The next morning, Li Muzhan awoke, practiced the Ancient Qi Refining Technique for a time, followed by the Void Qi Guiding Art. When he emerged, the three women were practicing their swordsmanship.

Yet, the three women seemed listless, as if they hadn't slept well, their expressions tired, their swordplay sluggish and lacking vitality.

Li Muzhan chuckled inwardly; the three must be practicing the Void Qi Guiding Art.

The Void Qi Guiding Art was far from easy to master. The first stage alone was incredibly difficult: opening the Ren and Du Meridians to achieve an inexhaustible flow of internal energy—a task of supreme difficulty.

The second step, stimulating the vitality of the Inner Elixir, was even harder, and the third step, opening the Heavenly Gate, was as difficult as ascending to heaven. Without practicing Zhi Guan (stopping and seeing) methods, without practicing Buddhist martial arts, it was simply impossible.

Even for those who practiced Buddhist arts, without ten years or eight years of arduous training, without formidable spiritual strength, opening the Heavenly Gate was nearly out of reach.

Li Muzhan had practiced Zen meditation since childhood, achieving profound mastery that far surpassed the great monks of the current age. Coupled with his cultivation of the Divine Illumination Scripture of Observing Heaven and Man, he possessed immense spiritual power and sophisticated Zhi Guan skills, allowing the Void Qi Guiding Art to unfold naturally and easily. For an ordinary person, without decades of effort, they wouldn't even grasp the threshold.

His generosity in gifting the manual held this underlying reason: he wished to see who else could succeed in practicing it. The Void Qi Guiding Art itself possessed no direct offensive power; its strength lay in the astonishing speed with which it cultivated internal energy.

However, this speed was not infinite. It only sped up the recovery and progress of internal energy, not creating boundless reserves. Ultimately, the depth of one's internal energy depended on the capacity of the meridians and the Dantian.

Most practitioners gradually enlarged and strengthened their meridians by nourishing them with Qi as they cultivated. The Void Qi Guiding Art was more forceful: when internal energy hit a bottleneck, one could urge the internal energy to expand the meridians. This process required meticulous care; one could not rush greedily.

Li Muzhan had previously cultivated the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, which purged the marrow and expanded his meridians tremendously. Cultivating the Void Qi Guiding Art, for him, was like covering a thousand miles in a single day.

Even so, having reached this level, where his Golden Core had grown to the size of an apple but showed no further change, he too had encountered a bottleneck, requiring the accumulation of strength.

Given the abilities of the three women, and lacking the foundation of Buddhist practice, it was impossible for them to truly master the Void Qi Guiding Art—not for at least a year and a half.

Li Muzhan said nothing more. He picked up a long saber from the weapon rack beside the practice ground and began slowly executing the Mountain-Severing Saber Technique.

Due to his recent near-death experience, his heart had been tempered anew, leading to a deeper comprehension of the Mountain-Severing Saber Technique. Moreover, his internal energy was incomparably profound.

As he brought the saber down, the resulting saber wind faintly whistled, accompanied by an imposing, majestic aura. With the saber in hand, he exuded an air of irresistible might.

Li Muzhan felt a great sense of exhilaration. He deeply sensed that his saber skills had advanced another level; his saber intent was sharper, allowing him to wield it with fluid ease, applying lightness or weight as needed, operating with reserve. Wielding the saber was a form of enjoyment, as if his very heart was attached to the blade.

"Junior Brother Li, your saber skills have become so powerful!" Xu Yurou stopped her practice to watch Li Muzhan wield his saber, and after a moment, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Li Muzhan smiled: "This assassination attempt gave me much to reflect upon."

Xu Yurou nodded vigorously: "Indeed, tempering oneself between life and death is the most beneficial thing for martial arts cultivation."

Seeing her demeanor, Li Muzhan couldn't help but laugh: "Senior Sister seems to understand deeply. Did you also go through a life-and-death test? Are you the Lake Master?"

"No," Xu Yurou shook her head and sighed, "The Lake Master would never treat me that way!... It was that assassination attempt; Senior Sister Zhang and I almost died."

Zhang Qiaoyi smiled: "Why bring that up again!"

Xu Yurou said: "After going through that, I also feel my swordsmanship has improved significantly, and my understanding of the way of the sword has deepened."

"Trials by death temper a person the most," Zhang Qiaoyi nodded.

She shared the same feeling. Having experienced a brush with death, she had gained a deeper understanding of people, the world, and martial arts, leading to enormous progress.

Xu Yurou smiled sweetly: "Junior Brother Li, how about we spar a little?"

Li Muzhan laughed: "Certainly, I was just hoping to ask Senior Sister for guidance!"

Xu Yurou declared: "Watch my sword!"

