He sighed, realizing he should have thought of this earlier. The Imperial Seal was the ultimate symbol of sovereignty, paramount in importance, and could not be lost; such a crucial item must have extraordinary capabilities.
Dugu Jinghua sized up Li Muzhan for a moment, then shook her head. “Mister, it’s best not to involve the Grandmasters in this matter, lest both sides suffer grievous losses.”
The Cloud-Ascending Sect was known to harbor a Grandmaster, a fact known throughout the world. If Li Muzhan’s death provoked a Grandmaster, the situation would truly spiral out of control.
A Grandmaster’s wrath could leave a hundred-mile stretch of corpses and shatter mountains and collapse the earth; the aftermath was unpredictable.
Li Muzhan chuckled. “I have already spoken with the Sect Master. I won’t involve too many people; it’s best I handle this myself.”
“How do you plan to proceed, Mister?” Dugu Jinghua asked.
Li Muzhan smiled faintly. “I will annihilate the Zhu family.”
Dugu Jinghua studied his calm demeanor, her gaze lingering on him, trying to discern his true intent, for he carried no killing aura whatsoever.
Li Muzhan laughed. “A drop of kindness deserves a gushing spring in return, and so too does a drop of enmity. If the Zhu family remains, I simply cannot be content! ………The Four Great Clans are deeply interconnected. Surely the Ninth Maiden won't shelter the Zhu family, will she?”
“I’ve long disliked the Zhu family myself. As long as the Emperor doesn’t intervene, I’d be glad to see them wiped out!” Dugu Jinghua lightly shook her delicate head, sighing, “But the Zhu family cannot be destroyed. The Four Holy Monks possess unfathomable cultivation; even a Grandmaster might not prevail against them.”
Li Muzhan nodded slowly. “Indeed. Even a Grandmaster might prove useless against them. They possess Sacred Artifacts; I wonder what their artifacts are?”
“They have Sacred Artifacts too?” Dugu Jinghua started.
Li Muzhan continued, “Though the Sacred Artifacts they carry may not possess the might of the Danxin Iron Edict, they are sufficient to suppress a Grandmaster.”
“How do you know this?” Dugu Jinghua was astonished.
Li Muzhan smiled. “I am a Grandmaster.”
Dugu Jinghua shook her head, letting out a soft laugh. “Mister, you do have a way with jokes!”
Li Muzhan chuckled heartily. “What do you think?”
“Mister is truly a Grandmaster!?” Dugu Jinghua’s slender eyes widened in astonishment. “How is that possible? …… How old are you, Mister?”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Twenty-two.”
“That’s absolutely impossible!” Dugu Jinghua shook her head. “In all history, no Grandmaster has ever been under sixty. How can you be a Grandmaster at your age?”
Li Muzhan smiled. “My Grandmaster status wasn't achieved through personal, arduous cultivation.”
“But even if you had an incredible fortuitous encounter, it shouldn’t be possible…” Dugu Jinghua frowned. “I’ve never heard of a Grandmaster being attained through luck! … Even if a Grandmaster poured all their cultivation into a disciple, they couldn’t forge another Grandmaster.”
Grandmaster status could not be inherited; the profound essence was understood intuitively rather than being transmittable. Otherwise, why was it so rare to see a Grandmaster emerge in the world?
Li Muzhan explained, “The world is vast and full of wonders; there are always exceptions. …… I mastered the Returning Jade Scripture and then the Star Guiding Scripture. Much like my Senior Sister now, I was just one step away. During a chance moment, at the brink of life and death, I broke through the restriction and ascended to the Grandmaster realm.”
“So that’s how it is…” Dugu Jinghua murmured.
Regarding the Cloud-Ascending Sect’s Returning Jade Scripture, almost everyone in the world knew that whoever mastered it had the potential to become a Grandmaster one day. Unfortunately, not everyone could master it; the difficulty rivaled that of becoming a Grandmaster itself.
Li Muzhan nodded. “Without the foundation laid by the Returning Jade Scripture, any fortuitous encounter would be useless. It was sheer luck, and not something to boast about, which is why I never mentioned it.”
“I never would have guessed, Mister, that you are a Grandmaster,” Dugu Jinghua sighed.
