Chapter 274 273: You Still Know the Way Back

Mu Lin arrived at the Bai Family Manor, and Tang Zhi tactfully took his leave—Elder Bai wasn't exactly fond of the Military Suppression Bureau.

First, he needed to find Lin Shishi and soothe her feelings.

Leaving her here all by herself for so long really wasn't right.

If Lin Shishi had a worse temper, Mu Lin truly wouldn't have known how to placate her.

"So you finally decided to come back?" Lin Shishi and Hong Rui were watching a drama inside Elder Bai's villa. When she saw Mu Lin appear by the windowsill, Lin Shishi crossed her arms, walked to the window, and spoke with a sharp tone.

Mu Lin said, "Come on, I was working! I've been run off my feet for days."

"Is that so?" Lin Shishi pushed open the window and reached out to pat Mu Lin's back. When she pulled her hand back, it held two long strands of hair.

"Does your 'work' require you to be in close contact with other women?"

Mu Lin said, "As a matter of fact, yes! When you're saving lives, you can't be concerned about whether they're a man or woman, old or young. If someone needs saving, you save them!"

Seeing how nonchalantly Mu Lin spoke, Lin Shishi figured he was the type of person who was completely indifferent when it came to romance.

Things like this simply didn't cause a single ripple in his heart.

"I need to go find Elder Bai. After I say hello to him, I'll take you two back home."

Hong Rui stretched languidly. Spending all day eating and drinking here was great.

Now that it was time to leave, Hong Rui felt no reluctance. In fact, she was even more excited about what the future held.

"Go on, then," Lin Shishi said with a wave.

Mu Lin arrived at the newly built training hall. Elder Bai was inside, practicing his Sword Skill. His repeated strikes were powerful and heavy, and the sight of it stirred Mu Lin's heart.

Elder Bai's Sword Skill had grown even more profound.

Elder Bai sensed Mu Lin's arrival. He executed two more swings, and after exhausting his energy, he retracted his blade and stood still.

"Elder Bai, you've become even more formidable," Mu Lin said, clapping. "That was amazing."

"I'm trying to figure out how to break through to the next level. It's so difficult..." Elder Bai lamented.

Mu Lin chuckled. "Elder Bai, you're already a once-in-a-generation genius. If even you find it difficult, do you think anyone else could possibly master it?"

Elder Bai shook his head. "It would be impossible for anyone else, which is why I'm so anxious! If I can act as a guide and offer you a bit more help, it would all be worth it."

"Elder Bai, please don't worry about it so much. I only practice the Sword Skill casually. I've never been determined to reach any particular level; that's not my goal at all."

Elder Bai nodded. "I know! Just consider it this old man's way of repaying his debt to you, all right? Without you, I'd probably have died long ago."

Mu Lin was at a loss for words. Elder Bai wasn't wrong, so he just wondered if this was what was truly best for the old man.

After pondering for a moment without finding an answer, he could only say:

"Elder Bai, I understand!"

"But speaking of which, the power behind your sword has improved again!" Mu Lin said to Elder Bai. "And I mean that honestly, I'm not just flattering you."

Elder Bai said, "Now that you've reconnected my meridians, I can finally start properly absorbing the True Qi I've accumulated over so many years."

"It seems this absorption process will continue for some time, and the results should be excellent."

Mu Lin was genuinely happy for Elder Bai.

"And what about you? Is your business resolved?"

Mu Lin replied slowly, "It's resolved."

Bai Zhenshan suddenly asked, "Mu Xiaoyou, do you know of Vajra Zhenren?"

Mu Lin frowned, repeating the name. "Vajra Zhenren? Who's that? I've never heard of him."

Bai Zhenshan's expression turned solemn, and a look of deep admiration filled his eyes.

"This Vajra Zhenren... he's a true genius. People call me a genius, but I believe he is the real one. He's a pure physical cultivator who has actually trained his body to be harder than steel."

"Some say his body can even withstand bullets..."

Mu Lin was stirred. He knew that was an incredibly difficult feat.

Even a Grandmaster, when faced with firearms, could only accept their fate. They might hold out longer than an ordinary person, but they would still get injured.

"Truly incredible!"

Bai Zhenshan sighed. "He has lived in seclusion for many years. It's said he's in the process of breaking through to the next major realm."

"Rumor has it his physical body has become unbelievably tough, far surpassing the so-called Celestial Spirit Earth Realm and reaching the level of the Vajra Celestial Realm."

