Li Muzhan smiled at Dong Wanyi, whose bright eyes fixed on him, unblinking, showing a lingering reluctance, her red lips trembling slightly. Li Muzhan chuckled, "I will be back soon." Dong Wanyi approached him, her faint fragrance drifting into his nose, and whispered, "Once you reach Tianyuan Pavilion, endure things with extra patience." Li Muzhan nodded, Dong Wanyi’s gaze never leaving his face.

Dong Yufei, watching from the side, shook his head inwardly; his little sister was truly infatuated, but now, he supposed, Li Muzhan was worthy of her. He Sen, face grim, let out a cold laugh.

Li Muzhan turned to spare him a glance and smiled, "Elder Wu, shall we go?" "Good, let's go," Elder Wu chuckled warmly. "Tianyuan Pavilion isn't far from here; coming back is easy.

No need for farewell sorrow!" Dong Wanyi kept her eyes locked on Li Muzhan, paying no heed to Elder Wu's words. Li Muzhan, He Sen, and Elder Wu exited the main hall, followed closely by the two blue-robed youths at the entrance, and together they departed the Dong Residence.

Walking the bustling streets of Dongyang City, amidst the throng of passersby, the five of them moved as if plowing through soil; everyone nearby instinctively gave way. They had released their Huqi Jin (Protective Energy), pushing back anyone who came within three feet, forcing them to retreat against their will.

Li Muzhan shook his head; this kind of display was quite unfamiliar, yet seeing the calm expressions of the surrounding people—not anger, but rather envy in their gazes—he followed suit, gently letting his Gang Qi (Aura) flow around his body, soft as the wind, yet effectively blocking intrusion. The five appeared to be strolling leisurely, but their speed was immense.

"Little He, do you wish to return to the manor for a look?" Elder Wu turned to ask He Sen. He Sen, face shadowed, shook his head.

"Let's go straight there, Elder Wu." "Heh heh, passing your own doorstep without entering—that's interesting," Elder Wu said, giving a thumbs-up and chuckling. He Sen managed a weak smile, then glanced sideways at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan pretended not to notice, warily observing their surroundings. The five soon traversed Dongyang City, heading directly north.

The populace quickly thinned out, allowing them to fully unleash their movement techniques to accelerate. He Sen’s speed was astonishing, gliding as if riding the wind, utterly free of strain, graceful and swift.

He intentionally kept pace alongside Li Muzhan, occasionally glancing sideways to provoke him. Li Muzhan kept pretending not to see, focusing only on his own path.

Li Muzhan also demonstrated no mean feat of movement; his steps were light, seemingly wind-borne, quite similar to He Sen's, also without any hint of exertion. Elder Wu watched, shaking his head inwardly; this Li Wuji was no pushover either.

He looked pliable, but underneath lay a definite steeliness—refusing to yield an inch. When these two are together, there will surely be fireworks… He Sen sped up further, while Li Muzhan kept pace unhurriedly.

Elder Wu, with his deeper cultivation, was not left behind, but it was hard on the two blue-robed youths following. Their cultivation was a step below He Sen’s; they managed at the start but found it increasingly taxing as they went on.

Eventually, they fell behind, and Elder Wu, with a sigh, had to slow down. He Sen, however, pretended not to notice and bolted ahead.

Li Muzhan slowed down, unwilling to compete directly, and walked beside Elder Wu. Elder Wu glanced at He Sen and shook his head.

He Sen shot forward half a li, then turned back to look; Li Muzhan was gone. He instantly boiled with rage—this was blatant disregard, an insult suggesting he wasn't even worth competing against!

His resentment deepened as he turned to see Li Muzhan and Elder Wu chatting and laughing. He grew more furious; having always had his way, how could he endure this?

He even resented Elder Wu, stamped his foot, sneered coldly, turned, and vanished into the distance, ignoring Li Muzhan and Elder Wu completely. Elder Wu sighed, shaking his head.

"That young He... too immature!" Li Muzhan smiled.

"He probably couldn't stand to lose face. Elder Wu, how much further?" Elder Wu chuckled.

"About a thousand li. We’ll make it tonight...

