The stars trembled, and the Rivers and Mountains Design rolled like turbulent waves, resembling a blazing bonfire, its immense pressure suppressing the imperial capital beneath the heavens.
That night, many were startled awake.
The Rivers and Mountains Design symbolized the Great Yu Dynasty's dominion over all realms—under the vast sky, every inch of land belonged to the sovereign.
Yet, to those with profound insight into the mysteries of the cosmos, the tremors in the design carried a faint trace of unease.
What... could this mean?
After this night, the already unfathomable depths of the imperial capital might stir with ripples.
And the one responsible for it all now stood atop the Step Cloud Tower.
Li Mo stared blankly at the golden page on the table.
"Damn it, was that commotion earlier... caused by this thing?"
"This shouldn't be..."
He muttered to himself.
It hadn't even been stamped with the Gilded Heavenly Seal—just the Silver Heavenly Seal. In the past, even the Gilded Heavenly Seal had never triggered such a phenomenon.
Yet the timing was far too coincidental.
Li Mo hurried to the table and picked up the golden page.
The sheet resembled gold leaf but was astonishingly heavy. Even the mighty "Little Tyrant of the Divine Hammer" found it cumbersome to hold.
Written upon it in bold characters:
"The Seventy-Two Transformations, Part One"
'This is the first chapter of the Seventy-Two Transformations, tempering the body. Mastering it can forge an Indestructible Dao Body or a Bodhi Crystal Golden Body, each with divine wonders—yet all must be attained through enduring tribulations.'
'This method is not for ordinary mortals. Without the proper foundation, countless calamities and karmic retributions will grind the practitioner to dust.'
"No wonder..."
Li Mo suddenly understood why the heavens had reacted so violently.
The emergence of the Seventy-Two Transformations made everything make sense.
This was the cultivation method of the True Lord Erlang, the Illustrious Sage—some even claimed it originated from the primordial deity Pangu.
In myths and legends, debates raged over whether Erlang Shen or Sun Wukong was stronger, and much of it hinged on this very art.
"Better stash it away."
"With such a commotion, who knows what might happen next."
Li Mo didn't rush to study it. Instead, he tucked the golden page into his system storage.
Even if the Jade Emperor himself came knocking, he wouldn't find a trace of it.
Then he lay down to sleep, not even entering his pocket dimension.
Sure enough.
In the dead of night, he sensed an overwhelming, majestic presence sweep over the Step Cloud Tower—a pressure so terrifying it felt like an ant staring up at a giant from its tiny mound.
But the presence vanished as quickly as it came.
The next morning.
Li Mo woke as usual, pretending nothing had happened—though he hadn't slept a wink.
He retrieved the golden page and activated his martial insights, striving to master it as quickly as possible.
Instantly, his 2,000-plus years of martial insights dwindled to 1,955.
[Fifty years of martial insights successfully infused.]
[Year 22: Over these years, you diligently summarized your learnings and finally grasped the true essence of the art.]
[Year 38: This method requires enduring tribulations to temper the body. It cannot be mastered through secluded study alone. You began researching each type of calamity in detail.]
[Year 50: You mastered the first method to invoke tribulations and forge the Indestructible Dao Body.]
[Seventy-Two Transformations: Beginner.]
Li Mo wiped the sweat from his brow. This was even harder to comprehend than swordsmanship.
But there was good news.
The Seventy-Two Transformations could be refined using the Divine Treasure Hundred Refinements, at least for the first chapter.
As for other methods...
Li Mo couldn't think of any yet.
But where there's a will, there's a way. Maybe the system's feedback would provide one.
"For now, I’ll stick to blacksmithing..."
Overwhelmed by the influx of information, Li Mo's head spun.
He pushed the door open and stepped out—just as Ying Bing descended the stairs. Their eyes met, both frozen like a pair of bewildered geese.
Well, Li Mo looked dumber.
Ying Bing averted her gaze, though her peripheral vision lingered on him.
"You... didn't sleep either?"
"Nope. Woke up from the ruckus outside."
Li Mo yawned, still groggy from the martial insights.
"Should’ve dual-cultivated last night."
"...I want breakfast."
"Sure, I'll go with you."
Ying Bing's face remained expressionless, though her heartbeat quickened slightly.
"!!"
Li Mo's pulse also raced, his body visibly stiffening.
Luckily, the "ice block" wasn't planning to cook.
"I want to watch."
"It's fine, wait in the hall. I’ll be quick."
"Take me with you."
Ying Bing lowered her eyes, her slender fingers lightly tugging at Li Mo's sleeve.
Call her aloof and domineering, yet here she was, softly pleading while gripping his clothes.
Call her gentle, yet she left no room for refusal.
Li Mo found himself utterly defenseless.
And so, with a heavy heart, he took her hand and led her to the kitchen.
The kitchen buzzed with activity.
"Huh? That prodigy ranked fourth on the Hidden Dragon List is here again?"
"Strange. They say a gentleman stays clear of the kitchen, yet he’s here every day. What’s the appeal?"
"Maybe it’s a hobby? His ingredients are rare even in the capital..."
"First time seeing a Hidden Dragon genius obsessed with cooking..."
Li Mo peeked into the kitchen.
Instantly, the cooks and helpers fell silent. One chef even mistook vinegar for soy sauce without realizing it.
Couldn’t blame him.
Amid the smoky bustle of the kitchen, an ethereal fairy had descended.
Li Mo ignored them and headed to his purchased cooking station, pulling out ingredients for breakfast.
Splash—
Ying Bing stood quietly, watching.
Watching the boy prepare the ingredients.
Watching him heat the oil.
The flames roared, their crimson glow illuminating his face. Ying Bing suddenly thought—calling him a "boy" no longer seemed fitting.
The stubborn face from her memories was reshaped by the firelight.
Now, his features bore the sharpening lines of maturity.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
ey change clothes. Li Chuan contributed all his possessions, only to find that things were not as they seemed. Almost a year after joining, he hadn’t managed to get a single Daoist consort. Thinking he had been deceived, he was approached by a stunning senior fellow disciple who asked if he would like to form a spiritual bond. For those who don’t practice cultivation, they might not know what “forming a spiritual bond” is. Let me put it this way: A long-term relationship is called a “Daoist consort,” while a short-term relationship is known as “forming a spiritual bond.” From then on, Li Chuan discovered the true way to interact with the Yin-Yang Sect’s Daoist consorts. As long as he had enough spirit stones, he could form a spiritual bond with anyone, Whether it’s Senior Sisters, aunts, Daoist consorts of aunts, female elders, Daoist consorts of elders, or even the Daoist consort of the sect leader, anyone can form a spiritual bond as long as there are enough spirit stones.” I've already joined the Yin-Yang Sect, and you're telling me to focus on cultivation? Do you even know what the Yin-Yang Sect is all about?
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
