The crowd was stunned by the words, and even Ye Wen himself was momentarily unsure of what they meant! Only then did he realize it was his eyes that had betrayed him.

Of course, thinking deeper, Ye Wen had also received Buddhist teachings from Wuzhen, so possessing Buddha Power wasn't entirely strange. What puzzled him was how this old man had discerned it just by looking.

The old man scrutinized everyone in the hall, showing a slight startle with each glance. After observing for a moment, he actually dropped his previous air of indifference, and his entire demeanor shifted.

"Might I inquire as to the name of your esteemed sect, and who holds the position of its Master?"

Seeing the old man clasp his hands in greeting and speak with noticeable politeness, Ye Wen returned the courtesy, replying, "I am Ye Wen, Master of the Shu Mountain Sect!"

The elder perhaps hadn't expected this man to be the sect's leader, but he quickly recovered, "So, you are the host here. This humble Taoist begs your pardon for my earlier discourtesy!"

Not understanding how the old man could switch so abruptly from his previous state, Ye Wen was musing when he heard the elder say, "This humble Taoist drank a bit too much just now, causing some impropriety. I hope Master Ye does not take offense! Oh... My name is Cui Jun, and old friends have bestowed upon this old Taoist the title of 'Gourd Immortal.'"

Only then did Ye Wen and the others learn the old man's name, and they realized that his earlier behavior had been an excuse to act out while intoxicated.

"So, you are sober now?"

For people like them, ordinary spirits could never induce intoxication, let alone a drunken lapse in conduct. This meant either the old man was talking nonsense, or he had consumed something truly special. His rapid return to sobriety likely involved some technique as well.

He glanced towards Ning Ruxue beside him. He had already learned from her that this old man had followed her all the way back to Shu Mountain. Along the journey, he had persistently tried to persuade Ning Ruxue to take him as her master, even offering certain benefits along the way. However, upon meeting Xu Xian, he immediately pivoted to persuading Xu Xian instead, much to Ning Ruxue's annoyance.

She also mentioned that the old man habitually pulled out his wine gourd and took deep gulps without any apparent concern for quantity. As for his current composed appearance, she confessed she had never seen it before.

"Is this old fellow perpetually half-drunk?"

Ye Wen hadn't expected to attract an old sot, but he sensed that this man could be a great opportunity for the Shu Mountain Sect. He had been worried about Shu Mountain's lack of interaction with the wider world, especially concerning its powers and distribution of influence. Now, someone had delivered himself right to their doorstep.

"Perhaps I can inquire clearly from Cui Jun?"

With this thought in mind, a smile touched his lips as he spoke, "No matter. It is a form of destiny that Senior Cui has graced Shu Mountain with his presence!"

Cui Jun did not speak, merely nodding with a smile. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Please forgive this humble Taoist's ignorance, but this Shu Mountain Sect... Is it perhaps a newly established sect?"

That was precisely what he had initially assumed, but looking at the people in the hall, though their cultivation levels weren't high, their innate aptitude seemed quite good. Moreover, they had so many disciples; it hardly seemed like a brand-new sect. Furthermore, such a massive mountain as Shu Mountain seemed to have materialized out of thin air. He had been slightly muddled while drinking when he arrived with Ning Ruxue and hadn't paid close attention, but now that he was clear-headed, he realized: "Where did this mountain come from?"

This territory was the westernmost edge of the Eastern Immortal Continent, sparsely populated and filled with numerous mountain ranges. Over countless ages, everyone knew which mountains existed here, yet no one had ever heard of a "Shu Mountain!"

More importantly, he was certain that this region absolutely did not possess such a floating mountain. There weren't even any cultivation sects nearby; the reasons for that were quite complicated and couldn't be explained easily.

Now that he met the host of this place, Cui Jun intended to press for clarification.

As for Ye Wen, he observed that while Cui Jun asked the question, his expression suggested he already knew the answer. A realization dawned on him, and guessing some of the truth, he decided against fabricating some unreliable lie. He simply nodded, "Our sect was established not long ago. It is quite normal that Senior Cui has not heard of us!"

