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

Lin Tian coldly surveyed the group of trembling bald monks before him and said calmly, "Remember, you are first and foremost Song people, and only secondly monks. Understand?"

"I...I understand." His voice was hesitant and trembling.

He waved his hand: "If you understand, then get lost. Those who want to leave the monastic life, go get married and have children. Those who want to continue being monks, go to whichever temple you like."

After everyone had retreated in a disheveled state, Lin Tian turned to Tianyi and asked in a deep voice, "What's the situation on the Mongolian side? When will their army reach Xiangyang?"

Tianyi immediately stepped forward and reported: "Your Excellency, a secret report came from the Seven Pavilions in the North. Originally, the commander was Hulagu, but last month Kublai Khan suddenly decided to personally lead the expedition! The original plan was for 200,000 iron cavalry, but now it has been increased to 500,000! Due to the large scale of the troop deployment, it will take at least 50 days to reach the walls of Xiangyang."

Kublai Khan personally led the expedition? An army of 500,000?!

A full 500,000... that was almost the entire fortune of the Mongol Empire!

It seems he intended to achieve his goal in one fell swoop and swallow the Southern Song Dynasty whole.

You have quite an appetite... I'm just worried you won't be able to digest it!

Lin Tian's eyes turned cold, and he asked again, "Has the news been reported to Emperor Lizong? How is the court responding? Also, have you completed the two tasks I assigned you?"

"Your Excellency, you previously ordered that all intelligence involving the Mongols must be copied and sent to His Majesty Emperor Lizong. The message has been sent to Lin'an at lightning speed, and His Majesty has also dispatched Meng Gong with an army of 800,000 to reinforce Xiangyang. As for the two matters you entrusted, the Earth Guard is working diligently to complete them within twenty days, before the Mongol army arrives at the city."

Lin Tian nodded slightly, and felt relieved when he heard that it was Meng Gong who was going to war.

In his previous life, he studied science and engineering, and his understanding of the history of the Southern Song Dynasty was rather hazy. Apart from knowing about Emperor Lizong of Song, Zhao Yun, his favorite concubine Consort Jia, and the treacherous Jia Sidao, he could name very few people. But Meng Gong was an exception among exceptions—if Yue Fei was the pillar of the early Southern Song Dynasty, then Meng Gong was the iron backbone that held up half of the country when the dynasty was about to collapse.

The Mongol cavalry swept across Eurasia, seemingly invincible, yet on the two major battlefields of Jingzhou and Sichuan, they were twice thwarted by Meng Gong, shattering their "invincible myth." The "Ningwu Army," which he personally built, possessed astonishing combat power, and even after the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, it continued to fight alone, refusing to surrender to the enemy.

It can be said that this person single-handedly carried out the task for fifty years. Although Zhao Yun is now incompetent, this arrangement is still quite shrewd.

With Meng Gong guarding Xiangyang, Lin Tian could feel a bit more at ease. After all, no matter how strong he was, his command of troops was only so-so, far less reliable than strategizing from the rear.

"I need to tidy up the Scripture Pavilion and go into seclusion for about a month," Lin Tian said in a deep voice. "Now that I have the Dragon Essence, I should take advantage of the situation to break through. Once I reach the second level of the Legendary Realm, my strength will more than double, and only then will I have a real chance of winning the Battle of Xiangyang."

"Yes, sir."

Tianyi acknowledged and withdrew, quickly carrying out the order.

Meanwhile, the martial arts world was already in turmoil.

The news of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion's destruction of Shaolin Temple and the Crown Prince's solo battle against two old monks at the peak of the Innate Realm, which he killed on the spot, spread like wildfire throughout the martial arts world within half a month.

The ancient Shaolin Temple, which was first built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and lasted for more than 800 years through the Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties, was completely destroyed in one fell swoop!

Shocked, the assembled heroes were all terrified. The power of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion had reached a point where even the slightest mention of it inspired fear.

South of Tibet, north of Western Xia

Nestled among towering mountains lies a secluded valley. In late autumn, it is bursting with springtime charm, filled with birdsong and blooming flowers, a scene straight out of a fairyland.

An old man dressed in a coarse cloth robe slowly walked to the entrance of the valley. He looked into the valley with a complicated expression, finally sighed softly, and was about to step in.

Two maids, their faces veiled in white and wielding long swords, suddenly appeared and blocked the way.

"I've come to see your Valley Master," the old man said calmly.

One of the maids frowned: "The Valley Master has been in seclusion for decades, receiving no visitors, and has not issued any order to see you today. Please leave."

The old man smiled faintly: "Please inform them that an old friend with the surname Murong has come to visit."

"Why are you being so persistent? Didn't I say I wouldn't see you...?"

Before the words were finished, a soft, ethereal voice drifted from the depths of the valley: "Ayi, Adie, you two go down first."

In an instant, a figure appeared at the valley entrance like a phantom.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns, and appeared to be no more than twenty years old.

"Valley Master!" The two maids were shocked and quickly bowed.

"Step back." The woman's voice was calm, yet brooked no argument.

"Yes, Valley Master." Although the two were full of doubts—why would this master, who had not stepped out of the valley gate for decades, personally greet an old man today?—they dared not say anything and quietly retreated.

Once they were alone, the woman slowly spoke: "Cousin, it's been a hundred years since we last met, and you... have aged so much."

His gaze shifted, his emotions surging—longing, reminiscence, love, and also deep pain.

The old man gazed at her, a slight smile playing on his lips: "But cousin, you are still as stunning as you were back then."

In the Battle of Yanmen Pass years ago, Xiao Feng broke an arrow and committed suicide, forcing Yelü Hongji to swear an oath never to invade the Song Dynasty. This brought decades of peace between the two countries.

Xu Zhu and Princess Li Qinglu of Western Xia retreated to Lingjiu Palace on Misty Peak of Tianshan Mountain, severing all ties with the world.

Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan finally became a couple and returned to the Dali Palace together. However, Wang Yuyan sighed in front of the mirror every day, saddened by her aging appearance.

Seeing this, Duan Yu mobilized the entire nation's resources to find the long-lost "Eternal Youth and Longevity Skill" of the Xiaoyao Sect for Wang Yuyan. During his quest, he accidentally came across a jade statue of a "fairy sister," and in that instant, as if struck by lightning, he suddenly attained enlightenment—

It turns out that his previous infatuation with Wang Yuyan was not deep affection at all, but rather a result of obsession.

He ignored the sarcasm and ridicule of others; even when Wang Yuyan treated him like a stranger, he remained devoted and shameless.

This humility and descent into the mundane world was simply because he projected onto her the ethereal "fairy sister" from the jade statue, untouched by worldly concerns.

The woman he loved was never the real Wang Yuyan, but rather a figment of his imagination.

When the dream ended, the obsession vanished. From then on, Duan Yu only regarded her as his younger sister.

Wang Yuyan was so intelligent, how could she not notice?

She knew perfectly well that her burning passion had quietly cooled.

Without questioning or pleading, he silently left Dali and disappeared into the secluded Changchun Valley, never to concern himself with worldly affairs again.

This extraordinary woman, who had been well-versed in martial arts classics since childhood, displayed astonishing talent after she began practicing martial arts.

At the age of twenty-seven, he practiced the "Eternal Youth and Longevity Technique"; at the age of thirty, he broke through to the Acquired Realm; ten years later, he ascended to the Innate Realm; and thirty years later, he reached perfection; fifty years later, one day, he actually stepped into the legendary realm!

Her appearance has reversed the aging process, and the years have long lost their meaning for her.

As for the extent of her current strength, no one knows, and no one dares to speculate.