After a brief respite, Ye Nu felt his strength return slightly. He approached the girl, and without needing to deliberately stoop to lift her, a mere sweep of his sword light enveloped her in its purple radiance, carrying her alongside him as they ascended toward the heavens.

"Senior Brother, you just fought Kong Xuan. Perhaps I should handle this matter!"

Xu Xian worried that Ye Wen’s recent use of the Ten Thousand Sword Art had exhausted too much of his energy, and he offered to take over. However, Ye Wen merely waved his hand in refusal: "A minor matter, it won't take much effort. It's fine!"

With that, he mounted his sword light and soared high into the sky, heading directly for Mount Shu!

As the two rose above the clouds, Mount Shu became quite conspicuous. After all, the mountain floated mid-air, towering above the surrounding peaks, and situated in a relatively open area, it naturally appeared quite abrupt. From their current vantage point, they could see the great waterfall behind Mount Shu’s rear mountain.

Water flowing from the lake in the back flowed down from here, ultimately crashing into the large lake below. This spectacle was not only grand but also exceptionally beautiful. Ye Wen also noticed that the entire western bank of the lake was covered in fine sand—it was actually an excellent beach. Paired with the grand waterfall seemingly cascading from the Ninth Heaven, it was truly a scene of peerless beauty.

They had overlooked this spot while exploring earlier. After watching for a moment, Xu Xian sighed, "This place is actually a superb spot for splashing around!" He turned to look at Ye Wen. Under normal circumstances, his Senior Brother would likely have agreed, perhaps even suggesting they take a day off to play here. But this time, Ye Wen remained utterly silent. When Xu Xian turned back to look, he realized Ye Wen’s complexion was slightly pale, and his expression was not good.

Simultaneously, while the sword light enveloping him didn't seem strange at first glance, a closer look revealed that the light was faintly fluctuating, alternately strengthening and weakening, indicating instability.

"It seems the consumption from that move just now was greater than Senior Brother anticipated!" Seeing this situation, Xu Xian lost the mood for idle chatter. He merely slowed his own speed slightly, guarding the rear-side of Ye Wen, lest something sudden occur that he wouldn't have time to react to.

Ye Wen noticed Xu Xian’s movement but couldn't say anything. He understood his own condition; the Ten Thousand Sword Art had indeed unleashed terrifying power, living up to its name, but the cost was immense. At his current cultivation level, he couldn't unleash this move without a price.

"This technique is indeed formidable. If my cultivation could advance further, perhaps I could truly activate it! Sadly, even then, I could not use it lightly; it must remain a final trump card!" For a moment, both fell into silence, flying steadily. The sword light carved a semi-circle in the air, and the two, one leading and one following, returned to the front mountain of Mount Shu, then descended directly toward the main gate of the Shu Mountain Sect.

The Nine Provinces Mountain-Guarding Grand Array outside the Shu Mountain Sect only had an opening at this position. Even sect members had to enter through the main gate.

According to Ye Wen's plans, this was because the sect’s status wasn't yet high enough. Once their prestige grew, he intended to move the array’s gap down to the foot of the mountain. Everyone arriving at Shu Mountain would have to alight at the base and follow the path up to the sect premises.

This way, it would convey the impression that Mount Shu was not accessible to just anyone, commanding greater respect. However, the sect currently lacked that inherent authority, so they would make do for now.

But this arrangement did provide a benefit for Ye Wen today. He only needed to lower his sword light to pass directly through the Grand Array at the main gate, without pausing. With a swift change of direction, he headed straight for the inner courtyard.

