Central Army Tent.
Qu Sheng’s robes were draped over a long gown—an unusual ensemble that, on him, did not seem out of place. It carried both the elegance of a scholar and the imposing weight of authority.
As he reviewed the newly reported military supplies, his brow furrowed into deep creases.
The generals and advisors in the tent remained silent, their expressions simmering with discontent.
"Report! The Waiyue tribe is on the move—they appear to be advancing toward Qingmu City!"
A messenger rushed into the tent.
The moment the scout’s message was relayed, the sound of a fist slamming against a table finally broke the tension.
"Our pay has been cut again."
"Hmph! And even what’s left gets picked apart by greedy hands all the way from the imperial capital to the southern pass. Who knows how much actually reaches us?"
"Qingmu City’s military supplies and pay for eighty thousand soldiers were already partially funded out of the prince’s own pocket."
"What is His Majesty thinking? Does he want us to abandon Qingmu City?"
"Qingmu is the southern pass’s shield! Abandon Qingmu today, and tomorrow we’ll abandon the pass. We might as well all resign and go home!"
Only when Qu Sheng let out a cold snort did the angry voices subside.
"A general’s duty is summed up in four words: ‘give one’s all.’"
"Who just spoke of resigning? Go receive thirty lashes."
The generals exchanged glances, their eyes settling on the man who had spoken most vehemently.
The burly man accepted the punishment with a gruff acknowledgment and left the tent.
As the dull thuds of the lash echoed outside, Qu Sheng spoke again, his voice measured.
"First, report the military situation and let His Highness decide."
"All units must stay vigilant. Effective immediately, alcohol is banned in the camp. Violators will be severely punished. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir."
Soon, the tent was empty save for him.
After a long silence, Qu Sheng called for his personal guard.
"Where is the Young Marquis?"
"On the training grounds, leading a hundred-man formation in a spar with that Li Tianjiao. It was Zhong Ling’s idea."
"A hundred-man formation is enough to rival an Inner Realm expert. If Li Tianjiao doesn’t understand military formations, he’s in for a rough time."
Qu Sheng nodded.
Geniuses were often arrogant. If this taught Li Mo the harsh realities of the battlefield and the limits of individual strength, it would make it easier to persuade him later—to leave Qingmu City with the Young Marquis as soon as possible.
With that thought, he left the central tent and headed for the training grounds.
---
Elsewhere.
The sun hung high, and the northern wind swept across the field, unable to dispel the killing intent in the air.
Under tight coordination, a hundred elite guards moved like perfectly synchronized cogs in a machine, their energies intertwined into a single force.
If this formation were a blade, then Zhong Zhenyue was its tip.
Clad in heavy armor, he stood at the forefront, the formation’s power concentrated in him to its peak. Even the phantom behind him faintly resonated with the clamor of war—the thunder of hooves, the clash of steel.
It bore a semblance of an Inner Realm’s domain.
An ordinary man facing such a formation would tremble in fear, his mind blank with terror.
"Your physique is exceptionally suited for military formations."
Li Mo couldn’t help but praise.
"No wonder Brother Li’s rank on the Hidden Dragon Ranking has risen so sharply."
Zhong Zhenyue’s expression was grave. "Did you observe another trace of the Yazi’s divine intent in the southern border?"
He had long heard that Zhu Yan, Qiong Qi, Yazi, and Wuzhiqi were the four most battle-hardened clans among the demon races.
Of these, Wuzhiqi had vanished long ago, while Yazi and Zhu Yan were calamity beasts.
Li Mo shook his head. "This isn’t divine intent—it’s the lingering power of a true spirit’s bloodline..."
"A true spirit?"
"Yes."
Zhong Zhenyue sucked in a breath. "This true spirit’s bloodline is so similar to divine intent."
"In essence, the difference is minimal..."
On the command platform, Zhong Ling frowned.
Great. These two were chatting away as if this were a casual meeting, not a serious test of skill.
The Zhong Zhenyue of the past had been so confident, so proud. But ever since returning from Yunzhou, he had changed.
He had lost interest in women, devoted himself entirely to martial arts, and barely paid her any attention...
All to chase after the shadow of that so-called "Wife-Fortune Battle Soul"!
With a flick of her command flag, she signaled the formation.
In a military formation, orders were absolute—not just a figure of speech.
Instantly, Zhong Zhenyue’s power surged with the momentum of the formation. Even if he wanted to hold back, he no longer could.
"Blades have no eyes, Brother Li—be careful!"
"Come at me!"
Li Mo exhaled a white breath, feeling the battle lust coursing through his veins. His blood seemed to burn—no, it truly was burning!
In the blink of an eye, a massive halberd shadow descended with lethal precision.
But that was just Zhong Zhenyue’s strike. From all directions, a rain of spears closed in like a storm.
Clang—
Li Mo met the attack head-on with his hammer, its edge sharp with killing intent.
The impact carved a crater into the ground.
As the dust settled, the scene became clear.
A draw.
Zhong Ling’s eyes widened, her lips parting in shock.
A strike capable of shaking a sixth-rank calamity beast had been blocked by a single man!
And the barrage of spears that should have turned flesh into mincemeat? They sparked against his body as if striking metal!
A human, matching a military formation in raw strength?
Not even calamity beasts could do that!
Was his physical power comparable to an Inner Realm expert who had mastered body-refining techniques? Was this the terror of a top-ranked genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking?
And...
Wasn’t he supposed to be a swordsman?!
Zhong Ling’s worldview trembled, but she gritted her teeth and continued directing the formation.
Her skill was undeniable. Realizing brute force was futile, she shifted tactics. The hundred guards under her command became a relentless tide, wearing Li Mo down wave after wave.
One word: attrition.
Even an Inner Realm expert could be exhausted to death within a military formation.
"Good move."
Li Mo stood alone amid the black tide, an unyielding boulder against the ceaseless waves.
The Yazi true spirit within him roared in exhilaration.
Swinging his hammer, his seven mystic cores and thirty-six main meridians ensured his stamina was boundless—growing stronger the longer he fought!
"Roar!"
The Yazi true spirit finally acknowledged the young man, willingly merging into the Stone Monkey’s divine markings as a streak of light.
For a fleeting moment, Yazi’s traits flickered across Li Mo’s body.
His battle spirit peaked.
Boom—
"Calm the Storm!"
A single hammer strike struck the earth, sending shockwaves rippling outward like a tsunami.
The force reached every guard, uprooting even the most steadfast. The formation collapsed in disarray.
Zhong Zhenyue staggered back, barely keeping his footing with his spear.
Zhong Ling stood frozen, the command flag slipping from her fingers.
At the edge of the training grounds.
"With such valor, if this young man were to join the army, given time..."
Qu Sheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, stepping onto the training grounds. His gaze fixed on the bare-chested young man standing tall and proud in the center, his eyes blazing with an intense light.
"He shall become a warrior unmatched by ten thousand, a divine general of this era!"
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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!
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】
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
