Martial Arts Master: The Lin Family Sword God, who swept through the Five Mountains and Four Sects

……

The audience was abuzz with discussion, but after arguing for a long time, they still couldn't reach a conclusion.

Finally, Zhu Ziliu rose, fanning himself with his folding fan: "In my opinion, in this world today, only the Northern Beggar Hong Qigong is qualified for this task!"

"That's right!" Wu Santong immediately chimed in. "In terms of martial arts, who can rival his Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms? In terms of character, who in the world doesn't admire his reputation for benevolence and righteousness? Who else but him!"

The two men, who were highly respected in the martial arts world, sang in harmony and promoted Hong Qigong, who had been famous for many years. Even if some people were dissatisfied, they could only nod in agreement.

"Master, I remember you said that among the Five Greats, Hong Qigong is one of the few people you truly respect," Yang Guo said in a low voice. "Wouldn't it be fitting for him to be the leader of this alliance?"

Hong Qigong was one of the Five Greats in his day, having already reached the peak of the Acquired Realm. He dominated the world with his set of Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Although he was ambushed by Ouyang Feng and lost his skill, he turned misfortune into blessing. He used the Nine Yin Manual to rebuild his old skills and made further progress—his Ren and Du meridians were connected, and the Heaven and Earth Bridge was formed, allowing him to step into the initial stage of the Innate Realm in one fell swoop.

"They've matched," Lin Tian said calmly, "but he's busy."

"Huh? Why?" Yang Guo was taken aback.

Lin Tian smiled and said, "Since they've caught my eye, they'll naturally be at my beck and call. Hong Qigong is busy wreaking havoc in the Mongol heartland with his brothers from the Seven Northern Pavilions, disrupting their foundations. He has no time to vie for this empty title of alliance leader."

In three years, the Heaven and Earth Pavilion has woven a colossal net that covers the sky in Lin Tian's hands.

An invisible hand that encompasses the world and controls the winds of change!

The moment he stepped out of Lin'an was the moment to close the net—the prey had nowhere to escape.

"Gentlemen!" The newly appointed Beggars' Clan leader, Lu Youjiao, stood up and announced loudly, "It's a pity that our former leader, Hong, is elusive and rarely seen. Whenever a formidable enemy is at hand, we can't find him to consult... Won't such an important matter be delayed?"

"Ah, Chief Lu, what's so difficult about this?" Lu Guanying stood up abruptly, his tone resolute. Today's Heroes' Gathering was being held at his Lu Family Manor, so his words carried considerable weight. "Why not appoint a new Vice Chief? When Chief Hong is traveling, all affairs can be handled by the Vice Chief. Wouldn't that be more efficient?"

"Brilliant!"

"This plan is excellent!"

"That's fine! But... who should be chosen as the deputy leader of the alliance?"

The crowd began to discuss and chatter.

Lu Guanying raised his hand to suppress the noise, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and slowly said, "In this world, the great hero Guo Jing possesses unparalleled martial arts skills and is known for his unwavering loyalty. In my opinion, this position of alliance leader is none other than that of great hero Guo Jing!"

"Yes! Master Guo!"

"Who else but him!"

"That's him!"

Huang Rong sat at the table, listening to the cheers from the audience, her lips slightly raised and her eyes filled with smiles.

Guo Jing waved his hands repeatedly, his face filled with fear: "Gentlemen! I, Guo Jing, am but a rough man, unworthy of my position, and utterly incapable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility!"

"Oh, you're being too modest!"

"Why refuse, Master Guo? We all trust you!"

……

At that very moment—

"Hahaha..." A burst of wild laughter tore through the noise like ripping silk, and several figures stepped in from outside.

All the newcomers were dressed in lama robes. The leader, wearing a golden kasaya, was tall and thin like a withered bamboo, with a long, thin neck, a sunken forehead like a saucer, and deep-set eyes that shone with a sharp light—he was none other than the first protector of the Great Mongol Empire, the Golden Wheel Dharma King!

"Mongolians?!" Guo Jing's heart sank.

He glanced at Huang Rong, and their eyes met, both reading two words in each other's eyes: the newcomer was up to no good.

"Brother Jing," Huang Rong whispered, her voice barely audible, "this man has a golden complexion and his temples are bulging like pearls. His internal strength has reached a state of perfection; he is no ordinary person."

"Yes." Guo Jing nodded emphatically.

They convened this gathering of heroes precisely to unite the elite and fight against the Mongol army. Now, the most powerful warriors of Mongolia are present at the gathering—what a coincidence!

Guo Jing stepped forward, his voice booming like thunder: "Gentlemen, what brings you here from afar?"

