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

Chapter 162, 177, Sword Spirit Mark: In life, you are mine; in death, you are my soul!
"Brother Lu."

"Brother Lu!"

After the Yin Gui Sect members left, Shi Feixuan, Kou Zhong, and Xu Ziling went ashore and greeted Lu Chen.

Dugu Feng returned to Lu Chen's side, her pretty face flushed and her eyes sparkling, clearly having thoroughly enjoyed the battle.

Lu Chen nodded slightly to Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling:

"Thank you for your hard work."

He then said to Shi Feixuan:

"Thank you for your help, Fairy Master."

Fairy Master?
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were startled and looked at Shi Feixuan.

Just now, the two of them were each fighting against Elder Yun and Elder Xia, two Yin Gui Sect elders and experts, and had no time to spare for anything else. Only now did they realize that this girl dressed as a man was actually a stunning beauty whose appearance was no less than Wanwan's.

Her temperament was like that of the legendary goddess Luo, and she seemed to radiate an indescribable light, as if she could transform this messy place, with its swirling soil and scattered wood, into a celestial paradise.

For a moment, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were both stunned. They thought to themselves, no wonder Shi Feixuan was said to have almost never drawn her sword when she traveled the martial world. With her extraordinary beauty, it was indeed very difficult for ordinary people to muster the will to fight in front of her.

It was that little bit of cinnabar between her eyebrows that Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling found a bit strange.

She had no other makeup on her face, only her natural, bare face. Why did she put a dot of vermilion between her eyebrows?
But then again, it's actually quite beautiful...

Just as I was lost in a jumble of thoughts, I saw Shi Feixuan smile sweetly and say in a pure, clear voice:

"Brother Lu, you're too kind. Fei Xuan simply doesn't want the He Shi Bi to fall into the hands of the Yin Gui Sect."

"I must thank you in any case. It seems that Fairy Shi is injured?"

"On my way back just now, I was ambushed by Wanwan. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

"That's good. Fairy Shi, and Xiao Zhong and Xiao Ling, you've all had a long time. Come with me for a drink of water and a rest."

It was getting late, and her injuries weren't serious, so Shi Feixuan was about to politely decline.

But thinking of the "cinnabar" mark between her eyebrows that might never fade, she agreed anyway.

I should at least ask Lu Chen about the situation.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling naturally didn't hold back either.

Although neither of them was injured in this battle, fighting against an elder of the Yin Gui Sect was by no means easy, and they needed to rest and recuperate.

Leading the three to the main hall of the house, Dugu Feng, at his signal, prepared three cups of honey water. The cup she handed to Shi Feixuan also contained a Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill.

Shi Feixuan picked up her water glass and took a small sip, a subtle feeling welling up inside her—

This time, instead of plain boiled water, I drank honey water.

It seems to be sweeter and more refreshing than ordinary honey water, and it also contains healing medicine. The taste of this healing medicine does not conflict with the taste of honey, but instead adds a refreshing and mellow floral fragrance.

So, Brother Lu, you're acknowledging what I did tonight?
That cinnabar mark between my eyebrows should help me resolve this, right?
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were a little touched as they drank the honey water.

They came twice during the day, once to sound out Lu Chen's intentions for Wang Shichong, and once to introduce Liu Heita. Both times they drank plain boiled water, but now they're drinking honey water.

This honey water is so sweet!

Lu Chen wasn't good at small talk, and the conversation would always inevitably drift to martial arts.

Therefore, after exchanging a few awkward words with the three of them, he asked Dugu Feng to stay and keep Shi Feixuan company, and summoned Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling to the small hall next door.

"Take this and practice with it."

He handed a booklet to Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, who took it and looked through it for a while, and were immediately shocked.

This is clearly an auxiliary cultivation method tailor-made for them, which can utilize their shared Yin and Yang energies to improve their physique, increase their internal strength, and, most importantly, "change acupoints and meridians"—

They started practicing martial arts too late. Fu Junzhuo, Song Lu, and others have said that their meridians and bones were basically set, making it difficult for them to achieve much in martial arts.

