Bro, put away the hammer, I gotta pee real bad

That sword strike did indeed "shatter" Yin Mianmian.

Her figure dissipated like an illusionary bubble, vanishing just before the divine judgment of the sword light could land, leaving only a few tattered ribbons in her wake.

Yet, in that instant, the Spring Breeze Sword Intent froze—allowing her to slip through.

On the opposite rooftop,

By the time her form coalesced again, she had already assumed a new appearance.

The woman’s features were exquisitely bewitching, her hair fluttering faintly in the wind, refracting a pale violet hue under the moonlight. Her attire mirrored that of the celestial maiden Li Mo had glimpsed earlier.

Her gaze flickered briefly to Ying Bing before settling on Li Mo, the anger in her eyes melting away, replaced by a spark of intrigue.

"Liu Wuyan, shielding her man with such domineering flair?"

"Teehee~ If I withstand three of your sword strikes, how about handing your husband over to me?"

Her voice was soft as water, effortlessly ensnaring hearts with its melody.

Ranked sixth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, at the Eight-Aperture Insight Realm!

Every prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Ranking possessed the strength to challenge those beyond their realm.

But this ice block had only just stepped into Insight—she might not...

Li Mo glanced at Ying Bing’s flawless profile and swallowed his words.

Since when would she ever shy away from a challenge?

Whoosh—

A surge of Phoenix Radiance Qi lifted the young woman onto the rooftop.

Under the clear moonlight, her jade-like skin gleamed as if carved from porcelain.

The divine mark between her brows shimmered faintly, and the sway of her blue-tinged robes lent her ethereal grace a touch of mortal vitality.

Beneath the moon,

Two peerless beauties, each radiant in their own way, stood in confrontation—their auras momentarily locked in equilibrium.

This was a battle of wills as much as strength.

Yin Mianmian smiled coyly, yet with a trace of melancholy:

"Li Langjun, do you find this humble one beautiful?"

Li Mo: "......"

Do you know my master or something? Pulling the "Fighting King’s Ultimate Move" routine too?

Is this how you test a man’s resolve?

"You must’ve been malnourished as a child."

"Huh?"

Yin Mianmian blinked. She had poured her utmost into her Alluring Heart Art—even the staunchest warrior would melt into submission.

Just look at Zhong Zhenyue, practically drooling in a daze.

Why was this boy so utterly unfazed, his rejection so swift?

Li Mo’s gaze was clear, almost pitying, as if staring at a pitiable creature:

"You’re so underdeveloped, auntie."

Crack—

A roof tile beneath Yin Mianmian’s feet shattered. The flaw in her tender, watery demeanor surfaced—and in that split second, she lost ground in their battle of presence.

"I’ll kill you—"

Swish—

Phoenix Radiance Qi erupted.

Frost’s Clarity seized the opening—pure, unyielding, and merciless—striking straight for the weakness.

The ice block and Yin Mianmian clashed.

Li Mo looked up to see the rooftop transformed into a stage where a celestial siren and a divine sword intent vied for supremacy, neither gaining the upper hand.

Yin Mianmian… seemed to be holding back?

The thought crossed his mind.

An Eight-Aperture Insight cultivator’s spiritual might shouldn’t be this feeble—slaying Inner Realm experts should be trivial.

Yet now, the fluctuations of Yin Mianmian’s soul force barely reached the level of Three-Aperture Insight.

Was she wary of drawing the attention of Sword City’s powerhouses? Or did she have another scheme?

Surely this demoness wasn’t genuinely trying to "compete fairly" with the ice block?

No time to dwell—

Whoosh—

A spear thrust diagonally toward him.

Zhong Zhenyue’s resolute face was slack with stupor, yet his eyes burned with fury—as if his goddess had been grievously insulted.

In a flash, the spear lunged like a dragon, its killing intent palpable, already at Li Mo’s throat.

Seven Killers Army-Shattering Spear—a mid-grade peerless technique. The Southern Suppressing King had once used this art to slay the fourth-tier calamity beast, Xiu She, shaking the Southern Border.

Now, Zhong Zhenyue executed it at the Perfection Stage.

