Li Yubing chided him with a pout, "What good does saying that do! ... Let's talk about this old man first. How should we deal with him? Kill him or let him go?"

Li Muzhan said, "Forget it, let him go. It'll count as fostering a good connection."

"Are you sure?" Li Yubing snorted. "Once you let him go, you won't be able to defend against his retaliation!"

Li Muzhan smiled faintly, "I trust Senior Yan won't be like that."

"Hmph, you know the face but not the heart!" Li Yubing pursed her lips.

Li Muzhan replied, "Come on, achieving the Great Grandmaster realm isn't easy. Why make things difficult?"

Li Yubing shot back irritably, "He promised the Lu family he'd take care of us! He certainly wasn't thinking kindly of us then!"

Li Muzhan laughed, "When will vengeance end? Senior Yan, go back and tell the Lu family that everything before is wiped clean, how about it?"

Yan Luo's thick brows were tightly furrowed as he stared intently at Li Muzhan and Li Yubing. He felt indignant but remained outwardly composed. Their tone was exceedingly bold, as if he were merely a fish awaiting slaughter.

However, these two were both Great Grandmasters, certainly not the sort to speak empty words. He suspected they possessed ultimate techniques and couldn't afford to be careless, so he kept his expression neutral, watching them quietly. Hearing Li Muzhan's words, he shook his head, "Things have come to this; it's kill or be killed. How can it be wiped clean!"

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled, "Senior Yan doesn't understand the ways of great aristocratic families. It's not about personal grudges, but about profit. You’ve delivered the message; let them decide. If you try to decide for them, Senior Yan, you might end up pleasing neither side!"

"Hmph, if I kill you two, all future troubles will naturally vanish!" Yan Luo grunted.

Li Muzhan shook his head, "Senior Yan, you are too self-assured. Can the two of us not handle just one of you? ... Furthermore, even if you kill one, the other will either be dead or injured—can you really deal with the survivor?"

"I'll kill you both at once," Yan Luo said coldly.

Li Muzhan chuckled, shaking his head, "Yan Luo truly has quite the appetite, doesn't he? Alright then, after a few more exchanges, it seems we must show some real skill."

Saying this, he flashed behind Yan Luo, unleashing a palm strike soundlessly. It incorporated the Broken Void Sword Intent; his palm ripped through the void, pressing directly into Yan Luo's back.

"Bang!" Just as Yan Luo sensed danger, his back took the blow. Vast internal energy surged into his body, wreaking havoc within his meridians.

Li Muzhan frowned. This Yan Luo possessed incredibly profound internal energy; he held no distinct advantage. To win, he needed his flying dagger, or to bring out the Sarira Sacred Artifact to suppress his cultivation, then trap him with an array, slowly grinding away his sharpness, and then proceed step by step, perhaps using the flying dagger or borrowing the power of heaven and earth to destroy him.

As long as he could revert to his Grandmaster state, Li Muzhan was confident no one could match him. In terms of swordplay finesse, he possessed a foundation for pride—few in this world could rival him.

Li Muzhan suddenly flashed again, vanishing, and struck Yan Luo’s back with another palm, stating in a deep voice, "Senior Yan, perhaps we should stop!"

"I don't believe it!" Yan Luo roared in anger.

Li Yubing chided him, "You old man, you have no shame! If Wuji had been using his sword, he would have killed you with one strike long ago!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Senior Yan, why must it be like this!"

Li Yubing pouted, "Wuji, I think you shouldn't hold back anymore. He is deliberately using us as a stepping stone, intending to kill us so he has a chance to be recommended to the Northern Wasteland Sacred Land by the Lu family!"

Li Muzhan said, "If things won't work out, Senior Yan, give up that idea!"

Yan Luo's face darkened. Li Muzhan flashed in front of him, shaking his head, "Senior Yan, if you don't stop now, you are forcing me to use lethal force."

Yan Luo took a deep breath and said slowly, "Fine, let's stop!"

Li Muzhan revealed a smile, "That's more like it."

Yan Luo stated grimly, "I won't concern myself with your grudges with the Lu family. You two should look out for yourselves!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Good, that is the wise choice. I believe the Lu family will not pursue this further, or they will only bring trouble upon themselves."

Li Yubing laughed, "They won't pursue it now, but they'll swallow their anger. If they get a chance in the future, they will certainly seek revenge!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "We'll talk about that later. Times change, and everything will be different."

Yan Luo slowly relaxed his stance, folded his hands behind his back, and paced toward him, "You are so young, yet you possess such cultivation. How did you achieve it?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "I merely benefited from a fortunate encounter, it wasn't through arduous practice, so it's not worth mentioning. Please forgive my boasting."

