During these years, Ye Wen had been diligently hiding within the Sanctuary, doing nothing. He even delegated the task of training the Saints to Yuwen Tuo. Now twenty years old, Yuwen Tuo was physically indistinguishable from an adult, and his power had undergone a heaven-and-earth transformation compared to five years ago.

The most obvious change was that he could finally wield all the weapons from the Libra Cloth with perfect fluidity, unleashing their full intended power.

At the very least, Zhang Ling could no longer easily push Yuwen Tuo around just relying on her Senbonzakura. Now, when the senior and junior practitioners sparred, it was a balanced contest with both sides taking and giving ground. Sometimes, Yuwen Tuo could even put Zhang Ling in a rather awkward position using the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. However, for some unknown reason, the boy would always hold back right after making his senior sister look momentarily flustered, and even if Zhang Ling indicated she could continue, he absolutely would not press on.

“This kid, was he a shut-in in his past life too?”

Every time this happened, Ye Wen would mutter this thought to himself. As for the little creature riding on his neck, Ye Wen had long grown accustomed to the situation. The gradually growing youngster seemed to adore being there, constantly sitting atop him and looking around, truly embodying the saying: "The higher you stand, the farther you see!"

Furthermore, besides mastering the armaments of the Gold Cloth and adapting to the use of the great hammer, Yuwen Tuo had also cultivated the Minor Formless Art (Xiao Wuxiang Gong). With this inner force, Yuwen Tuo could actually simulate the circulation of Cosmo—a feat that surprised not just Zhang Ling, but Ye Wen as well.

"So the Minor Formless Art can actually achieve this?"

It was only now that Ye Wen realized his own thinking had been constrained. While the Minor Formless Art previously could only simulate the effects of various martial arts, what was the situation back then compared to now? Although both practiced the same art, the current Yuwen Tuo was able to cultivate the path of Immortals relying on the Minor Formless Art, rather than merely practicing conventional martial techniques as before.

The change in environment had significantly amplified the power of the Minor Formless Art. His hardened physical body also provided more avenues for the art. Coupled with the divine power that Yuwen Tuo was gradually mastering to simulate Cosmo, this development seemed not entirely unexpected.

"By that logic, can Zhi Ruo also simulate many immortal techniques now?" He wasn't entirely clear on the specifics and felt he might need to return to check things out. As for the Shushan Sect, upheavals had transformed the landscape over these five years.

Not to mention Zheng Ying and Cui Jun, those two engineering fanatics. After successfully installing basic running water and electricity for Shushan, they began focusing on deeper technological pursuits. The detector they had been working on finally had a rudimentary prototype—no longer the flawed versions Ye Wen and Zhang Ling used, but a finished product capable of genuine, free-form communication. However, the two units they currently possessed were, at best, test models; truly perfecting the technology and integrating it into mobile phones would likely take several more years.

During one of Zhang Ling's returns to Shushan, Ye Wen wasn't sure what she showed or told her two wives. When Zhang Ling came back again, the news she brought greatly depressed Ye Wen: the two wives were considering coming over personally. Before that happened, Chris, a disciple who had achieved considerable cultivation progress, was dispatched first.

Chris now resided in the Sanctuary, assisting his junior apprentice Yuwen Tuo in training the Saints. Given Chris's current formidable strength, having mastered the Complete Absolute Domain and beginning to challenge the Black Fighting Qi, training a few Saints was trivial; he could handle training demigods.

If he succeeded in breaking through to Black Fighting Qi and mastering Ultimate Power, achieving the rank of Celestial Immortal could be anticipated. Sending him out served two purposes: keeping an eye on Ye Wen, and perhaps finding an environment here more conducive to his disciple's tempering.

Another reason was that Chris’s appearance was more readily accepted and recognized by the people here. After all, he was of Western descent, though Chris himself felt he shared little in common with these people who were essentially Hellenic stock.

The disciples at Shushan continued their routines. The good news Zhang Ling brought back was that Zhou Zhi Ruo had emerged from seclusion. Not long after Zhang Ling’s return, Nangong Huang finally crossed the threshold into Earthly Immortal. It was rumored that Wei Hong and a few others were also assaulting that final barrier; if all went smoothly, the older generation of Shushan disciples could all successfully achieve the Earthly Immortal realm within five years, alleviating much worry regarding age and lifespan.

Conversely, that boy Guo Jing was stuck agonizingly at the very last step, which greatly frustrated Ye Wen! If he were present, he could offer guidance, but as it stood, Guo Jing would have to grasp it through personal enlightenment.

The five years were not entirely filled with good news. Firstly, some of Guo Jing’s disciples passed away due to old hidden injuries sustained from early martial arts training. Guo Jing’s inability to cross the final hurdle was partly due to the mental impact of these losses. However, as long as the Shushan Sect continued to develop, such events were unavoidable, and Guo Jing needed to adapt.

Ye Wen didn't worry about his other disciples. Li Xiaoyao was steadily making his way toward Celestial Immortal, even finding the leisure to tease Claire. Of course, his teasing did stimulate Claire to practice harder and improve her strength. Overall, it seemed motivated by goodwill, though his methods were rather childish.

