"Sect Master Ye, why would you give an elixir to an ordinary animal?" With nothing to do while soaring through the air, conversation seemed the only means of alleviating boredom. Shen Gongbao, seated atop his black tiger, watched it tread upon the clouds, feeling quite at ease as he chatted with Ye Wen flying alongside him.

Ye Wen still rode his sword light nearby, but compared to the days when his aura would force others to evade, this current light was much softer, merely enveloping him gently. It posed no danger to anyone nearby, nor was it dazzling.

Simultaneously, Ye Wen's figure within the light was relatively clear, unlike in the past when, if the sword light moved too fast, one couldn't even discern if someone was inside.

"That fox suffered an undeserved calamity; giving it some elixir to heal its wounds is only natural!"

Shen Gongbao countered, "Does Sect Master Ye know that the elixir you gave might very well allow that little fox to awaken its spiritual intelligence?"

This was indeed something Ye Wen hadn't considered. Back then, he only felt pity for the fox and casually offered the pill, forgetting that the elixir in his possession was no common item. It was a true immortal elixir used by celestial beings—even the lowest grade, but still an elixir!

For such an animal, perhaps that single immortal elixir could guide it onto the path of cultivation, eventually leading it to become a demon!

With this realization, Ye Wen turned to look at Shen Gongbao a few more times. Legend held that Shen Gongbao himself was a leopard that achieved enlightenment through cultivation. Was he saying this because he saw Ye Wen being so kind to an animal, unafraid of potentially gaining a demon neighbor outside his door?

"This... I hadn't considered that!"

Shen Gongbao observed Ye Wen for a moment before concluding, "If Sect Master Ye happens to meet that fox again in the future, it is best to guide it properly!"

It turned out that in the common perception, demons were not viewed favorably. A significant reason for this was that demons cultivated on their own, and after gaining immense power, they continued to live by their old habits, which inevitably caused great destruction—the problem was that they were unaware of the impropriety of their own actions.

Meanwhile, the cultivators of the Immortal Realm largely considered themselves proponents of the righteous path (it seemed the Immortal Realm lacked any true 'evil factions'?), and they deeply abhorred acts that harmed the harmony of Heaven and Earth. If a rogue demon were to suddenly appear causing chaos, they would undoubtedly swarm forth to slay it.

In that scenario, what might have been a great opportunity for the fox could very well bring about disaster.

After Ye Wen understood these matters through Shen Gongbao's pointers, he realized he might soon have a new neighbor near his home, and he would need to keep an eye on this neighbor. If the fox succeeded in cultivation and caused trouble outside, he would have to quickly clean up the mess.

"So, I inadvertently brought trouble upon myself!"

Although these were only possibilities, every fox spirit he recalled from memory had been a handful. The most famous among them was Daji...

Thinking of Daji, Ye Wen suddenly recalled that she was a very important figure in that mythical novel, and she was a demon fox. He wondered if the real one was also a demon?

"Daji?" Shen Gongbao was stunned upon hearing the name. He pondered for a long time but couldn't recall anyone by that name. "My apologies, I do not know this person!"

Hearing that Shen Gongbao had no idea who Daji was, Ye Wen realized that this part of the novel regarding Daji must have been entirely fabricated. If there was no Daji, he wondered if there was Nuwa?

"Empress Nuwa?" Shen Gongbao was unsure why Ye Wen was asking about Nuwa.

"Actually, the cultivation technique I practice has something to do with Empress Nuwa..."

"Oh?" Shen Gongbao started, his back instantly straightening. Had they not been flying, he likely would have stood up straight to scrutinize Ye Wen, perhaps even offering a grand bow.

Even in the current situation, Shen Gongbao still cupped his hands in salute: "I never expected Sect Master Ye to be a successor of Empress Nuwa..." He didn't doubt it; after all, many beings from the Immortal Realm had spread their doctrines on Earth back then, and who was to say Nuwa hadn't left something behind?

