The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 238 Human Hearts Are Unpredictable; There's More to the Story

The sounds of reality and the smell of dust constantly assaulted Yang Kang's senses. Behind him stood ancient trees with lush foliage and evergreen foliage, sunlight falling on the ground and transforming into a curtain of light and floating dust.

Looking through the curtain at Zhou Yan, Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi, Huogong Toutuo, and others on the other side of his field of vision, Yang Kang was deeply shocked.

Ouyang Ke was pleased with his appearance, while Yang Kang was pleased with his power. He was intelligent and his martial arts talent was not much worse than Zhou Yan's. Although his cultivation had improved rapidly after Ouyang Feng appeared and he received guidance from him, he was still far behind Zhou Yan in terms of the hard work he had put in.

Yang Kang always believed that there was nothing that power could not solve.

With power in my hands, I have the world at my command.

However, at this moment, Yang Kang's belief was shaken.

Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi, Zhang Sanqiang, Huogong Toutuo, and even Zhou Yan did not take him, the crown prince, seriously. Once he left the palace and lost his guards, he was no different from Helian Chuncheng and the others.

The fact that Hong Qigong and others killed him was nothing more than a matter of a simple gesture.

Bao Xiang was his honored guest and had been treated with great courtesy, but just now Zhou Yan had picked him up and slammed him to the ground like a dead dog.

When he saw the Fire-Worker Monk, he had to be careful and smile obsequiously, but Zhou Yan could glare at him coldly.

Yang Kang let out a slight sigh. Qiu Qianren and Ouyang Feng were both top-tier masters. As long as he put in the hard work, he might be able to catch up with Zhou Yan.

"I want to practice martial arts. Only those with both power and martial prowess can be true strongmen in this world." This voice grew stronger and stronger in Yang Kang's mind.

Huo Du's eyes shifted, thinking that if he wanted to make a name for himself in the martial arts world, he would ultimately have to rely on martial arts. If he had the level of Hong Qigong, then the ungrateful Zhang Sanqiang would not have been able to say "get out of the way." The fact that Zhang Sanqiang and the man surnamed Zhou could talk and talk was ultimately because the other party had superb martial arts skills.

Ouyang Feng's expression was uncertain. Upon arriving at Shaoshi Mountain, the Vajra Sect had dispatched over a hundred monks and laypeople, and he himself had his snake servant bring over venomous snakes raised in the Snake Valley of White Camel Mountain.

If I were to release the snakes now, with Qiu Qianren and Huogong Toutuo assisting me, I would be quite confident in killing Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, Zhou Yan, Kucheng, Zhang Sanqiang, and the others.

Should we make a move?
"Uncle, the one who spoke just now was Huang Rong." Ouyang Ke's voice suddenly rang in Xi Du's ear.

Ouyang Feng looked again at the rows of buildings between the yellow walls and temples, and thought that with Huang Yaoshi and the others' lightness skills, if he couldn't stop them after making a move, they would still have a good chance of escaping. But the risk was not small either. Ouyang Feng thought to himself, "Don't be in a hurry. Wait until this matter is settled before you tell Huang Yaoshi."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"Ke'er still needs to practice martial arts diligently. Zhou Yan is a ruthless and resourceful fellow."

"Don't worry, Uncle," Ouyang Ke said confidently.

Ouyang Feng nodded and looked towards the arena.

Huang Yaoshi watched coldly. How could the arrogant and violent Fire-Worker Monk say something like, "Let's settle our grudges with Shaolin Temple before comparing?"

He smiled arrogantly, "Since Island Master Huang is protecting Shaolin Temple and deliberately provoking us, this old monk will come and learn the unique skills of Peach Blossom Island."

"Make your move."

Baoshu, Baoxian, Baolei, Baoyin and the others quickly retreated.

Zhou Yan walked to Ku Cheng's side: "How is the abbot?"

"Amitabha, this old monk's bones can endure it, why is it that Master Huang is doing this?"

Zhou Yan guessed it must be because of Huang Rong, but he didn't want to say it, so he said, "Since Island Master Huang said she wanted to settle accounts, there must be some grudges that are not for outsiders to know. Abbot, you can just observe quietly."

"Excellent, excellent." Ku Cheng clasped his hands together, but sighed inwardly. Years ago, due to the incident with the Fire-Worker Monk, the brothers in the temple had a great dispute, blaming each other. After his junior brother Ku Hui left Shaolin, many of the temple's gifted disciples also left. Although a long time had passed, Shaolin Temple had never recovered its former glory, nor had any martial arts prodigies emerged. In contrast, the Vajra Sect had produced many talented individuals. Today's calamity was easy to overcome, but future disasters would be unavoidable. Zhou Yan could roughly guess some of Ku Cheng's thoughts from his expression. He also sighed inwardly. After Ku Cheng, Shaolin Temple would find it difficult to find someone capable of shouldering great responsibilities. At the beginning of the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber world, the abbot of Shaolin was the current head of the Bodhidharma Hall, Zen Master Tianming. But now it seemed that his cultivation was far inferior to that of the three monks, Baoshu, Baoxian, and Baoshou.

