With the disciples multiplying and promising talents emerging, the Mount Shu Sect had undeniably grown into a substantial force. It was only now that Ye Wen truly registered that leading the sect as he once did was no longer feasible.

In the early days, the entire Mount Shu had barely numbered a dozen souls. Even as it expanded, the core group remained small; despite numerous outer disciples, only a handful ever required his focused attention.

But now? He realized with a start that even if he delegated, the juniors demanding his meticulous guidance already numbered several. At this rate, even with boundless energy, he risked total exhaustion.

Furthermore, the sect required considerable administrative overhaul. Setting aside the necessity of upgrading the Herb Pavilion to an Elixir Pavilion, the Artifact Workshop needed elevation to the Magic Treasure Pavilion. Ye Wen even planned to establish a department dedicated solely to array formations, crucial for the future protection of Mount Shu’s mountain-guarding array, among other things.

Calculating it all, he found the tasks overwhelming, especially as he was very likely about to leave Mount Shu for a time to visit the Heavenly Court.

With his mind racing through these possibilities, he barely registered the subsequent introductions Nan Gonghuang made for him. Fortunately, these disciples were not neglected in the organizational shuffle.

The next appointment, the Steward of the Outer Sect—effectively the overseer of the largest body of current disciples—was named Jiang Yu. He was in his early thirties, a rather exceptional disciple who had only taken up the Outer Sect Steward role two years prior, having previously been a top figure among the outer disciples.

At that time, due to a bottleneck in talent at Mount Shu, no suitable master could be found to formally take Jiang Yu as a disciple quickly enough, so he was simply promoted to Outer Sect Steward and assigned to study under one of Guo Jing’s disciples. While Jiang Yu’s comprehension was notable, Guo Jing’s students struggled to teach him effectively. His martial progress had stalled significantly over these two years. Nan Gonghuang had been preoccupied with poor health and hadn't overseen these matters, while Zhou Zhiruo was drowning in her own tasks. It was only thanks to the occasional guidance from Daoist Changmei that this promising disciple hadn't been utterly ruined.

“Sigh… a dearth of talent!”

Ye Wen reflected ruefully on his own plight. Having been thrust into the role of Sect Leader immediately upon his transmigration, before he could savor the position, he discovered his authority was nominal, bordering on being the commander of an empty garrison. Even his sole fellow sect member, his junior sister, had her sights set on his position.

Then, after painstakingly developing the sect step by step, just as he was about to enjoy the thrill of standing at the pinnacle, he was kicked out by the Nine Provinces Tripod. By the time he regained the capability to return, he had brought Mount Shu along into a higher realm teeming with formidable figures, only to find his sect once again in disarray, with almost no one capable enough to handle critical matters—everything still fell back on him.

“Even if I want to display my capabilities, this is excessive! When will I ever get a moment of peace?”

His inner sorrow was too deep to share. Ye Wen offered encouragement to the Outer Sect Steward and then proceeded to review the numerous younger disciples.

Guo Jing’s grand-disciples were particularly numerous. He already had a large cohort of direct disciples, and each of those had taken on two or three students, resulting in quite a few in this generation.

A large assembly standing together was dizzying. Ye Wen scanned them for a long time and failed to remember a single face; these grand-disciple generation members left less of an impression than Jiang Yu did.

Fortunately, none of these individuals harbored immediate plans to take on students. This group of grand-disciples was also relatively young; many had just transferred from the outer to the inner sect, and their current standing was unclear. Ye Wen decided to observe them gradually, seeking out promising sprouts for individual cultivation later.

Having roughly grasped the situation of the core disciples, he didn't need to review the outer disciples one by one, only a general glance would suffice.

Originally, Mount Shu boasted over a thousand outer disciples. However, only about two hundred or so had ascended to the Immortal Realm with the sect this time. Among them, the younger generation numbered only forty-odd; the rest were veterans who had long since descended the mountain after completing their training, now recalled.

These veterans possessed good character, which Ye Wen favored, so he spoke to them with unusual warmth, even inquiring if they had brought family dependents, as that would need consideration during housing arrangements.

