Chapter 686: One Tael of Silver and a Map!

"One tael of silver, just one tael of silver."

"If anyone offers a tael of silver, I will sell this map to him."

The old man's voice echoed in the crowd, but most people just looked at him with suspicion and whispered, seeming to think that this was just a trick to get money.

Luo Chen saw a hint of determination in the old man's eyes. He believed that the old man was not lying. At least the old man believed every word he said.

Luochen stepped forward, squeezed out of the crowd, and said to the old man: "Old man, let me see that map."

The old man raised his head, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He seemed not to have expected that anyone would actually be interested in his map.

He carefully handed the worn map to Luochen.

Luochen took the map and observed it carefully.

The map was painted with intricate lines and symbols that seemed to point to a distant place.

He could feel some ancient power remaining on the map, which made him even more convinced that it was no ordinary forgery.

"One tael of silver, young master, if you really want it, just one tael of silver."

the old man repeated.

Luochen took out a tael of silver from his pocket, handed it to the old man, and then put the map away.

The old man took the money with a grateful smile on his face. He seemed surprised by Luo Chen's trust.

"Sir, you are such a good person. I guarantee this map is anything but ordinary."

The old man whispered.

Luochen smiled slightly, turned and left the crowd without saying anything.

He decided to find a quiet place and study the map carefully to see if he could discover its secrets.

Returning to his residence, Luo Chen spread out the map and began to study it carefully.

He found that some symbols on the map were similar to symbols he had seen in some ancient books before, which made him even more convinced that there were unknown secrets hidden behind the map.

After some deliberation, Luo Chen finally deciphered some key information on the map.

The location marked on the map turned out to be an ancient ruins outside Beihong City.

It is said that there is powerful power hidden in the ruins, but there are also countless dangers.

Luochen decided to go to the ruins in person to find out.

He packed his bags and prepared the necessary equipment, and then quietly left Beihong City under the cover of night.

After several days of trekking, Luochen finally arrived at the location marked on the map.

It was a deserted valley surrounded by dense forests.

In the center of the valley, stands an ancient stone gate, engraved with traces of time.

Luo Chen approached the stone gate cautiously. He could feel the powerful energy fluctuations behind the stone gate.

He tried to push the stone door, but found that it did not move at all.

Luo Chen knew that this stone door required some special method to open.

He looked at the map again and found that there seemed to be some clues hidden on the back of the map.

Luochen turned the map over and studied the pattern on the back carefully.

After some attempts, he finally found a way to open the stone door.

Luochen followed the instructions on the map and touched the specific symbols in order on the corresponding positions on the stone gate.

With the touch of the last symbol, the stone door made a heavy roar and slowly opened.

Luo Chen took a deep breath and stepped into the stone door.

Behind the door is a long passage, and at the end of the passage is a spacious stone room.

In the center of the stone chamber, there is an ancient sarcophagus, and various strange treasures are scattered around the sarcophagus.

Luochen approached the sarcophagus and found a line of ancient writing engraved on it.

He looked carefully and found that it was a warning.

[The pursuit of power often leads to sinking into it and becoming a slave to it! ! ! 】

Luo Chen was shocked, he understood the meaning of this line of text.

The pursuit of power is the dream of every warrior and practitioner, but power itself is a double-edged sword. It can bring glory and protection, but it can also bring destruction and degradation.

Luo Chen thought for a moment and decided not to touch the treasures in the sarcophagus easily, so as not to fall into the temptation of power.

He looked around and noticed that the walls of the stone chamber were carved with complex patterns and symbols that seemed to tell an ancient story.

Luochen observed carefully and found that these patterns depicted the life of an ancient strong man, from his struggle in his youth, to his final gain of power, to his destruction because of his power.

Luochen realized that this stone room was not only a place to hide treasures, but also a place of warning.

It reminds everyone who enters here that power needs to be treated with caution, otherwise it will bring disaster.

In the corner of the stone room, Luo Chen found a shabby book. The pages were yellowed, but the words on it were still clear.

