Ye Wen knew he had only been in secluded cultivation for a little over half a year, so it was rather normal for the Celestial Court to send someone over! Wenzhong and Shen Gongbao had constantly hinted last time they visited that the Celestial Court would provide considerable convenience to ensure the strength enhancement of the Mount Shu Sect, hadn't they?

It was likely that one of the tasks for the arriving envoy was to deliver those elixirs and artifact refining materials to Mount Shu. However, from the tone of Ning Ruxue’s words, it seemed this person had another mission? And this matter was significant enough that “even his junior sister couldn't make the final decision entirely on her own.”

At Mount Shu, although Ye Wen was the Sect Master, his junior sister Ning Ruxue and junior brother Xu Xian were both qualified to handle the sect’s various affairs when Ye Wen was unable to manage them. Especially after arriving in the Immortal Realm, considering how long a period of seclusion could last, they had shared some of the authority due to this situation.

In any other sect, the Sect Master might worry about their full authority being usurped by others, but Ye Wen had absolutely no such concern about his own sect being taken over by his junior siblings!

First, Ning Ruxue was his wife, so it made little difference who was in charge, and furthermore, Ning Ruxue had long since lost any desire to compete with Ye Wen; she was unlikely to vie for the position of Sect Master.

As for Junior Brother Xu Xian, even if Ye Wen offered him the position of Sect Master, he would refuse it out of sheer bother. How could such a person proactively seek to wrestle power from Ye Wen?

Therefore, he could enter seclusion or attend to other matters with complete peace of mind, leaving affairs to the two of them! Correspondingly, both Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian maintained their respect for Ye Wen. When encountering significantly important matters that were not urgent, neither would make a final decision but would wait for Ye Wen to return before presenting it to him for resolution.

This time, Ning Ruxue had expected things to drag on for a while, but unexpectedly, Ye Wen had awakened. Logically, this was a good thing, eliminating the need for further delay.

But the critical issue was that the news conveyed by the Celestial Court envoy was not entirely good news, especially since the Celestial Court had assigned Ye Wen a task—and this task was no trivial matter.

“Oh? The Jade Emperor assigned me a duty?”

In the Immortal Realm, there was no direct subordinate relationship between the Celestial Court and various sects, so the Celestial Court rarely issued orders compelling them to do anything.

But the situation with the Mount Shu Sect was different. Firstly, the very existence of Mount Shu was intertwined with the Celestial Court, and now they were receiving its support, so it wasn't excessive for the Jade Emperor to assign some duties to Mount Shu—it could even be considered a matter of course.

When Ye Wen learned of this, he showed no particular reaction, merely sitting there and waiting for his junior sister to continue. He still didn't know what kind of troublesome affair the Jade Emperor had arranged for him!

Ning Ruxue’s expression was not particularly pleased. She casually took out something resembling an imperial edict, likely what the Celestial Court used to convey commands—a scroll. As Ning Ruxue pulled it, the entire scroll unfurled.

“Senior Brother, handle this yourself!”

Ye Wen took the scroll, spread it out before him, and began reading it word by word.

There wasn't much writing on the scroll, just a few concise lines! The language was very straightforward and direct, without beating around the bush; the meaning was perfectly clear.

It was precisely because of this clarity that Ye Wen appeared so astonished: “Send me as an envoy to Mount Olympus?”

“Yes!” Ning Ruxue sighed. “This matter just doesn't feel straightforward. Although the Celestial Court envoy said it was because the founding location of our Mount Shu Sect is too ** [Note: The original text had '**' which I've left as is, assuming it might be intentionally vague or sensitive] that Senior Brother must make the trip personally to avoid any misunderstandings with the Olympian deities and prevent further conflict!”

“But… shouldn't this kind of task be handled by the Celestial Court’s divine officials? Why must Senior Brother go personally? There’s something very strange about this!”

