Yang Jian cast down the bargaining chip, and Ye Wen was finally satisfied, agreeing to Yang Jian's proposal!

In truth, the matter wasn't complicated at all. In Ye Wen's eyes, the Shu Mountain Sect could develop anywhere. At the very least, giving them a development window of about one to two hundred years should be sufficient for him to boost the Sect's strength.

With Yang Jian supporting him from behind, matters like magical artifacts, elixirs, and formations could also be put on the agenda. Most importantly, Ye Wen hoped to glean information from Yang Jian about the current cultivation methods in the Immortal Realm—what the general levels were. However, this was a difficult point to bring up directly. Fortunately, Ye Wen would be accompanying Yang Jian for some time, allowing him ample opportunity to probe subtly.

"Since Sect Master Ye has made his decision, let us depart then!"

Yang Jian was a straightforward man. Now that Ye Wen had agreed, there was no need to waste any more time lingering below Shu Mountain. He immediately transmitted the command, the entire army struck camp, and they recalled their forces!

It was then Ye Wen truly witnessed the efficiency of the troops under Yang Jian. Less than the time it takes to steep a cup of tea after the Erlang Zhenjun gave the order, the massive camp had been completely cleared. Tents and equipment were packed away so thoroughly that if one hadn't just been sitting inside a tent, there would have been no visible sign that an army had ever camped there.

The host then departed, heading straight east. Guan Yu was leading the command in the vanguard; Ye Wen did not see Yuan Hong, who was said to have taken the main body of troops back ahead of time.

Ye Wen marched in the center of the army, much like Yang Jian. At this moment, Yang Jian traveled forward slowly atop auspicious clouds, while Ye Wen stood beside him. He stood right on Yang Jian's cloud, thus saving himself the need to fly, allowing him to chat along the way and inquire about matters in the Heavenly Court.

Yang Jian held nothing back, telling Ye Wen practically everything he wished to know. It turned out that Yang Jian's troops were garrisoned in the sky eight hundred li east of Shu Mountain. There was a military camp there, situated above the clouds—the very place where the Heavenly Court's forces were stationed. Originally intended as a supply depot for the Western Frontier troops and serving as a second line of defense, it had now become the main point for troop deployment, guarding the outermost line of the Western territories, simultaneously acting as the headquarters.

Hearing this, Ye Wen felt a slight ache in his head. This single location shouldered so many responsibilities. Furthermore, there was no suitable fallback position behind it, meaning the western border lacked adequate strategic depth. No wonder Yang Jian had been displeased with the arrangement for a buffer zone.

"Why not establish another new barracks further back?"

Yang Jian offered a wry smile: "Establishing a barracks in the sky is no simple matter. This location was set up long ago, so we could simply garrison our troops there. If we were to set up another such place, aside from the immense expenditure of manpower and resources, it would also require a great deal of time!"

So, even stationing troops in the heavens was not easy, nor could just any patch of sky accommodate these Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

Ye Wen conceded this point; otherwise, why would immortals bother searching for suitable residences on the ground instead of simply settling on any passing cloud?

He inquired further and learned that the Heavenly Court's military strength had been dwindling over the years, certainly far removed from the peak when the court was first established, boasting a mighty army of millions of elite soldiers.

Now, with Yang Jian presiding over the Western Frontier, his subordinate force numbered only around one hundred thousand. While seemingly substantial, considering the vastness of the Western Frontier in the Eastern Immortal Continent—and that it faced the primary enemy—a mere hundred thousand troops was indeed somewhat inadequate.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were not mortals, and many of the commanding officers possessed great divine abilities. Their travel speed was decent enough, so ten thousand troops were barely sufficient for managing things.

Compared to the west, the northern and southern flanks of the Immortal Continent were far more pitiable. The north held only about ten to twenty thousand troops stationed there, while the south was even scarcer, with less than ten thousand. The east had a contingent deployed, roughly thirty thousand soldiers. Counting them up, Yang Jian truly held the largest command.

"Does the True Lord happen to have anyone among his ranks skilled in formations, alchemy, or artifact crafting?"

