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

Chapters 120 & 135: Lingjiu Has a Young Master, His Beloved Wife is Growing Up [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

Because she was delayed by Li Qiushui's interception, the people from the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands caught up with her not long after she left.

Lu Chen suspected that Li Qiushui was still secretly spying nearby. Not wanting to get entangled with those demons and monsters, lest Li Qiushui make a comeback and take advantage of the situation, he and Huang Rong continued to head towards Piaomiao Peak.

Now feeling completely safe, Tong Lao comfortably nestled on Huang Rong's back, reciting the palm techniques of the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand to her and demanding that she memorize them on the spot.

The incantation for the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand is extremely difficult to pronounce, completely contrary to the principles of sound, rhythm, and breathing. It is already very difficult to recite it calmly and quietly, let alone when running at high speed. Ordinary martial artists simply cannot pronounce it aloud.

But this was just a small test that Tong Lao gave to Huang Rong.

The Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand emphasizes comprehension, while the incantation is a method for regulating true qi, belonging to the introductory mental technique. If one cannot even pass the test of memorizing the incantation, then one is not qualified to cultivate the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand.

However, Huang Rong's comprehension surprised Tong Lao a little.

She not only has an excellent memory, memorizing the mnemonic after hearing it only once, but she can also recite it while running. At first, she stumbled a little, but she quickly got into the zone and soon she was able to recite it fluently, clearly, and with steady breathing.

"That's right. Rong'er has practiced the Lesser Formless Skill, so memorizing the incantation of the Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand is not difficult for her... However, the fact that she can memorize the incantation so quickly proves that she has already reached a considerable level in the Lesser Formless Skill and has extraordinary comprehension!"

As one of the three great divine skills of the Free and Unfettered Sect, the Lesser Formless Skill has extremely high requirements for aptitude and comprehension. Those who are not top geniuses should not even think about entering the field.

Rong'er was only seventeen or eighteen years old, yet she was able to master the Lesser Formless Skill to the point where she could easily grasp the basics of the Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand technique. This proves that her talent and comprehension are top-notch, and she is in no way inferior to Tong Lao.

Huang Rong's figure and appearance were impeccable, meeting the standards for a successor of the Xiaoyao Sect.

She speaks sweetly and her personality suits Tong Lao's tastes—everyone avoids Lingjiu Palace on Piaomiao Peak like the plague, and this is the first time in all these years that Tong Lao has encountered such a bold and outspoken young girl who wants to become the master of Lingjiu Palace.

Coupled with Huang Rong's life-saving grace and Lu Chen's protection, Tong Lao had already begun to seriously consider taking on a successor.

She is already ninety-six years old this year. Although with her skill, as long as she doesn't lose her power, it wouldn't be difficult for her to live to a ripe old age, but human life has its limits, and she still has no successor. Now, a Huang Rong who suits her perfectly in every way has appeared out of nowhere...

Hmm, we need to observe her further and see how well Rong'er has mastered the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand technique.

They ran all the way until dawn, leaving the pursuers of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands far behind.

Just as they were about to find a place to rest, a group of people suddenly appeared in front of them. Looking closely, they saw that they were all women of all ages, from little girls as young as thirteen or fourteen to old women in their fifties or sixties.

It is one of the nine departments of the Lingjiu Palace.

……

The Piaomiao Peak of Tianshan is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, appearing ethereal and dreamlike. The mountain is extremely steep and dangerous, with eighteen strategic passes.

After crossing the last treacherous natural barrier, the "Heavenly Bridge," you'll find a straight bluestone road winding through a snow-covered pine forest.

At the end of the bluestone avenue stands a tall, majestic, and imposing stone fortress.

On either side of the fortress gate stands a magnificent stone eagle, each about three zhang tall.

This stone fortress is none other than the Lingjiu Palace, which is renowned throughout the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains.

According to the rules of Lingjiu Palace, even if outsiders are granted permission to enter the mountain, they must be blindfolded and are strictly prohibited from moving around without authorization; violators will be severely punished.

