The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

What do you mean, really? What exactly did you touch?

Is that what Master Yu meant?

However, just as Yu Canghai was wondering if Chu Luren knew Linghu Chong and if they were putting on a show, he noticed... a head of long hair peeking out from under the covers.

Yilin definitely has no hair, it seems... Linghu Chong really has a huge addiction!

Yu Canghai felt a pang of disappointment, but also a sense of resentment. He glanced at the blankets on the bed, as if wanting to confirm it one more time.

Chu Luren then interjected, "Does Abbot Yu want to try it himself? Am I being nosy?"

Chapter Forty: Sneak Attack

Chu Luren looked down at Yu Canghai with an earnest expression, which made the Qingcheng Sect Leader's beard tremble with anger...

From Linghu Chong's perspective, it was clear that Chu Luren had simply pulled Qu Feiyan's hair out and placed it outside the blanket. Linghu Chong couldn't help but admire Chu Luren's cleverness.

At the same time, she was also a little curious—she didn't know this person, and judging from Yilin's appearance, they didn't seem to know each other either. Why did this person help her cover it up?

Could she be a friend of the young lady from the Naqu family? Or perhaps she has connections with the Huashan and Hengshan sects?

"Young Master Chu, are you perhaps trying to make things difficult for our Qingcheng Sect?" Yu Canghai asked, narrowing his eyes.

Previously, when they were outside, Yu Canghai felt that this guy seemed to be resistant to him.

Just then, the Hengshan Sect arrived. Abbess Dingyi, who had a very good impression of Chu Luren, said, "Young Master Chu is a chivalrous person. Abbess Yu must have misunderstood."

“Indeed, Qingcheng is a prestigious sect... They often wipe out entire families, dozens of people in total. How could I, Chu, be in a difficult position?” Chu Luren had just discovered that his martial arts skills before enlightenment were no weaker than Tian Boguang's, and he felt that he could be a little arrogant.

Little did they know that Chu Luren's righteous words at that moment deeply moved a hunchback hiding in a corner of the crowd.

"Damn it! That bastard Lin Zhennan from Fuwei Escort Agency killed Junior Brother Yu Renyan, and Fuwei Escort Agency is protecting the murderer. My Qingcheng Sect will only settle scores and avenge our grievances!" Hong Renxiong immediately rebuked Chu Luren when he brought up the matter.

Indeed, it was precisely because of the "hatred of killing his son" that Fuwei Escort Agency, along with its business model of sending gifts to various sects and cultivating good relations with local governments, ultimately kept it at a distance from the martial arts world and no one had a deep relationship with it. Therefore, although the Qingcheng Sect's act of annihilating the entire sect attracted a lot of criticism, it did not cause an uproar in the righteous path.

Just as Dingyi also thought Yu Canghai was ruthless, he did not regard him as a heretic, but rather as a "ruthless and unrepresentative righteous master".

Of course, the Qingcheng Sect wouldn't dwell on things like Yu Renyan harassing respectable women, or... why the Qingcheng disciples appeared in Fuzhou.

It was precisely because of his guilty conscience that Hong Renxiong couldn't help but reiterate the Qingcheng Sect's stance whenever Chu Luren brought it up.

"Is the Qingcheng Sect just full of disciples who bully innocent women and have no manners? You might as well learn from Brother Linghu and go to the places you should be, instead of causing trouble for others... Besides, I was talking to Abbot Yu, what are you doing yelling like this? Slap yourself!"

Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Linghu Chong felt as if he had been shot in the chest again—could this be my persona from now on? Would my master and mistress kill me?

Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, everyone present felt Chu Luren's arrogance, and... utterly bewildered.

Do you expect someone to slap themselves just because you tell them to? Or do you expect them to do it themselves?

Chu Luren did indeed make a move, but it wasn't a slap; instead, he pointed his finger out from mid-air while speaking!

This doesn't count as slapping... Could it be that saying "slapping" is just a diversionary tactic?

Hong Renxiong was clearly not well-educated. He had only seen Chu Luren and Tian Boguang sparring with swords and had not been wary of his finger strength. Although he drew his sword to block, he was hit in the elbow by the finger strength as soon as he drew his sword.

Then Hong Renxiong felt his internal energy running wildly at the middle finger, and his meridians twisted. His elbow "jumped" and he slapped himself with his backhand!

Of course, calling it a slap is a bit of a stretch; it was just that my arm twitched and the slap landed closer to my neck.

Pulsating Summoning – In his previous match against Wang Xiaofeng, Chu Luren used the instantaneous “explosion” of his finger force upon entering the body to cause direct damage, but this is the true way to use it now.

Even if it were Blood Saber Ancestor, several finger strikes would only cause him to reveal a flaw. However, for someone like Hong Renxiong, an ordinary passerby in the martial arts world, a single finger strike would be enough to make him twitch!

"How dare you!" Yu Canghai drew his sword in anger.

Even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner; how much more so should one do the same to a disciple?

Moreover, Chu Luren was clearly targeting the Qingcheng Sect. Besides, the way Chu Luren spoke to me just now made him seem like an equal. So, making a move now wouldn't be considered bullying the weak, would it?

