For the following few days, Li Muzhan enjoyed a relaxed routine much as before. In the mornings, he watched Xiuxiu practice her martial arts while he read. After lunch, he would take Xiuxiu into Jingzhou City for a stroll, and in the evenings, they would take a small boat out onto the river for recreation.

Having undergone rigorous training aboard the Baihua boat, Nian Xiu was highly skilled in both zither music and culinary arts. She played the zither to enhance their mood; the melodious notes drifted gently as the small boat swayed. From a distance, their vessel looked no different from any other.

Though Li Muzhan appeared carefree, his mind worked at high speed, flipping through esoteric manuals, integrating their knowledge, and constantly forging new martial arts techniques.

It was just before dawn this particular day when he suddenly materialized outside the Shenji Pavilion.

He had already observed the Shenji Pavilion for more than ten days, learning the habits of every guard intimately. The cultivation level of the Pavilion Protectors was significantly higher than those at the Shenwu Pavilion.

After witnessing their prowess, Li Muzhan was greatly astonished; any single elder here possessed a depth of cultivation that was staggering.

Li Muzhan assessed his own chances: one-on-one, he was confident; two-on-one, it was dubious; three or four-on-one, and he would have no choice but to flee.

Furthermore, the Longshan Sect possessed deep foundations and numerous secret arts. No one knew what hidden techniques they might employ. If pushed to the brink, a surprise attack could prove fatal, meaning even those slightly weaker in cultivation might still kill him in a desperate fight.

He constantly remembered that this world was the resting place of many Grandmasters, and he could not die here yet. He still had vengeance to exact and women to accompany.

Thus, he was exceedingly cautious. Even if he couldn't obtain the manuals, he couldn't get trapped. That was why he had observed for over ten days, only considering entering the Shenji Pavilion once he knew the layout thoroughly.

As dawn broke, the entire Longshan Sect was eerily quiet; most residents were still asleep, though those near the lake were beginning to stir, washing up, starting their cooking, or setting about their morning routines.

Li Muzhan seized the opportunity. With a flicker, he slipped into the Shenji Pavilion. Upon entering, he immediately cursed his luck—it was entirely different from the Shenwu Pavilion.

The Shenji Pavilion also had three stories. The first floor was a training ground. The second floor was also spacious, with a circular platform about a person's height and a meter in diameter at the center, upon which several secret manuals lay silently. The third floor contained several rooms. The moment Li Muzhan entered the Pavilion, he was detected by someone on the third floor. Li Muzhan disregarded everything else and vanished in an instant.

He instantly returned to his own quarters. In Jingzhou City, activity was beginning to pick up. Xiuxiu was already practicing in the training ground behind the courtyard. She trained diligently, utterly thirsty for martial arts, wishing she could instantly become a top expert, knowing how perilous the world was and how difficult it was to survive.

Li Muzhan sat on the couch, sighing. He hadn't expected the Shenji Pavilion to harbor such formidable figures. A flash of thought crossed his mind, and he opened his Eye of the Void, discovering four elders inside.

These four elders all had snow-white beards and long eyebrows—a sign of longevity. Li Muzhan estimated they were all well over three hundred years old.

Their cultivation was astonishingly deep. The moment Li Muzhan appeared, they released their auras, pressing down on him like four massive mountains.

Moreover, Li Muzhan could ascertain that they practiced the Lotus Heart Palm. They were likely the reclusive cultivators of the Longshan Sect, and their mastery of the Lotus Heart Palm was so complete that they were able to detect his presence.

Li Muzhan sighed again. The Longshan Sect truly lived up to its name, housing four figures as immovable as mountains. Who in the Shenji Pavilion could possibly challenge them?!

The cultivation of any one of them far surpassed his own. Although their spiritual attainment might not match his, Li Muzhan knew the terrifying power of the Lotus Heart Palm all too well. With their cultivation advantage, his defeat was inevitable once a fight began.

Li Muzhan sighed helplessly, troubled. His current strength had reached a peak, a bottleneck that made further advancement incredibly difficult.

He had cultivated several body-tempering methods, making his physique exceptionally formidable and nearly impervious to blades and spears. However, every advantage has a drawback; while robustness was excellent, altering one's meridians became several times harder.

His simultaneous cultivation of the Zhaoxia Gong and Yingyue Gong had led to astonishingly rapid progress, but it had a minimal effect on altering his meridians. Fortunately, practicing the internal cultivation methods of the Lotus Heart Palm greatly aided in expanding his meridians, but this required slow, steady accumulation over time.

These four elders had achieved their cultivation levels step by step. They had lived over three hundred years, while he was barely over twenty. Such a disparity spanning decades could not be easily bridged.

He sat on the couch, racking his brain, searching for any method to rapidly enhance his cultivation. Otherwise, he couldn't hope to surpass these four elders or obtain the Thirty-Six Arts.

Since they had discovered him this time, sneaking in again was virtually impossible. Fortunately, his technique for concealing his aura and breath had prevented them from identifying him; otherwise, his next visit to the Longshan Sect would have exposed him.

