Li Muzhan circulated his internal energy while shaking his head. "Palace Mistress, I’m truly fortunate I arrived!"

His internal power suddenly surged, vast as the flooding river water, rushing down. Leng Chaoyun shuddered violently as overwhelming pain threatened to swallow her whole.

She gritted her teeth, making no sound, her body trembling slightly. The white vapor above her head suddenly dispersed as if exploding. Following the intense agony came a feeling of blissful relaxation and profound smoothness.

Li Muzhan slowly withdrew his palms and spoke gently, "The next one is a Grandmaster."

With that, he pulled back his hands and chuckled, "No wonder these fellows dared to be so bold; it turns out they truly have support!"

"A Grandmaster?" Leng Chaoyun turned her head, her delicate brows furrowed.

Li Muzhan nodded. "The old fellow coming down is a Grandmaster, not to be underestimated. This time, things are truly perilous!"

"You can't beat him?" Leng Chaoyun frowned.

In her perception, Li Muzhan was almost unrivaled, uncontainable by anyone.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "I have a very bad feeling about this; this person is too dangerous! You should evade for now."

"There's no need." Leng Chaoyun said calmly, "At worst, it’s death. How can I retreat when you are fighting with your life on the line?"

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. "It’s not necessary. If you weren't here, I could focus better; otherwise, I would constantly worry about your safety."

"You don't need to concern yourself with my safety. If you can defeat him, I will naturally be fine; if you cannot, I have no way to live anyway. It’s no great matter," Leng Chaoyun stated.

Li Muzhan pondered for a moment. "Doesn't your Floating Cloud Palace have the God-Slaying Blade?"

Leng Chaoyun frowned and looked at him, then shook her head.

Li Muzhan asked, "Why?"

Leng Chaoyun sighed. "The God-Slaying Blade requires several people working in concert. However, several Martial Uncles have passed away successively. Even if the God-Slaying Blade could be used, its power would be limited. It’s useless."

Li Muzhan frowned, then his expression cleared immediately, and he laughed. "It truly is when the roof leaks, it rains all night... Fine, we can only fight with everything we have."

He wasn't worried about his life; if things truly became impossible, he could use the Great Teleportation technique to take her away. But if she left, the disciples of the Floating Cloud Palace would suffer.

Fortunately, the Iron Palm Sect and the Raging Blade Sect below were not in mortal danger. Even if he directed his anger toward the disciples, he wouldn't dare go too far; their lives wouldn't be at risk.

Otherwise, if he sought revenge, his opponents would be powerless to stop him.

Leng Chaoyun said, "I’ll have to trouble you with everything!"

Li Muzhan laughed. "It's no big deal. I face battles like this every day. Let's see just who this venerable person is!"

He finished speaking and let out a soaring cry, clear and bright like a crane’s call.

Another long cry echoed from below, merging with his. Li Muzhan’s challenging cry was met by the opponent's answering call, and immediately, a dark shadow flickered. A black-robed elder appeared on the mountaintop, squinting as he sized up Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan smiled, cupped his fists, and said, "I am Li Wuji of the Azure Cloud Sect. May I ask which esteemed senior you are?"

"This old man is An Siren," the elder said in a deep voice.

Li Muzhan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Senior, you are not a Grandmaster of the current generation, are you?"

An Siren scrutinized him up and down, frowning. "You, at such a young age, are already a Grandmaster? Li Wuji of the Azure Cloud Sect—I have heard of him!"

Li Muzhan asked, "Senior, are you perhaps from the Raging Blade Sect or the Iron Palm Sect?"

An Siren slowly replied, "A junior of mine is in the Iron Palm Sect, so I have come to take a look."

Li Muzhan smiled. "I see. Senior must have descended from above, right?"

"Hmm—?" An Siren's expression shifted slightly, and he frowned at Li Muzhan. "What 'above' or 'below'? I don't know what you are talking about!"

Li Muzhan smiled, growing even more certain. "Although the Profound Purity Heaven is hidden from ordinary people, it is not a rare topic for Grandmasters. I didn't expect Senior An to have descended from there."

An Siren snorted coldly. "You certainly know quite a bit!"

Li Muzhan inquired, "Is the Profound Purity Heaven peaceful these days?"

"If it were truly peaceful, why would this old man descend?" An Siren snorted, then said sternly, "Enough idle talk. You intend to support the Floating Cloud Palace?"

He glanced at Leng Chaoyun, snorted, and said, "A beautiful, virtuous lady is sought after by a gentleman. You two are quite well-matched, but unfortunately, the Floating Cloud Palace is too domineering."

Li Muzhan shook his head. "As far as I know, the Floating Cloud Palace has always acted according to the rules. It is the Raging Blade Sect and the Iron Palm Sect that have been acting aggressively, becoming increasingly rampant in recent years, seemingly unaware of what rules are."

An Siren said coldly, "Are you suggesting this old man's eyes are clouded with age?"