Ning Ruxue was not foolish, but she usually preferred not to overthink matters. However, this time, the situation required almost no deep thought to realize something was amiss. Feeling deeply uneasy, Ning Ruxue even hoped Ye Wen would refuse this assignment.

“I’m afraid this matter cannot be refused!”

Ye Wen fiddled with the scroll in his hand. He also saw the Jade Emperor’s seal upon it, indicating this was an official command issued in the form of a written decree. If Ye Wen were to refuse, how would the Jade Emperor save face? If he rejected the old man's authority, “how could he let the Mount Shu Sect have an easy time?”

Therefore, he had to accept this duty. Rather than contemplating how to refuse it, it was better to consider why he was being sent to Mount Olympus.

“It couldn’t be to scout the enemy’s position, could it?”

It was just a casual remark, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Ye Wen felt this possibility was surprisingly high!

“Senior Brother means…?” Ning Ruxue instantly understood. The two exchanged glances, and then their expressions turned grave as they looked at the decree still spread on the stone table.

Ye Wen grimly rolled up the decree, clutching it tightly, glanced toward the courtyard gate, and said to Ning Ruxue, “We’ll discuss this back in the room.”

With that, he turned and headed toward the bedroom. Ning Ruxue followed him without asking further questions, quietly closing the bedroom door behind them. Once inside, she bolted the door, then sat down across the table from Ye Wen, staring blankly at the decree.

“Senior Brother, perhaps we guessed wrong initially?”

Ye Wen nodded, not denying it. “Looking at it now, we indeed guessed wrong! I hadn't expected the Jade Emperor’s target wasn't Olympus, but the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm!”

Initially, when Ye Wen sensed the Jade Emperor intended to move against one of those two neighbors, he first assumed the Celestial Court would launch an offensive against the Olympian Deities, completely crushing the nuisance who bothered him every now and then, or at least scaring them into never looking East again.

After all, on the surface, the Celestial Court and the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm were on amicable terms; they even exchanged courtesies occasionally, and the Jade Emperor and the Buddha often met to converse.

Who would have thought that the superficial harmony was just an illusion? The Jade Emperor had long harbored the intention to eliminate the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm! Otherwise, why would he ignore the Olympian Deities, with whom he had a great feud, and commit all his forces to attack the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm?

“If that’s the case, what the Celestial Court needs to guard against is the Olympian Deities taking advantage of the situation to attack. The Jade Emperor asking me to serve as envoy to Mount Olympus is likely so I can go there and observe, preferably ascertaining the power levels of the gods on Mount Olympus! That way, when they attack the Eastern Immortal Continent in the future, our Mount Shu Sect will be prepared!”

“But… why must Senior Brother go personally?”

“Because I am the strongest person in this sect!” Ye Wen gave a wry smile, devoid of any pride. Because of this very reason, he now had to willingly step into danger—one slip, and he could be utterly annihilated.

However, the Jade Emperor wouldn't deliberately try to kill him. Since the Jade Emperor thought of having him go personally, he must have calculated that Ye Wen wouldn't be in mortal danger. Thinking of it this way, the trip might not be as perilous as it seemed.

Holding his junior sister’s hands, Ye Wen comforted Ning Ruxue, whose face was full of worry. “You don’t need to worry so much. I’ve had another breakthrough, Senior Brother. Putting everything else aside, my speed of escape is much faster than before. If any real danger arises, I can flee quickly!”

“Senior Brother is talking nonsense again!”

Seeing Ye Wen’s serious expression, Ning Ruxue knew he wasn't joking and couldn't help but ask curiously, “Your cultivation has advanced again? For the past six months, you sat motionless in the back mountain, enveloped by a strange aura that prevented even approaching you. I wonder what divine technique Senior Brother has mastered now?”

Ye Wen then realized that in the past few months, there had been such unusual phenomena around him that prevented everyone from getting close? If that were the case, wouldn't he no longer need guardians when cultivating in seclusion in the future?

