The Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique did not actually consume much of Ye Wen’s energy, perhaps because his cultivation was becoming increasingly profound, coupled with his daily study of the Chaos Heaven Treasured Codex, which deepened his understanding of the methods, allowing him to gradually see the essence beyond mere appearances.

Of course, he still couldn't grasp the most esoteric techniques, but that didn't prevent him from making certain deductions.

The external body-tempering manual of the Innate Heaven and Earth Technique was undoubtedly an extremely high-level cultivation method. It was said that once the Unbounded Heaven and Earth Body was mastered, even without knowing the external moves of the Innate Heaven and Earth Technique—the Seven Absolutes of Heaven and Earth—one could suppress gods and demons purely through that formidable physical body, becoming an incredibly powerful entity.

As the introductory section, the Malleable Body of Heaven and Earth, was itself quite formidable. Without sufficient cultivation, one couldn't even begin the initial stages. While the Shu Shan Sect had many disciples now, very few could truly cultivate the Malleable Body of Heaven and Earth.

Based on Ye Wen’s detailed observation, to cultivate the Malleable Body of Heaven and Earth, one needed at least Earth Immortal cultivation, and only upon reaching the peak of the Earth Immortal realm could one begin the Diamond Body of Heaven and Earth.

Once the Diamond Body of Heaven and Earth was practiced to near completion, one could roughly attain the status of a Heavenly Immortal... As for the Unbounded Body? Ye Wen wasn't sure if mastering it led to Golden Immortal status, but he surmised it wouldn't be far off.

It could be said that with the Innate Heaven and Earth Technique, a method integrating internal and external cultivation, the Shu Shan Sect no longer needed to worry about cultivation methods. Given the current structure of the Shu Shan Sect’s martial arts, it formed a perfectly complete tree structure. The only drawback was the low-tier body refining technique.

Thus, the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique came into being.

According to Ye Wen’s design, this technique didn't need to grant the practitioner formidable internal Zhenqi like common inner cultivation methods; its sole purpose was to use the cultivator's powerful Zhenqi to continuously nurture the physical body, making it robust.

It needed to meet the standards of a Sword Immortal Realm cultivator and then surpass them! After all, the Shu Shan Sect relied on their physical prowess because they were inherently weaker than the immortal sects regarding magical artifacts and pills. If the very foundation they depended on—their physical bodies—was no different from ordinary cultivators, how could the Shu Shan Sect establish itself in the Immortal Realm?

Furthermore, Ye Wen’s own body had been tempered to be quite formidable due to various fortuitous encounters, making him accustomed to this style of combat. It was predictable that his disciples’ fighting styles would closely mirror his own, thus necessitating an even stronger physical foundation.

Moreover, achieving the Earth Immortal realm required maintaining a certain level of physical strength! On Earth, many cultivators couldn't cross the threshold to Earth Immortal, and the state of their physical bodies might be a contributing factor.

As for selecting Liu Mengli first, it was partly because this grand-disciple truly required his personal guidance, and partly because her cultivation was lower, allowing for balanced development if she started cultivating this technique early.

Of course, others wouldn't be too late. A week after confirming Liu Mengli's cultivation progress, Ye Wen began imparting this technique to his few direct disciples, instructing them to pass it down to their own disciples in turn.

“Do the outer disciples need to cultivate it?”

Guo Jing, after finishing the practice of this technique, didn't feel much change physically, as he possessed the strongest body among the Shu Shan disciples. Consequently, any difference was not immediately apparent in the short term.

Those with weaker constitutions, like Nangong Huang and Wei Hong, felt more pronounced initial anomalies. After just a few days of cultivation, they felt their mental energy had significantly improved.

Hearing Guo Jing's question, they also wondered what rank their master would assign this newly created body refinement method—would it be restricted to inner disciples or only for direct disciples?

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen was quite generous, waving his hand: "Outer disciples can cultivate it too. From now on, the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique will serve as the entry-level technique for our sect. Every disciple who manages to learn the Complete Heart True Art shall receive instruction in it!" He had already decided: the earlier this technique was cultivated, the better. This technique emphasized slow tempering and gentle nourishment, not an overbearing method that instantly improved physical quality in a very short time. Therefore, the duration of cultivation would be the biggest determining factor for the result.