Although they seemed to gradually break through this limitation after practicing the Longevity Technique, they always had a hidden worry in their hearts, always feeling that perhaps after reaching a certain level, the Longevity Technique would become ineffective, and their upper limit would be blocked.

However, the booklet that Lu Chen gave them now seems to have the power to change the course of acupuncture points, which can undoubtedly solve their biggest worry.

In fact, through their daily healing of each other and joint battles, they had vaguely explored some of the subtle uses of the mutual complementation and generation of Yin and Yang energies, but these were only instinctive and rudimentary applications, far less comprehensive and detailed than the mental cultivation methods recorded in Lu Chen's booklet.

Because their martial arts skills are mostly unorthodox, their vision is not broad enough, and their experience is not deep enough.

It is unknown how long or how many months they will be able to gradually discover such a detailed and comprehensive way of mutual complement and generation of Yin and Yang energies.

Lu Chen's ability to achieve this was not only due to his broad vision and profound knowledge, but also because he gained many insights into the principles of Yin and Yang from the "Sword Two Imprint".

It is worth mentioning that he was able to comprehend a large amount of the originally somewhat obscure Yin-Yang principles from the Sword II Imprint, thanks to the inspiration he received from Kou and Xu's Longevity Technique when he descended to the Twin Dragons World. This can be considered as a reward for his efforts.

"Brother Lu..."

The two looked at Lu Chen with deep emotion.

Kou Zhong felt his knees starting to throb again, as if they wanted to force him to kneel down and kowtow to call him "father".

Lu Chen said calmly:
"This skill, combined with the Longevity Mantra, may completely solve the problem of your meridians and bones being fixed due to starting martial arts too late. Consider this a reward for your help today."

The Longevity Technique is a cultivation method that inherently possesses the ability to alter one's physical constitution and change one's meridians. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Kou and Xu's martial arts skills to rise to a higher level every now and then, seemingly unaffected by the fact that they started practicing martial arts too late and their meridians were already fixed.

But Lu Chen knew that this effect actually existed.

It was only because of the miraculous nature of the Longevity Technique that they started by cultivating innate true qi, which is why their martial arts skills advanced by leaps and bounds in the early stages.

However, at a certain point, they will still encounter bottlenecks.

In the original timeline, they relied on the He Shi Bi jade to change the location and meridians, thus completely resolving this hidden danger.

But now that the He Shi Bi (a famous jade disc) belongs to the Lu family, Kou and Xu have lost this opportunity and may hit a bottleneck one day.

Seeing that the two boys were relatively well-behaved towards him, Lu Chen took out the Yin-Yang Qi Mutual Generation Method, which was perfect for Kou Xu Changsheng's true qi to work together and assist each other.

Although this technique cannot achieve the same immediate and seamless transformation of acupoints and meridians as the He Shi Bi jade, it can still gradually and continuously transform acupoints and meridians, eliminating the original bottlenecks for the two individuals.

It just takes a little longer.

After the two had calmed down, Lu Chen suddenly asked:

When will you go to attack Li Mi?

This was supposed to be confidential, but Kou Zhong said it without hesitation:

"After defeating Yang Tong and the Dugu clan, Wang Shichong seized power in Luoyang and stabilized the internal situation. He will then focus all his efforts on fighting Li Mi."

At this point, he glanced towards the lobby and whispered:
"Brother Lu, you wouldn't help the Dugu clan fight against Wang Shichong, would you?"

"No," Lu Chen said calmly. "Feng'er and I have a personal relationship, and I won't side with either side because of her."

None of the men in the Dugu clan were capable. As one of the four major clans, they couldn't even defeat Wang Shichong, a man from the Western Regions. They lacked the ability and ambition to achieve great things.

