Young Master Feng burst into a hearty laugh, cupped his fist, and said, "I have yet to ask your esteemed name. I am Feng, given name Baishan, a disciple of Thunder Sword Peak."
Li Muzhan watched him with cold eyes, appraising him from head to toe, his gaze devoid of expression, as if looking upon a corpse.
Although Feng Baishan possessed good composure, he could not help but be angered. He suppressed his smile and said coolly, "You have made quite a name for yourself, yet you dare not reveal it?"
Li Muzhan responded coldly, "You intend to bar my way?"
Feng Baishan nodded. "Indeed. You are from Dayuan, I presume. Trespassing in Lingyun City is an unforgivable offense!"
"Why the superfluous words? Let us fight!" Li Muzhan sneered.
"Very well! ... Since you are so inhospitable, do not blame me for showing no mercy!" Feng Baishan stated gravely.
Li Muzhan watched him coldly, then extended a hand, making a gentle beckoning gesture twice.
This movement instantly enraged Feng Baishan. His eyes sharpened, piercing shafts of cold light shooting out. A dazzling, incomprehensible flash of lightning erupted from his waist.
Li Muzhan instantly retreated, twisting his body several times mid-step, evading the chilling sword light with flawless timing.
He stopped ten zhang away. Feng Baishan also halted, holding his sword level and glaring coldly at Li Muzhan, his eyes filled with astonishment that he had managed to withdraw unscathed.
The Thunder Sword of Thunder Sword Peak was renowned throughout the world; its sword light was as swift as lightning descending from the Ninth Heaven, utterly ferocious, consuming all in its path.
Yet this man had lightly swayed aside and deftly avoided the Thunder Sword, with an almost unbelievable ease.
Li Muzhan looked down at him placidly, his expression unchanging—no surprise, no elation, no triumph—as if he had just performed some trivial, insignificant feat.
"Your movement technique is truly remarkable!" Feng Baishan slowly conceded.
Though inwardly displeased that the Thunder Sword had been useless, he genuinely admired the man before him. Since descending the mountain, no one had withstood his Thunder Sword; this man was the first to evade it.
His cultivation was profound; he was a once-in-a-thousand-years genius from Thunder Sword Peak, exceptionally brilliant. Since leaving the mountain, he had been unrivaled beneath the Thunder Sword, almost certainly holding the title of the foremost young master in West Zhao.
Thus, despite his fine breeding, a vein of arrogance persisted, and his words often lacked consideration for others' feelings.
Li Muzhan said lightly, "Try my swordplay!"
Saying this, he pointed a gentle finger.
"Hiss—!" A sudden roar erupted, like a fierce tiger charging down a mountain.
The air before him seemed to boil, visibly manifesting in layers, rolling like dark clouds rushing toward Feng Baishan. Though seemingly slow, they arrived in the blink of an eye.
Feng Baishan frowned, his eyes locked onto the surging air. His longsword grew brighter and brighter, its luminosity surpassing the moonlight to the point of feeling like direct sunlight.
"Bang!" He suddenly thrust his sword out and was instantly sent flying backward.
He recoiled straight back in mid-air as if struck by a massive log, yanked back by an invisible line, covering ten zhang in an instant. He staggered back several steps, his face flushed crimson as if drunk.
Li Muzhan remained expressionless, raising his little finger and pointing remotely.
"Hiss—!" A faint whistle followed, almost imperceptible, like a gentle breeze skimming the treetops.
Feng Baishan forcibly suppressed the turbulence in his blood and focused his spirit in his eyes, thrusting his sword out again fiercely.
"Pop!" A crisp sound rang out, and the longsword instantly flew from his grasp. He retreated rapidly once more.
Li Muzhan pointed with his index finger, "Hiss!" Like tearing silk, an ear-splitting shriek accompanied a stream of qi-sword rocketing toward Feng Baishan.
With no other recourse, he could only punch out. With a dull thud, he flipped backward in the air, flying even higher.
Li Muzhan flicked his middle finger, and surging sword energy followed. Feng Baishan, suspended in mid-air, had no chance to evade, and his agitated vital energy left no time for lateral movement.
He could only punch out. With another dull thud, he flipped twice more, soaring even higher.
Li Muzhan followed one finger-strike with another. Feng Baishan bounced back and forth in the air like a ball, unable to land, his vital energy churning, blood now visible at the corner of his mouth.
He harbored a towering, suffocating rage. Since beginning martial arts, he had never felt so utterly humiliated and stifled, wishing desperately for mutual destruction.
Alas, his sword was gone; he only had his fists. He could not close the distance and was forced to meet the force of the finger strikes head-on, enduring impacts that grew stronger and stronger.
Li Muzhan delivered over a dozen more strikes. Feng Baishan’s movements grew sluggish, his body nearly exhausted, his internal organs bruised, blood now trickling steadily from his lips.
Li Muzhan abruptly ceased his attack, watching him land. Feng Baishan stumbled several steps before collapsing heavily onto the ground, unable to rise again.
His viscera screamed in pain; he tried to move but could not.
Li Muzhan walked over, hands behind his back, and looked down at him from above, saying coolly, "Thunder Sword Peak, quite a grand reputation!"
With that, he flickered away, instantly appearing a li distant. After two more flashes, he vanished into the vast night, as if he had never been there.
Feng Baishan grit his teeth, staring intensely at the spot where he disappeared. Li Muzhan’s cold, merciless expression kept flashing before his eyes, and he felt the faint mockery in that gaze.
"One day... one day..." he gasped for air, his teeth clashing so hard he felt he could grind them to dust, yet it would not quell his rage.
"Bang." He slammed his fist hard into the grass, creating a large crater. He slowly rolled over, sat cross-legged, and began regulating his breath.
