Li Muzhan was meditating. Hearing the whistle, he floated out of the small courtyard and, in a few blinks, arrived at the mountainside, piercing through a cluster of white clouds to see two elders below.

Li Muzhan frowned. He recognized these two; they were the ones who had cornered him on the way back to the Mei Residence—round figures, yet possessing top-tier martial arts.

Last time, he had used the 'Lights Out Technique' to escape them. It seemed these were the two who had been trailing him ever since. As he scrutinized them, a faint, delicate fragrance drifted over, and Zhou Yuxian and Li Yuqi appeared beside him. Li Yuqi quickly asked, "Senior Brother Zhanran, who are they?" Li Muzhan turned and laughed, "From the Helian family; they're after me." "The Helian family is still hunting Senior Brother?" Li Yuqi frowned, asking with concern. Li Muzhan chuckled, "If they don't capture me, where does the face of the Northwest's premier family go?" "Senior Brother must be careful," Li Yuqi said, more worried by his nonchalant attitude. She couldn't possibly utter such words in front of the other junior sisters back then. Li Muzhan nodded, "A small arm cannot twist a thick thigh. If I can't beat them, I run. It's no big deal."

Zhou Yuxian pursed her full cherry lips and snorted dismissively, "Easier said than done! If you run into a true master, you won't even get the chance to flee!"

Li Muzhan turned back, scrutinizing her with a teasing smile, "Junior Sister Zhou, have you ever experienced such a predicament?"

Zhou Yuxian shot him a glare. "Never! I only know that if some petty thief dares to harass me, humph, escaping is impossible!"

Li Muzhan spoke earnestly, "Junior Sister Zhou, if you can forgive, then forgive. Pushing someone to the absolute brink is never a good thing." "What a soft-hearted saint you are!" Zhou Yuxian’s captivating lips curled again.

She felt that this Zhanran was inconsistent; he preached leniency but struck down opponents with ruthless efficiency. She had heard he had just executed the leader of the Purple Bamboo Gang.

Counting up, he had killed two leaders of the Purple Bamboo Gang. Why wasn't he practicing what he preached about leniency?!

While the two were bickering, two more long whistles shot toward them, their sound capable of shaking stone and cloud.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "Forget it. If they like to call, let them call."

"Are these two old men from the Helian family?" Zhou Yuxian declared. "I'll go meet them for a round!"

Li Muzhan jumped in surprise and quickly reached out to stop her.

Zhou Yuxian brushed his arm aside with her sword, looking down her nose at him. "Look how scared you are! What’s wrong with me testing their mettle?"

Li Muzhan offered a wry smile and turned toward Li Yuqi.

Li Yuqi quickly interjected, "Senior Sister, perhaps we should wait. Let's wait for Master to arrive."

Zhou Yuxian huffed, "Listen to their ghastly howling forever? Who knows when Master will return. I can't stand this racket!" Li Yuqi hurriedly pleaded, "Senior Sister, these two are from the Helian family. We might be..." "Hmph! They can't do anything to Senior Brother Zhanran... so what should we fear?!" Zhou Yuxian scoffed.

Li Muzhan smiled sweetly, "Junior Sister Zhou, how about this: all of you attack me together. See if you can best me. If you can't, don't go down there making fools of yourselves." The moment he displayed that gentle smile, Zhou Yuxian felt her temper rise.

She glared at Li Muzhan, pouting playfully, "Hmph, fine! You said it yourself. If you lose, don't go back on your word, or we’ll say we ganged up on you!" "No argument here," Li Muzhan replied with his usual smile.

Zhou Yuxian turned to the other women. "Second Junior Sister, the rest of us will go at him together. If we can’t teach this rascal a lesson, we might as well not show our faces again!" "Yes, Senior Sister!" the other girls responded cheerfully.

Li Muzhan secretly smiled. Just by looking at them, he could tell they rarely descended the mountain—innocent and untainted, each one eager for any excitement or trouble. "Let's go to the training grounds!" Zhou Yuxian emphasized her point by swinging her hip dismissively and heading west.

Li Muzhan hesitated for a moment, then sighed wryly. At this point, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and go along, allowing them to learn where the limits lay so they wouldn't suffer losses outside.

This kind intention was invisible to others. Viewed from a different angle, it looked as if he were deliberately picking a fight or showing off, which made the situation rather awkward.

As Li Muzhan walked, he sighed internally. He truly disliked fighting women; being restrained by propriety made him look inept whether he won or lost—winning meant bullying a woman, losing meant being a coward.

A dozen or so women followed, all clad in snow-white robes, veiled, yet possessing exquisite features. Though their looks varied, they shared one characteristic: eyes like spring water, their gazes sweeping around in a way that stole the breath.

They frequently glanced his way, their eyes lingering over him, often murmuring in low, melodious chatter that was light and pleasant to the ear.

Li Muzhan pondered. Their bright eyes were so captivating; it must be the result of their cultivation techniques. The Jade Immortal Sect’s methods must hold something unique.

Soon, they reached a spacious, flat training ground covered with red earth, much like the one at the Mei Residence—not outwardly luxurious, but well-maintained.

On the field, over thirty young disciples were practicing. Seeing the group enter—Zhou Yuxian, Li Yuqi, and Zhanran—they all looked over curiously.

Although Li Muzhan had shown his face in the Jade Immortal Sect before, he had remained secluded since ascending the mountain. To them, he was quite mysterious. His sudden appearance today made all the girls intensely curious.