The southward expansion of the Vajra Sect was a variable caused by the Changfeng Escort Agency, which separated them from the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Shaolin Temple could only resist if Ku Hui of the Western Shaolin returned to his roots and the two temples merged.

A sudden, angry shout rang out, and Zhou Yan snapped out of his reverie and looked back at the arena.

The Fire-Worker Monk's body seemed to expand as he exhaled with the sound of thunder, transforming into a bright yellow line in just a few steps. In an instant, the wind from his fist howled towards Huang Yaoshi, forming a vortex in Zhou Yan's vision.

“This is the ‘Vajra Fist’,” Ku Cheng suddenly said.

"A renowned martial art." Zhou Yan replied to Ku Cheng, glancing at the two people in the arena.

The next moment, Huang Yaoshi disappeared from everyone's sight and appeared on the side of Huogong Toutuo. Huogong Toutuo spun around, his fists and legs forming a net that swept over Huang Yaoshi with the force of a landslide and a tsunami.

Huang Yaoshi let out a clear whistle, and his palm strike came like falling petals, sharp as a sword. The palm shadows from all directions enveloped Huo Gong Toutuo, and he was using the "Falling Petal Divine Sword Palm".

Huang Yaoshi was unaware that Zhou Yan had entered the Ancient Tomb and learned this skill. Therefore, in Zhou Yan's perception, it was as if the Eastern Heretic was teaching him. He was single-minded and observed and suddenly understood. Unconsciously, he suddenly realized the subtleties of many palm techniques that he had never understood before.

The Fire-Worker Monk's offensive was astonishing. After a set of "Vajra Fist," he was about to unleash the Shaolin's ultimate technique, "Eight Strikes of the Divine Palm." Huang Yaoshi's palm technique also suddenly changed, his palm strikes like waves, advancing layer by layer. Zhou Yan recognized several of the moves as the "Azure Wave Palm Technique."

After more than ten moves, the Fire-Worker Monk changed his technique again, dodging Huang Yaoshi's swirling palms and fingers. He thrust out with both palms, the move seemingly simple, yet containing immense power. Huang Yaoshi retreated swiftly, and the Fire-Worker Monk leaped back, his palms slashing down from left to right, the force of his palms like a raging flood flowing eastward to the sea.

Zhou Yan learned from Ku Cheng that the ascetic used the "Weituo Palm".

Huang Yaoshi's feet tread on the Bagua and move with the Liuhe, his body as elusive as a colorful butterfly. He clasps his thumb and forefinger together, while the remaining three fingers are slightly spread, his fingers extending like an orchid, ready to strike acupoints and receive attacks.

The sight of the two exchanging blows moved all who witnessed it. Ouyang Feng, Hong Qigong, Qiu Qianren, Jinlun Fawang, Zhang Sanqiang, and others watched intently, praising the exchange and gaining profound insights into martial arts.

After a hundred moves, Zhou Yan roughly guessed Huang Yaoshi's intentions: for every change of technique the Fire-Worker Monk used, Huang Yaoshi would also change his.
The Peach Blossom Island Master is observing the martial arts of the Vajra Sect.

Zhou Yan frowned again. The Fire-Worker Monk used Shaolin Temple's unique skills. He had no problem memorizing these moves after secretly learning martial arts at Shaolin Temple. However, many martial arts involve the complex circulation of qi between the meridians. How could the other party know them? Could it be that he, like himself, combined the qi-guiding methods of Quanzhen Swordplay, Jade Maiden Swordplay, and Three Steps Eighteen Spears with Hengshan School Swordplay and comprehended the qi-guiding methods of all martial arts on his own? Such talent was too astonishing.

"Abbot," Zhou Yan suddenly asked.

“Mr. Zhou speaks frankly.”

"Has the Vajra Sect Leader grasped the essence of these techniques?"

Ku Cheng sighed, "Well, it's even more refined than the old monks in the temple."

There's a mystery here. Take "Weituo Palm" as an example. Huogong Toutuo was a half-baked monk, so he should have been inferior to the Shaolin monks who had mastered this skill. Yet, he not only defeated them but also excelled in every aspect. It's unlikely that Huogong Toutuo possessed a skill similar to "Xiao Wuxiang Gong".

Zhou Yan thought about it and even considered going to Tianshan to try his luck after resigning, to see if the martial arts of the Tianlong world existed in the Legend of the Condor Heroes world.

With that thought in mind, he pulled his attention back to the scene before him.

Huo Gong Toutuo and Huang Yaoshi had already exchanged more than four hundred moves. Huo Gong Toutuo's figure suddenly changed, and he used the Vajra Prajna Palm techniques such as "Seamless Clothes", "Subduing Heretics", and "Luozhong Dongying".

Zhou Yan guessed that the Fire-Worker Monk had already used all the techniques he could muster. The situation was about to reach a decisive moment.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Huang Yaoshi simultaneously unleashed a powerful, invisible palm strike, heavy as a mountain, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, crashing down upon the Fire-Worker Monk at a distance.

"The Empty Palm!" Zhou Yan exclaimed in surprise, then couldn't help but chuckle. Li Mochou had mocked the martial arts of Peach Blossom Island in The Return of the Condor Heroes, saying, "The Empty Palm strikes out, but misses every time." She was truly audacious.

(End of this chapter)