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

Chapter 124-139, Above the Five Greats, One Sword Reigns Supreme! [Long Chapter of 10,000 Words, Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

Seeing Huang Rong single-handedly fighting Qiu Qianren, and seemingly evenly matched without being at a disadvantage, Mu Nianci was shocked, but her anxiety gradually subsided. She pulled Guo Jing to Lu Chen and said gratefully:
"Young Master Lu, we owe you and Miss Huang a lot this time. Otherwise, Brother Guo and I would probably not have been able to defeat Old Thief Qiu and might have been injured."

Lu Chen smiled slightly:
"Miss Mu, you're too kind."

Guo Jing also clasped his hands and bowed to Lu Chen:
"Young Master Lu, I am Guo Jing. I have heard Master Qi mention you before, for the kindness of bestowing treasures and passing on your skills. Please accept my bow!"

He certainly knew who had given him the "Five Treasures Honey Wine" that Seventh Master had given him, as well as the "Old Man's Fist" that had greatly increased his skill over the past year and made him practice both internal and external skills faster and faster.

Upon seeing Lu Chen, his gratitude was palpable.

There's just one problem that's making Guo Jing a little unsure—

His sworn brother Yang Kang is said to call Lu Chen "uncle".

From the perspective of the sworn brother, shouldn't he also call him "uncle"?
But Lu Chen and that Miss Huang had both studied under Master Qi.

Although he did not formally become Qi Gong's disciple, since they have this relationship, can he be considered as half a fellow disciple?

This problem is a bit complicated, and Guo Jing really couldn't figure it out for the time being.

Lu Chen raised his hand to support Guo Jing's arm, preventing him from kneeling, and said with a smile:
"Rong'er, this Miss Li Mochou, and I all learned martial arts from Master Qi. I even received a 'Divine Dragon Swings its Tail' from him. We can be considered half fellow disciples. Young Master Guo, there's no need for such formalities."

Guo Jing supported him with one hand, but he could no longer kneel down.

He couldn't help but admire and praise him, thinking to himself that he was indeed worthy of being called the "Heavenly Divine Sword" who had once defeated Wanyan Honglie's experts, crippling a bunch of them, and even slaying the Western Poison. His skill alone was beyond his reach.

Overwhelmed with admiration, Guo Jing smiled shyly:
"Young Master Lu, please call me Guo Jing."

"Brother Guo, there's no need to be so polite. I'm older than you in terms of the month, so just call me Brother Lu."

"Yes, Brother Lu."

Mu Nianci also changed her address to "Brother Lu" and greeted Guo Jing and Li Mochou. Since they had all studied martial arts with Qi Gong and were the same age, they quickly felt comfortable with each other.

While the group was talking.

The force of Qiu Qianren and Huang Rong's palm strikes and finger strikes had already spread out, covering an area of ​​several feet.

As the palm winds and finger forces swept across the battlefield, the two figures also flew like the wind, coming and going like lightning, exchanging one or two blows with every breath.

Lu Chen stared intently for a while, then gradually relaxed.

Huang Rong's skill level is now comparable to Qiu Qianren's. Although she has recently consumed a lot of "Spirit Snake Pills" and her skill level has increased too quickly, she has not had time to refine and consolidate it. Her skill level may not be as pure and refined as Qiu Qianren's, but in general, they are already on par.

In terms of martial arts skills, Qiu Qianren can also be considered a genius. He has honed his "Iron Palm Skill" for many years and his skills have become superb.

Huang Rong's "Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand" was only at a minor level of mastery, and she had not yet incorporated all her knowledge into it, so her moves were slightly less refined.

However, the "Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand" is infinitely varied, with endless tricks and techniques. It also has the "Xiao Wuxiang Gong" with its power that can change at will, as well as the "Dou Zhuan Xing Yi" which allows for the secret exertion of power. In terms of martial arts configuration, Rong'er is already more than a level above Qiu Qianren, which is enough to make up for the difference in the purity of her martial arts skills.

In terms of lightness skills and movement techniques, Rong'er was already skilled in lightness skills, and after practicing "Lingbo Weibu" for a year, even though Qiu Qianren was known as "Water Floater" and was famous for his lightness skills, at this moment, whether it was the speed of his darting and shifting or the footwork of his changing positions, he was already surpassed by Rong'er.

If they continue fighting like this, after a thousand moves, Rong'er will be able to win by one or two moves.

Given Lu Chen's current insight, his judgment is unlikely to be wrong.

As a party involved, Qiu Qianren had a vague idea of ​​the outcome of the battle, and he was both shocked and angry.

The world already has a freak like Lu Chen and a young master like Guo Jing whose martial arts skills are already on par with the top masters of the older generation. How could such a young woman with extraordinary martial arts skills suddenly appear?
this moment.

Qiu Qianren felt that the world was full of malice towards him. Shocked, angry, and depressed, he even felt a little disheartened.

