If the emperor had risen to his feet, how could the accompanying officials dare remain seated?
The attending ministers immediately stood up, exchanging glances that conveyed mutual understanding.
Well, the Crown Prince was His Majesty’s own son, representing the imperial family, the nobility, and the dignity of the court. He had indeed been unrivaled among his peers in the past.
Now that His Highness had suffered defeat, it didn’t take a genius to realize the emperor was displeased.
As for Li Mo...
Put yourself in the emperor’s shoes—if the heir you’d spent years grooming suffered a humiliating loss, wouldn’t it make you look incompetent? Infuriating!
Li Mo, a disciple from some sect that guarded the previous dynasty’s imperial tombs—what standing did he have to dare defeat the Crown Prince?
“This Li Mo...”
“What an audacious, lawless rogue! He must have used underhanded methods!”
“Where did all those swords come from? They clearly violate the tournament rules. Investigate thoroughly—his results must be annulled!”
“Why do so many prodigies on the Hidden Dragon Ranking know him? I suspect he’s conspiring against the court!”
“At first glance, his character... well, fine, he’s undeniably handsome. But his morals... ah, forget it. What good could come from a hammer-wielder?”
“My instincts are never wrong—there’s something off about this kid.”
“Did you see how his arm suddenly bulged during the match? I bet he’s linked to the Divine Strength Powder!”
For once, the ministers were in perfect sync when interpreting the emperor’s mood.
Running out of accusations, they began flinging baseless slander. Even the official who mentioned the Divine Strength Powder doubted his own absurdity, drawing surprised looks from his colleagues.
What connection could Li Mo possibly have with some legendary noodle brand? That was stretching it.
But it didn’t matter.
What mattered was taking a stand, showing solidarity with the emperor.
Just as the ministers finished their tirade, Emperor Jingtai’s second half of the sentence drifted down like a feather:
“Truly, heroes emerge from the young. As for Jiang Yu—life isn’t always smooth sailing. Better to suffer humiliation now than grow arrogant and jeopardize the empire’s future.”
“...”
Silence fell, punctuated only by the sound of metaphorical slaps to the ministers’ faces.
But those who’d climbed high in court had long mastered the art of thick skin.
“I’ve heard he’s renowned in the martial world for his generosity and noble character. Truly, seeing is believing.”
“The Hidden Dragon Tournament has always upheld fairness, justice, and transparency across all its editions!”
“Hammers symbolize honesty and straightforwardness. How could a hammer-wielder possibly be evil?”
“Your Majesty’s wisdom knows no bounds!”
While inwardly wondering if Li Mo was the emperor’s secret lovechild, the ministers lavished praise.
The Hidden Dragon Ranking’s top spot had changed hands—without even waiting for the finals.
Chaos erupted across the imperial capital. This was earth-shattering news.
The scene at the Meridian Gate defied description.
“Hammer Tyrant! I’m your biggest fan!”
“We love the Tyrant! We love the Tyrant!”
“Fake fans! Hammer? More like Divine Sword!”
“I propose renaming him ‘Divine Sword Gentleman’!”
“Huh? Where’s ‘Our Village’s Finest Sword’?”
Some stood dumbfounded, others cheered wildly, while a few crouched to search the ground for the legendary blade—the area around the arena descended into pandemonium.
Meanwhile, Li Mo, having finally indulged his swordsman fantasy, stepped off the platform before the purple-robed eunuch could announce the results.
Bathed in countless gazes and thunderous cheers, he felt none of the expected elation.
Was this the loneliness of invincibility—like a peerless swordsman with no rivals left to challenge?
Don’t be ridiculous. He was only at the third realm.
“Wasn’t my dream to shine as a swordsman before the crowd?”
Li Mo couldn’t pinpoint why he felt so conflicted.
“Brother Li!” Xiao Qin, never one for words, stared at him with shining eyes.
“Damn, Lao Li, you actually pulled it off. Here, I’ve got some ‘Beyond Recognition’ ointment left—patch yourself up.” Huang Donglai’s concern was... touching.
“We are the champions!” Murong Xiao roared.
Nearby, monks from Dragon Elephant Temple looked bewildered—their junior brother Guan Kong hadn’t even fought yet. When did the tournament end?
Amid the earlier chaos, everyone had nearly forgotten—the Hidden Dragon Tournament wasn’t over.
“Li Mo still has a match against Frost Fairy.”
“My eternal support goes to Ying Bing,” declared an ice fan.
“Even the Crown Prince lost. Can Frost Fairy really win?” argued a championship fan.
“Who cares who wins? Either way, it’s shippable!” This came from Shang Qinqing.
As she spoke, Shang Qinqing narrowed her eyes at a distant scene, satisfaction blooming in her chest.
Perfect.
She saw Li Mo bypass post-match interviews and victory speeches, seemingly indifferent to his triumph, weaving through the crowd until he spotted Ying Bing—only then did his face relax into a relieved smile.
Not far away, Ying Bing’s usual frosty demeanor had thawed, her expression now luminous and soft, her steps almost buoyant.
So really—who won or lost didn’t matter at all.
Shipping fans—forever undefeated!
“No words for your admirers?” Ying Bing tilted her head as if just noticing his approach.
“It wasn’t my victory alone. Besides, I’m exhausted,” Li Mo shook his head.
“No, it wasn’t.”
Ying Bing denied it.
True, she’d used her Moon Spirit Connection to briefly let Li Mo synchronize with the celestial swords, but everything after was his doing.
The swords had opened their essence to him—not because of her, but because he was the one wielding them.
“You achieved your long-held dream. Aren’t you happy?”
“Not as thrilling as I imagined.”
Her slender fingers curled slightly within his larger hand. Suddenly, Ying Bing looked up, studying him intently.
His face remained the same—every feature unchanged.
Yet his eyes held new depths...
She had to admit—sometimes, with her rebirth and past-life memories, having been empress and master of the Cassia Palace, she unconsciously positioned herself as his mentor.
Even though the system’s rankings showed she’d rarely won...
She still found herself guiding this ridiculously talented fool...
And now, somehow, he’d defeated the Hidden Dragon’s top rank, joining the realm’s foremost young elites, admired by heroes across the nine heavens and ten earths.
Lost in thought, she started when Li Mo suddenly leaned close, whispering at her ear:
“Ice block, we agreed we’re one and the same, right?”
“Why bring that up now?”
“What I mean is—since that’s the case, whoever wins is the same. Later, let’s just put on a show, then I’ll forfeit.”
“Why?” Ying Bing frowned.
Defeating her would virtually guarantee his top position—something countless others dreamed of.
Besides, she was curious.
This time, who would the system declare the winner...
“I want to head back early. You know me—endlessly curious. Which feels better—pearl-white silk or black cloud gauze? I’ve been wondering.”
“...”
Ying Bing’s breath hitched. Her hand darted to pinch his waist.
After a sharp twist, she paused, then declared:
“No. We’re fighting.”
"Alright then..."
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