He carefully opened the pages and found that it was a book about the cultivation experiences of ancient strong men.

The book not only records the methods of cultivation, but also provides a profound understanding and warning of power.

Luo Chen felt like he had found a treasure, and he decided to take the book back and study it carefully.

He believed that by learning from the ancient powerhouse's experiences, he could better master his own power and avoid the same path of destruction.

Before leaving the stone room, Luo Chen looked around again to make sure that no important clues were missed.

He knew in his heart that this expedition was not only for treasure hunting, but also for learning and growth.

Luo Chen walked out of the stone door, and the night was already dark. He looked up at the stars, his heart filled with thoughts about the future.

He knew he still had a lot to learn and a lot to overcome.

But no matter what, he would stick to his path and keep moving forward.

After returning to Beihong City, Luo Chen began to study the ancient book with great concentration.

He found that the cultivation method in the book was different from what he had learned, but it seemed to complement his practice.

He began to try to practice according to the method in the book. Gradually, he felt that his strength was steadily improving, and at the same time, he became more adept at controlling his strength.

As time went by, Luo Chen became stronger and stronger.

Until, a month later.

Luo Chen finally ended this retreat.

......

In a remote courtyard.

On an open space.

At this time, Luo Chen stood silently, with a strong and somewhat violent aura on his body.

From his mouth, he kept spitting out bursts of turbid breath.

"After a month of seclusion, my strength has improved a lot."

"But the speed of improvement seems a bit too fast..."

Luo Chen thought to himself. He clearly felt that the power in his body was surging like a river, but the rapid growth of this power also made him feel a little uneasy.

He knew that the path of cultivation should not be quick and easy, otherwise it would be easy to go astray and even lead to physical and mental collapse.

In order to stabilize his cultivation, Luo Chen decided to stop practicing temporarily and turn to introspection and breathing.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to guide the breath in his body to flow slowly according to the methods recorded in ancient books.

As the breath flowed, he felt a stream of warm currents circulating in his body, gradually calming the violent power.

In the following days, in addition to daily practice, Luo Chen also began to study the contents of the ancient book in depth.

He found that the book not only contained methods of practice, but also many discussions on the philosophy of martial arts, which gave him a deeper understanding of martial arts.

One day, when Luo Chen was reading an ancient book, he suddenly found a passage that he had overlooked.

This passage describes a state called "heart and sword unity", which is a supreme state of perfect combination of mind and swordsmanship.

Luo Chen's heart moved, and he realized that this might be his next goal on the road of cultivation.

In order to achieve the state of "heart and sword unity", Luo Chen began to try to integrate the swordsmanship in ancient books with his own swordsmanship.

He swung the sword a thousand times a day, and every time he swung the sword, he tried to synchronize his heart and sword, and strived to achieve the state where the sword moved with the heart and the heart moved with the will.

Time passed like a white horse, and another month passed in a blink of an eye.

During this period, Luo Chen's swordsmanship has improved significantly. His sword moves are more accurate and more swift, and each sword contains his mind.

One day, Luo Chen was practicing sword in the courtyard, and suddenly, he felt an unprecedented inspiration surge in his heart.

He stopped the sword in his hand, closed his eyes, and began to simulate the sword moves in his mind.

At this moment, he seemed to be one with the sword, the sword was him, and he was the sword.

He opened his eyes and swung the sword again. The sword light was like water, the sword energy was like a rainbow, and the sword tip could break everything.

Luo Chen knew that he had touched the threshold of "heart and sword unity". His heart was full of joy, but at the same time he also understood that to truly reach this state, he needed more practice and understanding.

In the following days, Luo Chen continued to practice with concentration, his swordsmanship became more and more advanced, and his cultivation became deeper and deeper.

However, Luo Chen did not become proud and complacent because he knew that the road of cultivation had no end.

A true strong man grows up in constant challenges.

"I have been in seclusion for a long time, and it's almost time to go out and relax."

"It's not good to work behind closed doors."

Luo Chen thought so in his heart.

Then he left his small courtyard.

