At the first blush of dawn, Li Muzhan awoke from the contemplation of the Heavenly Man Divine Illumination Sutra, his spirit cleansed and energized, filled with such vigor that he longed to roar at the sky and punch a hole clean through it. Every time he emerged from practicing the Sutra, his spirit was as potent as a surging dragon, always accompanied by a fierce desire for destruction.

He moved slowly from the room. The practice yard was empty and quiet; everyone else still slept.

The crisp, cold air rushed into his lungs, bringing an indescribable sense of relief. He softened his footsteps, left the main courtyard, and followed the stone steps up the mountain.

His legs carried him swiftly. By the time he reached the summit, Leng Wushuang, clad in robes as white as snow, was already seated upon a massive boulder.

She sat cross-legged in the morning light, beneath the gentle breeze, her skin luminous and white as fine jade. Her hands formed a strange mudra—resembling a blooming lotus—perfectly still, as if she had not heard his approach.

Li Muzhan settled onto another large stone, assumed the lotus position, and began his Qi cultivation. This period, as the faint light of dawn broke, was the optimal time for gathering Qi—the pure rising of the clear, the sinking of the turbid, the initial surge of the world’s vitality, making the ambient energy of the void exceptionally refined.

He quickly sank into the state of meditation, merging with heaven and earth. The breeze brushed his robes, stirring his pores; the leaves rustled with a soft susu sound; the faint, earthy smell of damp soil drifted to his nose—all these sensations presented themselves with crystalline clarity in his mind.

Meditation was not sleep, a blank oblivion to the outside world, but a state of heightened lucidity. The mind was a clear mirror, free of distracting thoughts—seeing through all things, achieving knowledge without alarm, penetrating the hidden depths with exquisite detail.

This was the profound realm of true tranquility. Only by reaching this level could he attend to his own affairs within the meditative state, focusing with singular intensity.

This state was several levels deeper than that of Heaven-Man Unity. Heaven-Man Unity was the forgetting of self, a concentration of will.

To achieve the plane where Li Muzhan now resided, years of arduous practice were necessary, fraught with numerous internal obstacles and hidden dangers. In his view, the difficulty in mastering this Qi cultivation lay not in the complexity of the incantations, but in achieving Heaven-Man Unity.

For an ordinary person, reaching that state was far more arduous than mastering martial arts. He was a person granted great liberation, free from the confusion of the womb, having seen through life and death.

Thus, cultivating the art of contemplation proceeded naturally, without hindrance, allowing him to reach this height through self-guided practice. Those few high monks in the world who attained his level were rare indeed.

For him, the initial hurdles were not related to Heaven-Man Unity, but rather to the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art. The subtle mysteries of worldly phenomena and the profound transformations of Yin and Yang were faintly visible even in this aspect of his training.

In the rhythm of his breath—the out-breath and the in-breath—time slipped away. The sun moved, from the first sliver of golden light, to fully leaping over the eastern horizon, and then ascending to mid-sky; yet, in his perception, it was but an instant.

He suddenly awoke. Leng Wushuang opened her eyes.

He felt the connection and opened his own; a faint yellow light flashed briefly from his pupils. “Lake Lord,” he greeted her.

“Mm,” Leng Wushuang nodded lightly. “Your progress is swift, but do not push too fast.

Moving too quickly causes the Qi to become restless and prone to generating internal fire.” Li Muzhan nodded. “I heard Senior Sister Zhang was in grave danger yesterday.” Leng Wushuang replied, “Xiao Rou told you?” Li Muzhan nodded.

“Senior Sister Xu said if the Lake Lord had not arrived in time, Senior Sister Zhang would surely have died. It frightened her terribly.” “This time was indeed perilous,” Leng Wushuang confirmed.

…………………………………………”,…… “Who did it?!” Li Muzhan asked coldly. Leng Wushuang shook her head, remaining silent.

Li Muzhan snorted. “If Senior Sister Zhang and the others combine forces, an ordinary person cannot harm them.” Leng Wushuang waved a hand.

