"Little one."
"Let me see your hand."
As the abbot, head of the academy, and others were deep in thought, the Long-browed Old Monk stepped forward, speaking in a kindly tone.
"Alright."
Lin Yuan didn't refuse.
In fact, he couldn't refuse.
When he looked at this Long-browed Old Monk, Lin Yuan felt a shiver in the innate inner qi he had just started cultivating within his dantian.
It was obvious.
This Long-browed Old Monk had a strength far beyond Lin Yuan's imagination.
At least, he was much stronger than the abbot, the head of the academy, and the others.
Lin Yuan never felt such pressure from the others.
"Mastery in martial arts, spontaneous inner qi."
"You truly have cultivated a superior martial art to perfection."
The Long-browed Old Monk gently touched Lin Yuan's right hand, a wave of scorching inner qi spread, and then he sighed.
"Spontaneous inner qi?"
The abbot and the heads of the Great Zen Temple let out a collective sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Even if they had suspected it, they still found it incredible.
In this world of martial arts, there are stages: Postnatal, Innate, Grandmaster, and Supreme Grandmaster.
Generally, Grandmaster is considered the peak, and a Supreme Grandmaster is a rarity, appearing only once in hundreds of years.
The majority of martial artists are in the Postnatal and Innate stages.
To step from Postnatal to Innate, there are roughly three paths.
First: Consuming a rare heavenly elixir.
After absorbing its power, even a common person can become an Innate martial expert.
Second: A Postnatal peak martial artist seizes a breakthrough opportunity and successfully steps into the Innate stage.
This is the mainstream path – almost all Innate martial artists follow this route.
Third: Cultivating a superior martial art to perfection.
Superior martial arts are the fruits of Grandmaster-level martial experts' dedicated efforts.
An ultimate-level superior martial art has pushed the human body to extreme development.
Naturally, it's not unusual for spontaneous innate inner qi to be born from this.
However, those who transition into the Innate stage through this path are typically in their fifties or sixties, dedicating decades to meditating on superior martial arts until they experience a moment of enlightenment.
Someone like Lin Yuan, understanding a superior martial art at three or four years old, is unheard of by the abbot and the head of the academy.
Only a martial prodigy, born once in a thousand years, could even begin to explain such talent.
"Little one, would you be willing to accept me as your master?" The Long-browed Old Monk looked at Lin Yuan with a complex expression and suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, the other monks, including the abbot and the head of the academy, displayed no surprise.
After confirming Lin Yuan had comprehended and perfected a superior martial art, they realized Lin Yuan's martials talent was unprecedented in the Great Zen Temple's thousand-year history.
Only the Long-browed Old Monk had the confidence to teach such a martial prodigy.
As for the abbot and the head of the academy, strictly speaking, they were in the same Innate stage as Lin Yuan.
What right did they have to take a student?
"Disciple greets Master."
Lin Yuan immediately bowed to the Long-browed Old Monk.
Becoming the Long-browed Old Monk's disciple would indeed save Lin Yuan a lot of time.
According to the Great Zen Temple's rules, every disciple, regardless of background, must go through three years as a monk-in-training, three years as a laborer, three years in the Sutra Hall, and three years in the Precepts Court.
It took twelve years before they were formally eligible to learn the temple's true martial arts.
Had Lin Yuan not shown his talent, huddling among ordinary young monks, who knows how much time would have been wasted? Although his heaven-defying comprehension could understand profound truths from mere scenery, starting at a different point leads to vastly different outcomes, given limited time.
Given the constraint of staying in this world for only twenty years, laying low wasn't an option.
Under the Long-browed Old Monk, the temple's only Grandmaster's personal guidance, paired with his extraordinary comprehension, Lin Yuan's progress was bound to be astonishing.
Two months later.
Lin Yuan sat across from the Long-browed Old Monk.
"In future, you will move to the Scripture Pavilion to live," said the Long-browed Old Monk with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
The implication was clear – the Long-browed Old Monk felt he could no longer instruct Lin Yuan effectively.
Lin Yuan's comprehension was simply too astounding.
Initially, the Long-browed Old Monk could still guide and instruct Lin Yuan.
But after just a few days, it seemed off.
Historically, individuals of genius were described as being able to infer many things from one instance.
But Lin Yuan took this far beyond inference of three from one – it was inferring ten from one! A hundred!
No matter what the Long-browed Old Monk said, Lin Yuan could swiftly understand and perceive deeper meanings.
The more remarkable part was Lin Yuan's talent wasn't confined to martial arts – he demonstrated the same understanding of Buddhist scriptures and teachings.
Faced with such an anomaly, even someone as strong as the Long-browed Old Monk, a Grandmaster, felt overwhelmed.
