He was too young, and the longevity of a Grandmaster was immense; barring accident, they could easily live five hundred years. Among these nineteen Grandmasters, many were already four or five centuries old.
No matter how fast his progress or how powerful his cultivation, he could never truly compete with these old monsters who had lived for centuries. Simply ranking in the middle would be an achievement.
Ultimately, cultivation was an accumulation of time. Those who could reach the Grandmaster realm all possessed formidable talent; in the final analysis, it came down to who lived longer and whose cultivation was stronger.
Li Yubing remarked, “Kid, your cultivation combined with the Sacred Artifact and the array support truly makes you the bane of Grandmasters. Best keep it low-key, though. If you provoke the wrath of the many, it’ll be trouble. Grandmasters aren't easily killed; once forewarned, all your tricks will be useless!”
Li Muzhan nodded deeply and chuckled, “Understood.”
Li Yubing clapped her hands and laughed, “Good, we finally dealt with them. Best to bury them properly, lest any trace remains.”
Li Muzhan said, “As they are Grandmasters, they deserve a proper burial. What a pity about Lu Changfeng…”
He shook his head as he spoke. The ** of a Grandmaster was utterly complete, even more so than the Sacrificial Arts; those arts left the primordial spirit intact, but the Grandmaster’s ** detonated the spirit along with the body, hence the terrifying power.
He owed his narrow escape to the protection of his Avatar. The Avatar was currently quite weak and needed to absorb Faith Power to recover.
It seemed he needed to ** more often and gain more believers.
Li Yubing scoffed, “Once dead, they are gone like snuffed candles. Let them be.”
Li Muzhan shook his head. “Actually, it’s different, Palace Mistress. If you were to be defeated, as long as your primordial spirit existed, I would have a way to revive you. So, Mistress, if you ever face danger, never **. Send me a message; once I arrive, there will always be a way to save you.”
“Ptooey, ptooey! What danger could I possibly face!” Li Yubing retorted irritably, “Stop cursing me!”
Li Muzhan laughed lightly, “Though we are Grandmasters, we are not invincible in this world. Any opponent we face will be an enemy unto death.”
“Alright, alright, I know. I’ll wait for you,” Li Yubing replied testily.
The two dug a deep pit, buried Jian Zhimiao and the others, then swept away their footprints and vanished, returning to the Heavenly Dao Alliance.
As soon as they appeared in the Hall of Heavenly Gods, Xu Suxin and Feng Mingxue materialized behind them. Seeing their appearance, the two women visibly relaxed. Xu Suxin shot Li Muzhan a fierce glare.
Li Yubing lounged onto a chair, exuding an air of inherent grace, and smiled faintly, “Xin’er, don’t blame Zhanran… Have you finished your business?”
Xu Suxin lowered her gaze, ceasing her glare at Li Muzhan. She approached Li Yubing and said, “Master, it will take another day to finish the copying.”
“Mm, take your time; no need to rush,” Li Yubing nodded slightly.
Feng Mingxue turned toward Li Muzhan. “Junior Brother, quite a few disciples from the Ask Heaven Sect have gathered outside.”
Li Yubing snorted, “They couldn’t get in before. Now that we are inside, they grow greedy, wanting to snatch what’s here. There’s no such luck!”
Li Muzhan frowned. “These people from the Ask Heaven Sect are quite troublesome.”
“Kill them all?” Li Yubing asked him lazily.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “In my view, we should try to subdue one person.”
“What do you plan to do?” Li Yubing asked.
Li Muzhan replied, “What’s terrifying about these Ask Heaven Sect members isn't their martial arts, but their fearlessness of death… Killing won’t work against people like that.”
“That’s true enough. If they don't fear death, the only option is to kill them all,” Li Yubing rested her left arm on the armrest, propped her delicate chin, and sighed.
Feng Mingxue glanced at Li Yubing. This Palace Mistress had a heavy killing intent, no less than her Junior Brother’s. No wonder they got along so well; birds of a feather flock together!
Li Muzhan smiled faintly, “Too much killing harms heavenly harmony. I want to find one person to control the Ask Heaven Sect, just to prevent them from seeking revenge.”
“Is it that easy?” Li Yubing shook her head. “If they don’t fear death, how can they be controlled?”
Li Muzhan smiled winningly, “I have my methods.”
