With a casual wave, the unfortunate Luo Ka was forced back by the chill Ye Nv casually unleashed, his face a mask of horror as he stared at the mass of energy held in the man's hand opposite him.

It was a surge of energy as pure as crystal ice and snow, so purely cold that Luo Ka felt the entire world might freeze solid the moment that chill erupted.

In truth, having cultivated to his current level, Ye Wen was beginning to understand why the pure icy energy known as Bixue Bing represented death. Coldness symbolized the cessation of all movement, and cessation meant termination!

Theoretically, reaching absolute zero would halt everything, even freezing time itself, and when everything stopped, the very space around them would collapse entirely! Thus, to freeze everything was to destroy everything; mastering this power could even annihilate a plane. Fortunately, this terrifying ability could only be approached indefinitely, with virtually no chance of true mastery.

Ye Wen could not master it either; he even doubted he could command such terrifying might even if he reached the Golden Immortal realm. But with his current cultivation, unleashing Bixue Bing at full power, he could indeed freeze everything in the world except time and space.

If viewed through the eyes of a Saint Seiya, this terrifying power would be at least in the domain of a demigod or higher, but for Luo Ka, who specialized in chilling energies, the impact of Ye Wen’s casual gesture was even more profound.

“To unleash such terrifying power with a mere wave…”

His thoughts stalled right there. He dared not consider anything beyond that point. In fact, to protect his very beliefs, he forcibly stopped thinking, standing dazedly at the edge of the plaza, watching the man in the center of the field—a man who was neither particularly tall nor especially strong.

“Since you’ve come, why stand outside the door?”

Ye Wen’s voice was not loud, but it carried through the main hall and the front courtyard to the Chinese man standing outside. Almost immediately after the words left his mouth, a figure strolled in leisurely, as if he had been walking in slowly all along.

But everyone knew this person had materialized out of nowhere; there hadn't been so much as a shadow in that spot moments before.

“Without the Master’s permission, one cannot simply barge through the gates. It would be unfortunate if Head Ye mistakenly believed this Lord had come to seek redress!”

The arrival was none other than the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord. This Divine Lord was clad in a long crimson robe edged with gold, featuring a golden phoenix design on the front. The long phoenix tail perfectly adorned the hem of the gown, flowing and fluttering with his steps, making the entire phoenix appear as if it were alive.

In reality, Ye Wen couldn't tell if it was a phoenix or a Vermilion Bird; to his eyes, the two birds looked identical anyway, so he wasn't sure if the robe held any special significance. The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord usually wore red robes, but without such elaborate patterns.

Seeing him arrive specially dressed today, Ye Wen understood immediately.

“It seems the Divine Lord has come today representing the Phoenix Clan.”

The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord offered a wry, helpless smile and shook his head. “This Lord did not wish it to be so! But the clan rules demand it. I hope Head Ye does not take offense!”

“Understood. Every nation has its laws, and every family has its rules. As a member of the Phoenix Clan, the Divine Lord must adhere to them. I, Ye Mou, understand!”

Though Ye Wen said that, getting him to obediently summon Dongfang Kui out was impossible. In this situation, although it was a matter between the Phoenix Clan and Dongfang Kui, Dongfang Kui’s words were clearly spoken for his sake. Even if Ye Wen were thick-headed, he should understand by now.

Naturally, he wouldn't push the responsibility onto Dongfang Kui; after all, Ye Wen still harbored a touch of traditional masculine pride. To push a matter that he should shoulder onto a woman—what face would he have left?

Therefore, when the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord arrived today, Ye Wen hadn't even summoned Dongfang Kui. He was waiting here to settle the matter with the Phoenix Clan himself.

Seeing Ye Wen’s demeanor, the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord understood his thoughts and cupped his fist in salute. “A battle today seems unavoidable. If Head Ye wins this fight, the Phoenix Clan will naturally cease troubling your sect. Even if we meet in the future, things will proceed as they should.”

