With a flash, he darted beneath the ginkgo tree.

The ancient ginkgo was massive; it would take four or five men to encircle its trunk. Standing beneath it, he completely blocked his retreat, eliminating any concern for what lay behind.

Ten figures leaped down from the steps, once more surrounding him, though this only formed a partial encirclement, allowing Li Muzhan to focus entirely on the adversaries before him.

He dared not employ the Void Eye, fearful that Leng Wushuang might be observing from the shadows. Though his intuition suggested she was absent, he would not risk it.

He forced himself to cultivate the habit of not using the Void Eye; otherwise, it was bound to betray him at a critical moment. Self-restraint was paramount.

"Clang, clang… Ding, ding…" He parried the incoming strikes with fluid ease, meeting ten blades with two—one defending, one attacking—holding his ground without yielding.

He then used the Mountain-Splitting Stance. With one downward strike, another man was immediately sent flying.

He repeated the move. This time, someone met it head-on, bringing both blades up in a cross-pattern block against the descending blow.

"Clang…" A sharp report echoed, and the two attacking blades were knocked flying.

Li Muzhan let out a hearty laugh, feeling exhilarated. Such fighting filled him with an inexpressible joy—winning purely through brute force, without any trickery.

The two men retreated two zhang away, bent over to retrieve their swords. Seeing the blades twisted beyond use, they exchanged startled glances, inwardly marvelling at the man's immense strength.

They looked at each other, then suddenly dashed into the temple. In an instant, they reappeared, one wielding a rod of tarnished gold, actually a seasoned bronze staff, which he swung in a blur overhead toward Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan deflected it with his saber: "Clang…………" The crisp sound lingered, and the seasoned bronze staff soared into the air, tumbling end over end before plunging into the earth four zhang away.

"Clang…" Another sharp clang echoed ceaselessly, and the second bronze staff flew away, lodging itself right beside the first, the two staffs standing upright together.

With empty hands, the two men stood stunned for a moment. In that instant, the light of Li Muzhan's saber flashed past. The two men tilted backward, falling slowly to the ground, their lives extinguished.

Li Muzhan’s blows were devastatingly fierce; he showed no mercy or leniency toward the people of the Celestial Secret Pavilion. These were enemies; leaving any alive would only invite endless trouble later.

If he softened his heart now, it might ultimately harm his senior sisters and brothers. Hitting a snake but failing to kill it only invites retaliation; they would never appreciate any mercy shown.

In just a short while, with the twin sabers of Li Muzhan flashing, only three of the dozen-plus men remained. These three monks were clearly superior martial artists, far exceeding the others in skill.

As he fought, Li Muzhan kept glancing at the temple gate. The people hidden inside possessed remarkable self-control, watching every monk die without showing any reaction. This ruthlessness was truly chilling.

……………………………………, Li Muzhan slowed his saber play, feigning exhaustion. The three men’s spirits surged; they attacked with increased ferocity and power, enveloping Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan watched for a moment longer. Still, no one emerged. He shook his head. A flash of saber light suddenly appeared; the three men’s movements froze, their long sabers clattering to the ground as their bodies fell backward, lying still. They were dead.

Li Muzhan lightly shook his blades, flicking off the blood droplets, restoring them to a pristine gleam before returning them to their sheaths. He threw his head back and laughed aloud: "The people of the Celestial Secret Pavilion cling so tightly to life, yet they don't dare seek revenge when their Pavilion Master is killed. What meaning is there in living? You might as well end it yourselves!"

His laughter resonated like a bronze bell, lingering above the Quiet Illumination Temple.

"Heh heh!" A cold laugh suddenly sounded near his ear, as if someone stood right beside him, causing his vital energy to churn.

Li Muzhan’s heart tightened. This was a master of the highest order, his internal power surpassing his own. He had finally encountered a true adversary!

"Come out, then!" Li Muzhan smiled faintly. "Our Pavilion Master is too preoccupied to bother with you. It’s just me; don't be afraid. Heh heh…"

"What a sharp tongue!" Amidst the cold laughter, a grey shadow flickered before the temple entrance, revealing an old man in grey robes. His face was as pale as paper, suggesting either a grave injury or long years spent away from the sun.

Li Muzhan assessed him. His temples bulged, resembling two hidden walnuts. As his eyes opened and closed, glints of sharp light shot out; his internal cultivation was profoundly deep.