Li Muzhan smiled faintly. “Brother Dugu, you are the only one who doesn't know this. The Ninth Maiden has sworn to keep my secret.” Dugu Jinghua lightly nodded. Heaven is jealous of genius. If this news got out, the world would be shocked; even claiming to be a Grandmaster under thirty, people wouldn't believe it.
Li Muzhan sighed, “I am truly curious about what these Four Holy Monks are holding.”
“Mister is being suppressed by the Sacred Artifacts, unable to exert full power, right?” Dugu Jinghua understood the mystery behind the Sacred Artifacts. “The Danxin Iron Edict is a Sacred Artifact. Without it, the Four Great Clans would have perished long ago, and the Imperial Palace wouldn't be safe without the Imperial Seal; it couldn’t withstand a Grandmaster.”
Li Muzhan nodded. “I know the profound nature of the Danxin Iron Edict. What is the Sacred Artifact of the Heavenly King Temple?”
“I don’t know either,” Dugu Jinghua shook her head. “We know very little about Sacred Artifacts; Grandmasters are too far beyond our reach.”
Li Muzhan laughed. “Grandmasters aren’t all that great, just a little stronger than ordinary Masters. They aren't omnipotent beings capable of moving mountains and overturning seas.”
Dugu Jinghua smiled. “Then can you move mountains and split the earth, Mister?”
Li Muzhan pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded. “Moving mountains… I can’t quite do that, I can only destroy them. Splitting the earth is easy, but those feats have limited utility.”
Dugu Jinghua pursed her lips and smiled. “A Grandmaster…”
She looked Li Muzhan up and down, as if observing a rare species. Feng Mingxue slanted a look at him, chuckling, “It sounds novel at first, but looking at it for too long, it seems perfectly ordinary.”
Dugu Jinghua smiled. “I have only heard the name of Grandmaster; I have never seen a real one.”
Li Muzhan laughed. “Are you perhaps a little disappointed?”
Dugu Jinghua gave a light laugh. “Yes. I originally imagined someone with eyes like lightning and overwhelming aura, not someone so utterly ordinary-looking.”
Li Muzhan shook his head and chuckled. “A Grandmaster is someone you wouldn't spot in a crowd.”
Dugu Jinghua remarked, “It’s a pity that in the Capital, a Grandmaster has no ground to display their skills. No wonder you managed to beat the Zhu family until they lost their armor and fled in disarray.”
Li Muzhan sighed and shook his head. “Without the Danxin Iron Edict, I could have destroyed them outright. It’s a shame that with the Edict present, my Grandmaster power is suppressed back to the Master realm, leaving me helpless against the Four Holy Monks.”
“Rest assured, Mister, I will investigate this thoroughly for you,” Dugu Jinghua promised.
On the morning of the third day, as Li Muzhan and Feng Mingxue were practicing their exercises, Dugu Jinghua arrived gracefully, clad in a flowing white gown, her presence ethereal and refined.
As she cultivated the inner energy Li Muzhan had imparted to her over time, her own cultivation advanced rapidly, her complexion radiant and her charm even more dazzling.
“Mister, Sister Feng,” she drifted into the small pavilion.
Li Muzhan and Feng Mingxue ceased their practice and moved to the pavilion. Feng Mingxue turned and quickly returned with a pot of tea, pouring a cup for each of the three.
Seeing her arrive in high spirits, Li Muzhan guessed the reason. “Do you have news?”
Dugu Jinghua slowly lifted her teacup and took a delicate sip, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly, her movements elegant and composed. Setting the cup down, she nodded gently. “Yes.”
Li Muzhan asked, “What is it?”
Dugu Jinghua replied, “Sarira Beads.”
Li Muzhan sighed. “It is indeed Sarira!”
Dugu Jinghua continued, “I went to see the Four Holy Monks and observed closely. The prayer beads Master Tanji wears hold a peculiar mystery. After checking some information, I confirmed they are Sarira Beads.”
Li Muzhan asked, “Prayer beads strung with Sarira?”
“Yes,” Dugu Jinghua affirmed. “Furthermore, these Sarira are the remains of esteemed High Monks, making them extraordinarily precious.”
