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

Chapter 178, page 193: Li Xiuning's shock! Who is the best in lightness skill?

"Xiuning pays her respects to Young Master Lu. I apologize for my presumptuous visit and hope that Young Master Lu will forgive me."

In the main hall of the mansion, Li Xiuning, dressed in a bright red riding outfit with an embroidered sash around her waist, exuding both charm and heroism, greeted Lu Chen with grace and poise.

Lu Chen looked at Princess Pingyang, whom Kou Zhong had secretly loved for many years and who had even been inspired to fight for the world, and couldn't help but admire her temperament.

Li Xiuning's appearance goes without saying; she has a beautiful face, fair skin, and a graceful figure, making her a rare beauty.

Her temperament was radiant and bright, with a dashing and heroic air, and the natural grace and elegance of a noblewoman from a wealthy family. No wonder Kou Zhong, who had never seen such a noblewoman before, fell in love with her at first sight.

"Princess Xiuning, there's no need for you to be so polite."

Lu Chen always treated polite people with courtesy, gesturing for Li Xiuning to sit down and instructing a maid to serve tea and refreshments.

Now that there are maids and servants in the house and hot water is always available, Lu Chen no longer needs to serve cold boiled water to his guests.

Li Xiuning sat down and drank tea. Lu Chen then asked:

"I was unaware of Princess Xiuning's presence. What brings you here?"

"Don't dare."

Li Xiuning put down her teacup, smiled gently, and said softly:

"Father has given Xiuning a new position as the supervisor of the Lishan Palace, responsible for managing the Lishan Imperial Palace. All personnel allocation and palace repairs are also under Xiuning's responsibility..."

The "Palace Supervisor" was responsible for the management of the imperial palace. Li Yuan once served as the Palace Supervisor of Jinyang, managing the Jinyang Imperial Palace.

Li Xiuning continued:

"Having heard that Young Master Lu intends to reside at the Lishan Palace for an extended period, His Majesty has specially decreed that the Feishuang Hall and the Jiulong Hall be bestowed upon him. Xiuning has come here precisely to inquire whether Young Master Lu has any requirements regarding the arrangement of the halls?"

"The Emperor of Tang is very generous; I, Lu, am deeply grateful."

Lu Chen inwardly praised Li Yuan for being sensible, first thanking him and then saying:
"As for the layout of the hall, there are no special requirements. Just having all the furniture is enough."

"Young Master Lu is magnanimous."

Li Xiuning smiled sweetly and asked again:

"When will Young Master Lu begin his stay there?"

"Let's go in two more months, when winter is in full swing."

Winter is still far off, and Lu Chen still needs to establish a return point in Chang'an City, so he has to stay in the city for another month.

Speaking of which, after unlocking "Sword Five", the freedom to travel through the Zhuxian sword intent has increased even more.

With the return point as the center, any location visited within a radius of 100 miles can be used as the landing point during the traversal.

Just like Peach Blossom Village in Xiangyang, Lu Chen can now travel to Peach Blossom Village, Xiangyang City, or any other place within a hundred miles of Peach Blossom Village that he has been to before, no longer limited to the return point as before.

The Lishan Palace was only fifty or sixty li away from Chang'an City.

Once the return point in Chang'an is completed, go to the Lishan Palace to check it out. Then, when you go to the Lishan Palace in the future, you can use the "repeated jumping" technique to travel there in a few breaths.

"In that case, Young Master Lu, please be sure to inform Xiuning when you plan to go there."

The implication was that he would personally escort Lu Chen to the Lishan Palace to stay.

After discussing the Lishan Palace for a few more minutes, Lu Chen suddenly asked:

"Has His Highness the King of Qin already set out on his campaign?"

I heard the news as soon as I arrived in Chang'an yesterday that Zhang Changxun, the governor of Fengzhou of the Tang Dynasty, was attacking Zong Luohou. Xue Ju, the "Overlord of Western Qin", personally led all the troops of Western Qin to rescue and attack Jingzhou, and stationed his troops at Qizhe City.

