Li Muzhan could only shake his head with a wry smile. He had intended for his Master to appear and address the assembled group, boosting morale, but instead, the Master had chosen this flamboyant display, which bordered on showing off.

However, with things as they were, further contemplation was useless; he had no choice but to brace himself and proceed. Xu Jingying slid forward and lunged; in the blink of an eye, her sword tip was aimed squarely at Li Muzhan’s chest.

A true master reveals their skill instantly; this thrust was imbued with power and spirit, perfectly embodying the essence of the Nine Sword Styles of the Vast Sea. The disciples watching secretly applauded her skill, acknowledging their own inferiority.

Li Muzhan kept his left hand behind his back while extending his right arm straight out. As the sword tip reached his chest, he remained motionless, closed his right hand into a fist, and pressed his thumb against the tip of the blade from afar.

With a soft hiss, the sword tip suddenly deflected, emitting a sharp ding, and she stumbled back two paces, gazing at Li Muzhan in surprise. Li Muzhan withdrew his thumb and extended his index finger, tapping forward.

Ding… the sword blade vibrated, and she retreated another step. Li Muzhan lightly swept his index finger down, releasing a torrent of sword energy.

Xu Jingying snapped out of her daze, whirling her sword into a frenetic dance, the light becoming a shimmering curtain that enveloped her. “Ding ding ding ding…” The crisp sounds rang out incessantly as Xu Jingying was forced to retreat continuously, eventually moving back nearly twenty feet in moments.

The onlookers were dumbfounded. They saw Li Muzhan merely moving his index finger, while Xu Jingying desperately swung her sword, clearly struggling, forced backward without respite, utterly suppressed and struggling for breath.

"Is this the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea?" someone murmured in awe, shaking their head repeatedly. He wondered: Senior Sister Xu’s swordsmanship was exquisite and relentless, perfectly capturing the profound essence of the Nine Sword Styles of the Vast Sea.

He knew he was lacking, and suspected he couldn't handle even this much pressure. This sword energy was intangible yet substantial; it was impossible to see clearly, relying entirely on feeling.

It was like fighting blind—a suffocating style that one could not endure for long. "What a magnificent Divine Slash of the Vast Sea!" another praised immediately after.

The Divine Sword of the Vast Sea was merely a legend—the ultimate, secret art of the Vast Sea Sword Sect, now lost, replaced only by the Divine Finger of the Vast Sea. The power of the Divine Finger of the Vast Sea was already formidable, rarely matched in the martial world, comparable even to the Vajra Finger of the Lan Tuo Temple, yet it was only a mere fraction of the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea.

They had previously dismissed the tales as exaggeration, but now they saw the legend held true: Li Muzhan stood with his hands behind his back, merely sweeping his index finger slightly, yet he had forced Senior Sister Xu into such a defensive posture. Senior Sister Xu’s sword skill ranked first among the disciples, second only to the Eldest Senior Sister; they had sparred many times and knew her true formidable nature.

Li Muzhan’s expression was serious, fearing he might cause a misunderstanding among the crowd, yet he couldn't entirely mask his composure. Xu Jingying, usually calm and perceptive, was now at a loss.

She dared not halt her sword; any pause would invite the sword energy to strike, resulting in immediate defeat. Even so, she understood Li Muzhan was holding back.

The internal force transmitted through her blade felt like electric currents, numbing her wrist. Had it been any stronger, her longsword would have long since flown from her grasp.

………………………………………… "I'm coming!" With a delicate shout, a green flash appeared as a beautiful young woman materialized beside Li Muzhan, thrusting her sword in a blindingly fast attack. "That little imp, Bi Xuan!" Mistress Zhumei shook her head and chuckled.

Her skin was fair, her eyes bright and piercing, and she watched Li Muzhan with keen interest. Seeing Zhong Bixuan’s sudden ambush, she shook her head in amusement.

"It's fine; let her try," Mistress Zhuzhao smiled. Zhong Bixuan’s sword tip shimmered like a cold star, instantly arriving before Li Muzhan.

This thrust showcased the mastery of an elite disciple. Li Muzhan did not move; he extended his right little finger.

Ding—a sharp sound—and the sword tip was deflected, scraping past Li Muzhan’s right shoulder. Zhong Bixuan hastily retracted her move, sweeping her sword horizontally.

Li Muzhan tapped his little finger again and laughed, "Junior Sister Zhong, that hardly seems fair play." “Ding…” With another sharp clang, the blade was deflected, and Zhong Bixuan stepped back. Simultaneously, Li Muzhan’s index finger continued its movement, launching crisscrossing sword energy.

Xu Jingying maintained her relentless parries, the dinging sounds as dense as before; she felt no easing of pressure. Zhong Bixuan suddenly pursed her lips into a smile and waved her left sleeve, instantly showering Li Muzhan with a rain of cold light.

Li Muzhan shook his head, waved his left sleeve (the one resting behind his back), and the cold light was immediately reined in, gathering into a ball that shot back. Zhong Bixuan waved her sleeve to catch the returning light.

This ebb and flow was quite exquisite—the very technique of the Heartless Sleeve. Li Muzhan nodded inwardly: Junior Sister Zhong’s Heartless Sleeve skill was well-cultivated.

