The Handyman Disciples' side peak.
As always, Ye Jingyun rose before dawn and worked until nightfall, tirelessly practicing the Savage God Fist.
His expression was resolute, his gaze as still as an ancient well. It was as if even if the sky collapsed, it could not affect his fist practice.
Although his punches were still slow and powerless, when combined with all manner of strange postures and rhythmic breathing, he increasingly gave off a sense of natural harmony.
It was as though he were a tree, a blade of grass, or a grain of sand between heaven and earth. He could coexist with all things in this world, and most negative emotions could no longer affect him.
Ye Jingyun appeared utterly unremarkable, even ordinary.
But he was the type of wastrel who would rise against all odds. His will was unwavering, he possessed immense fortune, and he had two supreme cultivation arts.
Without question, one day he would surely achieve great things.
As for Yuwen Shengxin, she had not wasted these past few days either.
Ever since Lin Feng had personally enlightened her several days ago, she had come to understand herself and gained a clear grasp of her path of cultivation.
In just a few days, her strength had soared from the initial stage of the True Immortal Realm to the Extreme Dao Realm.
With only a sliver of opportunity, she would be able to break through to the King Realm in one fell swoop.
Although she was still separated from the Emperor Realm by a distance of one hundred and eight thousand li, as long as she cultivated wholeheartedly, she would surely recover to the peak level of her previous life—and even surpass it.
Outside the Divine Sword Sect, hundreds of thousands of li away.
There was an extremely remote frontier town.
"Little Immortal, our entire town is grateful for your immense kindness!"
"If the Little Immortal had not descended and helped us slay the demonic beasts and bandits of Blackwind Mountain outside the town, our whole town would likely have become a river of blood long ago."
"The Little Immortal's grace is higher than heaven and deeper than the sea. We have no way to repay it."
"Little Immortal, please accept our bow!"
The densely packed villagers wore excited expressions as they bowed in thanks.
Standing before them was a handsome youth of around sixteen or seventeen.
A smile rested on his lips as he casually lifted a hand.
"You flatter me, everyone."
"They were merely demonic beasts. In the eyes of us cultivators, they are ants that can be reduced to ashes with a wave of the hand."
"As for those bandits who plagued the countryside, once they encountered cultivators like us, their death day had arrived."
"Uphold the weak against the strong, punish evil and promote good; when injustice is seen, let out a roar—that is the creed of our Divine Sword Sect."
The youth looked proud, and his words rang like metal striking stone.
Then, he swept his gaze across the crowd and added,
"Since I came here today, it means I am fated with this place."
"On behalf of the Divine Sword Sect, I have decided to bestow upon your town a great opportunity today."
"Town Chief, gather all the young people in town for testing. So long as they pass the trial, they may join the Divine Sword Sect and become Handyman Disciples of the Divine Sword Sect."
This youth was none other than Ye Xuan, who had gone out to gain experience.
The moment they heard his words, the scene instantly erupted.
"Is that true?"
"The children of our town can also enter a legendary cultivation sect?"
"Quick, quick, quick! Call back Zhang Erwa, who is out gathering firewood, and Li Dapang too..."
The town chief was so excited that tears streamed down his face.
He immediately ordered people to gather all the young men in town.
Before long, Ye Xuan stepped forward and tested the talent and innate bones of those who had been gathered one by one.
Although quite a few had come, only two possessed relatively good talent, while one had a rather pure and steadfast disposition. In the end, they passed the test and were accepted into the Divine Sword Sect.
"Deep in the mountains, one knows no passing years; a thousand years have already slipped by in the world. In the blink of an eye, I've been down the mountain for around a month..."
Ye Xuan sighed inwardly.
When he had descended the mountain, the Esteemed Sect Master had personally assigned him a task.
He was to recruit a batch of Handyman Disciples from the secular world who possessed both outstanding talent and character.
This was an excellent opportunity for him to prove himself before the Esteemed Sect Master.
Naturally, he could not disappoint the Esteemed Sect Master's expectations, so he threw himself into it with all his might.
However, this required strategy.
After all, according to rumors outside, the Divine Sword Sect was a decrepit and destitute sect. Everyone believed that the Divine Sword Sect's inheritance had long since been severed and that it had no future whatsoever.
Thus, he took another path and specifically targeted remote frontier villages and towns.
These places were already poorly informed, so naturally their people had never heard the Divine Sword Sect's name.
That meant they knew even less what kind of sect the Divine Sword Sect actually was.
Moreover, for these people, as long as they could enter a sect, it was like ascending to heaven in a single step. Who cared whether it was a great sect or a small sect?
Ye Xuan had not expected this either.
Thus, all he needed to do was keep changing locations, keep slaying demonic beasts and evil bandits, and display his formidable strength before the villagers. Naturally, those villagers would be endlessly grateful and scramble to send their children to join the Divine Sword Sect.
This method is not bad. I really am brilliant beyond measure. Ye Xuan secretly snickered, an undisguised look of smug pride appearing on his face.
After throwing himself into the task for a month, he had already recruited dozens of Handyman Disciples.
Ye Xuan drew a simple map and handed it to them, telling them to make their own way to the Divine Sword Sect to report.
Before long, they would arrive at the Divine Sword Sect one after another.
Hehe, if the Esteemed Sect Master sees these dozens of Handyman Disciples, he should praise me for being capable, right? Ye Xuan thought, anticipation unconsciously appearing in his eyes.
With matters here concluded and his goal achieved, Ye Xuan did not linger. He prepared to head for the next village or town and continue seeking Handyman Disciples with potential.
Several days later.
Within a mountain range shrouded in mist.
Ye Xuan hid in a hollow behind a huge boulder, cautiously observing every movement outside through gaps in the vines.
His expression was grave as he circulated the spiritual energy within his Qi Sea with all his strength, poised to strike.
In his hand was an ancient sword that was crimson from hilt to tip, its sharpness restrained but ready to erupt.
"Damn it!"
"I never expected to run into Iron Sword Sect Elder Zhang Xiong here!"
"Enemies really do meet on narrow roads. What bloody bad luck."
Ye Xuan cursed inwardly.
Several days ago, after leaving the previous town, he had spent several days searching before determining where the next village was.
Yesterday, as usual, he had gone to that village to recruit Handyman Disciples.
But who could have imagined that the old bastard Zhang Xiong, an elder of the Iron Sword Sect, would also be in that little village?
When Zhang Xiong learned that Ye Xuan was a disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, he naturally launched into a stream of slander, saying the Divine Sword Sect was worthless and calling Lin Feng a useless wretch barely clinging to life. His words were as unpleasant as they could possibly be.
The recruitment of Handyman Disciples immediately came to nothing.
Combined with those vile words, Ye Xuan was thoroughly enraged.
Ye Xuan had long developed a deep sense of belonging toward the Divine Sword Sect, and he revered the Esteemed Sect Master as though he were a god.
How could he tolerate that old bastard Zhang Xiong insulting the Divine Sword Sect and the Esteemed Sect Master?
Therefore, even though his strength was far inferior to Zhang Xiong's, he retorted on the spot.
Who would have thought that, unable to outargue him, Zhang Xiong would fly into a rage from humiliation and develop murderous intent toward him?
Afterward, Zhang Xiong even cast aside all dignity and unleashed a killing move, intending to kill Ye Xuan on the spot.
However, what Zhang Xiong had never expected was,
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