Li Yuan intended to send Li Shimin to lead the expedition against Xue Ju.

Li Xiuning was very close to Li Shimin. If Li Shimin were present, she would definitely ask him to introduce her to Lu Chen today. Since Li Shimin didn't come, he was probably away on a campaign.

As expected, Li Xiuning replied:
"The army set off two days ago. As soon as my second brother returned yesterday, he received an imperial decree from Father and led his generals to catch up with the army day and night."

Lu Chen nodded:
"Then I wish the King of Qin a resounding victory and swift success."

Li Xiuning had complete confidence in Li Shimin and said with a smile:

"My second brother defeated Xue Ju and his son once last year. This time, he will surely win a great victory."

Lu Chen thought to himself that that might not be the case.

In his previous life, when Li Shimin was fighting Xue Ju and his son twice, he suddenly contracted malaria and was unable to attend to affairs. As a result, Yin Kaishan and Liu Wenjing, eager to make a name for themselves, changed Li Shimin's strategy of avoiding the enemy's sharp edge, defending the city without fighting, waiting for the enemy to run out of food, and then pursuing and killing them. Instead, they took the initiative to lead their troops to attack when the enemy's strength was at its peak, but they fell into the trap of luring the enemy and were defeated by Xue Ju, losing a total of 60% of their troops.

This major defeat was also the only major defeat Li Shimin ever suffered as the commander-in-chief.

It remains to be seen whether Li Shimin in the Twin Dragons world will suffer a sudden attack of malaria.

Logically speaking, although Li Shimin was not a grandmaster martial artist, his martial arts skills were at least first-rate, his internal strength was profound, and his body was robust, so he should not have been easily infected with the disease.

Just then, Li Xiuning said:
"May I ask, Young Master Lu, is Sister Feng'er here?"

Lu Chen answered casually:

"She was practicing swordsmanship in the backyard."

"Xiuning also enjoys martial arts. I wonder if she could ask Sister Feng'er for some pointers?"

Li Xiuning was certainly fond of martial arts.

Not only is her personal martial arts skill formidable, but her military expertise is also exceptional; she is truly a daughter of a military family.

She and Dugu Feng were relatives, so Lu Chen naturally wouldn't refuse. He got up and walked out of the main hall, leading Li Xiuning to see Dugu Feng.

Li Xiuning, with her hands behind her back, walked lightly beside Lu Chen and asked curiously:
"Young Master Lu, Xiu Ning heard that you used two heavy hammers, each weighing eight hundred catties, during the battle at Mangshan?"

"The rumors are so exaggerated that they make me sound like a monster."

Lu Chen said calmly:

"The two sledgehammers together don't even weigh 800 jin."

Li Xiuning gave a predictable smile.

She already thought that two hammers, each weighing 800 jin, were too outrageous; such weapons only existed in myths and legends.

"How heavy is the hammer that Young Master Lu is using?"

"One bundle weighs 372 jin, and another bundle weighs 375 jin."

"..."

Li Xiuning's smile froze, her eyes filled with shock—wasn't this a monster?
Two sledgehammers, each weighing 800 jin, are mythical, but these two sledgehammers, each weighing over 370 jin, are also superhuman!

No wonder it is said that in the Battle of Mangshan, wherever Lu Chen went, men and horses were shattered, sweeping away thousands of troops, and no one could defeat him.

Such a terrifying hammer, apart from a top master like Li Mi, who could withstand it?

Even Li Mi, it is said, was beheaded by Lu Chen after only one or two moves.

As for the other soldiers and generals... one blow from the hammer and they're reduced to a pile of meat patties, or even scattered pieces of flesh everywhere. Forget about a complete corpse, you can't even find a large piece of flesh. Faced with such a terrifying scene of slaughter, how could even the most battle-hardened elites, the best soldiers, or the most skilled generals muster the slightest fighting spirit?
On the battlefield where thousands of troops are locked in fierce combat, Lu Chen may not be able to kill too many enemy soldiers by himself, but the blow to the enemy's morale will be absolutely devastating.

