The conversation between Huang Rongrong and Nangong Huang did not last long; since the two were quite familiar with each other, they understood the situation after only a few sentences.

Smacking his lips in silent amazement, Huang Rongrong let out an exclamation: "So much time has passed already!"

Ever since she shattered the void with Xu Xian, she had spent her days traveling everywhere with him, living in carefree bliss. Moreover, everyone around them had cultivated to an ageless appearance, so the concept of time had long since lost its precise meaning. Seeing Nangong Huang looking so aged now made her realize that several decades had flown by.

Standing beside Ye Wen with Xu Xian, the group could finally continue their conversation more comfortably.

"Besides palm force projection, our Shushan Sect also possesses sword energy techniques, as well as the Sword Control Art that condenses qi directly into a sword... Therefore, we do not need to fear things like magical artifacts!"

This summary provided a boost of confidence to the gathered disciples. Seeing them collectively exhale in relief, Ye Wen knew his words had achieved the desired effect.

However, he clearly understood that lacking magical artifacts was not a long-term solution, especially since they were no longer in the Cultivation World, but the Immortal Realm! Cultivators in the mortal world focused on ascending and thus neglected martial skill practice, but that didn't mean the Immortals here were the same.

After all, achieving immortality implied a near-endless lifespan, allowing them ample time to focus on strengthening previously weak areas during their cultivation. Therefore, Ye Wen surmised that the Immortals here were likely beings with formidable physical bodies and numerous exquisite magical artifacts. If the Shushan Sect couldn't resolve its artifact deficiency soon, they would inevitably suffer a disadvantage.

"Let's put that aside for now!"

Ye Wen then asked Nangong Huang to continue his report. Nangong Huang stated, "Besides the Artifact Forging Pavilion, there is also the Herb Pavilion! In the past, it was managed by Doctor Chen. Regrettably, since Doctor Chen passed away, the Herb Pavilion has been unable to find a suitable successor. Now, it can only concoct simple elixirs based on the formulas Doctor Chen left behind, besides treating minor ailments like headaches and fevers for the disciples."

Hearing this, Ye Wen's brow furrowed deeply! He had provided quite a few conveniences to Chen Yizhong to support Shushan Sect's indigenous medical capabilities, not only allowing him first choice among apprentices but also specially setting up several medical halls so these apprentices would have places to gain practical experience.

Unexpectedly, after several decades, Shushan Sect's medical capabilities had not only failed to improve significantly but had actually regressed!

"What exactly happened?"

Nangong Huang replied helplessly, "Those genuinely aspiring to study medicine are unwilling to join our Shushan Sect. Among the remaining apprentices, very few possess the necessary innate talent. Over time, this led to the current situation!"

Ye Wen was struck dumb, realizing this was the predicament. Only then did he recall that Chen Yizhong was somewhat obscure back then, having been found by him on the roadside without any notable reputation, thus naturally failing to attract excellent students. Furthermore, medical arts at that time demanded extremely high innate talent from students; if they couldn't grasp it, they couldn't learn it, at best becoming competent local doctors, but never truly outstanding healers.

The situation now was that the Shushan Sect had many competent, run-of-the-mill healers, but not a single top-tier one! Consequently, what was passed down became commonplace.

After some thought, Ye Wen mentally shelved this matter as well, remembering that elixirs and pills likely had an entirely different context in the Immortal Realm. Especially the Way of Alchemy, whose complexity might rival the effort required for a master to cultivate to ascension.

Simultaneously, if the Way of Alchemy could be researched deeply, it would be critically important for the development of a sect. Unfortunately, Ye Wen was not versed in this art. Thus, both alchemy and artifact refinement could only remain subjects of contemplation for now, awaiting future opportunities for improvement.

"Besides these two areas, the issue of formations also needs resolution..."

Sighing, Ye Wen understood that these matters required slow handling and could not be rushed. Fortunately, the current state of the Shushan Sect was akin to starting from scratch, with numerous tasks ahead, so there was no need to be overly anxious.

