He gasped in astonishment; what speed. This time, they were serious; these six were more terrifying than anyone before, their vital energy restrained, their cultivation profound.
No wonder the Qinghe Sword Sect was arrogant; they truly had the strength to back it up.
The six floated out to pursue. Li Muzhan drew his sword to meet them, and instantly, a bloom of silver flowers enveloped him as he charged toward the burly middle-aged man leading the group.
The burly middle-aged man also drew his sword, resulting in a cacophony of "clangs," as the other five drew theirs and attacked, the sound of clashing steel becoming even more dense.
The silver flowers enveloping Li Muzhan grew more distinct, almost material. He swung his sword faster and faster, transforming as if into a Thousand-Armed Guanyin, calmly assessing the six men.
The six attacked ferociously, giving it their all, astonishment rising within them. They had never encountered such swift swordsmanship; one man facing six was actually gaining the upper hand.
A potent force vibrated through their blades, numbing their sword-gripping hands. He was just a young man; even with the infusion of cultivation, how could his body withstand it?
It could only be attributed to extraordinary innate talent. Cultivation infusion has many limitations, like pouring water into a cup; the cup's size dictates the final capacity, and a person's endurance is finite.
All ten of them were individuals of exceptional talent, which is why they became secret disciples. But this Li Wuji before them was even more astonishing, far surpassing the ten of them.
Li Muzhan was masterful at manipulating force. Facing six, he either neutralized, borrowed, diverted, or guided the power of their swords, moving with effortless grace among the six.
When the six men sharpened their swords and hands, she was even more formidable when she unleashed her power; the might of the Soul-Dissolving Palm manifested, increasing her sword speed several times over normal.
The continuous, overlapping ringing of "clangs" never ceased. Li Muzhan moved lightly, stepping with uncanny rhythms that perfectly neutralized incoming force.
The six attacked relentlessly, their expressions growing grim. It was like a gale battering stones; despite their frantic sword swings, they could not penetrate his halo of steel. The counter-recoiling force grew, their sword-gripping hands growing numb, threatening to drop their weapons.
Refusing to believe it, they intensified their sword light, determined to take him down through sheer force of will.
Li Muzhan suddenly flickered, vanishing from his spot and reappearing at the base of the wall. The six were momentarily stunned that he escaped so easily and rushed over.
As Li Muzhan moved, he charged forward, his sword light condensing into a white rainbow, piercing straight toward the burly middle-aged man.
"Clang..." The burly middle-aged man's sword flew from his grasp.
Li Muzhan beckoned, and as his sword landed, it flew instantly to his hand.
The burly middle-aged man shook his hand, glaring at Li Muzhan, gritting his teeth until fire seemed to shoot from his eyes, wishing he could devour him whole.
Li Muzhan, wielding twin swords, offered a faint smile.
The burly middle-aged man sneered and waved a hand: "Go!"
The remaining five rushed to surround Li Muzhan, their sword lights raging fiercely. The burly man retreated to stand behind an elegant middle-aged man, his left palm pressed against the man's back.
The elegant middle-aged man's sword light blazed, surging with immense power. Li Muzhan moved his twin swords, the crisp "clangs" continuous. The cultivation methods driving the two swords were entirely different, yet they borrowed strength from each other, making the effort easier.
He had previously learned dual-sword combination techniques, and executing them now brought a unique flavor. The swordsmanship he learned in his former world was exquisitely profound, in no way inferior to the techniques of this world.
Moreover, under the dual-sword combination, the forces of the two blades partially canceled each other out, and he possessed a robust body capable of sustaining their inherent struggles.
Li Muzhan effortlessly leveraged the momentum, becoming more relaxed the longer he fought, a smile playing on his lips, which enraged the six, making their sword lights burn even brighter.
Li Muzhan shook his head, and his sword light suddenly surged. "Clang, clang..." Another sword flew out, a cold glint flashing past the slender middle-aged man’s throat.
"Sixth Brother!" the burly man cried out in alarm.
His left palm pressed against the elegant middle-aged man's back, pushing surging internal energy. As Li Muzhan's sword light flashed past, he instantly felt the elegant middle-aged man's life force draining away.
Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. His sword light flashed repeatedly. The faces of the other four changed drastically. Seeing the elegant middle-aged man collapse limply, they knew the situation was dire. Grief and fury transformed into power, and their sword lights intensified.