'Vajra... like a diamond,' Mu Lin thought. 'Impressive.'

"Elder Bai, wait a minute. What do you mean by Celestial Spirit Earth Realm and Vajra Celestial Realm?"

Bai Zhenshan smiled. "The so-called Celestial Spirit Earth Realm is when you've trained your entire body, inside and out, to the peak. If a car were to hit you head-on, the car would be totaled, not you."

"The Vajra Celestial Realm is even more incredible. You can shatter boulders with ease and use your hand like a blade to carve stone."

"But he recently came out of seclusion. He's already arrived in Nanjiang Province, apparently seeking revenge."

Mu Lin tilted his head. 'What's this all about?' he wondered.

The scenario Elder Bai described immediately brought to mind Jin Guangshi, the man he had killed.

He was also a physical cultivator who followed the path of using a protective energy field.

The resemblance was too strong for him not to make the connection.

After a moment's thought, Mu Lin asked, "Elder Bai, how much do you know about this Vajra Zhenren?"

Bai Zhenshan set down his blade and sat on a bench outside the training hall, wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel.

"I don't know much, really. But his reputation is so great that you can't help but hear things. He cultivates a secret technique called the Vajra Skill."

"It focuses primarily on defense, but when the human body is trained to its absolute peak, offense and defense become one and the same."

Mu Lin asked, "Do you know if he has any fellow disciples?"

Bai Zhenshan shook his head. "Why would I know that? This Vajra Zhenren is a distant figure. I have no reason to go digging for information to curry favor with him."

Mu Lin sighed. "Hold on, I'll ask someone."

Mu Lin called Wu Henghai. "Captain Wu, do you know anything about Vajra Zhenren's sect? Does he have any junior martial brothers?"

Wu Henghai didn't understand why Mu Lin was asking, but he dutifully looked it up for him.

"Vajra Zhenren has three junior martial brothers. Do you want their names?"

Mu Lin asked, "Is one of them named Jin Guangshi?"

"Whoa, yes there is! Mu Xiaoyou, you're incredible! How did you know?"

"Just a lucky guess, I suppose."

After hanging up, Mu Lin's expression grew even more grave.

Bai Zhenshan had overheard fragments of the conversation and knew Mu Lin was likely in serious trouble.

"Mu Xiaoyou, don't tell me this Vajra Zhenren is coming after you?" Bai Zhenshan's face paled in shock. "How could you be so reckless!"

Mu Lin said, "I had no choice. His junior brother was pushing things too far. I had to kill Jin Guangshi, no matter the consequences. I couldn't have known what would happen in the future."

"This is the first I'm hearing of it. If I'd known earlier, I would have cleaned up the mess completely. I never would have left him this opportunity."

Bai Zhenshan's face cycled through shades of red and white before he nodded repeatedly. "You're right, Mu Xiaoyou. Life is always unpredictable."

"But with your current strength, I'm afraid you won't even be able to scratch Vajra Zhenren's skin."

Mu Lin thought for a moment, then raised his hand and jabbed a finger toward the wall of the new training hall.

A hole instantly appeared in the training hall's wall.

It gave Bai Zhenshan quite a shock. "Where did that come from!"

"I made it," Mu Lin said calmly. "Do you think my power can surpass his? Can I break through Vajra Zhenren's 'turtle shell'?"

Bai Zhenshan hesitated. He was, first and foremost, stunned. Mu Lin was this strong, and had apparently already been considering how to deal with such opponents.

"Mu Lin, you can't be too hasty. We have to take this slowly."

Mu Lin smiled. "I'm not being hasty. And that wasn't even my full strength."

Bai Zhenshan said, "Incredible. To think you still had power to spare."

Mu Lin said helplessly, "The Innate realm is divided into three stages: Qi Condensation, Spirit Refining, and Divine Sense. I'm currently in the early Divine Sense stage. My True Qi is already as powerful as what you just saw; a slight push is enough to shatter most obstacles. I'm getting by entirely on the sheer abundance of my True Qi."

"What I lack are martial techniques. The gap between someone who knows them and someone who doesn't will only grow larger."

Bai Zhenshan pondered for a long time. "You're right. I can't help you with that, but if you want to look for any ancient manuals, I'll definitely ask around for you."

"Yes, yes," Bai Zhenshan said. "I'll go and ask some of the big families for you..."

But just as he was about to make a call, a bitter smile touched his lips.

"Ah, I might not be able to..." Bai Zhenshan sighed heavily.