All the gods began by cultivating the Iron Shirt technique.

There was no hindrance in the conversion of the Small Heavenly Circuit Qi Gong. In just half an hour, all the Iron Shirt internal energy that Yang Pan had cultivated in his body was converted into the internal energy of the Small Heavenly Circuit Qi Gong.

Moreover, because the Small Heavenly Circuit Qigong technique is more profound, although Yang Pan's internal energy decreased in quantity after successfully switching to this technique, its overall quality increased by 10%.

If the internal energy before was like water vapor floating in the air, without substance, then the internal energy now has been compressed into a more solid liquid, becoming heavier and more substantial. With increased mass, the overall power is naturally greater.

Moreover, after Yang Pan circulated his Qi through the Small Heavenly Circuit, he understood why martial artists in the martial arts world were all pursuing divine skill manuals. Because the more profound the skill, the faster a martial artist could refine their internal energy, and the faster the internal energy circulated through their meridians.

At this moment, Yang Pan breathed deeply, using hand seals and mental techniques to circulate the internal energy within his meridians. Compared to before, the flow of internal energy surged rapidly through his meridians as if wound up.

If, when practicing the Iron Shirt technique, one's internal energy flows through the meridians like a gentle stream, neither too fast nor too slow, then at this moment, the flow of internal energy is like a river during the flood season, incredibly swift.

Moreover, because the flow of internal energy is faster, the meridians, this dam, are being gradually strengthened and widened.

"The effects of the Small Heavenly Cycle Qigong are already so outstanding, I really don't know how magical the Nine Yin and Nine Yang will be. No wonder Zhang Wuji was able to become one of the top masters in the martial arts world in just a few years after practicing the Nine Yang Manual."

As he felt his internal energy surging through his meridians, Yang Pan gradually understood why those who obtained divine martial arts manuals could surpass ordinary martial artists in such a short time.

Of course, for a chosen one like Zhang Wuji, divine martial arts manuals are only one part of the equation. To rise to the top of the martial arts world in a short time like him, one's own talent and various opportunities are also indispensable.

Take Zhang Wuji for example; his innate talent was undoubtedly exceptional. Furthermore, he suffered from a cold poison in his childhood, and to prolong his life, Master Zhang would periodically infuse him with pure Yang internal energy. Zhang Wuji couldn't fully digest all this energy, so naturally some would accumulate within his body, becoming his foundation.

After Zhang Wuji obtained the Nine Yang Manual, the pure Yang internal energy that had been dormant within his body was immediately activated, erupting as a powerful flame. This not only dispelled the cold poison within his body but also allowed him to quickly refine it into his own internal energy.

It can be said that for a martial artist to become a master in a short period of time, three things are indispensable: divine skill manuals, talent, and good fortune!

As for Yang Pan, his talent includes the characteristics of the Longevity Dao Fruit, which means that his meridians have a much higher tolerance than ordinary people, and thus he has more time to cultivate than ordinary martial artists.

In terms of opportunities, he is currently in Xiangyang, and the gall bladder of the Bodhi snake is his treasure trove of opportunities.

Currently, the only thing he lacks is in terms of divine skills and secret manuals. However, he thinks that the Small Heavenly Circuit Qi Cultivation Technique is pretty good. Yang Pan plans to stay in Xiangyang until his body develops resistance to the gallbladder of the Pusiqu snake. By then, he should have opened up four or five meridians.

At that time, his internal strength will be even more profound. Even if he has not yet reached the level of a second-rate martial artist who has opened up at least seven meridians, his strong internal strength and physical training may allow him to exchange a few blows with a second-rate martial artist.

Whoosh~

With his internal energy flowing continuously and without any burden on his meridians, Yang Pan could cultivate without any worries. From noon until the moon was high in the sky, Yang Pan did not step out of the guest room of the Beggars' Sect branch.

......

That night, in the Guo residence within Xiangyang City.

The mansion was shrouded in darkness, with the sound of servants breathing in their sleep coming from inside the rooms, except for the study, which remained brightly lit.

A tall, middle-aged man in a brown brocade robe sat at his desk, writing in a booklet of military intelligence reports. The light in the study illuminated his face, revealing his imposing features.

This middle-aged man was none other than Guo Jing, now a renowned figure in the martial arts world.

As one of the most outstanding martial artists in the world today, Guo Jing's reputation has long been known throughout the martial arts world. Years of trials and tribulations in the martial arts world have also imbued this honest young man who was just starting out with the aura of a strongman.

Not to mention that now he is stationed in Xiangyang with his wife, and has led the city's heroes and soldiers to fight against the Mongols several times. In this way, he has also developed the necessary dignity and demeanor.

However, this chivalrous swordsman was frowning, seemingly worried about the contents of his writing.

With a creak, the tightly closed study door was gently pushed open. The air rushing in through the crack caused the light inside to flicker violently, startling Guo Jing, who was engrossed in writing.

Guo Jing suddenly looked up, his tiger-like eyes alertly glancing towards the doorway. Only after he clearly saw the figure did his tense expression slowly relax, and his features gradually softened.

"Rong'er, why aren't you asleep yet?" Guo Jing got up and came to the figure entering the room.

The figure closed the door, and the flickering lights inside gradually stopped, illuminating the figure and face of the newcomer.

It was Guo Jing's wife, Huang Rong, the daughter of Huang Yaoshi, one of the Five Greats. She was slender and beautiful. Even though she was nearly thirty years old, her face had few wrinkles because of her inner strength. Standing tall, she still had the air of a chivalrous woman.

As Guo Jing approached, Huang Rong's bright eyes lingered on him. Although she no longer possessed the liveliness of her youth, the passage of time had imbued her with sparks of wisdom and a tenderness reserved only for the man beside her.

