As he loosed the arrow, Master Wu grew frantic, his sword light flashing even quicker, descending like a ten-foot waterfall, shimmering with pure radiance, roaring as if accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder. Li Muzhan planted his feet on the Seven Star Evasion Steps, weaving and shifting within inches of space, his hands already nocking another arrow.
Master Wu’s swordsmanship was peculiar—swift, fierce, and accurate, every strike intended to kill. Despite Li Muzhan’s exquisite footwork, he still took three hits: one to the shoulder, one to the forehead, and one just below the elbow.
Master Wu was shocked and enraged, yet Li Muzhan, seemingly unaffected after being struck, immediately loosed three more arrows. The sword wound on Li Muzhan’s forehead left only a pale white mark that slowly deepened to red; the other cuts merely bled a trace, like a slight scrape of the skin.
Master Wu cursed internally, This damned monk possesses such formidable body-hardening skills! The monks of Lantu Temple truly live up to their reputation!
His sword light intensified, the sound of wind and thunder growing louder—like thunderbolts falling from the Ninth Heaven. …………………………………………，’…… The two guards, carrying Ximen Zhan between them, moved with the speed of galloping horses.
After a series of sharp turns, they finally burst into a tent. They carefully lowered Ximen Zhan onto a chair, then collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
The tent flap stirred, and the two guards sprang up instantly, blades flashing as they slashed—the sword light sweeping out like a silver silk ribbon. “It is I!” General Tai’s voice boomed.
His broad, powerful frame twisted, evading the swift blades, and he rushed to Ximen Zhan’s side. “General!” General Tai spoke with a deep voice.
Ximen Zhan shook his head with a wry smile: “Alas… Am I alright?” General Tai shook his head gravely, “Your subordinate is fine. Who is this man?” Ximen Zhan sighed, “A master from Dayuan.
Were it not for his age, I would have thought it was Nangong Sidou!” General Tai’s face darkened: “Master Wu could not subdue him! General, please summon Master Wen and the others back!” Ximen Zhan shook his head: “Master Wen and the others are nearly successful; we cannot let this effort go to waste!” General Tai urgently pressed: “General, your precious life is a hundred times more valuable than that of the man surnamed Hua.
It is not worth the risk. Quickly summon Master Wen and the others back!” Ximen Zhan’s sharp brows furrowed in thought for a moment, then he slowly shook his head: “General Tai need say no more.
Kill the man surnamed Hua, and the Divine Light City will fall!” If Divine Light City can fall, what is my life worth? This has been the fervent aspiration of Eastern Chu for a hundred years.
Even in death, I can smile upon the faces of all the preceding generals! “General—” General Tai cried out in distress.
Ximen Zhan merely waved his hand gently, forcing General Tai to silence. He stamped his foot hard, his face turning red, his neck thick, breathing heavily—yet he dared not disobey.
Three streaks of dark light suddenly appeared, piercing the bodies of the two guards silently and without sound. Ximen Zhan lurched backward, the chair tumbling over, as the dark streaks grazed past his skin.
“General!” General Tai roared. With a single roll, he snatched the precious saber from the ground, hoisted Ximen Zhan onto his back, and bolted from the tent.
Both actions were as swift and precise as a falcon’s descent. “Clang…” The three dark streaks reappeared, catching up to him.
……………………………………………… He seemed to sense them, turning to swing his saber—the light blossomed like layered pear flowers, overlapping endlessly. “Clang…” One streak of dark light struck his saber, knocking it away.
“Ugh…” He let out a muffled groan as the two remaining streaks pierced his chest silently, trailing plumes of blood as they shot out into the night, vanishing. He staggered a few steps, swaying as if drunk, the inexhaustible strength suddenly drained from him.
His body felt weak and pliant, his will fading. He turned to look at Ximen Zhan.
Ximen Zhan patted his shoulder, offering a tragic smile: “General, set me down.” General Tai stumbled back a step, sinking to his knees. He released his right hand, and bright red blood began to stream from his mouth.