Chu Luren was also eager to test his skills, so he drew his sword and met the attack.

Yu Canghai's sword was short, but when he used it, the momentum was three times greater than that of Tian Boguang's knife!

The Qingcheng School's Pine Breeze Swordplay is as strong as a pine tree and as swift as the wind—not only fast, but also with lingering power between moves, unlike ordinary fast swords and sabers, where even with great force, the power is direct and only explodes when the weapons clash.

When facing Tian Boguang, Chu Luren hardly used Kunyou Void, but when facing Yu Canghai, Chu Luren had to rely on his movement technique to some extent.

Linghu Chong, Hong Renxiong, and other martial arts figures around them retreated hastily to avoid being accidentally injured.

After more than thirty moves of parrying, a faint cry of a crane could be heard from within Yu Canghai's body. Then, the "force" in the sword technique became even stronger, forcing Chu Luren to swim out of the window like a Kun fish to find a more spacious place to hide!

"The Crane's Cry Nine Heavens Divine Skill? Sect Leader Yue has a good eye. Yu Canghai actually mastered this skill that no one has been able to do for so long without making a sound. No wonder..." Ding Yi muttered to himself.

What she really wanted to say was: No wonder Yu Canghai suddenly became "dissolute," not only going to Fuzhou to wipe out the Fuwei Escort Agency, but also vaguely disregarding the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

Yu Canghai chased after Chu Luren, while Ding Yi, somewhat disapproving, shouted, "Master Yu, why are you so petty with a young man? Aren't you afraid of losing face as a master?"

However, Yu Canghai pretended not to hear. In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged more than thirty moves, which made everyone present look at Chu Luren's swordsmanship with even greater respect. However, Yu Canghai himself knew that although this guy seemed to be holding his own against him, in fact... he was dodging three out of ten moves and only parrying the other seven!

Chu Luren also knew that he was only in a sorry state because Kunyou Void inherited the consistent beauty of the Xiaoyao Sect's martial arts, and the peacock spreading its tail was integrated into the sword momentum, which was also very gorgeous.

As for another characteristic of the Kun swimming in the void...

When using swordsmanship, the consumption of internal energy is ultimately less. Although Yu Canghai sensed something was wrong, he couldn't see much of an impact yet.

But just then, a young voice with a slight Minnan accent suddenly rang out from the Qunyu Courtyard: "Hero, be careful!"

Chu Luren naturally identified with the image of a "hero," and almost instinctively activated the inner energy of Kunyou Void, performing a "Water Splash Leap" out of thin air, leaping high into the air and flipping backward...

And that's how they actually dodged a sneak attack with a sword!

Without that reminder, Chu Luren would have been in a panic and might have even suffered more injuries by the time he realized what was happening. He couldn't help but feel lucky and thanked the person who spoke up.

At the same time, I felt more and more that the skill of being good at insight and perception is actually very useful in the martial arts world, since not everyone follows the rules!

Chu Luren recognized the sword light; it was straight yet curved, completely lacking the uprightness of a gentleman among soldiers. Upon closer inspection after it landed, he recognized it as the Northern Northern Camel Peak, whom he had met briefly at the Zhennan Prince's Mansion...

Chapter Forty-One: The Gentleman's Sword

"Wooden Hunchback, have you abandoned Western Xia and now you're clinging to the Qingcheng Sect? Or is there some collaborative project between Abbot Yu and Yipintang?"

Upon seeing Mu Gaofeng appear, Chu Luren leaped onto the gate and questioned Yu Canghai and Mu Gaofeng below.

The term "cooperative project" was new, but it was understandable.

Of course, Chu Luren was also prepared to turn around and run away immediately if he was in a "2 vs 1" situation!

However, although Yu Canghai was of low character, he still valued his reputation. Mu Tuozi was already half a heretic with a bad reputation in the martial arts world, so he attacked a young man without any scruples. But Yu Canghai could not stand by and attack Chu Luren with Mu Tuozi in front of everyone.

In particular, besieging the Chu Lu people wouldn't bring any benefits...

Moreover, Ding Yi and Liu Zhengfeng were right there, so at most he could only give them a lecture.

"If you're not going to be a lackey of the Dali royal family, why are you coming to Hunan to join in the fun?" The hunchbacked man immediately tried to categorize Chu Luren as a "lackey of the imperial court."

"My relationship with Young Master Duan is that of gentlemen. As for my presence here... it is naturally to attend Senior Liu's retirement ceremony." Chu Luren said as he jumped down, "floating" to the ground before bowing in the direction of Liu Zhengfeng.

Liu Zhengfeng then spoke up at the opportune moment: "Since you're all here, you're all my honored guests. There may have been some misunderstandings before. Brother Mu, Brother Yu, would you do me a favor?"

“This junior is talking nonsense. I didn’t want to bother with him anyway!” Yu Canghai said, flicking his sleeve.

Chu Luren naturally had to be modest: "That's right, Master Yu's 'Crane Crying Nine Heavens Divine Skill' is already quite accomplished, and when combined with the 'Pine Breeze Sword Technique' of your sect, it naturally has the strength of a pine and crane, and the moves are as swift as the wind... but he was just letting me win."

