Chapter 13

Lu Fan replied, "Brother Carving is raised by a senior master, and he is quite human-like. I and he are just friends. He is currently at the foot of the mountain. I was afraid he might scare the other disciples, so I didn't bring him up."

"Oh?" Wang Chuyi waved his hand and said, "Since he is Fan'er's friend, how can we of Quanzhen treat him with indifference? Go and invite him up!"

"Thank you, Master!" Lu Fan bowed and retreated.

...

Everyone in Quanzhen marveled at the magnificent great eagle. The divine eagle stood tall, its head held high, and it made cooing sounds, looking quite proud. No matter how Lu Fan tried to pull it, it wouldn't budge.

Deciding to ignore the silly eagle, Lu Fan hurried towards the ancient tomb. Thinking about soon seeing the person he had been missing day and night, his heart was filled with excitement.

"Miss Long!" Over the past year, he had matured a lot and was no longer the naive young man he once was. He wouldn't hesitate to speak up at the entrance of the ancient tomb as he did before. Now, he only wanted to bring his joy and longing to her.

"Watch out for the sword!" A cold, sharp light shot out from the ancient tomb. Xiao Longnü thought, "Over the past year, I have diligently practiced the Jade Maiden Sword Technique and sparred with my senior sister many times. Even the simplified version of the Jade Maiden Sword Technique, I can now use with great proficiency. I believe I can outperform him this time."

Lu Fan did not draw his sword but used the hilt to tap the spine of the incoming sword, causing it to miss.

Seeing that this move was ineffective, Xiao Longnü did not lose heart. She slashed diagonally, using the "Eyebrow Drawing with a Brush" technique from the Jade Maiden Sword Technique.

Lu Fan turned his long sword and thrust it towards his shoulder, blocking the attack. Xiao Longnü pulled back her sword and attacked again with the "Cold Moon Peering at a Person" technique, which made the long sword vibrate, covering the enemy's upper body and aiming to stab the abdomen during a moment of defense.

Lu Fan stood in front of the sword, seemingly oblivious to the dazzling sword techniques. Suddenly, he saw Xiao Longnü's forearm tremble, and he immediately placed the scabbard in front of his abdomen, blocking her attack perfectly.

Xiao Longnü used dozens of moves, but each time it was as if she was deliberately colliding her sword with Lu Fan's scabbard. It was bizarre, and she realized that the sword skills of this Taoist in front of her far exceeded her own. She stopped and stood there, looking somewhat troubled.

Lu Fan, however, looked at the incomparably beautiful figure in front of him, his heart racing like a galloping horse. He even had an impulse to hug her.

"You're back." Her voice was still as elegant and refined as ever, but it carried a hint of melancholy, likely due to the recent blow from Lu Fan.

Xiao Longnü's cold voice was like a rein, instantly pulling Lu Fan's galloping heart to a stop. A thousand words turned into a simple, calm response, "Yes, I'm back."

The gloom on Xiao Longnü's face quickly dissipated, like clouds parting to reveal a clear sky. She smiled, and this was the first time he had seen her smile. Her smile was like a flower, and in the bleak autumn wind, it was exceptionally beautiful, making him momentarily lost in admiration.

This was the first time a man had looked at her in such a way, and her face turned a light shade of red, adding to her beauty.

After a long while, Lu Fan finally managed to say his second sentence, "You... have you been well?"

"Yes, and you?" Xiao Longnü asked curiously, "What move did you use just now? It was very powerful. Can you tell me about it?"

"Sure!" At this, Lu Fan finally opened up, recounting his adventures and experiences along the way, like spilling a bag of beans. Of course, he modified many details, such as learning the Nine Yang Divine Skill at Shaolin, which he changed to reading scriptures and accidentally obtaining the skill, and finding the tomb of Dugu Qiubai in the mountains, which he changed to wandering in the mountains near Xiangyang and encountering a great eagle.

Xiao Longnü listened quietly, occasionally smiling at the interesting parts. She never imagined that the person in front of her had so many extraordinary experiences and adventures over the past year, and she began to feel a bit of longing for the outside world.

That day might have been the happiest day Lu Fan had spent in this world. He didn't want to leave until the sun set, and he reluctantly escorted Xiao Longnü back to the ancient tomb.

"Is this the man who has been making the young lady so distracted for the past year?" At the entrance of the ancient tomb, Old Lady Sun, dressed in gray, muttered, "I thought this person would be some kind of superhuman, but he doesn't seem anything special."

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Lu Fan checked the system time and realized that the plot of the Divine Carving world would begin in just over half a year. Regarding Xiao Longnü, Lu Fan felt that he couldn't rush things. As a lay disciple, he no longer needed to live at Chongyang Palace, so he moved out and built a small wooden house next to the ancient tomb. When he had free time, he would invite the goddess out to chat and practice sword techniques. Although Lu Fan hadn't even held her hand, it was a significant step forward from a traditional perspective.

Time flew by, and soon it was time for the plot of the Divine Carving world to begin.

One day, there was a significant disturbance in the mountains.

"Has he arrived?" Lu Fan knew that Li Mochou had already spread rumors in the martial world. Thinking about the purpose of everyone's visit to Zhongnan, a cold smile appeared on his face.

At the foot of the mountain, a middle-aged man dressed like a farmer was leading a very clever child towards the entrance of Zhongnan Mountain.

In front of them were two middle-aged Taoists, walking quickly and constantly looking back.

The middle-aged farmer called out, "Taoist brothers, please stop. I have a question." His voice was loud, and it could be heard far and wide, but the two Taoists did not stop; instead, they walked even faster.

