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

Chapter 98, Section 113: The Lesser Formless Skill combined with the Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand is more suitable for Rong'er. [Requesting monthly votes!]

After Duan Yu left, Huang Rong went to check the stone steps and closed the stone door. She then returned and complained to Lu Chen:

"This scholar Duan is truly an oddball. He's actually obsessed with a jade statue and even calls it 'Fairy Sister'..."

Lu Chen nodded and smiled:
"Young Master Duan is a fool, but he's not a bad person either."

"That's true. If he were a bad guy, you wouldn't have let him leave. Hey, now that Duan Shusheng is gone, we should take a good look around this place!"

As she spoke, Huang Rong pulled Lu Chen along and began to wander around the stone chamber.

On the west wall of this stone chamber are six crystal windows, and outside the windows is naturally the underwater world, where you can see the water rippling, fish and shrimp swimming leisurely, and clumps of velvety green aquatic plants swaying gently with the water.

To the left of the jade statue, there is a moon gate. Going inside, you will find another spacious stone chamber with a stone bed, a stone table, and a small baby cradle in front of the stone bed.

Upon seeing the cradle, Huang Rong smiled at Lu Chen and said:
"It seems the 'Fairy Sister' has had a baby!"

Lu Chen smiled and nodded, knowing that this baby cradle was the one Wang Yuyan's mother had once slept in.

On a stone table at one end of the stone bed was a chessboard. Huang Rong looked at it for a while and said:

"This game seems to be what players call a 'precious trinity,' with ko within ko, both shared life and long life, making the variations incredibly complex... How can White seek to live?"

Lu Chen laughed:

"But I don't understand Go, so I don't quite understand it."

Huang Rong stared at the chessboard and pondered for a while. Not only did she not come up with a solution for the white pieces to survive, but she also felt slightly dizzy. She was very surprised. She had only been looking at the chessboard for a short time, so how could she be thinking too much?

It seems there's more to this game than meets the eye, perhaps even a hidden formation capable of unsettling the mind.

Although she was very curious, she knew her limits. She immediately looked away from the chessboard and went to wander around with Lu Chen.

Next to this stone chamber is another extremely large stone cave, with the four large characters "Langhuan Blessed Land" carved on the stone wall at the entrance of the cave.

Upon entering, one finds the stone cave filled with bookshelves labeled with the names of various sects, such as "Kunlun Sect," "Shaolin Sect," and "Qingcheng Sect."

When Huang Rong saw it, she exclaimed in amazement:
"Were these bookshelves once filled with martial arts manuals from various schools and sects?"

As they were talking, they noticed another label that read "Beggars' Gang".

Huang Rong's heart skipped a beat. She went over to take a closer look and saw a line of small print on the label: "Missing the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms." Seeing this note, she felt inexplicably relieved, but she didn't want to see Seventh Master's signature move collected by someone else.

"I wonder who that hermit lived in the stone chamber was, to have collected so many martial arts manuals from various schools. I also wonder where all these martial arts manuals ended up..."

Huang Rong sighed.

Lu Chen, of course, knew the details, but he didn't elaborate, only smiling and saying:
"Rong'er, what do you think of this place?"

Huang Rong smiled sweetly:
“This ‘Crystal Palace’ is quite nice. The furniture is all ready-made. After a little cleaning and some additional items, we can stay here for a long time. I just wonder what the scenery outside the stone chamber is like.”

"Shall we go out and take a look?"

"Okay!"

The two searched through several stone chambers for a while, and finally found a stone door in the chamber where they had first appeared. After opening it, a dark passage was revealed.

After walking up the passage for a while, you will see a hole through which sunlight shines in.

Bending down and walking out of the hole, which was only a little over three feet high, the two found themselves in a valley with steep cliffs on all sides.

In the valley, wildflowers of all colors bloom in vibrant colors, vying for attention, while clusters of fruit trees are laden with green and red fruits.

There is another lake as clear as a mirror. On one side of the lake, a huge waterfall hangs down from the towering, steep cliff, like a jade dragon suspended in the air, rolling down with a thunderous roar.

The massive waterfall, resembling a jade dragon, continuously pours into the lake, yet the lake level remains unchanged, clearly indicating the presence of an underground waterway at the bottom of the lake, the destination of which is unknown.

