Though Lin Yan was also somewhat surprised, it wasn’t a major blow to him. No matter how few Sword Dao Marks he had, how could it compare to the Martial Arts Tree?
The Martial Arts Tree was his ultimate source of confidence.
Lin Yan felt he had a good enough grasp on the Sword Pill. Noticing the heavy silence, he decided to change the subject. "Master, what’s the difference between the Blood Exchange Realm and the True Gang Realm?"
’I’m already at the Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation. The next step is the True Gang Realm.’
’The Blood Exchange Realm involves cultivating Blood Gang. So what’s the difference between Blood Gang and True Gang?’
"Why the sudden question?"
"I was just curious. Since I’ve already learned about the Sword Pill and the Sword Dao Mark, I thought I might as well learn more about the True Gang Realm."
Hearing Lin Yan’s explanation, Lin Shouyuan didn’t give it much thought. At Lin Yan’s cultivation speed, he would reach Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation Perfection in another year or two at most. It was indeed time for him to consider matters of the True Gang Realm.
"How much do you know about True Gang?"
"I only know that in the True Gang Realm, one can project their Blood Gang."
Lin Yan shared what little he knew about the True Gang Realm. He was currently in the Blood Exchange Realm, where his Blood Gang could not leave his body. The only way to project it was by using Sword Gang, a fusion of Sword Intent and Blood Gang.
This was true for other Martial Artists in the Blood Exchange Realm as well. A powerhouse in the True Gang Realm, however, could project their Blood Gang without relying on any Cultivation Method Realm.
"Projecting Blood Gang... is merely the most trivial aspect of the True Gang Realm."
Lin Shouyuan smiled faintly. "To break through from Blood Exchange to True Gang, you need to open a Gang Acupoint."
"A Gang Acupoint?"
"Yes, a Gang Acupoint," Lin Shouyuan said gravely. "In the Blood Exchange Realm, Blood Gang cannot be projected without the aid of a Cultivation Method Realm. This is because both Skin Smoothing and Blood Exchange are merely stages of developing one’s own internal power. By the time you reach the Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation, you’ve basically reached the end of that path. To advance further, you must borrow the Power of Heaven and Earth, absorb it into your body, and condense it within a Gang Acupoint. The moment you successfully open a Gang Acupoint, you are considered to have stepped into the True Gang Realm."
After listening to his master’s explanation, Lin Yan fell silent for a moment before asking, "Master, what exactly is a Gang Acupoint?"
"A Gang Acupoint is a special acupoint capable of absorbing the Power of Heaven and Earth. These acupoints aren’t inherent to the human body; they are created by the cultivator. We only call them ’acupoints’ because they’re located within the body—it just makes the concept easier to grasp."
Lin Shouyuan looked at Lin Yan. "It’s like your Sword Pill. Do you consider the Sword Pill to be an innate part of the human body, or something foreign?"
Hearing his master’s question, Lin Yan fell into deep thought.
’The Sword Pill is born from Sword Intent and stored in the Dantian. Logically, it should be considered part of the body.’
’But people who don’t practice the sword—ordinary people—don’t have one.’
"You don’t need to get too caught up in what a Gang Acupoint truly is. Once you reach Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation Perfection, you’ll begin to slowly sense the Power of Heaven and Earth. During your cultivation, you’ll absorb it automatically, but this method is far too slow. Most Blood Exchange Fourth Transformation Martial Artists with sufficient resources choose to use external items rich in Heaven and Earth Energy to speed up their breakthrough to the True Gang Realm."
"Master, is there a difference in one’s future Martial Arts path between breaking through with external aid and breaking through on one’s own?"
"No difference."
Lin Shouyuan smiled. "Think of it this way: during the Skin Smoothing and Blood Exchange stages, you ate Rare Birds and took Elixirs to speed up your cultivation. Do you think there’s any difference between you and someone who didn’t use them, relying only on themselves to break through bit by bit?"
Lin Yan smiled at his master’s explanation. ’Indeed, there’s no difference.’
’Unless, of course, one overused Elixirs, causing a buildup of residual energy in the body.’
"Master, is the power gap between a True Gang Realm powerhouse and a Blood Exchange Realm powerhouse really that big?"
Lin Yan asked another question that was weighing on his mind.
This time, Lin Shouyuan didn’t answer with words. His robes stirred, though there was no wind. In the next instant, Blood Gang began to slowly coalesce behind him. This was no simple projection of Gang Qi; it was a deeper, almost tangible darkness.
It was as if an abyss had opened up behind him—profound and silent, seemingly capable of devouring all light.
The abyss was clearly condensed within a radius of a few feet, yet it gave Lin Yan the illusion of being boundless. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff, peering into a bottomless chasm where only an endless, churning darkness could be seen.
"I cultivate the Ten Thousand Rivers Return to the Abyss Technique. Experience it for yourself!"
Lin Shouyuan gave a low shout.
The abyss behind him suddenly came to life.
There was no explosion, no violent eruption. Instead, a slow, irresistible pull emanated from it, like an invisible giant’s hand emerging from the darkness to rest gently upon Lin Yan.
Lin Yan felt the Qi Blood in his body suddenly freeze, then surge uncontrollably toward his skin, as if something was forcefully drawing the Power out of him.
It wasn’t pain, it was powerlessness.
He instinctively circulated his Blood Gang to resist, but the pulling force clung to him like a disease gnawing at his bones; no matter how he tried to command his Blood Gang, he could not break free from its grasp.
His Blood Gang would coalesce, then shatter, coalesce, then shatter again. The cycle repeated, each collapse happening faster than the one before.
He could even feel the two Sword Pills in his Dantian trembling faintly, as if that invisible hand was gently plucking at them, threatening to pull them from his body at any moment.
"Settle!"
Lin Shouyuan retracted his Gang form. The abyss behind him vanished without a sound, and the air in the courtyard began to move again.
Lin Yan stood rooted to the spot, his face pale. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his back was already soaked through with a cold sweat.
"Master, that was an absolute crushing."
For the first time, a sense of helplessness laced Lin Yan’s voice. Before a True Gang Realm powerhouse, he was completely defenseless.
"What else would it be?" Lin Shouyuan said. "The leap from Blood Exchange to True Gang is a jump to an entirely different Realm. The gap is even wider than the one between the Skin Smoothing Fourth Transformation and the Blood Exchange Realm."

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