His eyes snapped open, and with a single bound, he executed the Flying Immortal Steps, vanishing a dozen zhang away in a flash.

“Heh heh, the little fellow is quick to flee. Stay where you are!” A cold laugh echoed from the woods, and a volley of hidden weapons descended like a waterfall hung upside down, directly blocking Li Muzhan’s path.

Li Muzhan charged forward with his saber, the gleaming blade forming a protective umbrella that shattered the incoming projectiles.

Though the hidden weapons failed to strike his body, the internal energy infused within them could not be underestimated. Li Muzhan’s speed momentarily faltered—just that instant—and five elders had already encircled him.

One elder stopped, crouched beside the fallen man, felt his pulse, and shook his head grimly. “Old Cui is finished. I never thought we’d capsize in a gutter!”

The other four elders stood guard around Li Muzhan, occupying the four cardinal directions, glaring at him with chilling hostility.

Li Muzhan sighed. “You are all from the Heavenly Secret Tower, are you not?”

“Indeed!” A dark-faced elder nodded, sneering. “Boy, who are you, and why have you come here to die?”

Li Muzhan replied, “I am Li Zhu, a disciple of Star Lake Villa. Your sect dared to ambush my senior sister; I have come to retrieve her honor!”

“Star Lake Villa?!” The four exchanged glances, and the dark-faced elder sneered again. “A fine Star Lake Villa. One day, we will assault the lake and exterminate your entire lineage!”

Li Muzhan laughed. “With your skills, going to Star Lake would be nothing more than a suicide mission!”

The dark-faced elder let out a cold chuckle. “Whether it’s suicide remains to be seen. First, we send you to see the King of Hell! Attack!”

The four immediately drew their swords and thrust forward with astonishing speed, resembling a writhing mass of ten thousand serpents.

Li Muzhan swept his saber to cast a curtain of light around himself. The constant clang of metal on metal filled the air, and his body swayed ceaselessly, like a lotus leaf adrift in the wind.

The internal force imbued in the four swords was formidable. He channeled the impacts, deflecting the external force, or guiding it to serve his own purpose. When redirecting the sustained energy from one opponent’s blade, his body would reel, absorbing the residual force.

Amidst this constant swaying, he managed to steadfastly defend his position, but the situation was growing perilous as a fifth man joined the fray.

When there were four, Li Muzhan could balance the internal energies of two attackers against the other two. With the addition of a fifth, that equilibrium shattered, making the deflection of sustained force significantly harder.

“Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!…” The sound of clashing steel was incessant, like jade beads scattering across a jade platter. Li Muzhan’s plight worsened rapidly; defeat seemed inevitable.

A thought of retreat surfaced. His saber light suddenly flared, and in that instant, he snatched a handful of pebbles from his robes and flung them out. As his opponents momentarily raised their swords to block the stones, he darted out, employing the Flying Immortal Steps until he became a wisp of vanishing smoke.

“Chase!” The five elders roared in unison, launching themselves forward like projectiles, rapidly closing the distance behind Li Muzhan. While the Flying Immortal Steps were superb, they required internal energy to fuel them.

The five elders’ lightness skill, though inferior to the Flying Immortal Steps, was compensated for by their vast internal reserves. Internal energy served as the engine for their speed, the primary factor in velocity.

Their profound internal strength masked the shortcomings of their lightness skill. Li Muzhan fled desperately, yet he could not shake the five; his speed increased, but theirs did not lag.

……………………………………

Li Muzhan sighed inwardly. That last throw of stones had drained almost all of his internal energy. Now, his inner reserves were depleted, his stores empty, and he was close to collapse.

He suddenly halted, whipping around to deliver a saber slash that descended like a bolt of brilliant silk. One elder stepped forward with a sword to meet it, and the blades clashed.

“Ding…” A sharp crack sounded, and the elder was suddenly flung backward.

In mid-air, his eyes widened in utter astonishment. He simply could not believe he had been struck away. A sensation like electricity coursed through him, leaving him numb, weak, and utterly incapable of exerting force.

“Bang!” He slammed onto the ground, sliding a full zhang before stopping, still unable to move.

Li Muzhan was also stunned. This strike, by chance, had perfectly resonated with the intent of the Mountain-Splitting Strike, vastly amplifying its power, actually blasting away the energy-rich elder.

He focused his spirit, capturing that fleeting moment of saber intent, replaying the preceding action in his mind. Then, he brought his saber down again, transforming it into a streak of lightning that vanished instantly.

“Ding…,” A sword was sent flying, and an elder staggered back two steps, his face flushed crimson as he glared at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan slightly lowered his eyelids and struck again, still employing the Mountain-Splitting Strike.

This time, the three elders opposite dared not meet the blow head-on. Their long swords thrust sideways, like a venomous snake striking with its tongue, attacking from three directions arranged in a crude 'pin' shape.

Li Muzhan swept his left saber in a protective arc, raising a curtain of light before him.

