Chapter 64: Taihong Association
’Pay respects to the Saint Master?’
A hundred thoughts raced through Lu Changfeng’s mind, but he couldn’t recall ever having an identity as a so-called "Saint Master."
They seemed to notice Lu Changfeng’s confusion.
One of the black-robed men spoke. "Saint Master, this is not a suitable place to talk. How about we find a secluded spot to report to you properly?"
Lu Changfeng shook his head. "I refuse."
"Why?"
"I see. The Saint Master must not know his own identity."
"Forget it. Let’s not disturb the Saint Master for now. We should send the message back first. The Saint Master’s current identity in Jiangzhou seems to be quite secure."
The two black-robed men conferred with each other in whispers, then gave Lu Changfeng a respectful bow before turning and vanishing into the night.
Their Lightweight Skill was extraordinary and their Inner Strength profound. Their speed far surpassed Lu Changfeng’s.
Lu Changfeng frowned slightly as he watched the two black-robed men leave. He silently committed a few key words to memory for future investigation.
Lu Changfeng figured it was most likely his performance in today’s competition that had drawn out these two.
While the Swordsmanship Talent he had displayed was monstrous, it shouldn’t have been connected to any specific identity.
’Then it can only be...’
Lu Changfeng touched the spot right between his eyebrows.
’Is it because of that mark?’
’What exactly was the Elephant Woman? Could it be that her forces still exist in this world?’
Lu Changfeng shook his head and continued walking toward the Martial Arts Hall.
The rest of the journey was uneventful.
By the time he returned to the Martial Arts Hall, it was late at night. Lu Changfeng reassured a slightly anxious Chunzhu, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
...
「The next morning.」
Lu Changfeng rose and began practicing the Fengtian Forging Body Saber Skill, swinging a three-hundred-jin pig iron saber.
Diligent, unceasing daily practice was the foundation of Lu Changfeng’s Martial Arts.
In addition to cultivating the Body Forging Saber Technique, Lu Changfeng also had Chunzhu start helping him collect Swordsmanship manuals from the market.
Every so often, he would master a Swordsmanship technique for his Longevity Sword Dao to devour.
This way, both Lu Changfeng’s Lifespan and his strength could steadily increase.
During a break in his training, Chunzhu delivered a copy of the day’s "Hundred Knows Thousand" to Lu Changfeng.
"Oh? The Hidden Dragon List has been updated. Sikong Jue has risen to ninetieth place, and I’ve shot straight to eighty-ninth."
Lu Changfeng’s battle with Sikong Jue had revealed their terrifying strength to the public.
Members of the Thousand Knowledge Sect had been watching in the arena at the time, and their conclusion was that both Lu Changfeng and Sikong Jue’s strengths far exceeded their rankings.
Thus, both of their rankings were raised.
The previous number one in Jiangnan Prefecture’s Blood Forging Realm, Bai Yimeng of the Divine Sword Sect, was now ranked just below Sikong Jue.
After this battle, Lu Changfeng had squeezed Bai Yimeng out, becoming the number one Swordsman in Jiangnan Prefecture’s Blood Forging Realm.
As for Bai Yimeng, he had made almost zero public appearances. If he truly cared about his title, he would seek out Lu Changfeng for a duel.
Otherwise, Lu Changfeng would hold the title of Jiangnan Prefecture’s number one Blood Forging Realm Swordsman for a long time.
This could also be considered a tactic by the Thousand Knowledge Sect—as observers of the Martial Arts Realm—to stir up trouble for its own entertainment.
The Thousand Knowledge Sect wasn’t afraid of things getting out of hand; they were only afraid of the Martial Arts Realm having no news.
’"Including me, there are only thirteen Blood Forging Realm Martial Artists on the Hidden Dragon List. This means I’m ranked third among them."’
Lu Changfeng looked at the two people ranked above him. Neither of them was from Jiangnan Prefecture.
One was a Young Prince from the Capital Region, and the other was a monk from the Northwest.
They were too far away, so after a brief glance, Lu Changfeng automatically dismissed them.
’Now, I just have to wait for news from the Taizhen Martial Arts Hall. When my replication Talent refreshes, I’ll copy his Bloodline Talent. I wonder how Sikong Jue is doing.’
