The arrival of these three instantly cut through the heavy twilight, bringing a welcome brilliance to the scene.

The handsome young man's eyes were unusually bright—not with the sharp glint of a martial artist, but with the vibrant, distinct sparkle of gemstones, sharp contrasts of black and white.

His glittering gaze was enough to overshadow his features; whether handsome or plain became irrelevant, as everyone's attention was inevitably drawn to his eyes.

Behind him stood two young women, one radiant and the other reserved, both rare beauties, holding their sword and zither motionlessly, as if carved from stone.

Li Muzhan shook his head and chuckled; this Murong Hao certainly knew how to make an entrance.

Murong Hao cupped his hands in greeting and laughed loudly, "Heh heh... how fares the Fairy Wen recently?"

Wen Yinyue dipped her head slightly, returning the gesture, "Young Master Murong, please be seated..."

Murong Hao scanned the assembled group, his gaze pausing briefly on Li Muzhan, before he smiled, "And this must be the renowned monk, Master Zhanran of the Twin Swords?"

Li Muzhan brought his palms together in a smile, "A pleasure to meet you, Young Master Murong..."

"Master Zhanran, no need for such courtesies. I apologize for the intrusion, please do not take offense!" Murong Hao boomed good-naturedly.

Li Muzhan merely smiled and shook his head, saying no more.

"Young Master Murong, what business brings you here!" Nie Xuefeng sneered unpleasantly.

Murong Hao smiled slowly and deliberately, "Young Master Nie, your words are quite amusing. Wancheng is the territory of the Murong family. If I fail to fulfill my duties as host, wouldn't Fairy Wen find me wanting!"

Li Muzhan sighed inwardly; another suitor for his Shijie (Senior Sister).

"If you hadn't come, Fairy Wen would have been spared the trouble. You truly are presumptuous!" Nie Xuefeng scoffed dismissively, waving a hand, "You are not welcome here. Be gone with you!"

Murong Hao, however, advanced slowly, saying as he walked, "This is not the Changbai Sword Sect; it is not your place to issue commands here!"

Nie Xuefeng snorted coldly, "Young Master Murong, it seems you are asking for a beating!"

Murong Hao laughed heartily, "It appears you have mastered some new martial art, boy. Come, let me see what skill allows you such confidence!"

"If you seek death, I shall oblige!" Nie Xuefeng pressed his right palm onto the stone table and effortlessly glided out of the pavilion, landing directly before Murong Hao.

Li Muzhan turned to look at Wen Yinyue. She shook her head and offered a faint, unconcerned smile.

Murong Hao bowed to Wen Yinyue, laughing loudly, "Fairy Wen, I must beg your pardon, I intend to discipline Young Master Nie severely. I trust the Fairy will not fault me for this!"

Wen Yinyue replied mildly, "As you wish."

"Good, as long as Fairy Wen doesn't mind!" Murong Hao smiled and extended his right hand. A girl in white behind him immediately presented a sword.

With a sound like a dragon's roar, a flash of cold light illuminated the area before everyone. It shimmered under the lamps, radiating intense chill—it was clearly a precious blade.

"The sword is excellent, but wasted in your hands, like casting pearls before swine!" Nie Xuefeng stared at the weapon, sighing with regret, "What a pity, what a shame..."

"Young Master Nie, why waste breath with words? Let us fight!" Murong Hao laughed heartily.

..................................................

"Die!" Nie Xuefeng snorted coldly, and a streak of cold light shot from his waist, directly impacting Murong Hao, moving with blinding speed, like a lightning bolt splitting the sky.

Murong Hao thrust forward—Clang!—a crisp sound echoed, and both men retreated simultaneously. Murong Hao staggered back five steps, while Nie Xuefeng only took one.

"Eh?" Nie Xuefeng raised an eyebrow, surprised, "Not bad, boy. You haven't been idle!"

Murong Hao laughed uproariously, "Likewise! Your cultivation has improved vastly. What elixirs have you consumed? The Sect Master Nie truly spares no expense in treasuring you!"

"You court death!" Nie Xuefeng’s face darkened. The sword light flared brilliantly, transforming into a single cold streak as he charged forward, man and blade merged as one.

Murong Hao swept his sword into a whirlwind, Clang... the metallic clash resonated endlessly.

Both retreated again; Murong Hao stepped back two paces, Nie Xuefeng one.

Nie Xuefeng frowned and sneered, "Is this the Murong family's Yan Huo Jin (Blazing Fire Strength)? Not much to it!"

"And your Fei Xian Jian Fa (Flying Immortal Sword Technique) is far lacking in integration!" Murong Hao countered with a smile.

As their words faded, they engaged once more—Ding ding ding ding... the crisp sounds were incessant, like rain drumming endlessly on banana leaves.

Li Muzhan turned to Wen Yinyue. "Shijie, these two are rather interesting. Is there some old history between them..."

Regarding these martial world anecdotes, Li Muzhan was almost entirely ignorant. He had been at the Mei residence and then immediately entered the military camp; he had no time to investigate such matters.

Wen Yinyue blushed slightly and shook her head.

Li Muzhan instantly understood, giving a wry smile, "A beauty causing strife—it’s truly fitting. I imagine there must be many like these two?"

Wen Yinyue shot him a glare, chiding, "Stop your nonsense..."

The beauty’s slight annoyance stirred an unbearable itch in Li Muzhan’s heart. He suppressed it forcefully and smiled, "However, both are outstanding talents among the youth, true dragons among men. Shijie, are you truly unmoved by either of them?"

"Sentimental attachments between men and women are the most laughable things!" Wen Yinyue stated calmly.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Heroes’ strength wanes in matters of the heart. Who among mortals can live without feeling? Still, Shijie, you are a figure of fairy-like quality; truly, no scoundrel is worthy of you!"