As she spoke, she suddenly thrust her sword out, like a streak of lightning, instantly reaching Li Muzhan—impossible to defend against, a pure ambush.

Li Muzhan smiled and slashed with his saber. His movement seemed calm and slow, yet it perfectly intercepted the tip of Xu Yurou's sword. With a crisp ding, a lingering metallic sound followed.

Xu Yurou stepped back, gazing at him in surprise: "Such powerful Mountain-Severing Saber!"

She felt a current running up her blade into her body, leaving her limbs numb and weak. She could barely hold onto the longsword in her hand, almost wanting to let it fly away.

This strange internal force was purely the result of the Mountain-Severing Saber Technique; no other skill could produce it.

She had sparred with Li Muzhan often and understood the progress of his saber skills well. She was caught completely off guard by this one strike and nearly defeated immediately.

She hadn't expected Li Muzhan's saber technique to become so formidable. Firstly, Li Muzhan's understanding of saber intent had deepened, allowing for complete freedom in his movements and greatly enhanced power—after all, during the third stage of cultivating the Void Qi Guiding Art, his efforts in visualization had refined his spirit, making it purer.

Secondly, his internal energy was several times deeper, and when channeled into the saber, the weapon's power naturally increased.

The combined effect of these two factors made this strike astonishing, nearly defeating Xu Yurou outright. It was only because Li Muzhan held back, not using his full strength from the start. Otherwise, that single strike would have caused Xu Yurou to drop her sword and admit defeat immediately.

"What incredibly potent Mountain-Severing Saber Technique! Junior Brother Li, my turn!" Zhang Qiaoyi exclaimed admiringly, leaping into the arena, having noticed Xu Yurou's exhaustion.

Xu Yurou took the opportunity to step back, shaking her hand and casting a slightly annoyed look at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan smiled: "I welcome Senior Sister Zhang's instruction!"

"Watch my sword!" Zhang Qiaoyi wasted no words, thrusting her sword out—both light and fierce.

Li Muzhan swung his saber to meet it, but Zhang Qiaoyi immediately changed her move, evading his saber's path and thrusting directly into his opening, seeking flaws and striking empty space, refusing a direct confrontation.

Li Muzhan smiled faintly, withdrawing his saber and holding it vertically before his chest. Seeing the sword attack approach, he merely deflected it lightly. The longsword and the saber collided.

With a crisp ding, Li Muzhan stood steadily, smiling, while Zhang Qiaoyi's sword bounced away as if hitting an iron wall.

"Again!" Zhang Qiaoyi was unconvinced and continued to thrust her sword again and again. Li Muzhan did not move his feet or his body; only the saber held before him shifted slightly, parrying the tip of the blade.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Qiaoyi had attacked more than twenty times, all of which were nullified by Li Muzhan's saber, unable to shake him in the slightest. Seeing Li Muzhan's triumphant smile, Xu Yurou felt disgruntled and let out a delicate huff: "Me too!"

The two women attacked simultaneously, their sword flashes like lightning, striking separately at different angles. Their sword styles differed, but both were astonishingly swift, piercing toward opposite directions.

Li Muzhan needed incredible speed to parry both swords at once, which was very difficult. He could only dodge one while parrying the other.

Under these conditions, he appeared somewhat flustered, but he still managed to hold his ground without being overwhelmed. The storm of attacks from the two women could not defeat him; he remained as firm as stone.

"Senior Sister He, why are you just watching? Come join us!" Xu Yurou pouted alluringly.

He Ruoshui watched for a moment and smiled: "Isn't this inappropriate?"

"If we don't deflate his arrogance, how can we?" Xu Yurou coquetted, urging her, "Hurry up!"

He Ruoshui drew her longsword, smiling: "Junior Brother Li, please excuse my offense!"

Li Muzhan laughed: "Come on then!"

Suddenly, a wave of heroic spirit surged through him. He extended his left palm, holding it vertically before his chest like a saber, and met the incoming swords with a soft pat. A crisp ding sounded like the clash of metal.

"Good!" Zhang Qiaoyi exclaimed with a laugh.

The force Li Muzhan projected from his palm traveled through the longsword to her hand. She felt it was no different from a saber strike—numbing her entire body until she felt weak, almost unable to exert any strength.

Clearly, this was the manifestation of saber intent channeled through the palm, transforming the palm into a saber—a feat achieved at a supremely high level. Even without a saber in hand, he could unleash saber intent, and though the power was slightly diminished, it was far more terrifying.

While a saber is mighty, it is slightly less agile. Now that he could infuse saber intent into his palm, he became even more fluid and difficult to counter, no less formidable than when he used his saber.

"Watch my sword!" With He Ruoshui joining in, Li Muzhan was immediately surrounded by three swords.

