Huang Rong from The Return of the Condor Heroes: Brother Jing, let's get a divorce.

Huang Rong opened the stone door and went out.

Yang Guo sat on the stone bench and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

This hurdle has been temporarily overcome.

But he knew Huang Rong too well. This woman was incredibly intelligent; she had only been overwhelmed by the novel terms. Once she calmed down and thought it through carefully, she would surely discover the flaws in this "physical heat dissipation" theory.

A lone man and woman stripping naked to practice martial arts—who would believe there's nothing fishy going on?

We can't give her time to think.

Yang Guo stood up, quickly walked out of the stone chamber, and followed the passage to Huang Rong's room.

The stone gate wasn't locked. Yang Guo pushed the gate open and went inside.

Huang Rong was sitting on the edge of the stone bed, her back to the door, clutching a wooden hairpin in her hand, lost in thought.

Yang Guo walked over quietly and wrapped his arms around Huang Rong's waist from behind.

"You little thief, you dare follow me?" Huang Rong didn't break free, her tone still carrying a hint of anger. "What, haven't you finished your physics lecture yet?"

"Rong'er is so clever." Yang Guo rested his chin on Huang Rong's shoulder, his hands beginning to wander restlessly. "What we just talked about was the first law of thermodynamics. Now I'm going to tell you what friction generates heat."

Huang Rong turned her head and glared at him.

"Don't try to fool me with this nonsense." Huang Rong slapped Yang Guo's hand away. "Can you guarantee that you didn't have any ulterior motives when you were with that little girl?"

Yang Guo picked Huang Rong up by the waist and strode toward the stone bed.

"Rong'er, words are always inadequate." Yang Guo placed Huang Rong on the bed and pressed his entire body against her. "I will now prove to you with my actions that my feelings for you are completely different from practicing martial arts."

"What are you doing... in broad daylight..." Huang Rong reached out to push him away, but her strength was weak.

"We explore knowledge day and night." Yang Guo bent down.

The temperature inside the stone chamber gradually increased.

……

After a lengthy "academic exchange".

Huang Rong leaned against Yang Guo's chest, her face rosy and her breathing steady. She had long forgotten about the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra and the idea of ​​practicing martial arts while undressing.

Yang Guo lay down beside him, his eyes fixed on the dome of the stone chamber.

He quietly reached out and rubbed his lower back.

too tired.

Even the strongest man can't withstand this kind of non-stop work. He's almost too weak to even lift a finger now.

This kind of happiness with multiple wives is something that ordinary people can't enjoy.

Clang—clang—clang—

Just then, a series of deep bell tolls pierced through the thick stone walls of the ancient tomb and entered the stone chamber.

The bells rang continuously, striking nine times in a row.

Yang Guo's spirits lifted; the sound of the bell was like a lifeline!

He immediately sat up and quickly grabbed the Taoist robe that was scattered at the foot of the bed and put it on.

Huang Rong pulled up the corner of the quilt that had slipped down, covering the exposed spring scenery.

"What happened?" Huang Rong asked.

"This is the Nine Dragon Bell of the Quanzhen Sect," Yang Guo explained while fastening his belt. "It is never rung nine times unless the sect faces a life-or-death crisis or an extremely important event. The last time it was rung was when Huo Du and Darba came up the mountain. My master is still at Chongyang Palace, and as a Quanzhen disciple, I must go back immediately to check on the situation."

Huang Rong sat up straight and helped Yang Guo straighten his collar.

"Then you should go quickly," Huang Rong instructed. "There are many people from the Quanzhen Sect, so be careful. If you encounter trouble, never fight them head-on."

"Rong'er, don't worry, I'll come back to be with you as soon as I've finished dealing with things." Yang Guo leaned over and kissed Huang Rong on the cheek.

Yang Guo turned around and strode out of the stone chamber.

Walking in the empty passageway, Yang Guo let out a long breath.

He leaned against the stone wall, slowing his pace. He needed to rest and recuperate these next few days, or he might really die before he even got started.

After leaving the ancient tomb, Yang Guo used the Golden Goose Skill to speed away.

Half an hour later, he arrived at the bluestone square outside Chongyang Palace.

The square was packed with people, densely packed with Quanzhen Sect disciples dressed in Taoist robes. Third-generation and fourth-generation disciples stood on both sides, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

Yang Guo infiltrated the ranks of the fourth-generation disciples.

As soon as he stood still, several familiar faces gathered around him.

"Junior Brother Yang, you've finally shown up!" A fourth-generation disciple named Wang Qingchen greeted him with a beaming smile.

Yang Guo turned his head to look. This Wang Qingchen used to follow Zhao Zhijing around, causing him no shortage of trouble. But ever since Zhao Zhijing defected, this kid has become extremely obedient, always changing his tune with the wind.

"Senior Brother Wang, what major event has occurred that has summoned everyone by striking the Nine Dragon Bell?" Yang Guo asked.

Wang Qingchen lowered her voice and leaned close to Yang Guo's ear.

"Junior Brother Yang, you've been in seclusion in the back mountains for most of the year, so you may not know this. In a few days, it will be the day of our Quanzhen Sect's triennial grand competition," Wang Qingchen said mysteriously.

Yang Guo was somewhat puzzled.

"So what if it's a grand competition? In the past, disciples from different generations competed separately. Why bother striking the Nine Dragon Bell?" Yang Guo retorted.

Another disciple stepped in.

This man's name was Li Qinghong. He was usually smooth-talking and had the best information network.

"Junior Brother Yang, all the rules have been changed this year!" Li Qinghong lowered his voice. "The Sect Leader himself has decreed that this year's competition will be open to all, regardless of seniority. A nine-level Heavenly Arena will be set up in front of the Chongyang Palace's main hall!"

