The Purple Elixir spun, bathing in the essence of the moon; it grew ever more solidified, polished as a jewel, shimmering with purple light that illuminated the vacant expanse of his dantian.
Streams of internal energy converged, surging through his meridians like a vast river, a magnificent torrent. The sensation was exquisitely sublime, a world apart from anything he had known before.
Gazing upon this surging reservoir of internal strength, an immense wave of confidence washed over him.
"Boom!" The ground shuddered as the city gate suddenly crashed down, shattering the stillness of the night.
A squadron of black-clad riders burst forth like arrows—about a hundred strong. Leading them was a man of rough, heroic bearing: Li Jixian, the patriarch of the Li family.
He cracked his whip, spurring his horse, and roared, "Pursue them! Chase them to the ends of the earth if you must! Grind their bones to dust and scatter their ashes, and avenge my son!"
"Yes!" the throng responded in a unified roar.
The city gates ground open with a screech, then shut again.
Li Muzhan opened his eyes; a flash of purple light left him as he assessed the distant Li family riders, a cold smile playing on his lips.
At this hour, the ability to open the city gates revealed the extraordinary status of the Li family. The soldiers' failure to search them upon entry was clearly a staged performance.
He remained seated on the tree, motionless, until the riders were a mile distant. Only then did he let loose a long, piercing whistle that cracked like thunder, rolling across the horizon.
The whistle ceased, and he stretched languidly, a smile on his face, before taking out his Immaculate Bow and nocking a small arrow.
The thunder of hooves returned; they were coming back. They halted several dozen zhang away.
"Hee-hee-hee..." Li Jixian reined in his horse, circling a few times before cupping his hands in salute. "Which esteemed master honors us with their presence? Please reveal yourself."
Li Muzhan glided over the treetops, landing on the branch of the furthest tree, and smiled faintly. "Patriarch Li, in such a great hurry, what matter brings you out?"
Li Jixian’s face darkened, his eyes narrowing like a viper fixing its gaze on him. He spoke coldly, "It is you! ...Zhanran. Where are the people from your Mei Manor?"
Li Muzhan smiled placidly. "They departed some time ago. I was left behind to convey apologies to Patriarch Li. There was a sudden matter at the manor, and we left without being able to inform you properly!"
Li Jixian let out a cold laugh, grinding his teeth. "My two sons. You killed them, didn't you?"
"Oh, them? Yes, I killed them," Li Muzhan nodded.
"What offense did they give that warranted such a deadly blow?!" Each word scraped out of Li Jixian’s mouth, laced with chilling cold.
Li Muzhan sighed and shook his head. "For some reason, they intended to ambush me. If I hadn't killed them, I would have died. I had no choice but to be ruthless!"
"A sharp tongue!" Li Jixian threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Ha, ha-ha-ha..." He bent forward and back, convulsing in maniacal laughter, appearing utterly deranged.
Li Muzhan displayed a look of pity. A white-haired man sending off black-haired children—truly one of the greatest miseries of the world, an unbearable affliction.
Attendant Chen and Attendant Song bowed from their horses. "Patriarch, let us handle this!"
Li Jixian stopped laughing, his eyes bloodshot. He cupped his hands. "I trouble both masters... Kill them, regardless of the outcome!"
"Very well!" The two nodded, pressed their palms against their horses' backs, and drifted gracefully toward the pine tree where Li Muzhan stood.
"Tss! Tss!" With two soft whistles, two streaks of purple light shot toward the pair.
Mid-air, they swung their swords down.
"Pop! Pop!" The small arrows disintegrated into powder, showering down.
The two men faltered, their momentum momentarily disrupted, forcing them to land. Li Muzhan swept down from the treetop, landing before them, and laughed. "Attendant Song, fate plays strange tricks. Today we must be enemies!"
Attendant Song dropped his smile, his expression grave. "Zhanran, you killed the Eldest Young Master and the Second Young Master. To make an enemy of our Li Manor is unwise!"
Li Muzhan spread his hands and chuckled. "It is done now. What use is speaking of it further? Let us fight!"
"We brothers shall test your superior skills!" Attendant Song said gravely, stepping forward. His thrust was airy and light, the sword tip instantly upon Li Muzhan; his footwork was incredibly fast.
Li Muzhan retreated to evade, drawing his own sword with his right hand, preparing to parry.
Simultaneously, a chill swept in from his right—the thin, tall elder had also struck.
Li Muzhan twisted his waist to dodge while swinging his sword to knock aside the other incoming blade.
The three clashed, Song and Chen attacking together. Li Muzhan, fighting two opponents alone, was quickly forced onto the defensive, feeling utterly constrained and struggling immensely.
He employed the Zhu Jian Jue (Arrow-Anchoring Art), pouring potent internal energy into his sword. Upon contact, the energy would immediately surge into his opponents. Combined with his inherent divine strength, the resulting power was boundless.
Yet, even this colossal force failed to gain the upper hand against the two elders; he was steadily being pushed back.
The two elders' sword styles were bizarre, one hard and one soft, one yin and one yang. Li Muzhan's surging internal energy met their blades as if sinking into mud and sea.
