He returned to Tianlong City as the sun reached its zenith, casting a brilliant, warm glow that made him feel languid.

Chi Ying, however, was bursting with energy. Having been cooped up lately, it had vented its frustration on the journey, galloping like the wind; people could only see a fleeting shadow, unable to distinguish the horse from the rider.

Li Muzhan let it have its spree; it truly needed to stretch its limbs. Chi Ying hadn't been idle these past days; its internal vortex had expanded considerably, and its inner power had deepened significantly.

It seemed the cultivation of animals was in no way inferior to that of humans—perhaps it was the power of pure focus.

For inner power cultivation, the simpler the mind, the better.

With profound inner power, its speed increased greatly, surpassing its former self; when it ran, it was nothing more than a shadow, perhaps even faster than his own Qinggong.

Amidst his joy, he felt a greater anticipation for the Twin Eagles, eager to see what they would become.

Thinking of them, he looked up at the sky, where the two eagles were circling overhead.

Upon entering Tianlong City and returning to the Ming Residence, he wondered how Zhao Shengli and the others had managed the household. They hadn't made a sound since he entered the inner camp some time ago.

He arrived at the Ming Residence and knocked on the door. Old Dong, the gatekeeper, opened it. Seeing him, the old man’s face immediately broke into a smile as he welcomed him in, taking Chi Ying’s reins in the process.

Li Muzhan laughed, "Old Dong, let Chi Ying graze freely. Feed him some premium feed."

"Yes, Young Master, rest assured, I will take excellent care of him." Old Dong grinned widely, his eyes shining.

Li Muzhan nodded. This Old Dong was adept at tending horses, a true talent. He wondered why such a person had ended up as a mere gatekeeper; he must be a man with a story.

But it was understandable. Though skilled with horses, horses were scarce in Dayan common lands, leaving a hero with no place to apply his talents. Looking at the way he gazed at Chi Ying—like it was a treasure, his expression fervent—one could see his deep longing.

Li Muzhan crossed the small bridge over the water, traversed the paths shaded by clusters of flowering bushes, and arrived at the main hall where Xiao Ya was already standing, waiting to serve fragrant tea.

Li Muzhan sat down and asked, "Where are they?"

Xiao Ya replied demurely, "The three Madams have gone to visit the Thirteenth Lady."

Li Muzhan frowned, "How did they meet?"

"The Thirteenth Lady came to call on you, Young Master, and encountered the three Madams," Xiao Ya murmured.

Li Muzhan shook his head, "This Thirteenth Lady..."

"Young Master, is something amiss?" Xiao Ya quickly inquired.

Li Muzhan smiled, "This Thirteenth Lady is no simple character; be cautious."

"The Thirteenth Lady is very warm and hospitable; she insisted on taking the Madams with her. The Madams couldn't very well refuse, so they went," Xiao Ya replied with a slight smile.

Li Muzhan nodded, taking a light sip of his tea.

Xiao Ya was dressed today in a perfectly tailored green robe that accentuated her slender figure, lending her a unique, enchanting feminine grace that, paired with her delicate features, was quite captivating.

Li Muzhan drank a couple more sips in silence. Xiao Ya quietly asked, "Young Master, shall I send word to the three Madams?"

"Forget it, let them enjoy themselves. I'm going to rest." Li Muzhan waved his hand, set down his teacup, turned, and left the hall, returning to his own courtyard.

He paced in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, glanced at the sky, and smiled. The two eagles were soaring high, perfectly at ease, occasionally letting out a clear cry as if greeting him.

After some contemplation, he suddenly turned, left the courtyard, and found Old Dong, asking him to procure some wood; he intended to build a small pavilion on the roof.

Being skilled in carpentry, he quickly erected the pavilion—about two meters high and three meters square. It looked as if it were meant for dwelling, simple yet elegant, sturdy and durable.

