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

……

"Tian'er, you killed Yu Canghai in two moves, which has truly impressed your father! He was a master of the acquired realm, and now your strength has probably far surpassed mine." Lin Zhennan led the group into the hall, his tone full of amazement.

"Young Master is mighty! He even wiped out the Qingcheng Sect. Who would dare to put on airs in front of our escort agency now?"

"Nonsense! The name 'Deadly Sword' is well-deserved. Who does Yu Canghai think he is, daring to challenge the young master?"

"From now on, when we're escorting goods, we can all stand up straight! It's all thanks to our young master holding things together!"

The group of镖头 (bodyguards) chattered amongst themselves, their faces beaming with pride. Although the main force came from Lin Tian, ​​they had also besieged Qingcheng disciples before, and now they naturally wanted to share in the glory.

Seeing Lin Tian remain silent, Lin Zhennan asked with concern, "Tian'er, are you injured?"

"It's alright." Lin Tian regained his senses and said calmly, "Father, I'll leave this to you. I gained some insights from the battle just now, and I need to go into seclusion for a few days to sort out what I've learned."

Before the words were even finished, the person had already turned and left, their back view resolute.

Lin Zhennan watched his departing figure, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Seclusion? Enlightenment? When he emerges… just how powerful will he be?

Thinking of Lin Pingzhi, who was constantly crying and demanding revenge in the woodshed, Lin Zhennan sighed deeply. Why, as biological sons, was there such a vast difference between them?

……

Inside the quiet room, the candlelight flickered.

Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes burning with undisguised fervor: "The Nine Yin Manual... this purple card actually yielded it!"

Without hesitation, with a flick of his finger, the card shattered.

In an instant, a vast torrent of information flooded into my consciousness, as if an ancient figure stood deep within my mind, explaining the mysteries of the Daoist canon word by word and expounding the ultimate principles of martial arts.

Two hours later, Lin Tian finally opened his eyes.

His eyes, though lacking sharpness, were deep and unfathomable, as if containing the wisdom of ages past, and his wisdom flowed like a galaxy.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke, his voice as soft as the tolling of a bell:

"The foundation of martial arts begins with this scripture—the Nine Yin Manual."

During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a remarkable man named Huang Shang.

Originally a poor scholar, he became the top scholar in the imperial examination and entered the court as an official. His position was lowly but his duties were numerous, and he was responsible for organizing the Taoist classics stored in the imperial collection.

What others saw as a tedious and arduous task, he found joy in, immersing himself in it for decades without ever slacking off.

It was through this daily reading that he, without a teacher, glimpsed the ultimate principles of martial arts from the vast collection of Taoist scriptures, taking a step that was unprecedented.

Then came the Ming Cult rebellion, and Huang Shang was ordered to suppress it. However, the imperial army was incompetent and collapsed at the first sign of trouble. Only he went against the tide, charging into the enemy ranks alone, his long sword stained with blood, killing several Ming Cult masters in succession, revealing his sharp edge and unparalleled arrogance.

But this battle also sowed the seeds of a great disaster.

Enemies tracked him down, knocking on his door at night and massacring his entire family. Huang Shang was powerless to stop it, watching helplessly as his loved ones were brutally murdered. He barely escaped with his life and fled in panic to the wilderness.

From then on, he lived in seclusion in the mountains for over forty years, hiding his identity and pondering day and night how to defeat his enemies and comprehend the profound principles of martial arts. When he finally returned to the martial world, his former enemies had long since turned to dust, and only the young girl from back then remained, now with white hair, living out her remaining years alone.

At that moment, Huang Shang's heart trembled, and his hatred receded like a tide, leaving only a desolate realization—that obsession can kill, no less than swords.

He then compiled all his life's learning into the "Nine Yin Manual" and left it to future generations.

……

Rather than calling the Nine Yin Manual an unparalleled divine skill, it would be more accurate to describe it as a key to the martial arts universe. This book was written by Huang Chang, who exhausted the Daoist canon and understood the wisdom of heaven and earth. Every word seems plain, but in fact, it subtly aligns with the flow of Yin and Yang and contains the secrets of the Great Dao.

The first volume uses a general outline as a guide, integrating various methods such as tendon and bone strengthening, injury healing and life prolongation, acupoint stimulation and release, and tendon and bone reduction, to create a supreme internal martial arts system.