Zhou Yuxian stopped and turned. "Senior Brother Zhanran, let's do it here!"

Li Muzhan nodded.

Zhou Yuxian called out loudly, "Sixth Junior Sister, fetch the ironwood swords!"

"Yes, Senior Sister!" A slender girl responded, running to a nearby weapon rack and returning carrying more than a dozen wooden swords.

Zhou Yuxian declared, "Senior Brother Zhanran, we will spar with wooden swords. However, be careful. While these wooden swords can't kill, they certainly can injure!" Li Muzhan accepted two wooden swords and nodded with a smile.

He examined the swords; they were identical to real blades, save for the material, possessing no sharpened edge, only capable of delivering blunt trauma. They felt heavy in his hands, perhaps twice as weighty as ordinary un-edged swords. "Good, everyone grab a sword, and we begin!" Zhou Yuxian waved her hand, and the girls 'swished' apart, positioning themselves around Li Muzhan, encircling him completely. Li Muzhan stood calmly, smiling, observing their movements. He noted that their formation, likely a coordinated attack technique, was so subtly profound it felt seamless. "Attack!" Zhou Yuxian commanded with a sharp cry, thrusting her sword forward. "Lín!" The dozen or so women shouted in unison, looking valiant as their sword tips lunged toward him simultaneously.

Li Muzhan executed the Qiankun Sword Style, casting a circular barrier of light that enveloped him, impenetrable from all sides, no matter how they attacked.

Li Muzhan felt conflicted about this Qiankun Sword Style. It appeared rock-solid, yet could be easily breached by others. He wanted to discard it but couldn't find a defensive style superior to it.

The Tianshu, Tianji, Tianxuan, and Kaiyang Sword Styles were all potent, but their defense paled in comparison to Qiankun's perfect balance of hard and soft, making it seamless.

"Clang! Clang! Clang..." The sound of colliding wood echoed incessantly. The sword light around Li Muzhan pulsed continuously, like a steady rain, blocking the onslaught of more than ten blades.

Li Muzhan felt a strange sensation. Their inner energy was peculiar. Although his own sword absorbed vast amounts of their internal energy, anyone else would have long since been overwhelmed by the counter-shock. Yet, they seemed unaffected; the energy hitting his sword vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, raising no ripple. This suggested their coordinated technique held some secret.

Soon, he felt their swords becoming heavier, stronger, their power increasing—more than double what it was at the start. Thanks to his profound internal reserves, he maintained his stance, observing their methods.

He watched their footwork—graceful, like willows swaying in the breeze, moving with studied elegance. When they struck, their swords would momentarily brush against each other, exhibiting a certain rhythm.

A realization struck Li Muzhan: they were using a force-guiding technique, linking the internal energies of all their members into one continuous stream. No wonder their power grew exponentially. Intrigued, he wished to see how far they could push this.

The scene settled into a stalemate. Li Muzhan maintained a purely defensive posture, the Qiankun Sword Style manifesting as an unbroken circle of light around him, resembling a glass dome. Two more long whistles pierced the heavens, shaking the entire Jade Immortal Sect.

Li Muzhan kept defending, never attacking. Moreover, he understood that even if he attacked, he could only rely on brute force; in terms of technical finesse, he was far inferior to them.

Attempting to redirect their power might also prove useless. Their linked energies acted like connected streams; when a powerful surge erupted, they instantly distributed it, neutralizing the threat. He began to feel the pressure mount, and after the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he was starting to buckle.

Each girl’s wooden sword felt as heavy as a mountain, making his defense extremely taxing. Furthermore, their sword strikes were relentless, leaving him no chance to rest. It was only his incredibly rapid circulation of inner energy, constantly dispelling the numbness, that prevented him from dropping his sword and conceding. By this point, each girl's internal energy had amplified four to five times—truly bizarre. He called out loudly, "Enough! Stop! I concede!" Zhou Yuxian paused, utterly incredulous, and quickly jumped back, as if afraid he might change his mind.

The girls lowered their swords one by one, looking at him with cheerful smiles. They were all radiant, their bright eyes sparkling, their complexions seeming fresher and fairer. Zhou Yuxian chuckled, "Senior Brother Zhanran, now you know our might, don't you?" Li Muzhan nodded. "This is a Sword Formation, isn't it?" "It is!" Zhou Yuxian confirmed, nodding and laughing, "Senior Brother Zhanran truly lives up to his name." Li Muzhan shook his head, smiling gently. "I already admitted defeat; have some mercy with your words." "I wasn't exaggerating!" Zhou Yuxian countered, tilting her head to look at him. "You are the first person who could withstand us for so long... even Master couldn't!" Li Muzhan chuckled lightly. "What is this Sword Formation called?" In terms of pure, endless internal energy flow, he was second to none, but his techniques lagged behind—a weakness in his foundation. Although he had heard of Sword Formations, he had never witnessed one. This was certainly an eye-opener. "The Immortal Slaying Array!" Zhou Yuxian puffed out her chest proudly. Li Muzhan was momentarily stunned, suppressing the urge to laugh; the Immortal Slaying Array—what an audacious claim.

Zhou Yuxian caught the fleeting hint of a smile on his face and glared. "Hmph! Our martial arts skills are still lacking, and the mastery over the Immortal Slaying Array isn't perfect... If it were Senior Aunt and the others fighting you, you wouldn't be smiling then!"