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.
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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!" "......"
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!
