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

Chapter 74, Episode 89: First Kiss [Requesting Monthly Tickets!]

At the foot of Mount Heng, there is a valley called Xuan Valley.

Xuan Valley has a hot spring, which is recorded in the "Commentary on the Waterways Classic" by Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is said that "its water is as warm as soup and can cure all kinds of diseases."

During the Northern Wei Dynasty, a hot spring palace was built at Xuangu Hot Spring, which served as a royal palace.

Today, although Xuangu Hot Spring is no longer exclusively for the royal family, it is still not open to ordinary people and is only enjoyed by princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials.

However, today, the Xuan Gu Hot Spring Resort, nestled in the valley and possessing a magnificent and elegant atmosphere, welcomed two special guests.

They were neither royalty nor held any official positions.

The officials managing the hot spring resort bowed and scraped, behaving with utmost respect, their attentiveness comparable to that of someone serving royalty.

the reason is simple.

They are very good at fighting.

The young man, dressed in a black robe and cloak and carrying a long sword, casually swung his sword and snapped a tree as thick as a man's embrace in half.

He wore a yellow robe and a white fur coat, his hair was tied up with a gold ring, and he had bright eyes and white teeth. Looking at the delicate and petite, beautiful girl, he flicked his slender finger, and the copper coin flew thirty steps away, disappearing into the pillar with a thud.

Judging from the skills these two displayed, they could probably wipe out all the officials and guards of the hot spring resort in no time.

So even though the two were not from wealthy or prestigious families, the staff of the manor were all on high alert, treating them with utmost respect and serving them the best food and wine, for fear of offending them with any negligence.

After the two had eaten and drunk their fill, they were given a very elegant hot spring room and served snacks such as pomelos, jujubes, persimmons, and raisins.

The officials were dismissed.

Lu Chen took a bath, put on a brand-new moon-white cotton Taoist robe given to him by the resort, went to the hot spring pool, threw the robe on the clothes rack, and with only a pair of shorts on his body, jumped into the hot spring pool with a splash.

Although it is springtime, the north is still cold, and the snow on Mount Heng has not yet melted.

Soaking in a hot spring at this time of year is truly a rare treat.

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, enjoying a relaxing soak in the hot spring while reflecting on his gains over the past few days.

During this period, he went to Jianxing Peak every day to ask San Ding for martial arts instruction.

He has also fought against three opponents, including San Ding, and even against seven opponents, challenging a seven-person sword formation composed of San Ding and four of the most skilled Hengshan disciples.

After several sword duels, he had mastered all the essential techniques of Hengshan martial arts, such as Hengshan Swordplay, Wanhua Swordplay, and Mianli Cangzhen Jue. As his sword skills improved and his swordsmanship became more refined, his killing move also grew stronger.

Hengshan Sanding also gained something; under his skillful guidance, their swordsmanship improved greatly.

"The World of Laughing at the World is truly a treasure trove of swordsmanship. Counting the time, it's been less than a month since I came here, and I've already learned the Gale Sword, Hengshan Sword Technique, and Ten Thousand Flowers Sword Technique, among others. My swordsmanship has reached a new level... Once I've mastered the essence of the Five Sacred Mountains, just in terms of swordsmanship, even compared to the Five Greats of the Three Discourses period, I can still claim to be the best in the world, right?"

His swordsmanship has improved remarkably, but his overall skill has progressed rather slowly.

There's no way around it. In a low-level martial arts world, even the most unparalleled divine skills, like the Nine Yin and Nine Yang, require time and years of practice to increase one's skill level.

Zhang Wuji was extremely compatible with the Nine Yang Manual, and he practiced it in seclusion in the valley for several years. In the end, he still needed a fortuitous encounter to help him achieve mastery.

Therefore, even though Lu Chen had the training methods he had comprehended from the "Sword Intent Imprint" and had mastered the "Tendon Changing and Bone Forging Chapter," his physical aptitude was improving little by little every day, and his cultivation efficiency was slightly improving every day. However, without consuming highly nourishing spiritual items, if he relied solely on his own cultivation, his power could only accumulate little by little and slowly increase.

"No wonder Mount Hua is divided into the Sword and Qi sects. Simultaneous sword and qi cultivation sounds simple, but it's truly difficult in practice. Even with my talent and techniques, I can only prioritize sword over qi, let alone others. Without monstrous internal energy talent and top-quality nourishing ingredients, those who cultivate qi can only slowly accumulate to the late stage..."

Lu Chen's "sword first, spirit second" is of course a comparison with himself.

Given the existence of the "Sword Intent of Immortal Slaughter," it's only natural that his swordsmanship is at the forefront.

As for skill level, it is far inferior to his progress in swordsmanship.

Even compared to those "late-stage Qi cultivators with thirty years of experience" from the Huashan Qi Sect back then, he should be just as good, right?

