57, 58, Lu Chen's Secret Technique, Formless Sword Finger!

"What kind of peerless oddballs has Wanyan Honglie recruited..."

After the Jin Dynasty F4 left, Huang Rong rubbed her stomach, sore from laughing, and said to Lu Chen:

"Every last one of them is such a clown. Are they trying to make people laugh themselves limp, then go over and angrily take the other side's heads?"

Lu Chen laughed as well.

"Those men were indeed rather comical, but they should have some real skill beneath their hands."

Before the Five Greats, the Jin Dynasty F4 could only serve as comic relief, but they truly were all figures on the level of "regional overlords."

Reverend Lingzhi had no rival along the Tibetan border, which had bred in him an absolute confidence that did not even put the Five Greats in his eyes.

Liang Zi'ong dominated Changbai. Only twenty years ago, he had been severely beaten by Hong Qigong, who had been traveling through Changbai Mountain, leaving him with a serious psychological shadow regarding the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.

The Yellow River Gang led by martial brothers Sha Tongtian and Hou Tonghai proclaimed themselves overlords of the Yellow River. Though they could not possibly dominate the entire river, they were certainly quite influential along its Central Plains stretch.

Peng Lianhu, the "Thousand-Hand Butcher," was likewise a formidable tyrant whose name resounded throughout the greenwood world.

The fact that they dared challenge the Seven Freaks of Quanzhen, and that Reverend Lingzhi could fight Wang Chuyi to a mutual defeat, showed that none of them were ordinary people.

Of course, Lu Chen could now fight the Ancient Tomb Sect Leader to a draw, even gaining the upper hand. Whether it was the Jin Dynasty F4, Ouyang Ke, or even Mei Chaofeng, none of them was likely to be his match anymore.

Even Huang Rong, after eating Bosiqu Snake and practicing the Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter, possessed Martial Arts that combined the strengths of the Eastern Heretic, Northern Beggar, and Central Divine. Though her techniques were somewhat scattered and lacked refinement, she might still be able to exchange a few moves with Ouyang Ke.

"When Wanyan Honglie returns later, he will surely hold a banquet to entertain us. Those men are unwilling to let two juniors like us sit on equal footing with them, so they will definitely make a move to test us then."

Huang Rong said with a grin:

"When the time comes, we'll reveal just a little and open their eyes. And that Ouyang Ke—I don't like the way he looks at me. Brother Lu Chen, help me teach him a lesson."

"I don't like it either." Lu Chen had already intended to do so. He nodded. "When the time comes, I'll teach him a profound lesson."

Huang Rong nodded happily. After thinking for a moment, she added:

"That Ouyang Ke calls himself the Young Master of White Camel Mountain. Since he is a 'young master,' he is probably a close son or nephew of the Western Venom. The Western Venom is, after all, one of the Five Greats Grandmasters, as famous as my father and Seventh Master. Teaching Ouyang Ke a small lesson will be enough—otherwise, he might go crying to his elders, which would be bad for us."

She herself was not worried about the Western Venom bullying the young, since she also had a father among the Five Greats.

What she feared was the Western Venom making a move against Lu Chen.

When Seventh Master had taught them in Xiangyang, he had spoken of the Five Greats in his spare time. He had said that the Western Venom's "venom" referred not only to his vicious methods, but also to his supreme skill in using poison. If he truly cast aside all decorum and resorted to poison, he could kill without even drawing blood.

Lu Chen naturally knew Ouyang Ke and Ouyang Feng's true relationship. He nodded.

"Don't worry. I know where the line is."

"Then when are we going to capture the Black Wind Double Fiends?"

"No rush. There's still a great benefit to be had in Prince Zhao's Manor. Once we get that benefit and thoroughly scout out the manor's layout, we can go capture the Black Wind Double Fiends..."

After chatting for a while, Lu Chen began practicing his swordsmanship again. Rong'er had also recently begun rousing herself at intervals and earnestly practiced the Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter.

She had mastered plenty of techniques. None were profound enough, but she had an abundance of flashy tricks, with unpredictable transformations that could readily catch an opponent off guard. Her internal strength, however, was still lacking. Only by making up for that deficiency could she unleash the true power of all those flashy techniques.

Before they knew it, evening had arrived.

A steward surnamed Jian came to Winter Plum Courtyard and invited the two of them to a banquet at Fragrant Snow Hall.

