"Little monk, it's good that you know!" the lean man said proudly, his small eyes glaring, "Now you see how formidable our big brother is, eh?"

Li Muzhan smiled, shaking his head, "Relying on sheer numbers isn't skill; anyone else could do it. It hardly commands true respect."

"What, you want to test me?" Xiong Sihai tilted his head to look at him.

Li Muzhan laughed, "That's precisely my intention. If you can subdue me, I will naturally and obediently call you Big Brother. Otherwise, with such underhanded tactics, I remain unconvinced!"

"Big Brother, ignore him, why should he even warrant a bout with you?" the lean man sneered dismissively.

Li Muzhan smiled, not sparing him a glance, fixing his gaze solely on Xiong Sihai.

Xiong Sihai frowned, looking coldly at Li Muzhan, then after a long pause, he snorted, "Fine. I'm in a good mood today. I'll spar with you a couple of rounds and set things straight so you are thoroughly convinced!"

Li Muzhan quickly shoveled his meal down, placed his bowl steadily on the rockery, turned around, and said, "Please, lead the way!"

The crowd gradually gathered, forming a circle, leaving an open space of about four or five zhang.

Li Muzhan and Xiong Sihai stood facing each other. Xiong Sihai stretched his arms and twisted his neck; his whole body cracked audibly, like beans popping in a pan.

The sounds grew denser and denser, eventually becoming a continuous stream, like firecrackers all going off at once.

Li Muzhan frowned. He hadn't cultivated to that level yet; clearly, his level of cultivation far surpassed his own.

Fortunately, his mind was lightning-fast, and his reaction speed was even better. Relying on the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, he should be able to maintain an undefeated position.

His mind was still as water. He bent his legs slightly, resembling a black bear standing upright, and a heavy, powerful aura surged out. Those around him were discerning; seeing this, they gasped in surprise.

Evidently, he had grasped the true essence of the boxing style; just by standing there, he manifested the very spirit of the Bear.

Xiong Sihai knitted his brows and slowly pushed out both palms, extending them diagonally upwards. His grey robe immediately billowed violently, as if being whipped by a strong gust of wind, drawing a unified cheer from the crowd.

Li Muzhan inwardly let out a sound of appreciation. Xiong Sihai's movement was the 'Stretching Tiger,' lazy in appearance yet focused with immense energy and overwhelming momentum, possessing the commanding presence of a fierce tiger surveying its domain.

"Watch my fist!" Xiong Sihai roared, thrusting forward powerfully, leaping directly to Li Muzhan's front, his two fists striking out, one high and one low, like a fierce tiger pouncing.

Li Muzhan’s movements were slow; he shifted his body slightly, evading both punches, while simultaneously unleashing a palm strike. It whistled with cutting wind and headed straight for Xiong Sihai’s ear.

Xiong Sihai twisted his body and swung his fist to strike again, agile and fluid, changing tactics effortlessly. Fist met palm.

With a muffled thud, both men retreated a step. Li Muzhan felt his palm tingling and burning with pain, as surging power transmitted through his hand.

Li Muzhan let out an 'Ah,' taking a step back to dissipate this overwhelming force.

He had practiced the Heartless Sleeve back then, and now he practiced the Spear; his control over internal force was becoming increasingly effortless. When force came toward him, he naturally channeled it away or exploited the opportunity to deflect it.

The crowd, about to cheer, quickly silenced themselves. The collision of Li Muzhan’s palm and Xiong Sihai’s fist appeared utterly even, a stalemate.

This single exchange astonished everyone. They were intimately familiar with Xiong Sihai’s strength; otherwise, they wouldn't have willingly called him Big Brother. For this young monk to possess such formidable skill was truly startling.

Xiong Sihai roared in anger, "Again!"

His grey robe snapped loudly, like wind rushing past. His hair seemed poised to stand on end, his sword-like brows furrowed, and his entire body radiated a chilling, murderous aura.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Good, again!"

He slowly took one step forward. The crowd experienced a momentary illusion, as if the ground beneath them trembled slightly, causing their bodies to sway, their spirits momentarily dazed.

This step manifested the true spirit of the Black Bear; his essence, spirit, and vigor were perfectly synchronized, making the impact tremendously strong.

Xiong Sihai paused momentarily. By the time he reacted, Li Muzhan’s palm was already near his chest. He quickly punched out—thump—a dull sound—and he staggered back two steps.

Li Muzhan stood firm, not yielding an inch, instead stepping forward once more. Just like that last step, it was like a giant bear shifting its weight, shaking the ground, followed by a sweeping palm strike.

Xiong Sihai, only just stabilizing his posture, immediately hammered out another punch, not avoiding Li Muzhan’s right palm but aiming it at Li Muzhan’s chest, attempting a maneuver to rescue his own defense by threatening his opponent's vital spot.

