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

A night breeze blew outside the main hall.

Footsteps shattered the tiles on the plaza. Qiu Chuji, carrying a bloodstained longsword, rushed into the main hall. Wang Chuyi followed behind. Dozens of Quanzhen disciples entered, their Daoist robes tattered and stained with blood.

Qiu Chuji swayed as he saw the corpses strewn across the hall. Hao Datong stepped forward, wiping away his tears, and recounted how Guo Jing had repelled the enemy.

Qiu Chuji walked up to Guo Jing. The leader of the Quanzhen Sect threw down his longsword, clasped his hands in a salute.

Guo Jing stepped forward and supported Qiu Chuji's arms with both hands.

"Great Hero Guo acted righteously and protected our Taoist ancestral home. The entire Quanzhen Sect is eternally grateful." Qiu Chuji's voice was hoarse.

"You flatter me, Daoist Master. Master Wang was on good terms with my master back then. It is my duty to do my best when the Quanzhen Sect is in trouble," Guo Jing said, releasing his grip.

After exchanging pleasantries, Guo Jing turned to the side and pulled Yang Guo and Lin Yuan over.

"Master Qiu, the reason I've come up the mountain is to entrust these two children to the Quanzhen Sect. They have a troubled past and have been wandering the martial world. The Quanzhen Sect is the orthodox sect of Taoism in the world, and they will surely be able to teach them to become successful," Guo Jing explained his purpose.

Qiu Chuji looked at the two boys.

The old Taoist priest walked up to Yang Guo. He reached out and grasped Yang Guo's wrist, then massaged his shoulder blade. Qiu Chuji uttered three "good"s in succession.

"You have excellent physical constitution and clear meridians. As long as you are willing to endure hardship, you will achieve great things in the future," Qiu Chuji said, stroking his beard.

Yang Guo stood ramrod straight, pursing his lips and remaining silent.

Qiu Chuji turned to Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan had his head down, his face was pale, and his body trembled with each breath.

Qiu Chuji extended two fingers and placed them on Lin Yuan's wrist. A wisp of Quanzhen True Qi probed into his fingertips.

Lin Yuan closed his eyes. Deep within his dantian, the inner fire of the Sovereign Flame remained motionless. The medicinal power of Huang Rong's bowl of Tendon-Softening Powder had already been refined by the dragon blood. Lin Yuan deliberately maintained the withered state of his meridians after they had been corroded.

The True Qi circulated within Lin Yuan's body without encountering any obstacles.

Qiu Chuji frowned. He withdrew his finger and sighed.

"Master Guo, this child..." Qiu Chuji said, looking at Guo Jing, "His meridians are wide, but empty and withered. There is not a trace of true qi left in his body, and he cannot even gather qi. He has suffered a severe injury, completely destroying his foundation. He cannot practice martial arts."

Guo Jing lowered his head. He knew Lin Yuan had suffered internal injuries on Peach Blossom Island, but he hadn't expected them to be this serious.

"Master, Brother Lin may not be able to cultivate advanced martial arts, but he can still practice some external martial arts to strengthen his body. The Quanzhen Sect is a large and powerful organization, so adding a couple more chopsticks is just a matter of time..." Guo Jing said.

"Master Guo, you are mistaken."

A voice interrupted Guo Jing.

Zhao Zhijing stepped out from the crowd. The Taoist priest's clothes were very clean. Zhao Zhijing looked at Guo Jing.

"Chongyang Palace has just suffered a great calamity, with heavy casualties and everything in ruins. The Quanzhen Sect doesn't tolerate idlers," Zhao Zhijing said, raising his chin. "This little beggar has good talent; keeping him is fine. But that sickly fellow can't even gather his qi; are we just going to let him eat and drink for free on the mountain?"

"Shut up!" Yang Guo shouted, clenching his fists as he prepared to charge forward.

A pale hand pressed down on Yang Guo's shoulder.

Lin Yuan stepped forward. He pushed Yang Guo aside, bent over, and looked at Zhao Zhijing.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough."

Lin Yuan began to cough. He bent over, covering his mouth with both hands. Blood seeped through his fingers and dripped onto the blue bricks.

The hall fell silent. Only Lin Yuan's cough could be heard.

Lin Yuan straightened up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve; his face was pale.

"This Taoist priest is right," Lin Yuan said in a hoarse voice. "The Quanzhen Sect is a reputable and righteous sect; they don't support useless people."

Yang Guo was getting anxious and grabbed Lin Yuan's arm.

Lin Yuan did not look at Yang Guo. He looked at Qiu Chuji, kneeling on the blue bricks with his knees bent.

"Master Qiu," Lin Yuan knelt on the ground with his forehead pressed against the back of his hands, "my life is worthless, and I deserve no regrets. But my younger brother, Guo'er, is exceptionally intelligent. I beg the Quanzhen Sect to accept him."

Qiu Chuji was about to speak.

Lin Yuan raised his head and continued, "I don't want to learn martial arts. I don't want any title. I just want to stay on the mountain and watch Guo'er grow up. I'll sweep the back of the mountain and dust the scripture pavilion. I'll just give you a bite of the leftovers from the Taoist priests. If the Mongols attack, I'll use my worthless life to stand in front and take their blows for them."

There was no sound in the main hall. Several young Quanzhen disciples turned their heads away.

Yang Guo's eyes reddened. He knelt beside Lin Yuan and hugged Lin Yuan's arm.