The disciples guarding the mountain saw the purple and vermilion streaks of sword light enter in quick succession. They barely caught sight of anything before one cried out in alarm: "Who goes there?" But by the time the shout left his lips, the two streaks of light had vanished without a trace! Fortunately, the other guard reacted quickly enough and recalled that those were the sword lights of their Martial Ancestor and Martial Uncle Ancestor. He hastily corrected: "That was Ye Martial Ancestor’s light!" The first man had only momentarily failed to recognize Ye Wen flying on his sword; once reminded, he snapped back to attention, his face filled with envy: "I wonder when I’ll be able to fly on a sword too! By then, I'll truly be one of the Immortals, won't I?" "Haha! Martial Ancestor has always said that with diligent practice, all those techniques can be mastered. We just need to work hard!" "Indeed!" Ye Wen’s sword light weaved through the sect grounds, gradually slowing until he reached his own courtyard, where he stopped. The sword light retracted, and he drifted down to the ground like a willow catkin, simultaneously using his Purple Qi Heavenly Net energy to gently set the woman down.

Once everything was done, Ye Wen let out a sharp breath, which sounded like a long sigh to ordinary ears. But to a cultivated person like Xu Xian or others, that exhalation conveyed much more.

Before he had even finished exhaling fully, the door to what had been converted into a practice room burst open. A flash of green light vanished instantly, and Ning Ruxue stood before Ye Wen: "Senior Brother, are you injured?" "Nothing serious, just used too much force and expended a good deal of internal power!" He wasn't telling the truth. In reality, he had taken a few blows from Kong Xuan, and though Kong Xuan’s force hadn't truly wounded him, it had caused some impact. However, the injuries were minor and wouldn't leave any lingering issues, so he hadn't taken them seriously. Furthermore, he didn't want Ning Ruxue to worry, which was why he said what he did.

But Ning Ruxue had been with him for decades; she understood Ye Wen’s condition thoroughly and knew he wasn't speaking the whole truth. Yet, she also understood he was trying to prevent her worry, so she didn't press further. Instead, she helped Ye Wen toward the practice room: "Senior Brother, go inside and recuperate properly. Don't worry about the rest for now!"

With a quick glance, she noticed Ye Wen had brought someone back with him, and this person, though motionless, was still breathing—clearly unconscious. Coupled with Ye Wen’s condition, they must have encountered something serious outside, so she urged him to stabilize his internal circulation first before dealing with other matters, promising to manage the situation until then.

Ye Wen nodded, walked straight into the practice room without a word, and with a wave of his hands, the open door closed once more, indicating he didn't want others to assist him.

It was not surprising, either. Ye Wen’s Primordial Purple Qi was best suited for healing internal injuries. If even he couldn't manage it, the aid of others would be limited! Moreover, Ning Ruxue’s Primordial Unbounded Sword Qi was not adept at regulating internal circulation, so she couldn't offer much help. Although Ning Ruxue had started practicing the Primordial Heaven and Earth Art, that technique had fused with her sword energy, making recuperation and healing remain her weak points.

Xu Xian did not follow them inside, partly because he knew his help was unnecessary, and partly because he knew he needed to explain the sequence of events to Ning Ruxue, so he avoided being redundant.

After he detailed everything that transpired after they descended the mountain, Ning Ruxue finally understood the full story: Ye Wen’s injury was the result of forcibly using a powerful move beyond his control, and the instigator was that Peacock King.

"Kong Xuan? The one who wields the Five-Colored Divine Light?"

Xu Xian gave a wry smile and nodded: "It’s actually fortunate that the people of our Shu Mountain Sect don't rely on magic treasures to fight. Otherwise, encountering Kong Xuan today, we probably wouldn't have enough treasures to guard against his sweeping attacks!"

Today, he learned that the Five-Colored Divine Light could sweep away more than just magic treasures; it could even dispel vital energy.

Furthermore, Kong Xuan had clearly held back. Given his power, if he had targeted their bodies from the start, both of them might already be trapped within the divine light.

Ning Ruxue remained silent. She had no direct experience with Kong Xuan's Five-Colored Divine Light, but she was well aware of how terrifying the power of Hua Yi’s knock-off version was!

If a substandard, unperfected Five-Colored Divine Light was that formidable, how powerful must the original be...

However, the Five-Colored Divine Light wasn't truly invincible. While it was said to sweep away all things, it did have limitations. At the very least, when facing tens of thousands of flying swords, it didn't have a good countermeasure. No matter how powerful the light, it couldn't instantly erase ten thousand flying swords. In a sense, Ye Wen’s Ten Thousand Sword Art was the perfect counter to the Five-Colored Divine Light.