He leaped onto the roof, secured the small pavilion, and gave it a hard shake. It was firm enough to withstand strong winds and heavy rain. Standing beside it, he pursed his lips and whistled, beckoning toward the sky.

The two eagles swooped down with a whistle, accompanying a gust of wind, arriving at Li Muzhan's side. They stopped abruptly, perching atop the pavilion, surveying their surroundings with spirited, majestic gazes.

Their feathers shimmered in the sunlight, appearing black, then brown, the color shifting with the angle.

Their eyes were like pure, flawless gemstones, black and intensely bright, brimming with intelligence; meeting their gaze was no different than meeting a human’s eyes.

Their stare was piercing, like physical swords capable of penetrating a person’s heart.

Compared to the last time he saw them, the appearance of the two eagles had undergone a complete transformation, as if they were entirely different birds.

Li Muzhan smiled and extended his hand, stroking their feathers. The eagles leaned sideways, brushing his hand as a gesture of affection. Li Muzhan was delighted.

He hadn't expected these two eagles to be so docile. Previously, they had been unruly and fiercely wild; the change was almost too swift.

He channeled wisps of his inner power into them, sensing their internal condition. They had indeed improved immensely; their inner energy flowed ceaselessly. His eyebrows suddenly twitched as he detected something unusual: the inner power had rerouted itself, passing through their brains.

No wonder the two eagles were so intelligent; inner power passing through the brain naturally nourishes the spirit.

He recalled that during his last session of meridian expansion, he had carefully avoided the brain, fearing that a misstep could damage their spirits and lead to death.

He hadn't expected them to spontaneously adjust their inner power pathways to pass through the brain—it was somewhat incredible.

He pointed to the pavilion, then pointed to the two eagles, employing Xintong (Mind Connection) to imprint his meaning into their minds. The eagles chirped a few times and nodded.

Li Muzhan smiled, patted them, and gracefully descended from the roof. The two eagles slipped into the pavilion, and silence followed.

He was greatly surprised; he hadn't expected to subdue the two eagles so easily.

After a moment of stillness, the two eagles hopped out again, standing on the pavilion, gazing into the distance, motionless. Li Muzhan knew the two eagles had begun to practice.

He looked up, his face beaming with satisfaction.

"Mingkong, where did these eagles come from?" Footsteps sounded, and the three women, Mei Ruolan among them, glided in. Mei Ruolan, clad in a light purple silk robe, asked with a smile.

Gong Qingyun, in a snow-white robe, resembled an otherworldly celestial being, cool and serene. Xiao Yuan, in a rosy pink robe, was as radiant as a flower, looking at Li Muzhan with a smile.

Li Muzhan laughed, "I subdued them. From now on, they are members of our household."

Mei Ruolan looked at them with surprise. "Taming eagles isn't easy; it takes quite some effort. When did you have the time to tame them?"

Li Muzhan recounted the events in Xizhao, drawing exclamations of admiration and envy from Xiao Yuan.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Have you been bored staying in the residence all this time?"

Mei Ruolan shook her head, smiling, "It's much livelier than the mountain... The Thirteenth Lady living next door is quite an extraordinary person."

Li Muzhan nodded and smiled, "Indeed. She conceals her true intentions, aiming for something significant. It's best to keep our distance."

Xiao Yuan pouted, playfully chastising, "With such beauty, how could you avoid her?"

Li Muzhan laughed, "Xiao Yuan, don't talk nonsense. This Thirteenth Lady is formidable. I doubt any man in this world has caught her eye."

"Not necessarily; she seemed quite curious about you," Xiao Yuan countered dismissively.

The group settled at the small pavilion, and Xiao Ya brought tea before gracefully withdrawing.

Li Muzhan said with a smile, "Ruolan, Qingyun, Xiao Yuan, starting today, I will teach you the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture."

To conceal his identity, he changed his address, no longer calling them Senior Sisters. Since they were now his wives, he naturally used their given names, even in private, to avoid exposing himself in public.