"Isn't this an election for the leader of the martial arts world?" one of the accompanying lamas sneered. "My senior brother, the Golden Wheel Monk, is a holy monk of Tibet and the Grand Preceptor of Mongolia. He governs a region and oversees all laws. Is he really going to think that being a mere leader of the Central Plains is beneath him?"

The Golden Wheel Dharma King stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes slightly closed, exuding an air of detachment, as if he regarded all living beings as mere ants.

Zhu Ziliu slammed his hand on the table and stood up, sneering, "Too late! We've already jointly elected Old Master Hong as our leader. I'm not keeping you company any longer, please leave!"

"Get out!"

"The land of the Great Song Dynasty will not tolerate the barbarians' insolence!"

"Take your tail between your legs and leave!"

The insults were deafening, and the atmosphere was chaotic.

The Golden Wheel Monk's face suddenly turned cold, his eyes snapped open like knives and lightning, and he said coldly, "Ridiculous! Don't you Central Plains people always say 'the virtuous should rule'? But this 'virtue' must be proven by strength! I, the Golden Wheel Monk, may not dare to call myself a benevolent and righteous man, but when it comes to martial arts—looking across the entire Central Plains martial arts world, who can withstand ten of my moves and survive?!"

The entire room fell silent.

The next instant, a furious roar exploded!

Guo Jing stepped forward, his voice as firm as iron: "I, Guo, am not talented, but I am willing to learn your skills."

"Guo Jing?" The Golden Wheel Monk's lips curled into a sinister grin. "Back then, you were the Right Marshal of the Mongol Western Expedition, the Golden Saber Prince Consort, weren't you? Hahaha... Only a man raised on my grasslands is worthy of being my opponent! As for the others—" He glanced around, a contemptuous smile on his face, "They're not even worthy of carrying my shoes!"

He may be arrogant, but he's not stupid.

He could tell at a glance that Guo Jing's aura was long and deep, indicating that he had already entered the Innate Realm. In contrast, his own "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" was dedicated to training muscles, bones, and flesh, making him one of the top three strongest in the world, but his internal energy was only at the Acquired Perfection level.

Within thirty moves, he might be able to hold his own against Guo Jing; after a hundred moves, defeat would be inevitable.

Therefore—he would never act rashly.

"Guo Jing," the Golden Wheel Monk stared at him, his voice deep and thunderous, "tell me, is there a single lie in what I said?"

Upon hearing the Golden Wheel Monk speak, Guo Jing immediately replied coldly, "That's right! Although I was born in Mongolia, I have always been a Han Chinese! Back then, I served as the Right Marshal of the Western Expeditionary Army to join forces against the Jin. But once the Jin Dynasty was destroyed, the Mongol cavalry turned south and invaded the territory of my Great Song Dynasty—from that moment on, I, Guo Jing, severed all ties with the Mongols!"

"Brother Jing..."

Huang Rong's eyes flickered slightly, her mind racing, and she instantly understood Jinlun Fawang's scheme. She wanted to speak up and stop Guo Jing, but before she could utter a word, it was too late.

"Since you don't deny it, then who among those present today—besides you, Guo Jing—dares to stand up and challenge this Dharma King?!" The Golden Wheel Dharma King stood with his hands behind his back, his voice like a bell, shaking the hall.

The entire arena fell silent. Who didn't know this bald monk possessed extraordinary skills? For him to jump out and fight now would be tantamount to an old man hanging himself, asking for trouble?

Guo Jing's face flushed red, and his fists clenched tightly. Huang Rong, standing beside him, also gritted her teeth inwardly.

This gathering of heroes was hastily convened, and although many heroes gathered, there was no top master to hold the fort – apart from Guo Jing, no one else could directly confront the Golden Wheel Monk.

"What? No one's willing to fight?" The Golden Wheel Monk sneered, surveying the assembled crowd. "In that case, I shall take the position of leader of the martial arts alliance. Any objections?"

The air condensed.

At this critical moment—

"Guo'er, although the Golden Wheel Monk's martial arts are not as good as your Uncle Guo's, his mind is much smarter than your Uncle Guo's." A smiling voice suddenly rang out, clear and calm, as if watching a play.

Yang Guo snorted and replied, "Uncle Guo is an honest man, but this is Song territory, our home ground. Why waste words with this big monk? Let's just beat him into submission."

The two were completely open in their conversation, and in an instant, all eyes in the room turned to them.

Guo Jing was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up. He rushed forward and hugged Yang Guo tightly, his voice trembling, "Guo'er! Is it really you?! That's wonderful! I originally planned to go to Quanzhen to find you after the meeting, but I never expected to see you today!"

"Uncle Guo..."

Yang Guo's throat moved slightly, his eyes welled up with tears, and he hugged her back tightly.