Yang Guo: I defied death and reached the heavens in The Return of the Condor Heroes

The two sat quietly on a stone pier next to the monument to rest.

Guo Jing closed his eyes to rest, while Yang Guo quietly gazed at the winding mountain path.

Just then, two Taoist priests in gray robes returned from their patrol at the foot of the mountain.

The two spotted Guo Jing and Yang Guo from afar, noticing that their attire differed from that of the pilgrims in the mountains, instead resembling that of the Mongol people of the north.

He paused to gaze at the inscription on the stele of the founder of Quanzhen Taoism, and stroked the stone with his palm. Suddenly, an alarm bell rang in his heart.

Previously, Quanzhen had heard that the villains who coveted the ancient tomb in the back mountain had secretly agreed that striking this stele would be a signal for them to lead a surprise attack on Chongyang Palace.

Upon seeing this, the two Taoist priests on duty did not hesitate and turned around to rush towards Chongyang Palace to report to their master.

Guo Jing was completely unaware of anything amiss.

Yang Guo glanced at them out of the corner of his eye and took in their every move.

He then glanced sideways at Guo Jing, who was leaning against the stone tablet with a somber expression.

His expression remained calm and composed, but he already knew in his heart that this journey up the mountain would likely be fraught with some twists and turns.

After resting at Puguang Temple, Guo and Yang were about to set off to climb the mountain.

About a mile from Puguang Temple, at a bend in the mountain path, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from afar.

Seven or eight Quanzhen Taoist priests, each wielding a long sword, blocked the way.

The leading Taoist priest was about twenty years old, with clear and bright features; he was the guest master on duty at the mountain gate that day.

"stop!"

"Who dares to trespass on the sacred grounds of Quanzhen?"

The Taoist priest pointed his long sword forward and demanded an answer in a stern voice.

Guo Jing stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and looked earnest:

"Greetings, Taoist Master."

"My name is Guo Jing. I have come to this mountain to pay my respects to Daoist Qiu Chuji. Please guide me."

The Taoist priest sneered:

"Guo Jing? Don't try to fool us."

"You are dressed in Mongolian attire, and you struck the stone tablet inscribed with the patriarch's poems at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain; you must be a wicked person coveting the Little Dragon Girl from the Ancient Tomb!"

"Guards on both sides, seize this lecherous thief at once!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two disciples thrust their swords at him.

Guo Jing was momentarily stunned, but he couldn't bear to hurt the Quanzhen disciples, so he slightly shifted his body and raised his palms lightly to support them.

His powerful internal energy slowly surged out, and two irresistible soft forces collided from a distance. The two disciples' swords suddenly veered off course, and they staggered back several steps without being injured.

Guo Jing was about to speak up in his defense, but the Taoist priest gave him no chance whatsoever.

The skill of controlling force from a distance just now only deepened his doubts, and he immediately shouted sharply:

"That lecherous thief! He really does possess evil skills! Quickly, blow the whistle for help!"

One of the disciples took out a bamboo whistle and blew it with all his might. The sharp whistle echoed through the valley, startling the birds in the forest into scattering and flying away.

It only takes the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The sound of footsteps echoed continuously along the mountain path.

Dozens of Quanzhen disciples emerged from the dense forests all around, blocking the mountain path from both sides.

The leader was a short, stout man with a gloomy face.

He was Zhao Zhijing, the third-generation "Zhi" generation senior disciple of the Quanzhen School.

The Quanzhen disciples drew their swords and formed a defensive formation. Zhao Zhijing stood at the front of the formation with his hand on his sword, his expression cold and stern.

Seeing that the Taoist priests were on high alert, Guo Jing quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful martial arts salute, and said in a humble tone:

"Please put away your swords for now, fellow Daoists."

"I am Guo Jing from Peach Blossom Island. I am not the wicked and madman this Taoist priest speaks of. I have come from afar in Jiangnan to pay my respects to the Immortal Qiu Chuji."

"This young man is my own nephew. I brought him here to seek out a master on Zhongnan Mountain to learn martial arts. I have absolutely no ill intentions."

"Please, esteemed Taoist priests, make an exception and guide us up the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhijing laughed coldly, his gaze sweeping over Guo Jing's Mongolian attire. Completely disbelieving, he sternly rebuked him:

"How dare you!"

"Master Guo is a hero of our time, a defender of Xiangyang. What kind of person would he be, disguising himself like a Mongol spy and sneaking into Zhongnan Mountain?"

