Ice Block Without Xiao Li

The Eastern Palace.

"Your Highness, this servant has conveyed His Majesty's message. Please set off soon." The purple-robed eunuch bowed respectfully.

Jiang Yu's eyelid twitched as he asked, "What other edicts has my father issued?"

"Your Highness, this servant believes it would be best if you refrained from concerning yourself with state affairs for now..."

The eunuch initially hesitated, but under Jiang Yu's piercing gaze, he sighed and relented.

Even if he didn’t speak, as the Crown Prince, Jiang Yu would inevitably learn of the edicts elsewhere—after all, His Majesty's decrees were always announced in court.

Lowering his voice, the eunuch relayed the contents of the edict.

"Exiling Mother Empress to Pagoda Temple?" Jiang Yu’s brows furrowed tightly.

Whenever temples were mentioned, his mother would recoil in disgust. Even when His Majesty occasionally visited monasteries to offer incense, she would feign illness to avoid accompanying him.

"And he is personally overseeing the marriage arrangements, not merely bestowing a decree."

A mocking smile tugged at Jiang Yu’s lips. "Our father has never shown much care for his own children’s affairs, yet he goes out of his way for an outsider..."

"Your Highness, it would be best to depart soon." The eunuch’s hair stood on end, his voice trembling.

He feared hearing words unfit for the Emperor’s ears—words that, if unreported, would anger His Majesty, yet if reported, would incur the future Emperor’s wrath.

......

Pagoda Temple.

The convoy escorting Chu Ge had just come to a halt. A palace maid attended to the pale-faced Empress, whispering,

"His Majesty is truly heartless. Your Majesty is still weak from illness, your health not yet restored, and yet he sends you to this desolate place of solitary prayer and cold incense."

"What is that commotion outside?" Empress Chu Ge’s voice was indeed frail.

"Replying to Your Majesty, it is the monks from the Hanging Temple and the Dragon-Elephant Temple. They came for a debate on Buddhist doctrine and have just concluded."

"And the outcome?"

"A young monk left the others speechless."

Hoping to lift Chu Ge’s spirits, the maid animatedly recounted,

"The monks from Dragon-Elephant Temple were no match in rhetoric—defeated in mere exchanges, they nearly resorted to violence in frustration. But there was one monk, Dharma name Zang’ai, who claimed to have heard a few questions from a friend and posed them to the senior monks of Pagoda Temple for enlightenment."

At the mention of Murong Xiao’s name, Chu Ge’s brows knitted together, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

"What did he ask?"

"Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?"

"He is Zang’ai, of course. Beyond his Dharma name, he has a secular identity..." Chu Ge trailed off, her gaze distant.

Unaware of the Empress’s shift in mood, the maid continued chattering,

"The monks of Pagoda Temple answered similarly, but the Zang’ai monk retorted—he could be called Zang’ai, anyone could be called Zang’ai. It was merely a label. If stripped of this label, who was he truly?"

"Who is he... Who am I..."

Chu Ge murmured to herself, her eyes suddenly glazing over.

Her pallid cheeks began to darken—a sign of decay...

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you—" The maid was terrified.

"Amitabha... Your Majesty, you have lost yourself."

A solemn chant arose, its golden scripture-like resonance carrying a purifying radiance that cleansed the soul.

At the temple’s entrance stood a monk of dignified bearing, though his stature was short, his face broad, and his features oddly compressed—like an ill-proportioned Maitreya.

The soothing Buddhist chant snapped Chu Ge back to awareness, her complexion returning to normal.

Her sharp gaze returned. "That Zang’ai monk—is he a disciple of Hanging Temple?"

"Indeed, but the debate was not a loss for our temple."

The short monk clasped his hands. "The Zang’ai monk’s secular name is Murong Xiao, a close friend of the renowned Young Hero Li of the imperial capital. Those three questions were originally posed by Young Hero Li."

"Him again..."

Empress Chu Ge smirked coldly.

Her defeat this time stemmed from one oversight—failing to account for that young man.

No matter how brilliant or talented, what waves could he possibly stir? Back then, Jingtai was peerless in brilliance, nearly rivaling Emperor Wu the Great Ancestor—yet without reaching the Seventh Realm, he was nothing more than a pawn.

Yet, against all expectations, it was precisely such a person who...

At least, he would soon be dead.

"Your Majesty has long disapproved of Buddhism’s spread in Great Yu. Would you care to hear this humble monk speak of the Dharma?"

"Emperor Wu eradicated Buddhism, yet His Majesty shows such enthusiasm for its rituals."

"The Buddha seeks only to guide all beings to the other shore. The Buddhist faith is no one’s enemy, Your Majesty."

......

Li Mo regained consciousness, but he knew he was not yet awake—his body felt no pain.

Around him, countless voices and surreal visions swirled, a kaleidoscope of colors and illusions.

"Where is this?"

"Am I dreaming, or have I actually kicked the bucket...?"

Just as confusion set in—

[Hello, Host. This system is still operational.]

[You have multiple unclaimed rewards. The system will prioritize displaying the highest-value items.]

Hearing the system’s voice, Li Mo inexplicably felt at ease.

Encased in moonlight, he roughly grasped his situation—likely, the "ice block" (Ying Bing) had used some method to preserve his physical body.

Right now, she was probably figuring out how to save him.

Speaking of which, since the system was still here...

The rewards this time must be unprecedented, right?

"The system’s always reliable. Hope the rewards are exactly what I need..."

Li Mo exhaled in relief, no longer fearing that he might never wake up or that his martial cultivation would be lost upon awakening.

[Host may rest assured. System products are guaranteed to be top-tier, tailored to your needs.]

"Good."

Though unable to claim them yet, Li Mo decided to preview the rewards.

[Congratulations, Host, for successfully aiding ‘Ying Bing’ in avoiding entrapment during the collapse of the Heavenly Phoenix Domain.]

[Investment return: Dragon-Phoenix Primordial Divine Pill!]

The words before his eyes shimmered with radiant brilliance!

"Dragon-Phoenix... Primordial... Divine Pill!"

In his ethereal state, Li Mo leaned back slightly.

Just listen to that domineering name.

Just look at that maxed-out special effect!

The system never exaggerated—this pill would live up to its title, a genuine divine-grade elixir!

Elder Xue once mentioned that divine pills had not appeared in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths for years. Even if some still existed, the factions possessing them dared not flaunt them.

Such treasures, born of heaven-defying craftsmanship, might not even be safe in the hands of a Seventh-Realm expert.

"Sounds like it’s good for reconstructing the body. Am I saved?"

[Not just body reconstruction—it also has miraculous effects on nurturing the soul.]

The system confirmed his thoughts.

"Then I’ll take it as soon as I wake up—"

[Host, friendly reminder: you probably shouldn’t.]

"Why?" Li Mo was baffled.

[This pill is indeed for body and soul reconstruction, but it’s best suited for women.]

"Since when?"

Young Li was perplexed. "Whatever, let me check the detailed description."

After a brief pause, the system displayed the text:

[Dragon-Phoenix Primordial Divine Pill]: "Upon consumption, the next pregnancy will guaranteed result in twins—one boy, one girl. Congratulations on completing your family in one go!"

"Note: This divine pill transcends cultivation realms. Once taken, even a female emperor or immortal would bear twins without fail!"

Li Mo: "..."

Oh, so this is how you forge a physical body and nurture the true spirit.

Why don't you just drop the "Primordial" from its name and call it the Twin Divine Dragon-Phoenix Elixir instead!