This man was Guo Jing. On their way from Peach Blossom Island to Zhongnan, they had to cross the Yellow River and enter Shaanxi. At that time, the Jin Dynasty had been conquered by the Mongols, and the area north of the Yellow River was under Mongol control. Guo Jing, who had been a general in the Mongol army in his youth, feared encountering old comrades and causing trouble, so he changed into old clothes and dressed like a farmer. Yang Guo also wore a rough coat and wrapped his head with a blue cloth.

The two Taoists were Quanzhen disciples. Seeing Guo Jing's appearance and his high martial arts skills, they suspected him of being a spy trying to harm Xiao Longnü. Quanzhen and the ancient tomb had a deep connection, and Wang Chuyi's talented disciple, the leader Ma Yu, also placed great importance on him. The gentlemanly Lu Fan had feelings for Xiao Longnü, which was a well-known fact among the Quanzhen disciples. If this matter succeeded, it would greatly help to mend the rift between Quanzhen and the ancient tomb, so the seven disciples were all in favor of it. Therefore, Quanzhen would not allow any spies to cause trouble on the mountain.

However, Guo Jing, being new to the area, was unaware of this. Seeing the two Taoists not responding, he thought, "Are these two deaf?" He increased his speed, leaped over them, and turned to face them, saying, "Taoist brothers, please." He bowed and greeted them.

The two Taoists, seeing his swift movements, looked alarmed. When he bowed, they thought he was going to use internal energy to attack them and quickly moved to the sides, asking in unison, "What do you want?" Guo Jing said, "Are you Taoist brothers from Chongyang Palace on Zhongnan Mountain?" The thin Taoist, with a stern face, replied, "So what if we are?" Guo Jing said, "I am an old friend of Master Qiu, the True Man of Changchun, and I wish to visit him. Could you please guide me?"

The other short Taoist sneered, "If you have the guts, go up yourself. Move out of the way!" He suddenly swung his palm, which was surprisingly fast. Guo Jing had to step to the right to avoid it. Unexpectedly, the thin Taoist and the short Taoist had practiced their martial arts in perfect harmony, attacking from both sides and trapping Guo Jing in the middle. These two moves were called the "Great Gate Closing Style," a high-level technique of Quanzhen martial arts. How could Guo Jing not recognize them? Seeing that the two Taoists used such heavy-handed techniques without any reason, he was stunned and didn't know what misunderstanding had occurred. He neither deflected nor dodged, and heard two thuds as the two Taoists' palms hit his sides.

Guo Jing, after being hit by the two palms, knew the depth of their martial arts. He thought that based on their skills, they were indeed disciples of the Seven Quanzhen, making them his peers. When their palms hit him, he had already gathered his internal energy to resist, but he controlled it just right, so he was not injured, and he did not counterattack to make their palms hurt and swell. He simply took the hits as if nothing had happened.

The two Taoists, after practicing for over a decade, were shocked that their powerful moves had no effect on the opponent. They immediately whistled and leaped up, kicking at Guo Jing's chest with both feet. Guo Jing was puzzled, "Quanzhen disciples are all virtuous and kind. Why are their disciples so unreasonable and attack without cause?" Seeing them use the "Butterfly Kicking" technique, he remained calm and did not react. He heard several thuds, and his chest was left with several dusty footprints.

Each of the two Taoists kicked six times, and their feet felt as if they were kicking a sandbag, soft and comfortable. Seeing that the opponent was calm and unharmed, they were even more astonished, thinking, "This guy is so formidable? Even our masters and grandmasters don't have such skills." Looking at Guo Jing closely, they saw a man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, dressed in rough clothes, looking like an ordinary farmer, with no unusual features. They were speechless and stood there, unable to move.

Yang Guo, seeing the two Taoists hitting and kicking Guo Jing, who did not retaliate, was angry and shouted, "You two stinky Taoists, why are you hitting my uncle?" Guo Jing quickly stopped him, saying, "Guo'er, be quiet, come and greet the two Taoist masters." Yang Guo was stunned, thinking, "Why should Uncle Guo fear them?"

The two Taoists looked at each other, drew their swords, and the short Taoist used the "Dragon Slaying in the Sea" technique, aiming at Guo Jing's lower body, while the other used the "Gale Sweeping the Leaves" technique, aiming at Yang Guo's right leg.

Guo Jing paid no attention to the sword aimed at him but was annoyed by the thin Taoist's ruthless move, thinking, "This child has no grudge against you. Why are you so cruel? This move could sever his right leg." He slightly turned his body, placed the edge of his left palm on the hilt of the short Taoist's sword, and used the "Pushing the Boat with the Current" technique to gently push it to the left. The short Taoist's sword involuntarily turned, and with a clang, it intersected with the thin Taoist's sword, blocking his move. This technique of using the enemy's weapon against them was derived from the "Empty Hand Against a Blade" skill. Even if there were ten or eight people attacking, he could use the enemy's weapons to counter them, turning the tide with fewer numbers.

Both Taoists felt their wrists tingle and their palms hurt. They immediately leaped back, staring at Guo Jing with anger and admiration. They whistled and attacked again with their swords.

Guo Jing thought, "This is the foundation of the Heavenly Gang Dipper Formation. Although it is a high-level sword technique, you are only two, and your skills are not fully developed. What use is it?" Worried that Yang Guo might be hit by their swords, he sidestepped, picked up Yang Guo with his right hand, and said, "I am an old friend of Master Qiu. There's no need to play around." The thin Taoist said, "Pretending to be an old friend of Master Ma won't work." Guo Jing said, "Master Ma did indeed teach me some skills." The short Taoist angrily said, "You're lying. You're just trying to mock us. Even our ancestor, Master Chongyang, couldn't have taught you." He thrust his sword at Guo Jing's chest.

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