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

Xiaolongnu withdrew her right hand from probing the pulse, her fingertips stained with sticky blood.

Yang Guo lay flat on the broken bed board, his chest rising and falling at an extremely irregular frequency, and his throat making a rattling sound like a broken bellows.

"My dantian is shattered." Little Dragon Girl repeated, her tone flat, her left hand, holding the broken blade of the Lady's Sword, had prominent knuckles.

Huang Rong stood on the other side of the bed, her left hand gripping the dog-beating stick tightly.

She stared at Yang Guo's bloodless profile, without checking his pulse.

She was well-versed in medicine, and upon observing Yang Guo's unfocused pupils and the beads of blood seeping from his skin, she made a judgment. In the martial arts world, once the dantian is shattered, all one's cultivation is lost, leaving one even weaker than an ordinary person.

Yang Guo turned his head, his gaze shifting from Huang Rong's face to Xiaolongnu. Xiaolongnu was half-squatting by the bed, her snow-white skirt stained with dust.

From Yang Guo's perspective, her slender waist connects to her full hips, creating a striking curve.

Yang Guo closed his eyes, and short videos he had seen in his previous life flashed through his mind. He sighed inwardly that it would be a waste not to use his figure to make suggestive videos while wearing a bodycon skirt.

Now that my dantian is shattered, I've truly become a useless, annulment-themed male protagonist. If this situation were in an online novel, I'd be torn to shreds by readers.

He swallowed a mouthful of bloody, sweet-smelling liquid.

Outside the courtyard wall, the heavy, rhythmic footsteps stopped. The clattering sound of wooden beads colliding was particularly clear in the night wind.

The Golden Wheel Dharma King stopped ten steps away from the courtyard gate, turned around, and raised his right hand. Hodu and Darba, who were walking ahead, also stopped.

"Master?" Huo Du covered his swollen left cheek, his voice slurred.

The Golden Wheel Monk ignored his disciple, instead closing his eyes and unleashing his master-level perception of qi.

The spiritual energy in the courtyard was extremely stable. The black and white true energy that had made him feel dangerous had completely dissipated, leaving not even a trace behind.

Having lived for over sixty years and experienced countless life-and-death battles, the Golden Wheel Dharma King understood all too well the final moments of lucidity in those on the verge of death.

That kind of outburst is extremely destructive, but it is never lasting. Once the true energy dissipates, the person is just an empty shell.

"We're not leaving." The Golden Wheel Dharma King opened his eyes and quickened the pace of turning his prayer beads. He stepped out with his right leg, stepping on the pebbles on the ground, and walked back towards the headmaster's courtyard.

Yang Guo heard the footsteps that had returned and thought to himself that the old bald monk was still smart and hadn't been fooled by that last move. He was really good at using the spear this time.

Huo Du followed Jinlun Fawang through the courtyard gate and immediately saw the scene inside. Yang Guo lay on the bed, barely breathing, while Lu Wushuang lay unconscious by the door, leaving only Huang Rong and Xiaolongnu flanking the bed.

Huo Du closed his folding fan, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Huang Rong and Xiaolongnü. Huang Rong was injured, and the charm of a mature woman was even more alluring beneath her disheveled clothes; Xiaolongnü's white clothes were stained with blood, and her aloof and refined temperament was captivating.

"Master is wise!" Huo Du flattered. "This little thief is indeed putting on a brave face; he's a cripple now. These two women are truly stunning; why don't I capture them and take them back to the desert to properly train them?"

Upon hearing Huo Du's words, Yang Guo was immediately enraged.

How dare you make a move on your mother's wife?

Once I've recovered, I'll break your third leg.

He tried to mobilize his internal energy, but found that his dantian was empty and he couldn't even gather true energy. His One-Finger Divine Skill and Double Yang Sword Technique were useless.

Xiaolongnu stood up. She didn't look at Huang Rong, and Huang Rong didn't look at her either. The two reached a tacit understanding at that moment.

Little Dragon Girl stepped across the threshold carrying half of the Lady's Sword. The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra was circulating at full speed within her body, and white frost covered the surface of the broken sword.

