The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Boss Wu followed behind like a servant...

Chu Lu Ren had no fear whatsoever when he entered the "encirclement" of the monsters from the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands.

On the contrary, Zhuo Bufan and his two companions, who were also in the same circle, couldn't help but take a half step back when they saw Chu Luren walking over, their sharpness completely overshadowed by him.

"Hahaha, are all the brothers from the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands here?" Chu Luren first burst into a hearty laugh, which blended with the last notes of the song.

This was the first sound they heard outside of the suona music, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a smile that warmed their hearts, and they all wanted to join in the laughter...

Zhuo Bufan was slightly startled, knowing that this was an extremely sophisticated mental technique, different from methods like mind control techniques—no matter how powerful a mind control technique was, it could not affect so many people at the same time, and would definitely backfire.

However, Chu Luren is only focused on "outputting" and does not accept feedback or interact, making it even more difficult to be effective. But after the previous song, he can easily guide the emotions of the crowd!

"Reporting to the Lord, all the brothers have arrived and are waiting for your instructions," said Boss Wu in a gentle voice, ignoring the stares of others.

"To my shame, it was only through a series of fortuitous events that I, Chu, became the Venerable Master of Lingjiu Palace. I also know that many of you are renowned figures in the martial arts world, and in recent years you have lived in seclusion, so you may not know much about me..."

Chu Luren paused for a moment, and immediately many people, knowing the situation, seized the opportunity Chu Luren had deliberately left open and began to lavish praise on the name "Chu Tai Sui," extolling it to the skies.

"Alas, I felt really bad that I hadn't been able to invite everyone up the mountain for the New Year celebrations since I had just taken over Lingjiu Palace!"

Chu Luren paused again, and immediately others rushed to flatter him, saying that they had also received the food sent by the Lord, as if the Lord himself had come. Some even shamelessly burst into tears, looking extremely moved, completely forgetting that they had also been so tearful before, accusing the Lingjiu Palace of tyranny...

The others around them felt utter contempt for these traitors, but... more and more people joined them.

Chu Luren, as if chatting casually, drew many cave lords and island lords into the realm of praising himself.

Seeing that things were going to continue like this, Zhuo Bufan realized that not only would they not be able to besiege Chu Luren, but someone would definitely attack him first. So he quickly said, "Lord Chu! It's been a long time since we parted ways at Emei. I heard that you have become the Venerable Master of Lingjiu Palace. I haven't even had a chance to congratulate you yet!"

"Mr. Zhuo, you're too kind. We're here now, aren't we?" Chu Luren glanced at him indifferently.

"Hehe, let's not beat around the bush. I wonder... what exactly happened to that Granny Tong? She actually passed on the position of Venerable Master and all those women and girls from Lingjiu Palace to Chu Taisui? Did Granny Tong have any other... explanations?" Zhuo Bufan's words finally reminded some of the island lords and cave masters that there was such a thing as an antidote for the Life and Death Talisman!

Chapter 595 Deterrence

"The old woman from the past is no longer here; she is already ninety-six years old..." Chu Luren sighed, speaking very honestly.

Upon hearing that the Child Granny was dead, many people breathed a sigh of relief—of course, Chu Luren didn't know why they thought that way.

All she wanted to say was that Granny Tong was ninety-six years old and it was time for her to revert to her youthful state. Now there was only Tongtong; the old Granny Tong was no longer there…

"As for me becoming the master of Lingjiu Palace... hehe, it's not a big deal. It's just that Lingjiu Palace and Xiaoyao Sect are from the same school, and I am the sect leader of Xiaoyao Sect and the grand-nephew of Tonglao. So I'll just take this position as the master! I wonder if any of you are dissatisfied, or... does Mr. Zhuo have any advice?" Chu Luren said, taking two steps closer to Zhuo Bufan.

Zhuo Bufan forced himself not to back down, but his body involuntarily leaned back slightly, probably without him even realizing it.

"Chu... Tai Sui wants to become the Venerable Master of Lingjiu Palace, and we naturally have no objections. However, we wonder if Granny Tong has given you the antidote for the Life and Death Talisman that we were afflicted with..."

A tall, thin man then spoke up to question them, no longer addressing the Chu Lu people as "Lord".

But before he could finish speaking, Chu Luren suddenly turned around. He had mustered up his courage to speak, but Chu Luren's glare made him lose some of his bravado.

Immediately afterwards, I felt a tightness in my chest and a tingling sensation throughout my body. I couldn't help but stagger forward a few steps and kneel down with a "thud," involuntarily bowing my head in deep worship!

"Brother!" Another sturdy man next to him, who seemed to have a close relationship with this man, noticed something was wrong and quickly reached out to help him up. However, he was pulled down by the tall, thin man and also fell down, as if in worship.