Though inwardly vigilant, he felt no fear, only a surging heroic spirit: "Who are you? State your name!"

"Li Jingtian!" the grey-robed elder sneered, narrowing his small eyes. He said coldly, "Boy, when you reach the Underworld, report my name so you don't die a muddled ghost!"

Li Muzhan smiled: "No need for cheap talk. Let's fight!"

"Just what I intended!" Li Jingtian sneered, leaping up like a hawk, swooping down, his palms curved like hooks, aiming directly for the top of Li Muzhan’s head.

Li Muzhan drew his right saber and launched a direct Mountain-Splitting Stance, cleaving down toward Li Jingtian like a bolt of lightning.

Li Jingtian shifted easily to the left, elegantly dodging the saber light, landing gracefully beside him like a crane, and lunging with his claws again.

Li Muzhan swung his saber once more, and the two locked into battle.

Li Jingtian employed the Eagle Claw technique, which was hard as metal and stone. Against any other opponent, he could clash directly against blades and swords without disadvantage.

But against Li Muzhan, it was different. He observed the savage intensity of Li Muzhan’s saber strikes and his boundless strength. Even if the blades weren't divine weapons, taking a direct hit would mean trouble for his flesh and blood.

He intended to rely on his profound internal energy and exquisite techniques to counter Li Muzhan, but he hadn't anticipated Li Muzhan’s peculiar saber style—twin blades, one defending, one attacking, leaving no openings—as if two swordsmen were fighting as one seamless unit.

Li Muzhan excelled at multitasking, giving him a huge advantage when using twin sabers. Moreover, each saber utilized the Mountain-Cleaving Saber Art; one guarded, one attacked, both unleashing tremendous power.

………………………………, Li Jingtian let out two cold chuckles, suddenly leaping backward outside the circle. Li Muzhan paused his saber play, frowning as he watched, wondering what trickery was afoot.

Li Jingtian pulled open his robe, revealing a pale cloth vest underneath, lined from top to bottom with finger-shaped black iron pieces, dull and inconspicuous.

Li Jingtian stared intently at him, his hands moving rapidly. In moments, all ten fingers were encased in black iron sleeves, the fingertips gleaming with a faint, dark luster.

Li Muzhan realized with sudden understanding: these were his weapons.

Li Jingtian clenched and released his fists, flexing his fingers, glaring coldly at Li Muzhan: "To force me to use the Dark Iron Fingers, boy, you can die proud!"

Li Muzhan smiled: "Too much nonsense. Come on!"

"Prepare yourself!" Li Jingtian’s face darkened, and he lunged forward, his five fingers shaped into eagle claws, tearing downwards with lethal swiftness, hissing audibly like an eagle hunting prey.

His speed was astonishing—his ten fingers seemed to rip the air, reaching Li Muzhan in an instant. Li Muzhan took a step back while simultaneously bringing his left saber down to cleave.

Li Jingtian’s right hand shot up to meet the long saber, while his left hand thrust forward, aiming directly for Li Muzhan’s heart—able to pluck it out in one strike.

Li Muzhan cleaved with the left saber and blocked with the right. Clang…… Both retreated a step.

Li Muzhan’s right saber blocked the eagle claw, while Li Jingtian’s right hand intercepted Li Muzhan’s left saber. Both were jolted backward, staring at the other in surprise.

Li Muzhan had not expected such immense strength from the small, thin Li Jingtian; he had managed to block a full cleave. Now, his cleave—enhanced by innate divine strength supplemented by internal energy—was powerful enough to shatter stone, yet Li Jingtian actually withstood it. It was astonishing.

Li Jingtian, recalling their brief exchange, knew his opponent possessed great strength, but he hadn't anticipated it being this ferocious. Possessing natural divine strength himself, he seemed to have met his match; his fingers were numb from the impact.

Their eyes locked, clashing in momentum. After a moment, they charged at each other again.

Clang, clang, clang…… A continuous sound of metal striking metal rang out, sparks scattering. The long sabers and the Dark Iron Fingers clashed incessantly.

Li Muzhan pressed forward relentlessly, his saber strikes falling like a torrential storm, each blow powerful and unending, giving the opponent no chance to catch his breath, forcing Li Jingtian to continually retreat.

Li Jingtian was utterly frustrated. He hadn't expected Li Muzhan’s saber technique to be so formidable; he couldn't find a way to counter and could only retreat to buy time and alleviate the numbness in his fingers.

