Zhong Zhenyue wore a blank expression, lost in thought, yet seemingly unable to grasp something.
The square-faced middle-aged man, Huo Bingzi, sized up the young man before him and after a moment, chuckled dryly:
"Young man, I know your hammer techniques are decent. Confidence is good, but forging iron and fighting people are two entirely different matters."
"If the Young Marquis seeks me out, I’ll naturally prepare some methods for you. You only need to..."
"Old Zhong, you invited this master to forge hammer weapons for me?"
Li Mo felt a surge of gratitude and patted Zhong Zhenyue’s shoulder. "There’s really no need for this. A forging grandmaster’s efforts aren’t easily given—you should save this opportunity for yourself."
"This..."
Huo Bingzi was both amused and exasperated.
Countless rising talents, eager to obtain a suitable weapon for the Rising Dragon Tournament, had begged for his help.
Yet these two youngsters were actually deferring the favor to each other.
"The main issue is that one hammer isn’t enough," Li Mo shook his head. "I also need to forge a sword."
This concerned the weapons for Bingtuozi and Little Jiang’s participation in the tournament. No matter what, he had to take part in the Forging Assembly.
At that moment, the door to the hall’s meditation chamber swung open.
Jiang Yu strode out with his hands clasped behind his back, his respectful posture vanishing the moment he stepped outside, his piercing double-pupiled eyes regaining their cold indifference.
The other figure was none other than Princess Yuyang, her chin raised like a proud swan about to receive some enviable treasure.
Earlier, Divine Artisan Du had agreed to forge weapons for them.
The reason was simple.
Jiang Yu possessed the Emperor’s Sword Bone.
Whether it truly belonged to him or not, the bone was currently within him.
The Crown Prince and Princess had only taken a few steps when they suddenly halted, spotting a figure not far away.
She was hiding behind a young man, clutching the hem of his clothes tightly, her head bowed in fear and shame as her body trembled faintly.
Princess Yuyang’s triumphant expression faded.
"You dare return?"
"Now that she has someone backing her, things are naturally different from before," Jiang Yu remarked coldly, his gaze fixed on Jiang Chulong.
The Crown Prince and Princess exuded an innate nobility, their arrogance effortless.
One basked in glory that was never hers to begin with; the other bore talents that were never truly his.
And yet, they dared question their original owner.
Jiang Chulong pressed her lips together, her small face drained of color. Suddenly, her vision darkened.
But don’t misunderstand—she hadn’t fainted. Her Big Brother Li had simply slipped a pair of sunglasses onto her.
"It’s fine."
Li Mo gently ruffled her hair.
Little Princess Jiang suddenly remembered Big Brother Li’s words: "Once the shades are on, you’ve got to act cool. No backing down."
So she stepped out from behind him, meeting their gazes for the first time since leaving the imperial capital.
"What... what’s it to you?!"
"?"
Jiang Yu’s eyes narrowed.
Last time, Jiang Chulong had ignored his words. Now, she even dared talk back to his face.
The root cause of all this was undoubtedly...
His cold, double-pupiled eyes shifted to Li Mo, a trace of well-concealed killing intent flickering within.
But before Li Mo could even speak, Jiang Yu’s pupils suddenly stung with pain.
A frigid, fathomless gaze was fixed on him—from a pair of breathtakingly beautiful phoenix eyes.
"Cough... cough-cough..."
Princess Yuyang, caught in the crossfire, felt her mind go blank.
As if an invisible hand had seized her throat, she gasped for air, coughing violently.
Those stunning eyes were utterly detached, profoundly deep—like the merciless scrutiny of the heavens, piercing through her aura of nobility and reducing her to...
An ant.
And this wasn’t even directed at her.
The realization made Princess Yuyang glance at Jiang Yu. To her shock, the Rising Dragon Tournament’s top-ranked genius, the most dazzling prodigy since the founding of Great Yu, had also lowered his head slightly, as if... equally unwilling to meet that gaze?
"Young Hero Li, are you certain about participating in the Forging Assembly?"
Huo Bingzi’s voice broke the eerie silence.
"Absolutely. Master Huo, please verify this."
