Martial Arts Master: The Lin Family Sword God, who swept through the Five Mountains and Four Sects

The Arhat Formation is set up by 108 martial monks. Nine monks form one side, with advanced masters guarding the core of the formation, forming the first layer of the Arhat Formation; the twelve layers of the Arhat Formation are then stacked on top of each other, ultimately forming this Arhat Formation, which is said to be unsolvable.

Each formation is orderly and systematic, seemingly well-organized, yet concealing deadly intent, with a calm and unhurried sense of oppression in its pace.

Although none of these 108 people have reached the Innate Realm, with the highest achievement being only the Lesser Completion of the Acquired Realm, once they form an array, even a fully-fledged Acquired Realm expert or a newly initiated Innate Realm expert trapped inside would have no chance of escaping unscathed. Once the array launches its coordinated attack, the offensive will be like a relentless tide, never ceasing. Over time, even those with extraordinary cultivation will be worn down and killed, exhausted and forced to surrender.

"drink--!"

A loud shout echoed throughout the courtyard!

One hundred and eight monks roared in unison, wielding their staffs with tremendous force. The wind tore through the air, a raging torrent swept across the scene, their robes fluttering wildly, their aura soaring to the heavens.

Lin Tian felt the air in front of him suddenly freeze. Then, countless invisible pressures surged from all directions, as if he had instantly fallen into an abyss vortex. His body was uncontrollably pulled and spun, and he almost sank with the force.

Under such pressure, an ordinary martial artist would be lucky to unleash even 50% or 60% of their full power. But Lin Tian was different—he had already glimpsed the essence of death, his mind as still as water, his spirit unshaken. This pressure was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him, unable to disturb the flow of true energy within his body in the slightest.

The moment he stepped into the formation, a torrential downpour of staff shadows descended from above! At the same time, dozens of long staffs simultaneously blocked his path from all directions, leaving no gaps!

The onslaught was so intense, like a raging storm, that Lin Tian was like a lone boat on a stormy sea, on the verge of capsizing at any moment. But at the critical moment, he always managed to sidestep, shift his position, or twist his waist at the most improbable angles, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

"What bizarre footwork!" Fang Sheng's pupils constricted, and he couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "Just which sect or school does Lin Tian come from? How can he possess such profound movement techniques!"

"I can't see through him." Fang Zheng shook his head, his gaze deep. "But his gait vaguely reveals the Taoist principle of roundness and flexibility."

"Taoism?" Fang Sheng's brow twitched. "Could it be... Wudang?"

"It doesn't seem like it." Fang Zheng denied it decisively. "I have sparred with Daoist Chongxu for many years, and I know Wudang martial arts like the back of my hand. The techniques this boy uses are completely different from those of Wudang.

"So what?" Fang Sheng sneered. "He's trapped in the formation now. No matter how exquisite his movements are, he can't escape exhaustion. The 108 Arhats Formation has never been broken! He can hold out for a while, but not forever."

"Hmm." Fang Zheng nodded, but his brows remained furrowed, and his heart sank slightly.

A moment later, he suddenly spoke: "Junior brother, go to the back mountain immediately and ask our three senior uncles to come out of seclusion. Today's matter cannot be allowed to fail. If Lin Tian leaves unscathed, what will become of Shaolin's reputation?"

"Senior Brother!" Fang Sheng exclaimed in astonishment, "Is it really necessary? Lin Tian is only at the peak of the Acquired Realm. Even if he has some skill, he can't break this great formation. Asking our Martial Uncle to take action is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!"

"It's better to be cautious than careless," Fang Zheng said solemnly. "Go quickly!"

"...Yes, senior brother."

Fang Sheng said no more, turned and strode away. The back mountain was not far from Mount Taishi; the round trip would only take the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

……

Lin Tian moved like a ghost, leaping and bounding with lightning speed.

Although the monk with the staff in the formation could not defeat the enemy on the spot, he gradually figured out his movement rhythm. Whenever his toes were about to land, several long staffs would preemptively block his position, forcing him to continue dodging and not be able to catch his breath.

