The four returned to the Fist Sect Hall, seeing the devastating mess, and rage surged within them again, almost uncontrollably. This was their duty, and this was their home. Seeing it in such a state, how could they face the Sect Master? How could they face all the disciples of the entire sect? These four were the last remaining elders, once respected, but now, after all this, they had utterly lost face. How could they possibly remain in the sect?
“Second Senior Brother, you couldn’t trace who did this?!” the round-faced elder asked, unwilling to accept it.
The scarred elder’s face was ashen, the scars on it seeming to come alive as he gritted his teeth grimly, “If this person is not found and ground to dust, I swear I will not be human!”
“Can you really find him?!” the round-faced elder frowned, shaking his head. “This fellow is incredibly cunning, leaving not a single trace!”
The scarred elder sneered, “There is nothing flawless in this world; every step leaves a mark!”
“Second Senior Brother, tell us if there’s any way!” another elder ground his teeth, speaking hatefully, “This truly infuriates me!”
“There is only one way,” the scarred elder said. “You all must lend me a hand!”
“Second Senior Brother, you mean to use the Heaven-Plundering Art?” The faces of the other three elders changed drastically.
The round-faced elder hastily said, “Second Senior Brother, you mustn’t!”
The scarred elder sneered, “At a time like this, what other options do we have?”
“We can investigate, search thoroughly, and we’ll surely find some clue!” The round-faced elder looked at the other two. “Right?”
“Yes, yes,” the other two nodded repeatedly.
The round-faced elder said, “That Heaven-Plundering Art is too sinister; it’s best not to use it.”
“Hmph, this bastard dared to touch our secret manuals. If we don’t catch him and torture him for ten or eight years, how can we quench the anger in our hearts!” the scarred elder sneered. “Don’t you want to tear him apart?”
“We also want to catch him and torture him severely, but using the Heaven-Plundering Art is not a wise move. Second Senior Brother should be cautious,” another elder said solemnly.
“Do you have any other way?!” the scarred elder asked irritably.
“Sigh…” The other three elders shook their heads and sighed.
They surveyed the surroundings. The round-faced elder walked to the center. Suddenly, he bent down and picked up a small shard of debris; beneath it lay a tiny pile of white powder.
He beckoned, “Second Senior Brother, come and look at this. What is it?”
“Could it be a talisman array?” someone observed after a few glances.
The scarred elder snorted, “It’s the talisman array that trapped us. What’s so surprising about that!”
“Second Senior Brother, with your skills, can’t you track the person through this?!” the round-faced elder asked.
The scarred elder stepped forward, dipped his index finger in the powder, and licked it. He frowned, nodded, and spat, “Pah! … Damn it, it’s Jade Talisman residue!”
He spat a few times. Then, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes in meditation, perfectly still. The other three elders dared not disturb him, staring at his scarred face.
After the time it takes to steep a small pot of tea, the scarred elder emerged from his trance, his face gloomy, and he shook his head.
“What is it, Second Senior Brother? Can’t you do it?” the round-faced elder asked.
“I can’t find anything!” the scarred elder said hatefully. “I don’t know what devilish method he used; it’s as if this person never existed!”
“How can that be?!” the round-faced elder frowned in confusion. “How could Second Senior Brother’s Heaven-Peering Art fail to find this person! … Could he be dead?”
“Very possible!” the two elders beside him nodded.
The scarred elder cursed irritably, “Possible my foot!”
He glared at the two elders, hating every word. “If he were dead, where are the secret manuals? Can a dead man steal secret manuals?!”
“Perhaps he was poisoned to death by the poison in the box?” the round-faced elder chuckled.
“That’s right!” The other two elders nodded vigorously.
The scarred elder frowned, thought for a moment, and shook his head. “I need to use the Heaven-Plundering Art to check!”
“Second Senior Brother, please, absolutely do not use the Heaven-Plundering Art. How many more years do we have left to live?” the round-faced elder asked with a bitter smile. “I estimate this person is dead!”
