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

Chapters 150 and 165: Lu Chen is truly the father of two dragons!

Just as Lu Chen was silently trying to come up with a powerful sarcastic remark to challenge Qu Ao to a duel.

A somewhat familiar young male voice rang out first, echoing throughout the more than one hundred rooms of the multi-story building:

"Where is Shangguan Long? Zhu Yuyan sent you to be an undercover agent for the Yin Gui Sect in Luoyang. You should have some skills. Do you dare to come out and fight to the death!"

Shangguan Long is the owner of Manqing Courtyard, the leader of the largest gang in Luoyang, the Luoyang Gang. He is wealthy, powerful, and highly skilled in martial arts, and has a wide network of connections in Luoyang.

At this moment, someone actually dared to challenge Shangguan Long in front of so many people on his territory, even accusing him of being a spy from the Yin Gui Sect. The originally noisy and bustling Four-Sided Tower instantly fell silent.

"Who dares to be so bold?"

Dugu Feng looked surprised and asked in a low voice.

“It’s Kou Zhong,” Lu Chen said leisurely. “That guy has always been very bold.”

As he spoke, Shangguan Long's authoritative yet angry voice rang out:

"You brat, you're spouting nonsense! I, Shangguan Long, will never let you get away with this!"

Xu Ziling's calm voice rang out:

"The Yin Gui Sect is a heretical sect, and everyone has the right to kill them. Shangguan Long, if you are not convinced, come up and fight us. We have two people here, and you can choose either one."

Shangguan Long remained silent, clearly indicating that he was now in a difficult situation.

Just then, a deafening laugh rang out, followed by a powerful voice shouting:
"This is what they call 'searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!' Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, you two brats, come down here together! It'll be a good opportunity to take care of you both and warm up for my duel with Fu Qian!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen knew that the powerful voice belonged to Flying Eagle Qu Ao, and immediately threw out the taunt he had already prepared:

"Flying Eagle Qu Ao, you were beaten senseless and terrified by Bi Xuan, yet instead of obediently hiding in the Tiele and biding your time, you dare to come to the Central Plains to show off your power? Do you really want to end up like your son Ren Shaoming, with your brains splattered and your body left to rot in the Central Plains?"

When Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling provoked Shangguan Long, the Tingliu Pavilion was quiet, but there were still some whispers.

At this moment, Lu Chen's taunt silenced the entire Tingliu Pavilion; you could hear a pin drop.

The reason is simple: Qu Ao's reputation is far greater than Shangguan Long's.

Qu Ao was the second-best expert on the grasslands, and he had only ever been defeated once by the Martial Venerable Bi Xuan.

Although many people know that Qu Ao's mental state was weakened after his defeat by Bi Xuan, making it difficult for him to improve his martial arts, and he may even have regressed, and he has never fought against any famous masters in the Central Plains, his strength might be somewhat exaggerated in the context of the Central Plains where there are many famous masters and geniuses, people still respect him as being second only to the three grandmasters.

After all, Qu Ao's lightness skill was too good; he was good at fighting and running. People in the martial arts world were most unwilling to offend such lightness skill masters.

At this moment, a young voice openly mocked Qu Ao, and what he said were the greatest regrets of his life - being defeated by Bi Xuan and his son being killed by Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling. Wasn't this obviously trying to make Qu Ao a mortal enemy?
In the side room next to the Song Clan's, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling looked at each other in bewilderment.

The person who set up the bridge...

"Is that Brother Lu?"

"Seems to be……"

"With Brother Lu taking action, won't we no longer have to worry about Qu Ao?"

"Seems to be……"

"Could Brother Lu really be our long-lost father? Last time in Jiangdu, when Yang Xuyan wanted to kill us, he helped us escape. This time, when Qu Ao jumped out to kill us, Brother Lu helped us escape again... Even a real father couldn't be more amazing!"

"Hmm. A little."

Just as the two were quietly humming a tune, Qu Ao's furious voice rang out:

"Who are you, young upstart, so ignorant of your own mortality, daring to provoke this old man? Dare to state your name?"

Lu Chen's calm and composed voice rang out:

"Lu Chen".

"..."

The Tingliu Pavilion was deathly silent.

The name Lu Chen is not unusual; there must be many people in the world with the same name.

But there can only be one "Lu Chen" who dares to publicly mock and provoke Qu Ao.

Lu Chen, the "Divine Sword Prince," who defeated Yang Xuyan in Jiangdu, killed Ba Fenghan in Xiangyang, and single-handedly stormed the camp in Dengzhou, killing Garuda King Zhu Can and crushing the Garuda army, causing the power of a regional lord to vanish into thin air!

Although Lu Chen's defeat of the Garuda army was certified by Li Mi, the world's foremost expert on battle formations, it was achieved through a clever and risky strategy.

Afterwards, some forces also learned from the old thieves who fled from the Garuda army that Lu Chen used a powerful and strange hidden weapon to wipe out Zhu Can's experts and guards in one fell swoop, and also seriously injured Zhu Can, which is why he achieved his success in one fell swoop. The old thieves who witnessed Lu Chen killing people in the front row were basically all wiped out by Lu Chen.

