Li Muzhan returned to the small courtyard, regulating his breathing and circulating his internal energy. By evening, Zhu Ling and Lin Shaobai arrived.
“Tee-hee, Junior Brother Li is injured too?” Zhu Ling, clad in a pink silk gown, her face like polished jade, laughed sweetly, blooming like a delicate flower in the twilight breeze.
Li Muzhan sat down on a stone chair in the courtyard and smiled, “Senior Brother Lin, Senior Sister Zhu, please sit.”
Zhu Ling sized him up from head to toe. “How bad is it?”
Li Muzhan offered a wry smile. “I've disappointed you, Senior Sister Zhu. Just a minor wound; I’ll be fine after a couple of days of recuperation.”
Zhu Ling chuckled. “So even you can get hurt!”
Lin Shaobai quickly pulled at her sleeve. “Senior Sister Zhu!”
Zhu Ling pursed her lips and smiled. “Consider it a lesson. No matter how powerful the martial art, there is always danger; one mustn't be careless!”
Lin Shaobai shook his head helplessly. “Junior Brother Li, don’t listen to Senior Sister Zhu.”
Zhu Ling turned and glared at Lin Shaobai, pouting. “Why not listen to me? Hmph, am I wrong?”
“Right, right,” Lin Shaobai nodded in resignation. “But Junior Brother Li is injured; you shouldn’t sound so gleeful about it!”
“So what if I’m gleeful!” Zhu Ling shot him a look. “It’s rare for this brat to get hurt; if I don't have a good laugh, what’s the point!”
Li Muzhan laughed. “Is Senior Sister praising me or putting me down!”
Zhu Ling giggled. “Junior Brother Li, did the Pavilion Master scold you this time?”
Seeing her excited demeanor, as if she eagerly awaited confirmation, Li Muzhan shook his head and chuckled, “Disappointed you again, Senior Sister. Master didn't say anything.”
“Hmph!” Zhu Ling pouted. “You are the Pavilion Master’s precious disciple now!”
Lin Shaobai said, “Junior Brother Li, are you really alright?”
Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled. “Just some internal trauma to the viscera. It’s nothing serious. Seeing how Senior Sister Zhu can mock and laugh so easily, I assume you must be mostly recovered, right?”
Lin Shaobai immediately nodded with delight. “Senior Sister Zhu’s injuries are almost healed, much faster than expected!”
“Nonsense!” Zhu Ling snorted. “Who do you think I am!”
Lin Shaobai muttered under his breath. “Isn’t it because of Junior Brother Li’s superb healing methods?”
Zhu Ling immediately glared at him, and Lin Shaobai dared not say more, turning away instead. “Junior Brother Li, does Master plan to retaliate for this incident?”
Li Muzhan nodded. “We certainly will retaliate.”
Lin Shaobai seethed. “The Divine Fist Sect truly deserves death!”
Zhu Ling retorted, “What good is just talking? With such low cultivation, you can't help at all!”
Lin Shaobai’s face instantly changed.
Li Muzhan quickly laughed. “Doesn’t that apply to you too, Senior Sister?”
Zhu Ling pouted. “I just had bad luck running into top-tier experts. Otherwise, hmph hmph!”
She knew she had gone too far, wounding the younger brother’s fragile pride. She huffed, “The people from the Divine Fist Sect are so shameless; picking on me when they are so much older!”
Li Muzhan smiled. “The Divine Fist Sect members who wander the martial world are often elite disciples. They cannot tolerate those whose cultivation isn't up to par leaving the sect. It's a good method, but it has its drawbacks!”
“What drawbacks?” Lin Shaobai asked, trying hard to soothe his depressed feelings.
He knew Senior Sister Zhu meant no harm, but his own martial prowess was indeed not top-tier, a fact no man could tolerate falling behind on.
Li Muzhan said, “This way, once they lose personnel, their vital strength is damaged. That’s why they were afraid to blockade our gate this time.”
“The Divine Fist Sect is powerful, with numerous disciples; we can’t compete,” Lin Shaobai shook his head. “If it really came to a fight, I fear we would lose.”
