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

Chapter 129, 144: The Shadow Assassin! This time, they've met their match! [Requesting monthly votes!]

"I am grateful for Brother Lu's kindness in thinking so highly of us brothers. However, as you can see, Brother Lu, we are in a very bad state now... Before our injuries heal, we don't have much strength left."

Kou Zhong said, a hint of pride in his voice.

He was fed up with being looked down upon. It was rare to encounter a master who was even more dangerous than Yuwen Zhiji, yet still respected him and Xiao Ling. Naturally, he was delighted and developed a very good impression of Lu Chen.

Of course, we are still vigilant.

After all, they not only carried the bounty of "Pushan Gong's Decree," but also the secret of Yang Gong's treasure trove.

Xu Ziling also said:
"Yuwen Huaji has already breached Jiangdu Palace. Those who remained loyal to Yang Guang, such as Dugu Sheng, are likely doomed. The rebel army has also entered the city in force. Once Yuwen Huaji has dealt with the tyrannical emperor and is free to spare, he could seal off the entire city at any time and search for me and Xiao Zhong. We will have to flee for our lives..."

Lu Chen nodded and said:
"It's alright if we can't fight now. Let's leave the city together, and once we're in a safe place, you can recover from your injuries, and then we can have another match."

With that, he took the lead and headed south of the city.

Looking at Lu Chen's seemingly unguarded back, Kou and Xu exchanged a glance and followed him south of the city. Along the way, they couldn't help but exchange a few glances and try to guess Lu Chen's intentions.

The city was in chaos at this time. Every now and then, a group of Sui soldiers could be seen rushing by, and local ruffians took advantage of the chaos to loot, burn, kill, and plunder together with the soldiers.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were furious to see their hometown ravaged by war. They hated Yuwen Huaji, who had instigated the mutiny, even more so, and couldn't help but kill a few stragglers and thugs.

However, Jiangdu was too large, and there were too many rogue soldiers and hooligans taking advantage of the chaos. Not to mention Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, even Lu Chen couldn't manage them all. Kou and Xu could only do their best to save a few innocent families who had been robbed before speeding up their journey to the south of the city.

Seeing that they were not far from leaving the city, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling suddenly stopped in their tracks, held their breath, and became extremely tense.

Lu Chen noticed that the two were breathing differently. He turned around and saw that they looked extremely nervous. He asked:

"what happened?"

Xu Ziling gritted his teeth, his voice cold:
"Shadow Assassin Yang Xuyan... he's nearby!"

A hint of despair also surfaced in Kou Zhong's eyes:
"What a run of bad luck! I finally escaped from Jiangdu Palace, but I never expected to be targeted by Yang Xuyan again!"

On the night of Yuwen Huaji's mutiny, after Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling escaped from Jiangdu Palace, did they encounter Yang Xuyan?

It seems not?
Given their current state, if they were to run into Yang Xuyan, the story of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty would have to end prematurely.

Lu Chen pondered to himself, feeling that running into Yang Xuyan was probably his fault—

Because of his appearance, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were unable to escape immediately after fleeing Jiangdu Palace. They chatted with him for a while, which delayed them.

As the three continued their journey, Lu Chen walked in front, with the twin dragons following behind him. Their route out of the city was likely different from the original timeline.

With these two changes, it's possible to suddenly run into Yang Xuyan.

As for why Yang Xuyan appeared in Jiangdu...

As the son of the former Crown Prince Yang Yong, it was perfectly normal for Yang Xuyan to be present on the night of Yuwen Huaji's coup.

If Yuwen Huaji dared not commit regicide, it was not impossible for Yang Xuyan to finish him off.

Lu Chen did not doubt Shuanglong's judgment.

He was just a little annoyed: I didn't notice anything at all.

Perhaps it's because Yang Xuyan's target isn't me?

Lu Chen comforted himself in this way.

Looking again at the lightning sword in his mind, which was still only roughly formed and somewhat blurry, he decided to increase the time he spent visualizing the sword each day by two hours.

Cultivating spiritual techniques in the world of Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty should be far more efficient than in the worlds of Condor Heroes and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, right?

While pondering this.

From the shadows ahead, a figure carrying a long, narrow sword, dressed in black and masked, slowly emerged.

It seems the Shadow Assassin knew he couldn't ambush Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, and seeing their poor condition, he simply came out openly.

As an assassin who often needs to lie in wait to carry out assassinations, Yang Xuyan is not thin; on the contrary, he is quite tall with broad shoulders, long arms and a narrow waist, and long legs, giving him a sense of uprightness and agility.