Moreover, this technique was not truly profound; the Shu Shan Sect's genuinely high-level body refinement methods remained those associated with the Innate Heaven and Earth Technique.

If the bodies of these few disciples hadn't met his standards, he might have directly taught them the Malleable Body of Heaven and Earth. Thus, there was no need to be overly stingy with an introductory-level technique.

As for the risk of the technique being leaked? Ye Wen wasn't worried. This technique was practically useless in the Immortal Realm.

Although it could temper the body, and its effects surpassed the entry-level methods of most sects, it did not generate Zhenqi itself; it was a purely consumptive art. Therefore, for disciples of those other sects, it was an utterly useless thing. Their own methods already included body-tempering effects, and for them, those effects were sufficient; they didn't need anything stronger.

And for higher-level cultivators, the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique was too rudimentary. Furthermore, cultivators dedicated to intensively strengthening their physical bodies for close-quarters combat disdained this technique. Thus, Ye Wen had no concern about it being stolen—this technique was created specifically tailored to Shu Shan disciples and the nature of their own methods; it was useless in anyone else’s hands.

With this latest adjustment, Shu Shan outer disciples would first receive instruction in the basic inner cultivation method. After practicing for a period, finding a rudimentary sense of Qi, and nurturing internal energy, they would then learn the Complete Heart True Art.

Previously, it took ordinary people one to two months; those with good aptitude might achieve this in three to five days; those who were slow might take half a year or even a year. The Complete Heart True Art would be the cultivation method for these outer disciples for their entire lives, unless they were accepted into the inner sect, became disciples of an inner master, and were taught more profound methods, or achieved a great merit, earning a technique personally bestowed by the Sect Master—though in such cases, inner cultivation methods were rarely gifted; it was usually external martial arts.

Now that they were in the Immortal Realm, the time required for that first step had shrunk again. Perhaps a talented disciple could master it immediately upon instruction, allowing them to directly cultivate the Complete Heart True Art and the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique simultaneously.

The two techniques had to be cultivated together; one could not be abandoned for the other. Ye Wen had considered what would happen if a disciple became too impatient and only practiced the heart method. But upon reflection, the Sect Grand Competition would undoubtedly be a day of suffering for such a disciple.

Because the Shu Shan Sect's Grand Competition resembled a year-end examination where all disciples would compare themselves against their peers. Moreover, since the Shu Shan Sect possessed no mystical spells, only martial arts moves, and if the internal cultivation levels of two competitors weren't high enough to defeat each other from a distance, the robustness of the physical body would become the decisive factor.

"As long as their minds are sound and they don't wish to be brutally defeated, they surely won't discard the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique!"

Of course, there might be some who tried to be clever, but Ye Wen couldn't be bothered to manage such disciples. Disciples who couldn't even adhere to the regulations of their own sect’s cultivation path wouldn't amount to much.

"The path has been laid out for them; whether they walk it or not is their choice. There's no need to overthink it!"

When Nangong Huang voiced the exact concern Ye Wen had anticipated, Ye Wen replied breezily, "There are hundreds of disciples in our sect; I cannot personally mentor every single one. This can be considered a test as well!"

Nangong Huang nodded, indicating understanding, and then, along with his junior martial brothers, began passing down the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique.

This was quite an undertaking because, apart from a select few, most Shu Shan disciples had already reached the level of the Complete Heart True Art or even higher techniques. This meant the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique was almost required for everyone. However, the Shu Shan Sect lacked strong printing capabilities, so the only method was for everyone to first go back and copy one manual, then pass the original to their martial brothers while they continued copying the copies they made.

This process continued until everyone possessed a secret manual.

The martial brothers looked at Guo Jing with immense sympathy, feeling their senior (or junior) brother was too miserable; he had so many disciples, this time he would be exhausted.