“I will send people to investigate. You should focus on your practice now, lest extraneous thoughts disturb your state of mind.” Li Muzhan responded, “I cannot concentrate on my cultivation until these people are rooted out… Lake Lord, you still have that projectile, don’t you?” “Yes, Qiaoyi is holding it,” Leng Wushuang confirmed.

Li Muzhan smiled. “That is good!” Leng Wushuang recalled that Zhang Qiaoyi had mentioned Li Zhu possessed exceptional tracking skills.

She inquired, “Can you find them?” Li Muzhan replied, “I wish to try! I seem to have a peculiar intuition, a way to sense the owner through objects near me.” Leng Wushuang nodded.

“Very well. Try it then.” It was not strange for someone with such a formidable spirit to exhibit anomalies; given Li Zhu’s acute mental state, possessing such an unusual talent was normal.

Seeing her agreement, Li Muzhan let out a slow breath. He deactivated his internal force, which was not too uncomfortable—after all, his divine power remained, capable of substituting for internal energy.

However, being unable to employ his true abilities felt restrictive and stifling. If one divine ability were acknowledged, he could use it openly in the future, freeing one constraint.

But the Eye of the Void could not be mentioned; it invited too much jealousy. Leng Wushuang slowly rose.

“Go get that Gate of Doom Needle from Qiaoyi, and after the New Year, leave the lake to see if you can locate them.” “Yes!” Li Muzhan answered resolutely. Leng Wushuang started walking down the mountain, Li Muzhan following her pace.

“Your Qi cultivation advances rapidly; it seems I misjudged. At this rate, perhaps you can reach perfection, but do not rush.

Practice for a month, then rest for a few days. For Qi cultivation, one must control the heat, utilizing both the fierce martial fire and the gentle scholarly fire,” Leng Wushuang instructed.

Li Muzhan nodded. Leng Wushuang fell silent.

Li Muzhan then asked, “Lake Lord, what marvelous technique did you use to save Senior Sister Zhang? How did you bring someone back from the brink of death?” “The Art of Spring Revival,” Leng Wushuang replied, turning to glance at him.

Li Muzhan inquired, “Can I learn it?” Leng Wushuang shook her head. “You cannot.” “Oh…” Li Muzhan sighed, recognizing that such extraordinary techniques must have extremely strict prerequisites.

Furthermore, although the art was miraculous, he believed in the conservation of energy in the world: where something is gained, there must be a cost. Deploying the Art of Spring Revival must demand a price; saving a person from death without consequence could not be easy.

……………………………………………………”…… Leng Wushuang explained, “The core method for the Art of Spring Revival is the Falling Star Technique. You cannot activate it now; you must first cultivate the Five Elements Qi to completion.

I will teach you when the time comes.” “Thank you, Lake Lord!” Li Muzhan acknowledged. Leng Wushuang waved her hand.

“Go on.” They walked down the mountain without realizing it, reaching the midpoint where Li Muzhan’s courtyard lay. Li Muzhan clasped his hands in salute and turned to leave.

As he entered the yard, he saw Zhang Qiaoyi and the other two women on the practice field. “Junior Brother Li!” Xu Xiaorou called out from a distance.

Li Muzhan smiled and quickened his pace, striding toward the trio, bowing with a grin. “Senior Sister Zhang, Senior Sister He, Senior Sister Xu.” The three women were dressed in white, their delicate faces radiant and flawless, watching him with gentle smiles.

Li Muzhan turned to Zhang Qiaoyi. “Senior Sister Zhang, are you alright now?” Zhang Qiaoyi smiled.

“Thanks to the Lake Lord, I kept my life. I am fine now.” Li Muzhan nodded happily.

“Senior Sister Zhang is truly fortunate; good people are always blessed.” “Let’s go!” Xu Xiaorou interrupted their exchange. Li Muzhan asked, “To Xiushui City?” “Yes, we’re going to Xiushui City for fun!” Xu Xiaorou confirmed, nodding.

Li Muzhan suggested, “Shall we eat breakfast first…” Xu Xiaorou quickly interjected, “Eat what meal? We’ll eat street snacks in the city!” Li Muzhan looked at the other two.

