At this moment, the disciples of the Cloud-Soaring Sect and the Mo Li Palace had all gathered to watch the spectacle.
Seeing the ruthless efficiency of Li Muchan and Li Yubing, everyone gasped, shaking their heads in unspoken pity.
Li Muchan and Li Yubing’s willingness to kill was a necessity born of their mastery of the Celestial Spirit Possession Technique; they were well aware of the Sacrificial Art. If they were to unleash it, while they themselves might survive, the other disciples might not endure it, leading to inevitable losses.
He deeply understood from past experience that showing mercy, restraining them only by targeting their vital points, would not delay the execution of the Sacrificial Art. He dared not repeat that mistake.
As he pondered this, a loud laugh suddenly echoed forth. The round-faced elder, his expression grim, let out a booming laugh, and his body instantly swelled in size.
Li Muchan sensed immediate danger. With an angry snort, he unleashed a punch, which shot out like a small dragon, instantly engulfing the round-faced elder’s body.
With a dull thud, the round-faced elder exploded ten zhang away, the surging force washing over the onlookers, causing their robes to billow and forcing them to instinctively step back.
Li Muchan followed up with several more punches, each one projecting a tangible, miniature dragon that struck and blasted the remaining foes into nothingness yards away. The overwhelming power rolled over them like giant waves, pushing them back.
Feng Mingxue frowned. She hadn't anticipated such peril. Even blocked by her junior brother’s internal energy and kept at this distance, the residual force was ferocious. If the explosion had occurred right beside her, her life would surely have been forfeit.
Earlier, she had felt Li Muchan was too severe; now, she realized he hadn't been severe enough. He should have simply killed them outright with a sonic shockwave, saving himself the risk of backlash.
For herself, it was manageable, but her fellow disciples—if anything happened to them, she could never atone, even in death!
This thought sent a shiver down her spine. She turned and glared at the middle-aged men in grey lying on the ground, but they were already dead, beyond reproach.
Li Yubing sighed, shaking her head. “The Heavenly Dao Alliance is formidable!”
Li Muchan asked, “Palace Master, have you ever heard of the Sky Inquiry Sect?”
“No,” Li Yubing replied, waving her hand. “Xin’er, come here.”
Xu Suxin, stunned by shock, snapped to attention when Li Yubing called. She drifted over swiftly. “Master.”
“What is it? Frightened?” Li Yubing chuckled.
Xu Suxin shook her head. “I didn't expect them to be so fanatical. To be utterly annihilated—it’s too tragic!”
Li Muchan smiled. “Miss Xu, you misunderstand. They don't see it as tragic; they revel in it.”
Xu Suxin gave him a sidelong glance. Li Muchan laughed. “Their Sacrificial Art burns the essence of the physical body to catalyze and enhance the primordial spirit. Once these spirits are powerful enough, they can break through obstacles and reach the Celestial Realm, achieving eternal life. That is what they desire most.”
“…Really?” Xu Suxin asked, unconvinced.
It sounded absurd. Li Muchan shook his head and smiled. “Actually, this Sacrificial Art is quite profound—and there is logic behind it.”
Xu Suxin pouted.
Li Yubing chided her impatiently. “Xin’er, you lack humility. Why would Zhanran lie to you? Does your understanding as a Grandmaster fall short of his?!”
Xu Suxin immediately straightened her demeanor. “Yes, Master.”
Li Yubing waved a hand and sighed. “Forget it. Distance breeds misunderstanding. You don't believe these principles because your own level is too low. When you eventually ascend to the Grandmaster realm, you will know!”
She realized her attitude toward Li Muchan had influenced her disciple, causing Xu Suxin to lose her reverence. A Grandmaster’s dignity could not be offended; if she didn't grasp this, trouble would eventually arise.
Li Muchan interjected smoothly, “That’s true. Before reaching the Grandmaster level, I wouldn't have believed it either. Seeing is believing, after all. We can’t blame Miss Xu.”
Li Yubing sighed again, addressing her disciple. “Xin’er… next time you encounter a disciple of the Heavenly Dao Alliance—or the Sky Inquiry Sect, as they are now—be extremely cautious. Avoid them if you can!”
“Yes.” Xu Suxin shot Li Muchan a glare before replying respectfully. For causing me to be scolded by Master in front of everyone, this Li Wuji is truly detestable!
Li Yubing then asked, “Xin’er, have you heard of the Sky Inquiry Sect?”
