Ye Wen’s departure did not alarm anyone, as he left the Sanctuary dressed in common rags. The only one aware of it was Zexilia, and it was Yekaterina who had informed Zexilia.

To the little creature who clung to him with such particular tenacity, Ye Wen offered the excuse that he had a profoundly important mission to undertake, one whose return date was uncertain. Thus, he managed to soothe the noisy little thing that had insisted on accompanying him.

He failed to foresee, however, that because of this excuse, shortly after his departure, this very little creature would become a probationary cadet—and by the time Yuwentuo realized this, the little one was already pouting, standing right before him as his disciple, making it too late to intervene.

Ye Wen knew nothing of these affairs. Although he learned of them later through the communicator he had left for Yuwentuo, he could only offer a wry smile and let it be.

“Master, are you reminiscing about life in the Sanctuary?”

Having been out in the world for two years now, Ye Wen had explored almost every area surrounding the Sanctuary, gradually advancing toward the outer fringes. He had now reached the extreme west once more. Westward from this point lay the domain of the Celestial Gods. If Easterners held no status in Olympus, then in the territories of the Celestial Gods, Easterners faced only one possible outcome—being burned alive.

Ye Wen had no interest in venturing there only to be gawked at and then pursued by a horde of madmen, so he dismissed any thought of going further west. Having arrived here, he began to change direction, heading north.

“Life in the Sanctuary… while a bit dull, it was certainly peaceful enough. Being out on the road constantly like this now, I actually find myself missing that kind of life!” Ye Wen tore off a strip of roasted meat from what he held and offered it to Garfield, who was waiting beside him. He watched the little creature swallow the strip of meat, then reveal an expression of deep contentment.

“Master can return to Mount Shu!”

“Once I finish this matter, and then check in with the Aesir Gods, that should be enough to warrant a return to Mount Shu!”

Ye Wen’s words startled Zhang Ling; she seemed surprised that her Master actually entertained the notion of returning to Mount Shu. She had assumed that after finishing his rounds, her Master would return to Mount Olympus and remain there until all troubles were resolved. Trouble, of course, could never be entirely eliminated. What Ye Wen intended was to stabilize the Olympians until the formal war between the Heavenly Court and the Western Buddhist Realm commenced and a result was determined.

Alternatively, if the disciples of Mount Shu achieved a significant increase in strength, making them capable of protecting the sect, Ye Wen would have no need to remain entangled with that faction any longer.

“Seven years… it’s been long enough to be away!”

Seven years was hardly any time for immortals such as them, who were already close to being indistinguishable from Buddhas and Immortals. It was comparable to seven days for ordinary people.

However, Ye Wen had consistently maintained human habits, and since he rarely entered deep seclusion, he remained acutely aware of the passage of time.

“Thinking about it, Mount Shu must have undergone tremendous changes by now, right?”

“If Master wishes to know, we can return and see!”

Indeed, with Ye Wen’s strength, a round trip wouldn't take much time. The main issue was that Ye Wen feared if he returned now, he wouldn't be able to bear leaving again!

Wandering everywhere, though not experiencing hardship, was ultimately just fantasy! Mount Shu was his home now, and it would forever be his home—especially since this home was one he had created with his own hands.

“This brief separation now is for the sake of gathering together for a longer and more stable future! Thinking of it that way makes it easier!” By the time Ye Wen finished speaking, every last bit of the roasted meat was gone, entirely consumed by the little creature. Watching the little one grow rounder and rounder, then lie back, patting his spherical stomach with an expression of pure bliss, made Ye Wen feel a surge of exasperation.

“You need to exercise. For the days ahead, you will travel with us. No more relying on Zhang Ling.”

The kitten immediately supported its head with both paws, its mouth wide open in a look that clearly conveyed: ‘No way? You must be joking, right?’ It seemed utterly unable to accept what Ye Wen had said. Unfortunately, Ye Wen then patted the plump belly: “If you don’t want to actually turn into Garfield!”

With the meal finished, the short rest was concluded. Ye Wen and Zhang Ling continued their journey, but after only two steps, Ye Wen roared at the small creature beside him, “Stop walking on two legs like a human, you bastard!”

“Mew?”

Walking along the border, they rarely encountered anyone. Ye Wen’s path consisted almost entirely of barren mountains and wilderness—nothing but more barren mountains and wilderness!

Yet, the strength of humanity lies in the ability to find life thriving even in the harshest environments. Ye Wen was surprised to find a human settlement in such an uninhabited area, only to discover, upon reaching the village, that it had just become history.

Corpses littered the ground, some tied to hastily constructed wooden crosses, serving as targets; others charred into charcoal; still others hacked into unrecognizable fragments. Everything testified to a massacre that had occurred only moments before.