Xiao Yuan immediately cheered, beside herself with excitement. She had long wanted to learn the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, but Li Muzhan had always been too busy to spare the time.

Mei Ruolan asked, "Mingkong, do you have the time?"

Li Muzhan nodded and smiled, "I requested another leave of absence."

Mei Ruolan chuckled, "You soldiers have it good, getting leave so easily."

Li Muzhan smiled, "It was just a stroke of luck... Learning the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture requires dissolving the Canghai Divine Art. Everyone must remain within the residence; it’s too dangerous outside."

He acted immediately upon his word. They returned to change clothes and began dissolving their inner power to study the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture under Li Muzhan.

For the following few days, Li Muzhan remained in the residence, instructing them in the scripture. He wasn't idle himself, constantly using the Shen Lian Acupoint (Spirit Refining Acupoint) method.

Refining acupoints with the spirit, merging the acupoint with the mind—this wasn't achieved overnight. Fortunately, he had prior experience and was familiar with the process; moreover, having five Heart Pearls made it considerably easier.

Five days later, his mind and the Laogong acupoint merged into one.

Having unified his mind and the Laogong acupoint, he commanded with ease and began drawing upon the Earth's refined energy through this point. Instead of placing both palms flat on the ground, he could now press his palms onto a stone.

He often squatted on the rockery or sat by the stone table, palms resting on it.

The rockery and stone table offered suboptimal results compared to actual mountains, where the Earth's refined energy surged forth ceaselessly. With the Yongquan points and his palms working in concert, the accumulation of inner power doubled in speed.

Li Muzhan was overjoyed. He mused that if he refined all the acupoints on his body, wouldn't the speed be even greater? Filling the Qi membrane seemed imminent!

Spurred by this excitement, he proceeded to merge his consciousness with the ** acupoint. This took him ten days, an incredibly taxing endeavor, as the ** acupoint proved far harder to refine than he had imagined.

After the ** acupoint merged with his mind, he sat cross-legged on the ground. Instantly, inner power surged forth like a pillar; the sheer magnitude of his energy didn't even equal one-eleventh of what the two Yongquan points managed combined.

This dramatically increased his training speed. Regrettably, he soon had to stop.

Because the ** acupoint absorbed inner power, it began to affect his body and mind. After training, he would become rigid, his desire burning intensely, bordering on uncontrollable.

Even with the increase in his Heart Pearls, which boosted his desires, the intensity now was far greater than anything before.

One morning, after cultivating all night, his inner power was vast, and the Qi membrane showed slight growth. He was deeply satisfied; even without any other acupoints, filling the Qi membrane just through the ** point wouldn't take too long.

He used his internal arts to suppress the stirring flames of desire and returned to tranquility. He stepped out of his room to find Mei Ruolan practicing in the courtyard, clad in a form-fitting martial arts outfit.

Her figure was graceful, accentuated by a prominent bust and hips, making her incredibly provocative.

"Boom..." Li Muzhan felt a jolt in his mind, his eyes instantly glazed over, and a raging fire of desire shot straight into his brain.

An intense compulsion burned within him, fierce as a flame, driving him to charge forward, embrace her, hold her close, and fuse her into his own body.

At that moment, his formidable self-control asserted itself, leaving a sliver of clarity. He took deep breaths, deliberately turning his head away, unable to look at her.

The process was excruciatingly difficult; he felt as if he nearly twisted his neck off, his face flushed and his neck throbbing—utterly disheveled.

Mei Ruolan, practicing the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, turned and noticed his strange demeanor. She gracefully approached, her fragrance enveloping him, and leaned in to look at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan kept his eyes shut, hurriedly pushing her away. Holding soft, warm jade in his hands, he almost collapsed. He rushed out of the courtyard and dove headfirst into the lotus pond in the rear garden.

Seeing his state, Mei Ruolan felt something was wrong and hurried after him.