Yan Luo nodded slowly, "So that's it, no wonder! ... But can one reach the Great Grandmaster realm purely through a fortunate encounter? I have never heard of such a thing."

Li Muzhan replied, "The world is vast, and there are wonders everywhere. If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't believe it either."

"Alas... heaven is truly unfair," Yan Luo sighed, shaking his head. Suddenly, he flashed to Li Muzhan's front, like a ghost, and struck downwards with his palm.

Li Muzhan sighed and shook his head, pushing out a palm. Simultaneously, a flash of bright light appeared. "Bang!" Their palms collided, exploding like muffled thunder. Li Muzhan flew straight backward; this palm strike was incomparably heavy, the culmination of all of Yan Luo's power concentrated into one blow. Li Muzhan was sent flying backward immediately upon receiving it.

"Tss!" A streak of light flashed across Yan Luo's chest, appearing behind him. "Tss!" another sound, piercing through once more, emerging from the front of his chest.

"You..." The smile on Yan Luo's face froze. He pointed at Li Muzhan, "How despicable!"

Li Muzhan flew back ten zhang, landing heavily. Li Yubing made a slight move but finally stopped herself from catching him, unwilling to wound his pride.

Li Muzhan coughed up blood, gushing upwards. He was clearly severely injured. He wiped his mouth, trying to speak, but the blood kept surging up, choking off his words.

Unable to speak, he directly sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

"Despicable brat, die!" Yan Luo roared in fury, charging fiercely toward Li Muzhan, his momentum like thunder. He reached Li Muzhan instantly and brought his palm down.

The spot on his chest where the blade had struck had bled, but the bleeding stopped quickly. He looked outwardly unharmed, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of a Great Grandmaster. His movement was incredibly swift, showing no signs of injury.

Li Yubing flashed forward to block Li Muzhan, coldly sneering, "Old man Yan, you are even more despicable! At your age, to commit such acts unbecoming of your status! Are you still a Great Grandmaster?"

"Bang!" The two palms met. Li Yubing retreated a step, and Yan Luo also retreated a step, coldly sneering, "All's fair in war. I didn't expect this brat to be so cunning!"

Li Yubing sneered, "You have a blade in your chest now. If you leave immediately, you might still be saved. If you attack again, you are just waiting to die!"

Yan Luo's face was dark as water. He gave a cold snort, "Fine, I'll spare him this time. Next time, I will take his dog life!"

With that, he turned and left, vanishing in an instant. Li Yubing did not pursue; if a Great Grandmaster truly fought desperately, aiming for mutual destruction, she wouldn't escape either.

She turned with worry to look at Li Muzhan, seeing how gravely injured he was. He probably hadn't suffered such a heavy loss before; even when encountering Tong Tianshu at the Heavenly Dao Alliance, he hadn't been this battered.

As soon as she looked over, she saw Li Muzhan open his eyes, a smile appearing on his face.

"Eh?" Li Yubing was surprised.

Li Muzhan laughed, "He's gone?"

"Gone? What's wrong with you...?" Li Yubing concentrated her senses. Li Muzhan's aura had indeed faded, devoid of any vitality, as if he were on the brink of death.

Li Muzhan said, "It seems I fooled him. Let's go!"

"Go where?" Li Yubing frowned. "Your injury...?"

Li Muzhan laughed, "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious. At least I fooled him. We should follow him and find a chance to deal with him!"

"Didn't you want to let him go?" Li Yubing frowned.

Li Muzhan shook his head, "Looking at him, you can tell he’s vengeful. How could I let him go?"

"Hmph, you are both playing tricks!" Li Yubing shook her head irritably. She had always prided herself on being clever, but seeing them two scheming against each other, she realized how far behind she was.

Li Muzhan explained, "His cultivation is profound. If he were determined to fight to the death, perhaps neither of us could escape!"

"That is true!" Li Yubing nodded.

Regardless of his character, Yan Luo's cultivation was indeed profound. She was far inferior to him, primarily because he hadn't lived as long. Although martial prowess isn't solely dependent on longevity, at the Great Grandmaster realm, it generally holds true; without a cultivation method, it relies on accumulated time, so those who live longer are naturally stronger.

Li Muzhan floated up, "Let's go."

"Is your injury truly fine?" Li Yubing asked.

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head, "It's just a feint. Although his palm strike was heavy, my skin is thick enough to withstand it!"

"That's a relief," Li Yubing said. "You looked quite frightening."

Li Muzhan laughed, "What an impressive palm technique. Is all his skill concentrated in his hands?"