He did not accept the invitation to participate in the Mount Hua Sword Tournament back then because his Iron Palm skill was not yet fully mastered, and he felt that he was no match for the others.

Over the years, he had diligently practiced martial arts, and his Iron Palm skill had finally reached perfection. He thought that with this mastery of his skill, he could make a name for himself at the Mount Hua Sword Tournament. Even if he couldn't overpower all the other masters and become number one, he could at least be considered one of the Five Greats. But he never expected...

With his fighting spirit waning and distracting thoughts arising, Qiu Qianren's Iron Palm technique, which was originally airtight and should not have shown any flaws within at least a thousand moves, suddenly had a momentary lapse.

This momentary lapse, which should have been insignificant and fleeting, was instantly seized upon by Huang Rong, who had practiced the Dugu Nine Swords. She immediately transformed the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand into a sword technique, using her fingers as a sword to thrust out with lightning speed, directly targeting the flaw.

Qiu Qianren was instantly alert and wanted to change his move to make up for it, but it was too late. Huang Rong stabbed his right palm pulse point with her sword, and his entire forearm was immediately numb and tingling from his fingertips to his elbow, and he fell limply down.

Qiu Qianren was shocked and hastily struck out with his left palm, aiming to injure both of them and force Huang Rong to retreat.

However, his palm strike was hasty and lacked sufficient force, giving Huang Rong the opportunity to use "Shifting Stars and Turning the Tide." With a push and a push like grinding a millstone, Qiu Qianren's left elbow suddenly bent inward in an uncanny way, and his palm suddenly changed direction, uncontrollably striking towards his own chest.

Qiu Qianren was shocked. His left arm was out of control, and he could not stop it or even change the direction of the palm strike. He tried to block with his right palm, but his right hand was still numb and sore, and he could not move it for a moment.

So he could only watch helplessly as the palm struck his chest.

Bang!
With a muffled thud, Qiu Qianren staggered backward.

After staggering back several steps, he finally managed to regain his balance, but his knees buckled, and he knelt on one knee, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, trickling down to the ground like beads.

Rong'er, having severely injured Qiu Qianren with her "using his own methods against him" technique, immediately smiled and turned to look at Lu Chen, revealing a big grin:

"Brother Lu Chen, I beat Qiu Qianren!"

Seeing her smug look, yearning for praise, Lu Chen smiled slightly.
"Indeed, Rong'er is now one of the Five Greats, a peerless master in the world!"

Rong'er's smile became even brighter and more triumphant.

Guo Jing and Mu Nianci looked astonished.

Qiu Qianren's martial arts skills are extremely high. Even if the two of them joined forces, they could only barely withstand his fierce attacks, and they didn't know how long they could hold out. They might show signs of defeat after two or three hundred moves.

Huang Rong fought Qiu Qianren alone and severely injured him in less than a thousand moves.

For someone her age, her martial arts skills are truly astonishing and admirable.

Li Mochou was not surprised.

She already knew about Huang Rong's martial arts skills.

Even Huang Yaoshi had to use his most secret skills to defeat Huang Rong even a move or two. Qiu Qianren didn't even have the confidence to accept the invitation to participate in the Mount Hua Sword Tournament back then, so how could he be Huang Rong's opponent?
Losing by only one move already shows that Qiu Qianren's martial arts skills are superb, making him a master.

"Brother Lu Chen, what should we do with this person?" Huang Rong asked.

"What do you think, Brother Guo and Miss Mu?" Lu Chen asked Guo Jing and Mu Nianci in return.

"Qiu Qianren surrendered to the Jin Kingdom, betraying his country for personal gain. He should be killed in principle, but..." Guo Jing hesitated for a moment.

He was honest and kind by nature. Qiu Qianren was already seriously injured at this time, and to attack someone who was seriously injured would really go against his principles.

"Selling out one's country for personal gain?"

Qiu Qianren coughed twice, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and sneered:
"Whose country is this Song? It's the country of the Zhao Emperor and his lackeys who killed Yue Fei, my mentor, and countless loyal ministers and generals who wanted to launch a northern expedition against the Jin and recover lost territories! What does it have to do with you? And what does it have to do with me, Qiu Qianren?"

Guo Jing's face flushed red, and he angrily said:

"The Song emperors may be incompetent, but if enemy cavalry invades, the first to be trampled underfoot and slaughtered by swords and spears are ordinary people! I have witnessed the massacres of armies and know how terrible they are!"
"When the people and soldiers on the border were bleeding and their bodies were strewn everywhere, the Zhao Song emperors might still be enjoying themselves in Lin'an! Even if the enemy was at the gates of Lin'an, they might still be able to escape to the sea by boat and eke out a living before the enemy arrived!"

