Yin Mu Chan was startled, then shook his head and smiled, taking back Xiao Yuan's arrow. He slowly nocked it against the Tian Biao Ding (Heavenly Target Peg) facing the opposite side. He hadn't expected it to be the Vice Hall Master.

The Vice Hall Master. That meant these people belonged to the Crimson Blood Hall.

Mei Jianlan frowned, "People from the Crimson Blood Hall?"

Xiao Yuan huffed, "It must be them. Who else knows how to shoot arrows like that!"

The group opposite halted their movements, retreating several yards. They surrounded the fallen Vice Hall Master on the ground. Someone bent down to examine him, followed by a cry of grief: "The Vice Hall Master is dead!"

"Avenge the Vice Hall Master!" a loud shout rose from the crowd.

"Revenge! Revenge!" Everyone brandished their long swords and roared in unison. This group seemed transformed into a herd of enraged bulls, pawing the ground and bellowing.

Li Mu Chan waved his hand, not taking the smaller bow Xiao Yuan offered. He turned and said, "Miss, I shall go engage them!"

"Mmm, be careful." Mei Ruolan nodded lightly.

"Xiao Yuan, my swords!" Li Mu Chan held out his hand. Xiao Yuan quickly handed him two long swords.

Holding a sword in each hand, he leaped from the carriage, gliding forward. Under the moonlight, he looked like a fleeting shadow. In the blink of an eye, he broke free of the guards' encirclement and arrived before the crowd.

"It's him! Kill him!" a loud shout echoed from the mass of people. Over a hundred pairs of eyes instantly fixed upon him, their gazes icy, killing intent saturating the air.

They glared at him fiercely, their feet moving swiftly as they closed in to surround him.

"Miss, let's hurry and help Zhan Ran!" Xiao Yuan grew anxious, turning quickly to urge her.

Mei Ruolan shook her head and said calmly, "Let's wait and see."

She only knew that Li Mu Chan's internal force had greatly increased, but she was unaware of the extent of his realm. She knew Zhan Ran was prudent and would never take reckless risks, so she wasn't worried.

Seeing she remained still, Xiao Yuan turned to Gong Qingyun. Gong Qingyun gently shook her head, signaling her to remain patient.

Li Mu Chan held his twin swords slightly lowered, calmly observing the crowd, meeting their eyes brimming with hatred. He shook his head, "Are you from the Crimson Blood Hall?"

"That's right, we are the Crimson Blood Hall! We are here to avenge our Hall Master!" a burly man shouted sternly.

Li Mu Chan narrowed his eyes slightly. This man was about forty years old, sturdy and powerfully built, with eyes like a hawk’s, complemented by a hooked nose, giving him a fiercely brave demeanor.

"And who are you?" Li Mu Chan asked lightly.

The man sneered, "Who are you?!"

"Feng Junsheng and Feng Shangkun both died by my hand," Li Mu Chan stated calmly.

"It's you!" The man's eyes widened, his teeth clenched. He snarled viciously, "Everyone attack him at once! Kill him and avenge our Hall Master and Young Hall Master!"

With a muffled thud, Li Mu Chan’s figure fragmented into several afterimages, instantly appearing amidst the crowd.

His twin swords swung out in sweeping arcs, horizontal and vertical cuts crossing and interlacing, enveloped in swirling purple light. Every strike felled a man, leaving them either dead or wounded. He was unstoppable.

He worked with two minds: one moment employing the Shadowless Sword Heart Technique, the next channeling the Dragon Taming Art into his swords, pouring vast internal energy into the blades, causing the sword light to shimmer with purple.

Any object that met the long swords would be repelled, their internal energy boring into the opponent's meridians. His solidified internal force acted like a venomous snake drilling toward the Dantian.

When the opponent channeled their own energy to suppress this force, Li Mu Chan's immense strength followed immediately. Caught completely off guard, they could not resist.

If the opponent chose not to suppress the invading energy, allowing it to drill into the Dantian and destroy it, Li Mu Chan’s surge of power would arrive without resistance.

