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

Chapter 176, page 191: Wanwan's Sword Spirit Mark!

"Sir, come and play!"

As dusk settles over the western market of Chang'an, the city lights begin to twinkle.

Lu Chen, dressed in a black robe, strolled leisurely through the streets. The young ladies from the brothels along the street leaned against the railings, waving their handkerchiefs and calling out to him, a newcomer from afar, showing him the fiery passion of the girls of Chang'an.

Among them are Hu women with a distinctly exotic style.

"Get out of here! Don't you have any common sense?"

Dugu Feng linked arms with Lu Chen, her full, firm breasts pressed against his elbow, and gave the brothel girls a disapproving look, which made them giggle.

Lu Chen smiled slightly, recalling a line of poetry.

...Back then, I was young and wore a thin spring robe. Riding a horse, I leaned against a slanting bridge, surrounded by red sleeves beckoning from the tower...

Although this place was not Jiangnan, and he was not wearing spring clothes, nor was he riding a horse, Lu Chen still enjoyed the treatment of being surrounded by beautiful women.

Under Dugu Feng's guidance, after experiencing a bit of Chang'an's charm, Lu Chen and his companion returned to the manor gifted by Li Shimin.

This manor is located on Yong'an Street, very close to Chang'an West Market and Yuema Bridge. Inside, there are pavilions, corridors, gardens, ponds, lush forests and bamboo groves, and everything else you could want.

The backyard of the manor leads directly to the "Yong'an Canal," which runs north-south through Chang'an City and is more than ten zhang wide. It supplies half of Chang'an City's daily water and is also a major waterway for transportation. There is a private dock and a pavilion on the canal. Li Shimin really understands Lu Chen's preferences.

The maids and servants in the manor were not Li Shimin's people; they were all transferred from Dugu Feng's household and were old women who had always served her, the young lady.

The main residence is a magnificent three-story pavilion with flying eaves and bracket sets.

Standing on the spacious terrace on the third floor, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Yong'an Canal and even see the Yuema Bridge at a glance.

Stepping into the brightly lit main house, Dugu Feng felt somewhat puzzled:
"Wanwan hasn't come back yet?"

Lu Chen sensed it for a moment, then nodded and said:
"He hasn't come back. Something might have happened."

He couldn't sense the energy of Wanwan's Heavenly Demon Art.

As he cultivated true qi with Wanwan, his perception of Wanwan's qi became increasingly acute. As long as Wanwan appeared within a hundred feet, he could sense her qi.

For Dugu Feng, who possesses the "Sword Spirit Mark," his perception range is even greater, allowing him to pinpoint locations precisely within a thousand feet.

Speaking of "Blade & Soul Mark"...

Lu Chen sensed it and discovered that there was a second sword spirit mark in Chang'an City.

Shi Feixuan was also in Chang'an.

……

West of Yong'an Canal, in a small alley near Ganye Temple in Anyefang.

Shi Feixuan, dressed in a blue robe and carrying an ancient sword, looked at Wanwan, who was standing on the alley wall, dressed in white and barefoot, holding a long sword. Even her usually calm and indifferent eyes couldn't help but reveal a strange look.

Wanwan actually carried a sword...

Furthermore, they openly appeared to block her, and there was no aura of other members of the demonic sect around them, which was somewhat inconsistent with the way the Yin Gui Sect acted.

According to the style of the Yin Gui School, they would rather launch a sneak attack than a direct assault, and they would rather be surrounded by multiple people than fight alone.

After a moment of silent eye contact, Shi Feixuan spoke first:
"Senior Sister Wan, you've stopped me. What advice do you have for me?"

Wanwan glanced at the cinnabar-like mark between Shi Feixuan's brows and chuckled softly:
"I happened to discover your trail, so I came here specifically to test my swordsmanship with you."

"To verify swordsmanship?"

Shi Feixuan's gaze grew increasingly strange:
"Senior Sister Wanwan has stopped practicing the Heavenly Demon Ribbon and Heavenly Demon Double Slash and switched to swordsmanship?"

"I only intended to dabble in it a little. But my talent was too great, and before I knew it, I had become a master swordsman."

Wanwan smiled sweetly:
"Feixuan, be careful! My swordsmanship is quite extraordinary..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Wanwan lightly touched the top of the wall with her snow-white toes. Her white dress and black hair fluttered in the air, and her figure was like a flying goddess. She rushed into the air, then turned in mid-air and swooped down.

As she swooped down, she drew her longsword, and with a flick of her wrist, a hazy sword light was released, like a light cloud that concealed her figure.

All of a sudden.

Her figure became ethereal and mysterious, her aura also becoming elusive and difficult to grasp.

The constantly trembling and shaking sword tip resembled countless twinkling stars, its destination unknown.

Seeing Wanwan's mysterious and unpredictable sword strike, both real and feinted.

A hint of surprise flashed in Shi Feixuan's eyes.

Just as Wanwan said, her swordsmanship skills were indeed extraordinary, and even Shi Feixuan had to take her seriously.

