Taking Golden Crow Blood, Kidneys Feel Warm

"Ice Block, is there something on my face?"

"No."

At the dining table, Li Mo glanced at the ice-lotus-like girl across from him, slightly puzzled.

Ying Bing's peripheral gaze had been drifting toward him absentmindedly, as if lost in thought. But the moment he looked back, she would snap out of it, pretending nothing had happened.

"Then why...?"

"Nothing. The food you made today is delicious."

Ying Bing spoke softly.

Now that his pockets were lined with money, Li Mo had put considerable effort into their meals.

For instance, today’s dish was snake soup made from an eighth-tier mystical beast—the Four-Winged Serpent—exceptionally rich in flavor and known to nourish both yin and yang energies.

But...

"?"

Li Mo glanced at her untouched bowl and chopsticks, raising an eyebrow in silent question.

"I was just thinking about my training."

Ying Bing shook her head and took a sip from her bowl.

[Congratulations, Host. Successful investment in Ying Bing: Four-Winged Serpent Soup.]

[Investment Reward: Six-Line Earth-Mending Body Restoration Pill.]

[Earth-Mending Body Restoration Pill]: "Restores severed limbs and heals bodily deficiencies."

For Li Mo, it wasn’t particularly rare.

But this was the first time he’d obtained a pill of this kind.

For those with physical disabilities—like eunuchs—it would be priceless.

Its value far surpassed that of an eighth-tier mystical beast.

......

Night fell.

Ying Bing returned to her old room.

The previously damaged bed had long been cleared out.

In its place stood a Jade Marrow Ice Bed, radiating a soothing chill.

The bed had the effect of calming the mind and stabilizing the spirit. Moreover, it could withstand the frigid Yin energy she cultivated, ensuring her training wouldn’t damage the surroundings.

"It’s almost identical to the one I had in my past life."

Ying Bing removed her shoes and socks, shaking off the water droplets from her hands.

For a fleeting moment, she felt as though she had returned to her days atop the Osmanthus Palace, where she sat alone beneath the cold moon—lofty yet desolate.

Now, she bore no resemblance to the quiet girl who had just been washing dishes in the kitchen.

Hiss—

Yin energy coiled tightly within the confines of the Jade Marrow Ice Bed, growing denser and more refined.

She entered a state of deep cultivation.

Time flowed.

By now, her dantian was already twenty percent full.

Once midnight passed and the Yin energy settled, she still did not rest.

A True Phoenix Feather hovered silently before her, a single drop of Celestial Nectar falling onto it as a radiant glow bloomed between her brows.

She was about to begin refining the Mist Phoenix Qi in earnest.

As a divine technique, the most formidable aspect of Mist Phoenix Qi was its inexhaustibility.

......

Meanwhile, by the waterfall near Autumn Water Pavilion.

"Still the same as ever."

Li Mo arrived at his usual training spot.

The rock "bathtub" he had carved out was now filled with rainwater, where two small birds were preening their feathers, unafraid of his presence.

Li Mo didn’t shoo them away. Instead, he sat cross-legged on a flat stone, closing his eyes to meditate.

After mastering the foundational stages of the "Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame Art" and stepping into the Jade Liquid Realm, his perception of internal energy flow had sharpened significantly.

Now, he could clearly sense the tiny lotus seed in his dantian, continuously absorbing and refining liquid-like inner energy.

As this process continued, the vitality of the lotus seed grew stronger, sprouting tender shoots.

"Once the stem grows, nine leaves form, and lotus seeds emerge, I’ll have reached the Mystic Core Realm."

Li Mo recalled the insights from the art.

He took out a vial of Golden Crow blood, carefully extracting a single drop.

The Golden Crow was a legendary creature, far beyond the classification of mere "mystical beasts."

Though this wasn’t its essence blood, even ordinary blood demanded extreme caution.

Li Mo didn’t believe his "Extreme Blade Slaughter Body" made him invincible.

Even at its peak, it probably couldn’t withstand a single punch from his master.

And his master was nowhere near as formidable as a Golden Crow.