The old thieves who survived in the back row were far away and it was nighttime, so they didn't have good eyesight to see clearly what methods Lu Chen had used. Most of them were just repeating what others said.

Therefore, Lu Chen's move "Ten Directions Annihilation" was rumored to be a "powerful and mysterious hidden weapon".

This is undoubtedly more in line with people's understanding than "Lu Chen single-handedly crushed the army" - this is more reasonable!
Otherwise, wouldn't Lu Chen be stronger than the three grandmasters?

Even if we believe that Lu Chen used "unorthodox hidden weapons," his courage to launch a surprise attack and behead a commander-in-chief deep within the enemy camp, surrounded by a large army, and then take advantage of the enemy's loss of their leader, leaving them leaderless and demoralized, is enough to prove that he is exceptionally brave and capable.

Now, Lu Chen, who is no longer considered by the world to be on par with young masters like Yang Xuyan, and who is even considered inappropriate to be compared with warlords or martial arts masters, openly provokes Qu Ao, a martial arts veteran who is known as the top tier below the three grandmasters, and even seems to want to become mortal enemies...

This is going to be interesting!

Almost every guest in the more than one hundred rooms of Tingliu Pavilion looked expectant.

The rising star of the Central Plains and the second-best veteran of the grasslands—who will prevail in this clash?

Or, after experiencing Bi Xuan's setback, does Qu Ao still have the spirit to face the challenge of a powerful person?

As it turned out, Qu Ao couldn't bear to lose face.

Even though Lu Chen's record was terrifying, he couldn't back down in front of so many guests at Tingliu Pavilion.

Otherwise, Qu Ao's reputation would really be trampled into the mud by Lu Chen.

"Lu Chen! Very well! Today, I will personally end your legend!"

boom--

The air surged into the sky, and the sound was like thunder.

A figure leaped out from the third floor of the north-facing building, soaring into the night sky at a height of seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters). After gliding horizontally for several zhang (approximately 33 meters), the figure flew over the courtyard and then slowly circled like a great eagle, circling four or five times before finally landing gently on the top of a rockery in the middle of a pond.

This incredible aerial maneuver caused many young martial artists to gasp in astonishment, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at Qu Ao.

Even some senior figures couldn't help but cheer in hushed tones, thinking to themselves that he truly deserved to be called "Flying Eagle" Qu Ao. His unparalleled lightness skill alone was enough to make him stand out from the crowd.

"Junior!" Qu Ao stood proudly atop the artificial hill, his hands clasped behind his back, his sharp, hawk-like gaze fixed on the room from which Lu Chen's voice came:

"I'm waiting for you, but what are you waiting for?"

As a senior figure and a renowned veteran, taking the lead might seem like a sign of weakness, but the truth is quite the opposite.

For a master like Qu Ao, the state of mind in battle is extremely important.

He took the initiative, using his unparalleled lightness skill to not only push his own momentum to its peak, but also to shift the atmosphere of the environment in his favor.

Everyone was amazed by his lightness skill and praised his well-deserved reputation. This atmosphere of awe and admiration undoubtedly boosted his confidence and morale, allowing him to perform at his best.

Dugu Feng's Azure Sky Sword Intent could reflect the entire situation, making her exceptionally sensitive to this kind of environment. Seeing this, she couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly and whispered to Lu Chen:
“Brother Lu, Qu Ao is shrewd and calculating, he has taken the initiative and has already adjusted himself to his best condition, you…”

"I couldn't ask for more."

Lu Chen smiled leisurely, got up and stepped out of the room onto the terrace.

The "Divine Sword Prince," whose fame had spread throughout the land and whose might had shaken the martial arts world for a long time, yet few had ever seen him, finally appeared in public, where he was seen by numerous representatives of various lords and renowned figures in the martial arts world.

"Lu Chen, the Sword Master, is actually so young?"

"Extraordinary bearing, truly a dragon among men! The younger generation is to be feared, truly formidable!"

"I wonder if the Divine Sword Prince can defeat Qu Ao."

"It's hard to say. Qu Ao's lightness skill is too good, and his internal strength is too profound. Even if the Divine Sword Prince uses the same kind of unorthodox hidden weapon that killed Zhu Can, he probably still might not be able to hit Qu Ao..."

Inside the military quarters of Wagang.

Li Tianfan frowned as he looked at Lu Chen, listening to the discussions and praises coming from the neighboring rooms, and felt very unhappy.

He is Li Mi's son. Once Luoyang is captured, he will become the crown prince of the new dynasty, marry Song Que's daughter, and eventually inherit the throne and become the emperor of the Central Plains.

Given his status, he should have been the center of attention and respected wherever he went, but now, he's been overshadowed by a martial artist of unknown origin...

Li Tianfan was unhappy, and his expression was naturally somewhat unpleasant. His gaze towards Lu Chen was subtly gloomy.

Shen Luoyan knew her young master was very jealous, so she whispered a reminder from the side:
"Young Master, Lord Mi instructed us not to offend Lu Chen."

Li Tianfan's face was ashen, and he said in a cold voice:
"I know."

