"Well done, kid!" Chen Daotang strode forward and thumped him on the shoulder, praising him. "You're out already?"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Not bad. I'm better at talisman formations."

He laid down a subtle groundwork, preparing for the eventual revelation of his array skills so it wouldn't seem too abrupt and arouse suspicion, given that talisman formations had been lost in this world.

"Hm—?" Chen Daotang looked surprised.

Talisman formation was a ** word, leaving him no choice but to be astonished.

Li Muzhan glanced back at the dense, sprawling stone forest and laughed. "I spent some time researching them back in Tianyuan Pavilion; I picked up a few things."

"Did you truly grasp something?" Chen Daotang asked.

Li Muzhan nodded. "Just scraped the surface."

Chen Daotang raised an eyebrow. "It seems you really hit upon something! Even that 'surface' is incredible! ...Come on, let's go have a drink at my place!"

He was genuinely thrilled. From joining the sect to clearing the stone forest, it took Li Muzhan barely over four months—an unprecedented speed.

While this was partly due to his deep foundational cultivation and the profound techniques of the Mingjing Sect, coupled with his extraordinary diligence and superior comprehension, regardless, the Mingjing Sect had gained a significant asset.

Li Muzhan said, "Senior Brother, I want to go back for a bit."

"Tianyuan Pavilion?" Chen Daotang chuckled. "You're still worried about that place?"

Li Muzhan nodded. Chen Daotang shook his head. "You really are the worrying type. We have people secretly protecting Tianyuan Pavilion; there's no issue."

Li Muzhan said, "I'm afraid the Qinghe Sword Sect might try something reckless in desperation!"

"Then you severely underestimate our Mingjing Sect!" Chen Daotang waved his hand dismissively. "Since we brokered the peace, the Qinghe Sword Sect won't dare to stir up trouble!"

"I hope so." Li Muzhan nodded. "I'm also concerned about the Purple Star Hall."

"Talk is cheap. It seems you won't be satisfied until you see it with your own eyes. Fine, go then! ...But make it quick and come right back!" Chen Daotang waved his hand in resignation.

Li Muzhan hesitated.

Chen Daotang asked, "You're not planning to go back and stay, are you?"

Li Muzhan smiled sheepishly. "It's quieter and more comfortable for my seclusion in Tianyuan."

"You truly are odd!" Chen Daotang laughed, shaking his head. "That place is fit for ghosts! I couldn't stand it!"

Li Muzhan chuckled. "In any case, I must follow the sword manual. Once I master it, I'll come to Senior Brother for guidance."

"Alright," Chen Daotang shook his head, a half-smile playing on his lips. "At your age, the romantic urges are understandable, perfectly understandable!"

He could tell that while Li Muzhan missed home, his attachment to Senior Sister Bai Mingqiu was also a factor. He had seen Bai Mingqiu—truly a peerless beauty.

Li Muzhan felt a bit embarrassed at having his thoughts exposed.

He did want to see his Senior Sister and Master again, but he was rather isolated in Tianyuan Pavilion. Only Zhu Ling and Lin Shaobai were close to him there, which wasn't much different from his situation here.

"Go tell the Sect Master you’re leaving the mountain," Chen Daotang said with a wide grin.

Just as Li Muzhan returned to his small courtyard, there was a sharp knock, and Li Ye pushed the door open. Her figure was gracefully slender like a willow branch swaying in the breeze, yet her face was set in fierce indignation.

"Junior Brother Li, you cleared the Stone Forest?!" Li Ye demanded right away.

Li Muzhan walked into the small pavilion, sat down slowly and deliberately, and nodded languidly. "By luck."

"Hmph!" Li Ye couldn't stand his pretense of false humility when he achieved something great. She pouted. "Fine, you’re formidable!"

Li Muzhan found her annoyed expression exceptionally beautiful and very amusing. He felt like provoking her a little. "Junior Sister Li, you tried it, didn't you?"

Though they hadn't spent much time together, they understood each other's personalities well.

Given Li Ye's nature, upon hearing the news, she would have immediately gone to challenge the Stone Forest without question, regardless of the truth—challenge first, then ask him later.

Seeing her fierce expression, Li Muzhan correctly guessed she hadn't succeeded; otherwise, she would be smugly looking down her nose at him.

"Hmph, how did you clear it?" Li Ye was thoroughly unconvinced.

Li Muzhan smiled. "Is there a shortcut to clearing the Stone Forest? ...Just fight through them one by one!" "You fought through all of them?" Li Ye huffed.

