Huang Rong from The Return of the Condor Heroes: Guo'er, calm down.

In the following days, the area around Zhongnan Mountain did indeed become lively.

Many wandering swordsmen carrying knives and swords appeared in the market town at the foot of the mountain.

These people gathered in small groups, and without exception, their conversations revolved around "beautiful women in ancient tombs" and "jewelry treasures."

The Quanzhen Sect also sensed that something was wrong.

Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, and several others were so worried that their hair turned white.

Although they knew of the existence of the ancient tomb, they also knew it was a forbidden area.

But now that so many martial arts figures are coming, they can't just kill them all.

If we forcibly stop them, it might cause public outrage, with people saying that the Quanzhen Sect wants to monopolize the treasure.

"Senior brother, something's fishy about this." Qiu Chuji paced back and forth in the main hall. "There was only a young girl and an old woman in that ancient tomb. Where did this martial arts contest for marriage come from?"

Liu Chuxuan shook his head. "Rumors stop with the wise. But unfortunately, there are too many people in this world who are blinded by greed."

"So what do we do? Just watch?"

"Guard the entrance to the mountain," Liu Chuxuan said in a deep voice. "As long as they don't attack our Quanzhen Sect's Taoist temples, let them go. The ancient tomb is heavily fortified and not so easy to enter."

At this moment, Yin Zhiping was hiding in his room.

He heard the rumors circulating outside and was both shocked and furious.

In his eyes, Xiaolongnu had long been his possession.

Now someone actually dares to make a move on her?

"These bastards!" Yin Zhiping gritted his teeth. "Trying to steal Miss Long? Did they even ask the sword in my hand first?!"

His only hope now is Yang Guo.

Yang Guo said he would bring Xiaolongnu out to meet him on the night of the full moon.

If you count the days, there are only five days left.

"Guo'er, you must not make a mistake at this time."

Yin Zhiping paced around the room, feeling like a cat was scratching at his heart.

He even considered taking advantage of the chaos to lead some people to the ancient tomb for a "rescue."

If a hero comes to the rescue, won't Miss Long throw herself into his arms?

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

His martial arts skills are no match for those of true masters of the martial arts world.

If the rescue fails and the victim is instead taken advantage of, that would be truly shameful.

……

Behind Zhongnan Mountain, the once desolate wilderness has become even more bustling than the market town at the foot of the mountain in recent days.

Yang Guo stood outside the stone gate of the ancient tomb, shading his eyes with his hand, and looked out a hundred meters away.

The woods were densely packed with tents. Wisps of smoke rose from the tents, accompanied by the aroma of meat and crude shouts, turning this secluded retreat into a chaotic and unpleasant place.

"Sister Long, look, this is all coming for you."

Yang Guo pointed to a burly man in the distance who was chopping wood with his shirt off, and turned to Xiaolongnu and said.

Today, Xiaolongnu changed into a clean, plain white silk dress, her long hair loosely tied back with a single silver ribbon. She stood in the shadow of the stone gate, her gaze sweeping over the distant commotion, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Do these people really believe in that martial arts contest for marriage?"

Yang Guo chuckled and moved closer, his nose catching a faint, cool fragrance emanating from her.

"Wealth moves people's hearts, and lust dazzles the eyes. Li Mochou's move is ruthless. She described Sister Long as a celestial being descended to earth and said that the ancient tomb is piled with mountains of gold and silver. These wandering martial artists, who are desperate for money and desperate for wives, don't care about the truth or falsehood. Even if there is a pit of fire in front of them, they will jump in."

His gaze lingered on Xiaolongnu's shapely figure, especially her taut waistline, which stirred a burning desire within him.

"But seriously, Sister Long, if you really held a martial arts contest to find a husband, even the Emperor of the Song Dynasty would probably have to come and sign up."

Little Dragon Girl turned her head to the side and glared at him.

"You're so glib. Those jade bees you released don't seem to have scared them away."

Yang Guo shrugged.

"Although the jade bees are powerful, they are still just beasts with a limited range. These people are also very clever; after being stung by a few, they retreated to the woods a hundred meters away and crouched down."

As they were talking, a buzzing sound came from the woods in the distance.

Those were several swarms of jade bees patrolling.

As soon as anyone dares to step within a hundred meters of the ancient tomb, those tiny golden creatures will pounce on them like a dense barrage of arrows.

A moment later, several pig-like screams echoed from the woods.

"Ouch! That hurts like hell!"

"Why do these horrible bees specifically target my face!"

Immediately following was the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground and people fleeing in a panic.

Yang Guo was overjoyed and slapped his thigh, laughing, "Listen to that scream, how crisp it is! Sister Long, your Jade Bee Formation is much more effective than those patrolling Taoist priests of the Quanzhen Sect."

Xiaolongnu withdrew her gaze, her tone indifferent.

"This can't go on. My mother-in-law said that the number of people down the mountain is still increasing, and my senior sister hasn't shown up yet."

Yang Guo nodded and his smile faded.

"I know. Most of these people are second-rate, but there might be a few hidden talents. I need to go back to the stone tablet and practice some more. Although I've figured out those eight characters, I still can't control my sword intent at will."

"Be careful," Little Dragon Girl cautioned.

"Don't worry, if anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll just use them to test my newly learned swordsmanship."

Yang Guo waved his hand, his figure blurred, and he used the Snake-like Leaping Technique from the Nine Yin Manual to rush towards the stone tablet.

……

In front of the stone tablet in the forbidden area of ​​the ancient tomb.

Yang Guo stood beside the broken stone tablet, his fingers gently stroking the character "善" (shàn, meaning skillful/proficient) on it.

The past two weeks of arduous training have allowed the sixteen years of internal energy within his body to circulate smoothly and efficiently.

"The Quanzhen Sect's forbidden area; anyone who trespasses shall be executed."

What he needs to master now is the word "skill".

The word "善" means to be good at, and also to act on one's own initiative.

When Wang Chongyang carved this character, his strokes exuded an air of arrogance.

It was a kind of self-confidence that made one feel "unique and supreme under heaven".

You want to make decisions on your own? Fine, then I'll use the most ruthless offensive to show you what regret is.

Yang Guo closed his eyes, and the image of the sword-wielding Taoist figure reappeared in his mind.

This time, the figure was no longer on the defensive, but was taking the initiative to attack.

The sword tip trembled, transforming into countless cold stars, each strike aimed directly at a vital point.

"To attack where the enemy must defend is the true meaning of the word 'skill'."

Yang Guo suddenly opened his eyes and pointed with his index finger.

The fingertips had a purplish-red sheen, clearly indicating that the internal energy had been condensed to its limit.

"laugh!"

The finger force cut through the air, producing a soft sound.

A small tree in front of him had a round hole the size of a finger on its trunk, which was translucent from front to back.

"It's still a little short; it's not wild enough."

Yang Guo frowned and pondered.

Just then, a series of light footsteps came from behind, accompanied by a few malicious chuckles.

"Hey, look, a little Taoist priest has popped out here."

Yang Guo did not turn around, but his internal energy had already quietly circulated to his back, ready to erupt at any moment.

"Judging from this kid's attire, he should be from the Quanzhen Sect. Kid, let me ask you something."

The speaker had a gruff voice and heavy footsteps, clearly someone who practiced external martial arts.

Yang Guo turned around and saw three martial arts men standing not far away, their faces hostile.