Lin Qiongying waved her hand, and the surrounding women withdrew one by one, their graceful figures vanishing in the blink of an eye, leaving only Li Muzhan and the other three. Lin Qiongying said, "On this peak, there are only female disciples." Li Muzhan chuckled, "So, your sect has more than one peak?" Lin Qiongying pursed her lips in a charming smile, "Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; how could we possibly have just one mountain?"

She pointed towards the direction of the dwelling houses, "Over there are two more mountains, much like this one, also inhabited by our people." Saying this, she moved gracefully ahead, laughing, "Come, let's go take a look."

Li Muzhan followed behind her, first passing through a stretch of forest where they saw many women—some practicing swordsmanship, some chopping firewood, others washing clothes, all busy with their respective tasks.

They quickly traversed the woods and arrived at a continuous expanse of buildings, laid out with the planning of a city, divided into four sections by streets running north-south and east-west.

They walked down the main street where small stalls lined both sides, selling all sorts of goods. It was quite lively, no different from Jinyang City, except for the absence of men.

Li Muzhan was greatly astonished and laughed, "Sect Leader Lin, I truly never expected this. I always thought that residing on a mountain peak meant being untouched by the dust of the mundane world." Lin Qiongying giggled coquettishly, clearly pleased with herself. Zhou Yuxian pouted and let out a small huff, "Only proves how little you’ve seen!"

Li Muzhan pretended not to hear, but Lin Qiongying had caught it. She turned and glared at Zhou Yuxian, "You wretched girl, get out of here! Don't embarrass me in front of guests!"

Zhou Yuxian shot Li Muzhan another sharp look, huffed loudly, and turned to leave. Li Yuqi quickly called out, "Senior Sister..." Zhou Yuxian stopped and turned back, "Second Sister, let's go!" Li Yuqi glanced at her uncertainly, then at Lin Qiongying. Lin Qiongying scoffed, "Go on, you two little brats are truly too immature for polite company!" Li Yuqi stole a look at Li Muzhan, her face flushing, and then Zhou Yuxian left. ∽●r&qu;●0●●● ●●■●●●●0●●∽●●●■● +&qu;~●r&qu;◆ "Alas... they are all spoiled by me. Zhan Ran, please don't take offense." Lin Qiongying shook her head, smiling faintly at Li Muzhan, "The affection between master and apprentice is deep; the younger generation can only envy it!"

Lin Qiongying shook her head again, "These young girls, I raised them since childhood. Though nominally master and apprentice, they are no different from mother and daughter... Ah, because I know their backgrounds were hard, I can't bear to scold or hit them, and every one of them has been spoiled rotten, quite undisciplined!" Li Muzhan smiled, "They possess the hearts of pure children. Even with minor tempers, no one takes it seriously."

Talking as they walked, they followed the main street until they reached the end, having traversed from west to east, where before them lay an endless abyss, with two mountains facing them.

These two mountains shared a similar topography to the one they were standing on, perfectly forming the shape of the character "" (pǐn)—a marvel of nature, rarely seen.

This mountain and the other two were separated by about forty zhang, connected by iron chains, with clouds drifting all around, easily missed if one didn't look closely.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Are these two mountains also part of your esteemed sect?"

Lin Qiongying smiled and nodded, "Precisely... These two mountains are where our married disciples reside; they are considered 'externally assigned' disciples." "Truly a wonderful location!" Li Muzhan exclaimed in admiration.

Lin Qiongying pursed her lips and smiled slyly, "If you like it, you can marry a disciple of our sect and then choose a place to settle down."

Li Muzhan chuckled heartily and shook his head, "Sect Leader Lin, you know I am a monk and cannot marry. Why trouble yourself to tempt me so?" Lin Qiongying burst into light laughter, her voice as crisp as a young girl's. "Well said, Zhan Ran! Your Zen heart is firm; you are not seduced by female beauty!" Li Muzhan merely smiled without responding.

