Ye Wen saw Yuan Hong's expression suddenly change and immediately knew something unexpected had occurred. Hearing the words "The True Lord has arrived," he guessed that the main Heavenly Court force must be here—he still remembered Yuan Hong had previously claimed to be the vanguard!

As for the single word, "Who?", it was merely an instinctive utterance. Ye Wen already had a rough idea of whom Yuan Hong’s "True Lord" referred to.

According to many legends, Yuan Hong ultimately fell under the command of Yang Jian. Coupled with Yuan Hong’s mention of "True Lord" just now, Ye Wen instantly thought of that immensely famous Erlang Shen, Yang Jian!

It made sense; only someone like Yang Jian would use Yuan Hong as a vanguard.

Speaking of Yang Jian, Ye Wen actually had a connection with him. Back when he fought against Yu Lin, during the clash of the Qingcheng Palm with his own technique, he had 'borrowed' some of this True God's divine power. Although it was only a slight infusion, it was enough for Ye Wen to experience a taste of Erlang Shen's prowess.

Now, facing the man himself, Ye Wen felt a little uneasy—rumor had it that this Erlang True Lord did not possess the best temper!

Just as he was contemplating how best to address Yang Jian, Yuan Hong spoke up: "Let this humble one first report the situation here to the True Lord, lest any further complications arise!"

Guan Yu also agreed: "Indeed, that is how it should be!"

Having now acknowledged Guan Luyan and Guan Shuying as his descendants, he naturally did not wish to see conflict between the Heavenly Court and Mount Shu. After all, one party was his kin, and the other was the sovereign he currently served. Even though he hadn't willingly accepted this 'master,' it was improper to openly turn against him.

Therefore, if a potentially explosive dispute could be resolved with a few words, that would be the best outcome.

However, before the two could move, a voice suddenly echoed in the grand hall: "No need. I have arrived!"

Everyone present was startled, Ye Wen included. He activated his Glazed Pupils and carefully scanned the area before faintly perceiving that the seemingly empty space held something amiss.

The moment Ye Wen spotted the anomaly, a surprised voice rang out from the void: "This person can actually find this Lord’s location?" As he thought this, the crowd watched the space distort, and then a young man, appearing no older than twenty, strikingly handsome, materialized before them.

A single eye adorned his brow, making him look quite unlike others, yet upon his head, it did not seem at all awkward.

He was clad in bright silver armor and a plain cloak, holding a three-pointed, double-edged blade loosely in his hand. The blade itself radiated cold light so intense that one look confirmed it was a treasured weapon.

Upon seeing this figure, both Guan Yu and Yuan Hong immediately bowed respectfully, shouting: "Your humble subordinates, Yuan Hong (Guan Yu), pay respects to the True Lord!"

Yet, Yang Jian did not look at the two but merely gave a soft acknowledgment before settling down. This instantly revealed that Yang Jian’s status was significantly higher than that of Guan Yu and Yuan Hong.

It was logical; in many legends, Yang Jian was related to the Jade Emperor, and his own pedigree was excellent. It was no wonder his standing in the Heavenly Court was so lofty! What intrigued Ye Wen was whether the legends of Yang Jian's discord with the Jade Emperor were true. At this moment, Ye Wen’s curiosity began to burn.

Unbeknownst to him, as he pondered this, Yang Jian, who was assessing him, felt quite perplexed: "This person's gaze is rather strange!"

Other than that, Ye Wen made a very good first impression on Yang Jian, thanks to his naturally fine appearance. Coupled with decades of meticulous cultivation, he had also cultivated a distinguished bearing. Standing there now, dressed in a white robe with purple accents and wearing a hair crown, his features were remarkably handsome—such an individual would be considered outstanding even in the Immortal Realm.

Appearance truly mattered sometimes, especially for the leader of a sect. If the master looked base, few would believe he led a major orthodox faction.

Setting others aside, consider the orthodox leaders in those novels: even if they were corrupt to the core, judging by looks alone, weren't they all figures of great stature? At first glance, every one of them appeared to be a righteous gentleman, a truly accomplished master.

