This martial saint is too cautious.

Situ Mu, who had been sitting on the side watching the show with a smile, looked at the scabbard beside Lin Yan when he heard this.

"Young Master Lin is a swordsman, but unfortunately I practice swordsmanship, so I'm afraid I can't offer much guidance on swordsmanship."

Situ Mu spoke up, listening to the conversation between Lin Yan and his granddaughter. He also felt a sense of admiration for Lin Yan.

He had seen thick-skinned martial artists before, but few could speak so frankly.

He is neither obsequious nor arrogant; in terms of temperament, he is a promising talent.

"Senior, I practice swordsmanship."

Lin Yan picked up the scabbard beside him and drew the long sword from it.

As Situ Mu drew his longsword from its sheath, a strange expression flickered across his face, causing Yin Ruoxi, standing beside him, to burst out laughing.

"To be honest, sword sheaths are more expensive than knife sheaths on the market. I bought a knife sheath because it was cheaper. As long as you can afford it, it's the same."

Slightly embarrassed, Lin Yan scratched his head and tried to salvage the situation with a comment.

He would naturally not admit that turning it into a scabbard was to make it into an old silver coin, as that would somewhat damage the image he had just established.

Situ Mu shook his head: "I can't teach you swordsmanship, young man."

"Master, how come you can't teach me?"

Yin Ruoxi's beautiful brows furrowed, her big eyes filled with deep doubt. If even her master couldn't teach her, then who could?

Situ Mu explained, "Girl, your master's swordsmanship is very special. To be taught by me, you must at least cultivate a sword heart. Without a sword heart, you cannot learn my swordsmanship. If I were to teach Brother Lin, it would only cause him to become obsessed."

His swordsmanship was different from the beginning; otherwise, he wouldn't have only taken on one disciple over the years.

He cannot teach those without a talent for swordsmanship, nor does he deign to do so.

Yin Ruoxi didn't quite understand what her master meant, but Lin Yan did. What the senior meant was that he was too incompetent, and that he wouldn't be able to learn the sword techniques he was taught, and might even suffer a qi deviation.

"Senior, what is sword heart?" Lin Yan asked curiously.

"Sword Heart is the heart that understands the way of the sword. Those who possess Sword Heart have a talent in the way of the sword that far surpasses that of ordinary martial artists."

"Then how can one acquire a sword heart?"

"There are innate sword hearts and acquired sword hearts, but whether they are innate or acquired, they have something in common: a pure love for the sword, valuing it more than their own lives. But this young man practices swordsmanship only to improve his strength, which is slightly utilitarian."

Situ Mu didn't say it so bluntly, but Lin Yan knew in his heart that this senior Situ felt that he practiced swordsmanship with utilitarian motives, rather than purely because he liked swords.

This senior Situ was indeed quite insightful. He chose swordsmanship because the Jinghong Sword Technique was a top-grade skill.

They valued rank, not swordsmanship.

But he didn't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and wanted to fight for it for himself.

"My background has determined that I have a utilitarian mindset in martial arts and cannot be so pure, but I believe that I still have some talent in swordsmanship."

Situ Mu shook his head: "Some talent? Young Master Lin doesn't understand what having a sword heart means. For others, it's already considered good talent to develop sword intent in three to five years, but for someone with a sword heart, it's normal to develop sword intent within a year."

Seeing that Lin Yan did not show any discouragement because of his master's words, Yin Ruoxi rolled her eyes and chimed in, "Master, why don't we give him a chance and let him draw his sword?"

Situ Mu pondered for a while, then said, "Fine, show me your sword skills."

I'll strike him with my sword, just to make him give up.

"Thank you, senior."

Lin Yan didn't say much, but gripped the sword hilt with his right hand. Just as he did so, a look of surprise flashed in Situ Mu's eyes.

With his keen eye, he could tell a martial artist's skill in swordsmanship from the moment he held the sword.

This kid has actually mastered sword intent!

While Situ Mu was surprised, Lin Yan raised his hand, without any opening stance or preparation, and simply swung his sword.

The sword light was as thin as silk.

As thin as a wisp of smoke, as faint as a wisp of mist, it traces an extremely thin arc in the air.

