"Senior Brother, I'm off then." The young girl gave a graceful curtsy, smiled faintly, and departed. Li Muzhan watched her leave, then drew another sword. With a sharp zheng—a cry like a crane or a phoenix, clear and spirited—a chilling aura surged forth, sharp as lightning.

Li Muzhan stroked the twin treasured swords, secretly marveling at his Master's generosity. Such divine blades were in no way inferior to Mei Ruolan's Cold Moon Sword Silks; for martial artists, they were treasures beyond price.

With these twin swords, he felt like a tiger gaining wings, his strength significantly boosted.

He sighed, sheathing the blades at his waist, and knocked.

"Who is it?" Xiao Yuan's voice drifted out.

Li Muzhan replied, "It's me. Open up, Xiao Yuan."

Screeak. The door slid open, and Xiao Yuan stood there, looking bright and lively. She laughed, "Has little Yang girl left?"

Li Muzhan chuckled, "What, you don't get along with her either?"

"Hmph, she's one of Senior Sister Yang's clique. I can’t be bothered with her!" Xiao Yuan pouted.

Li Muzhan shook his head with a smile, "You're all family, why hold grudges? ... You better be careful when the Mistress finishes her seclusion; she'll scold you."

"Hmph! They bullied me first! I'm not afraid to tell the Mistress!" Xiao Yuan retorted righteously.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Is Madam Gong awake yet?"

"Not yet," Xiao Yuan shook her head, her gaze fixed on the swords at his waist.

The scabbards were ancient and richly patterned, exuding an air of profound age. At a glance, they seemed ordinary, but upon closer inspection, one could sense their unusual nature. Xiao Yuan, familiar with his usual swords, instantly noticed the difference.

Li Muzhan unfastened the swords and handed them to her, saying with a smile, "You missed some excitement just now, a pity. Come, look at these."

"What excitement?" Xiao Yuan took the swords and gently drew one out. Qiang... a dragon’s roar echoed, the chill instantly intensifying, causing the surrounding temperature to drop slightly.

Those with higher martial arts skill were naturally more perceptive; they could feel it clearly.

"What fine swords!" Xiao Yuan exclaimed, her bright eyes wide.

The two entered the pavilion and sat down. Xiao Yuan examined the sword in her hand, then drew the other. Zheng... another clear, resonant cry, sharp and piercing.

"These sounds are lovely," Xiao Yuan remarked, placing the two swords side-by-side. They were almost identical, shining bright as fresh snow.

"These are called the Dragon Roar and Phoenix Cry swords. Try letting a strand of hair fall on them," Li Muzhan said, pouring himself a cup of tea. "Some disciples from Xuankong Island came to issue a challenge, and I dealt with them. These two swords are a reward from the Master."

She indeed took a strand of her hair, released it a foot above the blade, and the fine silk drifted down onto the edge, parting cleanly in two without the slightest hesitation.

"Truly treasured swords!" Xiao Yuan exclaimed with excitement.

She looked up and smiled, "If the Master rewards you with such magnificent swords, Zhanran, you must have displayed truly divine power?"

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled, "It was nothing. Only disciples of the younger generation made a move, so I was fortunate. Here, take this Luminous Pearl and wear it on your forehead; it has marvelous uses."

Saying this, he pulled a Luminous Pearl from his sleeve, cradling it in his palm. Under its soft, gentle radiance, the pearl shimmered vaguely, dreamlike and ethereal.

The pavilion was darker than the outside, making the soft glow even more pronounced, illuminating his palm as if it were laid upon white satin.

Xiao Yuan set down the swords and accepted the Luminous Pearl, her gaze locked upon it. Though the swords were exquisite, they didn't hold her attention like the pearl. She reached out slowly and took it, handling it with extreme care.

After gazing at it intently for a long time, she snapped back to attention and saw Li Muzhan sipping his tea, a gentle smile on his face.

Xiao Yuan's face flushed slightly, and she huffed, "Where did you get such a beautiful pearl?"

