The game session at the Autumn Water Pavilion came to an end.
"Alright, fine. You win."
The young man's face was now adorned with six or seven slips of paper.
Peering through the gaps between the slips, he caught sight of the faint smile curling at the corners of the girl's lips.
At the same time, a series of system notifications chimed in his mind:
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully allowed 'Ying Bing' to win at Gomoku.]
[Investment Reward: Verdant Vein Jade Slip.]
[Congratulations, Host. Investment in 'Ying Bing'—Linglong Bean Curd and Seven-Leaf Moistening Herb Pickles.]
[Investment Reward: Dustless Brush.]
...
Though these were merely items like brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, they were far from ordinary.
Their understated yet luxurious aura made it clear they were treasures.
Who said I lost?
This was an absolute win.
Li Mo secretly rejoiced in his heart, only for the ice block’s soft reminder to cut through his thoughts:
"Practice your swordplay."
Their joint sword practice sessions had now decreased from daily to once every three days.
Well, mostly because Princess Jiang’s questioning frequency had dropped.
For some reason, today, the ice block was unusually focused.
Young Li was both suffering and enjoying it.
Half an hour later,
Princess Jiang’s study materials had thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, Li Mo, without resting, picked up his sword again. He began practicing several sword techniques he had just borrowed from the library, all while refining his insights through martial comprehension.
"Why are you still practicing these high-tier sword techniques?"
Ying Bing stood alone, her sword cradled in her arms. Moonlight reflected in her eyes, stirring a trace of confusion.
He had already achieved minor mastery in a peerless sword technique.
The gap between high-tier martial arts and peerless techniques was far too vast—no amount of borrowing from other stones could polish this jade.
So why bother?
"......"
Li Mo was genuinely stumped by the question.
He couldn’t very well say he was feeding Jiang Chulong with these techniques while acting as a middleman skimming profits, could he?
If not for the substantial gains he’d made recently, he wouldn’t even have been able to unlock the "Lotus Blossom of Karmic Flames Art."
Just as Young Li was pondering how to respond, Ying Bing suddenly spoke again:
"Are you truly planning to... walk the path of skill approaching the Dao?"
Li Mo: "......Ah, right, yes, exactly."
No need for explanations.
The ice block would fill in the gaps herself.
"It’s difficult."
"Even for someone with your talent."
Ying Bing’s voice was soft.
This wasn’t limited to swordplay—any Dao had the concept of skill approaching the Dao.
But throughout history, the geniuses and prodigies who attempted it were as numerous as fish in a river, yet...
None succeeded.
It was as if the heavens had drawn a line between mortals and immortals, a mockery displayed before all.
Even Jiang Chulong, later acknowledged as the most unparalleled sword prodigy in history, remained far from fully grasping the principles of the sword Dao.
"I know."
Li Mo nodded without hesitation.
Though he had no idea what the ice block was imagining this time, he had a clear sense of his own limits.
Hah? Me? Skill approaching the Dao?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
More like skill approaching a hammer!
Young Li was acutely aware—this was all just for grinding rewards!
With a chuckle, he turned and resumed his sword practice.
"To persist despite knowing it’s impossible?"
Ying Bing murmured under her breath.
Whoosh—
The night breeze brushed past, moonlight cascading like frost.
The young man swung his sword, pausing occasionally in contemplation, each movement stronger than the last.
For a moment, time itself seemed to lose meaning around him.
The martial path was a long river, and those sword prodigies who left their names in history were like stars reflected in its waters.
Perhaps...
Whether or not he could reach the end of this path,
He would still shine brilliantly within the river of martial arts.
The leaves rustled softly, whispering in the wind.
"Be careful of Han Zhen in the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm."
Without another word, she turned and ascended the stairs, her figure fading into the night.
Watching the ice block’s retreating back, Li Mo felt like he’d seen that name somewhere before.
The author of "Annals of Divine Forms"?
No, that book was written many years ago. If the author were still alive, they’d be thousands of years old by now.
A genius with the same name?
......
Within the World Seed.
While waiting for Princess Jiang to arrive, Li Mo took the time to survey this small world that belonged solely to him.
"It’s grown so much bigger."
Before him, the miniature world had expanded over a hundredfold compared to its original size.
Much like his own cultivation realm.
