The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 102, 117: Master Rong is Invincible! The Female Demon Li Qingluo [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

On the way down the mountain.

With her hands behind her back, Huang Rong asked with a light and cheerful step:

"You succeeded?"

Lu Chen smiled and nodded.

"Successful."

“But Tianlong Temple only has five routes, it is still one route short.”

"Then let's go to Dali City and challenge Emperor Baoding to a duel."

"That person is the ruler of a country, not as easy to meet as the old monks of Tianlong Temple."

"It's alright, we can sneak into the palace at night."

Dali is a small country, and its royal palace is also small. With Lu Chen and Huang Rong's current lightness skills, they can come and go as they please.

That night.

Emperor Duan Zhengming of Baoding was strolling in the Imperial Garden after reading through the memorials when a deep male voice suddenly rang out:

"I have long admired the King of Dali's martial arts prowess, particularly his mastery of the One-Finger Divine Skill and the Six-Meridian Divine Sword. I have come here today specifically to seek your guidance..."

Duan Zhengming was startled and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a young man and woman, their clothes fluttering, walking under the moonlight. Their graceful and otherworldly figures made them look like a pair of celestial beings.

……

Midnight.

In a guest room of a restaurant in Dali City.

Huang Rong, dressed only in her undergarments, bent down to make the bed, while Lu Chen sat at the table, pondering the Six Meridians Divine Swords he had already collected.

The Six Meridians Divine Sword is indeed extremely difficult to master.

First and foremost is the quality and control of true qi.

Only those who possess extremely pure and refined true qi, and whose control over true qi is exquisite and subtle, can attempt to cultivate it.

That's why.

Those who cultivate the One Yang Finger technique in the Dali Duan family must reach the fourth rank in terms of true temperament and control to barely meet the minimum requirements for cultivating the Six Meridians Divine Sword.

But this is only the minimum requirement for cultivating the Six Meridians Divine Sword.

I want to repair all six routes simultaneously...

In the words of Zen Master Kurong, martial arts have declined to the point that no one can do it anymore—the idea that martial arts have declined in the Tianlong era is quite interesting upon closer examination.

In short, Duan Yu's ability to master the Six Meridians Sword Technique in this era of "decline in martial arts" was purely due to his ability to absorb internal energy and gain an unfair advantage.

His current level of internal strength is already described as "unparalleled throughout history and unmatched in the world".

Before Xu Zhu, who possessed the combined skills of Wu Yazi, Tianshan Tonglao, and Li Qiushui, appeared out of nowhere, Duan Yu's internal strength was "unparalleled in the world."

Of course, although Duan Yu has a lot of internal energy now, it is too mixed and has not been fully refined, so his control over it is seriously insufficient.

This is why his Six Meridians Divine Sword works sometimes and sometimes not.

Judging from Duan Yu's experience, one does not necessarily need to practice the One-Finger Divine Skill to cultivate the Six Meridians Divine Sword; great effort can also produce miracles.

However, Lu Chen did not possess the same level of skill as Duan Yu.

It also lacks the One-Finger Divine Skill as its foundation.

However, his sword qi is naturally compatible with any sword technique, and "Sword Body" also enhances sword techniques.

Even a Qi sword is still a sword, and it should be under his jurisdiction.

Furthermore, he mastered the Sword Aura technique. Although its strength was not as great as the Six Meridians Divine Sword, compared to the One Finger Divine Skill, the Sword Aura technique was arguably a more suitable foundation for sword-based techniques.

That's why.

When he practiced the Six Meridian Divine Sword, he was just like Duan Yu; he could master any sword technique in one go without any bottlenecks.

As Huang Rong finished making the bed and looked at Lu Chen with a smile, about to ask him how his swordsmanship was progressing, she saw his right hand extend its five fingers in sequence, and suddenly a whooshing sound of wind filled the air.

Then, a bronze incense burner a few feet away from him suddenly made a clanging sound, sputtering sparks and even appearing out of thin air with fine, sharp scratches.

With his right hand, Lu Chen unleashed over ten sword energies in quick succession. Then, with a flick of his left little finger, an invisible sword energy silently slashed out, creating a crack in the bronze furnace with a clang.

Huang Rong's eyes lit up as she looked at her, and she laughed:

"You've mastered the Six Meridians Divine Sword! As expected, there's no sword you can't master, no matter what kind!"

Lu Chen smiled, then shook his head and said:
"I have mastered the Six Meridian Divine Sword, but it consumes too much energy. Even with my current skill, I cannot withstand unleashing all six swords at once."

Even though his sword qi and sword body both enhance sword techniques, allowing him to easily master the Six Meridians Divine Sword and unleash sharp, invisible sword qi that extends several feet outwards, the consumption is indeed too great.

After unleashing six swords simultaneously for two rounds, more than ten percent of his true energy had been consumed.

No wonder Zen Master Kurong and the others were so stingy with their sword energy when shooting from a distance; it was simply too much of a drain on their energy!

Unless one's true energy is inexhaustible and one doesn't care about its consumption, it's more worthwhile to condense the energy sword at one's fingertips and use it to unleash sword techniques.

