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

Chapter 91, 106: Dongfang Bubai is actually quite nice. [Seeking monthly votes!]

Lu Chen and Huang Rong stayed on the Cliff of Contemplation for three more days, memorizing all the lost sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, and also had several sword discussions with Feng Qingyang.

However, aside from exchanging a few hundred moves on the first day, their subsequent swordplay discussions were merely "literary discourse," involving only verbal exchanges about sword principles.

Lu Chen benefited greatly, and his swordsmanship skills became even more profound.

Feng Qingyang also benefited greatly.

After all, Lu Chen's swordsmanship originated from extraordinary sources; his swordsmanship was not of this world.

Even if he only uttered a few words about sword principles, it was enough for Feng Qingyang to ponder deeply.

During the exchange and discussion of sword principles, Lu Chen completely dismantled the Dugu Nine Swords.

But he had already embarked on the path of "no moves".

He wielded the sword with unrestrained freedom, each strike both spontaneous and profoundly in accordance with sword principles. He had long since broken free from conventional rules and formulas. Moreover, he could discern the changes in his enemy's martial arts and the flaws in their moves. Therefore, the greatest significance of the Dugu Nine Swords to him lay in the "general formula" based on the hexagrams of the I Ching, which benefited his understanding of sword principles.

three days later.

Lu Chen and Huang Rong bid farewell to Feng Qingyang, left Mount Hua, and headed to their final destination.

Although it's only summer in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer world, based on the timeline of their experiences, Huang Rong, who was born after the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Legend of the Condor Heroes world, is already close to her birthday.

They plan to go back to Peach Blossom Island to celebrate this birthday.

So after leaving Mount Hua, the two did not travel around. Instead, they used their lightness skills to travel quickly to Blackwood Cliff.

a few days later.

While Dongfang Bubai was embroidering in her boudoir, she received a challenge.

"The Celestial Divine Sword Lu Chen? That name... seems familiar?"

It has been almost a month since Liu Zhengfeng retired from his life of crime, and more than half a month has passed since Zuo Lengchan and his group died in Hengshan.

With the Sun Moon Sect's extensive network of informants, news from Hengshan City, big and small, naturally reached the Blackwood Cliff headquarters long ago.

The follower sent by Yang Lianting to deliver the message said respectfully:

"Lu Chen, the Divine Sword from Beyond the Heavens, was the most prominent figure in Hengshan City during Liu Zhengfeng's retirement from martial arts. It is said that he was extremely young, seemingly not even twenty years old, but his martial arts were unfathomable and his swordsmanship was divine."

"He once killed Tian Boguang and Yu Canghai with a single sword strike, and wiped out all the Qingcheng Sect elites that Yu Canghai had brought to Hengshan City. He has challenged many Five Mountains Sword Sects and independent masters in succession, and each battle ended in a draw. Moreover, he can fight and stop whenever he wants."

"His most celebrated feat was single-handedly fighting Mo Da and Liu Zhengfeng, who joined forces, to a draw. He later challenged Yue Buqun of Mount Hua and Tianmen Daoist of Mount Tai, both ending in draws..."

At this point, the follower glanced discreetly at Dongfang Bubai, only to see that the leader remained focused on embroidery, seemingly uninterested in the news. Then, the follower dropped another bombshell:
"During Lu Chen's stay in Hengshan City, Zuo Lengchan of the Songshan Sect, along with the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan, all perished in Hengshan. No one witnessed who killed them. The Five Mountains Sword Sect publicly claimed that Zuo Lengchan and the others were ambushed by Bai Ban Sha Xing and a group of unorthodox masters, and fought valiantly to the death, taking their enemies with them. However, there are also some hidden rumors that..."

"Lu Chen, single-handedly, killed dozens of them in a counterattack against the combined forces of Zuo Lengchan and other Songshan Sect masters, as well as Bai Ban Sha Xing and other unorthodox masters!"

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Bubai paused slightly in her embroidery, and chuckled softly:
"Of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, only Zuo Lengchan had any real influence. He had also managed the Songshan Sect very well, and I never expected him to die so inexplicably..."

