Li Muzhan chuckled, "I didn't expect them to go to such elaborate lengths." If they had ambushed him from the start, he would have certainly noticed; being preoccupied with the others left him momentarily careless enough to be surrounded. He silently admonished himself; perhaps a long spell of ease had dulled his sense of peril.

In his prime, falling into such a predicament would have been unthinkable. They must possess some secret art capable of bypassing his intuition to complete the encirclement.

This world is rich in spiritual energy, making the union of man and nature easier to achieve. Someone like Bai Mingqiu, with her sharp instincts, wouldn't have been fooled without some extraordinary technique.

Bai Mingqiu said, "What hidden trump cards do you have? If you don't use them now, there won't be another chance." "Sister, I will hold them off in front; you must break out," Li Muzhan replied.

"You can't stop them," Bai Mingqiu shook her head. "It’s a waste of effort.

Let's just kill as many as we can for the profit." Li Muzhan laughed, "I have my methods." He turned his head and called out loudly, "Are all of you disciples of the Divine Fist Sect?" An elder responded in a deep voice, "Who are you?!" They knew the Tianyuan Pavilion intimately, possessing detailed intelligence on every disciple—age, preferences, martial arts level, techniques mastered, and so on. Yet, their gathered intelligence contained no mention of Li Muzhan, and more critically, the astonishing cultivation he displayed was utterly foreign.

The root of this large-scale deployment lay entirely with Li Muzhan. They presumed Li Muzhan was an elite secretly fostered by the Tianyuan Pavilion.

Bai Mingqiu was the most famous among the current generation of disciples there—a natural genius, who, despite being female, had grasped the fundamentals of the Twelve Swords of Tianyuan and was destined to uphold the Pavilion's legacy. But with the emergence of Li Muzhan, whose martial arts surpassed hers, it was as if he had sprung from a crack in the stone—appearing suddenly, suggesting he had intentionally concealed his presence beforehand.

They deduced that Li Muzhan was the true powerhouse of Tianyuan Pavilion, and Bai Mingqiu was merely the figurehead put forward to draw attention and shield him from hidden attacks. How could such an individual be allowed to mature?

Such terrifying cultivation at this young age, surpassing even the previous generation of disciples—his future achievements would be staggering. He needed to be extinguished immediately, or he would become insurmountable.

Thus, they orchestrated this encirclement, finally succeeding in trapping him... Li Muzhan let out a hearty laugh and declared, "I am Li Wuji!" "Li Wuji..." the frost-browed elder murmured, frowning deeply.

His complexion was fairer than the others, a reddish-white hue, and his distinctive frost-like eyebrows stood out sharply. His eyes flashed with the cold sharpness of lightning a few times before he gave a heavy snort, "Are you the personal disciple of Pavilion Master Long?" Li Muzhan smiled, "Indeed." "A fine Li Wuji you are.

You kept us well deceived!" the frost-browed elder sneered. "Very well, this spot shall be your burial ground.

Harbor no false hope!" Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled, "Such grand pronouncements, hah... hah..." His laughter grew joyous, escalating until it nearly matched the roar of thunder.

The ears of everyone present buzzed, and the blood essence within their bodies began to churn in sympathy. "Block your ears!" the frost-browed elder commanded sternly.

Li Muzhan was utilizing the cultivation method of the Twelve Stances of Tianyuan, which shared its origin with Bai Mingqiu's, and he controlled its output intentionally. Bai Mingqiu felt her blood surge, which was uncomfortable but did not impede the circulation of her internal energy.

The others, however, fared poorly. Their blood essence violently agitated, and their internal energies felt like runaway horses, surging wildly with the sound of his laughter.

They tried to regain control but found themselves utterly powerless. One by one, the disciples collapsed.

Some sat cross-legged, desperately circulating their energy and ignoring everything else; others fell unconscious immediately; still others struggled fiercely, their features contorted in agony. Li Muzhan signaled with his eyes, indicating she should leave first.