"Yes, the Heaven-Splitting Palm," Li Yubing nodded. "Back then, relying on his pair of Iron Palms, he nearly dominated half of Xihua. He was quite formidable!"

Li Muzhan exclaimed in admiration, "A truly formidable palm technique! ... Let's go!"

He drifted forward first. Li Yubing asked, "Why don't I see your flying dagger?"

Li Muzhan extended his hand. In his palm lay a small, crystal-clear dagger, exquisitely delicate and appealing, making one want to pick it up and examine it.

Li Yubing was particularly drawn to it, moving to reach for it before stopping herself. Such delicate and exquisite objects held a fatal attraction for women, but this was his ultimate trump card, and outsiders shouldn't touch it casually.

Li Muzhan smiled and handed the flying dagger to her, "Take a look. There's nothing particularly strange about it."

They flew on while talking. Li Yubing no longer stood on ceremony, taking the dagger to examine it closely, murmuring in admiration, "A fine blade!"

She could sense the faint spiritual energy within, as if it were alive, clearly tempered through some secret method, or perhaps connected to the mind—it must be related to the Cloud Sky Sect's Sword Control technique.

The Cloud Sky Sect's Yujian Jing and Huanyu Jing were both unfathomably mysterious and renowned, but outside of the sect's disciples, no one had seen them. This must have been forged using methods from the Yujian Jing.

Li Muzhan took the dagger back and smiled, "Does the Mo Li Palace not have any martial arts related to controlling swords?"

Li Yubing shook her head, "No. It seems we are still lacking in that area."

Li Muzhan shook his head and sighed, "Actually, it's nothing much. The Sword Control technique in the Yujian Jing is something most people can never learn. And for those who can master it, they no longer need it, just like me—what use is mastering Sword Control to me?"

Li Yubing countered, "How is it useless? If you hadn't used Sword Control just now, how could you have injured him?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "A Great Grandmaster's skill can achieve that too; it doesn't necessarily require the Sword Control technique."

"That's true," Li Yubing nodded slightly. "So, I don't need to create a sword technique of this type either?"

Li Muzhan said, "Yes. Even if you created one, those below the Great Grandmaster realm wouldn't be able to master it. It's more practical to refine existing sword techniques to be more exquisite."

"Hmm, alright," Li Yubing nodded. "I'll think about it more."

Li Muzhan suddenly stopped. Li Yubing reacted swiftly, halting instantly and turning to look at him. They had arrived before a dense forest.

Li Muzhan frowned, "Wait a moment."

"Did he detect us?" Li Yubing asked. "That old scoundrel is truly cunning!"

Li Muzhan said, "He might not have detected us, but he's on guard. Let's approach later."

Li Yubing said no more, standing quietly and looking at the blood on Li Muzhan's mouth. Li Muzhan wiped it away with a slight smile, "I'll need to replenish my strength properly when we get back."

Li Yubing laughed, "You'll need to eat a lot of things to recover."

The blood of a Great Grandmaster is different from that of ordinary people; the essence contained within is different. Losing this much blood, an ordinary person might recover with just a meal of beef and mutton, but a Great Grandmaster might not recover even after eating two oxen and two sheep.

Li Muzhan laughed, "Palace Mistress, I was helping you out. You must personally cook several meals as compensation when we return!"

Li Yubing's cooking skills were superb, but as the Palace Mistress, she held a noble status and naturally wouldn't cook casually. Li Muzhan had eaten her cooking once and never forgot it. Unfortunately, whenever he asked her to cook again, she firmly refused. Li Muzhan had been thinking about it constantly.

Li Yubing glanced sideways at him, "I'm not a cook!"

Li Muzhan argued, "Palace Mistress, that's not right. Repaying a life-saving benefactor with a few dishes isn't too much to ask, is it?"

"Hmph, life-saving favor?" Li Yubing retorted irritably, "Where did that come from?"

Li Muzhan reasoned, "If I hadn't arrived just in time, and the Lu family's men had stormed in, at least some of the Mo Li Palace disciples would have been lost, right?"

Li Yubing frowned and glared at him, "Fine, I'll count it as your merit!"

Li Muzhan was instantly delighted, "Then does that mean you'll prepare a few good dishes to reward me?"

"...Fine," Li Yubing slowly nodded.

Li Muzhan was overjoyed and eagerly said, "We'll do it right away when we get back, no more delaying!"

"Since I promised, am I going to renege?!" Li Yubing pouted.

Li Muzhan countered, "I'm not afraid of you reneging, I'm afraid of you delaying. If you delay and delay, I'll starve to death!"

Li Yubing slanted her eyes at him and snorted, "You, a Great Grandmaster, are too much! To pursue gluttony to this extent, how did you reach your realm!"