“Even if he’s dead, we must find the corpse!” the scarred elder snorted coldly. “To live is to see the person, and to die is to see the body. We can’t let this end vaguely—where would we put our faces?!”
“Can he withstand that poison?” The round-faced elder smiled and shook his head. “Heh heh, our secret manuals aren’t that easy to obtain!”
“Exactly, exactly. He is surely dead now, so there’s nothing to worry about,” another elder nodded and smiled.
The scarred elder frowned and glared at them. “Cowards, afraid of death!”
The round-faced elder said, “Second Senior Brother. We are all old now; there’s no need to get worked up over someone, is there? Just drop it! Anyway, you’ve memorized the manuals; we can just write a new copy!”
“Haven’t I told you already!” the scarred elder frowned. “If I rewrite it, it won’t be as good as the original. Damn it, I must find this person!”
“Can we recover the secret manuals?” the round-faced elder asked.
The scarred elder shook his head. “He has already destroyed the manuals!”
“Why would he destroy the manuals for no reason?” The round-faced elder curled his lip. “He probably suffered from the poison taking effect and destroyed the manuals out of spite. The person is dead too. Do you think it’s smart for us to use the Heaven-Plundering Art to chase after a dead man, Second Senior Brother?!”
“He won’t die that easily if he wants to!” the scarred elder coldly laughed. “I must find him, cure him of the poison, and then torture him properly!”
“In that case…” the round-faced elder said, “What if he’s already dead?”
“Someone who could steal the secret manuals without a sound must have a profound cultivation level; he won’t die instantly!” the scarred elder said coldly. “Are you in or out!?”
His gaze was piercing, like actual sword light, chilling the three elders. They reluctantly nodded slowly. The Heaven-Plundering Art was no ordinary secret technique; it consumed lifespan…
Li Muchen floated away from the Divine Fist Sect, heading toward the Abyss Pavilion. Along the way, he studied the stolen secret manuals and first practiced the Water-Fire Divine Fist. He had an excellent grasp of this specific cultivation method; the mental technique for the Water-Fire Divine Fist was exquisite and perfectly synchronized with the fist technique, boosting its power tremendously.
The first layer was Water, the second layer was Fire. The third layer was the meeting of Water and Fire—Fire in the left fist, Water in the right—one fist Yin, one Yang, one Water, one Fire. If both fists struck a person simultaneously, two completely different streams of Zhenqi would penetrate, causing a violent conflict—hardly a joke!
The fourth layer was Water and Fire Entwining: both Zhenqi coexisted, one punch delivering both Water and Fire Zhenqi, forming a drill-like spiral.
The fifth layer was Water Enveloping Fire: Water Zhenqi wrapped around Fire Zhenqi, like a bomb. The sixth layer was Fire Enveloping Water, similar to the fifth. The seventh layer was Water-Fire Mutual Transformation: the two streams of Zhenqi could convert into each other, the change occurring in a single thought. The eighth layer was Transformation to the Void: the Water and Fire Zhenqi completely merged, forming a peculiar Zhenqi whose might was astonishing and unstoppable.
The ninth layer was Grand Completion. Achieving this state meant fully mastering all previous layers—invincible under heaven.
Li Muchen attempted to cultivate and quickly reached the seventh layer, where Water and Fire could transform into each other. His internal power was extremely pure, and the mental technique of the Water-Fire Divine Fist possessed superior merits; his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
By the time he reached the outskirts of the Abyss Pavilion, people from the Divine Fist Sect were still there. He used the Water-Fire Divine Fist to cripple the Dantians of fifteen individuals in the outer perimeter, ruining their martial arts.
The Water-Fire Divine Fist was not something an average person could master; this person’s skill level was extremely deep, suggesting the work of a Sect Elder. While terrified, they became even more enraged.