As a result, Li Mu Chan met no opponent who lasted a single exchange.

He moved freely through the throng, sweeping up and down, invincible, meeting no match for even one move. Purple light flashed, and men fell one after another. In just a short while, more than a dozen were down.

Xiao Yuan stood on the carriage, eyes wide, murmuring, "What did Zhan Ran eat? How did he suddenly become so formidable?"

Gong Qingyun gripped her sword hilt, her bright eyes wide.

Mei Ruolan smiled and nodded in approval, secretly admiring him. It seemed Zhan Ran had already surpassed her; his speed of progress was truly terrifying.

The Mei Manor guards also stared wide-eyed, some doubting what they were seeing.

Elder Ouyang and Elder Zhang stood in their respective places, stroking their beards and watching with a smile.

"Everyone separate! Use arrows on him!" a loud shout came from the crowd—it was a different man speaking. Li Mu Chan had already dealt with the stout man in his forties; though his martial arts were high, he couldn't withstand Li Mu Chan's overwhelmingly brutal swordsmanship.

In that short time, another twenty-odd men had fallen. Out of about a hundred, only half remained.

The twenty-odd retreated, replacing their swords with bows. A volley of wild goose feather arrows shot forth—tricky and fierce, impossible to guard against. Li Mu Chan ignored them, continuing his swordplay, purple light flashing horizontally and vertically.

When the arrows struck his body, they bounced off, unable to penetrate his skin.

As his control over the Dragon Taming Art smoothed out, he focused his dual purpose, cultivating the Adamantine Web Divine Art. With such profound internal strength, the effect was vastly different; the third layer of mastery deepened, and his skin grew increasingly tough.

The faces of the Crimson Blood Hall members changed drastically. Arrows couldn't penetrate, and even their swords would struggle against him. How could they fight such a monster?

"Everyone, let's leave!" someone shouted loudly, then vanished into the forest like a gust of wind.

With one taking the lead, the rest followed suit, and in a flash, they were gone. Li Mu Chan did not pursue; he merely watched them flee for their lives.

A few others shouted curses, denouncing the cowards, and rushed toward Li Mu Chan without hesitation, their cries tragic and fierce.

Li Mu Chan remained expressionless, meeting them lightly. Purple light flickered, and within a few moves, he silenced those few.

Although he admired their fearless courage, as enemies, such individuals could not be spared; otherwise, endless troubles would follow.

Li Mu Chan lowered his twin swords to the ground, surveying the surroundings. Not a single person remained standing.

His twin swords were still brilliantly sharp, their cold light flashing, yet utterly devoid of any bloodstain. He had used the Dragon Taming Art, infusing his swords with immense internal force; anything that touched them would be repelled.

Li Mu Chan turned and glided back, seemingly oblivious to the gazes of the guards. He returned to the carriage and smiled lightly, "Miss, I have not failed my assignment!"

"Zhan Ran, well done!" Mei Ruolan praised with a smile.

"Mere trivial skills. Their martial arts were weak, not worth mentioning," Li Mu Chan replied with a smile, handing the twin swords back to Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Yuan took them, turning them over and examining them repeatedly. She then weighed the swords lightly, tilting her head in thought: Could it be because the swords are heavier that Zhan Ran can sweep through them all with such ease?

Li Mu Chan returned to the carriage, sat cross-legged, and a smile spread across his face. That bout of fighting had truly been exhilarating, sweeping away all the pent-up frustration from the past period.

Now that his meridians were wide and his internal force abundant, he was no longer constrained as before, unable to fully exert his power. His mood had cleared considerably.

Although there was still a gap between him and the top masters, once he managed to condense the Purple Core in the future, as the core grew larger, his meridians would naturally widen, allowing him to cultivate several times faster than ordinary people.

The method to increase the Purple Core was no different from the method of condensation—it followed the principles of the Purple Sun Stele. His spirit was powerful, giving him an advantage in cultivation over others. Thinking of this, his confidence soared; he felt he had found the path to becoming the foremost expert under heaven.

The rest of the journey proceeded without incident, arriving peacefully at Fengming City.

