Abbess Zhuzhao’s phoenix eyes snapped open, glaring at him fiercely, yet Li Muzhan merely offered a smile. The old man in the yellow robe sneered, “Such arrogance, young man.

I’d like to see just how tough your bones really are!” A yellow blur flashed, and he materialized before Li Muzhan, launching a palm strike. Li Muzhan stepped back, flicking his sleeve to unleash the Ruthless Sleeve.

With a dull thud, the old man’s right palm paused momentarily, having been deftly avoided by Li Muzhan. He uttered an “Eh?” as the yellow shadow flickered again, his right palm already pressed against Li Muzhan’s chest, poised to unleash its full force.

Li Muzhan shimmered, vanishing from his spot and reappearing ten feet away—the supreme art of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch. The old man in yellow let out a cold laugh and pursued instantly, extending a palm strike from afar.

With another muffled peng, Li Muzhan was sent flying, crashing heavily against the south wall. Li Muzhan rolled up instantly, seemingly untouched.

The old man’s hand, stroking his beard, halted mid-air. His form flickered once more, striking Li Muzhan’s chest again.

He was flung back once more, embedded deep into the wall. “Martial Uncle-Ancestor!” Abbess Zhuzhao stomped her foot in playful exasperation.

The old man in yellow suddenly returned to her side, nodding, “A fine lad, indeed. Such profound external training!” Li Muzhan struggled for a moment, then detached himself from the wall, leaving a deep, human-shaped indentation behind.

He landed, stumbled briefly, then regained his footing. Wiping a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, he shook his head with a bitter smile.

He had genuinely believed that with his current cultivation, the sixth layer of the Vast Sea Divine Art, he was already among the top masters of the Vast Sea Sword Sect. The last time he had caused a ruckus in the Wuji Palace, he had witnessed the previous generation’s experts; though formidable, they had proven no match for the Great Bright King Sutra, leading him to unconsciously harbor a degree of disdain.

Now, he saw how shallow his understanding was. The martial prowess of this Martial Great-Uncle was terrifyingly profound, utterly inconceivable; he possessed absolutely no power to fight back.

The old man in yellow stroked his beard and nodded, “A good lad. No wonder you carry such pride; your martial arts are certainly not ordinary.” Abbess Zhuzhao interjected, “Martial Uncle-Ancestor, Zhanran has mastered the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art.

His foundation is still shallow, however; otherwise, you wouldn't be able to move him so easily.” The old man nodded, scrutinizing Li Muzhan, “The Vajra Indestructible Divine Art of the Divine Monk Huiguo?” Abbess Zhuzhao confirmed, and the old man questioned, “Hasn’t it been lost?” Abbess Zhuzhao huffed, “Zhanran had a stroke of immense fortune, obtaining the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and mastering it. If anything happened to him, the art would truly be lost forever!” The old man kept examining Li Muzhan, nodding repeatedly, “The Vajra Indestructible Divine Art!

Good! Very good!” Li Muzhan quickly stated, “When I first learned the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, I took a solemn vow not to teach it to others!” “Impudent brat, you underestimate me!” the old man in yellow snorted coldly.

Li Muzhan smiled, saying no more. He circulated the Vast Sea Divine Art; the clear, water-like internal energy flowed, and in moments, his viscera felt refreshed, and his injuries vanished.

The old man in yellow had only intended to teach him a lesson; his attacks were startling in momentum but relied only on brute impact, containing no hidden force. Li Muzhan had only suffered severe vibrations and internal discomfort.

For anyone else, such blows might have caused internal organs to shift and resulted in grievous injury, but protected by the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, his organs were incredibly resilient, leaving him with only minor harm. The old man sized up Li Muzhan again, remarking, “Lad, I see your Vast Sea Divine Art is quite advanced, yet you haven't bothered to learn any other skills!” “Yes, Martial Great-Uncle.

This disciple has only learned one set of arts,” Li Muzhan replied. The old man shot a cold glance at Abbess Zhuzhao.

Abbess Zhuzhao chuckled, “The disciple wished for Zhanran to focus solely on the Vast Sea Divine Art. Since he wasn't in a hurry to descend the mountain, I didn't teach him many specific moves.” “Nonsense!” The old man scoffed dismissively, a divine light flashing in his eyes, his anger mounting.