Reaching the Great Grandmaster realm requires a transcendent, detached state of mind. Of course, after becoming a Great Grandmaster, it is also highly possible to regain one's previous ambition and desire for worldly success.

As the two were speaking, a smile appeared on Li Muzhan's face, "Alright, he is finally going to circulate his energy to heal his injuries."

"Are you certain?" Li Yubing asked. "That Elder Yan is extremely treacherous. Don't let him trick you!"

Li Muzhan laughed, "We can only take the gamble. Better to strike wrongly than let him go!"

"Alright," Li Yubing nodded. "The two of us will go together; I don't believe we can't handle him!"

Li Muzhan nodded, reaching out to embrace her slender waist. Li Yubing knew he was about to use the Great Shift technique and did not resist. The two flashed and vanished from their spot, reappearing behind a large tree.

Yan Luo was sitting cross-legged before a large tree, his back shielded by it. Li Muzhan and Li Yubing exchanged a glance, simultaneously raising their palms and slowly striking the tree.

"Bang!" With a muffled thud, the palm forces from both of them struck the tree simultaneously, passing through the tree to impact Yan Luo in front. He had just begun to sense something, but because he was circulating his energy to heal, his reaction was slightly delayed, and he was immediately struck by the palm force.

"Wha—!" He spat out a jet of blood, twisting around to lunge toward the two, pushing outwards violently with both palms, moving slowly yet swiftly, instantly colliding with Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan, holding Li Yubing, vanished abruptly, narrowly avoiding the blow.

"Eh, where are we?" Li Yubing turned to look. She could not see Yan Luo in her vision, nor the patch of forest; it seemed they were far away.

Li Muzhan explained, "We are two li away."

"Why run so far?" Li Yubing frowned. "Are you injured?"

Li Muzhan shook his head, "Barely missed. ... I was afraid he might go berserk; we should keep our distance!"

"What state is he in now?" Li Yubing chuckled.

The thought of their palm forces traveling through the tree and into Yan Luo’s body made her realize he had definitely taken two solid hits and couldn't be feeling well. Moreover, he had two blades lodged in his chest. Even with the vigorous life force of a Great Grandmaster, he couldn't withstand that; these two strikes were adding frost to snow.

Li Muzhan slightly lowered his eyelids, then shook his head after a moment, "He is still healing, but he is probably waiting for us. No hurry, no hurry."

"Are we going to wear him out?" Li Yubing pursed her lips and smiled, "That's quite malicious."

Li Muzhan pondered briefly, "It seems we must use the final move!"

"You want to use the Sacred Artifact to suppress him?" Li Yubing asked.

Li Muzhan nodded, "If we want a swift resolution, this is the only way!"

"Alright," Li Yubing nodded. "Let's use the array!"

Li Muzhan said, "Palace Mistress, you stay here. I'll be quick."

"No, I'm coming with you," Li Yubing shook her head.

Li Muzhan looked at her. Li Yubing’s expression was resolute: "I won't be at ease if you go alone; that old man is too cunning!"

Li Muzhan nodded helplessly. He flashed again, reappearing near Yan Luo. Li Muzhan was already holding the Sarira Buddha Beads. Under the surging power, the Great Grandmaster immediately lost his imposing might.

"Heh heh, you finally came!" Yan Luo roared with laughter and lunged forward fiercely.

Li Muzhan was just about to set up the array, but seeing his appearance, he realized something was amiss—he embraced Li Yubing and flashed away, but it was a step too late. "Bang," a muffled sound echoed. He pushed Li Yubing behind him, and the two were sent flying straight out.

Li Muzhan felt his vision blackening intermittently. Every part of his body ached. Vast power poured into him, relentlessly destroying, attempting to shatter his meridians and body.

Li Yubing spat out a stream of blood with a "poof," staining Li Muzhan's back.

The two landed heavily, tumbling several meters. The ground beneath them was scraped clean, as if shaved off flat; the nearby trees had vanished, and only trees a hundred meters away remained standing.

Li Yubing scrambled up, turning to look, but Yan Luo had disappeared.

"This old man has such a cruel heart!" She wiped the corner of her mouth and snorted hatefully.

Li Muzhan had stood in front of her just now, blocking most of the power.

The terrifying aspect of a Great Grandmaster's power isn't explosive radiation, but a surge that pours in from all directions like a tide.

Fortunately, Li Muzhan had brought out the Buddha Beads, suppressing the Great Grandmaster's full might. This prevented his self-detonation power from radiating outwards in all directions, unavoidable as a Great Grandmaster's attack, turning it instead into an explosive radiation. Since he shielded her, Li Yubing suffered far less injury.