Ning Ruxue didn't grasp the meaning behind Ye Wen's words, but she knew that anything she didn't understand, she could simply ask, as Ye Wen would never conceal things from her.

"Cultivation technique!" "Cultivation technique?"

Ning Ruxue paused, finally understanding clearly this time: "Senior Brother means, Sect Leader Li will also create a body-refining technique similar to the Yuan Ling Cui Ti Jue?"

Ye Wen nodded; he considered such a thing almost inevitable!

Given Li Xuan's arrogance, he would absolutely never accept Ye Wen's gift. If Ye Wen rushed to hand over the Yuan Ling Cui Ti Jue to Li Xuan, it might cause the proud, high-spirited former leader of Mount Tian to immediately leave Shushan, which would entirely defeat the original purpose of bringing him to the Sword Immortal Realm.

He hoped Li Xuan would stay at Shushan, or at the very least, rebuild his Tian Shan Sect near Shushan, allowing the two sects to support each other.

Of course, it would be best if he could become a retainer of the Shushan Sect, but that seemed highly unlikely. Ye Wen had a persistent feeling that Li Xuan wouldn't stay at Shushan for long; perhaps he would leave soon.

"Perhaps once he has created a suitable cultivation technique and crossed the threshold into the Earth Immortal realm, he will depart. After all, he is not someone who can tolerate a life of subservience for long!"

Ning Ruxue remained silent, merely refilling Ye Wen's teacup. Regarding Li Xuan, she realized she had little room to interject. She truly had no deep connection with this former Tian Shan Sect Leader, yet she couldn't fathom how her Senior Brother understood Li Xuan's personality so well.

Puzzled, she voiced her question, and Ye Wen burst into laughter: "With a personality like his, there are similar characters in many comics, movies, or novels. The tragedy is that in none of those works would such a person be the protagonist; they are usually popular supporting characters!"

Ning Ruxue looked slightly confused: "If they are so popular, their personality must be quite likable. Why wouldn't any protagonist be like that?"

"Because they are too difficult... As a supporting character, it's fine, but if the protagonist were that awkward, it would infuriate countless readers or viewers!" Ye Wen's answer left Ning Ruxue somewhat speechless, but upon reflection, she conceded that if it were truly so, viewers might indeed feel frustrated.

In the days that followed, Ye Wen did not see Li Xuan again. However, he heard reports from disciples that the chill emanating from the courtyard where Li Xuan resided was growing more intense. It was only midsummer, yet all the plants in that courtyard had withered, as if deep autumn had set in.

These past few days, the situation seemed to have worsened; faint frost was beginning to coalesce. A disciple standing guard outside Li Xuan's courtyard had even woken up from sleep to find his eyebrows and hair coated in hoarfrost.

"In that case, it won't do for them to keep staying here!"

Ye Wen harbored no reservations and, as the host, directly addressed his guest: "You are causing me trouble!" There was no need for subtlety. He sought out Li Xuan directly and stated plainly, "When cultivating, it is best to find a separate location. Please refrain from practicing within your residence!" Li Xuan was not offended; he simply nodded, then followed Ye Wen from the inner courtyard to the back mountain, stopping at the edge of a cliff. He watched as Ye Wen pointed toward several small mountains floating in formation around Shushan in the distance, asking, "Which of those small mountains do you think is suitable?"

Li Xuan glanced over, finally pointing to one that was not large but relatively flat, saying, "That one!"

Ye Wen nodded, closed his eyes, focused his intent, and channeled his qi. Li Xuan instantly felt a vast, powerful aura emanating from Ye Wen, which then retracted sharply, making the person seem to vanish into thin air.

This sensation was extremely strange. The person was clearly standing before him, yet he couldn't sense him. This was deeply unsettling for a martial artist who relied heavily on his own senses. Unconvinced, Li Xuan observed intently, finally catching a faint glimpse of Ye Wen seeming to merge entirely with the entire Mount Shushan, indivisible.

In that moment, he felt that the person before him was not Ye Wen, but merely a component of Shushan! Alternatively, there was another startling feeling: that Shushan itself was merely a part of Ye Wen. However, this notion was too horrifying for Li Xuan to accept as fact just yet.

