"Last time, investing in Murong's Six-Rune Serenity Pill was comparable in value to a superior martial art."
"But this time, the reward is the Ancient Bronze Tome Seal."
"A permanent solution is better than a temporary fix, isn't it?"
Li Mo rubbed the small bronze seal in his palm thoughtfully.
He resumed his search on the fifth floor.
Superior martial arts were already scarce here, and hammer techniques were even rarer.
Yet, after half an hour, he actually found something.
"'Twelve Hammers to Quell the Storm.'"
Li Mo brushed off the thick layer of dust on the manual and read its name.
A superior martial art, specifically a short-handled hammer technique.
It contained twelve forms, and when mastered, a single strike could shake the earth and mountains.
Hmm...
If refined to perfection and with sufficient personal cultivation, could it rival a single punch from his master?
Li Mo glanced at the missing chunk of the Divine Edge Peak, lost in thought.
He flipped further through the manual.
Only to discover...
"This martial art is only two-thirds complete?"
The techniques abruptly ended at the eighth form.
Young Li fell into deep contemplation.
After a moment, he still took the manual and headed downstairs.
Mainly because he had no other choice.
He’d just have to take it back and figure things out later.
On the first floor, the same inner sect deacon was still there.
"Junior Brother Li, have you made your selection?"
"Yes. Please record it for me, Senior Brother."
Li Mo handed over the manual.
"Ah... huh?"
The deacon took the manual and raised his brush to log it, but paused when he saw the name:
"Junior Brother Li, this is a hammer technique."
He gave a pointed look at the sword hanging from Li Mo’s waist.
It was common knowledge in the sect that this true disciple had obtained Chi Xiao, a blade rivaling the Frostblade, from the Divine Edge Cave.
So, like many others, he assumed Li Mo—though perhaps not on par with Junior Sister Ying Bing—was at least the conventional kind of "sword prodigy."
After all, Ying Bing was terrifying. Swords would line up to pledge allegiance to her with a mere gesture, defying all logic.
Li Mo, who’d passed Chi Xiao’s trial through sheer swordsmanship, fit their idea of a genius far better.
And now, a sword prodigy had picked a hammer manual?
"I didn’t choose wrong."
"Other mountains' stones can polish jade. I already have sword techniques; studying other martial arts might help me gain insights by analogy."
Li Mo shook his head.
Other mountains' stones can polish jade?
This was polishing jade from another continent entirely...
"This manual is incomplete, but it still counts as one of your selections, Junior Brother Li. Are you sure?"
The deacon reminded him again.
"Yes, I’ve considered it carefully."
"Very well. Please return it within a month, and remember—no unauthorized sharing."
Seeing his resolve, the deacon said no more.
Meanwhile, at the Qingyuan Main Peak’s sword training grounds...
Ying Bing stepped across the threshold, her plain robes as cold and pristine as the blade in her arms.
The moment she entered, several gazes locked onto her like rare treasures.
"The Frostblade has found its master after 400 years—a perfect match indeed."
Qian Bufan marveled.
Xue Jing, dusty from travel but beaming, added:
"The last time an arcane weapon chose a master was fifty years ago. Now, two arcane blades—the Frostblade and Chi Xiao—have done so simultaneously. And such legendary swords, no less!"
"Remarkable. Truly remarkable."
"Come now, Han He, don’t sulk. Arcane weapons in the Divine Edge Cave are meant to be used. Besides, a treasured sword deserves a hero. They’ve found worthy masters."
Elder Han He had been silent since entering.
The others assumed his conflicted expression stemmed from reluctance to part with the weapons.
"You’ve all sung enough praises. This old man isn’t one for flattery, so I’ll spare the platitudes."
Han He shot Xue Jing a glare.
The "Divine Edge" in "Divine Edge Peak" had literally been carved away!
"Enough. Let us old folks witness for ourselves."
"Just what kind of talent could make arcane weapons vie for their allegiance."
Shangguan Wencang’s gentle voice broke in.
"Very well."
Ying Bing nodded.
A flash of sword light flooded the hall.
A wind from nowhere sent pear blossoms swirling down around the training grounds.
The onlookers instinctively narrowed their eyes.
Petals, stirred by the sword’s movements, began drifting—sometimes scattering, sometimes converging.
When dispersed, they were deceptively beautiful, hiding lethal intent.