Attendant Song’s style was yielding and soft, light as spring water, moistening things silently and encompassing everything. Attendant Chen’s style was sharp and fierce, full of yang, descending like thunder with overwhelming momentum.
Their swordsmanship was wonderfully synchronized. When Li Muzhan met an attack head-on, one sword would strike, and the other would arrive simultaneously. These two forces, one hard and one soft, one yin and one yang, one enveloping and one shattering, applied together, instantly neutralizing Li Muzhan's internal energy.
As a result, his greatest asset—his immense internal energy—was rendered useless against the subtlety of their swordsmanship; he was far inferior.
This was a situation he had never encountered; he felt completely bound and stifled.
Forcing down his frustration, his sword light flickered continuously. With his right hand, he enacted the Zhen Yue Ba Jian (Eight Swords of Mountain Quelling), blocking their long swords as he closely observed their styles, hoping to secretly glean insight.
It was a coordinated set of techniques, a dual-sword combination whose power was infinite.
Their internal energies, one hard and one soft, one yin and one yang, interwoven, resembled heaven and earth, water and fire. The combined might surpassed any sword technique he had witnessed before.
For others, cultivating internal energy meant focusing on one path, either yin or yang; they could not cultivate both, as water and fire could not mix.
Li Muzhan, however, had mastered the Six Scrolls of True Scripture, possessing both the Tai Yin (Great Yin) and Tai Yang (Great Yang) True Sutras. Ah!
Furthermore, he possessed the skill of dual-tasking. This dual-sword combination, when wielded by him, was even more powerful than when performed by the two elders.
He mused that if he could master their sword forms, it wouldn't matter if he didn't grasp their inner cultivation methods; he could simply power them with his Tai Yin and Tai Yang True Sutras.
To outsiders, he seemed only capable of defense, lacking any chance to counterattack, yet he stubbornly held on, refusing to fall.
Attendant Song and Attendant Chen’s sword attacks were incessant, like a violent storm. Li Muzhan was like a small blade of grass standing firm in the tempest. Unconsciously, however, his steps shifted, and his back was now turned to the attackers.
Li Jixian let out a cold laugh and drew his sword. Suddenly leaping from his horse, man and sword became one, the sword light transforming into a white rainbow, piercing directly toward Li Muzhan’s back.
Li Muzhan’s sword light layered and phased in and out of existence. Upon meeting their blades... it immediately vanished. Li Muzhan swung his sword down; they reappeared again...
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Jixian moved silently, his sword light like a rainbow, about to strike Li Muzhan's back.
Li Muzhan suddenly swayed, his body shifting smoothly one chi to the left.
The rainbow sword light grazed past his right shoulder, missing by the narrowest margin.
In this strike, he poured all his indignation and spirit, advancing fearlessly. When the thrust went wide, he could not immediately retract his momentum.
The sword lights of Song and Chen momentarily stalled, forcing them to pull back.
In that instant, Li Muzhan’s sword light erupted.
"Bang!" With a dull thud, he dissolved into several afterimages. The next moment, he appeared twenty zhang away.
He leaped into the forest, his hearty laughter echoing out. "Fine swordplay! Truly eye-opening! I take my leave!"
He had memorized every sword maneuver, burning the impressions into his mind. Without further hesitation, he made his escape. Otherwise, leaving would have been difficult, as he sensed danger from the four remaining elders.
Li Jixian landed, his face flushed crimson, and he snarled, "Chase!"
Attendant Song hastily warned, "Patriarch, do not enter the woods!"
Li Jixian shook his head, hating them fiercely. "If I do not grind him to dust, I, Li, swear I am no man!"
Song advised again, speaking gravely, "Patriarch, leave the disciples here; let us few attendants go inside!"
"Good, I trouble you sirs!" Li Jixian paused slightly, then nodded. "Whoever kills this monk, I, Li, will surely recommend them to the Helian family!"
"Agreed, we will take care of this little monk!" An elder floated down from his horse, chuckling sinisterly.
He was short and thin, clad entirely in yellow—a garish, vulgar gold. He possessed a very small, melon-seed face, tiny eyes, and a small nose, making his face look a size smaller than normal, yet his two small eyes shot out sharp glints of light, threads of brilliance weaving through every glance.
Li Jixian spoke solemnly, "Attendant Yang, if I break my word, may heaven strike me down with lightning!"
"Let's go!" Attendant Yang chuckled, and his form vanished from the spot, gone in an instant.
Another elder spoke sternly, "Patriarch, rest assured. With Attendant Yang present, even if the little monk flees to the ends of the earth, he will be tracked down and slain!"
"I am in your debt!" Li Jixian clasped his hands in a gesture of deep respect.
Li Muzhan darted through the forest, the sword techniques from moments ago flashing through his mind.
He moved while practicing the motions. Although he had memorized them, mastering them would require arduous training; his learning process for swordplay demanded far more effort than others.