However, he truly didn't need a protector much when cultivating, so this thought vanished almost instantly. Ye Wen looked at Ning Ruxue’s curious expression and replied with a smile, “What else could it be? It’s the Hun Tian Treasure Codex! After this seclusion of over half a year, I have finally mastered the Profound Universe!”

“The Profound Universe? Didn't Senior Brother master that long ago?” She recalled that the reason the group ended up in the Immortal Realm was because of the Profound Universe energy Senior Brother used somewhat clumsily. They were enjoying their travels when Ye Wen cleaved them into the Immortal Realm with a single sword strike.

Fortunately, misfortune turned into a blessing as they reunited with the disciples of Mount Shu, which prevented them from blaming their Senior Brother too much! But since Ye Wen could transport everyone to the Immortal Realm with the might of one sword strike back then, it seemed the Profound Universe was already mastered. So why say he only just mastered it now?

“That barely counts as mastery? It was only half-baked. Even I couldn't freely command that energy; at best, I had only gained a shallow understanding!”

As he spoke, Ye Wen slightly flipped his hand, holding it open-palmed before Ning Ruxue. As energy flowed, a dark, universe-like sphere of energy manifested in his palm. Within the sphere, a dazzling galaxy spun incessantly, incredibly beautiful yet containing an extremely terrifying power.

The moment Ning Ruxue saw this energy, she felt a jolt. Her cultivation-honed, incredibly sensitive intuition told her that while this nebula-like energy was beautiful, she couldn't withstand even a single move of this level of attack.

Under the tension, the Azure Lotus Imprint on her brow, usually hidden, emerged. Only then did Ning Ruxue feel her discomfort slightly ease, allowing her to observe the Profound Universe energy her Senior Brother had newly mastered with a more composed mind.

“The appearance of this energy… it looks so familiar?”

“Of course it’s familiar. I imitated the effect of a small universe!” Ye Wen laughed heartily, then explained, “Since the Profound Universe has the name 'Universe,' it implies this level of power encompasses all known existence! It's not just this nebula-like energy; I can even use Profound Universe energy to invoke something far more formidable!”

“Like…?”

“For example…” Ye Wen deliberately played coy, adopting the demeanor of a master, and then uttered a single word in a voice he thought was profoundly deep: “Black Hole!”

In reality, even if Ye Wen had spoken these words in the most mundane tone, the implication of that single word was enough to stun anyone who understood its meaning.

Although Ning Ruxue had only heard vague rumors, that small amount of knowledge was enough to make her expression one of utter disbelief, looking at Ye Wen as if he were… a madman…

“Senior Broth… are… are you alright?”

She was now worried that her Senior Brother had gone mad during his seclusion. She wondered if that phenomenon of some time ago truly hadn't been a good thing, perhaps damaging his mind?

She reached out and felt around Ye Wen's head, even examining it closely, as if trying to find a distinct piece missing from his skull.

This probing nearly turned Ye Wen’s head into a bird's nest, but fortunately, there were no outsiders present, and since Ning Ruxue was his wife after all, he let her fuss for a while before she stopped.

After a while, Ye Wen said, “Stop looking, my head is fine!”

“Then you were lying to me?” Since Ye Wen’s head was fine, did that mean his earlier words were a joke?

“Of course not?” Seeing Ning Ruxue’s unconvinced look, Ye Wen could only say helplessly, “When I said I could unleash a black hole, that was purely theoretical! It doesn't mean I can actually release a genuine black hole!”

Only then did Ning Ruxue breathe a sigh of relief: her Senior Brother was indeed still normal!

This reaction left Ye Wen feeling somewhat frustrated. However, he understood that what he said was perhaps too shocking. Although they were no longer ordinary people, creating a black hole single-handedly was still too exaggerated—if he truly succeeded, it would mean Ye Wen possessed the ability to destroy a galaxy by himself.

