"Stop!" a cold snort came from behind, and the glint of a saber flashed again, hacking toward Li Muzhan.

It was another youth who exploded in anger and attacked directly.

Li Muzhan stepped back again, turned his head to glance around, and smiled, shaking his head: "What's the need for this? We are merely sparring in martial arts; there's no need to spoil the harmony, right?"

As he spoke, he lightly tapped out—clang—a crisp sound, and another long saber flew away, landing a full two zhang distant.

The saber-wielding youth’s face turned ashen, all color seeming to drain away, as he stared blankly at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan’s palm strike had directly sent the saber flying. The youth felt the surge of power—it was like a monstrous tidal wave, utterly impossible to resist. His hand went numb, and unconsciously, he let go of the weapon.

Li Muzhan turned to the other two, smiling: "You two, come at me together!"

"Attack!" The two exchanged a look and let out an angry roar. Two streams of white silk descended again, looking as if they meant to cleave Li Muzhan in half.

Li Muzhan shook his head with a smile, subtly shifted his body, slipped between the two flashes of saber light, and in an instant, he was behind them. With a light, airy tap, both men were sent flying, their sabers clattering to the ground.

Thud! Thud! Both landed heavily, far more miserably than the previous pair.

Li Muzhan clapped his hands together: "The Saber Sect disciples truly disappoint me. Sect Master, I initially thought that since they were so tough, they must possess true skill. I didn't expect..."

He shook his head, letting out a sigh, "What a disappointment!"

Gao Jingxuan stifled a laugh and said calmly, "Their master is still quite decent; one mustn't underestimate him!"

Li Muzhan smiled: "Then I must ask for some guidance! Brother Hua, we won't see you out!"

He had already stepped forward and pressed the acupoints of the two men. As for those already on the ground, they were painfully climbing up, glaring daggers at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan smiled: "Please send my regards to Senior Xiao. I am too busy today to pay my respects personally, but I shall certainly call upon him another day!"

"Good!" Hua Jianxu glared fiercely at him and sneered, "I will certainly relay your message to Master!"

Li Muzhan nodded with a smile: "That would be for the best. Forgive me for not escorting you further!"

Hua Jianxu and the other three turned and left. Having been beaten so badly, and with onlookers in the distance pointing and commenting, they had no face left to linger.

Li Muzhan turned, sweeping a smiling gaze across the distant crowd. This act was both to provoke on Gao Jingxuan's behalf, allowing her to gain face, and to establish his own authority.

He could see clearly that in the Myriad Saint Sect, strength was paramount. No matter how amiable or friendly you were, without power, no one would respect you. But if your martial arts were superior, even if you were arrogant or rude, others would accommodate you and flatter you.

Now that Li Muzhan had entered the Myriad Saint Sect, if he wanted an easier time surviving, he needed to be ruthless, showing his true capabilities to keep them in check and prevent everyone from constantly challenging him. While it would certainly enrich his knowledge of martial arts, it was too tiring. He needed to enhance his cultivation now; he didn't have time to play games with them slowly!

"Dao’er, you did very well!" Gao Jingxuan nodded with a smile; even her form of address had changed.

Li Muzhan chuckled: "It is my duty to avenge Master. I wonder if Master thinks his master will come out?"

Gao Jingxuan laughed softly: "I’d like to see if he can resist the urge!"

Li Muzhan said: "Master, if he truly comes later, I want to test him!"

"Mmm, your cultivation is no less than his; you have a chance to defeat him!" Gao Jingxuan nodded lightly and smiled, "Having you here saves me a lot of trouble!"

Li Muzhan smiled: "When there is work, disciples should labor for their master. This suits me perfectly!"

"Alas, I truly hope so!" Gao Jingxuan breathed a long sigh, seeming to feel lighter.

They hadn't stood there for long when a thunderous roar ripped through the air: "You insolent brat!"

Li Muzhan focused his senses. A figure rushed towards them like a fierce gale from the distance, kicking up dust and soil. In an instant, a stout, imposing man with a black beard, around fifty years old, stood before Li Muzhan, glaring at him with eyes that shot out tangible beams of light.

"Hmph, Xiao, you’ve finally shown your face!" Gao Jingxuan sneered coldly: "I thought you planned to hide as a turtle for your whole life!"

"Junior Sister Gao, I have no desire to argue with you, but you are relentless!" the sturdy elder said coldly. "You actually condoned an outsider bullying my disciples!"

"Hmph, what outsider? He is one of us from the Hidden Sect starting today!" Gao Jingxuan retorted coldly. "Your disciples are all straw men; who do you blame if their skills fall short?"

"Good, good, I’d like to see what skill this boy possesses!" The sturdy elder laughed in extreme anger, but his gaze was as cold as a serpent's eye.

He turned and glared at Li Muzhan: "Boy, are you the one marrying Xiao Ru?"

Li Muzhan cupped his hands and smiled: "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Senior Xiao? Greetings, Senior Xiao!"

"Spare me!" The sturdy elder waved his hand and sneered: "I wouldn't dare accept such courtesy. Come, let’s exchange a few moves. I want to see what substance you have!"