A moment later, the sword light dissipated.

Lin Yan sheathed his sword and stood with his hands at his sides.

At this moment, the mountains and fields seemed to become extremely quiet, with only the crackling sound of firewood.

Yin Ruoxi's small mouth opened slightly, and her clear, big eyes widened.

Lin Yan's sword strike just now was imbued with sword intent.

She had seen many people develop sword intent before; she had even seen quite a few who developed sword intent in their teens.

But their backgrounds determined that they would be ahead of their peers in kendo.

She subconsciously looked at her master. Although her master said he couldn't teach her, she wasn't stupid. She understood his underlying meaning and felt that Lin Yan wouldn't have any talent in swordsmanship.

Did Master misjudge this time?

Situ Mu's expression froze. He sat there, his white eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his old eyes narrowed into slits. Had he really misjudged him?

He didn't care about saving face; the reason his expression froze was because he couldn't quite understand this young man anymore.

Even a martial artist without a sword heart can develop sword intent through diligent practice.

If you train for eight or ten years, or wait until you reach the Blood Exchange Realm, you can shorten the training time by leveraging your blood and qi advantage.

However, according to his own words, this young man has been practicing martial arts for less than two years, and has practiced swordsmanship for at most a year and a half. There is no reason why he could develop sword intent.

He was certain that this boy lacked the heart of a swordsman.

If someone possesses a sword heart, they can sense it through their swordsmanship.

"How long have you been practicing swordsmanship?"

After holding it in for a while, Situ Mu asked a question he didn't want to ask.

"About six months," Lin Yan answered truthfully.

Situ Mu fell silent once again. To have mastered sword intent in half a year—that speed would be considered genius even among the major sword sects.

It's baffling, truly baffling.

Situ Mu remained silent, and Lin Yan also remained silent.

He was considering whether to confess to this senior Situ that he only used the scabbard to catch his opponent off guard, but then he thought better of it. Judging from senior Situ's pilgrimage-like attitude towards swordsmanship, if he said that, he would probably be criticized just as much.

He criticized himself for lacking the upright and honorable heart of a swordsman.

The two had different thoughts, but both fell silent.

Yin Ruoxi's gaze swept between her grandmaster and Lin Yan, and she said in a clear voice, "Grandmaster, since he has talent in swordsmanship, and you are a master swordsman, please give him some pointers."

"I won't offer any guidance on swordsmanship."

Situ Mu shook his head; without someone with a sword heart, he truly couldn't offer guidance.

"Brother Lin, I'm not lying to you. I had a sword heart when I first entered the martial arts world, and the sword path I cultivate is also related to my sword heart. Even those rising stars I've encountered also possess a sword heart. If I were to give you guidance, it might not be to help you, but could potentially ruin you."

Old Versailles.

Lin Yan could understand the meaning behind Senior Situ's words because he had heard a story about a big shot in his previous life that was somewhat similar to Senior Situ's situation.

In that big shot's eyes, even the dumbest person should have learned calculus by the age of fourteen.

That expert is a genius, and everyone around him is also a genius. So, he thought his teaching method was something ordinary people could understand, but in reality, only geniuses could keep up with the pace.

Finally, Situ Mu's gaze lingered on Lin Yan's noticeably plumper body for a moment: "You must be eating tiger meat at every meal lately until you're stuffed."

Lin Yan was taken aback: "Senior has keen insight."

"It's not that I have a discerning eye, I can tell just by looking at you." Situ Mu pointed at his face. "You've been eating too much, and you haven't had time to refine it all. Your qi and blood are accumulating in your flesh and can't get out, which is why you've gotten so fat. Do you think that once you've passed the Bone Tempering stage, strong bones mean a fat body, and that it's normal to be a little chubby?"

Lin Yan, realizing that his thoughts had been exposed, nodded and said, "That is indeed what I have been thinking."

Situ Mu shook his head: "If eating meat were enough, all martial artists in the world would just go hunting in the mountains. What would be the point of elixirs? The blood and energy derived from tiger meat are now piled up in your skin and flesh, and can no longer be absorbed. Ultimately, your blood and energy will become disordered, damaging your martial arts foundation."