"That young friend Lu, the Divine Swordsman from Beyond the Heavens, is so ruthless in killing. He even killed the Five Mountains Alliance Leader without hesitation. He truly has some of our style. If you didn't know better, you might think he was a holy son cultivated by our Holy Sect."

The Sun Moon Cult has a "Holy Maiden," so if it were a man, he would naturally be a "Holy Son."

The follower said with a forced smile:
"What Steward Yang means is that this young man is not only young but also highly skilled in martial arts. He even wiped out the leaders and high-ranking members of the Qingcheng and Songshan sects, clearly showing that he doesn't subscribe to the 'righteous path' or 'demonic sect' rhetoric. If the sect leader is interested, he might as well accept his challenge and perhaps carefully win him over, taking this young genius into his service..."

Dongfang Bubai was already somewhat interested in Lu Chen, who had destroyed the Five Mountains Alliance leader. Hearing that Yang Lianting also suggested he accept the challenge, he immediately smiled and said:
"Since it is Steward Yang's will, then I, the leader, shall accept this challenge. However, I am not in the mood to travel. Let me go and invite that young friend Lu to Blackwood Cliff and see if he dares to come."

……

Below a towering cliff, with only a five-foot-wide stone path in the middle.

Lu Chen and Huang Rong stood leisurely before the stone path, showing no sign of unease despite the menacing gazes of the demonic cult members at the stone path checkpoint.

The cliff above is not Blackwood Cliff.

This is just the first hurdle before entering Blackwood Cliff.

After passing this cliff, there are three more dangerous mountain passes, then you have to cross a river and walk a rugged and treacherous mountain path before you can reach the foot of Blackwood Cliff.

Even after reaching the foot of Blackwood Cliff, it is not easy to climb up.

First, one must pass through three iron box checkpoints, and then transfer to four different gondolas before reaching the Demonic Sect's headquarters at the top of the cliff.

The route was so complicated, with numerous dangerous passes and guarded by countless members of the Demonic Cult. Even with Lu Chen's current martial arts skills, it would be difficult for him to force his way through. After all, he did not have unlimited true energy. Facing the interception and killing of countless members of the Demonic Cult and forcing his way through the dangerous passes, he might exhaust his true energy.

Therefore, they simply revealed the name "Heavenly Divine Sword" and openly issued a challenge.

"Will Dongfang Bubai accept the challenge?" Huang Rong asked in a low voice.

Lu Chen shook his head: "I can't guess that."

The current Dongfang Bubai has become extremely reclusive, and has not stepped out of Blackwood Cliff for who knows how many years. He really doesn't know if Dongfang Bubai will accept his challenge.

"If he accepts the challenge, will this battle be just another friendly spar, ending only after a few exchanges?"

"Yes. We have such good relations with the Hengshan and Hengshan sects, and we also get along well with the Taishan and Huashan sects. So, we should be more amicable in our battle with Dongfang Bubai. After all, Dongfang Bubai, the leader of the Demonic Sect, has always done a pretty good job."

The reason for bringing up the Five Mountains Sword Sect is that Dongfang Bubai has no ambition and only wants to stay at Blackwood Cliff, listening to flattery and doing embroidery.

Yang Lianting only wanted to fight for power within the Demonic Sect and ruthlessly suppress dissidents within the sect. He had no ambition to expand outwards. Otherwise, how could the Songshan Sect have gotten the chance to cause trouble?
Having these two in charge of the Sun Moon Sect is a great thing for the Five Mountains Sword Sects and even the entire martial arts world.

If Lu Chen and Huang Rong were to kill Dongfang Bubai on Blackwood Cliff, they could teleport away without fear of being besieged by the Sun Moon Sect on Blackwood Cliff. However, if a more ambitious leader were to take over after Dongfang's death, wouldn't that be a disaster for the Five Mountains Sword Sects?

Furthermore, if Dongfang Bubai were to die, it would be much easier for Xiang Wentian to rescue Ren Woxing.