Since he had agreed to Yang Jian's proposal, Ye Wen felt it was not unreasonable to put forward his requirements. At present, the Shu Mountain Sect desperately needed talent in these three areas. Relying on himself to go around recruiting and searching seemed impossible; the Dao of the Chick taught him nothing, and the Shu Mountain Sect had no fame. Therefore, having Yang Jian dispatch a few people to instruct his disciples in the basics was the proper course.

Yang Jian seemed to guess Ye Wen's intentions. After pondering for a moment, he replied with a degree of helplessness: "My subordinates are mostly military personnel, so I lack the individuals you seek, Sect Master. Perhaps once we reach the Heavenly Court, I can help you look into it!"

Although he hadn't returned to the Heavenly Court for a long time, he still had a few friends; borrowing some people shouldn't be an issue. Of course, anyone borrowed this way wouldn't be exceptionally powerful; it depended on how high Ye Wen's standards were.

"What level of expertise is Sect Master Ye seeking?"

Ye Wen considered it and stated plainly: "Just the methods for the introductory stages is enough. I, Ye Wen, wish for a few disciples to learn these skills, but I am not proficient myself, so I wish to borrow some people from the True Lord!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian immediately surmised that the Shu Mountain Sect might have lost some disciples during their ascension, and those who were lost happened to be the ones responsible for these few techniques. Thus, they needed to borrow people to train a new batch of disciples. The reason Ye Wen didn't ask for higher-level expertise was likely because the Shu Mountain Sect already possessed these techniques but lacked someone who understood the fundamentals, fearing that random study might lead them down the wrong path. That’s why he sought help to lay a solid foundation first.

He was entirely unaware that Ye Wen had no idea what to do in the long run, likely relying on the Shu Mountain disciples to study hard and develop techniques, artifacts, and formations suitable for the Sect on their own. As for elixirs, Ye Wen harbored no great expectations.

He knew that alchemy was the Great Dao; achieving perfection in it could even lead to immortal ascension. Ye Wen's Shu Mountain Sect was focused entirely on martial arts; elixirs were merely supplementary. Being able to refine some common healing or restorative pills would satisfy him greatly. As for refining pills to consume for his own upgrades, he didn't dare even contemplate such a thing.

Conversely, he placed more importance on formation diagrams. If he could research formations capable of inducing celestial phenomena and complementing the powerful individual strength of the Shu Mountain Sect, their overall power would reach a new level.

The True Martial Seven Intercepts Formation currently used by the Shu Mountain Sect was ultimately just a mortal formation; it couldn't harness the power of heaven and earth, and its might was truly limited—at best, it only made the combined efforts of several disciples more coordinated.

“If only the True Martial Seven Intercepts Formation could be improved… I wonder what it would become!”

Lost in thought throughout the journey, they soon arrived at Yang Jian's troop garrison. Ye Wen looked up and was sharply startled: "Good heavens, this is hardly an ordinary garrison. It’s practically a fortress!"

He saw a city built high above boundless clouds. The city walls soared, subtly exuding a pressure that weighed upon the spirit. Ye Wen noticed that as the army approached the city, they ceased flying and instead descended onto a pavement stretching about five hundred meters in front of the city.

Yang Jian also landed. As soon as he retracted his auspicious cloud and Ye Wen’s feet touched solid ground, he noticed the peculiar anomaly of the surroundings. He had intended to descend slowly using his movement techniques, but the moment Yang Jian’s cloud vanished, Ye Wen felt the True Qi he casually lifted suddenly seize up. If not for his swift reaction and the perfectly fluid control he had over his True Qi, his landing might have appeared quite clumsy.

He reached out to steady the unprepared Dongfang Kui, whose power level was significantly lower, then turned to look at Yang Jian, finding that the True Lord was also observing him.

"Sect Master Ye must now understand what is peculiar about this place."

Ye Wen felt carefully around and then activated his double pupils to scrutinize the city. He discovered that the city walls seemed to faintly emanate a strange energy. It was this energy that enveloped the area around the city, influencing everyone within range, preventing them from… flying…

"Is this for defensive purposes?"

Yang Jian did not answer, but his expression clearly told Ye Wen that he had guessed correctly.

Previously, Ye Wen had been puzzled: since everyone was an immortal, what use were city walls and moats in battle? Now he understood—there was a formation that suppressed the ability to fly. This meant that when battles commenced, they were similar to those among mortals in the secular world, allowing the city walls to exert their terrifying effect.

