The matters of that world were now far beyond Ye Wen's concern. Taking Shushan with him, he soared beyond the atmosphere until they unexpectedly arrived in the vastness of cosmic space.

Truthfully, Ye Wen was quite astonished when he realized that by continuing to fly upward, he could witness the boundless universe. He had assumed that the world contained within the Nine Tripods was merely one finite expanse, believing that flying ever higher would eventually lead him to its edge. He hadn't expected the illusionary world conjured by the Nine Tripods to be so thorough, actually displaying such a spectacle.

Yet, Ye Wen keenly detected the difference between this constructed realm and the genuine cosmos. A mere sweep of his divine sense revealed that if he proceeded just a little further, he would reach the boundary of this world—it wasn't limitless, but rather so perfectly merged with its surroundings that the difference was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Ordinarily, Ye Wen’s Glazed Pupils would have allowed him to see through this, but his entire focus was fixed on protecting Shushan! Now that they were in space, he dared not relax; one moment of inattention and everyone on the mountain would be utterly doomed.

In stark contrast to Ye Wen's cautious vigilance, those on the mountain were entirely unaware, instead gazing curiously in all directions, chattering amidst the surrounding darkness.

“Has it become night?”

“How is that possible? Didn’t you see the Ancestor flying us higher and higher, and then suddenly it turned dark? Maybe we arrived somewhere else!”

“Oh? Then where do you think we are?”

“This…”

When pressed, none of them could offer a coherent explanation. Even the most learned among them could not articulate why the bright daylight had vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by pitch blackness.

Fortunately, the seven-colored light swirling around them allowed everyone to see their surroundings clearly, negating the need to prepare torches or other illumination.

“Master seems to have stopped!”

Earlier, Ye Wen had been flying swiftly, leaving behind a trailing ribbon of purple light like a tail. Now, that light was gone, and Zhou Zhiruo knew immediately that her Master had halted his momentum.

Guo Jing and Nangong Huang also looked up, puzzled. “Have we arrived? Is this the Immortal Realm?”

At these words, everyone exchanged glances, finding the Immortal Realm vastly different from their expectations—pitch black and empty. If the Immortal Realm was truly like this, they figured it would be better to remain living happily in the mortal world.

As this thought crossed their minds, though they dared not show overt dissatisfaction, murmurs still drifted amongst them. Just then, Dongfang Kui, who had remained silent, seemed to sense something. Her gaze, previously unmoving, suddenly narrowed, only to be momentarily blinded by a brilliant flash of light in the distance. Nevertheless, she refused to shift her focus, stubbornly staring toward Ye Wen overhead.

It turned out that after locating the boundary, Ye Wen had summoned the Zixiao Sword and channeled the power of the Hun Tian Bao Jian true energy, bringing it down in a fierce slash against a fissure that had opened in the barrier!

This fissure was created by the Nine Tripods obeying his will the moment the thought formed in his mind! The problem was that the rift refused to widen, allowing only Ye Wen to pass through. It was impossible to bring the entire mountain, and even his own disciples would have trouble getting through. Annoyed, he resorted to brute force, intending to cleave the opening wide enough for Shushan to pass.

The people of Shushan felt a blinding flash of light erupt above them. If Ye Wen’s earlier exertion of power felt like a purple sun appearing overhead, this burst of intense light was several times brighter than three or four suns combined. Every single person squeezed their eyes shut; even Dongfang Kui could not endure it, forced to close her eyes tightly—lest they be ruined.

Fortunately, the intense light vanished as quickly as it appeared. When everyone finally reopened their eyes, they saw a vortex hovering in the dark heights, appearing as if it could swallow everything within.

And they themselves were slowly being drawn toward it!

“W-what is that thing?”

“I don’t know… perhaps it’s the passage to the Immortal Realm?”

It was fortunate that these people did not know what it truly was. If anyone among them had been a Transmigrator like Ye Wen, they would likely be weeping and crying out by now, because the vortex above them was, unequivocally, a black hole!