With such a tall and upright figure, he could always hide in some unexpected places, which clearly showed that he was also proficient in the art of bone shrinking.

now.

Yang Xuyan, his face veiled in black, revealing only a pair of deep black eyes, glanced at the nervous Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, then at Lu Chen, who only noticed his presence after he revealed himself, and said softly:
"I have no grudge against you. You can still leave now."

Although Lu Chen's perception was slow, Yang Xuyan thought this was normal—aside from Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and his master, he had never encountered a martial artist who could detect his ambush from a great distance.

Otherwise, he would have been exposed every time and had to launch a strong attack every time. How could he have earned the prestigious and fearsome title of "Shadow Assassin"?
However, despite Lu Chen's slow perception, Yang Xuyan's ability to sense qi naturally made him realize that Lu Chen was not someone to be trifled with.

His hidden yet sharp sword aura made Yang Xuyan feel somewhat troubled—only slightly troublesome, but he was still confident that he could fight him head-on.

However, Kou and Xu were truly slippery and their ability to escape was extraordinary. If they could escape while he was dealing with the black-robed youth, they might be able to escape with their lives again.

and so……

Yang Xuyan planned to persuade Lu Chen to leave.

It's not too late to chase after them and silence them after dealing with Kou and Xu.

Without Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, who could detect his ambush, he felt that assassinating Lu Chen would be effortless.

If an assassination attempt is launched from behind, the attacker might not even realize what's happening until the sword pierces the back of the heart.

Yang Xuyan had his own plans in mind.

Little did they know that Lu Chen was looking for a master to challenge.

Yang Xuyan was undoubtedly a very suitable opponent.

He is still in his growth stage and has not yet learned the "Undying Seal Technique" and the "Mastery of the Root of All Laws" Scripture. He has not yet grown into the top master who would require the combined attack of the two dragons, Ba Feng Han, and Hou Xi Bai to ensure his death.

Yang Xuyan's current martial arts skills consist only of "Illusory Demon Body Technique" and "Illusory Sword Technique," which makes him exactly the kind of opponent Lu Chen likes best.

"I have long admired the reputation of the Shadow Assassin Yang Xuyan and have always longed to be associated with him. Today, I am fortunate to meet you and have the opportunity to learn from your swordsmanship."

Lu Chen raised his hand and bowed as was customary:
"My name is Lu Chen, a swordsman. I humbly request your guidance, Brother Yang."

This left not only Yang Xuyan stunned, but also Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling speechless.

Normal people would avoid the infamous Shadow Assassin like the plague, so why did Brother Lu take the initiative to challenge him?
Yang Xuyan did tell Brother Lu to leave!

Could it be that he didn't want to see Yang Xuyan bully the two of us who were injured?
When did our Yangzhou Shuanglong become so likable?

Or is it that what makes us likable are just our secrets?
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling have very rich inner monologues.

After a moment of surprise, Yang Xuyan looked at Lu Chen with a strange expression and asked:
"Brother Lu, are you really going to fight me for these two lads?"

"Brother Yang, you misunderstand. I did it not for their sake."

Lu Chen looked serious:
"I just want to test my swordsmanship with Brother Yang."

Looking at Lu Chen's genuinely sincere expression, Yang Xuyan felt somewhat annoyed.

He's a martial arts fanatic.

These kinds of guys are the most troublesome.

"How about I kill Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, and then, with my mind focused, I fight Brother Lu without any distractions?"

Yang Xuyan wanted to make a deal.

“I’m sorry.” Lu Chen shook his head: “Kou Xu’s Longevity Technique is very magical. I want to test their skills. At least before I have experienced the wonders of the Longevity Technique, Brother Yang, you cannot kill them.”

"Indeed, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's immortality techniques are miraculous. Their existence even makes me feel uneasy..."

Yang Xuyan sighed:
"I will kill them without hesitation. Brother Lu's attempt to stop me is extremely unwise..."

Before he finished speaking, Yang Xuyan's figure vanished instantly, and at the same time, a strange vortex enveloped Lu Chen.

The vortex resembled a deep-sea whirlpool, composed of hundreds of invisible air currents flowing in different directions. It coiled around Lu Chen, some pulling him forward, some squeezing him head-on, and some pulling him sideways. For a moment, Lu Chen almost thought he had encountered the Yin Gui Sect's Heavenly Demon Force Field.

Of course, he also knew that Yang Xuyan could not possibly possess the Heavenly Demon Force Field; it was probably just some kind of slightly similar application of true energy.

