Li Muzhan paused, watching the crowd scatter like startled birds, fleeing hastily. He made no move to pursue, merely shaking his head. Li Yujiao drawled lazily, "Senior Brother, why not chase them down?"

Her hands had been itching for a fight moments before, but she remembered her mother's explicit instructions: the priority was to guard Sister Wang; she could not indulge her own fleeting excitement.

Thus, she had remained close to Wang Shuangfeng, watching Li Muzhan display his overwhelming power. However, seeing how incompetent these men were, completely defenseless against Li Muzhan's palm strikes, her interest waned. She couldn't even be bothered to act. "Forget it, letting them flee is enough; they aren't worth killing." Li Muzhan shook his head again, glancing over the others slumped beneath the stone wall, all unconscious and limp. "Are they dead?" Li Yujiao asked. Li Muzhan shook his head. "Their injuries are not light. Don't expect to lift a hand for two or three months." He clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's get back on the road. We should have some peace for a while."

The three of them employed their Qinggong, passing through the narrow valley. True to expectation, it was quiet. As they moved swiftly, Li Yujiao brushed a stray strand of hair from her temple and tilted her head toward Li Muzhan. "Senior Brother, it was the Gongsun family causing trouble, wasn't it?" Wang Shuangfeng snorted softly. "Who else would it be?" Li Muzhan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "It's too early to draw conclusions. Perhaps it was an enemy of the Gongsun family, or someone else entirely." Alas, the treachery of the human heart is more perilous than any mountain range. Li Yujiao pursed her lips into a smile. "Senior Brother, you're perhaps being overly dramatic. In my view, it's definitely the Gongsun family!" Li Muzhan chuckled. "Everyone wants a good treasure. We won't have an easy time from now on!" "Perfect, I was getting bored," Li Yujiao declared with spirit. Li Muzhan gave a wry, helpless smile. Wang Shuangfeng murmured sweetly, "With Martial Uncle here, there's nothing to fear!" Li Yujiao pouted, shooting him a sidelong glance. "Hmph. What technique were you using just now? Which school of external martial arts was that?" Li Muzhan replied, "Vajra Indestructible Divine Art." "Oh! That technique really exists!" Li Yujiao exclaimed in surprise, examining him up and down. "I heard Mother mention it, but hasn't it been lost for hundreds of years?" Li Muzhan smiled. "Through a fortunate encounter, I obtained this scripture and managed to achieve some success." "It really makes you impervious to blades and spears!" Li Yujiao reached out, intending to touch him, but stopped midway, rolling her eyes at him. "Your clothes are completely shredded—you should change them immediately!" Li Muzhan laughed. "If I fight again, they’ll just get more torn. It’s better to just wear these for now!" Li Yujiao laughed brightly. "Your technique is excellent, but it certainly is hard on the clothing, haha!" Wang Shuangfeng joined in the soft laughter. Li Muzhan chuckled warmly. "No choice. If I want to advance this skill, I must endure beatings. There is no other way, unless I can master the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture." Li Yujiao giggled. "Haha! People practice martial arts to avoid being beaten. Yours requires being beaten—what's the point of practicing then?" Li Muzhan shook his head with a smile. "I practice to protect my life and my whole body. Taking a few blows is nothing."

Chatting and laughing, the scenery whipped past them at dizzying speed, time slipping away until evening approached. They happened upon a small temple that maintained a faint trace of incense; it housed five or six monks who knew nothing of martial arts. In this era of flourishing Buddhism, any slightly larger settlement would have a temple; they dotted the landscape like scattered stars, perhaps even more numerous than official post stations.

Li Muzhan considered it for a moment, ultimately deciding against staying in the temple. Instead, he led the two women far from the structure, finding a patch of woods where he quickly erected a small, pointed wooden hut for the two women to rest. As for himself, he sat in meditation outside the structure.

The two women were sharp and intuitive. Seeing his actions, they understood he wished not to implicate the monks in the temple. They said little, only exchanging quiet whispers.

The moonlight pooled like water, casting the surroundings in a soft, profound stillness. Li Muzhan sat upon a stone outside the pointed hut, deeply immersed in contemplating the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture. He still refused to give up. The Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, rumored to be unmasterable by anyone, and the Great Bright King Scripture, also deemed impossible to master—he had succeeded in both, accumulating sufficient confidence. Suddenly, a thought stirred in his mind, a flash of inspiration he quickly seized, focusing his concentration. What would happen if he used the Great Bright King Scripture to activate the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture? A smile broke across his face; he grew excited. The more he considered it, the more brilliant the idea seemed. When circulating the Great Bright King Scripture, his spirit was entirely concealed within the Mind Pearl, governed solely by instinct. In that state, the Self recedes, and the Primal Self manifests. To a Buddhist practitioner, all things are empty, but the Primal Self, the Buddha-nature, is eternally undying, like a Vajra relic—untarnished, unconsumed, increasing in neither gain nor loss. What he needed to do now was continuously impress this concept, to etch the idea of this cultivation method into his subconscious. Just as he was about to proceed, he paused again, another flash of insight illuminating his mind. He considered operating the Heaven-Man Divine Reflection Scripture, using his Xiang Shen (Aspect Body) to cultivate this new technique. In this manner, the consciousness of this physical body would reside entirely within the Xiang Shen. This was equivalent to achieving 'no-self' for cultivation. If the Xiang Shen cultivated it, it should be able to drive the cultivation of the physical body. If so, success was assured!