Although this place, which resembled a no-fly zone, couldn't suppress truly powerful figures, such individuals were usually named Divine Generals. Dealing with them naturally required Divine Generals as well, so the effect cancelled itself out.

It appeared the design was meant to prevent Divine Generals from wreaking terrifying havoc upon the rank-and-file soldiers using their immense personal power, thereby achieving a battle of soldiers versus soldiers, and generals versus generals.

"This formation… is this also why such fortresses are difficult to construct?"

Yang Jian nodded: "Precisely. Formations of this type are difficult to build and require numerous rare materials that are hard to find. Therefore, constructing each one consumes enormous resources, and they cannot be built carelessly."

"What about that border location…"

Yang Jian replied, "There is a fortress at the border as well, but the formation array there has had its core removed. Without the core, the formation is useless, but leaving the fortress empty is truly unbearable."

"Oh!"

So, there was a fortress not far above his head. No wonder Yang Jian was always preoccupied with that place. Indeed, Yang Jian then said, "General Guan will lead a small contingent of troops to depart and garrison that fortress, offering some mutual support to your Sect."

"If General Guan leads troops there to station, won't it cause any conflict?" Yang Jian laughed: "Yun Chang is merely leading a few thousand soldiers out for patrol; what conflict could that possibly stir up?"

Indeed, there is a policy above, and a countermeasure below!

If you won't allow me to station troops permanently, then I'll send a small patrol out to scout—they can rest nearby when tired. You certainly can't argue with that, can you?

The reason Yang Jian hadn't done this before was that such a small contingent of troops had limited utility, and one slip-up could cost the lives of his subordinates. Now that the Shu Mountain Sect was nearby to offer support, with both sides looking out for each other, Guan Yu's risk factor was significantly reduced, which is why Yang Jian was making this move.

For the Shu Mountain Sect, this was also a good thing. No matter what, having a contingent of Heavenly Court troops watching over them would provide a sense of security, especially during the years when Shu Mountain needed to develop rapidly. Having someone nearby to watch over things offered greater safety.

As they proceeded, Ye Wen didn't notice that after his casual gesture of support earlier, Dongfang Kui had been looking at him continuously. Even though Ye Wen was completely focused on talking with Yang Jian and hadn't even turned his head, nor had he asked if she was alright, Dongfang Kui still felt happy: "He did notice me after all."

Upon entering the city, Yang Jian arranged accommodation for Ye Wen. It was a very ordinary bedroom, and Dongfang Kui was housed opposite Ye Wen. They were both in a small courtyard; it seemed Yang Jian arranged it for their convenience in communication.

Guards stood posted at the courtyard entrance, giving Ye Wen the feeling of being a high-ranking official, especially since the guard was explicitly assigned to follow his orders.

He had initially wanted to indulge in the feeling of command, but after some thought, he realized he had nothing to order the guard to do. In the end, he simply had the guard fetch some clear water, fruit, and meals to be brought into the courtyard.

After a whole day of travel, Ye Wen was indifferent, but Dongfang Kui had not yet crossed the threshold into the Earth Immortal realm and still needed sustenance to maintain her vitality. Fortunately, not everyone in the Immortal Realm lived without the need for mortal fare. There were still those who required food, and even Yang Jian himself occasionally ate something to satisfy his appetites.

Thus, this fortress lacked nothing in terms of food. Specialized chefs were on hand for preparation. Soon, someone brought four dishes, one soup, and a pot of fine wine, setting them on the stone table before respectfully withdrawing, even closing the courtyard gate behind them.

"Hey, what are those looks for? You scoundrels!"

Ye Wen desperately wanted to curse but swallowed it back, instead gesturing for Dongfang Kui to join him: "Eat. Since they are hosting us, there's no need to be polite!"

By using the inclusive "us," Ye Wen showed no pretense of treating Dongfang Kui as an outsider. He merely felt that since they were peers, there was no need for stiffness, and without his disciples around, he didn't need to maintain that stern Sect Master facade for appearances. However, he failed to notice Dongfang Kui standing there, a flicker of conflict crossing her features, staring at him for a long moment before sitting down.

"What is it?"

"N-nothing!" A slight blush appeared on her face. Dongfang Kui lowered her head, sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and stared blankly at Ye Wen: "Why aren't you eating?"

