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

The iron wall formation of three thousand heavily armored Kheshig infantrymen was completely closed.

Thousands of heavy shields, crafted from fine steel, interlocked seamlessly. Behind the shields, hundreds of thick spears protruded from the firing ports, pointing directly at the center.

Inside the encirclement, it was pitch black.

Kublai Khan stood on the chariot. He looked at the massive steel fortress, his tense jaw relaxing slightly.

This battle formation has annihilated countless top experts from the Western Regions and the Central Plains. Flesh and blood could never possibly shake a steel defense line weighing thousands of pounds.

"Strangle them!" Kublai Khan issued the military order.

The horn sound changes tone.

The Kheshig troops exerted their strength in unison. The Iron Wall Formation began to contract inward. Spears advanced, ready to pierce those trapped in the center into a bloody pulp.

"boom!"

A deafening explosion resounded in the center of the Iron Wall Formation.

There was no earthquake. Only a pure, intense heat.

A dark golden pillar of fire, three zhang in diameter, pierced through the darkness and soared into the sky.

The night sky was instantly illuminated.

The innermost layer of the heavy steel shield rapidly heated up. The surface of the shield turned a glaring orange-red. In less than half a breath, the thick metal structure collapsed.

The heavy shield melted.

Molten iron flowed down the armor of the Kheshig soldiers.

The extreme heat instantly burned through their prized heavy armor. Their flesh carbonized, and their bones turned to ash.

Before they could even scream, the innermost hundreds of Kheshig soldiers were instantly vaporized.

The pillar of fire did not stop expanding.

The dark golden flames swept across the ground.

The second and third layers of shields melted one after another.

Molten iron flowed freely across the scorched earth, emitting a piercing hissing sound.

The once impenetrable iron wall was burned open, creating a huge gap.

At the gap, the air is heated and distorted.

Lin Yuan emerged from the dark golden flames and the molten iron flowing across the ground.

The gray robe was spotless. The hem fluttered in the heat.

He didn't even change the rhythm of his breathing.

The surviving Kheshig soldiers watched this scene unfold, their hands gripping their shields trembling violently.

Fear breached the psychological defenses of this battle-hardened army.

The formation crumbled without a fight. The soldiers threw away their shields and retreated desperately, fearing to be touched by the terrifying dark golden flames.

Suddenly, three gray figures sprang up from the crowd.

This is the Golden Wheel Dharma King's fellow disciple, hidden in the army formation, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The three worked together with exceptional chemistry.

The man on the left threw out three poisoned nails, aiming straight for the back of Lin Yuan's head.

The man on the right brandished a curved blade and slashed at Lin Yuan's lower body.

The man in the middle pushed hard with both hands, and a colorless and odorless toxic smoke followed the wind and enveloped Lin Yuan's face.

Inhaling even a wisp of this poisonous smoke can cause a person to lose all their internal energy.

Lin Yuan didn't stop walking. He didn't even turn around.

He casually swung his right hand backward.

Bring your index and middle fingers together. The energy of the One-Finger Divine Skill bursts forth from your body.

The dark golden true energy split into three in mid-air.

"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!"

Three muffled thuds.

The force of the energy precisely pierced the Death Knot, vaporizing it. Its remaining momentum continued, piercing directly through the forehead of the man on the left.

The second burst of energy shattered the throat of the swordsman on the right.

The third burst of energy met the poisonous smoke. The intense heat of the Lord's Flame instantly incinerated the poisonous mist, and then pierced the heart of the person in the middle.

The three corpses fell to the ground, twitched twice, and then remained motionless.

The entire process took less than one breath.

Lin Yuan didn't even glance at them.

The walls of Xiangyang.

The firelight illuminated Guo Jing's pale face.

He gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, supporting his battered body.

He looked out of the city.

Lin Yuan advanced in a straight line through an army of 100,000 men.

The elite Kheshig troops, the impregnable ironclad formation, the insidious assassins—all became a joke before that gray-robed youth.

A hint of confusion flashed in Guo Jing's eyes.

He spent half his life guarding this city wall. He bled himself dry and exhausted his life force. He watched countless brothers die on the battlefield.

For what?

For the sake of those decadent officials and nobles in Lin'an? For the sake of that corrupt court that even cuts off military pay?

He firmly believed that the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people. He used this set of rules to restrain himself and also tried to restrain others.