So, toward the end, rather than being a teacher guiding Lin Yuan, it became more like two monks debating as equals.
Even some of Lin Yuan's insights greatly benefited the Long-browed Old Monk.
And all of this progress took only two months.
"Scripture Pavilion?" Lin Yuan's eyes twinkled slightly.
The Scripture Pavilion was the Great Zen Temple's repository of martial arts, a place of unparalleled importance.
The Seventy-Two Supreme Arts, considered top-tier martial arts, resided on its second floor.
Moreover, on the third floor, there were martial arts more advanced than the Seventy-Two.
Truth be told, Lin Yuan had long wanted to explore the Scripture Pavilion, but the Long-browed Old Monk hadn't agreed, citing concerns about harmful effects on Lin Yuan's mental state from high-level material at such a young age.
"The myriad martial arts in the Scripture Pavilion are works of numerous Grandmasters from the temple's history. There, you should be able to learn even more."
The Long-browed Old Monk waved his hand, taking an attitude of "do as you will."
Since he couldn't teach Lin Yuan, he'd let the temple's Grandmasters from past generations do it.
In fact, normally, ordinary disciples had no right to even enter the Scripture Pavilion.
But Lin Yuan was different; with the permission from a Grandmaster like the Long-browed Old Monk, there was no issue gaining access.
After that day, the Long-browed Old Monk announced he would go into seclusion.
Lin Yuan then took up permanent residence in the Scripture Pavilion.
At just three years old, Lin Yuan began poring over many martial arts texts.
The Scripture Pavilion's collection was as vast as a sea of clouds.
The Seventy-Two Supreme Arts were merely the most renowned.
There were many other arts besides them.
"Muscle-Tendon Scripture?"
On the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion, Lin Yuan picked up an ancient volume.
The Muscle-Tendon Scripture was a special martial art, said to cleanse and strengthen the tendons, enhancing martial talent.
Its value even surpassed the Seventy-Two Supreme Arts.
Yet, no one in the entire Great Zen Temple had succeeded in mastering it.
The reason lay in its high entry barrier, requiring not only martial comprehension but also insight into fundamental Buddhist teachings.
The Long-browed Old Monk might have the foundation to master the Muscle-Tendon Scripture, but for a Grandmaster, its utility had waned.
Lin Yuan attentively read through the original Muscle-Tendon Scripture.
Three days passed in a flash.
[Your comprehension is heaven-defying.
By studying the Muscle-Tendon Scripture, you've realized a special martial art: 'Muscle-Tendon Marrow-Cleansing Body-Refining Blood-Changing Spirit-Tempering Art.']
Joy rose within Lin Yuan.
He felt an indescribable energy circulate his body, gradually fortifying his tendons and flesh.
This power wasn't limited to his physical form; it also began nurturing Lin Yuan's spirit and soul.
"The original Muscle-Tendon Scripture only cleanses tendons – too simplistic. The 'Muscle-Tendon Marrow-Cleansing Body-Refining Blood-Changing Spirit-Tempering Art' I've realized strengthens one across the board, with no shortcomings. Even a Supreme Grandmaster would be envious."
Lin Yuan couldn't help but smile.
After the two months of guidance from the Long-browed Old Monk, Lin Yuan had become somewhat familiar with the world's current martial arts.
Grandmasters don't focus solely on tendons and bones.
At least for every Grandmaster, their tendons and bones are developed to the utmost limits of a normal person's capabilities.
However, the subsequent body refining, blood-changing, and spirit-tempering greatly affect Grandmasters.
Especially spirit-tempering.
It's said that even Supreme Grandmasters yearn for martial arts that can enhance the spirit.
"With this 'Muscle-Tendon Marrow-Cleansing Body-Refining Blood-Changing Spirit-Tempering Art,' entering the Grandmaster realm should be a bit quicker."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly, feeling quite satisfied.
After comprehending the 'Great Arhat Buddha Fist,' Lin Yuan had skipped the Postnatal stage entirely to enter the Innate stage.
Yet, his Innate stage was somewhat lacking in substance.
After all, other Innate martial experts cultivate strong blood and qi, nurturing innate inner qi to breakthrough, reaching the Innate stage.
Lin Yuan's innate inner qi, generated from a child's body at age three, was naturally far inferior in quality and quantity compared to normal Innate martial experts.
Though his realm had advanced, the rest was a matter of time.
Now, with the 'Muscle-Tendon Marrow-Cleansing Body-Refining Blood-Changing Spirit-Tempering Art' nurturing his body and soul, Lin Yuan had saved himself even that time.
This art far exceeded the original Muscle-Tendon Scripture, improving every aspect of Lin Yuan without weaknesses.
And so, Lin Yuan spent five years inside the Scripture Pavilion.
(Chapter Ends)