He pondered whether it would save time and allow him to fill his Xue faster, surging toward the Dantian, if he could guide the Qi while simultaneously practicing Tuna.

For anyone else, this would be impossible, but his skill in multitasking had grown immensely, lending him a slim hope of managing Tuna and guiding the Qi at the same time.

He didn't rush to test it, electing instead to first fully master guiding the Qi before attempting the combination.

After practicing for a while, once the Qi in his Spleen was depleted and he had refilled it through Tuna, Leng Wushuang spoke, "Enough. Let's continue our journey. We can practice more when we return."

Li Muzhan nodded in agreement, concluding his stake-stance practice. The two headed toward the city, passing through the large metropolis before continuing onward, eager to get back to Star Lake Hermitage sooner.

The more they hurried, the more things arose. On a narrow mountain path, several figures suddenly sprang out—all clad in black clothes and black headscarves, their faces completely obscured.

Without preamble, these seven men leaped out and surrounded the pair. Two of the assailants wielded swords, while the other five held sabers.

The gleam of blades and swords merged into a single entity, trapping the two inside. Li Muzhan drew his left saber, stepping in front of Leng Wushuang, and smiled, "Lake Master, watch my saber technique!"

Leng Wushuang cautioned, "First, ask who they are—don't make a mistake."

Li Muzhan coolly leveled his saber, pointing at the burly man opposite them. "Who are you people? We are disciples of Star Lake Hermitage!"

The man was robust and tall, his eyes radiating a piercing cold light. Those who were timid would have naturally tried to avoid him, but Li Muzhan smiled as he assessed him, judging him to be in his early forties—the absolute peak of a man's life, when mind and body were perfectly matched.

The man glared intensely at Li Muzhan, seeming to wish his gaze could kill him, pierce right through him. Li Muzhan smiled faintly, "Don't make a mistake and invite great disaster!"

The seven exchanged glances, nodded, and took another step forward, gripping their swords and sabers tightly.

Li Muzhan frowned. "It seems they truly came for us. Lake Master, shall we kill them or spare them?"

"Kill them," Leng Wushuang stated plainly.

Li Muzhan inquired, "Shouldn't we ask who sent them?"

"If I ask, will you believe the answer?" Leng Wushuang asked coolly.

Li Muzhan chuckled. "That is true. If they are just fanatics, we really won't know the truth—we'll be left confused, and it's better not to know."

"Mhm," Leng Wushuang concurred.

Li Muzhan turned back to the burly man. "Tell me, who sent you?"

"Sent by your old man!" the burly man sneered, spitting contemptuously.

Li Muzhan smiled. "You aren't worthy of knowing my father. Try saying that again, and see if I can guess the truth!"

"Your mother!" The burly man roared with laughter. "I know your mother!"

…………………………………………………………

Li Muzhan shook his head. This was clearly an attempt to provoke him, but he had to admit, he was genuinely angered; his parents were not for them to mock.

Leng Wushuang stated calmly, "No need to waste words. Just kill them all cleanly!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Yes, as you command!"

Though he smiled, his gaze was sharp and chilling as he swept a look over the group, finally settling on the burly man. He shook his head and sighed, "Seeking your own death—truly pitiful and lamentable!"

He suddenly cleaved out with his saber, instantly appearing before the burly man. The six others nearby hadn't time to react—the tip of the blade was already at the man's forehead.

The burly man roared, reacted, and swung his saber upward to meet Li Muzhan's strike.

Clang... a sharp sound rang out, and one saber flew away. The burly man tumbled several somersaults before collapsing on the ground, unable to rise for some time.

The remaining six were stunned. They had never expected such a turn of events. Could the disciples of Star Lake Hermitage all be this formidable?!

Li Muzhan turned and smiled slightly toward Leng Wushuang. "Lake Master, how was that?"

Leng Wushuang remarked coolly, "Mm, there's a bit of Saber Intent now, but it's not refined enough!"

Li Muzhan laughed. "To refine it requires hard practice. I've only grasped a hint of the gateway; the power isn't quite sufficient, or this one strike would have solved the problem."

Although the burly man lay on the ground, immobilized, he wasn't dead. His internal organs had merely been vibrated by the internal energy, and he wouldn't recover for a short time.

This injury wasn't severe; he could recover in a day or two of rest.

Just as Li Muzhan prepared to advance another step, the six moved in unison. Saber light and sword light rained down together, assailing the pair like Mount Tai bearing down upon them.

Li Muzhan spun his saber, resulting in ding, ding, ding... a series of clear, resonant clashes. Li Muzhan deflected all six blades and swords with a single sweep, then spun again.

Someone attempting to block staggered back two steps, their longsword and saber almost flying from their grasp, though they managed to hold on. While Li Muzhan's saber was fierce, dealing with six opponents at once dispersed its power.