As he concentrated on observing, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of the small mountain he had chosen slowly moving toward their location. Simultaneously, whether because the mountain structure itself was unstable or by design, stones began to fall from it as it flew, scattering about dozens of blocks, each about a meter square. These stones did not plummet downward but instead circled and floated around the mountain.

When the small mountain stopped about dozens of meters away, the scattered stones paused, then swiftly aligned themselves, forming a pathway that perfectly connected the small mountain to the cliff where the two men stood.

The stone blocks were not tightly joined; there was an approximately one-meter gap between each one. Suspended high in the air, few would dare to traverse such a bridge.

But Li Xuan understood this was the path he would walk from now on; Ye Wen had arranged it this way because he trusted Li Xuan's cultivation level was sufficient that he wouldn't fall off while crossing.

"This small mountain is for Brother Li's cultivation use. As for this stone bridge... once Brother Li achieves success in his cultivation, this structure will be unnecessary!"

Li Xuan already knew that upon reaching the Earth Immortal realm, one could command light and fly! Even without light-flight, with his power level then, a single leap could easily bridge the distance of dozens of meters. Thus, no matter what, once he reached the Earth Immortal level, the stone bridge would be obsolete.

If he failed to cultivate to that level... it would also be useless, as he wouldn't exist in the world anymore, and the small mountain would certainly not fall to him then.

"Many thanks, Sect Leader Ye!"

Li Xuan cupped his fists in thanks to Ye Wen. He was quite satisfied with this arrangement.

"However, you will still need to come out for meals, as there are no suitable disciples currently available to deliver food. As for water, I recall there is a source on that small mountain."

Ye Wen had considered these minute details thoroughly, which deeply impressed Li Xuan. He understood how Ye Wen had managed to build an obscure minor sect into one of the most prominent sects in the martial world: simply by meticulously considering such details.

Compared to his own grand, sweeping style of leadership, Ye Wen's approach was far more suited for a sect in the process of development.

With Li Xuan settled, the three members of the Tian Shan Sect could be ignored. Currently, only Li Xuan posed any potential influence on the Shushan Sect disciples; his two grand-disciples lacked that level of power and could continue their cultivation in their current quarters without issue.

With these matters settled, Ye Wen, having nothing pressing to do, went to tour the Elixir Pavilion again. Huang Yun had begun studying the path of alchemy under the two masters who came from the Tianji Sect. Currently, he was only refining relatively simple elixirs requiring common medicinal herbs, so Ye Wen's hard-earned 'savings' weren't yet needed. Furthermore, Huang Yun had some prior foundation in compounding medicines and was learning quite quickly.

In contrast, Li Xiaoyao, who was there to assist, was rather unreliable. This boy brewed a batch of elixirs every few days, then proceeded to crunch them down himself like peanut brittle, as if they were snacks rather than actual pills. He didn't know that Li Xiaoyao had come precisely with that mindset.

Casually picking up an elixir Li Xiaoyao had refined, Ye Wen ate half: "Hmm? Why does this taste so strange?"

Li Xiaoyao started, then looked at the pill Ye Wen was eating. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "That was from a batch refined the day before yesterday; it's a failure, I suppose!"

"Oh? A failure?"

Ye Wen recalled that failed elixirs usually held no value and were typically discarded or destroyed; they were never kept!

"Yes, the taste was very odd. I failed to make it taste like chocolate; Claire said it wasn't good..."

"..."

While Ye Wen was still processing, Li Xiaoyao offered another one: "Master, try this one!" Ye Wen took it without thinking and popped it into his mouth. The crunching sound was unmistakable, followed by a cooling sensation spreading from his mouth: "This one is..."

"It's mint flavored. I plan to distribute it throughout the entire sect, so all Shushan disciples can chew one every morning to keep their breath fresh!"

"..."

Emerging from the Elixir Pavilion, Ye Wen felt a wave of weakness washing over him—not physically, nor because of any issue with the two pills Li Xiaoyao had given him. He simply felt speechless: "Perhaps letting Xiaoyao go to the Elixir Pavilion was a mistake?"