Before arriving, they knew they were facing secret disciples of the Tianyuan Pavilion and hadn't taken it seriously; their mindset was too relaxed.
Even though this Li Wuji had thoroughly humiliated the masters of the Qinghe Sword Sect, disabling dozens, they still paid little heed. Tianyuan Pavilion secret disciples were formidable, but so were they. How could a Tianyuan Pavilion secret disciple compare to one from the Qinghe Sword Sect?!
They utterly refused to believe a Qinghe Sword Sect secret disciple was inferior to a Tianyuan Pavilion one; otherwise, the Tianyuan Pavilion would have long since ranked among the top sects.
Li Muzhan had maintained a defensive posture until now; they thought he was a tough nut to crack but still hadn't truly taken him to heart, confident they could subdue him.
It wasn't until the death of the elegant middle-aged man that they plummeted from the clouds to the abyss. The immense contrast brought shame, anger, hatred, and regret, all exploding outwards as violent power.
Li Muzhan's sword light surged again, the tip of his blade sweeping past the throat of a slender middle-aged man, moving like the wind, devoid of any murderous intent or heat.
The slender man slowly crumpled. "Third Brother!" The burly man, busy trying to save the elegant middle-aged man, shouted, stepping forward to catch him. Seeing the thin red line across his throat, he knew it was hopeless. His Sixth Brother had died the same way—a seemingly minor cut, but internal energy instantly attacked the brain, causing instantaneous death.
He slowly looked up, his eyes glazed with a bloody hue, a faint red light shooting toward Li Muzhan. With a strange cry of "Aoo," he instantly appeared before Li Muzhan.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang..." Li Muzhan's sword light was continuous, but it couldn't stop the burly man, who seemed to have expanded, becoming impervious to blades and spears.
Li Muzhan frowned, flickered, and vanished, reappearing behind the others. "Bang!" The burly man, charging too violently, smashed his fist into the wall.
Spiderweb cracks covered half the wall, followed by a loud "Crash!" as the section of the wall collapsed.
Li Muzhan flashed behind another middle-aged man, his sword light flickering. The "clangs" resumed as the remaining men switched to defense, daring not to attack further.
"Chii!" A soft whistle, and a streak of light struck Li Muzhan. He was thrown backward, yet he slashed his sword in mid-air—a "ding" as an arrow shard hit the ground.
A white-bearded elder slowly entered through the breach in the wall, holding a black lacquered longbow. His eyes, sharp as lightning, swept over the scene. Li Muzhan flew into the main hall, turned, smashed through the back wall with a punch, and darted out.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, then used his movement technique to vanish quickly.
"Elder Su!" The remaining four men cupped their fists, their faces grim.
Elder Su glanced at the four, then at the two bodies on the ground, and shook his head: "It’s not that I didn't shoot sooner, but this fellow is too vigilant!"
The burly man returned to his normal state, taking a deep breath: "We were careless!"
"Both of them are gone?" Elder Su pointed to the ground.
The burly man nodded slowly through clenched teeth: "Killed with a single sword stroke!"
"We will settle this score!" Elder Su slowly nodded and said in a deep voice, "Chase them!"
The burly man said gravely, "Elder Su, he took your arrow, he won't be alright, but this fellow is extraordinary. We must hurry!"
Elder Su nodded slowly: "I have rarely encountered someone this formidable in my life. We must kill him this time, or the future troubles will be endless!"
"Yes!" The four nodded vigorously, then followed Elder Su out of the residence, pursuing Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan shook his head as he sped away, managing to shake the arrow from his chest mid-flight. He secretly marveled at the elder's astonishing archery; there had been no warning beforehand, which was very strange.
The image of that black longbow flashed in Li Muzhan's mind. He was certain the bow itself was unusual; otherwise, given his Heavenly Mandate Arts and intuition, he should never have been ambushed.
It seemed the Heavenly Mandate Arts and intuition were not invincible; there were times they could be misled, requiring him not to become complacent. Furthermore, despite being able to multitask and maintain his guard, he was still exploited.
The arrow was poisoned, but he was immune to all poisons. He did not rush to staunch the bleeding from the wound; only when the blood turned bright red did he seal it. Then, clutching the arrow, he left Dongyang City and entered the eastern forest.