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

Chapter 202, Section 217: The Sword Spirit Array, the Butterfly Effect!

Nine Dragon Hall.

Beside the hot spring pool, on a reclining couch, three exquisitely beautiful bodies, each with their own unique charm, lay fast asleep, their arms entwined and legs crossed.

Even with the blessing of the Great Ming Sect's secret medicine, which greatly boosted the combat power of Li Xiuning and Lian Rou in their first and decisive battle, they couldn't even last half an hour against Lu Chen's mastered sword body's "Tempering Bones and Muscles" power.

However, with Xiao Feng'er joining in halfway through, Lu Chen truly enjoyed himself.

The three women were exhausted and asleep, while Lu Chen was full of energy. After admiring their charming sleeping postures for a while, he resumed his cultivation, continuing to refine the remaining tribulation energy.

This time, his cultivation state was excellent, and he was not negatively affected by the tribulation energy at all, making the refining process incredibly smooth.

After refining the calamity energy, Lu Chen began to comprehend the sword intent imprint, organize what he had learned from fighting against a group of demonic sect masters that day, and improve various skills such as sword wind force field and sword energy forming threads. Inspiration was still flowing and progress was going smoothly.

Lu Chen continued cultivating until almost dawn, still full of energy and showing no signs of fatigue.

Looking at the three women who were still sleeping soundly, Lu Chen dressed, got up and left the Nine Dragons Palace. He went to the open space in the pine and cypress forest outside the palace, intending to warm up with his usual two rounds of old man's boxing, but found that there were already people in the forest.

She is the demoness Wan.

Wanwan, dressed in a pale yellow dress and with a silk scarf cinching her slender waist, was slowly practicing old man's boxing in the forest.

Since she was already Lu Chen's sword spirit, the Old Man's Fist technique had naturally been passed down to her long ago.

After practicing it once, Wanwan realized how profound this skill was, and now she practices it several times every morning and evening.

However, she started practicing earlier than usual today. It was barely dawn, with only a few traces of night remaining, and she was already practicing. Judging by the glistening beads of sweat on her forehead, she had clearly done more than one round of practice.

Why are you up so early today?

Lu Chen asked with a smile.

"Shi Feixuan's sword mind was clear last night!"

Wanwan gave a soft snort and said:

"If we don't work harder, she'll leave us far behind!"

"Oh? You've already achieved sword enlightenment so quickly?"

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

"Hmph, it must be the effect of the sword spirit mark."

Wanwan was a little dissatisfied and glared at Lu Chen.
"If it weren't for the sword spirit mark, how could she have advanced so quickly? Refining one's heart in the mortal world is not so easy. Fan Qinghui, and Bi Xiuxin back then, only had a telepathic connection."

Lu Chen smiled:
"You don't need to rush, do you? Now that your path is clear, just keep going, and you'll succeed sooner or later, won't you?"

Wanwan frowned, looking a little troubled.

"But the Cihang Sword Manual has a higher level, while the Heavenly Demon Art only goes up to the eighteenth level."

Lu Chendao:
“You also have the Sword Spirit Mark and have obtained the essence of the Purple Qi Heavenly Net. I also have the essence of the techniques of the Evil Extreme Sect, the Demonic Appearance Sect, and the True Transmission Dao. Once you have mastered the essence of the Purple Qi Heavenly Net, I can pass it on to you at any time. With your comprehension, Wanwan, I believe that the Heavenly Demon Technique will not stop at the eighteenth level.”

Upon hearing this, Wanwan's gloom vanished instantly, and her eyes lit up with a smile.

"That's true..."

Just then, they heard light footsteps approaching.

Looking to the side, one could see Shi Feixuan dressed in a white dress, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, walking gracefully with a long sword in her hand.

The celestial aura of "Sword Heart Clarity" made her seem like a ray of morning light shining into the forest. Wherever she passed, the surrounding pines and grasses seemed to become more thriving, and the thin morning mist swirling in the forest also became like a fairy mist.

"Your swordsmanship is now clear and bright; you're quite different from before."

Wanwan clicked her tongue, showing no jealousy.

Firstly, because if she cultivates the Heavenly Demon Art to the eighteenth level, she will also possess a demonic charm that is no less than Shi Feixuan's celestial qualities.

Secondly, whether one is an immortal or a demon, this special aura generated by the cultivation method has no effect on Lu Chen.

What he saw was always their most authentic selves.

In terms of authenticity, how could Wanwan possibly lose to Shi Feixuan?
"Brother Lu."

Shi Feixuan walked gracefully to Lu Chen, greeted him with a smile, and seemed more lively and cheerful than before in both tone and demeanor.

"Master Fairy".

Lu Chen nodded in greeting.

"Brother Lu, please call me Feixuan from now on."

Shi Feixuan smiled, her eyes sparkling, and said sweetly:
"Feixuan is not a fairy, but just a mortal. She really does not deserve Brother Lu's title of 'fairy'."

Thinking of how Shi Feixuan rushed to report the gathering of demonic sect experts in Chang'an immediately after receiving the news, and even went on a killing spree yesterday, Lu Chen nodded in agreement.

