Beauty Saves the Hero

Li Mo muttered to himself, "The ice block isn't..."

"Li Mo, how was that sword strike of mine earlier?"

"Impressive. What's it called?"

Young Li was momentarily stunned, unsure why the ice block suddenly brought this up.

"That sword technique is called 'Divine Sky Demon-Slaying.' When performed with the Celestial Sword, it flows effortlessly."

Ying Bing's face remained frosty, but her eyes held a hint of amusement as she said:

"So... want to learn it?"

"!"

Young Li's eyes quickly cleared, and he swiftly turned his head, speaking seriously: "Right, just to be safe, I secretly had Ying Bing follow us as backup."

The Divine Constable: "?"

That didn’t seem like what you were about to say just now...

The Divine Constable had keen insight, having mastered a martial art that observed micro-expressions, true essence flow, and heartbeat to detect lies.

The Hammer Tyrant didn’t seem entirely truthful...

But whether he got lost or arranged backup in advance wasn’t that important...

"What happened next?"

Li Mo replied, "Later, that Demon-Summoning Cult’s Outer Realm expert couldn’t withstand Ying Bing’s sword and the heavenly tribulation, and a gash split open on his chest, revealing an arm."

"An arm?!"

The Divine Constable’s expression changed, his tone suddenly urgent:

"What did it look like?"

"Palm with a mouth, bluish-black in color, covered in horrifying wounds. The aura within those wounds seemed ancient."

Li Mo’s answer was based on his own experience.

After all, he had fought against many beings long vanished from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths—though only their projections.

"I see. Thank you for the information, Young Hero Li."

After listening, the Divine Constable immediately issued orders to his subordinates, as if facing a matter of grave importance.

Zhao Jing also followed them into the cavern.

With the conversation concluded, Li Mo exhaled deeply. He realized his body, tempered by the heavenly tribulation, had reached a new level.

The Eight-Nine Arcane Art seemed... to have reached the threshold?

But before he could fully unleash his might, the Palm Profound expert arrived.

[Congratulations, Host. You have dismantled the Demon-Summoning Cult’s Blood Refining Hall stronghold, curbed the spread of Divine Power Powder, and prevented many martial artists from straying onto the wrong path.]

[Investment Reward: One Year of Martial Insight.]

[Investment Reward: A Bottle of Bruise Ointment.]

[Investment Reward: One Year of Martial Insight.]

[Investment Reward: A Western Snuff Bottle.]

......

A continuous stream of notifications echoed in his ears.

Most were miscellaneous items, with a small portion being martial insights. But even that small fraction, given the sheer volume, amounted to no less than three hundred years’ worth. He’d sort through it properly later.

From a purely reward-based perspective, the instant noodles laced with Divine Power Powder had provided him with far more power of the masses than this batch of feedback.

But Li Mo was in good spirits. He looked at the group and said:

"I’ll cook tonight. Let’s have a proper feast."

"I want some Immortal’s Drunk!" Xiao Qin grinned.

"How about some lion’s head?"

Huang Donglai suggested.

The lion’s head he referred to was literal—a beast’s head, excellent for roasting.

"Sounds great!" Murong Xiao drooled.

Li Mo glanced at him curiously. "Didn’t you become a monk? Aren’t there dietary restrictions?"

Different Buddhist sects had varying rules, but the Hanging Temple supposedly forbade meat and alcohol.

"There are, and they’re strict. So..."

"So I’ll prepare some vegetarian dishes for you?"

"So when drinking and eating meat, just make sure the master doesn’t see."

"..."

The Love-Burial Monk truly was a nonconformist, walking an unconventional path.

"Alright, let’s head back."

Li Mo retrieved a bronze carriage from his system space and set off toward the Striding Cloud Tower.

The carriage wheels creaked as a song drifted along:

"Who says only those standing in the light are heroes~"

......

The underground river twisted and turned, leading all the way to the inner city.

Tan Zhuyin survived.

The reason was simple—he wasn’t the primary target of that Palm Profound expert.

The Demon-Summoning Cult’s forces in the imperial capital quickly gathered.

"Young Master, as the sole survivor of the Blood Refining Hall’s outpost, what exactly happened?" asked the Blood Refining Hall’s leader, wearing a half-mask.

The other branch leaders’ expressions were grave even in the darkness.

Losing one outpost wasn’t critical.

But the disappearance of the Blood God’s remnant was.

"Because of two people."

Tan Zhuyin ignored Xiao Qin, Murong Xiao, and the others.

"The Frost Fairy and the Hammer Tyrant! Mainly the Frost Fairy."

"If she hadn’t wielded the Celestial Sword to summon the heavenly tribulation, alerting Lord Qian, things wouldn’t have escalated like this!"

"?"

Listening to Tan Zhuyin’s account, the Demon-Summoning Cult’s higher-ups felt like they were hearing a fairy tale.

So, in the end, the Frost Fairy descended like a goddess, snatched the Celestial Sword from the Hammer Tyrant at the critical moment, and fought an Outer Realm expert?

"I wouldn’t dare spin such a tale even as a storyteller..."

Zhu Renji found it utterly fantastical.

But if things hadn’t unfolded as Tan Zhuyin described, they couldn’t explain the outcome.

The higher-ups marveled in awe.

Ying Bing was terrifying.

Only now did they realize their Young Master’s defeat at her hands wasn’t shameful at all.

"Li Mo... he really deserves to die..."

One of the cult’s higher-ups shuddered, his scalp tingling.

"?"

The others watched him squirm like a worm, baffled by his disgusted and twisted expression.

"Think about it—a thunderous boom, the fairy descends in a blaze of glory, saving the hero..."

"Tsk..."

The temperature in the cult’s hideout plummeted as many sucked in cold breaths.

Put that way...

It was enough to make one’s walls crumble...

Truly, if you could inspire envy even among demonic cultivators, you’d achieved something.

A chorus of cold snorts erupted, murderous intent boiling.

"That brat truly has a death wish!"

"I can hear his fists clenching."

"Enough."

Suddenly, the half-masked Blood Refining Hall leader stood, facing the bronze idol behind him.

Following his gaze, the others noticed the statue of one of the Three Ancestral Gods... seemed to be emitting fluctuations?

"The Blood God has sent another message?"

"Then proceed as planned."

The Blood Refining Hall leader narrowed his eyes.

"Scheme to place a prodigy in the top three of the Hidden Dragon Ranking and send them into the Celestial City—to help the Blood God seize control of the Celestial City’s realm!"

......

Meanwhile, atop the Striding Cloud Tower.

The moon was bright, the stars sparse, the sky clear.

Li Mo held the ice block’s hand, ignoring the dazzling imperial capital below, focusing solely on the moon above.

After contemplating the Moon God’s intent, Ying Bing whispered:

"In a few days, I’ll teach you the Divine Sky Demon-Slaying Sword."

"Can’t we start today?"

Young Li’s thirst for knowledge was insatiable.

"Your compatibility with the Celestial Sword is still low. Focus on comprehending its sword techniques first."