Although maintaining the existence of the Qi Sword will continuously consume true Qi, it is much less than the consumption of shooting the sword Qi out directly.

A simple analogy could be that holding a sword in your hand to fight is different from throwing a sword to kill an enemy.

Compared to the other method, fighting with a sword obviously consumes far less energy from the weapon.

"Releasing sword energy now consumes too much energy, but once your skill level increases or your sword technique improves, you shouldn't have this problem anymore."

Huang Rong's eyes crinkled into crescents, her confidence in Lu Chen unwavering.

"By then, whether it's unleashing all six meridians at once or using both hands to strike with both fingers, it should be a piece of cake."

Rong'er's confidence also ignited Lu Chen's heroic spirit, and he laughed heartily:
"That's right, and that day won't be too far away."

After discussing the Six Meridian Divine Sword for a while, Huang Rong suddenly remembered something else:
"Speaking of which... that infatuated scholar Duan Yu is not only the heir of the Prince of Zhennan of Dali, but also the Crown Prince of Dali. Isn't Duan Yu destined to become the ruler of the country in the future?"

Lu Chen nodded and said:
"good."

"Isn't that scholar Duan the grandfather of the Southern Emperor?"

"should be."

Huang Rong's eyes shone brightly:

So we actually went back to the past?

"This one……"

Lu Chen pondered for a moment, then slowly said:

"I don't know if we've returned to Rong'er's past. But even if we have, since we came to this era, the future of this world may have undergone many changes, or even become completely different. It's like a great river that, because of the impact we've had, has gradually branched out into another tributary."

Lu Chen briefly explained his theory of spacetime branches. With Huang Rong's comprehension skills, she quickly grasped his meaning. After pondering for a moment, she said:

"In other words, the future of this world may not have the Mount Hua Sword Tournament, nor may it have the Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor, Northern Beggar, Central Divine, and Huang Rong?"

"It may or it may not. No one can say for sure what the future holds."

Huang Rong, however, felt no regret. She simply sat on the edge of the bed, her hands supporting her on the edge, swinging her long, slender, snow-white legs, and said with a grin:
"If that happens, that would be really interesting! If we can live for over a hundred years, we can participate in the first Mount Hua Sword Tournament! Hmm, if I can live that long, I could easily win the title of the best in the world at the Mount Hua Sword Tournament, right?"

She imagined participating in the first Mount Hua Sword Tournament with Lu Chen, facing off against the Five Greats on her own, and her still-young father, Seventh Master, and others exclaiming that Master Rong was invincible. She couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Lu Chen shook his head:

"Living only a little over a hundred years is too short."

Huang Rong blinked:
"To live for over a hundred years, that's already considered centenarian, isn't it?"

Lu Chen smiled and said:
“We’re destined to become immortals. Even a thousand years or ten thousand years isn’t long enough.” Huang Rong looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"Really?"

Lu Chen nodded:

"of course."

Huang Rong tilted her head and gave him a playful smile:
"Then Master Rong will be waiting to become an immortal with you!"

Lu Chen nodded slightly, his eyes more serious than ever before:
"Don't worry."

He is very confident about his future.

Even if Rong'er doesn't cultivate diligently and can't master his sword qi and sword body refinement, he will help her continuously improve her techniques or find her techniques that can lead to longevity.

With the "Sword Intent of Immortal Slaughter" capable of traversing all realms, any miracle is possible.

Seeing Lu Chen's serious expression, Huang Rong suddenly felt a little dizzy, as if she were drunk, and her nose felt a little sore. She inexplicably felt like crying.

She sniffed softly, her lips curved upwards, her eyes crinkled, and she gave Lu Chen a sweet smile, then opened her arms to him:

"Brother Lu Chen, come and hug me."

Lu Chen got up and went to the bedside, gently pulling her into his arms:

"what happened?"

Huang Rong wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pressed her cheek against his lower abdomen, and murmured:

"It's nothing, I just suddenly wanted you to hug me, and..."

She tilted her head back, her bright, beautiful eyes sparkling like shattered diamonds, and her voice was as soft as a dream:

"Tonight, I want you to kiss me more..."

Lu Chen smiled gently:
"it is good……"

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, then gently kissed her eyes and the tip of her nose, and finally kissed her sweet lips.

……

Jiangnan, Taihu Lake.

A small bamboo-awning sampan slowly glides across the lake.

The one holding the pole and propelling the boat was a stunningly beautiful young woman with snow-white skin and exquisite features.

She wore an apricot-yellow long dress, a silk scarf tied around her waist, and a gold ring binding her hair. Her hair and dress fluttered in the wind, and a light mist swirled around her, making her look like a fairy.

As she rowed the boat, she hummed a song. Upon closer listening, the melody was not of this time, but rather a song that seemed to have traveled through time and space, full of the spirit of the martial arts world.

"In the world of martial arts, grudges are settled, and in the exchange of blows, laughter hides a dagger..."

The girl's ethereal and melodious singing voice.

