Chronicles of Divine Forms: A 4,000-Year-Old Senior Brother

The sixth floor of the library.

The place was nearly deserted, with vast empty spaces between towering bookshelves.

The sound of slow, measured footsteps echoed softly.

Li Mo had visited the sixth floor once before—when he came to retrieve the "Solar Wheel Sword Art." At the time, he had been surprised by the sheer volume of rare texts stored here.

"Could there be any Divine Insight Diagrams here?"

He paused in front of a shelf.

This section was dedicated entirely to illustrated manuals.

The fifth floor mostly contained advanced martial arts, so the materials on the sixth floor were undoubtedly more core and valuable.

Li Mo was quite curious about the Divine Insight Realm.

Casually, he picked up one of the illustrated books.

Unlike the others, this one was spotless—clearly well-read.

Few had access to the sixth floor.

Only true disciples, elders, or those who had made significant contributions to the sect could enter.

Yet even they frequently flipped through this particular manual.

"Whatever’s recorded here must be extraordinary."

Li Mo read the title:

"The Eighteen Teachings of Yin and Yang"

Li Mo: "!"

With such a grand and imposing name, it had to be something remarkable!

His luck was good—finding a treasure right after arriving.

He opened to the first page, where it read:

"Lust is the first trial of youth—Ouyang."

Ouyang?

The author’s name?

"Mastering the Divine Insight Realm begins with mastering the heart. Makes sense."

Li Mo paused, then nodded in agreement.

But when he turned to the actual illustrations, he couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

The content was… decidedly not for young audiences.

That said, the artwork was impeccable—detailed, lifelike, and utterly realistic.

Something felt off. Frowning, Li Mo flipped to the last page.

There, another line awaited:

"A man remains a boy at heart until death—Ouyang."

"So why did this erotic manual have to be given such a lofty title?!"

"And why split the message? One at the start, one at the end—like some kind of cliffhanger!"

Li Mo’s lips twitched.

Even the most shameless novelists wouldn’t dare cut chapters like this.

This author had a unique flair—much like his surname, which lost its radical and became something else entirely.

Shoving The Eighteen Teachings of Yin and Yang back, Li Mo picked up another book.

Most manuals here weren’t as… unconventional.

But genuine Divine Insight Diagrams were scarce, and none touched upon the core advanced techniques, let alone supreme arts.

That made sense.

Those were likely the secret treasures of each peak’s elders—not something they’d leave lying around.

Still, Li Mo stumbled upon some intriguing finds.

"The Martial Emperor of Great Yu once gazed upon the Heavenly Mandate Artifact—the Rivers and Mountains Painting—using the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths as his canvas. He decreed that all imperial descendants could witness the Divine Sun, ensuring the dynasty’s eternal prosperity."

This was from Annals of Divine Forms, a historical text.

It even included an illustration of the Rivers and Mountains Painting—meticulously detailed, though lacking its true divine essence.

Just capturing its form was impressive—it meant the artist had at least seen the real thing.

According to the records, the Rivers and Mountains Painting was one of the Divine Forms.

Flipping further, Li Mo encountered an image of a bronze divine tree.

"The Bronze Fusang—a Heavenly Mandate Artifact of the former Great Shang Dynasty. A hundred divine birds perched upon its branches, each embodying profound mysteries. Gazing upon it could manifest the forms of Vermilion Birds, Azure Phoenixes, Blood Phoenixes, Golden Crows, and more. Shattered during Great Yu’s conquest, its current whereabouts remain unknown."

"This would suit the Ice Block quite well."

Li Mo read with growing fascination.

The book chronicled various Divine Forms spanning two dynasties—each account vivid, as if the author had witnessed them firsthand.

He checked the author’s name:

Han Zhen.

Not someone he recognized.

"I wonder what form I’ll perceive when my time comes…"

Reluctantly, Li Mo set the book down.

He felt somewhat lost on the matter.

Take Murong Xiao—with his Thunderhorn Serpent bloodline, perceiving a dragon-like form would naturally ease his path to Divine Insight.

Similarly, those with innate talents like the "Tiger-Back Bear-Waist" physique would find tiger or bear forms more compatible.

This was why innate gifts mattered so much in martial arts.

Li Mo still hadn’t figured out what form best suited his own constitution.

No wonder the elders had hesitated to take him as a disciple, even after witnessing his climb up the Heavenly Steps.

"The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge."

"With the Ice Block and Little Princess Jiang around, I’ll surely find something suitable."

The thought of them reassured him.

For now, he needed to focus on selecting sword arts to "feed" Jiang Chulong.

He himself was also walking the path of mastering techniques to approach the Dao—though somewhat reluctantly.

Sigh.

He still longed to be that dashing, carefree swordsman, but his comprehension of martial truths was… lacking.

The Lotus Blossom Art of Karmic Flames devoured his insights at an alarming rate.

Now, he only had about seventy years’ worth left.

Plenty for hammer techniques—far too little for the sword.

But there was no helping it. The investment had to be made.

In the end, Li Mo selected three high-quality sword manuals—all top-tier among advanced techniques.

As he gathered them to check out, a voice called out:

"Junior Brother Li!"

Li Mo turned, puzzled.

Who was calling him?

"Junior Brother Li!"

The speaker hopped slightly, finally coming into view.

A familiar face.

"Senior Brother Xiaobao." Li Mo greeted with a smile.

He’d met Tang Xiaobao even before joining the Qingyuan Sect—back at Xue Jing’s clinic.

During the Nine Peaks Tournament, this senior brother had even thrown his match, cementing Li Mo’s reputation for "fixed fights."

Now, the man was struggling to reach a book on a high shelf, his short stature making it impossible.

Rumor had it that Tang Xiaobao had been born with a congenital defect—eternally stuck in the form of a delicate, childlike youth.

Hence, though his surname was Tang, everyone called him "Xiaobao" instead.

Wait, wasn’t Senior Brother Xiaobao at the Jade Marrow Realm?

"Junior Brother Li, could you grab that book for me? Third from the left."

"Sure thing."

Li Mo retrieved it—a tome on alchemy and pill refinement.

"Finally got it!"

"Now I have a shot at reaching the Mysterious Pill Realm!"

Tang Xiaobao hugged the book, delighted.

"Senior Brother Xiaobao, this is an alchemy text. You didn’t pick the wrong one?"

Li Mo had assumed he was studying pill refinement.

"Heh, for me, this is a cultivation manual."

Tang Xiaobao grinned.

Seeing Li Mo’s confusion, he hesitated before explaining:

"Well, since you’re practically family, I’ll tell you. Only my master and I know this."

"I’m not human."

Li Mo: "?"

Senior Brother, what’s this sudden self-deprecation?

But the man’s expression was dead serious. Li Mo raised a brow.

Not joking?

Heaven’s Mandate Eye—activate!

[Name: Tang Xiaobao]

[Age: 4224]

[Innate Talent: Seven-Aperture Pill Body]

[Realm: Jade Marrow (Internal Breath)]

[Fate: Blue]

[Evaluation: Originally meant to be a Nine-Aperture Dragon-Tiger Pill, but an accident during refinement left only seven apertures. After millennia of nurturing by successive elders of Dan Ding Peak, he finally gained sentience under Xue Jing’s care. Future fortunes uncertain.]

[Recent Events: Hopes to refine himself further, advancing to the Mysterious Pill Realm to complete his form.]

Li Mo: "???"