Ye Wen smiled: "To use a Daoist phrase, I have long achieved 'Bigu' (abstinence from grains); eating or not eating makes no difference. Eating now is just to satisfy a craving, not to fill my stomach."

"Oh!"

Only then did Dongfang Kui understand. Ye Wen had asked for food and drink brought in primarily for her sake, as she still needed to eat to live, and she wondered when she might reach the stage of Bigu.

Perhaps Ye Wen had coincidentally read her thoughts, as he immediately addressed the subject: "Miss Dongfang is nearing the realm of 'Shattering the Void,' I believe? In fact, what is commonly called Shattering the Void is the dividing line between ordinary cultivators and Earth Immortals. Crossing that threshold places one among the ranks of Earth Immortals."

"Once Miss Dongfang becomes an Earth Immortal, eating will become optional." Ye Wen paused, seeing Dongfang Kui staring at him blankly. He asked curiously, "What? Is something unclear?"

"Sect Master Ye, what level have you currently reached?" It turned out Dongfang Kui wasn't concerned with whether she would abstain from food after becoming an Earth Immortal; she was intensely curious about Ye Wen's current cultivation realm.

"That… ah…"

Ye Wen found this question somewhat troublesome, as he didn't truly know himself: "By convention, above Earth Immortal is Heavenly Immortal. One should cultivate to Heavenly Immortal before being able to tear open space and ascend to the Immortal Realm. However, my ascension was due to an accident; I didn't forcibly tear space apart…"

Saying this, he felt uncertain again. After all, their arrival in the Immortal Realm was indeed the result of him unintentionally activating the Primordial Universe Qi within his body, which violently cleaved open a passage and brought everyone—plus two non-humans—to the Immortal Realm.

"I should be close to the Heavenly Immortal realm, I suppose…"

After much thought, this was the only conclusion he could draw. Ye Wen believed he hadn't truly reached the Heavenly Immortal cultivation level, as he couldn't break space at will using his own strength.

Perhaps only when he fully integrated the first nine layers of the Primordial Chaos Sutra and truly mastered the Primordial Universe would he step into the Heavenly Immortal realm. Until then, he was likely merely among the Earth Immortal tier, at best a powerful entity within it. At the very least, if he fought Zhang Sanfeng one-on-one now—the Wudang Patriarch who was said to have the highest potential to break through to the Heavenly Immortal rank—Ye Wen felt he stood a good chance of defeating him.

From his talk with Yang Jian, he had roughly gathered that the realms in this Immortal Realm were not as complicated as some texts suggested, lacking all those messy classifications like High Celestial Immortal or Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

Above Heavenly Immortal, there was indeed one more level called Golden Immortal. Achieving the Golden Immortal rank meant one could move freely within the Immortal Realm, and even the Jade Emperor would have to treat such a figure with courtesy. Currently, there were very few Golden Immortals in the Immortal Realm; all were figures of great renown and formidable prestige.

Any higher?

None!

There were no Saints or any Great Dao beyond that. The Golden Immortal was the ultimate pinnacle for immortals. The Heavenly Court only possessed Golden Immortals like the Jade Emperor (whose strength was actually immense, otherwise he wouldn't be the leader of the Court) and Taishang Laojun, among others.

Although Yang Jian was hailed as the God of War, he was only a powerhouse among Heavenly Immortals, not yet having reached the Golden Immortal realm.

Another crucial point was that realm did not equate to strength! For example, Yuan Hong’s realm had reached Heavenly Immortal, but he was a weaker one among them. Ye Wen’s strength, however, was peculiar; he hadn't truly reached the Heavenly Immortal realm, yet the combat power he could unleash could suppress Yuan Hong, who was a Heavenly Immortal.

"To put it plainly, strength cannot be judged merely by one's realm. To truly know the difference, one must fight," Yang Jian had told him. Ye Wen wholeheartedly agreed. After relaying this to Dongfang Kui, Ye Wen suddenly remembered something he’d thought of earlier. Since sitting in silence felt somewhat awkward, he needed a topic to break the tension and asked, "By the way, where is that girl who insisted on marrying you back then?"

Unexpectedly, the moment these words left his mouth, the atmosphere instantly became even more awkward!