Once Ye Wen admitted it, Cui Jun couldn't press further. Since the man openly conceded that the sect was new, asking more would border on prying, and that wasn't his specialty anyway.

However, the admission did prompt a degree of astonishment. Cui Jun was amazed at the sheer scale of the Shu Mountain Sect's undertaking—not only cultivating so many disciples in a short time (though most weren't very powerful), but also possessing a floating mountain as their base! If the various immortal sects across the world knew this, how many would be consumed by envy!

A floating mountain was not easy to find, and a mobile floating mountain was even rarer! A mobile floating mountain large enough to house an entire sect was practically a once-in-an-eon treasure, its value rivaling that of famous, powerful artifacts.

Therefore, most current cultivation sects were built upon ordinary mountain ranges. Only a select few had a floating mountain as their home base.

Of course, with immense power, one could use supreme magical force to create a floating mountain oneself. But such a creation would be immobile, fly low, and be subject to numerous restrictions. For instance, although his own Master had created a floating mountain using formations, it could not compare to the grandeur, scenic beauty, and natural perfection of this Shu Mountain—if he knew that Shu Mountain was formed by Ye Wen using the Nine Provinces Cauldrons, the shock would stem from the Cauldrons' might instead.

While Cui Jun was lost in his thoughts, Ye Wen spoke up since the elder had fallen silent: "May I ask which sect Senior belongs to?"

Cui Jun blinked, "You haven't heard of me?"

He hadn't paid attention when he was confused earlier. After sobering up, he had been slightly surprised that these people didn't recognize him. But then he reasoned that perhaps these youngsters hadn't seen his true appearance, so they couldn't make the connection.

When he gave his name, and Ye Wen addressed him as "Senior," he assumed the young man knew who he was. But now it seemed... the man had no clue who he was!

Ye Wen felt a touch of awkwardness. Although he vaguely guessed from Cui Jun's words that the man must be famous, Ye Wen was currently completely in the dark about everyone. He could only grit his teeth and ask, "We have been immersed in secluded cultivation, rarely concerning ourselves with external affairs. We only emerged recently, so..."

"You haven't heard my name from your Master?" Cui Jun felt a bit defeated now. He had been quite proud of his fame, only to find it utterly useless!

Thinking back, he remembered that when he was tipsy, he had repeatedly announced his name to that girl, but the girl had clearly not paid him any heed, seemingly never having heard of him. Why hadn't he noticed then?

"Alas! Drinking ruins serious matters!"

The mere thought of the liquid in his cup made his mouth dry, and his hand moved faster than his brain, drawing a wine gourd from his sleeve and taking a long, deep draught.

Ye Wen now saw clearly: the old man hadn't used a spatial storage artifact just now, but rather a spell similar to "Sleeve Universe"—a technique Ye Wen knew. The Celestial Master of Diancang had once tried to use it to capture Ning Ruxue. He hadn't expected this man to use such a powerful spell merely for storage.

After swallowing the wine, Cui Jun felt considerably better. Seeing Ye Wen's expression, he knew his previous question had been useless. The young man clearly conveyed: I don't know you, nor have I heard of you! This reality stung his pride somewhat.

Then, suddenly remembering something, he demanded sharply, "By the way, you said your sect is newly established, and you've created such a massive mountain—have you reported these matters to the Heavenly Court?"

"Ah?" Ye Wen was startled. He hadn't considered that such things required reporting to the Heavenly Court!

Cui Jun heard this and inwardly sighed, As expected, this young man knows nothing, perhaps never having left the mountain before, or even his immediate vicinity, and unaware of how his master had instructed him. "How many centuries have you been cultivating?"

"This..."

Ye Wen calculated mentally: about ten years in the Nine Provinces world, then more than ten years on Earth, followed by over a decade in seclusion in the Changbai Immortal Realm. After arriving in this Immortal Realm, he had cultivated for nearly another twenty years. In total, it was at least close to forty years.

