After a long pause, as General Hua was deep in thought, Li Muzhan suddenly opened his eyes and smiled faintly, "General, perhaps we should change locations."

General Hua looked up, "Hm? Did an assassin get in?"

Li Muzhan nodded, "This person is proficient in formations. They are close by; it would be wise to move."

General Hua chuckled, "Good, I'll listen to you."

Li Muzhan rose from his cushion, and General Hua also picked up his longsword. The two departed the main tent together and moved into an adjacent one.

This tent was identical to the original one, with the same furnishings: a low table, a carpet, a cushion, and two rows of benches.

General Hua sat back down behind the low table, still lost in contemplation, while Li Muzhan returned to his cushion. Silence descended upon the large tent, the sounds from outside muffled and unable to penetrate.

.............................., Li Muzhan surveyed the scene with his Void Eye. A soldier in black armor was walking slowly, each step taken with extreme caution. His gait was peculiar, three steps to the left, four steps to the right, then one step back—a very awkward pattern of movement.

Li Muzhan inwardly nodded. It seemed this person had seen through the formation, capable of not losing his sense of direction, but once inside, the confusion of the senses was unavoidable.

Entering the Eight Trigrams Maze Formation was like stepping into a dense fog. Knowing the solution was like having a map of the path through the mist—one could slowly grope forward, but not see clearly.

He proceeded cautiously, one wrong step, and he would fall directly into the snare, inevitably becoming a prisoner beneath the ranks. As an assassin, how could he survive? Thus, every step concerned his very life.

He paused before every tent, carefully lifting the flap, fully alert, prepared to strike and kill at any moment.

Li Muzhan looked down through his Void Eye, observing as if examining lines on his palm. Every subtle flicker of expression, every change in the skin, every shift in the eyes, he could see with perfect clarity.

He shook his head. Trapped within the Eight Trigrams Maze Formation, finding General Hua would be as hard as scaling the heavens.

After a while, Li Muzhan opened his eyes and said softly, "General, let us move. We can return now."

"Did that fellow leave?" General Hua looked up and smiled.

Li Muzhan nodded, "He has already scouted the area; he likely won't return."

General Hua stood up, stretched, and chuckled, "If you ask me, we should have just killed him. Why keep him alive?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "General, the path of killing is the lowest grade. The benevolent are invincible. Why not subdue these people and turn them into your subordinates?"

General Hua paused, then his eyes lit up, "Turn them into my subordinates?"

Li Muzhan nodded, "Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life. Everyone has their use. These assassins who came here are all experts; killing them outright would be a true waste."

"What do you have in mind?" General Hua asked.

Li Muzhan suggested, "General could establish a Swordsman Camp. Placed on the battlefield, their power would surely be considerable."

"If so many people are gathered, in case they incite rebellion, it might become a disaster," General Hua mused.

Li Muzhan smiled, "As long as rewards and punishments are clear, it won't be difficult to make them serve."

.............................................."

As they spoke, the two slowly left the main tent and returned to the original one.

Li Muzhan sat cross-legged, flicked his sleeve, took the bow and arrow, and shot. It pierced the tent without a sound, striking the man directly on an acupuncture point.

Like a golden needle sealing the points, the man instantly froze, falling stiffly to the ground.

Li Muzhan floated out of the tent, grabbed the man, and tossed him out, flying more than twenty tents away, where Ji Wuming and the others caught him.

Ji Wuming and his group sent the man to a secure location for careful custody. In the future, these people would become soldiers, fighting on the front lines, their past crimes absolved by military merit.

Li Muzhan had refrained from acting earlier because he wanted to see the extent to which the intruder could break the formation, and how powerful the Eight Trigrams Maze Formation truly was.

Now, he saw that even knowing the method to break it, once inside, the eyes, ears, and nose lost their function beyond a foot's distance—becoming blind and deaf.

He relaxed. With the Eight Trigrams Formation in place, approaching silently was nearly impossible. Even a master of formations would need significant effort to neutralize it. In that amount of time, Li Muzhan would surely detect them.

General Hua pondered for a long time, then sighed, "Mingkong, I’ve thought it over and still can’t find a proper way. I wanted to pass on the Great Dragon Form to you, but you can only become a General otherwise."