Furthermore, even if the struggle fails, Wang Shichong will not do anything to the Dugu clan. At most, he will politely send them out of the country. The Dugu clan can also go to Chang'an to seek refuge with the Li Tang dynasty. Given this, Lu Chen naturally doesn't want to cause any trouble.

He only said to Kou Zhong:

"Let me know when you are about to face Li Mi."

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's eyes lit up:
"Brother Lu is going to deal with Li Mi?"

Lu Chen's expression turned somewhat cold:

“My pavilion was only repaired two days ago, using the finest wood. Tonight was the first time I had dinner and enjoyed the view there, and it was smashed to pieces by Li Mi’s men. This grudge must be avenged.”

Just because a newly built waterside pavilion was destroyed, does that mean you have to take action against a local warlord?
Kou Zhong was filled with respect:

"A swift and decisive revenge, Brother Lu is truly a role model for us all!" "Hmm. Seven Kill Fist Chao Gongcuo and other masters from the South China Sea Sect have secretly infiltrated Luoyang. The ones who destroyed my waterside pavilion today were Chao Gongcuo and Mei Tian, ​​the second-best master of the South China Sea Sect. The two of them came to Luoyang, most likely to assassinate Wang Shichong. You must be careful, lest Wang Shichong be killed by Li Mi's men."

Lu Chen didn't have any particular fondness for Wang Shichong, treating him as just a stranger.

But Wang Shichong was at least obedient and sensible. Even if he wanted the He Shi Bi jade, he only dared to send Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling to sound him out. When he heard that Lu Chen had no intention of handing the He Shi Bi jade over to Li Mi and Yang Tong, Wang Shichong was satisfied.

Li Mi sent people to cause trouble, and in contrast, Lu Chen naturally had to give Wang Shichong some pointers.

Having discussed this matter, Lu Chen and Kou Xu had nothing more to say. They dismissed them and returned to the main hall, where Lu Chen spoke to Shi Feixuan:
"Master, you can heal your wounds here and leave after you are healed, so as to avoid being ambushed by the Yin Gui Sect."

Anyway, her injuries weren't serious, and after giving her a Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill, she should be fully recovered and able to leave in about half an hour at most, so it wouldn't affect Lu Chen's cultivation and rest.

"Thank you, Brother Lu."

Shi Feixuan thanked her, hesitated for a moment, and then asked:
"Brother Lu, what is the cause of this red mark between Feixuan's eyebrows?"

Upon hearing her question, both Lu Chen and Dugu Feng couldn't help but glance at her brow.

It's still pretty.

Dugu Feng thought to herself, "Should I ask Lu Chen to give me one too, so I won't have to wear floral decorations anymore?"

Lu Chen was slightly embarrassed.

He didn't know why this was happening either...

His face remained calm and expressionless.

"It may have been caused by subcutaneous bleeding from the sword's energy strike."

Shi Feixuan said helplessly:

"However, Fei Xuan did not notice any injury, her true energy was not obstructed, and there was no sword energy left. She wanted to heal herself and remove the red marks, but she could not find a target."

She looked at Lu Chen with bright, sparkling eyes and said gently:
"Could you please take a look at Feixuan, Brother Lu?"

Lu Chen couldn't refuse, so he stared at the red mark between her eyebrows for a while, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

On the surface, he remained calm and said indifferently:
"Don't worry, Fairy Master, these red marks have no effect and there's no need to pay attention to them."

"This……"

Shi Feixuan was a little depressed.

She wanted to ask Lu Chen for help, but Lu Chen told her that it wouldn't have any impact and she didn't need to worry about it.

Lu Chen didn't give her a chance to ask any more questions and went straight to the point:

"Feng'er, take Master Fairy to the private room to heal her wounds."

Dugu Feng nodded and said to Shi Feixuan:

"Fairy Master, please come with me."

Seeing that Lu Chen was unwilling to say more, Shi Feixuan did not press for details. She thanked him softly and followed Dugu Feng to the next room to heal her injuries.

