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

Yang Guo walked out of the cave and saw snake gallbladders all over the ground. He walked over, squatted down, and counted them.

There were a total of thirty-eight snake gallbladders, varying in size, with a purplish-black sheen on their surface.

The divine eagle stood outside the cave entrance, its feathers still glistening with the morning dew.

It let out two low chirps and gently nudged Yang Guo's shoulder with its iron beak, as if urging him to accept it quickly.

Yang Guo patted the side of the Condor's neck and said with a smile.

"You big eagle, you know how to live frugally. Last night we were penniless, and this morning you brought me a table full of delicious food."

As he spoke, he took out a dry cloth and carefully wrapped each snake gallbladder one by one.

These Pusiqu snake gallbladders have extraordinary medicinal properties. If an ordinary martial artist were to swallow one whole without internal energy guidance, it would cause his blood and qi to churn at best, and damage to his meridians at worst.

In particular, the snakes near Dugu Sword Tomb, having long fed on exotic herbs in the valleys and nourished by the cold water vapor from the pools here, have bile with a stronger medicinal effect than snake bile from the outside world.

After fighting the Snake King last night, Yang Guo suffered several hidden injuries in his meridians, and he needed this powerful medicine to cleanse his bones and muscles.

However, it would be a waste to keep all thirty-eight of them. Since Lu Wushuang and Cheng Ying have weaker foundations, giving them some would give them more self-protection capabilities in the short term.

Lu Wushuang ran over, stared at the cloth bag, and swallowed hard.

"Husband, you're not planning to hog it all by yourself, are you?"

Yang Guo stuffed the cloth bag into his arms, deliberately teasing her.

"I almost got turned into a midnight snack by that worm yesterday, so what's wrong with eating a few more? The main force needs to replenish its internal energy first, that's the rule of the martial world."

Lu Wushuang reached out and tugged at his sleeve, pouting coquettishly.

"I did my part too. I soaked in the water for so long, and I even massaged your shoulders last night. If you take all of that away, I'll only massage one side of your body from now on, and make the other side sore you'll die."

Cheng Ying took a few steps closer, her gaze falling on the cloth bag, and spoke softly.

"Master Yang, snake gall is no ordinary tonic. Its medicinal power will directly affect the liver meridian after entering the stomach. You must take care of your health."

She paused for a moment, then added.

"Your true energy was greatly depleted last night. If you try to take too much now, it will only cause your energy to run wild. It's much safer for you to share some with us and refine the medicinal power yourselves, rather than forcing yourself to swallow it all. I'm doing this for your own good."

Yang Guo glanced at her and chuckled inwardly.

These words sound gentle, but the underlying calculations are extremely clear.

Cheng Ying caught a chill last night, and the mark of the Qiankun Technique in her body kept flaring up. The medicinal power of the snake gall could help stabilize her qi and blood.

She used the excuse of caring for him to ask for his help, thus avoiding being seen as greedy while still getting her share of the goods in a reasonable way.

The people from Peach Blossom Island even use strategy when asking for snake gallbladders.

Yang Guo spread the dry cloth out again and squatted down.

"Alright, I've always been democratic. Of the thirty-eight snake gallbladders, I'll take twenty, and you can split the remaining eighteen equally."

Lu Wushuang quickly counted out nine, then pushed the remaining nine to Cheng Ying.

"Cousin, let's split it in half, neither of us should take advantage of the other."

Cheng Ying looked at the snake gall on the ground and gently tapped her fingers inside her sleeve.

"I was the one who pointed out the weakness under the snake king's belly yesterday. If we're going by merit, I should get an extra one."

Lu Wushuang immediately objected and retorted.

"Cousin, you're too good at calculating. I even hit that snake with a stone yesterday. Besides, you're afraid of the cold, so I gave you half of the animal hide. And you slept so restlessly last night, squeezing around in the middle of the night, I almost got pushed off."

Cheng Ying's ears instantly burned, and she clenched her sleeves with her fingertips, creating wrinkles.

Last night, she wasn't squeezing Lu Wushuang; she was being held in Yang Guo's arms, relying on that man for warmth all night.

If my cousin finds out the truth, this will be much more troublesome than losing a snake gall bladder.

She looked at Yang Guo and saw that he was watching the show with amusement, which made her secretly annoyed.

"I caught a chill, so I inevitably toss and turn in my sleep. Don't talk nonsense."

Cheng Ying explained in a low voice, and Lu Wushuang snorted.

"Then you should sleep further away tonight."

Yang Guo coughed twice and moved a snake gall from Lu Wushuang's side to Cheng Ying's side.

"Wushuang, your cousin is weak, so it's normal for her to take one more. You've practiced the Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian, so your legs are in good shape and your energy is high. Eight is enough for you."

