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

Chapter 223, Section 238: Minor Magical Artifact, the Intimidation of the First Wife
"They went to Chang'an to prepare gifts for you."

"Hey? Should we prepare gifts for them too?"

“I’ve already prepared everything for you. Here, these five bracelets, one for each of you. These two hairpins are for you and Mochou, Rong’er.”

"Why are these bracelets and hairpins a deep blue color? What metal are they made of?"

"The bracelet and hairpin are both made from the finest black iron; they are small magical artifacts that I used to test my craft."

"A small magical tool?"

Huang Rong played with the bracelet and hairpin, and asked curiously:

"What's the use?"

Lu Chen explained:
"Although these two magical artifacts are different in shape, they have the same effect. Both can activate a protective shield of energy to cover the whole body when attacked."

"I've only just learned how to forge weapons, and these are just trial pieces, so the power of the qi barrier is only average. At most, it can only withstand a full-force attack from a Grandmaster. Of course, even if it can't completely block an attack stronger than a Grandmaster's full-force attack, it can still significantly reduce the damage."

"I've also left room for upgrades. When I become more skilled in the future, I can increase the shield's power and even give it more functions."

Huang Rong blinked and asked again:

"Um, how strong is a Grandmaster's full-force attack?"

This is really hard to describe.

Lu Chen thought for a moment and said:

"In this world, in this era, below me, the Grandmaster is the strongest. If you can withstand a full-force attack from a Grandmaster, then at least in this world, no one can harm you."

"That's a really good treasure."

Huang Rong chuckled and asked again:

"How do you use this ritual implement? Do you need to perform hand seals or chant incantations?"

Lu Chen explained in detail:

"No need. First, you should bind your magical artifacts with your blood. Once the artifacts record your auras, when you use them, simply thrust your true energy into the artifacts to activate the shields."

"If you are attacked suddenly and don't have time to activate it, it doesn't matter. The magic weapon can still sense the attack. If the attack is powerful enough to be fatal and you don't have time to dodge, the magic weapon can also activate a shield on its own."

"In addition, these seven small magical artifacts can be charged with true qi. With Rong'er and Mo Chou's power, they can be fully charged by consuming seventy or eighty percent of their true qi. Of course, I have already charged all seven magical artifacts with true qi. When they are used up, you can replenish their true qi yourselves or give them to me to charge."

This is also because Lu Chen is a beginner and his skills are not yet proficient.

Otherwise, there would be no need for such trouble; the magical artifact could simply absorb the vital energy of heaven and earth to power itself.

Even so, Rong'er and Mochou found it quite amazing.

"Magic artifacts" that can automatically block attacks originally only existed in legendary stories, and no one in reality has ever seen them.

Next, Lu Chen taught Rong'er and Mo Chou how to bind their hairpins with blood, refine the two hairpins that belonged to them, and then put the hairpins on them, letting them experience it firsthand.

Rong'er and Mo Chou tried to activate their true energy and stabbed the hairpin hard. With a soft hum, a faint light flashed on the hairpin, and a transparent wall of energy, like a water curtain, appeared out of thin air, enveloping the two of them like an inverted bell.

The two tried to move and found that the air wall could move with them and did not hinder their movements.

Rong'er then used her "Finger Flicking Divine Skill" to shoot out a finger force, which passed through the air wall without hindrance and punched a small hole in the floor with a "poof".

Rong'er stuck out her tongue and smiled shyly.

Lu Chen smiled and shook his head, saying "It's alright." He then flicked out two sword energies, which struck the two people's respective qi shields, only causing the shields to ripple like water before the sword energies collapsed and dissipated.

"This is an attack of the Five Greats level. It cannot shake the qi barrier in the slightest."

As he spoke, Lu Chen unleashed several more sword energies, each increasing in power with each strike, but none of them could penetrate the shield.
"As long as the attack power is not at the level of a Grandmaster's full-force strike, it will absolutely not be able to break the shield. Of course, as the number of attacks increases, the shield's duration will also shorten."

"Originally, if it wasn't attacked, the shield could last for fifteen minutes. Now, after these attacks from me, its lifespan will be halved."

Finally, Lu Chen unleashed a sword aura with power comparable to Bi Xuan Yue's wolf spear strike, instantly shattering Rong'er and Mo Chou's protective qi walls, causing them to perish along with the sword aura.

Lu Chen then removed two more hairpins and infused them with his true energy to power them.

If Rong'er and Mo Chou were to charge the artifact themselves, they would need to consume 70-80% of their true energy to fully charge it.

As for Lu Chen, his true qi cultivation was originally similar to Bi Xuan's. During this period, he refined five hundred strands of tribulation qi every day, and with Dugu Feng and Wanwan practicing together, his true qi cultivation had already surpassed the level of a grandmaster.

The true energy consumed in charging these two hairpins was replenished on its own within minutes, with almost no consumption whatsoever.