"I come from a poor family. It is already a blessing that I have been able to cultivate to the third level of skin-refining. I have no money to buy pills, so I can only go into the mountains to hunt. I was afraid that the tiger meat would spoil if left for too long, so I ate it like crazy. I didn't know that it would cause a disaster. Please teach me how to resolve this."

Lin Yan earnestly sought guidance, but the other party was unwilling to instruct him in swordsmanship; it seemed they intended to instruct him in other areas.

Situ Mu glanced at him and laughed, "You're quite impolite."

"I would never dare to miss your guidance, senior."

Situ Mu pondered for a moment: "Since you've spoken up, I can't just eat your flesh for nothing. I'll teach you a breathing technique. This technique will allow your body to refine the unabsorbed qi and blood, preventing it from accumulating in your body and eventually becoming impurities. Consider it repayment for this meal."

Lin Yan was overjoyed and immediately clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, senior!"

Situ Mu waved his hand: "This technique is not so easy to learn. Whether you can master it depends entirely on your own fate."

After saying that, he took out a leather scroll from his pocket, the contents of which were of unknown animal type, and threw it at Lin Yan.

"We've eaten the meat and repaid the favor, girl, it's time for us to go."

Situ Mu really had no intention of guiding Lin Yan's cultivation. He stood up and took a few steps, already more than ten feet away, leaving Lin Yan dumbfounded.

What level of martial artist could achieve such effortless skill?

"This junior respectfully bids farewell to the senior, and will forever remember the senior's kindness in bestowing merit upon us."

Yin Ruoxi followed her master away. After they had gone some distance, she turned back and saw Lin Yan still standing there watching them leave. She provoked him, saying, "Master, you're not refusing to give him pointers because you misjudged him and are too embarrassed to admit it, are you?"

"Girl, trying to provoke your master?"

Situ Mu could easily see through his grand-disciple's little scheme, and smiled slightly: "Master's swordsmanship cannot be learned by a martial artist without a sword heart."

"If even Master can't teach him, does that mean Lin Yan has a high talent?" Yin Ruoxi chuckled.

When Situ Mu saw that his grand-disciple's attitude towards Lin Yan had changed drastically, not only speaking up for him but also deliberately provoking him, he knew that the girl probably felt guilty towards Lin Yan because of the impetuous things she had said at the beginning.

"Girl, although that boy speaks frankly, don't really think he's an honest person."

"Master, do you mean Lin Yan lied to me?" Yin Ruoxi's pure eyes widened, and her delicate face puffed up.

"He wasn't lying to you; he was telling the truth, but he deliberately exaggerated the difficulties."

Situ Mu shook his head and explained, "In these small counties, four skin-smoking sessions are already considered top-tier figures. This young man comes from an ordinary background and must have suffered a lot, but he has already had three skin-smoking sessions at this age, so you could say that his hard work has finally paid off."

Yin was naive and felt guilty after what the boy said, but she knew perfectly well what was going on in her heart.

With this kid's current strength and talent, he's living a very comfortable life in the county town.

Yin Ruoxi's pretty face showed a thoughtful expression. After a few moments of contemplation, she said, "Grandmaster, if he doesn't continue on the path of martial arts, he can live a good life. But if he wants to go further on the path of martial arts, will things still be the same as before?"

"this……"

Situ Mu hadn't expected his grand-disciple to say such a thing. After a moment's thought, he said, "You're right. If he wants to continue on the path of martial arts, he will still face many difficulties."

The main problem is that I started practicing martial arts too late!

These sectarian factions in Shandong value age and spiritual attainment.

What's even more unfortunate is that although this kid has cultivated sword intent, he doesn't have a sword heart. Without a sword heart, he can't cultivate the will to fight with swords. Although I don't know how he cultivated sword intent in such a short time, as his realm improves, this little bit of inspiration in swordsmanship is nothing.

"Your grandmaster is not a stingy person. The technique he passed on to him is the most suitable for him at present. It will be enough for him to benefit from until he reaches the True Gang Realm. Once the effects of this technique are spread, the sects in Shandong will not be able to sit still."

