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

Chapter 148, Page 163: The Enchantress's Thoughts, The Little Phoenix's Affection
When Wanwan learned the healing incantation and began to actively channel her Heavenly Demon True Qi to aid in healing, the healing efficiency suddenly increased several times over.

Moreover, the vitality generated by the mutual generation of her Heavenly Demon True Qi and Lu Chen's True Qi also nourished Lu Chen's meridians, repairing his injuries.

As a result, Lu Chen's injuries, which originally required a whole night to recover, were completely healed in just a quarter of an hour.

The two terrifying purplish-black palm prints on his chest faded and disappeared quickly, and the remaining demonic energy was also completely dissipated.

An hour later, Wanwan's injuries had fully recovered.

Having successfully healed his wounds, Lu Chen decided to conclude his practice.

However, Wanwan's Heavenly Demon True Qi transformed into a vortex of true qi, restlessly wrapping around and pulling at his true qi, as if it wanted to devour his true qi in one gulp.

Lu Chen gave Wanwan a questioning look.

Wanwan pretended not to see it and continued to entangle and pull at his true energy.

"Is this witch trying to turn the world upside down?"

Lu Chen frowned, and the nature of his true energy suddenly changed. The originally warm and gentle yang true energy suddenly transformed into sharp true energy filled with destructive and murderous intent.

This sharp true energy was so powerful that even the Heavenly Demon True Energy, which possessed the characteristic of "absorbing power," could not absorb it. If it were an outward-released sword wind or sword energy, the Heavenly Demon Force Field could absorb it and even use it to counterattack. However, this pure sword-dao true energy was far beyond the scope that the Heavenly Demon Great Art could handle.

Wanwan's delicate body trembled, and the Heavenly Demon True Qi quickly released its grip.

Lu Chen did not withdraw his true energy. Instead, he activated his sharp true energy and "patrolled" her meridians before retreating.

Although it did not damage her meridians and acupoints, the nature of the true energy became as sharp as a sword. As it was a foreign type of true energy, this "inspection" naturally caused Wanwan's meridians and acupoints considerable pain.

So when Lu Chen's true energy swept over her, Wanwan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she let out soft, kitten-like moans from her nose. Her body trembled slightly. When his true energy finally receded, she slumped softly onto the couch, her pretty face flushed, panting heavily, looking utterly exhausted. She gazed at him with a wistful look, her expression weak and shy:
"Brother Lu, you're so cruel, torturing Wan'er like this... Now you've seen everything about Wan'er, you have to take responsibility..."

"..."

Lu Chen was speechless, feeling that the demoness hadn't learned her lesson enough. He was just thinking about whether to use a friendly sparring match as an excuse to teach her another lesson when...

The demoness seemed to sense his murderous aura. Like a frightened kitten, she leaped up from the bed and, in a flash, was at the door.

She lifted the bamboo curtain with one hand, facing the door, taking a lunge position as if ready to flee at any moment, then turned back to give Lu Chen a charming smile:
"Thank you for helping Wan'er heal. Wan'er is much better now, so I won't bother you any longer! I'll come back to you for help next time I get injured."

After saying that, she dashed out the door, leaving behind a light and melodious laugh.

Lu Chen got up and went to the window. He opened it and watched the enchantress's figure drift away into the night. He shook his head speechlessly.

"You can run fast."

He closed the doors and windows again and went back to cultivate.

After escaping Lu Chen's small house, Wanwan landed on a small boat on the Luo River. Her bright smile lasted for a few moments before collapsing, and she sighed with slight frustration.

She felt like she had lost the ability to interact normally with people.

In front of Lu Chen, she even used the typical Yin Gui enchantress style of ambiguous teasing and naughty jokes like a bad child, as if she wanted to deliberately provoke him and make him angry.

She sat down at the bow of the boat, dipped her toes into the cool river water, and used her inner energy to propel the small boat downstream. She looked up at the starry sky and wondered when she had last had a normal interaction with someone.

After much thought, all that remained was the few days he spent with Lu Chen by the Tanxi River in Xiangyang, at Peach Blossom Village.

Other memories are all from within the Holy Gate, of scheming, deceit, and treachery with fellow disciples and elders.

She grew up in the Holy Gate and has no memory of the time before she was adopted by her master.

and so……

From childhood to adulthood, she has never had a normal social interaction with anyone.

Except for those few days at Peach Blossom Village.

"Ugh……"

She sighed softly, raised her hand to rub her cheek, forced a smile, and muttered to herself:

"Actually, I should have told him the truth..."

The reason she clung tightly to Lu Chen's true energy after finishing her treatment was not to steal his true energy or to harm him.