“Surely not the secret techniques of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden Sect?” Li Yubing suggested.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “Palace Mistress need not inquire further.”
Li Yubing glared at him. “Fine, I won't ask. You handle it, as long as the trouble is resolved!”
Li Muzhan nodded, his figure flashing, and he vanished instantly. When he reappeared, he held a middle-aged man in his hand—a man with a jade-like countenance, dressed in a simple grey robe, elegantly refined.
Li Yubing and the two women stared at him. Li Yubing laughed, “Is this the leader?”
Feng Mingxue nodded. “He is the chief.”
“Very well. I’ll spend a moment alone with him. You all carry on with your work,” Li Muzhan nodded, his form blurring as he vanished once more.
“Master, what method could he possibly have?” Xu Suxin asked.
Li Yubing rose gracefully. “He has countless wicked ideas. We don’t need to concern ourselves; let’s go take a look downstairs.”
Xu Suxin scrutinized her from head to toe. “Master, are you not injured?”
Li Yubing stretched languidly and smiled lazily, “Do I look injured?”
“Did you really go fight Grandmasters?” Xu Suxin asked, and Feng Mingxue looked at her curiously as well.
Li Yubing nodded. “We killed Jian Zhimiao, but this news must be kept secret. Absolutely no one can know!”
“Why?” Xu Suxin was puzzled. “That Jian Zhimiao deserves death a thousand times over, especially his nephew Jian Taia. Everyone in the world would cheer if he were killed!”
Li Yubing waved her hand. “Jian Zhimiao was an enshrinement of the Lu family.”
“Hmph, the Lu family!” Xu Suxin pouted but nodded helplessly.
Feng Mingxue was aware of the Lu family too and frowned. “The Lu family won’t find out, will they?” I heard the Lu family’s ancestor is also a Grandmaster, living for over three hundred years!”
Xu Suxin sighed. “We killed Lu Changfeng too.”
“What—?!” Xu Suxin cried out, “Lu Changfeng too…?”
Li Yubing nodded. “When Zhanran’s killing instinct was aroused, he just took care of him too; otherwise, the Lu family would certainly cause us trouble.”
“But Lu Changfeng…” Xu Suxin’s look of astonishment had not faded.
Li Yubing explained, “Lu Changfeng is powerful, but Zhanran has superior means. Alright, you don’t need to know the specifics of his methods. The point is, he ambushed and slew Lu Changfeng—if this news gets out, we’ll all be in trouble!”
Xu Suxin smiled, pursing her lips. “Not necessarily, Master. I think it should be spread!”
Li Yubing paused, then laughed dismissively. “You girl, you catch on fast!” Do you think we haven't considered that? It was Zhanran who didn't want to publicize it—he doesn’t want too much attention.”
“Is too much attention bad?” Xu Suxin asked, confused. “If word gets out, who would dare provoke him?”
“You only see one side of the coin,” Li Yubing waved her hand. “Given his cultivation, reaching Grandmaster at such a young age, how could he win in a straightforward fight? Old Lu was over three hundred years old!”
“That is true; Grandmasters only get stronger with age,” Xu Suxin conceded. “So, was his victory dishonorable?”
Feng Mingxue coughed lightly. Xu Suxin quickly smiled apologetically, “Forgive me, Sister Feng.”
She knew Feng Mingxue was deeply fond of Li Muzhan. Although she didn’t quite approve—what was so great about this Li Wuji? His temperament was steady and unremarkable, his appearance average; there was truly no discernible charm. Yet, so many women adored him, unable to extricate themselves—it was truly baffling.
Feng Mingxue asked, “Palace Mistress, did Junior Brother use a Sacred Artifact?”
“Exactly,” Li Yubing nodded. “This is what Grandmasters fear most. If they find out, they might gang up on him.”
Feng Mingxue sighed. “Junior Brother suffered because of the Sacred Artifacts before, which is why he acquired them—to temper himself. I never thought they would end up being used against others.”
Li Yubing smiled slyly, “His array skills are unmatched. Add the Sacred Artifact, and once a Grandmaster falls into the array, aren't they at his mercy?”
“I see!” Feng Mingxue nodded in sudden understanding.
Xu Suxin also understood and pouted. “Hmph, that method really is dishonorable if you want to win.”
Li Yubing chuckled, “In a fight to the death, winning unfairly is still a victory!”
