This martial saint is too cautious.

The Circuit Inspector's Office in Southern Guangdong.

He Songzhao inquired in detail about Zhao Qing and the others' situation in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm. His expression remained unchanged, but he was deeply shocked.

So, if it weren't for Lin Yan, Junior Brother Zhao and the others might have already been murdered.

Needless to say, the alliance between the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Tai Xuan Palace, and the Zhao Ye Martial Arts School has even attracted the attention of martial artists from the Sword Ruins.

The Sword Ruins warriors' target was clearly their Taiyi Sword Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Sword Sect has Fang Du, who is at the fifth level of the Void Realm, and has also formed an alliance with the other two sects. It is unlikely that the Sword Ruins will make a move against them. Therefore, it is most likely that they are targeting Junior Brother Zhao and his group.

The reason why Junior Brother Zhao and his companions did not encounter any Heavenly Sword Sect or Sword Ruins warriors from beginning to end is not hard to deduce.

Someone else took the lead and resolved these crises.

"Junior Brother Lin, this time when you return to the sect, the sect will definitely reward you."

"Senior Brother He, you flatter me. I didn't do anything."

Hearing Lin Yan's words, He Songzhao smiled slightly and did not continue the topic. After all, putting things out in the open would hurt the pride of Junior Brother Zhao and the others.

You can't exactly say, "I'm not exaggerating, but if it weren't for you, Junior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Zhao and the others might already be dead in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm."

"By the way, among the Sword Ruins warriors, do any of you junior brothers have any suspects?"

He Songzhao asked questions, but Zhao Qing and the others shook their heads. They didn't even know that there were Sword Ruins warriors.

Seeing Zhao Qing and the others shake their heads, He Songzhao looked at Lin Yan, who also shook his head: "I have never encountered a Sword Ruins warrior, but I imagine their strength should be considerable. If they are only at the first or second level of the Void Realm, then they are not much of a threat to us."

"Yes, that's what I think too."

He Songzhao nodded: "I will collect a list of martial artists who entered the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm at the third level of the Void Realm or above this time. The Sword Ruins martial artists must be from among these people, but to find out... I'm afraid it will take a long time."

There was a half-sentence that He Songzhao didn't say. If they could find something suspicious, that would be fine. But if they couldn't, it would be almost impossible to find out the true identity of the Sword Ruins warrior.

These illusory warriors who entered the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm all had some background, and many of them came from top sects. The Taiyi Sword Sect could not possibly arrest and interrogate these people without any evidence.

Just as He Songzhao and Lin Yan were talking about what happened in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, and a middle-aged man walked in.

"Deputy Inspector Wang."

Upon seeing the newcomer, He Songzhao smiled and spoke.

"Brother He, I am acting on Lord Kong's orders to ask Lin Yan to come to the main hall."

Deputy Inspector Wang spoke with a smile. He Songzhao looked at Lin Yan, who nodded slightly. The fact that Lord Kong wanted to see him meant there was something to discuss.

"Then I'll go over there first and see Senior Kong."

"Young Brother Lin, please follow me."

Without much small talk, Deputy Inspector Wang led Lin Yan toward the courtyard gate. But when they reached the gate, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at He Songzhao and the others: "By the way, Lord Kong just spoke with the Heavenly Sword Sect. It's very likely that Fang Du and the others from the Heavenly Sword Sect died at the hands of the Sword Ruins warriors. The Heavenly Sword Sect has also acknowledged this theory."

Upon hearing what Deputy Inspector Wang said, Lin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. So in the end, the Sword Ruins warriors had to take the blame.

Will the Heavenly Sword Sect accept it?

After a moment's thought, Lin Yan realized that the Heavenly Sword Sect would actually accept it, at least outwardly.

It would be more dignified for Fang Du and the others to die at the hands of the Sword Ruins warriors than to die by their own hand.