Of course, Lu Chen was very clear-headed. He knew how he got his skills. If a young person wanted to make rapid progress in their skills, what other way was there besides eating rare and precious herbs or picking them up for free like Duan Yu and Xu Zhu?
Even Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, who mastered the "Longevity Manual" of the Four Great Books, still needed the assistance of the He Shi Bi and the Evil Emperor's Relic.

and so……

"Techniques can be practiced on one's own, but attribute values ​​require cheating. Speaking of which, I can already control the power consumption when I use 'Sword One,' but to achieve what I saw in the illusion—to cleave the heavens and slay gods and demons with a single sword strike, to split the seas and kill dragons, to shatter the sun and kill golden crows... how terrifying would that power be? How long would it take to cultivate on my own? I would still need to consume more spiritual treasures and precious pills!"

Just as I was feeling sentimental, I suddenly heard the sound of footsteps.

Looking to the side, one could see Huang Rong wearing a slightly oversized loose Taoist robe, her long hair tied up, and slippers as she approached the hot spring.

She lifted the hem of her Taoist robe, took one of her delicate, translucent feet out of her shoe, and dipped her snow-white, soft toes into the hot spring to test the water temperature.

She then took off her Taoist robe, revealing a long, white gauze dress.

She gave Lu Chen a playful smile, and then, still wearing her long dress, she leaped into the air and deliberately landed heavily in front of him with a splash, drenching his face with a large spray of water.

When she emerged from the pool, her tied-up hair had come loose and was floating on the water like seaweed.

She wiped the water off her face and gave Lu Chen a bright smile.

Lu Chen shook his head and smiled, saying, "Naughty." He then reached out and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.

A faint blush rose on Huang Rong's delicate, flawless cheeks, but she did not resist his embrace. Instead, she playfully scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face.

She is his fiancée.

On that snowy night in the Zhongtiao Mountains, she was wearing only two thin garments, wrapped in the same quilt as him, and held him tightly in her arms.

What does this mean now?

Lu Chen wrapped his arms around Rong'er's slender waist and glanced at her. Suddenly, he noticed that she didn't seem to be wearing any undergarments under her white gauze dress.

As her gauze skirt became soaked in the hot spring water, it clung tightly to her graceful body, revealing her soft, snow-white curves and even a hint of rose-red in the light mist of the hot spring.

The hand that held her supple, slender waist also touched the increasingly full and perky curves below it.

He suddenly realized that after spending more than half a year with Rong'er, she had grown up quite a bit since they first met.

Because I see her every day, and we're practically inseparable, I've somewhat overlooked these gradual changes.

Thinking back to their first meeting, the bamboo pole that lifted him onto the small boat, her back to the sun, her skirt fluttering, her long hair flowing, she looked like a fairy descended from heaven. Comparing her to Rong'er in front of him, her height and figure had indeed changed considerably.

Her eyebrows, eyes, and facial features are gradually maturing, making her even more radiant and captivating.

Looking at the stunningly beautiful girl in his arms.

Lu Chen suddenly felt his mouth was a little dry.

I really want to drink something.

So he lowered his head and gently kissed her soft, sweet pink lips.

When he bowed his head.

Huang Rong thought he would kiss her forehead, or at most the tip of her nose, just like before.

Unexpectedly, he kissed her lips. The unexpected kiss made her eyes widen suddenly. A strange feeling she had never experienced before spread from the point where their lips touched, causing her delicate body to stiffen slightly, and then she couldn't help but tremble as she softly leaned into his arms.

I don't know how long they kissed.

Lu Chen finally relieved his thirst and stopped the kiss.

He pressed his forehead against Rong'er's, his eyes fixed on her bright, sparkling eyes, and asked with a smile:

"do you like it?"

Huang Rong pouted, her pretty face flushed with a drunken blush, and she spoke in a soft, shy voice:

"You suddenly kissed me like that again..."

Lu Chen smiled and said:
"You are my bride-to-be. I want to kiss you in many more places, and I want to kiss you even more passionately."

"Hmph, I won't allow it."

Rong'er pouted her pink lips, puffed out her pink cheeks, and twisted her soft and light body in his arms, not to break free from his embrace, but to snuggle even closer to him.

The long kiss just now made her feel a little strange; she just wanted to stay close to him and didn't want to be apart for even a moment.

After embracing for a while, Lu Chen suddenly asked softly:

"Rong'er's birthday is after the Mid-Autumn Festival, right?"

"Yes, August 22nd."

"Oh, it's only the beginning of spring, so there are still more than half a year to go."

"It hasn't been more than half a year!"

Huang Rong's voice was soft and sweet:

"The seasons in this world are different from those in my world. When we came into this world, it was the dead of winter with heavy snow, while in my world, it was already spring with flowers in bloom. If I count the days, it should only be about half a year."

Lu Chen nodded:
"That's great. Then when it's your birthday, we'll..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but lower his head again and gently kiss Rong'er's pretty nose.

Rong'er's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, her cheek resting against his chest, and she whispered:
"What do you mean?"

Lu Chen smiled slightly:
"It'll be a secret for now. You'll find out when the time comes, Rong'er."