Thus, since Ye Wen had said so, Shen Gongbao chose to believe it, following the principle of 'better safe than sorry.' Such matters were difficult to verify unless one confronted Empress Nuwa herself—and even then, Nuwa might not care enough to clarify. Confrontation would yield nothing, and it would only create unnecessary friction with Ye Wen.

Ye Wen gave a dry laugh internally, thinking, Too bad that slight connection requires so many twists and turns; this link is probably more distant than distant relatives through sweet potato vines!

However, if he could find an opportunity to genuinely connect with Nuwa, perhaps the status of the Shu Mountain Sect could be further stabilized? He wondered about Nuwa's standing in the Immortal Realm.

"Empress Nuwa holds a very transcendent position in the Immortal Realm. Although her cultivation is not exceptionally supreme, she is extremely well-liked, and almost no one fails to give her some deference!"

Hearing Shen Gongbao explain this, Ye Wen understood! Nuwa was the epitome of social adeptness—she didn't rely on force but on emotional intelligence to build connections. With such wide-ranging connections, her status was naturally high!

With this knowledge, Ye Wen became even more certain that he needed to establish some kind of relationship with Nuwa. More importantly, Ye Wen remembered that the core material for the Celestial Crystal of the Huantian Baojian was the divine stone Nuwa used to mend the heavens. If he could acquire some from her, he could pass down the Huantian Baojian.

Ever since mastering the Huantian Baojian, he possessed all the knowledge concerning it! This included the method for creating the Celestial Crystal. Since the original crystal had already been refined by him, if he wanted to pass it on, he would need to find suitable materials to construct a new Celestial Crystal Pillar, PS: then infuse it with the contents of the Huantian Baojian and inject a portion of corresponding vital energy as a guiding force.

Simply put, it was no different from forging a magical artifact, except this artifact's purpose was to help others cultivate the Huantian Baojian.

Furthermore, the Celestial Crystal Pillar Ye Wen reconstructed would not be absorbed by the cultivator, much like in the original accounts. One could use it for practice, and once mastery was achieved, the crystal could be set aside. This would facilitate the Shu Mountain Sect's continued transmission of this technique without needing to forge a new set after each individual finished their practice.

Learning about the Celestial Crystal Pillar, Ye Wen was perplexed why the ring had bestowed upon him the Huantian Baojian as a one-time resource.

"Could it be that this ring can read minds and knew I didn't want to share this technique with others?"

If so, this ring was terrifyingly perceptive, yet thankfully, the item seemed devoid of consciousness, remaining obediently on his finger.

After chatting for a while longer, the two had flown an unknown distance. Ye Wen looked down towards the ground. The vast grassland stretched out seemingly without end, resembling a green ocean when viewed from the sky!

If he lifted his gaze slightly, he could see that far in the distance, patches of yellowish grassland gradually transitioned into Gobi desert, and beyond that, an endless, boundless sea.

Two paths lay open here. Heading southwest would lead into a desert, said to be the sphere of influence of the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm after crossing it.

Heading northwest would be slightly better than the desert, but only marginally! However, rumor had it that this route contained many expansive forests and richer topological variety, making the journey less tedious; enjoying the varied scenery along the way would be a pleasant diversion.

"Or we could simply set sail! The winds and climate in this Mediterranean Sea are extremely pleasant; traveling by boat wouldn't be arduous, and we could experience the ocean scenery!"

"No thanks!"

Hearing Shen Gongbao suggest a sea voyage, Ye Wen recalled his rather unpleasant experience during the expedition against the Demonic Cult. They drifted at sea for a full few months, the constant rocking making it impossible to even sleep soundly! Although this Mediterranean Sea might not have such fierce waves, Ye Wen had no desire to experience that again.

Besides, this time they were heading to Mount Olympus. What business did they have dawdling and sight-seeing along the way?

Shen Gongbao, however, held a different view: "This trip to Mount Olympus—who knows how long we'll have to stay? Decades might not be out of the question. Sect Master Ye should relax a bit!"

It seemed the dignified Water-Dividing General considered this diplomatic mission a paid vacation. Since he knew they wouldn't be returning soon, he figured they might as well enjoy the journey slowly.