"Fortunately, this blood isn’t as violently potent as I imagined. Only a faint aura escapes..."

After some thought, Li Mo poured a cup of Greenwood Vitality Elixir and mixed the crystalline Golden Crow blood into it.

The liquid shimmered with hues of pale green and gold.

"Bottoms up!"

Li Mo took a deep breath and downed it in one gulp.

A fiery thread seared down his throat.

"Exhale..."

"Inhale..."

He regulated his breathing, guiding the lotus seed’s growth while simultaneously condensing inner energy.

Intense vitality.

Pure yang energy.

The two forces intertwined within him, turning his body as hot as molten iron.

He stood abruptly and plunged into the waterfall.

Thud—

The "Punishment Star Shatterer Hammer" landed in his grip.

Blades of weaponized killing intent surged forth, yet under his control, they swirled around him like schools of fish.

The sound of slicing air echoed intermittently.

This killing intent could erode even the sharpest of blades—an ordinary inner energy cultivator would be reduced to dust in moments.

Yet Li Mo’s body remained unscathed, his organs resonating with thunderous vibrations.

The Golden Crow blood was also tempering his physique!

This was something Li Mo hadn’t anticipated.

Master blacksmiths often used the blood of the Songbird of Metal to temper their blades.

As his blood and inner energy cycled faster, Li Mo felt his body swell, as if a volcano were about to erupt.

Hum—

The hammer responded to its wielder’s needs, unleashing an even fiercer wave of killing intent.

Whoosh—

Stone dust cascaded down, only to be shaken off with a single motion.

"I’ve taken another step toward 'Body as a Named Weapon.'"

Li Mo exhaled deeply.

Within his dantian, inner energy swirled like jade liquid.

Above it floated a tightly closed lotus bud, ready to bloom.

"Speaking of which..."

"Why does this area feel so warm?"

Li Mo pressed a hand to his lower back.

Could the Golden Crow blood...

Also have aphrodisiac properties?

No wonder the Golden Crow lineage went extinct—maybe too many people coveted their blood.

Li Mo dismissed the wild speculation.

His body was brimming with heat.

The single drop of Golden Crow blood hadn’t been fully consumed. The remainder lay dormant within his kidneys.

"Less than a tenth of it has been used up."

"But the Greenwood Vitality Elixir is already depleted."

Li Mo sighed.

Though he possessed many treasures, they were scattered and miscellaneous.

He had nothing else quite like it.

"Tomorrow, I’ll head to the archives first, then visit Dan Ding Peak to find Elder Xue."

Li Mo made up his mind.

Dan Ding Peak was the wealthiest of the nine peaks, overflowing with rare treasures.

Elder Xue likely had something useful in his collection.

Besides, forming a Mystic Core shared similarities with alchemy.

......

The next day.

Archives Pavilion.

"I need to go to the sixth floor."

The counter was rapped sharply.

The attendant, engrossed in his ledger, jerked his head up—only to find no one in front of him.

"Maybe I’ve been reading too many illustrated books lately..."

"Hallucinating?"

He scratched his head and resumed his work.

"Are you deaf?"

The voice came again.

"Look down!"

The attendant blinked.

Only then did he notice a child—barely taller than the counter—dressed in the robes of a true disciple, glaring at him impatiently.

"Ah, Senior Brother Xiaobao!"

"My apologies, my apologies!"

The attendant hurriedly bowed.

This was Elder Xue’s beloved disciple from Dan Ding Peak.

"Never mind. Just log my visit. I’m heading to the sixth floor."

After recording, the young disciple swayed his way up to the sixth floor.

The two attendants behind him watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but sigh.

"If Senior Brother Xiaobao weren't physically impaired, he would probably have reached the Observation Divine Realm by now."

"Indeed. It's a shame even Elder Xue couldn't cure his condition."

"He's been to the sixth floor many times—always searching for a solution, no doubt."

As they spoke,

footsteps sounded at the entrance again.

Recognizing the newcomer, the two quickly straightened their robes and bowed respectfully:

"Senior Brother Li Mo."

.....