In the small world.
"So... Brother Li is fine... right?"
Jiang Chulong sat hugging her knees on the ground, asking nervously.
The Happy Lamb Hot Pot restaurant was highly praised by martial artists from all directions and had now become the most popular establishment in Purple Sun Prefecture's Jianghong District, known for its exceptionally well-informed gossip.
Today, a few swordsmen, utterly drunk at the hot pot restaurant, somehow got their hands on a brazier and began burning paper offerings at the entrance.
They drank and wept at the same time.
And they were mourning over a single strand of hair.
"Wuwu... your stories weren't even finished!!!"
"Wuwu, I toast to you! No one could ever show off as grandly as you did—how lonely it is to be invincible~~~ wuwu!"
"Gulp, gulp, gulp..."
"The first time I remembered you was when I slipped on your watermelon peel, watching your back as you walked away. Who knew our last meeting would also be your retreating figure?"
Whoosh—
A sudden gust of wind blew from nowhere.
"Damn, where did this demonic wind come from?"
"Quick, grab it back!!"
"Careful, or it’ll fall into the brazier and be reduced to ashes!"
And so, a few drunken swordsmen stumbled around chasing a single strand of hair, tripping and falling several times.
The scene was so bizarre that even Princess Jiang couldn’t help but step forward to ask.
"Life is full of hardships, but you shouldn’t despair like this..."
Hmm.
Princess Jiang found their faces familiar, so she couldn’t resist offering comfort.
But when she learned who they were mourning, her demeanor shifted entirely.
"Little girl, put the sword down. Calm down."
"You don’t even know where the Demon Summoning Sect is, yet you’re charging off for revenge?"
The situation quickly descended into chaos.
Fortunately, in her panic, Jiang Chulong remembered that her teacher, with his vast powers, might have a solution.
So she rushed in and blurted out:
"Teacher... can someone who’s been reduced to a single strand of hair... still come back to life?"
The Heavenly Venerable fell silent for a long time, utterly stumped.
If he said no, it would make his divine status seem unimpressive.
If he said yes...
Damn it, it’s just a strand of hair!
After learning the full story, Li Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He could only comfort the little princess patiently.
"Don’t worry. I can tell at a glance that Brother Li is blessed with great fortune and is no ordinary man. Never believe anyone who says he’s dead."
"Really?"
"Of course. Now, focus on your training. Today, I’ll teach you a new sword technique."
The technique the Heavenly Venerable taught today was none other than the Dragon-Slaying Sword Art.
Another century’s worth of martial insights vanished, but Li Mo didn’t mind.
First, he had already accumulated over two thousand years of martial wisdom—this was just a drop in the bucket.
Second, once Jiang Chulong mastered the Dragon-Slaying Sword Art to perfection, the returns on his investment would far surpass mere martial insights.
...
An hour and a half later.
Jiang Chulong grasped the basics of this peerless sword art and challenged the Crimson Dragon once more.
But as a newly learned technique, it still fell short against a legendary Primordial Spirit.
After coaxing the little princess to rest outside the small world, Li Mo finally began his own cultivation.
"The investment feedback includes many Upper Form diagrams."
"While they’re not as effective as Supreme Forms for tempering the Heaven-Defying Battle Will—not even a tenth as potent—their sheer numbers make up for it."
The martial world of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths ran far deeper than he had imagined.
Just as he had made a name for himself in the Southern Border, ranking among the top five on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, he realized that what he had seen was merely the tip of the iceberg.
The Great Yu Emperor allowed the Southern Border to fall.
The gods of the Nine Heavens were awakening.
These were not distant, abstract events—they were closely tied to him and those around him.
Time passed.
At dawn the next day, Li Mo awoke to the first rays of morning light streaming through the window.
His brow ached faintly, as if he’d been beaten up in his dreams.
Well, more than just once.
Defeating five Upper Forms—that had been last night’s achievement.
If he relied solely on Upper Forms, he’d need at least sixty more. The Heaven-Defying Battle Will would be a bottomless pit for anyone else.
Glancing at the empty space beside his pillow, however, Young Li felt the exhaustion was worth it.
Imagine waking up one day to find the ice block beside you staring at you like a stranger—how terrifying would that be?
Hmm. He should work even harder.
But aside from improving his cultivation, he needed to make other preparations.
So he went downstairs and found Qin Yuzhi in the courtyard, reading through centuries-old texts to familiarize herself with her new role.
"Grandmaster Qin, is there any chance Yun Mengxian could reawaken within you?"
"Hmm? Not for now."
Qin Yuzhi shook her head, then muttered under her breath, "Why are you two asking the same question..."
"The same question?" Li Mo was taken aback.
"Yeah. Were you also going to ask how I prevent Yun Mengxian from reawakening when there are signs?"
"Exactly..."
Li Mo realized the other person must have been the ice block.
Qin Yuzhi repeated, "By doing things contrary to Yun Mengxian’s nature."
"Could you be more specific?" Li Mo pulled out a notebook.
"For example, Yun Mengxian loves chess and controlling everything, so I play mahjong instead—pure luck, where you never know if your next hand will form an Eighteen Arhats combo."
Qin Yuzhi gritted her teeth at the mention of Eighteen Arhats.
She’d only encountered it once in her life, and even that was in a dream—a dream she didn’t even get to finish.
"What else?"
"Yun Mengxian enjoys sleeping and leisure, so I limit myself to one nap a month and work overtime every day. I’ll wear her out!"
"..."
Young Li leaned back slightly.
No wonder she had overseen the construction of the vast and intricate Yun Meng Underground Palace. What a workaholic demonic sect leader... Well, the Demon Summoning Sect back then wasn’t exactly demonic—more like a stable government job...
"Mahjong... overtime..."
Li Mo fell into thought.
Qin Yuzhi added, "But these are just methods to suppress Yun Mengxian. They might not work for Ying Bing."
"Her situation is different from mine."
"Do you have any clues about the Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix’s preferences or temperament?"
Li Mo pressed seriously.
Qin Yuzhi’s lips twitched as she shook her head.
"Aren’t you from ancient times?"
"There’s a gap of thousands of years between you and me, and tens of thousands between me and the Primordial Phoenix Ancestral God. Besides, even in the same era, how many could interact with beings of her level?"
"And my memories are incomplete. Even if I knew fragments, I wouldn’t recall them anytime soon."
Qin Yuzhi clicked her tongue, looking at him like he was an idiot.
The young genius crossed his arms, resting his chin on them, the very picture of a thinker.
Things the Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix would never do.
No leads. Absolutely none.
Maybe start with mahjong?
Wait!
A sudden inspiration struck Li Mo.
He remembered—back in the ice block’s dream, inside the Ying Family ancestral hall, the Clan Elder had said during the rites:
The Ying Family was created by their ancestors.
Yes, created, not descended...
Is there even a possibility...
"The Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix... has never been in love!"
"It... knows nothing of love!"
Li Mo slammed the table.
Qin Yuzhi's eyes widened as if struck by lightning, staggering back in shock before plopping down onto the floor.
Bro, seriously.
Are you even hearing yourself right now?!