After recharging, Lu Chen helped Rong'er and Mo Chou put on their hairpins and said with a smile:
"Feng'er and the others might be back a little later. Let me show you around first. Ever since I led the team to kill Martial Venerable Bi Xuan and defeated the 100,000-strong Turkic army, Li Yuan gave me this entire Lishan Palace. Now it all belongs to the Lu family."

Huang Rong exclaimed in amazement:

"Such a large palace for you? Li Yuan is certainly generous. But does he have enough manpower to manage it?"

"Yes. Li Yuan also sent a group of palace maids, who are managed by Princess Xiuning. All expenses are covered by the Tang Emperor's treasury, and we don't need to pay for them. By the way, I recently saw that some palace maids were willing to learn martial arts, so I planned to teach them some skills. This would make them more efficient in their work. Wanwan suggested that we just start a sect..."

He told Rong'er and Mochou about the discussion he had had with Wan Yaonu and the others about establishing a sect, and asked them with a smile:

"What do you think would be a good name for our sect?"

Rong'er, who always loved to play, was naturally drawn to the fun of establishing a sect and asked with great interest:
"What did those girls say?"

"Wanwan suggests calling it the Divine Sword Sect or the Heavenly Sword Clan. The Lishan Palace can be renamed the Divine Sword Manor or the Heavenly Sword Manor."

"Wow, she's quite good at naming things."

"Rong'er, do you think the name is alright?"

Huang Rong nodded with a smile:
"Of course. Brother Shen, you are a divine sword from beyond the heavens, so whether it's the Divine Sword Sect or the Heavenly Sword Clan, it matches the title and sounds grand. Divine Sword Manor, Heavenly Sword Manor... those are also very good!"

Lu Chen then asked Mo Chou:

What does Mo Chou think?

"It's great. It sounds much better than our Ancient Tomb Sect."

Li Mochou agreed, while mercilessly criticizing the unpleasant name of her own sect.

Lu Chen asked with a smile:

"So should it be called Divine Sword Sect, Divine Sword Manor, or Heavenly Sword Sect, Heavenly Sword Manor?"

Rong'er smiled and said:

"Since they all sound good, let's draw lots! Whichever one we get is the one we get."

"also……"

While chatting casually, Lu Chen led Rong'er and Mo Chou on a tour of the palace.

When the palace maids saw the three of them, they all bowed from a distance and looked at Rong'er and Mochou with curiosity. Rong'er, in particular, who was pregnant, attracted the maids' attention frequently.

After the three men passed by, the palace maids excitedly whispered among themselves.

"Is that pregnant woman Madam Lu? She's so beautiful..."

"Indeed, she is very beautiful. I originally thought that Miss Wanwan and Fairy Shi were the most beautiful women in the world. Miss Dugu, Princess Xiuning, and Princess Lianrou were also top beauties with their own unique charms. But I never expected that Madam Lu's beauty was no less than that of Miss Wanwan and Fairy Shi."

"The Sword Master's legal wife is naturally this beautiful!"

"It's also..."

"The other lady is also very beautiful, with such fair and delicate skin."

"I really don't know how they maintain their figures. Madam Lu is pregnant, yet her figure is still so beautiful." "It's martial arts! Martial artists all have beautiful figures. If you could also master superior martial arts, you could maintain a beautiful figure even when you're old..."

Although the palace maids waited until Lu Chen and his companions were far away before speaking, and they kept their voices low, how could they possibly escape the ears of Lu Chen and his companions?

Hearing the palace maids praise her, Huang Rong's eyes crinkled with joy, and her steps became much lighter.

……

How do I look in this outfit?

"That's too flashy! Lianrou, you're practically provoking me."

"Why didn't you remind me? Never mind, I'll change quickly. Sister Feng'er, please help me..."

Inside a spacious carriage, Lian Rou, dressed in a magnificent and elaborate palace gown, was asking Dugu Feng for help.

Lian Rou was a good comrade-in-arms who often fought alongside her and helped share Lu Chen's firepower. Today, instead of wearing her warrior outfit, Dugu Feng changed into a black shirt embroidered with peach blossoms and a light red pomegranate skirt. She immediately stepped forward to help Lian Rou change her clothes.

Shi Feixuan also changed into a long dress printed with ink-wash orchids, giving people a sense of elegance and grace.

Still dressed in white and barefoot, without any deliberate adornment, Wanwan looked at Shi Feixuan with a grin and asked:

"Speaking of which, I'm a little curious. When you meet Lu Chen's wife later, will you call her 'sister-in-law' or 'elder sister'?"

Shi Feixuan's cheeks flushed slightly, but having spent quite some time with Wanwan, she was used to Wanwan's verbal attacks and replied with a smile:

"I will call you whatever you call me, Senior Sister Wan."

Wanwan raised an eyebrow:
"I was planning to call her 'older sister'!"

