After a long pause, Zhong Qingbi shook her head, sighed, withdrew her gaze, and turned to him: "He is single-mindedly focused on restoring the prestige of the Sword Sect. Now that you are here, his wish is fulfilled, isn't it?" Though her cultivation was profound, she could not see through Li Muzhan’s depths.

He was clearly superior to her, and having such cultivation at his age was rare in this era, even surpassing Hu Chu. Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head: "What am I?

Senior Brother Hu harbors great ambition and trains diligently; I am far inferior. Does Elder Zhong recognize Senior Brother Hu?" "Mm, I suppose I know him," Zhong Qingbi nodded faintly.

"You have come to Mount Meng to practice?" Li Muzhan felt a flicker of disappointment, realizing she had no intention of saying more. He smiled: "I travel ten thousand miles to witness the world's various sword styles." "That is a good idea." Zhong Qingbi inclined her head slightly.

"Have you sparred with Meng'er?" Yao Jiameng said, "Master, I am far behind." "Then this old one shall test you personally," Zhong Qingbi announced. Li Muzhan smiled faintly: "Then this junior will be presumptuous." "It seems you came prepared?" Zhong Qingbi regarded him calmly.

Li Muzhan laughed: "I have long heard of the renown of the Jade Peak Sect. Your swordsmanship is truly unique.

To not witness the Jade Peak Sect's sword techniques would be a great regret!" "Very well!" Zhong Qingbi turned and stepped out. Yang Ruoruo glared fiercely at Li Muzhan.

She had initially assumed Li Muzhan had orchestrated her presence here, believing everything was his calculation while she played the fool! Li Muzhan offered an apologetic smile and remained silent.

The four walked out of the grand hall onto the open ground outside. Li Muzhan drew his sword, then slowly drew his fingers across the blade like a sword edge.

Instantly, the blade shone brilliantly. He smiled slightly: "Elder Zhong, please—!" "Eh?!" Zhong Qingbi’s expression shifted slightly.

"You have mastered the Sword Aura?" "By some small fortune, I have made slight progress," Li Muzhan replied with a smile. Zhong Qingbi shook her head and sighed, then pushed her sword halfway back into its scabbard, nodding again.

"Forget it, there's no need to compare. I cannot defeat you!" Li Muzhan's brow twitched slightly.

Zhong Qingbi continued, "Once the Sword Aura manifests, how could I be your match? I never expected you to have reached this level!" Li Muzhan said: "The Sword Aura merely enhances the sharpness of the sword slightly.

Elder Zhong exaggerates." Zhong Qingbi sighed: "Don't think I don't understand. Once the Sword Aura is cultivated, sword speed will surpass all limits, leaving no rivals.

I cannot win." Yang Ruoruo’s bright eyes widened as she glared fiercely at Li Muzhan. Yao Jiameng sighed: "I truly didn't expect..." Zhong Qingbi stated plainly: "Since you have mastered the Sword Aura, there is no need to challenge our swordsmanship.

Farewell!" With that, she turned and left. Li Muzhan wore a wry smile and shook his head.

Yao Jiameng cast a sidelong glance at Li Muzhan: "Young Master He, if you have already mastered the Sword Aura, why bother discussing swordsmanship? Were you just amusing us?" Li Muzhan offered a bitter smile: "Though I have mastered the Sword Aura, I am not invincible under heaven.

I only wish to pursue the profound essence of swordsmanship; I have no other intent." "Fine. What else did you come to Mount Meng for?" Yao Jiameng asked.

Li Muzhan smiled: "I wished to witness Mount Meng in the rain and comprehend the mysteries of nature." "Rain, huh..." Yao Jiameng looked toward the sky, frowned in thought for a moment, then nodded. "It is forecast to rain in the next couple of days; you can wait." "Thank you, Sect Master Yao," Li Muzhan said, cupping his hands.

He possessed the ability to perceive celestial phenomena, but it was unreliable in this world. Yao Jiameng was a local expert, familiar with the conditions here, and her predictions would be more accurate...

Mount Meng was shrouded in fine drizzle, as if a sheer veil covered the entire mountain. The mist seemed to have thickened, making it impossible to see below from the peak.

