Li Muzhan smiled, nodding. "Likely quite a few... Feng'er, Junior Sister, let's take another route. Ignore them!"

The two women, though they hadn't heard anything, believed him when he mentioned an ambush. Especially Li Yujiao; though her internal energy surpassed Li Muzhan's, she didn't doubt him now. This inexplicable intuition left her with no choice but to trust.

"Senior Brother, this isn't like you!" Li Yujiao chuckled, clearly energized.

All along the way, she had expected a path fraught with danger, a sea of blades and swords, forcing her to endure endless hardships to escort them safely back to the Wang family.

She never imagined the journey would be so peaceful, save for one poisoning attempt, which Li Muzhan handled instantly. It was far too easy, lacking any challenge whatsoever.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "Heaven cherishes life; I truly cannot bear to kill."

Li Yujiao pouted, laughing. "You're a monk!... But even Buddhism has its aspects of subduing demons and vanquishing devils. Those people are demons!"

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. "Subduing demons is a last resort. If we can bypass them, let's bypass them!"

"Yes, Martial Uncle." Wang Shuangfeng obediently nodded. Li Yujiao started to say something else, but seeing the look of approval Li Muzhan gave Wang Shuangfeng, she immediately silenced herself, rolling her eyes. "Where to go?"

Li Muzhan paused in thought, pointing south. "There!"

"Let's go!" Li Yujiao said, turning around. "You try to hide from them, but if they don't hide from you, a fight is inevitable sooner or later. We might as well scare them off early!"

Li Muzhan offered a wry smile, acknowledging the logic, but harboring a lingering hope. It wasn't soft-heartedness, but rather a form of pity—an unwillingness to kill these people. As his cultivation deepened and he separated from ordinary men, this feeling of compassion had unintentionally bloomed. All sentient beings suffered; this illusory world was a purgatory, and none within it fared well.

The trio leaped into the air, skimming the treetops southward. After circling widely, they turned east to regain the main path. Li Muzhan, guided by instinct, knew they had evaded trouble.

These people must belong to the Gongsun family. The cumulative strength of great families was indeed formidable; the minor Gongsun family possessed such deep power.

The three quickened their pace. Li Muzhan stopped dwelling on the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, focusing entirely on the journey. Two days later, as dusk settled upon them near a narrow valley, Li Muzhan halted again, his expression darkening.

"What is it? Another ambush ahead?" Li Yujiao stopped beside him, tilting her head to ask with a half-smile.

Wang Shuangfeng murmured, "Martial Uncle, how could they be so fast?"

Li Muzhan pondered for a moment. "Let's go take a look!"

"Right, that's more like it!" Li Yujiao exclaimed eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement, clearly eager for a confrontation.

Before them lay a sheer valley, treacherous in terrain, with high sides enclosing a thin, winding path—a crack in the earth. If people were ambushed above, raining stones down would be like five thunderbolts striking at once, impossible to withstand.

Li Muzhan stood at the valley mouth and called out loudly, "Friends above, please show yourselves!"

His voice wasn't loud, his pace slow, yet it was focused and didn't dissipate, echoing slowly through the narrow passage, reaching every ear.

Silence. The valley remained still, not a sound stirring.

The two women glanced around, said nothing, nor did they doubt Li Muzhan's perception; they held an unshakeable, inexplicable faith in him.

Li Muzhan smiled faintly. "If you gentlemen refuse to show yourselves, we shall take another path and will not trouble you further!"

Saying this, he turned to leave, the two women close behind him, ready to depart the valley entrance.

"Halt!" A sharp roar suddenly cut through the air, immediately followed by the sound of rapid footsteps. In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred people surged out from the valley, encircling the trio.

Li Muzhan frowned, assessing them. He recognized none of them; most were middle-aged men, along with a few elders, all possessing considerable cultivation, their eyes flashing sharply. Each gripped a saber or sword, their gazes fierce, radiating palpable killing intent.

Li Muzhan stated calmly, "Sirs, we are strangers. What business do you have blocking our way? Perhaps you have mistaken us for someone else?"

"Are you people of the Penglai Wang family?" an elder rasped.

His features were lean, his silver hair flowing, possessing a touch of wild demeanor. His voice was hoarse, like a harsh cry.

Li Muzhan nodded coolly. "Indeed, we are of the Wang family. What is your business?"

"Since you are Wang family, then it is correct!" The elder burst into booming laughter, excitement blazing in his eyes. "The Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture is with you, isn't it?"