Li Muzhan nodded. “We would lose. So we can only rely on underhanded tactics.”
Zhu Ling said, “I heard Junior Brother Li, you have mastered the Tianji Jue and can use it to ambush them, is that true?”
Li Muzhan frowned. “How did Senior Sister Zhu know?”
Zhu Ling smiled slyly. “Don’t worry, the news hasn’t spread. I heard it from Senior Sister Bai, and I won't tell anyone else!”
Li Muzhan said, “It’s best if it doesn't get out. Otherwise, I won’t have a peaceful day!”
Anyone who mastered the Tianji Jue could seize the initiative in everything. Whichever faction harbored hostility toward the Tianyuan Pavilion would target him first. His purpose in this world was to return to his original one; with so many obstacles preventing peace, it was hard to settle down and read, to search for clues.
Zhu Ling said, “Senior Sister Bai said the Tianji Jue isn't that divine; you still got ambushed, didn't you? It seems the Divine Fist Sect has found a way to deal with you.”
Li Muzhan nodded slowly. “If they used ordinary people against me, I couldn’t guard against it constantly. I truly don't want to have a single moment of quiet in the future.”
What he feared most was the Divine Fist Sect using non-martial artists against him, or perhaps the honey trap. In short, there were countless ways to scheme against a person, and they were impossible to guard against completely.
Lin Shaobai quickly interjected, “Senior Sister, just say a little less!”
Zhu Ling cast him a sidelong glance, glaring, but she didn't retort. She knew her previous comment had wounded his pride, and she was still annoyed; it was best to let him have his way for a moment.
“Junior Brother Li, you rest well. We will handle any trivial matters,” Lin Shaobai offered.
Li Muzhan smiled. “Thank you, Senior Brother Lin. Senior Sister Zhu, you must take good care of your injuries. Don't be careless, and absolutely do not move prematurely, or it will be very troublesome.”
“Got it!” Zhu Ling waved her jade-like hand, pulling Lin Shaobai along. “Let’s go, Senior Sister Bai doesn't want us disturbing your cultivation!”
Li Muzhan shook his head with a smile, watching them leave, and returned to focusing on his practice. When it was time for a meal, Lin Shaobai scaled the wall to bring it over; it was truly comfortable, being waited on hand and foot.
He had been entirely focused on cultivating the Twelve Heavenly Abyss Swords. After mastering the Tianji Jue, he had gained a new, deeper understanding and perception of heaven and earth, leading to a profound breakthrough in comprehending the Twelve Heavenly Abyss Swords.
Ten days flew by. Late that night, he transformed into a mere shadow, not even saying much to his Master, Long Jingyue, before drifting away from the Tianyuan Pavilion.
The Tianyuan Pavilion was protected by a grand formation. When he left, Long Jingyue sensed it but did not stop him; with the Tianji Jue mastered, she felt even more reassured about Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan had learned more about the Divine Fist Sect during these days. The sect was a thousand li away from the Tianyuan Pavilion—not too near, nor too far, for martial sects. However, the Tianyuan Pavilion occupied a unique, spiritually rich location. The Divine Fist Sect had always coveted it, but the Pavilion was protected by talisman formations, along with Long Jingyue, a top-tier master, preventing the Divine Fist Sect from achieving its goals.
Li Muzhan was now determined to stir things up at the Divine Fist Sect. Being cornered at his own doorstep last time and getting injured had left him boiling with indignation.
Unfurling his lightness skill, Li Muzhan swept over the earth like a noiseless shadow. It was akin to the Daoist concept of 'shrinking the ground to an inch'—the movements seemed slight and composed, yet the speed was terrifying.
In half a night, he arrived before the mountain range where the Divine Fist Sect was located. Like Tianyuan Pavilion, the Divine Fist Sect occupied a high mountain, whose peak was shrouded in mist when viewed from afar, appearing unreachable.