That was, provided Ye Wen could truly execute the Ten Thousand Sword Art, rather than just deploying a scare tactic as he did now. Only then would he possess the strength to confront Kong Xuan head-on. Today’s encounter was incredibly lucky.

After discussing for a while, Ning Ruxue couldn't help but frown: "So, we need to be wary of any actions taken by that Western Buddhist Kingdom!"

Xu Xian nodded. This matter definitely required careful consideration. Given the current state of the Shu Mountain Sect, they absolutely could not withstand retaliation from the Western Paradise. They wouldn't even need to dispatch many people; if Kong Xuan brought a few helpers of similar strength, they could level Shu Mountain.

Their only leverage was that if the Western Paradise acted, it would inevitably provoke dissatisfaction from the Heavenly Court. After all, the Shu Mountain Sect was a sect of the Eastern Immortal Continent, under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court; they couldn't allow an outsider to casually slaughter their people. Moreover, Yang Jian held no fondness for the Western Buddhist Kingdom. If Kong Xuan and his group didn't come, fine; but if they did, they would essentially be kicking the Heavenly Court's hornet's nest.

Furthermore, the Heavenly Court had to consider its own prestige. If people were allowed to be killed right on their doorstep, where would the Heavenly Court’s authority stand? Therefore, as long as the Shu Mountain Sect remained quietly situated, there would be no immediate great danger, and the wrangling between Heaven and the Buddhist realm wouldn't affect them yet.

Put plainly, the Shu Mountain Sect had sufficient time to accumulate strength. If they could elevate their power to a certain level while Heaven and the Buddhist realm were bickering, the problem would be solved. The Heavenly Court needed powerful strength to bolster its own might. If the Shu Mountain Sect showed inclination to assist Heaven and followed its lead in everything, Heaven would naturally protect them fiercely!

For the Buddhist realm... unless they wished to initiate a full-scale war with the Heavenly Court, this issue would remain unresolved! But no one believed the Buddhist realm would start a war over this; the cost would be too high.

After analyzing the situation, the two concluded that although the outlook seemed grim, the impact on the Shu Mountain Sect was minimal. Essentially, they could continue living as before, focusing on cultivation.

With the sect's situation generally clarified, Ning Ruxue turned her gaze to the woman lying on the ground, who had been moved into the room: "Is this the reincarnation of Wu Zhen?"

She hadn't truly believed it before, as this person bore no resemblance to the monk Wu Zhen, or even to an Easterner in general.

Wavy, slightly curled hair, and the color wasn't pure black but slightly brown; her complexion was distinctly that of a Caucasian. While her facial contours weren't as sharp as a European's, they were still different from an Easterner’s.

"How does she look like a monk?" Yet, the Buddhist Wheel obtained from Wu Zhen was now floating above the woman as if sentient, emitting a soft, gentle glow that enveloped her entirely. Looking closely, one could notice extremely tiny Sanskrit characters within the Buddha light, constantly scattering from the wheel and sinking into the woman’s body.

"A foreign monk..."

Xu Xian didn't find anything strange about it. Since he already knew that Buddhism was originally an imported religion not native to the Central Lands, he didn't find it odd for a monk to be reincarnated as a foreigner.

Hearing this, Ning Ruxue realized she had directed her doubt toward the wrong person. If anyone on Mount Shu cared the least about such things, it was probably this Junior Brother Xu!

As the two were talking, the woman lying on the bed suddenly opened her eyes and curiously surveyed her surroundings. Only then did Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian notice that the light from the Buddhist Wheel had faded, now emitting only a very faint glow as it hovered in the air.