In this Beihong City, he wandered around casually.

First of all, Luo Chen naturally had to go to a restaurant and order a table of delicious food.

After all, he had been in seclusion for a long time, so he had to reward himself a little, right?

Luo Chen walked into the most famous "Zuixianlou" in Beihong City. Not only is the food delicious, but the environment is elegant. It is a place frequented by dignitaries and people from all walks of life in the city.

He found a seat by the window and sat down, ordering a few signature dishes and a pot of fine aged wine.

The restaurant was bustling with people of all kinds. Luo Chen tasted the wine and food while paying attention to his surroundings.

He noticed that in a corner of the restaurant were several warriors in gorgeous clothes, who were talking in a low voice, as if discussing something important.

Luo Chen's ears moved slightly. Although he didn't want to eavesdrop, the warrior's keen perception made him involuntarily capture some fragments.

It turned out that they were talking about a martial arts conference to be held in Beihong City. It is said that this conference will be attended by masters from all over the world, which is a rare opportunity for communication and exchange.

Luo Chen's heart moved, and he realized that this might be a good opportunity to test the results of his practice.

He decided to participate in this martial arts conference, not only to communicate with other masters, but also to take this opportunity to hone his swordsmanship.

After eating and drinking, Luo Chen left Zuixianlou and began to ask around in the city for specific information about the martial arts conference.

After some inquiries, he learned that the conference would be held in three days at the fighting arena in Beihong City.

In the next three days, Luo Chen did not practice in seclusion, but began to adjust his state to ensure that he could perform at his best in the martial arts conference.

He began to practice some new sword techniques, and at the same time repeatedly simulated the scenes of fighting with different opponents in his mind.

Finally, the day of the martial arts conference arrived.

Luo Chen came to the martial arts arena early, and saw that it was already crowded with people, and the audience seats were full of spectators from all directions.

In the center of the martial arts arena was a huge arena, with colorful flags hanging around, and the atmosphere was warm and tense.

In my ears, the chatter of the people was constantly ringing.

"Brother, you said that the martial arts conference, who will be the final winner?"

"It's hard to say, Beihong City is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and heroes from all walks of life gather together. Anyone may stand out."

"I heard that there is a mysterious swordsman recently, whose swordsmanship is superb and no one can defeat him."

"Oh? Then I want to see if he is really as powerful as the legend says."

Luo Chen listened to the discussions of the people around him and smiled secretly in his heart.

He didn't care about these reputations. For him, there was only one purpose for participating in the martial arts competition, which was to improve himself through actual combat.

With the sound of a gong, the martial arts competition officially began.

The contestants walked onto the stage one by one, showing their martial arts.

Luo Chen stood quietly in the crowd, observing the moves and styles of each opponent, and silently memorized them in his heart.

Finally, it was Luo Chen's turn to play.

He walked slowly towards the stage, and every step seemed steady and powerful.

His opponent was a burly man holding a huge axe, who looked extremely powerful.

"Boy, I advise you to admit defeat as soon as possible to avoid getting hurt."

The man said contemptuously.

Luo Chen smiled slightly, did not answer, but drew his sword.

The sword flashed, and the cold air was pressing.

As soon as the gong sounded, the man rushed over waving the huge axe, with great momentum.

Luo Chen seemed calm and unhurried. He dodged the opponent's attack easily with a flick of his body. At the same time, the sword in his hand was like a swimming dragon, drawing exquisite trajectories.

The audience watched intently. They had never seen such exquisite swordsmanship.

Luo Chen's swordsmanship was not only as fast as lightning, but each sword contained unfathomable power, as if it could penetrate all defenses.

After several rounds, the man was already panting, but Luo Chen was still calm.

Finally, after an exquisite sword move, Luo Chen's sword tip gently touched the man's chest, and the winner was decided.

Thunderous applause and cheers broke out in the audience.

Luo Chen nodded slightly and walked off the ring.

He was not proud of his victory, but was more focused on the next game.

Soon, a mysterious man wrapped in black cloth on the field attracted his attention.