After asking, he learned that most disciples had no dependents; only a small minority had brought wives and children, and many of these families consisted of multiple disciples of Mount Shu.

“Can this contingent of disciples be housed separately?”

Jiang Yu replied, “Reporting to Martial Ancestor, the disciples who have married have all been assigned to a single area. Our Mount Shu disciple quarters have been expanded numerous times, so we have ample room!”

Mount Shu provided exceedingly spacious accommodation for its disciples. The courtyard-style structures also encouraged frequent interaction, fostering greater unity among fellow students.

Moreover, the lodging provided by Mount Shu was quite superior; generally, everyone had a separate bed, with a maximum of two people per room. This contrasted sharply with many other sects that relegated outer disciples to communal barracks—a large heated platform where a dozen people might sleep side-by-side.

Disciples showing exceptional performance could even secure a private room, and since food and clothing were covered by the sect, one need never worry for their entire life once joining Mount Shu.

Although the current arrangement had shifted slightly, the fundamentals remained the same. A section of the residential area, primarily composed of courtyard houses, was designated for disciples with spouses. This area was now jokingly dubbed the ‘Wife Zone’ by many outer disciples, while the area for single disciples was dubbed the ‘Bachelor Zone.’

As for the more remote courtyards, those housed the female disciples. Currently, Mount Shu had about thirty remaining outer female disciples, mostly very young, each closely monitored.

Ye Wen didn't need to concern himself with these trivial matters; a general overview was sufficient.

With a clearer understanding of the outer disciples’ arrangements, Ye Wen had finally taken stock of Mount Shu’s current state and began implementing necessary adjustments.

“Who is currently managing the Scripture Pavilion?”

Ye Wen glanced around. Nan Gonghuang answered, “The Scripture Pavilion Steward position is currently held by this disciple, but as I am mostly recovering from injuries, this role…”

Nodding to indicate Nan Gonghuang need not elaborate, Ye Wen stated, “In that case, Nan Gonghuang will continue to oversee the Scripture Pavilion, with Wei Hong as Deputy Steward. During your recovery period, Senior Brother Nan, you will handle those duties.”

Wei Hong blinked in surprise, then understood that his master was assigning him a task to prevent him from feeling idle and unadjusted suddenly.

He stepped forward from the crowd and announced, “Your disciple accepts the command!” He then moved beside Nan Gonghuang, quietly inquiring about the scope of the Scripture Pavilion’s responsibilities.

Only then did he learn that the Scripture Pavilion was far more than just a place for basic literacy instruction; it was the department responsible for housing the sect's martial arts manuals and the inheritance of techniques. Essentially, it held the same significance as the Bodhidharma Academy in the Shaolin Temple.

Disciples admitted to the Scripture Pavilion had to be exceptionally gifted. Once inside, they were exempt from general sect duties, focusing purely on cultivation or martial arts research. While the intention was sound, currently, aside from Nan Gonghuang, the Scripture Pavilion only housed a few tutors—and even the tutors were gone now. Fortunately, with no immediate need for formal education at Mount Shu, Wei Hong alone could handle the teaching duties if necessary.

Furthermore, the Pavilion for Returning Water, which specifically stored secret manuals and important Taoist scriptures, fell under the Scripture Pavilion's jurisdiction. This was an extremely vital location for Mount Shu, demanding utmost care—though now that they were in the Immortal Realm, everyone wondered if those old manuals still held the same importance.

Ye Wen pondered this as well, but it wasn't an immediate concern. At the very least, the existing Mount Shu techniques were sufficient for these disciples to reach the Earth Immortal realm. As for Celestial Immortals? He himself was unsure if he had truly reached that level yet. This required further investigation, which he couldn't attend to immediately.

Next, Ye Wen announced the elevation of the Artifact Workshop to the Magic Treasure Pavilion. Since the original Artifact Workshop Steward had not accompanied Mount Shu, Ye Wen appointed Zheng Ying, that curious young man who loved tinkering, to preside over the department, assigning Zhang Ling as his deputy. He also promoted a disciple of Guo Jing to assist the pair, helping them acclimate to Mount Shu’s operations quickly.

