You have really caused us great suffering...

Bing Tuozi (Ice Block) didn’t even know what she was saying, but Li Mo heard every word clearly.

As everyone knew, Li Mo was no longer the same as before—his martial prowess had long since surpassed his humble beginnings. Moves like "Plucking the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea" came to him as naturally as breathing.

He wrapped an arm around Bing Tuozi’s waist and lifted her into a bridal carry.

Strange.

Why did she feel noticeably softer than before? The way she fit snugly against him was seamless... and the rippling autumn waters in her eyes made him want to hold her tighter, made his teeth itch with the urge to—

Li Mo’s mouth seemed to have a mind of its own, wanting to bury his face in her and take a bite.

“Wait.” Ying Bing snapped out of her daze and pressed a hand against his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Li Mo looked utterly serious, as if eating ice was some sacred, solemn ritual.

“Your blood is still on my clothes. They’re unwashed.” Bing Tuozi clutched her oversized doll, her fingers curling nervously despite her icy demeanor.

Li Mo glanced at her chest and coughed lightly. “Actually, I wasn’t that hungry. Just had an itch in my teeth.”

“Make a pot of spicy ginger chicken feet tonight. Stick your fingers in and scratch it out.”

“I don’t think chicken feet will do the trick.”

Without missing a beat, Li Mo summoned his Nimbus Cloud.

Now that he was a towering, albeit childish, figure, even his Nimbus Cloud had upgraded—shimmering with iridescent hues, looking far more impressive.

Ying Bing pressed her lips together, forcing her focus elsewhere.

“The imperial mausoleum leads directly beyond Qingyuan, but there’s a formation. I’ll guide you.”

“Got it.”

The cloud carried them away, leaving behind—

Xue Jing, still standing in place: “?”

Shang Wu, who had just crawled out of the tomb chamber: “?”

Fourth Realm experts? Top of the Hidden Dragon Ranking? The famed "Liqun Swordmaster"? And they couldn’t even notice two whole people disappearing?!

...

“Feels like we forgot something...”

Above the sea of clouds, the bright moon cast a silver glow over the mist-shrouded Qingyuan Mountains, making it seem as if they’d reached the edge of the world.

Cicadas hummed, and a gentle breeze brushed past.

Having just broken through to the next realm, Li Mo felt the sky was limitless, the world his for the taking.

But then he looked down.

And saw her dark hair dancing in the wind, her cold, peerless beauty softened by the moonlight.

Suddenly, the height of the heavens and the depth of the earth didn’t matter so much.

Who wouldn’t be mesmerized by this?

Who could’ve imagined that the woman in his arms—the one revered as a deity, feared as a taboo in the Lunar Abyss—would look at him like this?

Speaking of which, what realm was this version of Bing Tuozi at?

“Fourth Realm... Is my Inner World stable?”

Li Mo hadn’t expected to break through like this.

“It’s quite dashing.”

“?”

“I’ve never seen an Inner World like yours. But judging by its anomalies, aside from suppressing others’, it must have other unique properties.”

Ying Bing nestled against him, explaining some fundamental martial principles about Inner Worlds—things Shang Wu had definitely never taught him.

“Once you reach the Inner World stage, it’s divided into nine layers. You must attune yourself to heaven and earth, forging a connection between your Inner World and the natural world. Achieving harmony between man and nature will double your progress.”

“Harmony isn’t hard for you—you’ve been capable of it for a while. But there’s one thing that worries me.”

“Across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, there seems to be no Dao that aligns with your Inner World. You might have to walk a far more difficult path—”

Mid-sentence, Ying Bing paused. Li Mo’s heartbeat was growing louder, more frantic.

And wait—his Nimbus Cloud could traverse thousands of miles in an instant. Why were they still in the sky after so long?

She looked up and realized Li Mo hadn’t been listening at all. Instead, he was staring at her chest like a starving man who hadn’t eaten in days.

“......What’s wrong with you?”

Ying Bing’s eyes flickered.

Li Mo replied casually, “Oh, I haven’t eaten anything lately, and I just broke through. So now I’m a hungry man.”

“Then why are you staring at me?”

“Looking at you makes me think of delicious things. Ever heard of ‘beauty that could be a feast’? I think there’s some truth to that phrase.”

What was the definition of a peerless beauty?

So yes, "beauty that could be a feast" was perfectly valid.

Li Mo’s mastery of language was, as always, impeccable.

“?”

Ying Bing turned her head, watching the distant palace grow smaller, and murmured,

“We seem to be getting farther away.”

“Impossible. You don’t know the way, Bing Tuozi. Just trust me.”

“But it’s been so long. We could’ve run there by now.”

“Huh... Could I actually be lost?”

“Everyone’s waiting at the main peak. They might come looking for us soon.”

If someone did come looking, and Li Mo’s mouth acted on its own impulses—

That would be disastrous.

“Ah?”

In the end, Li Mo steered the cloud back to Qingyuan Sect’s main peak.

He genuinely hadn’t known everyone was gathered there. While the sect was busy discussing their plans to enlist the Southern Border’s demon tribes and martial artists as guardians, Li Mo had been too busy staring at the Bing Tuozi who wasn’t in the Lunar Abyss.

Huh?

Facing the bewildered crowd, Li Mo coughed and gently set Ying Bing down, assuming the demeanor of a righteous gentleman.

“Young Hero Li, you and Lady Han just now...”

“She’s tired.”

“He’s hungry.”

They spoke in unison.

The Southern Border demons gasped: “Ah?”

The martial artists who’d come as guardians coughed awkwardly: “Ahem...”

Shang Qinqing and Qin Yuzhi’s grins widened: “Heh, hehehe...”

The Qingyuan Sect elders sighed.

The moment they saw Shang Wu and Xue Jing return without the younger two, they’d had an inkling of what was happening.

Li Dalong and his wife exchanged glances. Whether their son would sleep in his own room tonight was uncertain—but one thing was clear: he wouldn’t be sleeping alone. Should they move out for a while?

Li Mo solemnly bowed to the crowd.

“Today, I must thank everyone...”

But faced with so many familiar faces, the words caught in his throat.

He could spin tales and playact with the best of them, but when it came to genuine gratitude, he didn’t know what to say.

“Hahaha! We’re all warriors here, Young Hero Li. Why so shy after breaking through?”

“No need for words. We did nothing today—just witnessed a spectacle. No need to dwell on it.”

“Just invite us to the wedding banquet someday.”

“Is the Li Manor too small? Can it fit all of us? Ugh... I’ll have to buy the neighboring estates...”

“So what happens when a True Dragon and a True Phoenix unite? What kind of bloodline would that produce?”

The crowd ran with the momentum, teasing mercilessly.

Ying Bing maintained her aloof facade, though her lips pressed tightly together betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

Li Mo, who’d been ravenous earlier, now found himself at a loss against their enthusiasm.

He turned to the Prince of the Southern Border and asked with utmost seriousness:

“Your Highness came from the imperial capital. Did His Majesty send any rewards?”

“Ah, you’ve asked the right person.”

The prince mused that this kid had sharp eyes—how did he even know?

He reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll of yellow parchment.