The second volume is even more ruthless and vicious: snakes slither and foxes tumble, ghosts and demons are unpredictable; the Heart-Shattering Palm strikes, shattering the five internal organs; the White Python Whip Technique is like a dragon soaring into the nine heavens, the Great Subduing Demon Fist smashes evil, and the Nine Yin Divine Claw tears the sky and splits the earth!

Not to mention the ultimate techniques of manipulating force, such as playing the five strings and the flying catkin technique, or even the soul-shifting technique, which directly targets the soul...

But the most outrageous thing is that the card inheritance is too ruthless! All the Taoist mysteries that Huang Shang comprehended in his life were poured into my sea of ​​consciousness without reservation!

This is the greatest gain! Although it doesn't immediately boost my combat power, it's like building a foundation a thousand feet high, bringing me a giant step closer to the peak of martial arts. Putting aside everything else—if breaking through to the Innate Realm was previously as difficult as ascending to heaven, extremely dangerous; now, with only a thirty percent obstacle, it's a natural progression!

As for combat strength? Even without using the Thirteen Deadly Swords, I dare to face a Perfected Acquired Realm expert head-on with all the martial arts recorded in the Nine Yin Manual!

Lin Tian sneered inwardly: "The inner power of the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual is divided into four levels: the first level corresponds to the period before entering the acquired realm, the second level leads directly to the peak of the acquired realm, and the third and fourth levels point to the legendary innate realm."

"There's no need to rush to break through the barrier right now. Although the Mind-Intent Qi-Mixed Yuan Skill that I'm currently practicing is one of the seventy-two Shaolin arts and can be considered a top-tier internal skill, it's still far inferior to the Nine Yin Manual."

"Within half a month, all the internal energy should be transformed, completely metamorphosing into the power of Nine Yin!"

Once the thought arose, there was no hesitation. He immediately sat cross-legged and entered meditation, circulating the true scriptures.

……

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Tian sat serenely on the futon, surrounded by rising mist, like clouds encircling a celestial mountain. With each breath, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed into his body like rivers converging into the sea.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, a sharp glint in them!

"The first chapter has been completed, and the second chapter has also been accomplished. Although I have not yet reached the pinnacle of acquired perfection in one step, I have already stepped into the realm of great achievement."

"The most unexpected thing is that a large amount of the essence contained in the gallbladder of the Bodhi snake that I swallowed still remains deep in my meridians. The Mind-Intent Qi-Mixed Yuan Gong cannot be activated, but the Nine Yin Manual peels away and extracts it all, pushing me to the Great Acquired Realm in one fell swoop!"

"Furthermore... that snake gall venom had lurked for many years. If it weren't for the healing manual's method of neutralizing it, it would likely have become a serious illness over time. Truly, the Nine Yin Manual lives up to its name!"

Name: Lin Tian

Age: 19

[Cultivation Level]: Acquired Great Completion Realm

[Cultivation Techniques]: The Second Chapter of the Nine Yin Manual [Total of Four Chapters]

[Martial Arts Techniques]: Evil-Repelling Sword Manual [Advanced Level], Thirteen Deadly Swords [Peak of Mastery], Serpent's Leap and Leap Technique [Divine Mastery], White Python Whip Technique [Divine Mastery], Great Demon-Subduing Fist [Divine Mastery], Nine Yin Divine Claw [Divine Mastery], Heart-Shattering Palm [Divine Mastery], Five-String Hand Technique [Divine Mastery], Flying Willow Force [Divine Mastery], Soul-Shifting Technique [Divine Mastery]

[Equipment]: Pearl Longsword [Blue Grade]

……

"Tsk, the Nine Yin Manual is like getting the whole set for free after learning one set. I won't have to worry about having a limited set of moves when I fight in the future."

"However... the sword has always been my path. After more than a decade of wielding it, it's become an extension of my very being. All techniques are mastered, but ultimately, they all return to the sword!"

It's time to come out of seclusion. Although I killed Yu Canghai and messed up "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," the inevitable plot cannot be avoided—how could I miss this grand show? Missing even one link would mean missing out on countless divine cards.

Lin Tian murmured to himself and then ended his seclusion.

He has now reached the Great Perfection of the Acquired Realm. While the Nine Yin Manual is indeed extraordinary, relying solely on secluded cultivation, it would take at least two or three years to break through to the Perfection of the Acquired Realm. With the system in hand, he naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to go through such arduous training. He wouldn't stoop to such a roundabout approach.