"Qiu Qianren, if you were to assassinate the Zhao family, or kill the scholar-official who led the siege of the Iron Palm Clan and killed your master, I would still praise you for living up to your master's kindness and being a good man. But you have colluded with the Jin Kingdom, wanting to help them invade the south and harm the people. This is a grave mistake!"
"Your mentor, Shangguan Jiannan, was a man of integrity and chivalry throughout his life. He was also determined to launch a northern expedition to recover lost territory. What a hero he was! Do you think your actions now are worthy of this old hero, Shangguan?"

Qiu Qianren never expected that this clumsy and tongue-tied young man, whom he had dealt with before, could speak so fluently. Clearly, he had thought about it for a long time and had his own insights.

Qiu Qianren couldn't find a reason to refute this view, and even gradually felt ashamed.

He was indeed cowardly, not daring to seek revenge against his master's true enemies. And if his collusion with the Jin dynasty to aid their invasion of the south succeeded, would his master's spirit in heaven forgive him?
Probably not.

No matter how disappointed or resentful my mentor was of the Zhao Song emperor and the Song court, he would never forgive himself for colluding with enemy countries and harming the people.

At this thought, Qiu Qianren became even more disheartened, muttering to himself:
"My martial arts skills are lacking, I was defeated by a mere woman... I'm a failure as a person, I've let down my master... What's the point of me, Qiu Qianren, living?"

As he spoke, he raised his left palm, intending to commit suicide. In the original timeline, after being reprimanded by Hong Qigong for his master Shangguan Jiannan, Qiu Qianren was also drenched in cold sweat and, feeling guilty, jumped off a cliff to his death.

As a result, Yideng pulled him back.

In the Condor Heroes era, he fought Jinlun for a day and a night to gather information about the Mongol army, and died from his injuries, which can be considered as atoning for his sins in the first half of his life.

And this time.

Just as Qiu Qianren's iron palm, powerful enough to shatter monuments and split rocks, was about to land on his head, a pebble flew over and struck Qiu Qianren's wrist with a soft thud, causing his hand to tremble and the force of his palm to dissipate instantly.

Then a tall figure draped in a kasaya slowly emerged from the forest.

Well, here comes Yideng again, that good-natured guy.

Although he doesn't possess the "Finger Flicking Divine Skill," each of the Five Greats is a well-rounded warrior, proficient in all kinds of martial arts, and none of them are unfamiliar with hidden weapons.

With a flick of his finger, Yideng could easily stop the heavily injured Qiu Qianren from committing suicide by flicking a pebble.

“Amitabha, well said, well said. The sea of ​​suffering is boundless, but there is always a shore to turn back to. Since you have realized your past mistakes, it is not too late for you to turn over a new leaf and start anew.”

Qiu Qianren was stunned. He knelt down in front of the lamp and burst into tears. He had a thousand words in his heart, but he couldn't say them for a moment.

"Who is the Zen Master?"

Huang Rong looked at the tall old monk and asked curiously, though she already had the answer in her heart.

"This old monk, Yideng, greets all benefactors."

He would put his palms together in a gesture of respect, showing no airs towards the younger generation.

"So it's Zen Master Yideng! Huang Rong, daughter of the Peach Blossom Island Master, greets Senior Yideng." Huang Rong quickly returned the greeting.

Lu Chen returned the greeting, saying, "Lu Chen greets Senior Yideng."

Li Mochou, Guo Jing, and Mu Nianci returned the greeting and introduced themselves.

Yideng smiled:
“It turns out that you gentlemen are all descendants of an old friend.”

Then, looking at everyone, he said:

"Qiu Qianren has committed many evils, but since he has shown remorse and is willing to redeem himself with his life, this old monk wishes to bring him into my fold so that I may atone for his past sins in the future. I wonder what you all think?"

Lu Chen didn't care and didn't care about Qiu Qianren's life or death.

In any case, in this timeline, neither he nor Rong'er had any grudges against Qiu Qianren. Rong'er even "used his own methods against him" to avenge the slap she received in the original timeline, leaving Qiu Qianren disheartened.

As for the grudges and entanglements between Qiu Qianren and Ying Gu, Zhou Botong, and Yideng, that's for the parties involved to decide—in this grudge and entanglement, the kind-hearted Yideng is the most innocent, Ying Gu is the most shameful, Qiu Qianren is the most cruel, and Zhou Botong…

He's a fool.

Huang Rong was already happy to have won against Qiu Qianren, so she didn't care much.

Guo Jing had no intention of harming someone who was seriously injured, and Mu Nianci and Li Mochou had even less objection.

Seeing that everyone agreed to this arrangement, Yideng clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, placed his palm on Qiu Qianren's head, and with a gentle stroke, Qiu Qianren's hair fell down in a flurry, as if he were being ordained on the spot.

"From now on, your Dharma name shall be Ci'en."

After shaving Qiu Qianren's head and giving him a Buddhist name, Yideng picked him up, said goodbye to Lu Chen and the others, and prepared to leave.