They were waiting—waiting for his internal energy to deplete, his movements to slow down, and for him to reveal a weakness.

Lin Tian circulated the Nine Yin Manual within his body, his true energy flowing continuously, enough to sustain him even in a day-and-night battle. But even the strongest offensive techniques have their limits, and he didn't believe he could withstand the crushing force of 108 men.

Moreover, he never intended to drag this out in the first place.

Suddenly, he lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body shot up, and he soared several meters into the air!

In the next instant, light and shadow intertwined in the air, and seven afterimages appeared out of thin air, surrounding the area. It was impossible to distinguish between the real and the fake, and no one could tell which one was the original!

The offensive came to an abrupt halt.

—Nine Spiral Shadows!

Besides "Snake Walk and Fox Flip," another amazing lightness skill in the Nine Yin Manual can no longer be simply called "lightness skill."

This technique integrates body movement, footwork, and internal energy transformation into one, allowing one to rise several meters from the ground or glide through the air as if flying. When mastered to its highest level, it can conjure nine illusory figures, making it remarkably similar to the Buddhist supreme technique "Nine Manifestations of the Lotus Platform."

What Lin Tian is now using is the unparalleled Spiral Nine Shadows, with seven shadows appearing simultaneously to confuse the enemy!

The formation faltered, and an opening immediately appeared.

The opportunity is here.

The sword flashed by, so fast that it left only a blur.

In an instant, three strikes, like thunder and lightning, struck—the three monks in the Arhat Formation, all at the Lesser Acquired Realm, Fang Xu, Fang Zhu, and Fang Ye, fell into pools of blood without even uttering a sound.

"Junior brother!" Fang Zheng cried out in a bloodshot voice, his eyes wide with fury.

Those three were from the same school as him, all his fellow disciples. Now that they had died at Lin Tian's hands, how could he not feel heartbroken?

The sorrow had not yet dissipated when the palm strike arrived.

He seemingly casually struck out with his palm, the movement unremarkable. However, halfway through the palm strike, it suddenly began to sway strangely—one became two, two became four, four became eight… layer upon layer, creating thirty-two palm shadows, like a torrential downpour, all of which enveloped Lin Tian!

Thousand-Handed Tathagata Palm!

One of the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts, a terrifying killing move ranked among the top ten martial arts techniques!

"Well done!" Lin Tian's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

No retreat! No dodge! No reliance on the sharpness of the sword!

His left hand suddenly transformed into a claw, and in the blink of an eye, finger shadows flew everywhere, instantly unleashing thousands of claw marks, like ghosts tearing through the air, to meet the sky full of palm shadows.

Nine Yin Divine Claw!

boom--

The palm strike shattered, the remaining force exploded, and the ground cracked with spiderweb-like patterns.

Fang Zheng staggered back several steps, his chest heaving violently, his eyes wide with shock: His swordsmanship was divine, his movements swift as smoke, and his fist techniques profound; how could he even wield such a long-lost Yin-Cold Claw technique? This man was only in his early twenties; how could he possibly possess the strengths of so many schools? Even during the Song Dynasty, when martial arts flourished, the rarest geniuses in a thousand years were no more than this!

Lin Tian didn't stop for a moment, and his longsword once again drank blood.

With the three key points of the Arhat Formation gone, it was immediately riddled with flaws. In just a few breaths, several more monks with staffs died tragically under the swords, their bodies not yet on the ground, but blood mist already filling the air.

Their formation crumbled, and morale plummeted. Although they still outnumbered their opponents, signs of defeat were already evident.

At that very moment—

Lin Tian suddenly felt a slight condensation in the air behind his shoulder, and alarm bells rang in his mind!

Sheathe your sword!

Two black ropes swept across her shoulders, less than two feet apart, swift as lightning, yet silent, as if from the netherworld.

Before he could regain his footing, the third black rope pierced his chest like a spear, straight down! At the same time, two more ropes came from behind, encircling him from three sides and sealing off all escape routes!

There was no wind, no form, only a chilling killing intent!