"Decades?"

Ye Wen held no such leisurely mindset. He had initially thought this mission, though troublesome, should take only a few years. He certainly hadn't expected Shen Gongbao to mention decades right away—he had no desire to stay that long.

But upon closer thought, the possibility was indeed high!

Firstly, his mission was to observe the situation of the gods on Mount Olympus and gauge their strength.

If feasible, he would need to directly negotiate with the Olympian gods, striving by all means to prevent them from taking action against the Heavenly Court's forces. This would require him to remain on Mount Olympus, constantly maneuvering amongst the deities—a process that could take decades, perhaps even a century.

"This..."

Ye Wen had forgotten that the gods of the Immortal Realm simply did not regard decades or centuries as significant time spans. To these deities, millennia constituted a relatively short period; a few centuries were nothing, let alone a few decades?

Thus, they didn't think much of Ye Wen being away for decades... Yet Ye Wen cared deeply. His sect was waiting for him. Although he had made arrangements, leaving abruptly for several decades without affecting things was unlikely.

Seeing the troubled look on Ye Wen's face, Shen Gongbao felt sympathetic and could only console him, "Sect Master Ye need not worry. With my Black Tiger here, it can help deliver your correspondence!"

Shen Gongbao's 'correspondence' mostly referred to communication talismans, which could transmit messages and even possessed short-range flight capabilities.

However, Mount Olympus was not close to the Eastern Immortal Prefecture, and the journey was not entirely safe, making delivery by person or spirit beast the more secure option.

He had brought his Black Tiger partly with the intention of establishing communication with the Heavenly Court. At the very least, in a necessary situation, the Black Tiger could return to seek counsel—after all, Shen Gongbao had mingled in the Heavenly Court for so many years and still had friends there.

Ye Wen glanced at the white-browed black tiger, noting its proud, high-held posture. He could only sigh helplessly and accept the reality.

But deep down, he resolved that once he reached Mount Olympus and grasped the situation, he would have the Black Tiger send a letter back to Shu Mountain, urgently instructing Zheng Ying and Que Gou to develop an Immortal Realm mobile phone system first. That way, communication wouldn't be so cumbersome, and urgent matters could be resolved via telephone.

They flew northwest for an uncounted number of days. Along the way, neither stopped; they only flew, never once landing. Shen Gongbao did suggest resting briefly when they happened to pass a human town near the Olympian gods' territory, though it was still in a so-called "no-man's-land." The town appeared peaceful, but the shadows beneath the surface were utterly chaotic, where all manner of atrocities occurred.

Ye Wen observed clearly from above but, not being a saint, had no desire to intervene or even stop for rest. He merely urged Shen Gongbao to hurry.

Thus, after several more days, the two finally arrived at the base of Mount Olympus.

Looking up at the majestic peak, Ye Wen finally understood why the Olympian gods had chosen this location for their residence—this mountain was utterly impossible for ordinary humans to ascend.

The entire peak was incredibly sheer; there were almost no viable paths up from any of the four directions. Without supernatural abilities, attempting to climb the rock face using only physical strength would result in a nine-tenths chance of falling to death. If someone succeeded in that final tenth chance, they would likely remain on the mountain, as the Olympian gods favored the strong (both male and female gods), and anyone capable of scaling this peak was undoubtedly one of humanity's strongest.

"We're just... going up like this?" Ye Wen suddenly realized he hadn't inquired beforehand whether there were any formal protocols for representing the Heavenly Court on a diplomatic mission to Mount Olympus, such as notifying Olympus's diplomatic corps first.

To his surprise, Shen Gongbao simply nodded: "We go up like this, and I'll handle those trivial matters!"

So, Shen Gongbao had accompanied him with this very function in mind! Relieved, Ye Wen followed until they reached the mountainside, where they saw a grand, imposing gatehouse and a magnificent avenue leading directly to the summit. Standing before the gate, Shen Gongbao cupped his hands and bellowed, "Shen Gongbao, Water-Dividing General of the Heavenly Court, Eastern Immortal Prefecture, requests an audience with the assembled gods of Mount Olympus!"

