Aren't You Her Biggest Surprise

Whoosh—

Waves of scorching heat rolled forth as the Golden Crow projection fully manifested, taking the form of a young man in his twenties. Clad in robes of gold and crimson, his pupils gleamed like molten suns, and in his grasp rested a radiant golden wheel.

"Please... enlighten me."

Jiang Chulong spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

The Golden Crow projection nodded slightly, suppressing its aura to match the Inner Breath Profound Core realm.

Whoosh—

The golden wheel flashed, its brilliance overwhelming as it surged forward with indomitable force.

Jiang Chulong, however, had long mastered multiple sword techniques to perfection, her grasp of the sword path enough to shame even seasoned veterans. She met the assault with her most refined sword intent.

Clang—

Sparks flew as the peach blossom branch clashed against the golden wheel.

Jiang Chulong sensed something different.

This projected opponent was unlike any she had faced before.

Whether it had been straw dummies or other true spirits, when suppressed to her level, they had mostly served as whetstones for her swordplay, tools to refine her technique.

But this Golden Crow projection was different—this was a true battle.

The young princess felt an immense pressure emanating from her foe.

"Could the combat intelligence born from the power of the masses really be this distinct?"

Li Mo found the situation somewhat akin to gaming.

The previous true spirits had been like bots—stubborn Bronzes at best. But this projection, forged from the collective will of the masses, was like facing a true King-ranked player.

Even if they wielded the same "hero," some could only flail wildly while others dominated effortlessly.

In battle terms, this was the difference in combat awareness.

And as for himself?

To put it nicely, he relied on brute force to crush all obstacles. To put it bluntly...

"I’ve just been winning through sheer stats..."

The Heavenly Venerable coughed lightly.

Truth be told, his technical skill might not even surpass Jiang Chulong’s.

The ancient yet dazzling Sunflare Wheel danced through the air, weaving layers of scorching solar energy. At first, Jiang Chulong dodged with all her might, but gradually, her room to maneuver vanished. Left with no choice, she channeled all her inner breath, condensing her sword intent for a direct clash.

Yet this played right into her opponent’s hands.

With a hum, the golden wheel suddenly veered sideways, slipping past the peach branch and coiling around it. The searing yang energy surged upward in retaliation.

Jiang Chulong let out a muffled groan, feeling as if every drop of moisture in her body had been evaporated.

The peach branch was wrenched from her grip by the wheel’s strange, rebounding force.

"Teacher..."

Her lips pressed together, her small face pale, she feared she had disappointed him.

"This is the Primordial Golden Crow, a being who once became the sun itself, illuminating the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Did you truly think victory would come so easily? Throughout history, few have ever bested it."

The Heavenly Venerable picked up the peachwood branch and spoke gently,

"As long as you refuse to admit defeat, you never truly lose."

"This projection won’t harm your body—only your spirit will feel the pain. Rest and recover, then fight again."

These words were as much for himself as for her.

Genuine battles where he faced equals were rare.

He had always relied on divine weapons, techniques far beyond his peers, and overwhelming advantages to crush his foes.

But the "Defiance of Heaven Battle Intent" was a path of overcoming the strong with the weak.

Only by pushing everything he had to its limits could he advance his comprehension of the "Great Sage Stirs the Heavens" divine intent.

"Mm!"

Jiang Chulong nodded firmly.

Though the young princess appeared delicate, an unyielding spirit burned within her.

Before long, she was locked in battle with the Golden Crow projection once more.

Life-and-death battles were rare—one misstep meant no second chances.

But in this pocket realm, as long as the power of the masses remained, she could analyze her failures and start anew countless times.

Some time later, the young princess left to recuperate her spirit.

The diligent Golden Crow projection, however, had no time to rest.

Next in line to face it was the Heavenly Venerable himself—armed with his hammer!

---

Early the next morning.

"Couldn’t have won without the hammer."

Li Mo rubbed his temples as he rose from the bed where the "Ice Block" had once slept.

Nine attempts. Nine losses.

This outcome didn’t surprise him. The combat techniques of a Primordial Being transcended martial arts—or perhaps, some martial arts had been derived from them in the first place.

But he hadn’t walked away empty-handed.

Li Mo’s long-mastered hammer techniques now seemed to carry new depths of understanding.

And also...

His lower back still felt oddly warm.

"Was it the fight with the Golden Crow projection... or the clothes?"

Glancing down, his handsome face flushed red.

Uncle Chen had been far too energetic lately, lingering for ages whenever he made an appearance...

Thankfully, the robe was durable—otherwise, given his current physique...

No wonder the Ice Block had warned him not to wear it alone for too long. Looking back, the faint smirk in her eyes had been unmistakable.

"Focus. I should review the battle and analyze the details."

"If only the Ice Block were here. Every spar with her taught me so much... If combat skill had tiers, she’d be a King among Kings..."

As he mused, her image surfaced in his mind—

Holding a ruler, her coldly elegant face solemn to the point of divinity.

But...

He’d better change out of these clothes first. Otherwise, his attention might stray from sacred teachings to... baser distractions.

Ding-a-ling—

The chime of a bell sounded.

A maiden of the Qingluan Clan peeked into the tree hollow, gesturing toward a meal.

Li Mo followed her to the tallest tree.

The Qingluan Clan’s cuisine was simpler than he’d imagined—devoid of meat, with only an assortment of fruits served atop broad leaves as plates.

"Chief Shang, I plan to return to Greenwood City today."

"So soon?"

Wu Qing couldn’t help raising a brow.

Her dear friend had wanted Li Mo to stay in the Qingluan territory partly to lay low. Leaving after just one night...

"Tsk tsk, I knew he wouldn’t last long."

Shang Qinqing chuckled knowingly, her expression smug.

"Little Bing'er’s waiting for him in Greenwood City. How could he not be in a hurry?"

Li Mo feigned seriousness. "I mainly have some combat questions I urgently need her guidance on."

"Little Bing'er probably spends every day clutching that spatial treasure of hers, staring into the distance."

"???"

"She did that all the time here too—like a stone statue pining for her husband, lost in thought for hours."

Shang Qinqing wiped away nonexistent tears with exaggerated sorrow.

The image struck Li Mo vividly. He murmured,

"Before heading back, I should make her a birthday cake."

Shang Qinqing blinked.

"It’s her birthday?"

"Yep. Trying to think of a good surprise..."

"Tsk, you’re as dense as that little monk."

Shang Qinqing sighed with the confidence of a seasoned expert, though her tone carried exasperation.

"Don’t you get it? You’re the surprise she wants most."