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head, "General, please don't trouble yourself. We can discuss it another day."

General Hua laughed, "However, I can recommend you to become a General. Your contributions are enough for it."

Li Muzhan said, "I don't have any military achievements right now."

"You saved my life; how can that not count as merit?" General Hua chuckled.

Li Muzhan started, but seeing his knowing smile, he understood immediately. He shook his head, "General, I am unworthy of such praise; I dare not accept it."

General Hua waved his hand, "To be honest, saving my life is no exaggeration. If these assassins had succeeded... while I possess martial skill, it's geared towards battle formations; I am no match for delicate close-quarters techniques."

In these past few days, Li Muzhan had thwarted several waves of assassins, accruing significant merit, but these were intangible deeds, difficult to quantify and unlikely to be officially recognized.

General Hua stated, "I have the authority to recommend one person for the rank of General. Though it is only the most basic rank of Xialang Jiangjun (Lower Rank General), it is sufficient for practicing the Great Dragon Form."

Without waiting for Li Muzhan to speak, he waved his hand decisively, "This matter is settled. You don't need to thank me; strengthening your abilities helps me as well."

"Yes, thank you, General," Li Muzhan bowed with palms together and said no more.

Three days later, Li Muzhan became a Xialang Jiangjun.

This was akin to soaring to the heavens, skipping over ten ranks—surpassing Huozheng, Duizheng, Lüshuai, Xiaowei, and Duwei, becoming directly a Langjiang (Brigade General).

Even though he was the lowest tier of Xialang Jiangjun, holding no real power and not taken seriously—much like a military civilian position in later eras—a General was still a General.

From then on, people could address him as General.

Li Muzhan understood the difficulty involved. Military merit could not be fabricated; it was the foundation upon which the Great Yan Dynasty was established. General Hua must have mobilized vast resources and paid an enormous price to secure such an exceptional promotion.

Li Muzhan smiled wryly, wondering when he had become so valuable as to warrant such an effort to win him over. A slight shift in his thinking revealed the reason.

The smooth process was due in part to the efforts of Jiang Haoyu and the others. Their deep connections meant repaying the debt of saving their lives was not too difficult when their families cooperated.

Furthermore, General Hua was engaging in the practice of "paying a thousand pieces of gold for a single bone" (a grand gesture to attract talent), stabilizing morale and inspiring the officers and soldiers of the Divine Light Camp. Nothing was more motivating than achieving instantaneous promotion.

His own swift ascent made him the center of envy and jealousy.

While grateful for General Hua's elevation, he was not swayed by emotion. Seeing through human nature, he still felt genuine gratitude toward General Hua.

However, being a General held little importance for Li Muzhan. Power was what mattered. His lifelong ideal—to become the foremost master under heaven—was rooted deep in his blood and had never faded.

To become the foremost master, one had to relinquish everything and focus solely on that one goal, casting aside external distractions so that nothing could disturb the mind.

Now that he was a General, according to his agreement with his grand-uncle, he could return to his sect. Yet, he could not simply leave; he had to wait until this war concluded. After all, he owed General Hua a massive favor that could not be ignored.

One morning, General Hua, dressed in black martial attire, finished practicing the Great Dragon Form, clapped his hands, and smiled, "Mingkong, starting today, I will teach you the Great Dragon Form."

Li Muzhan opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his calm face, "Good."

He rose slowly, without hesitation. He had been curious about the Great Dragon Form for a long time, eager to know what miraculous abilities it possessed to be considered the pinnacle of secret arts.

The secret arts of the military possessed vast power, far surpassing civilian martial arts—a fact he understood deeply. He presumed the Great Dragon Form would not disappoint him.

General Hua was full of vigor, his eyes shining with spiritual light.

His expression became solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "Before practicing, you must swear a solemn oath: never to reveal this technique to anyone else, not even your wife or children, not a single word!"

Li Muzhan nodded slowly and, without hesitation, raised his palm and swore the deadly oath.

General Hua's expression eased slightly, "That is good. Only with this oath can training begin."

Li Muzhan asked, "General, what happens if someone is willing to risk breaking the oath to pass it on?"

General Hua's face darkened, and he said flatly, "Whoever privately teaches it will have their entire clan executed. Whoever secretly learns it will also have their entire clan executed, wiped out completely."