But now, Lin Yuan has torn this set of rules apart with the most savage and purest violence.

Lin Yuan did not rescue Song, but only killed the enemy.

Lin Yuan doesn't care about righteousness; he only cares about life and death.

Guo Jing felt a tightness in his chest. The belief he had held onto so tightly began to waver violently at that moment.

Huang Rong sat on a city brick not far away.

She followed Guo Jing's gaze and looked out of the city.

She saw Lin Yuan's arrogant back view.

Huang Rong lowered her head, looking at her empty dantian.

She finally came to terms with reality.

Faced with absolute power, the Guo family is not even a pawn. Strategy, tactics, and formations are all worthless in the face of overwhelming force.

In the center of the battlefield.

Lin Yuan was less than thirty feet away from the central command tent.

The Mongol soldiers along the way quickly made way for them, clearing a wide passage.

No one dared to stop them. No one dared to speak up.

The central command tent was resplendent in gold and jade. Luxurious wool carpets were laid on the floor.

Kublai Khan stood on a chariot.

He gripped the edge of the chariot tightly with both hands, his nails digging into the wood.

Lin Yuan stopped in front of the chariot.

His dark golden vertical pupils coldly stared at the Mongol commander.

Kublai Khan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart. He was Genghis Khan's grandson; he could not show weakness in front of thousands of people.

"Lin Yuan," Kublai Khan said, his voice carrying far on the night wind.

"Your martial arts skills are unparalleled, rarely seen in the world."

Kublai Khan raised his right hand and pointed to Xiangyang City in the south.

"The Southern Song Dynasty's fate is sealed. The court is corrupt, and the emperor is incompetent. Why should a hero like you be buried with them?"

Kublai Khan stared into Lin Yuan's eyes and offered what he believed to be an offer he could not refuse.

"On behalf of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, I hereby formally recruit you."

"If you agree, I will grant you the title of a king who is not of the same surname. The entire half of the country south of the Yangtze River will be under your jurisdiction."

"The gold and silver treasures in the national treasury, all the martial arts manuals in the world, and beauties from all ethnic groups are all at your disposal."

"Let's join forces and create an everlasting empire. What do you say?"

After Kublai Khan finished speaking, he stared intently at Lin Yuan's reaction.

He didn't believe anyone could resist such temptation. Power, wealth, status. These were the ultimate goals every man dreamed of.

Lin Yuan stood still.

He listened to Kublai Khan's long speech.

There was no greed, no hesitation, in his dark golden vertical pupils.

There was only a hint of mockery.

"Are you done talking?" Lin Yuan asked calmly.

Kublai Khan frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"You measure everything by self-interest." Lin Yuan cracked his neck, his knuckles making a crisp sound. "You think everyone is like you, scrambling for food in that muddy swamp."

Lin Yuan raised his right hand.

The dragon blood essence within the Qi Sea began to circulate rapidly.

"I don't understand governing a country, nor do I understand military strategy."

"But I know one thing."

Lin Yuan opened his palm.

Dark golden flames condensed in his palm. The extremely compressed high temperature instantly sucked away the surrounding air.

The flames elongated, transforming into a three-foot-long, dark gold sword.

The sword's edge exuded an aura of destruction.

"My rule is that you die."

The words fell.

Lin Yuan swung his right arm.

The dark gold longsword flew out of his hand, drawing a dazzling streak of light in mid-air.

"puff!"

Beside the chariot, the thick, solid wood flagpole was instantly severed.

The cut is as smooth as a mirror.

The huge banner bearing the character "蒙" (Meng) collapsed with a crash, landing on the luxurious wool carpet.

As soon as the commander's flag fell, the morale of the Mongol army collapsed instantly. The surrounding soldiers cried out in terror.

Kublai Khan's face turned deathly pale.

His pride and joy in power and status meant he didn't even have the right to speak in front of this gray-robed youth.

After severing the commander's flag, the dark gold longsword turned back in mid-air.

The sword tip was pointed directly at Kublai Khan's throat.

The fierce killing intent completely locked onto the Mongol commander.

Kublai Khan froze on his chariot. He felt as if the skin at his throat had been pierced by the sword's energy.

For the first time, the shadow of death loomed over him with such clarity.

Lin Yuan stood beneath the chariot.

He looked at Kublai Khan, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Now, lend me your head."