Every time he met a saber, his fingers would go numb. Fortunately, his strong internal energy and the Iron-Hard nature of his Eagle Claw technique kept his hands like metal; otherwise, they would have been severely injured.

Li Muzhan not only possessed astonishing divine strength but also the unique internal energy methods of the Mountain-Cleaving Saber Art, which transmitted directly through the Dark Iron Fingers, causing him intense discomfort and numbness.

………………………… In the span of moments, they exchanged over a hundred blows. Li Jingtian had retreated twenty meters and was nearing the steps. Li Muzhan’s face glowed red, his spirit soaring.

After delivering over a hundred saber strikes, he felt completely refreshed, his qi flowing like a torrent. No matter what obstacle lay ahead, one downward strike seemed capable of splitting it in two.

At this moment, he faintly perceived the Saber Intent of the Mountain-Splitting Stance—the intent of invincibility, where qi travels, force follows, and nothing can remain unbroken or unconquered.

Iron Saber, Qi Saber, Intent Saber, Divine Saber. He recalled Leng Wushuang, the Pavilion Master, mentioning these four stages of Saber Intent. Most people only practiced up to the Iron Saber stage, clinging to mere forms. Experts often reached the Qi Saber stage, where qi merged with the blade, greatly increasing power.

Higher still was the Intent Saber, where intent merged with the blade—intent arrives, and the saber follows, with qi trailing behind. At this level, the blade movements were flexible, almost transcending the limitations of set forms.

The highest level was the Divine Saber, where the blade contained a divine spirit, achieving the utterly miraculous.

Iron, Qi, and Intent Sabers could all be cultivated through diligent practice—practice made perfect. However, the Divine Saber was not achievable by ordinary means; mere hard work was insufficient. It required exceptional comprehension and a sudden spark of enlightenment to step into that mysterious, ineffable realm.

Only by reaching this level could one truly be said to have grasped Saber Intent. Failing to reach the Divine Saber stage meant that any talk of Saber Intent was mere self-deception.

Li Muzhan’s saber skill was already not bad; he was reaching the Intent Saber level. His spirit was formidable, and his comprehension superior. Leng Wushuang believed he might grasp Saber Intent.

She herself had reached the Divine Saber realm. Although this level was mysterious, she had grasped a key secret: the way in was through tempering the spirit until the divine intent was as firm and condensed as a blade.

Previously, Chunyu Yueyun had managed to touch upon a sliver of Saber Intent using this method. She believed Li Zhu, with his even better comprehension and stronger spirit, could also achieve enlightenment.

She would not teach this method to ordinary disciples; it was too extreme. Forging the spirit in the crucible of life and death could crush those whose spirits were inadequate, leaving them shadows of their former selves.

Furthermore, those lacking sufficient spiritual strength would gain little from life-or-death tempering—it would only bring added confusion.

"Heh heh…" Li Muzhan swung his saber and laughed, his mirth soaring to the clouds.

Li Jingtian’s face flushed crimson with anger. He roared, "Stinking brat, fight me head-on!"

His robe suddenly billowed out as if he were a distended balloon, his face reddened as if covered in scarlet cloth, and sharp light shot from his eyes as if they were tangible.

Li Muzhan’s heart tightened. He knew Li Jingtian was using a method to stimulate his potential. He quickly maneuvered his twin sabers, which circled around him like two silver serpents.

Sure enough, Li Jingtian vanished in a flash. Li Muzhan quickly used the Flying Immortal Steps, shifting slightly and turning sharply in mid-air to evade the eagle claws aiming for his back, meeting the attack with his sabers.

Deng… A sharp sound rang out. Li Muzhan jolted and quickly stepped back to disperse the force.

………………………………………… Ding ding ding, ding…………… Li Jingtian rained down his claws like a fierce storm. Li Muzhan swung both sabers together, their light like lightning, catching every single claw strike.

With every claw he intercepted, he stepped back to neutralize the tremendous power. His arms went numb. Facing the greatly amplified Li Jingtian, he genuinely felt the strain.

Fortunately, a ball of yellow qi in his spleen helped soothe the numbness in his arms with extreme speed. Even so, he needed to retreat and deflect the force to avoid the sharpness of the assault.

Thus, the situation was the complete opposite of before: he retreated constantly while Li Jingtian advanced relentlessly. Fortune turns; thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.