At the very least, the cultivation levels of these disciples needed to be raised first. After all, for those who primarily focused on martial arts, any increase in their inner power corresponded directly to an enhancement of their personal strength. Even without external aids, ordinary people couldn't easily harm them.

Nangong Huang was unaware of the incessant thoughts churning in Ye Wen's mind and continued his report: "Furthermore, the Scripture Repository has become the place for our sect's disciples to study scholarly arts; almost every disciple must attend classes there! Simultaneously, the Shushan Academy at the foot of the mountain is open to outsiders... though currently..."

He paused with a smile, unsure of the present condition of the Shushan Academy!

Before the righteous faction of Shushan ascended, all the sect's disciples were responsible for clearing out the entire mountain. The Shushan Academy also suspended classes and gave the students a break.

So, when Ye Wen ascended with the entire Shushan Mountain, only the disciples of the Shushan Sect remained on the mountain. As for the two villages at the foot of the mountain, they were fortunately not affected—although they were near the base, there was still some distance involved.

Now that they were in the Immortal Realm, even without knowing the current state of Shushan, that academy... was probably useless!

Ye Wen considered this, then gave an instruction: "Tidy up that courtyard and turn it back into a branch manor! Since it's located at the foot of the mountain, right next to the path leading up, it can serve both as a place to receive guests and as a post to guard the mountain!"

However, considering the entire Shushan Mountain now floated in the air, the disciples assigned to the branch manor would need to be people unafraid of heights. Otherwise, peering over the courtyard wall and seeing that they were suspended high in the sky might render the faint-hearted utterly incapable of functioning!

As he was thinking about this, he heard Xu Xian say, "Right, Senior Brother, how did you manage to make this Shushan float in the sky? I was startled when I first arrived; I initially thought it was some strange scenic feature of this immortal realm, but the more I looked, the more it resembled our Shushan..." He left the rest unsaid. Although he didn't know the method Senior Brother Ye Wen used, this feat was undoubtedly his doing.

This comment startled everyone in the hall. They had been confined to the mountain and hadn't taken the time to look around, so they were unaware of Shushan's current state. Hearing Xu Xian's words, they realized the mountain was now suspended in the air!

Ye Wen remained unconcerned: "I just thought it looked more imposing this way!"

Internally, however, he mused: "I am currently relying on the Nine Provinces Cauldrons to sustain Shushan's flight, but what happens if I travel far in the future? It seems the Nine Provinces Cauldrons cannot be taken along; they need to remain within Shushan as a core element to ensure it stays airborne!"

He considered the possibility of him straying too far without remembering to maintain the Cauldrons’ connection, which would result in his disciples and descendants experiencing a freefall along with the entire peak—he estimated such an impact would kill everyone on the mountain.

At the same time, the Nine Provinces Cauldrons likely possessed some formation properties themselves. Perhaps for the Mountain Protection Grand Formation, he wouldn't need to exert himself; simply activating the Cauldrons would solve everything!

With this realization, he stopped speaking, stood up, beckoned Zhou Zhiruo, and called for Zhang Gui to be summoned—Zhang Gui traditionally kept out of sight due to his humble status.

Moments later, Zhang Gui arrived before Ye Wen. Ye Wen had already stepped outside the main hall. Seeing him arrive, Ye Wen smiled and said, "I have another task for you, are you willing?"

"I await your command!" Zhang Gui had always considered himself an ordinary servant of the Shushan Sect. Even though he held a high seniority in the sect now, he remained deferential to even an ordinary outer disciple, regardless of whether that disciple treated him impolitely, given that Zhang Gui could end that disciple's life with a casual palm strike.

Naturally, he could not refuse Ye Wen's command. Ye Wen seemed to have anticipated his answer, smiled without speaking, and merely motioned for Zhang Gui to follow. The two then headed toward the back mountain.

Of course, before leaving, he placed the crushed talisman into Xu Xian's hand, instructing him to remain in the main hall so that when Ning Ruxue and the others arrived, they would enter there directly, allowing them time to meet these disciples and descendants while he was away.

