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?
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
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!