Li Muzhan pondered, then slowly asked, "What if a spy from an enemy nation steals this technique and transmits it abroad?"

General Hua rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking slightly uncomfortable, "Every nation has its own martial arts, forming distinct systems... Alas, besides, the martial arts of other nations are all one tier above Great Yan's."

"Oh...?" Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow.

General Hua shook his head and sighed, "There are things ordinary people don't know, but every General is aware. In terms of military martial arts, our Great Yan is truly mediocre, even slightly inferior to Great Li. So, if anyone steals martial arts, it's usually us stealing theirs."

Li Muzhan showed a wry smile and nodded slowly. Though knowledgeable, he had not expected this situation. In the end, Great Yan's martial arts were the worst—a fact that was hard to believe.

General Hua said, "Mingkong, now that you are a General, you should know some of the real situation."

Li Muzhan nodded and looked at him.

General Hua continued, "Of the five nations under heaven—the Northern Khan, Southern Great Yan, Southern Li, Central Xizhao, and Eastern Chu—the most powerful is undoubtedly the Khan, with hundreds of thousands of cavalry, unmatched in the world... Next is Eastern Chu, then Xizhao. Our Great Yan ranks fourth, and Southern Li is last."

"Southern Li is constrained by geography—small territory and sparse population. Because of its unique environment, the other nations find it unprofitable to attack, so Great Yan has become the easy target."

"Fortunately, Eastern Chu and Xizhao are kept in check by the Khan; otherwise, Great Yan would have long been carved up."

Li Muzhan nodded silently, frowning in thought.

"In terms of martial arts, the Khan is first, Eastern Chu second, Southern Li third, Xizhao fourth. We rank last. Techniques as marvelous as the Great Dragon Form, I hear, are not rare in Eastern Chu; even a Duwei can learn it."

General Hua shook his head and smiled, "But in our Great Yan, it is a priceless treasure, guarded closely."

"Are there techniques better than the Great Dragon Form in the other four nations?" Li Muzhan inquired.

General Hua nodded, "Certainly there must be, but I don't know what they are... My rank is insufficient to know such core secrets."

Li Muzhan sighed, looking toward the top of the tent. He felt the path to becoming the foremost master under heaven was indeed long.

……………………………………,………………”………………

General Hua waved his hand, "Alright, enough idle talk. I told you this so you would have perspective, lest you become arrogant after learning the Great Dragon Form. Although your cultivation is deep, some emotions grow imperceptibly and are hard to notice."

"Thank you for enlightening me, General," Li Muzhan nodded and smiled, "I have broadened my horizons considerably." General Hua smiled, "The Great Dragon Form is the next level after the Small Dragon Form. This level trains in the Qi of heaven and earth. Once perfected, one can conjure clouds and ride the mist; the Qi of heaven and earth follows them, and every movement of the arm or kick carries the force of a thousand jin, possessing limitless power."

"What stage have you reached, General?" Li Muzhan asked.

"Me? I'm still far off," General Hua shook his head self-deprecatingly, "My aptitude is too poor. I’ve practiced for five years and still haven't touched the threshold of the second layer."

Li Muzhan was surprised, "Only the first layer?"

Seeing General Hua as astute and supremely intelligent, if his aptitude was poor, then whose aptitude could be good?

General Hua shook his head, "Although the Great Dragon Form is powerful, it is difficult to cultivate... I heard that the Khan's martial arts are not only powerful but also easier and faster to learn. Our Great Yan martial arts are not like that."

Li Muzhan frowned, "Where exactly is the difficulty in the Great Dragon Form?"

"Precisely because you don't know where the difficulty lies, that's why it's difficult," General Hua gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "According to the General above me, there is no other way to master the Great Dragon Form—you just have to practice relentlessly, and perhaps you'll succeed. The greater possibility is that you will never master it, no matter how hard you try."

Li Muzhan nodded, saying no more, recognizing he was not holding anything back.

General Hua said, "Watch my movements closely; not a single detail can be missed."

Then, he demonstrated each move slowly, repeating every stance three times. The Small Dragon Form had only nine stances, but the Great Dragon Form had eighty-one.

