He knew Ge Muchan's ability: rote memory. Once seen, it was instantly committed to memory, as good as possessing it.

Li Wudi said, "Young Hero Zhanran, Heroine Wen, this book is of no use to me. I've practiced with the spear my entire life; I truly cannot master this Dragon-Slaying Hand." Furthermore, the Dragon-Slaying Hand is incredibly difficult to learn; it's beyond me."

He had immersed himself in spear techniques his whole life, reaching a state of divine mastery. To switch to learning the Dragon-Slaying Hand now would be like discarding a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed. Moreover, he was not proficient in palm or fist techniques, and the Dragon-Slaying Hand was exceedingly abstruse—he couldn't even decipher it.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Indeed, this Dragon-Slaying Hand is certainly not easy to practice..."

Li Wudi said, "It was purely accidental that I obtained this manual. I never imagined Young Hero Zhanran would be interested too. It's a perfect opportunity to offer it as a gift; please accept it!"

Unable to pass on the Dragon-Slaying Manual, he felt uneasy in his heart.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Senior Li, please keep it for now. It won't be too late to discuss it when I see my Master."

"Mm, that works well too..." Li Wudi chuckled.

................................ He added, "Young Hero Zhanran, you rest for a while. I'll go see about packing things up quickly so we can set off sooner, avoiding any further complications."

"No need to rush. I've already sent word; people will be arriving from the mountain soon to help. It's not too late to leave then!" Li Muzhan said with a smile.

"That is the safest approach. Very well, Young Hero Zhanran, please rest..." Li Wudi bowed with a smile and a nod, pulling Li Xiaoshui out with him.

Once the two left and closed the door, Wen Yinyue looked at Li Muzhan, "Junior Brother, are you alright?"

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled, "No trouble at all. Miss Li is better than I expected; it wasn't too tiring..."

"Her aptitude must be good?" Wen Yinyue asked.

Li Muzhan nodded, "Exceptional. If she is trained well, she will be a great asset to Senior Sister in the future..."

Wen Yinyue was destined to become the leader of the Canghai Sword Sect, and highly skilled disciples would benefit her greatly.

Wen Yinyue nodded slightly, "She has cultivated the seventh level of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art. Are there other benefits?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Yes, purification of marrow and transformation of bone. Her inherent talent has reached a higher level; her martial arts progress will be even faster..."

"That truly is a blessing in disguise," Wen Yinyue remarked.

Li Muzhan smiled, "It's also because her foundation is strong. If she lacked internal energy, or if her internal energy wasn't pure, I fear my help would have been of no use."

Wen Yinyue nodded, pondered for a moment with her head bowed, then looked up, "Junior Brother... you rashly agreed to Senior Li's request. Aren't you afraid Master will be displeased?"

Li Muzhan laughed, "For an unparalleled figure like Senior Ji to seek refuge with our Canghai Mountain, Master will be delighted, not angry. How could he possibly blame me?"

Wen Yinyue shook her head, "You made the decision unilaterally. You should have consulted Master first."

Li Muzhan smiled, "If I can't even make minor decisions like this, why did we descend the mountain?"

Wen Yinyue frowned and pondered, "This matter isn't that simple. Martial arts manuals are sources of immense trouble—they are hot potatoes that could bring serious problems to our Canghai Mountain."

Li Muzhan chuckled heartily, "I'm actually looking forward to seeing which fellows dare to defy Canghai Mountain!"

"You..." Wen Yinyue shook her head, clearly unconvinced.

...................................... Li Muzhan said with a smile, "Senior Sister, I have considered this matter as well..."

"Oh?" Wen Yinyue inquired.

Li Muzhan continued, "The deaths of Senior Brother Lu and the others were a tremendous loss to Canghai Mountain and damaged our prestige. To restore it, we must establish our might."

"...Mm, that is true," Wen Yinyue slowly nodded.