The higher the peak, the more abundant the spiritual energy, especially at the summit, which gathered the essence of the entire range, accelerating cultivation progress significantly—sometimes even doubling it. Such mountain ranges were limited; if someone else occupied one, it was incredibly difficult to seize back. The Tianyuan Pavilion's location was superb, rumored to connect to deep, hidden realms, simultaneously soaring high, close to the sun, accumulating the purest solar yang energy, making it saturated with both yin and yang energies—a true cultivation sanctuary, which was why it was coveted.
Li Muzhan drifted into the forest. The spiritual energy here was dense; the trees were luxuriant, exceptionally thick, and the leaves and grass were incredibly lush. This forest lay beside a narrow, winding path—a mandatory route leading into the Divine Fist Sect’s mountain domain.
He silently pressed himself against a tree, not far from the path, then circulated the Tianji Jue, beginning his subtle perception. After about two hours, just as the dawn broke, the sound of several sets of horse hooves echoed.
The ground trembled faintly. Li Muzhan opened his Void Eye and saw three people galloping their horses, clearly in a great hurry. Their faces were covered in the dust of travel, suggesting they had ridden through the entire night. All three were young, but their cultivation was respectable, surpassing even Lin Shaobai and the others.
Li Muzhan sighed, shaking his head. Sectal conflict knew no distinction between good and evil, only friend and foe. These men might be good people, but tragically, they were the enemy. He felt a pang of sorrow; this was the martial world. While notions of righteousness and evil, good and bad, certainly existed, they took second place to the loyalty of the sect. Because they were enemies, if he didn't kill them, they would kill the disciples of Tianyuan Pavilion. If he showed mercy, he would be harming his own brethren—it was that simple.
He sighed again, remaining motionless. With a light flick of his little finger, three streams of sword energy silently drifted out, attaching themselves to three apricot leaves.
The apricot leaves drifted lazily upward, seemingly caught by a gentle breeze, floating toward the three horsemen. Their eyes were fixed forward, their expressions concentrated, completely unaware of the approaching leaves.
Shing! The three apricot leaves suddenly burst open, activating the sword energy within, instantly piercing their hearts. They didn't even have time to circulate their protective gangqi. Their chests exploded, and they tumbled lifelessly from their saddles.
Li Muzhan shook his head, drifting to where the three men lay. A flash of his sword cut across the ground, instantly creating a deep trench, as if the earth had been split open. He tossed the three bodies into the gap, then swung his sword again, causing dirt, sand, and leaves to fill the trench, restoring the ground to its original state, as if nothing had changed.
Li Muzhan recited a Buddhist sutra to send off their souls, then drifted back into the forest to wait for the next group. He was determined to kill ten disciples of the Divine Fist Sect.
Not many disciples traveled to and fro. Li Muzhan waited a full day until evening before accumulating the count of ten, killing them silently, without a trace known to man or ghost.
He drifted out of the forest and returned to the Tianyuan Pavilion. Possessing the Tianji Jue allowed him to disrupt the senses of others, which is why he could succeed so easily in his assassinations, killing ten disciples of the Divine Fist Sect unnoticed. Any cultivator who achieved a certain level possessed extremely acute senses; a sense of danger would trigger an intuitive warning, making ambushing them far more difficult.
He returned to the Tianyuan Pavilion without a sound. Only Long Jingyue knew of his departure and return. The next day, Long Jingyue issued an order: all disciples of the Tianyuan Pavilion were forbidden from leaving the sect grounds.
The disciples were initially confused. The Tianyuan Pavilion and the Divine Fist Sect had always been at odds, but they had never sealed the Pavilion before; why were they now cowering inside?
Three days later, they heard the news: ten disciples of the Divine Fist Sect had vanished, enraging the sect, which issued the Divine Fist Decree—anyone providing information could cultivate the Mountain-Shaking Divine Fist.
The Mountain-Shaking Divine Fist, as its name implied, possessed terrifying power, rumored to be capable of shaking a mountain with a single strike. A mortal body could not withstand it; mastering it promised invincibility and the ability to roam unimpeded, besides ensuring self-preservation against retaliation. This stirred the martial world into action, as the prestige of the Divine Fist Sect suggested they would honor their promise; mastering the Mountain-Shaking Divine Fist was enough to dominate the martial world, more than enough for defense, and certainly enough to deter revenge.