He abruptly snapped his eyes open. The previously tranquil lake of his heart rippled with excitement; he was eager to test his theories. Just then, his ear twitched. He closed his eyes again, letting his Eyes of the Void survey the area within ten zhang. There was no movement visible. Yet, he could feel a faint thread of killing intent slowly closing in, silent and incredibly gradual, but steadily approaching, the intent extremely subtle. His Heart Connection had enhanced, making his sensory perception far sharper. This person, though distant, could sense his killing intent. Li Muzhan's mind shifted; he realized this person's Heart Connection ability was far greater than he had estimated. He closed his eyes, formed a hand seal, and pretended not to notice. " Chi! " A faint, light whistle sounded. Li Muzhan flicked his sleeve, sending streams of condensed energy across the empty space before him, like ripples on water. An arrow froze in mid-air.

Li Muzhan shook his head, and the small arrow drifted down into his hand. He examined it closely; he did not recognize the arrow, but its tip glowed with a faint blue light, clearly intended to kill him instantly. " Chi! " A sharp whistle followed, the blue light flashing as it flew toward his chest. Li Muzhan smiled faintly, rotating his right palm, first pressing then drawing back. The arrow paused, then spiraled slowly, falling gently to the ground. "Come out," Li Muzhan said calmly. "It's useless."

In terms of archery, he was supremely skilled, but he had abandoned that path since leaving Mount Canghai. Seeing someone use a bow again stirred his memories. A year had passed in a blink. Were his parents well? How were Elder Brother and Li Jian? With his mind divided, one part of his attention still fixed on the woods opposite, he slowly watched a black-clothed youth emerge, holding a short bow. The youth was of average height and unremarkable appearance, yet his eyes sparked with piercing light. His entire body was taut, lean yet harmoniously built—lithe and formidable as a leopard. "Why did you ambush me?" Li Muzhan asked with a slight smile. The youth stopped three zhang away and said coldly, "You are one of the Wang family of Penglai, aren't you?" Li Muzhan nodded. "Indeed." "Good. Hand over the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture," the youth demanded, extending his hand coldly. Li Muzhan let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "I am genuinely curious—how do you know I possess the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture? Who told you? Do you truly believe them? Aren't you afraid of being used as a tool for assassination?" The youth sneered coldly. "Less nonsense! Hand it over, or die—" Li Muzhan frowned, shaking his head. "Then make your move." "Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink sour wine!" The youth gave a cold laugh, moving his hand. A small arrow was instantly nocked on his short bow. He released his grip, and the arrow shot toward Li Muzhan, followed only then by the faint whistle: "Chi." Li Muzhan spun his right palm, pressing forward and drawing back, his palm force condensing into a single arrow that struck the small arrow. "Ding!" came a sharp sound, like metal clashing against metal. He was secretly astonished. He hadn't expected this youth's archery to be so potent, perhaps even surpassing his own. Truly, there is always someone better.

The two women had been peering out of the hut's window the entire time. They now moved behind him, a faint, delicate fragrance drifting near his nostrils. "Senior Brother, who is this?" Li Yujiao squinted at the youth, speaking coolly. "Dare to come alone—is he skilled and bold, or merely foolishly brave?" The youth's face darkened. He sneered. "Take this next arrow!" He moved his hand, nocking three small arrows onto his short bow simultaneously. He released them, and they transformed into three streaks of blue light, arriving before the trio in an instant. Two arrows targeted Li Muzhan, and one targeted Li Yujiao. Li Yujiao let out a soft hum. A sword light flashed, and the arrow disintegrated into powder, drifting away with the evening breeze. Her figure shifted, gliding out gracefully, a curtain of cold light enveloping the black-clothed youth. "Ding ding ding ding!" The youth swung his short bow, blocking the sweeping sword attacks.

Li Muzhan watched with keen interest. Li Yujiao's swordsmanship was ethereal and light, yet concealed killing intent within its softness, like steel needles hidden in cotton—impossible to defend against completely. The youth was no novice either; he was genuinely skilled and bold. Swinging his short bow, he defended tightly, creating an impenetrable barrier, managing to block Li Yujiao's sword for the moment. Li Muzhan smiled. "Junior Sister Li, shall I take over?" "Hmph, no need!" Li Yujiao snorted. Her sword light abruptly softened, becoming even more gentle, like snowflakes drifting slowly, light and exquisitely elegant. At this moment, she did not look like she was killing, but rather performing a dance. Every movement, every gesture, was graceful and captivating, enough to entrance the heart. Wang Shuangfeng sighed softly, deeply envious. Li Muzhan smiled faintly. Then came a muffled thud. The youth was struck squarely in the chest, staring at Li Yujiao in stunned disbelief. Li Yujiao swiftly withdrew her sword, avoiding the spurt of blood, and turned to stand beside Li Muzhan, huffing, "Overestimating yourself!" The youth glared fixedly at Li Yujiao, pressing his fingers rapidly onto his wounds, then immediately sitting cross-legged on the ground. He pulled a bottle of pills from his robes and poured them all into his mouth, then took out another bottle and delicately sprinkled a small amount of powder onto the wound. Li Muzhan's eyes sharpened. He saw the blood instantly cease flowing as soon as the powder touched the injury. The healing effect was immediate, and he was surprised; he hadn't realized such miraculous medicine existed. His figure flickered, and he suddenly appeared beside the youth, snatching the small bottle away. "What is this marvelous medicine?" By now, the youth's face was as pale as paper. Blood had pooled on the ground in this short time, but the application of the medicine had evidently removed any immediate threat to his life. For martial arts experts, significant blood loss was the most fatal thing; once stopped, their inherent constitution would allow them to recover.