Zhang Qiaoyi smiled. “The city has countless snacks.

Junior Brother Li, you’ve never tried them, have you?” Li Muzhan shook his head. “I have never been to Xiushui City.” “Then let’s go try them out,” Zhang Qiaoyi suggested with a smile.

“Yes,” Li Muzhan agreed. He observed Zhang Qiaoyi; there was a subtle change in her—she seemed more composed and gentle, retaining her capability but possessing a more pleasing aura.

Surviving the near-death experience had profoundly affected her; it was a good thing, though it would have been a tragedy had the Lake Lord not intervened when he did. The transformation between Yin and Yang, between good and ill, demonstrated the marvels of the world.

Li Muzhan returned to his room to change clothes—a long blue robe and a round skullcap. Without the long saber at his waist, he might have passed for a refined scholar.

Under the envious gazes of the other disciples in the training yard, Li Muzhan and the three women departed the compound, boarded a small boat, and he personally manned the oars, propelling them forward like an arrow released from a string. After about a quarter of an hour, the small boat reached the lakeside, and the four disembarked.

……………………………………………… Xiushui City was incredibly prosperous, teeming with traffic and bustling with pedestrians like an endless stream. The four, possessing martial arts skills, walked leisurely.

Although the three women were beautiful, the streets were not lacking in attractive faces, so they did not attract undue attention. Li Muzhan took in his surroundings, sighing in admiration.

“Junior Brother Li, how does this compare to White Cloud City?” Xu Xiaorou asked with a smile, holding a sugar figurine in her left hand and a candied hawthorn skewer in her right, nibbling at a piece now and then. Li Muzhan laughed.

“It’s much livelier than White Cloud City!” “That’s for sure!” Xu Xiaorou said proudly. Zhang Qiaoyi, calm and composed, smiled.

“Junior Brother Li, you know about the arena tournament during the New Year, right?” Li Muzhan paused, shaking his head. “An arena tournament?” Xu Xiaorou shot Zhang Qiaoyi a displeased look.

“Senior Sister Zhang, you’re such a wet blanket!” Zhang Qiaoyi chuckled. “Little Rou, you underestimate Junior Brother Li too much.” Xu Xiaorou pouted.

“He’s not even a first-star yet. What hope does he have in the tournament?” Zhang Qiaoyi shook her head, gazing at Li Muzhan with a knowing smile.

Li Muzhan said, “Tell me what it’s about, Senior Sister Zhang.” “It’s just for fun during the New Year, a gathering. But the prizes are quite generous; it’s worth competing for,” Zhang Qiaoyi explained.

“What are the prizes?” Li Muzhan asked. Zhang Qiaoyi elaborated, “The tournament is divided into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.

If you win three consecutive matches, you advance from Yellow to the Profound tier. Win three more in Profound, you reach Earth; win three more, and you enter Heaven.

The prizes differ for each tier.” Xu Xiaorou chimed in, “The Yellow tier offers a hundred taels of silver. Profound offers either a treasured saber or a fine sword.

Earth offers two Yuan Cultivating Pills, and Heaven offers one Spring Revival Pill.” “A Spring Revival Pill?” Li Muzhan inquired. Xu Xiaorou explained, “The Spring Revival Pill heals injuries; no matter how severe, it can sustain a life.

Every person leaving the lake is given one, but there is only a single pill available [for the top prize].” “That is precious,” Li Muzhan agreed, then asked, “But won’t the person with the highest martial arts skill always win the Spring Revival Pill?” Xu Xiaorou countered, “Whoever obtains the Spring Revival Pill is barred from competing for two years.” Li Muzhan smiled. “That’s for the best.” Xu Xiaorou giggled.

“Junior Brother Li, you should challenge it too! Maybe you can win three matches and get some silver.” Li Muzhan replied, “Alright.” Zhang Qiaoyi looked at him, hesitating as if to speak, and He Ruoshui also glanced up at him.

Li Muzhan understood their implication: they worried he might go up, suffer humiliation, and lose his confidence.