He felt no aversion to switching sects; in fact, he wished he could join all Nine Sects and absorb their ultimate skills. The martial arts of the Myriad Saint Sect were indeed strange and profound, far beyond what ordinary sects could offer.

He had already encountered the twelve ultimate arts of the Dragon Mountain Sect, all top-tier secret techniques. He absorbed and integrated them, constantly refining his own cultivation methods.

Though these methods were marvelous, he always felt something was lacking—they weren't quite satisfying enough to allow him to dominate the world unchallenged. If he could obtain the Sword Canon and delve into its insights, he felt he could advance further.

Gao Jingxuan said, "I will have a good talk with Senior Brother Hu. Taking such a huge advantage is not right!"

Li Muzhan gave a wry smile, "Master, I am the one who is taking the huge advantage!"

"Then you are mistaken!" Gao Jingxuan smiled, pursing her lips, "The Sword Sect has always been searching for disciples with extraordinary comprehension, but sadly, such disciples are rare and hard to find."

Li Muzhan slowly nodded. Comprehension was even rarer than innate aptitude, and it wasn't something immediately apparent. The great sects all had unique methods for finding disciples to ensure they secured true talents, with dedicated people scouting to guarantee the lineage continued.

However, aptitude was easy to gauge, while comprehension was elusive. Comprehension was a form of spiritual insight where learning and natural talent were both crucial, unlike martial aptitude which could be directly measured.

Moreover, this world wasn't limited to one path; many pursued the scholarly route, and those with supreme comprehension often preferred to become officials through scholarship. Although being a civil official wasn't as exhilarating as being a martial artist, at least it eliminated the risk of death. It was rare for them to be hunted down like Old Master Cao, who provoked martial artists during his tenure, leading to retaliation. Ordinary scholars and martial artists avoided crossing lines that were considered taboo. —— Gao Jingxuan said, "Senior Brother Hu has always been very fond of you, watching you like a tiger, trying every means to recruit you. Now he has finally gotten his wish!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "I wish to witness the mysteries of the Sword Canon."

"Yes, for a swordsman, not being able to look at the Sword Canon is indeed a massive regret!" Gao Jingxuan nodded in understanding.

Li Muzhan asked, "Master, is the matter of the Divine Sword Sect concluded?"

"Mm, it's considered settled for the time being," Gao Jingxuan smiled lightly, "Everyone is rather downcast. Recently, there has been widespread buzz about the secret trove of Feng Batian, and I see some people are eager to join the excitement!"

Yi Xiaoru glanced at Li Muzhan, and he nodded.

Yi Xiaoru chuckled lightly, "Master, Feng Batian's secret trove? Big Brother has already obtained it."

"Hm—?" Everyone was startled, and the three women looked over simultaneously.

Zhu Chuyun quickly said, "Brother-in-law, you obtained Feng Batian's secret trove?"

Li Muzhan nodded and smiled, "I entered Feng Batian's tomb, but there wasn't much inside."

"No way?" Zhu Chuyun tilted her head, staring at him with a smile, "This news was spread by the Dragon Mountain Sect; they wouldn't just make things up."

"Big Brother got a chest full of books, and one secret manual," Yi Xiaoru clarified.

Zhu Chuyun asked excitedly, "A martial arts manual?"

Yi Xiaoru shook her head, "Only one manual for a palm technique; the rest were travelogues."

"Oh, I see..." Zhu Chuyun shook her head, "I thought there would be many manuals. So Feng Batian's secret trove was just that much!"

She was greatly disappointed but didn't ask Li Muzhan about the manual he obtained. Although she didn't treat Li Muzhan as an outsider, such matters were intimate, and she remained cautious.

Li Muzhan smiled, "If Senior Sister Zhu and Senior Sister Cheng wish to take a look, you might as well study it together with Xiaoru. The Heaven-Seizing Palm is indeed exquisite; I am focused on swordplay and have little interest in this."

"Great!" Zhu Chuyun eagerly agreed.

Cheng Lian frowned and shot her a look. Zhu Chuyun giggled, "Brother-in-law isn't an outsider!" Then she added, "Master, why don't you open the Martial Repository for Brother-in-law, okay?"

She was seizing the opportunity to ask for benefits for Li Muzhan. Cheng Lian shook her head.