"What about you, Senior Brother?"

"I have an important matter to attend to first, but it won't take long. I'll be back shortly!"

Xu Xian heard it was important and wanted to follow to observe the excitement, but since Ye Wen had assigned him this task, he reluctantly stayed in the hall.

Not long after Ye Wen left, a deep blue radiance and a dazzling sword light were seen flying from the sky. The two lights entered the main hall one after the other. The sword light, which entered first, instantly dissipated, revealing the figure of a young man—it was Li Xiaoyao, wearing his ponytail and carrying a spatula on his back!

The blue light that followed was slightly less controlled and actually collided head-on with Li Xiaoyao's back. However, Li Xiaoyao seemed prepared and stood there grinning, weathering the impact—the resulting loud crash made everyone in the hall involuntarily twitch their lips, thinking that if they had taken that blow, merely surviving would have been a blessing, let alone standing there smiling nonchalantly like Li Xiaoyao.

Li Xiaoyao straightened his slightly disheveled hair, then casually pulled out a small mirror, checked his reflection, and handed it behind him.

The person behind him, showing remarkable synchronicity, took the mirror, carefully adjusted their hairstyle, and then stepped out from behind Li Xiaoyao.

Since everyone's attention had been fixed on Li Xiaoyao, when the figure behind him was revealed, they all blinked in surprise.

Hair the color of faded gold (the original dye had long since vanished) tied in a ponytail, an ordinary jacket and jeans couldn't conceal a figure boasting curves. Their fair skin and features, distinct from everyone else present, immediately alerted everyone that this person was different from them.

There were no Caucasians in the Nine Provinces World; everyone stared blankly at this woman, completely overlooking Li Xiaoyao who had walked straight up to Zhou Zhiruo and exclaimed, "It's been so long, Senior Sister! Why has your hair all turned white?"

Zhou Zhiruo maintained her cold expression, but her reply shocked everyone in the hall: "Junior Brother, you haven't changed at all, not even the spatula on your back has been replaced..."

This statement allowed everyone to ascertain this person's identity: it was Li Xiaoyao, who had disappeared long ago—Ye Wen's sixth disciple, the junior brother of Zhou Zhiruo, Guo Jing, and the others, and Wei Hong's senior brother!

Upon this reunion between martial siblings, a round of greetings naturally ensued. Xu Xian mischievously pulled Li Xiaoyao over and pointed at Nangong Huang: "Can you recognize who this is?"

"Who is this old man?" Li Xiaoyao glanced over, then suddenly had an epiphany: "Could it be Nangong Huang?"

Seeing Nangong Huang greet him with a wry smile, Li Xiaoyao realized that Zhou Zhiruo might not be the only familiar face in the hall.

Looking around, Li Xiaoyao roughly recognized Guo Jing, and then Li Xuan—others were completely unrecognizable to him.

After introductions were made, Li Xiaoyao pointed to Claire: "This is the sister of the registered disciple Master accepted in the Cultivation World... Her name is Claire Redfield; you can just call her Claire!"

"What a long name..." Everyone had been muttering internally while hearing the long string of names, only relaxing when they heard she could simply be called Claire.

If Claire, being Caucasian, was somewhat similar to them (Claire's features were relatively close to Oriental ones), then Tommy, who rushed in next, caused everyone to be utterly stunned; some even drew their weapons and shouted, "What manner of demon are you?"

Tommy was taken aback by these reactions and took out a jade talisman to sense the surroundings before saying, "Huh? Strange, I didn't fly to the wrong place?"

Then he saw Xu Xian and Li Xiaoyao making faces at him, realizing he had indeed come to the right place. He burst into laughter: "Own people, own people! Don't be nervous!"

It was Li Xiaoyao who finally eased the tension: "Tommy Johnson, one of Master's registered disciples!"

Guo Jing curiously examined Tommy as he approached, then turned and asked, "How many disciples has Master taken recently?" He had almost asked why all the newly accepted disciples looked so strange, but he figured asking that directly in front of them might be impolite. Over the decades, he had learned some discretion; a Guo Jing from several decades prior would have blurted it out immediately.