His words were clear, and his confident tone suggested that the Phoenix Clan had reached a consensus: if Ye Wen could defeat the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord, the Phoenix Clan would no longer interfere with Dongfang Kui’s affairs, even if she, in her Phoenix identity, did anything to tarnish the Phoenix Clan’s reputation.

Moreover, the Phoenix Clan seemed unwilling to antagonize the Mount Shu Sect. They had even left word that once this battle concluded, relations between the two factions would return to normal interaction, handling any issues conventionally, without any lingering resentment or subtle sabotage due to this brief conflict.

Frankly, Ye Wen was greatly surprised that the Phoenix Clan would offer such terms. After a moment of private contemplation, he could only conclude that the Phoenix Clan did not wish to needlessly gain an enemy in the Mount Shu Sect, as it offered them no benefit.

Thus, the other party intended to address the matter at hand strictly as it was—one issue settled, one score cleared!

This condition was overwhelmingly favorable to Ye Wen, and he naturally had no reason to refuse. Before the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord had even finished speaking, Ye Wen nodded in acceptance.

Of course, if Ye Wen lost…

What struck Ye Wen as strange was that the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord failed to mention the consequence of Ye Wen’s defeat. Ordinarily, when arranging such matters, wouldn't one clarify everything? What if Ye Wen reneged after the fight?

Although Ye Wen would never commit such a shameless act—he could afford to lose face, but the Mount Shu Sect could not.

The current situation could be treated as a tacit understanding, needing no further words. Yet, Ye Wen felt there was something he was overlooking.

But when his gaze returned to the Vermilion Bird, he realized these concerns had to be set aside for now, because the opponent before him was not someone he could defeat while lost in tangential thoughts.

The opponent he faced today could be called the strongest adversary Ye Wen had encountered since he began his cultivation.

In terms of sheer cultivation level alone, perhaps the Vermilion Bird was not the strongest.

The Immovable Wisdom King was also a renowned powerhouse in the Immortal Realm, and he had ultimately died by Ye Wen’s hand. However, it must be noted that the Immovable Wisdom King was already injured from his fierce battle with Yang Jian, so although Ye Wen killed him, he felt no great pride in it.

His engagement with Kong Xuan relied more on strategy, and they exchanged very few moves.

His fight with Yang Jian happened when Ye Wen’s strength was still low, and Yang Jian had intentionally held back, making it an invalid reference point.

Facing Apollo? He had the advantage of terrain, and he caught his opponent completely off guard; that battle was hardly worth mentioning.

It could be said that since arriving in the Immortal Realm, Ye Wen had never truly engaged in a head-on, desperate struggle. Each time, he managed to leverage various advantages to increase his odds of victory, thus dispatching his opponents with relative ease.

The last fight that forced him to exert his utmost effort was in the Nine Provinces World, against the protector of the Demonic Sect. Even then, he only narrowly defeated his opponent with the timely aid of his junior sister’s sword energy. That was the closest he had ever come to defeat.

Since then, he hadn't encountered a situation close to that level of peril. Even when besieged by the righteous factions on Earth, he had always held back some reserves.

Today…

The Vermilion Bird appeared in excellent condition. Although his opponent hadn't unleashed any overwhelming divine flames, nor had he produced any magic artifacts…

“You won’t use artifacts?”

The Vermilion Bird chuckled lightly. “For clans like ours, the Phoenix Clan, our very selves are the strongest artifacts!”

This single sentence exposed the fighting style of the Phoenix Clan, or at least the Vermilion Bird’s style: hand-to-hand combat!

Ye Wen also excelled in this very art. One could say this duel today would be fought in the manner Ye Wen was most accustomed to.

“Head Ye, please!”

The Vermilion Bird made a gesture with his hand, took a light step, and actually adopted a starting stance. This sight made Ye Wen pause slightly, but he quickly returned the courtesy, then waved his hand, forming a sword-finger and pointing it forward. This move was unremarkable, lacking any killing intent; it was purely a preparatory stance used for friendly sparring.