Wen Yinyue shot him another glance and turned away, silent.

................................

Bang! A dull thud sounded as their long swords struck against each other, their palms meeting and locking in place. Their robes immediately billowed out as if caught in a gale, shaking wildly.

The two maidens accompanying Murong Hao gasped, their expressions changing drastically. This was a contest of internal power, far more dangerous than a simple sword duel—it was a fight to the death, absolute and unforgiving.

The two girls immediately turned to look at Wen Yinyue.

Wen Yinyue frowned, her expression growing grave. She hadn't expected them to fight with such genuine fury this time, intending to settle things fatally; their previous encounters had always involved restraint.

The two combatants also inwardly cursed their fate, never imagining things would escalate to this point—a pass where only one survives, leaving no room for mercy.

Li Wudi also frowned, shaking his head heavily. At this juncture, it was too late to intervene; only a victor could emerge. To separate them would require internal power exceeding the combined force of both.

But these two, despite their youth, possessed profound internal energy, no less than first-rate martial experts. He glanced at Wen Yinyue—the Cold Lotus Fairy was powerful, but still young; she likely couldn't manage it.

He then turned his gaze to Li Muzhan—the monk Zhanran was famous for his swordsmanship, and though his internal power was deep, it might not be enough to help.

To separate them would require Fairy Wen and Zhanran to join forces. As they shared the same lineage, they likely possessed a combined strike method capable of focusing their internal energies as one.

In that brief time, white vapor began to steam from Murong Hao and Nie Xuefeng's heads, their faces flushed crimson.

"Fairy Wen, please save our young master!" A reserved young maiden floated forward, performing a graceful curtsy.

She had an oval face and skin like congealed jade; her eyes flowed like a clear spring—indeed, a beauty, though her bearing was a notch below Wen Yinyue's.

Wen Yinyue shook her head, "My internal cultivation is insufficient..."

"But..." The maiden frowned, looking anxious and pitifully helpless.

Wen Yinyue turned and said, "Junior Brother, perhaps you should save them..."

Li Muzhan smiled, "As Shijie commands."

The two maidens looked at Li Muzhan in surprise. They had paid little attention to the ordinary-looking, bald youth who stood silently near Fairy Wen and Nie Xuefeng, seemingly unremarkable and easily overlooked. Seeing Wen Yinyue ask him to intervene astonished them greatly.

Li Muzhan walked slowly toward the struggling pair. The sky was now completely dark, and a full moon had appeared in the night expanse, casting a soft radiance over the surroundings like a layer of fine gauze.

Li Muzhan spoke gently, "Young Hero Nie, Young Hero Murong, why cause injury to your camaraderie? You should cease this now."

As he spoke, he slowly placed both hands toward their wrists.

Bang! The moment his hands touched their respective wrists, their green robes suddenly inflated as if struck by a violent squall.

Both men staggered back two paces; every step they took faltered, their bodies swaying twice before they managed to stand firm. Though the contact was brief, the intensity of their struggle had been severe.

Li Muzhan stood rooted to the spot, slowly drawing back his palms, and smiled, "You are both outstanding talents of your generation. The martial world would lose much color if it lacked either of you."

With that, he returned to Wen Yinyue’s side, hands clasped behind his back, a gentle smile gracing his face.

..................................................

Nie Xuefeng and Murong Hao exchanged glances, then looked at the spot where Li Muzhan had stood. The ground there was perfectly smooth, unmarked by footprints. They met each other’s eyes, surprise clear in both gazes.

Li Muzhan separating them was tantamount to intercepting the full force of their combined attack. Having consumed elixirs since childhood to boost their internal power, they were, despite their age, the equals of first-rate masters. For Li Muzhan to absorb their joint strike and emerge composedly, completely unaffected, was truly frightening.

Li Muzhan noticed their expressions and chuckled inwardly.

He had employed a clever trick. His Xinzhu (Heart Pearl) was abundant, his spirit strong, and his internal energy circulated several times faster than an ordinary person's, allowing for exquisite control. The instant he touched their wrists, he used their own force against them, guiding Nie Xuefeng’s energy to collide with Murong Hao’s, allowing the opposing forces to cancel each other out. His exquisite technique replaced brute force expenditure; it was purely a victory of skill, requiring little actual exertion.

"Many thanks, Master Zhanran," both men bowed respectfully. Had it not been for Zhanran's intervention, they would have fought until one or the other died, incurring a deep-seated enmity with dire consequences.

Li Muzhan smiled, "I cannot disobey Shijie's command."

Wen Yinyue gave him a sidelong look and said calmly, "There is no life-and-death feud between you two; there was no need for this... Young Master Murong, what business brings you here?"

Murong Hao laughed, "Heh heh, I heard news of Fairy Wen and hurried over to see for myself, to help drive away those blind fools..."

In the span of a breath, he had returned to his composed demeanor—Li Muzhan inwardly nodded at his self-possession.

Wen Yinyue replied coolly, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Murong, but it is unnecessary..."

Murong Hao chuckled, "Heh heh, what stature does the Fairy hold! To allow petty riff-raff to soil the Fairy's eyes and ears—that would be a grave sin on my part!"

Nie Xuefeng snorted coldly, "With me here, you don't need to play the hero!"

Murong Hao laughed several times, shaking his head with a sigh, "Alas, your martial arts are mediocre; how could you possibly stop them?"

Nie Xuefeng sneered, "Nonsense! If my martial arts are mediocre, can you beat me..."

Murong Hao shook his head, "Why get so worked up, Young Master Nie? I am merely stating a fact. Fine, I shall humble myself and accompany Fairy Wen alongside you."

Li Muzhan let out a soft laugh, drawing the attention of both men.