Li Mo: "I'm coming in, okay"

"Lingerie."

These four characters, when separated, were all familiar.

But combined together, Ying Bing tilted her head slightly, utterly baffled.

Was this some kind of clothing?

"Let’s take a look..."

Ying Bing pondered—perhaps it was some rare item she had never encountered before.

[This item does not belong to this world. The host may not understand its purpose or how to wear it.]

[Friendly reminder: The system can directly perform an 'outfit change' for the host.]

[Yes/No?]

Not of this world?

Ying Bing’s cool, clear eyes gleamed as she noticed these words.

No wonder the system’s existence was something even she couldn’t comprehend.

Could the world the system originated from... be the legendary final destination of immortals who transcended the mortal realm?

If so, then this... could it be the clothing of an immortal?

In that case, perhaps this garment had some special purpose...

Ying Bing lowered her gaze in thought.

"Yes."

The next moment.

A hazy white light suddenly enveloped her body.

Ah.

The dreaded "holy light."

Even Ying Bing herself couldn’t immediately discern what the outfit actually looked like.

But she could feel it.

Light, cool, and snug against her skin.

Though her chest felt slightly tight...

The fabric clung to her like a spiderweb-like structure?

Ying Bing grew even more curious about what this outfit truly looked like.

Suddenly.

A pair of fluffy cat ears appeared atop her head.

"Hm?"

Ying Bing froze.

Then.

The holy light dissipated.

"......"

Ying Bing turned and saw her reflection in the mirror.

Cat ears. Cat tail.

This outfit...

If you said she was dressed, none of the crucial areas were covered.

If you said she wasn’t, there was clearly fabric draped over her...

A paradoxical state of "wearing" something.

The material somewhat resembled dark mist silk...

If Little Li were here right now, he would undoubtedly exclaim:

"Holy hell, a succubus catgirl!"

"Is... this clothing?"

Ying Bing’s jade-like face stiffened, her ice-mirror eyes trembling faintly.

[Host, yes.]

[It is clothing with a special purpose.]

Ying Bing: "?"

[To explain in terms this world would understand, its special purpose is...]

[Dual cultivation.]

Ying Bing: "??"

In the past, she would have treated this as nothing, expressionlessly changing back and pretending nothing had happened.

A mere embarrassing outfit couldn’t possibly affect her state of mind.

However, she had just finished a session of "dual cultivation."

The final layer of "Phoenix Cries in Heavenly Marsh"...

"Haah..."

Ying Bing exhaled softly, steadying the odd fluttering in her heart.

"Change me back."

Once she switched back, this incident would be as if it never happened, never happened...

[Reminder: Outfit change cooldown is 15 minutes.]

[Countdown: 12:52......12:21......]

Ying Bing: "......"

She was supposed to return to Qingyuan Sect today, and the carriage would arrive soon.

At any rate, she would never wear this outfit again in the future.

So she gave it a firm tug.

The seemingly fragile spiderweb-like structure stretched taut—yet didn’t tear in the slightest.

[Considering the host’s immense strength, this outfit has been specially reinforced to prevent damage during use.]

[Like the system itself, it cannot be destroyed.]

In a way.

The system was quite thoughtful.

But why did it have to be in this regard?

Ying Bing could only avert her gaze from the mirror.

Steadying her mind, she summoned a radiant, divine golden feather in her palm, shimmering like colored glass and exuding boundless mystical light.

All its extraordinary phenomena were confined within an inch of space by the system’s inexplicable power—otherwise, it would have stirred the heavens and earth in an instant.

"This is undoubtedly a True Phoenix Feather."

"With it, I can begin condensing my second internal breath..."

In her past life, she hadn’t possessed her current martial insights.

Yet she could still fight above her level, unrivaled among her peers, relying on her dual internal breaths.

One formed from the essence of the Lunar Yin.

The other from the Phoenix Aura of the Rosy Dawn.

Advancing further, she could condense two Profound Cores, resonating in harmony.

This wasn’t unprecedented—before her, a handful of legendary figures in history had walked this path, later shaking the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Many had attempted it since, but successes were as rare as phoenix feathers.

Not everyone possessed dual primary meridians.

The True Phoenix Feather’s wonders didn’t end there.

With it, she could also perform unique martial techniques, such as "True Phoenix Bloodburning Art" and "True Phoenix Transformation."

In her past life, she had once encountered another True Phoenix Feather, though far dimmer and damaged...

The feather’s value rivaled divine weapons, and its rarity surpassed them.

Ying Bing’s mind settled into calm.

[Host has completed this penalty.]

[The next ranking will commence in one month.]

[Would you like to enable the "Punishment of the Defeated"? Enabling it will yield richer rewards.]

Ying Bing’s eyes, clear as jade springs, reflected the two options.

[Yes/No?]

These two words seemed to carry an inexplicable allure.

The True Phoenix Feather was gripped slightly tighter in her slender hand.

["Punishment of the Defeated" successfully enabled.]

In every era, only one could ascend as an immortal.

But the higher one’s cultivation, the more they sensed this was no mere rumor.

An 80% chance it was true.

Across the boundless Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, only one could attain immortality.

"How could I not fight for the top spot?"

As Ying Bing murmured to herself, the sunny smile of a certain young man involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

In her past life, he had left little impression.

Yet in this life, in such a short time, he had undergone such a dramatic change.

Every detail about him now seemed vivid, lingering, impossible to forget.

If I become immortal, what of him...

As the old saying goes:

Think of something, and it comes knocking.

Tap—

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

As everyone knew, Little Li had never been one for knocking.

Now, entering Ying Bing’s room was like returning to his own.

"Ice Block."

"I’m coming in."

That familiar voice.

Ying Bing’s expression remained unreadable, but the fur on her ears and tail bristled as if startled.

She turned her head.

The door had already cracked open a sliver—

BANG—

"Uh... what?"

Outside, Li Mo stumbled back, utterly confused.

He could’ve sworn the door had been slammed shut from the inside.

After spending so much time together, shouldn’t she be used to this by now? What was up today?

"You okay in there?"

Little Li asked, puzzled.

"Don’t... just barge into my... room."

Li Mo: "......"

If not for recognizing Ice Block’s voice, he’d have thought Princess Little Jiang was inside.

Just... abruptly distant.

Even though she vanished every morning after waking up.

They’d literally slept side by side just yesterday.

Now suddenly acting like strangers, not even letting him into her room?

Little Li was momentarily at a loss—had he done something to offend her?

After turning it over in his mind with no answers, he could only sigh inwardly.

A woman’s heart is as deep as the ocean...

Well, lately, she had been more approachable, unlike the aloof Empress Phoenix described in the Heavenly Eye’s prophecies.

Even an ordinary woman wouldn't let a man casually enter her private chambers, right?

He really lacked a sense of boundaries.

"The carriage has been waiting downstairs for half an hour already."

"Come down once you're ready, okay?"

"I know."

Hearing the response, Li Mo turned and headed downstairs.

Inside the room.

A pair of cat-like ears twitched slightly.

Listening as the footsteps faded away.

Leaning against the door, Ying Bing let out a silent sigh of relief.

Her transformation countdown had three minutes left.

If he had barged in just now and seen her like this...

She wouldn’t have known how to face Li Mo ever again.

Ying Bing didn’t even realize it herself.

Her delicate, pearl-like toes were lightly curling against the floor...

Don’t misunderstand—this little scribe approaches with a devout attitude to learn, just in case it comes in handy someday...