Ye Wen was also surprised; his single sword strike had managed to turn the fissure into a black hole. However, since all transformations within the Nine Tripods were linked to his thoughts, he could clearly feel that this object resembling a black hole was the exit. Otherwise, he would never dare lead the entire sect rushing into it.

Watching the entire Shushan Mountain gradually swallowed by the black hole, Ye Wen followed closely behind and plunged inside. Once Ye Wen’s figure disappeared, the black hole began to shrink rapidly until it vanished entirely, leaving the sky as if nothing had ever happened.

The moment Ye Wen entered the black hole, the scenery abruptly shifted. He found himself soaring upward, realizing that in just two or three seconds, his head would make unpleasantly intimate contact with the relatively low ceiling above.

“This… this feels very similar to the first time I emerged!”

Fortunately, Ye Wen was no longer the novice he once was. Upon seeing the situation, he instantly circulated his true energy, halting his upward momentum. Then, with another mental command, he descended lightly and gracefully to the ground.

Turning back, the Nine Tripods were vibrating intensely, enveloped by swirling light. It seemed Shushan could not remain inside for long; they needed to find a suitable location to release the mountain quickly. This small cave was certainly not it.

With a gesture, the Nine Tripods flew to him like a favorite pet dog, settling steadily in Ye Wen’s palm, spinning ceaselessly.

Ye Wen lightly held the Nine Tripods with his left hand, gave a slight push off his feet, and floated weightlessly toward the cave entrance.

Reaching the mouth of the cave, he saw Huayi sitting there, using a tiny thread of divine light generated by her own finger to playfully tease the kitten Garfield. Ye Wen merely offered a greeting: “I’m back!” and rushed out of the cave without stopping.

Glancing back, Huayi had picked up Garfield and followed. Seeing Ye Wen’s urgent demeanor, she knew this was no time for conversation, so she said nothing more, simply following behind and quietly observing Ye Wen’s actions.

Ye Wen said nothing either, just scanning the surroundings. Finally, he spotted a basin-like area nestled between the peaks; the environment looked superb, and he decided this would be the spot!

He stopped his movement and said to Huayi, “Step back a bit!”

Huayi nodded, activated her five-colored light, retreated a hundred zhang, and stopped floating in the air, watching Ye Wen from afar. The moment she settled, she saw Ye Wen toss the Nine Tripods in his hand before him. The tripod then rotated its mouth in mid-air, aiming its dark opening directly at the basin Ye Wen had chosen. Ye Wen slapped the bottom of the cauldron, and the light radiating from the Nine Tripods intensified manifold. Besides the images of myriad beasts, mountains, rivers, and seas becoming infinitely larger and clearer, sounds of tidal waves and roaring beasts could also be heard.

While they were in awe, a seven-colored stream of light suddenly erupted from the mouth of the Nine Tripods. As the multicolored stream continued to spray forth, a mountain peak materialized out of thin air.

“That… that is Shushan?”

Huayi had lived on Shushan for many years and was intimately familiar with it. Seeing it suddenly appear, she was incredibly astonished.

“Husband actually brought out the entire Shushan Mountain?”

Ever since she realized the environment of the Immortal Realm resembled the world they used to inhabit, Huayi had gradually changed her form of address, now calling him Fūjūn (Husband). Ning Ruxue, however, remained unchanged, typically addressing him only as Senior Martial Brother, only yielding to terms like Fūjūn when Ye Wen employed certain tactics. As for terms like "Good Elder Brother"... that remained merely a hopeful fantasy.

Ye Wen floated in the air, watching the entirety of Shushan emerge from the cauldron, feeling pleased, yet he scrutinized the landscape for a long time, unable to find a suitable place for them to land.

Huayi floated over at that moment. Seeing Ye Wen frowning in thought, she knew he faced a difficult decision. But now that the entire Shushan Mountain was manifested, what difficulty could there be?

“What troubles you, Husband?”

“I’m considering how to place this mountain down…”

Huayi was momentarily speechless, surprised that Ye Wen was vexed by such a trivial matter. A mountain, after all... it could be placed anywhere! At worst, they could check if there was an exit on the basin side and align the main gate in that direction.