Suddenly, a loud laugh erupted from the temple: "Haha… Brother Li, this lad is quite capable, forcing you to use the Ascending Dragon Skill."

"Old Cui, don't interfere! Today, I must kill this brat!" Li Jingtian snorted, his dual claws attacking with savage fury.

While retreating, Li Muzhan glanced toward the temple gate. Standing at the entrance was a tall, imposing old man with a face like a silver platter, white beard and mustache, and a pair of Danfeng eyes that exuded natural authority.

He stroked his beard and smiled: "Brother Li, I think you can't handle him alone. Let me lend you a hand!"

"Nonsense! He's already spent!" Li Jingtian roared.

The old man stroked his beard and chuckled: "Is that so? This young fellow can hold out for another half an hour, I believe."

"Nonsense!" Li Jingtian’s eyes widened, his claws moving even faster, the hissing sounds growing louder.

Deng, ding, ding…… Li Muzhan retreated even more rapidly, taking a large step back with every block. In moments, he reached the ginkgo tree.

He leaned almost entirely against the tree. Li Jingtian was overjoyed. "Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss…" Four strikes landed in rapid succession as he pressed forward, step by step.

Li Muzhan seemed not to notice what was behind him and backed up again, finally bumping against the ginkgo tree. His movement stalled, and at that moment, the Dark Iron Eagle Claws descended.

Li Jingtian smiled, his eyes gleaming.

Li Muzhan suddenly gave a laugh, flashed aside, and shifted sideways, narrowly avoiding the Dark Iron Eagle Claws, while simultaneously cleaving down with his saber, swift as lightning.

"Hiss!" With a muffled sound, the black iron eagle claws plunged deep into the ginkgo tree, the five fingers sinking deeply into the wood.

The ancient ginkgo tree was dense and hard, like stone; to penetrate it so deeply showed tremendous force.

But the depth of the penetration required Li Jingtian to gather force to pull it out. During this necessary pause, Li Muzhan’s saber descended.

Just as this strike was about to hit him, a small pebble flew in, whistling sharply like a ghost's cry, striking Li Muzhan’s saber.

This sudden, swift intervention gave Li Muzhan no time to evade.

………………………………, a vast, irresistible force surged through the saber, nearly wrenching it from his grip. Li Muzhan had no choice but to yield to the force and soar upward. The saber traced an arc, the tip slicing the ginkgo tree, leaving a cut about the depth of a middle finger.

In that instant, Li Jingtian had already pulled out his eagle claws and turned to attack, his face even redder, his hair looking as if it might stand on end.

Before the old man, he had suffered a major humiliation. If the elder hadn't intervened, Li Muzhan's strike would have been unavoidable; at best, his arm would be severed; at worst, he would lose his life.

Being pressured to this extent by such a young man was an utter loss of face. He wished he could tear Li Muzhan to shreds, and his claws became more savage and violent.

Li Muzhan let out a breath of resignation. With the old man present, victory would be difficult. The internal energy carried by the small stone was extremely profound; he couldn't match it.

He could tell that Li Jingtian’s Ascending Dragon Skill could only be maintained for half an hour, offering a slim chance. But the presence of the elder made that chance almost negligible.

"Ding ding ding ding……………" He could only continue to retreat and deflect the force. Li Jingtian attacked wildly, as if he no longer cared for his own life, neither dodging nor yielding.

He was biting down, his stubborn, straightforward nature taking over. He had resolved to kill Li Muzhan—it would be either his death or Li Muzhan’s.

Li Muzhan saw the madness in his eyes and frowned deeply. Such a person was the most terrifying: strong in martial arts and reckless of life. Even if he had a chance to kill him, he himself would likely be injured. With another grandmaster waiting in the wings, injury meant likely death. He was now in a desperate situation; the best course was to flee.

With that thought, he suddenly swung his saber violently.

The saber light surged. Although Li Jingtian intended to fight to the death, he involuntarily slowed down. Li Muzhan drifted lightly, moving behind the ginkgo tree.

Li Jingtian roared in fury: "Little whelp, trying to run? No way!"

He cautiously approached the ginkgo tree, fearful that Li Muzhan was ambushing him from behind. His body tensed, hands filled with internal energy, ready to strike at any moment.

He focused his hearing; he could hear a fly within ten zhang, but he heard no movement, no breath. He was instantly startled and spun around—the figure was gone.