Huang Rong followed closely behind, holding the Dog-Beating Stick horizontally in front of her chest. The poison wound on her left shoulder throbbed faintly, but she still stood ramrod straight.

The Golden Wheel Dharma King removed the silver wheel from his back.

"Two female benefactors, step aside." The Golden Wheel Monk's voice was calm. "The Quanzhen Sect is doomed today, and you cannot stop this old monk."

Little Dragon Girl didn't answer. She propelled herself forward with a burst of speed, her broken sword transforming into a white light, aimed straight for the Golden Wheel Monk's throat. This sword strike had no fancy flourishes, only extreme speed.

The Golden Wheel Monk raised his silver wheel, and the broken sword pierced its edge, producing a piercing scraping sound. He then twisted his wrist, and the silver wheel pressed down, attempting to sever Little Dragon Girl's arm.

Huang Rong attacked from the side, unleashing the "No Dogs Under Heaven" move of her Dog-Beating Staff Technique. Her bamboo staff transformed into a sky full of green shadows, covering all the major acupoints on the Golden Wheel Monk's body.

The Golden Wheel Monk formed a palm with his left hand, unleashing the inner force of his Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, and slapped away the Dog-Beating Staff with a single blow. At the same time, his silver wheel in his right hand repelled Little Dragon Girl. The grandmaster was able to withstand two great masters with ease.

Huang Rong's tiger's mouth split open, and she almost dropped her bamboo staff; Xiao Longnv took three steps back, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth again.

"Step back." Yang Guo's voice came from inside the house.

The voice was hoarse and extremely weak, yet it carried clearly into the courtyard. Xiaolongnu and Huang Rong stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the bed.

Yang Guo braced himself against the bed with his left hand, his broken ribs cracking as they shifted. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his facial muscles twitched slightly from the intense pain.

This is the self-cultivation of a movie star: the more desperate the situation, the more he must maintain his composure.

He reached into his robes with his left hand and fumbled for a moment, pulling out a rusty iron ring. This was the item he obtained by breaking Wang Chongyang's stele outside the ancient tomb.

Yang Guo raised his left hand, exposing the iron ring to the moonlight.

"Imperial Preceptor," Yang Guo said, looking at the Golden Wheel Monk, "you are knowledgeable and experienced, do you recognize this object?"

The Golden Wheel Monk's gaze fell upon the iron ring. The ring was entirely black, with extremely intricate patterns engraved on its surface. With the Golden Wheel Monk's keen eyesight, he could tell at a glance that the material was no ordinary iron, exuding an ancient and rustic charm.

"You broken precept, what do you want to say?" The Golden Wheel Dharma King did not rush to make a move.

Yang Guo grinned, revealing bloodied teeth: "My founder of the Quanzhen Sect, Wang Chongyang, was once the greatest swordsman in the world at the Mount Hua Sword Tournament." He spoke slowly, each word clear, "This ring is a keepsake left by him. You think the Quanzhen Sect's greatest trump card is the Big Dipper Formation? You think that with my dantian shattered, the Quanzhen Sect will be at your mercy?"

The Golden Wheel Monk frowned. He was familiar with the history of the Central Plains martial arts world and knew that Wang Chongyang was indeed a peerless figure who could overpower the other four masters.

"Playing tricks!" Huo Du cursed. "Master, don't listen to his nonsense, I'll go in and kill him!" With that, he drew his short sword and rushed towards the door.

Yang Guo didn't look at Huo Du, but kept staring at Jinlun Fawang, his left thumb and forefinger pinching the iron ring.

"This ring contains the key to breaking your Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill," Yang Guo began to spout nonsense, his face expressionless and his eyes resolute. He needed to buy time; every second he lived could change the course of events.

Xiaolongnu stepped forward to block Huo Du, her broken sword flashing upwards, forcing Huo Du's short sword back.

The Golden Wheel Monk raised his hand to stop Huo Du. He was inherently suspicious and felt that Yang Guo was acting too calmly. A cripple with a shattered dantian, facing death without fear, and instead producing a token to spout nonsense, was simply illogical.