“Ding…” His long saber flew out of his grasp, tumbling a few times in the air before striking a pine tree ten zhang away, then falling to the ground with a clang.

The three swords simultaneously struck the saber’s body. The massive combined internal forces were overwhelming. Even with Li Muzhan’s prodigious strength, he could not stop them. The saber hilt felt like a branding iron, scorching his hand, and there was no time to dissipate the force; to avoid injuring his hand, he had no choice but to let go.

“Heh heh…” The three smirked. At that moment, the other two elders retrieved their weapons and closed in.

Li Muzhan sighed. At this rate, his chances were slim. His only dependable weapon was the Mountain-Splitting Strike, a technique whose intent he was beginning to grasp, multiplying its power.

He suddenly charged forward, bringing both sabers down simultaneously. The five elders instinctively parted, clearing a path. Li Muzhan dashed a dozen zhang forward, and the five calmly followed behind.

Li Muzhan abruptly spun around and brought both sabers down. Again, the five separated to let him pass, allowing him to surge ahead.

Li Muzhan suddenly stopped, bent at the waist, and retrieved his long saber, now wielding two once more.

He shook his head and laughed, feeling like a wild boar charging headlong, with no one daring to block him. Yet, relying solely on this move would not suffice in the long run.

He laughed as he stopped, leaning against a massive pine tree easily hugged by three men. He estimated the tree’s diameter was wider than a saber, so he needn't worry about an attack from behind.

……………………………………, He chuckled, gazing quietly at the five, his expression full of disdain. He intended to deliberately provoke them into attacking first. Otherwise, standing there passively would result in a stalemate, and he would be the one disadvantaged, considering how many Heavenly Secret Tower members might still be lurking near Jingming Temple.

The five elders were short-tempered. Having been sent flying by Li Muzhan was humiliating enough, and with two comrades already dead, their killing intent boiled over; they longed to kill him immediately.

“……Go!” The dark-faced elder commanded gravely. The five lunged forward with their swords simultaneously.

Li Muzhan ignored their incoming blades and focused his strike on one elder, slashing down. Since escape was impossible, killing one more was better than nothing; dying wouldn't be a waste.

“Ding…” A crisp sound rang out, and Li Muzhan’s right saber was blocked.

He was startled, seeing three swords crossing to pin his long saber. He lowered his stance slightly but successfully held the weapon.

The other two swords thrust toward him. Li Muzhan paid them no mind, swinging his left saber toward another, “Ding!” Two swords crossed again, locking his saber in place.

Li Muzhan retracted his right saber and struck again, “Ding…” Another sharp sound, and three swords immediately parried his weapon.

“Ding…” “Ding…” “Ding…” “Ding…”

The metallic clash of weapons was continuous. Li Muzhan struck one blow after another, yet each was intercepted by the five elders. Finally, one of them suddenly lunged forward, ignoring Li Muzhan’s held saber.

Two others managed to seize his saber. Li Muzhan used their restraining force to shift his footing, narrowly evading the thrusting sword. The blade tip grazed his left rib and plunged into the pine tree.

The sword tip penetrated the pine tree by a foot. Taking advantage of the elder’s effort to withdraw the blade, Li Muzhan brought his saber down, “Ding,” a crisp clash—the long sword snapped in two.

Li Muzhan sighed inwardly. Having the saber intent made all the difference. Normally, cutting through a steel sword would be difficult. The key was that the sword piercing the pine tree was an inanimate object.

If it had been the sword in the elder’s right hand, severing it would have been much harder, as the opponent would deflect the force. There were two ways to deflect: one through form and posture, using movement to dissipate the energy; the other was internal energy defense, using qi to reduce the impact and slow the force.

The deeper the internal energy, the harder it was to sever the blade. Li Muzhan’s strike was perfectly timed: the elder’s previous force had expired while new force had not yet arisen, leaving his blade’s defense at its lowest point.

With one sword broken, he followed up with a diagonal upward slash. The elder was forced to retreat. Then, four swords attacked, halting Li Muzhan’s momentum.

Li Muzhan was once again mired in close combat, his internal energy rapidly depleting. The yellow qi in the region of his spleen had vanished; only sheer physical stamina kept him going, sweat beading on his brow.

Fortunately, he had practiced the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art, and his body tempering had yielded substantial results. His stamina was deep and enduring, allowing him to hold on for a while longer. Blow after blow, his technique became smoother, and his saber intent grew stronger.

…………………………………… The elder whose sword he had broken turned and left, returning quickly with a new long sword in hand. Behind him followed more than a dozen middle-aged men.

Li Muzhan sighed, realizing escape was now out of the question. He had truly reached the end of the road—no internal energy left, unable to flee, and unlikely to survive.

The only option was to kill as many as possible to take down with him, offering a final contribution to Star Lake Villa.

