Huang Rong from The Return of the Condor Heroes: Guo'er, calm down.

The wind howled through the woods, and the leaves rustled in the breeze.

Yang Guo leaned on the wooden stick, his chest heaving violently. The battle just now, though seemingly glorious, had actually exhausted most of his energy. Of the pure internal energy he had accumulated over sixteen years, seventy or eighty percent was now gone.

The group of chivalrous heroes were beaten so badly they fled in terror, and the forest fell silent for a moment.

Just then, a burst of applause suddenly rang out.

"Very good, very good. I have truly seen something new today. Our Quanzhen Sect has actually produced such a 'hero'."

The voice was eerie and sent chills down one's spine.

Yang Guo's heart skipped a beat, and he looked in the direction of the sound.

The bushes behind the hill were parted, and two figures emerged. The one in the lead wore a dark blue Taoist robe, carried a long sword, and had a gaunt face, but his triangular eyes gleamed with undisguised jealousy.

It was Zhao Zhijing.

Following behind him was the fat pig Lu Qingdu, whose face was full of schadenfreude.

"Oh, isn't this Uncle-Master Zhao?" Yang Guo suppressed his surging anger and put on a playful smile. "What brings you to this desolate wilderness? Is the food at the Quanzhen Sect too bland, and you'd like to hunt some wild game to satisfy your craving?"

Zhao Zhijing's face darkened, and he coldly snorted, "Shut up! You wretched child, your mouth is full of filth and foul language, where is the slightest semblance of a Quanzhen disciple!"

He walked slowly down the slope, clearly gathering his strength.

"The sect leader punished you by ordering you to reflect on your actions in the back mountain, but instead you went and started fighting and causing chaos in front of the forbidden area! Do you even respect the sect rules?"

Zhao Zhijing's accusation was righteous and forceful.

Yang Guo, however, scoffed at it.

He glanced sideways at Zhao Zhijing, "Uncle-Master, that's a very nice thing to say. I think you're just jealous, aren't you?"

"Envious?" Zhao Zhijing paused in his steps.

"Isn't that right?" Yang Guo pointed to the ancient tomb behind him. "Rumors are circulating in the martial arts world that this tomb is filled with mountains of gold and silver, and there's even a fairy maiden holding a martial arts contest to find a husband. You, sir, have been tempted by worldly desires!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding martial arts practitioners burst into laughter.

"So even the Taoist priests of the Quanzhen Sect want to get married!"

"No wonder, it's said that celestial maidens live in that ancient tomb, who wouldn't want to see it for themselves?"

Zhao Zhijing's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver. Although he was narrow-minded, he valued his reputation highly, and how could he possibly bear being ridiculed by Yang Guo in public?

"presumptuous!"

Zhao Zhijing shouted angrily, "You spew filthy language and disgrace your sect! If I don't teach you a lesson today on behalf of the sect leader, what face will my Quanzhen Sect have left!"

"If you want to take action, just say so. Why make excuses?"

Yang Guo curled his lip, his face full of disdain, "Wanting to be a prostitute while also wanting to maintain a virtuous image? Aren't you tired?"

"presumptuous!"

Zhao Zhijing was enraged by this humiliation, and his eyes revealed murderous intent.

"Clang!"

The longsword was drawn, its cold light gleaming, the tip pointing directly at Yang Guo's brow.

"You little beast, today I'll cripple your martial arts and take you back to Chongyang Palace to be punished!"

This sword strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless.

They showed no mercy; they were clearly aiming to kill.

Yang Guo's pupils contracted slightly.

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent. Although Zhao Zhijing is a despicable person, he does possess some genuine skill. This move, "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun," is a refined killing technique from the Quanzhen Swordplay. Its power is concentrated and does not dissipate, clearly the result of decades of honing his skills.

If Yang Guo were at his peak, he might have been able to put up a fight against him.

But at this moment...

Yang Guo used the "Snake-like Leap" footwork, his body sliding strangely to the left, barely dodging the sword.

"laugh!"

The sword's edge sliced ​​through the air, severing a strand of hair from Yang Guo's shoulder.

so close!

Yang Guo broke out in a cold sweat. The little internal energy he had left had been reduced by another fraction in that flash.

"Run? Let's see where you can run to!"

Zhao Zhijing missed his move, then flicked his wrist and swept his longsword horizontally.

