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: "?"
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
