Abbess Zhuzhao turned her head. "Yinyue, Jingying, you two go to Nanli to investigate the situation at the Three Smiles Hall.

No need to engage in combat." Wen Yinyue replied, "Yes, Master. Rest assured, we won't act rashly." "Mm, go ahead," Abbess Zhuzhao waved her hand dismissively.

Li Muzhan watched the two women leave and quickly said, "Master, I have a bad feeling. It's too dangerous for my senior sisters to go." Abbess Zhuzhao glared at him.

"Stop your dark talk! ...

Yinyue is much more level-headed than you. Don't worry needlessly.

Focus on truly grasping the Flying Immortal Sword Sutra—that's what matters!" Li Muzhan sighed, vaguely understanding his master's intentions. Handling everything himself, while certainly less troublesome, offered no benefit to his senior sisters; they lacked opportunities for tempering and couldn't hone their skills.

He himself couldn't always be the leader. If they developed a dependency, that would be truly dreadful.

He sighed again. His master's thinking was sound; his own excessive competence might not always be a boon, much like Zhuge Liang of Shu in another timeline.

Seeing him sighing repeatedly, Abbess Zhuzhao shot him a look and snorted, "Alright, alright, I will arrange for people from the Cuifeng Pavilion to follow them covertly..." Li Muzhan broke into a smile. "Master is wise!" "Shaoqi she..." Abbess Zhuzhao shook her head, her face clouding with sorrow.

"Such a quiet little girl, and now she is gone. Zhanran, this time we absolutely must take down the Three Smiles Hall, no matter what!" Li Muzhan nodded slowly.

"Yes, Master!" Abbess Zhuzhao gnashed her pearly teeth, her voice barely escaping through the gaps, "I know the Three Smiles Hall is a significant faction in Nanli, but they killed Shaoqi! ...

Zhanran, I want people to see: whoever kills someone from our Canghai Mountain must face the calamity of annihilation!" Li Muzhan stated solemnly, "Precisely!" To protect the disciples of the sect, even with a thousand arms and legs, one could not achieve it; only through deterrence would it work. Who among the Nangong family dared to provoke them?

If anyone killed a Canghai Mountain disciple, they would certainly face thunderous retribution; everyone would have to weigh whether it was worth it. His current martial arts were still far removed from the world's best, but he didn't know how far that gap stretched.

Li Muzhan asked, "Master, I have never truly understood. Is my martial art considered high or low?

... Just how high is it?" "Why do you ask this now?" Abbess Zhuzhao queried.

Li Muzhan explained, "I have always been perplexed, unable to clearly gauge the level of martial prowess." Abbess Zhuzhao stated, "Your martial arts, well, they are top-tier, but they don't quite reach the absolute pinnacle." Li Muzhan quickly asked, "And you, Master?" Abbess Zhuzhao shook her head. "Me?

I am a bit weaker than you, barely qualifying as top-tier as well." ………………………… Li Muzhan requested, "Master, please tell me about the masters of the martial world." "Mm," Abbess Zhuzhao slowly calmed herself and spoke deliberately. "The foremost master in the world is Nangong Sidao; there is no debate on that.

Back during the Sword Debate at Bright Moon Peak, he fought alone against all the experts from the Seven Great Sects; no one could overcome him." "The Sword Debate at Bright Moon Peak?" Li Muzhan inquired. Abbess Zhuzhao explained, "It happens once every ten years.

It is where the experts of the Seven Great Sects spar to inspire diligence and prevent complacency, lest we fall too far behind the Eastern Chu and Western Zhao." Li Muzhan asked, "Nangong Sidao defeated everyone?" Abbess Zhuzhao nodded. "Yes...

even I lost to him... His sword techniques are fiercely formidable, beyond imagination; truly unparalleled." Li Muzhan then asked, "Nangong Sidao is first.

Who might be second?" Abbess Zhuzhao thought for a moment, then shook her head. "As for second, I wouldn't dare say for sure.