He raised his hand to look at a porcelain bottle resting in his palm, filled to the brim with pills. Apparently, these were all the results of Li Xiaoyao's tinkering over the past few days. Most were mint-flavored, with a few lemon-flavored ones. This was the entirety of what Li Xiaoyao had learned after studying with the two masters from the Tianji Sect for so long.

Putting it away casually, Ye Wen headed toward the Artifact Forging Pavilion, which was slated to become the future weapon and magic treasure production department of the Shushan Sect. This was a crucial location, which Ye Wen valued even more highly than the Elixir Pavilion.

After all, elixirs were nice to have, but one could manage without them! If necessary, they could simply communicate more with the Tianji Sect in the future, exchanging items made by Shushan for commonly used elixirs!

As he walked, occasionally spotting some of the younger disciples of his own sect, Ye Wen felt a surge of accomplishment as they respectfully bowed to him. Especially the look of reverence in their eyes made him feel quite carried away.

Because the Artifact Forging Pavilion, Elixir Pavilion, Library, and other sections were quite far apart, touring all three was equivalent to touring the entire sect. Moving from the Elixir Pavilion to the Artifact Forging Pavilion meant he had covered most of Shushan. Besides revisiting old memories, he was also familiarizing himself with many areas that had been expanded since his departure.

The Artifact Forging Pavilion was located in a newly opened area. After Ye Wen decided it would be the place for producing magic treasures, he had carried out a fresh reorganization of the site. Currently, this area was clearly under construction—many facilities were either being dismantled or remodeled. According to Ye Wen's design, the Artifact Forging Pavilion would eventually become a separate, independent complex that would be heavily guarded.

Stepping into the nascent courtyard, the first thing Ye Wen saw was Zheng Ying directing disciples in the installation of electric lights.

"Eh? Electric lights?"

"Master!" Upon seeing Ye Wen arrive, Zheng Ying hurried to pay his respects. It was only when he bowed that Ye Wen noticed Cui Jun was also present, craning his neck to watch how Zheng Ying was commanding the disciples to install the lights.

"Senior Cui is here too?"

Cui Jun seemed not to have noticed Ye Wen's arrival. He held a large blueprint in one hand while gazing upward at the actual installation, seemingly comparing the physical object with the schematic. Occasionally, he would frown in confusion, ponder for a moment, and then his expression would clear with understanding.

"Yes, Senior Cui has been here these past few days!" Zheng Ying briefly explained the situation to Ye Wen, who then learned that Cui Jun was deeply interested in much of the knowledge Zheng Ying possessed. Upon arrival, Cui Jun had immediately asked Zheng Ying to build him a car so he could examine how such a device could be modified for use by people in the Immortal Realm.

Zheng Ying had expressed helplessness because even if he could draw the blueprints, building a car was likely impossible, as many components were simply not feasible to create in the current environment.

When Zheng Ying explained his difficulties, the Gourd Immortal was unfazed, slapping his chest and declaring, "What's the big deal! Just draw the plans, and I'll solve those problems for you!"

However, Zheng Ying’s explanation made the Gourd Immortal realize that building a vehicle wasn't simple, especially since it required structural modification. Thus, following the standard procedure—starting with the design and resolving issues on paper before physical manufacturing—was the better approach.

"What about now?" Ye Wen pointed to the newly installed electric lamp: "Are you starting research on the use and promotion of these bulbs?"

Zheng Ying smiled: "The Elder says he wants to promote these bulbs throughout the Sword Immortal Realm. He mentioned that in the Immortal Realm currently, people either use very common oil lamps or candlelight, or they illuminate with rare treasures like exquisite jade or stones. These methods are difficult to popularize, and their lighting quality is not nearly as good as the convenience of electric light!"

"He said that after he first visited Earth, he contemplated promoting electric lights in the Sword Immortal Realm, but he left in a hurry and didn't fully grasp the related knowledge. Later, he couldn't solve the power supply issue, which is why there was no progress!"

