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

Chapter 198, Section 213: Chao Gongbao! The princess and the fairy were both in turmoil.

Chao Gongcuo ran with all his might for over a hundred miles in one go. After confirming that no one was following him, he plopped down on a large rock in the forest, looking utterly dejected.

"They're all dead! Absolutely all dead! The South China Sea Faction is finished..."

"The eight masters of the Demonic Sect are all useless! Four of the eight joined forces, plus so many other experts, yet they couldn't even defeat a young man. He slaughtered them like cutting melons and vegetables... This guy surnamed Lu is simply a monster!"

He was in a daze, his face contorted with rage and gritted teeth, and at other times he was pale and his eyes were filled with fear. Any rustling of the grass in the forest would make him jump up like a startled rabbit, and he was suspicious for a long time.

"No, I can't let the Lu family get away with this. Otherwise, I'll either have to change my name and hide in some remote village as a farmer or live in seclusion in the mountains as a hunter, or I'll surely die!"

"This failure is because the people we found were all useless! The top two of the eight great demonic sects didn't even come, so what use are the third and fourth!"
"Yu Yan? No, she's terrified of Lu Chen like a tiger and wouldn't dare to move. Shi Zhixuan? He's a madman; you can't talk to him properly, and besides, I can't find him... The rest of the Demonic Sect's useless bunch are even less of a threat!"

"Who else? Who in the world is unafraid of the sinking of the land?"

Even Zhu Yuyan feared Lu Chen like a tiger. Even Chao Gongcuo, who joined forces with Zhao Deyan, Xi Ying, Pi Chen, and You Niaojuan, suffered a crushing defeat. Apart from Chao Gongcuo, the rest were all wiped out. There were very few people in the world who were not afraid of Lu Chen, could rival him, or even kill him.

Of those few people, the one most likely to make a move is...

Chao Gongcuo looked north, his eyes flashing with a fierce light:

"Zhao Deyan was Jieli's most trusted national advisor, yet he died in Chang'an!"

"Lu Chen is very close to Li Shimin and Li Xiuning, and also has a good relationship with Li Yuan. That coward Li Yuanji didn't show up today either..."

"The Tang Dynasty already has the support of Cihang Jingzhai. If it also befriends Lu Chen, unifying the world will be just around the corner!"

Chao Gongcuo clenched his fists, feeling as if he had seen hope again:

"Khan Jieli has always harbored ambitions to establish a vast Turkic empire spanning the grasslands and the Central Plains, and the lifelong wish of Martial Venerable Bi Xuan was also for the Turkic Khaganate to become powerful. But now, Lu Chen has emerged..."

"Judging from Lu Chen's attitude toward Ba Feng Han and Qu Ao, he will not allow foreign tribes to invade the Central Plains!"

Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed in Chao Gongcuo's eyes:

"Jieli has 40,000 Golden Wolf soldiers who not only dominate the grasslands, but also oppress the heroes of the Central Plains and the North! Add to that the Martial Venerable Clan... Lu Chen, even if you were a god descended to earth, you would be chopped into pieces!"

what!
Chao Gongcuo exhaled a long breath, feeling his whole body filled with fighting spirit again. He suddenly stood up, glanced back at Chang'an in the south, and resolutely took big strides, flying north.

……

Let's rewind a little.

When Chao Gongcuo began his rapid escape.

There was another person in the woods, also running frantically with their head down.

The man was tall and agile, dressed in a simple gray-black outfit. He wore a full-face bronze ghost mask that covered his forehead and chin, with only narrow slits for his eyes. He carried a heavy iron rod and hopped and leaped through the forest, escaping at lightning speed.

However, he did not seem to be skilled in light-footed kung fu. He had not run far when he heard a soft laugh.

The laughter sounded pure and ethereal, like the gentle smile of a goddess in the forest. But as soon as the laughter reached his ears, the masked man felt agitated and his steps faltered.

"Sound magic? Who's playing tricks!"

The masked man suddenly stopped, holding a heavy iron rod across his chest. He peered through the narrow slits in his mask, his aura spreading out as he carefully sensed the surroundings.

Another light and melodious laugh rang out.

With a chuckle.

A graceful figure dressed in a snow-white long dress, cinched at the waist with a silk ribbon, and veiled in a heavy gauze descended from the sky and landed in front of the masked man.

Seeing the graceful figure in white, barefoot, the masked man was startled again, inwardly exclaiming:

"The Yin Gui Demoness? How did she catch up so quickly?"

Wanwan looked at the masked man and asked curiously:
"Are you also one of those who besieged Lu Chen?"

The masked man vehemently denied it:
"No, I'm not!"

"Isn't that right? Then why did you run away?"

"I...I was passing by when I saw people fighting, so I left quickly to avoid any misunderstanding!"

"Oh?"

Wanwan chuckled softly:
"So, you're not with those people?"

The masked man nodded quickly:
"of course not!"

"Then why are you dressed like this? Are you ugly and ashamed to be seen by others?"

"...I...I'm a member of the Changlin Army, and I'm on a secret mission! That's why I'm disguised like this!"