Xu Suxin pondered for a moment and nodded. “I think I have. They first appeared about ten years ago, but their methods are secretive and vague; little news ever surfaces.”
“How did Sect Leader Yi offend the Sky Inquiry Sect?” Li Yubing inquired.
Li Muchan shook his head. “Perhaps the Sect Leader offended them without realizing it, or perhaps the Sky Inquiry Sect is deeply ambitious and wishes to restore the former glory of the Heavenly Dao Alliance?”
“If they wish to restore it, they should do so in Xihua, not Da Li,” Li Yubing frowned.
Li Muchan smiled. “We can ask Sect Leader Yi about that later. The critical point is not why they were offended, but that they have been offended. Their endless assassinations leave only one solution: cut the roots entirely!”
“That makes sense,” Li Yubing agreed, deeply satisfied.
Feng Mingxue frowned and asked, “Junior Brother, how should we deal with them in the future?”
Li Muchan replied, “Avoid them if possible. If not, strike first and preemptively. …Never assume that merely injuring them or paralyzing their pressure points means the danger has passed. This Sacrificial Art is sinister; it can be performed regardless of injury or acupuncture.”
Feng Mingxue turned and scanned Gu Cheng and the others, who nodded in agreement. Li Muchan added, “The Sky Inquiry Sect also possesses secret methods to stimulate latent potential; you must be wary of those as well.”
“These fellows are truly formidable. The Sky Inquiry Sect will eventually gain influence,” Gu Cheng murmured.
Li Muchan sighed. “I only fear their ambition is too vast, capable of plunging the world into chaos!”
“Chaos in the world is precisely the opportunity they seek,” Li Yubing observed. “Otherwise, it won't be easy for them to rise.”
Li Muchan nodded. Most people failed to grasp the subtle implications—the cold, emotionless reality of sectarian struggles where only gain mattered. For the Sky Inquiry Sect to rise, they needed not only their own strength but also the acquiescence of other sects. Otherwise, a united front would crush them, regardless of their power, unless a Grandmaster arose to stand alone.
Li Yubing speculated, “Are they trying to kill Sect Leader Yi to sow disorder?”
Li Muchan shook his head. The Cloud-Soaring Sect had a Grandmaster stationed there; even if the Sect Leader were absent, it wouldn't collapse into turmoil. This probably stemmed from personal grievance, but a Sect Leader’s private feud instantly became the Cloud-Soaring Sect’s public enemy, and it had to be resolved.
Li Muchan bid farewell to the others and flashed alone to the front of the valley. He paused abruptly, spotting an old man drinking by the lakeside.
He frowned, observing the elder: clad in a thin, weak-looking blue robe, fragile enough to be blown over by a breeze, yet possessing a pointed mouth, monkey-like cheeks, and sharp, bead-like eyes gleaming with intensity.
The old man turned as Li Muchan watched, his expression shifting to one of surprise.
Li Muchan regarded him; the old man regarded Li Muchan. After a long silence, the elder coughed lightly and asked, “Young man, what brings you here?”
Li Muchan cupped his hands in a smile. “May I ask what brings the senior here?”
“What I intend to do is none of your business?” The old man sneered, stroking his goatee with smug satisfaction. “Though I don't mind telling you. I was merely passing through, found the scenery exquisite, and wished to appreciate it. You’ve utterly ruined my good mood—a heinous crime!”
Li Muchan’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He smiled. “That is indeed a grave offense. I admire the senior’s refined taste. May I ask the esteemed senior’s name?”
“My surname is Jian. Jian Tai’a,” the old man huffed proudly.
Li Muchan pondered. He had recently reviewed intelligence reports on Xihua and gained a general understanding of its martial world, paying special attention to its top experts.
Jian Tai’a was indeed listed among them—a peak master. Observing him, his cultivation seemed substantial. Despite appearing frail enough for the wind to carry away, the internal energy emanating from him was surging, palpable as a physical force. His skill had indeed reached the pinnacle.
He was constrained by the ceiling of his realm; one more small step and he would become a Grandmaster.
However, that step was harder than climbing to heaven for most, not due to cultivation, but due to Xinjing (state of mind/heart). Xinjing was nebulous and elusive, halting countless individuals.
If one's state of mind cannot keep pace, understanding of heaven and earth remains shallow, and cultivation, no matter how high, is useless—like trying to fill a bottle beyond its capacity. To grow stronger, one must change the vessel; how vast the heart, so great the achievement. Though this sounds abstract, for a martial artist, it holds truth: inadequate Xinjing limits achievement, and at this level, further progress is nearly impossible.
