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

Lu Wushuang forcefully pulled her two long legs together, and her firm horse stance naturally loosened up.

She forced the internal energy circulating in her dantian to the area below her navel, and exhaled a heavy breath of warm, turbid air.

Several muffled thuds came from the bluestone slab under her feet.

Three deep grooves, each about the thickness of a finger, were forcibly split along the edge of the sole of her shoe.

She opened her eyes, her pretty face flushed, with a few large beads of sweat on her forehead.

The little girl couldn't contain her joy and jumped up and down several times on the spot.

With each jump, the force under his feet increased several times, and the final jump propelled him more than a meter high.

After she landed, her feet sank half an inch into the wet mud.

Lu Wushuang was stunned.

The blocked meridians in his left leg, which had been congested for many years, were now completely free of any obstruction.

The internal energy descended from the lower back, passed through the Huantiao acupoint, entered the knee bend, and finally flowed all the way to the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot, completing a small cycle. It was even smoother than the right leg.

The medicinal power of nine Bodhi snake gallbladders is already potent.

If an ordinary person were to consume one of these pills, without the protection of internal energy, it could result in minor burns to the meridians or, in severe cases, a reversal of qi and blood flow.

Lu Wushuang has been staying by Yang Guo's side these days. First, he used his internal energy to massage her old wounds, and then she squatted in a meditation posture under the waterfall every day.

The waterfall's chilling force pressed down on her, forcing her to draw every breath deep into her dantian.

After more than half a month, the medicine's effects did not dissipate into the skin and flesh, but were instead gradually pushed into the muscles, bones, and meridians.

Today, with the moisture washing over her body and her vital energy leaking out, her crippled leg finally managed to break through the last obstacle.

Lu Wushuang looked down at her left foot, slowly raised it, and then slowly lowered it.

Toes touching the ground.

The mud surface collapsed silently.

Unable to contain her joy any longer, she turned and ran towards Yang Guo.

Yang Guo was sitting shirtless by the tree roots, wiping the heavy black iron sword with a coarse cloth.

The sword was dark and heavy, and water droplets rolled down its spine, but they never managed to get a speck of dirt on it.

He had barely looked up when Lu Wushuang rushed forward, spreading her arms wide and embracing him and his sword tightly.

"My lord!"

Her shout was so loud that it shook several nearby fallen leaves to the ground.

"It's open! My left leg is completely open!"

"That lifeless feeling that used to linger in the back of my knees is completely gone."

"Now, a casual kick from me is ten times stronger than before!"

Yang Guo's shoulder slumped slightly from the impact, but he was not angry. He simply raised his hand to grip the hilt of the sword to prevent the heavy sword from slipping and injuring her foot.

He looked down at Lu Wushuang, then at the deep marks left by her feet.

"ten times?"

Yang Guo scoffed.

"You've got some nerve."

Upon hearing this, Lu Wushuang immediately released her grip, raised her alluring long leg, and stomped hard on the muddy ground beside her.

With a muffled thud, mud and water splashed out, leaving a crater the size of a large bowl.

She didn't use brute force with this kick, but rather she pressed her internal energy down her hamstrings, and the force exploded after it hit the ground, showing that she already had some skill in lower body techniques.

Lu Wushuang stood with her hands on her hips, so proud that her tail seemed to be sticking up to the sky. Her breasts swayed violently, making Yang Guo keep glancing at her.

"See that?"

"The hardships I endured these past few days have paid off; my internal strength has increased significantly."

"If I run into that bitch Hong Lingbo again, I can make her kneel in the mud within three moves."

When she mentioned Hong Lingbo's name, the smile on her face faded slightly.

When the incident occurred at Lu Family Village, Hong Lingbo followed Li Mochou to visit.

Lu Wushuang was still young at that time. She was trampled on the ground and didn't even have the strength to lift her head.

That scene had been buried deep in her heart for many years. She would curse and grumble during the day, but when the old injury in her left leg ached late at night, she would remember the smell of dust from that day.

Now that her old wounds have healed, the first thing on her mind is to get revenge.

Yang Guo draped the coarse cloth over the back of his sword and squinted at her for a moment.

"You have a solid foundation and your internal energy is flowing smoothly, but you are still far from being a first-rate player."

Lu Wushuang's face immediately fell.

Don't look down on people.