The Changlin Army, the Eastern Palace Guard established by Li Jiancheng, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, consisted of only two thousand men, but included many experts and was quite powerful.

"People from the Changlin Army?"

Wanwan chuckled softly:
"Take off your mask and let me see if you're real or not."

The masked man forced himself to speak:

"Your identity must be kept secret during the mission. This is the Crown Prince's order, and I cannot obey!"

"That's your crown prince, what does it have to do with me? Fine, since you're unwilling to take off your mask, then let me help you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Wanwan's figure flashed, and she pounced on the masked man like a phantom.

At the same time, a narrow and thin, yet four-foot-long soft sword slid out from his sleeve, undulating and trembling like a serpent, emitting a sharp whistling sound and scattering a sky full of chilling sword light, enveloping the masked man.

Wanwan's most frequently used weapon used to be the Heavenly Demon Ribbon, but after practicing swordsmanship, she gradually discovered that the soft sword was the most comfortable to use.

With Lu Chen's guidance—who has deeply studied the principles of "hardness and softness" and even mastered sword qi to the point where he can use both hardness and softness at will—Wanwan now wields her soft sword with unparalleled skill.

At this moment, facing Wanwan's soft sword attack, the masked man initially wielded his iron cudgel to counter with cudgel techniques.

But as Wanwan's swordsmanship gradually unfolded, her soft sword sometimes trembled and snaked like a flying snake, sometimes twisting and coiling, sometimes bending and thrusting from unbelievable angles, and sometimes shaking the blade straight and hard. Her sword moves were wide and sweeping, like a long spear and halberd. All sorts of unpredictable and fierce sword moves, combined with the strange and elegant Heavenly Demon Dance Steps, as well as the interference of the Heavenly Demon Force Field and Heavenly Demon Sound, finally made the masked man unable to hide his true strength. His staff technique gradually turned into a spear technique.

With a change in technique, the masked man's strength suddenly surged. His iron staff seemed to transform into a raging dragon, with heavy staff shadows filling the sky. It was as powerful as a mountain collapsing and rocks flying everywhere, or like a river bursting its banks with surging energy.

Such sharp marksmanship impressed even Wanwan, but it paled in comparison to her martial arts skills.

With her snow-white bare feet, she gracefully moved through the shadows of the staffs, her movements a blend of Lu Chen's "Sword Shadow Steps" and the Heavenly Demon Dance Steps, as if her feet were not touching the ground.

The nimble, long, soft sword, accompanied by a shrill, unsettling whistle that sometimes slowed and sometimes sped, deflected the ferocious spear attacks wielded by the iron rod, and occasionally countered with a sword strike, leaving the masked ghost figure in a state of disarray.

After exchanging over a hundred blows, Wanwan, who had already gained the upper hand, suddenly thrust her soft sword straight out.

As she thrust her sword, her fair wrist trembled slightly, and the slender blade suddenly bounced, then split into countless dazzling sword lights.

As the sword light flashed, Wanwan's figure and aura completely disappeared under its cover, vanishing without a trace.

The masked man lost his connection with Wanwan's aura and was immediately shaken and bewildered. He could only forcefully shake the iron rod to unleash a dazzling array of spear shadows in an attempt to meet the mesmerizing array of sword beams.

However, just as the masked man was forcibly responding, the myriad sword beams suddenly converged into a single point, transforming into a bolt of lightning that seemed to appear out of nowhere, shooting towards the masked man. This sword strike caught the masked man off guard; the chaotic spear shadows that had been attempting to parry the myriad sword beams were rendered useless, easily bypassed by the lightning-fast sword light, which gently touched his bronze mask.

click!
The sword tip barely touched the forehead of the mask, yet the sword energy instantly shredded the entire bronze mask into dust.

When the mask shattered, revealing a black hood that covered her entire face except for her eyes, Wanwan immediately looked bored.
"There's a hood under the mask, covering you up so completely, just how ugly are you?"

The masked man remained silent, only frantically swinging his iron rod, unleashing a fierce burst of energy like a raging dragon or a raging torrent.

"Underneath the hood, could there be a face mask? And under that face mask, could there be a human skin mask?"

Wanwan's figure was elusive, her sword flashed, and she even had air conditioning to chat about:
"You didn't follow Yu Rang's example and disfigure your face long ago, did you?"

The masked man roared and fought even more frantically.

But it was no use. Wanwan maintained the upper hand, while the masked man became increasingly anxious and his moves gradually became chaotic. In just over ten moves, Wanwan knocked off his hood with a sword, revealing a black mask.

Wanwan was speechless for a long time as she looked at the masked person whose face was mostly covered by a veil, revealing only his forehead and eyes, and whose forehead skin color was obviously abnormal.

This guy really has layer upon layer of masks on his face...

Just as Wanwan was losing patience and was about to deliver the fatal blow, Lu Chen's voice rang out:
"Since this person did not participate in the attack, let's just treat him as a passerby and let him go."

Lu Chen was able to let Chao Gongcuo, who participated in the siege, go for the time being. Since the masked man had been keeping a low profile and had not participated in the siege, why not let him go as well?

