Chapter 685: The Evil King of Hailing

Just as Guo Jing’s large hand was about to seize Wanyan Liang’s throat, the elderly monk beside him suddenly moved, striking diagonally toward Guo Jing’s wrist with a finger.

“One Yang Finger?” Guo Jing’s gaze sharpened. Being on good terms with Southern Emperor Yideng, he knew well the formidable power of the One Yang Finger. He dared not let the opponent strike his acupoint and had to swiftly change his move, responding with a palm strike to counter the finger attack.

Even though the elderly monk was well aware of the might of Guo Jing’s Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, he still underestimated him. Before their finger and palm even connected, he already felt a faint pain at his fingertip from the force of Guo Jing’s palm wind. He knew at that moment that he had misjudged—his One Yang Finger was not yet perfected. If he took this attack head-on, his two fingers would likely be crippled.

In a split second, he had no choice but to change his finger technique to a palm technique, using his family’s secret martial arts to dissolve Guo Jing’s powerful strike.

Guo Jing was stunned to find that his own palm force was somewhat beyond his control. He even nearly injured himself a few times, causing him great alarm. “What kind of martial art is this?”

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck his mind, and he blurted out, “Great Cosmic Transformation!”

Upon noticing the strange looks from Wanyan Liang and his companions, the elderly monk’s face darkened. He was none other than Murong Bo, the previous patriarch of the Murong family.

Having assumed the alias Monk Li and pledged allegiance to Wanyan Liang, he had been maneuvering behind the scenes. All this time, he had never revealed his true skills. With the Murong family’s profound knowledge and his mastery of the 72 Ultimate Techniques of Shaolin, he could pass off as a disciple from various sects without exposing any flaws.

Yet in this moment of crisis, Guo Jing had forced him to use his family’s secret technique, revealing his identity. All his past efforts to remain hidden were instantly wasted. How could Murong Bo not be furious?

While everyone’s attention was focused on Guo Jing and Murong Bo, Huang Rong had already moved silently into position, swiftly striking toward Wanyan Liang with her Dog Beating Staff.

Tang Kuo Bian roared and drew his saber, slashing down at the slender bamboo staff. If it landed, the thin staff would surely break in two.

However, the brilliance of the Dog Beating Staff Technique lay in its cleverness. At the last moment, Huang Rong executed the “Whack Two Dogs with a Staff” technique, lightly tapping the opponent’s saber. The bamboo staff twisted like a resilient vine, entangling the saber. No matter how much stronger the tree might be, once bound by a vine, it could not easily break free. Tang Kuo Bian found himself unable to exert any force, his frustration evident.

Huang Rong did not pause. Seizing the opportunity, she transitioned into the “Flip the Dog Upside-down” technique. A subtle force from her staff sent Tang Kuo Bian staggering sideways, losing control of his balance.

However, as the commander of the imperial guards, Tang Kuo Bian was no mere ordinary fighter. Though his skills fell short of the Five Greats, he was still formidable. He quickly stabilized himself, barely avoiding a fall.

But the “Flip the Dog Upside-down” technique was like a relentless river—it allowed no respite. If one trip failed, another would follow, chaining moves seamlessly. Though it was a single technique, it concealed infinite variations. After defending twice, Tang Kuo Bian could no longer hold on and was finally tripped by Huang Rong’s staff.

Huang Rong deeply resented Tang Kuo Bian’s treachery, which had led to her and her husband’s predicament. She showed no mercy, immediately switching to the “Lift the Mad Dog with the Staff” technique. The Dog-Beating Staff blurred into a whirl of green light, striking toward the enemy’s critical acupoints. These acupoints were located along the spine—if struck, he would be either dead or crippled.

“My lord, save me!” Tang Kuo Bian cried out in terror, calling for Wanyan Liang’s help. However, Wanyan Liang remained motionless, seemingly frozen in place, making no response.

The staff struck his back, and Tang Kuo Bian spat out a mouthful of blood, quickly falling into a near-death state. Fortunately for him, Huang Rong was in a hurry to capture Wanyan Liang and did not take his life.

By this time, Ouyang Feng had finished regulating his internal energy. He glanced at Guo Jing, who was still fighting Murong Bo, and sneered inwardly. “Hit by my Toad Skill and still forcing himself to fight? Even if he escapes today, he won’t recover for years.”

Seeing Huang Rong’s fierce display, Ouyang Feng let out a sinister laugh and lunged toward her back.

Guo Jing had been on guard against Ouyang Feng. Seeing his movement, he immediately intercepted the attack. Having learned Skill of Ambidexterity from Zhou Botong, he could simultaneously fight two top-tier opponents. For now, he managed to hold his ground.

Huang Rong, understanding his intent, wasted no time. She drove her Dog Beating Staff straight toward Wanyan Liang, using the same “Lift the Mad Dog with the Staff” technique that had injured Tang Kuo Bian. Since she did not know Wanyan Liang’s exact capabilities, she aimed to heavily wound him for easier capture without taking his life outright.

Qiu Qianren let out a startled cry and rushed forward to intervene. However, Guo Jing gritted his teeth and blocked him as well. The three great martial artists were astounded—despite being poisoned and injured, Guo Jing could still hold off three masters at once. They could not help but admire his strength.

Just as Huang Rong’s staff was about to strike Wanyan Liang, a sudden dragon’s roar echoed. Her bamboo staff shattered instantly, and a tremendous force sent her flying backward.

When she steadied herself and saw the wielder of the heavy sword, she sighed inwardly—it was Yang Guo.

Her previous gamble had failed.

At the Golden Serpent Assembly, she had seen Yang Guo’s power firsthand and knew that his current abilities were at least on par with her Brother Jing. If he had truly sided with Wanyan Liang, then she and Guo Jing had no hope of survival today.

But recalling the tangled history between the Guo and Yang families, she had chosen to take a risk. She had gambled that Yang Guo would hesitate, that he would stand idly by at the crucial moment.

Unfortunately, she had lost that bet.

“Guo’er!” Guo Jing’s tiger-like eyes welled with tears. He had always treated Yang Guo as a son, yet now, seeing him aiding outsiders against them, he was filled with sorrow.

His brief lapse in focus put him in grave danger under the assault of the three great masters.

Huang Rong knew their situation had reached a dire point. As someone who always made swift decisions, she immediately spoke: “Yang Guo, your father, Yang Kang, died from the snake venom on my Soft Hedgehog Armor. Your arm was lost because I failed to teach my daughter properly. Everything is my fault—it has nothing to do with your Uncle Guo. You know better than anyone how he has treated you. He has never wronged you or your father. If you still have any conscience, then save your Uncle Guo. I will stay behind and let you take your revenge.”

Yang Guo’s expression flickered. Deep down, he truly respected Guo Jing. It was only his unyielding hatred for his father’s death that had driven him to become their enemy. If there was a way to settle this without compromising his revenge, he was not opposed to considering it…

“Rong’er, stop!” Guo Jing interrupted. “You and I are husband and wife—we share everything together. Besides, Brother Yang’s death was mere happenstance, not…”

The moment he spoke, his True Qi wavered, putting him in even greater peril. Forced to stay silent, he focused all his energy on defending against the three masters.

Ouyang Feng, understanding Yang Guo’s temperament, roared, “Guo’er! If you kill Huang Rong, do you think Guo Jing will let you live? The only way to truly avenge your father is to seize this chance and eliminate them both!”

Just then, Wanyan Liang interjected, “Master Ouyang, spare Lady Guo. I have other uses for her.”

I have been feeling terrible pain on my lower back, which makes it extremely difficult for me to sit or sometimes even stand for more than a minute. Pray for me.

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