[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 18th Place: Ying Bing.]
[Martial Arts: Attained the Second Aperture of Divine Insight, Sword Heart Bright as Mirror, mastery of martial arts reaching the pinnacle of creation, possesses formidable secret techniques, suspected to have glimpsed divine forms.]
[Achievements: Current top disciple of the Qingyuan Sect, Yunzhou’s Sword Prodigy. In the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm, joined forces with Li Mo to repel Han Zhen and Yin Huaxuan, forcing their retreat. Defeated the Heavenly Demoness while at the First Aperture of Divine Insight, despite her being at the Third Aperture. Comprehended a divine technique by studying a mystical stone atop the Sword Tower. At the Second Aperture, shattered the Heavenly Demon’s illusions with her sword.]
[Titles: Moonlit Sword Phoenix, Frost Immortal]
The lakeside at Yulong fell silent. The earlier clamor about inviting "Young Li" to be a son-in-law had completely died down.
No one alive had ever witnessed someone so young receive such high praise from the Yantian Sect. To find a comparable figure, one would have to dig through the annals of legendary heroes.
The crowd realized they might be witnessing history in the making.
"I’m past fifty and haven’t even mastered a single supreme technique, yet her martial arts have reached the pinnacle of creation?"
"I was fortunate enough to hear her lecture at the Sword Pool. I bent down to pick up a brush, and when I looked up, I couldn’t understand a word anymore."
"She’s only at the Second Aperture of Divine Insight. Once her cultivation catches up, won’t she easily claim the top spot on the Hidden Dragon Ranking?"
"The fact that she’s repeatedly humbled Yin Mianmian, ranked 6th, speaks volumes about her prowess."
"If not for her and Young Master Li, the treasured sword of Hengyun Sword City might have been lost!"
"I thought The Domineering Empress Falls for Me was just an illustrated book. Turns out, it was an understatement."
"Anyone got the latest issue? I haven’t been able to buy it for three days—I feel like ants are crawling under my skin."
"Wait a minute… Young Master Li brings luck to his partner, and Ying Bing’s talent is unparalleled. If the two of them were to…"
……
The scene at Yulong Lake descended into chaos.
---
Atop the towering Sword Tower in Hengyun Sword City, one could vaguely glimpse the Dragon Gate in the distance—though for certain powerhouses, such a distance posed no obstacle to a clear view.
Tian Miao sat at a stone table, sipping a bowl of blood-nourishing soup made from dragonhide gelatin, lost in thought.
Though she couldn’t discern the young man’s fate, the Yantian Sect’s intelligence network wasn’t solely reliant on field agents—there were other sources.
From what the Yantian Sect had gathered, the Hidden Dragon Ranking’s description of Li Mo was deliberately understated.
It hadn’t even mentioned the term "Yinghuo" (Mars/Ill Omen).
What was her master considering with this move?
"Many thanks, Envoy Tian Miao."
Elder Xu, a white-haired elder, finally let out a sigh of relief.
The treasured sword inscription had been preserved.
"Thanks for what?"
Tian Miao, her complexion slightly improved, glanced up in confusion.
Another elderly Dharma Body Elder hesitated.
"Well… about that lad comprehending the mystical stone…"
"……"
Tian Miao was baffled. She’d passed out from the backlash of her fate-reading technique and had no idea what happened afterward.
What exactly had he comprehended?
After a pause, she smiled faintly.
"No need for thanks. It was only natural."
---
Inside a lavish pleasure boat, rumors of a new courtesan—graceful, enchanting, and innately alluring—had drawn some away from the Hidden Dragon Ranking spectacle, hoping to become her favored guest.
Melodious strings and pipes filled the air.
The audience in the courtyard gradually fell into a daze, as if celestial maidens had descended, weaving a dream of tender passion.
Then, someone struck first—and soon, they were brawling, blood splattering.
The madam, seemingly accustomed to such scenes, stepped behind a folding screen.
"Saintess, Xu Yi still hasn’t sent word."
"He’s likely dead. It seems that boy is determined to sever ties with the Misty Rain Pavilion."
No reply came for a long while, and the madam dared not press further.
The Saintess had twice been reduced to a mere backdrop, and in Yunzhou, the Misty Rain Pavilion’s reputation had suffered greatly, its once-feared aura all but gone.
If there were stocks involved, they’d be plummeting—desperately in need of some positive news…
After a lengthy silence, Yin Mianmian finally spoke as if snapping out of a trance:
"Then revise the bounty. Raise it tenfold."
