The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

A thin but upright figure appeared and stood on the wall. The person had a small mustache, and spoke in a slightly hoarse and sharp voice, sounding weak. He held an iron claw steel staff that was slightly longer than his forearm...

What's most striking is that, judging from his posture, his lightness skill is outstanding!

In comparison, both "Kun Swimming in the Void" and the original "Lingbo Steps" are closer to "body techniques," which means that the movement in battle is very flexible and skillful.

As for "lightness skill," it refers more to the ability to run long distances or travel quickly...

"Kun Swimming in the Void" can be equipped on both "Agility" and "Lightness Skill" at the same time, and naturally it also has the effect of Lightness Skill, but the effect is not as prominent as on Agility Skill.

Just like in the original story when Duan Yu and Qiao Feng competed in footwork, Qiao Feng thought his internal strength was inferior to Duan Yu's, but in terms of footwork, the two were evenly matched for the first ten miles...

Qiao Feng's martial arts skills were indeed very high and comprehensive, but he did not excel in lightness skills. Duan Yu, who had superior internal strength, was unable to quickly defeat him by teaching him the Lingbo Weibu technique. This shows that when it comes to long-distance travel, it can only be considered "good lightness skills", not as outstanding as when it is used as a movement technique!

The same applies to Kun swimming in the void. As soon as Chu Luren saw the lightness skill of this thin bamboo pole in black clothes, he knew that he was probably no match for this person in terms of foot strength.

Moreover, I can guess the identity of this person - it must be Yun Zhonghe, the last of the Four Fiends of Yipintang!

"Your Highness, be careful!" In his haste, Zhu Danchen disregarded the fact that Dao Baifeng forbade anyone to call her "Your Highness" after moving into the Taoist temple, and had clearly guessed the man's identity.

After all, this guy is a notorious lecher in the martial arts world!

As a retainer of the Duan family, Zhu Danchen could not allow the princess's reputation to be dishonored under any circumstances.

After a moment's thought, Chu Luren casually probed, "Who dares to spout such nonsense... You call yourself 'Yun Lao Si'? I wonder what my good disciple Yue Lao San calls you?"

Although there was a suspicion of taking advantage, Yun Zhonghe's expression became more serious upon hearing this. He had previously noticed that Yue Laosan seemed to have suffered a loss at the hands of someone. Not only had the girl he had tied up disappeared, but he was also sulking all day long, muttering things like, "I'd rather become an apprentice than be a son of a bitch."

Although Yue Laosan's lightness skill was far inferior to Yun Laosi's, Yun Laosi's ranking was higher, which must have its reasons!

However, Yun Zhonghe still trusted his judgment. The kid in front of him was so young, how high could his martial arts be? It was probably because Yue Laosan was too stupid to fall for the trick. He even emboldened himself and said, "You're the guy who plotted against Yue Laosan before? Hmph, that idiot Yue Laosan would fall for it, but I won't!"

Seeing his reaction, Chu Luren breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed that Duan Laoda and Ye Erniang were not around. It was probably Yun Zhonghe who couldn't stand it and went off to "hunt wilds" and happened to run into him.

Even with multiple Ye Erniangs, Chu Luren would still have a major headache. If Duan Yanqing were also there, Chu Luren would have to think of a clever way to outmaneuver him—for example, betraying Duan Yu to see if he could use his protagonist's halo to defeat the other side, or betraying Duan Yu to make Duan Yanqing acknowledge him as his father.

However, if it's just Yun Zhonghe alone...

"Young Master Chu, let's join forces!" Although Zhu Danchen knew of Chu Luren's achievements, he had not witnessed them firsthand, so he still regarded him as a young hero of the martial world.

“No, this man is highly skilled in lightness skills. If he is focused on abducting people, we might make a mistake when we fight him… Brother Zhu, please take good care of Miss Mu and Daoist Yuxu. I’ll go and meet him.” Chu Luren whispered to Zhu Danchen.

Chu Luren's reasoning made it impossible for Zhu Danchen to refuse.

"Yun Laosi, today this great hero will rid the people of this scourge and sever your roots of trouble!" Chu Luren stepped forward, deliberately stirring up hatred first.

