In the early morning, at Tianyuan Pavilion, within Li Muzhan's small courtyard, Bai Mingqiu sat opposite him.

Bai Mingqiu, clad in snow-white robes that exuded a chilling, stunning aura, spoke in measured tones, her red lips delivering words like pearls one by one into Li Muzhan's ears. He listened with solemn concentration, utterly motionless.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Bai Mingqiu closed her crimson lips and quietly observed Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan finally broke the silence with a smile, "Senior Sister, is this the Taishang Yuqing Jing?"

"It must never be taught to another soul!" Bai Mingqiu nodded slowly.

Li Muzhan replied, "Yes."

Bai Mingqiu let out a soft breath. "Junior Brother, you now possess the entirety of Tianyuan Pavilion's true teachings. You previously only had an incomplete version of the Taishang Yuqing Jing. Study it thoroughly now; I feel men can cultivate this technique as well."

Li Muzhan chuckled, "I wouldn't dare practice it casually."

Bai Mingqiu waved a hand. "Take a look first... What's the Qinghe Sword Sect doing? Any movement?"

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. "We truly cannot guess their thoughts. For us, the best course is to wait and see... Have the Senior Brothers and Sisters all begun practicing?"

Bai Mingqiu nodded slightly. "Mmm, I passed the first two layers to them yesterday morning. From here on, it’s up to them. The first two layers aren't difficult; I expect they'll master them quickly."

Li Muzhan said, "With this, Master can finally rest easy."

Bai Mingqiu sighed, nodding. "Yes, you've relieved Master's worries... She’s been terribly anxious lately, not sleeping well. She worried that with our martial arts being too weak, Tianyuan Pavilion's reputation would decline, and we would be in great danger."

Li Muzhan smiled. "Master worries too much. Wealth and honor are decreed by Heaven, and life and death are predestined. Worrying achieves nothing."

"I tried to persuade Master of that, but it was useless," Bai Mingqiu shook her head.

Li Muzhan asked, "Is she feeling better now?"

"I think so, much better," Bai Mingqiu confirmed. "She also said that this counts as fulfilling her duty. Once they master the Fumo Palm, their cultivation will double, allowing them to enter the ranks of first-rate experts—enough to handle any crisis."

Li Muzhan smirked. Now they only mentioned the Fumo Palm, never the Huahun Palm, claiming the former as Tianyuan Pavilion's secret ultimate technique.

He nodded. "If they learn the Fumo Palm and proceed cautiously, self-preservation should be sufficient."

Their foundation was already strong. Tianyuan Pavilion favored an elite path; every disciple possessed exceptional comprehension and aptitude, nurtured by meticulous training. Their cultivation methods weren't lacking, giving them considerable ability, but they still lagged slightly behind the disciples of the Four Great Sects.

Now, having the first two layers of the Huahun Palm, their power essentially doubled, their cultivation soaring, allowing them to catch up immediately. Even if they couldn't dominate the world, they had enough strength to defend themselves.

Bai Mingqiu inquired, "Junior Brother, are you going into seclusion?"

Li Muzhan remained thoughtful. Bai Mingqiu prompted, "You should enter Tianyuan for seclusion first."

Li Muzhan stated, "The Qinghe Sword Sect won't give up."

"Master told you not to worry; she will stand guard," Bai Mingqiu replied.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "That will not do."

Bai Mingqiu pursed her lips and smiled. "Master is brimming with confidence now; she has already cultivated the first three layers."

Li Muzhan exclaimed in admiration, "Master is Master, her insight is unparalleled! She cultivated three layers so quickly?"

"Master isn't around!" Bai Mingqiu shot him a look. That comment smelled suspiciously like flattery. Hmph. "Master is currently pondering the fourth layer."

Li Muzhan murmured, "The Qinghe Sword Sect being this patient is worrisome."

"Didn't you say that we meet force with force, and water with earth?" Bai Mingqiu retorted.

Li Muzhan laughed, "That is true!" ... "Alright, I will enter Tianyuan to meditate for a while."

He sensed that the Huahun Palm contained infinite profound mysteries. It could not only be used externally but should also accelerate cultivation speed. This was merely an intuition, requiring meticulous study and a quiet environment.

"Go ahead," said Bai Mingqiu.