Watching Shi Feixuan's retreating figure, Lu Chen seemed lost in thought.

The red mark between Shi Feixuan's eyebrows was indeed the mark left by the "Heart Sword".

With Lu Chen's current "Heart Sword" cultivation level, it's like "Ten Directions Annihilation"—it can be unleashed but not retracted; it can strike down, but it can't be withdrawn.

However, there were no negative effects; on the contrary, there were benefits, which were good for her swordsmanship training.

But the problem is...

This mark will cause Shi Feixuan's "camp" to shift.

Furthermore, if she were to die one day, regardless of the cause of death—whether by murder or simply reaching the end of her lifespan—her primordial spirit cultivated through the "Compassionate Voyage Sword Manual" could be absorbed and transformed into a sword spirit.

The day I master the way of sword formations, the sword spirit can wield a sword and sit in charge of a formation core.

Of course, it's fine to be alive.

As for why this is the case, it is because Lu Chen's cultivation of "Sword Four: Heart Sword" has greatly increased, triggering this ability. Secondly, it is because Shi Feixuan's sword dao realm has met the conditions for imprinting the mark.

"Can four marks be applied in total? That's interesting..."

As Lu Chen had predicted, Shi Feixuan recovered from her injuries in less than half an hour. She came out to thank Lu Chen and then took her leave.

After she left.

Lu Chen said to Dugu Feng:

"No one should cause trouble tonight. Feng'er didn't sleep a wink last night, so get some rest early tonight."

Dugu Feng smiled and said:
"I don't want to sleep, I'm wide awake."

She and Shi Feixuan had just fought a fierce and exhilarating battle against Wanwan, Wen Caiting, Shangguan Long, and Danmei, and she was still feeling a bit unsatisfied and wanted to find a good opponent for another match.

Unfortunately, after Lu Chenzhan retreated from Yin, he killed Qu Ao. Such a record was enough to dispel any speculation or wishful thinking.

Tonight and in the future, it's unlikely that anyone will cause him any trouble because of the He Shi Bi jade.

If there are no other opponents, then how about fighting Lu Chen?

Just as she was about to have a showdown with Lu Chen, she suddenly remembered the jumbled thoughts she had while drinking at the waterside pavilion earlier.

Lu Chen has become a martial arts fanatic.

If I were to become obsessed with him and spend all my time thinking about fighting, when would we ever achieve anything great?

With this thought in mind, Dugu Feng looked at Lu Chen with bright, sparkling eyes and said sweetly:
"The red mark between Shi Feixuan's eyebrows is quite pretty, can I have one too?"

"Ok?"

Lu Chen was taken aback, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"That's not an ordinary red mark, it's a special kind of mark..."

He explained the function of the mark in general terms, saying:

"If I don't actively influence the mark, I will be completely free in life and can even benefit from sword cultivation. But after death, my primordial spirit will belong to me and become a sword spirit. Even if it can shatter the void, it will fly to my side."

This is the domineering power of the Zhuxian Sword Intent.

The ultimate mastery of all sword techniques is the true "return of all swords to the source".

"In life, you are my person; in death, you are my soul?"

Dugu Feng smiled gently, her tone light and cheerful:

"Of course I want this! Order one for me!"

"..."

Seeing Dugu Feng's eager expression, Lu Chen pondered for a moment and decided to grant her wish—in a sense, the four "Sword Spirit Marks" were four spots for immortality.

As long as one's sword cultivation meets the requirements, even if one does not possess the aptitude to break through the void and ascend to immortality, one can still attain immortality.

Of course, this is all predicated on Lu Chen, the "Sword Master," attaining immortality.

Lu Chen was naturally very confident about this—once the "Sword Body" was cultivated to a certain level, the physical body would become immortal. If the mental cultivation followed suit, the primordial spirit would also be immune to the erosion of time, thus achieving immortality through the attainment of both spirit and body.

Therefore, he naturally prioritizes taking care of his own people.

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(End of this chapter)