You... must not go there

Outside, three great suns hung high in the sky, casting their gaze upon the vast earth.

Beneath the celestial light, the towering peaks of the Rotten Ke Mountain Range trembled violently, as if some terrifying existence was about to break free from the ground.

From the underground palaces, martial artists scrambled out of the entrances in a frantic rush.

Among them were the swordsmen of the Hengyun Sword City.

"What’s happening down there?"

"Why is there thunder coming from underground?"

"Perhaps the master of the tomb has awakened and is fighting the guardian by the Crown Prince’s side," Elder Zeng said with a grave expression.

Though they had escaped, the swordsmen showed no signs of relief. Instead, they stared solemnly at the cave entrance.

"Brother Li and the others are still inside," Bai Jinghong took a deep breath.

"No wonder he told us to stay put—it’s even more dangerous down there," Wu Chushu swallowed hard.

"But now, there are experts at the Palm Mystic Realm fighting below..." Cao Mu’s already sorrowful face grew even more troubled.

A battle between Palm Mystic experts could bring ruin to heaven and earth. The Rotten Ke Mountain would likely collapse before long.

Leaving now was the wisest choice, yet the swordsmen of Hengyun Sword City hesitated, glancing back every few steps against the tide of fleeing people.

Wu Chushu forced a smile.

"Knowing Brother Li, he’ll probably make a grand entrance with a thunderous boom any moment now."

In his eyes, Li Mo always had a way of stealing the spotlight in the most unexpected fashion.

This time would be no different...

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than someone shouted:

"Young Hero Li is out!"

Elder Zeng, Bai Jinghong, Wu Chushu, and Cao Mu perked up, turning their attention to the underground palace entrance.

Li Mo was unharmed?

Then...

They saw a figure bursting out of the cave, a divine radiance glowing in his arms. The commotion was immense—behind him, a swarm of pursuers followed like an angry hornet’s nest.

The pursuers included, but were not limited to: Jiang Yu, the Sky Patrol Guards, Tan Zhuyin, and the Demon Summoning Cultists...

Everyone froze.

What had Young Hero Li done to earn the joint pursuit of the Great Yu Crown Prince and the Demon Summoning Saint?

The Hengyun Sword City swordsmen, standing close, clearly saw the divine radiance—its beauty and mystery, as if carved by the heavens themselves.

"Brother Li... obtained a divine treasure from this place?"

"What should we do?"

"Brother Li saved our lives. As swordsmen, we can’t just stand by!"

"But that’s Jiang Yu and the Demon Summoning Saint..."

The swordsmen’s expressions twisted in conflict. Elder Zeng’s eyes darkened as he subconsciously touched the book hidden in his robes—The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me.

"Move aside!"

"Don’t be reckless!"

Li Mo, clutching the divine radiance, rode his somersault cloud while shouting.

The first command was for the onlookers; the second, for the Hengyun Sword City group.

In moments, he soared into the sky on a surge of white clouds, leaving only a fading silhouette behind.

Not far away...

Amidst swirling dreamlike bubbles—

"Finally lured Jiang Yu and the others away."

"And the Sword City swordsmen didn’t chase after me. Perfect..."

Li Mo rubbed his temples. Controlling his external avatar at such intensity took a toll on his spiritual energy.

But before he could relax—

In the distance, Elder Zeng pulled out a black hood and slipped it over his head.

Li Mo: "?"

Bai Jinghong, Wu Chushu, and Cao Mu exchanged glances.

Wu Chushu retrieved several more black hoods from his spatial pouch—spoils from bandit raids—and handed them out.

In an instant, Elder Zeng and the "Three Heroes of Hengyun" transformed from elegant swordsmen into ruthless bandits.

Li Mo: "????"

Oi!

You guys... don’t go!

He quickly sent a mental message. Elder Zeng paused, scratching his ear through the hood’s eyeholes, looking utterly confused.

Then—whoosh—

The group brandished their swords and vanished into the sky.

Good news: Swordsmen are fiercely loyal.

Bad news: They’re too loyal!

Worse yet, the surrounding martial artists watched, then began imitating them.

They wanted the treasure.

But they didn’t dare openly provoke the Crown Prince.

Disguises took too long; not everyone had transformation arts. So, they opted for the simplest solution—

Hoods on, emotions off.

The scene descended into chaos, resembling a bandit convention.

"What are they...?" Qin Yuzhi asked, bewildered.

Li Mo rubbed his temples. "...Probably ‘expanding their horizons.’"

"It’s fine. I’ll dismiss the avatar soon."

Qin Yuzhi glanced at the quaking Rotten Ke Mountain. The Dreamcloud Underground Palace wouldn’t last much longer.

"Then let’s hurry," she said, biting her lip.

She closed her eyes, then scratched her head and reopened them.

"Where to?"

"Purple Sun Prefecture."

Qin Yuzhi pressed a finger to Li Mo’s forehead. "Close your eyes and picture the destination clearly in your mind."

"Got it."

Li Mo envisioned the Autumn Water Pavilion and took the ice queen’s hand.

"Now imagine nothing happened. You’re pushing open the pavilion’s door. When you open your eyes, we’ll be there."

Li Mo complied.

Suddenly, Qin Yuzhi’s voice echoed in his ears:

"Open the door!"

Instinctively, Li Mo pushed forward—his hand met solid wood.

A sensation of sinking into water followed, ripples carrying him through layers of space until—

The scent of wine and hotpot greeted him.

He blinked. The crumbling Rotten Ke Mountain was gone.

They stood in the serene Autumn Water Pavilion.

"We’re really back?"

"My Dreamwalking Art is second to none," Qin Yuzhi declared, arms crossed proudly.

Though its conditions were stricter than the somersault cloud, it could transport multiple people.

Both the ice queen and Tian Miao had returned with them.

"Wait—I need to focus on the avatar."

Li Mo sat cross-legged, not even pausing to check his gains.

Thus, on this day, a major event shook the Rotten Ke Mountain—

The fourth-ranked prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the "Divine Hammer Little Overlord," was presumed dead!

---

Fifty miles outside Rotten Ke Mountain...

"I’ve almost caught up..."

Zhu Renji, the cross-eyed assassin from the Drizzle Pavilion, excelled in both Yin-Yang arts and assassination techniques.

His form dissolved into swirling Yin-Yang energies, blending into the void.

"Kill him, and I’ll earn double rewards—plus the Saint’s favor..."

"Die, brat!"

Black and white energies coalesced in his palm, erupting with devastating force.

"About time..."

Li Mo murmured, making no move to dodge.

He faced Zhu Renji’s strike head-on, meeting those crossed eyes calmly.

"No—!"

Several masked figures of unknown origin—mere bystanders—rushed forward to help, but it was already too late.

BOOM—

The figure of the Divine Hammer Tyrant was swallowed by the swirling energies of purity and corruption.

No matter how strong an Observing Divinity cultivator might be, they were no match for the Fifth Realm’s Outer Scenery.

His form was instantly obliterated, vanishing without a trace.

Only a single strand of hair drifted slowly to the ground...

Elder Zeng, the bandit chief who carried "The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me" in his robes, let out a piercing, anguished shriek:

"NO!!!"