Many people realized that Chu Luren had secretly made the move. However, the two who were caught off guard were known as the "Twin Monsters of Zhuyai" and called themselves the "Twin Righteous Men of Zhuyai." Whether they were "monsters" or "righteous men," their martial arts skills were at least among the best in the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands. Moreover, the brothers were united and had the greatest courage, so they were not easy to mess with.

Seeing the two of them stumble and fall in a single encounter, everyone around them fell silent in fear.

"Little Wu, who are these two people who are apologizing? What have they done wrong?" Chu Luren acted as if he hadn't done anything.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, these two are the Twin Monsters of Zhuya... They are usually unruly and have even uttered complaints about the palace!" Old Wu gritted his teeth and added a few more "bad words".

"Hmph, what kind of good person are you, Boss Wu? Brother Zhuya's words were complaints, but yours, Boss Wu, is just cursing and humiliating me, isn't it?"

At this moment, an old man with a large head, seemingly disapproving of Boss Wu's actions, spoke up, which immediately stirred up the discontent of many people...

"And who is this?" Chu Luren thought it would be unfair to call this person "bald." His huge head was completely bald, with not a single hair, beard, or eyebrow. Moreover, his face was bright red, like a big red ball.

"It's Duanmu Yuan, the master of the Chiyan Cave in Wuzhishan, Hainan Island!" Old Wu said indignantly.

Before Duanmu Yuan could incite others, or wait for anyone else to respond, Chu Luren moved in a flash, so fast that even Zhuo Bufan barely saw him before he was already in front of Duanmu Yuan...

"You..." Duanmu Yuan saw Chu Luren suddenly appear before him and, without thinking, immediately spat a mouthful of phlegm at him.

It looked like just a mouthful of sticky phlegm stained with blood, but the force was incredibly strong and the speed was incredibly fast. Even so, Chu Luren still managed to dodge it with a slight sway from less than two feet away. At this moment, Duanmu Yuan's face turned even redder. The bloody phlegm actually returned to its source and twisted around, smashing towards the back of Chu Luren's head again!

But he was also blinded by his own desires...

Sure enough, Chu Luren's figure blurred for a moment, and with a muffled thud, the bloody phlegm hit his own forehead!

"Ouch!" Big Head cried out in pain, but then felt a tightness in the back of his head.

But before he knew it, Chu Luren had already circled around behind him and grabbed the back of his head—grabbing the front was too disgusting.

"Wait a minute!"

"Spare their lives..."

Clearly, quite a few people were now harboring rebellious thoughts and wanted to save Duanmu Yuan. However, Chu Luren said at this moment, "Duanmu Yuan, you are supposed to be a subordinate of Lingjiu Palace, and Tonglao hasn't restricted you too much. I can't pursue the matter further, but..."

The "Five Pecks of Rice Divine Skill's" method of "blood sacrifice" is particularly vicious. It requires skinning a person with strong bones and muscles alive during the full moon, and after practicing it, one must never perform blood sacrifices again! If Island Master Duanmu cannot explain himself clearly, this Venerable One will not spare his life!

Upon hearing the name "Five Pecks of Rice Divine Skill," some people immediately became restless. A soft, sobbing voice, seemingly crying but not quite, drifted over: "Duanmu Yuan! My husband and brothers, were they killed by you? Just to practice this evil skill?"

When everyone looked towards the source of the sound, many recognized her as Madam Li from Coconut Flower Island in the South China Sea…

Although no one had ever heard of the "Five Pecks of Rice Divine Skill," everyone believed it to some extent—since Madam Li had spoken, her husband and brother must have died as Chu Taisui had described, and... the two families were indeed very close!

"Hmm? You thirty-six caves and seventy-two islands, though we rarely keep in touch, are all disciples of my Lingjiu Palace. Now you're turning on your own kind? It seems I can't let you live!"

"Wait……"

As Chu Luren spoke, ignoring the others' attempts to stop him, he exerted a slight force, but instead of using his palm to strike and kill directly, he pulled outwards, as if drawing something out.

Duanmu Yuan rolled his eyes and then fell straight down. His originally red skin turned completely bluish-black, and judging from the few twitches, his joints were obviously hardened, as if... he had been dead for a long time!

For a moment, everyone fell silent, thinking of the legend of the vengeful ghost and the capricious spirit who would snatch souls—could it be that Chu Tai Sui was truly the vengeful ghost Wu Chang of the underworld, able to snatch a person's soul before the seventh day after death, and that's why…

Chu Luren didn't do anything special. He simply borrowed Tong Lao's interpretation of the "Tianshan Six Yang Palm Force" and modified the "Fossil True Qi" before injecting it into this guy's body!

Such a depraved person should be made to experience the terror and helplessness of someone being sacrificed in blood before death.

"How should I address you, Madam?" Chu Luren asked the woman who had just spoken.

"My husband's surname is Li." This woman was clearly still a widow in her husband's family, and was already the head of the Li family.

"Madam Li, this man's body is entrusted to you!" Chu Luren said directly.

