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

Behind the ancient tomb, in front of the forbidden stone tablet.

Yang Guo let out a long breath, leaned against the tree trunk, and touched his still throbbing eye sockets.

A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

He sighed and then turned his gaze to the stone tablet.

Yesterday's use of the word "complete" gave him a taste of success. It wasn't just a single word; it represented the starting stance of an exquisite sword technique.

Although I haven't fully grasped it yet, I've at least gotten to the basics.

Moreover, I was only just able to copy the character "真" last time.

"Two more today."

Yang Guo rubbed his hands together and walked to the stone tablet.

Having learned from yesterday's experience, he no longer blindly resorted to brute force.

He channeled the internal energy of the Eighth Grade One Yang Finger, his fingertips warm, and gently probed into the second word—"True".

Although this character has many strokes, its structure is compact.

As his fingertips traced the grooves, the image of a Taoist priest gradually appeared in Yang Guo's mind.

The Taoist priest held a long sword, his figure elusive.

The upper part of the character "真" (zhen) represents the light and agile movement of a sword, like a gazelle hanging its horns, leaving no trace.

The two points in the lower half, however, are as stable as a rock, like a heavy sword without an edge.

The combination of reality and illusion makes it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

"What a magnificent Quanzhen sword technique!"

Yang Guo secretly praised him.

Wang Chongyang truly deserves to be called a grandmaster, as he was able to integrate the meaning of "truth" into his swordsmanship. By eliminating falsehood and retaining truth, his sword moves, though flashy, concealed their deadly strikes in the simplest and most unadorned thrust.

Yang Guo followed suit, using his fingers as a sword and making gestures in the air.

Once, twice, ten times...

He learns very quickly.

After all, with the Yi Jin Duan Gu chapter of the Nine Yin Manual as a foundation, plus ten years of internal energy, his physical coordination and memory far surpassed those of ordinary people.

In less than two hours, he had already learned most of the basic structure of the character "真" (zhen).

Next comes the third word – “ban”.

The word carries a chilling aura.

The word "示" (shì) in the forest (木) means to warn or to stop.

The sword intent within these words is entirely about defense and counter-attack.

Immovable as a mountain, yet capable of unleashing a thunderous roar.

Yang Guo was so engrossed in the thrill of practicing swordsmanship that time flew by.

He only stopped when the sun began to set and his stomach started to protest again.

Looking at the messy marks he had made on the ground, Yang Guo frowned.

Something's not right.

He picked up a tree branch, casually twirled it, and thrust it at the large tree next to him.

"puff."

The branch penetrated deep into the wood.

Its power is considerable.

But he always felt that something was missing.

"Similar in form but not in spirit."

Yang Guo sighed and threw away the branch.

What he touched on the stone tablet was the "meaning" left by Wang Chongyang.

But what he developed on his own was only the "form".

It's like an uneducated brute trying to copy the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion from a calligraphy model. The basic structure of the characters might be decent, and the strokes might even look somewhat professional, but the scholarly spirit and elegance between the lines are something that can never be imitated.

"I've never formally studied swordsmanship."

Yang Guo quickly found the root of the problem.

On Peach Blossom Island, Huang Rong only taught him to read. At the Quanzhen Sect, Yin Zhiping never seriously taught him martial arts either.

His kung fu skills were all cobbled together from various sources and lacked any coherent system.

Toad Stance involves lying on the ground, One Finger Divine Skill uses the fingertips, and the Nine Yin Manual currently only teaches internal energy and lightness skills.

He was a complete novice when it came to swordsmanship.

To expect to create a masterpiece on a blank sheet of paper is a pipe dream.

"It seems that just touching isn't enough."

Yang Guo looked at the stone tablet with a sense of helplessness.

The stone tablet was like a peerless secret manual placed in front of him, but he was illiterate and could only interpret the pictures; he couldn't understand its essence at all.

"I need to find someone who knows swordsmanship to teach me, or... find a sparring partner?"

The image of Xiaolongnu flashed through Yang Guo's mind.

Sister Long is an expert with swords.

The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Sword Technique of the Ancient Tomb Sect is specifically designed to counter the Quanzhen Sword Technique.

If I could spar with Sister Long, I might be able to understand the sword intent on this stone tablet by analogy.

"But……"

Remembering how half-dead Xiaolongnu looked that morning, Yang Guo felt a little uneasy again.

If I go back to her now to practice swordsmanship, will she take it out on me and stab me to death?

……

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Yang Guo returned to the Ancient Tomb.

Upon entering the dining room, I saw that Little Dragon Girl was still sitting in the same spot as in the morning.

The posture hasn't changed at all.

The food on the table had long since gone cold, but she seemed not to see it, staring blankly at a point in the void.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the ventilation vents, bathing her in a golden glow.

It is extremely beautiful.

But it also exudes a sense of deathly stillness.

Yang Guo's heart sank.

This is way too serious!

Could it be that reading a pornographic book or having a wet dream somehow opened up some hidden energy channels, causing him to end up like this?

If this happened in later generations, it would definitely be considered severe depression!

"Sister Dragon?"

Yang Guo called out cautiously.

Little Dragon Girl's eyes moved, and she slowly turned her head.

His eyes were so empty that they made Yang Guo feel uneasy.

"You're back."

The voice was light and airy, as if it came from the horizon.

"Ah, you're back." Yang Guo rubbed his hands together and leaned closer. "Um... the food's gotten cold, should we ask Grandma to heat it up?"

Little Dragon Girl shook her head: "I'm not hungry."

After saying that, he turned his head away and stared blankly.

Yang Guo was now truly anxious.

Man is made of iron, food is made of steel; you'll get hungry if you skip a meal. If I ruin my health by starving myself, how will I be able to give him a healthy baby boy later?

Moreover, judging from her despondent appearance, she's probably stuck in a rut and can't get out.

"We need to find her something to do."

Yang Guo's mind raced.

People tend to overthink when they have free time. This is especially true for introverted girls like Xiaolongnu, who are naive and sensitive. Once they get caught up in certain emotions, it's hard for them to pull themselves out of it.

We need a big goal to divert her attention.

Practice your skills!

Yes, only practicing martial arts can pique her interest.

Moreover, it must be a very difficult and complex martial art that requires the cooperation of two people.

Yang Guo's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sly smile.

The opportunity has arrived!

He cleared his throat, casually walked to the table, and poured himself a glass of water.

"Ahem, Sister Long, there's something I've been afraid to tell you."

Little Dragon Girl did not react.

Undeterred, Yang Guo continued, "When I first came to the Ancient Tomb, wasn't I contemplating life in the coffin every day? I was terrified back then, and I was just groping around in that coffin."

Upon hearing the word "coffin," Xiaolongnu's eyelashes trembled.

That was something left behind by the Grandmaster, and it was of great significance to the Ancient Tomb Sect.

Seeing that there was a way, Yang Guo quickly intensified his efforts: "I originally thought there would be dead people's bones inside, but I didn't find any bones. Instead, I found rows of words."

Little Dragon Girl finally turned her head, her eyes now more focused: "Words?"

"Yes, it was carved on the coffin lid."

Yang Guo put down his cup and gestured to the name, "It's densely packed with incomprehensible scriptures. And the characters are extremely small; if I hadn't had my eyes pressed against the coffin lid at the time, I wouldn't have been able to see them at all."

"I remember the beginning said something like... 'Jade Maiden' or something about the 'Heart Sutra' or something like that."

"The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra?"