As the two struck their poses, and after their preceding exchange, Mount Shu disciples had already rushed to the rear courtyard to relay the news. Consequently, the surrounding training grounds were already lined with quite a few members of the Mount Shu Sect.

Xu Xian emerged the fastest, but Huang Rongrong was nowhere in sight, likely still cultivating.

Trailing closely were Ye Wen’s women: Ning Ruxue, Huayi, and Artemis rushed out almost simultaneously. However, unlike Huayi and Ning Ruxue, Artemis, unfamiliar with the customs here, casually snatched up her Wrath of the Stars, drawing an arrow as she advanced, waiting for the right moment to loose a volley and shoot down any fool who dared challenge her man.

Huayi saw things most clearly and hastily intercepted her. “This bout doesn't seem as perilous; don't intervene!”

Artemis was momentarily confused but immediately lowered her bow. She now understood that the two men in the field intended a fair duel. In their tradition, duels were solemn affairs not to be interfered with.

Though she didn't grasp the customs of the Eastern world, according to her own customs, once she knew it was a duel between two individuals, she would never interfere.

Only then did she have time to ask, “Why did you say it wasn't perilous?”

In her understanding, dueling was inherently dangerous, almost inevitably ending in the death of one party.

It wasn't until Huayi explained it in detail that she learned that in the East, one could tell from the starting gestures whether it was a fight to the death or merely a contest to decide a winner without loss of life.

When Ye Wen and the Vermilion Bird struck their initial poses, Huayi knew neither intended to fight to the death.

However, while others relaxed, Ye Wen dared not let his guard down. He stared intently at the Vermilion Bird opposite him, waiting for his next move. He blinked once—a brief closing and opening of the eyes—and in less than a second, when his eyes reopened, the Vermilion Bird had already lunged before him, his right fist mere inches away. Ye Wen could only rely on years of combat habit to execute what he instinctively deemed the appropriate counter.

He tilted his head slightly, dodging the punch, while simultaneously pivoting his body. He shifted his footing sideways, using his right foot as an axis, taking a step with his left. As his body turned, he wielded his arm like a staff, bringing it down like a club toward the Vermilion Bird’s face.

The exchange was rapid—incoming and outgoing—using the most commonplace movements. Even in the Nine Provinces World, these two moves would be recognized by the most common roadside performers.

Yet, executed by these two masters, such simple moves became an entirely different concept.

Never mind the common Mount Shu disciples, who couldn't see clearly; even Ye Wen’s disciples could only catch blurry shadows, perceiving only that the two figures touched and instantly separated. Only then did these onlookers have time to recall precisely what had just transpired.

The only one who truly saw clearly was Xu Xian, who stood observing with keen interest and even provided commentary to those beside him.

“Senior Brother flicked his wrist, and the Vermilion Bird leaned back to evade Senior Brother’s move. Simultaneously, leveraging that lean, his left leg shot up diagonally, aiming for Senior Brother’s side waist. Senior Brother responded with a leap and employed the Seven Revolutions Slash, delivering a blade-kick with his left leg!”

“And then?”

Ning Ruxue also couldn't see clearly. It was then she realized the vast gulf that had opened between her and her Senior Brother. She had genuinely thought that once she crossed that threshold, she would catch up to him again!

“Then, the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord used both hands to grab, employing an Eagle Claw Hand—or perhaps a Phoenix Claw Hand?” Xu Xian frowned, seemingly pondering the most difficult riddle in the world. “Yes, Phoenix Claw Hand is more appropriate! The Divine Lord used the Phoenix Claw Hand to grab and pull Senior Brother down to the ground, immediately following up with a retracted double-fisted strike!”

The surrounding listeners instinctively tensed. Even though they knew their Head was standing unharmed in the field, everyone involuntarily felt nervous, eager to know how their Head would counter that blow.

“After landing, Senior Brother, perhaps struck by the Divine Lord’s internal force, didn't dodge but hastily raised his palm, using Lüshuang Bingzhi to meet the Divine Lord’s strike head-on! And then, both sides used the recoil from that impact to push each other back!”