’Or perhaps I should pay him a visit myself?’
As Lu Changfeng was pondering, he heard a commotion from the training grounds outside the Martial Arts Hall.
After Lu Changfeng’s battle, the Changle Martial Arts Hall’s popularity had reached another peak.
The last time, it was those who loved practicing the sword who came to seek apprenticeship.
This time, even some Martial Artists who originally had no interest in sword practice were coming to become disciples.
This forced Lu Changfeng to raise the Root Bone and Talent requirements for admission yet again.
Taking advantage of his free time, Lu Changfeng went to the training grounds to guide a few disciples in their cultivation.
The disciples were all progressing quickly. Although the Storm Body Forging Sword Skill was only an evolution of the first two layers of the Fengtian Forging Body Saber Skill, its grade was indeed that of a top-tier Blood Forging Realm Body Forging Technique, and its body-forging effects were extraordinary.
Just like that, a fulfilling day quickly passed.
「That night.」
Lu Changfeng was in the backyard, practicing a newly acquired Swordsmanship technique with his Autumn Water Sword.
This Swordsmanship manual, which Chunzhu had spent five taels of silver on, was of a very low grade, so his progress in cultivating it was extremely fast.
An outsider would probably be surprised to see Lu Changfeng practicing such a low-level Swordsmanship technique.
Only Lu Changfeng knew that after mastering it to Perfection and devouring it, he would gain at least three months of Lifespan and a 0.1% increase in his sword strike power.
Suddenly, a black shadow flitted over the wall.
THUD.
A figure landed on the ground.
Lu Changfeng sheathed his sword and looked up. It was Zhao Xingtian, his face pale and a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
"What happened to you? A dignified Martial Sect of the Bone Refining Realm, beaten up by someone?" Lu Changfeng asked.
Just as Zhao Xingtian was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed.
Three more black shadows vaulted over the courtyard wall and landed inside.
Lu Changfeng was getting annoyed. "Hey, hey, hey! What do you think my Martial Arts Hall is? Can’t you use the front gate instead of climbing the walls?"
The three shadows were three middle-aged men. Their Root Bone was extraordinary. The leader was Middle A Class, and the other two were Lower A Class. None of them had any Talents.
They wore identical uniforms. Lu Changfeng took a closer look, and a memory of a newspaper article surfaced.
These seemed to be the uniforms of the Taihong Association, one of Jiangnan Prefecture’s Ten Great Sects.
The Taihong Association was a Sect with religious overtones. From the moment they joined, all disciples worshipped ’Taihong’ as their Main God, and they were always prepared to sacrifice themselves for Him.
According to the Taihong Association’s doctrine, Taihong was the Main God. He created everything, and by believing in Taihong, one could enter the Taihong Realm after death and become a Divine Servant.
Therefore, most Taihong Association disciples did not fear death.
Taihong Association disciples were divided into seven colors. The Low Tier disciples wore single-colored robes, Tier Two disciples wore two-toned robes, and so on.
These three Taihong Association disciples all wore six colors. They were the Association’s top-tier Six-colored Disciples. No wonder Zhao Xingtian, a Bone Forging Realm cultivator, had been pursued and injured.
At this moment, the three members of the Taihong Association scanned their surroundings. Their gazes lingered on Lu Changfeng, and they recognized both him and the location.
It was no surprise they recognized Lu Changfeng, as he was the top headline of the day.
Lu Changfeng had been on the front page of every major newspaper. His face was printed on paper and seared into the minds of everyone in the Martial Arts Realm.
"So, it’s the number one Swordsman of the Blood Forging Realm, Master Lu."
"We are disciples of the Taihong Association. My name is Hong Liang, and these are my junior brothers," Hong Liang said, cupping his hands in introduction.
Then Hong Liang continued, "Entering your Martial Arts Hall in such an unconventional manner and disturbing you, Master Lu, was truly a last resort. We hope you can forgive the intrusion."
"We did this only to pursue that scoundrel!"
Hong Liang pointed at Zhao Xingtian, his face filled with killing intent as he spoke.