Seeing that he was heading down the mountain, Huang Rong couldn't help but ask:

"Senior, the Mount Hua Sword Tournament is imminent. How do you plan to descend the mountain?"

Yideng smiled and said:

"Young Master Huang is so young yet he was able to defeat Ci'en, and Master Lu's name, 'Heavenly Divine Sword,' is renowned throughout the martial world. This Master Guo's martial arts are not far from being among the best in the world."

“The three benefactors are so young yet possess such skill; benefactors Huang and Hong must be even more remarkable. This old monk is already a recluse; how dare I compare myself to the heroes of the world?”

"I have come here today only to resolve this grudge that has dragged on for twenty years. There are two old friends in Huayin County, and I will take Ci'en to see them to completely resolve this grudge. Dear benefactors, I hope we will meet again someday."

With that, he bowed again and then gracefully departed with Qiu Qianren.

"Hey?"

Huang Rong was a little dumbfounded:

"With Senior Yideng gone, won't the top five be one less in this sword competition?"

The Central Divine is long gone, the Western Poison was killed by Lu Chen, and now the Southern Emperor has withdrawn...

In this Mount Hua Sword Tournament, wouldn't the top five only be the Eastern Heretic and the Northern Beggar?
Lu Chen chuckled:
"Master Yideng is detached from worldly strife. Even if he were to participate in a sword competition, he would probably only use words, not fists. Although two of the top five are gone and one has retired early, now we have you, Rong'er, and the Old Urchin, don't we?"

In the original timeline, Yideng also left the scene early, and the Old Urchin also slipped away. In the end, only four people were left to compete in martial arts: the Eastern Heretic, the Northern Beggar, the Mad Western Poison, and Guo Jing.

If the Old Urchin hadn't slipped away, there might have been more people in this match, and Guo Jing could have made up the numbers.

Li Mochou could also represent the Ancient Tomb Sect in the competition.

Of course, even after consuming the Spirit Snake Pill and practicing the Old Man's Fist and Lingbo Steps, her martial arts skills were still inferior to the older generation, and not as good as Lu Chen or Huang Rong. However, she could still manage a 40/60 split against Guo Jing.

That being said, Lu Chen actually wanted to experience Yideng's internal strength and his One-Finger Divine Skill firsthand.

After becoming a monk, Yideng's competitive spirit completely disappeared, and he would not easily take action unless it was to save someone.

Even if Lu Chen forces Yideng to take action, Yideng will probably only defend and never fight back. In the original timeline, when Ci'en went mad and attacked Yideng, Yideng only defended and did not fight back, hoping to resolve Ci'en's violence with Buddhism. As a result, he was injured by Ci'en.

Lu Chen really couldn't do anything about such a kind-hearted person.

Of course, Lu Chen's horizons are now broad enough. He has experienced the Six Meridians Sword Formation of the monks of Tianlong Temple, the profound martial arts of the two Tianlong Four Masters, Kumārajīva and Murong Bo, the unique skills of Li Qiushui's Xiaoyao Sect, and the Northern Wilderness Six Directions Supreme Skill of Tianshan Child Granny.

With his current perspective, there is no need to force a monk who is unwilling to fight to a duel with him.

……

Mount Hua, Jade Maiden Peak.

The wind was biting, and the snow was falling.

When Lu Chen, Huang Rong, Li Mochou, Guo Jing, and Mu Nianci climbed to the top of Jade Maiden Peak together, they saw Huang Yaoshi, dressed in a green robe, holding a jade flute, playing a solo in the snow.

Hong Qigong sat on a large rock, holding a big red gourd in one hand and a green bamboo pole in the other. He took a sip of wine and tapped the rhythm, clearly already engaged in a battle of sonic skills with Huang Yaoshi.

Seeing this, Lu Chen chuckled and let out a long howl.

The roar was like a dragon's cry, a tiger's roar, and also contained the clanging of swords. It echoed on the mountaintop, suppressed the biting cold wind, and calmed the rising tide of the blue sea. It also caused Hong Qigong to lose his rhythm. He had a mouthful of wine in his mouth, but he could neither swallow it nor spit it out.

Huang Yaoshi frowned, put down his jade flute, and glared at Lu Chen with annoyance.

Hong Qigong also managed to calm his breathing and swallow the wine, then glared at Lu Chen with a huff.

Lu Chen's howling gradually subsided. Looking at the Eastern Heretic and the Northern Beggar, and at the snow on Mount Hua, a surge of heroic spirit arose within him:

"Father-in-law, Seventh Master, now that we've arrived at the summit of Mount Hua, please allow me to be presumptuous for once... You two, please accept my challenge!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he flashed forward and instantly appeared in front of Hong Qigong, pointing his fingers like a sword and thrusting out.

As the attack targeted Hong Qigong, another sword aura flew out, encircling Huang Yaoshi as well.

snort!
Huang Yaoshi snorted softly, a fighting spirit rising in his heart.