There are many experts in the world—like the Thunderbolt Saber Fan Yifu, the Nine-Handed Sacred Ape Duo Gongsheng, the Rushing Thunder Great Spirit Palm Yao Zhiyuan, and others—all of them are peerless masters." "And you, Master?" Li Muzhan pressed. "Me..." Abbess Zhuzhao shook her head.

"I am quite a distance behind. In our sect, only our Great Ancestor is considered an absolute master.

The experts in the Martial Training Hall and Cuifeng Pavilion are merely top-tier. I count as top-tier, too.

As for you, without using the Great Bright King Scripture, you are already at this level. If you employ the Scripture, you can vie with the true peak masters." Li Muzhan nodded slowly, grasping the overall situation.

He had been constantly cultivating and improving, yet new masters kept emerging to overshadow him, leading to his lack of confidence and feeling that his martial arts were mediocre. Now he saw that, indeed, it wasn't anything special; he was only a top-tier master.

Abbess Zhuzhao asked, "Zhanran, the martial arts you cultivate are all rare and seldom-seen ultimate skills, but your time is still short, and your foundation is insufficient. Considering everything, you've only been training for about two or three years, right?" Li Muzhan nodded.

"Yes, Master, I understand." Abbess Zhuzhao gazed at him deeply with her apricot eyes. "No matter how formidable the technique, if it hasn't reached proficiency, it is useless.

It is rare to have such talent; do not waste it!" "Yes, your disciple understands," Li Muzhan affirmed. "Starting tomorrow, we will enter secluded training together to comprehend the Flying Immortal Sword Sutra," Abbess Zhuzhao decreed.

Li Muzhan replied, "Your disciple obeys." "I wonder if Miss Li has returned to the mountain yet..." Abbess Zhuzhao sighed. Li Muzhan reassured her, "Yujiao is very clever; she'll be fine.

Master need not worry." "The Changbai Sword Sect is currently like rabid dogs; we cannot afford to let our guard down," Abbess Zhuzhao frowned and shook her head. Before they returned, Li Yujiao had already departed Canghai Mountain and sent no word.

This worried the Abbess. Although Li Yujiao's martial arts were strong, her experience in the martial world was meager, and being a beauty, she was too easily targeted.

Li Muzhan, however, was full of confidence. Li Yujiao was sharp and surely traveled in disguise.

By now, she should be near Saint Snow Peak, and the letter should be halfway to its destination. "Master, I have a few words for my senior sister.

I will leave now," Li Muzhan said. "Go, go," Abbess Zhuzhao waved her small hand.

…………………… Bright sunlight bathed the training grounds outside the Boundless Hall, where disciples practiced with intense focus. Most wore black or white training uniforms; there were fewer male disciples than female, indicating a feminine dominance.

Li Muzhan slowly walked through the crowd and ascended the central high platform. Wen Yinyue stood elegantly in her white robes, looking down upon the inner disciples.

She pretended not to see Li Muzhan, staring silently into the distance. A faint, ethereal fragrance drifted over.

Li Muzhan inwardly sighed, though a slight smile touched his lips. "Senior Sister." Wen Yinyue did not turn around.

"Speak," she said flatly. Li Muzhan sighed again.

"I have a strong premonition that the trip to Nanli is dangerous. Senior Sister, you must be extremely cautious and prioritize your own safety; do not try to be reckless." Wen Yinyue responded faintly, "Mm, thank you, Junior Brother." Li Muzhan sighed.

"Senior Sister, there's no need to be so formal. I understand your feelings, and I won't press the issue further." Wen Yinyue's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she turned to face him.

"Junior Brother, this is the training ground. Do not speak nonsense..." A faint blush tinged her face, making her appear as radiant as a flower under the sunlight, though her expression carried a hint of anger.

Li Muzhan smiled. "It was my fault..." Wen Yinyue looked at him deeply.