As an elite disciple, even the lowest ranked among them possessed unique talents. While performing these maneuvers, Li Muzhan’s right index finger continued its gentle sweep, forcing Xu Jingying back another ten feet.

Now, the two women were separated by thirty feet, more than a dozen paces. Even at this distance, Xu Jingying felt suffocated, needing to swing her sword with all her might just to ward off the pervasive sword energy and prevent her defeat.

Zhong Bixuan let out a delicate snort and abandoned the hidden weapon, attacking with her sword. Li Muzhan responded with his right little finger, and the continuous, crisp ringing sounds grew even more intense.

"Let me join the fun!" Xu Wanqing laughed lightly, flashing behind Li Muzhan and attacking with her sword. Li Muzhan chuckled, "Senior Sister Xu rates me too highly!" Shaking his head, he extended his left sleeve, and a beam of sword energy shot out, instantly appearing before Xu Wanqing, forcing her to defend herself with her sword.

“Ding ding…” Sharp sounds followed one after another. Once she entered the fray, she understood why Senior Sister Xu and Junior Sister Zhong had not pressed their advantage: positioned one ahead and one behind, they prevented him from concentrating on two directions simultaneously.

His two fingers on one hand had positional limitations; they could not cover front and back, or left and right, due to angular constraints. She realized firsthand that it wasn't that they didn't want to attack aggressively, but that they couldn't.

The sword energy, though invisible, was incredibly tyrannical; once engaged, one was immediately suppressed to the point of helplessness, unable to launch an offensive. ………………………………………… A white shadow flashed, and Gong Qingyun suddenly appeared, attacking with her sword.

Li Muzhan shot another burst of internal force from his left sleeve, confronting four opponents, forcing all four women into complete defenselessness. The crowd below gasped in astonishment.

"What a powerful Divine Sword of the Vast Sea!" someone exclaimed. An inner disciple’s eyes widened: "Is it real?

How can it be this potent?" The onlookers murmured among themselves, staring intently, afraid to miss a single detail, visualizing how they would cope if they had to face Li Muzhan. Without personally experiencing the might of the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea, they could never truly know; only direct experience revealed its true power.

A thousand exchanges passed in the blink of an eye. The four women were each forced to a corner of the high platform, on the verge of falling off.

Li Muzhan stood at the center, moving with fluid ease, as if playing a game. All four women were drenched in sweat.

As soon as he stopped, their four longswords clattered to the ground. Steam rose from their bodies as they immediately sat down to circulate their energy.

"You wicked boy, you didn't even show mercy..." Mistress Zhuzhao shot him a look. Li Muzhan rubbed his nose and chuckled.

Mistress Zhumei shook her head: "Junior Sister, you wrong Zhan Ran; he was holding back..." She flashed over to Zhong Bixuan, beckoned, and drew the longsword into her own hand. She flashed back to her original spot, looked down at the sword, and flicked it lightly.

Clink—with the crisp sound, the sword disintegrated into fragments that fell to the ground. "Well?" Mistress Zhumei smiled and shook her head.

"Junior Sister, you can't quite control that level of finesse. To channel your finger power to such a degree is rarely seen." Mistress Zhuzhao flickered several times, gathering the other three swords, flicking each one once.

The swords likewise broke into shards. Mistress Zhuzhao snorted: "Fine!

You wicked boy, you owe them new swords!" Li Muzhan laughed: "Master, you clearly broke them; it has nothing to do with me." Mistress Zhuzhao shot him a look: "Stop the nonsense!" Li Muzhan nodded helplessly: "Alright, I will procure swords for the four Senior and Junior Sisters." "I hear the Valley of Ten Thousand Swords produces excellent blades; bring a few back when you descend the mountain this time!" Mistress Zhuzhao said with a beaming smile. Li Muzhan nodded: "Yes!" Mistress Zhumei shook her head and smiled: "Zhan Ran, what exactly is the deal with the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea?

How is it different from the Divine Finger of the Vast Sea?" Both the Divine Sword and the Divine Finger of the Vast Sea were formless, their outward appearance showing no difference. Every projection of the Divine Finger of the Vast Sea was accompanied by a continuous whistling sound; the finger force pierced the air, creating a sharp noise that was unavoidable.

Unless the internal force was extremely Yin and soft, channeled via the little finger, it should be silent. Yet he clearly used his index finger.

Could it truly be the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea? ………………………… Mistress Zhumei had always suspected her Junior Sister was deliberately trying to rally morale, but now it seemed there was some truth to it.

No matter how potent the Divine Finger of the Vast Sea, it could not shatter a sword blade. Li Muzhan replied: "Martial Aunt, the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea is similar to the Divine Finger of the Vast Sea; the key lies in the internal force, requiring the Vast Sea Divine Skill to be mastered to perfection." "So, you have fully mastered the Vast Sea Divine Skill?" Mistress Zhumei inquired.

Li Muzhan nodded: "Your disciple was fortunate." Mistress Zhumei clasped her hands in reverence: "Heaven has eyes! May the ancestors protect us—someone has truly mastered the Vast Sea Divine Skill!