Li Muzhan pressed, "Isn't this the perfect opportunity?"

"I just fear that if we fail to establish our might, we will lose even more face," Wen Yinyue frowned.

Li Muzhan laughed, "Then I have nothing more to say. We can return to the mountain, enter seclusion to train, and look for another chance to regain our honor!"

Wen Yinyue shook her head and sighed, "Ordinary martial artists may fear Canghai Mountain, but the Seven Great Sects will not. They will worry that if we obtain the Dragon-Slaying Manual, we will become too dominant, and they will stop at nothing to seize it, leading to inevitable bloodshed..."

Li Muzhan smiled, "Then that's perfect. I'd like to meet the other major sects..."

"You... do not underestimate the Seven Great Sects!" Wen Yinyue shook her head.

Li Muzhan waved his hand with a smile, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Senior Sister, now that you have taken charge of Canghai Mountain, what are your ambitions?"

"Ambitions?" Wen Yinyue frowned, looked at Li Muzhan, and said, "To guard Canghai Mountain and prevent its decline—that is my ambition."

Li Muzhan burst into hearty laughter.

Wen Yinyue frowned and shot him a glance, humming, "What are you laughing at!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Senior Sister, what you said might suit others, but between us, why say such things?"

"It is the truth!" Wen Yinyue stated plainly.

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled, "To make our Canghai Sword Sect flourish, to replace the Murong Family and become the foremost sect under Heaven—isn't that your ideal, Senior Sister?"

Wen Yinyue gave him a deep look, then turned her head away without speaking.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Are you afraid I will mock you?"

"Don't you think I sound arrogant?" Wen Yinyue knitted her brows, looking at him calmly, her bright eyes like still water.

Li Muzhan shook his head, "I think your idea is excellent. This martial world is like the natural order of heaven and earth; the weak only serve as food for the strong."

Wen Yinyue nodded gently, deeply agreeing.

Li Muzhan continued, "Look at Tantuo Temple. Which martial artist dares to offend their disciples when they walk the world? Our Canghai Mountain, though one of the Seven Great Sects, does not possess such imposing authority."

Wen Yinyue sighed softly, "Indeed..."

Li Muzhan concluded, "Since Senior Sister possesses such ambition, how could I stand idly by? However, fame in the martial world is earned through combat; one must meet force with force to achieve it."

Wen Yinyue shook her head, "I only worry that the two of us won't be able to manage it."

Li Muzhan chuckled, "Senior Sister, why underestimate yourself? You surpass your predecessor, and I am not far behind. If the two of us join forces, who says we cannot establish the prestige of Canghai Mountain!"

"...Mm, what you say has merit," Wen Yinyue slowly nodded.

............................................ The next morning, Li Muzhan awoke and strolled toward the rear garden. From a distance, he heard a mournful sound, like the roar of a fierce tiger. Following the sound, he arrived at a small training ground.

The small training ground was situated beside a flower nursery, paved with red clay. This clay looked unremarkable but was quite precious, illustrating the contrast between impoverished scholars and wealthy martial artists.

Only two weapon racks stood in the field, holding blades, spears, and swords—nothing else.

Two figures were in the field. Li Xiaoshui, clad in red silk battle attire, was slowly practicing her fists. Li Wudi, in white silk battle attire, was practicing his spear thrusts. His spear moved like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, emitting roars that seemed startlingly real.

Li Muzhan coughed lightly; secretly observing others practice is a grave taboo in the martial world.

Li Wudi stopped and turned with a smile, "Young Hero Zhanran, did you sleep well?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Very well. Senior, what spear technique is this?"

"White Tiger Spear, a spear art for body tempering... Young Hero Zhanran also understands spear techniques; perhaps we could spar a little?" Li Wudi suggested with a smile.

"Senior, please stop calling me Young Hero. Just call me Zhanran," Li Muzhan said pleasantly.

"How could that be appropriate?" Li Wudi smiled back.