Yang Guo reached out and pinched her cheek lightly, but it made her glare at him.

"In the martial arts world, there are very few people who can survive to the top and only rely on brute force to intimidate others."

"You have strong legs, but you don't know your own limits."

"If you really encounter a more experienced opponent, they only need to make you miss a move, and your newly gained confidence will become a weakness in the blink of an eye."

Lu Wushuang snorted and took three steps back.

She crossed her hands in front of her chest, assuming the starting stance of a willow-leaf scimitar.

He spread his feet apart, his toes digging into the mud, lowered his waist, and his breathing became shallow.

"Then let's give it a try."

Cheng Yingben, who was wringing out his wet sleeves, frowned slightly when he saw the two of them like this.

She took two steps closer, first looking at Lu Wushuang's feet, then at the heavy black iron sword beside Yang Guo.

"Wushuang, you have just broken through your old meridians, and your qi is not yet fully stable."

"If we act now and lose our footing, my left leg might not be able to withstand it."

Lu Wushuang tilted her head and said, "Cousin, don't worry about it."

"I want to show him that all my training these past few days hasn't been in vain."

Cheng Ying remained silent for a moment, then turned to Yang Guo.

"Your sword strike in the pool just now borrowed the power of the water to power your sword."

"If I were to exert myself against her now, I might hurt her if I did too much."

Yang Guo stood up, his shoulders and back still wet.

He did not take the heavy sword, but left it by the tree roots.

"rest assured."

After he finished speaking, he stretched his neck, and his joints cracked twice.

"Today I will only use one leg, without moving my hands or using any weapons."

"If you can catch my kick without falling, you can have whatever you want to eat tonight, and do whatever you want."

"If you can't handle it, you know how you'll be punished later."

Lu Wushuang's face flushed, but she remained defiant.

"Who's afraid of who?"

She channeled the internal energy from the Yi Jin Duan Gu Pian (a martial arts manual) into her legs.

The meridians in my left leg are just beginning to open, and the flow of Qi is still rapid. If it is allowed to run rampant, it will aggravate the old injury.

Following the method Yang Guo had taught her these past few days, she focused her energy three inches from the soles of her feet, stabilized her knees, and then let her waist and hips bear the weight.

This method is clumsy, but it's the most reliable.

Cheng Ying saw this and nodded secretly.

Lu Wushuang has a quick temper, but she can endure hardship when practicing martial arts.

If he were to hone his skills for another three to five years, he might very well make a name for himself.

However, the Yang Guo before us can no longer be judged as an ordinary junior in the martial arts world.

The insights he gained under the waterfall, at first glance, seemed to involve splitting the water with a heavy sword, but in reality, it was about borrowing momentum, breaking momentum, and reversing momentum.

Water has gaps, swords have cracks, and even the breath of a person striking a move has breaks.

If you can time it right, you can use a small force to overcome a large one.

Such skill, when applied to battle formations, is the key to breaking through enemy lines.

In a battle between masters, this becomes the key to victory.

The two were no more than three steps apart.

The wind whistled through the valley, and the chill of the pool wafted along the ground.

The fire had not yet been lit, and the only sounds around were the patter of water and the occasional low cry of the eagle perched on a withered branch.

Yang Guo raised his right leg.

The movements are very slow.

So slowly that Lu Wushuang could clearly see his soles leaving the mud, his ankles turning, and his knees slightly bent.

She was overjoyed, anticipating that he would kick her head-on, and immediately lowered her center of gravity by three points.

She was confident she wouldn't back down if they collided head-on.

But Cheng Ying, who was standing next to her, could see it more clearly.

The moment Yang Guo's toes left the ground, his breath suddenly dissipated.

That pause was so brief that most people would just assume he was taking a breath.

Cheng Ying's heart tightened.

She had seen him split the waterfall in the pool, he would first disperse his energy and then condense it.

The purpose of dispersing is to listen.

Condensation is for the purpose of striking.

He didn't even look at Lu Wushuang's face.

His gaze fell on Lu Wushuang's left foot, three inches to the outside.

The area was covered by wet mud, and underneath it was a bluestone buried at an angle.

Lu Wushuang's left foot was stuck too deep in the mud, leaving a small blind spot on the outside of her ankle.

If she is subjected to force head-on, she will naturally be as stable as a rock.