Ye Wen was no different, and moreover, not only did the master of the Shu Mountain Sect possess good looks, but the other disciples in the sect were similarly striking. After Yang Jian finished examining Ye Wen, his gaze swept across everyone in the hall and noted that those present were either handsome men or beautiful women. Even the few elderly men possessed an air of transcendent immortality.

"May I inquire as to how I should address you?" Yang Jian surveyed the group before his gaze settled back on Ye Wen. Although he had just arrived and hadn't heard much, from the positioning of everyone, he could discern who the host was.

"I am Ye Wen, the Master of Shu Mountain!"

"I am Qingyuan Miaodao True Lord, Yang Jian. Greetings, Daoist Friend!" Seeing that Ye Wen used Daoist courtesies, Yang Jian realized the Shu Mountain Sect followed the Daoist tradition. Perhaps because the friction with the Jade Emperor was indeed real, he introduced himself by his Daoist title rather than the official title bestowed by the Jade Emperor, the Renyou King of Manifest Virtue and Manifest Holiness!

Ye Wen considered the situation for a moment, feeling that since Yang Jian introduced himself with his Daoist title, resolving today's matter might be easier. Had he immediately announced his official Heavenly Court position and adopted a strictly businesslike tone, resolution would have been much harder.

While he was thinking, Yuan Hong had already started speaking with Yang Jian: "True Lord, how did you arrive ahead of us?"

Yang Jian did not hide anything: "When I arrived, I saw the armies of you two stationed there, but neither of you had returned. Furthermore, Elder Yun's Azure Dragon Crescent Blade had shown signs of agitation. I assumed you two had been lured here and trapped by the enemy, so I came personally to investigate the situation!"

Although he said it was to investigate, there was an eighty percent chance that this Erlang True Lord intended to rescue his men, perhaps dispatch a few enemies in the process, and then command the main army to flatten Mount Shu.

While these words were not explicitly stated, everyone in the hall could generally surmise the truth. Although many found Erlang Shen arrogant, no one voiced an objection—after all, this True Lord had entered the main hall without them noticing, and it was only because he spoke that they became aware of his presence.

But for Yang Jian, these actions were entirely routine. Conversely, he found himself intensely interested in Ye Wen, who had been able to discern his true form.

Fixing his gaze, he even activated the divine eye on his brow. Yang Jian was greatly surprised when he discerned the method by which Ye Wen could see through his concealment spell, and some unfavorable thoughts arose, making him suspect Ye Wen had some connection to the Western Buddhist Lands. However, he was ultimately calmer than Yuan Hong. Seeing that Guan Yu and Yuan Hong were unharmed and, in fact, seemed to be enjoying friendly conversation, he refrained from acting rashly.

Naturally, the others were unaware of these subtleties, and Ye Wen did not know that his eyes had brought him unexpected trouble. Seeing that Yang Jian was far more approachable than he had anticipated, Ye Wen spoke up: "There was a slight misunderstanding with the two Generals just now, which has now been clarified!"

Yang Jian uttered an "Oh," but his gaze had already shifted to Yuan Hong's hand: "Who injured this hand of yours?"

Yuan Hong had long known his injury could not be hidden from Yang Jian, so he showed no surprise: "I exchanged a few moves with the Master Ye just now, and my palm was injured by Master Ye's palm energy!"

Yang Jian nodded, though a flicker of astonishment still showed in his eyes.

He knew Yuan Hong's strength, especially from the battle they fought when Yang Jian first descended the mountain. Comparing them then, neither could claim victory over the other; Yang Jian only managed to subdue Yuan Hong using the Empress Nüwa's Rivers and Mountains Map. Thus, he knew just how formidable Yuan Hong was. At that time, Yang Jian’s power hadn't peaked, but it was already considerable.

If Yuan Hong hadn't been bound by the Investiture of the Gods roster, preventing his strength from advancing over the millennia, he might not be serving under Yang Jian now but occupying a high position himself!

Even so, Ye Wen managing to injure Yuan Hong still surprised Yang Jian, causing him to regard Ye Wen in a slightly higher esteem. Simply put, Yang Jian came from a martial background and held a favorable impression of capable, strong fighters.