The two followed Steward Jian out of Winter Plum Courtyard. After winding through the vast prince's manor for quite some time, they arrived before Fragrant Snow Hall, where Tang Zude was waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing them, he immediately came forward with a beaming smile and cupped his hands.

"Young Heroes, Tang has already recommended you both to the prince. His Highness has specially arranged this banquet to welcome you."

"Thank you, Commander Tang!"

Huang Rong returned the gesture with a smiling face. Just as she and Lu Chen were about to enter, Tang Zude rubbed his hands and said with a chuckle:

"His Highness is of noble stature, and none of the guests attending the banquet are carrying weapons. The two of you, well..."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the Azure Adamantine Sword in Lu Chen's hand.

"Only proper."

Lu Chen was no longer helpless without a Precious Sword, so he handed it to a guard.

Tang Zude instructed the guard:

"Guard Young Hero Lu's Precious Sword well. If anything goes wrong, you'll answer for it!"

The guard agreed in terrified haste, hugging the Azure Adamantine Sword tightly in both hands as though it were a baby. Tang Zude nodded in satisfaction, then raised a hand toward Lu Chen and Huang Rong with a broad smile.

"Please, both of you!"

He led them through the hall entrance. After passing around a landscape folding screen, they entered the brightly lit main hall.

Sha Tongtian, Ouyang Ke, and the others whom they had seen during the day were already seated inside. In the seat of honor sat a middle-aged man in splendid robes. Though a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes at Lu Chen and Huang Rong's youth, he still laughed heartily and rose to greet them.

"Young Heroes, at such a young age, you already possess astonishing skills. Moreover, you are willing to serve this prince and work for the court. This prince is greatly delighted."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Reverend Lingzhi said:

"Hold on, Your Highness! How good these two youngsters truly are is only Commander Tang's one-sided account. None of us has witnessed their abilities ourselves. What if Commander Tang has merely fallen for their blinding tricks and mistaken brass for true gold? Wouldn't that make us a laughingstock?"

Tang Zude's face flushed red, but he did not dare bristle at a great expert such as Reverend Lingzhi. He could only look at Wanyan Honglie with a grievance-filled expression.

Wanyan Honglie actually had his own doubts as well.

But he had to maintain the appearance of being broad-minded and respectful toward worthy men, so naturally he could not voice the doubts himself. Now that Reverend Lingzhi had fired the opening cannon, it suited Wanyan Honglie's wishes perfectly.

Thus, he did not stop Reverend Lingzhi from questioning them. He merely looked at Lu Chen and Huang Rong with a smile and said gently:

"Reverend Lingzhi is blunt by nature and means no harm. I hope the two young heroes will not take offense."

Huang Rong flicked open her folding fan with a swish, gave it two waves, and smiled.

"No matter. What Reverend Lingzhi says does make sense. Since the Prince has spared no expense in recruiting worthy men, if we brothers wish to earn a living from the Prince's residence, we ought to show a little of what we can do for everyone to judge."

As she spoke, she strolled over to the table laden with pastries, grabbed several watermelon seeds, and flicked them out with her slender fingers.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Amid sharp whistles tearing through the air, five watermelon seeds became blurs and shot forth, embedding themselves in a candle as thick as an arm ten paces away.

Everyone focused their eyes and saw that the five seeds had embedded themselves neatly down the candle's body, each pair precisely one inch apart—not a fraction more, not a fraction less.

Moreover, all five seeds had sunk more than halfway into the candle, their depths equally exact—not a hair more, not a hair less.

This display of hidden-weapon skill gave the experts of the Prince's residence a slight shock.

They were all discerning men and could naturally see just how exquisite Huang Rong's hidden-weapon skill was. Her aim was superb, but her control over force was even more refined to the finest detail. They could not help thinking grimly to themselves—these two youngsters likely possessed genuine ability. There might be two more rivals in the struggle ahead!

Just then, Wanyan Honglie clapped his hands and laughed in praise.

"Young Hero Huang, excellent skill! Truly, heroes have emerged from youth since ancient times!"

As he spoke, he personally took a jade cup and poured a cup of Golden Ripple Wine, the imperial wine of the Jin Dynasty royal family, then called for a maid to present it to Huang Rong.

Hearing Wanyan Honglie lavish Huang Rong with praise and personally pour her wine in a jade cup, the experts of the Prince's residence all felt displeased.

Though they appeared harmonious on the surface, they had always openly and covertly battled before Wanyan Honglie, each hoping to suppress the others and claim the title of the residence's foremost expert.