Gao Jingxuan said, "Mm, very well. Dao'er, you may enter the Martial Repository anytime you wish. There are quite a few secret manuals there you can study. However, don't bite off more than you can chew; human energy is limited. Don't be too greedy. There are countless exquisite martial arts in the world; you can't master them all."

Li Muzhan cupped his fists and smiled, "Yes, I understand. Thank you, Master!"

Even the three of them—Cheng Lian and the others—could not enter and exit the Martial Repository freely; they needed sufficient merit to enter once, yet it was opened to Li Muzhan.

Gao Jingxuan said, "Dao'er, after you join the Sword Sect, you must be single-minded."

Li Muzhan smiled and nodded, "Master, I understand."

"The Sword Sect has always stayed aloof from worldly affairs, burying themselves in comprehending sword techniques. When you arrive, be diligent and focus solely on practicing swordplay, ignoring everything else," Gao Jingxuan instructed.

Zhu Chuyun pursed her lips and smiled, "Master, that won't be easy. My brother-in-law can't sit still. Look, we just received news, and he has already broken into the secret trove!"

Gao Jingxuan said, "Dao'er, what exactly happened? Was this not a trap set by the Dragon Mountain Sect?"

Li Muzhan shook his head, "Senior Feng was a master of mechanisms. It took me quite some effort to break in. The people from the Dragon Mountain Sect likely suffered a setback, which is why they publicized the news."

"Oh..." Gao Jingxuan understood the implication in Li Muzhan's words—the Dragon Mountain Sect had clearly lost out, hence their decision to release the information.

As they were talking, a burst of hearty laughter echoed, and Hu Chu strode in vigorously, followed by two elderly men in black robes.

"Senior Brother Hu, you arrived quickly!" Gao Jingxuan stood up to greet him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Hu Chu chuckled heartily, "Knowing this good news, how could I not hurry over? If Si Dao changes his mind, that would be terrible! Si Dao, are you truly set on joining my Sword Sect?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Senior Hu, I wish to view the Sword Canon; this is the only way!"

Hu Chu laughed heartily, "Good, good! To see the Sword Canon, you must join our Sword Sect! Only disciples of the Sword Sect are permitted to view the Sword Canon!"

Li Muzhan replied, "It seems this is the only way."

Hu Chu was overjoyed, "Si Dao, you will never regret this decision... How about this: I will accept you as a disciple on behalf of my Master. You can be my junior brother. What do you say?"

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Li Muzhan hesitated slightly. Being so senior at his young age seemed unsuitable. He glanced at Gao Jingxuan.

Gao Jingxuan smiled, "That would be best. Dao'er, quickly pay your respects to your senior brother!"

Li Muzhan had already taken several masters, so adding one more wasn't an issue, but suddenly becoming Hu Chu's junior brother felt a bit strange—it would make him Gao Jingxuan's junior brother as well. He understood why Hu Chu proposed this: since his current sword skills surpassed Hu Chu's, being under his tutelage might be awkward.

"It's settled then!" Hu Chu laughed heartily, "Junior Brother, your seniority relative to Senior Sister Gao remains unchanged; you can continue calling each other as before!"

"Dao'er, let's proceed this way," Gao Jingxuan said with a smile.

Li Muzhan slowly nodded, not dwelling on the formality. His primary goal was to examine the Sword Canon and find a way to exit and return to his original world for revenge.

Hu Chu said, "Let's go, Junior Brother He, come back to the sect with me!"

Gao Jingxuan said, "Senior Brother Hu, Dao'er will be returning here tonight. Don't delay his time; let Dao'er study the Sword Canon as soon as possible!"

"Alright, once you formally join the sect, you can start studying the Sword Canon!" Hu Chu nodded, a sly smile on his face, "Any disciple of our Sword Sect can study the Sword Canon, but the Canon is profound; any progress made depends entirely on the individual!"

Li Muzhan followed him back to the Sword Sect.

The Sword Sect was located in a mountain valley, fragrant with birds, trees, and flowers. The environment was far more beautiful than the Hidden Sect. The residences were built of white stone, solid and luxurious, reflecting their past glory.

Unfortunately, the valley now lacked vitality, with only about a dozen people present. However, they were all masters of the Dao of the Sword, their collective strength many times that of the Hidden Sect. (To be continued)