After calming herself down, Li Xiuning asked in a low voice:

"Young Master Lu, it's said you're indestructible, even Li Mi couldn't harm you..."

Lu Chen casually said:

"Li Mi is still very strong. It's just that he was unlucky and didn't stab the right spot."

Well, if Li Mi had stabbed Lu Chen in the face, chest, abdomen, or thigh, Lu Chen would have had to block and dodge, or he would have been injured. But Li Mi stabbed him in the throat, so he could only blame his bad luck.

But Li Xiuning took these words as mere humility, or even as a tacit admission that the rumors were true and that he indeed possessed an indestructible body.

For a moment, Li Xiuning was so shocked that she felt numb from her scalp to her tailbone—the inhuman killing ability, coupled with the inhuman physique that could withstand even Li Mi's steel spear piercing her throat...

The two hammers, each weighing over 370 pounds, should be wielded by the three grandmasters, as well as top experts like Song Que the Heavenly Blade and Zhu Yuyan the Yin Empress, and they could also strike people like Lu Chen. However, they do not have Lu Chen's superhuman physique, so they would have to expend more true energy to swing the heavy hammers.

On the battlefield, arrows and spears flew everywhere, and there was a forest of swords and spears all around. Swinging such a heavy hammer not only consumed a lot of true energy, but also greatly hampered movement, making it difficult to dodge the dense attacks. Without an indestructible body, the three grandmasters would not last long and would be worn down to death.

Only Lu Chen, with his boundless divine power, indestructible body, and master-level skills, could create such a battlefield miracle!

At this moment, Li Xiuning finally understood why the rumors said that Lu Chen had single-handedly dominated the battlefield.

He also understood why his father had repeatedly instructed him not to neglect Lu Chen, but to carefully befriend him and even fulfill all his requests.

The emperor did not even seek to win over Lu Chen and make him serve the Tang Dynasty.

He would be content if Lu Chen didn't side with the enemies of the Tang Dynasty.

"Young Master Lu is truly a celestial being descended to earth!"

Unconsciously, Li Xiuning's tone also became somewhat awe-inspiring, and her gaze towards Lu Chen also contained reverence.

"You flatter me, I'm just a brute."

As they spoke, the two had already walked along the veranda to the backyard.

A fierce wind was blowing in the backyard.

Li Xiuning looked up and saw Dugu Feng, dressed in a black outfit, sparring with a barefoot girl whose face was covered by a heavy veil and who was wearing an apricot-yellow dress.

The two clashed with swords, their movements as swift and unpredictable as lightning. Their speed and slowness were dazzling, and their techniques were subtle and profound, making them impossible to fathom. The chilling sword winds spread several meters away, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close.

Li Xiuning's skill was quite profound, so she was not afraid of the overflowing sword wind.

But she still obediently followed Lu Chen, standing in the corridor watching the two practice swordsmanship from afar.

After watching for a while, she was greatly surprised to see that the girl in the apricot-yellow dress, with her face covered and bare feet, could fight Dugu Feng to a standstill.

It should be noted that Dugu Feng was originally one of the most outstanding young masters in the world. She fought alongside Shi Feixuan against several veteran masters, including Wanwan of the Yin Gui Sect, and participated in the Battle of Mangshan. After following Lu Chen to defeat Li Mi, she was even recognized as a young sword master, and it was believed that her martial arts were no less than those of many veteran masters.

The masked, barefoot girl actually fought Dugu Feng to a standstill with her swordsmanship...

She's not a fairy master either.

"Young Master Lu, who is that young lady?"

Lu Chen said calmly:
"That's Miss Zhu, a good friend of mine and Feng'er's."

Congratulations, Miss?
This surname...