He became enraged and slammed a claw strike into the ginkgo tree: "Insolent!"

He felt he had been tricked by Li Muzhan. The boy had clearly fled, yet he had cautiously approached, causing him to lose the opportunity to pursue.

Just then, the hairs on his body suddenly stood on end; a chill tightened at the back of his skull—a sign of extreme danger. Just as he was about to move, the Dark Iron Eagle Claws became stuck in the tree, momentarily halted.

……………………………… A cold light flashed and vanished, piercing his skull. His movements locked up; he stood perfectly still.

"Not good!" The old man by the temple gate, who had been stroking his beard and smiling, sensed something amiss upon hearing a faint, almost inaudible whistle. In a flash, he arrived behind the tree.

"Brother Li!" he shouted, his voice like a clap of thunder in a clear sky.

Li Muzhan’s figure was already amidst the trees a hundred meters away.

Li Jingtian stood motionless, his eyes wide open, unblinking. Gushing blood streamed from the top of his head, soaking his face and running down to his feet.

Li Muzhan’s single saber strike had pierced through his skull to his feet. He was dead.

"Ah!" The old man roared, flashing twenty zhang away, then flashing again to a hundred meters away. By then, Li Muzhan had entered the pine forest.

Li Muzhan internally sighed with relief. When a person becomes frenzied, though terrifying, there are exploitable weaknesses. It was precisely because Li Jingtian’s mind was agitated that Li Muzhan found an opening.

Using the Breath Concealment Technique to hide in the tree, waiting for Li Jingtian to panic when he found no one, was not an uncommon tactic, but it worked.

He employed the Flying Immortal Steps, moving like a wisp of smoke, drifting away. In moments, he plunged into the pine forest, quickly slipping into a hollowed-out tree that looked perfectly normal from the outside.

Li Muzhan had made preparations before arriving; he had secured a retreat path.

He used the Breath Concealment Technique, standing motionless inside the tree. It was pitch black before his eyes, without the slightest sliver of light. He could have drilled a small peephole to observe the outside.

But he understood that those with profound martial arts possessed keen senses; even a tiny glint of light would be felt, so he chose to completely block his sight.

Though his perception was keen, even without the Void Eye, he could sense the movements outside. The scene within a ten-zhang radius presented itself clearly in his mind—a truly marvelous, profound state.

He saw the old man flash past and reappear in an instant, his face grim as deep water, his Danfeng eyes flashing with cold light, a murderous aura radiating from him, chilling the air.

Li Muzhan remained perfectly still, like a creature in hibernation, refusing to contend with that dense killing intent. Any slightest movement would alert the old man to something amiss.

The old man frowned, leaped onto the treetop, and surveyed the surroundings. Finding no sign of Li Muzhan, he knew the boy had hidden himself.

The old man roared: "Stinking brat, you have real skill! Brother Li actually fell into your hands!"

His voice echoed, making the entire forest rustle. His internal energy was deep, and Li Muzhan inwardly groaned. If this were before, he would have had the strength to fight, perhaps using the Great Bright King Sutra to retreat calmly.

But now, his internal energy was shallow, and many ultimate skills could not be used. Moreover, he feared that Pavilion Master Leng Wushuang might be hidden nearby. He could only rely on the few martial arts of the Star Lake Lodge.

This was akin to having his hands and feet tied; already insufficient, he was now even weaker.

……………………………………, "I know you are hiding here!" the old man shouted sternly.

The pine tree exploded with a "bang," shattering into four pieces. Li Muzhan sprang out of the hollow like a stream of light, turning instantly to flee, his speed astonishing.

The old man's spirit lifted, and he roared: "Thief, where do you think you're going!"

He flashed out over twenty zhang, then flashed again, appearing close behind Li Muzhan. Just as he prepared to flash a third time, Li Muzhan suddenly turned, shifting from east to south.

The old man flashed twenty zhang ahead, then let out a cold, contemptuous laugh—a laugh born of extreme rage—and pursued again, though this time, he slightly reduced his speed to account for any sudden changes in direction.

Li Muzhan cursed inwardly. The reason he rushed out was the fear that the old man would call for reinforcements; then, he would be caught like a turtle in a jar, with no escape.

Li Muzhan moved with airy grace, urging the Flying Immortal Steps faster and faster, seeming on the verge of ascending. His speed was now barely a match for the old man's.