Xu Suxin was about to say more, but Li Yubing waved her hand. “Enough. In short, this matter must remain confidential. Do not let it spread, understood?”
Xu Suxin nodded. “Yes, Master, I won’t say a word.”
Li Muzhan sat cross-legged on a cushion in the center of the grand hall, smiling faintly as he scrutinized the middle-aged man before him. The man looked calm, meeting Li Muzhan’s gaze with composure.
They stared at each other in silence for a long time.
Li Muzhan observed him carefully: a handsome face, eyes like cold stars—truly a beautiful man. The grey robe that would look drab on anyone else seemed to lend him a unique air of distinction.
“I still haven’t had the pleasure of learning your esteemed name,” Li Muzhan said lightly.
“Zhu Yifu,” the middle-aged man replied plainly. “I wonder what business you have bringing me here. Speak plainly.”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Zhu Yifu, I’d like to discuss having your people outside withdraw.”
Zhu Yifu shook his head. “Impossible.”
“Oh?” Li Muzhan smiled. “Why not?”
Zhu Yifu stated, “This is the main altar of our Ask Heaven Sect. You intruded upon the main altar and audaciously stole our secret manuals. It defies heavenly principles. Every disciple of the Ask Heaven Sect must eliminate you!”
Li Muzhan shook his head with a laugh. “The main altar of the Ask Heaven Sect? Isn't this the main altar of the Heavenly Dao Alliance?”
Zhu Yifu stated calmly, “The Ask Heaven Sect is the Heavenly Dao Alliance; the Heavenly Dao Alliance is the Ask Heaven Sect. The two branches are originally of the same lineage, inseparable.”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Not necessarily. Then why doesn’t your Ask Heaven Sect call itself the Heavenly Dao Alliance?”
“The founding master of our Ask Heaven Sect was a disciple of the Heavenly Dao Alliance,” Zhu Yifu explained.
Li Muzhan waved his hand. “Your Ask Heaven Sect doesn't have many disciples now, does it? If I became ruthless and wiped you all out, letting you follow the old path of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, believe it or not?”
Zhu Yifu stated calmly, “With your ability, you could certainly kill us all, but we wouldn't let you off lightly. You would have to pay a price.”
Li Muzhan nodded. “That’s precisely why I didn’t want to escalate things to that point, which is why I came to negotiate.”
Zhu Yifu replied, “There’s nothing to negotiate. You withdraw from the main altar and hand over the manuals, and we can pretend nothing happened.”
Li Muzhan laughed. “This array is interconnected; I expended infinite energy to open it. You expect us to obediently leave just because you say so, after all that effort?”
“Your theft of the Ask Heaven Sect’s secret manuals was wrong in the first place,” Zhu Yifu argued.
Li Muzhan shook his head and laughed. “It seems there’s nothing to discuss.”
Zhu Yifu asked, “Then what do you intend to do? Take all the secret manuals?”
Li Muzhan nodded. “Naturally!”
Zhu Yifu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, “Giving you all the secret manuals is not out of the question.”
Li Muzhan’s eyebrows rose slightly. He smiled. “This isn’t just idle talk, is it?”
Zhu Yifu clarified, “But you cannot damage a single blade of grass or a single tree here; this is our main altar, of utmost importance. As long as nothing here is harmed, the secret manuals are external things.”
Li Muzhan laughed heartily, shaking his head. “This is interesting; such open-mindedness is truly rare!”
“However, if you want to withdraw safely, you must leave the originals,” Zhu Yifu stipulated.
Li Muzhan’s eyebrows lifted again. “Leave the originals?”
“You must be making copies, correct?” Zhu Yifu smiled faintly, full of confidence. “You can take the copies, but the originals must stay!”
Li Muzhan shook his head. “That’s impossible.”
“Then there is nothing more to discuss,” Zhu Yifu stated, shaking his head. “You can kill me. If I so much as frown, I am not a disciple of the Ask Heaven Sect!”
Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. “I won't kill you. I know you are proficient in the Sacrificial Arts and the Heavenly God Possession Art; that's why you’re so confident!”
“How did you know?” Zhu Yifu frowned.
Li Muzhan smiled. “If I intended to kill you, I would ensure you didn't have time to perform either technique.”
Zhu Yifu’s expression shifted slightly, and he sneered, “Don’t boast!”