Li Xiaoyao even secretly chuckled in relief: "Thank goodness I don't have disciples, and I don't need to cultivate this technique myself!" He had already started practicing the Innate Heaven and Earth Technique, but only the internal and external cultivation methods, finding the Seven Absolutes of Heaven and Earth rather unappealing. He favored cultivating his master's Myriad Sword Art and had even made a grand vow to create the legendary ultimate move, the Sword God.

"Sword God!"

Li Xiaoyao puffed out his chest, tucked in his abdomen, held his head high, and clenched his fist: "Yes, Master!"

"The move where an old man appears behind you when you attack?" Ye Wen appeared thoroughly uninterested. "Your taste is truly strange!"

"..." Li Xiaoyao then recalled that while the myriad flying swords of the Sword God were magnificent, the image of the old man was rather unsightly. He began to consider whether to conjure a giant in his own likeness, or perhaps create a beautiful Sword Goddess image? "This... this can be changed!" "Changed to look like Master? That wouldn't be bad!" Ye Wen hadn't considered that angle before. Perhaps having seen too many copies, he forgot that he himself could innovate!

However, this shameless remark left everyone speechless. Li Xiaoyao then felt that if he ever created the Sword God, he might only be able to use his master’s appearance. If he used someone else's image, would his master be displeased and come after him?

After much thought, he concluded that this possibility approached one hundred percent, so Li Xiaoyao dropped the idea of the Sword God. Instead, he focused on the Myriad Sword Art for over a decade without the slightest relaxation.

These conversations were mere after-dinner chatter. After receiving Ye Wen's Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique, the many disciples hurried off to make copies. Due to certain circumstances, Guo Jing was the last to receive his. The other disciples offered to help, but Guo Jing asked with confusion, "Help with what?"

"Oh? You have to copy so many copies; how long will it take you to finish?"

"When did I say I was going to copy them myself?"

Guo Jing looked puzzled, not understanding why they would ask, and then headed straight back to his own courtyard with the original manual.

The others exchanged glances, unsure how Guo Jing planned to solve the issue of the manuals for his large contingent of disciples. Perhaps he would simply hand the manuals over to his disciples and let them copy them?

"That's one way to do it!" Wei Hong had no disciples, so he only needed to copy one for himself, and thus didn't feel particularly tired or need to rack his brains.

Nangong Huang used a similar method. Because although his health had improved, he was still somewhat weak, the copying was handled by his two grand-disciples.

After discussing for a while, the others were curious about what Guo Jing would do and decided to go watch the spectacle. When they arrived at Guo Jing's residence, they were all struck dumbfounded.

They saw that Guo Jing had cleared out his main hall, setting up small desks below. He sat in the position of honor, holding the secret manual and reading aloud. Below him, his disciples sat, brushes in hand, diligently copying the incantations Guo Jing recited onto paper. At a glance, it looked like a schoolhouse, with the teacher at the top and diligent students below—except the students all appeared to be elderly, with gray hair and wrinkles everywhere.

"..."

"Am I really smarter than Senior Brother? Why am I suddenly lacking confidence... "

"Don't say another word..."

Upon seeing this scene, everyone turned and fled in shame. In the following days, not a single person could be seen. When Ye Wen inquired, he heard they were all diligently cultivating in their own rooms, not even stepping out the door!

Inspired by the example of their seniors, the Shu Shan Sect entered a period of vigorous collective cultivation. For a time, the entire Shu Shan mountain range had the atmosphere of "a thousand mountains where birds have vanished, ten thousand paths where human tracks disappear."

Ye Wen stood in his courtyard as a cool breeze blew past, stirring fallen leaves before him. Looking around, he truly couldn't see a single soul.

"This..."

Ning Ruxue arrived beside Ye Wen in a few steps and informed him, "All the disciples have just started cultivating the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique, so they are busy training and probably won't be able to do anything else these few days!"

In truth, it was impossible that no one was active on the mountain; there were still many servants and maids who naturally had to carry out their duties.

However, the Shu Shan Sect had expanded vastly over decades of development, and the area where Ye Wen stood was relatively secluded and quiet. Ordinary disciples and servants rarely came here, hence the atmosphere felt so deserted.

"Oh," Ye Wen replied, saying nothing more. He had seen far bleaker scenes and was unconcerned. Returning to his own courtyard, Li Xuan had already arrived.

