「The next day.」

In the Celestial Profound Mountain Domain, not far from Celestial Profound Mountain, at Nanli Bamboo Bee.

A gentle breeze swept by. The sea of bamboo billowed with shades of tender green and dark jade, one wave pushing the next as they rolled far into the distance.

Deep within the bamboo forest, the air was crisp and the green bamboo stood tall and verdant. A gentle wind flowed through the grove.

Wen Qingye was concealed deep within the bamboo forest. Before him, a blazing fire continuously seared his One Thought Sword, its body enveloped in a bewitching purple glow.

The One Thought Sword spun without pause as the Yang Fire melted down the Spirit-Devouring Stone and Purple Vein Stone, transforming them into a liquid that slowly fused with the sword’s body.

Quenching!

Wen Qingye withdrew his right hand, and the Yang Fire slowly receded into his body. Immediately after, he channeled a surge of frigid Primordial Qi from his left hand into the sword.

SIZZLE! SIZZLE...

After an unknown amount of time, the One Thought Sword cooled from a searing red back to its original hue, and only then did Wen Qingye cease.

Mid-Level King Grade!

After this tempering, the One Thought Sword had advanced another level, reaching Mid-Level King Grade.

Wen Qingye looked at the One Thought Sword in his hand, knowing that with the Spirit-Devouring Stone now fused into it, its future potential would be endless.

The sea of bamboo swayed, casting dancing green shadows. A delicate fragrance wafted on the breeze, spreading into the distance.

"Time to practice the Sword Emperor Technique," Wen Qingye said, looking at his One Thought Sword.

’In yesterday’s final match, I was already struggling to keep up,’ Wen Qingye reflected. ’I knew that with my cultivation at the Yin Yang Realm Third Layer, making it into the top twenty was my absolute limit. Even though I’ve broken through to the Fourth Layer of Heaven, I still need to increase my strength to be safe. The only way to do that right now is to practice a higher-level Martial Arts technique.’

’And that technique is the Emperor-grade High-level Sword Emperor Technique!’

Wen Qingye had chanced upon the Sword Emperor Technique, wresting it from a Human Emperor. The technique had been refined and enhanced by countless Emperors, making its power astonishing and far beyond that of ordinary Emperor-Grade Martial Arts.

.......

Not far from Celestial Profound Mountain, beside the Celestial Profound Villa, was an exceptionally bustling place called Ten-Li Cloud and Smoke.

It served as a gathering spot where disciples could socialize and trade goods. Outside of Celestial Profound Mountain itself, it was the most bustling location.

Ten-Li Cloud and Smoke was a long promenade, flanked on both sides by Celestial Profound Sect disciples trading their wares, making it exceedingly lively. At the end of the promenade stood a grand hall, which, upon closer inspection, appeared illusory. Carved above it were the two words: Lingbo Tower.

Lingbo Tower was both the main Dining Mansion of Ten-Li Cloud and Smoke and a place of recreation for the disciples of the Celestial Profound Sect.

Wen Qingye headed into Ten-Li Cloud and Smoke. Just yesterday, Yann Xiangyang had told him that Nie Shuang had invited them both to meet at Lingbo Tower.

The delicacies inside Lingbo Tower consisted of Demon Beast meat, rare Demon Beast Eggs, and even Heavenly and Earthly Treasures. The cost was astronomical, with bills easily running into the tens of thousands of Top-Grade Primordial Stones. ’I wonder how Nie Shuang can afford so many Primordial Stones,’ Wen Qingye mused.

The promenade of Ten-Li Cloud and Smoke was incredibly crowded; a single glance revealed a dense throng of people stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Hey, Junior Brother, take a look! Eight Desolates Stone, a fine treasure for refining Magical Artifacts!"

"Junior Brother, I’ve got a sword at the Peak of Ninth-Grade right here. It cuts through metal and stone with ease. Interested?"

......

Wen Qingye had little interest in such wares, so he kept his eyes forward and walked on with purpose.

Suddenly, a person in a corner caught Wen Qingye’s attention.

The man had a square face and placid eyes, but his hair was a complete mess. His cultivation was low, only at the Refining Spirit Eighth Layer Heaven. A white cloth was spread out before him, on which a number of items were displayed.

