The Return of the Condor Heroes: Starting with a Suicide Note and Conquering All Realms

The sea breeze carried a salty, fishy smell. Guo Jing stood at the bow of the awning boat, directing two mute servants to carry dry rations and water.

Huang Rong carried a red lacquered wooden tray, walking along the bluestone slabs. On the tray was a white porcelain bowl, from which steam rose a dark brown medicinal soup.

Lin Yuan leaned against a seaweed-covered wooden post at the edge of the dock, coughing violently while covering his mouth.

There was no blood between his fingers, and Lin Yuan hunched his back low.

"Brother Lin," Huang Rong stopped three steps away, her voice calm, "this is a secret recipe from Peach Blossom Island to strengthen your constitution. Your health has been damaged, and the wind on the river is strong; drinking this will keep you warm."

Lin Yuan raised his head.

Lin Yuan looked at the bowl of medicine, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. This woman was truly ruthless; even before leaving, she added a potent dose to cut off any possibility of Lin Yuan's meridians recovering.

"Thank you... Madam Guo." Lin Yuan accepted the porcelain bowl with both hands, his wrists trembling slightly as a few drops of scalding medicine splashed onto the back of his pale hands.

Lin Yuan tilted his head back and swallowed hard. The bitter medicine slid down his esophagus into his stomach.

The chilling, poisonous energy instantly spread throughout the body.

Deep within his dantian, dark golden dragon blood awakened. The compressed inner flames of the Sovereign Flame instantly devoured the chilling aura. The intense heat quickly refined the poison, transforming it into nutrients that nourished Lin Yuan's entire body.

Lin Yuan shivered at the opportune moment. He put the empty bowl back on the wooden plate, wiped the medicine stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and lowered his eyes.

"Good medicine...it feels much warmer in my stomach now."

Huang Rong stared into Lin Yuan's eyes, her gaze sweeping down his neck and across his wrist. His pulse remained unchanged.

Huang Rong nodded slightly, withdrew her killing intent, and turned to walk towards Guo Jing.

Not far away, Yang Guo walked over carrying a bundle covered in patches.

Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen stood behind Guo Fu. Having been frightened by Guo Jing the night before, their sense of superiority resurfaced now that their master was facing away from them.

"You beggar, a stray dog," Wu Dunru muttered through gritted teeth, "Get out of here. Don't ever come back and sully Peach Blossom Island again."

Wu Xiuwen chimed in with a sneer, "Exactly. You're worthless, yet you drag us down with you. You'll suffer when you get to the Quanzhen Sect."

Yang Guo stopped in his tracks. He turned around and stared at Wu Dunru. Yang Guo didn't shout.

The footwork that Lin Yuan had taught him in the peach grove last night flashed through Yang Guo's mind.

"If you want to eat meat, you have to learn how to hide your teeth first."

Yang Guo took a half step forward with his right foot, and his foot naturally slid on the wet and slippery bluestone slab.

Yang Guo lost his balance, cried out in surprise, and fell to his right.

Seeing this, Wu Dunru wanted to back away and mock him.

Yang Guo's shoulder sank, and using the momentum of falling, he struck Wu Dunru's right arm on a vital acupoint.

"Ah!" Wu Dunru screamed in agony as his entire right arm went numb. Wu Dunru staggered, his left hand flailing in mid-air, grabbing Wu Xiuwen's sleeve.

The two lost their balance and tumbled off the edge of the dock. "Splash. Splash." With two muffled thuds, the two brothers crashed into the muddy shallows left by the receding tide.

Black mud covered their faces. Startled, several green crabs swung their pincers and crawled out of the mud, burrowing into Wu Xiuwen's collar, while shouts came from below.

Guo Jing turned around at the sound, his face grim: "What are you two doing?"

Wu Dunru, clutching his arm, struggled to his feet in the mud and pointed at Yang Guo on the bank, shouting, "Master! He bumped into me! He bumped into me on purpose!"

"I slipped." Yang Guo straightened up, slowly patted the dust off his trousers, and looked innocent. "Brother Wu, you're too weak. Even a sickly guy like me who doesn't know martial arts can knock you down. You'll have to practice your horse stance more in the future."

Guo Jing looked at his two disciples covered in mud, then glanced at Guo Fu, who looked disgusted.

The light in Guo Jing's eyes dimmed.

Guo Jing was disappointed in the three children.

"Get back and wash yourself clean. You shameful thing!" Guo Jing shouted, his voice weary.