For these sects in Shandong, they don't lack the resources needed for low-level martial artists. What they lack is the upper limit of the medicinal power that a martial artist's body can absorb and refine. If they master this technique, it would be enough to increase the number of their talented disciples by a large margin.

No sect has many top experts, but the birth of each top expert is built up from a large number of low-level genius martial artists.

This kid hides his sword in a scabbard, saying that the scabbard is cheaper, but how could he hide his true intentions from me? He's clearly trying to conceal his true abilities.

Given this kid's temperament, he wouldn't easily reveal this technique.

If he were truly exposed, and those sects in Shandong were to kill him and steal his credit, then that would be his fate.

He dared to shamelessly ask for an opportunity, and now that I've given him one, it remains to be seen whether he can handle it.

……

After watching the old man and the girl disappear around the bend in the mountain valley, Lin Yan turned his gaze away and opened the scroll in his hand.

After a short while, Lin Yan finally understood why Senior Situ had said that whether or not one could master it depended on their own destiny.

The skin of this animal, of unknown origin, was soft and covered with a monster painted on it. It resembled a bull but had a human face and a gaping maw.

Below the monster was a series of small diagrams. After looking at them for a long time, Lin Yan finally understood that these small diagrams represented the routes of breathing exercises.

It enters through the mouth, passes through the throat, over the chest and abdomen, sinks into the dantian, and then spreads along the meridians to the limbs and bones. However, unlike ordinary breathing exercises, the destination of this route is not the dantian, but the skin.

The breath travels through the body, returns to the surface, and finally returns to the chest and abdomen, forming a cycle.

There are no words at all, not even the name of the cultivation method.

"We can only take it one step at a time."

Lin Yan shook his head helplessly. After spending a quarter of an hour memorizing the luck routes and details on these small pictures, he closed his eyes and began to circulate his energy according to the routes on the pictures.

Breath enters through the mouth, passes through the throat, over the chest and abdomen, and sinks into the dantian. This step is no different from ordinary breathing exercises, but after reaching the dantian, the qi and blood begin to become disordered.

Without the proper techniques for breathing exercises, it's too difficult.

However, Lin Yan was not discouraged. He tried again and again, stopping whenever his luck was bad and his blood and qi became disordered, and continuing only after his blood and qi recovered.

Once, twice, three times...

Ten times, twenty times, thirty times... a hundred times.

A cool sensation descended from between my brows and instantly spread throughout my body.

Lin Yan was startled and quickly looked inward into his mind, where a new bud was quietly growing on the Martial Arts Tree.

The Martial Arts Tree now guarantees a minimum reward.

At this moment, his body was once again in a state of emptiness, and his breathing began to circulate under the influence of this cool aura, from his chest to his dantian and then to the surface of his body...

Every detail, every step, is crystal clear.

The moment the breath reached the surface of his body, Lin Yan's body began to expand like a balloon, and when the breath returned to his dantian, his body slowly shrank back.

After repeating this several times, when the cool sensation dissipated, Lin Yan immediately took control of his body and circulated his internal energy and blood according to the energy flow pattern he had just observed.

The body also goes through a cycle of expansion and contraction, then expansion and contraction again.

"Is this some kind of Toad Style kung fu?"

Feeling the changes in his body as it expanded and shrank, Lin Yan couldn't help but mutter to himself.

……

Half an hour later, Lin Yan stopped, feeling a sense of relief.

"That senior was right. I do have too much qi and blood in my body. This qi and blood is not generated by my body, but is accumulated in my body because I ate too much bear and tiger meat and it could not be digested. To some extent, it has caused blockages in my body."

Previously, the body had accumulated unrefined blood and qi, but because of the continuous improvement of one's strength, it was difficult to detect. I'm afraid that by the time I noticed it later, it would be when there were problems with my body.

Just like when a person gets sick, minor illnesses have no symptoms, and by the time they are noticed, they are already serious.

Lin Yan looked in the direction where Situ Mu had disappeared, and a trace of gratitude once again appeared in his eyes.

"Let's not take this purple Ganoderma for now. We'll wait until all the stagnant blood and qi in our body are digested. As for this nameless technique, let's call it the Swallowing and Transforming Technique."

The "Swallowing and Digesting Technique" is derived from the concept of swallowing and digesting food.