Clang——

With a clanging sound, Shi Feixuan drew her sword, which transformed into a surging bolt of lightning, carrying a sword aura as fierce as the north wind, and thrust it upwards towards the sky.

A simple stab, yet it evokes a sense of profound refinement and the ultimate simplicity.

He saw through all illusions, ignoring the various mind-altering light and shadow effects and energy changes generated by Wanwan's Heavenly Demon Technique, and struck the tip of Wanwan's sword with extreme precision.

clang--

Amidst the long, clear sound of metal clashing, a fierce sword wind burst forth from the point where the two swords clashed, sweeping in all directions, whipping the clothes and long hair of the two people wildly, making them flutter and rustle, and carving dense, fine cracks into the ground and the walls on both sides of the alley.

Without the protection of true qi, their clothes would be torn and cracked by the sword wind, just like the walls of an alley.

Wanwan's body flew backward, soaring more than three zhang away, before landing gracefully and letting out a soft laugh:
"Feixuan's swordsmanship is indeed even more superb than before!"

With her toes barely touching the ground, her figure moved like a light cloud, graceful and swift as the wind, flying to Shi Feixuan's front and unleashing the "Thirteen Soul-Snatching Swords".

Her Thirteen Soul-Stealing Swords have become increasingly mysterious. Each of her fierce killing moves seems to originate from the void, coming and going without warning, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, making them impossible to defend against.

The fusion of the Heavenly Demon Art and swordsmanship has become increasingly perfect. Every flash of sword light, every step of the body shift, and even every sound of the blade cutting through the air, all contain the essence of the Heavenly Demon Art to disrupt the flow of energy and bewitch the mind.

On the edge of the sword, various forces such as attraction, repulsion, and distortion often arise without any pattern. Every time the swords collide, it is a test for her enemies, because they can never guess what kind of force will interfere with them.

With Wanwan's current swordsmanship, there are probably few who can rival her in the entire world.

However, Shi Feixuan was one of those very few people.

Her Cihang Sword Manual had already reached the state of "telepathic connection" and was extremely close to "sword heart clarity". She also accidentally imprinted a "sword spirit mark" on Lu Chen. Every time he practiced the sword manual, he would unconsciously immerse himself in the sword spirit mark and comprehend all kinds of profound sword principles.

During this period, her swordsmanship skills also improved by leaps and bounds.

When she broke through Wanwan's unpredictable aerial attack, the counterattack she unleashed was a sword strike that incorporated the sword principles she had gleaned from the sword spirit's mark.

Facing Wanwan's ever-changing, unpredictable, and deadly sword that conceals its fierce killing intent beneath a beautiful facade, Shi Feixuan guarded her mind and remained undisturbed by external evils. With her profound swordsmanship, she fought Wanwan to a standstill.

Even after two or three hundred moves, as she gradually became familiar with the mysterious changes in Wanwan's swordsmanship, she was able to gain the upper hand.

Wanwan wasn't surprised by the result. After all, Shi Feixuan had practiced swordsmanship since childhood, and his swordsmanship was far superior to hers. Moreover, he had obtained the sword spirit mark. Even though Wanwan had been practicing with Lu Chen every day during this period, and her swordsmanship was improving every day under his almost miraculous guidance, it was impossible for her to catch up with Shi Feixuan's years of accumulation in such a short time.

Wanwan was already satisfied if she could fight Shi Feixuan to a standstill with her swordsmanship within two or three hundred moves.

Furthermore, she still has one ultimate move she hasn't used yet.

After exchanging dozens of more blows, Wanwan, who was completely at a disadvantage and forced to retreat step by step by Shi Feixuan, suddenly activated the Heavenly Demon Force Field with all her might as if she were making a desperate gamble, and an extremely strong repulsive force suddenly burst out from her body.

Even with Shi Feixuan's cultivation level, the force of Wanwan's all-out repulsive force forced her to stiffen slightly, slowing her attack for a moment before she could swing her sword to break through the force field.

But it was precisely in that moment of delay that she was slowed down.

Wanwan seized the hard-won opportunity, and the sword suddenly trembled, the blade ringing and vibrating, splitting light and shadow, transforming into a dazzling array of sword light.

When the sword light suddenly appeared, Wanwan's figure and aura seemed to disappear completely under the cover of the sword light, leaving no trace.

It seems to have captured some of the essence of Lu Chen's "Sword Rain Storm" technique that descends from the sky.

However, Wanwan does not have Lu Chen's ability to completely obscure the enemy's five senses or even spiritual senses.

Therefore, the sky full of sword light, which seemed to strike a hundred times in an instant, dazzling and bewildering, only appeared for a moment.

In the next instant, all the shadows converged into one point, transforming into a thunderbolt that seemed to suddenly burst forth from the void, shooting towards Shi Feixuan.

This sword strike gave Shi Feixuan the illusion that there was no way to dodge or block it, and that her body and soul would be completely pierced through.

However, an illusion is ultimately just an illusion.

With Shi Feixuan's keen swordsmanship, even if an enemy's weapon were to pierce her heart and she were about to die on the spot, she would still remain calm and composed.

