Li Muzhan knew that although Long Jingyue appeared aloof, her heart was actually very soft; she had initially prevented him from intervening in that matter precisely because she feared he would act too ruthlessly.

Bai Mingqiu let out a soft scoff. "Ingrates! In my view, we should just kill them all!"

"But Master, how could you bear to? Senior Brother Cheng grew up under your very eyes," Li Muzhan reasoned.

"That makes it even more detestable!" Bai Mingqiu shot back. "Does such a person even possess a conscience?!"

Li Muzhan chuckled. "He was sensible by the age of seven or eight. His background must be quite significant, wouldn't you say?"

"He is the son of an Elder in the Qinghe Sword Sect," Bai Mingqiu replied.

Li Muzhan shook his head and sighed softly, "The Qinghe Sword Sect..."

"It sounds terrifying, doesn't it?" Bai Mingqiu asked.

Li Muzhan nodded. "Indeed. For an Elder of a sect to send his own son to infiltrate another—that kind of sacrifice is the most frightening thing imaginable!"

Bai Mingqiu sighed. "Are you regretting it now?"

"Regret what?" Li Muzhan laughed. "When they dare to barge onto our doorstep, we must fight, whether we want to or not. Knowing how formidable they are only makes the necessity of striking them down harder!"

"I feel fear!" Bai Mingqiu shook her head.

Li Muzhan declared, "Regardless of the situation, what speaks is always strength. Insufficient power renders even the grandest ambition useless. Since we have mastered the Demon-Subduing Palm, they are nothing to fear!"

"Let's hope so..." Bai Mingqiu frowned. She consistently maintained a facade of strength and cold pride, never showing weakness, yet with Li Muzhan, these words sometimes slipped out.

Li Muzhan smiled. "Senior Sister, I shall probe their true strength first!"

"You looked quite wretched the last time!" Bai Mingqiu shook her head, refusing to let him risk danger.

Li Muzhan countered, "This time is different from that time. Now that I have the Demon-Subduing Palm, I am eager to test it out. I will head to Dongyang City first!"

"Perhaps you should consult with Master first!" Bai Mingqiu suggested.

"Are the other Senior Brothers and Sisters still confined inside?" Li Muzhan inquired.

"Who would dare go out at a time like this?" Bai Mingqiu shook her head.

Li Muzhan insisted, "We cannot remain constantly cooped up, passively waiting to be beaten. I will deliver a heavy blow to them so they learn some restraint."

Bai Mingqiu still shook her head. "They are likely waiting for you to deliver yourself to them on a platter. Best to save your energy!"

"Senior Sister underestimates me too much!" Li Muzhan teased.

Bai Mingqiu stated firmly, "Master will never agree."

Li Muzhan argued, "This drawn-out stalemate is no solution. If this continues, our Tianyuan Pavilion will truly become a laughingstock!"

"Forget it," Bai Mingqiu murmured after a moment of contemplation, letting out a helpless sigh.

This year had truly been unlucky; first the Divine Fist Sect, and now the Qinghe Sword Sect—it felt endless, and these were conflicts Tianyuan Pavilion could ill afford.

The Divine Fist Sect sealing its doors had already cost Tianyuan Pavilion considerable prestige. Without its deterrence, another disturbance by the Qinghe Sword Sect would surely cause the very signboard of Tianyuan Pavilion to collapse.

Li Muzhan went directly to find Long Jingyue.

Long Jingyue was not in the main hall but sat alone in her small courtyard, completely still, her expression composed, like a statue.

When Li Muzhan entered, she did not turn her head or acknowledge him.

Sighing, Li Muzhan settled onto a stone stool opposite Long Jingyue and watched her quietly.

Long Jingyue glared at him. "What do you want?!"

Li Muzhan stated, "Master, I wish to leave the mountain for a while."

"Leave the mountain now, for what purpose!" Long Jingyue responded sharply.

Li Muzhan smiled lightly. "It seems Master has not been adequately shaken by events."

"I am heartbroken!" Long Jingyue huffed. "Where are you going?"

Li Muzhan replied, "I want to travel to Dongyang City to confront the people from the Qinghe Sword Sect!"

"Are you provoking them again?" Long Jingyue frowned. "Forget it!"

"Does Master truly think they will simply let this go?" Li Muzhan asked.

Long Jingyue paused, then shook her head. The Qinghe Sword Sect, having suffered such a humiliating loss, would never let it pass; they were certain to seek retribution.

Li Muzhan pressed, "Instead of waiting for them to strike, why don't we take the initiative and strike first?"