"Alright. From now on, I'll call you Feixuan."

Shi Feixuan's smile became even more radiant and captivating, and the space around her seemed to brighten as her smile blossomed.

"Brother Lu's swordsmanship is divine. Feixuan would like to ask Brother Lu for some guidance. Is that alright?"

Lu Chen glanced at Shi Feixuan, then at Wanwan, pondered for a moment, and said:

"Yesterday, Feixuan, you, Wanwan, and Feng'er formed a powerful formation against the enemy. Let's wait for Feng'er to arrive and then try forming a three-person formation again."

"Mm." Shi Feixuan readily complied, nodding gracefully, her gaze remaining fixed on Lu Chen's face.

Although she didn't know the details of the sword spirit mark, with her intelligence, she naturally knew that the cinnabar mark between her eyebrows was extraordinary and had some mysterious connection with Lu Chen.

Dugu Feng had the same mark as her, only the specific form was different. Although Wanwan had no mark between her eyebrows, Shi Feixuan also felt that subtle and special connection, obviously Wanwan also had a mark hidden somewhere on her body.

Shi Feixuan knew that the sword formation that the three of them had spontaneously formed was related to this mark.

Shi Feixuan also had high expectations for what the three-person sword formation could achieve.

……

Two quarters of an hour later.

In front of Feishuang Palace, by the green lake, in the open space among the pine and cypress trees.

Lu Chen fought against three opponents, sparring with Dugu Feng, Wanwan, and Shi Feixuan.

The three women have completely different martial arts techniques and swordsmanship, each with its own style. However, under the guidance of some higher level of mystery, their energy is connected, making them more perceptive, faster in reaction, less energy consumed when making moves, and faster in recovering their energy.

More importantly, their teamwork became incredibly seamless, almost like two different people with one heart.

When they stand side by side facing Lu Chen, one of them usually takes the lead in the middle while the other two provide support from the sides.

The main attacker focuses solely on offense, while the two sides provide support for defense. When the main attacker is about to run out of energy, the formation instantly changes. The person on the left moves to the center to continue the attack, while the original main attacker moves to the right to breathe and also to defend. The person on the right moves to the left to fill in.

This seemingly simple cycle is actually a seamless transition between the three, as if they are in perfect harmony. Their attacks never falter or pause, flowing like a mighty river or a relentless barrage of lightning.

When defending, it is like a giant with three heads and six arms, able to defend without leaving a single leak, no matter which direction it is in.

Their formation wasn't limited to the ground. Sometimes, one person would charge forward from the ground, another would pounce from the air, and a third would defend and cover for the enemy.

This air-ground coordination is as if they were telepathically connected, with seamless switching and replacement.

When Lu Chen was surrounded by the three of them, the power of their formation became even more terrifying.

Lu Chen felt as if the space he was in had turned into a sunken "well," and he was at the bottom of the well. An invisible pressure came from all directions, squeezing his body and restricting his movements.

Dugu Feng, Wanwan, and Shi Feixuan stood on the edge of the well, looking down at the enemy and launching a fierce attack. Their sword energy was sometimes like a torrential downpour, so dense that there was almost no gap, and sometimes like a net that bound them from all sides, killing them from all directions, leaving them nowhere to escape.

Judging from the power of their formation, Lu Chen felt that even if the three grandmasters were trapped inside, they could only break it by brute force; they probably wouldn't find a chance to break it through skill alone.

Shi Feixuan has reached the level of "Sword Heart Clarity". Although her strength is not comparable to that of a top master like Zhu Yuyan, in terms of realm alone, she is already comparable to a grandmaster.

Wanwan's cultivation level is the same as Zhu Yuyan's, both at the seventeenth level of the Heavenly Demon Technique.

Dugu Feng was the first to follow Lu Chen, and her martial arts skills were already comparable to You Chuhong's.

The only difference between them and the veteran top masters is the accumulation of their skills.

With these three top experts joining forces in formation, and the formation even containing the secret to temporarily trapping Lu Chen, they can be said to have a sure victory against veteran top masters, and even have the strength to fight against grandmasters.

If the sword formation of three sword spirits is so powerful, what kind of power would it be if all four sword spirits were gathered together and formed a battle formation?

However, where can we find a fourth sword spirit whose sword cultivation meets the requirements for imprinting a sword spirit mark?

Or should we raise another one ourselves, just like we raised Wanwan?
During practice.

Li Xiuning and Lian Rou arrived at the edge of the forest together.

Lianrou was radiant and full of energy, looking like she had gotten what she wanted and was overjoyed.

Li Xiuning seemed somewhat embarrassed, as if she didn't know how to face Lu Chen.

However, upon seeing the crisscrossing sword lights and the shifting figures in the forest from afar, Li Xiuning suppressed her shyness and transformed back into the bright, spirited, elegant, and poised Princess Pingyang.

The two princesses stood at the edge of the woods, watching the four practice from afar. After the practice ended, Lu Chen explained the techniques to Dugu Feng and the other two, and only then did Li Xiuning and Lian Rou move over.

"Uncle Lu!"

Lian Rou waved and greeted them in a charming voice.

