Dual-Mindedness

A short distance beyond the Hall of Affairs stood the Mountain Gate of Hundred Flowers Valley.

The scenery here was beautiful, and quite a few Hundred Flowers Valley Patrolling Disciples who had accepted assignments were stationed here. They were responsible for receiving guests and issuing swift warnings in case anyone tried to invade the Mountain Gate.

Lin Lin presented his identity token and travel permit, then left the Mountain Gate after completing the registration.

Not far beyond the Mountain Gate, only a few miles away, was a bustling town packed with buildings and people.

There were eateries and taverns, brothels and entertainment houses, as well as shops selling weapons, silk, rouge, rice, grain, vegetables, and meat.

This town, known as Hundred Flowers Town, was equipped not only to receive outside visitors, but primarily to make life more convenient for the many disciples and sect members traveling to and from Hundred Flowers Valley.

Lin Lin left the Mountain Gate with the luggage he had prepared yesterday on his back, using his movement technique to head toward the town.

Using his horse-borrowing permit, he borrowed a fine Thousand Mile Horse from the stables operated by the sect. Thus began Lin Lin's first journey through the martial world.

The mission site was roughly four hundred kilometers from Hundred Flowers Valley's headquarters. At his mount's current speed, even accounting for rest stops along the way, he could reach his destination within a day.

Though it was his first time traveling far from home alone, Lin Lin was not particularly curious about the sights along the way.

His goal was clear: finish this mission as soon as possible, then return to cultivation.

Although his mother, Zhang Fei, had bluntly judged his martial arts to be above average among Second-Rate practitioners, not far from the standard of a First-Rate Expert, there were simply too many masters in this martial world.

Unless one became the Number One Under Heaven, or possessed the ability to survive even an attack from the Number One Under Heaven, it was difficult to feel safe.

And in truth, even if Lin Lin had wanted to look around, there was not much worth seeing.

Everything along the way was desolate.

Although this world possessed extraordinary martial arts, in terms of productivity and civilization, it was still merely an ancient agricultural society.

The roadsides were all untouched wilderness, with only a relay station every few dozen miles.

Travelers might initially find such lush natural scenery refreshing, but after seeing nothing but the same unchanging landscape all the way, they would soon grow tired of it.

While traveling, Lin Lin could initially pass the time by practicing his riding skills.

But before long, relying on his exceptional control over his body, Lin Lin had learned how to ride. After that, he fell into complete idleness.

I may spend a great deal of time traveling through the martial world in the future. If I'm merely rushing from place to place, it feels like such a waste of time.

Perhaps I can try practicing an Inner Power Cultivation Method.

As he traveled, an idea suddenly surfaced in Lin Lin's mind, and he immediately began trying it.

He split off a trace of Mental Strength to control the horse as it moved forward, concentrating most of his Mental Strength within his body as he attempted to circulate his Inner Breath through the Grand Circulation and improve his inner power cultivation.

Circulating Inner Breath through the Grand Circulation was not difficult. After all, if one wanted sufficient endurance in battle and enough Inner Force to use, one had to master this ability. Lin Lin had already become proficient at it during the past few months of sparring with his mother, Zhang Fei.

However, circulating Inner Force to temper the meridians and acupoints throughout the body and condense Inner Breath was a delicate matter that required a calm and focused mind.

If he tried to operate an Inner Power Cultivation Method while moving, setting aside whether he could achieve Dual-Mindedness, even if he could, it would be easy to make a mistake and send his Inner Breath down the wrong path, injuring himself.

In other words, Lin Lin was doing something dangerous.

But correspondingly, if he truly mastered this ability and could practice an Inner Power Cultivation Method anytime and anywhere, as long as his meridians could withstand it, then he would free up more time for other things.

For example, he could practice an external martial art while cultivating his Inner Power Cultivation Method. The speed at which his overall strength improved would directly double.

Lin Lin knew that what he was doing was dangerous, so when he attempted the circulation, he mobilized only an extremely weak wisp of Inner Breath. That way, even if he sent it down the wrong path, he would not be injured. At most, his blood and qi would churn for a short while.

An effect as minor as churning blood and qi could not even slightly affect his combat strength.

Moreover, he was still within Hundred Flowers Valley's sphere of influence. He wore the clothing of an Official Disciple of Hundred Flowers Valley, and anyone with a functioning brain would not dare provoke him. This minimized the chance of being disturbed during his attempt.

It was precisely because of this understanding that Lin Lin dared to try it while traveling.

At first, Lin Lin's attempts did not go smoothly.

Either he forgot to control the horse, or the Inner Breath he was circulating was interrupted. He simply could not achieve Dual-Mindedness.

But as time passed, Lin Lin gradually became more proficient. He could now control the horse while guiding his Inner Breath through the Grand Circulation, tempering and nourishing the meridians and acupoints throughout his body, and condensing and strengthening his Inner Breath.

At this point, however, Lin Lin was only using a very small amount of Inner Breath to operate the cultivation method. His inner power cultivation progress was not nonexistent, but it was barely worth mentioning.

Still, it was a good start.

After that, with repeated practice, the amount of Inner Breath Lin Lin could control while maintaining Dual-Mindedness gradually increased from a tiny wisp.

By the time Lin Lin was nearly at his destination, he could already maintain the highest possible efficiency of inner power cultivation while riding.

High Mental Strength does have its advantages. I can quickly get the hang of Dual-Mindedness, though it consumes quite a lot of Mental Strength.

Lin Lin glanced at the Attribute Panel. His Mental Strength was being consumed rapidly, at more than twice the normal rate of Mental Strength depletion.

But correspondingly, the results were excellent.

A new ability called Dual-Mindedness had appeared in Lin Lin's skills list.

Dual-Mindedness
Category: Intent Realm
Beginner 12/50

Looking at this newly comprehended ability, Lin Lin held extremely high expectations for it.

At present, he was merely a beginner at Dual-Mindedness, yet he could already practice an Inner Power Cultivation Method while traveling. In the future, he might even be able to simultaneously control and use two or more martial arts, unleashing combat power multiplied severalfold.

The practicality of this ability was simply too high.

It also strengthened Lin Lin's resolve to cultivate.

Though Dual-Mindedness was difficult to practice, it was an ability he had to train to the pinnacle.

Putting aside his focus on the new ability, Lin Lin looked at his current location. He had already arrived near Hui Ping Town, the mission site.

At a normal traveling speed, setting out in the morning would have allowed him to ride here by dusk.

However, practicing Dual-Mindedness along the way had delayed him for some time, and it was now the middle of the night.

Although it was already late, Lin Lin had no intention of resting.

Today, he had only practiced Dual-Mindedness while traveling, so he had not expended too much blood, qi, or Inner Force. He remained in good fighting condition and immediately began investigating the mission.

This chapter has been rewritten. Those who did not read it yesterday will not be affected; those who did can read it again.