But at this moment, Lu Chen and Huang Rong were wandering around Lingjiu Palace, visiting the huge stone fortress that stood atop the mountain and was a true architectural marvel.

When the Nine Heavens and Nine Departments encountered the two, they all treated them with great respect. Some young girls even addressed Huang Rong as "Young Master".

Yes, the news that Tong Lao had taught Huang Rong the "Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand" had already spread throughout the Nine Heavens and Nine Departments of Lingjiu Palace.

The Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand is an extremely profound martial art of the Tonglao lineage, and no one in the nine heavens and nine departments of Lingjiu Palace has been able to pass it on.

Now that Huang Rong has just arrived, she has already been able to learn this skill, which clearly shows that she has won the favor of the Child Granny and is showing the potential to become the young master.

None of the people from the Nine Heavens and Nine Departments were jealous of this.

Because the Nine Heavens and Nine Departments' status in Lingjiu Palace was actually that of "maids," not disciples of the Free and Unfettered Sect.

Moreover, most of them were saved by the Child Granny in times of danger, and their lives were extended by the Child Granny. The Child Granny also taught them martial arts and gave them the ability to make a living. She usually treated them with both kindness and severity, and was clear about rewards and punishments.

Therefore, even though the Child Granny did not use the "Life and Death Talisman" to control the Nine Heavens and Nine Departments, they were all loyal to her and unconditionally supported any decision she made.
The old woman's ability to manage her subordinates was truly extraordinary, but this was only true for internal affairs.

When dealing with external forces, such as the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands, the situation is one of harsh pressure and extreme bullying, revealing the true nature of a tyrant.

However, there are few kind-hearted people in the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands. The fact that the big bully, Tong Lao, bullies the little bullies is actually a way of restraining them.

Strolling along the wide walls of Lingjiu Palace, wide enough for horses to gallop across, and admiring the ethereal, dreamlike scenery of drifting clouds, Huang Rong suddenly remembered something:
"Brother Lu Chen, do you think there will be a Misty Peak Lingjiu Palace in my world?"

Lu Chen had told her about the theory of "spacetime branches".

Therefore, she knew that the arrival of the two of them had changed the fate of many people in this time and space, and that this time and space would undergo significant changes in the future, becoming a completely new branch different from her world.

However, no matter how people's fate changes, or how the future changes, Lingjiu Palace, such a large stone castle, should not disappear easily even after a hundred years, right?

Lu Chen pondered for a moment, then said:

"In Rong'er's world, the Lingjiu Palace's power should no longer exist, otherwise White Camel Mountain would not have become the overlord of the Western Regions. As for whether the Lingjiu Palace castle still exists, it's hard to say."

Even without maintenance, the main structure of a magnificent stone castle like Lingjiu Palace can remain standing for hundreds or even thousands of years.

However, the Tianshan Mountains are an earthquake zone, and if a major earthquake were to occur that alters the terrain, the outcome could be unpredictable.

Huang Rong smiled and said:

"When I return to my world, if I have time, I can go to Tianshan to look for it and see if the stone fortress is still there."

Lu Chen smiled and nodded:

"Yes, I'll look for it when I have time."

Just as we were speaking.

A little girl in a green dress hurried over and bowed to the two of them.
"Young Master, Young Hero Lu, Granny Tong summons you both."

Lu Chen and Huang Rong followed the little girl to the depths of the castle, where they saw Tong Lao standing under a winter plum tree with her hands behind her back in a small garden.

"Grandma Tong!"

Huang Rong greeted him with a lighthearted tone and a cheerful smile.

When Tong Lao turned around, Lu Chen and Huang Rong were both slightly taken aback. They saw that although Tong Lao's body was still like that of a nine-year-old child, her facial features had changed to those of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl. Judging from her features alone, she was a rare beauty.

Seeing her like this, Lu Chen thought to himself, no wonder Li Qiushui was worried that Tong Lao had grown up.

"What are you daydreaming about?" Granny Tong said with a smile.