Even at this point, he held back from using the Great Bright King Scripture; he was gambling that the Lake Lord, Leng Wushuang, was hidden nearby, orchestrating things, and had not truly departed.

Although his intuition had not located her presence, Li Muzhan had a vague feeling she would not leave, viewing this as a test for him. If he was wrong and she truly was in trouble, then he was destined to perish today, reliving the boundary between life and death. If he was right, Leng Wushuang would naturally save him.

Regardless, he dared not use the Great Bright King Scripture. Even if he died, he could not implicate Canghai Mountain; activating that scripture would invite utter destruction upon the mountain sect.

He looked up at the sky. White clouds drifted lazily, the sky an unusually clear blue—beautiful. Perhaps this was the last time he would see the world’s sky.

“Come then!” Li Muzhan vibrated both sabers simultaneously, letting out a great laugh. “The Heavenly Secret Tower acts sneakily, plotting assassinations—they are intolerable to the world! Today, I shall execute divine justice and eliminate you all!”

This declaration instantly drew a chorus of curses.

“Insolent brat, what arrogance! Have you gone mad?”

“You are courting death; we will grant your wish!”

“Killing you outright is too kind. We should make you suffer unending torment!”

“Capture him! Slice him into a thousand pieces!”

Li Muzhan faced their insults with a cold sneer. “Well said, Heavenly Secret Tower! You have truly broadened my horizons. If you have any spine, stop mouthing off! Come forth!”

“Kill!” The crowd surged forward, most attacking with swords wielded in insidious styles.

Li Muzhan swept both sabers, ignoring the swords aimed at his face, focusing solely on two men and slashing down upon them. Ding! Ding! Two sharp sounds rang out, and two men flew backward along with their swords, each spitting a stream of blood mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground, motionless.

In this moment of life-or-death despair, his saber intent surged to its peak. These two strikes directly blasted two men away; the saber energy pierced straight through their bodies, gravely wounding them.

Though he injured two, he himself was pierced by several swords. The tips lodged into his flesh, and when the attackers tried to twist them, the blades seemed caught in stone, unable to move.

Li Muzhan carved a semicircle with a sweep of his saber, causing people to recoil. Two men, unwilling to retreat, tried to wrench their swords free before backing away. The saber tips grazed their throats, and jets of blood erupted as they fell backward, looking up at the sky.

………………………………”…………………………, “You all step back!” the elders commanded sternly.

The dozen or so middle-aged men quickly retreated behind the elders, their eyes blazing with fury, staring fixedly at Li Muzhan, never looking away.

Li Muzhan stood there, seven swords piercing him, trembling slightly—a frightening sight. Blood began to seep from the corner of his mouth.

He reached up, wiped the blood from his lips, and smiled faintly at them, his contempt unabated. He shook his head, signaling that they were simply too weak.

“Alas…” The dark-faced elder sighed, shaking his head. “You are a man of courage. We will grant you a quick end!”

“Feng Gui…” A short, small elder frowned, clearly dissatisfied, glaring menacingly at Li Muzhan.

The dark-faced elder sighed again. “Forget it. Those two were simply outmatched. Killing him is revenge enough; there’s no need to torture him further!”

The small elder snorted, displeasure evident, but said nothing, merely casting a venomous glare at Li Muzhan.

More blood trickled from Li Muzhan’s mouth; this time, he didn’t wipe it away, letting the crimson stream run down his chin. A wave of sharp pain suddenly flooded his chest and abdomen.

He threw his head back and laughed aloud, leaning against the pine grove. “Men of the Heavenly Secret Tower, is there anyone among you who dares to trade blows with me?”

The five elders remained silent, secretly wary of Li Muzhan’s saber technique, which was bordering on the miraculous. His counterattacks in the face of death were even more terrifying; it was better not to provoke him. They would simply wait until his blood ran dry, and his life would naturally ebb away, removing the need for risk.

Li Muzhan laughed boisterously. “What a collection of gutless cowards! What kind of future can you have with such a lot? The Heavenly Secret Tower is truly finished!”

“You speak too wildly, brat! Take my sword!” A burly middle-aged man sprang forward, roaring with a coarse voice, charging straight ahead.

Li Muzhan propped his left saber on the ground and slowly brought his right saber down.

“Ding…” The man flew backward, his long sword tumbling through the air, landing three zhang away. The man himself landed two zhang further, lying still on the ground.

Li Muzhan sputtered, “Waaah!” vomiting a mouthful of blood, then burst into laughter, looking triumphant.

A surge of heroic fervor rose within him: What joy is there in living, and what is there to fear in dying?

“Who else dares to fight!?” he roared, asking the question.

The crowd fell silent, looking around, avoiding his gaze.

The middle-aged man just now was irritable, but he possessed exceptional strength and high martial skill, ranking among the best of them. He couldn't withstand a single saber strike; it would be foolish for the others to step forward rashly.

The dark-faced elder sighed and said in a deep voice, “I will send you on your way.”