"Xiao Shaodi!" Tang Tianyu's voice drifted from afar. He approached slowly, yet with incredible speed, appearing in moments. He said gently, "Senior Xiao, you have quite the air about you! ... Weren't you not coming? Why are you rushing over now?!"

The elderly man with the black beard cupped his hands in greeting: "Senior Brother Tang, I truly did not wish to come, but this boy struck my disciple; how could I not appear!"

"Enough, must you fight with a junior?" Tang Tianyu waved his hand dismissively.

The sturdy elder snorted: "Junior or not, he struck my disciple; naturally, I must reclaim my honor. Otherwise, what face will our Saber Sect have left?!"

"Even if you win, what honor is there in bullying the young?" Tang Tianyu frowned.

The sturdy elder shook his head: "That’s different! Senior Brother Tang, please don't interfere. Just watch the show from the sidelines and see how I teach this boy a lesson!"

"Senior Brother Tang, never mind him," Gao Jingxuan said calmly. "If he wishes to humiliate himself, let him!"

"Alas, you two!" Tang Tianyu shook his head with a wry smile, utterly helpless.

Li Muzhan smiled, cupped his hands: "Senior Xiao, may I ask if you wish to compare saber skills, sword skills, or empty-handed combat?"

"Hmph, such arrogance!" the sturdy elder sneered: "We fight with sabers!"

Li Muzhan nodded, walked to a nearby tree with a smile, and snapped off a branch about as thick as his thumb, as long as a longsword.

He flicked it lightly, and the leaves on the branch immediately rustled down: "Senior Xiao, please proceed!"

"You... you...!" The sturdy elder glared at him, letting out an angry snort: "Such audacity! You boy are insufferably arrogant!"

Li Muzhan smiled faintly: "Today is my happy occasion; drawing weapons is inauspicious. Senior Xiao, please don't hold back. Let's begin!"

"Good, good, I want to see what skill you truly possess!" The sturdy elder laughed in fury. With that, he drew his saber and executed a slash.

Hiss! The saber edge seemed to tear the very air, sounding like ripping cloth.

Li Muzhan stepped sideways, taking a gentle step. In the blink of an eye, the onlookers saw only a blur; they hadn't clearly perceived his movement before he was behind the sturdy elder, delivering a light tap.

It looked like a casual, unhurried touch, yet it was incredibly swift, giving the sturdy elder no time to react before the branch struck his back.

Bang! The sturdy elder's body emitted a sound as Li Muzhan withdrew the branch and stepped again. Just as the elder turned, Li Muzhan was behind him once more, delivering another tap.

Ding... The branch struck the body of the long saber, producing a sharp metallic clang.

Before they had even fully engaged, the people in the distance had slowly converged, eager to watch the spectacle.

Seeing this scene, the crowd gasped in shock. They hadn't expected a mere tree branch could produce such a sound. They stared fixedly, witnessing Li Muzhan’s movements—composed and dashing—as he spun again, instantly appearing behind the sturdy elder.

"Ah!" The sturdy elder roared in fury, then swept his saber upward, cutting down from front to back, striking purely by instinct toward Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan stepped sideways again, moving to the front of the sturdy elder with another step, the branch following the movement to tap precisely on the Tanzhong acupoint.

Ding... The long saber flew out, striking a large rock three zhang away, scattering sparks, showing the sheer force of the strike.

"Ah!" The sturdy elder roared again and drove a punch toward Li Muzhan.

He was incredibly fierce. Having suffered Li Muzhan's branch strike to his Tanzhong, he only felt a wave of numbness, a crushing tightness in his chest, and his internal energy went haywire, yet he managed to stand firm and unleash that ferocious punch.

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head, tapping lightly with the branch again, hitting the Tanzhong point. The sturdy elder glared at him unwillingly but found himself unable to move.

In these few strikes, Li Muzhan had deliberately held back his internal energy. Otherwise, with a cultivation level comparable to the sturdy elder, one touch would have been enough to fell him.

His internal energy was overwhelmingly potent, crucially interwoven with spiritual power, paralleling the internal technique of the Lotus Heart Palm, yet superior in might.

This technique was inspired by the fundamental principles of the Lotus Heart Palm, a method he had developed himself, sharing the same core concept but boasting greater power.

Creating an internal cultivation method from scratch was no small feat. However, his mind held countless secret manuals. Whenever he had spare time, he studied these texts, borrowing from the strong and discarding the weak, fusing the essence into a new whole. His comprehension of martial arts far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even so, devising this method had been incredibly difficult, and he was still constantly modifying it.

Li Muzhan gave a slight shake, and the branch snapped into several pieces. He smiled faintly, clapped his hands, and cupped his fists: "Senior Xiao, my apologies for the imposition!"

"You... you..." The sturdy elder glared, his face flushed crimson, and his black beard hairs stood rigidly erect, looking incomparably terrifying.

"Alas..." Tang Tianyu shook his head and sighed, narrowing his eyes to observe Li Muzhan.

The scene he had just witnessed shocked him. He never would have imagined that Li Muzhan possessed such exquisitely subtle sword skills; even the Sword Sect could not compare!