The martial arts of Butian Pavilion and Yin Gui Sect both originated from the "Heavenly Demon Strategy".

Although the Heavenly Demon Strategy consists of ten volumes, the Yin Gui Sect and the Butian Pavilion each possess different volumes and have comprehended different martial arts. However, since they originate from the same source, it is not surprising that their martial arts applications are somewhat similar.

Yang Xuyan's sudden activation of the true qi vortex, when unprepared, can seriously affect one's movement techniques.

Lu Chen even felt that even the Five Great Masters of the Condor Heroes would have difficulty maintaining their balance under the frantic pull of this invisible vortex.

Fortunately, this method has no effect on land subsidence.

Because he often practiced his skills underwater and had long been accustomed to the unpredictable pulling and squeezing of the underwater currents, his resistance to external forces was greatly enhanced after his sword body had been "refined" to a high degree.

Even the most powerful unarmed attacks would have their force partially neutralized before landing on him. The remaining force would only cause him pain, but not injury. How could such a vortex of energy possibly move him?

Under the vortex, Lu Chen's black robe fluttered wildly, the hem of his robe constantly changing direction, as if winds were blowing from all directions at the same time.

But he remained standing still, completely unaffected.

Just then, a glint of sword light suddenly appeared before Lu Chen's eyes.

The point of sword light continued to expand in his field of vision, while hundreds of tiny, needle-like sword energies pressed down on his eyes from a distance, making his eyes feel as if they were being shone with countless beams of light. His vision was filled with dense, scattered, tiny sword lights, making it almost impossible to see anything.

"Is this the Phantom Sword Technique of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion? It's truly amazing!"

Lu Chen thought to himself, his eyes narrowed slightly, trying to minimize the interference of sword light and sword energy on his vision. At the same time, he pointed his fingers together as a sword, and sword energy burst forth from his fingertips, piercing straight at the sky full of sword light in front of him like a needle against a wheat awn.

Lu Chen's sword energy missed its target.

The dense, scattered sword lights before his eyes were actually all illusions designed to confuse his senses. Yang Xuyan, who had been attacking head-on earlier, had long since disappeared. As Lu Chen's sword energy missed its mark, the lightning-shaped sword in his mind trembled slightly. As the sword vibrated, a faint stinging pain appeared on the skin of his left waist.

Yang Xuyan had already circled around to my left rear, the tip of his sword pointing directly at my lower back!
The distance is three inches!
Well, Lu Chen's Heart Sword, which he had only practiced for ten days, still came in handy, at least allowing him to sense Yang Xuyan's Kidney Strike Sword "three inches" earlier.

Even if it were someone else, a master of skill comparable to Lu Chen, a mere three inches' advance warning would not be enough to react to Yang Xuyan's lightning-fast sword strike.

But Lu Chen has his own unique skills.

laugh!
Yang Xuyan's sword pierced through Lu Chen's clothes with lightning speed and then struck Lu Chen's lower back.

But Yang Xuyan's eyes showed a hint of surprise, because he found that his sword tip only slightly grazed Lu Chen's lower back, and then the sword fell into empty space, piercing only a phantom!
This……

Phantom magic?

Just as Yang Xuyan was in shock, his energy was activated, and he sensed a sword aura coming from behind him. In an instant, he swung his sword back and shattered the sword aura with a clang.

At the same time, his figure flashed again, following the aura he sensed, and attacked Lu Chen, who had somehow appeared behind him.

Lu Chen joined his index and middle fingers together to form a sword finger, gathering a three-foot-long sword of energy at his fingertips. He used this invisible sword of energy to counter Yang Xuyan's long and sharp sword.

Ding ding ding ding...

A dense, rain-like sound of metal clashing rang out.

When the qi sword clashed with the real sword, it sparked with countless dazzling sparks.

As soon as the battle began, Lu Chen displayed his swordsmanship to the fullest.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, he was actually superior to Yang Xuyan.

His swordsmanship is not only a fusion of the essence of swordsmanship from three low-level martial arts worlds: The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

He also spent many years comprehending the imprints of "Sword One and Sword Two," gaining a wealth of profound sword principles, which he integrated into his own swordsmanship, constantly deducing and changing them, allowing his swordsmanship to transcend the limitations of the low-level martial arts world.

Otherwise, how could he have managed to defeat four masters of the second level of the Five Greats—Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, Zhou Botong, and Huang Rong—along with Guo Jing and Li Mochou, who were only slightly inferior to Qiu Qianren, all by himself before his skill had even reached the level of the Three Greats and Five Greats?
What he relied on was the supreme swordsmanship that was unparalleled among the Five Greats.

however.