"Hehehe, everyone can talk big, let's see if you have the ability." Upon hearing this, Yun Zhonghe laughed strangely and pounced forward.

He wasn't too annoyed, after all, someone like Yun Zhonghe often encountered "heroes" in his daily life.

Those who lacked skill ironically amplified his infamy, while many "heroes" who were capable of ending his life also failed, though most lacked his agility and skill...

Yun Zhonghe stretched out his body and thrust the steel rod with his crane claw at Chu Luren. However, Chu Luren simply did not move his waist, leaned back, and defied gravity by tilting his body backward around his heels, thus dodging the guy's killing move!

Yun Zhonghe, who was already quite wary of the Chu Lu people because of Yue Laosan's few words, now took them even more seriously.

He brandished the Crane Claw Staff in his hand, wielding it with incredible agility, making it seem as if it were part of his own arm.

Claws like cranes, staff like snakes—this is Yun Zhonghe's famous signature move, "Crane and Snake Eight Strikes."

Not only was his lightness skill graceful, but his agility was also remarkable, and the claw staff in his hand was dazzling...

However, what was even more unpredictable than him was Chu Luren's movement technique!

Zhu Danchen and Dao Baifeng watched for a long time and felt that it was Xuanqing and his two figures chasing each other and sometimes intertwined. They were secretly amazed that Yun Zhonghe's lightness skill was well-deserved. In Dali, only Sikong Batianshi could compare with him. They were even more surprised that Chu Luren, who looked young, also had such a skill.

Chu Luren secretly breathed a sigh of relief at this moment...

When fighting Yue Laosan, Chu Luren needed to have a sudden enlightenment to be able to hold his own against him after the opponent got serious. Then, he used the "Kun Swimming in the Void" characteristic to secure the victory.

However, Yun Laosi's martial arts skills were not as good as Yue Laosan's, and unlike Yue Laosan's fierceness, Yun Laosi mainly relied on grappling.

As Yun Zhonghe made his moves, sometimes wisps of claw marks appeared, and sometimes swirling snake-like energies coiled around him...

Chu Luren exchanged more than fifty blows with him in the blink of an eye. Although he mostly dodged and only retaliated a few times, he did not lose the upper hand.

The so-called "Eight Strikes of Crane and Snake" is, in the eyes of the Chu Lu people, less of a "fight" and more of a grappling technique, using the crane's claw and the snake's coiling...

Of course, grappling techniques are not necessarily without offensive capabilities. For example, Shaolin's "Dragon Claw Hand" can break bones and tendons and cause blood and flesh to fly when the external skills are in place. However, Yun Laosi obviously did not have any powerful hard skills to rely on, so he created the Crane Claw Steel Cudgel, a unique weapon that is used in conjunction with the "Crane and Snake Eight Strikes"!

Although he used it as if it were his own arm, it was ultimately just a trick and lacked the dexterity that a grappling technique should have.

More importantly, Yun Zhonghe had neither fierce attacks nor any hard skills. He was constantly expending his internal energy in the fight, and because his kidney essence was weak and his internal energy was unstable and impure, he was more likely to be "absorbed," which was exactly what Chu Luren wanted.

"You said you were going to rid the people of evil? What kind of hero are you, hiding like this!" Yun Zhonghe said angrily, while continuing his martial arts practice.

"I am but a passerby in the martial world, and naturally I cannot be considered a hero..." Chu Luren thought it would be strange for him to provoke him.

Yun Zhonghe's kung fu was not as good as Yue Laosan's, and his fighting style was also countered. Chu Luren did not need to have an epiphany to fight Yun Zhonghe.

Although he didn't retaliate much, Yun Zhonghe could naturally sense the strangeness in the situation. He seemed to be in extremely poor condition today, less endurance than usual, and his internal energy was being consumed very quickly... After a hundred moves, Yun Zhonghe gradually became weak.

At the same time, the illusory image of the Kun fish around Chu Luren gradually solidified!

Yun Zhonghe, who had no martial arts baggage, immediately used a dismantling technique upon seeing this, and then used his lightness skill to retreat: "Two beauties, there are vulgar men who spoil the mood today. I will come back to have some fun with you another day!" After saying this, he drifted away.