Li Muzhan nodded. "It wasn't too difficult, really?"

Li Ye was momentarily choked by his words, spitting out hatefully, "I don't believe you! Watch my sword!"

She suddenly drew her sword and thrust forward with lightning speed. Li Muzhan smoothly drifted aside, narrowly evading it, and shook his head. "Junior Sister Li, that's considered a sneak attack, something a disciple of a renowned great sect wouldn't do!"

Li Ye caught the sarcasm in his words—that he was insulting the Qinghe Sword Sect—and became even angrier, wishing she could pierce his heart with her blade.

Li Muzhan didn't draw his sword. He flicked his right index finger.

"Clink..." Li Ye shivered. Her longsword was knocked aside, its momentum instantly lost.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "Junior Sister Li, you need to settle your mind. Strength is the fundamental path. Trickery might work temporarily, but not forever. You should dedicate yourself to diligent practice and stop messing around with those useless things!"

"You..." Li Ye was both angry and frustrated, glaring fiercely at him.

She was intelligent and had recognized this truth, which was why she had confined herself to the small courtyard for the past two months, practicing relentlessly, achieving swift and massive progress.

She had been excited and full of confidence, intending to find trouble with Li Muzhan. Who knew that the first thing she heard upon emerging was the news that Li Muzhan had cleared the Stone Forest? It truly felt like a bucket of cold water dumped over her head.

She couldn't believe it, but everyone couldn't possibly be lying, so she challenged the Stone Forest herself, only to emerge dirtied and utterly dishevelled. In her rage, she stormed into Li Muzhan's small courtyard.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "Junior Sister Li, with that mindset—impetuous and eager for quick success—you'll never catch up to me in this lifetime!"

She knew Li Muzhan was telling the truth, but precisely because of that, she couldn't refute him, making her feel even more stifled. She glared at him fiercely. "That's none of your business?!"

"You are my Junior Sister, how can I not care?" Li Muzhan smiled.

"Pah! Who is your Junior Sister!" Li Ye snorted angrily, her face full of mockery. "You truly have unmatched audacity!"

Li Muzhan’s smile vanished, his expression becoming serious and solemn. "Junior Sister Li, the martial cultivation and mental state are the most crucial aspects of our Mingjing Sect. 'Heart like a bright mirror, everything reflects upon it without concealment'—this is the essence of our sect. If your state of mind is obscured, you are not far from qi deviation!"

"Hmph!" Li Ye sneered, her delicate brows furrowed in thought.

Li Muzhan pleaded earnestly, "Junior Sister Li, you must let go of what needs letting go. The two sects have now turned hostility into friendship; why must we remain bitter rivals?"

Li Ye glanced at him sideways, ignoring him. The words 'Heart like a bright mirror' still echoed in her mind, and she felt a faint glimmer of insight. Suddenly, the martial arts she had cultivated felt strangely foreign. She thought she had mastered them through familiarity, but now she realized how far short she truly was.

Li Muzhan revealed his smile again. "Of course, if you still wish to spar, I welcome it. I'm free anyway."

"You—!" Li Ye instantly exploded in fury, feeling as if she were some pet being used to pass the time, which was utterly infuriating.

She abruptly stabbed out another sword thrust, elusive as a deer hanging on a horn, sudden and swift. As this sword flew out, she felt an indescribable surge of satisfaction; she felt this strike channeled all her spirit and energy to its zenith.

Li Muzhan used his left index finger to flick again, "Clink..." The longsword flew away immediately. Li Ye felt half her body go numb, losing all sensation.

Only then did she grasp the difference between herself and Li Muzhan—the gap in their cultivation was immense!

A feeling of dejection welled up in her, as if facing a towering, majestic peak, inexplicably wanting to retreat. The moment this feeling arose, she felt intense shame, thinking herself too weak. In her mortification and anger, she turned and walked away.

Li Muzhan quickly waved his hand. The half-embedded sword in the ground flew back into Li Ye's palm. She stopped mid-stride, turned her head, and glared fiercely at him. "Li Wuji, just you wait, I will definitely defeat you!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Very well, I'll wait. Just don't keep me waiting too long."

Li Ye said nothing, biting her red lip fiercely, then turned and strode out of the courtyard. She nearly collided with the doorframe; with a flash of sword light, the courtyard gate shattered into pieces. She let out a proud "Hmph!" and stepped out of the small courtyard.