He reviewed the manuals he had acquired, shaking his head; none offered a miraculous path to increasing internal energy. Suddenly, a thought sparked, leading him to consider the Divine Sword Sect.

After saving Yi Xiaoru, he had tracked the aura of three gray-robed elders, intending to offer aid later if needed. He soon located a large mansion where he found the corpses of the three gray-robed elders.

Inside the residence, he discovered two purple-robed elders whose auras were powerful, matching his own. However, his skill in concealing his presence was so profound that despite their strength, they hadn't detected him. Li Muzhan waited until the two purple-robed elders left their respective rooms, stole a piece of clothing from one of them, and then left silently.

He didn't do anything further, deciding to wait and see what Yi Xiaoru would do. Sometimes, trying to help too much only caused more trouble.

He hadn't heard much about the Divine Sword Sect, but he had heard of Sword Forging techniques. He knew of them primarily from his original world, where it was considered a form of Daoist dual cultivation of Yin and Yang. In the books of this world, he had only seen it mentioned briefly in one place, so lightly touched upon that it was easy to overlook.

Because he was aware of this technique's existence, he paid closer attention and realized this world also possessed such a secret art. Sword Forging was essentially a technique of Cai Bu (harvesting and replenishing energy): using a woman's body as the 'sword' and 'Yin Fire' to cast it, ensuring it remains undamaged, unyielding, and achieving the goal of possessing countless women. It was certainly a sinister method. Although Sword Forging was not the ultimate Dao and could not grant immortality, its body-refining effects were exceptionally potent.

The night was deep, a bright moon hung high, and the water-like moonlight shimmered on the river's surface, creating an indescribable sense of serene tranquility.

He and Xiuxiu were drifting on the small boat. Xiuxiu played the zither while Li Muzhan leisurely perused his book, enjoying the music—a picture of carefree bliss.

Xiuxiu occasionally let her bright eyes drift toward Li Muzhan, a smile touching her lips. She found these days warm and comfortable, safe and tranquil, wishing they could last forever. As she played, immersing the pure peace and joy of her mood into the music, Li Muzhan suddenly put down his book and shook his head. "Xiuxiu, continue playing. Don't mind anything else."

Xiuxiu looked at him in confusion. Li Muzhan smiled and called out loudly, "Distinguished guests have arrived. Why hide? Come aboard for a meeting!"

"Hmph, you do have some skill!" With a cold sneer, the small boat shuddered. Li Muzhan pulled aside the cabin curtain; three figures already stood at the bow.

These three middle-aged men were all dressed in green robes, radiating an upright presence, with long swords hanging at their waists. Though their features differed, their eyes were like cold stars, faintly emanating a sharp gleam, clearly cultivating the same core technique.

They stood steadily at the bow in a 'pin' formation, like three drawn swords ready to strike in any direction.

Li Muzhan smiled faintly. "Linhai Pavilion?"

"Correct!" the shortest middle-aged man said gravely. "You killed our Junior Brother Fan, didn't you?"

Li Muzhan nodded. "Indeed. As expected of Linhai Pavilion, you received the news so quickly!"

"Why did you kill Junior Brother Fan?" the short man asked sternly.

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. "Fan Pingye tried to kill me over a trivial matter, and I injured him in self-defense. Fan Pingshan came to kill me at Fan Pingye's request and was subsequently killed by me. It's as simple as that!"

"You really killed Junior Brother Fan?!" The short man scrutinized Li Muzhan from head to toe.

Li Muzhan leaned back lazily on the low couch, holding a scroll, looking utterly relaxed. Dressed in fine silks, he appeared to be a wealthy scholar, not a martial artist.

Li Muzhan chuckled. "Having read ten thousand scrolls and traveled a thousand miles, how could one lack martial arts?" He paused. "Are you here to stand up for Fan Pingye?"

"We don't care about Fan Pingye; we are here to avenge Junior Brother Fan!" the short man stated solemnly.

Li Muzhan shook his head and laughed dismissively. "I heard Fan Pingye was also a disciple of your Linhai Pavilion?"

"Hmph, correct!" the short man snorted, a look of disdain crossing his face.

Li Muzhan said, "Your Linhai Pavilion is truly interesting. With disciples like that, if it were me, I would have expelled them long ago and crippled their martial arts to prevent them from further tarnishing the sect's name. Your Linhai Pavilion relies on its power and doesn't fear such things, so you no longer need to care for your reputation, right?"

"Stop with the nonsense, He! Draw your swords!" The short man, somewhat enraged by humiliation, snorted coldly. "We must avenge Junior Brother Fan!"

Li Muzhan asked, "How will you avenge him? By killing me?"

The short man coldly snorted. "Naturally! A blood debt must be paid in blood!"

Li Muzhan shook his head. "You only speak of grievances and not reason, is that it?"

"Enough talk, draw your swords!" The short man roared, his eyes wide as if he wanted to devour someone. Despite his ordinary appearance, when enraged, he resembled a frenzied lion, exuding terrifying killing intent.

