Li Muzhan found a cave, sealed the entrance with a large boulder, and then entered a meditative state to regulate his breathing and heal his injuries.

A day later, his injuries completely recovered. He emerged from the cave and returned to the Qinghe Sword Sect. Deng Jiuru was currently in seclusion, tending to his own wounds.

Li Muzhan settled in and resumed studying the Hua Hong Sutra. He realized that the martial arts he had previously practiced held deeper mysteries—though he thought he had mastered them, upon re-examining them, he found he had not truly grasped their full depth.

By revisiting the old knowledge, he rediscovered its novelty, and without realizing it, his cultivation increased once more.

#Deng Jiuru emerged from seclusion on the second morning. When he arrived, Li Muzhan was practicing his morning routine. Deng Jiuru first expressed his gratitude for saving his life and then tried to persuade Li Muzhan to stay at the Qinghe Sword Sect indefinitely, knowing that Jiang Ruyue would never let the matter rest.

Li Muzhan shook his head and declined. His Sect Master had summoned him back regarding the matter of the Zixing Hall; for the Mingjing Sect, Zixing Hall was the more critical concern.

Deng Jiuru was disappointed but helpless. Li Muzhan comforted him, saying that Jiang Ruyue would not likely return for the time being. Based on his estimation of her arrogant personality, since she couldn't defeat him, she wouldn't come simply to kill him.

#Deng Jiuru was half-convinced but couldn't force him to stay. He could only bid a reluctant farewell, personally escorting Li Muzhan to the foot of the mountain. At parting, he gifted him a secret manual—the Jing Tao Palm (Surging Waves Palm).

Li Muzhan accepted it without ceremony and immediately flipped through it. This small, eighteen-page booklet was clearly a recently transcribed copy.

He finished reading the eighteen pages in the blink of an eye, then looked up at Deng Jiuru with surprise.

Deng Jiuru chuckled, "Brother Li, is this Jing Tao Palm worthy of your attention?"

Li Muzhan gently stroked the cover, shook his head, and sighed, "What a formidable palm technique! ... Is this the ultimate skill of your Qinghe Sword Sect?"

#Deng Jiuru glanced around and whispered, "This is the ultimate skill of the Dajiang Sect!"

Li Muzhan suddenly understood, nodding, "The reputation of the Dajiang Sect's supreme arts is well-deserved!"

No wonder the Dajiang Sect had once flourished so brightly. This Jing Tao Palm was exquisitely profound; the force of the palms could be superimposed, unleashing several times the original power, possessing a similar essence to the Hua Hun Palm (Soul Transformation Palm).

#Deng Jiuru sighed, "This palm technique is wondrously exquisite, but without the core internal arts of the direct Dajiang Sect lineage, we cannot truly master it. Brother Li, your comprehension is excellent—perhaps you should give it a try."

Li Muzhan's heart tingled with anticipation, and he smiled, "Then I shall not be polite!"

The Jing Tao Palm, much like the Hua Hun Palm, was difficult to master; purity of internal energy and strength of spirit were both indispensable.

The Jing Tao Palm was founded on softness, relying entirely on the subtle application of internal power. Its realm did not reach as high as the Hua Hun Palm, remaining focused on the minute control of internal energy, not venturing into the spiritual plane. However, its refinement far surpassed the other; the Hua Hun Palm had few stages, each impossibly high to reach, whereas the Jing Tao Palm was systematically ordered, with many low steps that could be climbed sequentially.

Li Muzhan bade farewell to #Deng Jiuru. Along the way, he explored and practiced, finding endless charm and joy in the process.

He discovered that the Jing Tao Palm contained the essence of Flowing Water Sword Intent, and grasping this intent would make practicing the palm technique twice as effective with half the effort.

That evening, as the setting sun cast long shadows, he sat by a wide river, contemplating the profound concept of the Jing Tao Palm. The ten-zhang wide river flowed turbulently downward. Listening to the water's roar, he forgot his body and mind, entering a mysterious state where his spirit merged entirely with the vast river.

He suddenly opened his eyes. His figure flickered, and a dark silhouette flashed in the river. Where he had been sitting, a woman in tight black leather clothing and trousers now stood.

The black leather adhered closely to her body, accentuating her long, graceful legs, slender waist, and full hips, revealing stunning, sexy curves.

Li Muzhan chuckled, "We meet again, Sect Master Jiang!"

The person in black was Jiang Ruyue. Her face was like white jade, with phoenix eyes and elegant brows; her gaze was sharp and deep, like a sword beam. She crossed the distance to Li Muzhan in a single step and struck out with a flowing palm.

