"Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Lu. I kept you waiting!"
Li Youtian jogged out from inside the escort agency.
Lu Changfeng reached out and gently patted Li Youtian on the shoulder.
At nearly 1.98 meters tall, Lu Changfeng looked like an adult patting a child on the shoulder when he made that gesture.
Replication complete.
Lu Changfeng withdrew his hand. "How is it? Any news lately?"
Lu Changfeng had a legitimate reason for seeking out Li Youtian.
The escort agency had well-informed channels, after all.
The world was in turmoil now. Having Li Youtian gather information would provide him with certain benefits.
Li Youtian was naturally more than happy to do so.
"Have you heard any news recently?" Lu Changfeng asked.
If he was putting on a show, he had to play the part all the way through.
Unexpectedly, Li Youtian even gave him explosive news.
Li Youtian lowered his voice. "Senior Brother Lu, I heard that the Xuanming Cult is about to make a move against Fengcheng!"
The Xuanming Cult?
Lu Changfeng thought for a moment before asking, "The Xuanming Cult over in Qingshan Prefecture?"
"That's right!"
"The Xuanming Cult has occupied nine cities in Qingshan Prefecture. Every city bordering Yunyang Prefecture has been seized by the Xuanming Cult."
"Now, we escorts aren't even allowed to enter Qingshan Prefecture. There's no way to take a detour either—the Xuanming Cult sends troops to patrol! Anyone they catch gets strung up and butchered like a pig!"
"Our Chief Escort speculated that the Xuanming Cult wants to make a move against our Yunyang Prefecture. To prevent word from leaking out and expose the army's movements, they've sealed off the routes!"
"Fengcheng borders Qingshan Prefecture. If the Xuanming Cult really makes its move, we'll definitely be the first to suffer!"
Lu Changfeng nodded slightly. What Li Youtian said was certainly possible.
It seemed they truly had to make preparations in advance.
Putting himself in their shoes, with the three sects in Qingshan Prefecture restraining one another, if Lu Changfeng were one of the three sects, he might indeed choose to find an opportunity to expand outward and break the stalemate.
"Thanks for the information."
Lu Changfeng tossed a piece of silver to Li Youtian.
Li Youtian caught the silver and happily returned to the escort agency. It really is useful to listen carefully and remember what those impressive people like the Chief Escort say. It can actually be exchanged for money!
Lu Changfeng returned to the martial arts school.
Back in the bedroom of the martial arts school, Lu Changfeng began fusing the [Swordsmanship] talents.
"Fuse for me!"
Following Lu Changfeng's silent thought,
the four [Swordsmanship] talents rapidly vanished, replaced by a new talent.
High-grade Talent [Swordsman].
The moment this talent formed,
all kinds of insights into the Gale Sword Technique naturally flashed through Lu Changfeng's mind.
A moment later,
a sharp aura, as fierce as the wind, suddenly burst from Lu Changfeng's body.
"This is... sword intent!"
"I've comprehended Fierce Wind Sword Intent!"
Lu Changfeng opened his attribute panel to inspect it.
Sure enough, it had changed!
Name: Lu Changfeng Root Bone: Grade A Upper Talents: High-grade Talent [Swordsman], Mid-grade Talent [Light Body Technique] Realm: Blood Tempering Fourth Level Blood Tempering Cultivation Technique: [Mount Le's Wrathful Vajra] Minor Mastery Martial Arts: [Gale Sword Technique] Perfected, [Blood Burst Steps] Great Mastery, [Antelope Dodge Method] Great Mastery Martial Arts Insight: Fierce Wind Sword Intent (Primary Sword Intent) (Sword technique power increased by 50%) Replication Interval: 49 days.
Because the Gale Sword Technique itself was not some profound martial art, the sword intent it had condensed was only at the very beginning stage.
However, this also indirectly demonstrated just how high Lu Changfeng's swordsmanship talent was. He had been able to condense sword intent from such a common, street-level sword technique!
Although Fierce Wind Sword Intent was only an elementary sword intent, it was still Martial Arts Insight!