The Wu brothers climbed ashore and fled to the island.

Yang Guo turned his head and met Lin Yuan's gaze from the shadows. Lin Yuan slightly raised his eyelids and nodded very little.

A smile appeared on Yang Guo's lips. Yang Guo strode onto the springboard.

The covered boat untied its moorings and sailed away from the dock.

As the wind and waves rose on the river, Peach Blossom Island gradually blurred in the mist, turning into a black dot.

Guo Jing stood at the bow of the boat, shielding himself from the river wind. He turned back to look at Yang Guo, who was sitting at the cabin entrance, and sighed.

"Guo'er, the Quanzhen Sect is the orthodox school of Taoism. Wang Chongyang's Innate Skill is renowned throughout the world, and the Seven Masters of Quanzhen are also famous heroes in the martial arts world," Guo Jing said. "When you arrive at Zhongnan Mountain, remember to restrain your temper and respect your teachers. As long as you are willing to endure hardship, you will definitely learn true skills. If your father had had a renowned teacher to guide him back then…"

Guo Jing paused, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't continue speaking.

Yang Guo nodded in agreement.

Yang Guo watched Guo Jing's retreating figure. He knew Uncle Guo was a good man, but in this world, even good people couldn't protect themselves. On this Peach Blossom Island, if Brother Lin hadn't been plotting, he would have been sunk to the bottom of the sea by the iron net long ago.

Yang Guo turned his head and looked at Lin Yuan, who was huddled in the shadows of the cabin. Brother Lin's meridians were completely destroyed, yet he was still struggling to survive despite his illness. Yang Guo clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh. Yang Guo vowed that once he arrived at the Quanzhen Sect, he would master martial arts. From then on, he would protect Brother Lin.

The lower deck was dimly lit.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on a pile of dry hay. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was long and deep.

In his mind, the tattered sheepskin scroll he had taken from Huang Rong's study was being deconstructed and unfolded by his Dragon Blood talent. Meridian diagrams and Bagua formations began to glow faintly in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Fragments of the Nine Yin Manual.

This martial art emphasizes the balance of Yin and Yang, and the way of Heaven is to reduce excess and supplement deficiency.

The dragon blood within Lin Yuan is domineering, and the essence of his sovereign flames is destruction and explosiveness. Without restraint, his body would be reduced to ashes. Lin Yuan needs a framework to tame this power.

Lin Yuan began to practice breathing exercises according to the principles of the Nine Yin Manual.

Within the dantian, the inner fire of the Sovereign Flame was dismantled. Dragon blood flowed along the meridians marked by the Nine Yin Manual.

Guided by Taoist mental techniques, the dragon bloodline shed its violent exterior. The high temperature was subdued, and the power was compressed.

The meridians that had been stretched wide began to be filled with dark golden liquid internal energy.

This internal force combines the laws of dragon language with Taoist martial arts. Normally, this internal force is docile, but once it erupts, it transforms into magma.

The energy cut through the walls of his meridians, causing excruciating pain. Lin Yuan gritted his teeth, remaining silent. The energy completed a full cycle, transforming into a drop of dark golden liquid internal energy, which fell into his dantian.

Lin Yuan's bones cracked. Under the destruction of the dragon blood and the nourishment of the Nine Yin True Qi, his muscle fibers tore and reorganized, becoming tougher.

The three major cycles have ended.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes. Pure golden vertical pupils lit up in the cabin.

Lin Yuan clenched his right fist, feeling the fullness within his body.

The level of a second-rate master.

Having deduced the incomplete text and combined it with his dragon blood foundation, Lin Yuan accumulated the cultivation of an ordinary martial artist over ten years in just half an hour. This power was enough for Lin Yuan to take the initiative in the ensuing chaos.

Lin Yuan flicked his index finger.

A dark golden energy burst forth, striking the dry grass beneath him. The grass snapped, the cut charred black, and turned to ash.

The control of power is exquisite.

The waves crashed against the hull, causing the boat to rock violently.

Lin Yuan released his hand and tucked it into his sleeve. Listening to Guo Jing's instruction to Yang Guo outside the cabin, a smile played on his lips.

Zhongnan Mountain. Quanzhen School of Taoism.

Zhao Zhijing, Yin Zhiping, and that group of Quanzhen Taoist priests.

The predicament on Peach Blossom Island has been resolved, and a new destination has been determined.

Lin Yuan went to the Quanzhen Sect to acquire its martial arts secrets and defeat its power.