Instead, she discovered something very interesting.

She felt that her Heavenly Demon True Qi, combined with Lu Chen's True Qi, generated vitality that could have effects beyond just healing.

If the healing methods were improved, they could generate even more potent and miraculous life force, which should even enable one to improve their cultivation level.

This discovery greatly surprised and delighted her.

The Heavenly Demon True Qi is a pure Yin True Qi filled with destructive and destructive properties; it is the true "demon Qi".

This type of true energy is rarely compatible with other true energies, let alone complementary and mutually reinforcing like the Lu Chen true energy.

In Wanwan's view, the fact that Lu Chen's true energy could complement and generate her Heavenly Demon True Energy was an extremely rare opportunity, both for her and for Lu Chen.

If, based on the nature of their true energy, the healing technique were further improved and evolved into a method to enhance their power, then both she and Lu Chen could make great progress in their cultivation.

Of course, she didn't know that this healing method was an "improved and evolved" method, and its essence was the "pure yin and yang dual cultivation method" that could enhance cultivation.

Although she was unaware of this, she keenly sensed this possibility.

Unfortunately, she seems to have lost the ability to interact normally with others and to express her thoughts normally.

Upon discovering this possibility, her first instinct was not to truthfully present her thoughts to Lu Chen, but to instinctively entangle herself with his true energy, wanting to try it out first to see if she could merge more deeply with Lu Chen's true energy and generate a special vitality that could enhance her cultivation.

She wanted to try it out and then tell him if she saw results.

However, this caused him to misunderstand and he was severely reprimanded.

Recalling Lu Chen's sharp true energy and the pain he felt when he examined her meridians, Wanwan's delicate body trembled slightly again. She pouted her pink lips and murmured resentfully to herself:
"A heartless bastard..."

Even so, she knew she couldn't blame Lu Chen.

She brought this trouble upon herself.

"Ugh……"

Wanwan rested her chin on her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with sorrow as she gazed at the Luo River, which reflected the stars in the sky.

An impulse gradually arose in my heart.

She wanted to find a master to fight, get injured, and then go to Lu Chen for help to heal.

Then, she would formally present her ideas.

“There are quite a few experts in Luoyang lately. Tomorrow… that’s not a good idea. Knowing that guy’s personality, going to him for treatment every day might backfire. Let’s wait a couple of days, then find another expert to fight…”

……

The next morning, Dugu Feng led a team of craftsmen, carrying several carts of materials, to help Lu Zhong repair the waterside pavilion.

As the craftsmen began to get busy, Lu Chen invited Dugu Feng to the main hall of the house and made her a cup of honey water.

"Brother Lu."

Dugu Feng held the water cup in both hands, pursed her lips, and said softly:
"The manual you gave me yesterday... is powerful enough to become the signature skill of a martial arts sect."

Although that manual only has the effect of rapidly improving one's skill level when one's skill level is low, and the effect of improving skill level becomes almost negligible when one's skill level is high, its miraculous effect of changing one's physical constitution and even changing acupoints and meridians is effective even for adults whose physical constitution and meridians have already been formed.

In this way, as long as one has sufficient comprehension and temperament, one can be almost unrestricted by innate talent and continuously improve one's cultivation.

A person's natural talent, which would normally only reach the first-class level, can be continuously elevated to the level of a grandmaster, or even a great grandmaster, or even higher.

This alone is enough to make the seemingly frivolous name "Old Man's Fist" a testament to the profound heritage of a martial arts mecca.

Lu Chen casually gifted her this extraordinary skill.

Even if she is the little princess of the Dugu Clan, one of the four great clans, or the second-best expert in the Dugu Clan, this one manual alone is enough to be used as a dowry to marry her.

Thinking of this, Dugu Fengxin'er couldn't help but pound her knees, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her eyelids, not daring to look at Lu Chen again.

Lu Chen, however, poured himself some honey water and said nonchalantly:

"It's just a supplementary cultivation technique. Given our friendship, which has been built through two battles together, Miss Feng, you don't need to take it too seriously."

Dugu Feng helped him fight last night, assisting him in killing Bian Bufu, and even suffered internal injuries as a result. She also worked very hard at the Garuda army camp.

Lu Chen had no prejudice against any particular faction.

The origin of "Old Man's Fist" is the "Nine Yin Manual," an unclaimed manual whose author had long since passed away. After three improvements by him, it can be said to be his own martial art, so he could give it to whomever he wanted.

"Brother Lu's magnanimity is truly admirable."

Dugu Feng looked at Lu Chen with bright, sparkling eyes and said softly:
"But Feng'er must not be ignorant of propriety..."

