Inside Little West Mountain.
Luo Fengyun was both shocked and anguished, feeling as though an enormous hand had tightly clenched his heart. If he had not feared being accused of bullying the young, he would have seized Lu Chen without a second thought.
How venomous!
How ruthless!
First, he injured one son and one daughter!
And now, even his eldest daughter had been intimidated by Lu Chen's Sword Intent, her Dao Heart collapsing!
How vicious!
"Good, good, good. Young Hero Lu's swordsmanship is truly exquisite, a real eye-opener!" Luo Fengyun said through gritted teeth.
"You are too kind, Senior. I asked for your opinion long ago, but unfortunately, you could not control your daughter either."
Lu Chen said calmly.
Since she could no longer be controlled, then society could discipline her instead.
The Luo family had all been spoiled rotten.
First there was Luo Qingshan, self-righteous and high above everyone else, wanting to cripple him the moment they met.
Then there was Luo Qiuyu, arrogant and unable to distinguish right from wrong, trying to crush him the moment she arrived.
Without the strength, they still insisted on putting on airs!
This was the result.
The fact that he had not killed them was already giving them face.
[You taught a lesson to an arrogant and conceited young woman. Merit Points +50]
"You!" Luo Fengyun felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He glared resentfully at Lu Chen, then at his eldest daughter beside him. When he noticed her shivering, apparently still unrecovered, his heart ached even more.
He took several deep breaths and said, "Miss Qingqing, please come with this old man!"
But at that moment.
Chaotic footsteps sounded again from the distance, drawing everyone's attention.
A group of figures clad in black robes came rushing over.
"Are Young Hero Lu Chen and Young Hero Liu Jinglan here?"
Someone called out from afar.
"That would be us."
Liu Jinglan quickly answered.
A group of people rushed over. At their head was an elderly man past sixty, his eyes gentle. He first glanced at Luo Fengyun and cupped his hands slightly. "Brother Luo, you have worked hard!" Then he turned his gaze toward Lu Chen and Liu Jinglan.
His eyes then fell upon Cui Qingqing, and delight appeared on his face.
"This must be the young lady?"
"You are?"
Cui Qingqing instinctively stepped back.
"This old servant is Cui Hu, steward of the Cui residence. By my master's order, I have come to receive the young lady!"
The elderly man said excitedly, "Along the way, this old servant had already heard that the young lady was escorted by Young Hero Lu and Young Hero Liu. I also learned that, to save the young lady, Young Hero Lu wielded his saber in all directions and shattered every powerful foe. Such a young hero is truly rare under heaven."
Cui Qingqing finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"You were sent by my father? These are all my friends. Please treat them well."
"Of course. Young Hero Lu, Young Hero Liu, please return with this old servant. My master will surely reward you generously." Cui Hu cupped his hands.
Lu Chen frowned slightly and nodded.
After days of battle, he truly needed somewhere to rest and recuperate for the time being.
Moreover, he had made too many enemies these past few days. He needed to temporarily avoid the sharp edge.
But at that moment.
Cui Hu suddenly turned his head toward another direction and called out, "Battalion Commander He, since you are here, why not show yourself?"
He Qianxing cursed inwardly in the distance. He could only lead several Squad Leaders out of the dense forest in a leap, laughing heartily. "Old Brother Cui, it has been many years since we last met. I hope you have been well, hahaha..."
Ten years ago, when Prince Cui broke the Northern Barbarians' formation and won battle after battle, he had also served under Prince Cui.
He and Cui Hu could be considered old acquaintances.
Later, after Prince Cui was stripped of his military authority, he pulled some strings and entered the Town Suppression Bureau. Lu Chen's gaze turned cold and landed sharply upon He Qianxing's group.
The Town Suppression Bureau!
They had come quickly!
"Thanks to Brother He's blessings."
Cui Hu's expression remained calm.
He Qianxing suddenly looked at Lu Chen and said coldly, "Young Hero Lu, I have heard of your conduct along the way, and I even know everything that happened in Panshi City. That County Magistrate Lin Mingyuan was indeed no good thing, but no matter how bad he was, the Imperial Court still has its laws. By killing Lin Mingyuan, you violated the Imperial Court's laws. No one can change that. Today, for Prince Cui's sake, I will not make things difficult for you. But the other experts of the Town Suppression Bureau will still hunt you across the world. I hope you will conduct yourself wisely."
"Is that so?"
Lu Chen revealed a mocking smile. "The Town Suppression Bureau—what an imposing name!"
Every Imperial Guard he had encountered along the way had been domineering and rampant. Even if they did not come looking for him.
For the sake of Merit Points, he would go looking for them.
The two sides were like fire and water.
"Enough, everyone, please stop talking. Let us return and see the master first."
Cui Hu repeatedly cupped his hands.
Everyone fell silent one after another.
Led by Cui Hu, the group departed.
The night passed.
The morning sun rose.
The battle at Little West Mountain spread across the land, shaking all directions.