Li Muzhan smiled. His figure flashed suddenly, and an immense surge of power descended upon him from above. His robes billowed momentarily before returning to normal.
He looked at Zhu Yifu with a placid smile. “How about that?”
“You… you…” Zhu Yifu’s face drastically changed. The composure he had maintained vanished completely. He stared wide-eyed at Li Muzhan. “Could you possibly also be…”
Li Muzhan shook his head. “I am neither a disciple of the Ask Heaven Sect nor the Heavenly Dao Alliance.”
“But that is clearly the Heavenly God Possession Art!” Zhu Yifu frowned. “Disciples who haven't sworn the Oath of Allegiance cannot cultivate the Heavenly God Possession Art!”
Li Muzhan smiled. “I have a different inheritance. To tell the truth, the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s Heavenly God Possession Art is not the authentic version.”
“Nonsense!” Zhu Yifu said coldly.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “If you don’t believe me, see what I can do now.”
“You… you aren't using the Heavenly God Possession Art?” Zhu Yifu frowned. It seemed similar at first, but seeing him smile so serenely, it felt less like it. Once a Heavenly God possessed someone, the human would instantly transform, losing human emotion, possessing only logic and the desire to kill, with no other thoughts.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “That’s why I say the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s art is inauthentic. Mine was obtained from the Ancient Heaven Sacrificing Sect.”
“Ancient Heaven Sacrificing Sect…” Zhu Yifu frowned and pondered.
Li Muzhan waited for him to reflect for a moment, then sighed. “It’s a pity. This Ancient Heaven Sacrificing Sect was a school dedicated to pursuing the Great Dao of eternal life, existing outside the common world, almost never sending disciples out.”
Zhu Yifu looked at him, half-believing, half-skeptical.
Li Muzhan continued, “The founder of the Heavenly Dao Alliance was a disciple of the Ancient Heaven Sacrificing Sect. He became enamored with the glories of the mortal world and abandoned his pursuit of the Great Dao. As a result, he could not truly inherit the essence of the Heaven Sacrificing Arts; he only grasped the superficial aspects, dividing them into the Heavenly God Possession Art and the Sacrificial Arts.”
“How do you know all this?” Zhu Yifu frowned.
Li Muzhan replied proudly, “The Ancient Heaven Sacrificing Sect is extinct. By sheer coincidence, I obtained the inheritance of this lineage. What I am demonstrating now is the true Heavenly God Possession Art—the Heavenly God belongs to me, rather than me being invaded by the Heavenly God!”
“Is that true or false?” Zhu Yifu remained doubtful.
Li Muzhan smiled faintly. “If you don't believe me, so be it. We’ll treat this as if nothing was said.”
“Wait, what is the meaning of all this?” Zhu Yifu quickly interjected.
Li Muzhan smiled slyly. “I see you as a person of great potential and am willing to help you achieve it.”
“Hmph, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world,” Zhu Yifu shook his head.
Li Muzhan smiled and nodded. “Naturally. The Heavenly God Possession Art holds boundless power. If I pass it to you, I naturally expect something in return.”
“Speak,” Zhu Yifu urged.
Li Muzhan laughed. “You must listen to me.”
Zhu Yifu frowned. “Do you want me to become a puppet?”
Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. “Not that you become a puppet, but rather that I become the Supreme Sect Master.”
“Impossible!” Zhu Yifu sneered.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “I thought you were intelligent, but you are being incredibly obtuse. Right now, you must obey your Sect Master, correct?”
“That is only natural!” Zhu Yifu stated gravely.
Li Muzhan chuckled. “Besides your Sect Master, how many others must you obey?”
“The Sect Master, the Vice Master, and the Guardians,” Zhu Yifu listed.
Li Muzhan clapped his hands and smiled. “There you have it! You currently have to listen to several people. If I teach you the true Heavenly God Possession Art and you become the Sect Master—one position below ten thousand people—and only have to obey me, isn't that better than your current situation?”
Zhu Yifu fell silent, his expression composed, but his eyes flickered incessantly.
Li Muzhan watched him with a benevolent smile. He decided to add pressure. “What do you say?” If you don't agree, I’ll simply kill you. At worst, I’ll wipe out your entire Ask Heaven Sect. For the sake of your fellow disciples, you should think carefully.” (To be continued)