Young people, they care so much about appearances. I was just like that when I was young." Li Muzhan said, "Elder Wu also knows the Dong family and the He family aren't exactly on friendly terms.

It's understandable that Senior Brother He feels hostile toward me; it's no matter." "It's rare that you take it so lightly," Elder Wu praised, nodding. "Once you enter Tianyuan Pavilion, you are fellow disciples.

Even great enmities fade. The Pavilion rules strictly forbid internal fighting; you must mind your measures and not violate the regulations!" He knew well that hot-blooded youths, harboring grudges, wouldn't simply let them go.

Li Muzhan nodded, recognizing Elder Wu's kind reminder, and said with a smile, "If Senior Brother He wishes to spar, I will be careful." "It won't be immediate trouble," Elder Wu laughed. "I know that lad He; he has high aspirations.

After this trip, he’ll surely need to enter secluded practice." Li Muzhan replied, "One can only hope." They saw no sign of He Sen for the rest of the journey, nor did they much mind. They proceeded at a steady pace from morning until evening, finally reaching the base of a towering, majestic peak only after the moon was high in the sky.

The moonlight was like water, draping the peak in a hazy, mysterious white veil, as if infinite secrets awaited revelation within the mountain. "We're here!" Elder Wu pointed at the peak and smiled.

"This is our Tianyuan Pavilion!" Li Muzhan looked up, admiring it. "What a tall mountain!" "The tallest within a thousand li radius.

Are you tired? Shall we rest a bit before ascending?" Elder Wu asked.

Li Muzhan shook his head. Elder Wu smiled, "Very well, straight up the mountain then!" Li Muzhan noticed that the two blue-robed youths behind him, though far less skilled than himself, possessed incredible stamina.

They had maintained the maximum speed without stopping, indicating their cultivation methods were exquisite. He nodded internally; it seemed Tianyuan Pavilion was not just reputation.

He felt a flicker of anticipation—he wondered if he could inquire about paths to other realms once on the mountain. Only a narrow, winding path led to the summit.

The four formed a line: Elder Wu at the front, Li Muzhan next, and the two blue-robed youths bringing up the rear. They were all outer disciples of Tianyuan Pavilion, and both showed great respect for Li Muzhan, feeling he had settled a score for them by defeating He Sen.

Inner and outer disciples harbored mutual enmity. Inner disciples considered themselves superior and looked down upon the outer disciples, who in turn felt both envious and resentful, as they had to earn mastery through hard work and sweat, while the others seemed to receive it effortlessly—the disparity in treatment was vast.

The long-accumulated resentment could never truly be smoothed over; they merely kept their rivalry hidden from outsiders, competing fiercely in secret. Elder Wu smiled knowingly.

"Little Li, the road up the mountain won't be smooth; be careful." Li Muzhan paused, and Elder Wu raised his frost-tinged eyebrows, chuckling, "A show of force." Li Muzhan understood instantly and gave a wry smile. Elder Wu prompted, "Little Li, lead the way!" Knowing he was expected to forge the path, Li Muzhan stepped forward without a word, ascending the rugged trail.

He quickly covered a hundred meters. With a sharp "Chih!" sound, Li Muzhan twisted aside to evade a gust of sharp force.

Bang! A tree to Li Muzhan's right exploded.

Li Muzhan frowned; that small stone had been sharp and vicious. Had he failed to dodge, he truly might have lost his life.

This welcome gesture was excessively harsh. Elder Wu and the two blue-robed youths were far behind him.

Seeing him evade the attack, the three breathed a sigh of relief; it counted as a good start. Li Muzhan moved gracefully another hundred meters when two cold glints shot out from the woods beside the path, silent yet swift and ruthless, impossible to guard against.

Li Muzhan flicked his finger lightly. With two crisp Ding-ding sounds, the two assailants materialized, both blue-robed youths whose eyes shone with palpable intensity.

They lunged forward, attacking fiercely and silently, their sword lights flickering in and out, both vicious and bizarre. Li Muzhan broke into a smile; swordplay was his specialty.

Their swordsmanship relied on unorthodox angles and violated common sense, yet they could not deceive Li Muzhan, who managed to evade every strike.