Li Muzhan laughed aloud: "...Excellent! That is precisely what I needed to hear from Palace Master Bai!"

Bai Xiaotian gazed intently, his expression severe, and said coolly, "I should very much like to see what capabilities your Star Lake Hermitage possesses!"

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled slightly, "The Lake Master merely does not object, but he certainly will not offer support. It is Senior Brother Xia who has devised a new cultivation method, which he intends to pass to Senior Sister Meng to give her a helping hand!" "Hm?" Bai Xiaotian frowned, shaking his head, "Nonsense. A cultivation method cannot simply be created on a whim. Which method has not been passed down for centuries? A single slight deviation can lead to a thousand-mile error. Surely a disciple of the esteemed Star Lake Hermitage understands such a basic principle?" Li Muzhan smiled, "All cultivation methods were created by people. Senior Brother Xia is a genius unparalleled, one in a century; what difficulty would he have creating a new method? Palace Master Bai worries needlessly!" "Worthy of a Star Lake Hermitage disciple," Bai Xiaotian stated dryly, "What an audacious claim!"

Li Muzhan replied, "Senior Brother Xia and I have already tested it, and it has passed the Lake Master's inspection. Only then did we dare to pass it to Senior Sister Meng. Palace Master Bai need not concern himself!" Bai Xiaotian let out a laugh, "Very well. Since it has passed the discerning eye of Cold Lake Master, there should be no mistake. You may carry on with your folly; this Elder will not interfere!" "Many thanks, Palace Master Bai!" Li Muzhan cupped his hands in a respectful salute.

At that moment, Meng Qiuxia slowly awoke, got up, and looked around. She then approached Bai Xiaotian: "Master!" Bai Xiaotian's face immediately darkened, and he said coldly, "Your heart is restless and agitated; I see you are close to falling into darkness!"

Meng Qiuxia lowered her head in silence. She had indeed been too impatient, causing her internal energy to run astray, nearly costing her life. Her Master was merely angry out of concern; otherwise, given his usual temperament, he would handle any matter with calm composure.

Lu Chaozong spoke up, "Master, I don't think it's fair to blame Senior Sister. Anyone, no matter who, placed on this Wuyou Cliff, would turn into a ghost!" "Silence!" Bai Xiaotian turned and shot him a chilling glance.

Lu Chaozong shrank his neck but couldn't stop his mouth, "Senior Sister Meng's delicate body cannot endure this wind—Master, you are too harsh!" Bai Xiaotian glared at him without a word.

Lu Chaozong pressed on with forced bravery, "I think that's enough now. Cold Lake Master has already agreed; there's no point in us remaining so rigid." Bai Xiaotian's face turned grim. He raised his hand as if to strike Lu Chaozong, but Lu Chaozong nimbly retreated, quick as a startled hare, waving his hands frantically. "Master, Master, let's talk this through properly! Gentlemen debate with words, not fists!"

Bai Xiaotian said coldly, "If you don't shut up now, you're not coming down!" Lu Chaozong's expression changed. He quickly clamped his mouth shut, offering a couple of nervous chuckles before falling silent. He possessed profound inner strength, but enduring this wind day after day—it felt like knives slicing through one's bones, enough to soften anyone. Sitting here was akin to suffering a thousand cuts; anyone would go mad. Senior Sister Meng's resolve was truly admirable.

Bai Xiaotian glanced at Li Muzhan and saw his expression was solemn, devoid of any smile. His own face softened somewhat. To be mocked by an outsider was truly a disgrace to Haitian Palace!

………………………………

Li Muzhan cupped his hands in greeting. "Palace Master Bai... this humble one wishes to stay here for a few days to transmit this cultivation method to Senior Sister Meng. Is that permissible?" Bai Xiaotian gave a slight cough and stated formally, "You may stay as many days as you wish. In the future, if you wish to visit, there is no need to announce yourself—just come straight up!"

Wuyou Cliff was forbidden territory because it was incredibly perilous, and only disciples who had committed grave offenses were confined here. Those who survived were all individuals of deep cultivation. If an ordinary disciple came here, they would be like sheep among wolves, constantly facing mortal danger. Moreover, the Gang Feng (Vortex Wind) at night pierced the bones, severely damaging the body. A practitioner whose cultivation was insufficient would suffer a severe illness if the chill penetrated their bones, and illness is a critical setback for martial artists as it easily depletes cultivation. Thus, establishing it as a forbidden zone was also a measure taken out of genuine concern.