Li Muzhan suggested, "Senior Sister, come with me. I want to examine the Taishang Yuqing Jing at the same time."

"...Very well, that works," Bai Mingqiu agreed. "I also want to practice the Fumo Palm."

The two arrived at a cavern within Tianyuan. The surroundings were piercingly cold and utterly silent; it felt as if only the two of them existed in that space.

Both of them were fundamentally different people now. In such an environment, they were completely at ease, finding instead a deep serenity in their minds and exceptional clarity in their thoughts.

They sat on a jade couch, close enough that Li Muzhan could smell the faint, delicate fragrance emanating from Bai Mingqiu. The stone chamber transformed, feeling intimate and warm, devoid of any sense of tedium.

At times, they would dismount the couch to spar a few moves, then return to the couch to discuss their insights, or simply close their eyes and meditate motionlessly.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and two months vanished in a blink. Li Muzhan still felt unsettled and decided to emerge from seclusion.

Although he believed the Huahun Palm held further secrets capable of boosting his cultivation speed, he regrettably failed to find the specific gateway, remaining stuck at the threshold.

However, he had gained considerable insight into the Taishang Yuqing Jing. He felt his previous judgment had been flawed; this scripture truly was endlessly profound. At first glance, it appeared to be a cultivation manual for women, but upon closer inspection, he realized men could indeed practice it—they simply needed to reverse the path.

The first layer was Taiyin Qi Refining; the second, Yin Extremity, Yang Birth, culminating in the union of Yin and Yang. If Li Muzhan were to practice it, he would only need to transform the first layer into Jiuyang Qi Refining, and the second into Yang Extremity, Yin Birth.

He could easily skip past these first two layers. Although difficult, they couldn't stop him; having achieved mastery of the Huahong Jing long ago, he had long surpassed that realm.

The difficulty of the Taishang Yuqing Jing lay precisely here: the initial two layers were excessively arduous, the leaps between steps too vast, capable of inducing despair. Without a profound foundation, attempting to cultivate it directly would result in utter failure.

To struggle for decades, lingering only at the first layer—anyone would lose heart. Furthermore, the Taishang Yuqing Jing's starting point was too high. Mastering the first two layers was the prerequisite; without them, any further progress was moot, and its true power could not be unleashed. Bai Mingqiu had once mentioned the instruction regarding the Taishang Yuqing Jing: "No exit for thirty years." It suggested that mastery required three decades of seclusion, destined for late blooming greatness.

Achieving perfection in the Taishang Yuqing Jing was not easy either; it required reaching a state of self-forgetfulness, achieving transcendence and detachment from the mundane world—it transcended the level of mere martial arts manuals.

In the grand hall of Tianyuan Pavilion, Li Muzhan and Bai Mingqiu sat before Long Jingyue, observing her in silence.

Li Muzhan asked, "Master, still no movement from the Qinghe Sword Sect?"

Long Jingyue, clad in a dark blue silk robe, shook her head gently, scrutinizing Li Muzhan. "Wuji, your cultivation has grown again. Your seclusion was not in vain."

Li Muzhan smiled faintly. "It seems so... But what exactly are they plotting?"

Suffering a loss silently was absolutely not the style of the Qinghe Sword Sect; they were known for immediate and brutal retaliation—avenging slights before the night ended. This current silence was profoundly abnormal.

"I believe they are intimidated by you," Long Jingyue chuckled softly.

Li Muzhan demurred, "Master elevates me too highly."

Long Jingyue shook her head. "With the emergence of Li Canghai, the Qinghe Sword Sect must have reservations, daring not to act as recklessly as before."

Li Muzhan scoffed, "A dog cannot change its nature... They will never change; they must be plotting something! Have there been any internal incidents in their sect?"

Long Jingyue pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "It seems a few people have suffered Qi deviation."

Li Muzhan frowned.

"What is it?" Long Jingyue inquired.

Li Muzhan’s brow was deeply furrowed. "Master, over these past two months, which Senior Brothers and Sisters descended the mountain?"

"What is happening?" Long Jingyue’s expression darkened as she fixed her gaze on him.

Li Muzhan confessed, "Master, when I instructed Senior Sister to pass on the Fumo Palm to them, I actually made some subtle alterations." (To be continued)