Seeing that the person was awake, Ning Ruxue blinked and decided to speak first: "Are you... Wu Zhen?" The woman smiled, then sat up on the couch, raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen across her face (Ning Ruxue turned to Xu Xian: "Can a monk make such feminine gestures?"): "In this life, my name is Hasna. Wu Zhen... is already passing cloud smoke!" At these words, Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian immediately understood that this Hasna was indeed Wu Zhen's reincarnation. However, despite being a reincarnation, she retained the personality of this lifetime. Everything from her past life was perhaps like a vivid dream to her—she knew what happened but wouldn't be affected by it.

Just as they were about to ask more questions, they heard a light creak from the slightly ajar room door. Turning around, they saw Ye Wen walking in.

"Senior Brother, have you finished recuperating?" Ye Wen’s complexion was still not good—almost devoid of color, looking even worse than before. However, his steps were less unsteady than before, indicating that the period of meditation had indeed brought some improvement.

"Nothing major, just a depletion of blood and vitality; it will pass in a few days of treatment!" He walked to the bedside, looked at the unfamiliar face before him: "What exactly happened? Tell me in detail!"

Hasna nodded, responding respectfully: "Yes, Master!"

"Don't call me that. I never accepted you as a disciple... neither in your previous life nor in this one!" Upon hearing Ye Wen’s sharp rebuke, Hasna looked somewhat embarrassed, perhaps recalling something, a flicker of awkwardness on her face.

In fact, during his period of recuperation, Ye Wen had already deduced the general situation, including why this Wu Zhen reincarnation named Hasna called him Master upon seeing him. In the end, it all traced back to the scheme Wu Zhen had set in motion.

When he first met Wu Zhen, the monk used the Buddhist divine ability, Heavenly Eye Vision, to perceive certain things. Then, he assiduously sought Ye Wen’s favor. Perhaps the monk had foreseen that Ye Wen would encounter tribulation after reincarnating into the Immortal Realm, and Ye Wen could help resolve the tribulations of his next life.

The monk even sensed that Ye Wen in this life would be unable to devote himself to Buddhism for various reasons. Therefore, Ye Wen in his next life, needing a suitable place to cultivate, became the target of this monk, who possessed the Glazed Pupils!

This was why Wu Zhen gave Ye Wen the Buddhist Wheel for healing, imparted his entire body of Buddhist teachings, and even taught Ye Wen how to utilize Buddhist power and control those Glazed Pupils. Everything was done to foster goodwill with Ye Wen so that his future self could seek refuge under Ye Wen’s tutelage.

"This feeling isn't very good! And I have no need to necessarily take you as a disciple!" Having understood all this, Ye Wen naturally wouldn't show a pleasant expression, laying his cards on the table. He wanted to see what reaction the monk Wu Zhen would have if all his painstaking efforts amounted to nothing.

However... Hasna was Wu Zhen’s reincarnation, but she wasn't Wu Zhen! As soon as Ye Wen spoke, Hasna became anxious, displaying a flustered look. The way she looked at Ye Wen was like a small dog about to be abandoned by its owner.

In the next instant, a look of resentment surfaced, as if she had been betrayed!

"How can you say that?" This display of expression was entirely beyond Ye Wen's expectation. He had thought that given the monk Wu Zhen's state of mind, he would calmly say something like, "Sect Leader Ye, you must be joking!" or "It is all predestined fate!" He never expected such a reaction. It seemed that while Hasna was Wu Zhen's reincarnation, her personality hadn't been inherited; she was truly a different person from Wu Zhen.

"Uh... let's not talk about that. Tell me first why you were being hunted by Kong Xuan, that Protector King of the Buddhist Realm?" The topic shifted, and the atmosphere in the room abruptly changed. Hasna, who had been full of anxiety moments before, was now filled with killing intent. When mentioning the Buddhist Bodhisattva (Kong Xuan was the Great Peacock King Bodhisattva), she showed no deference: "I killed his lackeys, so naturally, he wants to kill me!"

"Hmm?"

Before Ye Wen and the others could ask, Hasna continued: "It's a pity my strength is too low; I can only kill some ordinary Buddhist disciples!" Saying this, she abruptly jumped off the couch and knelt before Ye Wen with a thud: "Please... take me as your disciple!"