Dying at their own hands meant that the Heavenly Sword Sect had been outmaneuvered by the Taiyi Sword Sect this time. In comparison, the Heavenly Sword Sect would rather accept that Fang Du and the others died at the hands of the Sword Ruins warriors.

The reason Xie Zhiwei pinned the blame on him was to take the opportunity to kill him. If she could kill him, the loss of face would be worthwhile.

But now that the opportunity is gone, Xie Zhiwei is naturally willing to change her mind for the sake of the Heavenly Sword Sect's reputation.

As for whether Lord Kong played a role or exerted pressure in this matter, it is difficult to determine.

First published on Xiaoshuo.com. Please search and follow Xiaoshuo.com.

……

……

In the main hall of the Guangdong Southern Circuit Inspectorate, Lin Yan stepped across the threshold, where Kong Hao was already sitting at the head of the table, waiting for him.

"Greetings, Senior Kong."

"Young friend Lin, please don't stand on ceremony, please have a seat."

Kong Hao smiled and gestured for Lin Yan to sit down. After Lin Yan took his seat, fragrant tea was already laid out beside him. However, Lin Yan did not pick up the cup to taste the tea. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, waiting for Lord Kong to speak.

"I would like to express my gratitude to young friend Lin for saving so many people in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm."

Lin Yan smiled slightly but did not reply.

Is it just a thank you?

Seeing that Lin Yan didn't respond, Kong Hao's eyelids twitched. It seemed that although Lin Yan was young, he was not someone who could be easily dealt with.

"I have already reported this matter to the imperial court, and the court will reward Young Friend Lin. Someone will then go to the Taiyi Sword Sect."

Hearing Kong Hao's words, Lin Yan's smile widened. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said modestly, "As a member of the martial arts world, I cannot stand by and watch others be harmed by Chen Jiang. This matter... is our duty."

Kong Hao: ...

They really are from the same lineage; they're exactly the same as Senior Shen from back then.

However, he didn't worry about how to reward them; he left that to the marquises to decide.

"What information do you know about the Thunder Dragon in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm, young friend?"

"This junior has never had any contact with that thunder dragon."

Lin Yan shook his head, looking serious.

Kong Hao fell silent upon hearing this. Never had any contact with him before?

There were quite a few people there who saw you obtain a scale from the Thunder Dragon.

However, since Lin Yan obtained these scales himself, he couldn't say anything about it.

"Young friend Lin, you can stay at the Inspector's residence with peace of mind. It shouldn't be long before your mentor arrives."

"Yes, this junior will not step out of the Inspector's residence."

……

……

After bidding farewell to Lord Kong, Lin Yan returned to his own courtyard.

The door closed, and Lin Yan took out the item from his arms.

There were quite a few items, mostly pills. After moving the pills aside, Lin Yan's gaze fell on two items.

The thunder marrow as long as an index finger, and the scale that eventually shrank to the size of a palm.

Thunder Marrow can give a sixth-level Void Realm expert the chance to break through to the Real Realm. However, even if you haven't reached the sixth level of Void Realm, you can still use it. After consuming it, you can also liquefy your Dharma Aspect power.

However, in terms of cost-effectiveness, it is still the most worthwhile option to keep it for use in the Breakthrough mode.

After all, while many pills in the martial arts world can liquefy the power of Dharma Aspect, and some even rely on time to absorb the energy of heaven and earth to slowly liquefy it, treasures that can increase the chances of breaking through to the Reality Aspect Realm are extremely rare.

"We'll wait for Master to arrive and ask him before deciding whether or not to use Thunder Marrow."

Lin Yan shifted his gaze from Lei Sui to Lei Lin, the scales he had obtained from the thunder dragon.

Just by touching this scale, one can feel the pure lightning energy contained within it; in a way, it can be considered part of the universe itself.

"Use it on Shen Yuan."

Lin Yan glanced down at the Abyss Sword at his waist. The Abyss Sword had been with him for so long, from the Blood Exchange Realm all the way to the Dharma Aspect Realm. It had been forged once during that time. It was sufficient before the Dharma Aspect Realm, but after entering the Dharma Aspect Realm, it was still working fine for now. However, as his strength increased, he was afraid it would become somewhat inadequate.