"Grandma Tong is really beautiful! Even more beautiful than Li Qiushui."

Huang Rong sincerely praised it.

"She's over ninety years old, what's the point of her being pretty or not?"

Granny Tong spoke casually, but inwardly she was delighted. "Granny Tong, did you call us here to beat up Li Qiushui?"

"Having only recovered to the strength of a nineteen-year-old, how can he possibly defeat Li Qiushui?"

The old woman shook her head and said:

"Young Lu, didn't you want to learn the swordsmanship of my lineage? Someone will take you to observe the sword manual later. As for Rong'er, now that you've memorized the inner technique, it's time for you to learn the moves of the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand."

Afterwards, the old woman summoned four beautiful girls who were about eighteen or nineteen years old and looked almost identical except for the color of their clothes, and asked them to take Lu Chen to see the sword manual.

These four sisters are naturally the four twin sisters, Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, who are orphans abandoned by their parents. They were encountered by the Child Granny while she was gathering herbs, and she took them back to Lingjiu Palace to raise them.

After Lu Chen left with the four sword attendants.

The old woman looked at Huang Rong with a smile:

"Rong'er, I've heard that quite a few maids in the Nine Heavens and Nine Departments are already calling you 'Young Master'?"

Huang Rong chuckled:
"It's all thanks to Granny Tong."

"Heh, young master of Lingjiu Palace, it's not impossible to formally grant you permission. However, let me see your aptitude for learning techniques!"

As she spoke, the old woman beckoned Huang Rong to come to her and began to explain the specific moves of the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand.

The Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand consists of only six styles of kung fu: three styles of grappling and three styles of palm techniques. However, it encompasses all kinds of unarmed kung fu and even weapon skills, and is said to be able to incorporate all the martial arts moves in the world into it.

With such a broad scope, its variations are naturally extremely complex.

If one's comprehension is slightly lacking, even if one can learn some basics, one will absolutely be unable to improve, let alone integrate various skills into one's own practice.

However, Huang Rong's martial arts skills are inherently characterized by their breadth and depth.

After learning the Lesser Formless Skill, he often sparred with Lu Chen. Under Lu Chen's guidance, he had already begun to try to integrate various martial arts on his own. It can be said that he had laid a very solid foundation for learning the "Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand".

In addition, her exceptional comprehension allowed her to learn almost any skill in a short time, so even the complex and extensive Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand technique was no challenge for her.

The old woman explained the moves to Huang Rong and then practiced with her. Seeing that Huang Rong not only learned the moves quickly, but also understood all the complex variations and could even apply them to other situations, the old woman became even more satisfied.

Unfortunately, she was too young and her skills were somewhat lacking. In fact, given Huang Rong's age, her skills were already quite impressive in the martial arts world, but compared to Tong Lao, who had ninety years of experience, she could indeed be considered "lacking in skill".

“Rong’er, although the Lesser Formless Skill and the Northern Darkness Divine Skill each have their own wonderful uses and are both the sect’s signature skills of the Free and Unfettered Sect, the Northern Darkness Divine Skill is still faster in improving one’s skill. Why did you abandon the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and choose the Lesser Formless Skill? Is it because you don’t want to gain something for nothing and take a shortcut?”

"Grandma Tong is wrong! I love taking shortcuts and getting something for nothing!"

Huang Rong smiled sweetly:
"However, to cultivate the Northern Darkness Divine Art, one must first dissolve one's own internal energy. The internal energy I possess is what I gained from traveling the world with my brother Lu Chen and experiencing various encounters. Every bit of it is of great significance to me."

The old woman was silent for a moment, then nodded approvingly:

"Not bad, Rong'er is quite good. Come, continue practicing. If you can master the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand when Grandma's power is fully restored, Grandma will officially announce that you are the young master of Lingjiu Palace!"

Huang Rong's eyes lit up, and she said in a crisp voice:
"Thank you, Tonglao!"

It will take more than eighty days, almost three months, for the Child Granny to fully recover her powers.