It's true that you're the best in the world at martial arts, but do you think you can fight me and Hong Qi all by yourself?
Let's see if you have the ability!
Huang Yaoshi showed no mercy, using his jade flute as a sword to join the battle. Hong Qigong also unleashed the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms; as his palm struck, a great wind arose, the force of his palm reverberated, and the roar was like thunder!
Lu Chen, caught up in the battle, unleashed another sword aura:
"Rong'er, you have defeated Qiu Qianren today, and you can also be ranked among the top in the world. Let's have a battle!"

Huang Rong chuckled and stepped onto the water, joining the battle. She fought alongside her father and Hong Qigong against Lu Chen. Her martial arts skills were no less than those of Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong, only slightly less seasoned and experienced.

"Brother Guo, although you are not yet as good as Qiu Qianren, your martial arts are not far from being the best in the world. Let's have a fight!"

Another sword aura flew out, encircling Guo Jing into the battle.

"Mo Chou, although your martial arts are slightly inferior to Brother Guo's, given time, you can also become a grandmaster, and that would count as one of you!"

Another sword aura flew out, and Li Mochou was also caught in the trap.

Apart from Mu Nianci, whose martial arts skills were simply not up to par, the Eastern Heretic, the Northern Beggar, Huang Rong, Guo Jing, and Li Mochou were all drawn into the battle by Lu Chen.

Mu Nianci did not feel neglected; on the contrary, she felt proud of Guo Jing. Back in the Jin Kingdom, Brother Lu's sword shook the Zhao Prince's mansion, easily captured the young prince, kidnapped the Zhao Princess, and forced Wanyan Honglie to personally see him off. How impressive was that?
Last year, he even killed Ouyang Feng with his sword. When he encountered Wanyan Honglie and his group in Niujia Village, he made them run away with a single sentence. How domineering was that?
Guo Jing's martial arts skills are not yet as good as Qiu Qianren's, but he is recognized by Brother Lu, which proves that in Brother Lu's eyes, Guo Jing will also become a top master in the future!
Mu Nianci felt only joy.

She watched the fierce battle intently, her gaze mostly fixed on Guo Jing. After a while, she suddenly noticed a strange phenomenon.

That is, the five people who fought against Lu Chen seemed to be fighting individually!

Even Guo Jing and Qi Gong, and Miss Huang and her father, could not form an alliance. Lu Chen, who was clearly only one person, seemed to transform into several people, separating the five of them and forcing them to fight on their own!

Mu Nianci couldn't understand Lu Chen's movements and swordsmanship, nor did she understand why such a bizarre phenomenon occurred. She could only marvel at Lu Chen's high level of martial arts, which was beyond comprehension and seemed like divine skill.

The battle was raging.

An old man wearing a monkey-face mask hopped and skipped to the summit, and upon seeing the battle, his eyes lit up:
"Huh, the martial arts competition has already started? Why didn't you call me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a sword aura flew out from the arena:
"Old rascal, you come too!"

Even the old rascal was drawn into the fray.

At first, the old rascal wanted to be like Lu Chen, treating everyone except himself as an opponent and having a good fight.

But the plan failed before it could be implemented because he discovered that things became strange once he entered the battle.

Even though there were other people just a few steps away—sometimes Huang Yaoshi, sometimes Hong Qigong, sometimes Da Rong'er, Li Mochou, and a little brother he didn't recognize—he just couldn't reach them.

Not only were they unable to challenge others, but they were also unable to join forces with others. Lu Chen moved like a ghost, dodging and weaving, and single-handedly separated the six of them, leaving them to face Lu Chen's attacks alone!
"Excellent martial arts! Excellent martial arts!"

The old rascal, obsessed with martial arts, became even more excited upon seeing this. He unleashed a series of Quanzhen Sect boxing and palm techniques, Kongming Fist, and Ambidextrous Fighting. In the end, caught up in the excitement of the battle, he even forgot his senior brother's instructions and used the techniques from the Nine Yin Manual.

If it were in the past, Lu Chen, on his own, would have been able to fight against the Nine Yin Manual, the Old Urchin who used the Ambidextrous Technique, Huang Yaoshi who was enhanced by various techniques such as the Lesser Formless Skill and the Old Man's Fist, Hong Qigong who was also enhanced by the Old Man's Fist and whose Dragon Subduing Palm was even more powerful, plus Rong'er who was slightly less experienced and had a slightly less refined skill but a super luxurious martial arts configuration, plus Guo Jing who was only slightly inferior to the best, and Li Mochou who was slightly inferior to Guo Jing. Even if he could divide and suppress them for a while, he would not be able to last long.

Without a hundred moves, it will be difficult to maintain the divided situation.

Then they would be suppressed by the six people.

but now.

Not only has his lightness skill reached a new level, but his arm "flesh tempering" has also been completed. The power output of his bare-handed kung fu, including the 10% increase from his previous "skin tempering" mastery, has increased to 30%. It is no longer a "beggar's version of Qilin Arms," ​​but a "poor man's version of Qilin Arms."