Ye Wen nodded, thinking the old senior's idea was genuinely good.

These electric lights didn't consume any immortal magic power, and electricity itself was an excellent energy source. If they could fully understand it, the Tianji Sect alone could earn a fortune just by installing electric lights for various sects.

More importantly, in the Immortal Realm, the materials needed to manufacture light bulbs were not rare; various sects could easily acquire large quantities.

There were many similar technological products. If they could solve the power source issue, this Immortal Realm might undergo immediate, earth-shattering changes.

"Cultivation technology?"

Thinking this, Ye Wen curiously asked, "Is the power source for these bulbs still a generator?"

Zheng Ying nodded: "I've observed around these past few days, Master. Our Shushan Sect is situated high in the sky with strong winds. Wind power generation alone could meet our needs! Furthermore, there is a large lake behind the mountain with rivers and waterfalls. The lake itself has an outlet, causing water to flow directly down into the lake below. These conditions offer several suitable locations for installing hydroelectric power generation equipment. If our Shushan Sect utilizes these resources properly, within a few years, I could have every disciple in the sect using electric lights, refrigerators, and a whole series of other equipment!"

Considering that this world lacked television and the internet, he didn't mention things like TVs or computers, but that was his true aspiration. Accustomed to the companionship of such things, the inability to use them now was terribly frustrating. Every time Zheng Ying saw the piles of game discs in his room, he felt the urge to weep.

Ye Wen didn't realize his disciple, much like Li Xiaoyao, harbored such private concerns while espousing grand ambitions. He simply felt he hadn't chosen the wrong disciple; only a disciple with such foresight could be placed in charge of the Artifact Forging Pavilion to create various magic treasures for the Shushan Sect.

"Actually... we could try utilizing immortal arts to generate energy!"

Zheng Ying replied with a wry smile: "Master doesn't know, but the lightning techniques condensed from immortal arts are incredibly solid, pure energy. Although it is pure and can generate sufficient power, the problem is that it's difficult to control, and if no one operates it, it becomes highly unstable—Master, we can't possibly have someone standing there day and night generating electricity for us, can we?"

He thought about it for a moment and concluded that this method was indeed impractical. The greatest feature of technological products is convenience—not just convenience in use, but convenience in operation. This current situation slightly twisted that principle, so this method was definitely out.

However, the direction was correct. The next thing to solve was how to make the energy produced by immortal arts stably, reasonably, and continuously available for use. Only by resolving this issue could concepts like immortal-art-powered cars or immortal-art-powered airplanes become feasible; otherwise, they were nothing more than castles in the air.

Ye Wen was not the only one holding such thoughts. Cui Jun had similar ideas. As he studied the electric lamp, he was simultaneously estimating the energy required by the lamp and how to safely harness the energy from immortal arts for these small devices.

He casually unleashed a lightning technique—a ball of lightning light no larger than his palm—containing enough energy to keep a single electric lamp lit until the end of its lifespan. How could such terrifying energy be safely utilized? More importantly, he couldn't act as a human charging station; therefore, the device itself needed the capacity to absorb energy.

"So, a Spirit Gathering Array is essential, then!"

Lost in thought, he turned and began scribbling drawings on a piece of paper. After watching for a moment, Ye Wen turned and called Zhang Ling over to him. Zheng Ying was currently fully immersed in researching and tinkering with electricity; asking him would likely be fruitless. Therefore, some questions still needed to be directed to Zhang Ling: "Have you and Zheng Ying seriously studied the foundational methods of artifact forging?"

He had gone to great lengths to secure teachers for them; he hoped they weren't wasting the knowledge! Moreover, if they didn't learn these things, how would the Shushan Sect develop independently in the future?

Fortunately, Zhang Ling's reply eased his mind: "Yes, the things those two teachers teach are not too difficult to grasp. With a little effort, they can be learned easily. Zheng Ying and I now both know how to inscribe talismans on ordinary longswords. That is the simplest form of a magic treasure!"

"Good, keep learning!" Ye Wen nodded and casually took out the porcelain bottle: "A reward for you!"

"What is this?"

"Candy beans!"