"A master, blooming like a flower. A nod that signifies greatness!" "Good, good. You have truly grasped the essence," she breathed!

Li Muzhan smiled, "Master, only now do I truly understand the marvelous nature of the Canghai Divine Art!"

Mistress Zhuzhao nodded. "The first six layers focus on singular strength. Only upon reaching the sixth layer does the true power manifest when all the force unites. Zhanran, you are now fully initiated and may descend the mountain to walk the world!"

Li Muzhan's spirit lifted, and he chuckled, "I can truly leave the mountain?"

Having been away for so long, he suddenly missed home—his parents, his elder brother; how were they now? Was Daoist Zheng Mengbai still around? And the ladies of the Yuxian Sect, how were they? He held concern for them all.

Mistress Zhuzhao smiled serenely, "To descend the mountain after mastering the sixth layer of the Canghai Divine Art is permitted, but... Zhanran, you, however, are an exception."

Li Muzhan gave a wry smile, "I must first sweep floors for a year before I can leave?"

"Heh heh, you are quite self-aware!" Mistress Zhuzhao covered her mouth and chuckled delightedly.

Seeing her disciple’s crestfallen expression delighted her, and she couldn't resist teasing him.

Li Muzhan rubbed his nose. "Then, after one year, can your disciple leave the mountain?"

Mistress Zhuzhao smiled and nodded, "If you commit no further errors, you may descend the mountain after one year. Li Muzhan let out a chuckle, unable to hide his joy.

Mistress Zhuzhao raised a delicate eyebrow and huffed, "Is Canghai Mountain so unpleasant that you are eager to depart?"

Li Muzhan replied with a smile, "Canghai Mountain is fine, but sadly, my parents and siblings are not here... I haven't seen them in so long, I wonder how they fare."

Mistress Zhuzhao smiled sweetly, "That is easily managed; we shall simply bring them here."

Li Muzhan hesitated, pondering for a moment, then shook his head, "Master, that is a fine idea, but I must ask my parents first; see if they wish to move... one's homeland is hard to leave."

"That is true." Mistress Zhuzhao nodded and smiled, "Especially when one grows old, one becomes even more reluctant to leave home. No golden nest or silver burrow compares to one's own humble dwelling!"

Wen Yinyue asked, "May I inquire who else is in your family, Junior Brother?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Parents, and an elder brother who serves as a steward in the Mei Residence. My second sister is a cloistered nun, taking vows without shaving her head, and there is also a friend I grew up with."

"No wonder." Wen Yinyue nodded.

Recalling the previous incident, it was easy for her Junior Brother to enter the Yingyue Convent, a place she had found strange. The Yingyue Convent held a transcendent status, a mystical place ordinary folk could not approach.

Mistress Zhuzhao smiled, "I shall send Ruolan back to invite your parents to visit you. How about that?"

Li Muzhan paused, then shook his head with a smile, "Thank you, Master, there is no need... I am often away, so they are accustomed to it. Such a long journey would be too tiring for them."

Mistress Zhuzhao nodded, "Very well, then concentrate on your punishment. After this New Year, you may return to visit."

"Oh, right." She added, "Zhanran, I heard you painted a picture for Xiaoyuan, which proved greatly beneficial to cultivating the Canghai Divine Art?"

Li Muzhan nodded with a smile.

Mistress Zhuzhao beamed, "Then you shall paint another one, hang it in the Martial Training Hall, and let us observe the true effects."

Li Muzhan agreed, "However, Master, my painting skills are quite ordinary; I feel somewhat inadequate."

Mistress Zhuzhao replied briskly, "That is easily remedied. First, you will study painting under Jingying, and once you have learned well, then you shall paint."

"Yes," Li Muzhan agreed.

Mistress Zhuzhao instructed, "Zhanran, Jingying’s martial arts may not match yours, but do not underestimate her; she possesses immense natural talent in painting. Her brushwork is peerless on Canghai Mountain; you must cherish the opportunity to learn from her!"

Upon Mistress Zhuzhao's command, Xu Jingying appeared swiftly.

She wore a light yellow silk robe, as elegant as a dew-kissed orchid.

With a calm expression, she entered, bowed, and stated, "Martial Aunt Headmistress, you summoned this disciple. What are your orders?"

Mistress Zhuzhao pointed ahead and smiled, "Jingying, sit down and talk."

Xu Jingying, composed and serene, sat cross-legged opposite her, directly facing Li Muzhan. Their eyes met; she inclined her head slightly in greeting, her face betraying little emotion.

Mistress Zhuzhao said, "Jingying, I called you here because I have a favor to ask of you."

"This disciple would not dare claim such a thing, Martial Aunt Headmistress, just issue your command," Xu Jingying replied calmly.

Mistress Zhuzhao pursed her lips and chuckled lightly, "You are the beloved protégé of the Eldest Mistress; I would not dare bother you with trivial matters!"

Xu Jingying offered a faint smile.

Although Mistress Zhuzhao and the others possessed supreme martial arts, apart from their cultivation, their temperaments were much like ordinary people. They showed favoritism among their disciples, unable to treat all equally.

Mistress Zhumei's three eldest disciples, plus Mei Ruolan now, constituted the four most favored, with Xu Jingying being the head disciple—her gentle nature earning Mistress Zhumei’s deep regard.

Mistress Zhuzhao continued, "It is this: Zhanran is preparing to study painting, and I wish to ask for your help in teaching him."

Xu Jingying’s delicate eyebrows moved as she glanced at Li Muzhan, revealing a look of reluctance.