"As you command."
---
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 17th Place: He Jinhuan.]
[Hidden Dragon Ranking, 16th Place: Hui Kong.]
……
The Hidden Dragon Ranking continued to flash name after name of rising talents.
"Tsk… look at Ice Block’s nicknames."
Young Li wasn’t surprised by Ying Bing’s ranking.
Just one spot apart, yet the nicknames were worlds apart. Were they even from the same story?
Well, at least they were better than "Flying Poison Green-Turtle" or the like.
Thinking of Huang Donglai’s unfortunate moniker, Li Mo’s mood improved. He smirked and teased:
"Moonlit Sword Phoenix?"
"……"
The "Ice Block" in question cast a cool glance his way, her fingers tightening slightly around her teacup.
Silence.
Undeterred, Li Mo grinned wider. "Frost Immortal?"
"……" Ying Bing took a sip of tea, her brows arching slightly.
"‘Wife-Fortune Battle Soul’?"
"Gah—!"
Li Mo sucked in a sharp breath, his skin crawling.
He couldn’t even imagine the horror of future challengers shouting those four words at him in public.
It was practically a scene of social suicide...
Yet the ice block known as Ying Bing set down her teacup and rested her chin on one hand.
After a few seconds of silence, she met Li Mo’s gaze and added:
“Wife-prospering Battle Soul?”
“......I spoke out of turn earlier.”
Who would’ve thought the ice block would one day learn to deliver a finishing blow?
Young Li had been thoroughly humbled.
Noticing this, a faint trace of satisfaction flickered in Ying Bing’s eyes.
Was she... happy about something?
Even she wasn’t quite sure.
Perhaps it was because... she had finally outranked Li Mo?
Then the next system ranking should also...
Later.
Ignoring Elder Qian and Elder Xue, who were busy pressing each other’s pressure points to stay conscious, and paying no mind to the stunned senior disciples questioning their life choices, the two parties signed a non-aggression pact—henceforth, neither would use the other’s nicknames.
“Chu Long, you’re our witness. From now on, no one calls anyone by nicknames... Chu Long?”
As Li Mo spoke, he turned his head.
But the little princess Jiang Chulong’s expression was off. Her small face had gone pale, her gaze fixed on the Hidden Dragon Ranking displayed over the lake, her lips nearly bitten bloody.
Following her line of sight, Li Mo looked toward the center of the lake.
[Hidden Dragon Ranking – No. 2: Xie Xuan]
[Hidden Dragon Ranking – No. 1: Jiang Yu]
[Martial Arts: Possesses the True Dragon Physique and the Emperor’s Sword Bone, born with divine grace. Capable of comprehending the Landscape of Nations Diagram, inheriting the will of the Nine Provinces, and bearing a strand of imperial destiny. Mastered the Dragon Transformation Art and the Shangfang Emperor’s Sword Technique...]
[Battle Record: Undefeated among peers. Captured the colossal whale of the North Sea alive, engaged in a days-long duel with the former No. 1 of the Hidden Dragon Ranking—the Demon-Summoning Sect’s Holy Son—and achieved a breakthrough mid-battle to severely wound him.]
Jiang Chulong’s delicate face turned whiter than snow.
She frantically wiped her tears, her words stumbling:
“I... I’m... fine...”
“That’s the Crown Prince of Great Yu,” Ying Bing’s voice whispered into her ear via secret transmission.
Hmm... same surname, Jiang, and ranked first on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
He was both Chu Long’s closest kin... and her deepest nightmare.
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
] 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.
le for a sister-in-law. But Xu Mu couldn’t bring himself to rejoice. The reason? He had transmigrated into the brainless villain of a novel—one who abused his wife, forced the Dragon King’s sister to live in a doghouse, and ended up having his ashes scattered upon the Dragon King’s return. Fortunately, Xu Mu awakened the "Justice System," and he was determined to rewrite his doomed fate. A wife should be cherished, and of course, his sister-in-law deserved to sleep in the villa’s cozy bed. When the Dragon King finally returned, he was greeted by a loving and harmonious family. Xu Mu soon realized that aside from the Dragon King, countless other protagonists began emerging—all targeting him—forcing him to fight back. You have a few breathtakingly beautiful senior sisters? Sorry, but they’re my senior sisters now. You’re a retired soldier king searching for your first love? Too bad—your "white moonlight" already sees me as hers. …
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