He suddenly looked back and saw a flash of yellow—a wisp of light smoke. In the blink of an eye, it was within two zhang of him, perched on a treetop, swaying with the branches, letting out a cold, grating laugh: "Little monk, where do you think you're going!"
Li Muzhan did not stop his flight, rushing straight ahead. A curtain of sword light showered down.
"Heh heh..." The yellow-clad man laughed coldly, drawing his short sword to meet the attack.
"Ding ding ding ding!" Amidst the crisp ringing, the long sword and short sword clashed dozens of times. The two exchanged rapid blows, seemingly matched evenly.
Li Muzhan inwardly recoiled; his palm tingled with numbness. How deep was this short elder's internal energy!
Refusing to concede, his sword light intensified, showering down like a vast snowfall, intending to crush his opponent.
"Ding ding ding ding!" In the midst of the sharp ringing, Li Muzhan pressed forward while the short elder retreated. They clashed in the air, their long and short swords striking incessantly.
Both masters possessed profound qi reserves. They fought from the air to the trees, then back to the air, and down to the ground, moving with incredible speed, though far slower than when employing pure movement techniques.
The short elder was continually forced back but remained perfectly balanced, his defenses impenetrable. No matter how rain-like Li Muzhan’s sword light fell, he could not breach them.
Li Muzhan attacked fiercely with his swift sword but could not break through; his Shadowless Quick Sword lost its efficacy, as the elder's short sword was even faster. In terms of sheer power, the elder's deep internal energy gave him the edge.
There is always a higher peak; Li Muzhan was truly seeing one today.
The elder never attacked, merely blocking Li Muzhan’s path, preventing his progress—a purely defensive strategy aimed at tying Li Muzhan down and slowing his pace.
Li Muzhan considered activating his Jiu Yao Xin Fa (Nine Luminaries Heart Method) but hesitated. The elder's movement was too swift; he might not manage to strike him, and moreover, several pursuers were still behind him. If he used the Jiu Yao Xin Fa, he would have no energy left for defensive parries.
His only option was to rely entirely on his lightness skill.
His sword light suddenly retracted, and he charged straight at the elder, ignoring the short sword thrusting toward him.
Seeing this, the elder paused, his sword momentum slowing slightly.
"Bang!" With a dull thud, Li Muzhan’s form broke into several shadows, vanishing instantaneously and reappearing twenty zhang further on.
"Heh heh..." The elder chuckled coldly, transforming into a wisp of yellow smoke, giving chase.
"Bang!" With another muffled sound, Li Muzhan deployed the Fei Yun Bu (Flying Cloud Steps) again.
Just as the elder was about to catch up, this maneuver widened the gap again. Though the elder’s lightness skill was high, it was a step beneath the Fei Yun Bu.
Seeing this, Li Muzhan cast aside all restraint. He let out a long laugh and linked the Fei Yun Bu techniques. Amidst the "bang bang" sounds, his speed increased until he quickly shook off the elder. The elder, however, did not slow, transforming into a streak of yellow smoke, pursuing relentlessly.
The two soon cleared the woods and raced along the main official road.
Dawn was just breaking; the road was deserted. With no people to fear startling, they unleashed their movement techniques completely.
After practicing the Fei Yun Bu for a while, the pressure on his meridians became too intense. Li Muzhan switched to Fu Guang Lue Ying (Glancing Shadow), which caused the distance between them to shrink slightly.
Whenever the elder was about to close the gap, Li Muzhan would switch back to Fei Yun Bu, widening it once more.
Moving this fast, one fleeing, one chasing, they raced from dawn until dusk. They did not take a single breath all day; their qi reserves were deep, far surpassing ordinary people.
As he rushed forward, Li Muzhan continuously employed the Tian Yuan Tu Na Shu (Heavenly Origin Breath Absorption Art), his pores opening to continuously draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into internal energy.
The Purple Elixir absorbed the surrounding zhenqi, spinning several times before suddenly flying out, transforming into pure, condensed true qi, providing an inexhaustible source of power.
They were locked in a contest: one day from morning till evening, then from evening until the next morning. They passed through a small town en route, sweeping straight across the streets. Li Muzhan swiftly snatched some food—dry rations, beef, and water—not forgetting to toss out a piece of broken silver.
When hungry, they ate; when thirsty, they drank, but neither stopped their movement due to fatigue or the need for sleep.
After running all night, by the morning of the second day, the yellow-clad elder finally could not endure it. He collapsed onto the grass, shouting hoarsely, "Little monk, you win! I won't chase anymore!"
Li Muzhan also stopped, laughing heartily, appearing utterly joyous. "Senior's stamina surpasses youth! I admire you, I admire you! Ha-ha-ha..."
He laughed several times, then hastened on, vanishing from the elder's sight in an instant.
After running for a full day and night, Li Muzhan felt his internal energy had become smoother, and his lightness skill had advanced a tier.
Along this journey, had it not been for the Jiu Yao Xin Fa and the Tian Yuan Tu Na Shu, he could never have persisted on his own strength alone. This was why he held the yellow-clad elder in such high regard and chose not to kill him.
For more novels, visit storyread.net.