“Boy, you haven't heard of me?” Jian Tai’a’s inverted V-shaped eyebrows moved, and the hand stroking his goatee paused, his face darkening.
Li Muchan nodded slowly. “I have heard of Jian Tai’a. Your reputation for debauchery is known throughout the world. I hear you have ruined many young women!”
“Heh heh, I am a groom every night. Are you envious, boy?” Jian Tai’a grinned slyly.
Li Muchan shook his head. “A sinner like you deserves death. Meeting me is the height of your luck!”
“Oh? You want to fight?” Jian Tai’a roared with laughter, shaking his head. “I’ve seen plenty of hot-headed fools like you. Not one survived!”
Li Muchan smiled faintly. “Surname Jian, you’re eyeing the Spring Wind Gate, aren't you?”
Jian Tai’a’s expression shifted, his small eyes blazing like arrows aimed at Li Muchan. “What did you say?”
“I said you’re planning to target the Spring Wind Gate,” Li Muchan replied with a gentle smile. “This is the Spring Wind Gate’s lair. You surely know that?”
“You know too?” Jian Tai’a frowned. This information was something he had painstakingly uncovered, costing him immense effort, and he had even eliminated the source. No living person should know this location now. The source was an apostate of the Spring Wind Gate who had fortunately escaped when the sect fell; with a little manipulation, he’d been coerced, and then eliminated by Jian Tai’a himself. How could anyone else know?
Li Muchan smiled. “You don’t think you’re the only one who knows, do you?”
“How did you find out?” Jian Tai’a’s face grew grim.
Li Muchan shook his head. “I know, and many others know. They just haven't decided to target the Spring Wind Gate. You’re rather fond of thinking you're clever!”
Jian Tai’a’s face was so dark it looked like it could drip water. He hissed, “Boy, state your name! And quickly tell me, who else knows?”
Li Muchan shook his head again. “My name is not something you need to know, nor are you worthy of knowing it. You are scum of this world, and I truly cannot be bothered. You had best end your own life!”
Jian Tai’a burst into laughter, shaking his head. “You are rather amusing, boy. Not yet old, but boasting grandly. Asking me to commit suicide?”
Li Muchan nodded, smiling. “It saves me the effort. Dying too easily would be a disservice for the atrocities you’ve committed. Heaven must be blind!”
“You have a loud mouth, but first, tell me, who else knows?” Jian Tai’a sneered.
Li Muchan shook his head. “I won’t tell you.”
“Then you’re just bluffing, afraid I’ll silence you?” Jian Tai’a sneered, shaking his head. “Your petty trick might fool a child.”
Li Muchan said coolly, “I truly cannot understand why you are so cruel, how you can bear to harm those frail young girls!”
“That’s what makes it interesting!” Jian Tai’a chuckled proudly, his small eyes narrowing in an expression of intoxicated pleasure. “Those little girls struggling—they are as lovely as fawns. Their tender skin feels firm yet delicate, more comfortable than satin. It is the greatest pleasure, the supreme enjoyment in this world!”
Li Muchan’s expression turned cold. He sneered, “Your conscience has been eaten by dogs!”
“Heh heh, boy, this world operates on the law of the jungle. Look at the sheep and the tiger; the sheep are destined to be eaten by the tiger. The young girls are the same. Falling into the hands of a tiger like me is simply their fate,” Jian Tai’a boasted smugly.
Li Muchan sighed softly, shaking his head. “Truly unlucky, running into a piece of filth like you.”
Jian Tai’a’s face darkened. “Boy, dare to speak insolently again, and don't blame me for striking first. After you sample all my techniques, you’ll talk whether you want to or not. However, you’re a man, and I truly detest touching you—it might soil my hands. So, you had better tell me obediently!”
Li Muchan shook his head. “You came to the Spring Wind Gate; do you think you can just walk in?”
“Whether I can enter is not your concern. Speak! Who else knows?” Jian Tai’a waved his hand, glaring grimly. “If you speak, I’ll grant you a quick death; otherwise, dying will be hard even if you wish it!”
Li Muchan laughed, shaking his head again. “Talking to scum like you dirties my mouth. Come on, show me what skills you possess.”
“This kid refuses the easy way out!” Jian Tai’a wound his goatee around his fingers a few times and sighed. “Fine, I shall grant your wish and dispose of you first!”
