Middle-aged Han Zhen was caught off guard.
Within the Blood Phoenix Essence lay the accumulated lifeblood of countless beings—a power so immense that even those in the Observation Divine Realm could not fully master it.
He was no exception.
Thus, he took an unorthodox path: refining his own remains.
But Ying Bing...
She directly ignited the essence, causing her aura to surge relentlessly.
Strangely, his connection to the Blood Phoenix Essence had not yet severed.
Why, then, had it abandoned him, submitting so meekly to Ying Bing?
Peak Inner Breath Profound Core...
First Aperture of the Observation Divine Realm...
Second Aperture...
...
Ninth Aperture!
At this rate, Ying Bing would soon touch the threshold of the Inner Scenery Realm!
As they clashed,
Ying Bing's aura continued to rise.
She shifted from evasive maneuvers to launching counterattacks.
This was largely due to the skeleton—once belonging to a Palm Mystic Realm expert—retaining its divine properties despite millennia, remaining pristine.
Even a Fifth-Level Outer Scenery expert would struggle to damage it, even with their full arsenal.
Bang—
A radiant glow blocked Han Zhen's fist, dispersing slightly from the impact.
Seizing the opening,
Ying Bing parted her crimson lips:
"Freeze."
The aura of the Supreme Yin surged, and above the River of Blood, a bright moon slowly rose.
Where its light touched, all things stilled.
Were it not for the mind still functioning, one might think time itself had frozen.
Han Zhen's expression twisted in shock.
"Who are you?!"
"Are you... like me?"
Ying Bing ignored his words, pouring all her focus into her sword.
Her jade-like fingers slid across Frost Sky, and the blade erupted with light, its razor-sharp aura making the blood river tremble.
This sword—annihilation incarnate.
This sword—would surely strike its mark.
A sword beyond self.
Its target: Han Zhen's soul.
"Extinguish."
The gleaming tip of the blade loomed larger.
Han Zhen no longer questioned how she wielded power far beyond her realm. He knew—if he didn’t fight now, he’d lose even the chance to fight.
Veins bulging, he gritted his teeth and spat three words:
"Seize Heaven’s Fortune!"
His body seemed to rejuvenate slightly.
"Defy Heaven’s Law!"
The streaks of gray at his temples vanished.
"Sever Heaven’s Decree!!"
Han Zhen's aura peaked.
Finally, he could move.
This was one of the few forbidden arts he could currently wield—devastatingly powerful, yet at a steep cost.
He had traded his future for this moment.
Snap—
Han Zhen clapped his palms together, catching the lethal blade.
Their energies clashed violently, threatening to tear the void apart.
Boom—
...
The commotion above finally reached those below.
"What kind of inheritance could cause such a ruckus up there?"
"You think Li Mo and Ying Bing are fighting over it?"
"Unlikely. Inner Breath Realm cultivators couldn’t make this much noise."
"I sensed an overwhelming sword intent—maybe it’s sword-related?"
"No... that aura... it feels heavier and more oppressive than even the Outer Scenery Realm..."
...
The onlookers were baffled.
A few bold souls edged closer for a better look.
But then—
Boom—
The entire secret realm trembled violently.
Meanwhile—
Bang—
Young Han Zhen was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into and bending one of the bronze hall’s massive pillars.
"You..."
"After living for millennia, this is all you’ve got?"
Li Mo tossed Star Piercer in his hand, smirking.
Young Han Zhen staggered to his feet, his eyes still unfathomably dark.
"You cannot win."
"As Shang Wu’s disciple, I could forgive your insolence... if you renounce your folly—"
"Have you ever been a girl?"
Li Mo suddenly asked.
Han Zhen’s words caught in his throat.
Li Mo rubbed his chin.
"Seven reincarnations—surely one was as a woman, right?"
Han Zhen: "..."
Only a brain-addled fool would ask such a thing.
"I—"
"Wait, are you a woman now, disguised as a man?"
"I am male."
A vein throbbed on Han Zhen’s forehead.
"I don’t believe you. Prove it."
"Prove your mother!"
Han Zhen snapped, lunging as a blood-red shadow.
"Tch. As if I’d waste time chatting."
Li Mo rolled up his sleeves and shouted:
"Senior Brother Xiaobao! Fusion Technique!"
He’d been waiting for this. The taunts were just a bonus.
"Here!"
A Dragon-Tiger Golden Core pierced through the blood river, flying into Li Mo’s dantian.
Instantly, the vast power of wind, cloud, dragon, and tiger enveloped him, igniting his spirit.
No choice.
The karma weighing on his foe was too heavy.
The karmic flames burned fiercely, eager to reduce him to ash.
"Dragon-Tiger Golden Core with Nine Apertures?"
Young Han Zhen’s voice darkened.
Ironically, he’d played a part in its creation millennia ago.
Now, not only had it gained sentience, but it was also being used against him.
Fate was truly...
Boom—
The hammer descended like a meteor—crushing, unstoppable, a divine mountain in motion.
"Guh—"
Blood sprayed.
Though Han Zhen had no physical form, relying on the blood pool for vitality, the impact still felt like his organs had been rearranged.
"Relax."
"Dizziness is normal."
Another hammer strike.
Han Zhen’s head exploded before he could react.
"You... insolent—"
His head regenerated from the blood pool, eyes icy with murderous intent.
But before he could finish—
Bang—
Splat.
Again.
In terms of cultivation, he was in the Observation Divine Realm, while Li Mo was merely Inner Breath.
But with Xiaobao’s power and the hammer’s might,
Han Zhen stood no chance.
Thus...
"Li Mo!"
Bang—
"Enough—"
Bang—
"Let me speak—"
Bang—
It was like playing whack-a-mole.
Young Han Zhen finally erupted in fury.
His body reformed midair, killing intent radiating as the incomplete bronze divine tree behind him writhed wildly.
A fragmented divine manifestation
Yet it wove countless black threads through the void, amplifying Han Zhen’s form until he became a blood giant towering dozens of meters tall.
"Ant!"
A colossal blood palm blotted out the sky.
"At least you’re easier to hit now."
Li Mo’s smirk faded.
Sensing no immediate danger from "Ice Block" (Ying Bing), he exhaled in relief.
The Dragon-Tiger energy pushed his Extreme Soldier Slaughter Body to its limits.
Another hammer strike—a torrent of karmic flames erupted.
Boom—
The shockwave shattered the hall, reducing it to rubble.
Then—
A figure streaked through like a meteor, a powerful domain radiating from them.
Yin Huaxuan.
He had two choices:
Aid young Han Zhen, or aid middle-aged Han Zhen.
Yet, upon seeing Li Mo’s hammer, his eyes gleamed with undisguised bloodlust.
"Capture Ying Bing first!"
Both Han Zhens commanded simultaneously.
"As you wish."
Yin Huaxuan’s expression flickered before joining the fray.
Roar—
His body twisted and suddenly transformed into a half-human, half-dragon form, descending through the air.
An Inner Realm expert had joined the fray.
The tide of battle seemed poised to shift.
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.
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)
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