Against two swords, he could hold his own, but against three, with their skills combined, it was like facing six or seven people, multiplying the power exponentially.

Li Muzhan immediately struggled, but he became even more excited. He channeled strength into his palm while the saber also contained vast internal energy, sweeping in a slow arc to form a circular shield.

The saber's movement was slow, while the palm's was fast; one yin, one yang, forming a unified circular shield. When the three swords pierced toward him, they were directly repelled by the shield, gaining no advantage.

The shield formed by his saber and palm resembled an impenetrable, dense wall of energy. No matter how fiercely the three women stabbed, they could not breach it.

Instead, the rebound force transmitted from the shield was astonishing. The harder they pushed, the stronger the recoil, making them fear for their very vital energy.

After about half an hour, roughly a hundred moves having passed, the three women exchanged glances, suddenly retreated, sheathed their swords, and looked at Li Muzhan with smiling shakes of their heads.

They hadn't expected that their Junior Brother Li, having only entered the sect for a year, could possess such cultivation. If this continued, he might truly become a Ninth Rank master.

Li Muzhan smiled faintly and cupped his hands: "Three Senior Sisters, you have let me win!"

"You wicked boy, such powerful saber skills, such mighty internal energy!" Xu Yurou praised him.

The two aspects were indispensable. The sword skills of the three were supreme; without his profound internal energy and exquisite saber technique, it would have been hard for him to withstand their fierce combined assault.

The current Junior Brother Li could already be considered a top-tier expert!

Li Muzhan smiled: "Senior Sister Xu overpraises me!"

"Overpraise? Being able to withstand the attack of the three of you is truly remarkable!" Xu Yurou shot him a look and scoffed, "No wonder you managed to kill that Lin fellow!"

Li Muzhan replied: "When I killed Junior Brother Lin, I didn't have this much internal energy; it was extremely risky. Junior Brother Lin's internal energy was profoundly deep; I was inferior to him."

"He was truly useless to be killed by you, his great ambition unfulfilled!" Xu Yurou pouted and sneered sarcastically.

Li Muzhan smiled: "By luck!"

"When are we going to see that person?" Xu Yurou asked.

Li Muzhan looked at Zhang Qiaoyi: "Senior Sister Zhang, what do you think?"

"Let's go now!" Xu Yurou urged.

Zhang Qiaoyi said: "Shall we go take a look?"

Li Muzhan nodded slowly, agreeing. It wasn't a major issue for them to go over there.

After breakfast, the four left the Little Courtyard, headed straight out of the city, and then walked toward the mountain. Their steps were light as they traversed the forest, finally arriving at the peak of Huaxu Cliff.

Li Muzhan stood on Huaxu Cliff, his green robe fluttering in the wind. His Eye of the Void scanned the surroundings; no one had followed them. It seemed the people from the Three Smiles Hall had given up on this location.

He led the three women into the mountain cave and went in to see the person inside. The three women clicked their tongues in amazement but merely observed without touching, even offering solemn bows to show respect.

Such an immortal body, unperishing, was practically a legend in their eyes. Seeing it firsthand now deeply shook them, filling them with boundless strength.

Cultivating at the Little Star Lake Villa involved entering the Dao through martial arts, but most disciples were not entirely convinced about entering the Dao, feeling it too ethereal compared to mastering martial skills and grasping the present.

Now, witnessing physical embodiment achieving Buddhahood, the inspiration for them was unparalleled. They finally understood that the Lake Master's pursuit was not vague but genuinely achievable.

Li Muzhan had brought them here with this intent as well. Faith is critically important in cultivation; full confidence versus disbelief results in a world of difference in achievement. Seeing this figure was crucial for solidifying the faith of the three women. With this experience, their future accomplishments would far surpass those of ordinary martial artists.

After viewing the body, Li Muzhan led them out, left Huaxu Cliff, and returned to White Cloud City.

"Senior Sister Zhang, I want to move this physical body to the Little Villa. Is that possible?" Li Muzhan inquired.

The four of them flew together, soaring on the wind, their steps light as if they were immortals.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Zhang Qiaoyi nodded, still immersed in shock. She hadn't imagined that a physical body could truly remain unperishing and indestructible.

"But it also feels disrespectful to the deceased," Li Muzhan mused.

Zhang Qiaoyi pondered silently for a long time: "Perhaps this master would not mind. If it encourages people in the world to strive for self-improvement, it counts as a merit."

Li Muzhan smiled and nodded.

He himself carried no psychological burden, as he understood the secrets of life and death. He had worried that Zhang Qiaoyi and the others might struggle with their own conscience, feeling it inappropriate.

Li Muzhan stated: "This matter needs to be reported to the Lake Master for decision."

"Right, I will report the news to the Lake Master," Zhang Qiaoyi nodded.