Li Xiaoshui stopped her fist practice and gracefully approached, "Father, stop being so formal... May I call you Brother Zhanran?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "You may call me Senior Brother. I will decide now: I accept you as an outer disciple of the Canghai Sword Sect..."

"Really?" Li Xiaoshui's face lit up with joy; Li Wudi was equally delighted.

Li Muzhan nodded, "I have that authority... However, advancing from an outer disciple to an inner disciple will be quite arduous. You must be prepared."

"I am not afraid of hardship," Li Xiaoshui said quickly.

"That is good," Li Muzhan smiled. "With your skill, you will surely enter the inner sect... Senior Li, I know a set of spear techniques; I ask for your guidance!"

"Heh heh, very well, let us exchange pointers then..." Li Wudi was beaming. With his daughter accepted into the Canghai Sword Sect, he felt completely at ease, relaxed, and eager for the exchange.

Spear technique is the hardest to master. For someone Li Muzhan's age to master it, he would typically need to have started training at five or six to build a solid foundation, or he would struggle to grasp its intricacies.

The essence of the spear lies in comprehension; the mastery of channeling internal power is unimaginable. Without superior insight, without a profound understanding of the world, one can hardly grasp the true subtleties of the spear.

……………………………… Li Xiaoshui stood by the side, full of excitement. Li Muzhan and Li Wudi stood facing each other, completely still, each holding a long spear.

The morning sun shone upon them, and a gentle breeze softly stirred their robes.

"Whoosh..." Li Wudi stepped forward, thrusting his spear out like a flood dragon emerging from the sea.

Li Muzhan met him, his spear thrusting upward like a soaring dragon, agile and powerful, intertwining with and wrapping around Li Wudi's flood dragon. The two dragons immediately began to churn together.

Li Xiaoshui's large eyes widened further, bright and luminous, staring intently at the action in the field.

"Bang, bang, bang..." Dull thuds sounded in rapid succession, like two flood dragons colliding, yet the illusory dragons formed by the spear shadows obscured the figures of the two men.

Li Xiaoshui felt a dull ache in her eardrums and quickly covered her ears, her eyes widened even more, afraid to miss any spectacular move. Her cherry lips unconsciously parted.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang..." The sounds continued, becoming duller and more resonant. Li Xiaoshui felt a wave of nausea, her chest tightening uncomfortably.

Suddenly, a cool breath surged into her body from behind, dispelling the urge to vomit. She twisted her head and her eyes instantly lit up with joy as she cried out, "Sister Wen!"

Wen Yinyue stood there in white robes, her face as pale as snow, her eyes like polished lacquer.

She nodded lightly and asked, "How long have they been fighting?"

"One hundred moves!" Li Xiaoshui replied respectfully.

Wen Yinyue stared at the fight, silently marveling. A capable person can do anything; she never expected Junior Brother to possess such exquisite spear skills!

"Haha... what superb spear work!" Li Wudi suddenly retreated, laughing loudly. "Zhanran, your spear skill is indeed extraordinary; I am truly impressed!"

Li Muzhan withdrew his spear and smiled, "Senior Li's spear technique is divine; this junior is inferior!"

The two stood composed, their breathing even, showing no sign of having just fought.

Li Wudi smiled, "Zhanran, your spear technique is profound, but the Way of the Spear cannot be mastered quickly; it requires comprehension and realization over the long passage of time."

Li Muzhan nodded, understanding his implied meaning: the technique was good, but he hadn't practiced it sufficiently.

He had learned the Flying Dragon Spear technique from Instructor Zhang in the army. He had spent considerable effort mastering the Crouching Dragon Stance, but after gaining the Great Dragon Form, he had set it aside. Later, he focused intensely on archery and neglected spear practice.

The battle with Li Wudi had provided him with immense insight and significant gains.

PS: Heh heh, there will be many updates today. Everyone, please bring your monthly tickets along! Deepest gratitude!