Li Muzhan slowly shook his head. "Your Linhai Pavilion... I am truly disappointed. First Fan Pingye, then Fan Pingshan, and now you lot. I truly cannot comprehend how people like you are considered a prestigious righteous sect. Even the Wan Sheng Sect is no better!"

"He, you talk too much! Die!" The short man's expression shifted, and he drew his sword, lunging toward the cabin.

"Chii!" A flash of sword light sliced through the air. Li Muzhan thrust his sword into his chest. The short man shuddered, his movement abruptly halted. Li Muzhan's strike pierced his heart directly—clean and swift, ending his life in one blow.

The two behind him stared, their eyes instantly bloodshot, and drew their swords, charging forward. Before they could reach him, Li Muzhan struck the short man away with a palm strike, then agilely leaped out of the small boat, his toes lightly touching the surface of the adjacent river.

The bright moon gently swayed on the water, changing its shape, sometimes round, sometimes half-round. Li Muzhan stood on a piece of wood, watching the two with a smiling face.

The two men were now red-eyed, their killing intent clouding their minds; they had only one thought: kill!

They didn't bother with finding wood planks. They stomped their feet, spinning the small boat around, and shot out. Xiuxiu quickly bent her waist to steady herself, staring intently at the river.

Li Muzhan met the two streaks of white light heading towards him. With a slight shift, he moved the wooden board aside, causing the two to miss entirely, colliding in mid-air. With a clash of palms, they used each other's momentum, arcing again towards Li Muzhan, their sword lights even faster.

Li Muzhan let out a slight "Yi," having expected them to be blinded by rage, but he hadn't anticipated such synchronized and exquisite coordination. They truly couldn't be underestimated.

He charged towards their advance. "Clang, clang, clang, clang..." Three streaks of sword light intertwined. Xiuxiu watched, completely dazzled, unable to discern their moves or actions at all.

After a rapid series of metallic rings, Li Muzhan drifted back onto the wooden board. The two middle-aged men, having exchanged a palm strike, both spat out jets of blood before they "plop, plop" fell into the water.

Li Muzhan shook his head, tapped his toe lightly, and returned to the small boat, smiling faintly. "Let's go!"

Xiuxiu stared at the water surface where no movement followed the splash, asking in surprise, "Young Master...?"

Li Muzhan smiled. "No need to mind them!"

Xiuxiu nodded hard, her white teeth tightly biting her red lip, looking very tense.

Li Muzhan said, "Xiuxiu, once you step into the martial world, killing becomes commonplace. Either you kill others, or others kill you."

Xiuxiu nodded vigorously. "Young Master, I understand!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Today was just an appetizer. The troubles ahead will be greater; you must be prepared."

Xiuxiu hesitated slightly. Li Muzhan uttered a single word: "Speak."

Xiuxiu said, "Young Master, my martial arts are too low; I can't help you at all!"

Li Muzhan chuckled and shook his head. "Having that intention is enough, Xiuxiu. You haven't cultivated for long. Although your progress is fast, you are still far from being able to stand on your own. No rush."

"Young Master, I don't want to be a burden!" Xiuxiu bit her red lip tightly.

Li Muzhan smiled. "I do have a method that can make you a master quickly, but the price is very high."

"I am willing!" Xiuxiu agreed without hesitation.

Li Muzhan stared at her for a long moment before slowly sighing. "Silly girl, alright. This will be as painful as the marrow cleansing and tendon changing we did last time."

"I am willing!" Xiuxiu stated firmly.

Li Muzhan reached out and patted her delicate shoulder. "You... fine. Tonight, we will use the Guanding method!"

"Thank you, Young Master!" Xiuxiu smiled.

Li Muzhan said, "Your foundation is weak. Even if you gain profound internal energy, it won't suffice. You must cultivate even more diligently; no laziness!"

"I understand, Young Master!" Xiuxiu quickly nodded.

The small boat gently drifted, carrying them back to the shore. With the protection of his formation, Li Muzhan no longer felt any dread toward the Linhai Pavilion. If he couldn't win, he could run. With the formation in place, they couldn't sneak up on him silently, allowing them to rest peacefully—there was nothing more to fear.

Li Muzhan was considering using them to practice his swordplay, especially since Yi Xiaoru had mentioned their flawed cultivation methods, which bolstered his confidence.

Unlike the Longshan Sect, whose internal cultivation traditions remained intact and whose Thirty-Six Arts were superb—especially the astonishing power of the Lotus Heart Palm—Li Muzhan was extremely wary of the four elders because the deeper their cultivation, the stronger the Palm's effect. However, the Linhai Pavilion’s cultivation was flawed. No matter how strong their swordsmanship, he wasn't afraid. Deeper cultivation might only increase their sword speed, and he possessed unique sword-guiding techniques, so he didn't fear fast swords.

As Li Muzhan and Xiuxiu entered the small courtyard, they both froze. Yi Xiaoru was standing there, slender and graceful as a willow branch, but the sight sent a cold sweat down Li Muzhan’s spine. (To be continued)