He immediately sensed the issue. He drew his second saber; one saber spun around his body in pure defense, while the other struck out—chopping, slicing, or lifting.

He concentrated his attack on one person, ignoring the other five, focusing purely on defense. This tactic immediately showed results: one slender man was knocked flying by his strike.

The man soared three zhang away, landing motionless, his longsword skittering a zhang further out.

The remaining five saw that a siege tactic wouldn't work to save their comrade, so they coalesced into a single unit, advancing and retreating as one. When Li Muzhan struck, the five simultaneously met his blow and countered with an attack of their own.

This prevented Li Muzhan from breaking them down one by one; he could only match five with one, resulting in a stalemate. They were evenly matched—he couldn't overcome the five, and they couldn't overcome him.

…………………………………………”，…………

Li Muzhan’s Earth Qi within his Spleen was not deep enough, and after a short while, it was nearly exhausted. At this moment, Earth Qi surged out from his Xue, continuously flowing into his Spleen to replenish the consumption.

Li Muzhan was overjoyed. He hadn't expected the cultivation technique to be so miraculous as to replenish itself automatically—a stark contrast to the situation during practice.

With this, he could last longer, but continuing this way was still unsustainable. The Earth Qi in the Xue was finite; it couldn't be replenished, only consumed, leading to eventual depletion.

Leng Wushuang shook her head. "Li Zhu, although you have grasped the essence of Saber Intent, you are still far behind in the subtleties of saber technique!"

Li Muzhan sighed. "Indeed!"

Leng Wushuang stood with her hands behind her back and said calmly, "When we return, you must work hard to cultivate your saber technique and comprehend its subtleties. There are absolutely no shortcuts to mastering it and integrating it within yourself."

Li Muzhan acknowledged this, shaking his head helplessly. "These five fellows are too rogue; they intend to fight me to exhaustion."

Leng Wushuang suddenly flicked her sleeve, and immediately the two of them flew up into the air, flailing comically. It wasn't that they lacked composure, but this sudden event threw them completely off balance.

Leng Wushuang gently pointed a finger at them with her left hand. Both instantly fell silent, crashing heavily to the ground like puppets, motionless—as if their vital energy had ceased.

Li Muzhan could sense that both men had lost all life force; they were dead.

He sighed inwardly at the sheer power of the Lake Master. It was truly the difference between an adult and a child. Subduing him would have been as easy as flipping a hand, requiring no effort at all.

He wondered if using the Great Bright King Scripture would give him a fighting chance against the Lake Master, but after thinking it over, he shook his head—still no chance.

He possessed brute strength, but his moves were severely lacking. The Nine Swords of the Vast Sea were exquisite, but compared to the martial arts of Star Lake Hermitage, they fell short by a large margin.

The more he observed the martial arts of Star Lake Hermitage, the more worried he became about Mount Canghai. He dared not expose his true nature; once his identity was revealed, Mount Canghai faced annihilation.

Under Leng Wushuang’s elegant sleeve, the remaining three men were also stripped of any power to resist. They were swept into the air, unable to evade her finger strikes, and then their vital energy ceased.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "A pity we couldn't learn who sent them."

Leng Wushuang shook her head faintly. "It doesn't matter. Many wish to kill me; a few more won't make a difference."

Li Muzhan walked over to each of the men one by one, pulled down their black scarves, and examined their faces. He recognized none of them. He turned to Leng Wushuang, who also shook her head.

Li Muzhan used his saber to dig a large pit and buried the seven men, then they departed. On the rest of the journey, they encountered no further trouble.

Li Muzhan kept thinking about the seven. Each possessed considerable martial skill; they likely weren't from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Who could they be? Since they knew the route they would take, they must have been watching Star Lake Hermitage closely.

………………………………………………

Upon reaching the shore of Star Lake, Li Muzhan felt a sense of familiarity. After having faced death once, his affection for Star Lake Hermitage suddenly deepened. It felt as if he had been here for a long time and had also been away for a long time; feelings of reunion and deep familiarity enveloped him simultaneously.

Seeing him standing motionlessly by the lake, gazing toward the Hermitage, Leng Wushuang did not urge him on. She turned and calmly gazed at the lake surface.

After a long moment, Li Muzhan snapped back to awareness. "Lake Master, let's return to the Hermitage."

"Mm, let's go," Leng Wushuang nodded. Li Muzhan jumped onto a small boat, and Leng Wushuang floated in after him. Li Muzhan used a bamboo pole to punt, and the boat shot forward like an arrow from a string, reaching the Hermitage in a short time.

Upon arrival, a group naturally gathered to welcome them, and there was much lively excitement. Li Muzhan carried a jar of wine, a portion of beef, and a portion of mutton to see Xia Wufeng.

