"What's wrong?"
Li Mo was puzzled.
When he looked at Jiang Chulong's slightly raised face, he saw her pale eyes blurred by tears.
Was she crying?
Had she suddenly remembered something sad?
Yet the corners of her slightly pale lips curled upward, and that faint smile seemed brighter than sunlight.
She stood there timidly, like a little white flower just blooming, greeting its first drop of dew.
Young Li wanted to sketch her, but it felt a bit inappropriate...
"I... I'm just... happy..."
Jiang Chulong clumsily wiped her tears away.
"As long as you're happy."
Li Mo sighed in relief and smiled. "If you like it, give it a try."
"Mm!"
Jiang Chulong nodded vigorously.
As the peach blossom branch entered her hand, it emitted a soft resonance, as if delighted to have found a new master.
No sword gleam, no sword aura.
She simply and humbly began practicing everything she had learned, starting from the most basic intermediate sword techniques and progressing onward.
From time to time, she would timidly glance back at Big Brother Li.
"It’s been a while, but Chulong has grown so strong."
"If she went to the Martial Arts Summit, even the swordsmen of Hengyun Sword City would be stunned."
Li Mo clapped enthusiastically, as if seeing Jiang Chulong wield a sword for the first time.
Primordial Heavenly Lord? Who’s that?
Never heard of him.
"Big Brother Li... are you... going on a journey?"
Jiang Chulong froze for a moment, yet even in her daze, she flawlessly executed an advanced sword technique.
"Yeah."
"Too bad you’re only in the Inner Breath Realm. Most of the warriors there will likely be at the Observing Divinity level."
"But if you pass the sword trial, you can come with me."
Li Mo recalled that Hengyun Sword City didn’t forbid ordinary martial artists from participating.
It’s just that, for most, going would be a wasted trip.
Even the Qingyuan Sect only sent the most outstanding disciples from each peak—everyone else would gain nothing from attending.
"With... Big Brother Li?"
Jiang Chulong’s pupils trembled. She bit her lip, and her small hand gripping the peach blossom branch tightened slightly.
"Since we're at the beach, we can’t be without these..."
With that, Li Mo pulled out two bottles of cola and a few popsicles.
He popped open a cola and was about to take a sip when the Chixiao sword at his waist trembled faintly.
It seemed unable to contain its excitement, as if yearning to fly somewhere...
Li Mo blinked in surprise and looked up.
Not far away, on what should have been a beach, he now faintly saw a peach blossom grove materializing out of thin air, growing wildly in an instant until it became breathtakingly beautiful.
Her figure seemed to overlap with another presence—the swordsman who had once plucked the peach blossom branch and turned it into a famed weapon.
The lingering will within the famed weapon had manifested because of Jiang Chulong.
The green-robed swordsman stood there, his brow faintly furrowed with melancholy. Yet upon seeing Jiang Chulong and Li Mo, he gave a slight nod, as if finally at peace.
A brilliant light erupted.
At the same time, a notification echoed in Li Mo’s ears:
[Congratulations, Host. You have invested in ‘Jiang Chulong’—the Jade Sword Peach Blossom Branch—assisting her in comprehending the Spring Breeze Sword Intent and elevating the "Wild Grass Sword Scripture" to an advanced martial art.]
[You have unclaimed investment rewards.]
Li Mo stared blankly, not even bothering to check the rewards.
What the—
My little Princess Jiang...
She actually comprehended sword intent from a famed weapon?
Is there no justice? No rules?!
He had thought that after reaching the Observing Divinity Realm, his understanding of martial techniques would become meticulous, and his sword talent would have improved somewhat.
But he still couldn’t fathom how Jiang Chulong had done it.
Even an ice block couldn’t manage this, right?
Before long, the sword intent dissipated.
Jiang Chulong hugged the peach blossom branch, lowering her head nervously as she asked:
"Big Brother Li... can I... go with you now?"
Li Mo: "..."
Well, sure.
If we ignore how many swordsmen in Hengyun Sword City might have their Dao hearts shattered.
"Yeah, you can." Li Mo said.
Jiang Chulong giggled shyly, bashful from the praise:
"Chulong... won’t... embarrass Big Brother Li..."
"I have no doubt about that."
Little Li, who had spent centuries on martial insights without grasping sword intent, nodded solemnly.
Embarrass him?
If not for his thick skin, he’d be burying his face in the sand by now!
The word "believe" struck Jiang Chulong like a hammer.
Her head spun dizzily—nothing like the clarity of sword comprehension.
Fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, unsure how to respond, she was interrupted when—
"Here."
A popsicle was handed to her.
"I made it myself. Try it." Li Mo settled into a lounge chair.
Jiang Chulong took a bite, only to shiver from the cold, squeezing her eyes shut.
So sweet... but so freezing...
Too scared to bite again, she resorted to kitten-like licks instead.
And so, the two sat by the shore, bathed in the salty sea breeze, sheltered from the sun’s heat under an umbrella, enjoying cold treats and cola.
Jiang Chulong was in bliss.
This was the happiest day of her life. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up...
"Big Brother Li... is amazing."
"He can... make things like this."
"Not like me... who can’t... do anything."
"..."
After a brief silence, Li Mo suddenly spoke with utmost seriousness:
"Chulong, promise me one thing."
"I promise!"
"But I haven’t said what it is yet."
"What... is it?"
Looking at the innocent, adorably earnest Princess Jiang, Li Mo cleared his throat:
"If you ever surpass me in swordsmanship... you still have to let me pat your head."
Well, for all he knew, "ever" might already be "now."
......
After spending a night in the World Seed and arranging for Princess Jiang to meet him upon his descent, Li Mo finally returned to Autumn Water Pavilion.
"Oh right, I still haven’t claimed the rewards."
"Wonder what it is..."
Only now did Li Mo have the time to check the system logs.
[Investment Reward: "Nine Swords of Dugu"]
["Nine Swords of Dugu": Created by Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai, its principles are derived from the "Book of Changes," encompassing the myriad phenomena of the world. This martial art has no fixed grade—it evolves with one’s martial comprehension, ultimately reaching the pinnacle where skill approaches the Dao.]
"!!"
Li Mo jolted awake.
Even those who’d never read wuxia novels knew of this!
It was legendary.
Moreover, the path of "skill approaching the Dao" was one he had been treading blindly.
This martial art directly illuminated the essence of that path—undoubtedly a guiding beacon for his swordsmanship!
"Claim, claim!"
Little Li rubbed his hands excitedly.
As before, there was no manual.
The moment he accepted it, the knowledge of the sword art flooded his mind.
......
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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!
] [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!"
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."