The revival of our Vast Sea Mountain is in sight!" She said gently: "Zhan Ran, do you know that five hundred years ago, our Vast Sea Mountain was the foremost sect in the world? Alas, our later disciples were incompetent, and we declined to this state.

Today, someone dares to kill our elite disciples—this is unbearable!" "Martial Aunt, rest assured, your disciple will certainly exact revenge for this debt!" Li Muzhan stated solemnly. Mistress Zhumei laughed: "Good.

With the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea achieved, you are capable of traversing the world. Descend the mountain as soon as possible.

Strike out boldly and establish the prestige of our Vast Sea Mountain!" "Yes!" Li Muzhan nodded solemnly. Mistress Zhumei, usually mild-mannered and benevolent, calm and even-tempered, had suddenly become emotional and spoken such words, a stark departure from her usual demeanor.

The disciples below watched her, secretly astonished. Li Muzhan, however, understood.

The deaths of Lu Jingren and the others had deeply wounded his Martial Elder Aunt, becoming a hidden affliction. The accumulated frustration, upon seeing the sect’s ultimate art reappear, made her excitement uncontrollable.

Li Zhuyue suddenly spoke: "I wish to test it. Zhan Ran, send one strike toward me!" She rarely spoke, always maintaining a solemn presence.

Li Muzhan nodded, pressed his index finger gently, and with a soft hiss, the finger force shot forth. Li Zhuyue leaned to the side to evade, barely missing, by the narrowest margin.

Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow: Martial Aunt truly possessed astonishing martial arts. He continued to move his index finger, and Li Zhuyue flickered through a dozen moves before suddenly stopping, pushing her right palm forward evenly.

Peng—a muffled thud—and she slid back a full ten feet. Li Zhuyue slowly drew back her right palm and nodded slightly: "It is indeed the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea!" She pushed her right palm forward again—peng—and the bluestone tiles on the ground shattered.

She had forced the sword energy of the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea to manifest. The sword energy of the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea was solid as substance, something ordinary internal force could not match.

………………………………”…………………… The crowd harbored no further doubt; the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea had truly been mastered. Li Muzhan’s title as the foremost expert of the Vast Sea was now cemented.

The disciples were invigorated; the reappearance of the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea was cause for immense celebration in the sect. The Divine Sword of the Vast Sea had once been known as the greatest sword under heaven; nothing could withstand its sweeping energy.

If they could cultivate it themselves, they could indeed roam the world freely. Even if they couldn't master it, the mere existence of this sword meant an invisible deterrent for the Vast Sea Mountain.

Anyone contemplating offending them would have to consider whether they could withstand the Divine Sword of the Vast Sea. The previous gloom instantly dissipated.

Though sadness remained, it transformed into motivation. The entire Vast Sea Mountain buzzed with activity, everyone practicing their techniques with fierce dedication.

Li Muzhan was also very busy these past few days, taking over the task of guiding the inner disciples’ training from the women. He set aside one hour daily to observe their practice in the training ground, offering casual pointers, though his main focus was on his own martial arts, attempting to deduce the third layer of the Nine Revolutions Marrow Cleansing Scripture.

However, the third layer’s movements were exceedingly complex, making deduction difficult. Furthermore, some of its peculiar internal energy circulation methods were unlike anything he had encountered in his prior training.

That evening, he entered a meditative state again in his small courtyard. As his breathing became subtle, almost imperceptible, the space before his eyes gradually grew bright, as if piloting an aircraft breaking through the clouds to witness the true glory of the sun.

The sudden illumination was a sign that his internal force had reached a certain level; Li Muzhan felt no surprise. After an immeasurable time, the brightness slowly faded, and his vision returned to darkness, growing deeper and deeper, like the sun setting and twilight ascending until the night became dense.

His surroundings were pitch black, yet Li Muzhan’s mind remained unmoved, neither anxious nor agitated, without the slightest stray thought. This was the ultimate test of one’s concentration.

If not for his more than a decade of meditative practice, he would have broken the trance and been unable to remain seated. At this moment, his deep meditative skills proved their worth.

After an indeterminate length of time, the flow of time in the darkness seemed to slow down infinitely. It felt as if ages had passed when suddenly a light flickered before him—seven points of light flashed, and then six grew dim, while one grew steadily brighter, as if absorbing the light of the other six.

In a flash of realization, Li Muzhan recognized the Big Dipper stars; the brightest one was Dubhe (Tian Shu). This scene felt strangely familiar.

He immediately recalled that when his Sarira first formed, this exact scene had appeared—Dubhe blazing brightly. He focused his intent upon this luminous star, and after an unknown duration, a burst of cold air surged down from above his head, jolting him awake from his meditation.

This cold energy had already entered his body; he was almost frozen stiff. He hastily channeled his internal force to refine it, but it was dense as liquid mercury, refusing to change despite repeated surges of his inner energy.

He possessed boundless patience, slowly urging his internal force to scour the energy again and again. The sun rose in the east, reached its zenith, and set in the west.

A full day passed. His courtyard remained quiet; no one disturbed him.