The Abyss Sword has been with him for so long, it can be considered his old partner. Especially after the second forging, he and the Abyss Sword became even more connected. If possible, Lin Yan still hopes that the Abyss Sword can continue to accompany him on the path of martial arts.

Forging the Abyss Sword was not only for future considerations, but also because the cultivation technique he was going to practice next could be done using the Abyss Sword.

The Dharma Image Holding Weapon Technique!

This technique, which he obtained from Night Owl, could originally be practiced once a Dharma Image was manifested. However, he did not practice it in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm. The reason was simple: the Dharma Image Weapon Technique was not something that could be easily mastered. It required a quiet environment to practice, and in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm, he could be disturbed at any time.

The Dharma Image Holding Weapon Technique is a very unique skill, as can be seen from its name: Dharma Image Holding Weapon...

Practicing this technique allows one's Dharma form to use spiritual weapons, but this is only the initial stage. When one cultivates to a higher level, the Dharma form itself becomes a spiritual weapon, with endless wonders.

For Lin Yan, the later stages of the Dharma Image Weapon Technique were a matter for the future, but even this initial stage already made him very envious.

The most practical point is that by having the spirit weapon held in the hand of the Dharma Image, he no longer needs to carry the spirit weapon with him. The spirit weapon enters the Divine Palace just like the Dharma Image, and can be summoned directly from the Divine Palace when needed in the future.

Moreover, it can appear in your hand with a thought, which is faster than carrying it with you, so there is no issue of wasting time by summoning a spirit weapon.

"Let's give it a try."

Lin Yan murmured a sentence, recalling Ye Xiao's tone. In Ye Xiao's mind, the value of this Dharma Image Weapon Holding Technique was even greater than that of the Broken Mansion Pearl, and it was said that no one had been able to master it in the past thousand years.

No one has mastered it in the past thousand years, which means that the Dharma Image Weapon Holding Technique is extremely difficult to cultivate, and one may not be able to succeed in cultivating it on the first try.

……

Concentrating his mind and calming his spirit, Lin Yan sat cross-legged, and the next moment, the power of his Dharma form surged, and his figure directly floated in the air.

Next, Lin Yan followed the first exercise posture recorded in the Faxiang Holding Weapon Manual, placing his hands in front of his knees with his fingers interlaced and palms facing inward, in a "lifting" posture.

The Dharma Image Holding Weapon Technique has only four postures, each corresponding to a mudra.

These are respectively the Military Seal, the Military Merging Seal, the Military Use Seal, and the Military Transformation Seal.

Lin Yan is currently cultivating the first seal: the Seal of Supporting Soldiers.

A few breaths later, Lin Yan's three Dharma images appeared one by one.

The sword symphony hangs above his head, a golden man possesses him, and the Immortal Mountain sits behind him.

The three great forms shone brightly.

After the Dharma images appeared, Lin Yan's hand seals began to change, and as Lin Yan's hand seals changed, the positions of the three Dharma images also began to intersect.

The hand gestures became faster and faster, and the positions of the three deities changed at an increasingly rapid pace.

As Lin Yan's hand seals changed, the power of the Dharma Image within his Divine Palace was also rapidly circulating. The Dharma Image Weapon Technique consumed a great deal of Dharma Image power.

In just a short while, Lin Yan discovered that one-tenth of the power of the Dharma Image within his Divine Palace had been lost.

To this day, he has not even been able to complete one-tenth of the hand seal for holding the military seal.

To master the Art of War, one must manipulate the three Dharma Images with perfect ease. However, most Dharma Image martial artists, after condensing their Dharma Images, only use them to enhance their own martial arts strength and rarely manipulate them.

It's not that these Dharma Aspect martial artists don't want to, but firstly, they lack the necessary techniques, and secondly, their Dharma Aspect power is insufficient.

