The middle-aged man in the blue shirt smiled gently. "This is absolutely no joke. Great rivers accommodate hundreds of streams; magnanimity is key. Our Mingjing Sect recruits talents from all corners, regardless of background. If you join us, the Tianyuan Pavilion will essentially become one family. Wouldn't resolving conflict into friendship be a beautiful thing?"

Li Muzhan frowned and shook his head.

The man in the blue shirt chuckled. "Water flows downhill, and people ascend. You are a secret disciple of the Tianyuan Pavilion, but the pond that is the Tianyuan Pavilion can no longer contain a dragon like you. Relying solely on Tianyuan Pavilion martial arts, it will be difficult to advance further. Joining our Mingjing Sect, cultivating higher, profound ultimate skills, and ascending to the ranks of the world's top masters—that is the true path!"

Li Muzhan frowned and shook his head again, remaining silent. He was utterly taken aback.

He had previously spent immense effort trying to enter the Mingjing Sect, believing their profound cultivation methods would offer him an avenue, but found no crack, no door; he had ultimately failed and given up.

Yet, unexpectedly, at this very moment, the Mingjing Sect was throwing open its gates, forcefully inviting him in. Few things in this world were stranger than this turn of events.

The man in the blue shirt smiled. "Li Wuji, there’s no need to speak now. Go back and discuss it with Sect Master Long. Either we resolve this peacefully and become one family, or we engage in a massive fight, stirring up chaos and bloodshed—it all rests upon your next thought!"

Li Muzhan frowned, saying nothing.

His strength had greatly increased, but to believe he could withstand the entire Mingjing Sect was pure self-deception. Would the other Tianyuan Pavilion disciples simply stop leaving?

But to abandon the Tianyuan Pavilion and throw himself into the Mingjing Sect was something he deeply resisted.

The man in the blue shirt’s gaze was fixed intensely on Li Muzhan's face, unwilling to miss even the slightest flicker of emotion. It was a pity that Li Muzhan’s expression remained placid, revealing no hint of his inner turmoil.

He continued, "Li Wuji, many disciples in our sect are in situations like yours. It’s like attending school; as a child, you study at a private tutor's hut, but as your knowledge grows, you naturally move to a higher academy. If you stay here forever, it’s like remaining in that initial hut, wasting your entire life!"

"Wuji!" Long Jingyue and Bai Mingqiu appeared.

Li Muzhan turned his head. "Master?"

The man in the blue shirt cupped his fist and smiled. "Sect Master Long, long time no see!"

Long Jingyue’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she snorted with a stern face. "The Mingjing Sect truly holds us in high regard, requiring you to make this journey personally!"

The man in the blue shirt smiled pleasantly. "Normally, I wouldn't need to come myself, but I heard your sect’s secret disciple is extraordinary, so I came to have a look!"

"Hmph, and?" Long Jingyue curled her lip corners.

The man in the blue shirt smiled and nodded. "The rumors do him justice! Sect Master Long, surely you are willing to part with such a treasure?"

"What do you intend?" Long Jingyue frowned.

The man in the blue shirt chuckled. "A talent like this is wasted remaining in your sect. He should join our Mingjing Sect! Sect Master Long, you understand the circumstances!"

Long Jingyue froze for a moment, looking at him with surprise, then turned to glance at Li Muzhan.

The man in the blue shirt smiled. "I couldn't persuade him. Sect Master Long, being a reasonable person, perhaps you can persuade him well!"

With that, he cupped his fist once more, offered a smiling nod to Bai Mingqiu, turned, and drifted away, vanishing into the depths of the forest in the blink of an eye.

Only after he had disappeared did Long Jingyue break into a smile, turning to Li Muzhan. "Wuji, do you know him?"

Li Muzhan shook his head. "He is a formidable figure, though I haven't heard of him. Are all the Mingjing Sect members this powerful?"

"How could that be!" Long Jingyue shook her head. "Figures like Chen Daotang are rare. Have you fought him? What was the outcome?"

She stared intently at Li Muzhan’s Dantian region, her brow furrowed. "Were you injured?"

Li Muzhan replied, "Barely escaped."

"It was truly close!" Long Jingyue touched the split fabric of her own clothes and patted her chest. "But the fact you could stand against him without injury is rare... Wuji, what are your thoughts?"

Li Muzhan frowned, pondering before shaking his head. "It's hard to decide!"