Furthermore, in the past two months, he has completed most of the muscle training in his chest and abdomen, resulting in a significant increase in his defense. Even when Guo Jing's Dragon Subduing Palm strikes the areas where his muscle training is complete, it has no effect whatsoever.

He could even withstand the fists, palms, and finger strikes of Hong Qigong, Zhou Botong, Huang Yaoshi, and Rong'er, only feeling slight pain.

He could even withstand the blade of Li Mochou's sword with his bare hands without sustaining any damage.

Furthermore, with his increasingly skillful use of "Shifting Stars and Deflecting Force," he could deflect and redirect force, thus greatly reducing his own energy expenditure. He also possessed unparalleled swordsmanship in the low-level martial arts world...

This battle.

Lu Chen didn't feel immense pressure; on the contrary, he fought with increasing courage!
After more than a hundred moves, Li Mochou was the first to be eliminated. Lu Chen flicked her longsword away with a finger and then struck her abdomen with a palm strike, sending her out of the battle.

After another hundred or so moves, Guo Jing was the second to be eliminated. Lu Chen struck his Tanzhong acupoint with a sword finger. Although he was not injured, his true energy was interrupted, and he staggered backward and fell into a snowdrift.

After another four or five hundred moves, Huang Rong, whose martial arts skills were still somewhat lacking, was the third to be eliminated. Lu Chen struck her soft armor with a palm strike, ignoring the armor's backlash, and sent her out.

After another three hundred moves, Huang Yaoshi used his Finger Flicking Skill against Lu Chen's Sword Finger. With one strike, he almost lost all feeling in his entire hand, but Lu Chen seemed unaffected. Master Huang sighed softly and withdrew voluntarily.

Hong Qigong's move "Shocking the Hundred Miles" clashed head-on with Lu Chen's "Divine Dragon Swings its Tail." Amidst the thunderous explosion, visible shockwaves swept across the raging storm, stirring up a sky full of snow and powder.

Lu Chen remained motionless, only his body trembled slightly, while Hong Qigong took three steps back, his fingers and palms going numb. He laughed heartily and made a hasty exit.

In the end, Zhou Botong used a series of ingenious moves, employing both ambidextrous techniques, but Lu Chen's invisible sword energy shaved off his beard...

On this day, atop Mount Hua, the new Five Masters were chosen.

Huang Yaoshi, also known as the Eastern Heretic.

Xi Ling, Huang Rong—this title was chosen by Rong'er herself, because she is the young master of Lingjiu, located in the west, hence the name Xi Ling. Lu Chen also felt that the word "Ling" perfectly matched her martial arts style and personality.

The Southern Monk, Yideng—Although Yideng did not participate in the sword competition, his more than twenty years of cultivation of innate skills and his increasingly refined One-Finger Divine Skill still earned him a place among the Five Great Masters of the World.

Hong Qi, the Northern Beggar.

The mischievous boy, Zhou Botong—although Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong have been strengthened, the strengthening period is still short, and they have only been practicing the "Old Man's Fist" for a year.

During the more than ten years that the Old Urchin was imprisoned on Peach Blossom Island, he kept the first volume of the Nine Yin Manual in his mind day and night, and unknowingly, he had mastered the martial arts of the Nine Yin Manual. He had also naturally practiced the "Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian" (a section on tendon and bone strengthening).

If we include the dual-arms fighting style, his martial arts skills are indeed slightly better than those of Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong.

Eastern Heretic, Western Spirit, Southern Monk, Northern Beggar, Central Mischievous Child.

These are the Five Greats of the World who competed in the second Mount Hua Sword Tournament.

Above the Five Greats lies the Celestial Divine Sword, which is...

At the summit of Mount Hua, one sword reigns supreme!
……

Light snow turned into heavy snow.

The Zhongnan Mountains are covered in a blanket of silver.

Three figures leaped swiftly across the snow-covered mountain path.

Two of the women, with their graceful figures and elegant movements, left only very shallow footprints in the snow when they landed, which disappeared without a trace once the snowstorm passed.

The third man, dressed in a black robe, strolled leisurely with his hands behind his back. He seemed unhurried, but each step covered three to five zhang (approximately 10-15 meters), and there were no footprints to be seen on the snow.

His lightness skill has reached the level of "leaving no trace on the snow".

The three were Lu Chen, Huang Rong, and Li Mochou.

On the day the martial arts competition ended, the participants did not leave. Instead, they continued to discuss martial arts and philosophy on Jade Maiden Peak for several days, and everyone gained something from the experience.

Li Mochou and Guo Jing, whose martial arts skills were relatively low, made great progress in their skills over the course of a few days, and Mu Nianci also improved a lot.

Several days later, the group descended the mountain, and Hong Qigong left with Guo Jing and Mu Nianci.

