Morning light cascaded like a waterfall, the girl across from him had hair like flowing starlight, her radiant eyes brimming with an otherworldly divinity as always.
An inexplicable fury suddenly rose in Jiang Yu’s heart.
Li Mo’s gaze at him was one of challenge and fighting spirit, but she was different—she stood atop a mountain peak, her eyes sweeping past him without the slightest pause.
At that very moment—
Whoosh!
A sword gleam, condensed like moonlight, abruptly materialized before his eyes, faster than thought itself.
Almost simultaneously, a dragon-scale-adorned longsword, warned by his innate Sword Bone, swept upward from below, its draconic might shaking the heavens.
Yet the two blades did not clash as expected.
The sword gleam before him suddenly dispersed—illusory, not real—while Ying Bing, without making another move, sent a sharp, piercing sensation stabbing from the right flank.
Only those of higher cultivation could faintly catch that hazy lunar shadow.
In her past life, Ying Bing had perfected the Nine Apertures of the Lunar Soul Intent, entered the Inner Scenery, and glimpsed the moon’s hidden yin before comprehending this move—hence naming it Moon’s Hidden Yin.
Divine light coiled around the Sword Bone in Jiang Yu’s chest, and a sharp edge burst forth, but it was too hasty.
Clang!
The divine radiance clashed with the lunar shadow.
Ying Bing’s figure remained ethereal and untouchable.
Jiang Yu, however, was left numb, a bone-chilling cold spreading from his meridians to his limbs, as if his soul were freezing solid.
The earlier debates over whether the "Frost Fairy" could defeat the strong with the weak fell silent.
They seemed to have mistaken who the challenger was.
In a single exchange, Jiang Yu had suffered a crushing defeat!
"How could this happen?"
This was the shock and disbelief in everyone’s hearts, amplified by the purple-robed eunuch’s voice echoing through the conch-shell amplifiers across the inner and outer cities.
"She, like Su Jun, is a true prodigy," Du Wufeng remarked, uncharacteristically solemn.
Xie Yiding, however, fell silent, lost in thought or perhaps dazed, before finally shaking his head:
"We were probably mistaken."
"She can’t simply be called a prodigy."
To borrow Li Mo’s words from his past life, it was more like—Holy shit, she’s cheating!
But the only one who remained unfazed, young Li Mo himself, might find the phrasing inadequate.
Because he was the one who actually had cheats.
"The higher the realm, the wider the gap between the ice block and her peers..."
Li Mo likened it to a PhD student solving elementary school problems—scoring full marks didn’t mean that was their limit.
Faced with "1+1=2," they might instead write a formal axiomatic proof.
So, if it had been him just now, how would he have countered?
First, abandon all illusions—discard the sword...
If he maintained his state of Harmony with Heaven and Earth, he might have sensed that sword in time, at least giving him a chance to activate his Indestructible Vajra Body.
Ying Bing’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. The fact that Jiang Yu had parried that strike meant he was indeed stronger than in his past life.
This referred to their relative strength at the same realm. Back then, even wielding the Imperial Dao as the Son of Heaven, Jiang Yu had been middling at best in the Seventh Realm.
Now, he could be considered her match.
Yet later, after ascending the throne and ruling the Nine Provinces and Ten Lands, why had he grown weaker?
A wisp of national fortune descended upon Jiang Yu, the sky darkening as if mirroring his expression.
Those below the Observation Divine Realm—even Inner Scenery cultivators—lost their five senses, unable to perceive their surroundings. Were it not for the unbroken projection of the Rivers and Mountains Scroll, they wouldn’t have known what was happening.
A golden dragon, resplendent in imperial yellow, swept down from the heavens.
At the same time, a bright moon rose—pure, dazzling, cold, and profound.
As the moonlight shifted, an ethereal sound, like a silver vase shattering, reverberated in countless hearts.
Ying Bing had broken through.
"Observation Divine Realm, Nine Apertures."
Li Mo looked up at the moon, his initial helplessness giving way to a bright, hearty laugh.
Just moments ago, it had been hard to say who was stronger between him and the ice block.
Now, it seemed clear.
Shortly after, Jiang Yu stepped down from the platform without a word. Strangely, his condition was better than after his last all-out battle.
"Elder Brother Crown Prince, you..." Princess Yuyang was still indignant. She knew Jiang Yu had held back some killing moves.
"No need," Jiang Yu murmured, his voice hollow.
If facing a close rival, he might have fought to the bitter end, or lain awake at night agonizing over his loss—Why didn’t I use that move?
That was why his defeat to Li Mo had haunted him for so long.
But from the moment Ying Bing broke through, his True Dragon Body and Sword Bone instincts told him one thing:
There was only one way not to lose to her.
And that was to slit his own throat before she struck.
He couldn’t understand it, but it was the truth.
"Is it over?"
"Probably..."
"I didn’t even see how Jiang Yu lost! What exactly did she do to win?"
"How shallow, to not even grasp that."
A mocking voice cut in from the side.
The criticized man frowned. "And what profound insight do you have?"
The woman spat out a melon seed shell, her expression smug.
"Do you even understand the weight of a Wife-Blessing Combat Soul?"
"Besides, if not for losing to Li Mo, she’d probably be the Hidden Dragon Ranking’s number one."
"Her mood right now must be... complicated."
As the battles on other stages concluded, the final round of the Hidden Dragon Tournament came to an end. Though the official rankings hadn’t been announced, everyone already knew the results.
Yet the voice that next rang out wasn’t the purple-robed eunuch’s.
It was Emperor Jingtai’s.
"The top three of this Hidden Dragon Tournament are Li Mo, Ying Bing, and Jiang Yu."
"Each generation brings forth its own talents—proof that our Great Yu is blessed by heaven and earth."
The emperor’s tone was calm, but none could miss the suppressed excitement beneath.
Cheers erupted uncontrollably across the inner and outer cities, the Rivers and Mountains Scroll radiating auspicious light, enveloping the imperial capital in celebration.
Hmm...
When Li Mo led Ying Bing onto the stage, he noticed the sea of spectators below was conspicuously short on cheers.
The nobility were obvious—their imperial family’s strongest contender had placed third. That they hadn’t stormed out in protest was already a miracle.
The common folk and martial artists all seemed dazed, still processing what they’d witnessed.
"Brother Li, you’re insane!"
"I hereby declare this place Little Overlord Square from now on!"
Only Murong Xiao, Huang Donglai, and Xiao Qin were whooping like wild dogs off their leashes.
So where were those thunderous roars coming from?
Li Mo glanced up at the Rivers and Mountains Scroll.
Ah.
So it was all special effects.
"Attendants, We shall personally confer their awards."
Emperor Jingtai descended, giving Jiang Yu a perfunctory acknowledgment before stopping before Ying Bing.
"As this tournament’s third rank, do you have any words, young lady?"
‘At least I’m not second—‘Li, the Third Rank’ just sounds weird...’
Li Mo squeezed Ying Bing’s slender hand, whispering:
"Your line, say your line."
Distracted, Ying Bing blurted out:
"I hope to beat him at night too."
...
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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!
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."
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