He was reluctant to leave the Tianyuan Pavilion, yet if he truly could enter the Mingjing Sect, he wasn't opposed to it. He didn't mind being pressured into joining; compared to that, the allure of the martial arts was far greater.

The Tianyuan Pavilion’s martial arts were profound, and he understood them all; comprehension was just a matter of time. The most essential techniques of the Tianyuan Pavilion were the Twelve Swords of Tianyuan and the Twelve Stances of Tianyuan, which required significant life experience to fully grasp.

Since the Twelve Swords of Tianyuan were derived from the Huaqing Sect, the martial arts of the Mingjing Sect, which stood above the Huaqing Sect, must be even more profound—an infinite attraction for him.

Long Jingyue turned and walked toward the Tianyuan Pavilion. Li Muzhan and Bai Mingqiu flanked her, walking shoulder-to-shoulder. He walked silently, saying nothing, and Bai Mingqiu wisely kept quiet as well.

When they reached the foot of the main hall and stepped onto the first stair, Long Jingyue suddenly stopped, turning back to Li Muzhan. "Wuji, there is only one path forward, isn't there?"

Li Muzhan sighed. "What about the Huaqing Sect?"

Long Jingyue shook her head. "We don't need to worry about them!"

Bai Mingqiu snorted. "When we needed them, they hid like turtles. What right do they have to speak now? They are unreliable!"

"Qiu'er!" Long Jingyue shot her a look; calling someone a 'hiding turtle' was too uncouth.

Bai Mingqiu declared, "Master, I support Junior Brother joining the Mingjing Sect!"

Li Muzhan sighed. "Senior Sister, it’s not that simple."

Long Jingyue nodded slowly. "Wuji, I have decided. You will enter the Mingjing Sect!"

Li Muzhan mused, "Can it truly resolve conflict into friendship? How will they explain this to the Qinghe Sword Sect?"

Long Jingyue shook her head. "Why should they have to explain anything to the Qinghe Sword Sect? One word from them, and the Qinghe Sword Sect must obey. Furthermore, they will offer a certain level of compensation!"

"Compensation?" Li Muzhan shook his head and laughed. "I disabled quite a few of their people."

Long Jingyue said, "My guess is, if I'm not mistaken, they will accept one of their disciples into our ranks... one Mingjing Sect disciple will be enough to compensate for everything!"

Bai Mingqiu huffed. "They'll be ecstatic!"

A Mingjing Sect disciple was supremely precious; barring accidents, they would all become peak masters in the future. Such an unparalleled expert anchoring a sect was worth hundreds of lesser masters.

Li Muzhan asked, "Are you certain there will be no repercussions from the Huaqing Sect?"

"Master will be very pleased," Long Jingyue said, smiling, then shook her head and continued into the main hall, gesturing for Li Muzhan to sit opposite her.

"Wuji, don't get stuck on this point, thinking you are betraying the sect. Being able to enter the Mingjing Sect will bring us boundless benefits."

Li Muzhan hesitated. "But..."

Long Jingyue interrupted him. "You have essentially learned all the martial arts of our Tianyuan Pavilion; there is nothing left to study here except honing your skill. To be frank, we are vastly inferior to the Mingjing Sect. With your comprehension, your progress in the Mingjing Sect will be rapid. No matter when, your origins will not change. Moreover, having you as a Mingjing Sect disciple offers us protection; no one will dare look down upon us."

Li Muzhan frowned, silent.

Seeing that he still hadn't yielded, Long Jingyue felt both pleased and slightly annoyed by his stubbornness. She snorted. "In the last two years, the prestige of the Tianyuan Pavilion has been completely lost. The martial world is restless, and we are fighting the Qinghe Sword Sect; they will surely try to take advantage of our weakness! If you enter the Mingjing Sect, things will be different!"

Li Muzhan sighed. "Master, I fear that even if I leave, it might be useless."

"If you enter the Mingjing Sect, you haven't truly left us," Long Jingyue countered, shaking her head. "Once inside, focus on your training. As long as you qualify to leave the mountain, you will be free; you can still return to live here if you wish."

"If that is the case..." Li Muzhan slowly nodded.

Noticing his softening resolve, Long Jingyue quickly added, "With your talent, meeting the criteria to leave the mountain won't be difficult. Two or three years should suffice!" (To be continued.)