"If Brother Lin won't stay, I won't stay either. We'll go back to Jiaxing and beg for food," Yang Guo said through gritted teeth.

Zhao Zhijing sneered, "What a ridiculous ruse. Trying to morally blackmail our Quanzhen Sect with this kind of tactic? No way. Get your ass down the mountain."

"Bang."

A sound was heard.

The blue bricks beneath Guo Jing's feet cracked.

The Dragon-Subduing True Qi emanated from Guo Jing's body. The pale golden energy stirred up the wood chips on the ground, creating a gust of wind in the hall.

Guo Jing stared at Zhao Zhijing.

"I, Guo Jing, have always respected Master Wang and the chivalrous spirit of the Quanzhen Sect." Guo Jing's voice was deep. "Today, with a formidable enemy before us, Brother Lin, a sickly young man with no martial arts skills, still dared to say he would take a blow for you. You, a dignified disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, not only uttered hurtful words but also made things difficult for me in every way."

Guo Jing stepped forward. His Dragon-Subduing True Qi pressed down on Zhao Zhijing.

"Is this the Quanzhen Sect's way of treating guests? Is this the path you cultivate?" Guo Jing questioned loudly.

Zhao Zhijing's face turned pale. He felt a tightness in his chest and had difficulty breathing. He took three steps back and collapsed to the ground.

Qiu Chuji glared at Zhao Zhijing.

Guo Jing had just saved the Quanzhen Sect. Offending Guo Jing now would bring shame upon the Quanzhen Sect. Lin Yuan's words also resonated with Qiu Chuji.

"Master Guo, please calm down." Qiu Chuji stepped forward to smooth things over. "Zhijing spoke without thinking, and I apologize on his behalf."

Qiu Chuji turned to look at Lin Yuan.

"Good boy, get up quickly." Qiu Chuji reached out and helped Lin Yuan up. "Although you cannot cultivate internal energy, your loyalty and righteousness far surpass those of many martial artists. The Quanzhen Sect will accept you."

Lin Yuan stood up, bowed his head, and thanked him.

Qiu Chuji made arrangements.

"Respectfully," Qiu Chuji called out.

Zhao Zhijing got up from the ground and bowed his head in agreement.

"Yang Guo is exceptionally talented, so he will become your disciple and you will personally teach him the Quanzhen martial arts," Qiu Chuji ordered. "If you fail to teach him properly, I will hold you accountable."

Zhao Zhijing had no choice but to agree. He turned and glanced at Yang Guo.

Qiu Chuji looked at Lin Yuan again.

"Lin Yuan is physically weak, so he is exempt from all morning lessons and martial arts practice. You can rest and recuperate on the mountain," Qiu Chuji instructed. "As you said, you will be responsible for cleaning the Scripture Pavilion and the back mountain. The Scripture Pavilion is quiet and suitable for recuperation. The back mountain is within the range of the Quanzhen Grand Formation, so no one will disturb you."

Lin Yuan bowed in greeting.

"Thank you for taking me in, Master Qiu."

Lin Yuan lowered his head.

The Sutra Repository. The back hill.

Guo Jing's reaction, Zhao Zhijing's obstruction, and Qiu Chuji's decision all became stepping stones for Lin Yuan to achieve his goal.

night.

The fire at Chongyang Palace gradually died down. The Quanzhen disciples began clearing the ruins.

After settling the two in the guest room, Guo Jing descended the mountain that very night. He still needed to rush back to Peach Blossom Island to handle some business.

Yang Guo was taken away by Zhao Zhijing and placed in the disciples' quarters. Before leaving, Yang Guo looked at Zhao Zhijing's retreating figure.

Lin Yuan took an old Taoist robe and a broom and walked alone towards the Sutra Repository.

The Sutra Repository is located behind Chongyang Palace. It is a three-story wooden building. Aside from disciples borrowing scriptures, few people come here.

Lin Yuan pushed open the wooden door.

The door hinges made a scraping sound. A smell of paper and ink wafted out.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating rows of bookshelves. The shelves were filled with Taoist classics and basic martial arts manuals of the Quanzhen School.

Lin Yuan closed the door.

He threw away the broom.

Lin Yuan stopped pretending. He straightened his back, and his bones cracked.

Lin Yuan walked to the innermost bookshelf. His gaze swept over the dusty, thread-bound books.

He raised his hand and pulled out a book titled "The Basic Mind Method of Quanzhen".

Turn the pages of the book.

Data streams appeared on the retina. The text and meridian diagrams on the pages were deconstructed by the Dragon Blood talent, becoming energy flow trajectories that were etched into the brain.

Combining the sword formation qi circulation route analyzed earlier outside the mountain gate, the Quanzhen internal energy route becomes complete.

Deep within his dantian, dark golden internal energy circulated along a new pathway. The rate of internal energy recovery increased.

Lin Yuan closed the book.

He walked to the window and opened it. The outline of the mountain behind the house appeared in the night. There lay the Tomb of the Living Dead, the complete Nine Yin Manual, and the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

A pair of eyes with dark gold vertical stripes lit up inside the library.

Lin Yuan looked at the manual in his hand and a smile appeared on his lips.

"The true orthodox school of Taoism under heaven."

Lin Yuan exerted force with his five fingers. The Quanzhen True Qi mixed with the Monarch Flame burned the secret manual in his hand to ashes.

"From tonight onwards, my surname is Lin."