At this moment, the illusion did not bother her at all. Faced with Wanwan's stunning and deadly sword strike, Shi Feixuan simply followed her heart, guided by some mysterious force that seemed to come from beyond the heavens, and thrust out a simple sword.

This sword strike, like a bolt of lightning piercing the darkness and tearing the night sky, clashed head-on with Wanwan's thunderous sword light.

clang--

Another long, clear, ringing sound rang out.

Visible to the naked eye, the violent sword wind, resembling transparent water ripples, struck from all sides, cutting straight cracks in the alley's ground. The walls on both sides of the alley first developed dense cracks, and then with a loud bang, they collapsed, with a section more than two zhang long falling down.

Shi Feixuan took two steps back, her face paled slightly, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of her lips.

Although Wanwan's swordsmanship was inferior to hers, her skill was on par with hers.

Wanwan's final, deadly sword strike already demonstrated considerable skill, showcasing the full power of the Heavenly Demon Art.

Under such a direct confrontation, Shi Feixuan suffered internal injuries as the demonic energy invaded her meridians.

However, since Shi Feixuan was injured, Wanwan was naturally in even worse shape. Her body was thrown backward by the shock, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face turned as pale as paper.

But Wanwan's eyes shone with an astonishing brightness as she smiled sweetly at Shi Feixuan:
"Thank you for your guidance, Sister Feixuan..."

As he spoke, he used the force of being thrown back to float more than five zhang away in one breath. After landing, he touched the ground with his toes, turned around quickly, and disappeared into the night.

After calming her turbulent inner energy, Shi Feixuan felt somewhat bewildered:
Why did Wanwan approach her this time?
It's not quite a duel, but it's also not a game; yet, it's quite brutal...

Unable to understand Wanwan's intentions, Shi Feixuan could only shake her head helplessly and return to Ganye Temple, where she was staying, to heal her injuries.

As for the collapsed and damaged alley wall here, we'll come back tomorrow to compensate the owner.

……

Wanwan flew all the way to the Yong'an Canal, but instead of crossing the bridge, she leaped straight towards the waterside pavilion in the backyard of the Lu residence on the opposite bank.

She leaped across ten or so feet in one bound. When her momentum was about to end, she threw the scabbard onto the water, lightly touched the scabbard with her toes, and used the momentum to fly forward another five or six feet, landing lightly on the terrace of the waterside pavilion.

As she flew forward, she also used the Heavenly Demon Ribbon to put the scabbard that was floating on the water back on.

As soon as she landed on the terrace of the waterside pavilion, Wanwan stumbled and quickly raised her hand to hold onto the wooden wall of the pavilion. Then she pressed her hand to her chest and coughed lightly twice.

She was at a disadvantage just now, and only managed to turn the tide by forcefully unleashing her power. In the head-on collision, her injuries were more severe than Shi Feixuan's.

Afterwards, without properly recuperating, he flew back all the way, even flying directly over a river channel more than ten zhang wide, which inevitably aggravated his injuries.

However, she didn't care. Instead, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile.

Just now, she fought Shi Feixuan with her swordsmanship, resulting in both of them being seriously injured.

Even if her injuries were more severe, that final, explosive move alone was enough for her to be worthy of receiving the same mark as Shi Feixuan and Dugu Feng.

Just as he was feeling happy, Lu Chen's voice suddenly rang out:

"How did you get injured again?"

Wanwan was startled. Looking at Lu Chen, who had appeared out of nowhere like a ghost, she rolled her eyes at him, then flashed a smug, bright smile:

"I just fought with Shi Feixuan, and we fought to a draw using swordsmanship!"

"Oh?" Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, but did not expose the true nature of her so-called "mutual destruction"—through the sword spirit mark, he could accurately sense Shi Feixuan's aura within a thousand feet.

Judging from her aura, Shi Feixuan was indeed injured, but much less so than Wanwan in front of her.

"You're just going to say 'oh' all you want to say?"

Wanwan pouted, looking resentful.
"She fought Shi Feixuan to a draw using a sword!"

Lu Chen thought for a moment and said:
"Then...congratulations?"

"That's too much of a stretch."

Wanwan pouted again, but quickly forgot her displeasure, came to Lu Chen, put her hands behind her back, and looked at him with a grin:
"Now, I should be qualified to receive the same sword spirit mark as Feng'er and Shi Feixuan, right?"

Seeing Wanwan's complete disregard for her own injuries and her single-minded focus on obtaining the sword spirit mark, Lu Chen nodded slightly.

"You can give it a try. What kind of mark do you want?"

Wanwan giggled:
"Putting the style aside... in terms of location, is the only option between the eyebrows?"

"That's not necessarily true. But if the space between the eyebrows looks nice, you don't even need to bother with floral decorations."

"That……"

Wanwan approached Lu Chen, stood on tiptoe, and breathed softly into his ear:

"Is this place okay too?"

As she spoke, she took Lu Chen's hand and gently placed it on her lower abdomen:

"I don't want to be like everyone else; I want to be unique."

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(End of this chapter)