When Yuan Hong extended his right hand, Yang Jian raised his own to touch it. He found that although the hand appeared outwardly normal, it was chillingly cold to the touch, the chill seeming to penetrate his own body. Fortunately, Yang Jian's profound cultivation had reached its zenith; the meridians in his body were incomparably robust. He didn't even need to circulate his inner true qi, relying solely on his physical constitution to ward off the frigid energy.

Yet, even so, Yang Jian was astonished: "What domineering cold energy!" What surprised Yang Jian even more was that this cold seemed to exude a feeling capable of freezing and ending everything—a sensation most directly linked to death!

"I wonder what spell Ye Wen used to achieve such terrifying results!"

Since cultivating the Primordial Chaos Scripture, Ye Wen’s power had been escalating rapidly, leaving him little time to truly comprehend the essence of that marvelous technique. He would master one layer and immediately move to the next.

This situation only slowed down when he reached the Profound Universe layer. Firstly, there was no more undigested essence within him. Secondly, the difficulty of cultivating the Profound Universe layer far exceeded his expectations. Cultivating this stage required not only a thorough comprehension of the underlying heart technique but also immense power to sustain further practice. Most critically, the cultivator had to have perfectly internalized the preceding nine layers of the heart technique to master it.

Of these three prerequisites, the first could only be considered after the latter two were met. Any one of the last two conditions was enough to vex Ye Wen for a century or two.

In recent decades, Ye Wen had attempted to re-comprehend the essence of the earlier layers. Fortunately, he had studied a good deal of material concerning the Primordial Chaos Scripture, much of it speculative but still offering some reference points.

Thus, based on these conjectures, Ye Wen gradually grasped the essence of these initial layers. He was currently digging deeper and deeper along this path until he could master the Primordial Chaos Scripture completely! When that day came, Ye Wen believed his strength, if not capable of dominating the entire Immortal Realm, would at least guarantee no one could take his life.

Even though Ye Wen hadn't fully mastered the Primordial Chaos Scripture yet, he could handle most troubles. However, dealing with Yang Jian… he wasn't entirely confident.

"It would be best if I could test Yang Jian's strength slightly..."

Little did he know, Yang Jian harbored the exact same thought. He turned back to Yuan Hong: "I have no remedy for this injury of yours. Once we return, I will find my sister, and she can examine it for you."

Yuan Hong knew that Yang Jian’s sister, the Third Holy Mother, possessed many marvelous methods. Compared to Yang Jian, who was more familiar with combat, the Third Holy Mother held many artifacts and spells geared toward healing.

Withdrawing his hand, Yuan Hong stated simply: "Thank you, True Lord!"

"No need for formalities!"

Saying that, Yang Jian turned around. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly said: "Although Master Ye already clarified that it was a misunderstanding, the fact remains that Master Ye injured a great general under this Lord’s command. Thus, this matter cannot simply be set aside!"

As Yang Jian spoke these words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly tensed. Even Cui Jun, the Gourd Immortal who had been sipping wine with a smile, put down his flask and watched the two with a grave expression.

Ye Wen observed everyone's reaction. He noticed, however, that although Yang Jian voiced this, there was no killing intent in his eyes. This suggested he didn't intend a life-or-death battle with Ye Wen; perhaps he merely wanted a few exchanges, or perhaps he aimed to vent some frustration on Ye Wen's behalf!

"Then, according to the True Lord's wishes, what should be done?"

Yang Jian was direct. Seeing Ye Wen prompt him this way, he said plainly: "This Lord will deliver one strike. Regardless of whether Master Ye can block it, after that one move, this matter shall be concluded!"

Before he finished speaking, Guan Yu suddenly interjected: "True Lord, the location of Mount Shu was chosen out of necessity; there are other reasons involved..."

Guan Yu feared that if Yang Jian injured Ye Wen with a single blow, the situation would escalate into an irreconcilable feud, which would be disastrous. Having served under Yang Jian for a long time, he understood the Jade Emperor’s brother-in-law’s capabilities quite well and held him in high regard—after all, Yang Jian was known as the God of War in legends, so it was hardly an insult for the Martial Saint (Guan Yu) to serve under him.

