The Disha Daoist, however, was on good terms with Beihe and could be considered one of the few people Beihe truly trusted.

Consequently, for years, the Disha Daoist had sought vengeance for Beihe. Today, having finally located the Shushan group, even without seeing Ye Wen, killing his disciples first would offer some measure of satisfaction.

As he spoke, he already summoned the Seventy-Two Disha Swords. These seventy-two flying swords hovered in the air, truly creating a terrifying spectacle. Upon seeing the opposing group reveal their flying swords, Ning Ruxue and the others immediately mobilized their energies, preparing to strike—unaware that all seventy-two flying swords were controlled by a single person.

Tiangangzi paused to consider. He knew his junior brother was not aligned with him and resented his authority. If Tiangangzi intended to control the Kunlun Sect, his junior brother was a significant nuisance. But for now...?

He pointed distantly at Xu Xian and stated to the Disha Daoist, "That man is Ye Wen's junior brother. He was present when our Sect Master was murdered and was Ye Wen's accomplice. Later, when I went to avenge my senior brother, this man obstructed me. If you intend to act, Junior Brother, remember to eliminate this one first!"

The Disha Daoist ground his teeth in fury, acknowledging, "Your junior brother understands!" He then strode out from the crowd, shouting toward the Shushan group, "Xu Xian, yield your life!"

Immediately following, he propelled the seventy-two flying swords, launching them all toward Xu Xian.

These seventy-two swords corresponded to the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends in the heavens, possessing infinite power and countless transformations. When unleashed, they presented complexities that ordinary people simply could not handle, feeling as if flying swords attacked from every direction, akin to being besieged by countless assailants.

But for Xu Xian, who often fought multiple opponents single-handedly, this wasn't a difficult feat. Moreover, his lightness skill was formidable, granting him incredible speed, allowing him to move freely even amidst the torrent of sword light. He merely told Huang Rongrong, "Since they called me out by name, I naturally can't show cowardice. Rongrong, rest assured. After I deal with this fellow, we’ll go hunting!"

Huang Rongrong nodded. She watched as Xu Xian drew the Southern Flame Purifying Fire Sword, leaped out, leaving a string of afterimages, and actually tore through the densely packed Disha Sword Formation, charging directly toward the Disha Daoist opposite them.

The Disha Daoist hadn't expected his move to be evaded so easily. Seeing Xu Xian charging toward him with his sword drawn, he was startled. Recalling that this man was a Martial Cultivator, this posture clearly indicated an intention for close-quarters combat.

"Dream on, it won't be that easy!"

With a casual pull, he withdrew a long spear from his treasure pouch. The Shushan members actually recognized this spear: it was the Six Harmonies Phoenix Greeting Spear. Ye Wen had obtained one from Ancestor Bixue and immediately gifted it to Guan Luyan, so everyone knew of the Six Harmonies Phoenix Greeting Spear and had likely heard Ye Wen mention that it was a mass-produced item, nothing rare.

However, while the Six Harmonies Phoenix Greeting Spear was incredibly potent when wielded, it didn't seem like something the Disha Daoist should possess. Could this Daoist be hiding deeper skills, perhaps mastering spear techniques as well?

The group soon realized their guess was wrong. As soon as the Disha Daoist drew the spear, his hands immediately formed a hand seal. The spear then suspended itself in the air and suddenly erupted with intense fire energy; the spear no longer resembled a mere weapon, but rather a pillar of flame. He then locked onto Xu Xian's trajectory and thrust out like an arrow.

Xu Xian, mid-charge, abruptly saw a column of fire thrusting toward him. He instantly utilized his lightness skill to shift sideways, managing to narrowly dodge the extremely fast strike. What astonished him even more was that when the fire pillar struck the ground, it exploded with a deafening boom. The intense heat radiating from the spear detonated, and the powerful shockwave nearly sent Xu Xian flying.

"This thing's power is this immense?"