"The Heavenly Arena?" Yang Lai's interest was piqued.

"That's right. The rules are very simple," Li Qinghong continued to explain. "Anyone can go up to defend their title. As long as you win three consecutive matches, you'll be eligible to move up one level. Whoever stands on the ninth level at the end will be the champion of this competition!"

Yang Guo touched his chin.

What are the Seven Masters of Quanzhen up to? How could a third-generation disciple possibly defeat a fourth-generation disciple who has been cultivating for decades when competing against third-generation and fourth-generation disciples?

Wang Qingchen noticed Yang Guo's confusion and immediately tried to curry favor with him.

"Junior Brother Yang, this time the Heavenly Arena allows teams!" Wang Qingchen rubbed his hands together. "A maximum of five people can form a formation. As long as the formation is not broken, the team will successfully defend the arena."

Li Qinghong moved even closer, lowering his voice to the lowest possible level.

"I overheard my master saying that this competition, ostensibly a test of martial arts skills, is actually..." Li Qinghong paused, "...selecting the next sect leader!"

Yang Guo's heart skipped a beat.

It turned out to be the case.

The Seven Masters of Quanzhen were getting old, and Ma Yu's health was deteriorating day by day. Qiu Chuji was also getting on in years, and Zhao Zhijing, the third-generation chief disciple who was originally the most promising, had colluded with the Mongols and defected.

The Quanzhen Sect is currently facing a generational gap and urgently needs to select a young leader who can win over the masses to stabilize morale.

More and more fourth-generation disciples gathered around, surrounding Yang Guo in the middle.

A thin disciple squeezed to the front, his face full of flattery.

"Senior Brother Yang! Last time in the main hall of Chongyang Palace, you displayed your might, driving away those two Mongol barbarians, Huodu and Darba. Moreover, your keen insight exposed the true face of that hypocrite, Zhao Zhijing!" the skinny disciple exclaimed loudly. "You are a great hero of our Quanzhen Sect!"

"That's right! That old scoundrel Zhao Zhijing used to act arrogantly and domineeringly. If it weren't for Senior Brother Yang standing up for us, our Quanzhen Sect's century-old reputation would have been ruined by him!"

"Senior Brother Yang's Quanzhen Swordplay is unparalleled; even Grandmaster Qiu praised it highly. Among our fourth-generation disciples, if you claim to be second, no one dares to claim to be first!"

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, showering the flatterers with enthusiastic praise.

Wang Qingchen seized the opportunity to grab Yang Guo's sleeve.

"Senior Brother Yang, we can form teams for the Heavenly Arena this time. Could you take us brothers with you?" Wang Qingchen asked expectantly. "Just say the word, and we'll take a knife for you on the stage. We'll fight wherever you point!"

"Yes! We'll follow Senior Brother Yang's lead without question!"

Yang Guo looked at the fawning faces before him.

He knew exactly what these people were up to.

The Quanzhen Sect was riddled with factions. With Zhao Zhijing's downfall, his lackeys desperately needed to find a new patron.

Yang Guo, with his master Yin Zhiping backing him up, and his illustrious military exploits in repelling the Mongols, possesses unfathomable martial arts skills. He is undoubtedly the strongest backer at present.

Even if you don't win the championship by teaming up with Yang Guo, you can still become a familiar face to the Seven Masters of Quanzhen and reap plenty of benefits.

Yang Guo felt extremely disgusted by these opportunists.

He pulled his sleeve away from Wang Qingchen's grasp.

"Senior Brother Wang, you're too kind." Yang Guo said calmly. "I haven't decided on forming a team yet. Swords and spears have no eyes on the arena, so everyone should take care of themselves."

Wang Qingchen was rebuffed and awkwardly stepped aside, but her eyes remained fixed intently on Yang Guo.

Yang Guo stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the bustling square.

He knew exactly what was going on. These people usually bullied the weak and feared the strong, following Zhao Zhijing. Now that Zhao Zhijing had fallen from power and he himself was riding high, they came to curry favor with him.

This is the world of martial arts, this is the human heart.

Yang Guo was extremely disgusted by this kind of flattery. But he understood that martial arts skills alone were not enough to establish himself in the martial arts world. The Quanzhen Sect was the largest sect in the world, with disciples all over the country, and its foundation was unfathomable.

If he could seize this power, he would have his greatest trump card when facing Guo Jing and the entire martial arts world in Xiangyang. To take Huang Rong away openly and legitimately, he needed the power to silence the world.

These sycophantic disciples were merely stepping stones for his ascent to power. Although they were not of great use, they were perfectly suited to be drummers, lackeys, and lackeys.

Seeing Yang Guo remain silent, Li Qinghong assumed he had reservations. "Junior brother, the rules of the Tongtian Arena are cruel. Our third-generation uncles possess profound inner strength, and we fourth-generation disciples have no chance of winning in a one-on-one fight. Only by banding together can we have a chance. Junior brother, your martial arts are unparalleled; just say the word, and we will serve you with utmost loyalty."

Yang Guo withdrew his gaze and looked into Li Qinghong's eyes.

"There's no need for a team." Yang Guo's voice was calm and his words were clear. "Those who cultivate the Dao should row against the current. Since the Tongtian Arena only judges strength, I, Yang Guo, will naturally rely on my own two hands to fight my way up, layer by layer."

The surrounding disciples gasped.

A one-on-one challenge at the Heavenly Arena? This would mean facing not only the combined might of his peers but also the suppression of three generations of elders. What an arrogant confidence!

Li Qinghong stood there, stunned, unsure how to respond.

Yang Guo ignored them and strode towards the main hall of Chongyang Palace.

Sunlight shone on his back.

The position of leader of the Quanzhen Sect.

He's determined to have it.