The Third Path

"It seems you've noticed too!" said Zhu Hou.

Lin Mu nodded. "Although I have many Martial Skills, they are too disorganized, unlike hers which are unified and can be combined to unleash stronger combat power."

Zhu Hou nodded slightly. "That's right! Martial Skill, breathing techniques, Secret Art, and cultivation methods are all part of one's own strength."

"Some people have mastered Martial Skill, but their breathing techniques conflict with their Martial Skill. When they use their breathing techniques, the power they unleash is actually weaker. On the other hand, some people's breathing techniques and Martial Skill complement each other, allowing them to unleash even stronger power."

"This is why, even though some people have stronger blood and qi and higher Martial Skills, they are still no match for these scions of noble families."

"The path they are to take is predetermined from the beginning. They only need to cultivate step by step to reach a certain level."

"These are things that many ordinary people don't understand."

"And you, although you have mastered many Martial Skills and Secret Art to the extreme, they are incompatible from the beginning and cannot achieve a synergistic effect greater than the sum of their parts," said Zhu Hou.

Lin Mu nodded. "Thank you for your guidance, senior. But I have already mastered so many Martial Skills and Secret Art. What should I do next?"

A slight smile played on Zhu Hou's lips as he countered, "What are your pursuits?"

Lin Mu said, "To reach the pinnacle."

"What if you can't reach the peak and can only reach the Seventh Order or Eighth Order level?" Zhu Hou asked again.

"Then I'd rather die!" Lin Mu said.

Previously, he would have thought that Seventh Order or Eighth Order would be very good.

Because he lacks a system, relying solely on himself, he has no chance of succeeding.

But even with this support, he still cannot reach the pinnacle.

What is the point of his life then?

Zhu Hou narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly said, "Is what you say what you think?"

"Absolutely true," Lin Mu said.

"Then let me tell you, if you continue like this, your future will at most reach the Seventh Order. Do you believe me?" Zhu Hou asked rhetorically.

Lin Mu looked surprised, but quickly nodded. "Senior would never lie to me."

"That's right, I really won't lie to you, and that's something that's very likely to happen in the future."

"Because in the path of martial arts, the more Martial Skill one cultivates, the easier it is to go astray. The stronger a martial artist's cultivation, the higher the requirements for self-improvement in all aspects."

"So, you have two paths in front of you."

"First, continue along your current path. In the future, choose the corresponding Martial Skill techniques and skills to hone them. With your talent, reaching the Seventh Order won't be difficult. But going beyond that will be much harder."

"Second, forget your previous Martial Skill and techniques, and start cultivating again. This path will be very difficult and will waste a lot of time, but it will allow you to go further," Zhu Hou said.

Lin Mu's expression changed visibly upon hearing this.

Because neither of these two paths is the best choice.

Choosing the first path means he will have a hard time reaching the Eighth Order later.

This foreshadowed his future, which was not far off.

Choosing the second path is tantamount to rebuilding from scratch.

It will take a lot of time, and he can't guarantee that the combination he chooses will be perfect; he might still go astray.

Lin Mu pondered for a moment, then asked, "May I ask, senior, is there no other choice?"

Zhu Hou let out a soft breath and slowly said, "There are some things that I shouldn't tell you now."

"But you probably won't be satisfied if I don't tell you."

"The path of a martial artist requires perfecting every detail as one progresses."

"For example, the Dragon's Thousand-Mile Stride that you are currently practicing will have a trace of its Blade Technique integrated into your basic Blade Technique. When you wield the saber in the future, there will always be one or two moves that are similar to the Dragon's Thousand-Mile Stride Technique."

"Just like the habits a person develops when they are young, these habits will still appear unintentionally even in old age."

"These subtle habits are not noticeable when your cultivation level is low, but as your cultivation level increases and you become more particular about details, they will follow you like a shadow and cause you trouble," Zhu Hou explained.

Lin Mu suddenly realized.

He understood what Zhu Hou meant.

Just like the Dragon's Thousand-Mile Stride he is currently practicing, when the Blade Technique is used, it will unleash the Dragon Faction. If the Blade Technique he practices in the future is still the Dragon Faction, then there will be no problem.

However, if he practices the Tiger Style Blade Technique, it could easily lead to conflict.

Because the two differ in their moves and fighting styles.

"No wonder people say that martial arts training is getting harder and harder!" Lin Mu thought to himself.

"This requires not only the martial artist's talent and strength, but also whether he can stick to the path he chooses to take."

Realizing this, Lin Mu felt a sense of despair.

Given his background, it's difficult to guarantee that he will continue to follow the right path in the future.

After all, the cultivation methods, Martial Skill, and Secret Art he needs are very likely not compatible with each other.

It could also easily have an impact on him.

"No wonder there are so few high-level martial artists in this world, it turns out there are requirements in this regard!" Lin Mu thought to himself.

"So! Do you understand what I meant earlier?" Zhu Hou asked, "If you don't make a choice, your future will inevitably be affected."

Lin Mu nodded. "I understand what you mean, senior, but I don't want to choose either of these two paths. Isn't there any other way?"

Zhu Hou gazed at Lin Mu with a faint smile on his face and slowly said, "There are paths, of course, but they are more difficult to traverse than those two."

Lin Mu looked puzzled.

"Whether it's martial arts, Martial Skill, or breathing techniques, they are all created by humans. In the early stages of their creation, these things were most suitable for the creators and also aligned with the path the creators wanted to take."

"If you don't want to choose the previous two paths, then you only have this path to choose: to create your own Martial Skill, skills, Secret Art, and breathing methods."

"But this path is difficult. It not only requires you to learn from the strengths of many schools of thought, but also requires you to follow your own path. The energy and time it consumes will be more than those two paths," Zhu Hou explained.

Lin Mu was slightly taken aback, and many thoughts came to mind.

If it were anyone else, they would definitely find this path very difficult.

But he's different; he has a system.

He was able to handle things that others considered difficult and time-consuming.

"Why didn't I think of this before? I have this kind of system, which allows me to make rapid progress in any Martial Skill or cultivation method. Since that's the case, why don't I comprehend my own Martial Skill, cultivation methods, Secret Art, and breathing techniques?" Lin Mu thought to himself.

There was a resolute look in his eyes.

Since Zhu Hou also said that this path was feasible, he would give it a try.

He combined the Martial Skill he had previously practiced to create his own Martial Skill, cultivation methods, and Secret Art!