This scene, like an image of human hell, made even Ye Wen feel uncomfortable, especially the still-smoking charred bodies emitting various foul odors.

Zhang Ling, being a girl, felt even more horrified and disgusted. Covering her mouth with her hand, she glanced at her Master. Since his entire figure was shrouded in the black cloak, she couldn't see his expression, but the sudden fluctuation of True Qi beside her indicated that her Master was not in a good mood either.

“See if there are any survivors!” Ye Wen’s eyesight was excellent. The moment he entered the village, he spotted a long spear planted firmly in the ground at the village center, impaling the corpse of an infant. A piece of white cloth hung from the spear, upon which a sentence was written in blood: “The sins of heretics can only be absolved by life!”

Both Ye Wen and Zhang Ling recognized the script, and from this sentence, they could easily discern the identity of the perpetrators.

“This is the first time I’ve felt such intense revulsion toward the Celestial Gods!”

Zhang Ling walked over. The long saber she had held silently in her hand was drawn, and with a single strike, she severed the common-material spear.

“The Celestial Gods may be extreme, but they wouldn’t commit acts like this—it is the irrational followers who are the source of the disaster.”

Watching Zhang Ling’s action, Ye Wen did not interfere. Instead, he closed his eyes and used his divine sense to search. In an instant, he found a single survivor among the piles of dead: a very frail young man, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years old.

Approaching the spot, Ye Wen made no move. The towering pile of corpses automatically split down the middle, revealing the youth hidden underneath.

Then Ye Wen turned and walked toward the forest. The young man, who had lost consciousness, floated into the air, following Ye Wen into the woods: “I leave this place to you. Do not disturb me for the time being!”

“Yes, Master!”

Zhang Ling looked around. Finally realizing that although she had the strength to deal with all the corpses, it would take a considerable amount of time. Rather than that, a direct approach was cleaner.

Standing in the center of the village, Zhang Ling put away her saber, planting the entire sheath by her feet, and silently began to channel her power.

Absolute Domain—Ultimate Power—Cosmic Power!

When Zhang Ling reopened her eyes, a brilliant nebula seemed to form within her pupils. A strange power flooded her entire body, and as she slowly raised her hand, this power gradually converged into her palm, slowly twisting and taking shape.

“One Hundred and Eight Forms—Great Serpent Binding!” As the sharp cry erupted, a column of fire shot straight into the sky.

Ye Wen, now deep within the forest, felt a wave of superheated air rush toward him, making his cloak flutter violently.

Fortunately, his cloak was no ordinary item; it offered a degree of concealment in darkness, and even under the full glare of the midday sun, no one could easily discern the true appearance hidden beneath it—it had been tailored on Mount Olympus, with enhancements provided by Hephaestus.

“So Zhang Ling’s Cosmic Power is such an interesting ability. It suits her quite well.”

Even though Ye Wen had left the village, the surrounding situation could not escape his divine sense. He was naturally aware of everything happening in the village, and besides, the towering pillar of fire was not something that could be ignored.

He casually tossed the young man into a nearby stream. The icy water instantly brought the youth to his senses, and he sprang back to life with surprising vigor. Upon regaining consciousness, his first action was to grab a nearby pebble and hurl it directly at Ye Wen.

Unfortunately, his motion was halted halfway, as if he were frozen in mid-air, unable to advance further, or even to bring his feet back to the ground.

“Damn… damn it…”

The bizarre situation did not inspire fear in the youth; instead, his face was etched with indignation and a rage that bordered on madness.

“You… is this how you treat your savior?”

“What?” The youth was momentarily stunned, then he understood and calmed down. However, when he managed to get a clear look at his surroundings, despair suddenly washed over his face: “My village.”

“It’s destroyed. Nothing remains! You are the only survivor,” Ye Wen stated the fact calmly. “You should feel fortunate. If I hadn't happened to pass by, you wouldn't be alive either!”

The youth remained silent, merely gritting his teeth until the stone in his hand cracked audibly: “Those bastards! I will make them pay the price…”

Ye Wen smiled, though no one could see it: “Young man, if you seek revenge, you must possess strength! Strength that ordinary people cannot rival. Otherwise, your talk of vengeance is nothing but a joke!”

The youth had calmed down, and Ye Wen appropriately lowered the force holding him, setting him gently on the ground.

The binding power vanished, and the youth collapsed to his knees as if utterly drained, his hands gripping the earth, his head bowed as he stared at his frail body: “I… I want to join the army. I’ll kill those bastards on the battlefield…”

“A naive thought… in your current condition, even if you joined the army and reached the battlefield, there is no possibility other than being killed!” Ye Wen assessed the youth from head to toe. Honestly, the young man wasn't entirely hopeless, but he was still too slight.