Li Muzhan raised his right palm. With a soft pop, their palms met, and both retreated a step.

"Jing Tao Palm?!" Jiang Ruyue's bright eyes flickered.

Li Muzhan smiled, "How is the execution? Please instruct me, Sect Master Jiang!"

"#Deng Jiuru deserves to die!" Jiang Ruyue frowned, instantly realizing how Li Muzhan could have acquired the Jing Tao Palm.

To pass on the Dajiang Sect's martial arts to an outsider without permission was a crime deserving of death!

Li Muzhan laughed, "Whether he deserves to die or not, you intend to kill him anyway, don't you?"

Jiang Ruyue said coldly, "For stealing the Dajiang Sect's martial arts, you also deserve to die!"

Li Muzhan shook his head and laughed softly, "Whether I deserve to die or not, don't you still intend to kill me, Sect Master Jiang?"

Jiang Ruyue gritted her teeth, her high chest heaving, and lunged forward again, lightly striking three times with her right palm. Li Muzhan quickly countered with three strikes of his own.

He recognized Jiang Ruyue was using the Jing Tao Palm, and he met it with the same technique.

"Boom!" A muffled thunderclap echoed, shaking the river surface, and an invisible force propelled the water towards the opposite bank. Li Muzhan's green robe fluttered as he was pushed backward.

Jiang Ruyue retreated one step, her face growing paler.

The two lunged forward again, both employing the Jing Tao Palm. The sound of bang, bang was incessant, and the river water seemed to slosh violently as if shaken in a bottle. After more than twenty exchanges, Li Muzhan secretly marveled; her cultivation had increased by two parts.

An opponent who gained strength from being wounded was the most terrifying kind.

Jiang Ruyue also felt Li Muzhan's cultivation increase.

They were evenly matched. After over a hundred strikes, Jiang Ruyue moved onto the river's surface, treading the waves as if on solid ground. Li Muzhan turned and fled.

"Coward!" Jiang Ruyue snorted coldly and gave chase.

She was determined to kill Li Muzhan, lest he improve further next time. The Jing Tao Palm only strengthened her resolve to eliminate him.

They chased and fled, Li Muzhan's steps light. This Jiang Ruyue was extremely difficult to handle; it seemed he needed to use his trump card.

Jiang Ruyue suddenly flashed behind him, driving her right palm toward his back.

Li Muzhan shifted sideways, but Jiang Ruyue followed like a shadow, her right palm coming ever closer to his back. Li Muzhan reluctantly spun and turned his palm up to counter.

"Bang!" Li Muzhan was sent flying straight backward.

In this strike, Jiang Ruyue's palm force was immense and surging, five or six times stronger than before. Li Muzhan reacted too slowly, spitting a streak of blood in mid-air, regretting his momentary mercy in not using the Hua Hun Palm.

Jiang Ruyue paused momentarily before attacking again, seeking to kill Li Muzhan while he was injured. Li Muzhan sighed helplessly, turned his palm up, and met the attack.

"Bang!" He was sent flying backward again, and Jiang Ruyue was also thrown back.

In the air, she glared at Li Muzhan. That strike had been overwhelmingly powerful, nearly causing her own palm force to rebound and injure her internal organs.

As Li Muzhan drifted lightly back to the ground, Jiang Ruyue had vanished.

Li Muzhan frowned, looking at the river. He stepped onto the water's surface, walking as if on level ground. His Xu Kong Zhi Yan (Eye of the Void) focused, and the scene within the river flooded his mind. He coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Slowly, he raised his right hand and pressed his thumb toward the river surface.

"Hiss," a beam of finger force pierced the water.

He pressed his thumb down three more times.

"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!" Three more beams of finger force followed closely.

A cloud of red mist surged on the river surface, quickly dissipating.

Li Muzhan shook his head, deciding to show Jiang Ruyue a taste of true power. He activated his Star Force to drive the finger strikes, accepting that his internal injuries would worsen, but this would be enough to trouble her.

Jiang Ruyue moved downstream like a swimming fish, extremely fast. She sensed Li Muzhan's finger force, subtly swaying her graceful body to dodge three beams, but she couldn't evade the last one.

The Star Force was condensed like substance and overwhelmingly domineering. This single strike pierced through her left leg like a spear, but it didn't stop her movement. She swayed her delicate body a few times, increasing her speed even more.

Li Muzhan snorted, floating into the air, looking down at the vast river. He suddenly coughed violently, spat out another mouthful of blood, and pressed out four more fingers.

