The Limits of the Tiger Blade Technique

"What are you doing lying around here, kid?"

When Ling Yun returned to the inn, he saw Zhang Mu sprawled out at the entrance to his room, fast asleep. Annoyed, he immediately kicked him.

"Holy crap! Who the hell…"

Zhang Mu shot up with bloodshot eyes, but as soon as he saw who it was, he immediately shrank his neck and stood aside with a dry chuckle.

"Heh heh… It's Master Ling."

"Master Ling, you ordered last night that no one should disturb you, so I decided to guard…"

He suddenly froze mid-sentence. He looked at the tightly shut door, then at Ling Yun standing before him, and was completely bewildered.

He couldn't fathom how Ling Yun, who was supposed to be in the room, had suddenly returned from outside.

Ling Yun glanced at him, offering no further explanation, and pushed open the door to his room before walking in.

He then looked back at Zhang Mu, who was standing at the doorway. After a moment's thought, he said, "Right, there are a couple of things I need you to take care of as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mu immediately straightened his body, looking ready to follow any command.

Ling Yun ignored him and said calmly:

"First, find a courtyard house nearby. The size doesn't matter, but it needs to be secluded and quiet."

"Also, keep an eye out for any news about internal cultivation techniques on the market. If you find anything, notify me immediately!"

Watching Zhang Mu nod and leave, Ling Yun closed the door again.

He opened his status panel and saw two more Modification Points, earned from killing the Ghost Infant and its mother.

He was starting to understand now. A "Mortal"-Grade Evil Spirit was probably worth one Modification Point.

Thinking back, the only reason Situ Ying was valued so highly was likely because that guy had more than one Evil Spirit fused within him at the time.

Ling Yun couldn't think of any other explanation.

As for the higher-ranked Fiend-Grade Evil Spirits, he hadn't encountered any yet, so he wasn't sure.

Ling Yun shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

He looked at the cultivation techniques on his panel and, after a moment of thought, his gaze fell upon the Tiger Blade Technique.

This was the highest-ranked technique he currently possessed, and it could be modified further!

"Can it really be modified without limits?" Ling Yun stroked his chin, suddenly feeling a bit intrigued.

Without further hesitation, he focused and clicked on it.

Tiger Blade Technique, Level Five!

Just as he expected, as he consumed the Modification Points, the Tiger Blade Technique increased by another level.

His Blood Essence was consumed by a small half, his control over the Tiger Blade Technique improved, and the duration of Tiger's Might seemed to have increased…

Ling Yun felt the new changes within himself but was somewhat dissatisfied.

To be honest, the changes brought about by raising the Tiger Blade Technique to Level Five were not as significant as he had imagined.

It was even a bit too anticlimactic.

And…

Ling Yun looked at the Tiger Blade Technique on his panel. The prompt indicating [Modifiable] behind the technique had disappeared again.

" This martial art has reached its upgrade limit." For some reason, such a thought suddenly appeared in Ling Yun's mind.

This thought had no basis, yet it felt so natural.

After all, if it could truly be upgraded infinitely, it would be far too monstrous.

"It seems I'll need to find more martial arts in the future."

Ling Yun fell silent for a moment, then closed the panel.

He didn't plan to use the remaining Modification Point right away, intending to save it for future unexpected needs.

Time flew by, and it was already noon.

At this time, Zhang Mu sent word that he had made progress on the housing matter.

Ling Yun pondered for a moment. Since he had nothing else to do, he might as well go take a look.

Under Zhang Mu's guidance, they passed through several alleyways and arrived at a secluded spot.

What appeared before them was a medium-sized courtyard house.

Judging by the simple decorations on the exterior, the previous owner of this residence must have been someone of wealth and status.

The real estate agent, who had been waiting at the entrance for a long time,'s eyes lit up upon seeing them, and he quickly hurried over.

After a brief exchange, they began to tour the courtyard.

"My esteemed sirs, I must say you have excellent taste. This property is currently in high demand. Look at how the walls are built…"

The so-called real estate agent was essentially a middleman from his previous life.

Knowing the usual tricks involved, Ling Yun waved his hand to cut him off. If he let the guy keep talking, this place would probably make the imperial palace look bad.

After walking around the mansion, Ling Yun nodded in satisfaction.

"Heh heh, since the master is pleased, then the price..."

The agent's eyes lit up, but before he could finish speaking, Zhang Mu tugged him aside, and the two began a heated discussion about the price.

Ling Yun ignored them and walked deeper into the mansion.

After passing through a long corridor, a wide open space appeared before him. Although it was overgrown with weeds, with a little clearing, it would be perfectly suitable as a rudimentary training ground.

Ling Yun's eyes flickered as he made a rough plan in his mind.

At this moment, Zhang Mu's figure also approached. "Master Ling, the price has been settled. It's three hundred taels of silver in total."

"Three hundred taels?" Ling Yun raised an eyebrow. The price was a bit high, but it was still within an acceptable range.

"Alright, I understand."

"Make sure to find a few more household servants later to tidy this place up properly. Remember to keep your mouths shut."

"And get the materials listed here ready as soon as possible."

After speaking, Ling Yun took out a piece of paper and handed it over.

Zhang Mu took the note and glanced at it, then grinned. "Don't worry, Master Ling, it's on me."

Ling Yun nodded faintly. This guy might not be very strong, but his efficiency in handling matters was quite satisfactory to him.

Looking at Zhang Mu standing respectfully to the side, Ling Yun pondered for a moment and took out another piece of paper.

"Take this. Come ask me again if you don't understand anything."

Zhang Mu took it doubtfully, but when he saw the contents of the note, his eyes went wide, and he looked at Ling Yun in disbelief.

"Master Ling... this... how can I..."

Ling Yun waved his hand. "That's enough. This is what you deserve."

Zhang Mu's face flushed with excitement, and then he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing sincerely to Ling Yun a few times.

"Master Ling, I will never forget your great kindness!"

Ling Yun's gaze was calm as he accepted his kowtow with ease.

The note he had given was the cultivation insights for the Tiger Blade Technique that he had originally prepared for Fang Yuan.

For a martial artist, this could indeed be considered a life-changing favor.

After all, even a master and disciple wouldn't impart their insights so unreservedly.

"Now that I've given you the materials, I have only one requirement: you must reach the Intent Conduit realm by the end of the month."

"If you can't do it, don't ever appear before me again. I don't keep useless people around me." Ling Yun stood with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent.

"Don't worry, Master Ling, I absolutely will not disappoint you!" Zhang Mu said solemnly, his expression serious.

He had been stuck at Force Conduit for several years, and before today, he had no confidence in breaking through to Intent Conduit, but now, with this...

Zhang Mu clenched his fists, feeling that the path ahead was brighter than ever before. His choice back then was the right one.

Ling Yun, unaware of his thoughts, simply waved his hand, signaling him to get up. "Alright, no need for all this nonsense. I only need to see the final result."

He then turned and left directly.

"Don't worry, Master Ling, I won't let you down!"

Looking at Ling Yun's retreating back, Zhang Mu's eyes were firm, and he silently made a vow in his heart.