Even though his swordsmanship was superior to Yang Xuyan's, and his "Sword Shadow Step" movement technique was no less than Yang Xuyan's "Illusion Demon Movement Technique," and he would even occasionally activate "Sword Two: Splitting Light and Shadow," which was like a flash or teleportation, making Yang Xuyan suspicious. But Yang Xuyan's reaction, or rather his perception, was just too sharp.

The "Six Meridian Divine Sword," an invisible sword of qi that is a headache and impossible to defend against in the low-level martial arts world, is no different from a bright and real sword in front of Yang Xuyan.

Even though Lu Chen kept changing the length of the qi sword, making it extend and retract unpredictably, sometimes long and sometimes short, he still couldn't trick Yang Xuyan.

As for the invisible sword energy that occasionally shoots outwards, to Yang Xuyan it is no different from a physical arrow.

Lu Chen's sword moves, which should have been unpredictable and elusive, were always anticipated by Yang Xuyan, who almost foresaw the changes in his moves.

Yang Xuyan's elusive "Illusory Demon Body Technique," combined with his deceptive and unpredictable "Phantom Sword Technique," made it almost impossible for Lu Chen to exploit any weaknesses.

Even when Yang Xuyan flashed into Lu Chen's sensory blind spot and launched a surprise attack, Lu Chen could only react under the warning of "Heart Sword" when the tip of the sword was only two or three inches away from his vital points.

this moment.

Lu Chen felt almost the same way he did when he received special training from Huang Yaoshi before facing the Western Poison.

At that time, his martial arts skills were inferior to those of the Five Greats.

When fighting against Huang Yaoshi at full power, one is always constrained and unable to fully utilize one's abilities.

The situation now when I fight Yang Xuyan is similar to that back then.

However, Lu Chen had a good attitude.

He knew this would happen.

It's simply that Yang Xuyan's perception far surpasses his. Under the influence of his aura, his attacks have no secrets in Yang Xuyan's eyes, while Yang Xuyan's attacks have too many blind spots for him.

Therefore, Yang Xuyan was able to seize the initiative in both offense and defense.

But all we can do is seize the initiative.

Lu Chen could not defeat Yang Xuyan in attack, and his defense was also fraught with danger, but he was resilient.

Yang Xuyan's sword had already grazed Lu Chen's vital points countless times.

But each time, the sword would at most pierce Lu Chen's clothes and graz his flesh before missing its mark, piercing only an illusion.

With Yang Xuyan's skill, even if he only lightly grazed an ordinary martial artist with his sword, the sword energy could tear through the opponent's protective true energy, penetrate into the enemy's body, sever the enemy's meridians, and even shatter their internal organs.

Lu Chen possesses a "sword body".

Even if his skin is cut by the sword's edge, the sword energy will be neutralized by his well-tempered flesh and blood, preventing it from penetrating his meridians and internal organs.

Yang Xuyan was actually very capable.

In a low-level martial arts world, ordinary weapons could not break through Lu Chen's defenses. Although Yang Xuyan's long and narrow sword was sharp, it was not a divine weapon. The fact that it could break through Lu Chen's skin was enough to prove his strength.

Unfortunately, in order to inflict real damage on Lu Chen, Yang Xuyan's sword would have to pierce through his flesh completely.

However, Lu Chen's agility prevented Yang Xuyan's sword strikes from landing properly, at most only managing to graze the skin.

Even Lu Chen's bizarre and unpredictable movement technique, which allowed him to escape danger as if he were a clone or teleporting, was even more unpredictable than Yang Xuyan's "Illusionary Demon Movement Technique." This made Yang Xuyan almost think that his master had held back a secret from him and had found another successor from the Heaven-Mending Pavilion, who was the true successor.

If Lu Chen's sword technique hadn't been so different from the Butian Pavilion's sword technique, Yang Xuyan would have actually believed his suspicion.

They fought for another while.

Seeing that no matter how much he gained the upper hand, he could not inflict decisive damage on Lu Chen, Yang Xuyan sighed, his figure flashed, and he instantly swept across seven or eight zhang, disappearing into the darkness like a phantom.

Lu Chen, still not satisfied, raised his voice to remind him:
"Brother Yang, if you cannot defeat me today, you will have no chance next time we meet!"

Yang Xuyan did not respond; his figure seemed to completely merge with the darkness and vanished without a sound.

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(End of this chapter)