"Sect Master Li!"

"Don't call me Sect Master Li anymore; I passed that position on long ago!" Since arriving in the Immortal Realm, Li Xuan had cultivated diligently every day, which helped his body recover significantly.

However, it was evident that without some remedy, it would be difficult for his body to return to its peak condition.

"Then should I call you Brother Li?"

Li Xuan nodded, accepting the form of address! In truth, given Li Xuan’s age, addressing him as 'Brother' was generous; calling him 'Uncle' would not be an overstep. But Ye Wen was the sovereign of a sect, and his achievements in the martial world far surpassed Li Xuan's. If Ye Wen were to call him Uncle, Li Xuan would likely refuse.

Ye Wen had no interest in acquiring an elder unnecessarily. Addressing him as Brother Li was merely a gesture of courtesy. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they immediately moved to the main topic: "Brother Li's condition, has it improved?"

Li Xuan did not answer but casually lifted his hand and held it suspended in the air for about three minutes, completely steady. Ye Wen knew Li Xuan's body had recovered somewhat.

But after three minutes, he lowered his hand, clearly indicating his body was still not up to par!

"Actually, this problem with the body..." Li Xuan waved his hand. "I heard that Sect Master Ye recently created a body refining method and distributed it to the sect's disciples, urging them to cultivate it diligently. This way, while refining their inner arts, their bodies can also reach a considerable level. This not only increases their strength but also greatly raises the success rate when shattering the void! Am I correct?"

Ye Wen nodded: "Indeed!"

He then briefly described the situation in the Immortal Realm and how various sects paid attention to physical conditioning. Li Xuan listened without speaking, lowering his head to sip tea. His eyes seemed unfocused, clearly indicating that the former Heavenly Mountain Sect Master was deep in thought.

After speaking at length, Ye Wen never brought up his own technique again. Instead, he shared some of his own thoughts, such as how martial artists like them, if they wished to establish themselves in the Immortal Realm, could not abandon their roots while chasing superficial things—frantically pursuing unfamiliar immortal arts and hard-to-obtain magical artifacts. Instead, they should leverage their inherent advantages and amplify them to create a foundation for survival in the Immortal Realm.

"What is our advantage? It's being accustomed to close-quarters combat. When combined with moves that can exert greater power in the Immortal Realm, their destructive force will definitely not be inferior to immortal arts and magical artifacts!"

Ye Wen firmly believed this because that was how he navigated the previous world! Moreover, this world also had its share of close-combat masters, proving that the close-quarters brawling style was absolutely viable in the Immortal Realm.

Li Xuan listened for a moment and nodded in agreement with Ye Wen's theory. Ning Ruxue, listening nearby, expected Li Xuan to speak soon, hoping Ye Wen would impart the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique to him. After all, Li Xuan's health was far from ideal, yet his internal cultivation was profoundly deep. With the aid of the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique, his body could quickly recover.

He didn't need his body to become stronger; just returning to his former level would give him the confidence to pass the threshold of shattering the void and achieve the Earth Immortal rank!

Upon achieving Earth Immortal status, the body undergoes a tempering that could restore his physical form to its peak, after which he could slowly continue cultivating.

In that scenario, the Shu Shan Sect would gain a powerful ally—with Li Xuan's aptitude, his future could be highly anticipated once he crossed that hurdle, and Li Xuan would gain extended longevity to continue pursuing the path of strength. It would be a win-win situation, a joyous outcome.

But things did not unfold as Ning Ruxue predicted. From beginning to end, neither person mentioned the Primal Spirit Body Refining Technique. After listening for a while, Li Xuan clasped his hands toward Ye Wen and said, "Thank you, Sect Master Ye, for your guidance. I will surely repay this kindness in the future!" "Brother Li is too polite!" Then, both set down their teacups, ending the conversation without any formalities of departure. Li Xuan headed straight for his own courtyard, while Ye Wen gazed up at the increasingly lush trees, lost in thought.

With a head full of questions, Ye Wen was faintly heard whispering softly, "I wonder how many days it will take for this Li Xuan to succeed!"