However, it wasn't straightforward to state this. Since he had been absent from the Nine Provinces world for fifty years, to avoid further complications, he had to state a figure upward of fifty years, never less. He settled on: "Around a hundred years..."

"How much?"

Cui Jun had expected the young man to say several centuries. He nearly choked on the wine that was halfway down his throat when the figure "around a hundred years" popped out. After finally suppressing a coughing fit, Cui Jun stared, scrutinizing Ye Wen up and down fiercely: "A hundred years?"

Seeing Ye Wen nod, Cui Jun took a sharp breath. Then, perhaps a wire snapped, or maybe the few swigs of wine loosened his restraint, his mind started wandering again. He walked right up to Ye Wen and declared, "Be my disciple..."

The entire hall fell silent. Everyone felt that this so-called Gourd Immortal was utterly erratic—why did he ask everyone he met to become his disciple?

If it were anyone else, it might pass, but who was Ye Wen? How could the supreme Master of the Shu Mountain Sect become another person's disciple? Consequently, the gazes of everyone in the hall immediately turned unfriendly, and even Ye Wen's expression cooled slightly.

Perhaps Cui Jun hadn't had too much to drink, as he instantly realized he had done something foolish—how could he ask the venerated Master of a sect to become his disciple? However, he didn't feel his words were too exaggerated. Given his reputation in the Immortal Realm, accepting the Master of a newly formed sect as a disciple would be a tremendous boon to that sect, and he could use it to establish contact with his own Master—a pursuit many desperately sought but could not achieve.

It was just that he had encountered Ye Wen: someone completely ignorant of his identity, his lineage, and utterly uninterested in his proposition.

Although Ye Wen didn't outright refuse, Cui Jun understood that pressing the topic further would only lead to an unpleasant parting.

Therefore, Cui Jun decisively shifted the subject: "The weather is quite pleasant today, isn't it?"

Coughing awkwardly twice, Cui Jun added, "Master Ye, if you haven't reported to the Heavenly Court yet, you should expedite that matter. Otherwise, causing such a massive stir and attracting the Heavenly Court's punitive legions could lead to significant trouble!"

"What do you mean?"

Ye Wen hadn't understood why the Heavenly Court would want to punish Shu Mountain. After all, Shu Mountain had never opposed the Heavenly Court! But he immediately grasped it: the Heavenly Court needed to maintain its authority. Otherwise, which immortal sect would pay the Heavenly Court any heed? If a group of immortals disregarded orders and acted wantonly, the Immortal Realm would surely descend into chaos.

Once he understood this, Ye Wen realized that reporting the establishment of the Shu Mountain Sect and the location of the floating mountain to the Heavenly Court was an urgent matter. Failure to do so could be interpreted as an insult, leading them to dispatch forces to eliminate the one who dared to act so recklessly on their sovereign territory.

"How does one report to the Heavenly Court?"

In the past, although Ye Wen knew this necessity existed, he wouldn't know how to proceed, or even where to report. But now, having an excellent living guide, it would be foolish not to utilize him!

Cui Jun seemed to anticipate that Ye Wen knew nothing and was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed drastically before he mumbled to Ye Wen, "It seems it's too late! The Heavenly Court's forces have already arrived!"

Ye Wen was momentarily stunned, then turned to look outside. A divine light flared in his eyes, dissolving the invisible contact lenses he habitually wore. His eyes, swirling with an ever-changing opalescent, seven-colored sheen, emitted a ray of light. With his pair of Glazed Pupils, Ye Wen quickly perceived the distant sky: an entirely armed contingent was slowly approaching Shu Mountain from above.

The leading general appeared to be in his prime, around thirty years old, clad in white robes and brilliant silver armor, astride a snow-white steed, holding a dark iron staff. He was also gazing towards Shu Mountain.

As Ye Wen observed him, the officer seemed to sense it, sharply glancing towards Ye Wen's position. He then exchanged a few words with another general beside him, causing the troop's advance speed to slow down noticeably.

Ye Wen knew he had been detected, but he had no qualms; they were coming for him anyway. What harm was there in observing them? Unfortunately, they were too far apart, and he lacked an ability like Clairaudience to hear their conversation.

