Half an hour later, the skies over the imperial capital finally cleared, and the three suns emerged once more from behind the clouds.
Yet the once-bustling celebration grounds had now turned solemn and tense. Everyone present was subjected to interrogation by the Sky Patrol Guards, and the slightest suspicion would lead to immediate detainment.
The civil and military officials, as well as the various sects, remained silent—even the dimmest among them could sense the palpable tension in the imperial city.
Most still had no idea what had transpired within the Rivers and Mountains Painting, nor why the two sides had suddenly ceased hostilities.
Even less did they know how events would unfold from here...
The Rivers and Mountains Painting still hung high in the sky.
And the Celestial City remained open.
Li Mo had used fine wine to pacify his beautiful master, ensuring she wouldn’t cause trouble, then helped Huang Donglai verify his identity before finally finding time to think.
"Since an agreement has been reached, will the participants for the Celestial Trials be changed?"
"Huh? Brother Li, you still want to enter the Celestial City?"
Huang Donglai wore a grave expression as he handed an antidote to the eagerly waiting, pig-headed Lan Tian before continuing,
"This matter involves the imperial court, the Demon Summoning Sect, and the machinations of the Eighth Realm. The situation is treacherous and ever-shifting—one misstep could mean utter ruin."
"Ah, right—why haven’t you fled yet?"
Li Mo snapped back to reality, surprised that Old Huang was still here.
Lan Tian subtly shifted her gaze, eyeing this overly cautious "Flying Poison Two-Faced Turtle."
Huang Donglai rubbed the back of his head, warily scanning his surroundings before sighing when he found no eavesdroppers.
"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t even be in the imperial capital."
"Same."
Li Mo nodded in agreement.
Following his gaze, Huang Donglai spotted Ying Bing in the distance. He opened his mouth to say something but ultimately held back.
At that moment, the purple-robed eunuch who had presided over the celebration earlier emerged from the crowd.
He bowed slightly.
"Young Hero Li, Lady Ying, this way, please."
This eunuch served Emperor Jingtai—there was no need to ask who had summoned them.
Emperor Jingtai wants to see me and the ice block?
Li Mo didn’t dwell on it. After exchanging a glance with Ying Bing, he nodded and followed the eunuch.
This was his first time entering the imperial palace.
The entire palace complex was a sprawling expanse of towering halls, now heavily guarded with sentries at every turn.
As they walked deeper, the path became lined with exotic flora—purple wisteria cascading with radiant light, starry forget-me-nots shimmering with celestial glow—an overwhelming feast for the eyes.
Unlike the palace attendants who kept their heads down, afraid to glance at anything improperly, Li Mo boldly took in the sights with curiosity.
Ying Bing, however, remained composed, her gaze fixed ahead with cool detachment.
Suddenly, her eyes flickered as she spotted a wooden stick by the roadside.
"Hm?"
Li Mo felt a poke at his waist.
Turning, he saw Ying Bing holding a straight, long stick, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Whoa, Ice Block, where’d you find this divine sword?!"
"Just picked it up from the roadside."
"Let me try it!"
Young Li’s eyes lit up as he took the "divine sword," adopting Ying Bing’s signature icy expression.
With a melancholic sigh, he muttered, "The road is long, and only the sword accompanies me," before launching into a flurry of slashes and spins in the imperial garden—his own rendition of a "Blade Tempest."
"Good heavens, Young Hero Li—oh, my dear ancestor!"
"Hm?"
"These are rare and precious flowers gathered from across the land! If you ruin them, His Majesty will hold me accountable—"
"What, a radish convention?"
"??? Young Hero, how old are you? Stop this nonsense!"
The purple-robed eunuch broke into a cold sweat, desperately looking to Ying Bing for help.
Lady Frost, say something! Control him!
But then he remembered—Ying Bing had been the one to hand him the "sword" in the first place.
Lady Frost, if you won’t stop him, why are you enabling his childishness?!
Before the eunuch could catch his breath, the sight that greeted him next nearly scared his soul out of his body.
In the Peony Pavilion of the imperial garden stood Emperor Jingtai, clad in dragon robes, his imperial crown removed, his hair tied back with an onyx band. His expression was stern as he studied Li Mo with hands clasped behind his back.
"You’ve come," he said.
"......"
Instead of prostrating himself or ceasing his antics, the young swordsman met the emperor’s gaze with equal solemnity.
"You knew I would come?"
Emperor Jingtai paused, then sighed.
"You shouldn’t have."
"But here I am."
Purple-Robed Eunuch: "?"
What kind of script is this?!
"Since you’re here, you must believe you can defeat me. Draw your sword."
"Very well—have at you!"
Purple-Robed Eunuch: "????"
Wait, when His Majesty told you to strike, you actually attacked?!
What’s happening?! Should I scream for the guards?!
At that moment, the young swordsman leapt into the air, his "divine sword" moving like a phantom—an impeccable strike descending from the heavens.
Yet two hands intercepted it like an inescapable net, drawing all force into their grasp.
Clap!
Emperor Jingtai performed an "Empty Hand Catches the Blade"!
The two locked eyes, but it was the emperor who laughed first.
"Where did you find such a fine sword? Perhaps you’d consider gifting it to me."
"It was always yours, Your Majesty. It was merely waiting in the garden until Ying Bing helped me discover it."
"......"
Emperor Jingtai studied Li Mo and Ying Bing—one bright and unrestrained, the other serene and composed—yet together, they formed an oddly harmonious pair.
His smile turned wistful. "Never mind. You keep it. I’ve held it once, but it was never truly mine to possess."
"Many thanks for Your Majesty’s generosity!"
The young swordsman accepted without hesitation, happier than if he’d been granted a golden token of imperial favor.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, are you unharmed?!"
The eunuch rushed forward in a panic.
"In my youth, I too roamed the martial world with some renown. It’s been too long since I last moved my limbs—this was a welcome exercise."
"Indeed, Your Majesty’s martial prowess is extraordinary."
Li Mo gave a thumbs-up.
Emperor Jingtai returned to his seat, his demeanor turning serious.
"With you two representing Great Yu, I can rest easy."
"Why still choose us?"
Ying Bing, as if sensing something in the emperor’s bearing, voiced the question lingering in Li Mo’s mind.
The struggle for the Celestial City had escalated into a conflict between Great Yu and the resurrected Blood God—no longer just a reward or trial for the top three talents.
Great Yu had no shortage of mighty experts, while they were merely at the Third Realm.
After a pause, Emperor Jingtai replied,
"There’s no harm in telling you. Old Granny Yantian recommended you both to me. At first, I thought the burden too great for you."
A faint smile returned to his face.
"But just now, I realized the old granny was right—you two are perfect for this."
"If the Celestial City could be unlocked by sheer power, it wouldn’t have remained adrift in the Rivers and Mountains Painting for so long."
So the challenge of the Celestial City isn’t tied to cultivation level?
Li Mo considered the possibility.
"Go to the Mountain and River Hall and await further instructions. Do not disappoint me."
"We won’t fail our mission."
Li Mo straightened, his playful demeanor replaced by resolve.
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)
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!
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
