’Clear Wind Sword Skill?’
Seeing his disciple’s confused expression, Lin Shouyuan explained before he began, "I am not teaching you the Clear Wind Sword Skill because it is not a Lin Family Cultivation Technique. It comes from my own Sect, and I cannot pass it on without their permission."
"Master, you have a Sect?"
This time, Lin Yan was genuinely surprised. He had assumed his master cultivated only the Lin Family’s Cultivation Techniques.
With the Lin Family’s resources, it should have been no problem to cultivate his master to the True Gang Realm. ’Could it be that he sought a new master after reaching the True Gang Realm?’
’How is that any different from those CEOs and bosses in my previous life going to business school?’
"The Lin Family doesn’t have many Cultivation Techniques for the Sword Dao. Before my time, the clan had no members who were particularly skilled with the sword. For someone with talent in the Sword Dao, the guidance of a powerhouse can save you from taking many wrong turns."
"I understand," Lin Yan said with a nod. He then asked curiously, "Master, which Sect did you join?"
Lin Shouyuan’s hand, which was stroking his beard, paused. His gaze drifted to the river’s surface as he said slowly, "Of the Great Zhou’s twenty-three Daos, Beihai Dao is without a doubt the most prosperous when it comes to the Sword Dao. And within Beihai Dao, the Taiyi Sword Sect and the Celestial Sword Sect are the two most revered."
"Master, did you join the Taiyi Sword Sect?"
"I joined neither the Taiyi Sword Sect nor the Celestial Sword Sect." Lin Shouyuan shook his head. "I joined the Chengyi Sword Institute. The Institute’s founders were all powerhouses from the Taiyi Sword Sect, and most of the Cultivation Techniques we practice originate from there. If one’s talent is outstanding enough, they might even get the chance to go to the Taiyi Sword Sect itself."
’Jingcheng University Affiliated Middle School, or Jingda Cyan Bird?’
For some reason, those two school names popped into Lin Yan’s head.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lin Shouyuan asked curiously, seeing his disciple’s thoughtful expression.
"I was just thinking that with your talent, Master, and our Lin Family’s status, you should have been able to enter the Taiyi Sword Sect directly."
Hearing Lin Yan’s words, Lin Shouyuan laughed freely. "There’s no need to flatter me, and you shouldn’t underestimate Beihai Dao. The Great Zhou has twenty-three Daos, but there are differences in strength among them. Shandong Dao can only be considered average, while Beihai Dao is one of the five strongest. In terms of territory alone, it’s more than ten times the size of our Shandong Dao. Moreover, the presence of the Taiyi and Celestial Sword Sects attracts countless Sword Dao geniuses from across the entire Great Zhou. It’s simply not on the same level as our Shandong Dao."
This time, Lin Yan understood. Beihai Dao was vast. Its immense territory alone meant it had a higher probability of producing Martial Arts geniuses than other regions. Coupled with the siphoning effect of the Taiyi Sword Sect and the Celestial Sword Sect, every Sword Dao genius in the Great Zhou flocked there, turning it into a holy land for the Sword Dao.
For some reason, he recalled an image he’d seen in his previous life. It showed a landmark skyscraper in a metropolis late at night, and every single lit window represented someone who had once been the prodigy of their small town, a rare gem in their county. Paired with the kind of background music that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into a world you don’t belong in, the sense of powerlessness was overwhelming.
"With your talent, you’ll definitely have to take a trip to Beihai Dao in the future. But there’s no need to rush. Once you reach the Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation, you can make a trip to Tai Mountain."
"Tai Mountain?"
"On Tai Mountain, there’s a Sword Inquiry Stone left behind by the Celestial Sword Sect. If you can successfully ’inquire of the sword,’ you can join the Celestial Sword Sect. Even if you don’t meet their standards, the Sword Inquiry Stone will grant you an inquiry credential based on your Sword Dao potential. If you get a Rank B... you’ll be able to join any other Sect in Beihai Dao, aside from the Celestial Sword Sect and the Taiyi Sword Sect."
Lin Yan grew thoughtful. ’For someone like me, who cultivates using the Martial Arts Tree, how would the Sword Inquiry Stone judge my potential?’
"Master, did you go to Tai Mountain to inquire of the sword back then?"
"You want to ask about my Sword Dao aptitude, don’t you?" Lin Shouyuan could easily see through Lin Yan’s intentions. He stated frankly, "The Sword Inquiry Stone divides aptitude into three ranks: A, B, and C. Each rank is then subdivided into upper, middle, and lower. My result back then was Middle Rank B."
’Rank B?’
Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good, it wasn’t some cliché Rank C result.’
’From the looks of it, Rank A must be for those Sword Dao geniuses who are close to possessing an Innate Sword Heart. They can probably enter the Taiyi Sword Sect and the Celestial Sword Sect directly, without any assessment. Rank B doesn’t mean you have no chance, just that you need to be tested.’
"This is all still quite far off for you. I’m telling you this just so you understand that while it might be an exaggeration to say the world is teeming with Sword Dao geniuses, there is certainly no shortage of them. You must guard against arrogance and impatience."
"I will remember, Master."
Lin Shouyuan said no more. He held two fingers of his right hand together like a sword and slowly raised it.
There was no building of momentum, no opening stance, not even a single wasted motion. He simply raised his hand as if catching a falling leaf in the wind.
Then, his fingertips descended.
There was no Sword Aura, no sound of tearing air, but Lin Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He saw the wind.
His master’s fingers sliced through the air. In their wake, the currents didn’t scatter in a panic. Instead, as if tamed, they flowed obediently along his fingers, creating a breeze.
The wind grew stronger.
It wasn’t a gale or a storm. It was the kind of draft you feel in a mountain bamboo grove on a summer afternoon, one that suddenly rushes out from the depths of a valley. It wasn’t hurried, or fierce, or aggressive, but it was unstoppable. It burrowed through the gap in his collar, slipped through the openings of his sleeves, and seeped in from every conceivable corner.
Lin Yan felt his robes flutter in the breeze, losing all track of how long he had been watching...
Suddenly, Lin Yan closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the Abyssal Sword.
The Sword Momentum of his Pine Wind Swordsmanship began to circulate in his mind. Without even drawing his blade, the entire form played out in his head. Guided by his master’s Clear Wind Sword Intent, this Sword Momentum slowly traveled through his body—from his Dantian to his Chest, from his Chest to his Tiantu acupoint, from his Tiantu to his arms, and from his arms into his palms.

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