Bai Mingqiu shook her head stubbornly. With a sigh of helplessness, Li Muzhan moved, his sword light flashing intermittently.

Each flash claimed a life. He continued to laugh while drawing his blade.

The Divine Fist Sect disciples tried to resist but were too handicapped by their chaotic blood energy and uncontrolled inner strength; they could only watch helplessly as the sword pierced them. In the blink of an eye, twenty Divine Fist Sect disciples died beneath his blade, enraging the dozen or so middle-aged and older experts present.

"Ah..." Three elders struck out with their palms simultaneously. One elder roared, his voice capable of halting clouds in their passage.

Li Muzhan's high-pitched laughter shifted, becoming piercing and sharp, like needles aimed directly at everyone's hearts. Instantly, several more fell.

Bai Mingqiu’s expression flickered. The combined force of the three elders was overwhelmingly powerful; she could not withstand it and quickly pressed several vital points on her own body.

Li Muzhan seized the opportunity, stabbing several more to death. Ten middle-aged men roared in fury.

One suddenly swelled significantly, inflating like a rubber ball before rapidly shrinking into a shadow that shot toward Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan instinctively felt extreme danger and swiftly retreated over ten Zhang, but he failed to evade it completely.

With a dull thud, flesh and blood flew, the scene brutally tragic. A surge of unparalleled, violent force collided with Li Muzhan.

He drifted backward, describing an arc with his feet and his long sword, attempting to dissipate the momentum. However, this force was bizarrely potent, imbued with intense spiritual power.

This spiritual power was incredibly tenacious and difficult to expel. Li Muzhan could not fully neutralize it immediately and was violently injured by the impact.

"Pfft!" Li Muzhan spat out a jet of bloody mist, then instantly flashed to Bai Mingqiu’s side, sweeping her up by the waist and diving into the thicket of trees. "Chase them!" the remaining nine middle-aged men roared.

Li Muzhan shook his head with a bitter smile. His Void Eye clearly perceived their ferocious visages, their eyes bloodshot, each one looking as if they wished to devour him alive.

Bai Mingqiu's feet floated lightly, unable to break free from Li Muzhan's firm grasp. She slapped her chest twice with her jade palm, and her speed suddenly increased substantially.

As the resistance lessened, Li Muzhan's speed also accelerated. "These guys really don't value their lives!" Li Muzhan shook his head.

"You killed too ruthlessly," Bai Mingqiu frowned. Li Muzhan countered, "Either they die or we die.

If we don't kill them all, how can it end?... These people won't stop until they've finished us." "How many did you kill?" Bai Mingqiu asked.

Li Muzhan replied, "Thirty-six. It's a pity they reacted so quickly." "This is the largest loss the Divine Fist Sect has suffered in a century," Bai Mingqiu stated, shaking her head.

"Junior Brother, you cannot descend the mountain again!" Li Muzhan laughed, "We'll see!... How could they hide from our intuition?" Bai Mingqiu explained, "There was a talisman array." Li Muzhan frowned.

"Those things are truly bothersome." "Talisman arrays that obscure sensory perception are rare and usually not deployed," Bai Mingqiu noted. Li Muzhan shook his head.

"Is there a way to break it?" Bai Mingqiu pondered for a moment. "...There seems to be a unique mental technique that can nullify the array's concealment, but it is incredibly difficult to master.

Furthermore, since the technique has no other use, it isn't worth the grueling effort." Li Muzhan asked, "Do you understand this technique, Senior Sister?" Bai Mingqiu replied, "With the merit from this exploit, you can request it from Master... though Master never mastered it either.

Struggling to grasp it alone will drain you more. Instead of practicing that, it’s better to perfect your martial arts; strategy is worthless against absolute strength!" Li Muzhan smiled, saying no more.

The nine middle-aged pursuers continued their relentless pursuit. Li Muzhan suddenly said, "Senior Sister, you go ahead first.

I'm turning back!" Bai Mingqiu's bright eyes flashed with surprise. This junior brother was truly audacious and reckless, daring to contemplate such a thing!