"Here’s my quenching assistant token, and my sorting assistant token."
Li Mo handed over the black iron tokens, then glanced toward the hall’s entrance.
Huh?
Weren’t Jiang Yu and that princess acting all high and mighty earlier?
Why had they left without a word?
Li Mo didn’t believe he had some awe-inspiring aura that made others submit. So he turned around—
It was Bingtuozi, standing there with her usual unreadable expression!
"Bingtuozi, there’s no point arguing with dogs. Just beat them up properly at the Rising Dragon Tournament."
Li Mo held her hand and whispered in her ear.
"Mn."
Feeling the warmth in her palm and the soft words at her ear, Ying Bing’s eyes regained their usual clarity—cool, detached, and even a little... vacant?
"......"
The moment those words were spoken, the hall fell into stunned silence.
Everyone’s expressions shifted. They had just heard something utterly audacious.
Zhong Zhenyue looked worried. Brother Li planned to forge his own weapons, but Jiang Yu’s blacksmith was Divine Artisan Du—the man who had once forged a heaven-defying divine sword, and also Master Huo’s teacher.
Even if they sought Master Huo’s help, it might not be enough...
Weapons were far too crucial for martial artists. If they lost due to inferior arms, how could they compete with Jiang Yu in terms of resources?
This was the imperial capital!
"What’s happening out here—"
But when Du Wufeng emerged from the meditation chamber, his eyes widened as if he’d spotted rare treasures.
His gaze was locked onto Ying Bing and Jiang Chulong.
"Young ladies, would you allow this old man to forge swords for you?!"
"??"
......
Outside, a carriage pulled by a pair of draconic steeds soared through the imperial capital’s bustling skies.
Only members of the royal family were permitted to travel through the air in the capital—a privilege granted by the Empire’s Guardian Artifact to those of imperial blood.
"Who was that woman? I must have her..."
Princess Yuyang, belatedly realizing how thoroughly she’d been humiliated by a mere country girl, seethed.
But before she could finish, the memory of that terror resurfaced.
"That," Jiang Yu said, tapping the carriage table with a finger, "is the current third-ranked Rising Dragon."
A sudden suspicion arose in his mind.
Yesterday, the Empire’s Guardian Artifact had stirred.
Chancellor Qi of the Imperial Academy speculated that a peerless martial technique had emerged, yet even the artifact’s power failed to locate it.
Could it have been... her?
Jiang Yu’s double pupils had been utterly unable to penetrate Ying Bing’s gaze—like fireflies trying to outshine the moon!
To the eunuch driving the carriage, he commanded:
"To the royal study. I must see His Majesty at once."
"As you wish."
......
Back in the Sword Forge.
Huo Bingzi asked in confusion, "Master, didn’t you agree to forge for the Crown Prince and Princess Yuyang...?"
"Did I? No, I didn’t. Let him produce a written contract if he dares. He jumped to conclusions—I only said I’d consider it."
Divine Artisan Du, a man of his stature, was now shamelessly backtracking.
"No."
Faced with the divine artisan’s request, Ying Bing lowered her eyes, unmoved.
"Why not?!"
Du Wufeng nearly yanked out his beard in frustration. "This old man’s sword-forging skills are unmatched in the Sword Forge! Across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, those who surpass me might not even be breathing anymore!"
"A sword I forge for you, once nurtured, could grow into a divine weapon!"
"Aren’t you participating in the Hidden Dragon Tournament? With a sword like that, you’d be unstoppable!"
Ying Bing glanced at Li Mo and said softly,
"I want to use his."
"???"
Divine Artisan Du Wufeng immediately flushed red with anger.
"Where did this brat come from? A duel—I challenge you to a duel! Let’s see whose sword-forging skills are more..."
At that moment, Huo Bingzi suddenly pulled his master aside and whispered a few words into his ear.
Old Huo kept up with the Hidden Dragon Rankings regularly.
He’d even dabbled in reading The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me.
"Oh, hehehe, my voice might have been a bit loud just now. Could you persuade her for me?"
Du Wufeng’s red-faced anger instantly turned into a beaming smile.
Li Mo: "..."
What the hell is all this?!
...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