Li Muzhan laughed, "It was a treasure from an Elder of Xuankong Island, which I won."

"Cool and soothing, truly comfortable!" Xiao Yuan beamed, turning the pearl over and over in delight.

Li Muzhan instructed, "Place it on your forehead when you practice; it will greatly aid your cultivation."

Xiao Yuan carefully tucked it away, looking entirely satisfied. She glanced at Li Muzhan, her bright eyes flickering, and she chirped, "Is there only one?"

Li Muzhan answered, "There are twelve in total. One for you, one for the Mistress..."

"Hmph, you're so kind!" Xiao Yuan shot him a glare, feigning pique, "What about the other nine? Are you giving those to other women too?"

Li Muzhan chuckled, "The Jade Immortal Sect also has a few junior sisters."

"Hmph, you brute!" Xiao Yuan glared at him, spun around, and walked away.

Li Muzhan stroked his light mustache, shaking his head with a smile.

He sat in the pavilion, sipping his tea, while contemplating the Nine Palms of the Boundless Sea. Through this recent exchange, his comprehension of the profound mystery of these palms deepened, yet he increasingly felt the difficulty of transforming them into sword techniques.

He engaged in three trains of thought simultaneously, visualizing and running through the scenarios of the recent confrontation in his mind.

Normally, he used this mental energy to evolve the Nine Palms of the Boundless Sea. When meditating at night, he cultivated the Heavenly Observation and Divine Illumination Scripture, the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, and the Divine Art of the Boundless Sea.

Most of his time was spent cultivating the Heavenly Observation and Divine Illumination Scripture. When he couldn't sit for meditation, he practiced the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and the Divine Art of the Boundless Sea. He could multitask so effectively that when walking around the sect, sweeping floors, or speaking with others, he appeared no different from an ordinary person, making it impossible to tell he was cultivating.

On Boundless Sea Mountain, he appeared leisurely, perhaps sweeping steps, perhaps heading to the martial arts field, or perhaps staying in his small courtyard. No one could tell he was cultivating, yet his progress was meteoric.

As he was lost in thought, a cool, crisp voice suddenly reached his ears: "Junior Brother."

Li Muzhan quickly looked up and smiled, "Senior Sister Gong, you're awake?"

Gong Qingyun stood before him, her skin like congealed fat, her eyes like polished lacquer, shining with inner light—a clear sign of her profound mastery of internal energy. Combined with her exquisitely perfect features, Li Muzhan felt a sudden flutter in his heart.

He smiled, "Senior Sister, your radiance has blossomed; your power has advanced greatly."

Gong Qingyun's icy jade face broke into a slight smile, like the sun emerging after fresh snow, instantly brightening the pavilion.

She gathered her skirt and sat opposite him, saying, "Junior Brother, I have advanced to the Fifth Layer."

Li Muzhan laughed heartily and nodded, "A cause for celebration!"

Gong Qingyun smiled faintly, "The essence infusion treatment was truly miraculous. It felt like waking from a long dream; when I opened my eyes, I was already at the Fifth Layer. It's somewhat bewildering."

Li Muzhan laughed, "This is also Senior Sister's affinity; there is no need to question the specifics."

When he performed the essence infusion, he had not only implanted his state of mind but also transferred a portion of his internal energy. The Sixth Layer represented minor accomplishment, where Yin and Yang internal energy achieved balance, forming its own realm, like a self-contained world.

The internal energy of the Sixth Layer was the purest essence, and though it was a mere seed, it was a seed of spirituality that, once planted in her body, continuously devoured and transformed her existing energy. This very quality was what made the Boundless Sea Sword Qi so formidable.

The next day, when Li Muzhan went to the Northern Courtyard training ground, he sensed an entirely different atmosphere. Previously, the women had practiced separately, treating him as transparent and ignoring him completely. Today was different; pairs of eyes stared at him, their gazes burning with curiosity.

Li Muzhan noticed their intense interest and smiled slightly before sitting down at the stone table.

