"Very well, with such a splendid performance before me, this humble girl shall now embarrass herself."
Under the gaze of the crowd, 'Hu Mei' gave a light bow.
Then she stepped forward from the group and walked toward the Sword Scar Monolith.
As she approached the stone, an ethereal harmony of zither and flute seemed to resonate from nowhere, mournful and haunting, carried by the wind like celestial music that tugged at the hearts of all who heard it.
"Where is this music coming from?"
"Naturally, it’s because she’s attuning herself to the monolith."
"Brother, have you heard of the second-ranked expert on the Heaven Ranking a thousand years ago—the Demon of Music? He was a master who wielded sound as his weapon, capable of shattering hearts with a single melody or turning men into soulless husks."
"Ah, so this girl specializes in the path of music."
......
The crowd had just recovered from the shock of Jiang Chulong’s apparent enlightenment of divine techniques when the enchanting melody of flutes and zithers swayed their spirits once more.
"Thanks to Young Hero Li’s foresight."
Elder Zeng nodded slightly.
Ying Bing’s delicate hand silently tightened around the Frostblade.
"It seems she can no longer restrain herself."
Li Mo set aside his half-finished sketch and murmured.
He was about to warn the others when he noticed Huang Donglai frowning and retreating behind the crowd.
Zhong Zhenyue, too, wore a guarded expression—once bitten, twice shy—as he sensed the aura of a dangerous woman.
As for Bai Jinghong and the others, their vigilance went without saying.
Li Mo: "..."
Well, no need for reminders, then.
Suddenly—
The music swelled, and around the waterfall, ghostly figures of celestial maidens appeared, dancing gracefully.
It was as if this were a signal.
BOOM—
From all directions of the Hengyun Sword City, powerful auras surged into the sky, revealing themselves without restraint.
Li Mo narrowed his eyes.
Two figures emerged—a man and a woman.
The man was draped in a straw cloak, holding a fishing rod without a line.
His presence darkened the heavens above the city.
Black clouds gathered, blotting out the sun and stars, as torrential rain poured down, threatening to drown the land.
The downpour blurred all vision in an instant.
With a flick of his rod, the raindrops formed threads, ensnaring most within the storm, turning them into puppets under his control.
The rain expanded relentlessly.
He was not alone.
Two more figures lurked, poised to strike.
A glint flashed in Li Mo’s eyes.
These three were all Heavenly Slayers of the Misty Rain Pavilion—Fifth Realm experts, masters of the Outer Manifestation!
The Straw-Cloaked Stranger, Blood Gourd, and Twin Lotus!
When Outer Manifestation experts struck, it was like a natural disaster. Those below their level were mere ants, helpless before their might.
"Outer Manifestation..."
Li Mo activated his Extreme Weapon Slayer Physique, his left hand silently gripping the Star Pendant within his sleeve. His mind sank inward, ready to draw upon the power of the World Seed and summon the Rampart Calamity Starhammer.
He took a deep breath.
Even with all his techniques, he stood no chance against an Outer Manifestation expert.
The road ahead was long and arduous...
Had Hengyun Sword City been caught unprepared, today would have ended in disaster.
But that was only an "if."
"Finally, you’ve revealed yourselves."
CLANG!
A sword’s cry suddenly split the sky.
The seven elders on the platform had already taken to the air, standing in the void.
A river of sword energy surged forth, sweeping across the land like a celestial river, scattering the dark clouds and freeing all ensnared by the rain.
The battle between Outer Manifestation experts had begun.
Yet, despite their earth-shaking clash, the common folk felt no pressure.
Logically, such a battle should have left the land in ruins, rivers of blood flowing freely.
But something was suppressing the aftermath, preventing even a ripple from escaping.
"Hengyun Sword City has more than just Outer Manifestation experts."
Li Mo exhaled in relief.
His warning had likely averted the theft of the Sword Scar, altering countless fates within the city.
The rewards for this would be immense...
"Demoness, will you still not repent?"
Elder Zeng appeared before Yin Mianmian in an instant, hands clasped behind his back.
"So, the elders knew I was coming all along."
Yin Mianmian seemed surprised, yet her smile remained unchanged.
That confident, alluring smirk made Elder Zeng narrow his eyes.
Just as he was about to act—
"Oh dear."
Yin Mianmian suddenly gasped in mock surprise, her laughter tinkling like silver bells.
"The Sword Scar Monolith seems to have vanished under my touch!"
"Surely an exalted Outer Manifestation elder wouldn’t take his anger out on a mere girl like me?"
She cast a teasing glance at Li Mo, her eyes dancing with mischief.
Hm?
Li Mo froze.
Looking again, he saw that the monolith, which had stood firmly in place moments ago, was now gone—only empty space remained.
Gone?
Yin Mianmian had already stolen it? When?
She had been under everyone’s watch the entire time—how was this possible?
Frowning, Li Mo activated his Heavenly Fate Divine Eye once more.
CRACK—
A dozen Inner Manifestation auras descended, their domains clashing and distorting the void.
Yin Mianmian suddenly tossed out a cloth bundle.
It was caught by... or rather, two people—a pair of conjoined twins, their lower bodies fused, their upper halves separate.
Both were Outer Manifestation experts, their synergy making them far deadlier than ordinary masters.
Twin Lotus.
She—or they—had slipped away from the battlefield unnoticed, arriving at the Sword Tower.
The bundle she caught seemed to contain the Sword Scar Monolith...
Instantly, all of Hengyun Sword City’s experts turned furious, abandoning Yin Mianmian to chase after Twin Lotus.
Even Elder Zeng hesitated, torn between pursuit and duty.
If the Sword Scar was lost under their watch, they would be eternally shamed.
"The Sword Scar!" Bai Jinghong and the others seemed ready to fight to the death.
"Wait!"
A clear, youthful voice cut through the chaos:
"The Sword Scar is still here! Don’t fall for the demoness’s trick!"
Still here?
Impossible—they weren’t blind...
As doubt spread—
"You little thief!"
Yin Mianmian gritted her teeth, her form splitting into a dozen celestial phantoms that lunged toward the empty space.
Then—
The ice queen struck.
A sword light, unlike anything of this world, flashed.
It carried the same domineering force as the Divine Skyheart Sword, but where before it had been cold and merciless, now it was pure and serene.
This sword pierced through illusions, revealing the truth.
Sword Heart Unclouded!
Yin Mianmian’s pupils shrank.
Ying Bing, her robes fluttering, stood as still as the moon reflected on an unrippled lake—untouchable, divine.
A true celestial maiden.
"No need for me to intervene."
Li Mo marveled at the power of Sword Heart Unclouded.
He quietly withdrew the Star Pendant and sighed inwardly.
Look at the ice queen—her strength and beauty were always in perfect harmony, growing more transcendent the stronger she became.
And here he was, stuck with a hammer...
The true celestial maiden’s sword shattered the false enchantress’s illusions, dispersing her phantoms in an instant.
But the strike wasn’t done.
CRACK—
Something else broke.
It was the eerie illusion enveloping the sword-scarred mystical stone.
Indeed.
The sword-scarred stone had never moved from its original spot.
It had merely been temporarily shrouded by the demonic phantasm Yin Mianmian conjured.
Simulating this illusion—even more bizarre than a domain—was likely the reason Yin Mianmian's aura fell short of the Observing Divinity's Eight Apertures.
...
As always, begging for the generous support of our esteemed audience.
As everyone knows, this struggling author thrives on your love—OrZ.
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.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
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)