When gathered, their chill grew oppressive, radiating dominance.
Crack—
Suddenly, every petal shattered into ice.
"She’s already grasped a sliver of sword intent."
"Indeed. Even the creator of the Flowing Petals sword style would pale in comparison."
"This old man barely recognizes the technique anymore. The sword art isn’t strong—she is."
The group exchanged glances, dazed as if waking from a dream.
Now they understood why the Frostblade had so eagerly submitted itself.
Intent.
This wasn’t something one could learn from a manual.
Even among Observing Divinity realm experts, few ever glimpsed its mysteries.
Yet here she was, at the Blood Qi realm, with insights surpassing most in higher realms.
Was this what true genius looked like?
The elders were at a loss for words.
Ying Bing sheathed her blade and stood silently.
"Little Bing, Li Mo’s swordsmanship—you guided him, didn’t you?"
Xue Jing asked slowly, still collecting himself.
"Yes."
She nodded.
"I see."
"Even with some foundation, passing an arcane weapon’s trial at this stage would’ve been near impossible otherwise."
"But this also means Li Mo has decent potential in the sword path."
The elders nodded sagely.
Only Han He wore a complicated expression, sighing deeply.
"In the way of the sword, even if I pride myself on broad knowledge and historical study, I doubt I could find anyone in records who matched your talent."
Even Shangguan Wencang, the stern Qingyuan sect leader, couldn’t help but marvel.
"There is."
Ying Bing answered without hesitation.
"Oh?"
"Higher peaks exist beyond every mountain."
Her voice was soft.
The sword was her most comfortable weapon, but not her strongest suit.
Besides, the true monster of the sword path...
Her mind flashed again to that undisputed name.
"Little Bing, how many meridians have you opened now? Any changes in the icy energy within your bloodline?"
Xue Jing suddenly asked.
"Twelve."
"The icy energy... remains unchanged."
Twelve meridians?!
Xue Jing’s teacup slipped silently, soaking his pants.
The training grounds fell deathly silent.
Then Ying Bing added:
"Almost thirteen."
The elders, already petrified, nearly crumbled on the spot.
It wasn’t just her absurd progress.
Every cultivator knew the Blood Qi realm’s limit was twelve primary meridians.
And she’d just mentioned... a thirteenth?
Did that mean her ceiling in this realm was even more monstrous?
"Little Bing, how many meridians do you think you can ultimately unlock?"
"Twenty-four."
Her tone was flat.
Even braced for the impossible, the sound of collective gasps filled the hall.
Every so-called "prodigy" they’d known was utterly eclipsed.
At the same time.
Not far from the Autumn Water Pavilion, before a cascading waterfall.
"Hu..."
Li Mo ceased his cultivation.
Through his senses, the meridians strengthened by the Extreme Soldier's Body Tempering technique resembled coiled flood dragons, each embedded with seed-like nodes of vital energy, pulsating with immense power.
"This session allowed me to unblock two meridians in one go."
Li Mo exhaled a turbid breath.
He could feel that the exhaustion from forcibly wielding the Indomitable Meteor Hammer last time had completely healed.
In fact, it seemed like breaking through his limits had brought unexpected gains.
Coupled with the divine weapon's miraculous body-refining effects,
he had advanced two steps in a single leap.
"Don’t grow complacent."
"My progress in the Vital Energy Realm hasn’t even reached the halfway point yet."
After a brief moment of satisfaction, the young cultivator Li Mo steadied his resolve, guarding against arrogance.
Then, he retrieved the manual "Twelve Hammers to Calm the Storm" from his robes.
] 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.
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?"
For the sake of his unrequited love, his ex-girlfriend abandoned him at the altar, indirectly causing the death of his parents. Just when he thought his life was plunged into darkness, a clueless yet beautiful girl unexpectedly took him in. Looking back, he realized how many hidden gems had always been by his side. A childhood friend who had secretly loved him for over a decade, a stunning but socially clueless school beauty, a mischievous and playful girl who lived for chaos... His ex, filled with regret, pleaded: "I was wrong—can we go back to how things were?" Before he could respond, the girl stepped in front of Ye Shuang and coldly declared, "If you didn’t cherish him, then he’s mine now." Also known as: "After Losing My Job, I Was Picked Up by a Hidden Gem," "The School Beauty I Raised," and "Oh No, I’m Surrounded by Rich Girls."
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
