Eighty for the Big Hammer, Forty for the Small Hammer

In the dense forest, two figures approached.

The young man's clothes were spotless, as if he hadn't undergone any life-and-death trials but had instead been out for a leisurely stroll. Behind him followed a burly man, towering like an iron pagoda, resembling a bodyguard.

Li Mo casually tossed a watermelon rind to the ground and asked in confusion,

"Old Xiao, Senior Xiaobao, what are you two...?"

"Junior Brother Li, this secret realm is fraught with danger, so I had no choice but to resort to this."

Xiao Qin couldn't help but force a bitter smile.

This method had been taught to him by his master.

Better to look like a mud-covered monkey than to be discovered by the powerful skeletal beasts.

But what was up with Junior Brother Li?

He didn’t seem to have fought much at all, yet he had already collected so many beast tokens.

"Junior Brother Li, you’ve come at the perfect time."

"We were just about to pick the Phoenix Blood Spirit Grass."

Tang Xiaobao was now filled with confidence.

His trump card had arrived.

By joining forces with Junior Brother Li using their 'fusion technique,' even the strongest skeletal ape wouldn’t be a problem.

Li Mo looked ahead and spotted the crimson spirit grass hidden behind the waterfall.

His gaze then swept over the group of skeletal apes guarding the waterfall before settling on the largest one.

Seventh-rank mid-stage?

Much stronger than the Tree Demon King, and not conveniently weak to karmic flames.

"I’ll handle that seventh-rank mid-stage skeletal ape."

As soon as he spoke, the Chixiao sword at Li Mo’s waist unsheathed itself, transforming into a fiery streak as it slashed toward the Skeletal Ape King.

Tie Qi followed closely behind. They had encountered beasts blocking their path before—no words were needed.

"Junior Brother Li is still so eager to help others."

"The gap between us has only grown wider."

Xiao Qin sighed inwardly.

"Focus on the fight."

The aged voice of the Thousand Forms Martial Venerable echoed in his ears:

"With the Phoenix Blood Spirit Grass, I can teach you a complete divine technique."

"The Observation Divine Realm is where you’ll truly shine."

"Mm."

Even as he spoke, Xiao Qin had already charged forward, facing off against an eighth-rank late-stage skeletal ape.

The battle erupted instantly.

"Start with the sword."

Li Mo’s mind was completely focused.

No martial art could be mastered through isolation—true mastery required constant real combat.

He had noticed that after actual battles, refining his techniques with martial insights cost fewer insights.

Swordplay had always been his biggest investment in martial insights.

But there was no helping it—it was also his greatest source of martial insights.

He just had to find ways to maximize the returns.

"Giant Peak!"

Li Mo flicked his wrist, and countless sword energies condensed on Chixiao.

The overwhelming momentum enveloped the entire space ahead.

A high-tier sword technique, executed at its peak.

"Roar!"

The skeletal giant ape, provoked by the tiny creature before it, erupted in human-like fury, pounding its chest bones with thunderous force.

It swung its arm in retaliation, smashing the sword-formed giant blade back.

This seventh-rank mid-stage skeletal giant ape had remarkable intelligence. Though it couldn’t wield martial arts like a warrior, it could use something akin to 'combat techniques' and even knew how to wield tools.

For a time,

Young Li dodged and weaved, employing various sword techniques in a fierce struggle against the giant ape.

Meanwhile, Old Xiao’s battle was much simpler.

Mainly because he had Tie Qi, an Observation Divine Realm warrior with two opened apertures, as backup.

Every swing of his halberd carried terrifying strength, infused with the battlefield’s killing intent.

Half an hour later,

Li Mo had finally tested all the high-tier sword techniques he had mastered to perfection.

Seeing that Xiao Qin and the others were nearly done as well, he mused:

"Relying solely on swordplay to quickly defeat an enemy a whole major realm above me is still difficult..."

"Even using the Solar Wheel Sword Canon wouldn’t guarantee a kill."

Li Mo stood still, halting his movements.

At a glance, the giant ape looked miserable, covered in wounds—but none were critical. Instead, Li Mo’s hit-and-run tactics had only enraged it further.

"Roar..."

Seeing the little insect stop moving, the skeletal giant ape’s mouth twisted into an eerie grin.

This little bug had dared to fight it head-on—it must have been terrified of its strength.

Had it finally run out of stamina?

Boom—

It grabbed a massive boulder and hurled it straight at Li Mo.

"About time."

Under the crushing wind pressure,

Li Mo’s robes flapped wildly, yet not a trace of panic showed on his face.

Instead of countering with his sword, he sheathed Chixiao and let his left arm hang slightly, his entire body tensing like a drawn bow as all his power gathered.

"Quell the Raging Tide."

This was the strike that had instantly killed Yin Huacheng.

"Seven Strikes to Settle the World" was a supreme technique, and in the hands of Young Li, it had reached the pinnacle of mastery.

The air grew thick and heavy, as if a storm was brewing, suffocating to the point of breathlessness.

The youth’s sleeve swung forward.

No—not the sleeve.

It was the hammer inside the sleeve.

The giant ape barely managed to raise its arms in defense.

Boom—

The unstoppable hammer shattered both skeletal arms like kindling.

"Still pretty tough."

Li Mo raised an eyebrow.

The bodies of these beasts were indeed far sturdier than humans, and he hadn’t even used world force or divine weapons.

The Star Mallet was the small hammer—"small hammer, forty strikes."

The Worldbreaker Meteor Hammer was the big hammer—"big hammer, eighty strikes."

If one strike wasn’t enough, then two—Young Master Li.

"Forty!"

The hammer hidden in his sleeve descended once more.

The skeletal giant ape stiffened.

Its head exploded violently, the force even traveling through its entire body and into the ground, cracking the earth in concentric circles.

"Observation Divine Realm warriors may have weaker bodies, but they have divine intent to compensate."

"Two small hammer strikes should still be enough."

Li Mo rubbed his chin and stowed the Star Mallet back into his system space.

Only then did he casually pick up the beast token on the ground—though, honestly, it wasn’t of much use to him now.

Xiao Qin and Tie Qi stared at the aftermath of Li Mo’s battle in silence.

Seriously?

Brother Li, you could’ve used that move from the start, couldn’t you?

And what was that just now? They hadn’t even seen it clearly.

Surely he hadn’t actually smashed it with his sleeve?

Li Mo also noticed—

The pool and waterfall, once a scenic spot, were now a complete wreck.

"Wait!"

Li Mo suddenly remembered—the Phoenix Blood Spirit Grass!

With the waterfall destroyed, was the spirit grass still intact?

Without it, his investment plan would fall through.

He quickly landed amidst the rubble of the waterfall and began frantically searching.

"Junior Brother Li, what are you looking for?"

"Grass! (A type of plant)"

"Oh, that? I already picked it."

Tang Xiaobao raised his hand, revealing the blood-red spirit grass. He grinned:

"While you guys were fighting, I sneaked over and plucked it ages ago."

"Good job, Senior Xiaobao."

Li Mo gave him a thumbs-up:

"From now on, no one can call you simple-minded."

"Exactly, exactly!"

Tang Xiaobao beamed, tilting his head proudly.

Just then,

The words in the sky changed.

[First Trial Complete.]

[Qualified participants, gather at the designated location.]

Hum—

In the distance, a pillar of light shot into the heavens.