Li Muzhan's expression shifted, and he said gravely, "What Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture?"

"Heh heh, don't try to fool us. The Penglai Wang family's Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture is a peerless art of this age. Cultivating it can cleanse the marrow and transform the essence, with endless benefits. Who doesn't know this?!"

Li Muzhan stated lightly, "You may be mistaken. The Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture is the secret art of Snow Peak Sacred Temple!"

"Heh heh, you are from that Wang family, and you won the competition against Snow Peak Sacred Temple, eventually obtaining the Scripture. If we didn't know this, why would we ambush you?" The elder sneered repeatedly, glancing sideways at Li Muzhan as if looking at a corpse. He spoke sternly, "Boy, hand over the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, and we might spare your life!"

"Yes, spare you, and these two lasses belong to us!" A large man beside him cackled twice, his gaze shamelessly sweeping over the two women.

Li Yujiao’s delicate face tightened, as if shrouded in frost. Holding a position second only to the master at Snow Peak Sacred Temple, she was universally respected. How could she tolerate such brazen insult? Were it not for Li Muzhan’s presence, she would have already lashed out to tear this brute's mouth apart so he couldn't speak again.

Li Muzhan's expression turned cold, and he flicked his sleeve.

With a dull thud—Peng—the large man was flung back as if struck by a massive log, slamming against the mountain wall behind him. He spat a jet of blood and collapsed limply, unconscious.

Li Muzhan said flatly, "If you can't speak properly, it's better not to speak at all!"

The crowd instantly became fiercely hostile, fixing their gazes on Li Muzhan. They stepped forward together, their combined presence alarmingly intimidating. Even the extraordinary Li Yujiao and Wang Shuangfeng felt an urge to retreat.

Li Muzhan smiled slightly. "Who are you people? Are you from the Gongsun family?"

The silver-haired elder chuckled grimly and waved his hand. "What damned Gongsun family? We are not part of the Gongsun clan. Boy, your skills are quite good; no wonder you could snatch back the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture!"

Li Muzhan said, "I have no desire to kill. Gentlemen, perhaps you should clear the path. Let's not spoil the peace!"

"Heh heh... A fine sentiment about spoiling the peace!" The silver-haired elder sneered several times, then threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Hahahaha... Then hand over the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture!"

Li Muzhan spread his hands. "The Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture is not on my person. Even if I wished to hand it over, I am powerless to do so!"

"Then it must be on these two young ladies!" The silver-haired elder pointed at the two women, chuckling, his eyes holding a strange meaning.

The others followed suit with dry laughs, their gazes burning hot. The two women were supremely beautiful, among the finest in appearance. Normally, they seldom encountered such sights, and now there were two at once.

Li Muzhan frowned, his face sinking like water. He had hoped to avoid bloodshed, but it seemed a peaceful resolution was impossible. If they had merely insulted him, he might have ignored it, but treating the ladies this way was despicable. Li Muzhan had always felt profound disgust for such men. He let out a soft snort and suddenly swept his sleeve, as if a fierce gale had erupted. The men felt a surging force rush toward them, like being plunged into a violent sea.

They stumbled about, unable to keep their footing. When the force dissipated, they had already been scattered several yards away from Li Muzhan, their encirclement broken.

They stared at Li Muzhan in astonishment, marveling at the profound internal energy possessed by someone so young.

Li Muzhan said lightly, "May we go now?"

The silver-haired elder said coldly, "Want to leave? You can, after you face the sword in my hand!"

Li Muzhan glanced dismissively at the elder, frowning. "Less nonsense. Let's fight!"

"Good, take my sword!" The elder's eyes widened, electric beams shooting from them, as he thrust his longsword forward, aiming directly for Li Muzhan’s chest, intending to pierce his heart.

Li Muzhan flicked his sleeve, and a massive, surging power blasted outward. The elder stumbled backward, unable to open his eyes fully, forced only to wildly slash his sword to hack through the overwhelming force.

Li Muzhan let out a cold snort and tapped out with his index finger, unleashing the concentrated power of the Ocean God Finger.

With a crisp Ding sound, the sword was sent flying high, spinning before embedding itself into the stone wall behind, the sound sharp, causing the onlookers to shudder.

This elder was their leader, the strongest among them, which is why he led. Yet, he couldn't withstand a single move. They weren't entirely shocked. They knew that if they were in his place, the result would be the same—they couldn't block that strike either! Thinking this, a desire to retreat began to surface.