"It's so beautiful... This valley scenery is like a paradise on earth. No wonder the extraordinary person who built the 'Crystal Palace' would live in seclusion here."

Huang Rong exclaimed in admiration, then looked at the lake and said:

"The 'Crystal Palace' must be at the bottom of this great lake."

Lu Chen nodded, staring at the great waterfall, but then he remembered a small regret of his own.

He hasn't practiced his skills under the waterfall yet.

This great waterfall, with its extremely high drop, massive water volume, and rapid flow, is an ideal place for martial arts training.

Huang Rong took Lu Chen's hand and walked with him around the valley to make sure that the valley was surrounded by towering cliffs that reached into the clouds, and that outsiders had no way to enter or leave.

The thought of being able to cultivate alone with Lu Chen in this idyllic valley made Huang Rong's eyes crinkle and her lips slightly upturn, revealing a hearty smile.

After enjoying the flowers and waterfalls in the valley for a while, the two returned to the "Crystal Palace" at the bottom of the lake, where they cleaned up the accumulated dust and organized various stone furniture.

There were naturally no bed sheets, blankets, or other daily necessities in the stone chamber.

The two of them also had limited supplies to carry with them.

Even after unlocking "JX3" and increasing their carrying capacity to eight percent of their body weight, they only brought two sets of clothes, thirty taels of gold, and some kindling and seasonings for camping in the wild.

However, since there is a secret passage leading out, one can go out to buy things whenever they have time.

After spending half a day cleaning the stone chambers, the two went outside to catch some fish and shrimp, picked some fruit, ate a simple meal, and then began to study the "Lingbo Weibu" (a martial arts technique).

To master the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), there is a prerequisite: it is best to understand the I Ching (Book of Changes).

Because those thousands of steps and footprints are all based on the hexagrams and directions of the I Ching.

If you don't understand the hexagrams of the I Ching or the rules of footwork, and you just try to memorize those little arrow markings by rote, it will be extremely difficult to practice, and you will get half the results for twice the effort. It may take three to five years to even get started.

However, if you understand the I Ching and can comprehend the principles of footwork, it becomes easier to get started.

Lu Chenyuan did not understand the Book of Changes.

But he has Rong'er.

Back in the world of Swordsman, after he obtained the "General Formula" of the "Nine Swords of Dugu" which was based on the I Ching, he relied on Rong'er to explain it to him in detail.

Of course, since many of the martial arts he learned were related to the I Ching to some extent, Lu Chen had also begun to learn the I Ching from Rong'er.

I'm not very proficient at it yet, and I need to continue to study it in the future.

However, with a foundation already in place and Rong'er's guidance, learning "Lingbo Weibu" will naturally be much easier.

The two studied together, and in just one night, they had mastered the art of Lingbo Weijin.

As the two chased each other in the stone chamber, their movements were graceful and elegant, like a pair of dancers.

While practicing Lingbo Weibu, Lu Chen casually asked Rong'er if she wanted to learn Beiming Divine Skill, and as expected, she refused.

"Didn't you say that there is a 'Minor Formless Skill' in this world? It can simulate and use any martial art, and it is no less powerful than the Northern Darkness Divine Skill. You don't need to dissipate your internal energy to learn the Minor Formless Skill. So, I would like to learn the Minor Formless Skill more."

As usual, while studying the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), Lu Chen told her some secrets of this world, which Huang Rong interpreted as his "superpower of precognition."

Although she didn't practice her skills very diligently, the Beiming Divine Art was a shortcut that required little effort to gain results without hard work, which was frankly very tempting. However, she cherished her current level of skill even more.

This is not because she put in a lot of hard work to acquire this skill.

Rather, it's because of her skill that she has so many memories with Lu Chen—the Bodhi Snake and the Eagle Brother in Snake Valley, the Yi Jin Jing and Duan Gu manual in the Ancient Tomb, the lost treasure snake of Old Monster Liang in the Prince's Mansion, the Five Treasures Honey Wine given to her by Dongfang Bubai on Blackwood Cliff...

How many moonlit nights and snowy days did I spend practicing "Old Man's Fist" with Lu Chen, gradually improving my physical constitution?