Huang Yaoshi left alone, intending to go to Guiyun Manor in Taihu Lake to pick up Sha Gu and bring her back to Peach Blossom Island.

Lu Chen, Huang Rong, and Li Mochou headed to Zhongnan Mountain to visit the leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

Zhou Botong also wanted to go back to Chongyang Palace to take a look, but he didn't go with them and disappeared on his own.

now.

Lu Chen and his two companions took a side path to the back mountain and arrived at the ancient tomb. There they saw a little girl wrapped in a thick fur coat, looking just like a polar bear cub, rolling a snowball at the entrance of the tomb.

An ugly old woman stood to the side watching the girl.

It was Little Dragon Girl and Granny Sun.

"Little Dragon Girl, Granny Sun, we're here again!"

Huang Rong waved and greeted them with a smile.

Upon seeing Huang Rong and Lu Chen, Granny Sun immediately smiled and greeted them:

"It's Miss Huang and Young Master Lu! What rare guests!"

Little Dragon Girl also threw down a snowball, stared at Lu Chen and Huang Rong with her big, dark eyes for a moment, then looked on in realization and skipped over:
"It's Sister Rong'er and Brother Lu Chen! Why haven't you come to play with Long'er in so long? Long'er has almost forgotten what you look like!"

"We've come to see you, haven't we?"

Huang Rong smiled and took Xiaolongnu's hand, patted her little head, and handed her a pair of wooden puppets:
"This is a mechanical puppet I made. It can move on its own by pulling a trigger, and it can even practice boxing!"

"A puppet that can move on its own?"

Little Dragon Girl's eyes lit up, and she held a puppet in one hand, looking eager to start playing immediately.

At this moment, Granny Sun had already gone inside to inform the Ancient Tomb Sect Leader. The Ancient Tomb Sect Leader came out to greet them, first giving Li Mochou, who had once again sneaked down the mountain, a disapproving glare, then smiling and nodding to Lu Chen and Huang Rong:

"My two young friends, we meet again."

"Senior Lin!" Lu Chen and Huang Rong bowed respectfully. "We've disturbed your peace and quiet again."

"It's alright. You two have done our Ancient Tomb Sect a great favor, so we should visit you often." The Ancient Tomb Sect Leader stepped aside and gestured, "It's snowing heavily and the wind is cold outside. Please come in and have a seat, young friends."

Originally, the rules of the Ancient Tomb Sect stipulated that non-disciples of the Ancient Tomb Sect were not allowed to enter.

However, Lu Chen and Huang Rong had done a great favor for the Ancient Tomb Sect and had once entered the Ancient Tomb through the underground river passage, so the leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect was willing to make an exception for them.

Lu Chendao:
"Thank you, Senior Lin. But there's no need to break the rules for us. Let's go back to the cabin we stayed in back then. Mo Chou said that cabin is still there?"

The wooden house is still there, of course.

Over the past two years, Mochou has often gone there to clean and repair, and occasionally she would use the excuse of guarding the entrance to the secret passage to stay there for a while.

The original simple wooden house was gradually expanded by her into a large wooden house with a hall and living room. She also bought a lot of interior decorations from the foot of the mountain and decorated it in a magnificent and elegant manner. I don't know where she got so much money.

The sect leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect thought to himself, glancing at Mo Chou. Seeing her smiling and silent, she clearly hadn't told Lu Chen and Huang Rong about this.

Looking at Li Mochou's gaze towards Lu Chen, the Ancient Tomb Sect Leader, who had often seen a similar look in Miss Lin Chaoying's eyes, sighed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do.

She wasn't a sharp-tongued person to begin with, and once her disciples, whom she had raised since childhood, had their own ideas, she couldn't control them anymore.

At that moment, the leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect, along with Granny Sun, Little Dragon Girl, and Li Mochou, escorted Lu Chen and Huang Rong to the valley where the entrance to the secret passage was located.

Upon entering the valley and seeing the large wooden house with its roof covered in snow, Huang Rong was slightly taken aback:
"How did the log cabin get so big?"

Li Mochou then smiled and said:

“I’ve had nothing to do these past two years, so I expanded it. Grandma Sun also helped me.”

"Me too!" Little Dragon Girl jumped up and raised her hand, saying, "Dragon Boy helped out too."

"Okay, Long'er, help count the nails." Li Mochou smiled and patted her junior sister's head.

“I bet things have changed inside too,” Huang Rong said with a smile.

"Sister Rong'er will know at a glance."

As the group entered the wooden house, they saw that it was fully furnished with tables, chairs, couches, screens, incense burners, and other furniture. There were also calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and the bedroom bed was a large carved bed made of fine wood, which looked quite like the home of a wealthy family.

After touring for a while, Huang Rong couldn't help but joke:
"Sister Mochou, did you spend all the profits we made from robbing the rich to help the poor in the Han River Gang here?"