“Solving the magic treasure issue won't be immediate. However, I do possess several magic treasures that I have no current use for. They will be stored in the Magic Treasure Pavilion, and I will select one as a reward for any disciple who shows outstanding performance…”

As Ye Wen spoke, his hands moved rapidly, bringing forth magic treasure after magic treasure.

Among them, the **Lightning Fire Balls were the most numerous, totaling over twenty, mostly plundered from the Kunlun Sect. Additionally, there was the Six Harmonies Phoenix-Welcoming Spear (he possessed two; one from Patriarch Bixue, one confiscated from Kunlun Sect, the latter being superior and given to Guan Luyan as a weapon!), two Seven Star General-Slaying Spears (three obtained in total, one taken by Guan Shuying), one Seven-Orifice Exquisite Fan, one Jade Seal, a specially tempered set of Mahjong tiles, one Moon Gold Wheel, and one Sun Gold Wheel.

Beyond these were several flying swords, though their quality was only average. He had several sets of the Purple Clarity Twin Swords, one set each of the Frost Flood Dragon Sword and the Jade Tiger Sword. He only had one South Bright Lihuo Sword, which Xu Xian took as his personal blade. Ye Wen had even offered a sword to Li Xiaoyao, who refused with the remark, “I think carrying a spatula is better!”

This assortment of miscellaneous items might have drawn awe in the Cultivation World, but in the Immortal Realm, it felt somewhat inadequate!

However, the disciples before him were essentially ordinary people who had never witnessed such a spectacle. A heap of vibrantly colored objects was being laid out one by one by their Martial Ancestor, seemingly endless. Their eyes were fixated, drooling over the pile of treasures, thinking, "How wonderful it would be if I could possess just one of these?"

Fortunately, they remembered Ye Wen’s earlier statement that these items would be rewards for excellent performance, meaning hope was not lost. This instantly galvanized their resolve to cultivate diligently.

Ye Wen flipped through his storage ring, finding most of the collection there. The messy arrangement on the ground, with talismans mixed haphazardly with the Mahjong set, gave him a slight sense of unease. Scattered near the periphery were several special grenades etched with protective talismans...

One of them rolled away. A nearby disciple stared at the round object with curiosity, but Claire and Li Xiaoyao, standing nearby, calmly took a large step backward.

Seeing their reaction, anyone not completely dense realized the object was dangerous, and those closer quickly retreated.

“This is everything. Take it to the Magic Treasure Pavilion for safekeeping and management!”

Zheng Ying nodded, stepped forward, and swept the collection into his own storage ring. The disciples watched in envy as a large pile of items vanished with a wave of his hand, wishing they too could master such a technique someday.

Of course, Zheng Ying possessed no actual technique; it was purely the advantage of his storage ring.

Watching Zheng Ying secure the treasures, Ye Wen suddenly remembered, “We are running low on storage artifacts too. Perhaps I should ask the Gourd Immortal if their sect wholesales these items, and I can inquire about what currency is used for trade in this Immortal Realm!”

To this day, he didn't know the hard currency of the Immortal Realm. Surely, they didn't use banknotes printed by the Heavenly Court, like the secular world? Such things would be useless to a group of Immortals! The most likely scenario was barter, which was another headache—what did Mount Shu possess that others might desire?

“Or should I just have Zheng Ying set up a few generators for the Heavenly Mystery Sect, run some cables, create a local area network, and sell them laptops and video games?”

Ye Wen dismissed this idea as too unreliable and postponed the thought for later consideration.

With the Magic Treasure Pavilion settled, Ye Wen immediately moved to the Elixir Pavilion! The Elixir Pavilion had evolved from the Herb Pavilion, and its steward had also failed to arrive in the Immortal Realm.

This was because the Herb Pavilion Steward was quite elderly, had many dependents back home, and was reluctant to leave that world, where the majority of their enterprises were located. Thus, he remained in the Nine Provinces World.

Ye Wen did not press the issue. In any case, the old man would be of limited use here; for common ailments, Huang Yun was adequate, and the elder certainly didn't understand the higher arts of alchemy. Talent still needed to be nurtured by Ye Wen himself. He first promoted Huang Yun to Steward and, after surveying the area, decided to place Li Xiaoyao in charge of the Elixir Pavilion.