Li Muzhan paid him no mind, bringing his palm down, ignoring the punch. He was utterly confident; the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art protected his body, capable of deflecting ordinary blades and swords, let alone a simple fist. Even if struck, the injury would be negligible.

Xiong’s bear-like strike appeared slow and clumsy, yet it was actually swift and nimble. This descending palm would reach him before his fist did. Xiong Sihai was helpless; at the critical moment, he retracted his body and retreated, barely avoiding it, the wind from the palm whipping his hair.

Li Muzhan smiled, then took another step, delivering another palm chop, closing the distance relentlessly, allowing Xiong Sihai no chance to catch his breath, forcing him into an all-out confrontation.

Xiong Sihai was at a disadvantage, possessing brute strength that he couldn't fully unleash, causing extreme frustration. His square face flushed red, his eyes frenzied. He tried several times to force a mutual destruction, but Li Muzhan’s palms were always faster than his fists. He couldn't achieve mutual annihilation and was forced to retreat, step after step, until he was pushed back over ten meters.

The onlookers gaped, their eyes wide, staring blankly at the two, utterly bewildered.

Li Muzhan’s thoughts were electric; his intent preceded his movements. As soon as a move was launched, he had already mapped out the next one, suffocating Xiong Sihai. If Xiong Sihai tried to fight head-on, Li Muzhan’s immense power would nullify his internal energy, leaving him one step short. If he attempted mutual destruction, he couldn't outpace Li Muzhan; trapped between living and dying.

"Damn it, Big Brother, let's go together!" The lean man saw this, shouted loudly, leaped behind Li Muzhan, and pecked toward the monk's back with his hand shaped like a crane’s beak.

Li Muzhan swept his left hand back, covering the attack with a palm strike that looked clumsy yet was both fast and precise.

With a sharp crack, it landed squarely on the back of the lean man’s hand.

The lean man immediately let out a loud cry and hastily retreated to examine his hand. It was bright crimson, bearing a clearly defined palm print.

As Li Muzhan's left hand swept back, his right continued to chop toward Xiong Sihai, pressing him relentlessly, not allowing him a moment to recover. With every step he took, a clear footprint marked the ground, one step, one print.

Xiong Sihai was about to shout when the lean man retreated. His anger flared higher. "Damn it! You lot, get out of the way, don't interfere!"

The honest-looking man hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand, "Let's all go at once! If we can't take him down, what face will we have left? Go!"

The crowd hesitated for a moment, then a large fellow jumped out, "I'm coming!"

He pounced on Li Muzhan ferociously, covering him entirely with the force of Mount Tai pressing down on an egg. Suddenly, Li Muzhan closed his eyes. Instantly, the entire area within thirty zhang materialized before him, as if he were standing in the void looking down.

He lightly stepped forward, pressing Xiong Sihai again. This step simultaneously evaded the large man, and he swept his left hand backward.

With a muffled bang, the large man flew backward.

Li Muzhan’s left hand acted like a whip, striking the man’s chest directly, sending him tumbling, flipping through the air as he flew several yards away.

A few men rushed forward to catch him, only for him to roll onto the ground like a collection of fallen gourds. The sheer force contained within his body was immense, like a thousand pounds. Unprepared, they were pinned to the ground beneath him.

With this large man leading the charge, it was like a floodgate opening. The crowd surged forward, surrounding Li Muzhan, punching and kicking from all directions.

Li Muzhan's figure swayed slightly, as if drunk. He took one step into the crowd, swaying and stumbling, bumping into people as he moved.

Immediately, people were sent flying. Everyone whose body made contact with his flew out, without exception; his body seemed imbued with powerful elastic force.

In just a few moves, over twenty people were sent flying. Seeing this, the crowd scattered, separating themselves, keeping distance from Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan chuckled heartily, full of heroic spirit, "Haha... someone like you dares to call himself Big Brother?"

Xiong Sihai's face turned ashen. Gritting his teeth, he waved his hand, "You all stand down! ... I want to face this fellow alone!"

"Big Brother, the three of us together!" The honest man stepped forward solemnly, and the lean man puffed out his chest and moved up, positioning himself behind Xiong Sihai.

Xiong Sihai glared, about to curse them, but seeing the expressions of the two, he paused, then snorted, "Fine. Today, the three sworn brothers fight side by side!"

The crowd retreated, their gazes towards Li Muzhan shifting.

Li Muzhan chuckled again, "Very well, the three of you come at me together; it saves trouble!"

"Take my punch!" Xiong Sihai leaped forward. This time, he learned his lesson—he couldn't let Li Muzhan seize the initiative, or one wrong step would lead to a cascade of errors, suffocating him. That feeling was too stifling; he wished he could take a palm strike just to land one hit on Li Muzhan, but in the end, he had to abandon the thought, as taking that palm strike meant instant death.