"Sweep through the enemy ranks!"

The sword energy was as cold as frost, blocking all of Yang Guo's escape routes.

With nowhere to hide, Yang Guo could only raise the wooden stick in his hand to meet the enemy.

"Complete!"

He silently recited the sword intent on the stone tablet.

He drew circles with the wooden stick, attempting to deflect the force from the opponent's sword.

Upon contact, Yang Guo felt a sharp pain in his tiger's mouth. The immense force surged through his arm and into his internal organs, causing his blood and qi to churn, and he involuntarily took three steps back.

"That old bastard's internal strength is indeed profound!"

Yang Guo cursed inwardly.

As a third-generation head disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, his decades of training had not been in vain. Although he had taken the Nine-Turn Life-Reversing Pill and was blessed with the Yi Jin Jing and Bone-Forging Manual, he was still at his wit's end and ultimately suffered a loss.

When Zhao Zhijing saw Yang Guo being forced back, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes.

"So he's all show and no substance! Where did all that bravado go?"

He figured it out.

Although Yang Guo's moves were exquisite and even contained a profound mystery that Yang Guo couldn't understand, his internal energy was weak, indicating that he had consumed too much energy.

While you are sick, I will kill you!

Zhao Zhijing pressed his advantage relentlessly, wielding his longsword with impenetrable speed, each move faster than the last.

Spring returns to the earth!

"Carefully savor the Big Dipper!"

"The God of War is hanging upside down!"

The Quanzhen Swordplay unleashed a series of deadly moves, the sword light forming a net that firmly enveloped Yang Guo.

Yang Guo was struggling to hold on. He could only rely on the "forbidden" and "earth" techniques he had learned from the stone tablet to barely keep going.

The wooden stick in his hand became a series of afterimages, each time blocking Zhao Zhijing's fatal blow at the last second.

But this wooden stick is, after all, just an ordinary object.

In just over ten moves, the wooden stick had been shaved into a pitted and uneven shape and shortened considerably.

"Yang Guo, surrender! Out of consideration for our shared sect, I'll spare your life!"

Zhao Zhijing grinned maliciously, his long sword attack becoming even more frantic.

Yang Guo gritted his teeth and remained silent.

He was waiting for an opportunity.

Although Zhao Zhijing was using the Quanzhen Swordplay, it was a version that Wang Chongyang had modified and simplified before passing it on to the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. While the moves were disciplined and rigorous, they lacked some of the agility and domineering spirit.

What Yang Guo learned was the Chongyang Swordplay, which Wang Chongyang perfected in his later years. Each move contained profound meaning and pointed directly to the origin of martial arts.

In terms of fighting style, Yang Guo was the clear winner.

The reason for the loss was insufficient internal strength.

If he were to fight head-on, he would surely die.

The only way to win is through surprise.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than thirty moves.

Yang Guo's Taoist robe was torn in several places, and blood stained the hem. His movements became slower and slower, and it seemed that even lifting the wooden stick was becoming difficult.

"Now!"

A sharp glint appeared in Zhao Zhijing's eyes.

He spotted a weakness in Yang Guo's unsteady steps and thrust his longsword straight at Yang Guo's heart.

He used all his strength in that sword strike.

I'm determined to pierce this little beast's heart with a single sword strike!

However, just as the sword tip was about to touch his clothes, Yang Guo, who was about to stagger and fall, suddenly curled up the corner of his mouth.

His seemingly unsteady steps were actually a ploy to lure the enemy!

Yang Guo suddenly ducked, like a snake emerging from its hole, advancing instead of retreating, and crashed directly into Zhao Zhijing's arms.

He had long since discarded the broken wooden stick in his hand.

He raised his right index finger.

Purple mist wafted from her fingertips.

That single finger gesture contained all the remaining internal energy within his body.

One-Finger Divine Skill!

Seventh-grade finger strength, explosive power!

Target – Zhao Zhijing's "Shanzhong" acupoint on his chest!

The turn of events happened so fast that those watching from the sidelines didn't even have time to react.

"Go to hell!"

Yang Guo's eyes revealed a murderous intent.

"If you want to kill me, then you won't live either!"

At such close range, if hit, Zhao Zhijing would be crippled even if he didn't die!

however.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch Zhao Zhijing's Taoist robe.

Yang Guo saw a hint of mockery flash in Zhao Zhijing's eyes.