Chapter 240

【Your sword arts have aroused curiosity in others, Influence +20】

A continuous stream of notifications appeared, dazzling Lin Mo.

Aside from the sword arts mentioned this morning, many others had suddenly increased during the night, granting Lin Mo over a thousand Influence points in one go.

This left Lin Mo deep in thought.

"Could it be that this was caused by helping that team of Cloud Knights resolve the Mara-Struck Inner Alchemist of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus yesterday?"

Thinking back to his actions yesterday, aside from his time with Jingliu, the only other explanation for the surge in Influence was his and Yanqing's deeds.

There was no other way to explain it.

It was likely that the Cloud Knights there had spread the word, leading to the increase in Influence.

"It's a pity my power isn't enough yet. If it were, increasing Influence would be quite easy. Otherwise, entering the sight of certain people too early is still quite troublesome."

Although he had methods to increase Influence, they weren't suitable.

Furthermore, they were too singular and uninteresting; he needed a continuous flow of events to provide him with points.

But it didn't matter; time was on his side.

Although the situation on the Luofu was tense, it had only just begun, and the Astral Express hadn't even arrived yet, so he wasn't in too much of a hurry.

Even Jingliu had time to stay by his side.

Thinking this, Lin Mo walked out of his room.

He would continue to descend into the Chasm with Yelan this morning, return to the Luofu in the afternoon to check on the situation, and practice sword arts with Jingliu.

Fulfilling!

Immediately, Lin Mo found Yelan, and after a simple breakfast, they continued to venture deep into the Chasm.

It wasn't until noon that they emerged.

"If things continue this smoothly, we'll be able to return to Liyue in two or three days."

As they walked out of the Chasm, Yelan chuckled: "According to my plan, I expected at least ten days to half a month here. I didn't expect that now, it looks like we'll have it completely resolved in less than a week."

"That is quite fast."

Hearing Yelan's words, Lin Mo sighed with emotion.

Two or three days from now?

It sounded quite fast, but for him, it was plenty of time.

In the afternoon, he would return to spar in sword arts with Jingliu.

"Today is the Lantern Rite, the final day. A few days after that, the preparations for the Rite of Descension will begin."

Yelan walked and chatted with Lin Mo, telling him about the festivals in Liyue.

After a simple lunch, Lin Mo returned to his room.

"Strange, does Lin Mo have a habit of taking afternoon naps?"

Watching Lin Mo leave, Yelan suddenly fell into deep thought.

Over the past few days, Yelan had assumed he would be practicing sword arts in the afternoon; she hadn't expected him to go back to sleep.

He would go down into the Chasm at night, come back up, continue practicing sword arts, and then return to his room to rest. Lin Mo seemed to sleep four or five hours more than she did.

However, thinking of Lin Mo's physical condition and the exhaustion of these past few days, Yelan felt relieved and understood.

Every time they went down into the Chasm to open up secret paths, it was physically demanding work.

Just as Yelan was thinking this,

Lin Mo had already returned to his room and chosen to return to the Luofu.

Upon returning, the first thing he did was wash up, put on fresh clothes, and walk out into the courtyard.

He then took out his phone to check it and saw a message from Bai Lu.

He immediately chatted with Bai Lu for a while.

Before long, Lin Mo noticed that Jingliu had arrived.

She was as elusive as ever.

Looking at the appearing Jingliu, Lin Mo fell silent for a moment and said: "Could you use the front door next time?"

"There are more surveillance devices in some areas here; it's not suitable for me to use the main entrance."

Jingliu, who had appeared, shook her head gently and explained, which made Lin Mo understand.

So that was it.

Immediately, Jingliu took out a sword and said calmly: "We will continue our sparring today. Although you have mastered many of my sword arts and techniques, what you need to do is integrate them all; it is my expectation that you layer them all together."

"Good."

Hearing Jingliu's words, Lin Mo nodded.

Immediately, under Jingliu's guidance, Lin Mo continued to practice his sword arts.

Lin Mo discovered that even though he had copied Jingliu's sword arts, he could still learn new things under her guidance.

This meant that because of him, Jingliu had also been thinking about changing her sword techniques over the past two days.

Jingliu's sword arts were like a profound classic; every time he turned a page, new wisdom leaped off the paper.

"The reason sword arts are ever-changing is that they originate from the heart."

"When your heart moves, the sword moves."

"A person's thoughts are different every day, and their progress varies. Think more, ponder more, and practice more."

"The sword is a part of the body; it is the breath between walking, standing, sitting, and lying down."

As Jingliu spoke, she guided Lin Mo through a series of sword movements with the elegant posture that only a master could display.

Every one of her movements was precise and accurate, as if she were drawing perfect geometric figures in the air.

Lin Mo discovered that what was contained in Jingliu's sword techniques was not just skill, but a flowing rhythm that changed with his breathing, heartbeat, and even the rhythm of the surrounding nature. He began to understand that truly brilliant sword arts were a dance synchronized with the entire universe.

Time slipped away quietly.

After more than half the afternoon had passed, Jingliu stopped her movements, and Lin Mo let out a long breath.

Even though his muscles were aching all over, he still felt comfortable.

During his afternoon practice, he had also used the medicinal liquids and ointments provided by Bai Lu, which he was able to fully absorb under Jingliu's guidance.

The original dosage of three portions a day had increased to six portions a day under Jingliu's instruction!

"Very good. Your physical fitness is also strengthening. Your current weakness is your physical durability."

Jingliu used her jade-like hand to apply ointment to Lin Mo's arm, patted his back, and nodded gently: "Other than that, there are no other flaws."

"You are walking the Path of the Hunt. Because our Paths are different, I cannot offer you advice on the application of Path power; that can only rely on your own exploration."

"However, the power that erupts when the Hunt bolsters my sword arts is also formidable."

"But your methods for dealing with enemies are a bit lacking. If possible, you should explore your Path more and try to shape your own abilities."

"Although our Paths are different, I should be able to teach you a Technique."

Jingliu said simply, which made Lin Mo's eyelids twitch.

A Technique?

Could it be Jingliu's Technique?

He had already learned it.

However, this way, he could make his Technique seem "rationalized."

"This Technique is one I created by combining the power of ice."

Jingliu, unaware of Lin Mo's internal thoughts, continued on her own: "I will tell you the core of this Technique. Every ability has a core; by researching around that core, your Path will similarly evolve into a similar Technique. For any Pathstrider, Techniques are unique; there is no possibility of them being copied."

"Because the degree to which everyone walks their Path is different, their roads are different, and the gifts they receive from the Path are all extraordinary."

"Even if you walk the same Path and receive the same gift of Path power, the Techniques that evolve are still different. This relates to the person themselves; everyone is different."

"My Technique is 【Moonlight Transience】. It relies on Path power to create a domain where everything within it is frozen. The frozen target will reflect back onto my body, while also having to endure deeper levels of destruction, assisting the power of the Path of Destruction."

"To me, 【Moonlight Transience】 is more like a ritual. Through it, I can touch the roots of the Path. When I activate this Technique, I lock myself and my target in a frozen world. Within this domain, time and space seem to solidify, and all the enemy's movements pause, as if reflected by an ancient mirror, with nowhere to hide."

Jingliu spoke slowly, leaving Lin Mo deep in thought.

The principles behind the Technique were profound and unfathomable, and every word seemed to hide boundless mysteries. This was not just the pinnacle of ability, but a deep understanding of the application of Path power.

"If you want to create your own Technique, you need to establish a deeper connection with your Path power. You must immerse your will, your spirit, and even your soul into it..."