Returning to Mount Shu felt wonderfully peaceful for Ye Wen. All he really needed to do was wander around the foothills, though he did consider a period of secluded cultivation. Unfortunately, his current state made any retreat useless.

He had only recently broken through to the Celestial Immortal realm, and while he’d spent a considerable time assimilating and strengthening his power, that didn't mean the process was complete. More pressing was the strange, bizarre purple energy still churning within him, which he couldn't fathom.

Even though he’d tentatively dubbed it Primordial Violet Qi (a knock-off, perhaps?), he wasn't entirely sure of its true nature; he only maintained the assumption while lacking certainty.

Just unraveling this single mystery would likely take an age. Ye Wen had a peculiar feeling that fully comprehending this purple energy would allow him to stand at the pinnacle of this world, yet that same feeling warned him: you are nowhere near ready!

Considering his rate of progress, however, was quite remarkable. In less than a hundred years, he had gone from a mere mortal to a Celestial Immortal, and a rather powerful one at that. He ought to be content—but that stubborn drive suddenly flared up again. Previously, his fierce need to advance was born from the constant threat to his life. Now, with a comfortable existence, nearly endless lifespan, and no apparent enemies capable of threatening him in the Immortal Realm, he had started settling into the status quo.

Fortunately, Ye Wen possessed one defining trait: he felt profoundly unsettled until he understood that strange energy inside him. Because of this, he wouldn't completely abandon cultivation; he just wouldn't be as relentlessly diligent as before.

After resting for a night, he stepped out of his chamber into the courtyard, only to be greeted by the exact same spectacle he’d seen upon his return yesterday. The only difference was that this time, all the women had shifted into a different pose. From his perspective, there were many lovely peaches on display...

He glanced up at the main gate and saw it was securely shut. It seemed these women knew their current postures weren't something to be seen by others. Not only was the gate locked, but they had also instructed the disciples not to disturb them. Yesterday, if they hadn't sensed his return, they probably wouldn't have even left the door ajar.

But still...

"What on earth are you all doing?"

Artemis was closest to him, maintaining that eye-pleasing posture. She shot him a sidelong glance, then returned to her activity as if Ye Wen didn't exist.

It was Hua Yi who clarified things for him. "Practicing yoga can improve flexibility and maintain body posture..."

"You're all either Immortals or Goddesses now; what do you need to maintain?" Ye Wen was speechless, unable to comprehend why these women were engaging in such activities. Logically, even if these immortals spent their days feasting and drinking, their figures wouldn't change in the slightest.

This comment earned him another glare from his junior sister, and he faintly caught a mumbled complaint: "...all because of some annoying person."

This murmur was so soft it was barely audible, a casual venting. In her experience, Ye Wen shouldn't have been able to hear such a faint sound. However, Ye Wen's cultivation had increased significantly. Even though several words in that sentence were never fully vocalized, connecting them with the context allowed him to hear it clearly and distinctly.

"Oh."

Thinking it over, he realized: the last time he went out, he came back with a woman. Though he hadn't brought anyone back this time, encountering the current situation made the other women feel a sense of rivalry. They were trying to curry favor with him!

With that realization, he surmised that practicing yoga was likely motivated by the same reason. Otherwise, besides Hua Yi, who practiced dance and had a habit of using yoga to maintain suppleness, the others held no interest in it.

But since he stood to benefit, he certainly wouldn't object!

"I see! In that case, I'll go out for a stroll for a while. You all continue practicing."

With a sly smirk, he walked forward and called out to Hasna, "By the way, you’ve nearly mastered your Tathagata’s Palm and the Tendon-Changing Scripture, haven't you? It’s time you headed down the mountain for some practical experience. You can’t stay up here forever."

Hasna’s face lit up at the suggestion. She had been contemplating descending the mountain for some time, but with Ye Wen away, she felt awkward leaving without even informing her master. Now that he was back, she had been planning to find an opportunity to bring it up, and here he was, suggesting it himself.