"Brother Lu."

Li Xiuning bowed as dignifiedly as ever, without avoiding Lu Chen's gaze, though her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"morning."

Lu Chen responded and asked:

"You've come to practice your skills too?"

"No."

Li Xiuning said:

"My second brother led the army to fight against Xue Ju, and two days ago he finally won a great victory. He rushed to report the victory and also wrote a letter to thank Brother Lu."

"Oh? A resounding victory?"

Lu Chen was somewhat surprised and asked with great interest:

"What are the details? And why did the King of Qin thank me?"

He remembered that Li Shimin had fought Xue Ju and his son three times, winning twice and losing once.

This should be the second time. How did I suffer a major defeat due to illness and then win a great victory?

Why should we thank him?
Li Xiuning smiled gently and began to speak:

"After my second brother went on the expedition, he stationed his troops in Gaozhi City. Because Xue Ju had come from afar and his troops were short of food, it was advantageous for him to fight quickly. My second brother chose to avoid his sharp edge, hold his ground and not fight, hoping to wear him down."

Unable to provoke his second brother into battle, Xue Ju's army was running out of supplies and morale was declining. So he hired an Indian monk with strange martial arts skills to assassinate his second brother.

"That Indian monk had the ability to shrink his body to the size of a child, and he was also very good at concealing his aura. Therefore, he was able to infiltrate Gaozhi City and launch an assassination attempt on my second brother."

Fortunately, my second brother was protected by a group of experts, including Yuchi Jingde, Pang Yu, and Hong Fu Nu. They had also sparred with Brother Lu and Sister Feng'er many times on their way back to Chang'an, and their martial arts skills had greatly improved. As a result, they successfully blocked the assassination attempt by the strange and extremely skilled Indian monk. Although my second brother was hit by a punch in a hurry, he only suffered minor injuries.

"Afterwards, the second brother turned the tables on Xue Ju, pretending to be seriously injured and unable to manage affairs. He sent Liu Wenjing and Yin Kaishan to pretend to be eager to make merit and take the initiative to attack. They used the trick of feigning defeat to lure the enemy into making Xue Ju underestimate the enemy and advance recklessly. Xue Ju fell into the second brother's ambush and was defeated by the second brother, losing 50% to 60% of his troops."

"During the retreat, Xue Ju was assassinated and seriously wounded. His son, Xue Rengao, took over command, but Xue Rengao was already defeated by his second brother and could not stop his brother's relentless pursuit. In the end, the entire army was wiped out, Xue Ju died from his injuries, and Xue Rengao was captured..."

"Now my second brother is leading Xue Rengao to sweep across Western Qin, and the pacification of Western Qin is just around the corner!"

Lu Chen smiled outwardly, but inwardly he was clicking his tongue in disbelief.

The world of Twin Dragons is vastly different from his previous life.

In this world, all the important figures, whether civil officials or military generals, are skilled in martial arts.

Especially for leaders of powerful factions, it's not enough to have low martial arts skills; they must have excellent martial arts skills to defend against assassination attempts, or at least be able to withstand the first few attacks from the assassin and hold out until the guards arrive.

Since they are martial arts masters with profound internal strength, ordinary diseases cannot harm them.

So Lu Chen had always wondered how Li Shimin in this world could be so ill that he was unable to manage affairs and was defeated by Xue Ju.

Now he understands.

Xue Ju used assassination tactics, first assassinating the commander-in-chief Li Shimin. Whether he killed him or seriously wounded him, he would have a chance to defeat the Tang army.

However, due to Lu Chen's presence, the assassination attempt, which should have been successful, failed. On the way back to Chang'an, Lu Chen sparred with many masters under Li Shimin's command more than once. He gained a lot and also comprehended the changes in the strength and softness of sword energy, as well as the key to refraction in mid-air. Under his guidance, the masters of the Qin Prince's Mansion, including Hong Fu Nu, also pushed their potential to the limit and made great progress in their martial arts.

Therefore, Xue Ju's assassination attempt failed, and Li Shimin turned the tables on him, launching a brilliant ambush.

Li Shimin's tactical style was to pursue the enemy relentlessly until they were dead.

Xue Ju's army was defeated and fled, and the people were already in a state of panic. Under such circumstances, it was reasonable for him to be assassinated by the Tang Dynasty's assassins—this assassin was most likely Yang Xuyan.

Lu Chen knew that Yang Xuyan had begun serving the Li Tang dynasty after its founding.

Of course, Yang Xuyan did not sincerely pledge allegiance to the Tang Dynasty.

He simply wanted to use the Li Tang dynasty as a front to restore his own kingdom.

"Even without personally taking action, the storm stirred up by this giant butterfly of mine is quite powerful..."

Lu Chen thought to himself.

It's also a bit strange that we didn't harvest any of the calamity energy.

The reason is that this war was not initiated or driven by him, and neither side fought because of him. The causal relationship with him is not direct enough. So even if the outcome is changed because of him, he cannot reap the benefits of the calamity.

"Looks like we'll have to rely on Old Chao for the next big harvest of loot... Old Chao, you better step up your game!"

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(End of this chapter)