Now, seeing Huang Rong steal the limelight and receive both the Prince's praise and a personally poured drink, the other experts were merely jealous within. But Reverend Lingzhi, who considered himself invincible beneath heaven, could no longer wait to step forward.

"Such trifling hidden-weapon skill is but a petty trick, unfit for elegant halls. How can it count as real ability?"

Yet with those words, he offended several people at once—Liang Zi'ong was a hidden-weapon expert, Sha Tongtian also knew how to use hidden weapons, and Peng Lianhu, nicknamed Thousand-Hand Butcher, was highly skilled both at launching and catching them. Even Ouyang Ke knew a measure of hidden-weapon skill.

Thus, Reverend Lingzhi's indiscriminate attack immediately drew angry glares from many, who all bore a grudge against him.

But Reverend Lingzhi considered himself invincible and was utterly unafraid. He dipped both hands into the washbasin on his table and said arrogantly, "True supreme Martial Arts rest upon Internal Energy. Everything else is empty illusion! You two youngsters, watch carefully!"

As he spoke, he rubbed his hands unhurriedly in the basin. It looked as though he were washing them, but before long, wisps of white vapor began rising from the clear water, while fine bubbles welled up from below. He had actually brought the water to a boil.

When he revealed this skill, Wanyan Honglie was naturally astonished, while Sha Tongtian, Liang Zi'ong, and Peng Lianhu all showed grave expressions.

Even Ouyang Ke could not help frowning, thinking that though Reverend Lingzhi was indeed arrogant and conceited, he was no ordinary frog at the bottom of a well—he was a well-frog with a few genuine skills.

At the very least, in terms of internal cultivation, he was likely not much inferior even to Ouyang Ke himself.

Huang Rong, meanwhile, clapped her hands and praised him with a cheerful grin.

"Reverend Lingzhi's skill at boiling water is truly remarkable. With such a skill, even while traveling the wilderness in winter, with no fire source at hand, one need not worry about lacking hot water to drink. One could even cook meat soup instead of gnawing on cold, hard rations."

Hou Tonghai, who had become a spirit from a bamboo pole, instinctively retorted, "Lingzhi is a monk. How can he eat meat? Besides, even if he can boil water, where would he find a pot while traveling through the wilderness? How would he boil water or cook soup? So unless he carries a pot on his back, no matter how convenient this water-boiling skill may be, it has no chance to be of use. He would still have to drink cold water, and he would still get an upset stomach when he ought to get one."

"..."

Everyone wore strange expressions, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Reverend Lingzhi was so enraged that the corners of his eyes twitched.

This venerable monk is demonstrating Internal Energy for you, and you bastards are talking to me about drinking hot water and cooking meat soup?

Is this about whether one can drink hot water, cook meat soup, or get an upset stomach?

The point is this venerable monk's earth-shaking, world-shocking abundance of Internal Energy!

Amused, Lu Chen quietly pondered to himself.

Reverend Lingzhi can boil water barehanded, so his Internal Energy must follow a fierce, blazing yang path. He is also a Tibetan monk, and his nickname is Five-Finger Secret Blade. Could his Martial Arts and Internal Energy have some connection to Jiumozhi's lineage?

Hmm. Reverend Lingzhi cannot use the Flaming Blade. Perhaps he merely obtained some fragmentary inheritance from Jiumozhi...

As he was pondering this, Reverend Lingzhi, feeling that his pearl had been cast before swine, abruptly rose to his feet and pointed at Huang Rong.

"Among practitioners of Martial Arts, who stands higher and who stands lower must still be settled by one's hands! Little White Dragon Huang Rong, do you dare exchange a few moves with this venerable monk and let me weigh your measure?"

You little girl dared mock this venerable monk's world-shaking Internal Energy as a 'water-boiling skill.' Then I shall teach you a lesson with real ability and make you understand the height of heaven and the depth of earth!

"Reverend, you wish to fight?"

Lu Chen said calmly.

"I wonder if you dare face me instead?"

Reverend Lingzhi had wanted to teach Little White Dragon Huang Rong a lesson, but Little Sword Demon Lu Chen had arrived with her. Teaching him a lesson was no different. He immediately raised his head proudly.

"Why would I not dare?"

He then swept his gaze around the room.

"The hall is too cramped to fight freely. Let us go to the courtyard and stretch our fists and feet!"

With that, he swaggered toward the hall exit.

Lu Chen, too, showed no reaction as he headed outside.

Seeing this, Tang Zude hurriedly said:

"Young Hero Lu, your sword..."