"What do you intend to do?" Long Jingyue asked, her brow furrowed.

Li Muzhan proposed, "Master, let us join forces and eliminate the contingent in Dongyang City first!"

"That won't be very effective," Long Jingyue dismissed. "It won't touch their foundation."

Li Muzhan laughed. "We can take them piecemeal. First, force them to seek us out, and then we can deal with them properly—take down one group after another. It's far better than waiting for them to resort to insidious tricks!"

"Hmm, that does hold some merit," Long Jingyue conceded with a slight nod. The crucial factor was her deep-seated confidence in Li Muzhan. The Soul Transformation Palm was indeed a miraculous art, possessing immense power; Wuji would have ample means of self-preservation with it.

Li Muzhan beamed. "Master, actually, for such a minor affair, you don't need to act personally. I can handle it alone!"

"You?" Long Jingyue tilted her head to regard him. "Very well, go ahead. But remember to be cautious. Don't start thinking you're invincible. Furthermore, the Qinghe Sword Sect isn't that simple; beware of ambushes!"

"Rest assured, Master!" Li Muzhan was overcome with joy. He hadn't expected her to be so amenable, agreeing so readily. He feared Long Jingyue might have been persuaded by Bai Mingqiu and changed her mind. Without returning to his own courtyard, he immediately descended the mountain and soon arrived in Dongyang City.

Inside Dongyang City, at the residence of the Mu family, Li Muzhan walked straight in and proceeded to cripple the martial arts of all thirty-odd individuals inside: twenty masters from the Mu family and twelve experts from the Qinghe Sword Sect. He was not the man he used to be; with the same cultivation base, he could now unleash several times the power. The twelve experts from the Qinghe Sword Sect were all peak masters—in the past, handling them would have been strenuous, and even if he won, dealing with twelve simultaneously would have been impossible. Now, he dispatched them with effortless ease after disabling their skills. He departed swiftly after crippling them but lingered in Dongyang City. Three days later, another batch of twelve Qinghe Sword Sect masters entered the city. Li Muzhan reappeared instantly and crippled these twelve experts as well.

Subsequently, another twelve masters arrived, and they too were disabled by Li Muzhan.

These three groups were superior to the last in succession. Li Muzhan mused to himself that every single one of them was a complete superior to the Tianyuan Pavilion disciples; the true strength of the Qinghe Sword Sect was indeed terrifying. By crippling nearly forty top-tier experts from the Qinghe Sword Sect in one go, he stirred up a massive commotion. The fourth group Li Muzhan waited for consisted of only six masters.

Li Muzhan was situated in an inn in Dongyang City, observing the Mu residence through his Eye of the Void. As soon as he spotted movement, he materialized inside the Mu residence hall. The six figures stood within the main hall, and upon seeing Li Muzhan materialize silently, their expressions remained composed, regarding him with faint, knowing smiles.

These six were all middle-aged: four men and two women. Their auras were tightly concealed, their entire beings revealing not a trace of vital energy, as if they were completely unskilled in martial arts.

Li Muzhan felt a chill deep within. The auras of these six were elusive and unpredictable, sometimes weak, sometimes strong—very strange. They must cultivate some peculiar techniques or esoteric arts.

"You are Li Wuji?" one burly middle-aged man scrutinized him and asked in a deep voice, "Li Wuji of Tianyuan Pavilion?"

Li Muzhan nodded slowly. "And who might you esteemed sirs be?"

"Secret Inheritors of the Qinghe Sword Sect," the burly man scoffed proudly. "We heard you are also a Secret Inheritor?"

Li Muzhan's brow twitched. "All of you are?"

"Our Qinghe Sword Sect is not like your Tianyuan Pavilion!" the burly man sneered. "We have over a hundred Secret Inheritors!"

Li Muzhan let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "A boast, surely. The Qinghe Sword Sect only has ten Secret Inheritors. Why don't you bring them all out?"

"It’s not necessary to mobilize such a force just to deal with you!" The burly man's face darkened, cursing inwardly. The count of ten Secret Inheritors was a secret of the Qinghe Sword Sect; how could this Li Wuji know it?!

He turned away and sneered, "Move out!" Before Li Muzhan could speak again, the six figures suddenly blurred into six streaks of wind, sweeping toward him. Li Muzhan vanished from his spot in a flash, reappearing outside the main hall. He looked down at his arm; there were two clean cuts across the sleeves, and he inwardly gasped in relief. Had it not been for his subconscious reaction, his arm would have been severed.