Upon hearing this, Yu Canghai's expression turned serious. He glanced coldly at Chu Luren, but did not draw his sword again!

modesty?

Yu Canghai didn't think he was being modest at all. On the contrary, he felt that this young man was not old, but his vision was not shallow, and... he was deliberately revealing his past as revenge!

Liu Zhengfeng, Ding Yi, and the others vaguely understood something as well.

Actually, when the leaders of various sects gathered before, Yue Buqun, the leader of the Huashan Sect and known as the Gentleman Sword, revealed that Yu Canghai had mastered the "Crane's Cry Nine Heavens Divine Skill".

However, Chu Luren, who had just fought Yu Canghai, knew best how well Yu Canghai had mastered the "Crane's Cry Nine Heavens Divine Skill." He wasn't sure yet, but Chu Luren sensed that there was "something wrong" with Yu Canghai's swordsmanship earlier.

"Pine Breeze Swordplay" is a unique skill of Qingcheng Mountain and an extremely difficult swordplay to master, because one must integrate the sword techniques of "pine" and "wind" to achieve mastery.

Of course, the ability to form a "sword stance" is something that most swordsmen cannot achieve. In Chu Luren's eyes, their sword and saber techniques were traceable, whether he had fought Tian Boguang or Yu Canghai.

Although they vaguely resembled wind and sand, pine trees and cranes, they were still within the scope of using "moves" and had not reached the level of the Chu Lu people in "peacock spreading its tail".

However, their sword and saber techniques are practical and not linear. Instead, they have a network-like and cyclical structure, meaning they can change their moves according to the opponent's reaction!

In contrast, the "Nine Forms of the Peacock" is not very practical in actual combat and has very few variations. This is because it was created by Shui Dai for his daughter and disciples as a foundation for learning Tai Chi sword. The variations in the moves are secondary.

Moreover, among the nine forms of the Peacock Form, only the "Peacock Spreads Its Tail" sword stance is very simple—otherwise, even if Chu Luren had an epiphany, he would not have been able to master the sword stance in less than half an hour.

For most martial arts "masters," the level of swordsmanship is judged by the proficiency of their technique and their ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

As for comprehending sword intent, even for experts, it is an extraordinary feat, even more difficult than mastering internal energy cultivation.

Chu Luren's "Peacock Spreading its Tail" is considered very weak in sword techniques, after all, it is only a branch of Tai Chi... However, it is precisely because he has comprehended "Peacock Spreading its Tail" that he was able to fight against Yu Canghai and others with the strength of the weak.

Therefore, Chu Luren was also very perceptive and saw that the reason why Yu Canghai was so successful was because he specialized in the "swift as the wind" aspect of the Pine Breeze Sword Technique, while cleverly using the "strong as the pine" aspect of the "crane cry in the nine heavens" technique.

When practicing his skills, he naturally imbued his moves with "crane strength" instead of "pine strength"—Chu Luren had previously specifically mentioned "pine and crane strength," and it was precisely because these two kinds of "strength" were so similar that Yu Canghai was able to take advantage of the situation.

Others might not be able to see it, but Chu Luren himself had grasped the essence of swordsmanship... even the smallest details of the essence had greatly improved Chu Luren's insight in this area.

Similarly, Tian Boguang's swordsmanship also uses the "Gale Sword Technique," which belongs to the category of "techniques," to greatly increase his sword speed. He then uses the "Thirteen Styles of Flying Sand and Stones" to attack his enemies.

In comparison, Chu Luren's "Earth Deficiency Technique" is very basic, barely managing to apply finger strength to swordsmanship, just like the Soul Chasing Staff only allows the "staff" to emit finger strength.

However, neither of them had yet established their "momentum" and were still within the scope of using moves, which is why they were able to parry Chu Luren's attacks.

"Young man, you have a good eye. But Brother Yu's move is indeed exquisite."

Just then, a middle-aged man with a square face and a mustache, who clearly had round eyes and was an expert in internal martial arts, walked over.

A beautiful woman with a heroic air accompanied them, followed by three or five male and female disciples, including a girl of about eighteen or nineteen who seemed very close to the couple.

"Heh, Brother Yue, what kind of cultivation technique have you practiced? If I were to become your disciple, could I learn it?" Mu Gaofeng seemed to have a grudge against this man and immediately began to mock him.

Chu Luren naturally recognized that this person must be the famous Gentleman Sword Yue Buqun!

She does look about forty years old, but her talk of "sexual energy cultivation" is pure nonsense.

Yue Buqun was not greatly annoyed: "Brother Mu, you want to make fun of me as soon as we meet."

"You're almost sixty now, aren't you? But you look like a hunchback's grandson..."

When Mu Tuozi said this, Yue Buqun remained calm, but Yue Lingshan and the other Huashan disciples were furious, though Yue Buqun stopped them by raising his hand.

“But speaking of grandsons…” Mu Gaofeng suddenly turned around and glanced in a wicked way, towards the direction of the voice that had warned Chu Luren earlier.