But this was still the most difficult part. What Lin Yan didn't expect was that as he completed half of his hand seal, not only was half of the power of the Dharma Image within his Divine Palace depleted, but his mind also became hazy.

If a powerful cultivator of the Dharma Aspect level is experiencing a mental lapse, there is only one possibility: their spiritual energy has been severely depleted.

"At this rate, I'm afraid my soul won't be able to hold on until the power of the Dharma form within my divine palace is completely drained."

Lin Yan finally understood why Night Owl said that the Dharma Image Holding Technique had not been successfully cultivated for thousands of years; its requirements for the divine soul and Dharma Image power were too high.

You must know that your divine palace has already broken through thirty feet, and with the help of the Undying Soul Technique, your divine soul is already far superior to that of other martial artists of the same realm. Even you are struggling like this, so it is almost impossible for other martial artists in the Void Phase Realm to completely condense the first hand seal of the Weapon Holding Technique.

"Never mind!"

The more difficult it is, the greater the benefits of mastering it!

Lin Yan understood this principle very well. He glanced at the pills on the table, and his Dharma power surged forth. The caps of many pill bottles were pulled off, and as Lin Yan opened his mouth, several pills flew out of the bottles and landed in his hand.

The power of the Dharma body replenishes the elixir, and the divine soul replenishes the elixir.

At this moment, Lin Yan was taking one pill every now and then, as if it were free.

Fortunately, he had acquired quite a few pills as spoils of war in the Thunder Swamp Secret Realm this time, otherwise he really wouldn't have been able to get so many pills on short notice.

Time passes little by little.

The dozen or so bottles of pills on the table were gradually running out, and Lin Yan's expression showed no sign of anxiety.

He misjudged the difficulty of this Dharma Image Holding Weapon Seal. The later hand gestures and each change in them consumed more of his divine soul and Dharma Image power than the earlier ones.

But if he gives up now...

This means that all these pills were wasted.

Lin Yan was unwilling to accept that the pills, worth tens of thousands of purple gold coins, had gone down the drain.

"That's sunk cost!"

Lin Yan looked at Lei Sui. Reason told him to give up and not to be unwilling to invest more and more pills just because of the pills he had already used.

Sunk costs should not be involved in current decision-making.

He understood this principle in his past life, but understanding it is one thing, and he can't actually give it up now.

"Let's gamble!"

With a gritted tooth, Lin Yan opened his mouth, and the Thunder Marrow flew directly into his mouth, which he swallowed in several gulps.

As the Thunder Marrow entered his throat, a surge of pure thunderous energy instantly rushed into his Divine Palace. The Dharma Aspect power within Lin Yan's Divine Palace, which was almost completely depleted, was restored in an instant. Furthermore, the remaining 20% ​​of Dharma Aspect power that had not yet liquefied began to liquefy directly under the energy of this Thunder Marrow, without the need for vortex rotation.

Lin Yan's spirits were lifted, and his previous exhaustion vanished.

Taking advantage of the surge of energy from the Thunder Marrow, Lin Yan took a deep breath and began to condense the last few hand seals of the Supporting Weapon Seal.

boom!

As the last hand gesture was completed, Lin Yan felt a booming sound coming from all five senses.

At this moment, both the soul's perception and the ears were filled with a buzzing sound.

This sudden change caused Yan to panic for the first time.

Since he embarked on martial arts cultivation, he has never experienced heart palpitations and tinnitus like he did in his previous life.

What exactly is going on?

Could it be that there's something wrong with this Dharma Image Weapon Holding Technique, and I've been tricked by the Night Owl?

Just as Lin Yan's heart was pounding, the Martial Dao Tree in his mind stirred and began to sway.

Once, twice, three times.

The martial arts tree swayed only three times, and Lin Yan found that the palpitations and tinnitus had disappeared, and he had regained his clarity.

Everything was as if it had never happened.

The Dharma Image, holding the weapon seal, successfully cultivated through the support of the weapon seal.