Ye Wen chose not to interfere, especially given the vast distance separating them. Ning Ruxue had inquired during one of their calls if they should arrange things for the two children. Ye Wen replied, "Let them follow their own natures. We elders shouldn't meddle too much in matters like this!"

This stemmed from a difference in philosophy. Ning Ruxue had been raised where elders could fully decide the major affairs of the younger generation, often viewing it as their duty. Ye Wen disagreed; moreover, Claire was not the type of girl easily manipulated by others. He figured he’d let that fellow Li Xiaoyao wrestle with her; whatever result came of it, they could simply watch the show from the sidelines.

Although Ning Ruxue grumbled about them being old enough to settle down, once Ye Wen made his decision, she did not pursue the issue further.

Hua Yi took the opportunity to mention a few things. Chief among them was that her disciple, named Ling Zhu, was progressing remarkably fast. It was possible that this young disciple, rather than Ye Wen's own students, might be the next to achieve Earthly Immortal status at Shushan. This made Hua Yi quite proud, as it was her first time being a master.

"Perhaps Shushan Sect will have another powerhouse soon!"

Ye Wen was pleased to hear about these matters; the stronger Shushan became, the greater the benefit to him. Still, he deeply missed his wives. As their conversation drifted, they inevitably touched upon intimate matters. Unfortunately, before he could utter a few sweet words, both women simultaneously chimed in: "Is Husband (Senior Brother) over there living quite the happy life? We hear goddesses are lining up to marry you and become your wives, and you even brought back two children..." He glanced towards Zhang Ling in the distance, silently complaining, "What exactly did this girl say?" Then, cautiously, he spent considerable effort placating his 'backyard.' Since he was not currently at Shushan, causing the two women to become excessively jealous would be difficult to handle later.

After exchanging some heartfelt words and finally stabilizing the situation, Ye Wen let out a sigh of relief. He then inquired about the conditions of others at Shushan.

He learned that Huang Yun's health had deteriorated significantly over the past few years, and he likely wouldn't last much longer. Fortunately, his two sons were ambitious; Fei Hong and Yao Shi had nearly absorbed their father's lifetime of knowledge in these years and were now working to digest the knowledge concerning immortal elixirs. Li Xiaoyao had also imparted all his accumulated experience. Perhaps in a few years, the two boys could shoulder the great responsibility of pill refinement for Shushan.

Ye Wen merely acknowledged this information, needing only a general overview of Shushan’s situation. Zhang Ling had actually mentioned most of this during her return; this was just a check for any unexpected shifts.

"From what I see now, everything at Shushan Sect is proceeding on course. It all depends on whether you few can continue to elevate your power!"

Compared to the disciples, the strength of these senior members was the critical factor for Shushan’s survival. High-end combat strength remained the ultimate determinant of power in this world. Currently, Ye Wen was the only truly outstanding master Shushan could boast. Among those who were once the strongest, only Xu Xian's progress remained incredibly rapid; he was now challenging the Heaven and Earth Limitless Body (Qiankun Wuji Shen). Once he made progress, he would instantly become a Celestial Immortal.

"Really? Martial Brother Xu has been in seclusion for three years now!"

Zhang Ling mentioned during her last visit that their martial uncle was in retreat. Hearing that Xu Xian was still secluded indicated the immense importance of this particular retreat. It was estimated that the moment he emerged, he would have mastered the Heaven and Earth Limitless Body.

Because Xu Xian was secluded, Ning Ruxue and Hua Yi dared not focus solely on cultivation, causing their progress to slow considerably. Even so, Ning Ruxue had nearly mastered the Heaven and Earth Vajra Body (Qiankun Jingang Shen), and Hua Yi had begun attempting to reverse-engineer Primordial Chaos. However, the stages these two were attempting to reach were not easily overcome.

"Let's leave it at that for now!"

Ending the call, Ye Wen pondered that if things went smoothly, he might manage to take time to go back for a visit. Staying outside indefinitely wasn't an easy matter. Perhaps this Holy War could present a suitable opportunity.

Five years had passed, and the Sanctuary had also undergone massive changes. The Twelve Temples, the Pope's Hall, and the Temple of the Goddess were all complete. Ye Wen now resided in the Taurus Temple, where he was expected to be. However, how much time he actually spent in the palace was unknown to anyone.

During these five years, the Taurus Gold Saint had become almost mythical within the Sanctuary, appearing and vanishing like a phantom. Many had only heard of the Taurus Lord’s existence without ever having the chance to meet him.

In contrast, the Libra and Leo Saints were frequently seen, as they were primarily responsible for training the Saints.

Five years meant little to a cultivator like Ye Wen, and even less to the gods on Mount Olympus—a mere blink of an eye. But for mortals, it was a considerable span of time.

During this long period, the population of the Sanctuary had drastically changed. Most of the original Saint candidates had been eliminated, some left, and the majority perished during training. The very few survivors who were not fortunate enough to become Saints remained in the Sanctuary as mere cannon fodder.

