In the suspended temple's aquatic realm, from the lowly seventh-grade demons who came to vie for the celestial jade to the mighty demon kings like Wu Qing and Manbo, all gathered before a grove, basking in the radiant glow of the Jade Phoenix's divine light, their faces filled with serene delight.
What was once a tranquil marsh now resembled a sunlit beach.
Thankfully, this wasn’t actual sunlight—otherwise, they’d all soon be turned into salted fish.
The baptism of their ancestors' spirits was a slow, subtle transformation.
Murong Xiao, half his face covered in the scales of a Mingjiao, wore an expression of solemn dignity. Though a half-demon, he now possessed the purest bloodline of the Mingjiao clan.
"My shell seems to be sprouting barbs..."
"Ah, how unbecoming. Too flashy."
The Profound Turtle Demon King sighed with a smug grin, flaunting his progress.
"I’ve only improved a little, but given time, I’ll rival even the finest human-forged weapons."
The Swordfish Great Demon pierced a rock with his nose, his face brimming with pride.
Why had their clan migrated to the southern borders?
Because one of their ancestors, whose body was as hard as divine steel, had once roamed the world alongside a legendary swordsman, earning such renown that countless warriors sought to wield a swordfish as their weapon.
"We’ll finally stand tall before the avian clans," Wu Qing chuckled before suddenly sneezing like she’d caught a cold.
(ACHOO!)
BOOM—
The aquatic realm’s mist thickened, dark clouds swirling with a hint of wind and thunder, and rain began pouring in an instant.
The demons gasped—Wu Qing’s bloodline power had visibly strengthened in such a short time!
Hands on her hips, Wu Qing relished their awe.
But before she could speak, a crackling voice buzzed in her ears:
"Looook~ at~ meee~"
"Wait, Manbo, don’t generate lightning here!"
It was already raining heavily.
As everyone knew, impure water conducted electricity, and Wu Qing’s summoned storm was far from pure.
Thus, amidst the downpour, crackles and flashes lit up the marsh, the water demons flickering like stars.
Fortunately, Wu Qing’s control over the rain was now precise, and the storm’s range was small. She stopped it swiftly—otherwise, when Li Mo emerged, he’d find the marsh littered with floating, belly-up demons.
"I’ve glimpsed the celestial jade from afar a few times, but it never had such an effect," the Profound Turtle Demon King mused, puzzled.
His rise to demon kingship was also thanks to the celestial jade, and having lived long, he’d encountered it by chance before.
"Rumor has it that when the avian clans held the jade, its light was dim as a candle, barely enough for two demons to meditate upon."
Wu Dameng scratched his head. "Exactly. If it had been this miraculous back then, the avian clans would’ve overrun our territory long ago."
Murong Xiao opened his eyes, his voice now carrying a thunderous resonance:
"They’re dual-cultivating inside."
"Eh? Wu Mo and the Qingluan Goddess?"
"Ah... So it’s the combined awakening of the true dragon and phoenix bloodlines that’s amplifying the jade’s power."
"Should we go in and thank them?"
The demons were deeply grateful.
Murong Feng, recalling his own reunion with his wife, flushed slightly.
"I think... that won’t be necessary."
"Hmm..."
Wu Qing glanced at Murong Xiao, who seemed on the verge of a breakthrough, then shifted her gaze toward the forest, her expression turning complex.
The supreme treasure of the demon race, yet it shone brilliantly in the hands of a pair of young human cultivators—who could have imagined such a thing?
But perhaps... it wasn’t a bad thing?
...
"What was all that racket outside just now?"
Li Mo cracked his eyes open slightly, but the light from the Jade Phoenix Deity was blinding, like holy radiance, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
The only thing he could make out was the owner of the cool, soft little hand covering his mouth—her serene beauty rivaled the Jade Phoenix Deity’s glow, her eyes dazed, her expression neither happy nor sad. No wonder they called her the Qingluan Goddess. Yet, her slightly pursed lips held a hint of crimson, glossy allure.
They looked... delicious.
What am I thinking? It must be the influence of the Roaring Dragon bloodline!
To calm himself, Li Mo instinctively licked his lips—forgetting one crucial detail.
And so, Ying Bing’s lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes.
The Ice Queen’s piercing stare.
"Ermmm..." Li Mo was about to tactically lean back.
But then Ying Bing arched an elegant brow, her other hand reaching over in annoyance.
And pinched the nose of a certain peerless Heavenly Dragon.
Li Mo: "???"
Let’s be real.
He wasn’t just a martial artist at the fourth aperture of divine observation, with seven mystic pills cycling autonomously in his body—he had also transformed into a Roaring Dragon. There was no way he’d be stifled by this. He could hold his breath till dawn without breaking a sweat.
Yet, the moment he saw her furrowed brows and the faint reproach in her eyes, he suddenly felt... suffocated.
"Stop getting distracted. Focus on your training."
Ying Bing withdrew her slender, jade-like hand, releasing Li Mo’s nose and mouth, then took hold of his wrist.
"Got it."
Li Mo nodded, shaking off his daze.
He had just condensed another transformation—already an impressive speed—but truthfully, he hadn’t been fully focused. Their spirits were linked, and the Ice Queen had clearly noticed, hence why she’d pulled her hand back.
Mostly because when he licked his lips earlier, her mental state had rippled too.
Come to think of it, she seemed to be comprehending some profound martial art herself.
"Jade Phoenix Form."
Ying Bing murmured softly.
Had Li Mo known of this divine technique, he might have found similarities to the Seventy-Two Transformations—except the latter was purely about physical changes, without altering the soul’s intent.
The ultimate goal of the Jade Phoenix Form, however, was to embody the divine essence of a hundred avian spirits, merging them into one to manifest the form of a phoenix.
"Sounds impressive."
"It is a divine technique."
Seeing his curiosity, Ying Bing summoned the Vermilion Bird spirit from the Jade Phoenix Deity.
The process resembled the last time she had invoked the King Peacock’s spirit.
Her plain robes, after a surge of fiery light, instantly transformed into a dazzling, noble palace gown—its design somewhat reminiscent of... the one his beautiful master wore?
Her raven-black hair turned into flowing flames, her pupils igniting with a beautiful yet deadly firelight.
"See it clearly now?"
Ying Bing leaned in closer.
"Uh... not inferior to... the divine abilities I cultivate."
Li Mo nodded. He didn’t remember ever being this close to the Ice Queen’s face before. He could feel her warm breath against his skin as she spoke...
Was this still the Ice Queen?
Suddenly, she was blooming unrestrained—no longer cold, but scorching enough to make him sweat.
"I’m having trouble concentrating," Li Mo admitted earnestly.
This was too much.
He felt his weakness being tested far more intensely than anything Murong Xiao could throw at him.
"..."
In truth, even if he didn’t say it, Ying Bing already knew.
It’s just that whenever she recalled those moments—sharing a bed, bathing together, being teased by him until she was utterly flustered—she couldn’t help but feel the urge to get back at him now.
The drawback of the "Jade Phoenix Form" was that it could slightly alter one’s temperament...
Yes, it must be because of this divine technique.
"Wait a moment."
The temperature in the air suddenly plummeted.
"This true spirit is..."
"The Frost Swan."
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
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.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