Shifting his gaze slightly, Ye Wen noticed the person next to him was riding a fiery red horse. Like the white steed, this horse moved slowly, treading on the void. However, the attire of the warrior on that horse gave Ye Wen a great shock.

This figure was covered in golden armor, draped in green robes, and holding a massive saber that looked incredibly heavy. Furthermore, with phoenix eyes, silkworm eyebrows, and a ruddy face with a long beard, this appearance was utterly identical to the legendary Martial Sage.

"Either the Heavenly Court is also fond of..."

As Ye Wen mused on this, the other party also seemed to notice him, those phoenix eyes occasionally darting towards Ye Wen. Having nothing else of interest to observe, he withdrew his spiritual gaze, frowning as he considered how to respond.

"Though I don't know who the silver-armored general with the dark iron staff is, just the presence of that old ancestor Guan Luyan is enough trouble..."

Turning back, Ye Wen saw Cui Jun's eyes faintly glowing with divine light as he gazed into the distance, muttering, "They are leading the army, those two great generals. Master Ye, you are in quite a bit of trouble!"

Hearing this, Ye Wen realized that Cui Jun also possessed a divine sense ability akin to Clairvoyance. Thus, he could clearly see the Heavenly Court's forces, and even recognize the two commanding generals—unlike Ye Wen, Cui Jun knew exactly who they were!

After observing for a moment, Cui Jun retracted his divine sense and turned to Ye Wen, "My encounter here with Master Ye is a karmic bond. If Master Ye agrees to one request from this old Taoist, I am willing to mediate this matter for you!"

Ye Wen was surprised that the old Taoist would propose such a thing. He was curious what request the old man intended to make.

"Decades ago, in my leisure, I created a divine technique called the 'Gourd Seven Absolutes,' but I have yet to find a suitable successor. If Master Ye agrees to learn this technique from me, then I will persuade this Heavenly Court punitive army to withdraw!"

Ye Wen paused, then understood that the old man hadn't abandoned the idea of taking him and others as disciples. Seeing the roguish grin on his face, Ye Wen felt a surge of annoyance: "Why won't you give up, you old scoundrel?"

However, he couldn't simply curse him to his face. He managed, "How can the Master of a sect pledge allegiance to another faction?"

The Gourd Immortal had previously mentioned having a Master. If Ye Wen became his disciple, wouldn't that imply the Shu Mountain Sect was becoming a subordinate branch of another sect? How could Ye Wen accept that?

Cui Jun hadn't expected Ye Wen to refuse even at this juncture and felt a touch of surprise: "This matter poses no harm to you or your sect. Why refuse?"

Ye Wen thought to himself: If it were just me, it would be one thing. But now I am not alone, and taking a Master isn't just a personal matter. It concerns the future of the Shu Mountain Sect; how can I agree so casually? Furthermore, Ye Wen had no understanding of Cui Jun's true background or character. If he carelessly led the entire Shu Mountain Sect into a pitfall, crawling out would be exceedingly difficult.

For safety, refusal was the best option! As for the Heavenly Court's punitive army? He believed that if he explained the situation in detail, the Heavenly Court wouldn't press the issue over such a minor matter.

More importantly, after using his divine sight just now, Ye Wen vaguely sensed that these two individuals posed no threat to him or Shu Mountain—that was why he dared to reject Cui Jun's proposal.

Cui Jun looked at Ye Wen again, finally seeing his firm unwillingness to nod, and stopped talking. However, he didn't leave. He intended to wait for Ye Wen to be disciplined by those two, then step in to mediate his rescue. At that point, Ye Wen would likely agree to become his disciple.

As the two stood pondering, the Heavenly Court's forces arrived at Shu Mountain. The thousands of troops arrayed themselves on slightly higher ground, overlooking Shu Mountain. The leading silver-armored general roared, "I am Yuan Hong, Vanguard Officer of the Heavenly Court's Army of Subjugation! Those on the mountain, come out quickly and answer!"