She came to Mount Shu to become stronger, intending to seek trouble with the Buddhist Realm later. Now, not only had she recovered her vast Buddhist power through past-life memories and converted it into Buddhist True Qi (Buddhist power and Buddhist True Qi were distinct), but she had also learned powerful techniques like the Tathagata’s Palm. She was confident that even if she couldn't defeat the Myriad Manifestations Kings right now, she could certainly protect herself.

Furthermore, she had hit a bottleneck. Remaining on the mountain made further progress difficult. The best approach was to travel, broaden her horizons, and accumulate combat experience. For this reason, she even planned to journey west, the most chaotic region, and perhaps visit her old home as well.

Naturally, the journey wouldn't be smooth, which was why she waited for Ye Wen to return before leaving. It was entirely possible this descent might be a one-way trip.

In reality, Ye Wen wouldn't allow such a thing to happen. After wandering around for about an hour, he saw Hasna, having finished her yoga, skipping out with light, quick steps—she was practically frolicking like a little girl despite her age.

But when Ye Wen recalled that in her previous life, this girl was a composed, enlightened high monk, the sense of oddity within him intensified.

"Master."

Perhaps because she was finally leaving, a great weight had lifted from her chest. Though the future remained uncertain, the path was chosen, so her mood was excellent. "Have you decided when you're leaving?"

Hasna nodded. "I leave today!"

Ye Wen didn't see any issue with that. The disciples of the Shu Mountain Sect tended to follow his example: decisive, swift, and never lingering unnecessarily!

He signaled Hasna to follow him, and after navigating several turns and twists within the sect grounds, they quickly arrived at the Artifact Pavilion, responsible for forging and storing magical treasures.

As the Shu Mountain Sect manufactured more and more artifacts, Ye Wen couldn't possibly carry everything he owned. Most items were stored here under the care of dedicated disciples. Tommy, in his spare time, usually guarded the place—a light duty, as no one dared sneak onto Mount Shu to steal their treasures.

Moreover, Tommy had previously run a shop similar to an antique store, making him adept at handling such matters. He had organized the artifact storage vaults meticulously. Although Tommy wasn't physically present at the moment, Ye Wen could easily locate what he needed.

"You don't know what you might encounter on this trip. I won't say much else, but bringing a few artifacts might prove crucial when needed!"

First, he pulled out a Divine Armor from the experimental prototype warehouse and tossed it casually to Hasna. Although the Shu Mountain Sect had mass-produced various Holy Garments, and the Holy Garment technology was extremely mature, the Divine Armor was still in the testing phase.

However, in terms of convenience, the Divine Armor was superior. It possessed an ability the Holy Garment lacked: it could be used as transportation. The Holy Garment couldn't do that, and it was rather cumbersome for those without storage artifacts to carry.

Hasna's journey was long, so providing her with transport was only right. Furthermore, the primary function of the Divine Armor was defensive, and since Hasna had adopted a melee combat style after cultivating on Mount Shu, having armor to protect her would be a significant boost to her combat power.

Ye Wen chose the Asura King Armor for Hasna. Its design resembled a lion. Looking at Hasna's long, wavy hair, Ye Wen suddenly felt the armor suited this disciple quite well.

Besides the armor, Ye Wen also retrieved other artifacts such as the Thunderbolt Fireball, the counterfeit Heaven-Overturning Seal (in Mahjong tile form), and the Sun and Moon Twin Wheels. Combined with the Buddhist Wheel Hasna already possessed, unless she encountered a powerhouse on the level of the Peacock Myriad Manifestation King, anyone who crossed her path would suffer a huge loss.

After helping Hasna organize the items, Ye Wen looked at the disciple with whom he’d barely had a proper conversation and gently cautioned her, "Nothing is more important than your life; don't force things!"

Hasna understood that Ye Wen was telling her that as long as she kept her life, everything else could be managed. If she faced a truly perilous situation, she shouldn't act recklessly; upon returning to Mount Shu, her Master would settle things for her!