Another cloud of red mist spread through the river water, slowly vanishing. Jiang Ruyue’s left leg was hit again, impeding her movement.

Li Muzhan dispersed his Star Force and suspended himself in the void to heal.

Moments later, Jiang Ruyue shot out of the water, stepping on the river surface to look up at Li Muzhan. Her unbound black hair framed a face dusted with river water, making her appear like a water hibiscus—stunningly beautiful.

Li Muzhan slowly floated down to the river surface and smiled, "Sect Master Jiang, why haven't you fled?"

"When did I flee?" Jiang Ruyue said coldly, "Li Wuji, without the Dajiang Sect's core cultivation methods, how did you master the Jing Tao Palm?"

Li Muzhan smiled, "The Da Bei Sword can command any martial art under heaven."

"Hmph, the Da Bei Sword!" Jiang Ruyue curled her lip, "Are you fooling a three-year-old? Does the Da Bei Sword have such power?!"

The Jing Tao Palm required Zhi Yin Zhi Xi (Ultimate Yin Breath) to unleash its full power. She had heard of the Da Bei Sword; it was balanced and peaceful, capable of activating any martial art, but it always diminished the technique's power.

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled, "The Da Bei Sword holds deeper mysteries."

"Li Wuji, hand over the Jing Tao Palm manual, and I might spare your life!" Jiang Ruyue huffed.

Li Muzhan laughed, "Sect Master Jiang, don't you think the roles are reversed? ... Should I spare your life, or will you spare mine?"

"Hand it over or not?!" Jiang Ruyue bit her lip and glared coldly.

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled, "The manual has been burned. Why would I keep it after mastering it?"

"Is that so?" Jiang Ruyue snorted coldly.

Li Muzhan shrugged, "I have a good memory. Once I've seen it, I remember it... Sect Master Jiang, why make things difficult for me? I am acting under my Sect Master's orders!"

"You deserve to die!" Jiang Ruyue sneered and suddenly flicked her hand.

Li Muzhan quickly shifted sideways, his left shoulder experiencing a slight numbness. If he hadn't sensed the momentary sluggishness, he wouldn't have noticed the spreading chill.

He frowned. Jiang Ruyue smiled coldly, "Li Wuji, you've been struck by the Bing Po Divine Needle (Ice Soul Divine Needle)!"

Li Muzhan shook his head, "Sect Master Jiang is very disappointing!"

He had initially assumed Jiang Ruyue, with her pride and arrogance, would act openly and justly, not resort to covert attacks, yet she had used a hidden weapon.

Jiang Ruyue said coldly, "For the resurgence of my Sect, I will stop at nothing. Blame yourself for blocking my path. Be smarter in your next life!"

Li Muzhan pressed his right palm against his left shoulder but frowned. His internal energy could not draw out the needle; it was a needle-shaped concentration of utterly cold and Yin energy, solid as substance—very strange.

"It's useless. The Bing Po Divine Needle has substance but no visible form," Jiang Ruyue said coolly, shaking her head.

Li Muzhan glanced at her coldly, let out a "Waa" sound, spat out a mouthful of blood, and slowly raised his right palm. Suspended above his palm was a two-inch long, silvery-white, slender needle, appearing both real and illusory.

Jiang Ruyue frowned. This was the first time the Bing Po Divine Needle had been broken. Li Wuji must die! He was her nemesis; as long as he existed, she could never revitalize the Dajiang Sect!

Li Muzhan looked down at the Bing Po Divine Needle. He vaguely guessed that this needle was formed using a special technique from the Bing Po Divine Art. Once injected into the body, it was indistinguishable from a real silver needle, yet far more venomous.

It could move with the flow of internal energy, existing between the real and the illusory. Internal energy could not affect it, nor could external force. Only internal energy that was purer and more solid could contain it.

The Bing Po Divine Art was intensely Yin, cold, and pure. Few things in the world surpassed its purity. If he hadn't possessed Star Force, he would have been helpless.

The Bing Po Divine Needle in his palm slowly dissipated. Li Muzhan said lightly, "Sect Master Jiang, use whatever other means you have left!"

Jiang Ruyue smiled coldly and flicked her hand. As Li Muzhan dodged, he also flicked his hand; a faint, almost imperceptible light flashed.

Jiang Ruyue clutched her chest, her eyes wide with shock. Li Muzhan also clutched his chest, frowning at her. Both slowly fell, tumbling into the great river, quickly carried away by the current.