Before his words had fully landed, he shot forward, arriving instantly before Li Muchan. The transition was abrupt and impossibly swift, like a striking cobra, slamming directly into Li Muchan’s chest.
Li Muchan sidestepped with an elegant step to avoid the impact. Jian Tai’a uttered a surprised “Yi,” but didn't halt; instead, he accelerated, closing the gap instantly.
Li Muchan shook his head. “Your sleeping incense is useless. Don't count on it.”
During their exchange, Jian Tai’a had been covertly releasing a potent sleeping incense. Had it not been Li Muchan, others would scarcely have noticed. He concealed the incense beneath his soles, allowing the force of his footwork to gradually diffuse it—it was colorless, odorless, and capable of mesmerizing victims without their awareness.
Li Muchan knew he possessed a secret method to activate the incense via foot strength, a unique skill almost impossible for outsiders to master. People typically focus their guard on the hands; they watch for hand movements, neglecting the feet. Jian Tai’a’s technique was virtually impossible to defend against, capable of trapping even high-level martial artists through this hidden assault.
Jian Tai’a’s methods were further despicable; possessing supreme skill, he still resorted to incense. Few could resist it. Li Muchan thought that in this world, unless one was a Grandmaster or possessed an innate immunity to poisons, true defense was unlikely, let alone capture.
No wonder he had evaded justice for so long. Though a rapist is despised by the martial world, and everyone wishes to kill such a wretch, results don't always match intent. Thus, Jian Tai’a lived on, roaming the world unchecked.
Of course, he wasn't invincible. Besides the few Grandmasters, many practitioners utilized profound cultivation methods that automatically repelled toxins, granting them immunity. Though rare, such methods existed: the Cloud-Soaring Sect’s, Floating Cloud Palace’s, Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden Sect’s, Mo Li Palace’s, and others all possessed this effect.
The Heavenly Dao Alliance’s presumably did too. Li Muchan guessed the Spring Wind Gate’s cultivation method might offer similar protection, but that was mere conjecture, as he had never seen it.
Li Muchan resolved that this menace must be eliminated, regardless of the cost.
With a dull thud, Jian Tai’a tumbled backward into the lake.
Seeing Li Muchan’s exquisite footwork easily evade his ferocious lunge, he realized things had gone awry—he had encountered a formidable opponent. Someone this young with such mastery must be a disciple of a major sect. Under no circumstances should he provoke them, lest he face relentless pursuit across the realm, making his life miserable even if he escaped.
Li Muchan smiled faintly. The man was quick-witted; his survival until now was no accident, possessing methods for self-preservation. This habit of fleeing the moment danger appeared was excellent for survival.
Unfortunately for him, he had encountered Li Muchan. With a gesture of his right hand, there was an immediate thud, the lake surface exploded, and Jian Tai’a was flung into the air, flailing his limbs wildly.
He felt an immense, surging power pulling at him, rendering him unable to control himself. His desperate attempts to use his internal energy only propelled him upward.
Terror seized him; he knew something was terribly wrong. Sensing that titanic force, he knew that only a Grandmaster could wield such power at his peak as a Master.
He cursed his rotten luck and frantically sought ways to protect himself.
Thump, thump, thump, thump... Li Muchan pressed out his ten fingers, sending streams of finger-force striking the airborne Jian Tai’a, each impact producing a muffled sound.
Though the finger-force looked like strikes, upon impact, it felt like being hammered by iron mallets, causing excruciating, bone-deep pain.
“Ahhh…” Jian Tai’a couldn't help but cry out in agony.
Li Muchan stared down coldly, continuing to press his fingers, showing no mercy. A scoundrel like this deserved a quick death, but Li Muchan wanted him to suffer.
“Ahhh… I’ll talk! I’ll talk!” Jian Tai’a shrieked.
Li Muchan’s ten fingers didn't cease their assault—thump, thump, thump—the muffled sounds growing deeper. Jian Tai’a rolled violently in the air, tossed up and down by the impact of the finger-force.
“The Spring Wind Gate possesses a technique called the Great Law of the Heaven and Earth Merging Cauldron—it is infinitely profound!” Jian Tai’a screamed.
Li Muchan did not relent. Jian Tai’a continued to shout, “I know where it is hidden! Besides me, no one knows where this cultivation method is stored—even entering the Spring Wind Gate is useless!”
Li Muchan stated sternly, “How does one enter the Spring Wind Gate?” (To be continued)