The standard Six Harmonies Phoenix Greeting Spear didn't possess such devastating force. Although Guan Luyan’s version could condense fire energy into the shape of a phoenix, its actual power was far less than the Disha Daoist's spear, which was custom-made to emphasize sheer power and practicality. Guan Luyan's spear was intended for sale—impressive in appearance, manifesting a fiery phoenix, but its true destructive capability was limited.

What shocked Xu Xian even more was that after the explosion, before the scattered flames even dissipated, the spear shot out from the mass of fire and lunged at him again.

Alarmed, Xu Xian instinctively raised his hand to parry, simultaneously channeling energy into his sword. A burst of vermilion light erupted from the Southern Flame Purifying Fire Sword as he casually executed a move of Heavenly Cycle Recurrence. The onlookers only saw the vermilion light meet the fire pillar, but the collision made no sound. The fire pillar then skewed slightly, whipping past Xu Xian's body.

"That was close!"

But what followed was even more perilous. Xu Xian was delayed by the spear's two attacks. When he looked up again, he found himself encircled by the seventy-two flying swords.

"Oh, this is troublesome!"

Holding his longsword, Xu Xian lifted his head to survey his surroundings, realizing that merely turning his head caused the flying swords to constantly adjust their positions, ensuring that many swords always targeted the blind spots of his vision, as if any lapse in attention would result in an immediate burst of lethal light.

However, Xu Xian felt no fear; instead, a smile touched his lips. "Perfect timing to test that move!"

He flicked his longsword, and the vermilion light surrounding it flared even brighter, then suddenly erupted into a dazzling glare that was painful to look at. When the onlookers could see clearly again, they saw that with one sweep of Xu Xian's sword, countless small swords, about a foot long, appeared, densely packing the area around him, shifting and weaving in response to his sword’s movements.

"Is this... the Shushan Sect's Ten Thousand Swords Art?"

Tiangangzi wasn't entirely sure, as he had never personally witnessed the Ten Thousand Swords Art, only hearing of it from fellow cultivators. But he heard the technique required over a thousand flying swords; perhaps these smaller ones were a variation?

Unable to decipher it, but prioritizing caution, he shouted, "Junior Brother, finish this quickly!" He then led by example, immediately summoning his flying swords and preparing to attack the general Shushan group.

Unexpectedly, while his move was fast, the Shushan side reacted even quicker.

Aware that this was hardly a friendly exchange, every member of the Shushan Sect had already prepared countermeasures. The moment Xu Xian deployed his new move, Ning Ruxue unleashed the long-accumulated Thousand Reflections Fading Light Sword.

The onlookers only saw a flash before their eyes, and numerous emerald-green longswords suddenly appeared around Ning Ruxue. Their style was identical to the Green Lotus Sword, but everyone knew Ning Ruxue possessed only one truly powerful Green Lotus Sword, its might far surpassing the others—a distinct contrast to Ye Wen’s Purple Heaven Sword.

Li Xiaoyao, who had witnessed the Ten Thousand Swords Art before, merely sighed, "When I usually see Mistress use this move, it never has this grand an aura. It seems Mistress is serious this time!" He then meticulously observed the techniques used by Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian, as well as the cultivation methods and combat styles of the opposing Daoists.

The grand display by Ning Ruxue naturally drew the attention of the Kunlun group. Upon seeing over a hundred emerald-green flying swords, Tiangangzi realized he had misjudged earlier; this was the Shushan Sect's true Ten Thousand Swords Art—though, in fact, he was still mistaken.

Recognizing the danger of the technique, Tiangangzi instantly shifted his hand movements. His Tiangang Swords immediately changed direction, targeting Ning Ruxue. But Ning Ruxue ignored the thirty-six flying swords heading toward her, instead widening her eyes and roaring, "Rise!"