A young man in black robes sat on a stool at the bow of the boat, fishing with a rod in hand, enjoying his leisurely fishing.

The young man in the black robe was clearly not a good angler, and he didn't catch anything for a long time.

But he didn't seem to care, his gaze always lingering on the girl, sometimes exchanging a smile with her, or humming a few lines with her.

Unbeknownst to them, an island in the lake appeared ahead.

From a distance on the lake, one can see clusters of flowering trees growing on the island.

They were all camellias from the Dali Kingdom.

The small boat circled the island in the lake for a while, found a dock, and slowly pulled ashore.

The girl put down the bamboo pole, leaped lightly onto the dock, tied the rope, and waved to the young man in black robes:
"Brother Lu Chen, we've arrived!"

Lu Chen smiled slightly, put down his empty fishing rod, leaped to the dock, took the girl's soft hand, and walked along the path lined with beautiful camellias on both sides towards the island.

"These camellias on the island look so beautiful."

Huang Rong smiled as she looked at the flowering trees on both sides:

"It would be even better if there were no dead bodies buried under the flowering trees."

That's right, most of the camellia trees on this island are buried with dead people.

This is Mantuo Villa.

The current owner is known as "Madam Wang," whose maiden name is Li Qingluo. She has a very peculiar habit: to capture people and bury them alive under flowering trees to use as fertilizer.

Most of those buried alive were people from Dali.

Regardless of whether a person is good or evil, or whether they have any grudges against her, as long as they are from Dali, or even just a Song Dynasty person with a similar accent to Dali people, she will drag them to the island and bury them alive if she happens to see them.

Not long ago, she buried alive a disciple of the Wuliang Sword Sect, whose home was in the Song Kingdom and who spoke with a Dali accent because he studied martial arts at the Wuliang Sword Sect in Dali.

There was another type of person she buried alive.

That is, a man who is already married but has found a new lover.

She had been sending people to search for such men in various places for a long time. Once she found one, she would force him to kill his wife and marry a new one. Yes, she didn't just kill men, but forced them to kill their wives and marry new ones.

She would only bury a man alive if he refused to kill her.

Lady Wang, Li Qingluo, was so ruthless that she indiscriminately killed countless innocent people. Calling her a "female demon" is no exaggeration. By all accounts, her estate should have been overrun by chivalrous people who would have acted on behalf of Heaven long ago, but she was incredibly powerful.

Not only does Mantuo Manor have a large number of highly skilled servants and maids, making it impossible for ordinary martial artists to break in, but she also has a nephew who is famous throughout the world and is renowned in the martial arts world.

Qiao Feng in the North, Murong in the South.

Lady Wang's nephew was none other than Murong Nan.

Lu Chen also knew that Madam Wang had an even stronger backing.

Li Qiushui is her biological mother, and Wuyazi is her biological father.

Although Wu Yazi had been paralyzed for many years and couldn't take care of her, and Li Qiushui was promiscuous and had gone to Xixia to become a princess, so he was too lazy to care about her, she still had Ding Chunqiu as her backer.

Ding Chunqiu had been Li Qiushui's male concubine, which, roughly speaking, made him essentially Lady Wang's stepfather.

With the inherent strength of Mantuo Manor and powerful relatives that ordinary people could not afford to offend, no one dared to provoke Madam Wang, no matter how many evil deeds she committed or how many innocent people she killed.

But today.

Someone has come to uphold justice.

Lu Chen and Huang Rong, who came to the Song Dynasty from Dali, encountered an incident in Suzhou.

A scholar was being held hostage by several wicked women who were determined to force him to kill his first wife and marry his new lover.

In this era, it was normal for men to take concubines.

Even Huang Yaoshi didn't think there was anything wrong with men having concubines—in the original timeline, Ouyang Ke had dozens of concubines, but Huang Yaoshi still agreed to the marriage between the two families.

In this respect, Master Huang can be described as strict with himself and lenient with others.

But forcing someone to kill their first wife and elevating their concubine to the status of the legal wife is truly appalling.

As luck would have it, Lu Chen and Huang Rong stumbled upon this incident, captured the wicked women, listened to the scholar explain the whole story, and then tortured the wicked women. Upon learning of Madam Wang's actions, even Huang Rong felt that Madam Wang was nothing short of a demon.

Upon hearing Lu Chen mention that Madam Wang might have clues to the Lesser Formless Skill, Huang Rong immediately decided to come to Mantuo Manor to uphold justice.

Lu Chen didn't care.

Anyway, he wasn't afraid of Madam Wang's powerful backing. Destroying a female demon like Li Qingluo, whose mind was extremely twisted, and a demonic cave like Mantuo Manor, whose underground was filled with corpses, would be a good deed.

Huang Rong then tortured the wicked maids of Mantuo Manor again to find out the location of Mantuo Manor, and then went with Lu Chen to Mantuo Manor to perform chivalrous deeds.

[This chapter is 4K long. It's almost the end of the month, and there aren't any double monthly votes this month. Please support me with your monthly votes!]

(End of this chapter)