"Frosty, massaging your legs regularly can improve blood circulation. If you only massage one leg, it might cause imbalance. I suggest letting me massage the other one too."
Little Li Gentleman spouted nonsense with a straight face.
"Really?"
Ying Bing narrowed her phoenix-like eyes, pursing her lips.
"Sis, just a little longer."
"......"
The cool, fragrant, and elastic sensation under his fingertips instantly made Little Li feel reinvigorated—his back no longer ached, his legs no longer hurt, his mind cleared up, and his IQ reclaimed its rightful throne.
So, there was indeed some truth to the saying that massage benefits one's health.
Li Mo pondered calmly.
Though he had only practiced the Seventy-Two Transformations for two and a half days and was far from mastering it, his progress was already noticeable.
Yet, compared to the Great Sage's projection, the gap was still as vast as staring at stars from the ground.
At this rate, if he didn’t fully grasp this divine form, securing a spot in the top three of the Hidden Dragon Rankings would be uncertain.
Moreover, his spiritual cultivation would stagnate as well.
During their dual cultivation last night, he noticed Frosty was nearing the bottleneck of the Eight Divine Orifices, while he remained stuck in place.
"I still have time. The Arms Forging Tournament and the Hidden Dragon Tournament aren’t back-to-back."
"First, I need to master the basics of the Seventy-Two Transformations!"
Li Mo’s fingers found a joint, and as he kneaded it, the blockage eased—just like his thoughts.
Frosty suddenly flinched when her knee was pressed, her snow-white foot nearly kicking reflexively, as if to stuff Little Li’s mouth with it.
"Gentler."
Ying Bing frowned slightly. Why was his strength increasing?
Even his absent-minded massage was starting to hurt, a sign that the gap between their physiques had widened slightly.
Yet, she had been refining her Radiant Moonlit Body using her innate Lunar Qi...
Among the system’s rewards was a divine treasure for tempering the body—Tribulation Jade.
But that thing invoked heavenly tribulations to refine oneself. While the effects were immediate, it was also extremely dangerous. Even she was carefully considering whether to use it.
"Sorry, I got distracted."
Li Mo sheepishly withdrew his hand.
"What were you thinking about?"
"Body refinement. My progress has slowed recently. I wonder if I can break through after the Arms Forging Tournament."
Li Mo couldn’t help but sigh.
"What kind of body-tempering martial art?" Ying Bing’s frown deepened.
This is slow?
She didn’t know the word "humblebrag," but seeing Li Mo say such things with a melancholic face made her feel strange—her toes itching to kick him.
But she feared he might not mind—or worse, enjoy it.
"The kind that requires tribulations to temper."
Of course, he couldn’t casually reveal the core of his martial arts.
But Little Li spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.
"Tribulation tempering..."
After summarizing the Seventy-Two Transformations, Li Mo noticed Frosty lowering her gaze in thought.
Ah, right—he still hadn’t uncovered her depths (in martial arts).
"Frosty, do you have any way to speed things up?"
"Martial arts like these require steady progress. Shortcuts usually don’t exist."
Ying Bing’s phoenix eyes drifted away as she spoke softly.
"But I’ll think of something for you."
She... decided to test the Tribulation Jade herself first.
Her physique might not be as strong as this childish man’s, but she had better control and was less likely to injure herself.
"So stop massaging for now..."
"?"
Li Mo looked down and leaned back slightly—when did his hand slip under the blanket?!
"I don’t know what’s so fun about it that you never get tired."
Ying Bing pursed her lips expressionlessly.
"Then let’s switch next time."
"Mm."
"Wear this first before massaging."
Li Mo pulled out a few items from his sleeve and laid them on the bed.
"?"
Ying Bing glanced at them, her fingertips curling slightly.
They were all socks made of Dark Cloud Silk—some sheer thigh-highs, some full-length stockings, even fishnet garters...
"Are there... shops from the Southern Border here?" Ying Bing asked flatly.
"Nope, these are my latest forging achievements!"
Little Li Gentleman radiated righteousness and pride, his voice brimming with sincerity—no trace of guilt:
"As everyone knows, Dark Cloud Silk is an extremely difficult material to refine, yet its applications are vast. Many soft armors, inner garments, and stealth suits are made from it."
"The real challenge lies in purification—removing all impurities from Dark Iron to obtain pure Dark Cloud Metal."
"Then, it requires masterful forging techniques to draw the metal into silk. One misstep ruins everything, testing a craftsman’s skill to the limit."
"I’m the type who loves challenges, so of course I’d pick the hardest task!"
"Clearly, making socks from Dark Cloud Silk is the pinnacle of difficulty!"
"Try them on! These are the culmination of my craftsmanship!"
Little Li Gentleman, brimming with righteousness, held up a pair of fishnet garters.
The fire in his eyes... was it the spirit of craftsmanship?
At least he believed it.
"......"
Ying Bing’s gaze trembled, shifting from the socks to her curled toes, which tingled slightly.
"Li Mo, let’s not."
"Why?"
"I feel like after wearing them, they’ll disappear like the last few pieces of underwear. Do you know why?"
"!"
......
The next day.
The Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor stood majestic and ethereal, swarmed by crowds.
Before the manor’s gates, carriages and horses streamed like dragons, people bustling like rain—craftsmen from all corners of the world gathered here, hoping to make a name for themselves at the Arms Forging Tournament.
If their weapons shone in the hands of a Hidden Dragon prodigy, their fame would skyrocket.
Blacksmiths, too, craved reputation—fame brought rare materials to their doorstep, requests for custom work, status, wealth, and everything they desired.
Unfortunately.
Any competition tied to "fame and fortune" inevitably took a strange turn.
"Hahaha, three years apart, and you’re still a twig, Old Zhao!"
"Big muscles don’t mean anything if they’re dead weight!"
"Old Hu, you’re not on stimulants, are you? Divine Strength Powder is bad news—it’ll rot your brain!"
"Huh? That kid... is he here to compete?"
"With those skinny arms, is he some young master here for fun?"
"Damn it, I’ve trained so hard, yet women still prefer those frail-looking pretty boys?"
"You’re lucky. Yesterday, some freak slapped my butt in the street and gave me a creepy look!"
"......"
Li Mo frowned.
What’s my crime? Being handsome?
Is there no justice? No law?
How childish, flexing muscles like it mattered.
Shaking his head, Li Mo ignored them and pulled the carriage curtain shut, blocking the outside stares.
But just then, commotion erupted ahead.
"What's going on?"
"Looks like we've caught someone carrying forbidden elixirs!"
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.
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?
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