"If there is nothing else, Junior Brother, please return!" Li Muzhan smiled, cupped his hands in a salute, and turned, floating down from the high platform. He passed through the inner disciples and was gone from the training grounds in a flash.

The inner disciples, used to seeing the two converse, paid little mind, especially since Wen Yinyue's tone was cold and detached with everyone, so no one noticed anything unusual. Her white robes fluttered as Wen Yinyue gazed distantly with hazy eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

After a while, a barely audible sigh escaped her. She descended the high platform, slowly walked through the inner disciples, and left absentmindedly.

At this moment, everyone immediately sensed that something was amiss. "Senior Sister must be grieving for Junior Sister An..." the crowd murmured, their words laced with indignation.

"Alas..." Junior Sister An was such a pity. Whoever did this cruelly must be found and have their head severed to honor Junior Sister An's soul!" "I heard that the Eldest Senior Sister is going down the mountain with Senior Sister Xu to avenge Junior Sister An!" "Oh, it seems the Sect Master has resolved to act decisively.

With both Senior Sisters going, it will surely be foolproof!" "I heard the Nanli Three Smiles Hall was responsible." "The Three Smiles Hall of Nanli? Hmm, that sounds like a formidable opponent!" "Who cares if it's Three Smiles Hall or Four Smiles Hall—they killed Junior Sister An, and we must make them pay!" "Right, make them pay!" "Don't worry, Eldest Senior Sister won't show any mercy!" Wen Yinyue could not hear the disciples' discussions.

Her heart felt hollow as she returned to her small courtyard, listlessly packing clothes and preparing her provisions for the journey down the mountain. Li Muzhan felt a sense of melancholy and returned to his own courtyard, immediately entering the Observation of Heaven and Man's Divine Illumination Scripture.

………………………… The next morning, Li Muzhan abruptly withdrew from the Heavenly Man Observation Diagram. Just then, a knock sounded on his courtyard door: "Zhanran, are you awake?" Li Muzhan called out loudly, "Master, please come in." His courtyard gate was unlocked, so she pushed the door open directly.

Abbess Zhuzhao, wearing her jade-colored monastic robes, entered the courtyard, utterly immaculate, and floated into the pavilion to sit down. Li Muzhan quickly cleared the cushions, washed his face, and emerged to find Abbess Zhuzhao had already prepared tea and poured a cup for him.

"Yinyue and the others have already departed for the mountain." Li Muzhan accepted the teacup and nodded slightly. "I hope my senior sisters' journey is smooth." Abbess Zhuzhao smiled.

"Don't worry. Yinyue is no ordinary person.

Let us focus on our secluded training and bring forth our understanding of the Flying Immortal Sword Sutra." After a full day, she had recovered her composure; the look of grief and indignation had vanished. Li Muzhan secretly admired this self-control.

The two drank tea and chatted about everything, then turned to the Flying Immortal Sword Sutra, comparing their insights and mutually stimulating one another. Occasionally, they left the pavilion to practice swordplay.

There were two types of secluded training: 'Dead Confinement' and 'Living Confinement'. Dead Confinement meant locking oneself away, seeing no one until mastery was achieved.

Living Confinement meant maintaining regular daily life but focusing solely on one task. Abbess Zhuzhao and Li Muzhan were practicing Living Confinement; their routines were regular, no different from normal.

After waking and washing, they discussed matters for half an hour, sparred, and then ate breakfast. After breakfast, they returned to their discussions.

After lunch, they meditated for an hour or so. In the afternoon, they resumed their study, continuing after dinner until bedtime.

In this manner, they spent the entire day together researching, except for sleeping hours. During the day, they discussed and spurred each other on, which was far superior to solitary contemplation.

At night, they could study individually, which held its own unique fascination. The master and disciple underwent their Living Confinement, and half a month passed swiftly.

Great progress was made on the Flying Immortal Sword Sutra. The two managed to comprehend the twelfth stance together in one breath, but progress stalled at the thirteenth stance.

(To be continued)