The next morning.
Li Mo opened his eyes on the rooftop and glanced at the empty massage chair beside him. Instead of getting up, he took advantage of the serene state of mind after observing the Moon and continued contemplating the "Monkey King's Path to Enlightenment."
By the time the sun had fully risen, he skipped physical training and headed to the kitchen.
"If only the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations were as easy as body tempering," he mused.
Young Li deftly prepared a rib soup, effortlessly splitting the bones of a seventh-grade exotic beast on the cutting board with a single finger.
This particular beast was renowned for its resilient bones, especially its spine.
"Hmm..."
"Actually, I used to think body tempering was easy too—only because I had ample resources."
Li Mo calmed his mind and took stock of his inventory.
Though he still possessed a considerable amount of pills and rare treasures, their effects varied greatly.
Only a few remained useful for tempering his physique, and replenishing them in the short term would be difficult.
Today, the Qingyuan Sect members were set to return to Purple Sun Prefecture, meaning he wouldn’t receive immediate feedback.
More importantly, the "ice block" wasn’t by his side.
Pain. Such pain.
"So this is what it feels like to exhaust one’s resources," Li Mo sighed bitterly, staring at the mountains of gold in his system space.
Who knew how much he’d need on the journey?
It wasn’t impossible that he’d end up with nothing but money...
"Before heading to the Southern Border, I must master the Seventy-Two Transformations."
"Otherwise, traveling there in human form would make me too conspicuous."
"I’ve already grasped most of the technique’s principles..."
As he pondered, the aroma of bone soup simmered in karmic flames filled the air.
Upon learning that Li Mo wouldn’t be returning to the Qingyuan Sect with them, everyone was reluctant to part ways—so much so that they tearily devoured three large bowls each.
"Little Mo, the Southern Border is lush with flora. Take this 'Compendium of a Hundred Herbs.' Study it carefully when you encounter medicinal plants," Elder Xue said with a complicated gaze, as if watching his child finally embark on a journey.
"Why are there mushrooms listed too...?" Li Mo flipped through it casually.
Tang Xiaobao chuckled. "Junior Brother, do you know how our master came up with his external elixir method? Back on Dan Ding Peak, we once had mushroom soup. I was so eager to taste it that I served it before it was fully cooked."
Li Mo: "..."
Suddenly, the "ice block’s" cooking didn’t seem so unbearable.
"A poor home but a rich journey—let me give you some... Never mind, you’re far richer than this old man," Elder Qian began before pausing. Ever worldly, he quickly found something more valuable to impart:
"Let me teach you a phrase in the demon tongue. It’s useful for greeting demonic beasts."
"I’m all ears."
Li Mo grew serious. Knowledge was sometimes the most precious treasure.
A single phrase could spark a bloodbath—like "What are you looking at?"
Conversely, a friendly word might avert trouble.
Qian Bufan said, "Qiu ba bi mu nie niu."
"......?"
Li Mo couldn’t detect any friendliness in it—probably because it wasn’t human speech.
"A demon friend taught me this. Trust me."
"Got it."
Li Mo committed it to memory.
Wait.
Why wasn’t his master saying anything?
Li Mo glanced sideways and saw his beautiful master, Shang Wu, her almond eyes reddened and lips pursed. When she noticed him looking, she quickly wiped her eyes.
"Master... are you crying?"
"No."
Li Mo sighed. Despite her carefree demeanor, she was sentimental at heart.
"It’s not like we’re parting forever. I’ll be back soon. Be strong, Master."
"How am I supposed to live without you?" Shang Wu finally broke, looking pitifully vulnerable.
"With you gone, the Autumn Water Pavilion will be left with just me—a lonely, beautiful woman. I’ll have to mooch off others, endure their disdain, maybe even get beaten..."
"......"
The group collectively leaned back, sweating bullets.
Lady, are you even hearing yourself?
Suddenly, they were all far more reluctant to let Li Mo leave.
Without Young Li around, the Qingyuan Sect’s "Fighting Queen" would return... Yikes!
Li Mo: "..."
Ever since his master failed to break his "Indestructible Vajra Body" with a single punch, she seemed to realize her precious disciple’s wings were hardening—soon, she might not be able to overpower him.
Thus, the beautiful master switched tactics, deploying the "Ying-Ying Strategy"...
With a resigned sigh, Li Mo took out most of his remaining fine wine.
"Master, hold on for a bit. I’ll return soon."
Shang Wu’s mood instantly brightened. "Take your time."
"Junior Brother, here are some illustrated books for the road..." Ouyang offered his own gift.
Princess Jiang Chulong was the most reluctant to part. She brought two autumn outfits and two winter ones.
Li Mo spent a long time comforting her with his patented "head-pat technique."
"Next time, I’ll call upon the Heavenly Venerable in my dreams and request to visit your cave dwelling. Then we can meet again."
"Mm!" Jiang Chulong nodded, biting her lip.
Soon after, Li Mo stood at the inn’s entrance, watching the war chariot disappear into the distance. He exhaled deeply.
"They’ve all left... Good."
"Now it’s just me..."
Just as Young Li was lost in thought, he suddenly realized—had he forgotten something?
A few seconds later, it hit him.
Murong Xiao: "......"
The guy was still sitting there, covered in dust like a genuine Buddha statue.
So it wasn’t just me. Everyone forgot about him.
"Oi! He didn’t get on the chariot!"
Li Mo dashed after them.
......
Moments later, he returned with a wry smile. The commotion had dulled his melancholy.
His "Cloud-Treading Boots" weren’t meant for long-distance chases—they excelled in agility, not speed.
Catching up to a war chariot was out of the question.
"Brother Murong, looks like you’ll have to continue your family visit in the Southern Border alone."
Li Mo patted his shoulder.
Now that Murong Xiao had awakened his bloodline, he’d reached the Mystic Core Realm—a remarkable pace.
Perhaps his affinity for Buddhist techniques played a role...
But even so, the Southern Border was perilous for someone at his level.
Plus, Li Mo wasn’t sure if their paths aligned.
Thud—
Suddenly, a booklet fell from Murong Xiao’s robes.
Diary.
"Who even keeps a diary these days..."
Young Li wasn’t one to pry into others’ privacy.
But the Southern Border was vast, and he had no idea where Murong Xiao intended to go.
"Brother Murong, if you don’t object, I’ll take it as consent."
Li Mo sought his opinion.
Murong Xiao: "......"
Seemed he had no objections.
Thus, Li Mo opened the diary to the first page:
[I’ve now identified my weakness. After days of challenges, I’m ready to attempt breaking through to the Mystic Core Realm.]
[Brother Li is already a prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, while I’m still languishing in the Inner Breath Realm. How can I ever repay him?]
[To catch up to Brother Li’s shadow, to reach the Mystic Core—starting today, I renounce lust!]
The words radiated unwavering resolve.
"Brother Murong, oh Brother Murong..."
Li Mo chuckled before flipping to the next page:
[Day One of Renouncing Lust: Feeling great.]
He turned another page. The entry read:
【Day One of Abstinence: This time I must resist. It’s all because of Senior Brother Ouyang’s damn sketchbook being too enticing.】
Flipping further...
【Day One of Abstinence: Succeed or die trying!】
The fourth and fifth pages had identical entries.
Li Mo: "......"
Just how exactly are you "breaking through the Mystic Core"?
Brother Murong, shouldn’t you at least rest for a day?
Right at that moment—
Murong Xiao’s eyelids twitched.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