By the time they reached the outskirts of Fengming City, it was evening, with the sun setting.

The sunset outside Fengming City hung like a ball of fire over the western mountains, magnificent and gorgeous, unlike what they had seen in Haidong Province. Xiao Yuan would peer out from the carriage through the beaded curtain, murmuring in awe.

A moment later, Xiao Yuan retreated, covering her eyes, which had been strained. This drew a round of teasing from Li Mu Chan, which, in turn, drew a volley of playful punches from her.

Sharing the same carriage, Li Mu Chan cultivated diligently, often sitting for an entire day. Xiao Yuan had also taken up the challenge of the Purple Sun Stele. But even exerting herself to the limit, she couldn't remain seated for long; after half a day, she would feel restless and agitated, forced to get up.

Li Mu Chan secretly shook his head. This skill of entering samadhi required gradual progress, extending the time little by little. Attempting to achieve it instantly was fundamentally impossible; it violated human nature.

While Xiao Yuan was playing around, the carriage suddenly stopped.

"Hahahaha!" A burst of hearty laughter sliced through the air, echoing across the entire landscape.

Li Mu Chan frowned, lifted the curtain, and glanced out. He saw a troop of people blocking the road ahead. The leading three riders were positioned in a '' (pin) formation. Behind them were over twenty warriors, all clad in black, wearing black headbands, appearing fierce, martial, and possessing an extraordinary bearing.

The laughter came from the first man, a middle-aged individual in his forties, powerfully built with rough features—the typical image of a strong man from the Northwest. The two riders behind him—one handsome and dashing, the other rugged and arrogant—shared a subtle resemblance to the middle-aged man, leading one to guess they were father and sons.

"It's Patriarch Li coming to welcome us!" Xiao Yuan peeked through the curtain and whispered.

Li Mu Chan frowned and murmured, "Are we giving the things to them?"

"Yes. The Li Family is the foremost family in Fengming City, and their silk business is immense," Xiao Yuan confirmed.

"Hahaha! The esteemed Young Miss has arrived! I, Li Mou, failed to meet you personally, please forgive my oversight! Forgive me!" Another round of hearty laughter erupted.

Xiao Yuan whispered, "Let's go out, Miss is coming out now."

Li Mu Chan and Xiao Yuan stepped out, following Mei Ruolan, who had emerged from the carriage ahead.

Mei Ruolan gracefully stepped forward, accompanied by Gong Qingyun, Xiao Yuan, and Li Mu Chan, walking past the caravan to the very front.

Mei Ruolan cupped her hands in greeting, "Patriarch Li is too kind."

The three dismounted, and the warriors behind them followed suit. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, demonstrating rigorous training.

Patriarch Li strode forward, cupping his hands, "Young Miss, was the journey peaceful?"

Mei Ruolan smiled, "The martial world of Hexi truly lives up to its reputation. Alas, this time, our manor was unfortunate enough to provoke the Crimson Blood Hall."

"The Crimson Blood Hall?" Patriarch Li frowned, then stated sternly, "They wouldn't dare stretch their hands out to trouble our domain. Rest assured, I will settle this score for the Young Miss!"

Mei Ruolan shook her head, "I dare not trouble Patriarch Li. Besides the Crimson Blood Hall Master and Vice Master, they cannot stir up much trouble for the time being!"

"Oh?!" Patriarch Li looked surprised, then exclaimed in admiration, "The Mei Manor indeed harbors hidden dragons and crouching tigers! I am truly impressed!"

He turned and glared at the two young men, "You reckless boys, why the shyness? It's taken this long and you still haven't paid your respects to the Young Miss!"

The two gave wry smiles and cupped their hands in greeting to Mei Ruolan.

Mei Ruolan smiled faintly, maintaining a certain distance, and returned the bow.

"Young Miss, come, let's return to the manor!" Patriarch Li laughed heartily.

Mei Ruolan nodded, "Then we shall impose on you."

Patriarch Li shook his head, feigning displeasure, "Alas! You are always so formal, Young Miss..."