Mistress Zhuzhao hastily added, "If it truly causes you distress, there is no need to force it. That fellow Zhanran has a certain reputation—'Which woman dares approach him?' Among the inner disciples, only Xiaoyuan and Gong Qingyun remain, the others all keep a wide berth. Truly amusing, heh heh!"

Xu Jingying glanced at Li Muzhan and mused, "Martial Aunt Headmistress, my meager skills are hardly worthy of high art; I fear I might hold back Junior Brother Zhanran..."

Mistress Zhuzhao smiled coaxingly, "Why be modest with me! Zhanran’s last lapse was due to qi deviation, driving him temporarily mad, causing those absurd acts. His nature is not inherently wicked; you will see once you interact with him."

As she spoke, Wen Yinyue’s fair cheek flushed slightly, appearing exquisitely alluring.

"I understand," Xu Jingying nodded slowly.

During their previous excursion to the Northwest, she had spent time with Li Muzhan and thought him decent. However, his recent upheaval in the Wuji Palace, attempting to molest the Eldest Mistress, suggested an underlying lechery. Her favorable impression of Li Muzhan shifted instantly to disgust.

Mistress Zhuzhao beamed, "While studying painting, you two can also practice and spar together. Zhanran's comprehension is not poor; he has already reached the sixth layer of the Canghai Divine Art."

Xu Jingying’s clear eyes flashed, a brief spark of light.

Mistress Zhuzhao inwardly smiled, knowing she had hit the bullseye.

Xu Jingying also cultivated the Canghai Divine Art and possessed excellent aptitude. Yet, for years, she had been stuck at the fifth layer, unable to break through to the sixth—a persistent source of vexation for her.

She appeared detached, as if caring for nothing and possessing no competitive streak, but the opposite was true. The young woman was proud and ambitious; among the Canghai Sword Sect disciples, save for Wen Yinyue, she respected no one.

Mistress Zhuzhao secretly chuckled. Hearing that Zhanran had reached the sixth layer, she knew Jingying would be unconvinced. She decided to add fuel to the fire and said with a smile, "Jingying, do you know Xiaoyuan and Gong Qingyun?"

Xu Jingying nodded, "Yes, Junior Sister Xiaoyuan and Junior Sister Gong both have superb talent and progressed rapidly; they both seem to have reached the third layer."

Mistress Zhuzhao remarked, "Their natural aptitude is no greater than yours, yet their progress in the Canghai Divine Art is so swift, and there is a reason for it."

Xu Jingying abandoned her reserve: "Why?"

"It is because of a painting," Mistress Zhuzhao laughed, pointing at Li Muzhan. "Zhanran created a painting that Xiaoyuan and Gong Qingyun gazed at constantly, grasping the artistic conception within. Consequently, their cultivation of the Canghai Divine Art leaped forward dramatically—advancing a thousand li in a single day. Bixuan, who was also stuck at the third layer, broke through after viewing that painting too!"

Xu Jingying was immediately moved, losing her composure.

The Fourth Junior Sister had been trapped at the third layer for nearly two years, and Xu Jingying had worried for her, but comprehension was key to the Canghai Divine Art; its essence could only be intuited, not taught. Even she, or the Masters and Aunts, could offer no help.

Now, someone could aid the Fourth Junior Sister’s breakthrough using merely a painting. This news delivered a powerful impact, shattering her composure. She immediately realized that if this were true, it was monumental. It was crucial not only for herself but for the entire Canghai Sword Sect—the sect's strength could potentially dominate the world!

Thinking of this, her spirit surged, and her expression became radiant.

Mistress Zhuzhao inquired, "To integrate the conception of the Canghai Divine Art into a painting—can you achieve that, Jingying?"

Xu Jingying took a deep breath, suppressing her inner excitement, pondered briefly, and then shook her head, "This disciple cannot."

The artistic conception of the Canghai Divine Art was ethereal, like mist or lightning—indistinct and intangible. To infuse it into a painting seemed utterly impossible.

"But Zhanran can do it," Mistress Zhuzhao stated.

Then she shook her head again, "However, Zhanran’s technique is average. Without the guidance of a true master, its expressive power suffers. You possess the finest brushwork here on Canghai Mountain, so guide him."

Xu Jingying turned to look at Li Muzhan and slowly nodded, "Yes!"

Li Muzhan cupped his hands in salute, "Thank you, Senior Sister Xu!"

Xu Jingying replied coldly, "It is nothing. It is my duty for the sake of our Sect!"

Li Muzhan sighed internally; his recent rampage had created endless future troubles. And there it was—Senior Sister Xu was clearly repulsed by him; he shouldn't expect a pleasant expression from her again.

Thick-skinned and steady-hearted, he didn't truly care, merely offering a slight smile.

He left the Wuji Hall, descending the stone steps, intending to relieve Li Zongheng and Song Wenbin. From a great distance, he saw Li Zongheng and Song Wenbin entangled in a brawl with several others.

Li Muzhan stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes to observe.

Li Zongheng and Song Wenbin stood back-to-back, their faces so swollen and bruised they were unrecognizable. Four figures were surrounding and attacking them—tall and thin men with cold, proud expressions, mocking the two defenders.

Li Muzhan frowned, sighing. The day he had long foreseen had finally arrived!

He had predicted this moment. Li Zongheng’s tyranny in the outer sect meant most endured it silently, unable to match him in combat. Some sought help from inner disciples, but the Canghai Sword Sect rules strictly forbade inner disciples from fighting outer disciples under penalty of severe punishment. Li Zongheng had remained in the outer sect and thus avoided repercussions, but now that he was in the inner sect, how could these individuals refrain from seeking trouble?