"You've broken my technique?" The Golden Wheel Monk stepped onto the stairs. "I'd like to see what tricks Master Wang has left behind."

The Golden Wheel Monk raised his palm and struck Yang Guo from a distance. The palm wind howled, but he did not use his full strength; he was merely testing the waters.

Yang Guo knew he couldn't stop it, so he could only gamble, betting that the ring was strange. Wang Chongyang had left a message saying that the fourth rank of the One-Finger Divine Skill was for going to Dali, and now Yang Guo's One-Finger Divine Skill was at the seventh rank. Although his dantian was shattered, there was still residual medicinal power in his meridians. Back then, after swallowing the Nine-Turn Life-Reversing Pill stolen by Yin Zhiping, the power of those ten years had long since merged with his flesh and blood.

Yang Guo steeled his resolve, slipped the iron ring onto his left index finger, and reversed the flow of the One Yang Finger technique. His dantian shattered, and his true energy scattered throughout his limbs and bones. He forcefully extracted the essence from his flesh and blood, gathering it all into his left index finger.

A faint red light shone from the ring's surface, a light so subtle yet undeniably real. The penetrating force of the One-Finger Divine Skill shot out through the ring, meeting the palm strike of the Golden Wheel Monk.

"laugh!"

A soft sound rang out, and the palm wind was instantly pierced through, with red light shooting straight into the palm of the Golden Wheel Monk.

The Golden Wheel Monk felt a sharp pain in his palm and abruptly withdrew his hand. A small, bloody hole appeared in his palm, and bright red blood dripped onto the bluestone slab.

The entire audience was astonished. How could someone with a shattered dantian still manage to injure a grandmaster?

Yang Guo coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the bed. That last blow had drained the last bit of life from him; his vision was blurring, and his senses were rapidly fading away.

He looked at the Golden Wheel Monk and laughed wildly: "Old bald monk, how does it taste?" Yang Guo's voice was weak, as thin as a whisper.

The Golden Wheel Monk stared at the bloody hole in his palm, his expression shifting rapidly. This finger technique was extremely domineering, specifically designed to break through protective true energy, and the fluctuations emanating from the iron ring instilled in him an extremely dangerous sense of vigilance.

He dared not go any further. Wang Chongyang's reputation was too great, and this kid's methods were too unpredictable. The Quanzhen Sect had already suffered enough losses today; there was no need to risk his life for a useless person.

"What a fine Quanzhen Sect!" The Golden Wheel Monk clasped his hands together. "I've remembered what happened today. Let's go!"

Golden Wheel Monk turned and strode out of the courtyard gate. Huo Du glanced reluctantly at Little Dragon Girl and Huang Rong, then gritted his teeth and followed, while Darba carried the golden pestle and walked at the back.

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Little Dragon Girl threw down her broken sword and rushed to the bedside. Huang Rong threw away her Dog-Beating Stick, took out a porcelain bottle from her bosom, poured out all the Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pills, and stuffed them into Yang Guo's mouth.

Yang Guo did not swallow it; the pill was stuck in his throat, and his chest had stopped rising and falling.

"Guo'er!" Huang Rong's eyes were red-rimmed as she pressed her hands against Yang Guo's chest, desperately channeling her inner energy into him. But her inner energy was like a mud ox sinking into the sea; she couldn't find any meridians to attach to.

Xiaolongnu grasped Yang Guo's left hand, and her extremely cold true energy probed into it. Yang Guo's life force was rapidly draining away, and the intervals between his heartbeats were becoming longer and longer.

Just as the two women were in despair, the iron ring on Yang Guo's left index finger suddenly fell off and rolled down the bed board to the ground with a crisp and pleasant sound.

Immediately afterwards, red patterns flowed from inside the ring, spreading along the bluestone slab and outlining an extremely complex array on the ground. The astonishing heat emanating from the center of the array distorted and warped the surrounding air.

An aged yet powerful voice emanated from the array diagram:

"Who has disturbed the foundation of my Perfect Truth?"