The rage in his heart surged like a monstrous tide; he swore he would exact this revenge.
Li Muzhan stopped within a grove of trees and then deactivated the Great Bright King Scripture.
Now that he possessed five Heart Pearls, his spirit was formidable, making the Great Bright King Scripture easy to control. He could choose to deactivate it, and while active, his mind remained perfectly clear.
However, when operating under the Scripture, his emotions seemed to be discarded. There was no pleasure, no joy—only a coldness as clear as water, transforming him into a mere machine.
He disliked this feeling intensely, and even after deactivating the Scripture, the sensation lingered, leaving him distant and unfamiliar with his own emotions.
He realized that each time he employed the Great Bright King Scripture, his human emotions seemed to diminish slightly. If he used it more often, he feared he would eventually become a being entirely devoid of feeling.
He did not fear death, as he understood what it meant. But becoming an emotionless monster terrified him; this Great Bright King Scripture was best used as sparingly as possible.
Moreover, if he could acquire a few more Heart Pearls, the negative side effects of the Scripture might lessen. His immediate priority was strengthening himself.
He rested and regulated his breath in the woods for half a day, forcing down the nearly overwhelming exhaustion. He practiced the Lesser Dragon Form several times. Only after his internal energy grew and his Qi barrier was restored did he stop.
Suddenly, he looked up and saw two eagles soaring in the night sky, moving with effortless grace, so high up that only his exceptional vision could discern them.
He immediately recognized the two eagles he had rescued. He shook his head and smiled, wondering what they truly wanted. They seemed to yearn for freedom yet constantly circled above him, neither leaving nor approaching too closely—a very strange behavior.
He chuckled inwardly; perhaps they, too, felt conflicted.
Li Muzhan left the woods, his body weary, and walked slowly to the western city wall, climbing over and slipping back into his quarters in the inner camp.
As soon as he entered his room, Yan Lengsi arrived, knocking lightly. Li Muzhan let him in, and upon seeing Li Muzhan’s undeniable fatigue, Yan Lengsi was instantly startled.
He had never seen Li Muzhan like this. Even when sparring with several masters, he remained spirited and showed no sign of weariness. This current state was unprecedented.
"Monk, are you injured?" he asked anxiously.
Li Muzhan shook his head and laughed, "I sparred with you, and I'm drained. It's nothing; I just need a few days of rest."
Yan Lengsi stared at him for a moment; he truly didn't seem injured. He quickly said, "That's good. You rest up quickly... About the eagles...?"
He scratched his head sheepishly. He had come so late precisely to ask about the outcome.
Li Muzhan shook his head. "It’s a long story. I'll tell you tomorrow."
"...Alright then." Yan Lengsi was reluctant but nodded helplessly and withdrew.
Li Muzhan chuckled inwardly, knowing that by putting him off, Yan Lengsi wouldn't be sleeping soundly tonight. The itch of curiosity would torment him, which was just the way Li Muzhan preferred to temper his impatience.
Li Muzhan sat cross-legged on his couch and activated the Heaven-Observing Divine Illumination Sutra. His spirit entered the lotus form, and the moonlight, as tangible as substance, soaked his body.
The Yongquan acupoint shone like a morning star, continuously absorbing the moonlight, bringing indescribable comfort.
It suddenly occurred to him that he should refine all the acupoints throughout his body when he had time. The Heaven-Observing Divine Illumination Sutra also possessed the merit of cleansing marrow and washing sinews; refining these points would likely enhance its effect.
By noon, Li Muzhan awoke from his practice of the Heaven-Observing Divine Illumination Sutra, his weariness completely gone. He stood up from the couch and, as he did, practiced a few forms of the Lesser Dragon Form. The surging internal energy drilled up from his Yongquan point, becoming even more robust.
Li Muzhan understood this was the effect of the Sutra: washing the marrow and expanding the acupoints. While slower than the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, its effect was lasting.
He decided to enter immediate seclusion to refine his acupoints with his spirit, aiming to bring all major points into synchronization with his spirit.
When he emerged, he was immediately surrounded by Elder Ji and the others. They pulled him to a nearby pavilion to sit and talk, with Old Li even solicitously serving tea.
Li Muzhan accepted with a smile and took a sip.
"Mingkong, did you manage to get the eagles?" Old Li asked, blinking his small eyes eagerly.
Li Muzhan nodded, then shook his head.
Old Li jumped up anxiously, "What do you mean? Stop being coy, just tell us quickly!"
Li Muzhan smiled. "I encountered two eagles, but I was unable to subdue them."
Saying this, he explained the entire sequence of events, then pointed to the sky, where two eagles were circling, moving gracefully and slowly, utterly at ease.
"So, were they yours or not?" Old Li scratched his head.
Li Muzhan shook his head. "They just follow me, but they don't obey me, so I suppose not yet."
"Damn it, ungrateful beasts!" Old Li looked up and cursed loudly.
Li Muzhan smiled. "Longing for freedom is not wrong. It was only ten taels of silver, nothing much."
"Mingkong is indeed a true ascetic, truly detached," Elder Ji chuckled, patting Old Li’s shoulder. "Forget it; you shouldn't hold out too much hope."
"I thought the little monk would bring us a surprise!" Old Li shot Li Muzhan a look.
Li Muzhan rubbed his nose and smiled, then asked Elder Ji for leave to enter seclusion to practice.
Elder Ji nodded. "Mm, that’s fine. Don’t forget to examine the Broken Peak Saber; perhaps you can glean something from it."
Li Muzhan did not mention encountering Feng Baishan. Without the Great Bright King Scripture, he was certainly no match for Feng Baishan. His mind was occupied with the latter’s sword techniques, and he was determined to study them thoroughly upon returning.