"Hm?" Wen Yinyue drifted lightly to his side, releasing waves of faint fragrance.

Li Muzhan quickly made a gesture, then returned to normal, continuing to suppress the nine figures behind him with his Boundless Sea Sword Qi, preventing them from closing in.

His sword qi was sharp yet fluid, exquisitely precise, like the vast net of heaven—spacious yet allowing nothing to escape.

Wen Yinyue nodded slightly, moved to the front, and spoke quietly with Abbess Zhuzhao and Yang Chong. The two hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Li Muzhan.

Wen Yinyue added a few more words, then slowly nodded.

Abbess Zhuzhao suddenly shouted, "Split up!"

Instantly, the six people in front divided into two groups: three from the Boundless Sea Sword Sect and three from the Penglai Pavilion, each heading toward the southeast and southwest directions respectively, leaving Li Muzhan alone.

The nine elders behind were momentarily stunned, then erupted in fury. They also divided in two, four men in each team chasing after the two groups, leaving only one person to deal with Li Muzhan.

They intended to concentrate their forces to eliminate the others first, then deal with Li Muzhan—a task that would certainly take time. If they delayed, the other six would have already fled.

With this thought in mind, only one elder remained to engage Li Muzhan, while the other eight split into two groups to pursue. Li Muzhan let out a long laugh and shot toward them.

The elder’s face was as pale as paper, resembling a vampire that had never seen the sun. His eyes remained still for a long moment, yet his sword struck like lightning, producing a continuous series of "Ding, ding-ding-ding..." clear ringing sounds.

Li Muzhan moved his ten fingers, sword qi sweeping everywhere, but the elder enveloped himself with his sword strikes, creating a defense utterly impenetrable. For a moment, Li Muzhan could do nothing.

Li Muzhan smiled, withdrew his fingers, and thrust his left palm straight forward.

The elder hissed and thrust his sword directly at Li Muzhan's palm, his momentum like an arrow... his essence, spirit, and vigor fully concentrated. Li Muzhan did not change his move, allowing the sword tip to strike his palm.

With a sharp "Ding..." the sword tip shattered against his palm, and Li Muzhan's right thumb was already pressing forward.

A sound like tearing silk—"Chih—!"—followed as his finger force pierced through the elder.

The elder’s eyes widened in shock, staring fixedly at Li Muzhan, his face filled with unwillingness. He had intended to strike Li Muzhan’s palm while simultaneously shifting his body sideways to avoid the finger force.

He hadn't expected, however, that a strange inner energy would transmit through the sword, spiraling into his heart meridian. Layer upon layer of inner force seemed to meet no resistance. A sharp pain bloomed in his chest, and his vision briefly darkened.

His movements stalled for that crucial second, and in that instant, Li Muzhan's finger force reached him.

Li Muzhan shook his head, turned, and chased after the Penglai Pavilion group.

……………………

Yang Chong and the two Penglai Pavilion masters were clearly at a disadvantage. Each of the four elders possessed a cultivation level roughly equivalent to the two Penglai Pavilion masters, and now four against three made it even easier for the elders.

When Li Muzhan arrived, the situation was desperately critical. He felt anxious; if the Penglai Pavilion was in this state, the situation at Canghai Mountain must be similar. He could not afford further delay!

He appeared soundlessly, his ten fingers plucking simultaneously, and the chilling Boundless Sea Sword Qi swept in. The four elders were instantly thrown into disarray, and the tide of battle abruptly turned.

Li Muzhan unleashed the Boundless Sea Divine Sword while simultaneously crashing directly toward one of the elders.

That elder's sword light was like snow, radiating an icy chill, guarding his entire body so tightly that water could not penetrate. The Boundless Sea Divine Sword could not harm him; only the incessant sound of "Ding ding ding" could be heard.

In an instant, he was close. Li Muzhan abandoned the Boundless Sea Divine Sword and employed the Eight Forms of Dragon Slaying.

With a "Ding...", he deflected the sword tip with his left hand and struck the opponent's chest with his right, sending him flying.