Once Ren Woxing escapes his predicament and rebuilds the Sun Moon Sect, the Five Mountains Sword Sects will face a great calamity.

Therefore, both logically and emotionally, this competition will only end when the stakes are reached.

Thinking of Xiang Wentian, Lu Chen felt a little regretful.

When Xiang Zuo suddenly attacked and killed a passerby on horseback, his movements of seizing the horse were quite skillful. Lu Chen wanted Xiang Zuo to experience the same thing, to be surprised and killed by a passerby he met on the left while walking along the road, without doing anything.

pity……

Throughout the journey, they never managed to encounter the Left Envoy by chance.

We chatted idly while waiting for quite a while.

Finally, a follower descended from the stone path and recited in a melodious and rhythmic voice:

"By imperial decree of the Holy Master, who is accomplished in both literature and martial arts, and is benevolent, righteous and wise: Young friend Lu, the Divine Swordsman from beyond the heavens, I will be waiting for you on Blackwood Cliff."

After relaying the leader's verbal instructions, the follower spoke in a normal tone:

"The leader has accepted Young Hero Lu's challenge. But our Holy Sect leader is not only the undisputed number one in the world, but also the head of the Holy Sect. How noble is his status? If Young Hero Lu wishes to experience the leader's divine skills, he must personally ascend Blackwood Cliff." He said, smiling as he looked at him, to see if he had the courage.

Lu Chen had anticipated this.

It was already quite good that Dongfang Bubai was willing to accept his challenge. He never expected that someone as extremely reclusive as Dongfang Bubai would voluntarily leave Blackwood Cliff to come out and accept a challenge from a young junior like him.

He nodded and said:

"Since the Eastern Cult Leader has invited me, I, Lu, shall ascend Blackwood Cliff and meet with the Eastern Cult Leader."

Having said that, he strode toward the stone path, with Huang Rong following closely beside him.

The cultist was slightly taken aback when he saw that he actually dared to go up Blackwood Cliff. He shook his head and clicked his tongue twice before leading the way.

……

After passing through numerous dangerous passes, crossing a river by boat, and traversing a treacherous mountain path, we finally arrived at a towering cliff that seemed almost bottomless.

After passing through three perilous iron box passes from the foot of the high cliff to the mountainside, and then changing to four "manual elevators," Lu Chen and Huang Rong finally reached the Blackwood Cliff headquarters of the Sun Moon Sect.

Upon arriving at the main altar, the first thing one sees is a white marble archway, which is truly majestic and solemn.

Someone was waiting under the archway.

He was a man not yet thirty years old, wearing a maroon satin leather robe, with a burly figure and a spiky face, looking extremely majestic and imposing.

Behind the man stood eight men and women, all of whom were fit and good-looking young people.

The followers who had led Lu Chen and Huang Rong to the Blackwood Cliff headquarters saw the imposing young man and quickly rushed forward to pay their respects.
"Greetings, Steward Yang! I have successfully brought 'Heavenly Sword' Lu Chen and his friend 'Little White Dragon' Huang Rong!"

That imposing man was none other than Yang Lianting, the Grand Steward of the Demonic Sect, who was second only to the Emperor.

He nodded slightly to the followers, then looked Lu Chen and Huang Rong over for a moment, before nodding and saying:

"Daring to climb Blackwood Cliff, he is indeed a young hero."

He strolled over and said calmly:
"The Master is so busy with his duties that even the sect leaders and incense masters rarely see him, let alone outsiders. Young friend Lu, do you know why the Master accepted your challenge?"

Lu Chen, understanding the implied meaning from the music, said:

"It seems that Steward Yang put in a good word for me?"

Yang Lianting revealed a slight smile:
"You are indeed clever. Indeed, it was only after I, the steward, spoke on your behalf that the leader agreed to see you."

Lu Chen bowed respectfully.
"In that case, I must thank Steward Yang."

He had no ill feelings towards Yang Lianting.

After all, Yang Lianting's skills were only used to harm the Sun Moon Cult and defend against Dongfang Bubai. He neither harmed the martial arts world nor the common people. As long as you didn't work for him, he was harmless.