However, Ye Wen had been surveying for quite some time before pointing toward a vast lake: “I intended to set it down in the center, but there is a large lake right in the middle, and its depth is unknown. If I place the mountain in the lake, it would be fine if it's shallow, but if the lake is unfathomably deep, wouldn't the entire mountain be submerged?”

“Husband…” Huayi glanced around and suddenly thought of a better idea.

“Do you have a good suggestion?”

“Mm!” Huayi pointed to Shushan: “Don't you think it looks better just floating in the air like this?”

Ye Wen paused, then looked closely at Shushan again. Indeed, the basin below was picturesque, like a dreamlike fairyland. A large lake dominated the center, and above the lake floated a high mountain—truly a place of immortal enchantment from a dream!

“Brilliant idea!” Ye Wen clapped his hands in praise. “You deserve a good reward!”

Huayi didn’t speak, merely shooting Ye Wen a flirtatious look. She knew perfectly well what Ye Wen’s reward entailed—nothing less than a vigorous time in the bedroom later. She was far from resistant; in fact, she enjoyed it.

With his mind made up, Ye Wen used the Nine Tripods to manipulate Shushan, adjusting its orientation. The mountain gate was still aligned toward the direction of a path that looked relatively easier to traverse—this would serve as the entry and exit route.

Of course, after careful observation, Ye Wen noted that this mountain path was not for ordinary travelers. Someone with decent Qinggong might manage entry and exit, but an average person stumbling onto this path would likely lose their life with a sixty to seventy percent probability.

He then examined the other directions and found the paths there even more treacherous—they barely qualified as paths. The northern range was a continuous expanse of sheer cliffs, and the mountains were incredibly high, their peaks perpetually snow-capped, making them places ordinary people could never tread.

“Truly a fine location!”

For now, both he and the Shushan Sect had just arrived in this Immortal Realm, the situation unknown. Having such an isolated sanctuary would allow them to cultivate in peace.

As for how to make the mountain range float, Ye Wen had initially thought this problem difficult. However, he realized that since Shushan was a product of the Nine Tripods, the cauldrons retained some degree of control over it. This meant as long as he held the precious cauldrons, he could manipulate Shushan, even making it hover in the air.

“If that’s the case…”

As this thought arose in Ye Wen’s mind, the few smaller peaks that had been dug up along with Shushan began to rise, eventually floating slightly higher than Shushan itself. They then drifted around the vicinity of Shushan’s summit in a crisscross pattern. Ye Wen surveyed these small mountains, which resembled floating islets, thinking they could serve other purposes—if nothing else, they would make excellent spots for rest or secluded cultivation.

Counting roughly, Ye Wen delineated about thirteen floating islets. These islets were similar in size. He planned to set up formations later to prevent casual ascent, and then everything would be perfectly arranged.

“Wait? Thirteen?”

He suddenly felt this number held some significance, but he couldn’t recall why immediately, so he set the thought aside. Ye Wen beckoned to Huayi, then retracted the Nine Tripods and flew directly toward Shushan.

Shushan had stabilized by then, and the seven-colored flow of light enveloping it had dissipated. As the light faded, everyone felt an incredibly fresh breeze wash over them, and almost instinctively, they took a deep breath.

“Wow… such fresh air!”

“Is this… the Immortal Realm? Just taking one breath makes one feel so refreshed?”

For many ordinary disciples, this discovery was the extent of their realization. For the experts who had already achieved some level of attainment, the difference in this new realm compared to their former world was far more pronounced.

Li Xuan remained silent, casually raising a hand until a mass of cold energy gathered in his palm. Simultaneously, the true energy he consumed in a single breath was replenished.

“Truly worthy of being an immortal domain…”

Moreover, he felt his body become lighter as his true energy circulated. He roughly estimated that if he lived in such conditions, even without cultivating, he could live at least another two or three decades. If he cultivated... given his aptitude, passing that barrier that had stalled him for decades would barely be a challenge!

Nangong Huang also felt invigorated, even sensing that his injuries had lightened somewhat—of course, this was purely illusory, but recovery would certainly be faster here.