His words were meant to be considerate of Mount Shu, but Ye Wen didn't believe Yang Jian would change his decision based on Guan Yu's few sentences. What caught Ye Wen's attention now was Guan Yu's form of address.

"True Lord? Yuan Hong calls Yang Jian 'True Lord' because ever since the Heavenly Court was established and the gods were arrayed, Yuan Hong has followed Yang Jian's side. Due to their long association and prior ties, calling him True Lord is unremarkable! But Guan Yu is a later arrival, yet he also addresses him as True Lord instead of Yang Jian's official Heavenly Court title..."

After a moment's thought, he found the answer: "It seems Yang Jian truly isn't seeing eye-to-eye with his brother-in-law! He likely doesn't wish his subordinates to use the official titles conferred by the Jade Emperor!"

If that were the case, Yang Jian might not take Heavenly Court orders too seriously, which would be great news for Mount Shu.

If Yang Jian were a stern, rigid figure who executed orders without fail, Ye Wen would have been troubled, knowing they wouldn't listen to any reasoning and would simply wipe out Mount Shu.

With Yang Jian in this state... he likely didn't take that mandate very seriously, only coming over as a formality. If he found a suitable pretext, he might simply withdraw his forces—who cares what the Heavenly Court thinks? He came, he handled it, and the outcome he dictated was up to the Heavenly Court's satisfaction? Heh heh...

Furthermore, Yang Jian’s status was high enough that no one in the Heavenly Court would dare cause trouble for him. As long as the Jade Emperor didn't pursue the matter, it would blow over.

Ye Wen made up his mind. Cultivating good relations with Yang Jian would be crucial for Mount Shu's immediate future. As for the present, perhaps accommodating the Erlang True Lord's temperament was the better approach.

So, before Guan Yu could finish speaking, Ye Wen nodded in agreement: "That is excellent!"

Yang Jian smiled, finding Ye Wen's temperament quite compatible with his own. However, Guan Yu was still one of his own, so he couldn't completely dismiss him. He therefore said to Guan Yu: "We will discuss the affairs of Mount Shu in more detail later, but seeing that neither of you wishes to resort to arms, this Lord has grasped the general situation!"

This single sentence, though brief, conveyed trust in Guan Yu and Yuan Hong, while also implicitly indicating he wouldn't push matters to an extreme—or more plainly, 'I will hold back!'

Those who grasped this implication, especially the people of Mount Shu, looked less than pleased. However, hearing these words from the Erlang True Lord's mouth made them slightly more acceptable.

After all, Erlang Shen's name was thunderous. When Erlang Shen was dominating the realm, this group from Mount Shu hadn't even been born yet!

Ye Wen walked a few steps to the center of the main hall, then waved his hand. The surrounding disciples stepped back in unison, clearing a large space, awaiting the fierce battle that might erupt next.

Although Yang Jian claimed he would only use one move, everyone knew that move wouldn't be easy to receive! Even Ye Wen himself wasn't entirely certain he could block it.

Erlang Shen approached Ye Wen, observed him up and down, and then asked: "Does Master Ye require a weapon?"

Seeing Yang Jian empty-handed, Ye Wen raised both his palms: "These two hands are sufficient!"

This statement wasn't arrogance. His preferred weapon was the longsword, but since mastering the Zixiao Sword, his swordsmanship had become purely offensive. For defense, he mostly relied on hand techniques. Therefore, to receive one strike from Yang Jian, using his palms was the most suitable option.

"Good!" Yang Jian shouted: "Behold my move!"

As the cry left his lips, Yang Jian instantly took a stride forward. His hand movements were unadorned; he threw a simple forward lunging punch, yet this seemingly ordinary punch carried astonishing power.

Originally separated by four or five meters, the distance seemed to vanish as Yang Jian stepped forward, collapsing into nothingness with that single stride. As Ye Wen’s ears registered the words "Behold my move," Yang Jian’s punch was already upon him.

"So fast!"

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, this ended up dragging on until morning... I am utterly frustrated... RA