Li Muzhan insisted, "It's a rare opportunity!" Bai Mingqiu pondered briefly, then nodded. Li Muzhan wasted no more time, leaping diagonally into the woods.

Bai Mingqiu shook her head, thinking she would never have such an idea—that was true spirit. Bai Mingqiu ran continuously for half an hour, staying deep within the dense forest, refusing to emerge lest her presence be detected.

The nine middle-aged pursuers were deeply skilled and fighting with desperate resolve. Bai Mingqiu felt them drawing nearer, yet she was helpless.

She had exerted her full potential, and the feeling of depletion grew stronger; she was close to utter collapse. An intense will sustained her—the desire to witness Li Muzhan reappear, to see if he succeeded.

If he truly managed to eliminate every one of them, who would dare provoke the Tianyuan Pavilion again?! Her body felt increasingly heavy, as if a mountain pressed upon her.

Every step required every ounce of her strength; she felt certain of collapsing on the next one. The passage of time felt unnaturally drawn out.

Suddenly, Li Muzhan's figure flashed before her eyes. A wave of relief washed over her, and darkness immediately surged forth, consuming everything...

She awoke faintly. The night was deep, studded with countless stars, a brilliant sky, and the air was exquisitely crisp and cool.

"Senior Sister is awake?" Li Muzhan asked with a wide smile, sitting by a crackling campfire, roasting meat. Bai Mingqiu sat up, the azure robe draped over her falling onto the grass.

She looked up at Li Muzhan, "What time is it?" "Heh heh, it’s the evening of the second day," Li Muzhan replied cheerfully. "The second evening?" Bai Mingqiu frowned.

"I slept for a day and a night?" Li Muzhan nodded. "Senior Sister, you were completely exhausted." "Did you shake them off?" Bai Mingqiu asked.

Li Muzhan chuckled, "Are you alright now, Senior Sister? That move you made—it will cost you years of life, won't it?" Bai Mingqiu asked irritably, "What about them?" Li Muzhan smiled.

"Killed them all." "Killed them all?" Bai Mingqiu furrowed her brow. "The ones chasing us?" Li Muzhan smiled, turning the roasting meat.

The sizzling sound filled the air with savory fragrance, and Bai Mingqiu's stomach immediately rumbled loudly. Bai Mingqiu ignored it, staring intently at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan sighed in resignation, "Earlier, with you leading those nine away, I took the chance to eliminate the rest. Then, I carried you and tangled with those nine, waiting until they were completely drained of strength before I killed them." Bai Mingqiu stared at him, examining him from head to toe.

Li Muzhan laughed. "Don't you believe me?" "I won't believe you'd lie to me," Bai Mingqiu shook her head.

"But how did you manage it?" Li Muzhan smiled subtly. "Senior Sister, I don't have many virtues, but my vital energy channels are exceptionally deep, and the cultivation method I practiced before allows for rapid energy recovery." Bai Mingqiu nodded slowly.

That finally made sense. To kill over forty experts from the Divine Fist Sect in one engagement, including more than a dozen top-tier masters, was astonishingly brilliant—enough to make his name known throughout the world.

Li Muzhan said, "Senior Sister, let's rest a while, then we’ll head back to collect Junior Sister Zhu." "Mm," Bai Mingqiu agreed, walking over to sit by the fire. She took the roasted muntjac Li Muzhan offered and slowly turned it, falling silent.

She was still reeling from the recent peril, her mind racing with possibilities. When they returned, she wondered how Master would react.

This incident had thoroughly and utterly provoked the Divine Fist Sect; it might lead to an outright war between the two sects. Her junior brother's initial success might well be transformed into a grave transgression.

Still, she doubted their Master would act that way, as it would surely chill the hearts of the disciples. This Junior Brother Li possessed profound cultivation and extraordinary intellect, but what was most critical was his overwhelming audacity—he could tear a hole in the heavens at any moment.

He courted trouble too fiercely, and their Master would certainly have a headache dealing with him!