“Master, I think managing the kitchen would be more suitable for me…”

“Stop fooling around!” Ye Wen chided, then added, “There’s no one suitable right now, so you stay in the Elixir Pavilion for a while.”

Hearing that he wouldn't be stuck there forever, Li Xiaoyao quieted down. However, if Ye Wen knew what the boy was currently scheming, he might reconsider the suitability of this appointment: “If anything, I’ll study how to make the elixirs taste better! If I can create chocolate or milk flavors, the snack problem will be solved! I should ask Claire what flavor she likes later… hehehe!”

Ye Wen remained unaware that this casual arrangement would later saddle Mount Shu with a strange reputation: Mount Shu Products—Incomparably Delicious!

With the Scripture Pavilion, Magic Treasure Pavilion, and Elixir Pavilion arranged, Ye Wen began establishing the new departments. The first was the Immortal Reception Pavilion, which already had a designated head. This department wasn't overly complicated; the surplus outer disciples could take turns assisting.

The immediate task was setting up the structure and ensuring all disciples knew of the department’s existence and Zhang Gui’s authority.

Zhang Gui was promoted to Immortal Reception Steward, with the power to directly assign outer disciples to the department, and the authority to consult with inner disciples for rotational assistance.

In Ye Wen’s vision, the Immortal Reception Pavilion was not just for receiving those individuals; it was also for housing those who wished to remain affiliated with Mount Shu but preferred not to become direct disciples.

In essence, this was a place to cultivate external experts. If masters from other Immortal Realm sects wished to reside at Mount Shu, the Immortal Reception Pavilion would handle the arrangements—though that scenario was unlikely to occur soon.

The Immortal Reception Pavilion would primarily consist of sect disciples and potential guest elders, forming its core composition.

By now, Zhang Gui had finished his initial tasks and waited outside the main hall. When Ye Wen mentioned this matter, someone was dispatched to call Zhang Gui, who then entered the main hall, thereby stepping into the inner circle of Mount Shu management.

As for the young Lingzhu, Ye Wen had not yet decided on his placement. He needed to finalize these matters first, then take Hua Yi to visit and decide.

Finally, the new department Ye Wen intended to create was the Array Diagram Pavilion. Unfortunately, he had no clear direction for this area yet. He could only establish the name and provisionally assign Xu Xian as Steward, with Changmei as Deputy, to hold the fort until they could figure out how to research array formations later.

“Senior Brother only assigns me troublesome tasks!” Xu Xian grumbled to Ye Wen once all arrangements were settled and the disciples had dispersed.

“Trouble? The Array Diagram Pavilion has virtually nothing to do right now. What do you find troublesome about it?”

Xu Xian countered, “I don’t know how your mind works, Senior Brother, but you might conjure up an Array Diagram Compendium in a few days, and then I’ll be stuck researching endlessly with that grand-disciple nephew of yours!”

Ye Wen was surprised by his junior brother’s confidence in him—as if an array compendium was as common as cabbage, something he could whip up instantly! He realized his past feat of frequently producing martial arts manuals from his ring had left a deep impression. He supposed he really ought to find an array compendium someday to avoid tarnishing the glorious image he had worked hard to establish.

“We’ll see. At least I don't have time to think about that now. For the next while, you take the disciples and push them hard in their training! I estimate that with the assistance of this immortal land, everyone’s cultivation base can advance significantly!”

Hearing this, Xu Xian understood that Ye Wen intended to seek out Yang Jian, and perhaps even agree to Yang Jian's request to accompany him to the Heavenly Court.

“Should I accompany you, Senior Brother?”

Ye Wen shook his head. “Having you here puts my mind at ease. Our strength is still quite weak; most disciples are only slightly stronger than mortals. If enemies come, we will rely on you to protect Mount Shu!”

Upon hearing this, Ning Ruxue, who had been about to speak, swallowed her words. Yet, she felt uneasy about letting Ye Wen go alone and was about to ask Hua Yi to accompany him when Dongfang Kui, who had been silent and nearly forgotten in the background, finally spoke up: “I will accompany Sect Leader Ye on this trip.”