When executing the Eight Forms of Dragon Slaying, both hands were as hard as iron stone, moving with incredible speed; it was superb for one-on-one combat, possessing infinite power. However, when facing a siege, its effectiveness waned considerably.

While the power of the Boundless Sea Divine Sword was inferior to the Eight Forms of Dragon Slaying, it was best suited for group fighting. By moving his fingers, Li Muzhan could battle in all directions, his power remaining relatively consistent whether fighting alone or against many.

By alternating between the two techniques, he immediately saw remarkable results.

He killed one elder, then, following the same pattern, killed another, before turning to leave and heading toward the Boundless Sea Sword Sect group. There, he saw that Abbess Zhuzhao’s left shoulder was bleeding profusely, but she paid no mind to bandaging the wound, allowing it to flow as lotus blossoms, seemingly real, manifested on her sword.

Around Wen Yinyue floated a phantom lotus image, as if the entire person were enveloped in a single lotus, both hands transformed into lotus blossoms. They shone with a pale moonlight, resembling lotuses carved from white jade.

Seeing Abbess Zhuzhao wounded, Li Muzhan became instantly furious. Even the Great Bright King Sutra could not suppress his rage; the power surging through his body increased further.

The Great Bright King was inherently a wrathful manifestation. Previously, he had been suppressed by the Great Bright King Sutra, his inner emotions muted, unable to command the Sutra, which merely remained passively attached to him. Now that his Sarira had formed and his soul strengthened, he could suppress the Sutra. Once enraged, his state of mind resonated with the Sutra, and the Sutra’s power surged dramatically.

He charged straight in, ignoring their sword light. Employing the Eight Forms of Dragon Slaying, he fought with the intention of mutual destruction, killing two elders in a blink. Then, joining forces with Martial Uncle Hua and Wen Yinyue, they killed the remaining two.

"Master, are you alright?" He quickly helped support Abbess Zhuzhao.

Abbess Zhuzhao held her sword steady with her right hand, panting slightly, her delicate face flushed a drunken red, exquisitely alluring, like a blooming flower.

"You impudent boy, quickly retract the Great Bright King Sutra!" Abbess Zhuzhao commanded.

Li Muzhan hastily withdrew the Great Bright King Sutra. His body swayed, and his face instantly turned as pale as paper, devoid of any color. Although his Sarira had formed, the Great Bright King Sutra was ultimately a drain on his potential. Once withdrawn, the feeling of emptiness and exhaustion immediately assailed him, impossible to restrain.

Wen Yinyue pulled a porcelain bottle from her robes and sprinkled some powder onto Abbess Zhuzhao's fragrant shoulder, staunching the flow of blood, and murmured, "Master, how is it?"

"It's nothing, I won't die. Yinyue, hurry over there and check." Abbess Zhuzhao waved her hand. Wen Yinyue nodded, floated over, and soon returned, followed by Yang Chong and the two Penglai Pavilion masters.

……………………

"Mistress, you're injured?" Yang Chong asked with concern.

Li Muzhan supported Abbess Zhuzhao, his expression grim, tinged with self-reproach. His martial arts skill had been insufficient; he should have finished off the other group sooner and rushed over earlier. Had he been faster, perhaps his Master wouldn't have been wounded. This time, it was fortunate to only sustain flesh wounds; had luck turned against them, he would have regretted it for life!

Abbess Zhuzhao laughed, "It’s nothing serious; at least we escaped."

Yang Chong chuckled, looking at Li Muzhan with admiration, "This time, thanks to Master Zhanran’s divine might, it was truly unfathomable!" Even now, he found it somewhat unreal—Zhanran, being so young... to possess such formidable martial arts. In a few more years, wouldn't he be unrivaled under heaven? Could he possibly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Nangong Sidao?

He shuddered at the thought, then shook his head. Nangong Sidao was hardly human. Outstanding figures like Master Zhanran were not unheard of; Wen Yinyue, Master Xinjue—they were all exceptional talents.

Abbess Zhuzhao turned to glance at Li Muzhan and smiled, "Zhanran, is Nie Wangqiu dead yet?"

Li Muzhan nodded, "He couldn't be more dead."

"Hahahaha..." Yang Chong burst into boisterous laughter, utterly delighted. "That scoundrel, he finally met his end!"