They stopped their practice, clustering together, nudging and pushing one another, punctuated by soft giggles and frequent glances his way.

Li Muzhan pretended not to notice, gazing toward the horizon as if deep in contemplation. In his heart, he was still immersed in the Nine Palms of the Boundless Sea. Because of this technique, he was on the verge of breaking through the Sixth Layer of the Divine Art of the Boundless Sea, but he paid it no mind.

In his view, breaking through the Divine Art of the Boundless Sea was like water overflowing a dam—once the channel was complete, the water would flow naturally; there was no need to rush. The most urgent task was the one-month commitment: transforming the Nine Palms of the Boundless Sea into sword techniques within a month.

He had initially thought it would be easy, but now he realized the task was as difficult as ascending to heaven. Every time he revised a sequence, he thought it was nearly there, but upon deeper scrutiny, he found it failed to truly embody the essence of the Nine Palms, forcing him to tear it down and start again.

Again and again, without realizing it, his comprehension of both palmistry and swordsmanship deepened, though he was unaware of the progress.

After a while, the Senior Sister who had caused trouble before approached. Li Muzhan had already learned her name was Yang Ying. She possessed lovely lips and a delicate nose, her bright eyes quick and intelligent. "Senior Brother Zhanran," she said, "I heard you single-handedly defeated all the experts from Xuankong Island. Is that true?"

Li Muzhan looked up at her and smiled, "Yes, that is true."

Yang Ying laughed, "I never realized Senior Brother's martial arts were so formidable. I apologize for my previous disrespect!"

Li Muzhan smiled faintly, "You flatter me. The ones from Xuankong Island were all disciples of the younger generation, and not their top talents. Winning was not a fair fight; it was nothing major."

Yang Ying continued, "Senior Brother Zhanran, we apologize for offending you these past few days."

Li Muzhan smiled, sizing her up, "Junior Sister Yang, if there is anything you need my help with, please just say so. No need for such pleasantries."

Yang Ying smiled sheepishly, "We junior sisters would like to spar a bit with Senior Brother Zhanran."

Li Muzhan smiled, "Very well."

Saying this, he rose and walked into the midst of the assembled women, smiling, "All you junior sisters, come at me together!"

Yang Ying pursed her lips and chuckled softly, "Senior Brother Zhanran speaks boldly! Sisters, we cannot let him look down on us. Let's fight!"

"Alright, fight!" The women chattered excitedly, their laughter ringing out.

Li Muzhan stood with his hands behind his back, a slight smile on his face.

Yang Ying smirked proudly, "Senior Brother Zhanran, watch out! We'll be using our swords!"

Li Muzhan replied gently, "Please, one by one!"

"Go!" Yang Ying gave a sharp cry and charged first, drawing her sword, which sliced toward him with a gust of wind.

Li Muzhan leaned aside to evade, his two palms tracing a light arc, his face still smiling.

"Watch this move!" Another girl drew her sword and thrust.

Li Muzhan evaded again, his palms continuously drawing arcs, as if he were practicing palm techniques alone, his movements slow like the Tai Chi of later ages.

Attacked from two sides, Li Muzhan remained calm and in control. The other women, unwilling to be left out, rushed forward one by one until, in the blink of an eye, eight of them were engaged.

Eight women, eight swords, each positioned in a different direction, forming an impenetrable sword formation.

Li Muzhan was surrounded, his body enveloped by a flurry of sword shadows; the situation seemed perilous, yet at the crucial moment, he always managed to evade, causing the women’s hearts to leap and fall.

Li Muzhan maintained his smile, his hands moving lightly, almost dancing, yet stubbornly refusing to make contact with the blades. The fierce sword energies surrounding him always seemed to shift slightly at the critical juncture, allowing him to slip away calmly. The women initially admired his marvelous footwork, but as time went on, they began to find it bizarre.

His footwork held no real marvel—perhaps just a step forward, or a shuffle to the side, his strides small. Had they been in his place, they would have surely struck him long ago, yet the eight opponents in the formation could not land a single blow, as if bewitched.