Stance Fusion?

Crack, crack, crack!

At that moment, Lin Nan suddenly felt a flash of inspiration.

What was origin-revering? It was pure Yang primordial qi.

Vast and surging primordial qi, like the blazing sun hanging high in the sky—this was origin-revering!

In an instant, the qi circulation route of the Origin-Revering Stance ran through Lin Nan's entire body. Then, soft popping sounds rang out continuously from the joints all over his body.

He slowly withdrew his cultivation and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

The Origin-Revering Art had reached the introductory stage—success!

It had to be said that martial arts shared much in common. No matter what rank a cultivation art was, it had its own advantages.

First cultivating the Spirit Serpent Art to the Skin-and-Flesh Realm before learning the Origin-Revering Art had absolutely been the right path!

Lin Nan sank his consciousness into his mind and looked at the information on the [Creation Furnace]. He suddenly froze.

[Forge Master: Lin Nan]

[Technique: Spirit Serpent Stance (Level Two 410/800)]

[Technique: Origin-Revering Stance (Introductory 0/200)]

[Overlapping stances detected. Fuse them?]

Fuse?

Stances could be fused?

[Fuse!]

The instant Lin Nan made his choice, the words "Spirit Serpent Stance" on the furnace flickered several times before vanishing.

Immediately afterward, the words "Origin-Revering Stance" began to change, and its proficiency rapidly shifted.

20... 150... 300... 500...

The progress of [Origin-Revering Stance] swiftly soared.

It seemed that all the proficiency from [Spirit Serpent Stance] had been converted into [Origin-Revering Stance]. At the same time, Lin Nan's body turned scorching hot, and the blood and qi throughout his body inexplicably began to burn.

Memories of painstakingly cultivating the Origin-Revering Art day and night also surfaced in his mind.

"It worked."

Delight flashed in Lin Nan's eyes. The information on the furnace had already changed. The entry for "Spirit Serpent Stance" had disappeared, replaced by:

[Technique: Origin-Revering Stance (Spirit Serpent Stance) (Level Five (410/800)]

[Origin-Revering Stance (Spirit Serpent Stance)] had a total of nine levels, corresponding to the nine stages of a martial artist's Blood-and-Vitality, Skin-and-Flesh, and Sinews-and-Bones Realms. It was much easier to keep track of than the White Snake Stance or Spirit Serpent Stance.

Beyond that, Lin Nan could sense that his Spirit Serpent Stance had not completely disappeared. As long as he wished, he could still circulate his blood and qi according to the Spirit Serpent Stance at any time.

In other words, he could freely switch between the two stance arts.

No, it was not switching. The two stances had fused together, becoming slightly more advanced than either the Origin-Revering Stance or the Spirit Serpent Stance alone.

"If I can keep fusing new stance arts into it, could I directly deduce the Origin-Revering Stance into a divine-grade martial art?"

"Should I call it the Origin-Revering Spirit Serpent Stance, or the Spirit Serpent Origin-Revering Stance?" Lin Nan mused.

If he could cultivate the external training method of the [Origin-Revering One-Qi Art] to the first level as well, then paired with the fused stance, it could produce an unexpected effect in battle. It would be like gaining another trump card.

"When I get the chance, I should ask the three true disciples and Hall Master Jie about cultivating multiple stance arts."

Just as Lin Nan was lost in thought,

a familiar voice rang out across the training ground.

"Lin Nan! Is that you?!"

Lin Nan turned to look.

Zhong Jing stood there in a white martial arts uniform, several faint bruises still visible on his face. He was gritting his teeth as he glared at Lin Nan.

"It has indeed been a long time. I heard you were attacked on the road while heading out and spent quite a few days bedridden. I'm afraid you won't be able to take up that post with the Mo Family this month either."

Lin Nan smiled.

Zhong Jing was so enraged that he laughed. "The person who attacked me that night a month ago—was it you?"

"Junior Brother Zhong, why would you say that?" Lin Nan looked utterly shocked.

"My fellow disciples and I are as close as brothers. How could I possibly commit such an evil deed?"

"Stop pretending! The person who attacked me that day used the White Snake Fist. Among the younger generation of the entire martial school, you're the only one with that kind of strength!"

"So, you think you're worse than me in actual combat?"

"You—!"

Zhong Jing was momentarily speechless, trembling all over with rage at Lin Nan's words.

"I had long heard that Junior Brother Lin was sharp-tongued. Seeing it today, the rumors were indeed true."

A gentle voice sounded behind Lin Nan.

Lin Nan turned around and saw a man in a blue cloth robe, dressed like a scholar, slowly approaching.

It was none other than Zhao Xun, the White Snake Martial School's chief true disciple and eldest senior brother.

It was said that he had already been a third-stage Skin-and-Flesh Realm martial artist three years ago. After nurturing his blood and qi for three years, no one besides Hall Master Jie knew his true realm now.

"Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother!"

Lin Nan cupped his fists in salute.

A faint smile hung on Zhao Xun's face as he approached Lin Nan step by step.