The group returned to the Little Courtyard and only recovered after a long while, sitting in the pavilion drinking tea.

Li Muzhan changed the subject, smiling as he asked: "Senior Sister Zhang, how is the Seeking Embrace Pavilion?"

Zhang Qiaoyi started: "Seeking Embrace Pavilion?"

The other two women also pricked up their ears, gazing at him intently.

Li Muzhan said: "I had some interaction with Miss Jin Qiaoqiao. I wonder how she is doing, especially since Junior Brother Lin's death is related to her."

"What exactly happened?" Zhang Qiaoyi asked, frowning.

Li Muzhan then recounted the events and explained his intentions: that he did it to provoke Lin Ping's jealousy, making the situation look like a crime of passion, thereby removing suspicion from the Little Star Lake Villa.

"Your method is quite clever, except for the part where..." Zhang Qiaoyi shook her head with a wry smile.

Xu Yurou eyed him sideways: "Junior Brother Li, managing to anger that Lin fellow while also getting close to a beauty—what a wonderful plan!"

Li Muzhan smiled, offering no rebuttal; with rumors flying, it was hard to explain clearly.

He Ruoshui asked: "So, you know Jin Qiaoqiao? The Jin Qiaoqiao famous for 'Sword Dance of Overthrowing the City'?"

Li Muzhan nodded: "We had some... dealings."

"She'll be fine. With the City Guardian watching over her, the Lin family wouldn't dare do anything," He Ruoshui assured him.

Li Muzhan considered this: "I'm still worried. I'll go check on her later."

"Oh, I didn't realize Junior Brother Li was such a sentimentalist!" Xu Yurou remarked sarcastically.

He Ruoshui chuckled lightly and shook her head: "It’s a shame about Jin Qiaoqiao. Her talent in swordsmanship is exceptional. I once tried to persuade her to join the Little Villa, but she refused."

"Is that so?" Li Muzhan said, surprised.

The courtesans of Nanli had a dedicated administrative body, the Bureau of Entertainment. Most courtesans were daughters of disgraced officials or poor girls unable to support themselves.

For the latter group to gain freedom was easier; they only needed to accrue enough money for redemption. For the former, it was much harder; daughters of disgraced officials had to work to atone for their sins, something money couldn't fix.

If Jin Qiaoqiao weren't related to the City Guardian, it would have been easier to pull strings, spending some money to grease the necessary wheels. But because she was a relative of the City Guardian, she attracted too much attention, making any direct intervention risky.

"What a pity..." He Ruoshui sighed softly.

Zhang Qiaoyi said plainly: "Forget it. Everyone has their own ambitions; one cannot force them."

Xu Yurou scoffed: "She's doing quite well, actually. With the City Guardian protecting her, no one dares touch her. She dances when she feels like it, and no one dares force her if she doesn't want to. Even though she's in the Seeking Embrace Pavilion, isn't she just like a princess?"

He Ruoshui shook her head: "It is a brothel, after all, which harms one's reputation."

Xu Yurou curled her lip: "Senior Sister He, you worry too much about that! What era is this? People mock poverty, not prostitution!"

Li Muzhan smiled: "Senior Sister He has a point."

Xu Yurou's bright eyes immediately fixed on him: "Junior Brother Li, you stinking men are all the same—demanding women remain chaste while you enjoy your own pleasures!"

Li Muzhan touched his nose, momentarily speechless.

He Ruoshui pursed her lips and smiled: "Alright, Rou'er, Junior Brother Li is still quite decent."

"Hmph, I see the signs emerging already!" Xu Yurou glared at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan chuckled a couple of times and quickly changed the subject.

At night, the Seeking Embrace Pavilion was brightly lit. The sound of silk and bamboo instruments drifted on the air, mingled with sweet, cloying laughter that captivated the soul and stimulated primal desires.

Li Muzhan, dressed in his green robe, strolled into the Seeking Embrace Pavilion, requested a room, and upon settling in, told the attendant he wished to see Miss Qiaoqiao.

The attendant immediately showed a troubled expression: "Sir, it’s inconvenient. Miss Qiaoqiao is indisposed and is not seeing guests these few days."

"Please convey the message, say that an old acquaintance from the mountains wishes to see her," Li Muzhan said, smiling as he handed the attendant a piece of broken silver.

The attendant’s face brightened, and he hastily accepted the tip, thanking him: "I will go inform her, sir, but whether she sees you or not, I cannot decide."

"I trouble you," Li Muzhan nodded with a gentle smile.

After the attendant left, Li Muzhan picked up a wine cup and slowly sipped his drink, observing the stage opposite, where a graceful woman was performing a dance.

Though perhaps not as stunning as Jin Qiaoqiao's sword dance, it was still elegant and moving.