The elder’s sudden burst of speed, covering twenty feet in an instant, was a strenuous technique he couldn't sustain indefinitely. As Li Muzhan continued to accelerate, the old man gradually fell behind.

Li Muzhan eased his pace slightly, keeping pace just enough to prevent the elder from calling for aid. After they had flown several miles, he plunged into a pine grove. Suddenly, he unleashed his speed, demonstrating the true power of the Fei Xian Bu (Flying Immortal Steps).

“Take this!” the elder suddenly roared.

“Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!” A whistling sound erupted as four small pebbles simultaneously assaulted Li Muzhan, attacking him from above, below, left, and right.

Li Muzhan reluctantly drew his blade. “Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!” The four pebbles struck and fell to the ground. However, his momentum stalled momentarily; the internal force imbued in those stones was immense, requiring him to skillfully dissipate the energy, lest his long saber be knocked from his grip.

In that brief pause, the elder caught up, launching a direct punch.

Li Muzhan swept his saber down, but the elder retracted his fist and drew his sword. A flash of steel was instantly upon Li Muzhan, moving with unparalleled swiftness that was impossible to guard against entirely.

Li Muzhan braced his left saber across his chest, and the tip of the elder’s sword pressed against the blade.

“Ding…” The clear sound resonated like a prolonged dragon’s roar, lingering in the air.

He staggered back two steps. The force emanating from the elder’s sword was overwhelming, striking his chest like an iron hammer. Had Li Muzhan not been practiced in the art of absorbing and redirecting force, he would have been injured by that blow.

“Ding-ding-ding-ding…” The elder’s sword struck like lightning, relentless and unending. Li Muzhan wielded his twin sabers, circling defensively as blade met sword in a continuous exchange.

Li Muzhan was forced backward continuously. Each footfall left a distinct impression in the earth, as if branded onto the ground; the indentations deepened from one inch to three or four inches as the exchange wore on.

The elder’s face was dark as water, his eyes glittering with a cold light that seemed to intensify under the reflection of his flashing sword, threatening to pierce the very core of Li Muzhan’s being.

Li Muzhan’s expression remained calm, his defense airtight. Though seemingly at a disadvantage, he had yet to be broken.

………………………………..

He retreated nearly twenty meters in one sustained push, then suddenly shifted laterally with effortless grace, like a lotus flower stirring on a lake. It was as if eyes grew at the back of his head, allowing him to precisely avoid a pine tree.

He flashed past and hid behind the trunk. With a muffled thud, the elder’s long sword pierced the pine tree. The elder twisted his wrist, and the tree exploded, fragments of wood scattering to reveal Li Muzhan’s silhouette.

The elder gave a sinister grin and thrust again, his blade slicing through the flying debris toward Li Muzhan. As the wood chips drifted toward his face, Li Muzhan narrowed his eyes instinctively.

Li Muzhan suddenly flicked his wrist, sending a hidden flash of cold light outward. The elder’s momentum abruptly halted; he let out several guttural “Hoh, hoh” sounds, slowly leaning back toward the sky, his long sword clattering to the ground.

Li Muzhan had seized the fraction of a second when the elder’s eyes were constricted. His flying dagger had instantaneously found its mark in the elder’s throat.

Li Muzhan drew a long breath, steadying himself by leaning on his long saber. That final strike had consolidated all the vital energy and spirit of his entire being; it was as swift as lightning, almost beyond the capacity of the human eye to track.

After delivering that blow, he felt an eerie emptiness, as if his energy had been completely expended.

Looking down at the elder lying dead on the ground, his eyes wide open in eternal surprise, Li Muzhan shook his head with a wry smile. This time, he had escaped by sheer luck.

His flying dagger, originally intended as a final trump card, had become the ultimate defense. Yet, in that last exchange, he had brushed against the very shadow of Dao Yi (Saber Intent).

It was a subtle and profound sensation, as if his Jing Qi Shen (Essence, Energy, Spirit) had coalesced into a single blade, capable of cleaving through all matter. His mind felt extraordinarily clear, perceiving that nothing in his vision could remain hidden.

He immediately sat down on the ground, attempting to recapture that fleeting sensation.

But the feeling was too ephemeral, too mysterious to articulate. His thoughts, like scattered pearls, sought to grasp it when he willed it, yet this time the attempt failed. That strange, esoteric feeling vanished instantly, disappearing without a trace no matter how hard he tried, as if it had never existed at all.