After agreeing to watch each other's backs in the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm, Li Mo descended the mountain under the setting sun.
He felt somewhat exhausted, his body weak...
Well, that was just an illusion.
Young Li knew he was actually stronger than before his ascent—the nine-petaled lotus in his dantian had now bloomed two petals.
Though it still paled in comparison to the sensation of having a Dragon-Tiger Golden Core, where one commanded the winds and clouds, with all their qi condensed into unity.
Once Senior Brother Xiaobao left, Li Mo felt his body grow heavier.
"With this experience, condensing my own Mystic Core in the future will be much easier."
Young Li was brimming with anticipation for his Mystic Core realm.
As he walked down the mountain, heading to the outer affairs hall to buy groceries, Li Mo checked the feedback from his recent investment.
[Congratulations, Host, for helping 'Tang Xiaobao' awaken his potential.]
[Investment Reward: Ancient Bronze Creation Seal.]
[Ancient Bronze Creation Seal]: "When used on a Divine Insight Diagram, it can elevate a diagram of upper-grade or lower by one tier."
"Creation Seal... something like a Heavenly Script Seal?"
Li Mo pondered.
He only had two Divine Insight Diagrams on him. One was the Golden Crow Sun Visualization Diagram, of the supreme tier—utterly incompatible with the Creation Seal.
The other was the Night Ghost Stone Carving, a lower-tier diagram.
Using it on that would be a waste of a treasure.
"With my dashing looks, practicing this thing would be an even greater waste."
Young Li decided to store the Creation Seal for now.
By the time he returned to Autumn Water Pavilion, dusk had settled.
As soon as he stepped inside,
a lingering chill greeted him, carried by the wind—enough to make an ordinary person shiver uncontrollably.
Clearly, a certain ice block had just finished training.
"Just a bit of frost, nothing more."
Li Mo strode in with his grocery basket.
His eyes landed on
a young woman sitting beneath a tree, playing chess.
She had dug out a chessboard from somewhere and was now playing against herself in her spare time.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows over her and the board.
Hearing footsteps at the door, her tall nose twitched:
"What's that... smell on you?"
"Hmm?"
Li Mo sniffed his sleeve and realized:
"The medicinal fragrance from Dan Ding Peak."
"By the way, why are you playing chess against yourself?"
Ying Bing glanced at Shang Wu beside her.
Right.
Their master didn’t seem the type to play chess.
Li Mo thought it might be time for some team-building activities.
This was necessary for maintaining good relations with his icy benefactor!
"Perfect timing—today we’re having a feast, so we can eat and play."
"Later, I’ll teach you all a type of chess even Master can learn."
Shang Wu looked up and rolled her eyes at him.
Translated politely: "You?"
...
Soon, a pot was set up in the courtyard.
A bubbling stew of pickled vegetables and tofu gurgled merrily.
"This is what you call a feast?"
Shang Wu’s lips curled.
She preferred hearty meat dishes.
"This just shows Master’s lack of refinement. Do you even know the saying—"
Li Mo hummed a tune as he sliced tofu:
"Eating pickles with hot tofu~ Even the emperor can’t compare to me~"
In truth, the pickled tofu wasn’t ordinary.
As everyone knew, Young Li wouldn’t pass up a prime investment opportunity just for a change of taste.
The tofu was ground from Exquisite Cardamom, and the pickles were made from Seven-Leaf Qi-Nourishing Grass—absolutely delicious.
Shang Wu mimicked the tune, took a bite of tofu, and her almond eyes lit up:
"Eating hotpot and singing does seem pretty fun, huh?"
"Master’s voice is oddly pleasant. Ever considered letting me be your manager? We could debut at the Pavilion of Blossoms."
"Hmph, no thanks. If I went, would there even be a competition for their top spot?"
"True, true."
Master and disciple bantered as they ate.
Ying Bing, whose nerves had been taut, found herself inexplicably relaxing again.
She had only learned of the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm today.
In her past life, she obtained the Blood Phoenix Essence by slaying Han Zhen, and that was during her Dharma Body realm.
But unlike before, this time the secret realm had stirred up a storm, drawing factions from all directions—and with that came countless variables.
"Ice block."
"Hmm?"
Li Mo’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Did you get it?"
"Get what?"
Ying Bing delicately placed a piece of tofu in her mouth.
"Gomoku. If you didn’t, I’ll teach you again."
Without waiting for her answer, Li Mo picked up a piece and demonstrated.
"Like this—five in a row, and you win."
"Isn’t this a child’s game?"
Ying Bing shook her head.
Seeing her lack of interest, Li Mo shrugged and continued playing with Shang Wu.
Their beautiful master had never lost a game of chance but never won a game of skill.
"Master, you’re terrible at this."
"Gah! I refuse to accept this!"
A slip of paper clung to Shang Wu’s brow.
Two minutes later:
"If you’re bad, just practice more... But losing to the Chess Saint of Qingyuan Sect is an honor in itself."
Li Mo’s dramatic side took over as he clasped his hands behind his back, striking a pose of invincibility.
"Little Bing, avenge me!"
Shang Wu called for backup.
She already had two slips of paper on her face.
Li Mo grinned and glanced over.
Though the ice block had called it childish, her eyes had been glued to the game.
"Want to play a few rounds?"
"You said it’s a kid’s game—prove you can beat me."
If anyone else had said this, Ying Bing would’ve ignored them.
She didn’t need to prove herself by winning.
But this was Li Mo.
"Fine."
She set down her chopsticks, her cool gaze locking onto him.
Li Mo: "!"
Strange—why was her competitive spirit burning so fiercely?
More intense than during the Nine Veins Tournament on the arena stage.
The ice block’s drive to win was baffling.
But Young Li was the 'creator' of Gomoku—how could he back down?
"Hmph, with just a flick of my wrist, I’ll send you fleeing in defeat!"
...
One minute later.
Li Mo stared at the board in disbelief.
Lost?
He, a Gomoku grandmaster! The grid paper he’d used in middle and high school could wrap around Autumn Water Pavilion three times.
And he lost the very first round?
"Seems we won’t be playing many rounds."
Ying Bing spoke softly.
A flicker of amusement passed through her moonlit, spring-clear eyes.
"Fine, fine. A bet’s a bet."
Seeing her expression relax, Li Mo cut a slip of paper.
"Go on, stick it."
"Hmm..."
Ying Bing took the paper, paused for a few seconds, then pressed it onto the spot between his nose and lips.
Li Mo: "?"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