Lu Chen and Huang Rong had been brought into the prince's residence by him and introduced to the prince. His own credit was at stake, so naturally he did not want to see Lu Chen defeated. He quickly reminded Lu Chen to take his sword.

But Lu Chen merely waved a hand.

"Since Reverend does not use a weapon, neither need I."

With that, he had already gone around the screen and stepped out of Fragrant Snow Hall.

Wanyan Honglie ordered the attendants to remove the screen. From inside the hall, everyone could now see the courtyard beyond the doors at a glance. Reverend Lingzhi was already standing there, hands clasped behind his back, gazing brazenly at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen stopped ten paces before him, silently facing off against Reverend Lingzhi.

The people in the hall rose from their seats and gathered at the entrance, watching the two men confront each other while occasionally murmuring among themselves.

"Old Peng, who do you think will win?"

"Reverend Lingzhi, I suppose? That big monk may not be too bright, but his hands are genuinely formidable. Lu is still so young. If weapons were involved, it might be hard to say, but in a contest of fists and feet, I can't see where his chance of winning lies."

"Liang agrees. Lu Chen is known as the Little Sword Demon; I fear all his skill lies in his sword. Abandoning his strength to face Reverend Lingzhi barehanded, he probably won't be able to withstand the Reverend's 'Great Mudra.' Within ten moves, Lu will likely be coughing blood from grave injuries."

The contrarian Hou Tonghai gave two snorts.

"Having seen Reverend Lingzhi boil water with his skill, Lu still dares to fight barehanded. His hand techniques must be extraordinary. I bet on him winning!"

Ouyang Ke gave a cold laugh, took out a folding fan hung with a sachet, and flicked it twice before saying blandly:

"Lu isn't even twenty by the look of him. No matter how gifted he is, how much Internal Energy can he have? How could he possibly be Reverend Lingzhi's match?"

As he spoke, he even gave Huang Rong what he thought was an elegant smile.

Huang Rong curled her lips and snorted coldly, too lazy to pay him any heed. Her eyes remained fixed on Lu Chen.

Seeing this, Ouyang Ke felt a surge of stifled rage and hoped Reverend Lingzhi would beat Lu half to death on the spot.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Reverend Lingzhi confronted Lu Chen for a moment before speaking arrogantly.

"Lu, you are young and of lower seniority, so this old monk will let you have the first move! Make your move."

Lu Chen smiled faintly. One hand behind his back and the other extended before him, he made a gesture of invitation.

"Reverend should make the first move instead. You've finally had the chance to show off before the prince. If I strike first, when would Reverend have another chance to strike?"

"..."

The crowd was struck dumb. Never had they expected this boy to utter such arrogant words in such an even tone. They all thought that it was no wonder he bore the name "Demon." This Little Sword Demon truly had something wicked about him.

Reverend Lingzhi was so furious that smoke seemed to rise from all seven orifices. He growled:

"Lu, you brought this upon yourself!"

The instant the words fell, his body shot forward as he pounced at Lu Chen. At the same time, he thrust out a palm horizontally, a Great Mudra smashing heavily toward Lu Chen's chest. His momentum was as fierce as a man-eating bear pouncing upon prey, and the force of his palm was so savage that the air trembled faintly, emitting a muted rumble like distant thunder.

Reverend Lingzhi's Great Mudra was indeed powerful, and his cultivation was indeed deep.

However, Lu Chen's former sparring partner had been Hong Qigong, whose specialty was the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.

When Hong Qigong suppressed his cultivation to Lu Chen's level, Lu Chen could still withstand more than a hundred moves of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Why would he fear Reverend Lingzhi's Great Mudra?

Indeed, in Lu Chen's eyes, accustomed as they were to the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, every movement Reverend Lingzhi made—whether his footwork or palm techniques—was riddled with openings. Had Lu Chen possessed a sword, he could have forced Reverend Lingzhi onto the defensive in an instant and turned him into a bloody gourd within ten moves.

Of course, he had no sword in hand at present, and his attack range was insufficient. Though he could see certain openings, he could not seize them.

But that did not matter.

Compared to Hong Qigong's Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, Reverend Lingzhi's technique was full of flaws and could not harm him in the slightest.

Boom!

A fierce palm wind split toward his face. Lu Chen's body seemed like a feather stirred by the wind, drifting lightly backward with the sweep of the palm wind.

Reverend Lingzhi pressed forward in great strides, both palms striking in an unbroken chain. His momentum was menacing, his advance relentless.