After cuddling together in the hot spring for a while, Lu Chen felt he couldn't hold back any longer. With great willpower, he finally left the hot spring and began his relentless cultivation.

Although my cultivation efficiency is limited, since I don't have rare and precious materials or great elixirs for the time being, I can only accumulate them little by little.

At least each practice session will provide positive feedback.

Huang Rong also showed a brief moment of optimism today, practicing the Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian with him for a while, and then started practicing the White Python Whip Technique.

She recently found whip techniques more interesting and more versatile than sword techniques, so she has devoted a lot of energy to them.

After resting for a while in this quiet, elegant, and comfortable hot spring resort, and consolidating her martial arts skills, Lu Chen and Huang Rong prepared to set off again as the snow on Hengshan Mountain gradually melted and spring arrived.

Lu Chen originally planned to travel around the Five Sacred Mountains, following the route of Hengshan, Taishan, Songshan, Hengshan and Huashan.

Unexpectedly, while packing his luggage in Hunyuan Prefecture, he unexpectedly ran into Abbess Dingyi on the streets of the city.

Master Dingyi, accompanied by several disciples, carrying long swords, dressed in black robes and straw sandals, and with bundles on their backs, looked like they were about to embark on a long journey.

"Senior Dingyi!"

Lu Chen and Huang Rong waved to each other from afar:

"We meet again. Are you about to embark on a long journey, senior?"

From their first meeting, Dingyi had a good impression of Lu Chen and Huang Rong.

He then sparred with Lu Chen several more times, and each time his swordsmanship improved on the spot.

After the duel, he carefully studied and digested what he had learned, and his swordsmanship improved even further.

So, during the time Lu Chen spent going up the mountain every day, her swordsmanship improved by more than 20% in just a short period of time.

Don't be fooled by the mere 20% improvement; at her age, after practicing Hengshan swordsmanship for so many years, she has already almost reached the pinnacle in terms of swordsmanship alone.

Further on, one's skill level can continue to accumulate and become increasingly refined, but one's swordsmanship may not improve much.

Therefore, the progress she made in just a few days can be said to have raised her already near-peak potential by more than 20%.

Not only her, but also Dingjing and Dingxian, all saw their swordsmanship improve by nearly 20% to 30%.

So even though it was discovered that Lu Chen's swordsmanship, which was a complete disassembly and random combination of countless sword techniques, also contained some fragmented elements of the Hengshan swordsmanship, and that he used the "Hidden Needle in Cotton" and "Three-Foot Sword Circle" techniques better than Ding Jing and Ding Xian, the three Dings of Hengshan said nothing, but were very grateful to him.

In San Ding's view, Lu Chen didn't steal the Hengshan School's sword techniques; he simply grasped their essence during a duel. Therefore, it was his own skill, and no one could say anything was wrong with it.

This is something no ordinary person can do. To be able to comprehend the essential techniques of superior swordsmanship and power generation solely through combat—in the entire world, perhaps only this young "Divine Swordsman from Beyond the Heavens" could achieve this.

Upon seeing Lu Chen and Huang Rong, Abbess Dingyi smiled before even speaking:
"We are on our way south. Are you two young friends also embarking on a long journey?"

The way they addressed each other changed to the more intimate "little friends".

"We've been lingering in Hengshan for quite some time now, and Rong'er and I really must be leaving." Lu Chen asked, "Where are you headed, Senior?"

Master Dingyi said with a smile:
"Junior Brother Liu Zhengfeng of the Hengshan Sect wants to retire from the martial world and has sent an invitation to our Hengshan Sect to attend the ceremony. Junior Brother Liu is the number two figure in the Hengshan Sect and a rare master among our Five Mountains Sword Sects. Although I regret his decision, the Five Mountains Sword Sects are all of the same ilk, so I must bring my disciples to attend the ceremony and represent our sect leader and the Hengshan Sect to support Junior Brother Liu."

Retire from the underworld?

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow; this was quite a scene.

On the day of the final resignation ceremony, all five major sword sects of the Five Sacred Mountains would gather, with the leaders of Mount Tai and Mount Hua in attendance, along with masters from other sects. Without having to travel to many places, they could collect numerous sword techniques not limited to the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sects...

It was just the original travel itinerary...

Huang Rong, seeing his expression, knew what he was thinking and asked:

"Senior Dingyi, what day was the day that Senior Liu of the Hengshan Sect retired from the martial arts world?"

"It's set for April 23rd. Hengshan and Hengshan are located at opposite ends of the Five Sacred Mountains, one in the northernmost part and the other in the southernmost. Although it's still early, this old nun needs to set off soon. What, do you two young friends also want to go?"

"I've only ever heard of people washing their hands of their past lives in stories; I've never seen it in person. With such a spectacle, I naturally have to go and see for myself."

While talking to Dingyi, Huang Rong winked playfully at Lu Chen, looking adorably like she was saying, "Look how well-behaved I am."

[The power went out halfway through writing the second chapter last night, and I couldn't wait any longer, so I went to sleep. I'm finishing it now and will try to release it in an hour and a half. Please vote with your monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)