"I saw you were still in your study so late, Jing-ge, so I came to check on you. This is some chicken soup that I had the servants keep warm. Jing-ge, please try it and see if Rong-er's cooking has gotten any worse?"

As Huang Rong spoke, she placed the food box she was carrying in her right hand on the desk, but her beautiful eyes caught sight of the booklet that Guo Jing had just written on.

"Hehe, Rong'er's cooking skills are undoubtedly superb. I imagine Chief Hong still remembers her fondly." Facing his wife's concern, Guo Jing's voice softened even more, and he even teased her as if he had suddenly come to a realization.

Hearing her husband's rare teasing, Huang Rong raised her eyebrows slightly, and a hint of joy shone in her eyes as she gently turned her head. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on his increasingly broad and dignified face, as if hoping he would say more.

However, after a long while, all she saw was him holding the soup bowl with both hands, his face bearing the same simple, honest smile as before. Huang Rong's lips involuntarily curved into a smile, but the joy in her beautiful eyes gradually turned into helplessness. She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and said:

"Is Brother Jing worried about the matters discussed during the day?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing's smile instantly froze, and he let out a sigh:

"That's right. Nowadays, the Mongols are invading our borders more and more frequently. The most important thing right now is to train our soldiers, increase our combat strength, and at the same time repair and raise the city walls to prevent the next Mongol invasion."

During the day, I observed that Prefect Lü didn't seem to care much about this matter. The large amount of grain urgently purchased was not distributed to the soldiers in the city to replenish their strength, but instead, he was indulging in singing, dancing, and lavish feasts in his mansion. This complacency and lack of awareness of potential dangers will inevitably chill the hearts of the heroes who came to help, and will also dampen the morale of the soldiers.

As the conversation drew to a close, Guo Jing's emotions gradually intensified, clearly showing his extreme resentment towards the prefect's actions.

Unfortunately, although he was leading the resistance against the Mongols, he now held neither an official position nor real power, so his words carried little weight with those officials who had always looked down on people from the martial arts world.

Tread~

Huang Rong moved gracefully to Guo Jing's side, and with a light touch, she pressed her delicate hand against Guo Jing's furrowed brows, gently smoothing out the frown with her fingertips.

"The martial world and the imperial court have always been two different worlds. Although you, Brother Jing, are famous throughout the martial world, the petty scheming among officials is not so simple. Otherwise, how could General Yue have been recalled by imperial decree and died unjustly in prison?"

"But now that the nation is in peril, aren't they afraid that the Mongols will one day actually breach Xiangyang, and what will become of them then?"

"They are afraid, of course they are afraid. But that day has not come. And isn't there you, Jing-ge, in the city? Perhaps in their eyes, you will never leave for the sake of the people in the city. As long as you are there, Xiangyang will not fall in a short time, and they can naturally enjoy their peace of mind."

Huang Rong's tone remained gentle, but to Guo Jing it filled him with deep anger and a profound sense of powerlessness. He felt as if he were being held captive, as if an invisible chain had been placed over his body, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Bang!

Guo Jing slammed his hand on the desk, causing the solid wood desk, painted red, to shake violently. When Guo Jing raised his hand again, a palm print, about an inch deep and with clear palm lines, had appeared on the desk.

The palm print was perfectly formed, without the slightest crack appearing around it.

Looking at the palm print on the desk, Huang Rong inwardly marveled at how much more refined Jing-ge's skills had become. But then a smile played on her lips, and she spoke with her usual composure:

"Actually, there are ways to change the prefect's current attitude."

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing's angry expression froze, and he turned to Huang Rong with a look of surprise and asked, "What method? Rong'er, tell me quickly."

Huang Rong traced her fingertips across the palm print on the table:

"Actually, Brother Jing, you have been neglecting your identity as a martial artist. In this city, whether it is the prefect or other officials, their orders are nothing more than the power in their hands. Power gives them the confidence to speak."

For the city's inhabitants, power is force, and they cannot resist it. But for us martial artists, force is also power.

"What do you mean?" Guo Jing asked, puzzled, not quite understanding his wife's meaning.

Huang Rong rolled her eyes at Guo Jing and continued, "It's just so that you, Jing-ge, can show the prefect and other officials your martial prowess and increase your standing in their eyes."

"This, how can this be done? How can I, a commoner, lay a hand on an official? Wouldn't that be tantamount to rebellion? Besides, Prefect Lü is just an ordinary person. If I were to strike him, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand it." Guo Jing shook his head repeatedly. The loyalty to the emperor and patriotism he had been taught since childhood made it impossible for him to do such a thing as defying his superiors.

Seeing Jing-ge's repeated refusals, Huang Rong felt both annoyed and amused:

"Who said you, Jing-ge, should go and fight him? What I meant was that we could hold a martial arts tournament in the city, similar to the Mount Hua Sword Competition. We could invite the prefect to watch, which would allow him to see the strength of us martial artists and make him think twice. It would also boost the morale of the soldiers in the city. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

Upon hearing Huang Rong's suggestion, Guo Jing calmly considered it for a while and felt that it might actually work. He clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Rong'er, you really have a way! This might really wake up the prefect."

Seeing her beloved Jing-ge's happy expression, Huang Rong also smiled.

In fact, she had a simpler and more direct method in mind: to use the Soul Transfer Technique from the Nine Yin Manual to control the prefect and turn him into a puppet.

After all, Huang Rong was not only Guo Jing's wife, but also the daughter of Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic. The Eastern Heretic disregarded etiquette and was known for his wicked nature, so how could Huang Rong, as his successor, be a person who followed the rules?

However, Huang Rong was worried that if she controlled the other party, her own brother Jing would inevitably see through her scheme, so she could only come up with this compromise.