Li Mochou was a little embarrassed:
"No, I left some money for my journey south to find you..."

As they spoke, they entered another bedroom. Seeing signs of habitation, Huang Rong suddenly raised her delicate eyebrows and said:

"This is Lu Chen's room, right? Did Sister Mo Chou often stay here?"

Li Mochou hadn't expected Huang Rong to have such a good memory, recognizing her even after she was all dressed up. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she unconsciously glanced at Lu Chen, her voice a little flustered:

"Uh, I occasionally come here to stay for a few days to guard the entrance to the secret passage. Long'er has stayed here with me before too. Oh, I forgot to make tea for you, I'll go boil some water!"

He then ran off to the kitchen to boil water and make tea, as if fleeing from the world.

Watching Li Mochou's retreating figure, Huang Rong's lips curled slightly, and she casually resumed chatting with the Ancient Tomb Sect Leader.

The head of the Ancient Tomb Sect rarely left his residence, leading a monotonous life. In reality, he had little to talk about, at most discussing the growth of his two disciples over the past two years, before habitually veering towards martial arts.

After discussing and exchanging martial arts techniques for a while, Li Mochou brewed tea and brought it over. The leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect then had a cup of tea with Lu Chen and Huang Rong before leaving with Granny Sun and Little Dragon Girl, who was playing with puppets.

She was aloof and not used to socializing. The fact that she could chat with Lu Chen and Huang Rong for a while and have a cup of tea meant that she considered them the closest and most important friends of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

Li Mochou was about to leave as well, but Huang Rong called out to her with a smile:
"Now that we've arrived at Zhongnan Mountain, Sister Mochou is the host. Won't she stay and keep us, these two guests who have come from afar, company?"

Although Li Mochou felt a little guilty for some reason, she didn't really want to leave. After all, she had gotten used to being with Lu Chen and Huang Rong for nearly three months. When Huang Rong asked her to stay, she hesitated for a moment and then agreed to stay.

When Xiaolongnu saw that her senior sister was staying, she also insisted on staying for the night. However, her master took her away without any mercy, leaving her to bite her lip and wipe away tears with a pitiful expression.

Li Mochou, who remained behind, was momentarily at a loss for words. Then, remembering she still had things to do, she quickly said:
"I'll go make your beds. Oh, and there's a new rug we bought last year in the closet. With all this snow, it'll be perfect to put it down!"

Then she quickly ran to the bedroom with the carved bed.

Seeing Li Mochou's flustered appearance, Huang Rong couldn't help but chuckle and looked at Lu Chen, saying:

"Sister Mochou has never been this flustered before. Brother Lu Chen, why do you think she's so panicked?"

Seeing Huang Rong's lips curl into a half-smile, Lu Chen remained expressionless, took a sip of his tea, and said matter-of-factly:
"I have no idea!"

Anyway, I've always been diligently practicing my skills. During those two months on Peach Blossom Island, even when I was instructing Mochou on her martial arts, I tried to do so in the presence of a third person. And that third person was mostly you, Rong'er, a few times Master Huang, and occasionally Silly Girl. Anyway, I have a clear conscience!
Huang Rong was well aware of Lu Chen's style; she had only been joking to see him embarrassed.

As a result, Lu Chen's self-righteousness prevented her from getting a laugh, so she could only pout in boredom and say:
"I'm going to check the kitchen and get ready to cook!"

……

That night.

Since Li Mochou was staying in a room not far away, Lu Chen had no intention of being intimate with Rong'er. However, Rong'er said that since leaving Peach Blossom Island, she had been either traveling or practicing martial arts. After arriving at Mount Hua, she had been competing in martial arts and hadn't kissed anyone for quite some time. She insisted that he kiss and hug her.

As Lu Chen's "sword body" grew stronger, Rong'er became increasingly ineffective. This time, before midnight, she was defeated again, trembling and crying out.

She nestled limply in Lu Chen's arms for a long time before finally regaining her composure and murmuring:
“The Ancient Tomb Sect’s internal strength is somewhat weak. Even with the Spirit Serpent Pill and the Old Man’s Fist as an aid, Sister Mochou’s internal strength is still a weakness. Brother Lu Chen, what do you think? How about I teach her the Lesser Formless Skill? Anyway, the Ancient Tomb Sect’s internal strength and the Lesser Formless Skill don’t conflict.”

Lu Chen gently stroked her slender waist and shapely buttocks with his fingertips, and said with a smile:
"You're even willing to teach the Lesser Formless Skill?"

Huang Rong murmured:

“I have faith in you… Given our circumstances, what are the most extraordinary martial arts techniques in the world? There’s no need to be so secretive about them. Besides…”

"Not to mention what?"

There was no reply. Looking down, I saw that Rong'er had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Lu Chen smiled, embraced her soft, boneless body in his arms, closed his eyes, and began to temper his sword body.

[I wrote 10,000 words today, please vote with your monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)