“Then… what should I do?”

The youth looked lost. He craved revenge but lacked the power! The only path he could conceive had just been dismissed by the strange cloaked figure before him: “Do you have a solution?”

“I… can give you the strength you desire!”

The youth looked up, but his eyes, though showing relief, held a sliver of wariness. Ye Wen’s appearance was too bizarre, too sudden! Furthermore, he had never met this person before, let alone had any relationship with him. The fact that the man saved him felt like sheer coincidence. So why would he want to help him?

“Don’t worry. I have some grievances with those people as well. As long as you gain formidable strength and bother those people, you will have done me the greatest favor.”

“Then why don't you deal with them yourself?” This young man didn't seem easily fooled, as he picked up on that point.

However, Ye Wen couldn't be silenced by just two sentences; he had long prepared his response: “Of course I will act, but I have other matters at the moment. I happened to encounter you… perhaps I can train an assistant for myself!”

The youth looked up, staring at Ye Wen from below, perhaps trying to see the face hidden beneath the cloak. But he was astonished to find that even at this angle, he could not make out what was concealed by the fabric. The sensation was intensely strange, as if the person before him was not human at all, merely a cloak.

Inside the hood, there was only pitch blackness. In the dimly lit forest, it seemed as if nothing existed. Ye Wen’s voice emerged from this uncanny darkness, sending a chill down the young man’s spine.

Recalling the bizarre ability he had just witnessed, the youth even suspected he had encountered an emissary from the underworld. But to him, whether it was an envoy from the netherworld or something else, if this person could grant him strength, then this was what he needed right now.

Without much hesitation, the youth nodded fiercely, accepting Ye Wen’s proposal.

“I agree.” Standing up, the youth looked at the strange figure before him: “What should I do? I am willing to pay any price for this!”

“A price?” Ye Wen paused in thought: “Actually, you don't need to pay any price, except that you will have to endure a period of intense suffering in the coming time!”

The youth’s words left Ye Wen speechless. Why did he sound like an emissary from hell, or a spokesperson for the devil? Should he perhaps say the next line: ‘Just hand over your soul, and I can grant you blah blah blah…’ to sound more appropriate?

“However, starting today, you must discard your original name.”

This statement did not seem like a big deal to the youth; in fact, he already harbored similar thoughts: “Of course. Starting today, the former me is dead. From now on, I exist only for revenge!”

Ye Wen said nothing, though he absolutely did not believe those words. Hatred, however deep, would it sustain the youth after he gained immense power and achieved what he perceived as vengeance? He would surely find a new motivation for living, and his mindset would change then.

But he didn't need to dwell on these matters. He simply patted the youth’s frail shoulder: “From today onward, your name is Bentos! But to live up to that name, the first thing you must do is make your body strong!”

Only then did Ye Wen notice that, now standing up straight, the youth was taller than Ye Wen himself when he had reverted to his normal state—at least over 1.9 meters tall.

A nearly two-meter frame, standing erect, possessed some presence, but he was simply too thin!

The youth—now to be called Bentos—nodded. He also looked forward to becoming strong, but his most pressing concern was that growing robust would necessitate a large amount of food. In his nearly two decades living in this world, he had hardly ever eaten his fill.

When he voiced this worry, the robed figure, who had so far given him feelings of mystery, strangeness, terror, and gloom, actually let out a laugh. This sound gave him a strange feeling: ‘Perhaps this person isn't a bad guy?’

Immediately following this, Ye Wen raised his hand. In the palm hidden beneath the cloak, he held an entire roasted wild boar leg. He had packed this while walking and had put it away before it was all consumed; it was perfect for filling the young man’s stomach now.

“Stay by my side, and I believe you won't have to worry about food anymore!”

If Ye Wen wished, what prey couldn't he catch? If the youth desired, Ye Wen could even capture a flying dragon and let him taste dragon meat, but there was simply no need to go that far.

Knowing that strength required a full stomach, Bentos could only tuck away the grief of his village’s slaughter, take the boar leg, and take a huge bite out of it.

Just then, a smaller figure approached. Although also cloaked, the clear, melodious voice—though somewhat cold—indicated it was a girl: “That area is taken care of!”

Ye Wen didn't turn around, nor did he even reply. Instead, he pointed toward Bentos, who was gnawing on the roasted boar leg: “You won't be bored on the journey ahead. You are responsible for making this fellow strong!”

The small figure slightly turned, and a glint of cold light seemed to flash within the darkness hidden by the cloak, causing Bentos to involuntarily shiver down his spine.

Ye Wen’s next sentence only intensified the bizarre atmosphere: “Also, the Andromeda Cloth you brought back last time… it’s just the right time to use it!”