For some reason, Wen Qingye found the man odd. ’It’s as if he has something very familiar within him.’

A young man was squatting down, looking at the things the person had laid out, his expression hesitant.

Wen Qingye slowly walked over and also looked down at the materials and weapons the man had displayed. They were all rather ordinary items, nothing particularly valuable.

The youth picked up a saber and looked at Wen Qingye, asking with a simple-minded air, "Excuse me, Senior Brother, what do you think of this weapon? I feel like it’s a little light."

The youth held a black Long Saber with intricate patterns carved on its hilt. It was one of the few Top Grade treasures among the wares on the cloth.

Wen Qingye took the Long Saber, and an immense weight immediately pressed down on his hand.

’This Long Saber was forged from Heavy Stone, yet that youth was swinging it around so casually. It seems he’s not as simple as he looks!’ Wen Qingye thought, glancing at the naive-looking young man beside him.

Wen Qingye said slowly, "This saber isn’t bad. It was tempered about three times with treasures like Heavy Stone, Profound Armor Stone, and Celestial Yang Powder. However, due to improper refining techniques, the saber has no room for further improvement."

The seller heard Wen Qingye detail everything about the saber, but his expression didn’t change.

The youth, however, was quite surprised. He had only asked for a little advice, not expecting Wen Qingye to provide such a detailed analysis of the saber.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. My name is Duan Hui." The youth gave Wen Qingye a grateful look, then turned to the seller. Blushing slightly, he said shyly, "Th-this saber is too light... and it has no potential for improvement. I think I’ll pass."

With that, Duan Hui gave the seller an awkward fist-and-palm salute before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

’Duan Hui? The fifth-ranked expert...’ Wen Qingye couldn’t help but smile. ’Who would have thought the fifth-strongest Registered Disciple would be such a bashful person? And he kept calling me Senior Brother?’

"Kid, do you know you just ruined my business?" the seller asked, his eyes on Wen Qingye, his lips barely moving as he spoke after Duan Hui had departed.

Wen Qingye’s eyes narrowed slightly. He smiled. "What business was that?"

The man’s tone grew icy. "I was just a few Top-Grade Primordial Stones short of being able to visit some of the beauties at Lingbo Tower. That kid was about to buy my Treasure Saber. All you had to do was say you didn’t know, and he would have paid up. But you had to go and ruin my sale. So tell me, didn’t you ruin my good time?"

Wen Qingye suddenly frowned. "You’re not from the Celestial Profound Sect?"

"Kid, how did you know?" the man asked in surprise, his eyes widening and losing their former placidness.

Wen Qingye chuckled. "The beauties at Lingbo Tower can’t be hired with just Primordial Stones."

"Then what do you use?" the man asked, confused.

Wen Qingye said slowly, "They also have to take a liking to you."

The man rolled his eyes and giggled. "Hehe, so that’s how it is. Looks like it’s been so many decades since I last visited your Celestial Profound Sect that I didn’t even know the rules at Lingbo Tower had changed."

"Decades?" Wen Qingye looked at the man with suspicion. "Who exactly are you?"

As he spoke, Wen Qingye took a few small steps back.

"Hehe, young friend, don’t be nervous! Don’t be nervous, I mean no harm," the man said with a cheerful giggle.

"Hehehe, since you’ve found me out, I might as well announce my name! Ahem." The man had completely lost his earlier composure, now grinning cheekily at Wen Qingye. "Hehe, my dharma name is the Playful Monk. You’ve heard of me, right, kid?"

"Playful Monk?" Wen Qingye shook his head. He had truly never heard that name before.

"Hahaha! Kid, no need for such flattery! I have important matters to attend to, so I’ll be off." The Playful Monk then lifted his messy hair, revealing it to be a wig covering a shiny, bald head. With a flip of his palm, all the items on his cloth stall vanished in an instant.

In a flash, the Playful Monk vanished without a trace.

’This Playful Monk is incredibly strong. I wonder what his cultivation is,’ Wen Qingye thought. He hadn’t sensed much, but in that final moment as the monk left, the sliver of aura he’d revealed sent a jolt through Wen Qingye’s heart. It was more than enough to prove that the Playful Monk’s cultivation far surpassed his own.