Lu Wushuang puffed out her cheeks and muttered to herself.

"My husband is biased."

Yang Guo flicked her forehead and laughed as he scolded her.

"So what if I'm biased? I'm just protecting the weak. If you eat too much and get a sore throat, I'll have to go through all the trouble to save you later."

Lu Wushuang blushed at his words and gritted her teeth as she put the snake gall into her palm.

Cheng Ying did not argue further. She swallowed the ten snake galls in two portions and then sat cross-legged by the fire.

Lu Wushuang sat up straight, mimicking her posture, but frowned and complained.

"This stuff is terribly bitter."

Yang Guo had already swallowed twenty snake gallbladders. The bitter, fishy taste went down his throat and into his stomach, and a burning power quickly arose in his dantian.

He circulated his Nine Yin True Qi, first guiding the medicinal power into the Foot Shaoyin Meridian, and then along the Ren and Du Meridians.

The gallbladder of the Pusiqu snake is best at repairing bones and muscles. If the medicinal power is allowed to flow freely, it will only make the blood and qi become turbulent.

He used the techniques of the Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian (a traditional Chinese medicine text) to guide the medicine into the gaps between his joints, repairing the hidden damage caused by the snake king the previous night.

The red and black energy beads spun rapidly within the dantian, and the third pattern was even more solid than the one from the previous night.

Yang Guo did not rush to break through the barrier, but instead suppressed his true energy in his lower dantian and slowly honed it using the "sinking" technique from the heavy sword method.

A heavy sword has no edge, and the most taboo thing is to have weak energy.

If the energy in the dantian is raised too high, the heavy iron sword in one's hand will be dragged along by the true energy.

Although the secret manual left by Dugu Qiubai was only a few words long, every sentence pointed to the essence. Using force to control the sword is only a lower level, while using momentum to borrow force is the true essence of practicing swordsmanship at waterfalls.

On the other side, the nine snake gallbladders inside Lu Wushuang's body transformed into heat, coursing through the meridians of her legs.

There were many obstructions in the place where she used to limp, and although the Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian (a traditional Chinese medicine text) had cleared them, small lumps still remained.

As the medicine took effect, she felt a tingling sensation in her leg bones. She gritted her teeth, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Cheng Ying was much more cautious. She used the internal energy of Peach Blossom Island to protect her heart meridian first, and then guided the medicinal power to sink down.

The mark of the Qiankun Technique absorbed some of the heat, preventing her abdomen from churning and causing discomfort.

However, with each dose of pure yang medicine that the mark absorbed, it became more tightly bound to Yang Guo's aura.

She noticed this and frowned slightly, but she never stopped practicing her exercises.

Half an hour later, the three of them stopped their movements one after another.

As Yang Guo stood up, his shoulder and back joints made a few crisp, light cracking sounds.

He walked to the Xuan Tie Heavy Sword, grasped the hilt with one hand, and lifted it upwards.

The sword was off the ground. Although the heavy sword was still heavy, it was no longer as difficult to control as it had been yesterday.

The medicinal power of the snake gall replenished his bones and muscles, and his true energy also increased by a fraction. However, he knew that this progress was still insufficient to confront the Snake King head-on.

Lu Wushuang looked at the heavy sword with a hint of envy in her eyes.

"Husband, can you cut that long worm in half with one sword now?"

Yang Guo carried the sword on his shoulder.

"You're overthinking it. That snake can live for so long not because of its large appetite. Yesterday, it was stabbed in the abdomen but was still able to crawl back to the bottom of the pool, which means that something is protecting it near its vital spot. If we treat it like an ordinary snake, it will be the one collecting our corpses next time."

Cheng Ying nodded in agreement.

"After being injured, the Snake King will usually hide at the confluence of water veins. The cold pool in this valley is connected to an underground current. It uses the water to heal its wounds, and the wounds will heal quickly. If Brother Yang wants to fight again, he should first practice his heavy sword to the point where he can use the power of water."

Yang Guo looked at her and teased her.

"Butler Cheng, you've improved! Did your brother's embrace you for warmth last night help you catch up on your brain?"

Cheng Ying's cheeks flushed, and she turned around to straighten her sleeves.

"Such an important matter as practicing martial arts should not be treated so lightly."

Lu Wushuang didn't catch the unspoken meaning in their words, and just urged them on.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to the waterfall!"

The three left the cave, with the Divine Eagle following beside them, its claws stomping over the rocks and occasionally letting out a low growl.

The valley was shrouded in thick fog in the early morning. Moisture rose from the surface of the pool and felt a chilling sensation on the skin.