Its combat power amplification was also terrifying. Most importantly, the 50% increase to sword technique power required no expenditure at all.
This was different from activating the Gale Sword Technique's ultimate move, Fierce Wind Storm, or Changle Divine Palm. Activating martial arts techniques consumed a tremendous amount of physical strength.
Sword intent was equivalent to a permanent passive buff with no energy cost.
"Choosing to use so many replication opportunities to fuse the High-grade Swordplay Talent was worth it."
Feeling the Fierce Wind Sword Intent that he could summon at any time within his body, Lu Changfeng finally had a trump card of his own.
Wanting to test the power of his trump card,
Lu Changfeng carried the Treasure Grade Longsword 'Autumn Water' and darted toward a secluded wilderness outside the city.
"Fierce Wind Storm!"
The Treasure Grade Longsword in Lu Changfeng's hand stabbed out four times like lightning within a single breath.
Bang!
A waist-high boulder in front of Lu Changfeng took all four strikes and suddenly shattered apart.
"Next, I'll use sword intent."
After catching his breath slightly, Lu Changfeng activated Fierce Wind Storm again!
With the support of Fierce Wind Sword Intent, Lu Changfeng stabbed eight times in a single breath!
Boom!
After eight strikes in rapid succession, another waist-high boulder exploded outright!
"Impressive."
Lu Changfeng muttered inwardly.
He then circulated his sword intent and began using ordinary Sword Moves.
He discovered that both his speed and strength had improved greatly.
It was as if every ordinary move was now more than thirty percent stronger than a full-power strike without sword intent.
"With sword intent in play, I should be able to defeat an ordinary Blood Tempering Fifth Level opponent."
Lu Changfeng reached his conclusion.
Lu Changfeng destroyed the traces at the scene and returned to the martial arts school, fully satisfied.
Inside Changle Martial Arts School,
more than ten Registered Disciples were practicing [Mount Le's Wrathful Vajra].
All the Registered Disciples who remained had entered the Blood Tempering Realm, so they had naturally all advanced from Changle Palm Technique to [Mount Le's Wrathful Vajra].
They had all been taught personally by Master Zhang Desheng.
Chun Zhu wore training clothes and practiced among them as well. Her tall figure carried a few more feminine charms.
For disciples with poor root bones, [Mount Le's Wrathful Vajra] was still too difficult to practice. Every so often, someone would run out of strength halfway through and collapse to the ground to rest.
Lu Changfeng watched the Registered Disciples practice from the side, occasionally offering a few words of guidance and encouragement.
Zhang Desheng had appeared in the Training Ground at some point. He moved a chair over and watched his disciples cultivate.
"Cough, cough, cough."
After Zhang Desheng let out a violent bout of coughing, Lu Changfeng walked over and gently patted his back.
Zhang Desheng had grown much thinner. Even the muscles on his back had withered.
His aura was incredibly faint, and he could fall from the Martial Master Realm at any moment.
Lu Changfeng knew that his master probably did not have much time left to live.
Once Master is gone, what will happen to this martial arts school? Lu Changfeng began making plans in his heart.
"Changfeng, when are you and Chun Zhu getting married?" Zhang Desheng suddenly asked out of nowhere.
Lu Changfeng scratched his head. "There's no hurry, right? I think things are pretty good as they are now."
Chun Zhu, who was practicing in the distance, trembled when she heard this. Her back was turned to Lu Changfeng, but disappointment showed on her face.
"No hurry? Wouldn't it be better to have a child sooner?" Zhang Desheng said.
Lu Changfeng replied, "A child? I never planned to have children. I don't even have a foundation to establish myself and survive, so bringing a child into this world wouldn't be a good thing. Besides, a child would be a weakness. I don't want to create a weakness for myself."
Unable to persuade him, Zhang Desheng shook his head. "I really don't understand you young people nowadays!"
Zhang Desheng rose and staggered toward his Small Courtyard.
"Master, shall I help you?"
"No need. I can still walk!" Zhang Desheng shouted with great vigor.
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