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

Wang Chuyi's words echoed like a heavy hammer striking the ground, reverberating for a long time in the spacious Sanqing Hall.

The room was completely silent.

Everyone in the hall could sense the immense weight contained in these words.

Many disciples witnessed the test that took place half a month ago.

Even though Yang Guo lost, the cultivation and depth he displayed were truly beyond what a novice who had only been practicing for two months could possess.

But could it be said that he could kill Zhao Zhijing with a single palm strike all by himself? Everyone still had great doubts in their hearts.

Hao Datong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that it felt like a fishbone was stuck in his throat.

Although he was impatient, he was very clear-headed and knew exactly what it would mean if this matter were confirmed.

A fourteen-year-old boy, who had only been a disciple for two months, killed one of the best third-generation disciples of the Quanzhen Sect.

If this news gets out, what face will the Quanzhen Sect have left?

What would his fellow martial arts practitioners say? He only had to think about it for a moment before he felt a chill run down his spine.

Liu Chuxuan lowered his eyes, his fingertips tapping rhythmically on his knees.

He kept recalling Yang Guo's past appearance in his mind, but the more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

Sun Bu'er's gaze fell on the candlelight, his pupils reflecting two flickering points of light, his expression unreadable.

As if she had expected this outcome, she had already said what she wanted to say and what she needed to say, and now it was up to her senior brother, the headmaster, to decide.

Li Zhichang stood in the corner, his face turning pale and then flushed, his hands clenched into fists in his sleeves.

He wanted to defend Yang Guo, but Wang Chuyi was, after all, his senior from the same school, and he had already spoken up in defense. It was not appropriate to start another argument in public now.

Anxiety and confusion swirled in his mind: If Yang Guo really had such abilities, why did he endure for two months under his tutelage?

Even if he had a grudge against Zhao Zhijing, why did he hesitate to take action? And why did he choose last night?

He found it hard to believe that the boy who was usually diligent in his studies and respectful to him could be a murderer who killed people in the dead of night.

Silence spread through the hall, like an invisible mist that blocked everyone's breath.

Finally, Qiu Chuji slowly spoke:

That's enough.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the imposing presence of a sect leader, instantly tearing apart the stagnant atmosphere in the hall.

His gaze was sharp as he swept over everyone in the hall, his tone becoming more somber:

"Such conjectures should not be made lightly without solid evidence."

"The Quanzhen School has been established for decades because of its upright character and honest conduct, and it is by no means based on unfounded speculation."

"Any rumors or gossip are enough to severely damage the reputation of my Quanzhen Sect."

Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.

After hearing these words, Wang Chuyi closed his eyes again, and despite having a thousand speculations in his heart, he said no more.

It was as if his intense words had exhausted his remaining mental and physical strength.

Seeing this, Qiu Chuji softened his tone slightly and continued:

"It's late tonight, let's discuss everything tomorrow."

"Junior Brother Hao, you will continue to be in charge of tracking down those four bandits tomorrow. Do not let your guard down."

Hao Datong clasped his hands and nodded: "Yes!"

"Zhichang will continue searching for Yang Guo's whereabouts. We can send more people tomorrow to expand the search area."

Li Zhichang bowed and accepted the order: "Your disciple obeys."

Qiu Chuji glanced around and, seeing no one else object, raised his hand and waved:

"You have all had a long and tiring day, so please go back and rest."

The crowd rose one after another and walked out of the hall.

Footsteps echoed in the empty hall, rising and falling, gradually fading into the distance.

Wang Chuyi was the last person to get up. He slowly opened his bloodshot eyes, stood up while holding onto the handrail, and moved much more slowly than usual, as if his knees were weighed down by a thousand pounds.

His gaze lingered on the spot where Zhao Zhijing used to sit, as if waiting for someone to reappear.

But the place remained empty, with only the flickering shadows of candlelight.

A moment later, he turned and walked step by step out of the hall, his back appearing even more hunched in the candlelight.

The spine that was once as straight as a pine tree was now slightly bent, as if it were carrying an invisible mountain, and it looked as if it had aged ten years in an instant.

One by one, the candles in the Sanqing Hall went out, leaving only a few solitary lamps swaying in the evening breeze, leaving behind a deep silence.

Although the noise inside the hall had subsided, the doubts lingering in everyone's minds had not yet dissipated.

Like the thick fog that never dissipates on Zhongnan Mountain, it is just waiting for the right moment to surge up again.

......

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

The Zhongnan Mountains have quietly entered the coldest period since the beginning of winter.

The biting mountain wind, like a cold blade, swept across the bare branches, howling and whistling, making the entire mountain seem to tremble in the cold wind.

The morning frost covered the bluestone path, making a crunching sound as you stepped on it, leaving footprints of varying depths.

A long row of icicles hung from the eaves, reflecting a cold light in the morning sun.

Inside Chongyang Palace, a somber atmosphere still lingered.

For the past month, none of the Quanzhen disciples have dared to slack off in the slightest.

Hao Datong led his disciples to search almost every village and town around Zhongnan Mountain, not even sparing the hunters' huts that had been abandoned for many years.

But he didn't even see a trace of the four bandits. He returned home every day with a belly full of anger, and slamming tables and throwing benches had become the norm. His disciples would avoid him whenever they saw him.

Li Zhichang's side also came up empty-handed.

He repeatedly increased manpower and extended the search area to more than a hundred miles away, but Yang Guo was still nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead.

The relentless toil and hard work of the past few days had made him increasingly thin, his eye sockets sunken, and his once full cheeks slumped down, making him look as if all the moisture had been drained from him.

He would leave home before dawn and not return until nightfall, but he always brought back the same result.

The investigations on both sides have reached a stalemate, leaving the Quanzhen sect members both indignant and frustrated.

Fortunately, the disciple Liu Chuxuan sent to Xiangyang to deliver the message finally returned to Chongyang Palace, bringing back information about Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren.

According to rumors gathered by the Xiangyang branch of the Beggars' Sect, more than a year ago, someone saw an old man with disheveled white hair, who appeared to be insane, in Jiaxing City. He also injured many passersby, and his appearance matched that of Ouyang Feng.

As for Qiu Qianren, he has disappeared from the martial arts world for many years. No one knows his whereabouts, or even whether he is still alive.

After learning of this news, Qiu Chuji remained silent for a long time.

Ouyang Feng once appeared in Jiaxing, which happens to be Yang Guo's hometown.

If there is some connection between Yang Guo and Ouyang Feng, then his martial arts skills, which far surpass those of a novice, and his subsequent mysterious disappearance can be reasonably explained.

But these are ultimately just speculations, and they also lack solid evidence.

Ouyang Feng has been mentally unstable for a long time and acts irrationally. His presence in Jiaxing does not necessarily mean he will have any connection with Yang Guo.

Qiu Chuji kept this news to himself and did not tell anyone.

......

Deep within the ancient tomb, time seems to have stood still.

There are no seasons here, nor day and night; only perpetual cold and darkness.

The stone wall was covered with fine water droplets, which shimmered faintly in the dim light of the oil lamp, like countless pairs of eyes peering into the darkness.

Yang Guo sat cross-legged on the cold jade bed, his body covered with a thin layer of white frost, his breathing so faint as to be almost imperceptible, like a sleeping ice sculpture.

But if anyone were to approach him at this moment, they would be able to sense a powerful inner energy surging and churning within his body, much like molten lava beneath the earth, accumulating destructive power beneath its dormant surface.