Nodding, Hasna executed a respectful bow to Ye Wen, then turned and headed directly toward the mountain gate!

Ye Wen didn't go to see her off. He only sighed after Hasna’s figure vanished from sight. Just then, Cui Jun emerged from somewhere, looking at Ye Wen and handing him the gourd he carried. "Disciples must eventually leave their master's protection. Weren't you always very clear on that?"

It seemed Ye Wen had sensed Cui Jun's presence long ago, so he wasn't overly surprised. He casually accepted the gourd and took a long swig—this old fellow Cui Jun always managed to procure excellent wine from unknown sources.

"Perhaps it's because I'm getting old?"

Joking lightly, Ye Wen found a random crate to sit on. "When did you return?"

Cui Jun should have returned to his Heavenly Mechanism Sect; how did he reappear here?

"I just got back the day before yesterday. I wanted to discuss some things with that little brat Zheng Ying, but it turns out you called that little brat elsewhere!"

It turned out Cui Jun had resumed his tinkering after returning to the mountain. He hit a few snags and came looking for Zheng Ying, but Zheng Ying had been summoned by Ye Wen to the Demon Realm. Thus, Cui Jun had been amusing himself with those small issues on Mount Shu for the past few days. "They are all technology-related problems. Mount Shu has detailed records, making it convenient for me to look things up. Plus, Zhang Ling is here, so she can advise me occasionally, which is much better than my disciples who know nothing about these fields."

"What kind of problems?"

Cui Jun wasn't a fool; if placed on Earth, he’d be considered a top-tier scientist. Was he stumped by just a few minor issues? Could it truly be a case of being specialized in one field but ignorant of another?

The moment Cui Jun spoke, Ye Wen was thunderstruck. "Nothing much, just finding solutions or alternatives for the propulsion, transformation, and transmission systems of the Makuroth!"

"You call that a minor problem?" Ye Wen felt a sharp pain in his head, his temples throbbing violently. If that was a minor issue, what constituted a major one? The main cannon's power source for the Makuroth?

When Ye Wen mentioned that, Cui Jun actually smiled and replied, "Zheng Ying and I have designed several solutions for the main cannon's power issue, but it's hard to say which is better until we run some tests."

Cui Jun became animated, completely unconcerned whether Ye Wen understood what he was saying or not. If Ye Wen hadn't waved his hand to stop his lengthy explanation, Cui Jun might have launched into a detailed briefing right there on the specific design proposals for the Shu Mountain-class Makuroth!

Ye Wen suspected that if these two madmen got together, they might one day transform the entire Immortal Realm into their massive experimental base, perhaps finding even this world insufficient and starting to plan the expansion into vaster spaces!

His thoughts spiraled into the abstract. Ye Wen felt that continuing the conversation with Cui Jun might drive him insane too. He found a quick excuse to bid Cui Jun farewell. As he exited the Artifact Pavilion, he saw Zhang Ling sitting ungracefully beneath a large tree, dabbing the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief.

Ye Wen looked up at the sky. After all his running around, he hadn't noticed the time of year. A quick look revealed it was late autumn—cool and pleasant weather. Why was Zhang Ling sweating so profusely? Moreover, her cultivation had long rendered her impervious to extreme temperatures; she shouldn't need to seek shade to cool down.

As he pondered this, Zhang Ling noticed him and quickly stood up to greet Ye Wen.

"Why are you covered in sweat?"

Zhang Ling sighed helplessly. "That Senior Cui is truly a scientific lunatic. It took a long time just to organize the materials he needed."

He then understood Zhang Ling had been helping Cui Jun compile data. He nodded and didn't press the issue further, knowing he was completely ignorant on such matters, so asking would be pointless.

He casually inquired about other matters: the current state of the Artifact Pavilion, how the disciples apprenticing there long-term were performing, and whether they deserved rewards. He learned that the Pavilion now operated under a relatively established system: Zheng Ying and Zhang Ling managed R&D and manufacturing, Tommy handled storage and management, and among the outer disciples originally selected for the Pavilion, those capable of becoming formal members had been identified after multiple screenings, while others were relegated to odd jobs, easily replaceable.

