The next night, also deep into the darkness.
Li Mo, who had just finished tutoring Princess Little Jiang, checked the investment returns from the arena challenges over the past two days.
Having stood on the arena for two consecutive days, challengers had come in an endless stream.
The martial heroes attending the Martial Arts Summit were all of considerable cultivation.
Yet, for some reason, their fates were uneven—mostly green-tier, with very few blue-tier.
Still, Li Mo hadn’t suffered losses, as all he’d invested was some gold and guidance.
[Investment Return: Three Five-Qi Peonies]
[Investment Return: White Jade Relic]
[Investment Return: Hundred-Fruit Celestial Balm]
...
"Let’s pick out the ones beneficial to the soul first."
A wooden box appeared in Li Mo’s palm. Inside lay a peony of dazzling hues, still vibrant despite having no roots.
He had seen this item in the Contribution Hall’s exchange list—it wasn’t cheap.
Even a Divine Observation cultivator would need to complete several difficult missions to afford it.
But its aura paled in comparison to the White Jade Relic.
Unfortunately, Li Mo wasn’t versed in Buddhist teachings.
The profound wisdom within this relic of a venerable monk required Buddhist principles to unlock.
That made it rather useless to him.
At best, wearing it would calm his mind and ward off evil spirits—neither of which he needed the relic for.
"Brother Murong studies Buddhist philosophy."
"I’ll save it for him."
After some thought, Li Mo stored it away.
Then, with slight confusion, he picked up a crystal vial.
Hundred-Fruit Celestial Balm?
Just from the name, he couldn’t tell what it was for.
Was it for external application or internal use?
What were its effects?
Li Mo never wasted time guessing—he checked the system description directly.
[Hundred-Fruit Celestial Balm]: "Dispels impurities, nourishes body and mind. Produced by the Shuiyun Pavilion in the Imperial Capital of Central Divine Land. Highly praised by nobles and royals. Best used with massage techniques for an enhanced experience."
Li Mo: "?"
As everyone knew, protagonists in novels usually had side professions.
Like blacksmithing, alchemy, or formations...
But a massage therapist?
That was way too niche.
"Whatever, I’ll pretend I didn’t see this."
He tossed the vial carelessly into his system storage.
Hmm.
He’d also invested in Zhong Zhenyue yesterday.
Hadn’t claimed the reward yet.
It should count as a major influence on his fate...
[Congratulations, Host. Successful investment in ‘Zhong Zhenyue,’ freeing him from Yin Mianmian’s control.]
[Investment Return: Crying Wind Beast Soul Pill]
[Crying Wind Beast Soul Pill]: "Quintessence of a fifth-tier exotic beast, the Crying Wind Beast, refined by an alchemy grandmaster. An excellent treasure for strengthening the soul."
"Not bad, comparable to the Seven-Lined Void Pill."
Li Mo sighed inwardly.
The system had given him quite a few soul-enhancing treasures, but his consumption rate was staggering.
He used them almost as soon as he got them.
Or rather, they were all spent on ‘Mona Ice Slush.’
Without the recent haul, his Divine Observation cultivation would’ve hit a bottleneck.
"It’s been a while since I broke through. Feels unusual."
"Well... I’m observing the Divine Form of the Great Dao, so my progress isn’t actually slow."
He reminded himself not to grow impatient.
Judging from the martial artists he’d fought recently, most only observed mid-tier forms.
If not for being in Hengyun Sword City, he wouldn’t even have seen this many mid-tier forms.
Many of them were in their thirties, yet hadn’t even completed half the Divine Observation path, with some stuck on a single aperture for years.
Li Mo decided to take stock of his assets to cool his head.
Half an hour later...
His current wealth probably surpassed several years of Yun Province’s GDP.
"Feels good."
In high spirits, he swallowed the Seven-Lined Void Pill and began his daily divine contemplation.
Two hours later.
The pill’s energy was exhausted, so he took out the Crying Wind Beast Soul Pill.
Unnoticed, time flowed by.
The first light of dawn pierced through the window paper.
The fluctuations of divine contemplation gradually subsided.
The miniature figure in his dantian grew more lifelike, its divine patterns intricate.
"Not enough time."
"Otherwise, I could’ve tried breaking through the second aperture."
The moonlit shadows in Li Mo’s eyes faded as he stretched and stood up.
How many apertures would it take to fully outline the Divine Form of the Great Dao?
He headed to the kitchen.
By the time breakfast was ready, three ethereal bell chimes resonated through the heavens, cleansing the layered clouds.
The morning bell of Hengyun Sword City.
"Even if I didn’t last till the final day, this trip was worthwhile."
Senior Brother Shen Yunfei had long left the arena, but his progress was notable.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Senior Brother."
Li Mo handed him a plate of fried dough sticks with a smile.
Suddenly, he paused, spotting Ouyang in the distance.
Senior Brother Ouyang sported dark circles, a bird’s nest for hair, and an aura of exhaustion.
"Senior Brother Ouyang, are you... haunted?"
"It’s fine, no big deal. I finally finished the manuscript before the deadline."
Upon asking, he learned:
The arena challenges lasted only three days. On the third day, after the final rankings were set, the Sword Tower would open.
"The publishing house believes Junior Brother Li and Junior Sister Ying will both comprehend extraordinary martial techniques from the Hengyun Sword Mark, which will skyrocket their fame."
"The illustrated book will sell like crazy."
"So I pulled three all-nighters to finish The Domineering Empress Falls for Me."
Ouyang scratched his messy hair, yawning nonstop.
Li Mo: "..."
Those lousy novelists should learn from you.
However.
Fame was inevitable, but the book’s sales were another matter.
After comprehending the Hengyun Sword Mark, "Swordsman Li" might face a reputation crisis.
As for the ice block...
"Sister Bing’s sword... seems less sharp than before..." Jiang Chulong murmured while washing dishes, sleeves rolled up.
"You noticed it too?"
Li Mo had thought it was his imagination.
Why would her condition worsen the more she fought?
Hiss...
"Was she injured during the fight with Yin Mianmian two days ago?"
At that moment.
Light footsteps descended the stairs.
"Want some tea?"
"Mm..."
Ying Bing seemed to space out for a moment before nodding belatedly.
"Didn’t you say tea?"
"What I picked up..."
Her gaze froze.
She realized she was holding Li Mo’s bobblehead doll. At some point, she’d twisted its head open, as if about to take a sip...
The ice block was definitely off.
What was going on?
While brewing tea, Li Mo activated his Heavenly Fate Divine Eye.
[Name: Ying Bing]
[Age: 16]
[Root Bone: Lunar Phoenix Body]
[Realm: Divine Observation, First Aperture]
[Fate: Red (Bearing Imperial Bone, Destiny of Profound Ice, Spirit of Autumn Waters, Phoenix Heaven’s Visage)]
[Evaluation: A life of trials, yet always turning calamity into fortune. Though her wings are still tender, when the winds of change rise, she will soar above the nine heavens and ten earths, reigning over all realms.]
[Recent Circumstance: Struggling with whether to persist in her martial path, severing all attachments. Currently locked in inner turmoil.]
Hmm.
In simpler terms.
The ice block was stuck in a mental spiral?
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
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)
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.
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