Chapter Eight: Do Not Pursue a Desperate Enemy

"Young Master Chu! Don't pursue a desperate enemy!" Zhu Danchen, a seasoned veteran, shouted with great professionalism.

Chu Luren feigned hesitation, frowning slightly before speaking: "Alright, let's send Daoist Yuxu back to Dali City first."

With Yun Zhonghe's lightness skill, even if he couldn't defeat Chu Luren, he could have left whenever he wanted.

Not to mention that Yun Zhonghe's lightness skill was already superior to Chu Luren's, and in terms of internal strength... even if Yun Zhonghe was overindulging, he was still a step above Chu Luren!

During the fight, Yun Zhonghe's internal energy was greatly depleted due to the "Kun Swimming in the Void". If the fight continued, he would definitely be the first to run out of energy. However, if it was a chase, Chu Luren would probably be the first to run out of internal energy.

It was impossible for Chu Luren to chase after him in the first place...

Zhu Danchen's words confirmed that Chu Luren was "more skilled," but he was only concerned about the safety of the women and therefore did not pursue the matter further!

"Your Highness, this place is not safe to stay any longer. If it weren't for Young Hero Chu's help, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to protect you. Moreover, it's rumored that many masters from the First-Class Hall have already arrived in Dali... I dare to ask Your Highness to return to the residence!" Zhu Danchen pleaded with Dao Baifeng.

"I am a monk, what do I have to do with a mansion? You should take Yu'er and leave quickly, I will stay here." Dao Baifeng's expression remained cold.

Seeing his mother's reaction, Duan Yu immediately started to whine, "Mother, if you don't leave, I won't leave either. I'll stay here with you and see if those people from Yipintang can arrest us all!"

"You..." Dao Baifeng could lose her temper with Duan Zhengchun and give Zhu Danchen a hard time, but she couldn't bear to see her son in danger. Especially since she had just met Yun Zhonghe, she stopped insisting and quickly packed her things before returning to Dali City with the others.

Chu Luren was worried that he might run into the experts of Yipintang on the way, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he entered Dali City.

Although Dali is a small country, the royal Duan family is a well-known martial arts family in the martial arts world.

Especially the current Dali Emperor—Duan Zhengming, is not only the number one martial arts master of the Duan family, but also... he was a master who competed with Wang Chongyang, Ouyang Feng, Hong Qigong, and Huang Yaoshi in the Huashan Sword Tournament twenty years ago, and is known as the "Southern Emperor"!

Compared to Duan Zhengchun back then, Duan Zhengming's eighth place on the Heavenly Ranking is still quite prestigious.

Moreover, this is ultimately a martial arts world, not a fantasy or fantasy world. Even Zhang Sanfeng, the venerable master, could not withstand an army.

Duan Yu was the heir of the Prince of Zhennan, and Emperor Duan Zhengming of Dali had no sons. Duan Yu was almost certainly the future ruler. As soon as the group entered Dali City, they were greeted by the people lining the streets. This also shows that the Duan family must have been "packaging" Duan Yu long ago.

Upon arriving at the Zhennan Prince's Mansion next to the palace, Chu Luren, as Duan Yu's savior, received high-level treatment. However, he did not see Duan Zhengchun and Duan Zhengming immediately, as it was a time for their family reunion. Chu Luren understood this and rested with Mu Wanqing in a side hall.

Compared to Chu Luren, who was used to seeing magnificent and novel things in her previous life, Mu Wanqing seemed curious about everything she saw in the Prince's Mansion.

Chu Luren only glanced at it a few times—it did have some "antique charm," but in terms of grandeur, it wasn't even as impressive as the lobby of the bathhouse he'd visited in his previous life…

Of course, Chu Luren didn't think Mu Wanqing was impolite. On the contrary, he felt some sympathy for her. Although they were both descendants of the Duan family, Mu Wanqing had suffered a lot since childhood!

Before long, a young eunuch came running over and called out, "Two distinguished guests, His Majesty invites you."

"Miss Mu, let's go together," Chu Luren called out to Mu Wanqing.