Lin Qiongying chirped playfully, "However, speaking of which, if I didn't trust your profound self-control, I wouldn't have dared bring you to the main peak!" Li Muzhan laughed, "Your sect's disciples are all like blooming flowers and jade. As for my self-control..." "I want to see if you can truly hold out!" Lin Qiongying pursed her lips, chuckling non-stop, looking at him and then laughing again, finding the situation immensely amusing.

Li Muzhan shook his head, pointed towards the opposite mountain, and said, "Sect Leader Lin, perhaps I should stay there... In Yun'er's place, I wouldn't dare step outside." Lin Qiongying waved her hand, "You'll stay right here!" With that, she led Li Muzhan to a small courtyard.

This small courtyard was centrally located, right at the intersection of the cross-shaped streets. Exiting meant immediate access to the main thoroughfare, connecting freely in all four directions—the most convenient location for travel.

Directly opposite this small courtyard, on the western side of the intersection, was a tavern, with people constantly coming and going, all dressed exquisitely, looking radiant and captivating.

When Li Muzhan and Lin Qiongying arrived at the courtyard, the gate was ajar. Stepping inside, they found Zhou Yuxian and Li Yuqi. The two young women were currently airing out their bedding.

The courtyard was very elegant. In the center was a rockery, majestic and craggy, exuding a profound aura. To the east was a flower garden where blossoms bloomed profusely. To the west stood a small pavilion with gracefully curved, five-angled eaves, possessing an uncommon grandeur.

At this moment, two quilts, flawlessly white and spotless, were spread flat across the southern railing of the pavilion, basking in the sunlight and illuminating the small structure. It was exactly noon. Lin Qiongying gestured around and asked with a smile, "Well, are you satisfied with staying here?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "The guest follows the host's arrangements. Sect Leader Lin, feel free to put me through whatever you wish; I am currently injured and cannot resist!" Lin Qiongying let out a soft breath, "Look at you, acting so pitiful!" "Fine, if you don't like it, we can switch to the courtyard next door!" "Then this one will do!" Li Muzhan quickly stated. The neighboring courtyard was essentially no different from this one; he had no real choice.

Lin Qiongying laughed heartily. She greatly enjoyed teasing Li Muzhan and found his wry, helpless expression exceptionally entertaining.

Although Zhou Yuxian occasionally shot him glares, her hands never stopped moving. She and Li Yuqi efficiently cleaned the surroundings together, arranging the small courtyard neatly and orderly. "Mistress, it is done," Zhou Yuxian said, approaching, her clothes still snow-white, untouched by any dust, as if she had just completed a trivial task. Lin Qiongying nodded, "Good. Let Zhan Ran inspect it. If he’s not satisfied, you two clean it again!" Li Muzhan chuckled, "It is already perfect; I dare not trouble Miss Zhou further!"

He smiled sweetly, his words carrying a hint of provocation. Zhou Yuxian clearly understood, gave him a sharp look, ignored him, and looked toward her master, Lin Qiongying. Lin Qiongying nodded, "Very well, Zhan Ran will stay here. If you need anything, just command them!" "This seems inappropriate..." Li Muzhan hesitated. Lin Qiongying waved her hand decisively, "What's inappropriate about it? It's settled like this!" She added with a smile, "The two of them will stay in the courtyard to your east; it will be convenient to call them." Li Muzhan nodded with a bitter smile and said no more, settling in there. ~∽●r&qu;●●■●●●●●r&qu;●●■●●●////~r&qu;●●●

In the days that followed, he remained confined to the small courtyard, not stepping out once, which made Zhou Yuxian and Li Yuqi very curious, and perhaps a little admiring.

They were amazed that someone so young could possess such deep self-control, remaining cooped up in a small courtyard for so long without feeling bored in the slightest?