For a disciple of the Star Lake Hermitage like Li Muzhan, Bai Xiaotian naturally held no such goodwill. He could come and go as he pleased. Bai Xiaotian harbored deep resentment toward the Star Lake Hermitage stemming from an old incident years ago—he had been humiliated by one of their disciples, and that grievance had never been settled.

Li Muzhan nodded. "Very well, thank you, Palace Master Bai."

Bai Xiaotian said lightly, "No need for thanks. Let me warn you beforehand: the night winds here are detrimental to your health. If you cannot endure it, come down early. Do not harm yourself and cause Cold Lake Master to complain, thinking I plotted against you." Li Muzhan smiled and nodded.

Bai Xiaotian glanced at Meng Qiuxia. "Qiuxia, you know where you stand now. If you can escape Wuyou Cliff, I will no longer concern myself with the matter between you two!" "Thank you, Master." Meng Qiuxia lowered her head.

Bai Xiaotian scoffed, "Don't thank me! You have now allied yourself with powerful backing; you are flying high, a phoenix upon a branch. With the Star Lake Hermitage supporting you, this Elder dares not touch you!" "Master!" Meng Qiuxia looked up, displeased.

Bai Xiaotian sighed, waving his hand with feigned helplessness. "Fine, fine. Your wings have hardened, and I can no longer control you. I only hope your judgment is sound and you are not deceived!" He turned and left. Lu Chaozong and the others glanced at Li Muzhan, then looked at Meng Qiuxia with concern. Though they could not say much, their feelings were evident.

Meng Qiuxia inclined her head toward them, offering a faint smile. Her pale face held a delicate exhaustion. They felt a strange melancholy, casting inexplicable glances at Li Muzhan, sighing inwardly. The foremost beauty of Haitian Palace would eventually belong to another man. They had once believed no man in the world was worthy of Senior Sister Meng, that no man could ever stir her heart. Alas, the ways of the world were unpredictable. Senior Sister Meng, such a celestial being, had finally found a man she cherished and was willing to follow him without reservation. In their hearts, a sense of unbidden loss washed over them, as if the most precious treasure had been stolen away.

…………………………………………

After they departed, Li Muzhan approached Meng Qiuxia and smiled gently, "Senior Sister Meng, how are you feeling now?" Meng Qiuxia gave a slight smile, "Much better."

Li Muzhan reached out and gently grasped her right wrist, placing three fingers upon her pulse. He slightly closed his eyes to observe her condition, remaining motionless, his expression grave and focused. Meng Qiuxia watched him, silently admiring his skill. Her own martial arts were not weak; while perhaps not the top in Haitian Palace, she ranked among the best. When this Junior Brother Li first touched her pulse, she instinctively tried to pull away, but found his technique so refined that he had already anticipated her evasion and was waiting there—it was like walking willingly into a trap. Such skill at his age, such profound cultivation—it was no wonder Wufeng felt confident sending him to Haitian Palace; it took great ability to accompany such audacity.

She sighed softly. "Junior Brother Li, my Master harbors deep, accumulated resentment toward the Star Lake Hermitage stretching back many years. It cannot be resolved in a moment. Normally he is so placid and composed; he rarely loses his temper like this." Li Muzhan, still with his eyes closed, smiled faintly. "I know. It is nothing."

He slowly opened his eyes, shook his head, and sighed. "Senior Sister Meng, your injuries are not light. You need proper adjustment; we cannot rush the healing process." Some ailments required gradual treatment. Rushing the cure, while showing immediate results, often demanded a sacrifice of one's lifespan in exchange. Time was precious; unless facing imminent death, he would not sacrifice longevity for a swift fix.

Meng Qiuxia nodded slightly. "I will heed your instructions." Li Muzhan nodded. "That is good. We shall use our internal strength to gently nourish the injuries... Take this Longevity Pill. It is a spiritual medicine from my Star Lake Hermitage. Try taking it." He pulled a small porcelain vial from his inner robes, uncorked the wax seal, and presented a single, black pill, the size of a longan fruit, to her. The Longevity Pill looked dull and black; it possessed no exotic fragrance or refreshing aroma, appearing quite unremarkable, making one suspect it was merely rolled up from furnace ash.

Meng Qiuxia did not hesitate; she took it directly and placed it in her mouth. It dissolved instantly upon contact, immediately generating a warm current that circulated twice through her body before settling into her heart. Her chest felt warm and comfortable, and her spirit lifted. She felt lighter, and the pain had almost vanished—she secretly rejoiced. It truly lived up to the name Longevity Pill; it was remarkably efficacious.