But in reality, even if Ye Wen could create a black hole, it would only be a small one; it couldn't destroy a planet, let alone a galaxy! However, it would be more than sufficient for combat. He didn't need to explain these finer points to Ning Ruxue; in any case, these were only theoretical concepts, and Ye Wen himself needed to experiment to confirm if he could achieve them!

After discussing the gains from his seclusion, their conversation shifted back to the matter of the mission to Mount Olympus. After chatting with Ning Ruxue for a while, Ye Wen learned that the envoy from the Celestial Court had left immediately to report back after clearly delivering the instructions, without lingering at all.

Before leaving, the envoy had left a message: “His Majesty said that the departure date has not been set; everything is up to the discretion of Sect Master Ye! However, the sooner, the better…”

This statement made Ye Wen realize the Jade Emperor had left him time to prepare. This implied the Jade Emperor believed that his current strength would still be insufficient for the trip to Mount Olympus, making it best to cultivate for a period first, allowing his power to increase before setting off, thus ensuring greater safety.

The Jade Emperor probably didn't anticipate that in just over half a year, Ye Wen would have an insight, break through a problem that had long hindered him, and now his overall strength had reached an unknown level.

By Ye Wen’s estimation, he must now be considered a true Celestial Immortal, at least? According to his understanding, those who could reach the Celestial Immortal realm in the Immortal Realm were all famous figures.

For example, the Immortal Sparrow Gou Ke Lu, or Erlang Shen! Even Yuan Hong, who wasn't considered particularly strong among Celestial Immortals, held considerable fame in the Immortal Realm.

From this, it was clear that Celestial Immortals held no small status in the Immortal Realm. If Mount Shu were to announce the news of Ye Wen becoming a Celestial Immortal now, it would cause some stir in the Immortal Realm and draw considerable attention to the Mount Shu Sect. However, Ye Wen had no intention of doing so; he felt it was safer to remain his current "Earthly Immortal" status, especially during this period right before heading to the enemy's stronghold.

Since the trip was confirmed, Ye Wen’s thoughts began to focus on that direction. Having basically determined that his life was unlikely to be in danger, Ye Wen began analyzing how the Olympian Deities would treat him.

“Logically speaking, they should have heard about the affairs of our Mount Shu Sect! And judging by the Olympian Deities’ centuries-long strategy of striving eastward, they certainly wouldn't ignore a power that suddenly appeared in the border regions! Perhaps they have already begun investigating us!”

If that were the case, the Olympian Mountain should already have a general understanding of Mount Shu’s situation. Ye Wen’s only advantage was that he had just come out of seclusion, and no one knew his strength had greatly increased. This point would become his greatest reliance and his hidden trump card. When a true crisis emerged, the enemy’s misjudgment of his strength could very well cause a complete reversal in the course of events.

“However, if Senior Brother goes like this, they will probably look down on you, won't they?”

While the strength of an Earthly Immortal wasn't low, it was unlikely to impress powerful beings like the God Kings or Main Gods. Moreover, the Olympian gods were generally arrogant and conceited. Ye Wen going there would inevitably lead to sneers and ill-treatment.

“As long as they don't bother me, they can look down on me privately as much as they like!”

Ye Wen pondered and realized he might not actually be able to tolerate it, so he had already set his bottom line early on! As long as these fellows didn't provoke him face-to-face, he would pretend not to hear. If they came up to him and started spewing nonsense, then at worst, he would just start a fight with the Olympian Deities!

Think of Ye Wen: even when he was only at the Earthly Immortal realm, he dared to confront masters like Erlang Shen and Kong Xuan. Now that his strength had increased, how could he endure such insults?

“But I suspect… those Olympian gods aren’t that bored!”

Unfortunately, Ning Ruxue’s impression of these Olympian gods was not good at all: “Didn’t they attack the Eastern Immortal Continent repeatedly out of boredom? Senior Brother, you shouldn't overestimate them!”

What she said wasn't entirely wrong. Looking at it this way, the Olympians were indeed quite unreliable. Perhaps he should seriously consider how to approach this envoy mission in the most suitable manner.