Li Muzhan floated face-up in the water, a bitter smile on his face. He had still underestimated Jiang Ruyue. This time, it wasn't the Bing Po Divine Needle, but the Bing Po Divine Saber—a throwing knife the size of an index finger, also condensed from the Bing Po Divine Art, and much more troublesome.

She had also been struck by one of his knives; even if she didn't die, she would lose half her life.

Both were unable to move, their bodies stiff as corpses. They would need time to regain free movement, floating downstream with the current.

Jiang Ruyue was upstream, two zhang away from Li Muzhan. Like two leaves, they drifted for half an hour until they heard a tremendous rumbling sound.

Li Muzhan's expression changed slightly. They were drifting towards the top of a waterfall. His Eye of the Void observed the waterfall: one hundred meters high. Falling from such a height would undoubtedly mean death for both of them.

Li Muzhan frowned and sighed, letting out another "Waa" of blood. He thought that upon returning, he needed to thoroughly replenish his body; he had lost too much blood.

His Star Force, incomparably domineering, quickly broke through the seal of the Bing Po Divine Saber, simultaneously injuring his meridians. He circulated the Chun Feng Hua Yu Jue (Spring Breeze Transforms Rain Art) to soothe his meridians and slowly floated into the air.

He looked down at Jiang Ruyue. Her red lips were tightly pressed, and her loose black hair contrasted sharply with her face, which was as white as jade. She glared at Li Muzhan, utterly fearless.

He sighed, inwardly cursing his weakness for beautiful women. He raised his hand and beckoned. Just as Jiang Ruyue was about to fall over the waterfall, she flew up and landed on the bank.

Jiang Ruyue spat out a jet of blood, stood up, glared coldly at Li Muzhan, and her body cut a graceful arc as she plunged into the waterfall, disappearing into the deep pool below.

Li Muzhan smiled, "Heh heh, Sect Master Jiang, you owe me a life!"

His clear voice overpowered the roar of the waterfall, piercing the surface of the water, reaching Jiang Ruyue's ears like a whisper.

Jiang Ruyue could breathe freely underwater. The icy depths of the pool were, in fact, a holy land for healing. She needed immediate treatment, as the power from the throwing knife was strange, constantly eroding her Bing Po Divine Art and drilling towards her vital core. Any further delay would truly mean death.

Li Muzhan clutched his chest and flashed into a nearby mountain. He needed to heal immediately; if he delayed, his life would be in danger. The Bing Po Divine Saber had followed his meridians inward. It was manageable with Star Force active, but once the Star Force was withdrawn, it would immediately become active, trying to drill into his Dantian and core.

Injured on top of his existing wounds, he dared not circulate Star Force for long. The Chun Feng Hua Yu Jue could heal, but it couldn't stop the Bing Po Divine Saber. The situation was precarious.

He quickly reached the mountaintop. Neglecting to find a cave, he directly sat in meditation on a large boulder at the summit, beginning to circulate the Guan Tian Ren Shen Zhao Jing (Observing Heaven, Man, and Spirit Illumination Scripture).

When he awoke, a full moon hung high, bathing everything in silver light like gauze. The night sky was dotted with starlight, and the surroundings were silent and peaceful, with the distant roar of the waterfall faintly audible.

The Eye of the Void opened, and he saw Jiang Ruyue in the deep pool.

He chuckled. Jiang Ruyue suddenly opened her eyes, leaped up like a fish, broke the surface, and drifted to the edge of the pool, shouting up, "Li Wuji, I will kill you sooner or later!"

Li Muzhan laughed, "I'll be waiting, Sect Master Jiang!"

He traversed the air, flying straight toward the waterfall from the summit. Jiang Ruyue seemed to sense something. She took a few steps, and her figure vanished—her movement technique was similar to Suo Di Cheng Cun (Shrinking the Ground to an Inch), incredibly fast.

Li Muzhan also employed Suo Di Cheng Cun, intending to teach Jiang Ruyue another lesson to ensure she remembered and ceased harboring malicious thoughts or persistent harassment.

Jiang Ruyue ran fast, but he couldn't catch up. Their cultivation levels were nearly equal. While he possessed many secret skills, Jiang Ruyue was no less capable.

Li Muzhan dispersed his Star Force, pursuing while healing. Occasionally, his senses would grow vague, and he would reintroduce Star Force from the sky. Propelling the Tian Ji Jue with Star Force made his senses much clearer, allowing him to sense her again.

A full day and night passed. The distance between them had not closed. Li Muzhan, despite possessing the divine ability of instantaneous movement, was useless in unfamiliar territory.