Zhou Zhiruo looked around curiously, while Dongfang Kui’s face suddenly flushed red after observing for a moment. This caused great bewilderment among those nearby, who wondered why she suddenly looked so shy. Then they grew curious: “Hey? Who is that woman? I haven’t seen her before…”

“That woman seems to be a maidservant to an elder in the back mountain, I think? I glimpsed her once when I was exploring the rear mountain by chance…”

“What elder lives in our back mountain?”

“I don’t know!”

“Hehe… You don’t know? You have to ask me about this… Let me tell you, there is a great elder living in seclusion in the back mountain of our Shushan Sect. He is a master on the same generation as our Ancestor, and he lives among us because of an old connection with the Ancestor…”

“Oh?”

The group of gossiping disciples grew more animated. Dongfang Kui overheard snippets of their conversation, causing her face to grow even rosier. She eventually moved aside to avoid hearing more.

But inwardly, she mused: “The ambient spiritual energy in this Immortal Realm is so abundant; achieving the Seventh Transformation seems within reach…”

Just then, Ye Wen landed on the main square with Huayi. Seeing Ye Wen arrive, everyone immediately bowed, and a cacophony of ‘Master,’ ‘Ancestor’ greetings erupted, making Ye Wen’s ears buzz until he stood stunned for a moment before regaining his senses.

He nodded slightly to everyone as a return greeting and led the group directly into the main hall. Along the way, he inevitably heard disciples asking, “Hey? Who is that woman?”

Fortunately, someone provided a clear explanation: “Perhaps she is the Ancestor’s wife?”

Upon hearing this possibility, everyone immediately averted their gaze, daring not look again! No matter how beautiful Huayi was, they dared not harbor any further inappropriate thoughts.

The entire group entered the hall, and Ye Wen reassumed his seat at the head. Once everyone stood according to their seniority, Ye Wen spoke: “Your Martial Uncle and a few disciples went out and haven't returned. When they come back, we will hold a grand ceremony for the entire sect. At the very least, we must properly recognize all these new disciples!”

Zhou Zhiruo nodded in agreement, and other disciples nearby took notes.

The matter currently requiring resolution was who should ascend to the position of Shushan Sect Master. Nangong Huang immediately stated: “Previously, Martial Uncle passed the leadership to Senior Brother Yue because he was about to shatter the void and could no longer oversee the sect, compelling him to pass the Master position to Senior Brother Yue. Now that Martial Uncle is healthy and there won't be another event like shattering the void, I suggest that Martial Uncle should reassume command of the sect!”

He was unsure if there would be any other incidents similar to shattering the void, but he presumed the Immortal Realm was the highest plane, so such an event likely wouldn't recur.

Besides, from the few words Ye Wen had let slip, one could surmise that future cultivation might span decades or centuries, possibly even millennia of lifespan. In that case, even if a void-shattering event did occur, it would be thousands of years away, not something to worry about now.

As soon as Nangong Huang proposed this, everyone responded enthusiastically, creating a situation of overwhelming support. Ye Wen felt momentarily like a mountain chieftain being nominated as a commander; instantly, the spirits of Zhao Kuangyin and Song Jiang seemed to possess him, and he stood up, raising a hand to signal for quiet.

“If that is the consensus, then so be it…”

He was not refusing; in fact, he held this very thought himself. Nangong Huang had simply voiced it first. If Ye Wen harbored any hidden agenda, he might have secretly praised the young man: “This kid is sharp! Xu Xian truly accepted a good disciple!”

It wasn't that Ye Wen held any selfish motives, but he felt he was the rightful inheritor of the Shushan Sect Master position! If he were absent, perhaps it could be debated, but now that he was whole, possessed the highest cultivation in the sect, and held significant prestige among the disciples, who else was qualified to be Master? Should he let a disciple take the role while he remained as the Supreme Patriarch?

Furthermore, since the book was titled The First Sect Master in History, this position had to go to Ye Wen! .：Oh no, it’s so late again… Please give me some support!