His throat gurgled, trying to form words but failing. With great effort, he raised his right hand, pointing toward the direction of Divine Light City, his eyes alight with desperate hope.
Ximen Zhan gave a bitter smile: “General, it is too late to summon Master Wen and the others. We shall go down together and keep each other company; it won't be lonely.” He suddenly spat out a jet of blood, falling backward toward the sky, instantly dead.
General Tai’s eyes widened in grief and fury, wanting to let out a long roar, but the breath caught in his throat. His vision blackened, and he collapsed softly.
Li Muzhan slightly narrowed his eyelids. His Eye of the Void looked down, seeing Ximen Zhan’s final breath.
He let out a long sigh; this Ximen Zhan was hard to kill, having such a tenacious hold on life. As for the other loyal guards, he sighed internally, blaming only the fact that they were soldiers of Eastern Chu, invading Dayuan and slaughtering its people.
Thinking of the helpless and miserable citizens who died, these men were not worth mourning. Even their loyalty could not save them; they had to be wiped out!
He felt the same grim resolve he had when dealing with the Japanese invaders. He put away his bow and arrows, his ten fingers striking rapidly.
A torrent of finger force surged outward, making Master Wu scramble frantically, forced to defend with his sword, unable to press the attack. “Boom!” A muffled thunderclap suddenly echoed in the night sky, exploding into a cluster of silver flowers that lingered, as if frozen in the darkness—visible across the entirety of Divine Light City, even the entire Eastern Chu encampment.
Master Wu was instantly overjoyed and burst into loud laughter. Li Muzhan’s expression shifted.
He turned and fled, like a phantom, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye. Master Wu did not pursue, content only to laugh.
This was the distress signal fired by General Hua. Li Muzhan’s heart sank; his worst fears were confirmed.
When he had left the military tent earlier, anticipating assassins might use the opportunity to strike, he had discussed changing the formation with Zhang Anping and made an agreement with General Lu that an emergency signal would be fired immediately if needed. He hadn't expected the assassination attempt to materialize—he trying to kill Ximen Zhan, and Ximen Zhan trying to kill General Hua.
Truly, retribution came swiftly, he mused, shaking his head. He flew toward Divine Light City.
In the air, he flicked his sleeves three times, accelerating like hoisting a sail, his form growing faster and faster. He shot up toward the city walls, then floated down, extending his 'Sleeves of Ruthlessness' like a soaring eagle spreading its wings.
…………………………………………，’………………，’，In the time it took to blink, he returned to the Divine Light Camp, only to find the camp ablaze with torches, the entire area lit as bright as day, nothing hidden, security absolute. He flashed past several times, skimming over the heads of the crowds gathered around the main command tent.
He abruptly slipped inside before a furious shout erupted outside: “Who goes there!” Inside the tent, General Hua was slumped over a low table, Ji Wuming stood before the table with his saber drawn, while the remaining six guards were locked in fierce combat. They employed a synchronized technique, managing just barely to hold their ground.
The six moved as one, their internal energies linked, their continuous sword light forming a single, unbroken expanse like a vast, rolling mountain range, barely resisting the siege of the four assailants. Li Muzhan’s grey monk robes billowed fiercely, the air inside the tent churning with powerful currents.
His gaze swept over the four attackers—all elderly men, possessing deep internal energy and exquisite sword techniques. Every move generated a surge of wind.
Li Muzhan let out a long breath. These six were indeed extraordinary.
While their individual cultivation levels might not be supreme, their selection as General Hua’s personal guard guaranteed something special. Li Muzhan had never underestimated them, and now their profound subtlety was revealed—the martial arts of these four elders were extremely difficult to counter, yet the six guards were managing to hold them off.