He observed that Li Muzhan’s cultivation seemed inferior to Xiao Shaodi’s, yet his swordsmanship was such that Xiao Shaodi, despite his profound internal power, was hampered and awkward, like a child facing an adult, completely unable to strike back!

Tang Tianyu pondered, placing himself in that position: Could he defeat this He Zudao? After a moment of thought, he slowly nodded; he likely stood a chance.

However, this baffling, ghost-like swordsmanship was truly astonishing. To think such a swordsman had appeared in this world—truly a case of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, not to be underestimated.

He glanced at Gao Jingxuan, seeing her beaming face, and sighed helplessly. Junior Sister Gao was truly blessed; she had gained such a formidable master, and now the Hidden Sect could hold its head high once more!

"Junior Sister Gao, you are indeed lucky!" he praised, shaking his head with a smile. "With these sword techniques, he is fit to roam the world unchecked!"

Gao Jingxuan shook her head and smiled: "This child, I didn't even know his swordsmanship reached such a level!"

The corners of her mouth curved upward, unable to conceal the joy in her eyes.

She knew Li Muzhan's swordsmanship was extremely high-level, but she hadn't expected it to be so masterful that the Saber Sect Master couldn't even counterattack!

She silently reckoned that she herself would certainly not be his match, perhaps not even surviving a few exchanges.

Tang Tianyu said: "Alright, this time your Hidden Sect has gained the upper hand. The enmity with Xiao Shaodi should be resolved now."

"That depends on him," Gao Jingxuan snorted.

While they spoke, Li Muzhan stepped forward and gently tapped the sturdy elder, who shuddered and glared fiercely at Li Muzhan: "Boy, what kind of sword technique is that?"

Li Muzhan smiled faintly: "Void-Breaking Sword Technique!"

"A fine Void-Breaking Sword Technique!" The sturdy elder took a deep breath and said sternly: "Boy, I will return!"

Saying this, he ignored the crowd and turned away, vanishing like a gust of wind before them.

Tang Tianyu opened his mouth but was too late. He shook his head with a bitter smile: "That Xiao Shaodi, when will he ever change that volatile temper!"

Gao Jingxuan turned to look at the slowly gathering crowd and announced loudly: "It's getting late, everyone, it’s time to begin!"

She looked at Li Muzhan: "Dao’er, most people are here. Let's start!"

"Yes," Li Muzhan responded, turning back toward the house.

The crowd parted to make a path, watching him slowly walk through, their expressions complicated. They had all witnessed Li Muzhan's swordsmanship—it was truly shocking. They themselves couldn't withstand such skill. From this day forward, there would be such a figure in the Myriad Saint Sect!

Worshiping heaven and earth, toasting the guests, and then entering the bridal chamber—every subsequent step proceeded smoothly.

When Li Muzhan had previously met Yin Zhaojiang, he had already used his Mind Telepathy and knew the man had no intention of poisoning anything, so he felt completely at ease.

Perhaps Li Muzhan’s display of power had been effective, as no one else dared to step forward to cause trouble afterward. He completed the wedding ceremony smoothly.

However, since they couldn't challenge him with martial arts, the toasting rounds were relentless, clearly intending to get him drunk so he couldn't enter the bridal chamber.

Li Muzhan accepted every offering, drinking bowl after bowl, from the beginning to the end of the toasts. Then others came forward to toast him, and he drank more than a dozen jars of wine in one go. No matter how large his stomach was, it couldn't hold more than a dozen jars of wine, yet his expression remained normal, showing no sign of drunkenness, nor did he excuse himself to the privy.

The crowd knew he was using his internal energy to neutralize the alcohol, but they could do nothing about it.

The red candles burned brightly, illuminating the bridal chamber in joyous splendor. Li Muzhan entered the room. Zhu Chuyun and Cheng Lian, suppressing smiles, shot him a sidelong glance before turning and leaving, closing the door behind them.

Li Muzhan slowly sat on the couch, inhaling her faint, delicate fragrance. He lifted Yi Xiaoru's red veil. She was bowing her head, exquisite as a flower, her eyes brimming with water-like tenderness.

Li Muzhan sat on the couch, examining her with a smile, which only made her grow more shy. She whispered softly, "Big Brother, what are you looking at?"

Li Muzhan laughed: "I am contemplating what immense fortune I have to marry such a beauty as you!"

Yi Xiaoru whispered softly: "I heard Senior Sister Zhu say that Big Brother displayed amazing might and defeated Uncle Xiao the Gallant!"

"Mmm," Li Muzhan murmured, drawing her into his arms, holding the warm, soft jade against him.

Yi Xiaoru continued, "Master must be extremely happy."

Li Muzhan chuckled: "Master seems to have drunk too much."

Yi Xiaoru leaned trustingly against him and whispered: "Master almost never gets drunk. He must be truly overjoyed this time."

Li Muzhan smiled: "Master will be increasingly happy... Her disciple is becoming stronger and stronger; how could she not be happy?!"

"Bi-i-g Broth-er!" Yi Xiaoru immediately became overwhelmed with shyness, looking even more radiant and alluring. (To be continued)