A Blood-Moving Realm has arrived in the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes.

"Alright, alright, you two go and rest first. I need to rest too."

Deep in the Zhongnan Mountains, the old man gave the two instructions.

Zhang Huai stretched and yawned. He was indeed a bit tired today and really needed to rest.

So he said, "Alright, senior, we'll rest now."

Yang Guo then added, "Senior, please remember to call us if you need anything."

The old man simply waved his hand, indicating that he understood.

The two of them had been practicing asceticism on the mountain for the past few days, and they had set up a simple tent with some dry grass inside.

Zhang Huai went into the tent, lay down on the dry grass, closed his eyes, and soon fell fast asleep.

Yang Guo was the same; before long, the two of them drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Zhang and Yang were awakened by birdsong. When they looked up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Zhang Huai rubbed his eyes and headed towards the cave, wanting to see if the old man had woken up.

But when he arrived at the cave, it was completely empty.

"Brother Yang, come quickly! Have you seen the senior?"

Zhang Huai shouted at Yang Guo.

Yang Guo, who was rubbing his face, suddenly snapped out of it and ran to Zhang Huai. When he saw that the old man was indeed gone, he realized that the old man was no longer there.

So the two searched the surrounding area for a long time, but they couldn't find any trace of the old man.

"Brother Zhang, look."

Yang Guo pointed to the wall of the stone cave.

Zhang Huai squinted and looked in the direction Yang Guo was pointing, where he saw several lines of small characters carved on the stone wall.

"Seeing you two, I feel like a young man in a dream. I do not seek a place to return to, but simply walk lightly with my cane, to see all the mountains and rivers that I have never been able to appreciate in my life, to drink a pot of old country wine, and to pass away with my eyes closed under an ancient pine tree on a green meadow, and to be scattered with the breeze between heaven and earth."

All my life's learning and cultivation have been passed down to you two. As for what I have learned, it is entirely up to you two to decide how to pass it on to others.

Only if you two persevere in your studies and cultivate yourselves diligently, avoid arrogance and impetuosity, and refrain from relying on force and violence, can you establish yourselves in the future. You must uphold your principles, distinguish right from wrong, and not waste what you have learned. Fortune and misfortune are all created by yourselves. Only by being steadfast and persistent can you achieve your goals. I am leaving now. You should take care of yourselves and not seek me out.

If you still remember me, you may erect a cenotaph for this old man.

"Senior, are you... gone?"

Yang Guo asked incredulously.

"Um,"

Zhang Huai nodded slightly and continued:

"Go and find yourself a place to settle down."

After saying this, Zhang Huai felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. Although he hadn't spent much time with the old man, he had always kept in mind the kindness the old man had shown them.

The two stood in front of the cave and pondered for a while.

Zhang Huai said, "Let's go."

Next, the two searched the cave for the old man's belongings and erected a cenotaph for him.

"Senior, although you have not yet passed away, Brother Yang and I have still erected a cenotaph for you in advance. We hope you will not mind, as this was your own request."

Zhang Huai said with a touch of playfulness.

"Senior, you have imparted all your knowledge to me and increased my internal strength. This kindness is as heavy as Mount Tai, and I will never forget it. From now on, I will follow your teachings, practice diligently, guard my heart and conduct myself righteously, and never dare to use my skills to act recklessly. I will never let down your reputation. Today we part ways, and I only wish you peace and good health."

After saying this, Yang Guo kowtowed three times heavily in front of the old man's cenotaph.

For Yang Guo, there were few people who were good to him in his life. His mother was one, Uncle Guo Jing was one, his aunt was one, and this old man could also be considered one.

Then the two respectfully performed a disciple's salute in front of the old man's cenotaph. Although there was no actual master-disciple relationship, the old man had taught them a great deal, and the two had long regarded him as their master.

Zhang Huai stood up, shook the dust off his trousers, and said to Yang Guo:

"Brother Yang, let's go."

"Okay, I'll come visit you again when I have the chance. I've been up in the mountain long enough, Auntie must be missing me."

After saying this, the two went down the mountain.

Down the mountain, the air was thick with the smell of blood.

Little Dragon Girl fought all night again.

The sword in her hand had been broken in half, and the water sleeves inside her clothes were tattered.

The disciples of the Quanzhen Sect attacked her time and time again. She tried her best to defend herself, but to no avail, and she could only get injured again and again.

The Quanzhen Sect disciples who had been besieging her had changed countless times, and the person leading them was none other than Lu Qingdu, a fourth-generation disciple of the Quanzhen Sect and Zhao Zhijing's chief disciple.

Zhao Zhijing had previously instructed him to take the life of this demoness.

Lu Qingdu's face turned fierce as he thrust his sword straight at Xiaolongnu's heart.

Using her broken sword as a support, Xiaolongnu managed to lift herself up and slightly dodge the sword's edge.

Lu Qingdu was startled. How could this demoness's martial arts and internal strength be so strong? After being besieged by his fellow disciples of the Quanzhen Sect for a day and a night, she was still able to dodge his sharp sword.

Seeing that he had failed to stab her, Lu Qingdu immediately raised his sword sheath and swung it at Xiaolongnu.

Xiaolongnu could only prop up her broken sword again and raise her hand to block. Although the broken sword barely managed to deflect the attack, she was also shaken so badly that the broken sword almost slipped from her hand. She staggered back two steps before she could finally regain her balance.

The Quanzhen Sect disciples around her had once again surrounded her, dozens of long swords gleaming coldly, aiming straight for Xiaolongnu's vitals.

Xiaolongnu lightly bit her tongue, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She then waved half of her water sleeve again, the sleeve carrying a chilling force, aiming for the wrist of the Quanzhen Sect disciple.

However, her inner strength had already been exhausted, and this move was weak and powerless. The Quanzhen Sect disciple swung his sword and cut off her water sleeves.

"Little Dragon Girl! You vixen, today is your death day!"

Lu Qingdu stood at the head of the group, shouting and cursing, and drew his sword again, aiming straight for her lower abdomen. The others also drew their swords, and the shadows of their swords formed an impenetrable net.

Little Dragon Girl closed her eyes and spun around. The broken sword danced in front of her, creating a faint sword flower, successfully separating several precious swords.

However, no matter how powerful Xiaolongnu's Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Sword Technique was, or how exquisite her Heavenly Net Step was, she was already at her limit and could no longer block all attacks.

Lu Duqing's sword pierced straight into her lower abdomen, about an inch deep.

A sharp pain struck, and Xiaolongnu felt her vision blur. Her body went limp, and she half-knelt on the ground, using her broken sword as a support. She didn't even have the strength to stand, and her wounds were bleeding all over her body.

A sliver of clarity remained in her eyes as she gazed into the depths of the mountains, only one thought lingering in her mind: "Farewell, Guo'er..."

Seeing that she was powerless to resist, Lu Duqing, the leader, pulled the sword out of Xiaolongnu's abdomen and walked up to her with a sinister smile. He raised his hand and wiped the blood droplets off the sword.

Zhao Zhijing, who was standing to the side, was secretly delighted.

Lu Duqing pointed his sword at Xiaolongnu's brow and said, "Witch, prepare to die!"

The sword tip drew ever closer, and Xiaolongnu could feel the chill emanating from the blade. She had no strength left and raised her hand to block.

She slowly closed her eyes, her eyelashes glistening with blood. A faint smile played on her lips. If there were an afterlife, she hoped to see him again…

Just as the sword was about to pierce through Xiaolongnu, a black iron rod fell from the sky, knocking Lu Duqing's weapon away.

A heart-wrenching scream echoed from afar:

"aunt--!"