They reflected that they themselves could never manage it; staying indoors for just three days would drive them mad, forcing them out for fresh air and a stroll through the streets. Later, Zhou Yuxian and Li Yuqi even made a bet on how long he could last.

Li Muzhan stayed put in the courtyard, sitting within its confines to meditate and regulate his qi. His schedule was completely filled: two shichen in the morning practicing the Qiankun External Methods, two shichen in the morning practicing the Tianshu Swordplay, and using the remaining time to cultivate internal energy.

At Zishi (midnight), he practiced the Yuntianyuan Breathing Technique, letting the sweet dew descending from heaven drip onto his Purple Elixir, which seemed highly effective, causing it to slowly grow slightly larger.

At Wushi (noon), he circulated the Jiuyue Heart Method, absorbing the essence of the sun and injecting it into the Purple Elixir, which also appeared to swell a bit—quite effective. Outside of the Zishi and Wushi hours, the Jiuyue Heart Method and the Tianyuan Breathing Technique could only supplement, not enhance, the Purple Elixir.

This was achieved because Li Muzhan was utilizing three minds simultaneously. He continuously circulated the Tianyuan Breathing Technique, and with the extra mental capacity, he carefully observed the state within his body, thus discovering this profound secret.

As a result, although the progress of the Purple Elixir was not significant, it was continuously increasing. Li Muzhan believed that after a year or so, the Purple Elixir would certainly double in size.

His inner vision was clear, and his senses acute. Others might not feel this subtle growth, but he could clearly perceive this visible advancement, which fascinated him greatly.

That was why he remained in the small courtyard, never setting foot outside, feeling no tedium whatsoever; instead, he reveled in it, forgetting the passage of time. Since he moved into the courtyard, Lin Qiongying had not shown her face, as if she had forgotten him.

Li Muzhan, however, paid it no mind, knowing she was likely doing it deliberately, plotting some scheme or another. He chose to counter all changes with stillness, focusing solely on diligently practicing his martial arts.

Besides his major advances in swordsmanship, he also practiced archery, using the Jiuxiong Heart Method to guide his arrows, channeling the essence of the sun and moon absorbed by the Jiuyue Heart Method onto the shafts. Consequently, the power of his archery was completely transformed.

One day, Li Muzhan was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard. His hearing was exceptional, and the constant chirping sounds from the main street drifted in—mostly soft, melodious voices.

Li Muzhan mused that the martial arts of this Yuxian Sect were quite mystical; it seemed that once women practiced them, their beauty increased, their voices became more pleasing, and their figures turned captivatingly graceful.

Based on his previous observations, there were no ugly women in the Yuxian Sect. Even those whose features were ordinary possessed a captivating aura that made them likable.

However, no matter how beautiful these women were, they still fell short compared to Gong Qingyun, Xiao Yuan, and Mei Ruolan. He remained unmoved. But surrounded by so many beauties, the very air seemed different; living here, he felt remarkably comfortable.

Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps. It sounded like everyone was running towards the west, the direction leading up the mountain. He felt a pang of curiosity and called out loudly, "Miss Li?" Li Yuqi's voice answered from the adjacent courtyard, "Zhan Ran?" "What's going on?" Li Muzhan asked. Li Yuqi replied, "Someone is causing trouble down the mountain, but it’s nothing serious." "Is it the Helian family?" Li Muzhan asked. Li Yuqi shook her head, "No, it’s our old rival, the Zizhu Gang." "The Zizhu Gang?" Li Muzhan looked puzzled. "They are one of the major gangs in Tiannan, with many experts," Li Yuqi explained. Li Muzhan frowned, "Can they get up here?" "No, ... but they are holding the area below, so we can't go down either," Li Yuqi said. Li Muzhan pondered for a moment, "Miss Li, come over here, tell me about this Zizhu Gang." "...Alright," Li Yuqi agreed. A moment later, she and Zhou Yuxian pushed open the door to the small courtyard and came to sit before Li Muzhan in the small pavilion. D