But not the Sublime Stage.

Clang—

Metal clashed as the Sword Pill spat forth blade radiance, materializing from void to solid, entwining with the Scarlet Sky Sword to hammer the spear’s flaw.

Zhong Zhenyue staggered back.

Yet, fueled by reckless valor, he ignored the Scarlet Sky Sword’s lethal point at his throat and swung the spear shaft toward Li Mo’s shoulder.

Li Mo frowned.

Yin Mianmian was clearly orchestrating this.

Even with just his sword, Zhong Zhenyue stood no chance.

But the demoness had pushed him into a suicidal charge—not to capture Li Mo, but to ensure Zhong Zhenyue died by his blade.

The Southern Suppressing King was a Sixth-Realm expert, commanding three hundred thousand elite troops. With military formations, he could contend with even Profound Mystery Realm masters.

"Wake him up."

"Facing death often clears the mind."

Thus—

Li Mo’s Wind Shadow Steps flickered repeatedly as the spear reduced the Plum Blossom Pavilion’s structures to rubble.

His mind sank into the World Seed, reaching for his hammer.

Ermmm—

Wrong one.

The Star Piercer was in the system space.

Almost grabbed the Worldbreaker Meteor Hammer instead.

Well, a trivial slip-up. No big deal.

The Star Piercer materialized in his grip. The Sword Pill retreated to his dantian as three Mystic Pills orbited, their weaponized killing edge radiating from his body.

Divine patterns surged across the dantian’s miniature figure, slowing Zhong Zhenyue’s movements in Li Mo’s vision.

Wrapped in Yin-Yang energies, the Star Piercer rose.

"!"

Before Zhong Zhenyue’s eyes, a colossal mountain seemed to descend, crushing toward him.

In that instant, he smelled death.

His gaze snapped back to clarity.

Whump—

The Star Piercer halted a hair’s breadth from his nose, its razor-sharp aura tightening his skin and blowing his hair straight back.

Gulp—

Zhong Zhenyue swallowed hard.

"Awake now?"

"B-bro, mind putting the hammer away? I’m kinda… about to piss myself."

"......"

Li Mo’s lips twitched. He stowed the hammer and moved to aid Princess Jiang Chulong.

Yin Mianmian hadn’t come alone—assassins lurked in the Misty Rain Pavilion, held at bay solely by Jiang Chulong’s sword.

Over a dozen Mystic Pill cultivators, plus several Insight experts, yet none could breach her blade’s perimeter.

With Li Mo joining the fray, the battle swiftly tilted.

Swinging his sword, the youth grumbled irritably:

"Adaptation isn’t distortion—who taught you that smirk?"

"Apologize with your life!"

"Smirk? I’ll smack your head crooked!"

......

Zhong Zhenyue watched the boy’s silhouette, scalp prickling.

He wasn’t joking. And it wasn’t cowardice.

That terrifying hammer, wreathed in karma flames, had stopped a whisper from obliterating his nose.

Not even facing hordes of beasts in the Southern Border had shaken him so badly.

He wasn’t afraid to die.

But he’d genuinely almost wet himself.

Recalling Li Mo’s daytime display—swords raining like a celestial immortal—Zhong Zhenyue wondered if he was dreaming.

You call this… a sword immortal?

Above, the rooftop duel reached its climax.

Yin Mianmian glanced into the distance, as if sensing something, then turned with a smile:

"Fairy sister, next time we meet, I won’t hold back."

Ying Bing answered with another sword strike.

Yet, as before, Yin Mianmian’s form blurred, vanishing without a trace.

Whether she’d achieved her goal or simply reveled in her capricious nature—perhaps both—her voice betrayed no defeat, only delight at some grand jest.

"Hahahaha… Li… Sword… Immortal?"

"If you claim victory at the summit and become the Cloud-Crossing Sword Prodigy… oh, how amusing that’ll be~"

Her laughter faded into the night.

PS: Apologies, this little rookie writer needs to take a day off today. After pulling several all-nighters, my condition is really poor—yesterday I worked until past 3 AM before sleeping.

I owe you two chapters, which I'll make up tomorrow and the day after. Mwah!