Yet the structures remained the same, making the space feel oddly empty now.
Snap—
Li Mo flicked his fingers.
The scenery of the small world shifted, transforming in an instant into the seaside villa he had worked so hard to afford in his past life—only for his boss to reap the benefits.
Within this space spanning several miles, the villa even came with a garden so vast that a trip to the bathroom would take ten minutes.
"If there’s a sea, there should naturally be... a sun?"
Li Mo gazed at the ocean as he reclined on a rocking chair.
With a thought,
A phantom sun materialized in the sky.
Of course, it was just an illusion—a pale imitation, far from the true glory of the sun.
"Once I condense my Mystic Core, perhaps I’ll be able to create a real sun within this small world?"
"Still feels like something’s missing..."
Li Mo turned his gaze to the sea.
Sunshine, sandy beaches... cough.
Someday, if he could get the ice block and his beautiful master to come here in swimsuits, that would be perfection...
At this thought, Young Li absentmindedly stroked the Meteor Hammer of Unyielding Calamity. The hammer trembled slightly in response.
Suddenly—
Li Mo sensed something. The Formless Glazed Veil instantly enveloped his body.
"Tea... Teacher?"
"Where is this?"
Princess Jiang blinked in bewilderment, her curiosity piqued as she took in the surroundings.
"Hm, just a place I retreat to for leisure. You’re welcome to visit after your training."
The Celestial Venerable spoke casually.
"Then... then..."
Jiang Chulong lowered her head, her small hands fidgeting nervously.
After hesitating for a long while, she finally mustered the courage to ask:
"Can... can I bring Big Brother Li here too?"
"Hm?"
The Celestial Venerable was momentarily baffled by the question.
Jiang Chulong’s heart clenched. Her delicate frame trembled slightly.
She thought her teacher was angry.
Of course—this was the Celestial Venerable’s private sanctuary. How could she casually invite others?
"Teacher... I..."
"...Very well."
The Celestial Venerable nodded lightly.
"R-Really?"
Jiang Chulong still didn’t dare lift her head to meet his gaze.
"Focus on your training. Once you break through to the next realm, I’ll allow it."
With a wave of his sleeve,
The sunshine, beach, and villa vanished without a trace.
What replaced them was no longer the small Taoist temple of before.
"Master... this place... where is this?"
In this new environment, Jiang Chulong clung tightly to a tree branch, cautiously surveying her surroundings.
Beneath her feet were clouds. Not far away, an overturned violet-gold alchemy furnace lay on its side.
The structure behind it resembled a palace more than a Taoist temple.
The gleaming plaque above the entrance indeed read:
‘Tushita Palace.’
"A lost fragment of the Heavenly Court."
The Celestial Venerable’s voice carried the weight of endless vicissitudes.
As if standing once more in a place long forgotten, his tone was tinged with an indescribable melancholy.
"How... how did it end up like this?"
Jiang Chulong didn’t dare wander off but couldn’t suppress her curiosity.
"If you wish to hear the tale, I must first test your progress."
The Celestial Venerable chuckled softly.
With a casual toss, a single blade of grass transformed into a grass puppet.
One that Li Mo could control, wielding his sword techniques through it.
Well...
A Celestial Venerable of such lofty status naturally couldn’t lower himself to spar personally!
This was just another one of Li Mo’s spur-of-the-moment ideas.
Coincidentally, he had also been planning to renovate the World Seed to provide Jiang Chulong with a better training environment, so he simply declared this place to be the Celestial Court.
Fifteen minutes later.
The tree branch pierced through the throat of the straw puppet.
Yet Jiang Chulong stood motionless, as if struck by enlightenment.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully invested in Jiang Chulong by gifting her a superior sword manual and resolving her doubts.]
[Twofold investment rewards: A total of 150 years of martial insights.]
...
Thus, ten days later.
Li Mo had spent another incredibly fulfilling ten days.
By exploiting price differences, he earned five hundred years' worth of martial insights.
His daily training routine had also shifted from a small waterfall to Dan Ding Peak.
The lotus in his dantian had now fully bloomed with nine petals.
Just one step away, and he would step into the Profound Core realm.
The day of his return home had finally arrived.
The Blood Phoenix Secret Realm was located in Qinghe County.
Li Mo’s hometown.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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.