After a moment's hesitation, Madam Li knelt down and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for avenging me and personally killing this scoundrel!"

"Are there any other disciples in the Crimson Flame Cave? Step forward!" Chu Luren shouted.

Four people were immediately pushed out, trembling. The few who had tried to dissuade Chu Luren earlier were now too afraid to utter a sound.

Firstly, Duanmu Yuan was already dead, and his death was...

Secondly, Madam Li has already concluded that Duanmu Yuan is the real culprit who killed her husband and brother. If others speak up now, they will be hated by Madam Li and it will be impossible for them to work together. So it is better not to step forward!

Chapter 596 Setting Rules

"Do you know the evil arts practiced by the Cave Master Duanmu? Are there other people practicing in the cave?" Chu Luren demanded of the group from the Crimson Flame Cave.

"No, no! Your Majesty, we know nothing!"

"Wait, Your Majesty, I... I know! Several people have gone missing on the island before."

"I've also seen Master Duanmu go out for a night stroll during the middle of the month..."

“It must be Duanmu…it must be this scoundrel who practices evil arts, and he is very wary, so he would never pass it on to others.”

Chu Luren nodded upon hearing this and said, "Very good. Among you, who has the highest martial arts skills?"

"I...I would say that among the Crimson Flame Cave disciples present, my martial arts skills are second only to Duanmu Yuan," the middle-aged man kneeling in the middle said nervously.

"From now on, you will be the master of the Crimson Flame Cave. After you return, you must search for Duanmu Yuan's secluded cultivation place. Once you find the evil technique, destroy it on the spot. No one is allowed to look at it... Madam Li, you and the palace sword attendant I sent will be the three witnesses!" Chu Luren directly ordered.

"I will obey Your Majesty's decree," Madam Li replied immediately.

witness?

She must witness it, but to make her witness the search of the remnants of the Crimson Flame Cave, wouldn't that give her a chance to get revenge?

The new cave master didn't dare to say much and immediately agreed. Although Crimson Flame Cave would suffer a loss, he, as the new cave master, also needed Madam Li and "people from the palace" to witness his appointment.

He was merely the most skilled martial artist among those from the Crimson Flame Cave present; once they returned to the island, things would be a different story…

"As for the two of you..." Chu Luren then walked towards the Twin Monsters of Zhuya.

"Lord Chu...!" Some people were still unwilling to give up, while others simply wanted to plead for mercy.

"You are all usually quite unruly, but you are not as heartless as Duanmu Yuan. Since I have just taken over Lingjiu Palace, I will not punish you too much..."

Seeing Chu Luren's words, many people breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the new Venerable One at least didn't intend to dredge up old grievances. However, some felt that Chu Tai Sui was weak and might still have a chance...

"However! Little Wu, remember this for me: within ten years, the quota for completely eradicating the Life and Death Talisman will not be available to those two monsters!" Chu Luren said at this moment.

Aside from Wu Laoda, everyone else was stunned when they heard this, and it took them a while to realize that Chu Taisui... no, the new Venerable Master meant "completely eradicate"?

"Your Excellency! What do you mean by 'completely eradicate'? Within ten years, if it's not their turn... then who will be next?"

At this moment, a middle-aged, slightly overweight man who looked somewhat dull and honest and had a stutter hurriedly came out, bowed deeply to Chu Luren, and asked.

Wu Laoda quickly whispered to the side, "Master, this is the number one expert of our Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Caves, Cave Master An of Tianfeng Cave."

To say he is truly number one is not necessarily true, but seeing that this person stutters so much, yet the other demons and monsters did not laugh at him, one knows that he is not someone to be trifled with.

Moreover, Boss Wu's words did not seem like self-deprecation—after all, he said not only "above me," but "the best." If he didn't have real skills, no one else would listen to such a statement.

"Yes, Master An, that's a good question! I received the 'Life and Death Talisman' technique from the Child Granny, and I deeply feel that this technique is extremely vicious. Moreover, the martial world is currently in turmoil, and some ill-intentioned people are eager to make their move. From now on, we must work together to ensure our own safety and make our own progress..."

Chu Luren's ramblings, like those of an old leader, made everyone impatient, but their faces all showed expressions of agreement, admiration, and great inspiration.

Besides Zhuo Bufan, Buping Daoren, and Cui Lühua, there were three others—I always felt that Chu Luren, this "person with ill intentions," was referring to someone with ulterior motives.

"Therefore, I have decided that within the next ten years, the 'Life and Death Talisman' will be completely removed from everyone. Currently, there are about three hundred people who have been afflicted with the Life and Death Talisman. Every year, at least ten people with outstanding merits will have their 'Life and Death Talisman' removed, with no upper limit!" Chu Luren announced.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"We are willing to serve Your Majesty at your beck and call..."

"From now on, I, Sangtu Gong, will go through fire and water for my lord without hesitation!"

May the Holy Venerable Immortal enjoy eternal happiness and longevity, as long as the heavens...