The other two attacked from the left and right, their coordination between the three flawless.

Li Muzhan stepped sideways slightly, peeling off one opponent, and moved toward the lean man. His palm was heavy yet nimble, sweeping down. The lean man thrust his fist, shaped like a crane's beak, aiming for Li Muzhan’s eyes.

But Li Muzhan’s left palm was extremely fast, meeting the crane fist. With a dull thud, the lean man retreated, his right arm dangling uselessly, seemingly broken.

He gritted his teeth and shot out his left fist, also shaped like a crane’s beak. Li Muzhan brought another palm down, squarely hitting his left fist. His left arm also drooped.

Thump. Li Muzhan’s shoulder absorbed a blow from the honest man.

His actions didn't cease. He took a step forward, slamming his shoulder into the lean man. The lean man tried to pull back, but Li Muzhan's charge, though seeming clumsy, was swift.

Bang! The lean man was sent flying backward, struck squarely in the chest.

This impact sent him soaring about ten zhang before he landed far away, startling the onlookers—how could he fly so far? It was too exaggerated!

Li Muzhan had absorbed the honest man’s punch and immediately channeled its force outward, guiding the energy from his left shoulder across to his right, and then dumping it onto the lean man. This technique was akin to borrowing external force to defeat an opponent—exquisitely subtle.

Originally, upon mastering the Heartless Sleeve, Li Muzhan’s external control over force was supremely refined. After practicing the Spear Stance, his command over internal body force also became adept.

The honest man froze, his smile stiffening on his face. His punch, even if it wasn't a thousand jin, carried several hundred; a body of flesh and blood struck by it should be dead or severely injured, spitting blood. Li Muzhan had taken his blow and appeared completely unharmed, as if he were merely being tickled. The honest man found it unbelievable.

While the honest man was stunned, Li Muzhan retreated one step and charged in.

"Dodge!" Xiong Sihai roared.

The honest man retreated rapidly, but he was slower than Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan's shoulder struck his chest, sending him flying, then he retreated a step, appearing before Xiong Sihai.

Xiong Sihai roared and thrust his right fist out.

With a low whine of fury, the fist seemed to emit a faint glow, shooting forward like a meteor.

Li Muzhan extended his right palm to meet the punch. His complexion shifted slightly, and his body instantly swayed several times, like a tumbler. His feet sank three or four inches into the ground as he exclaimed in a deep voice, "Good fist work!"

He hadn't expected this punch to be so ferocious. The overwhelming power surged like a tidal wave. Through the repeated swaying, like a bottle catching a rapidly surging current, he dissipated the initial sharpness over a few glances, then dispersed the remainder into the earth beneath his feet.

Seeing that Li Muzhan was unharmed, Xiong Sihai roared again, his fist emanating a faint glow as he charged forward once more.

Li Muzhan shifted sideways to evade, bringing down a palm strike. His posture appeared clumsy, yet it was remarkably agile.

Xiong Sihai gritted his teeth and opted for mutual destruction, making no attempt to dodge. This punch was incredibly fast, hitting Li Muzhan’s shoulder like a shooting star. Li Muzhan’s figure flickered, and simultaneously, his right palm chopped down toward the opponent’s shoulder.

Bang! A dull thud sounded, and Xiong Sihai flew out like a deflating ball.

Li Muzhan channeled the force from his shoulder outward, combining it with his original palm strength. The two forces compounded, becoming overwhelmingly powerful. It was fortunate that Xiong Sihai’s shoulder wasn't shattered.

After landing, he tumbled a few times on the ground, sprang up, but Li Muzhan was already standing before him, bringing another palm strike down.

Xiong Sihai tried to dodge, but his strength failed him. His body felt weak, and he was struck again, sent sliding several zhang through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.

As soon as he struggled to rise, Li Muzhan was standing before him again, bringing his palm down.

He flew out several more zhang, landing heavily again. This time, he landed in a flowerbed, crushing several plants. His grey robe was now stained yellow and torn by thorns, leaving him utterly disheveled.

Li Muzhan covered the distance in two or three steps, crossed the flowerbed, and stood before him, looking down with a faint smile.

Xiong Sihai gritted his teeth, trying to stand again, his eyes filled with unconcealed defiance.

Li Muzhan’s smile widened. He shook his head, glanced around at the surrounding onlookers, then stepped out of the flowerbed and entered his own room.

He sat cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed), motionless.

Time passed slowly, soon reaching noon. Just as he was about to get down to eat, Xiong Sihai and the other two entered the room. Li Muzhan was holding a bowl of rice and handed it over, saying coldly, "Here."

Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow, looking at him in confusion.

Xiong Sihai placed the bowl on the kang, then sat down himself, snorting, "I am not a good man, but I respect those who are stronger than me!"