Given such a long period of time, even if the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand technique was profound and extensive, Huang Rong believed that with her own skills and comprehension, it would be no problem for her to master it to a minor degree.

Next, Lu Chen and Huang Rong devoted themselves to cultivation in Lingjiu Palace.

Lu Chen first learned many sword techniques from Li Qiushui, and then acquired many sword techniques collected in Lingjiu Palace. His sword skills became even more profound, and his sword skills reached a new level.

The tempering of the "sword body" is also steadily improving. After the "flesh tempering" of the right arm is perfected, the tempering of the left arm has begun.

Furthermore, the entire right arm has been fully tempered, and the "snowball effect" of tempering the sword body is more obvious. It feels like the tempering progress of the left arm is almost double that of the right arm.

As for his skill level, although it did not advance by leaps and bounds, it steadily improved with small gains every day.

Rong'er's "Xiao Wuxiang Gong" was completed, and because her skill was far less profound than Lu Chen's, her skill progressed even faster.

Under the guidance of Tong Lao and the sparring with Lu Chen, the cultivation of "Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand" improved rapidly. It seemed that he could master "Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand" to a minor level without even waiting for Tong Lao to fully recover her power.

Before we knew it, two months had passed.

That night, after bathing, Huang Rong wore only a light and sheer white gauze dress, cinched at the waist with a ribbon that accentuated her increasingly breathtaking waist and hip curves. She gracefully approached Lu Chen, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch, and called out to him:
“Brother Lu Chen”.

"Ok?"

Lu Chen opened his eyes and looked at Rong'er. He saw that under the thin veil, her firm and round breasts, flat and white abdomen, and long and straight beautiful legs were clearly visible.

Seeing Lu Chen's amazed gaze, Huang Rong blushed slightly, but did not flinch. Instead, she proudly puffed out her chest, walked lightly to his side, sat down next to him, and took his arm with her slender hand.

"Brother Lu Chen, it's been almost a year since we came to this world!"

Lu Chen nodded: "It will be soon indeed."

I spent three months diligently cultivating in the Wuliang Mountains, nearly two months staying in Suzhou, and including the two-plus months of travel to Shaolin and the Western Regions, it was almost eight months in total.

Now, after two more months of secluded cultivation at Lingjiu Palace, it will be a full year in less than two months.

Over the past year, both of them have grown tremendously, not only in martial arts but also in mind and body.

Like Rong'er, now that she practices "Old Man's Fist" she is no longer growing taller, but her figure is becoming more and more plump and perfect.

That said, although Rong'er appeared petite next to the tall and imposing Lu Chen, she was still considered tall and slender compared to other women. Her full, plump thighs and slender, well-proportioned, snow-white legs were a sight to behold, making Lu Chen unable to tear himself away from kissing them.

"Today, Granny Tong said that my Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand technique is nearing completion. In just a few more days or days, I'll be ready!"

"Wouldn't Rong'er be able to officially become the young master of Lingjiu right away?"

"Yes."

Rong'er's eyebrows curved, her lips curled up, and she looked smug.
"Grandma Tong said that in three days, she will summon the Nine Heavens and Nine Departments to officially appoint me as the Young Master of Lingjiu."

Lu Chen nodded and smiled:
"Such a joyous occasion deserves a proper celebration. I'll skip the martial arts practice tonight..."

Rong'er's pretty face flushed red, and her beautiful eyes sparkled:
"No, I don't want to delay your cultivation."

"It's alright, I've been training hard enough these past two months, and my left arm muscle training is almost complete..."

As he spoke, he put one arm around her slender waist and lifted her chin with the other. After gazing into her eyes for a moment, he lowered his head and kissed her sweet lips.

……

three days later.

The Heavenly Child Granny formally appointed Huang Rong as the Young Master. All nine heavens and nine departments gathered in the main hall of Lingjiu Palace to pay homage to the Young Master. The grandeur and magnificence of the scene were like a king ascending the throne.

[First day of July, please vote with my minimum monthly pass!]

(End of this chapter)