During Ye Wen’s absence, after consulting with Xu Xian and Ning Ruxue, the disciples who had proven their abilities had received significant cultivation support from the sect. Not only that, but the priority was ensuring these hard-won disciples had sufficient lifespan to continue serving the Shu Mountain Sect.

The cultivation techniques they practiced emphasized longevity over pure combat prowess, and these were quite effective in extending life. Coupled with the various elixirs refined by the Pill Pavilion, the progress of these disciples was quite satisfactory!

Of course, disciples "fast-ripened" this way, even if they reached the Celestial Immortal realm, would likely be defeated by a combat-specialized Earth Immortal if they ventured out.

He wandered aimlessly for a while, chatting with Zhang Ling. Having accompanied Ye Wen on his trip to the West and recovered for a period after returning, Zhang Ling had a thorough grasp of the current situation on Mount Shu. As Ye Wen walked with her, he finally gained a complete overview of the sect’s current status.

Everything else seemed fine; the entire sect was developing steadily. Only one piece of news surprised him.

"You're telling me that the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch is still on our mountain?"

"Yes," Zhang Ling confirmed with a nod. "She’s on the small island adjacent to the floating island Senior Dongfang chose, constantly monitoring Senior Dongfang's cultivation progress."

"Oh?" Ye Wen knew the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch paid close attention to Dongfang Kui, but he hadn't expected such intense scrutiny. He had been away for at least half a year; had the Divine Monarch been guarding him the entire time?

Furthermore, Dongfang Kui hadn't emerged from seclusion yet? Ye Wen had assumed that by the time he returned, Dongfang Kui would have broken through. "Did he perhaps encounter a problem in his cultivation? Has something happened?"

He reasoned that since the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch was nearby and hadn't intervened, there probably wasn't a serious issue. After all, the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Technique was a Phoenix clan art, and the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch, being part of that lineage, would understand it best and wouldn't miss anything obvious.

He decided to check in on him soon. Half a year had passed, and he should at least meet the Divine Monarch. She had been a guest for so long; now that he was back, refusing to see her would be a breach of etiquette.

Just as he prepared to head directly to see the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch, Zhang Ling suddenly stopped beside him. She tapped the frame of her spectacles, and Ye Wen heard Yuwentuo's voice coming from the lenses.

It turned out Zhang Ling had connected the detector and communication equipment directly to her glasses, making things much more convenient. What surprised Ye Wen was that Zhang Ling tapped them again, and the normally transparent, colorless lenses instantly turned into solid black sunglasses.

"Huh? This scene looks a little familiar..."

Zhang Ling stood there, fiddled with them some more, spoke briefly with Yuwentuo, and then returned the glasses to their original clear state. She then looked at the frowning, thoughtful Ye Wen and said, "Baron..."

"Oh, right."

Ye Wen suddenly realized and eagerly asked, "What did Tuo'er say?"

Zhang Ling relayed the message from Yuwentuo to Ye Wen. It was then Ye Wen learned that the seeds he’d planted among the Western Gods were finally beginning to bear fruit!

"Is that so? Ares is finally dead?" Estimating the time, it was much later than he had anticipated. "Speaking of which, taking this long to kill Ares, what about Zeus..."

Zhang Ling then updated Ye Wen on the situation on Mount Olympus. "Athena has involved her Sanctuary in the war against the Heavenly Pantheon. So, the Pegasus Saint, who was reincarnated as Zeus, went straight after those angels after the battle with the Underworld Army. It seems Zeus won't be waking up anytime soon."

Hearing this, Ye Wen knew Athena was moving against Zeus. It looked like Mount Olympus was about to descend into chaos, and since they were already at war with the Heavenly Pantheon, it seemed there wasn't a single peaceful corner left in the entire Immortal Realm!

"The War of the Immortals... it really broke out."