She had intended to say, half-jokingly, "Brother Lu is so kind, it seems that Feng'er can only repay you with her body," but then she felt that it would be too abrupt.

Even considering her two battles alongside Lu Chen, including their time at the Garuda army camp where they could be described as "sharing life and death," she felt it was rather inappropriate to say such a thing.

In fact, given the open atmosphere of today's society, both men and women are willing to express their feelings about love.

Especially since Dugu Feng is a martial arts master and has a free and easy personality, it wouldn't be abrupt if she were to confess her feelings.

Therefore, what she considers "inappropriate" is essentially "not daring" to do so.

If I were to speak out and Lu Chen refused, wouldn't there be no room for maneuver?
So in the end, she swallowed her words hesitantly and phrased them differently:
"Brother Lu's generosity is beyond my ability to repay. In the future, if Brother Lu needs anything, just give the call, and I will go through fire and water, even if it means my own destruction."

Lu Chen shook his head with a smile:

"Miss Feng, you flatter me."

Then the topic changed again:

"How are Miss Feng's injuries?"

Dugu Feng looked great today, radiant and beautiful. On the surface, she seemed to be fine, but Lu Chen knew that internal injuries were not so easy to heal.

"That's much better already!"

Dugu Feng said with a smile:

"Brother Lu's medicine is extremely effective, and the old man's fist is also quite effective in healing injuries. The injuries that originally would have taken three to five days to recover should be fully healed after another night of rest."

Lu Chen smiled with delight:
"So good."

After exchanging a few casual words, the two naturally steered the conversation back to martial arts and began to discuss them.

Dugu Feng was still recovering from her injuries and was not fit for strenuous exercise, so the two of them did not spar. They only discussed boxing and sword techniques verbally, occasionally using their fingers as a substitute for swords to demonstrate their skills from a distance.

Lu Chen has experienced multiple worlds and has accumulated profound knowledge, while Dugu Feng also comes from a very high background, has a very broad vision, and a very deep foundation. Even in terms of literary theory, the two have benefited greatly from each other.

Both of them were somewhat obsessed with martial arts, and when they got so engrossed in their swordplay discussion that they didn't realize the entire morning had slipped away, and even noon was already more than halfway over.

“It’s already this late… the masters haven’t eaten yet, we can’t let them work on an empty stomach.”

Lu Chen and Dugu Feng exchanged a smile, then went outside to find a restaurant and ordered food for the craftsmen.

While the restaurant was preparing food, the two of them also grabbed a quick bite at the restaurant.

This restaurant offers delivery service; just give them a small tip.

Dugu Feng spent the whole day at Lu Chen's place today.

It wasn't until evening that she took her leave with the craftsmen, agreeing beforehand to continue the unfinished project the next day.

Lu Chen gave her a ride and then went to Nanshi to retrieve the lead box he had ordered.

Next two days.

Every morning, Dugu Feng would lead the craftsmen over. Lu Chen rewarded them generously and provided them with a sumptuous meal, including wine and meat. As a result, the craftsmen were full of energy and were all highly skilled veterans. By the third day, the main structure of the waterside pavilion had been rebuilt. The next step was to carry out intricate processes such as carving and painting.

This day was also the day that King Bo of Changbai held a banquet at Manqing Courtyard.

Dugu Feng handed an invitation to Lu Chen, her pretty face full of apology:

"Brother Lu, I need to stay with Grandma tonight, so you'll have to go alone for now. But I'll come find you after the banquet starts."

Few people know that Lu Chen is in Luoyang.

At his request, Dugu Feng did not even tell her own family. To this day, no one knows that she often comes to Lu Chen to spar with him, and few people know about her friendship with Lu Chen.

The Yin Gui sect did find out where he lived.

However, the four elder-level experts of the Yin Gui Sect, along with Wanwan, the current successor of the Yin Empress, and six highly skilled henchmen, joined forces to besiege Lu Chen. Yet, Lu Chen managed to kill the six henchmen and the core elder "Demon Hidden" Bian Bufu. Such a shameful event would not be publicized by the Yin Gui Sect to help Lu Chen gain fame.

The news of Bian Bufu's murder may not spread for some time.

Since it's a secret, Lu Chen naturally wouldn't go to Manqing Courtyard with the people from the Dugu Clan.

However, after tonight, news of Lu Chen in Luoyang will likely be impossible to keep secret.

Because he has something important to do tonight.

Lu Chen accepted the invitation and said with a smile:
"It's alright, Miss Feng, just stay with Madam You tonight."

As he spoke, he thought to himself that once he accomplished that great feat, the Dugu clan would likely all try to ambush him.

[This chapter has 4K words, please vote with monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)