Li Muzhan stood upon a large boulder, his long sword planted beside him. He quietly watched the sky, sensing the power gathering above, yet there was no sign of thunderclouds coalescing.

His sensitivity to lightning was extreme, and a trace of elusive lightning energy still lingered within his body. Even the pure, substantial internal force cultivated by the Yuan Jian Jue had failed to completely expel it, testifying to its formidable nature.

Relying on this trace of lightning power made his perception even sharper; as soon as it gathered in the sky, he could feel it. Conversely, he was more easily 'cared for' by lightning, attracting it more readily.

He had always avoided being outside or in high places during thunderstorms, lest he be struck by lightning. He lacked confidence that he could manage the lightning strike every time.

"Rumble..." A deafening roar suddenly exploded, echoing ceaselessly through the heavens. Li Muzhan's spirit lifted, but simultaneously tightened—it had arrived!

"Rumble..." Thunder rolled, and in the blink of an eye, it was upon him. Li Muzhan circulated his true Qi, faster and faster, tinged with the residual lightning power.

"Crack!" The sky violently brightened, illuminating heaven and earth. Li Muzhan squinted momentarily and vanished from his original spot, reappearing a zhang away.

A tingling numbness and sharp pain flooded him simultaneously. Li Muzhan desperately circulated the Yuan Jian Jue to dispel the lightning, unknowingly absorbing its energy.

No matter how strong the internal force, it could not compare to lightning—like water against quicksilver. Facing imminent death, his spiritual power suddenly merged with his internal force.

The two fused, desperately driving the circulation to purge the lightning. In this life-or-death crisis, his exceptionally potent spiritual power combined with his internal force, undergoing a mysterious transformation, becoming extraordinarily pure, actually compelling the lightning energy itself.

"Crack!" Another bolt of lightning illuminated the world, followed by a continuous, rolling thunder—"Boom, boom, boom..."—unending, shaking the entirety of Mount Meng. Li Muzhan had already vanished from his spot; another bolt had struck moments before.

He reappeared at another location two zhang distant. Ignoring the cold sweat trickling down, he knew that if he had been slightly slower just now, he would have been reduced to ash.

The stronger the lightning power latent in his body, the more it attracted lightning. Bolts struck down upon him one after another.

He desperately urged the Yuan Jian Jue while employing instantaneous movement to narrowly evade, pushing his potential to its absolute limit. Thunder rolled, lightning flashed ceaselessly, and cracks appeared in the sky from time to time, splitting heaven and earth.

He was exhausted from running for his life, tempted several times to simply leave and abandon this risk. The danger to his life was palpable; in such a situation, the slightest misstep meant utter annihilation—it was too perilous.

Yet, a formidable will sustained him. Every time he felt the urge to retreat, he gritted his teeth and endured, experiencing mortal danger again and again.

In this extreme environment, his spirit grew continuously stronger, and his internal force refined relentlessly. He had no idea how long it lasted—it felt like a century of time—until finally, the lightning dissipated, and the rain cleared.

He remained motionless in place, transformed into a statue. The next morning, Yang Ruoruo arrived at Mount Meng to practice her sword as usual.

The air after the rain was exceptionally fresh. Dressed in flowing white robes, her steps were light, and her mood was exceptionally good; the frustration from being manipulated by Li Muzhan had dissipated.

She stopped short upon reaching the summit, staring fixedly at a pitch-black statue. She circled the entirely dark figure for a moment, frowning in contemplation.

She failed to recognize it as Li Muzhan; his original appearance was utterly unrecognizable. His hair was gone; he looked like a figure carved from black charcoal.

She paused, deciding not to disturb him rashly, sensing a faint spark of life within. Curiously, she sat down to the side and simply stared.

The sun rose in the east, casting myriad rays of crimson light onto Li Muzhan’s body, dyeing the black surface a shade of red-black. "Hoo..." A long, drawn-out roar echoed out.

Yang Ruoruo’s eyes widened, and then she clamped her hands over her ears, feeling the roar grow louder and louder, her blood surging as if she were about to be shaken unconscious.