Inside an elegant room.
A handsome middle-aged man's face darkened. Upon receiving the news, he smashed the teacup in his hand to the floor and roared, "Trash, all of you are trash!"
"We never expected Lu Chen to actually be an Eighth Rank expert."
The person before him had a shifting expression.
This time, in order to retrieve Cui Qingqing, they had mobilized every person they could.
Yet all their efforts had come to nothing!
Before an Eighth Rank expert, every scheme was futile.
And Lu Chen's improvement had been far too rapid.
Three days ago, he had still been Seventh Rank.
Now he was Eighth Rank!
It even made him suspect that Lu Chen had been concealing his strength from the very beginning!
"Lu Chen..."
The middle-aged man repeated the name and sighed toward the heavens.
...Elsewhere.
Qinghe County's county bureau.
Battalion Commander Gongsun Ming had also received He Qianxing's secret report. His expression immediately changed, and he slammed the inkstone in his hand onto the floor with a thunderous crack.
"Eighth Rank! This Lu Chen really reached Eighth Rank! Lin Mingyuan, fuck your mother!"
This Battalion Commander could no longer be bothered with appearances and began cursing loudly inside the room.
Fourteen days of martial training!
From a beggar who knew nothing, he had broken through all the way to Eighth Rank!
What kind of fucking speed was that?
Calling him the reincarnation of a Martial God would not be an exaggeration!
Such a heaven-defying talent had actually been forced into becoming a rebel by Lin Mingyuan! Damn you, Lin Mingyuan!
He wished he could whip the man's corpse.
"Sir, Grand Commander Yu Siyuan has sent someone."
Suddenly, a Centurion rushed in from outside.
"Yu Siyuan? Is this to seek justice for Yu Tianli?"
Gongsun Ming understood almost instantly. A cold smile soon appeared on his face. "Good. Since Yu Siyuan wants to meddle in other people's business, hand this hot potato over to him and see how he handles it."
If he could kill Lu Chen, that would be best.
If he could not kill Lu Chen, then when Lu Chen sought revenge in the future, it would have nothing to do with him.
"Quickly, invite Lord Yu's trusted subordinate in!"
Gongsun Ming laughed loudly.
Guyun Town. It was a small and remote town.
It was precisely where Prince Cui lived in seclusion.
After arriving, Lu Chen was arranged in a quiet room to rest.
At this moment, his gaze was fixed entirely upon the panel.
His Merit Points had reached a staggering 4779.
He had never been so wealthy.
"Merit Points, add points to the Nine Heavens Cultivation Method!"
[Ding! You consumed 2200 Merit Points. The Nine Heavens Cultivation Method has been raised to the Sixth Layer!] [Your cultivation has reached Eighth Rank (66%)!] [The next upgrade requires 3000 Merit Points!]
Several lines of text swiftly appeared.
Boom!
Powerful internal energy surged through his body, vast and mighty like endless billows, bringing waves of vigorous life force.
"Mid-Eighth Rank?"
Lu Chen frowned.
He had thought he would reach late Eighth Rank.
He had not expected to only barely pass into the middle stage.
It seemed that the farther one went, the more difficult breakthroughs became.
In the final analysis, it was still due to the limitations of the cultivation method.
After all, this was merely a high-grade cultivation method, not an Exquisite Grade or divine-grade one.
Still, it was nothing much.
Once he accumulated another wave of Merit Points, he would surely reach late Eighth Rank.
He might even directly step into Ninth Rank!
Name: Lu Chen Cultivation: Eighth Rank (66%) Cultivation Method: Nine Heavens Cultivation Method (Sixth Layer) Martial Arts: Heartbreaking Saber Technique (Mastery · Lone Swan Absolute Shadow), Sun Sword Technique (Mastery · Sun's Manifestation), Four Absolute Martial Arts (Mastery), Grass on Flying (Mastery), Blood Shadow Sword (Mastery · Blood Fiend), Blood Fiend Art (Mastery · Onefold Strength), Sky Severing Finger (Mastery · Heaven Robbing Claw), Big Dipper Seven Stars Array (Beginner) Talents: Subdue Others with Virtue, Skin of Bronze and Bones of Iron, Lightning Law King, Imperial Sword Body Merit Points: 2579
"With all my cultivation arts at mastery, I need more sword techniques, saber techniques..."
Especially sword techniques.
He had only just touched the threshold of Sword Intent. He needed to study more sword techniques to fill out his Sword Intent and strengthen it.
Thereby allowing his Sword Intent to stabilize completely. Next came saber techniques.
His saber techniques had already produced Blade Force.
Blade Force was the embryonic form of Blade Intent.
As long as he continued merging and nurturing it, Blade Intent would emerge sooner or later.
When that time came.
He would be truly peerless in both saber and sword.
"Young Hero Lu..."
Suddenly, Cui Hu's voice sounded from outside the door.
"The master requests your presence..."
Before you continue