If the force penetrates from the side, the bluestone will push against her, the muddy ground will slip, and her center of gravity will shift.

Yang Guo slid half a foot across the muddy ground.

He didn't use his full strength, only focusing 30% of his innate internal energy on his toes.

The force first penetrated the mud, then bounced off the ground, and in the last inch, the toes suddenly turned, and the foot slid diagonally along the grass roots.

Lu Wushuang was waiting for a head-on confrontation.

But the kick went in from a place she couldn't reach with her strength.

"oops!"

Her left foot twisted, and her entire body immediately collapsed.

His arms flailing wildly in the air, his waist and hips trying to twist back, but the force had already lifted up his ankles, pulling his knees to the side as well.

The next moment, she was sent flying.

It traced an arc in mid-air.

A burst of water erupted from the pool.

Lu Wushuang fell backward into the shallow water, the cold water instantly reaching her chest.

The bottom of the pool was full of fine sand, without a single hard rock.

She struggled to sit up, her long hair plastered to her face, and spat out two mouthfuls of muddy water.

"Yang Guo!"

She wiped her face and stomped her feet in anger.

"We were talking about lower body skills, and you're attacking from the side? What kind of skill is that!"

Yang Guo squatted on the bank, slapping his thigh and laughing for a long time before finally speaking: "Who taught you to explain the rules before fighting your enemies?"

"Your frontal stance is good, but the harder you are on the front, the more empty your sides become."

"If someone wants to kill you, do you think they'd specifically target your most vulnerable spot?"

Lu Wushuang gritted her teeth and said, "You're cheating."

"That's called practical experience."

Yang Guo's smile faded slightly.

"Remember, a rapid increase in internal energy does not equate to a rapid increase in skill."

"Your legs can exert force now, but your brain is still in a state where the old injury hasn't healed."

"Whether you fight Hong Lingbo or Li Mochou, if you only think about kicking them back, you'll suffer a great loss sooner or later."

Lu Wushuang's lips moved, but she did not immediately refute him.

Yang Guo added, "I only used 30% of my strength in that kick just now, and the landing point was in shallow water and fine sand."

"If it were someone else, the impact point would be the back of your knee or your lower back."

"You won't have a chance to swear then."

These words calmed Lu Wushuang down considerably, much of her anger subsided.

She looked down at her left foot.

She really had no way to deal with that attack just now.

It's not that we don't have enough strength, it's that we've all misplaced our strength.

Cheng Ying stood on the shore and sighed softly.

"Wushuang, he's right."

"Your meridians are newly opened, first stabilize your breathing, then practice the variations."

"If you only practice blocking, you will be led around by an opponent with superior agility."

Lu Wushuang was so angry that her eyes turned red, and she waded through the water step by step toward the shore.

Her thin cloth shirt was completely soaked through and clung tightly to her skin, revealing the clear outline of her bright red undergarment underneath.

The pair of plump, soft flesh, poised to burst forth, stood even more erect when splashed with cold water.

As soon as they reached the shore, Yang Guo stretched out his large, calloused hand, grabbed her slender arm, and lifted her onto the flat ground.

Before Lu Wushuang could even stand up straight, Yang Guo's large hand naturally reached out and touched her firm, round buttocks, giving them a hard slap.

The crisp sound of the slap was extremely loud in the open space.

"If you dare call me 'old lady' again, wait until we get back to the inn in Xiangyang, and I'll see how I break your stubborn bones."

Yang Guo lowered his head and uttered the lewd remark in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

While cursing, Lu Wushuang raised her fist and punched his broad, muscular chest twice, but obediently leaned into his burning embrace.

"You're always bullying me."

Yang Guo looked down at her, his voice lowered.

"It's better to bully you than to let others bully you."

Lu Wushuang paused for a moment, then turned her face away, still cursing under her breath.

Cheng Ying took in this scene without saying a word.

What she cared about more was Yang Guo's kick just now.

That wasn't just taking a shortcut; it involved first observing the terrain, then sensing the energy flow, and finally using the mud and bluestone to generate power.

If it were a fighting ring, it would be built using the gaps between the wooden planks.

If it were the chaotic troops outside the city, they would be the potholes trodden out by horses' hooves.

This person may seem rough, but he is extremely meticulous when he makes a move.

More importantly, he was able to control his strength.