A hint of doubt flashed in Li Xiuning's eyes, but she wisely refrained from asking further. Seeing that Dugu Feng and Miss Zhu seemed unable to stop talking anytime soon, she took the initiative to start a conversation with Lu Chen.

"Young Master Lu, have you ever heard of General Yun, the Grand Preceptor of the Western Turks?"

"Commander Yun? The one known as the best in the world at lightness skill?"

"That's right. Commander Yun is representing the Western Turks and has come to our Great Tang. He will arrive in Chang'an soon."

"Oh? When exactly will Commander Yun arrive in Chang'an?"

Lu Chen became interested.

Yun Shuai's lightness skill is different from Qu Ao's.

Qu Ao can float in the air without touching the ground, but he needs a point of leverage.

Lu Chen learned Qu Ao's lightness skill, and could also circle in the air several times, and glide dozens of feet in one breath.

However, it is not possible to make rapid, sharp-angle turns in the air in a "V" or "Z" shape without any leverage.

Yun Shuai is fine.

He could even flap his arms like a bird, rising higher and higher in the air, flying farther and farther, until he ran out of energy.

Even Lu Chen was quite interested in such amazing lightness skills.

Seeing that Lu Chen was indeed interested in Commander Yun, Li Xiuning felt a surge of joy, and a sweet smile couldn't help but bloom on her lips:
"As early as tomorrow, or at the latest the day after tomorrow, the delegation led by Commander Yun will arrive in Chang'an."

Lu Chen knew that the Western Turks had always been hostile to the Turks, but their power was inferior to that of the Turks, and they had suffered repeated blows. This time, Commander Yun came to the Tang Dynasty to find allies to unite against the Turks.

"Tomorrow or the day after? Then I must pay a visit and ask Commander Yun for some advice."

"Brother Lu, there's no need to search for them. After the Western Turkic delegation arrives, Father will host a banquet. Xiuning can come and fetch you to the banquet. In accordance with the usual style of the nomadic peoples, the Western Turkic delegation will likely boast about their martial prowess at the banquet. You can take this opportunity to test your skills against Commander Yun."

Unbeknownst to her, Li Xiuning had changed her way of addressing Lu Chen from Young Master Lu to Brother Lu.

Lu Chen was satisfied with Li Xiuning's suggestion and nodded his thanks.

"Then I, Lu, will thank Princess Xiuning in advance."

Li Xiuning smiled sweetly:
"Brother Lu, you're too kind. Xiu Ning and Sister Feng'er are cousins, so please call me Xiu Ning, just like Sister Feng'er does."

Lu Chen gave a casual "hmm." At this moment, Dugu Feng and Wanwan finished their sword fight and stepped aside. Li Xiuning glanced at Lu Chen, apologized, and quickly went over to talk to Dugu Feng.

Judging from their friendly conversation, they must indeed have a good relationship.

However, in terms of martial arts, the two probably wouldn't have much in common—Dugu Feng prefers personal martial arts, while Li Xiuning's preferences are more inclined towards battle formations and military strategy.

Wearing a veil that revealed only her eyebrows and eyes, Wanwan politely greeted Li Xiuning before approaching Lu Chen and asking with a smile:
"Li Yuan sent you a gift?"

Lu Chen nodded:
"Yes. The Frost Palace and the Nine Dragons Palace of Lishan Palace are mine now."

Wanwan's delicate eyebrows were curved, and her eyes revealed a smile:
"Now we have a place to take a bath in winter."

Lu Chen smiled as well:
"Feng'er said that the imperial pool in the Nine Dragons Palace is as big as a pond, and you can swim in it. Li Yuan's favor is indeed very solid."

Wanwan nodded with a grin, her gaze inadvertently drifting towards Li Xiuning, secretly speculating in her own way, as if she were a Yin Gui demoness:

The gifts Li Yuan wanted to send were probably more than just the hot spring palace at Mount Li...

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(End of this chapter)