"Recently, many lecherous thieves and desperados have impersonated heroes from all walks of life, infiltrating the mountains in an attempt to harass Miss Long and covet the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb."

"You are clearly one of those wicked villains, daring to impersonate the great hero Guo and deceive the Quanzhen disciples!"

Guo Jing frowned slightly, suppressing his emotions as he slowly explained:

"I am by no means an imposter."

"In the past, at the Misty Rain Pavilion and the Prince Zhao's Mansion, I fought alongside Master Qiu and other Taoist priests several times to defend against enemies, and our friendship has always been deep."

"The journey north is fraught with danger, and I fear that my ostentatious actions will attract the pursuit of the Mongol army, so I changed into this outfit."

"It's all my fault for not writing to inform the mountain people beforehand, which led to so many misunderstandings."

"I hope you will grant me this request. Just lead me to see Master Qiu, and all misunderstandings will be resolved."

Zhao Zhijing didn't believe a word of it; on the contrary, he became even more convinced that Guo Jing was just making excuses.

"Such sweet talk!"

"Just now, when you struck the stone tablet at Puguang Temple, you were clearly sending a secret signal to your evil accomplices down the mountain, inviting them to come up the mountain and attack Chongyang Palace."

"If I hadn't arranged the Big Dipper Formation in advance to be on high alert, Chongyang Palace would have already been attacked by you."

"No matter how eloquently you try to explain yourself today, I will not allow either of you to set foot on the mountain!"

Guo Jing could only suppress his helplessness and continue to gently persuade him:

"I have always respected the prestigious Quanzhen School and do not wish to engage in warfare with you fellow Daoists. I hope you will reconsider and let me pass. Please do not let a misunderstanding damage the harmony among our fellow martial artists."

Zhao Zhijing grew increasingly impatient as he listened. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword, his expression arrogant and stubborn, and he loudly issued the order:

"Since the establishment of the Quanzhen Tiangang Beidou Formation, it has never let a single wicked villain go unpunished."

"Today we will capture you, you imposter and villain, and escort you to Chongyang Palace for judgment by our esteemed teachers!"

"Fellow disciples, maintain the sword formation, follow me to capture the person!"

The ninety-eight disciples, already familiar with the formation, immediately divided into seven teams upon hearing this, each guarding the position of the Big Dipper. Their swords flashed, surrounding Guo Jing and Yang Guo in the center.

Yang Guo quietly retreated behind Guo Jing, coldly gazing at the menacing swords flashing in all directions.

With Guo Jing protecting him, he didn't need to worry about his safety.

Moreover, he has already mastered the first level of the Reverse Life Technique, and ordinary weapons are hard to harm him. Even if he is surrounded by more than a hundred people, he can easily escape.

Guo Jing sighed softly, reached out and pressed Yang Guo's shoulder, signaling him not to act rashly.

He stepped forward and bowed again, pleading, "Taoist Master, I truly had no ill intentions in coming up the mountain this time, I hope..."

"Stop talking!"

Zhao Zhijing looked disdainful, having already concluded that the two were imposters and traitors, and sternly cut them off.

"Retreat and capture them!"

The Quanzhen disciples split into fourteen small formations and launched their attack simultaneously, using the Seven Star Steps and wielding their longswords to slash and thrust, their fierce sword energy sealing off the two's path of advance and retreat.

The withered leaves on the mountain path were swept up by the mighty sword wind and swirled in the air, only to be instantly shredded into fragments by the successive sword energies.

Guo Jing's attempts to explain were all in vain. He could only sigh inwardly, suppress most of his imposing aura, and resolve to break the formation without harming anyone, in order to clear up this misunderstanding first.

He had learned the secrets of formations from Zhou Botong in the past, and had also performed the Big Dipper Formation with the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. He immediately realized that the key to the formation was the North Star.

Once the key point of the formation is captured, the interconnected Lesser Seven Mansions Formation will become disconnected, making it difficult to encircle and trap people.

Guo Jing's figure suddenly transformed into a gray shadow, his toes lightly touching the bluestone of the mountain path, his movements graceful as if riding the wind.

He dodged several longswords thrusting at him and instantly darted to the center of the formation, standing firmly on the North Star formation eye.

The sword energy sweeping in from all directions seemed to crash into an invisible barrier.

The Taoists in each formation felt their internal energy suddenly become stagnant, and the connections between the formations instantly revealed numerous flaws.