There are many people who can see through weaknesses, and there are also many who can strike and injure others in an instant.

To see through something yet leave room for maneuver, to cause someone to fall into the water without injuring them—this is something that cannot be achieved solely through talent.

If Yang Guo had truly applied this insight to Jinlun Fawang, then the fight in Xiangyang might not have been limited to a direct confrontation.

Thinking of this, Cheng Ying gently tapped the water bag with her fingertips.

She suddenly realized that Yang Guo's stay at the Sword Tomb these past few days was not just for practicing swordsmanship.

He was using the waterfall to practice his stance, Lu Wushuang to practice his eyesight, and this valley to re-integrate his newly acquired power.

This man may have a sharp tongue, but he always kept Xiangyang in his heart.

The three of them gathered up the scattered items in the open space, built a fire, and huddled together to dry their clothes.

Lu Wushuang, wrapped in a large cloak, sat in front of the fire, hugging her knees.

After the chill passed, the meridians in her left leg began to feel slightly warm again.

That wasn't a recurrence of the injury, but rather the residual effects of the medicine still lingering deep within the muscles and bones.

Yang Guo added a few dry twigs to the fire and casually said, "Don't try to open your acupoints with your internal energy tonight."

"Your meridians have just opened; rushing to practice will only ruin what should have been a good thing."

Lu Wushuang pouted and said, "I know."

"You really know?"

"Okay, okay, stop nagging."

Cheng Ying took out a small packet of dried herbs from her bundle and handed it to her.

"Applying it to the back of the knee can reduce the heat."

"Your old injury has been there for many years. Today, the meridians opened up too quickly. If you experience sharp pain at night, don't try to tough it out."

Lu Wushuang took the herbs, her expression softening for once.

"Cousin, I'm fine."

Cheng Ying glanced at her and said calmly, "Every time you say you're fine, you end up causing trouble."

Lu Wushuang choked.

Yang Guo laughed out loud from the side.

Just then, a harsh, unpleasant bird call came from the withered branches of a nearby tree.

The ugly eagle, about half a person's height, jumped down from the tree and limped to the fire.

Its yellowish eyes rolled around, and it flicked its long beak.

A struggling fathead fish crashed heavily at Yang Guo's feet, its tail sweeping up mud that splashed all over his trousers.

Yang Guo looked at the mud spots on his trousers but was not annoyed. Instead, he bent down and picked up the fish.

"Brother Diao, this is a very generous deal."

"I've been busy practicing swordsmanship these past few days and haven't had time to go swimming. I've been relying on you for help."

"When we have good wine and meat later, you'll definitely get a share."

The eagle held its head high, too lazy to even look at him, flapped its wings twice, and turned to go to the edge of the pool to preen its feathers.

Lu Wushuang found it hilarious.

"Does it really understand what you're saying?"

Yang Guo weighed the fish in his hand.

"More sensible than you."

Just as Lu Wushuang was about to retort, Cheng Ying spoke first: "The fish is dying, let's clean it up first."

Yang Guo drew his dagger and deftly gutted and scaled the fish. He then skewered the fish with a twig and slowly roasted it over the fire.

Fish oil drips into the charcoal fire, making a soft crackling sound.

The firelight somewhat dispelled the chill in the valley, and the three sat together, none of them mentioning the competition that had just taken place.

Lu Wushuang ate the fastest, but still complained.

"Once I've mastered my variation, I'll definitely catch your kick next time."

Yang Guo tore off a piece of fish and handed it to Cheng Ying, then looked at Lu Wushuang.

"Next time I'll switch to the other foot."

Lu Wushuang almost choked on a fish bone.

Cheng Ying lowered her head to eat the fish, her lips twitching slightly before she quickly regained her composure.

After the fish was divided up, the fire smoldered a little shorter.

Yang Guo wiped the grease off his mouth, stood up, and dusted off his clothes.

He turned his head, his gaze passing over the overlapping shadows of the trees, looking towards the end of the Sword Tomb Valley.

The situation in Xiangyang is getting increasingly chaotic, and that old poisoner who's been hiding his true nature may have already spread poisonous miasma all over the surrounding area.

Guo Jing, that stubborn mule, will definitely fall into the trap they've set.

He could not linger in this ravine any longer.

If we stay any longer, the Mongols will wipe out all the spies in the city.