All these experiences were shared with Lu Chen, and she cherishes so many beautiful memories. How could she bear to let them go?
Looking into Rong'er's gentle eyes, Lu Chen's heart stirred. He pulled her into his arms, gently kissed her forehead, and said with a smile:

"Alright. I'll find the Lesser Formless Skill for you."

The Lesser Formless Skill is indeed suitable for Rong'er.

After all, she had learned so many kung fu skills.

The martial arts of Peach Blossom Island, Hong Qigong, the Nine Yin Manual, the Five Mountains Sword Sect, and even those from the Demonic Cult's arsenal... Because she knew so many martial arts, she had only practiced many of them briefly before shelving them, never having had time to truly master them. If she learned the Lesser Formless Skill, then even the martial arts she hadn't mastered could come in handy.

In addition, Lu Chen felt that the "Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand" was also quite suitable for Rong'er.

The Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand only has three palm techniques and three grappling techniques, yet it is said to be able to incorporate any martial arts move in the world into it, becoming deeper and stronger the more one practices it.

If Rong'er were to use the Lesser Formless Skill to activate all the martial arts she has learned and the Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand to coordinate them, she would no longer be "biting off more than she can chew." On the contrary, the more skills she learns, the better.

After nestling quietly together for a while, Rong'er suddenly squirmed in his arms and whispered:

"I've been cleaning and practicing my 'Lingbo Weibu' (a martial arts technique) just now, and I've worked up a sweat. I'd like to take a bath in the lake."

Lu Chen laughed:

"I also need to take a shower, so let's go together."

Huang Rong gave a light snort, made a face, and said shyly:

"Who wants to be with you!"

Even so, she had been kissed by Lu Chen like that many times before, and had even come to like his kisses. So her current shyness and reproach were simply the result of a young girl's bashfulness.

In the end, the two of them still ended up at the lakeside at the bottom of the valley.

The moon is bright and clear tonight.

The waterfall, resembling a jade dragon, continues to surge ceaselessly.

Huang Rong stood gracefully by the lake, removed her shoes and socks, stretched out her soft, white toes, dipped them into the lake to test the water temperature, then glanced back at Lu Chen and instructed him:
"No peeking."

Lu Chen hummed in agreement twice and nodded.

But his gaze never left Rong'er.

Huang Rong pouted, gave him a playful glare, turned her back to him, and slowly unbuttoned her clothes, taking them off one by one.

As her dress gradually fell away, her flawless, fair skin was slowly revealed under the moonlight.

The moonlight, as white as frost, shone upon her, giving her skin a subtle, cool glow, like flawless white jade. Her long, straight, jet-black hair contrasted sharply with her snow-white skin, making it appear even more like porcelain.

The girl's figure was no longer as petite and slender as when they first met.

The perfect curve that gradually narrows from the shoulders to the slender waist and then suddenly rises again at the hips gives people a breathtaking sense of beauty, and there are even two delicate and lovely dimples at the junction of the waist and hips.

Her legs were long and straight, with full, rounded thighs like jade pillars and calves that were beautifully proportioned.

Despite having tasted delicious food many times before, Lu Chen couldn't help but stare at her back without blinking, fully appreciating the breathtakingly beautiful scene of a celestial being bathing in the water.

Huang Rong slowly stepped into the lake. Reflected in the moonlight, her ethereal figure gradually disappeared into the water.

But the lake water was too clear.

It is even more transparent than the crystal windows in the Crystal Palace.

So when Rong'er swam in the lake like a mermaid, Lu Chen, who stood by the lake with his hands behind his back, could see her beautiful figure clearly through the water.

"bad guy!"

Huang Rong gave a shy and angry laugh, then struck the lake with her palm, creating a large splash that hurtled towards Lu Chen.

Lu Chen neither dodged nor blocked the water, letting it fall on him and soak most of his clothes.

Then he shook his head and sighed:

"My clothes are wet, I need to wash them."

After saying that, to Huang Rong's astonishment, he quickly stripped off his clothes until he was only wearing a pair of shorts, then leaped into the air, soaring more than three zhang high, and crashed heavily down onto the water in front of Huang Rong.

Huang Rong exclaimed in surprise and quickly dove into the water before he fell in, swimming far away.