It might even bring more surprises.

Even if there are no surprises, it doesn't matter; there will always be a reckoning in the future.

Wanwan chuckled softly, and did as she was told to stop her attack and step back to make way for her.

The masked man, still shaken, glanced back and saw that Lu Chen had appeared several feet away, surrounded by four beautiful women, standing with his hands behind his back under a large tree. He bowed respectfully and ran away quickly.

"Since you are a member of the Changlin Army, remember to call someone to come and collect the body and clean the ground."

Lu Chen added another reminder.

The masked man stopped abruptly, bowing and scraping:
"must!"

They watched the masked man escape.

Li Xiuning, who was behind Lu Chen, finally felt relieved. Then she felt a sudden, oxygen-deprived palpitation, her chest heaving violently, her legs going weak, and her vision going black.

Although the masked man never revealed his true form, Li Xiuning recognized his martial arts skills.

She knew that Lu Chen, who had fought with him before, must have recognized the masked man's skills.

Was the reason they didn't expose it on the spot because of their friendship with me, their second brother, and their father's favor?
Looking at Lu Chen's profile, Li Xiuning felt a surge of relief, as if she had survived a disaster.

In today's battle, Lu Chen fought against eighteen opponents single-handedly, like a god descending to earth. Whether they were top-tier masters with a good reputation in the martial arts world or the eight most powerful and fearsome masters of the Demonic Sect, they were all slaughtered by him as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

The shock this battle brought to Li Xiuning was even stronger than the day he annihilated the Great Ming Zun Sect in one battle.

Especially when she saw Lu Chen exhaust his true energy, yet still manage to sweep away the three grandmaster-level experts, Pi Chen, Zhao Deyan, and Xi Ying, who were ranked sixth, third, and fourth in the Demonic Sect respectively, she felt the same reaction Lian Rou had when she saw Shan Mu and Da Zun being killed.

The reaction was so strong at the time.

She was horrified when she recognized the masked man's marksmanship.

If Lu Chen were to act retaliatory against Li Mi, the consequences would be...

Li Xiuning simply couldn't believe it.

Fortunately, my second brother, my father, and I all have a good relationship with Brother Lu!
Li Xiuning felt incredibly fortunate and grateful to Lu Chen. Looking at Lu Chen's profile, her eyes were unconsciously filled with subtle and unusual emotions.

At this moment, Lu Chen said calmly:
"Let's go, let's continue to Lishan Palace."

His tone was calm and composed, as if he had never experienced that bloody battle that shocked the world.

When they turned back and headed towards the road outside the forest.

Wanwan unabashedly linked arms with Lu Chen, and said with a grin:

Are you planning to go barefoot like me?

As she spoke, she deliberately kept pace with Lu Chen. Her small, delicate, crystal-white feet, as if carved from flawless white jade, remained spotless even as she walked through the forest, forming a stark contrast with Lu Chen's large, muddy, gray-black feet with clearly defined veins.

"Her clothes were torn."

Dugu Feng looked at Lu Chen's black robe, which had a missing cuff and bore numerous palm prints and weapon scratches, and said:

"Why don't we go back and change our clothes first?"

Li Xiuning took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say:
"There are spare clothes prepared for Brother Lu in the palace."

Dugu Feng raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Xiuning:
"Xiuning is very thoughtful. But are you sure the clothes you prepared are the right size?"

Li Xiuning nodded confidently:

"It must be right."

I have met Brother Lu so many times and personally examined it; there must be no mistake.

While the group was talking.

Shi Feixuan, who was at the back, looked a little dazed.

She went on a killing spree today.

When she fought alongside Wanwan and Dugu Feng, she saw that Wanwan, Dugu Feng, Li Xiuning, and Lian Rou showed no mercy. Even the enemies she had wounded were finished off by Wanwan and the others. She felt that if she did not kill, if she only wounded the enemies but did not kill, it would be the same as pushing the karma of killing onto others and keeping herself alone.

Such behavior was truly shameful, so she, with the attitude of "if I don't go to hell, who will?", began to kill.

In the battle, nearly twenty people died by her sword.

During the killing, she discovered that Lu Chen had actually achieved a complete victory.

Of the eighteen experts, including the four great masters of the Demonic Sect, only Chao Gongcuo managed to escape by chance. The others were all killed by Lu Chen. Lu Chen himself was unharmed except for his exhausted true energy and torn clothes and shoes!
The shock of Lu Chen's terrifying achievements, and the first time in her life that her sword had been stained with blood and she had gone on a killing spree, left her feeling as if she were floating on clouds, unable to recover for a long time.

What kind of person will I become in the future?

She asked herself the same question.

When your mind becomes increasingly tangled and scattered, almost giving rise to inner demons...

A flash of lightning, like the light of a sword, suddenly appeared deep within her mind.

The lightning flashed, illuminating her mind and instantly calming her chaotic thoughts. Shi Feixuan felt a sense of peace, and her sword heart instinctively leaned towards the lightning, as if taking it as her backbone.

Shi Feixuan's gaze also involuntarily turned to Lu Chen.

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(End of this chapter)