"Senior Sister Meng, let us sit down and begin the nourishment," Li Muzhan suggested. He sat behind a large rock where the fierce winds bypassed them entirely. Meng Qiuxia sat in front of him, her back to him, settling into a cross-legged posture to begin circulating her energy, which would maximize the pill's effects. Li Muzhan placed his palm on her back and sent in a stream of internal force, flowing like water.

Meng Qiuxia felt a warm current slowly permeate her body, soon bathing her completely, as if she were lying in a hot spring, enveloped by warm water, so comfortable she almost drifted off to sleep.

………………………………”……”………………

Time slipped by unnoticed. The sun slowly traveled from the east to the west, finally sinking beneath the western peaks. Darkness surged upward, engulfing the earth, and Wuyou Cliff was swallowed by the gloom. As the sun set, the temperature dropped steeply. The wind gradually strengthened, whistling past the rocks with a mournful sound, like countless people weeping—eerie and terrifying, creating the sensation of being trapped in a spectral realm.

Li Muzhan sighed internally. In such an environment, those lacking courage or sufficient qi would quickly lose heart, their will weakening until eventual collapse. Setting aside the chilling wind itself, the environment alone was immense torment, equivalent to torture. Wuyou Cliff was truly a vicious place, living up to its name.

Meng Qiuxia sat motionless, as if immersed in a hot spring, feeling indescribable comfort, utterly unaffected by the surroundings; she had grown accustomed to it. Li Muzhan silently admired her; Senior Sister Meng was not to be underestimated—a true match for any man. Senior Brother Xia was truly fortunate.

Curiosity overtaking him, he drew one hand back and extended it above his head, past the shelter of the rock, to sample the severity of the cold wind. The moment his hand extended, he felt it go numb, as if pierced by dozens of flying knives. Then, an icy, sinister energy rushed in, and his entire hand immediately lost sensation. He was greatly startled. Though he knew the Gang Feng was fierce, he hadn't expected it to be this severe. He swiftly circulated his internal energy, instantly driving out the deep chill, and sensation returned. A complex mixture of pain, numbness, and itchiness flooded his senses, making him restless and unable to sit or lie comfortably. He shook his head with a wry smile—he had truly been careless!

With his mind multitasking, he continued circulating energy to restore his hand while simultaneously channeling internal force into Meng Qiuxia's body to help nourish her injuries and restore her body. Once his internal energy shielded his hand, he could still feel the chill of the Gang Feng, but it was as if a thin membrane separated the cold air, feeling no worse than dipping his hand into cool spring water. He mused that his own profound and pure internal energy granted him such a robust defense, but Senior Sister Meng's internal force, though deep, lacked this strength; she would undoubtedly suffer.

After a while, he slowly withdrew his hand and focused on accelerating the healing of Meng Qiuxia's injuries so he could begin teaching her the cultivation method sooner. The cold wind intensified, and in the latter half of the night, the rock trembled faintly, as if it might be blown away. Li Muzhan felt a jolt of alarm. Such wind force would require utilizing the 'Thousand-Jin Drop' technique just to stand firm, and the sinister, chilling energy grew even stronger. An ordinary person truly could not bear it. Such consumption of internal force meant that if one's cultivation was slightly lacking or their internal energy wasn't deep enough, they would have to conserve their defensive internal energy just to maintain stability, neglecting the corrosive effects of the cold wind on their bodies.

…………………………………………

The night slowly passed amidst the howling cold wind. The next morning, as the sun rose in the east, the fierce wind suddenly weakened. Although it still roared, it was nothing compared to the night's fury.

After sitting all night, Li Muzhan slowly stood up and smiled, "Senior Sister Meng, has it stabilized enough?" After the night of nourishment, combined with the effects of the Longevity Pill, Meng Qiuxia's injuries were ninety percent healed; only the final ten percent required gradual care.

Meng Qiuxia opened her eyes and smiled faintly, "Thank you." Li Muzhan waved his hand. "Why be so formal with me? Senior Brother Xia and I are inseparable friends. You are my prospective sister-in-law; we are family." Meng Qiuxia pursed her lips, smiled, and nodded.

"Senior Sister Meng, I shall teach you the Dao Tian Jing!" Li Muzhan performed a broad chest stretch. Meng Qiuxia hesitated slightly. "Is this truly the cultivation method created by Wufeng?"

Li Muzhan laughed. "Of course. This set of methods encapsulates Senior Brother Xia's hard work and deep affection. Once you cultivate it, Senior Sister Meng, you will surely be able to leave Wuyou Cliff." "But..." Meng Qiuxia still hesitated.