This description took a significant amount of time to articulate, but in reality, it all occurred in the blink of an eye. The several weaker disciples nearby clicked their tongues in amazement, realizing that in the span of a single blink, the two combatants had exchanged so many moves.

Ning Ruxue and the other higher-cultivation disciples focused on a different point: why was there absolutely no sound when Ye Wen and the Vermilion Bird met head-on?

“Because both fully contained the power they unleashed, allowing absolutely no leakage…”

For this very reason, both the Vermilion Bird and Ye Wen remained stationary, not because they were unwilling to move, but because after that mutual collision, neither felt comfortable.

“I underestimated Head Ye’s cultivation,” the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord admitted.

The Vermilion Bird’s complexion gradually regained its flush, no longer pale as it had been. He then opened his mouth and exhaled a chill mixed with blood-red wisps.

And Ye Wen also spoke: “The Vermilion Bird Divine Flame is indeed overwhelming!”

In contrast to the seemingly uneventful display from the Vermilion Bird, Ye Wen's action was striking. A burst of crimson flame erupted from his mouth. Although it was only a small flame, spewing vermilion fire was quite conspicuous.

Where the Vermilion Bird’s chill was only visible to a few, Ye Wen’s fiery breath could not easily be ignored. All those present watched with changing expressions, finally realizing how perilous the preceding exchange had been.

Xu Xian muttered to himself, “The internal force is retracted to such an extent that it looks like an ordinary martial arts contest, but the explosive power and hidden force are enough to turn a high mountain into dust instantly. Both Senior Brother and the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord have achieved complete control over their respective strengths. Compared to them, I am still slightly lacking…”

Looking back at the field, after that exchange, the two immediately clashed again, but this time the spectacle was far grander than the instantaneous flashes before. Moreover, the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord was a divine bird, and his speed was exceptional. Now unleashed, the field was filled with afterimages of the Divine Lord; none of the spectators could distinguish the real body from the illusion.

Ye Wen ignored the distractions. He raised a palm and struck straight forward. Before the palm energy even fully manifested, he struck another palm—the following palm riding upon the former—layering the palm strikes until he had unleashed eighteen overlapping layers of force.

The Vermilion Bird was initially puzzled by Ye Wen striking seemingly aimlessly, wondering what he was doing by unleashing strikes in one direction. But the next second, he realized the palm strikes, clearly aimed elsewhere, were somehow curving toward him.

In that moment of stunned hesitation, his movement paused slightly. This momentary rigidity brought the Vermilion Bird an even more terrifying blow.

The eighteen layered palm strikes erupted all at once, the explosive might far more ferocious and terrifying than what had been sensed earlier.

Only then did he realize he had been tricked, yet he still couldn't grasp how Ye Wen managed to redirect palm energy struck toward another location straight to his front!

The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord, of course, was unaware that Ye Wen, after mastering the Xuan Universe technique, had been intensely studying its benefits. After much research, he concluded that the methods he could grasp related to shattering space, as he had used the Xuan Universe energy to arrive in this Immortal Realm in the first place. Therefore, his use of it tended toward that direction.

In that instant, though he appeared to be striking forward, every palm strike he unleashed carried a thread of Xuan Universe energy, tearing open space. As for the exit points, Ye Wen’s setup was skillfully executed, covering every inch of the surrounding area perfectly.

He only needed to spot which Vermilion Bird image showed the slightest anomaly, then immediately redirect all eighteen palm strikes there—which is how the Vermilion Bird suffered the loss.

However, this was merely the appetizer. Once Ye Wen locked onto the Vermilion Bird’s position, after unleashing the eighteen palm strikes, he immediately brought out his ultimate killing move.

“Even when hunting a rabbit, a lion uses its full strength! How much more so when facing a master like the Vermilion Bird?”

He pointed a finger, and the surrounding energy erupted violently. Simultaneously, a Zixiao Sword materialized beside him, followed by another, and another!