Having shouted, Shen Gongbao stood his ground, then turned to Ye Wen, saying, "My duty is done! The rest is up to Sect Master Ye."

"..."

Ye Wen had expected Shen Gongbao to know how to approach the Olympian gods. Instead, they were reduced to shouting at the gate. Such a task hardly required sending a dedicated envoy—shouldn't they have negotiated with someone on Olympus first, lest they be met with drawn weapons?

While Ye Wen was silently complaining, Shen Gongbao abruptly stepped back, then sidestepped, positioning himself behind Ye Wen. He muttered, "Hey, why is that guy the first one out?"

Turning back to look up, a powerfully built man, clad only in a loincloth that seemed designed to display his robust muscles, charged out brandishing a long spear.

This individual must have been eating before he arrived; flecks of some unknown meat clung to his cheeks, and his lips shone with grease. His expression, however, was far from pleasant; his face was a mask of killing intent, and his first utterance was a furious roar: “The cowards from the East actually dare to set foot on Mount Olympus? If you’ve come, then don’t even think of leaving!”

He thrust his spear forward, driving it out with tremendous force. Ye Wen, standing there, felt an intensely sharp burst of energy tear through the air—a force so piercing it felt capable of piercing a man clean through!

This attack held no overly complex variations; it was the absolute maximum exertion of power and speed, aimed directly at Ye Wen’s heart. It was the very pinnacle of the principles of swiftness, ruthlessness, and precision.

Had any other member of the Shu Mountain Sect been present, they would surely have been gravely wounded, if not killed outright; at best, they would have struggled frantically just to parry it. Even Ye Wen from a year ago would have gained no advantage here.

But the current Ye Wen felt no fear of this spear. With his greatly enhanced cultivation, Ye Wen’s physical constitution had ascended several tiers, and furthermore, since he had finally mastered the Glazed Pupils, he had effortlessly gained several new divine techniques. Because of this, the seemingly fatal thrust was not difficult for him to receive.

Ye Wen simply raised his right hand, precisely gauging the trajectory and focus of the incoming spear. He extended his index and middle fingers diagonally, a gesture that looked almost as if he were waiting for someone to hand him a cigarette.

As if cooperating with Ye Wen’s gesture, the very tip of the spear arrived precisely between his two extended fingers at the very moment Ye Wen had set his posture.

Then, Ye Wen pinched lightly. With a subtle rotation of internal energy, the spear was forcefully locked in place. At this moment, the spear tip was less than three centimeters from Ye Wen’s chest, yet it could not advance even a hair's breadth.

The man opposite him turned a deep crimson. The hand gripping the spear corded with bulging veins, and the muscles in his entire arm tensed tautly. Yet, no matter how much force he exerted, the spear remained utterly immobile.

Just then, Shen Gongbao suddenly spoke softly from behind Ye Wen, “That man is Ares... he holds a very poor opinion of us, and his strength is immense. Sect Leader Ye, you must be careful!” He then peeked out again, “However, he appears to be quite drunk right now, so Sect Leader Ye need not worry too much!”

Ye Wen smiled faintly. How could he not notice the man was inebriated?

Though the man before him was exerting his full strength, he was using only the power of a single arm, and his footing was alarmingly unstable; he clearly lacked a firm stance. “Trying to wrench the spear free from his Lingxi Finger in this state is nothing more than a pipe dream.”

Although the Lingxi Finger technique appears to use only two digits, it relies entirely on one’s internal energy to execute. The weapon currently held fast by Ye Wen’s Lingxi Finger—backed by his current cultivation—could not possibly be pulled away without the attacker using their full strength.

Yet, whether out of pride or some other consideration, Ares was stubbornly determined to match Ye Wen’s strength using only one arm. Not only was his stance still unsteady, but he refused to bring his other arm into play.

And so, for the moment, the situation remained at a tense stalemate!