The area is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and waterfalls cascade down from high cliffs, creating a chilling atmosphere that lingers year-round. It is precisely because of this that the strange snakes in the valley possess a courage far exceeding that of ordinary medicinal herbs.

Upon reaching the pool, the roaring sound of the water instantly drowned out human voices.

Yang Guo took off his outer robe and placed it on the dry stone surface, but Cheng Ying stepped forward and stopped him.

"Brother Yang, first use your internal energy to protect your meridians. You just injured your lungs last night. If the cold air enters the Du meridian from your spine, it will affect the effect of your sword practice today."

Yang Guo did not try to be brave. He clasped his hands together and gathered his inner energy. The Nine Yin Manual traveled up his spine and then sank into his legs.

A moment later, the moisture on the skin slid off.

He looked at Cheng Ying and asked.

"Butler Cheng, is this alright now?"

Cheng Ying observed carefully for a moment before slowly backing away.

"Sure, but you need to get out of the water and adjust your breathing every half hour."

Lu Wushuang squatted by the pool, touched the water with her fingertips, and immediately withdrew them because they were frozen.

"My lord, the water is even colder than yesterday. Can I practice on the shore?"

Seeing that she was trying to cheat, Yang Guo pointed to the flat ground next to them and said.

"Okay, go over there and do five hundred squats. Once you've done that, you've passed your lower body training for today."

Lu Wushuang was stunned.

"What kind of weird skill is squatting?"

Yang Guo stood in the correct position and demonstrated it to her.

"Hands behind your head, feet apart, squat down and then stand up, keep your knees from swaying, and keep your back and waist tucked in."

Lu Wushuang did as instructed with some skepticism.

"one two three……"

Her movements were very chaotic at first, and her legs started to ache after squatting a dozen or so times.

Yang Guo watched for a moment, then his tone became serious.

"Wushuang, you used to have difficulty walking, and your left leg would habitually give way when you walked. Although your leg is better now, the old habit is still there. If you don't train your lower body to be stable again, you could lose your life if you make a mistake when you encounter a master."

Upon hearing this, Lu Wushuang's complaints decreased significantly.

She lowered her head, adjusted the position of her toes, and continued practicing according to the posture Yang Guo had instructed.

The red practice clothes clung to her waist, and although her movements were still a bit clumsy, they were much more steady than before.

Yang Guo added another sentence.

"Don't be lazy. If you want to take revenge on Li Mochou in the future, finish these five hundred first."

Lu Wushuang's arm stiffened, then she gritted her teeth and continued counting.

Cheng Ying, standing to the side, also looked somewhat somber upon hearing Li Mochou's name.

She didn't speak, but simply gripped the short flute hidden in her sleeve.

The hatred for the Lu family had lingered in the sisters' hearts for many years. Yang Guo used this incident to force Lu Wushuang to practice martial arts. Although the method was crude, it was the most effective.

Seeing that Lu Wushuang's posture was gradually stabilizing, Yang Guo stopped interfering.

He shouldered the heavy black iron sword and stepped into the icy pool.

The water was above his thighs, and the underwater currents kept pushing against the back of his knees.

If he relied solely on brute force to stand still, his breathing would quickly become disordered. He shifted his weight to the soles of his feet, using the lightness of the Golden Goose Skill to dissipate three-tenths of the impact, and then used the weight of the heavy sword to suppress his body.

Reaching the giant rock below the waterfall, the massive jet of water crashed against my shoulders and back, causing the sword to drop continuously.

Yang Guo did not rush to draw his sword.

He first let the water flow onto the spine of the sword, carefully sensing the direction of each force.

Yesterday he was defeated by resisting head-on, so today he will try to take advantage of the situation.

The power of the waterfall comes from top to bottom. If you want to cut against the current, you must tilt the tip of the sword slightly before raising it to avoid the heaviest water pressure in front of you, and then use your waist and hips to drive your arms to exert force.

The eagle stared at him from the shore, scratching at the rock with its claws and letting out a low growl.

Yang Guo grinned.

"What's the rush? I'm trying to understand the momentum of the water flow. It's about using the opponent's force against them. You clumsy eagle don't understand that."

Although Cheng Ying couldn't understand those strange words, she could tell that Yang Guo wasn't acting recklessly this time, so she whispered a reminder.

"The sword should not be too far from the center line, otherwise it will be swayed by the water."

Yang Guo nodded in response.

"Received, Strategist Cheng."

He slightly bent his knees, then suddenly exerted force from his waist and back, raising the heavy sword horizontally in front of his chest.

The raging water slammed into the sword, and immense pressure was instantly applied.

Yang Guo inhaled the Qi into his abdomen, and the sword intent of the heavy sword instantly flowed into his arms.

"rise!"

He let out a low shout, gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, and slashed the heavy sword diagonally upwards.