The woman's crimson skirt fluttered like a peony about to bloom, with glimpses of her fair legs shimmering beneath.
She arched her willow-leaf brows, scanning the scene with restless energy, as if itching for action.
She wasn’t alone—several familiar faces trailed behind her.
Hmm?
Shang Wu’s gaze halted.
"My precious disciple?"
"...Master."
Li Mo recognized the voice instantly, though for a moment, he doubted his ears.
"Master, where did you get the money to rent this entire tavern?"
"Naturally, the sect covered it."
Qian Bufan and Xue Jing ascended the stairs, while Tang Xiaobao waved at Li Mo.
"So it’s you lot." Shang Wu frowned, visibly disappointed.
"......" Ignoring his battle-hungry master’s sulking, Li Mo turned to the others.
"Elder Qian, Elder Xue, Purple Sun Prefecture and Yunzhou are far apart. How did you arrive so quickly?"
Xue Jing chuckled. "You two youngsters made such a splash, and our Qingyuan Sect has no stronghold in Yunzhou. Even with the nearby Hengyun Sword City, this old man couldn’t rest easy."
"We drove the war chariot nonstop, burning through two whole Profound Crystals to get here by dawn," Qian Bufan added, wincing slightly at the expense.
"I see."
Warmth spread through Li Mo and his fellow disciples, deeply moved.
When it mattered, their elders were utterly dependable.
Though Qingyuan Sect couldn’t rival the grandeur of Hengyun Sword City, it had bonds those great sects could never replicate!
"Master, didn’t you say there was another reason?" Tang Xiaobao asked, puzzled.
"You mentioned our sect hasn’t shone this brightly in years. With such a world-shaking, face-showing moment, how could we miss the chance to—"
Thwack!
Elder Xue expressionlessly smacked Tang Xiaobao’s head.
The latter clutched his skull, aggrieved. That was exactly what his master had said before they left!
He still needed to refine his final meridian to reach full maturity.
Tang Xiaobao decided the adult world was far too complicated.
Li Mo: "......"
Everyone else: "......"
So much for their heartfelt moment.
As the elders took their seats, the group tacitly ignored the awkwardness, and the atmosphere warmed again.
After sipping his tea, Xue Jing remarked casually,
"I’d planned to send Xiaobao to fetch you, but you’d already picked this prime spot."
"I paid a hefty sum to reserve this tavern," Qian Bufan said, gazing at the glimmering lake and the Dragon Gate in full view. His earlier stinginess faded.
"Spare no expense on the road—we’ve got disciples climbing the Hidden Dragon Ranking. We can’t skimp on appearances."
He then grumbled,
"Though the owner here isn’t the most honest..."
"Exactly!" Shang Wu nodded, summoning a waiter.
"Fetch your boss!"
The waiter scratched his head and approached Li Mo.
"Boss, she’s calling for you."
Shang Wu: "?"
Qian Bufan: "......"
Why hadn’t he taken Li Mo as a disciple? Was it really because the inner sect slots were full?
Why hadn’t he just kicked someone out?
Just then—
Gasps rippled across the bustling lakeshore.
Li Mo turned to see the majestic Dragon Gate shimmering with radiant light.
The glow wasn’t harsh, and the inscribed characters remained crisp, forming a luminous screen.
Its presence rivaled the three suns hanging overhead.
"This hardly seems like the work of martial artists," Li Mo murmured.
No wonder the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Earths deferred to the Yantian Sect’s authority.
Such a spectacle left little room for doubt.
Once Ying Bing’s eyes landed on the Dragon Gate, its grandeur faded.
She studied the inscriptions, calm yet pensive.
Something about them felt familiar?
Jiang Chulong fidgeted with her sleeve, her gaze darting nervously before she finally mustered the courage to look.
The elders and others watched with bated breath.
They knew the two youngsters were locks for the ranking—but where would they place?
Soon, elegant, sweeping characters flashed across the screen:
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 100th: Huang Donglai.]
[Martial Arts: Five-Aperture Insight, mastered Wind Cloud Leg and Five Poisons Scripture, comprehended the Cloud-Soaring Movement at Hengyun Sword City, and perfected the high-tier body-refining art—Turtle Shell Body. Exceptional agility, formidable physique, and deadly poison techniques.]
[Record: Engaged numerous 8th/9th-Aperture Insight experts (e.g., River Lance, Thousand-Mile Eagle) without defeat or victory, always escaping unscathed. Eliminated multiple lower-realm foes. Multiple aliases...]
[Epithet: The Poisonous Two-Faced Turtle.]
"......"
The lakeshore fell silent for a heartbeat.
Everyone knew the Hidden Dragon Ranking was reserved for prodigies.
But Huang Donglai’s nickname made them question its prestige.
Yet no one could deny—
The man was undeniably strong, shrugging off 9th-Aperture experts.
Just... in the most baffling way possible.
Li Mo: "......"
The Poisonous Two-Faced Turtle? Seriously?
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!" Shang Wu doubled over laughing.
"Precious disciple, did you cross paths with this guy at the martial summit?"
"Met him. Fought him," Li Mo said, recalling the slippery opponent.
"Thoughts?" Shang Wu asked.
"Unbelievably tanky, absurdly fast, and his damage... Well, poison was banned at the summit. I nearly caved and used my hammer."
Li Mo deadpanned.
"You defeated a 5th-Aperture expert with just your sword?"
Xue Jing and Qian Bufan exchanged glances.
They knew what had happened in the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm.
But while Li Mo’s swordsmanship was refined, surpassing five apertures to beat a Hidden Dragon prodigy?
And if he’d used his divine weapon...?
Xue Jing suddenly realized—they still didn’t know what Li Mo had gained from Hengyun Sword City’s sword marks. They’d meant to visit and express gratitude.
"Xiao Mo, how did your sword enlightenment go?"
"......"
Li Mo blinked, then grinned.
"I was this close—just this close—to becoming a Sword Prodigy."
Too bad the elders and founders of Hengyun Sword City had vetoed it.
"Tch, isn’t our little Bing the Sword Prodigy?" Shang Wu teased, convinced he was boasting.
"What kind of ‘prodigy’ are you, then?"
"Not a prodigy, alas. These days, they call me... the Sword Immortal."
"You? A Sword Immortal?"
Shang Wu’s eyes brimmed with skepticism.
"Ah, what a shame I just bought this tavern. They must have fine wine here..."
Shang Wu beamed. "Ahem. All jokes aside, the title is well-earned."
Ah, the perks of bribery.
Her masterly dignity was crumbling fast.
Li Mo’s smile froze.
Wait.
The Hidden Dragon Ranking listed each entrant’s greatest strength.
His wasn’t swordsmanship.
Did that mean his cover was about to—
The luminous screen flickered, already reaching the 85th rank.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
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.