"Yes, since he's dead, our mission is complete. Let's go!" Abbess Zhuzhao declared.

Li Muzhan nodded. He had originally intended to pull a surprise attack, return to fight some more, and capitalize on the enemy’s wavering morale to weaken the Changbai Sword Sect as much as possible. But seeing Abbess Zhuzhao injured, he instantly lost interest. "Master, we need to leave quickly. There might be experts from the Changbai Sword Sect intercepting us."

"Hmph, good if they show up!" Yang Chong was full of confidence.

Li Muzhan remained silent. Abbess Zhuzhao shot him a look. "Can you fight the entire Changbai Sword Sect? We've kicked a hornet's nest; let's not stir up more trouble!"

"Heh heh, yes, yes, Mistress is right. Let’s go," Yang Chong quickly laughed.

Only then did Abbess Zhuzhao smile, "With Nie Wangqiu dead, the Changbai Sword Sect is not a major concern. Although Nie Xuefeng is a talent, he is far inferior to his father."

"Heh heh, exactly, exactly!" Yang Chong nodded repeatedly, chuckling, "From now on, the Changbai Sword Sect is nothing to fear. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"

Nie Wangqiu was certainly not a magnanimous person. This broken engagement was tantamount to a slap in the face; how could he swallow that insult? He would surely seek revenge sooner or later. Now that Nie Wangqiu was dead, Yang Chong had nothing more to worry about and could finally sleep soundly.

Abbess Zhuzhao turned to look at Li Muzhan, noting his pale complexion and dimmed eyes, as if he hadn't slept for days and nights. She sighed, "Impudent boy, you..."

Li Muzhan managed a weak smile, "Master, I'm fine."

Abbess Zhuzhao gave him a look. "Enough, stop pretending! ...Yinyue, you support your junior brother."

"Yes..." Wen Yinyue nodded, moving to the other side to support Li Muzhan.

A faint fragrance entered his nose. Li Muzhan smiled faintly, allowing her small hand to steady him as she channeled oily inner energy toward him.

……………………

Li Muzhan shook his head. His inner energy now surged like a vast river, boundless and mighty; he lacked no internal force whatsoever. However, his body felt weak and limp, his essence, spirit, and vigor seemingly drained away. Deep inner energy could not remedy this physical state.

Wen Yinyue sensed his condition, realizing that internal force was useless. She could only support him, feeling his body grow heavier. Looking at him, his eyelids kept fluttering open and shut, his gaze distant.

She whispered, "Master, perhaps we should let Junior Brother rest for a while..."

Wen Yinyue shook her head, "Impossible. We must move quickly now; we cannot delay."

"Then what about Junior Brother...?" Wen Yinyue looked troubled.

Abbess Zhuzhao said, "You carry him on your back."

Wen Yinyue's delicate face flushed slightly, but she silently agreed. She couldn't ask the Martial Ancestor or her Master; she had to carry her junior brother herself. As for the Penglai Pavilion members, they couldn't be relied upon—one must always be wary.

She slowly bent at the waist, allowing Li Muzhan to slump onto her back. Li Muzhan was soft and pliable, as if his bones had been removed. He struggled briefly, then went still, falling instantly asleep. The Great Bright King Sutra had been used for too long and demanded too much effort this time; he was utterly exhausted.

"Mistress, let me do it," Yang Chong offered.

Abbess Zhuzhao waved him off. "Let Yinyue do it. Yang Chong, we'll return to Canghai Mountain; you can stay a few days before returning, how about that?"

"I follow your command, Mistress," Yang Chong nodded.

Abbess Zhuzhao continued, "Then we'll part ways and travel separately to avoid drawing attention."

"Good," Yang Chong agreed.

The group drifted away, arriving at a small town by dawn. They purchased a horse-drawn carriage and a few horses... changed their attire, and split up, taking different paths.

Abbess Zhuzhao wore a wide, round hat and a white veil over a white gown. Wen Yinyue dressed similarly. Martial Uncle Hua departed alone. The two women, taking Li Muzhan with them, traveled by carriage. (To be continued)