At noon, the light of three suns cascaded like a celestial canopy, bathing the lakeside tower in a radiant glow. The tiles shimmered with a jade-like luster, transforming the hollowed pagoda into a pillar of glazed glass. A gilded plaque bore three characters:
"Cloud-Stepping Tower"
This place bustled with activity during the Hidden Dragon Assembly, as the tower stood twenty-five stories tall, with four rooms on each floor—a hundred in total. From top to bottom, the rooms were assigned to the highest-ranked geniuses on the Hidden Dragon List down to the lowest.
Merely securing a room here was proof of one's status as a prodigy on the Hidden Dragon List—though the topmost chamber had remained vacant for years.
Yet, despite it being the Hidden Dragon Assembly, the area before Cloud-Stepping Tower was abuzz with murmurs, the crowd packed tightly in layers.
"Who has the audacity to block the entrance at a time like this?"
"Indeed. He doesn’t look old—could he be trying to challenge one of the Hidden Dragon elites to make a name for himself?"
"Unlikely."
"Why do you say that?"
"That’s Xie Xuan, the second-ranked on the Hidden Dragon List."
"......"
The few who had been clamoring to teach him a lesson fell silent, their gazes shifting to the straw-hatted figure clutching a sword, reverence flickering in their eyes.
This was the undisputed second-ranked prodigy of the Hidden Dragon List—the young master of the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor.
"May I ask why the young master is blocking the entrance?"
A monk spoke up, likely from the Western Regions’ Nalanda Temple.
"Take one strike from me, and you may enter. I won’t suppress my cultivation."
Xie Xuan’s voice was as cool as his demeanor.
The crowd’s expressions varied—some Hidden Dragon-ranked youths brimmed with eagerness, while sect elders darkened with displeasure.
Then, a figure leaped into the center of the gathering.
"I am Tie Qi. I seek your guidance!"
"Draw your sword... ah, your halberd, then."
A martial artist from the Gangdou Sect, known for their fearless nature, had stepped forward—and it was an old acquaintance.
Among the onlookers, Li Mo watched with amusement and asked,
"Ice Block, how many moves do you think Brother Tie can last?"
"One."
Ying Bing shook her head lightly.
"That strong?"
Li Mo couldn’t help but activate his Heavenly Eye to observe.
[Name: Xie Xuan.]
[Age: 22]
[Constitution: Pure Blade Sword Body]
[Realm: Nine-Aperture Insight.]
[Fate: Blazing Gold (exceptionally dense golden hue)]
[Evaluation: Recognized by the Sword Manor’s ancestral wooden sword in childhood, inheriting the Pure Blade Sword Dao. Yet, he has always deemed himself inferior to Shi Sujun from thirty years ago, refusing the title of Sword Chief. A hopeless romantic, pining fruitlessly for Hua Nongying, the top disciple of the Moonlit Pavilion.]
[Recent Events: Lured by Crown Prince Jiang Yu’s promise, he drove Jiang Chulong away, intending to guide her back to the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor when he finds her.]
"He’s here because of Jiang Yu, yet doesn’t seem like Jiang Yu’s man."
As Li Mo pondered this, Tie Qi had already been defeated—unable to withstand even a single strike.
But when Tie Qi spotted Li Mo upon retreating, he grinned and called out loudly,
"Brother Li!"
Xie Xuan, sheathing his sword, instinctively followed the voice—and his eyes abruptly sharpened.
He saw Jiang Chulong, and beside her, the aloof young woman standing close to the same man.
"Brother Li, you just arrived today?"
Tie Qi clasped his hands in greeting, then nodded at Ying Bing.
"Sister-in-law, hello. Are you two planning to step up for a match?"
"......Mm."
Ying Bing’s gaze drifted elsewhere, but she didn’t let go of Li Mo’s hand.
"Let’s pass."
Li Mo coughed lightly.
Though the world knew him as the "Hammer Tyrant," he wasn’t keen on whipping out his hammers in front of so many young talents.
If possible, he’d prefer his first public display in the imperial capital to be with a sword.
It was the last shred of dignity for a man who thrived on his wife’s glory...
"What about Sister-in-law?"
"The Ice Block follows me."
Li Mo answered without hesitation.
Ying Bing pressed her lips together and nodded. "I... follow him."
Young Master Li grinned, interlacing his fingers with her cold, delicate hand.
By now, many had recognized Ying Bing—after all, she wasn’t just the third-ranked on the Hidden Dragon List but also second on the Hundred Flowers Beauty Ranking.
The aloof Frost Fairy... clinging to a man’s sleeve...
And saying she’d follow him!
"You absolute bastard! This is worse than killing me!"
The sound of shattered dao hearts echoed through the crowd.
Countless gazes burned with envy and despair.
"Ice Block, your hands are so cold."
Li Mo held her openly—he was absolutely doing this on purpose.
Ying Bing tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her cool eyes tinged with resignation.
Childish.
Like a brat showing off a prized toy...
"There are so many people around..."
Jiang Chulong adjusted her sunglasses, her cool facade barely masking her flustered nerves as she instinctively tugged at Li Mo’s sleeve.
"?"
Xie Xuan, who had been maintaining his aloof swordsman act, nearly lost his composure.
Seriously, man...
I’m here holding a trial, and you’re out here flaunting your romance?
Am I even human to you?
"So, Brother Li, where are you planning to stay?" Tie Qi asked.
"Just buy a place, I guess."
Li Mo glanced around, assessing which spot had the best ambiance.
"Finding lodging now won’t be easy—wait, what did you just say?"
"Buy a building. Why cram into Cloud-Stepping Tower?"
"Brother Li, do you have any idea how expensive land is in the imperial capital? It’s worth its weight in gold!" Tie Qi’s eyes bulged.
"Not too bad, then. I should be able to afford enough land to cover ten mountains."
Li Mo exhaled in relief—that had been a close call.
Tie Qi: "?"
His brawny brain had only just mastered a few adjectives.
But Brother Li didn’t seem to be speaking figuratively.
"Brother Tie, if you can’t find a place, you’re welcome to stay once I’ve bought a building."
With that, Li Mo took Ying Bing’s hand and turned to leave.
But before he could take two steps—
A thunderous shout, laced with sword intent, rang out behind him.
"Hammer Tyrant! Halt!"
"?"
Li Mo’s smile froze. His fists clenched.
"Ahem... As the third and fourth-ranked on the Hidden Dragon List, do you truly lack the courage to draw your swords against me? Or are you fleeing the scene?"
Xie Xuan had spoken more than usual.
Clearly, he really wanted to spend a night with Hua Nongying—er, really wanted to bring Jiang Chulong back to the Sword Manor, and also spar with Ying Bing.
Realizing both women deferred to Li Mo, he’d blurted out "Hammer Tyrant" without thinking.
"If we fight seriously, I won’t even need to draw my sword to beat you."
Li Mo stated matter-of-factly.
"......"
Qin Yuzhi mused that Li Mo drawing his sword would be redundant.
But the crowd erupted in uproar.
"What? Li Mo says he can defeat the second-ranked without drawing his sword?"
"What? The Hammer Tyrant claims he can defeat Xie Xuan without attacking?"
"What? The Hammer Tyrant thinks Xie Xuan is utter trash, unworthy of a fight?"
"That’s the Li Mo who humiliated the Crown Prince?"
"So he’s Li Mo? He’s got some nerve!"
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!" "......"
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
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!
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