Xia Wufeng stood perfectly still near the cliff edge, his robes fluttering, holding his longsword—like a statue, motionless for a long time.

Li Muzhan paused some distance away, waiting a while before slowly approaching. His eyes narrowed slightly, and Xia Wufeng immediately turned his head.

Li Muzhan arrived close by and smiled. "Senior Brother Xia, practicing your swordsmanship?"

"Nothing else to do, so I practice my sword. When did you return?" Xia Wufeng took the wine jar, uncorked it, and drank deeply. He laughed heartily, "Refreshing! So refreshing!"

Li Muzhan set down the meat, sat down, picked up the two overturned bowls beside him, filled them both, and after they each ate a couple of pieces of meat, they began to drink.

After a long bout of heavy drinking, they slowly began to talk.

Li Muzhan sighed and shook his head. "Senior Brother Xia, I intended to visit the Sea Heaven Palace on this trip, but unfortunately, I didn't get the chance. The Lake Master stayed too close."

"Forget it then. I've figured things out these past few days," Xia Wufeng waved dismissively.

Li Muzhan paused. "Figured what out?"

Xia Wufeng replied, "The Lake Master was right. If the feelings are genuine, a period of separation is fine. If they can't withstand the erosion of time, then it's no great tragedy either..."

Li Muzhan laughed. "Senior Brother Xia, are you just joking?"

Xia Wufeng shook his head, his expression solemn. "Every word is sincere."

Li Muzhan frowned. "Senior Brother Xia, you place too much weight on affection, and you view it too simply. The feelings between two people are both resilient and fragile. No emotion can withstand the erosion of time and space. You think that if two people are separated for years, their feelings shouldn't change... but your wife might think, if you truly love her, why wouldn't you find a way to communicate with her? Doing nothing suggests you don't value her!"

Li Muzhan continued, "This is the fragility of emotion. If two people cannot communicate clearly, misunderstandings build up, and a few misunderstandings are enough to destroy a relationship."

………………………………

When the topic turned to affection, Li Muzhan became eloquent, like a different person—spirited, surveying everything with confidence.

He truly saw relationship dynamics clearly. Seeing Xia Wufeng with such martial skill yet being so clueless about emotional matters distressed him; he wished he could pour his insights directly into Xia Wufeng's mind.

Xia Wufeng listened intently. In terms of martial arts, his junior brother might be the weakest in the Hermitage, but when it came to understanding affection, he was the strongest.

What Li Muzhan said made perfect sense; every sentence was a gem of insight, truly rare. Junior Brother Li was a born romantic, truly worthy of envy.

After speaking at length, Li Muzhan concluded, "Senior Brother Xia, you still need to find a way to send a message, to let your wife know. However, you must be careful. People's hearts are hidden; she is, after all, from the Sea Heaven Palace. When you are together, you must never discuss sect matters."

"Mm, I understand," Xia Wufeng nodded seriously.

Li Muzhan considered. "I have now comprehended the Intent of the Mountain-Severing Saber, and the Ancient Qi Refining Art has advanced a level. I'm about to enter seclusion. After seclusion, I'll see if I can reach the Sixth Grade."

Xia Wufeng smiled. "You think reaching the Sixth Grade is too easy. Congratulations, Junior Brother, comprehending the Intent of the Mountain-Severing Saber is no small feat."

Li Muzhan laughed. "Senior Brother Xia, let's spar!"

"Good!" Xia Wufeng immediately stood up, rubbing his fists together, even more eager than Li Muzhan.

He had been confined here alone, with no one to accompany him. It had been a long time since he had fought anyone, and he was almost forgetting what it felt like. Hearing Li Muzhan wanted to fight made his eagerness intensify.

Li Muzhan pushed off his legs and stood up, unleashing a saber strike. Xia Wufeng met it with his sword.

Ding... amidst the sharp clash, Xia Wufeng retreated one step, blurting out, "Good!"

Li Muzhan struck down with another saber slash. Xia Wufeng executed a subtle sword flourish, rotating his blade to steadily absorb the momentum without yielding an inch.

"Good lad, you really have some semblance of the Mountain-Severing Saber now!" Xia Wufeng exclaimed.

Li Muzhan smiled. "Take a few more of my strikes!"

He secretly shook his head and sighed. He hadn't expected Senior Brother Xia to be so powerful; the Mountain-Severing Saber posed no threat whatsoever. It seemed his own Mountain-Severing Saber technique was far inferior.

He had harbored a sliver of secret delight, thinking that having grasped the essence of the saber technique, a little more practice would be enough to place him among the top experts and reach the Sixth Grade.

It now seemed he had been too optimistic; he needed to return to diligent practice.

After sparring with Xia Wufeng, he immediately entered seclusion. When he emerged, it was already the end of the year, and Zhang Qiaoyi and the other two women had all returned.