Copying the Strange Stones, Sword Marks... Gone

By noon, a light drizzle began to fall.

Around the mystical stone, the scenery remained unchanged—waterfalls cascading into clear springs, now accompanied by lush green grass, the melodious chirping of birds, and a tranquil pond reflecting the moonlight.

There was also a new addition: a cave.

Every time someone gained enlightenment from the mystical stone, the lingering essence of their insights would manifest as wondrous phenomena.

After Li Mo's enlightenment, a hollow had appeared in the cliff face behind the waterfall.

"It really does resemble the Water Curtain Cave..."

Circling around the mystical stone, he stepped into the cave entrance.

A faint sense of familiarity arose in Li Mo's heart—perhaps because it reminded him of the cave he had dug near the Autumn Water Pavilion, or maybe it simply matched his imagination of the birthplace of a certain legendary Monkey King.

Sitting cross-legged inside the cave, he immersed his consciousness into the Seed of the World.

Hum—

Within the Seed of the World, the Primordial Star-Shattering Hammer trembled slightly.

The hammer-spirit still wanted to smash something.

"Be good. The stone can only lie one way down for now."

"When the stone can lie either way, I’ll definitely let you hammer it again."

Li Mo reassured it earnestly.

Sensing his sincerity, the hammer-spirit relented and obediently went off to play with the Scarlet Sky Sword.

Taking out the Four Treasures of the Study and a collection of rare treasures to replenish his spiritual energy, Li Mo took a deep breath.

"Last time, I barely managed to copy a tenth of the mystical stone."

"Now, I’ve opened two apertures in my Observation of the Divine, greatly enhancing my spiritual energy and mental clarity."

He swallowed a five-marked Yinxu Pill.

Spreading the Azure Vein Jade Slip across a flat stone, Li Mo poured his spiritual energy into the brush tip and began painting with focused strokes.

To paint a stone, one must not merely depict a stone.

One must paint the countless years of wind and rain it has endured...

The countless beasts and birds that have passed by its side, the endless cycles of sunrises and moonsets it has witnessed.

And perhaps even the strikes of a hammer...

Li Mo’s brush danced like a dragon.

If even the slightest stroke was off, he would discard the paper and start anew.

Just as he was deeply engrossed in his painting—

Tap—

A footstep echoed outside the Water Curtain Cave.

Li Mo lifted his gaze.

There stood a woman with a bob cut, dressed in the simplest of Hengyun Sword City disciple robes, her face framed by a pair of round crystal glasses.

Due to the various phenomena formed by the mystical stone’s essence, she seemed unaware that a cave—and a person—had appeared behind the waterfall.

She sat down with practiced ease and began earnestly contemplating the mystical stone.

"Senior Xu’s disciple?"

Senior Xu was the white-haired youth’s Dharma Body.

When Li Mo had arrived earlier, Senior Xu had mentioned his disciple—also the senior sister of Hengyun Sword City.

Many of the city’s renowned martial arts techniques had been derived from her insights. Aside from studying the mystical stone and practicing swordsmanship, she rarely ventured out.

"I smell the aura of a tech-obsessed shut-in."

Li Mo shrugged and returned to his work.

The two of them coexisted without disturbance.

Another half-hour passed.

Staring at the painting before him—now bearing an eighty percent resemblance to the mystical stone outside—Li Mo shook his head.

"This is the best I can do today."

"It seems my current spiritual energy and painting skills still aren’t enough to capture its true form..."

Li Mo wasn’t discouraged.

Senior Brother Ouyang had dedicated over a decade to the art of painting and had only ever managed to capture the true form a handful of times.

His progress was already remarkable.

If he kept at it, success would come—and it wouldn’t be too far off.

"The Ice Block’s lecture should be ending soon."

Glancing at the sky, Li Mo rose to leave.

But just as he reached the cave entrance—

Hm?

The woman with the round glasses now sat pale-faced, muttering something under her breath.

Activate: Heavenly Eye of Fate!

[Name: Wei Zhaoliu]

[Age: 26]

[Constitution: Eight Directions Sword Body]

[Realm: Observation of the Divine, Seven Apertures]

[Fate: Purple]

[Evaluation: Having studied the sword-marked mystical stone for decades, she revered the sword marks as divine relics. She believed all her martial arts stemmed from them and aspired to one day surpass their legacy.]

[Recent Events: After emerging from seclusion, she returned to study the mystical stone—only to find the sword marks gone.]

Li Mo: "..."

Hadn’t the elders of Sword City claimed the stone could still be studied without the sword marks?

Weren’t the marks mostly symbolic?

"Younger... brother?"

Wei Zhaoliu finally noticed Li Mo and asked,

"Have you noticed anything different about the mystical stone today?"

"Haha... well, a little."

Li Mo nodded.

Wei Zhaoliu suddenly seemed to recall something.

"Ah, I remember now."

"My master mentioned a girl with unparalleled sword talent who, while studying the stone, caused it to flip over."

"Have you met her, younger brother?"

"..."

After a pause, Li Mo replied, "We’ve... spoken a few times."

"I heard she’s lecturing at the Sword Pool now. I’ll visit her when I have time."

As she spoke, a keen interest flickered in Wei Zhaoliu’s eyes.

"Her lectures are truly exceptional."

"So you’ve attended them, younger brother?"

"Yes. Frequently."

"With her talent, I wonder which of us will leave our sword marks on the mystical stone first."

Wei Zhaoliu sighed.

She doubted her talent surpassed the girl’s, but after studying the sword-marked stone for over a decade, she had experience on her side. There was still a chance.

As she spoke, she walked over and casually flipped the stone over.

"Wait—"

Plop. The stone turned.

"Wait for what?"

Wei Zhaoliu blinked.

Then, as her gaze lowered, the light in her eyes froze.

"The sword marks... are gone?"

Her pupils dulled, as if her soul had fled.

"..."

Li Mo facepalmed.

He hadn’t expected Wei Zhaoliu to flip the stone. By the time he tried to stop her, it was too late.

Wei Zhaoliu now stood like a hollow shell, her entire being drained of color.

"This is... a hammer?"

Upon closer inspection, her pupils trembled violently.

"If neither of us is mistaken... yes."

As Li Mo spoke, he noticed a change in Wei Zhaoliu’s status within the Heavenly Eye of Fate.

[Recent Events: Discovered the sword marks have been replaced by a hammer. Her Dao Heart is shaken, teetering on the brink of collapse.]

Nearby, Wei Zhaoliu collapsed to the ground, her body radiating sharp sword energy that carved deep gashes into the surroundings.

It wasn’t deliberate—just uncontrolled leakage.

She desperately tried to calm herself, but it was impossible.

The object of her lifelong pursuit had vanished.

And been replaced by a hammer.

Then...

What did that make everything she had learned from it?

But then—

A soft, silvery glow suddenly illuminated her chaotic mind.

Her scattered focus sharpened instantly.

Her gaze refocused, and she saw the younger brother from earlier, a faint moonlit silhouette shimmering behind him.

It carried a serene, soothing energy, like invisible hands smoothing out the turmoil in her heart.

After opening his second aperture in Observation of the Divine, Li Mo’s spiritual energy had gained the ability to pacify negative emotions.

At the same time, a notification chimed.

[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully invested in ‘Wei Zhaoliu,’ preventing damage to her Dao Heart.]

[Investment Reward: Thirty Years of Martial Insight.]

However—

Once her mind cleared, Wei Zhaoliu gritted her teeth and demanded:

"Who... did this?"

"Junior Brother, you've watched the Martial Arts Summit. Have you gained any insights?"