It took him an hour to finish demonstrating. After finishing, he was brimming with energy and looking refreshed, as if waking from deep sleep. "Can you remember it?" Knowing Li Muzhan's intelligence and eidetic memory, he transmitted the entire sequence at once, unlike his own beginning, where he learned one stance per day.

Li Muzhan nodded slowly and began to practice himself.

These movements were imprinted in his mind; he rehearsed them mentally several times daily, becoming almost ingrained in his bones. Initially, his limbs were somewhat stiff, but gradually they became fluid and increasingly accurate.

General Hua watched, nodding continuously, filled with praise and a tinge of envy.

Such talent—he was far inferior. Perhaps Li Muzhan could cultivate the Great Dragon Form to a profound level, though reaching perfection might be unlikely.

According to his General, the Great Dragon Form was derived from a dragon-shaped stone carving housed in a secret palace within the Imperial City, inaccessible to outsiders. The Great Dragon Form placed extraordinary importance on posture.

Even a slight deviation in posture—a hair's breadth of error—meant a massive discrepancy; even with tireless effort, there would be little achievement. If the posture was correct, effects appeared after only a short period of practice.

He secretly suspected his own slow progress was likely due to incorrect posture; his initial learning process had not been thorough enough.

........................................................... Li Muzhan took an hour to practice all eighty-one stances of the Great Dragon Form. Since the cultivation speed of the Great Dragon Form was not fast, it guided the breath through movements, much like modern Tai Chi.

General Hua clapped his hands in admiration, "Excellent, Mingkong. Your aptitude is superb; you have hope for success."

Li Muzhan shook his head, "You flatter me, General."

"Starting today, don't just sit around; practice the Great Dragon Form often," General Hua instructed.

"Yes," Li Muzhan nodded, a smile appearing on his face.

He suddenly made a discovery and was overjoyed: several movements in the Great Dragon Form related directly to the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture.

He had obtained the mental techniques of the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture long ago, knowing how to circulate internal energy, but lacking the methods to cultivate it. Later, inspired by military martial arts, he created a set of movements to guide the mental techniques.

He exerted his utmost to create these movements, forming only the first layer. For the second layer, he had designed for a long time, but he could only manage a forced design; he always felt it was imperfect.

That was why, even after mastering the Profound Sea Divine Art, he hadn't rushed to cultivate the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture, keeping a portion of his mind focused on perfecting the second layer's movements.

Now, having learned the Great Dragon Form and personally experiencing the internal energy guidance it utilized, he recognized its profundity and was reminded of the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture.

This provided him with immense inspiration.

He had learned few military arts, and some methods for circulating internal energy lacked corresponding physical movements. Even agonizing over it, racking his brain, he could not conjure something from nothing. Though intelligent enough to infer, without the 'one,' he could not derive the 'three.'

Now, having learned the Great Dragon Form, he suddenly had the 'one.' It was like long-awaited rain after a drought; his excitement was immeasurable. If he could perfect the second layer of the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture and succeed in cultivating it, his power would double. That would be sufficient for self-preservation, and then mastering a refined swordplay, or fist or palm technique, would allow him to walk unimpeded.

In the following days, every morning, when General Hua practiced the Great Dragon Form, Li Muzhan practiced alongside him. After General Hua finished, Li Muzhan continued his training.

He could practice for an entire morning without needing a break.

General Hua, as a General, also possessed deep composure; while Li Muzhan moved behind him, he could calmly read, review documents, and attend to his duties.

After practicing the Great Dragon Form all morning, Li Muzhan would sit cross-legged in the afternoon, utterly still like a meditating monk or a statue of the Buddha—moving in the morning, still in the afternoon. The harmonization of motion and stillness accelerated his progress immensely.

In the beginning, practicing the Great Dragon Form caused no visible change beyond the movements; the internal energy did not follow. After three days, subtle changes emerged. Mercury-like internal energy surged, flowing like a river through his meridians. After practice, he felt refreshed, as if he had emerged from a hot spring.

Seven days later, the internal energy began to spill out of the meridians, circulating throughout his body, slowly washing his flesh and blood. As he practiced, his movements grew slower and more labored, his limbs feeling as if a great mountain had been pressed upon them. (To be continued)