Shi Feixuan said with a smile:
"Then the younger sister will also call her older sister."

Wanwan feigned surprise:

"Wow, that's brave! I'll be watching closely!"

Just then, the carriage stopped, and Li Xiuning's voice came from outside the carriage:
"Here, get out of the car."

Throughout the journey, it was clearly Princess Xiuning who was driving the carriage.

She also changed out of her usual bright red riding outfit and put on an apricot-yellow top, a light green long skirt, and a wide-sleeved cover-up, looking elegant and virtuous without showing any sharpness.

After the carriage came to a stop, several palace maids came to greet them. Seeing Li Xiuning and the others getting out of the carriage carrying large gift boxes, they wanted to help them carry the things, but Li Xiuning waved her hand:

"No need, we'll do it ourselves."

After dismissing the palace maids, the five female generals, each carrying a gift box, walked gracefully and swayed towards the Feishuang Palace.

The closer they got to the Flying Frost Palace, the more nervous they became.

Even Li Xiuning, who was capable of leading tens of thousands of troops to conquer cities and territories, couldn't help but purse her lips nervously, her steps gradually becoming hesitant.

"Um... Sister Feng'er, you were with Brother Lu the first time, why don't you come to the front?"

Dugu Feng shook her head repeatedly:
“Wasn’t Wanwan the first to meet Brother Lu? He even specially composed a poem for you. Wanwan should be first.”

Wanwan said in a very serious tone:

"Logically, I should be in front. But I forgot to wear shoes and I'm barefoot, so it's not appropriate for me to lead the way like this. Sister Feixuan, why don't you go first?"

Shi Feixuan dared not accept the challenge:
"I think I should follow Senior Sister Wan."

Finally, all four of them looked at Lian Rou, who had changed into a simple dress, but whose alluring figure and exotic beauty were still undeniable.

"Ha, I'm a Persian girl, and I can actually lead the charge?"

Lian Rou was overjoyed. She quickly grabbed the gift box in one hand and lifted her skirt in the other, and ran to the front of the line.

She's the kind of wild Persian girl who dared to say "I peed" in front of all the female generals, and who would even drug herself to pursue Lu Chen. She has absolutely no idea what stage fright is.

Now Li Xiuning and Dugu Feng felt something was amiss.

This is the Central Plains, how can we let a Persian girl lead the charge?
"I think it would be better if we paid our respects to each other side by side, without any distinction in order."

Li Xiuning said.

Dugu Feng nodded vigorously:
“That’s right. Anyway, the palace gate is wide enough that five people can walk in side by side.”

Wanwan nodded happily:
"Five people side by side, no order of precedence, that's the fairest way. It's decided!"

So Lianrou was only at the front of the line for a short while before she was moved to the side with the others, which made her very depressed. She pouted and looked sullen.

Lu Chen had sensed Dugu Feng and the others' return through the sword spirit mark, and returned to the main hall of Feishuang Palace with Rong'er and Mochou.

Rong'er sat upright next to Lu Chen, glancing at him every now and then.

"Is this okay for me?"

She always felt that she looked a little unattractive with her pregnant belly.

Lu Chen said with a smile:

"You heard the palace maids talking just now. Wanwan and Shi Feixuan are already the most beautiful women in the world, but in the eyes of the palace maids, your beauty is no less than theirs. What is there to worry about?"

Rong'er breathed a slight sigh of relief, then looked at Mo Chou, who stood beside her, holding a long sword and looking like a protector:

"Mo Chou, don't be so tense, you're making me nervous too!"

Li Mochou pursed her lips and whispered:
"They are all masters whose martial arts skills are far superior to the Five Greats. Just thinking about facing so many masters makes me unable to relax."

"Don't worry, Brother Shen is invincible. Who would dare to act recklessly?"

Rong'er was actually a little flustered.

The thought that the younger ones below her were all more skilled in martial arts than she was made her nervous and her heart pounded.

So it's less about comforting Lu Chen and more about comforting yourself.

Lu Chen said with a smile:

"Don't be nervous. They're actually more nervous than you are."

The gentle, deep voice had a calming effect, and Rong'er and Mochou gradually relaxed and stopped being nervous.

Just then, Lianrou's lively and cheerful voice came from the lobby entrance:

"Uncle, we're back!"

uncle?

Rong'er and Mo Chou looked at Lu Chen with strange expressions.

Lu Chen was slightly embarrassed:
"That's Lian Rou, she's a bit mischievous..."

Just then, a series of light, delicate footsteps sounded, and five stunningly beautiful women, each carrying a gift box, walked in side by side through the main entrance.

Rong'er quickly straightened her posture, slightly adjusted her expression, and her entire aura changed dramatically. She transformed from a lively and adorable little wife in front of Lu Chen into a graceful and noble woman, like an empress.

Yes, Rong'er's acting skills have always been good.

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(End of this chapter)