Lu Chen, who crashed down like a cannonball, created a huge splash, but he couldn't do anything to Rong'er.

"Hmph, you think you can trick me with such a simple skill? Have you forgotten how good your Master Rong is at swimming?"

Huang Rong emerged from the water several feet away, made a smug face at him, and then struck the water with her palm, sending a spray of water flying towards Lu Chen like a water dragon.

Lu Chen plunged into the water, dodging the "water dragon's" attack, and swam freely, chasing after Rong'er.

His arms had been fully forged, granting him a 10% damage output bonus. When he used this power while swimming, the force with which his arms parted the water and created huge waves was truly like that of a vicious dragon stirring up storms. This startled Rong'er, who cried out in alarm and quickly fled.

Her swimming style was as elegant and graceful as a mermaid's, and her speed was also extremely fast.

However, the little mermaid could not escape the clutches of the evil dragon. After chasing for a short while, Lu Chen caught up with her, reached out his claws, grabbed her soft, white, and delicate feet, and gently pulled her to his side.

then.

He spread his arms and pulled her naked, cool-skinned, soft body tightly into his embrace.

Huang Rong's smooth, supple breasts pressed tightly against his strong, muscular chest, feeling the burning heat of his skin and the powerful beating of his heart. A flush, like that of someone drunk, rose on her beautiful face.

She gently embraced Lu Chen's neck with both hands, her bright, star-like eyes gazing into his with a hazy light, her chin unconsciously tilted back, awaiting his kiss.

Without hesitation, Lu Chen wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist and snowy back, and lowered his head to kiss her cool and sweet pink lips.

……

Rumble!
The sound of the waterfall was like thunder.

Below the waterfall, on a large rock that has been washed so smooth and rounded it resembles jade.

Lu Chen stepped into a bow stance, leaned forward, and let the surging water crash heavily against his back, while simultaneously circulating the "Sword Body" mental technique to temper his skin.

This was his first time practicing his skills under a waterfall.

The impact of the waterfall was truly astonishing. Even with his skill, he had to go all out to barely stand at the bottom of the waterfall, and he could not be careless for a moment. He had to constantly circulate his true energy at high speed to resist the impact of the waterfall.

If you slack off even slightly, you will not only be thrown out, but you may even get injured.

But while the pressure is great, the benefits are even greater.

The efficiency of "refining skin" under the impact of the waterfall is more than double that of usual!
In fact, not only is cultivating under the waterfall more efficient, but Lu Chen has also discovered that even normal cultivation is much faster than in the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

Huang Rong also said that when she practiced internal energy cultivation, the speed at which her cultivation increased was about 50% faster than in her world.

Lu Chen felt that this was both unexpected and yet somewhat expected.

In the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, having decent internal energy is enough to be considered a master, and it wouldn't be a problem to become the ruler of a prefecture or a local hero. Even the famous Seven Freaks of Jiangnan didn't have a single one who knew the internal energy cultivation method; they all only practiced external skills and slowly accumulated internal energy through external techniques.

In this world of Tianlong, it seems that everyone in the martial arts world has internal energy, and there are many martial artists with decent internal energy who are not too old.

This cannot be explained simply by a more complete inheritance.

Lu Chen felt that this was likely because the energy level of the Tianlong world was higher than that of the Legend of the Condor Heroes world.

If the worlds of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils and The Legend of the Condor Heroes are connected, then perhaps by the time of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, the extraordinary energy level of the entire world had declined. By the time of The Return of the Condor Heroes and The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, there were fluctuations, with the energy level slowly rising, and then gradually declining again...

The world's extraordinary energy level is related to the ease or difficulty of cultivating internal energy, as well as the efficiency of increasing internal energy.

The higher the energy level, the easier it is for a martial artist to cultivate internal energy, and the faster their internal energy increases.

Conversely, those with low energy levels will find it extremely slow and difficult to cultivate internal energy, even with internal energy cultivation techniques.

In short, in the world of Tianlong, even without rare and precious materials, one's power can far surpass that of the world of Legend of the Condor Heroes.

Lu Chen felt that at the current rate, his sword body "skin refining" might be fully completed in a few months.

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(End of this chapter)