Shen Luoyan then said:
"Lu Chen currently has no allegiance to any faction and remains a wandering martial artist. Perhaps we could try to recruit one or two of him..."

Li Tianfan's expression grew even more displeased, but for the sake of his family's future, he reluctantly nodded:

"It's up to Military Advisor Shen."

Li Tang's side room.

Li Shimin looked intently at Lu Chen from afar and asked his trusted confidants:
"Young Master Divine Sword is the number one young genius of our time. At his age, his future is limitless, and becoming a Grandmaster may not even be his limit. I wish to sincerely invite Young Master Divine Sword to serve as a guest advisor in the Royal Palace. I wonder if any of you have any good suggestions?"

Inside the side room of the Song Dynasty.

Song Shidao was distraught, still deeply grieving the news of Fu Junzhuo's death.

Song Yuzhi also had little interest in belligerent and bloodthirsty warriors.

Song Lu stroked his silver beard, sipped his wine, and treated it like a show, without having the slightest thought of recruiting young geniuses.

Inside the Dugu Valor's room.

Grandma You suddenly asked those around her:

Where did Feng'er go?

Everyone looked at each other, wondering where Dugu Feng had gone.

Grandma You continued:
"There are rumors that Feng'er also participated in the battle in which Lu Chen defeated the Garuda army, but she did not become famous. After she returned home, she did not mention the battle, but her martial arts skills were indeed a notch higher than before, as if she had gone through a life-and-death ordeal."

“Since returning home, she has often run away on her own, even abandoning her duties of patrolling the capital... Doesn't any of you know what Feng'er is doing or who she is associating with?”

The members of the Dugu Clan continued to look at each other in bewilderment.

During this period, they were either busy scheming against Wang Shichong and fighting for power, or busy forming alliances with various forces. They had no time to pay attention to what Dugu Feng was busy with.

Old Mrs. You's eyes turned slightly cold, and she slammed her jade cane heavily on the ground, about to unleash her anger.

But thinking about his own nephews and grandchildren, who had indeed been busy working for the Dugu clan's great cause these days, while Feng'er had been neglecting her duties, he could only sigh helplessly.

At this moment, Lu Chen, who was on the terrace, leaped down from the tower and came into the courtyard. He walked leisurely, as if on a spring outing, toward Qu Ao, who was standing on the artificial hill by the pond.

Seeing this, all the conversations and discussions in the side rooms stopped.

In over a hundred private rooms, almost everyone's eyes were fixed on Lu Chen, anticipating the clash between this "new king" of the Central Plains martial arts world and the "veteran" of the grassland martial arts world.

Dugu Fengyi couldn't help but walk to the window of the room, press her hands on the window frame, hold her breath and stare intently at Lu Chen's back. She felt that his aura was not as flamboyant and outward as Qu Ao's. In fact, as he walked forward, he did not gradually increase his momentum. Instead, his aura was constantly being contained.

However, this restraint made Dugu Feng and many other perceptive experts feel a sense of danger.

It seems that if Lu Chen were to restrain himself to the extreme, then his next explosive attack would possess unimaginable and terrifying power.

Qu Ao was a martial arts master who had created all his own extraordinary skills. At this moment, he had already boosted his condition to its best. How could he not notice that Lu Chen was gathering his strength?

Although he declared that he would personally end Lu Chen's legend, he ultimately dared not underestimate this most promising young genius in the Central Plains martial arts world.

It didn't dare give Lu Chen a chance to reach his peak. Its body soared into the sky like a great eagle, circled in the air, and swooped down towards Lu Chen, its right claw grabbing at the top of Lu Chen's head.

This claw strike, at first glance, seems unremarkable, but its power is extremely sharp and refined. Moreover, within a single claw strike, it actually contains several kinds of true power emanating from the five fingers, such as absorption, stabbing, disengagement, sealing, and cutting.

It was the "Nine Transformations of Condensed Truth" that propelled the "Thirteen Strikes of Eagle Transformation".

Ordinary martial artists can only use their dantian to generate true energy, but Qu Ao's "Nine Transformations of Condensed True Energy" has reached the point where all the acupoints in the body can be used as hubs for the circulation of true energy, and each acupoint can be regarded as a "small dantian" that can generate true energy.

Of course, this does not mean that Qu Ao's acupoints can generate and store true qi like the dantian.

Otherwise, if his entire body were filled with dantian, wouldn't his power be as deep as the ocean, and wouldn't he be able to crush and sweep everything with his strength? How could he have been defeated by Bi Xuan?
The acupoints throughout the body, known as "small dantians," only possess the same function as regular dantians in terms of generating true energy. Qu Ao's actual skill level is still limited. However, the variations in his energy, due to the far greater number of points of force application than ordinary people, possess an extraordinary and mysterious quality.

Just like this claw he's wielding now, each of his five fingers is unleashing a different kind of true energy. The mystery of his energy manipulation and the profundity of its changes make it difficult for people to fathom.

If Lu Chen can learn this technique, then in the future he can also be like Qu Ao, unleashing sword energy with each strike having a different force, making it impossible to defend against.

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(End of this chapter)