Li Muzhan nodded. “Only Sarira formed from High Monks possess such potent power.”
“What do you plan to do now, Mister?” Dugu Jinghua inquired.
Li Muzhan shook his head and sighed. “There truly isn't a good solution. It seems nothing in the world can break a Sacred Artifact; one can only be suppressed.”
Feng Mingxue interjected, “Junior Brother, everything in the world has its counter. There must be a way to overcome them, right?”
Li Muzhan mused, “It's difficult. Buddhist techniques subdue demonic arts, and demonic arts can counteract Buddhist techniques, but mastering demonic arts isn't easy and risks corrupting oneself. I just don't know how these Sacred Artifacts were made.”
Dugu Jinghua considered this. “Perhaps they didn't need special crafting? I saw them simply stringing Sarira together; that seems straightforward enough.”
Li Muzhan shook his head. “They must have used a special technique. …… Forget it, the only option is to steal a string of beads. I must make a trip to the Heavenly King Temple.”
Dugu Jinghua’s expression shifted instantly, and she hurried to object. “Mister, you must not go to the Heavenly King Temple!”
Li Muzhan insisted, “Only the Heavenly King Temple has those beads; there is no other way.”
“The Heavenly King Temple is teeming with masters, their depths unfathomable,” Dugu Jinghua warned. “If you go there, you will only have Master-level strength and will be no match for them.”
Li Muzhan forced a wry smile. “If I don't have the prayer beads, I must stay confined in the manor, afraid to step out. If I leave, the Emperor will find out.”
“Hmm—?” Dugu Jinghua was surprised.
Li Muzhan explained, “The Imperial Inner Court must have exceptional individuals who practice divination arts. They can calculate whether I live or die. Near the Danxin Iron Edict, my presence is masked. Once I leave, I will be detected.”
“I see…” Dugu Jinghua felt she had gained great insight. Indeed, the realm of a Grandmaster was far beyond ordinary people's imagination—it was mysterious and profound.
Li Muzhan sighed. “If I don't want to spend my entire life confined to the Dugu Manor, I must find a Sacred Artifact to mask my presence. There is no other way.”
Feng Mingxue frowned. “Junior Brother, isn't your current cultivation strong enough?”
Li Muzhan offered a bitter smile and a sigh. “Unless my cultivation can overpower the Danxin Iron Edict or those other Sacred Artifacts, who knows how long it will take to reach that level.”
Feng Mingxue fell silent. “Does our Sect possess any Sacred Artifacts?”
Li Muzhan shook his head.
DuGu Jinghua pursed her lips and frowned, contemplating for a long moment. “Mister, leave this to me. I will figure out a way to acquire a string of those prayer beads!”
“You—?” Li Muzhan was surprised.
Dugu Jinghua slowly nodded. “I have a connection outside the formal path with Master Dao’an of the Heavenly King Temple. Perhaps I can request a string of beads from him.”
Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow, then sighed. “That is a Sacred Artifact, not ordinary prayer beads.”
“I will try,” Dugu Jinghua resolved.
Li Muzhan looked deeply at her; her bright eyes were clear, and her expression earnest.
Feng Mingxue spoke up. “Sister Dugu, don't push yourself too hard.”
Dugu Jinghua smiled faintly at Feng Mingxue. “Sister Feng doesn't believe I can do it?”
Feng Mingxue countered, “The Heavenly King Temple likely doesn't have many of those. Such an item is too precious. Even with good relations, they probably won't gift it easily.”
Dugu Jinghua laughed. “I have my own methods. As for success or failure, we must leave it to fate.”
“That’s putting too much pressure on you,” Li Muzhan said, shaking his head.
Dugu Jinghua smiled tightly. “Mister saved my life and gave me a new beginning; this small matter is nothing. It is decided then—I’ll go now!”
Watching her graceful departure, Feng Mingxue shook her head and sighed. “You, you cause so much trouble for people!”
Li Muzhan knew what she meant. He touched the bridge of his nose, watching Dugu Jinghua’s slender, graceful figure recede into the distance, and sighed helplessly. He couldn't hide Dugu Jinghua’s intentions from himself; she intended to exchange some rare treasure with Master Dao’an for a string of the beads.