A green lotus materialized above her brow, appearing almost real, giving the subtle illusion that the flower was spinning rapidly—though this was merely a perceptual trick caused by the flowing light from the lotus mark on her forehead. Immediately, the more than one hundred green swords shot toward the sky, made a sharp turn in the air, and headed toward the remaining Kunlun members behind Tiangangzi—Ning Ruxue had resolved to eliminate these troublesome underlings first before dealing with the few powerful, elderly Daoists.

As for the flying swords attacking her? She wasn't overly concerned for herself; with so many people beside her, they would naturally know what to do.

Indeed, the others acted almost without needing instruction, unleashing their respective skills. Zhang Ling and Zheng Ying exploded with ultimate power. Zhang Ling used a cherry-blossom-like blade saturated with ultimate power to block two flying swords. No matter how the swords lunged and darted, they could not break out of the sea of flowers.

Zheng Ying was far more direct and brutal. He flicked his hand, unleashing a torrent of flames, then covered both hands in fire and punched directly at two flying swords. With two booming crashes, the surrounding (Qi-Force) scattered, blowing away the accumulated snow in that area and exposing the long-unseen ground.

Guan Luyan unleashed his Scarlet Power. The old man's white hair and long silver-white beard, while not as exaggerated as his ancestor's, coupled with his crimson face, gave him the appearance of a certain revered General Guan. He swung the Six Harmonies Phoenix Greeting Spear, unleashing both his violent Scarlet Power and the scorching Fire Phoenix energy. With one sweep, he pinned a flying sword to the ground. Then, stepping down on the sword, he began swinging the spear again and again, spinning it like a propeller, preventing three flying swords from advancing further.

These disciples represented the weakest cultivators, yet they performed admirably. The two who had followed Ye Wen the longest certainly couldn't be lesser than them. At this moment, their Battle Qi erupted. Tommy unleashed three consecutive Dragon Ascending Fists, each driving a flying sword high into the sky. Following up, he executed a Seven Revolutions Slash. Enhanced by the mixture of red and blue Battle Qi, this strike produced a grating metallic sound, and with a loud clatter, several more flying swords were swept aside by a single kick.

However, compared to Chris, all these individuals were mere novices!

Chris channeled his blue Battle Qi, and his entire body seemed enveloped in a thick layer of blue flame, making his face barely discernible. Although Chris had been stuck in the blue Battle Qi realm for many years without a breakthrough, he hadn't stopped progressing. He had now reached the peak of the blue Battle Qi, needing only one opportunity to break through to the higher purple Battle Qi level.

It could be said that Chris's true strength was not inferior to that of the sect's elders. Moreover, over the past few years, Ye Wen had inadvertently acquired an incredibly domineering martial art, perfectly suited for Chris.

Chris brought his hands together, and his blue Battle Qi continuously gathered in his palms, being compressed and then gathered again, and again compressed.

This technique itself wasn't rare; the Wave Motion Fist was used similarly. But this time, as Chris compressed the energy, he simultaneously employed a strange esoteric method. Thus, the undulating energy in his palms was vastly different from what he usually manifested—it appeared more volatile, unstable, and far more dangerous!

Locking onto the trajectory of the remaining flying swords, Chris roared, "Everyone get back!"

He then pushed his hands forward. As a fierce shout erupted from his throat, the volatile energy in his palms violently burst forth. The Shushan group, having seen Chris step forward, immediately retreated behind him. Hua Yi, meanwhile, instantly deployed the four layers of Divine Light she had mastered, forming successive barriers to shield the others.

A blinding flash of light, capable of searing everyone's eyes, cut through the air, followed by a deafening, disorienting roar. Then, a powerful shockwave, strong enough to knock nearly everyone down, radiated outward, accompanied by terrifying heat that could instantly reduce things to ash.

After everything subsided, a massive mushroom cloud materialized within the Changbai Immortal Realm. Xu Xian, now covered in soot and grime, yelled out, "I'm still over here!"