The silver-haired elder staggered back several steps, his hands empty. His face flushed and paled before returning to normal. He laughed hoarsely, "Good martial arts! Truly good martial arts!"

He glanced back at the assembled men, his voice raspy. "There are only three of them, and we number one hundred and twenty. No matter how strong he is, can he fight a hundred? ... If we can seize the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, competing for supremacy in the martial world and surpassing Nangong Sidao will be just around the corner!"

Hearing this, the crowd immediately felt re-energized. A middle-aged man raised his sword and shouted, "Indeed, what Elder Zhang says suits me perfectly. Fortune favors the bold! Brothers, kill this kid, seize the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, and take these two beautiful lasses! Kill!"

"Kill—!" The crowd roared, the dual temptation of the secret manual and the beauties setting their blood boiling uncontrollably. Each man charged forward with his sword drawn.

Li Muzhan shook his head and sighed softly. He stepped forward, placing the two women behind him, and whispered, "Be careful of hidden weapons!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve again, and the surging power rose once more, causing the men's progress to hesitate, as if they had stepped into a violent storm, their forward momentum momentarily slowed.

"Charge!" The leading middle-aged man yelled, pressing forward bravely, circulating his internal energy, struggling against the invisible resistance as if walking into a headwind.

Li Muzhan smiled faintly, tapped out with his index finger, and with a light Chi whistle, a stream of finger energy struck him.

With a Peng sound, he was instantly flung backward, not as if struck by a pinpoint of energy, but as if hit by a massive timber. He flew straight back, slamming against the stone wall before collapsing unconscious.

Li Muzhan turned to look. The men, their eyes red, were charging forward recklessly, already close. Even the ocean-like surge of the Heartless Sleeves power could not hold them back completely.

Li Muzhan sighed inwardly, understanding their feelings. Faced with a supreme martial arts manual, who could resist covetousness? After all, a manual was a key to changing one's destiny. With it, one might achieve a completely different life, soaring above the world, above all beings. Without it, one might live a mundane, insignificant existence, merely an ant, forced to watch the expressions of others, unable to act as one pleased, unable to seek revenge freely, living a life suppressed and stifled. To change one's fate, one had to win this manual.

Although he understood their motivations, Li Muzhan felt no sympathy. Instead, his heart turned cold; he gained a deeper understanding of the malice in human nature, fostering a sense of aversion. He was suddenly startled, realizing something was wrong—he was still being affected by the Great Bright King Scripture. He quickly reined in his thoughts and focused on the charging brutes now close upon him.

"Kill—!" The leading brute brought his saber down, eyes blazing crimson, killing intent soaring to the heavens.

Li Muzhan pointed a finger, and with a light Chi whistle, the energy of the Ocean God Finger erupted, colliding with the brute and sending him flying.

At that moment, several blades and swords stabbed towards him simultaneously. Li Muzhan neither dodged nor evaded, allowing them to strike him, yet he remained completely unharmed, protected by the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art. Blades and swords could not injure him.

The brutes didn't care about caution; seeing him remain still, they were overcome with joy. They attacked with all their might, hacking and slashing, determined to cut Li Muzhan into a thousand pieces or grind him into meat paste.

Li Muzhan's face at this moment was like fine white jade, crystal and smooth, with a gentle luminescence flowing beneath the skin, making one doubt if he were a living, breathing person or a statue carved from white jade.

The swords and sabers struck him silently; there was neither a clang nor the dull thud of leather, but rather as if they had plunged into marshland, their force unconsciously dissipated without sound. Li Muzhan endured their attacks and then struck back, sending them flying one by one, as if swatting flies, each one knocked unconscious, their fate unknown.

In this manner, Li Muzhan quickly dealt with more than a dozen people, his palms never missing their mark. Gradually, the others began to waver. Seeing that their blades and swords were useless—that even after hacking and stabbing for so long, they couldn't break his skin—they lost heart.

Li Muzhan swept both palms out, his movements becoming exquisitely subtle and incredibly fast. Amidst a continuous stream of Peng, peng, peng, peng sounds, figures were hurled backward, crashing against the stone wall and piling up. In moments, fifty or so bodies were stacked together.

"He's not human, he's a monster! Run!" someone screamed from the crowd, turning to flee. The remaining brutes hesitated for a second, then instantly turned tail. In the blink of an eye, they vanished.

PS: I have nothing more to say; I'm about to vomit blood. How about a monthly ticket for encouragement? V