Li Muzhan continued, "Do not transmit this cultivation method outside. After all, it is derived from the Hermitage. If it were leaked, people might glimpse the very foundation of the Hermitage's inner arts." "Understood." Meng Qiuxia nodded. Secrets of cultivation must not be shared lightly; the Star Lake Hermitage maintained its transcendence precisely because of the subtlety and wonder of their martial arts. She raised her right palm, fingers pointing skyward, and took an oath never to pass it to another.

Li Muzhan took the Dao Tian Jing from his robes and handed it to Meng Qiuxia. "Senior Sister, read this cultivation method first. If you have any questions, raise them, and we will discuss them together." Meng Qiuxia nodded, solemnly accepting the Dao Tian Jing. She slowly turned the pages. The handwriting was Li Muzhan's. She glanced at it, then looked up at him. Li Muzhan smiled. "I helped transcribe it."

Meng Qiuxia inclined her head and continued reading. She read word by word, then after a while, closed the book, shut her eyes to recite silently, then opened the book again to check. She repeated this several times until she could recite it entirely from memory. Then she returned the Dao Tian Jing to Li Muzhan and posed her questions, which he answered one by one.

After some time, Li Muzhan's lips were dry from explaining. Only then were all her doubts cleared. Meng Qiuxia was secretly astonished at how intimately familiar Li Muzhan was with this method.

With no more questions, Meng Qiuxia eagerly began to cultivate. It wasn't inherently difficult; one merely had to guide their energy along a specific pathway, though the actual circulation proved somewhat challenging initially. Difficulties faded as she adapted; it was like cutting a path through a forest—the initial clearing is hard, but once the route is established, traversing it becomes much easier.

Seeing her face tense with effort, Li Muzhan decided to see the process through completely. He once again placed his right palm on her back, channeling a stream of internal force to actively guide the circulation of the Dao Tian Jing method within her.

………………………………”,……

When internal force enters another person’s body, controlling it becomes difficult, as if the other person’s body possessed an invisible membrane separating the will. The native internal force within that body would also resist, applying pressure everywhere. Forging a path for a cultivation method within another's body was immensely hard, requiring more than ten times the effort compared to cultivating it oneself. Li Muzhan, with his strong spirit and pure internal energy, found it manageable, though not easy.

However, the process was certainly not pleasant for Meng Qiuxia. She endured the agony of surging blood and rebellious internal energy, causing her vision to occasionally black out. After an unknown period—which felt like years to her—the pain slowly receded, replaced by a profound sense of ease, as if she had taken a cleansing bath and enjoyed a deep, restful sleep.

Li Muzhan’s voice drifted from behind her. "Senior Sister Meng, try circulating your energy now." Meng Qiuxia roused herself, calmed her focus, and began channeling her internal energy along the pathway of the Dao Tian Jing. This time, there was none of the previous obstruction or struggle; it flowed as naturally as water in a channel, effortless.

Li Muzhan did not remove his hand. A trickle of his internal force continued to flow, monitoring the internal conditions within her body. Seeing that her circulation was smooth and without further issue, he slowly withdrew his hand. He let out a long breath of relief; he had finally completed Senior Brother Xia's commission.

Meng Qiuxia realized that with every rotation of the cultivation method, her internal energy increased slightly—a visible growth. Compared to her former method, the difference was night and day. She became engrossed in the thrill of this surge, circling the method again and again until fatigue made her unable to move, only then did she slowly draw back.

Li Muzhan smiled gently. "Senior Sister Meng, do not rush your advancement. Cultivate for half an hour on the first day. Increase it by fifteen minutes after two days. After ten days, practice for two hours. After a month, increase it by another hour. Increase gradually; do not be greedy for speed, or you risk backlash." Meng Qiuxia nodded, a lingering smile on her face, unable to hide her excitement. With such a marvelous cultivation method, if she practiced diligently, escaping Wuyou Cliff was no longer just a dream!

The transmission of the method was complete. Logically, Li Muzhan should have taken his leave, but he remained on Wuyou Cliff. A month later, he departed.

He descended Wuyou Cliff, bid farewell to Lu Chaozong, and headed straight for Baiyun City, intending to gauge the true strength of the Southern Altar of the Three Smiles Hall. Lu Chaozong secretly visited Wuyou Cliff to see Meng Qiuxia and discovered that her power had increased dramatically, gaining several years' worth of cultivation instantly. He clicked his tongue in amazement and demanded an explanation. Meng Qiuxia remained tight-lipped, and since he couldn't force her, he had no choice but to leave the cliff glumly.

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