The young eunuch did not lead the way to the palace, but went to the main hall of the Prince of Zhennan's mansion. It seems that Duan Zhengming came directly from the palace to the mansion... This is not surprising, after all, the palace in Dali is not considered a deep inner palace, and the two brothers often visit each other.

Although Mu Wanqing was not nervous about the imperial power on the way, she was somewhat "rude" because of the scenery of the Prince's Mansion. For example, when she saw a large golden chrysanthemum, she wanted to pick it, but was dissuaded by a little eunuch.

That advice was correct!

"Naughty kids" should be stopped for being uncultured, but... thinking that this "naughty kid" is uncultured because of the master of the Prince's mansion, Chu Luren felt a little uncomfortable.

After all, Chu Luren was also born in the Singularity Orphanage before his transmigration...

Upon reaching the main hall, Chu Luren suddenly stopped and remained motionless no matter how the eunuch urged him to move.

"Young Master Chu, what's wrong?" The little eunuch was a little scared, wondering if this master was dissatisfied with something.

Chu Luren straightened his voice, clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the hall door, and said loudly, "I am a wanderer of the martial world. May I ask whether the person inside is the Emperor of Dali or the head of the Dali Duan family?"

The eunuch leading the way was terrified, not knowing what Chu Luren was up to. He kept his head down, not daring to raise it, until a loud, energetic laugh echoed from inside the hall.

"Haha, since we are friends from the martial arts world, there is no King of Dali here, only the Duan family of Dali. Young brother, please come in!"

Chu Luren then stepped forward and pushed open the door, knowing that the person speaking must be Duan Yu's uncle, Duan Zhengming.

Aside from a little temper, Chu Luren asked this question to see what identity Duan would use to face him. If it was as the king, Chu Luren would definitely turn around and leave. Otherwise, would he have to bow and kowtow three times?

However, after meeting them today, I realized that although the Duan family of Dali is a royal family, they treat people and things in the martial arts world according to the rules of the martial arts world. Their reputation is well-deserved, so I didn't let my temper get the better of me.

A family banquet had indeed been prepared in the hall...

Dao Baifeng, whom I had seen before, still had a cold face, but she had changed back into the attire of a noblewoman, no longer wearing a Taoist robe... It seems that Duan Zhengchun's verbal skills were quite effective.

There were also two middle-aged people at the table. One of them had a square face and kind features, while the other, even though he had grown a beard, still looked handsome, especially his eyes, which showed that he must have been a pretty boy when he was young!

At this moment, Duan Yu got up to welcome Chu Luren and Mu Wanqing to their seats.

Besides, there was no one else at the table, so Chu Luren was unsure whether Duan Zhengming was unmarried like "Duan Zhengming" or heartbroken like Yideng, but it was not a good idea to ask.

"Junior Chu Luren greets the two seniors." Chu Luren naturally understood the principle of reciprocating kindness, and before taking his seat, he performed a traditional martial arts salute.

"Young Master Chu, there's no need to be so polite. Since you are Yu'er's friend and his savior, you are also a friend and benefactor of the Duan family of Dali. If you don't mind me being presumptuous, just call me Uncle Duan and my second brother Uncle Duan." Duan Zhengming was very kind and approachable.

Chapter Nine: The Ethical Drama of the Prince of Zhennan's Mansion

Chu Luren didn't stand on ceremony. Given Duan Zhengchun and Duan Zhengming's age, it was only proper for them to address each other as uncles: "Uncle Duan, Uncle Duan."

“Alright, alright, nephew, please take your seats. And this Miss Mu, please join us as well. Today is a family dinner, so you two don’t need to be so formal,” Duan Zhengming said.

After speaking, Duan Yu pulled Chu Luren and Mu Wanqing to sit on either side of him. During the meal, Duan Zhengming noticed the eye contact between Mu Wanqing and Duan Yu and couldn't help but glance at Duan Zhengchun. Chu Luren guessed that he wanted to say something like, "Yu'er is quite like his father."

"Brother Duan, about what you promised me before..." Chu Luren reminded him somewhat anxiously.

Duan Yu immediately remembered the matter of borrowing "One Finger Divine Skill" and brought it up with Duan Zhengming.