“Moves are for execution; internal cultivation is the essence. They are inseparable!

Practicing both benefits the other… And you—you separated them! Truly absurd!… You are ruining a talent!” Abbess Zhuzhao pursed her lips, lowering her head, daring not to argue.

The old man in yellow was still incensed, muttering hatefully, “With a master like you, what disciples can you possibly cultivate!… Enough of this. From today onward, he follows me!” Li Muzhan quickly protested, “Martial Great-Uncle, I currently have no intention of joining the Martial Training Hall!” He felt helpless; facing such an overbearing figure whose seniority was so high, even his master had no choice but to obey without contradiction.

The old man’s eyes flashed like lightning as he glared at Li Muzhan, letting out a cold snort, “Even if you wanted to join the Martial Training Hall, this old man would not permit it!” Li Muzhan breathed a sigh of relief; as long as he didn't have to enter the Martial Training Hall, that was fine. The Martial Training Hall held a transcendent status within the sect, but once disciples entered, they could not descend the mountain freely, nor could they engage in worldly affairs, dedicating themselves wholly to martial study.

Li Muzhan felt that cultivating in such isolation made it difficult to truly reach the pinnacle of martial arts. The genuine supreme master needed to ignite their potential in life-or-death battles, constantly improving; relying only on self-cultivation made it hard to transcend oneself and reach the peak.

Abbess Zhuzhao shot him a look, “Zhanran, aren't you going to quickly thank your Martial Uncle-Ancestor!” She was quite annoyed; it was Zhanran who had drawn the Martial Uncle-Ancestor here. Otherwise, he would be sequestered in the Martial Training Hall, not moving an inch, and she wouldn't have to endure this scolding.

Li Muzhan hesitated for a moment, then bowed with clasped hands in thanks. The old man in yellow snorted, “Brat, every day at the chen hour, find me in the back mountain!” With that, a yellow blur flashed, and he vanished abruptly.

Abbess Zhuzhao let out a soft breath, patting her high chest, then turned and shot Li Muzhan a look, her anger mingled with faint displeasure. Li Muzhan touched his nose, offering a sheepish smile, feeling somewhat embarrassed that he had caused his master to be reprimanded.

Mistress Zhumei also breathed a sigh of relief, “That was lucky, that was lucky. At least Martial Uncle-Ancestor didn't fly into a complete rage.

Zhanran, you are too bold!” Li Zhuyue nodded in agreement, looking at Li Muzhan and shaking her head. Li Muzhan offered no rebuttal.

Although the old man in yellow’s martial arts were supreme, he held no murderous intent, nor did he seem capable of sealing off another’s mind. Li Muzhan could sense the state of his spirit, which emboldened him.

Abbess Zhuzhao huffed, “Zhanran, you were lucky this time!” Mistress Zhumei added, “Zhanran, Martial Uncle-Ancestor is one of the last surviving disciples of the thirteenth generation. He has dedicated decades to refining martial arts, and his mastery of the Vast Sea Nine Swords is perfected.

Training with him is an immense opportunity; you must cherish it and not let it slip away!” Li Muzhan nodded in assent, “Does Martial Great-Uncle not have any disciples?” Mistress Zhumei laughed, “Martial Uncle-Ancestor’s temper is a bit… If he dislikes someone, he won’t even spare them a glance. There are dozens of disciples in the Martial Training Hall, all naturally gifted, yet he hasn't favored a single one.” Abbess Zhuzhao snorted, “Zhanran, the reason Martial Uncle-Ancestor took an interest in you isn't because of your innate talent, but because your sheer stubbornness appealed to his temperament!” Li Muzhan suddenly understood, feeling his master's words held much truth.

Perhaps the reason Martial Great-Uncle decided to teach him was precisely because of that unyielding spirit. “Alright, let’s go back now!” Abbess Zhuzhao waved her hand, dismissively sending him away.

Li Muzhan bowed with clasped hands and exited the Wuji Palace. The next morning, he rose early and arrived at a forest in the back mountains.