He flashed to Ji Wuming’s side, speaking with a deep voice: “General, how is he?” Ji Wuming was overjoyed, as if he had finally found his anchor: “Master, quickly check! The General is unconscious; I dare not move him.” Li Muzhan frowned, pressing his palm onto General Hua’s back.
His internal energy flowed like fine threads, and he immediately grunted, “What powerful poison!” General Hua had no external wounds but lay unconscious. Ji Wuming had examined him and suspected poisoning; even after taking the Jade Purity Heart Protecting Pill, he remained unresponsive, leaving Ji Wuming no choice but to send for Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan turned to face the four elders, drawing his bow to shoot arrows— “Hiss! Hiss!
Hiss! Hiss!” Four streaks of dark light shot out, whistling like the wind.
The four elders swept their swords in a circle— “Clang…” The four swords were nearly ripped from their hands, and their stances faltered momentarily. The six guards seized the opportunity to counterattack, their blade light surging, pressing the assault.
Li Muzhan frowned. He hadn't expected these four to possess such deep internal strength.
At such close range, their ability to keep their swords from flying was truly remarkable. He drew four more short arrows, nocking only one onto the string, pulling the bow until it formed a perfect crescent, and loosed it silently.
“Clang…” With a crisp sound, one long sword was torn from an elder’s grasp and flew away. The force of the bowstring, combined with the inherent power of his Arrow Art amplified by his own internal energy, resulted in a shot of immense power.
Even with the deep cultivation of the four elders, they could not completely resist it. “Go!” one elder shouted, flying backward.
The other three followed instantly. In a flash, they shot out of the tent.
Shouts and the clash of weapons erupted outside. Li Muzhan quickly nocked another short arrow, drawing the string taut.
The arrow flew silently through the tent fabric and vanished into the night. A cheer immediately followed.
“Brother Ji, capture him alive! We need to force the antidote out of him,” Li Muzhan instructed.
Ji Wuming responded quickly and rushed out of the tent, followed by his earth-shattering roar: “Everyone, don't kill him! Keep him alive!
Keep him alive!” Li Muzhan breathed a sigh of relief: “Brother Zhang San, lend Brother Ji a hand.” A middle-aged man responded, sheathing his saber and striding out of the tent. ……，’………………………………’’，’………………，Li Muzhan carefully lifted General Hua and laid him flat on the rug.
The General’s face was ashen, like a corpse, his breathing shallow, only a faint wisp of life remaining in his chest. He sat down on a cushion and began employing the Crane-Guiding Oil Infusion Technique, pressing several points to bolster his vitality.
Then, he forced his energy to drive out the poison. This toxin was violent, like a charging steed, but thankfully, his internal energy was inexhaustible and pure as liquid mercury, allowing him to manipulate it.
He mused that the Jade Purity Heart Protecting Pill was truly miraculous; had anyone else suffered such potent poison, they would have succumbed long ago and passed to the netherworld. After half an hour, General Hua awoke with a spurt of bloody vomit.
The ejected blood struck the carpet, sizzling into a black mass that emitted a scorched, foul odor, like sulfuric acid being poured out—testament to the poison’s virulence. “Master…” General Hua’s face was pale, his breath weak.
He smiled bitterly and shook his head: “I nearly fell for their tricks; I almost didn't get to see the Master.” Li Muzhan sighed, “It was my own lack of foresight.” General Hua shook his head, smiling wryly: “Ximen Zhan is indeed not to be underestimated. I was careless.” Li Muzhan chuckled: “Rest assured, General.
Ximen Zhan is dead, and we’ve taken out a few other high-ranking officers besides. The Eastern Chu camp must be in chaos now.” General Hua’s eyes instantly lit up: “Ximen Zhan is dead?!” Li Muzhan laughed: “Unless someone can employ a secret art to revive the dead.” He could not definitively claim Ximen Zhan was utterly deceased.
He himself possessed secret arts like the Crane-Guiding Oil Infusion Technique. As long as a sliver of life remained, a single breath, revival was possible.