"The White Snake Martial School has a rule: other than regular sparring, fellow disciples may not slaughter one another. Those who violate this rule will have all their martial arts crippled and be expelled from the school. Have you forgotten that?"

As he spoke, a vigorous aura surged toward Lin Nan head-on.

Lin Nan narrowed his eyes.

He had not expected such turbulent blood and qi to be hidden within Zhao Xun's lean frame. Was he really only a third-stage Skin-and-Flesh Realm martial artist?

"Eldest Senior Brother, this disciple naturally knows the martial school's rules. Therefore, ever since joining the school, I have always remained united with my fellow disciples and helped others, never daring to overstep my bounds in the slightest."

Lin Nan let out a long sigh.

Zhao Xun stared at Lin Nan, slightly surprised as well.

Under the pressure of his surging blood and qi, Lin Nan, a mere third-stage Blood-and-Vitality Realm martial artist, was acting as though nothing had happened.

He fell silent for a moment before speaking. "You should count yourself fortunate. If I find any evidence, it will not be this simple."

Zhao Xun is backing Zhong Jing. They both suspect me. If I had admitted it just now, he would have attacked immediately.

Lin Nan sneered inwardly, though his expression remained calm.

That day, Zhong Jing had just ruined his chance to take up a post in the inner city, only to get knocked unconscious that very night.

Anyone would suspect Lin Nan.

But so what if they suspected him? As long as there was no evidence, and as long as he did not admit it, Hall Master Jie could not cripple a disciple with decent talent over nothing more than baseless suspicion.

"This disciple will remember Eldest Senior Brother's instruction." Lin Nan respectfully cupped his fists.

"Zhao Xun, don't go too far. As a true disciple, why bully the weak?"

At that moment, a woman in a purple martial arts uniform appeared at the edge of the training ground. Her calm eyes fixed on Zhao Xun.

It was Second Senior Sister, Jie Ling.

Zhao Xun glanced at Jie Ling and smiled. He said nothing further, instead turning and leaving.

Zhong Jing shot Lin Nan a vicious look and lowered his voice coldly. "I hope you can still smile at this year's year-end martial school competition."

Every year during the Laba Festival in winter, the martial schools of the outer city jointly held a grand competition for newly inducted disciples. Even inner-city families would come to watch.

The rankings in this competition concerned the futures of many disciples. The top three would have a chance to meet the outer city's military commandant.

It was said that many disciples from humble backgrounds had relied on the commandant's support to be selected for the inner city, soaring to greatness in a single leap!

The rankings after the top three were also extremely important. They affected the monthly pay of many inner disciples who would later remain in the outer city as stewards or take up official posts.

Jie Ling walked over and gently comforted him. "Junior Brother Lin, don't take it too much to heart. Zhao Xun is simply that sort of person. He has always only admired talented disciples. Since you and Zhong Jing are at odds, it is normal for him to be hostile toward you."

"Talented disciples."

In Zhao Xun's eyes, a fourteen-year-old third-stage Blood-and-Vitality Realm disciple was clearly more valuable than a twenty-year-old third-stage Blood-and-Vitality Realm disciple like him.

Still, if he knew I was already at the second stage of the Skin-and-Flesh Realm, I wonder what expression he would make.

Lin Nan chuckled inwardly. Since Jie Ling rarely had free time today, he spoke up to ask.

"Second Senior Sister, this disciple has a question."

"Go ahead."

"Are there any outer-city martial artists who cultivate two stance arts at the same time?"

"Cultivate two stance arts at once?" Jie Ling frowned.

"A person's energy and blood and qi are limited. It is already quite good for an ordinary person to master one stance art. Cultivating two at the same time will not only cause conflicts in one's blood and qi, but can also easily lead to qi deviation. Why bother?"

So that was it... No wonder Li Nianru had given him the Origin-Revering Art without the slightest hesitation.

She had been certain he would not be able to learn it at all.

"Although stance arts cannot be cultivated simultaneously, one can switch to another. However, changing stance arts means starting over from the Blood-and-Vitality Realm, which greatly affects one's martial progress. Usually, martial artists do not choose that path."

"So the first foundational stance art is critically important."

"Indeed. However, nothing is absolute. I once heard my father mention a Crimson List expert called Black Rock Fist, Heaven-Conquering Tyrant. He possessed innate divine strength and cultivated three stance arts by himself. Even while still a martial artist, he could fight and kill Sinews-and-Bones Realm opponents while only in the Skin-and-Flesh Realm. Among those of the same realm, he was nearly invincible. In his day, his fists slaughtered their way through an entire era."

Jie Ling continued, her expression solemn.

"However, such a genius is far too distant from ordinary people like us. Keeping our feet on the ground is what matters. Do not aim too high..."

A Crimson List expert, Black Rock Fist, Heaven-Conquering Tyrant, cultivating three stance arts at once, killing enemies across a major realm...

Listening to Jie Ling, Lin Nan finally understood how vast the world was, and longing rose in his heart.