The sound of sword resonance echoed between heaven and earth.
At this moment, atop the cloud-covered steps, the figure of the young girl seemed like the only existence in the world.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully invested in 'Ying Bing,' aiding her in achieving Sword Heart Enlightenment.]
[You have an unclaimed investment reward.]
Li Mo: "......"
Well, that was... unexpectedly abrupt.
It seemed the ice block had let go of her mental burdens and suddenly attained enlightenment?
No wonder she bore the Red Destiny—even overcoming inner turmoil manifested such extraordinary phenomena...
As everyone knew,
rewards from the ice block were usually earth-shattering.
But with so many eyes watching, it wasn’t the right time to claim it...
"No need for thanks. I benefited as well."
"That’s not the same."
Ying Bing shook her head lightly, a trace of softness emerging in her serene eyes.
How could progress in the Intent Soul compare to Sword Heart Enlightenment?
Moreover, what she gained from that radiant moon was far more than just that.
The moon imprinted within Li Mo’s Intent Soul was truly extraordinary—
mysterious, tranquil, eternal.
Even with just a fleeting glimpse, she couldn’t fully grasp its depths...
"Ice block."
"Hm?"
"When you have time, we can occasionally... revisit the second layer of Phoenix Cry Over Heavenly Marsh."
"Alright."
Without the slightest hesitation, Ying Bing agreed.
Then, taking Li Mo’s hand, she continued forward.
"......"
Li Mo couldn’t help but smile wryly.
The familiar ice block was back—and seemed even more formidable than before.
Her delicate silhouette swayed slightly as she ascended toward the peak of the Sword Tower, yet it gave the illusion that the tower itself was drawing closer to her.
Before long,
the trio finally stepped onto solid ground again.
Li Mo surveyed the scene.
The summit of the Sword Tower held no additional structures—only a cascading waterfall and a clear spring.
The waterfall shimmered brilliantly, its misty spray tingling against the skin.
The pond appeared lifelike, complete with water plants, swimming fish, lotus blossoms, and pebbles...
Yet Li Mo could tell—
none of it was real. Everything was formed from condensed Qi and Intent, taking tangible shape.
The onlookers held their breaths in awe.
"That is the mystical stone bearing the Hengyun Sword Mark."
Elder Zeng stepped onto the summit and casually pointed.
Instantly, the waterfall parted.
Through the glistening veil of mist, a weathered stone could be vaguely seen, as if enduring endless ages of erosion.
Gazing at it sent tremors through one’s soul.
The sword mark upon it was striking—a single glance made the Intent Soul quiver.
"The Sword Mark Stone..."
Li Mo’s attention, however, was drawn to the stone itself.
For some reason,
the sight of it reminded him of a passage from Journey to the West:
"By the seaside of the Eastern Continent’s Aolai Country stood the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. At its peak lay a stone, tempered by the sun and moon, weathered by wind and rain..."
Was it the waterfall evoking thoughts of the Water Curtain Cave?
Or was the stone simply too extraordinary?
"Hmm..." Jiang Chulong’s gray-white eyes, hidden behind cloth, seemed lost in thought.
Ying Bing narrowed her striking phoenix eyes, as if piercing through the chaotic Qi and Intent to perceive its essence.
Li Mo snapped out of his reverie.
Ah, right—
Yin Mianmian was also present, disguised through some unknown method.
He had already relayed her information to Bai Jinghong, who passed it to Elder Zeng.
Why had Sword City still taken no action?
Were they waiting to reel in a bigger catch—to wipe out the Misty Rain Tower’s influence in Yunzhou in one sweep?
"To comprehend the profundity of the sword mark, one must pour their Intent Soul into it."
"Thus, only one person may meditate upon it at a time."
Elder Zeng glanced at the Sword City disciples—Bai Jinghong and the others.
"Wu Chushu, you go first. Let this master see if you’ve made progress."
"Yes."
Wu Chushu stepped forward.
Crossing the parted waterfall, he solemnly approached the Sword Mark Stone and sat in meditation.
Hum—
A ripple of Intent Soul energy spread as the visions of his comprehension manifested around him.
His face paled slightly under immense pressure, yet his expression gradually brightened with excitement.
It seemed...
"He grasped a sword technique?"
Li Mo focused intently.
The pond’s surface now bore scattered flower petals.
Before long,
Wu Chushu rose, first swallowing a pill to restore his Intent Soul before returning to bow to Elder Zeng.
Elder Zeng’s eyes crinkled with approval as he announced loudly:
"Wu Chushu has comprehended a superior martial art—Sword Cleansing Amidst Prosperity!"
Do not underestimate superior martial arts.
In the martial world, many minor sects considered even mid-tier arts as their foundational legacies—let alone a self-created technique perfectly suited to its wielder.
Moreover, even among superior arts, there were hierarchies.
Sword Cleansing Amidst Prosperity far surpassed what Wu Chushu had grasped last time.
Given time, he would surely attain a peerless technique.
The crowd inhaled sharply, hearts brimming with yearning.
Next,
Bai Jinghong and Cao Mu took their turns.
Cao Mu’s results mirrored Wu Chushu’s.
Bai Jinghong, however, stole the spotlight spectacularly.
Suddenly,
a silver-scaled, spiritually vibrant white fish appeared in the pond.
Elder Zeng’s voice boomed even louder:
"Bai Jinghong has comprehended a single move of a low-tier peerless sword technique!"
"Excellent! Though only one move, Jinghong has made remarkable strides!"
The proclamation echoed below.
The elders’ brows relaxed.
At Bai Jinghong’s age, comprehending a peerless technique was a rarity even in Hengyun Sword City.
Where divine techniques were absent, peerless arts stood at the pinnacle of martial prowess!
The crowd buzzed with astonishment.
"Young Master Bai’s swordsmanship talent is so formidable?"
"But didn’t that girl defeat him effortlessly in the arena?"
"Then... doesn’t that make the girl even more terrifying?"
"Young Master Bai once prostrated himself before Sword Immortal Li in reverence. Does that mean... Li might comprehend a divine technique?"
Whispers spread like wildfire.
At the tower’s peak,
all eyes turned to Li Mo’s trio.
Elder Zeng now spoke:
"Little girl, it’s your turn."
"I..."
Jiang Chulong bit her lip and glanced back.
"Go for it."
Li Mo deployed his patented head-pat technique.
Feeling the warmth on her head and seeing the encouragement in Li Mo’s eyes, she nodded firmly.
She couldn’t... let Big Brother Li down.
And so,
under the crowd’s gaze,
Jiang Chulong approached the mystical stone.
Swish—
In the next instant,
a surge of emerald green erupted across the pond’s surface, spreading wildly.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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."
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!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