Yang Lianting nodded and gestured for them to proceed.
"The leader is waiting for you, please."

Lu Chen nodded and followed Yang Lianting into the main hall of the main altar with Huang Rong.

Dongfang Bubai was not in the hall.

Yang Lianting then led the two through a maze of twists and turns, passing through a "Chengde Hall" and a long corridor, until they arrived at a garden.

There was no one else in the garden except for a figure dressed in a red robe, with his back to everyone, looking down at the red carp in the pond.

"Master, Young Hero Lu, the Celestial Swordsman, has arrived!"

In front of outsiders, and not in an emergency, Yang Lianting still gave Dongfang Bubai face and bowed respectfully.

The figure in the red robe turned around, revealing a delicate, effeminate face.

He has the appearance of a dignified man, but he has no beard and possesses a feminine temperament.

Because he was going to accept Lu Chen's challenge, Dongfang Bubai made preparations in advance. Although his clothes were bright red, they were still the normal style of men's robes. He did not wear any makeup on his face. Although he looked like a palace eunuch, his image was not uncomfortable.

At least compared to those effeminate idols in Lu Chen's previous life, whose makeup was heavier than that of girls, he was slightly more rugged.

"Young friend Lu is quite bold."

Dongfang Bubai looked at Lu Chen with a smile, her voice soft and feminine, but without deliberately raising her voice:

"Everyone regards Blackwood Cliff as a dragon's den and a tiger's lair. Even the so-called leaders of the righteous path, such as Shaolin and Wudang, have never dared to cross this line. I originally thought that Young Hero Lu would also hesitate, but I didn't expect that you would actually come up here."

Lu Chendao:
"Master Dongfang's martial arts are universally acknowledged as the best in the world. As a martial artist myself, I naturally want to experience the splendor of this world's number one martial artist."

Dongfang Bubai, ignoring the deeper meaning in his words, smiled and said:

"To risk so much for a martial arts competition, young friend, you are truly a martial arts fanatic."

He then looked at Huang Rong and nodded in approval:
"Knowing that this journey is dangerous, the young girl is still willing to accompany her beloved to the perilous place. She is a good girl."

As he spoke, he walked to the garden pavilion, opened a wine jar, poured two bowls of wine, and said to Lu Chen and Huang Rong:
"Both of you young friends are exactly what I like, so I'll offer you a bowl of wine!"

As he spoke, he flicked his robe, and two wine bowls suddenly flew off the table and flew swiftly toward the two of them. During the flight, not a single drop of wine was spilled.

Lu Chen only raised his hands and caught the two wine bowls steadily when they flew right in front of him. As he caught the bowls, he subtly neutralized the force of the force, without spilling a single drop of wine.

This can't really be considered a test of skill; it's just a little game.

Of course, if Lu Chen couldn't even catch the bowl properly and spilled the wine, Dongfang Bubai would no longer be able to compete with him.

Upon receiving the wine bowl, both Lu Chen and Huang Rong smelled a strange floral fragrance, so strong that it even overpowered the aroma of the wine.

Upon closer inspection of the bowls, it was discovered that at the bottom of each of the two wine bowls, there were five tiny poisonous insects: a green snake, a centipede, a toad, a spider, and a scorpion.

Upon seeing these five tiny poisonous insects, Huang Rong was stunned. Was this wine meant to entertain guests?

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat; this wine seemed to be...

At this moment, Dongfang Bubai looked at them with a half-smile and said in a soft, feminine voice:

"This is the Five Poisons Wine. Do you two young friends dare to drink a bowl?"

Lu Chen didn't say anything, but picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Huang Rong didn't dare to drink this kind of wine, not because she was afraid of poison—she and Lu Chen both had a resistance to poison—but because she was afraid of the five tiny poisonous insects.

Without saying a word, Lu Chen tilted his head back and drank it. Huang Rong immediately knew that this was good stuff. She took the wine bowl that Lu Chen handed her, gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and gulped it down with a wrinkled face.

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(End of this chapter)