Li Muzhan nodded and smiled. "That's right. Senior, since you just came down from above, you might not be aware of the current situation. Acting rashly in these circumstances, I think it's improper."

"If this old man wants to act, he acts. What's improper about it!" An Siren sneered. "You, a newly initiated Grandmaster, dare to speak to this old man this way? I think you are tired of living!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "No matter what level of cultivation Senior possesses, you are still a Grandmaster, right?"

"My Grandmaster status is not the same as yours. How many battles have you fought? This old man has stood firm through a hundred campaigns! ... Very well, this old man also values talent. As long as this young lady marries my grand-nephew, this matter shall be dropped," An Siren waved his hand dismissively.

Li Muzhan frowned. This An Siren was deliberately being unreasonable, only relying on brute force. Relying on his status from the Profound Purity Heaven, he was bullying others without regard for Li Muzhan.

He realized that any further words were useless; the only option was to fight.

He had never understood what the Profound Purity Heaven was truly like. He had only heard it was chaotic. Seeing someone who could descend from the Profound Purity Heaven and still be alive gave him a good approximation.

He shook his head. "Since that is the case, let us decide the outcome."

An Siren said solemnly, "Precisely so! This old man will not bully you; I'll let you have the first two moves!"

Li Muzhan smiled and flashed behind An Siren, bringing his palm down. The movement of his hand had already reached An Siren's back, but An Siren dodged away with a flicker.

Li Muzhan's eyebrows twitched slightly. As expected of someone battle-hardened; his instincts were precise. He shifted his stance mid-motion and struck again, his palm nearly touching An Siren, yet An Siren flinched again and avoided it.

A look of gravity appeared on An Siren's face. He had initially thought that although Li Muzhan’s cultivation was deep, his combat experience was like a child compared to an adult—far too lacking.

The moment Li Muzhan struck, he realized he had underestimated his opponent. Both palm strikes were threatening; if their power levels were equal, he certainly wouldn't have dodged them all.

He set aside his condescension and roared in a deep voice, "It is my turn to strike! Be careful!"

As he shouted the command, he thrust out a palm fiercely, like a howling gale. Leng Chaoyun's red gauze tunic fluttered violently, forcing her to retreat three steps to avoid the sharp force.

Li Muzhan narrowed his eyes, pressed his thumb down, and with a sharp "chii" sound like tearing silk, the surging gale seemed to have a channel torn through it. Li Muzhan advanced along this channel, closing the distance to An Siren, and struck toward his chest.

An Siren twisted his palm and changed his move. Their palms met.

With a loud "Bang!" Li Muzhan shot straight back, while An Siren also retreated two steps, leaving deep footprints with each step.

Li Muzhan retreated to stand before Leng Chaoyun. She frowned as she looked at him. Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. "Senior An’s cultivation is indeed profound. I am impressed, truly impressed!"

An Siren frowned. "Good lad!"

He hadn't expected Li Muzhan's cultivation to be so deep. Li Muzhan had been constantly circulating the cultivation method of the Hidden Blade, keeping his power concealed. However, An Siren’s sharp eyes and precise intuition sensed Li Muzhan's extraordinary nature, knowing he was a Grandmaster of great power. But initially, due to his youth, An Siren hadn't thought his power could be that high; he hadn't expected such profound cultivation.

Although their palms seemed vastly different in impact, only the two of them knew their cultivation levels were nearly equal, separated by only a hairline.

An Siren frowned at Li Muzhan. With this level of cultivation, he wasn't far from the Profound Purity Heaven. But unfortunately, he had encountered him, and he probably wouldn't make it to the Profound Purity Heaven!

Thinking this, a killing intent boiled within him. He flashed in front of Li Muzhan and struck downward with his palm. Li Muzhan met the strike, intending to exchange blows again, but An Siren's move was exquisite—his palm suddenly vanished, striking Li Muzhan’s chest instead.

With a dull "thump," Li Muzhan took the hit and retreated two zhang, frowning at him. He, in turn, frowned at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan was surprised by the subtlety of his technique. An Siren was surprised by Li Muzhan's supreme external body tempering, which allowed him to remain unharmed despite the strike.

Li Muzhan's body refining arts had reached the ultimate level. Having recently recovered from injuries, his subsequent refinement had led to great progress; he was truly like jade bones and dragon tendons, immensely resilient.

This palm strike had dissipated most of its force through his flesh and skin; the remainder was negligible.

"Good, good, good! Truly formidable! Again!" An Siren sneered, suddenly stepping in close to Li Muzhan and striking down.

Li Muzhan extended his palm to block, but his vision blurred. An Siren's hand vanished again, appearing right at his chest. Li Muzhan sucked in his abdomen and contracted his chest, deflecting most of the force, though he didn't avoid it completely.

"Bang!" He retreated a zhang further, frowning at An Siren, replaying the previous scene in his mind, trying to decipher the technique.

An Siren also frowned, extremely dissatisfied. This move was his ultimate skill, the very technique that allowed him to survive in the Profound Purity Heaven until now. He hadn't expected it to have limited effect on Li Muzhan.