Lu Chen, meanwhile, resembled a bird darting through raging winds and towering waves. His figure flickered unpredictably—there on the left when one looked, suddenly on the right the next—and each time, at the very last possible instant, he seemed to narrowly evade Reverend Lingzhi's palm strikes.

There was no swordplay in the world that had one stand rooted in place and trade blows with another.

Every sword art came with body movements and footwork suited to its sword forms. The more profound the sword art, the more exquisite its body movements and footwork.

Though such positioning and movement were not specialized Movement Techniques of soaring and leaping, flying high and skimming far, they were more than capable of swift turns and shifts within a confined space.

Lu Chen possessed several superior sword arts, among them the Ancient Tomb Swordplay, the swiftest sword art of the current age. He had trained every one of them to the point of consummate mastery, even surpassing the blue of the indigo from which it came. Naturally, the accompanying body movements and footwork had reached corresponding heights as well.

Relying on his extraordinary comprehension of the sword, he had even begun to take the essence of the body movements and footwork from several sword arts and meld them into one.

Though he had not yet completed the fusion, his evasive skill had already reached the point where even the Ancient Tomb Sect Leader could only barely match him evenly.

With such movement techniques, no one below the level of the Five Greats could touch him in a one-on-one fight.

Just as at this moment, Reverend Lingzhi had already gone all out, displaying his entire repertoire of Martial Arts to the fullest. Yet no matter how fierce his palm force or how sharp his palm techniques, he could not so much as brush a corner of Lu Chen's clothing.

In the blink of an eye, more than a hundred moves had passed.

Reverend Lingzhi's broad, sweeping palm techniques, incomparably forceful and fierce, drew clicks of admiration from the crowd. Yet Lu Chen's body movements—graceful as a startled swan, swift as a ghostly specter—left them even more secretly alarmed.

The longer Reverend Lingzhi fought, the angrier he became. He roared furiously:

"Kid Lu, do you only know how to dodge around? If you've got the guts, fight this Buddha head-on for three hundred rounds!"

"Three hundred rounds?"

Lu Chen gave a soft laugh.

"If Reverend can take even one move from me, I'll count it as my loss."

As he spoke, his ghostlike, constantly shifting figure suddenly came to a halt.

Seeing this, Reverend Lingzhi hurriedly gathered all his strength and blasted a palm toward Lu Chen's chest.

Lu Chen abruptly raised his hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together into a sword finger. With a sword seal formed in his hand, he thrust forward—using two fingers to meet Reverend Lingzhi's Great Mudra, a strike powerful enough to split steles and shatter stone, head-on!

"Not good!"

Hou Tonghai slapped his thigh.

"I lost the bet! Reverend Lingzhi's palm force is fierce—Kid Lu is being far too overconfident. His fingers are going to break!"

Before his words had faded, Lu Chen's sword finger had already struck Reverend Lingzhi in the center of his palm.

Pfft!

A soft sound rang out, followed by a spray of blood.

Reverend Lingzhi cried out in pain and flew backward. Raising his hand to look, he saw a bloody hole in his palm, so deep that bone was visible!

"Wonderful!" Huang Rong clapped and cheered, her face alight with excitement.

The rest of the spectators let out low cries, their eyes brimming with disbelief.

They had all witnessed Reverend Lingzhi's palm force.

Even Ouyang Ke knew that, faced with such fierce and overpowering palm force, he could only meet it with fist or palm. He would never dare use two fingers to clash with it head-on.

Yet no one had expected that Lu Chen would not only use finger force to directly contend against the most robust and ferocious part of Reverend Lingzhi's palm force—the center of his palm—but also break that palm force with a single finger and pierce his hand!

None of those present had ever seen such finger force before.

"What kind of demon art is that?"

Reverend Lingzhi stared at Lu Chen in shock and fury. He refused to believe that someone as young as Lu Chen could possess such sharp finger force, insisting that he had used some demon art.

"Demon art?"

Lu Chen raised a brow and said solemnly, "This move of mine is called the Formless Sword Finger, my personal secret technique. If Reverend has never seen such a supreme art and takes it for demon art, I don't mind. In any case, victory and defeat speak for themselves."

With that, he could not be bothered to pay further attention to this master of spiritual victories—known on the internet in his previous life as the "Zero-IQ Man"—and turned his gaze to Ouyang Ke.

"Young Master Ouyang comes from a distinguished family. Would you care to offer me a few pointers?"