The four burst from the woods, covering a hundred miles in a flash. Li Muzhan halted, his sword light crashing down upon the trio like an angry tidal wave against the sky. "Ha!" The three exhaled in unison, their fists surging forward, their shadows solidifying as if they were tangible weapons striking the sword light.

Amidst a chorus of "Ding, ding, ding, ding," the sword light intensified, engulfing them all. The Flowing Water Sword Intent grew deeper and more inscrutable, its surging currents unpredictable, its transformations endless. The light shifted from a raging torrent to a snow-capped mountain, from a gentle spring breeze to the fine drizzle of autumn rain.

Though the trio possessed formidable cultivation, they were operating at their limit due to forced power output, unable to maintain true control. Li Muzhan’s sword momentum forced them into a chaotic scramble, leaving them utterly battered. Yet, their tenacity was absolute.

Under Li Muzhan’s relentless pressure, they teetered on the brink of collapse but always managed to hold on. Killing them would not be easy for Li Muzhan. Thus, the fight dragged on.

Li Muzhan chose not to press rashly for a killing blow, having already expended significant energy chasing them here. He surmised their secret technique couldn't be sustained for long. The three understood this keenly.

After more than a hundred exchanges, they roared fiercely, their moves abruptly shifting. Disregarding Li Muzhan’s continuous sword curtain, they opted for a mutually destructive tactic. Li Muzhan frowned.

When a person sheds all fear of death and fights desperately, their strength increases by a fraction, and facing three such determined foes—even if one fell—the counterattack from the remaining two would be troublesome enough. He shook his head; it seemed a decisive move was necessary. The sword light suddenly transformed, accompanied by a sharp dragon’s roar, and one middle-aged man collapsed.

With two more dragon cries, the remaining two middle-aged men fell. Their boxing skills were exquisite, but they could not withstand Li Muzhan’s sword Gang. Li Muzhan realized that the Sword Canon he practiced was exceptionally potent in this world, the internal energy cultivated within it exceptionally pure.

His Gang Qi was exquisitely refined, piercing the Gang Qi of others like an awl through cloth. He glanced at the three figures on the ground, sighed softly, and drifted away. Traveling swiftly, like a mere shadow, in just two days he arrived at the base of the Divine Fist Sect’s mountain.

Startled, he stopped short, retreating instead of advancing upward. He possessed the Heavenly Secret Art, sensing a profound, chilling killing intent. It seemed the Divine Fist Sect was no soft target; they were already prepared.

Indeed, there were masters here. He pondered the situation. To knowingly walk into a tiger’s den—unless the Divine Fist Sect was struck hard enough, they wouldn't withdraw from the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion.

Logically, they couldn't gain the upper hand now. The Heavenly Abyss Pavilion disciples were hunkered down inside, protected by talisman arrays, making a direct breach impossible. They were helpless against them.

However, this situation severely damaged the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion’s prestige. Being blockaded at the entrance—what would outsiders think? The reverence they commanded would vanish entirely.

The current predicament had cornered the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion. The Divine Fist Sect was intentionally using overwhelming force, coercing the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion into a fight to the death, a direct confrontation. But the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion was weaker and could not match the Divine Fist Sect in open combat.

While Long Jingyue was a top expert, the Divine Fist Sect also harbored top masters. Even if they couldn't defeat her individually, two, three, or even four could keep her occupied, leaving the rest of the disciples as mere prey. Li Muzhan knew the heavy responsibility resting on his shoulders: he needed to break the Divine Fist Sect’s blockade.

Yet, achieving this required inflicting serious pain upon them so they lost the will to continue harassing the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion. He considered his options and decided on a strategy of surrounding Wei to rescue Zhao—he would strike at the Divine Fist Sect’s base. He approached soundlessly, stopping in a stretch of woods at the foot of the mountain to lie in wait for disciples venturing down.

As evening approached with the sun setting, he intercepted two men. He immediately crippled their martial arts but spared their lives. The last time he killed, it was retribution for the Divine Fist Sect slaying Heavenly Abyss disciples, seeking tenfold revenge.

This time was different; crippling them was enough. They could no longer pose a threat to the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion disciples. After disabling them, he bound the two men.

All of this was executed in absolute silence; they were tied to trees before they even registered what had happened. After an entire night, he disabled another middle-aged man. Two youths and one middle-aged man—all possessed considerable martial arts.

Any Divine Fist Sect disciple allowed off the mountain needed genuine skill; those lacking cultivation were simply not permitted to descend. Li Muzhan waited patiently. The next morning, he captured two more Divine Fist Sect disciples, this time two middle-aged men, both skilled fighters.

Li Muzhan even deployed his Void-Piercing Sword Intent, a devastating, ultimate technique he usually kept hidden. Its power was astonishing, nearly impossible to block. A supreme master might resist it through sheer intuition, but Li Muzhan, having cultivated the Heavenly Secret Art, not only possessed extraordinary perception but also rendered himself undetectable.

This explained his continued success, achieving his goals effortlessly. Over three days, he crippled twelve men. Not many Divine Fist Sect disciples had ventured out, or perhaps most had been moved to the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion.

Using his Mind-Linking Skill, he gleaned information from their minds about the Divine Fist Sect’s situation. The main sect had some disciples, but most were relatively low in cultivation, guarded by fifty high-level experts. Ascending would be difficult.

However, these experts had now lost ten, all crippled by Li Muzhan. The remaining forty would certainly not leave the main sect again. Forty experts.

Li Muzhan’s expression shifted to one of excitement. He found a disciple of similar build, donned a Divine Fist Sect’s dark green robe, buried his sword somewhere safe, and floated toward the mountain empty-handed. As he walked, he meticulously altered his face, transforming into one of their own.

He was skilled in the art of disguise, and coupled with the Mind-Linking Skill, impersonating someone temporarily was not difficult, though maintaining the facade long-term would be challenging and prone to exposure. He floated up the mountain. At the checkpoint, the guards roared a challenge.

Li Muzhan recited the secret passphrase, and the way was cleared without hindrance. He reached the Divine Fist Sect’s main compound swiftly. The layout was drastically different from the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion.

Half the mountainside had been carved away, leaving one side a flat semicircle and the other a sheer cliff face. A complex of connected buildings nestled on the level ground, sheltered from the biting north wind by the northern cliff. Upon entering, Li Muzhan saw a central clearing surrounded by buildings where two dozen young men and women were practicing, each focused and earnest.

Four elders stood within the training area, their hair and beards snow-white, their voices resonant as they frequently guided the students. Their cultivation levels were clearly profound. Li Muzhan nodded inwardly.

No wonder the Divine Fist Sect had grown powerful over the years; there was a reason for it. Observing the vigor with which these disciples trained provided a clear indication. Each one radiated an intense yearning for ascent, driven by some invisible force, surpassing the diligence of the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion disciples.

Li Muzhan vaguely guessed that this disparity stemmed from differences in sect rules. The Divine Fist Sect likely incentivized its disciples far more strongly—either through severe punishments or generous rewards, or both—to achieve such dedication. However, such a system was a double-edged sword.

While it could ignite their potential, it also subtly capped their reserves. Their long-term stamina might be limited. He shook his head.

The Heavenly Abyss Pavilion was unfortunate: too few inner disciples, overly stringent requirements for all disciples, and the internal/external distinction was a major flaw. He offered a wry smile. To truly strengthen the Heavenly Abyss Pavilion, the root issue lay in the sect rules, which required fundamental change.

But this was no easy task; defying ancestral precedent was disrespectful and likely to provoke backlash. Most people dared not attempt it. It seemed his Senior Sister had a long road ahead.

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