Leng Chaoyun also frowned watching them. She could see that Li Muzhan had no power to counterattack and was being suppressed by An Siren. Continuing this way, he had no chance of winning.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang..." Afterward, An Siren kept using this move, but Li Muzhan couldn't break it. This move contained endless mystery; breaking it required time. Li Muzhan could only try his best to absorb the force.

Fortunately, their cultivation levels were similar, and Li Muzhan’s body tempering was deep, combined with his ability to dissipate force. Even after more than a dozen strikes from An Siren, Li Muzhan remained largely unharmed.

An Siren sneered, "If we were in the Profound Purity Heaven, I would have dealt with you long ago!"

Li Muzhan said, "What an impressive palm technique, but going back and forth with just this one move—aren't you bored, Senior?"

An Siren sneered back, "This one move is enough!"

Li Muzhan shook his head, and suddenly his right palm vanished, pressing against An Siren's chest.

"Bang!" An Siren shot back three zhang, staring at Li Muzhan with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Li Muzhan’s palm strike was incredibly subtle—it was the very move An Siren had been using. He had perfectly copied it, executing it flawlessly.

An Siren's expression became strange, a mix of shock and envy. He had spent a full year practicing this move before he could unleash its true power. Li Muzhan had mastered it after seeing it only a few times, and although he lacked some refinement, he was already better than An Siren after a year of practice. It was truly terrifying.

Li Muzhan smiled. "My apologies for showing off!"

An Siren said coldly, "As expected of someone who reached the Grandmaster realm so young, your comprehension is astonishing. Take my next move!"

He then thrust out another palm. Li Muzhan used the same move as before, this time executing it with even greater familiarity, instantly appearing before An Siren's chest.

"Bang!" Li Muzhan took another palm strike to the chest. This time, An Siren’s right palm pierced through Li Muzhan’s right block and struck his chest—it was unavoidable. Moreover, this palm strike was more fierce; it seemed to drill into his heart, far beyond ordinary palm force. Although Li Muzhan dissipated most of it, he couldn't entirely remove the residual energy; it required circulating his internal force for several cycles.

As he retreated, he circulated his inner power, dissolving the force that had pierced towards his heart, while simultaneously evading An Siren's next two moves. On the third exchange, he met the attack head-on and was struck again.

Li Muzhan engaged him relentlessly, feeling as if his body no longer belonged to him. After enduring over a dozen more palm strikes, he had learned this technique as well. An Siren’s expression darkened, and he sneered coldly, "Good, good. I want to see how many moves you can steal!"

This time, he pushed out a palm slowly, but as Li Muzhan moved to evade, it suddenly accelerated, like a streak of lightning, instantly striking Li Muzhan. "Bang!" Li Muzhan flew back over ten zhang.

Li Muzhan’s face flushed red. He made several phantom steps in the air while drawing his hands into arcs, laboriously neutralizing the internal force. When he landed, his complexion returned to normal.

An Siren frowned, staring at him with dissatisfaction. He hadn't expected this move to fail to injure him either.

Li Muzhan exhaled a long, turbid breath, praising, "What a formidable palm technique!"

This particular strike, he couldn't steal. Its subtlety lay not in the visible movement but in the underlying cultivation method; it was impossible to copy by mere mimicry. Furthermore, this strike was incredibly heavy. If not for his deep body-tempering skills, it would have been difficult to escape unscathed.

"Take another palm strike from me!" An Siren roared, flashing again to Li Muzhan's side.

Li Muzhan grunted heavily, using his left hand for the first move and his right hand for the second, swinging both palms forward to meet the attack. "Bang!" An Siren's right palm pierced through the two blocking palms and struck Li Muzhan’s heart.

Li Muzhan flicked his wrist, and with a faint "chii" sound, a white light pierced through An Siren's heart, emerging from his back before vanishing instantly.

"Uh..." An Siren’s eyes widened, staring at Li Muzhan in disbelief.

Li Muzhan drifted backward, moving his palms and feet simultaneously, spitting out a stream of bloody essence to fully unload the force. If he hadn't done so, this strike could have ended his life.

An Siren clutched his chest, standing still, staring fixedly at Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan shook his head. "The martial arts of the Profound Purity Heaven are indeed profound. You should depart now, Senior An!"

"Heh heh heh..." An Siren looked down at his chest, where blood gushed forth uncontrollably.

He let out a few strange laughs, his eyes fixed on the sky as he slowly fell backward, a bizarre smile lingering on his face. Li Muzhan frowned, watching him, unable to decipher what An Siren was thinking.

However, in this confrontation today, it was either his death or An Siren's. There was no other way; he had to strike lethally. Since sparring with spirit beasts, his flying blade skills had grown increasingly refined, achieving a swift kill against An Siren.

He shook his head, lamenting only that he couldn't fully steal An Siren's palm techniques—they were truly peerless in their subtlety, beyond imagination. (To be continued)