At the entrance of the Autumn Water Pavilion, several carriages pulled by exotic beast colts were parked, with the chief disciples of various peaks already gathered there.
Truth be told, Observation Divine Realm martial artists could travel faster on foot than by carriage. However, enduring wind and sun along the way would inevitably leave one covered in dust, which would be unbecoming. For an occasion like the Martial Arts Summit, everyone preferred to maintain their dignity...
"Senior Brother Ouyang, you’re carrying all this stuff with you?"
Li Mo stepped out of the Autumn Water Pavilion, unburdened. Among the senior brothers and sisters present, he was only familiar with Ouyang. If that one disciple from the Rare Beast Peak were still around, he might have had another acquaintance.
"Storage treasures are expensive—how could I afford one?" Ouyang sighed.
"Cough, so you’ve already spent all the money you earned recently?"
"You know how it is with my small business—it wasn’t much to begin with."
"Have you considered finding a bookstore to mass-print your work? Senior Brother Ouyang, your illustrations could sell like hotcakes."
"I wouldn’t mind, but I doubt the Great Yu’s laws would approve..."
"It doesn’t necessarily have to be... cough, that kind of book."
"Oh? Junior Brother Li, do you have any brilliant ideas?"
The two chatted idly as they boarded the carriage.
Ouyang’s thirst for knowledge was overwhelming.
Li Mo was more than happy to impart his advanced storytelling expertise. After all, if Ouyang made money, it would count as his investment.
Meanwhile, by the other carriages, everyone exchanged pleasantries.
"Senior Brother Shen Yunfei, last time you went to Hengyun Sword City, you secured a seat. This time, it’s practically a sure thing, right?"
"How could I presume? Junior Sister Xu Zhiqing, on the other hand, has been in seclusion for years—she must have nurtured an extraordinary sword intent by now."
"Ah, this time, a few prodigies from the Hidden Dragon Ranking might also come to test their swords against the world. Just getting a glimpse of their brilliance would make the trip worthwhile."
Suddenly, everyone fell silent.
Because not far away, a young woman walked toward them, cradling her sword.
For some reason, the disciples instinctively quieted down. Facing Ying Bing felt even more nerve-wracking than facing the sect master.
After all, the sect master, despite his lofty cultivation, wasn’t their peer.
They had just been talking about the Hidden Dragon Ranking prodigies.
Yet now, with her mere presence, she made them feel as if the Hidden Dragon Ranking was nothing special...
...
Once Ying Bing arrived, the carriages slowly set off.
Along the way, Li Mo even left the convoy briefly to visit a hotpot restaurant.
Jiang Chulong was so overjoyed at the news that she could travel the martial world with "Big Brother Li" that her mind went blank.
She immediately grabbed her little backpack, not even bothering to change her clothes.
Just as the two were about to leave the restaurant, Li Mo felt his sleeve being tightly gripped by the little princess.
What’s wrong?
Rubbing the back of his head, Li Mo finally noticed.
Mei Yun was frowning, her gaze stern as she stared at them.
The words "Do I not exist?" were practically written on her face.
"How’s the hotpot business been lately?" Li Mo asked awkwardly.
"Not bad. Twenty taels of profit a month."
Mei Yun’s frown remained.
Li Mo glanced around the bustling restaurant, puzzled. When he had opened the place, he’d never bothered with accounts.
Was the profit really that low?
"Following your recipe, we have to use the finest ingredients, and after all the government taxes..."
Mei Yun shook her head, not dwelling on the matter. She sighed softly.
"Truthfully, I don’t want Chulong going to Yunzhou with you."
Lately, Chulong’s progress in swordsmanship had been staggering—far beyond what she’d imagined.
Even her late mistress, a once-in-a-generation talent who had trained in the sacred grounds of Tianshan Sword Manor, hadn’t matched Chulong’s pace.
If Chulong went to Hengyun Sword City, it would be impossible for her not to stand out.
"Once you enter the martial world, many things are beyond your control."
"Where there are people, there is the martial world."
Li Mo reflexively finished the saying.
Mei Yun chewed on the words, narrowing her eyes.
Jiang Chulong bit her lip, her grayish-white eyes pleading even through the cloth blindfold:
"Aunt Mei..."
After a long silence, Mei Yun seemed to resign herself. She sighed.
"Fine, go if you must. But you have to promise me a few things."
She gave many instructions before finally letting them leave.
...
Night fell.
The carriage rolled along the broad official road.
The understated yet luxurious interior muffled the outside noise, making the cabin feel even quieter.
Li Mo set down his teacup, his gaze landing on the flawless jade-like face of the "ice block" (Ying Bing) and, not far from her, Jiang Chulong curled up nervously, as if afraid of dirtying or breaking something.
Hmm...
Senior Brother Ouyang, busy sketching, was unconsciously ignored.
"Ice block, can we discuss something?" Li Mo suddenly spoke.
"Speak."
Ying Bing glanced sideways, her delicate brows lifting slightly.
Jiang Chulong tilted her head in confusion.
Ever since boarding the carriage, Big Brother Li and this cold elder sister hadn’t exchanged a single word.
Li Mo sighed. "When we spar in swordsmanship in the future, can we skip the... restricted zone strikes?"
In an instant, Ying Bing’s fingers curled reflexively.
That tingling sensation at the base of her spine seemed about to surge up again.
"I’ve already... forgotten about it. Why would I hold a grudge?"
Li Mo: "..."
If that’s the case, my backside begs to differ.
Forgotten, but still vengeful—got it.
"By the way, Junior Brother Li," Ouyang suddenly interjected.
"Hm?" Li Mo turned, nearly forgetting there was another person in the carriage.
Ouyang hugged his sketchboard, troubled.
"You know I’m only good at drawing. When it comes to storytelling, I’m hopeless."
Li Mo’s suggestion had been to create illustrated books.
The literacy rate in the Great Yu Dynasty wasn’t high, which limited the spread of written stories.
Illustrated books, however, could be understood even by commoners—it was practically an unfair advantage!
"Stories..."
Li Mo thought for a moment, then glanced at the "ice block."
"How about I write them for you?"
The ice block seemed to enjoy storytelling performances.
This way, Ouyang would have material, and Ying Bing would be entertained—a perfect arrangement!
"Ah?" Ouyang blinked.
Li Mo grinned. "This junior brother is no master, but I once wrote a work that was quite beloved by readers."
"What work?"
"The Empress Returns."
Jiang Chulong blinked, intrigued.
Big Brother Li’s story sounded different from her teacher’s tales.
Ying Bing: "..."
She realized, to her dismay, that she remembered the plot.
Career and love, both flourishing...
Ouyang: "!"
Just the title alone sounded promising!
"However, the story I’ll share today is not that one."
Li Mo’s theatrical side took over as he instantly transformed into a storyteller.
He already knew what to narrate.
In modern times, it might be a cliché.
But here and now? Earth-shattering!
"What is it?"
Ouyang eagerly handed him tea.
Li Mo cleared his throat.
"This story is called... The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me!"
Ying Bing: "!"
Clatter—
Her teacup slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.
...
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