During this time, the selection of Gold Saints proceeded relatively smoothly. Besides Nicholas obtaining the Leo Gold Cloth, Aresa eventually acquired the Aquarius Gold Cloth. The two youths Ye Wen had brought with him were now among the top figures in the Sanctuary.

Furthermore, the Aries and Cancer constellations had been selected during the training. Half of the twelve Gold Saints were now chosen. They only needed to locate the remaining few in the coming time for the Holy War to commence successfully. As for the timing of the Holy War, it was naturally pegged to the Goddess's rebirth growing into adulthood. The current Goddess Athena was merely a five-year-old girl, and the rebirth of Hades was not far behind. Starting the conflict now was obviously impossible.

It was precisely because the timeline was so long that Ye Wen felt comfortable being idle in the Sanctuary, doing nothing but taking Katerina for strolls around the grounds. He usually didn't wear his Cloth, simply throwing on the uniform of a generic soldier when he went out. No one realized that this tall figure was actually the elusive Taurus Saint.

As for the Katerina sisters, Elizabeth was eventually confirmed as the Goddess's rebirth. The reason was that after Ye Wen brought Cecilia and the two infants back to the Sanctuary, to determine which was the Goddess's true reincarnation, they made a special trip to the Temple of the Goddess. Beneath Athena’s statue, the power emanating from Elizabeth overwhelmed Katerina’s, leading to Elizabeth being identified as the Goddess’s reincarnation.

The younger sister, Katerina, however, caused the several priests immense headaches. They did not believe that a being born simultaneously with the Goddess and possessing divine power was a good omen. They feared that as the two girls grew, Katerina might threaten her sister’s status. Thus, the old men proposed a brutally harsh solution that Ye Wen could not accept.

Protecting the little girl under the guise of being a divine messenger, Ye Wen became one of the few in the Sanctuary aware of this child's true origin. Fortunately, since that day, the power of both children seemed to have vanished, and they behaved like ordinary children, thus avoiding further trouble.

However... the little girl, who grew closer to Ye Wen as she aged, used a form of address that caused him considerable internal struggle.

"Uncle Bull, when will you take me out to play?"

Sitting astride Ye Wen’s neck, her hands gripping the ordinary helmet with bull horns, Yekaterina looked around at the scenery she was already growing tired of, asking the "Uncle Bull" carrying her.

"I take you out to play every day. Aren't you tired of it yet?" Ye Wen mused. The difference between the two sisters was too vast. Elizabeth, designated as the Goddess’s rebirth, utterly lacked the restless nature of a child, managing to endure the tedious and dry training of knowledge and etiquette, never seeming bored even when facing those old men whose faces were wrinkled like steamed buns.

But the one on him, if not taken out for a walk daily, would come running over to fuss and clamor; she truly could not stay still for a moment. "I'm always wandering around the Sanctuary; I'm bored!" The little girl pouted, though her continuously rotating neck suggested a different interpretation.

"Ah, it's Uncle Scales!" The little thing had excellent eyesight, perhaps due to her high vantage point? She spotted Libra guiding several young men nearby almost immediately, mainly because Yuwen Tuo, clad in the Gold Cloth, was too conspicuous.

Yuwen Tuo heard Lina’s shout and turned to see his master carrying the little one towards him. He revealed a smile (his helmet now only covered half his face; the lower half no longer used illusion, so his expression was visible). Likewise, the group of young Saint candidates also smiled.

Yekaterina, who roamed the Sanctuary daily, had become a favorite among the many Saints. Who could dislike such a cute little thing? Although most didn't know the girl's true identity, they merely guessed she was the child of someone within the Sanctuary.

Naturally, the tall, strong man who constantly served as her mount also became a focal point of discussion. However, seeing the generic soldier attire he wore, many inferred he was one of the survivors from the first batch of candidates.

Even as a mere soldier, he held considerable status in the current Sanctuary. Several years had taught many that those who survived that brutal training were invariably extraordinary individuals far surpassing ordinary people, so they treated Ye Wen with politeness.

As for why Yuwen Tuo was called "Scales" (Cheng Tuo), it was mainly because he couldn't reveal his real name and could only be identified by his constellation's code name. The little one somehow overheard this term, and thus "Scales" became Yuwen Tuo’s exclusive moniker—though only she dared use it in the Sanctuary.

He reached out to take the little one down, but was refused: "No! Uncle Scales' iron armor is hard and cold; it's not comfortable at all!" Yuwen Tuo chuckled awkwardly, taking no offense. After exchanging a few words with Ye Wen, he returned to his duties. Ye Wen slowly led the little one away, intending to wander outside.

Beyond the Sanctuary lay many beautiful sights. In fact, because of the Sanctuary’s existence, several villages had sprung up nearby. The villagers, indirectly protected, held the people of the Sanctuary in great respect. Thus, when Ye Wen appeared with the child, the surrounding rustic people looked upon him with reverence.

However, there were always a few exceptions. The woman before him, clad in a long black dress, with black hair, black eyes, and holding a spear, was undoubtedly one of them.

"I didn't expect to encounter someone from the Sanctuary. Though he looks like just a mere grunt..."