It was Xu Xian who answered this question: "Senior Brother hasn't taken any formal disciples these past years, only a few registered ones. Besides this Tommy, there is also a Chris Redfield, that woman's brother!"

Everyone felt that these newcomers not only looked strange but also had strange names! They finally understood that the long string of names spoken earlier was the surname, with the preceding part being the given name.

"Additionally, there are Zheng Ying and Guan Luyan, but Zhang Ling and Guan Luyan's daughter, Guan Shuying, have learned some things from Senior Brother, though they weren't formally accepted as disciples!"

The names heard this time sounded much more familiar, similar to their own! However, they couldn't help but ask, "Do these people also have similar appearances?"

As a result, Xu Xian and Li Xiaoyao had to provide them with a basic general education, explaining things like the existence of Caucasians and Black people in the world, that they were Yellow race, and that the world was vast with many people, along with a jumble of other miscellaneous facts.

In the span of this short time, Chris, the father and daughter Guan Luyan, and Zheng Ying and Zhang Ling all arrived sequentially. Another round of greetings and introductions followed.

Compared to Chris and the others, Guan Luyan, who understood some of the 'etiquette,' was accepted more quickly. Fortunately, Old Man Guan was warm-hearted and acted as a bridge between the two groups of disciples, preventing any conflict during the first meeting between Ye Wen's two batches of students.

As they were talking, Huayi suddenly asked, "Eh? Why hasn't Ruxue returned yet?"

Everyone had assembled in the Shushan Main Hall after receiving Ye Wen's message, yet Ning Ruxue remained missing. Initially, they paid it no mind, but after some time, Huayi began to feel that something was amiss.

Given Ning Ruxue's cultivation level, her speed should be faster than most people present. Even if she had gone far, she shouldn't be this slow!

Just as she was worrying that something might have happened, a streak of cyan light shot into the main hall, landing silently. If the hall hadn't been filled with many high-level experts, perhaps no one would have noticed the sudden appearance of another person!

However, such silent landing was impossible to achieve without drawing everyone's attention. The moment Ning Ruxue landed, an old man riding a large, man-high gourd drifted in, loudly proclaiming, "Is this the place of your Master, girl? The grandeur is indeed not bad, no wonder you were unwilling to become this old man's apprentice..."

He then floated next to Ning Ruxue on his gourd, muttering incessantly, "How about this, I'll have a good talk with your Master, and you don't have to leave his tutelage; just become my apprentice as well? This old man sees your talent is extraordinary, so I don't mind sharing one student..."

Everyone turned to look at the old man seated on the gourd, circling Ning Ruxue incessantly, rambling on and on about: "Being my disciple, I'll give you treasures... I have elixirs here that never run out, and you can learn high-level Immortal Arts... This old man has some reputation in the Immortal Realm; anyone who sees you in the future will have to grant me some face..."

He rambled on in circles endlessly, leaving not just Ning Ruxue but also the bystanders feeling dizzy. Finally, Xu Xian leaped next to the old man and clapped him on the shoulder: "May I ask who you are? Don't you know that trespassing into someone's home uninvited is a major offense?"

The old man seemed startled by Xu Xian's clap and turned, curiously sizing him up. However, upon looking, he was utterly shocked, leaped off the gourd, and directly threw his arms around Xu Xian's waist, weeping and wailing, "What great fortune is this! To run into someone as beautiful as you! You truly treat this old man kindly!"

He then flung his sleeve, scattering a pile of items onto the floor—magical artifacts, flying swords, books and manuals, and even several fragrant little bottles and jars. While still crying, he shouted, "Become my disciple! If you agree, all this is yours!"

Ye Wen returned just as he witnessed this scene. Looking at the old man whose nose was dripping with tears and snot, he asked in astonishment, "What is going on here?"

His voice caused the old man to turn, glance at him once, and then immediately turn back, continuing to hug Xu Xian's thigh and wail ceaselessly!

As for Ye Wen? He was completely ignored!