The Divine Fist Sect members were deeply worried. The leak of the Water-Fire Divine Fist manual concerned the very foundation of the sect; it was far from a minor matter. In fact, surrounding the Abyss Pavilion was secondary now.
No matter how long they surrounded it, they couldn't break in; it only served to vent their anger and damage their prestige—a self-defeating endeavor.
However, being forced to retreat in such a state would severely damage morale, so they remained hesitant. Li Muchen pressed his advantage, incapacitating ten more people.
Li Muchen utilized the Heavenly Secret Art, the Eye of the Void, and Instantaneous Movement, truly moving without trace or hindrance, utterly free. No one could stop him.
All the boxing techniques of the Divine Fist Sect members were derived from the manuals he had stolen. As for these techniques, even those he hadn’t practiced, he had studied them, clearly seeing their flaws; he often succeeded in two or three moves.
The Water-Fire Divine Fist was indeed powerful and did not conflict with the Twelve Stances of the Abyss; on the contrary, it subtly complemented them, further increasing his cultivation.
Unknowingly, he had disabled over twenty people, significantly reducing the original group of over a hundred. They began to lose their nerve and tightened their circle, no longer able to block the Abyss Pavilion from all directions as before.
One clear morning, with the sun shining brightly, Li Muchen was in good spirits and set out again, crippling five more Divine Fist Sect disciples, wondering if they could hold out until the end.
Suddenly, his expression changed slightly. He turned and left, flashing out of his spot, then sped away into the distance, vanishing into the woods like a gust of wind.
A quarter of an hour later, the four elders appeared, their faces grim.
“Second Senior Brother?” the round-faced elder inquired.
The scarred elder’s face was gloomy as he said coldly, “He got away! Chase!”
The four transformed into a shadow that swept through the forest, disappearing into it. A hundred li away, Li Muchen frowned. He had constantly felt a shadow on his mind, someone trailing him like an attached shadow.
He considered his options, fled forward again, traveled another hundred li, then stopped, waiting for them to catch up. The cultivation of the four elders was profound, and their movement skills were extremely strong; they soon arrived.
Li Muchen kept the Heavenly Secret Art running, sensing their distance. When they were about ten li away, he activated the Instantaneous Movement secret technique, tearing through the void, and in the blink of an eye, he returned to the Abyss Pavilion.
This maneuver consumed a massive amount of his internal power, leaving him nearly depleted. Fortunately, having returned to the Abyss Pavilion, the Void Spirit Art continuously drew in spiritual energy to replenish his internal power.
In a short time, he recovered completely and went to the main hall to see Long Jingyue.
Long Jingyue and Bai Mingqiu were sitting in the hall, discussing how to break the blockade. Seeing Li Muchen appear, both showed joyful expressions.
“Wuji, was it you who crippled those people outside?” Long Jingyue asked.
Both she and Bai Mingqiu wore purple robes, appearing coldly stunning. Her eyes fixed keenly on Li Muchen.
Li Muchen nodded. Long Jingyue smiled, “Well done, but how did you manage it?”
“With the Heavenly Secret Art, I could strike where they were weakest,” Li Muchen replied.
Long Jingyue shook her head. “It’s not that easy; the Divine Fist Sect isn’t a pushover!”
Li Muchen said, “Master, do we have any secret methods to stimulate latent potential?”
“What are you planning to do?” Long Jingyue frowned.
Li Muchen smiled slightly, “I provoked the four old guys from the Divine Fist Sect.”
“Them?!” Long Jingyue’s delicate brows furrowed even tighter. “They are the cornerstone of the Divine Fist Sect. How did you run into them?!”
Li Muchen smiled slyly, “I paid a visit to the Fist Sect Hall of the Divine Fist Sect.”
“You have quite the nerve!” Long Jingyue sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head. “You’re looking to die!”
Li Muchen chuckled, “Am I not perfectly fine?”
“You’ve stirred up serious trouble!” Long Jingyue frowned, pondering deeply. “The only solution now is to hide within the Abyss!”