Cold Fairy Learned to Hang the Stars

The sun hung high, casting its golden rays over the lush greenery of the Qingyuan Mountain Range, where the sea of trees swayed in the breeze.

Instead of riding a somersault cloud, Li Mo walked hand-in-hand with the "ice block" (Ying Bing), strolling leisurely toward Dan Ding Peak. The vibrant summer scenery was too beautiful to go unappreciated.

A gentle breeze carried faint floral fragrances to their noses. Bathed in sunlight, Ying Bing’s hairpins and ornaments shimmered, though they paled in comparison to the brilliance in her eyes—like a proud, aloof divine cat basking in the sun.

Over a year had passed, yet the young woman’s appearance remained largely unchanged.

Li Mo still remembered how unapproachable she had once been, her demeanor icy to the core, as if her very soul radiated frost.

Back then, the young Li Mo could never have dreamed that one day, she would gently coax him, her hand tightly gripping his without the slightest intention of letting go.

'Mastering multiple Great Daos affects emotions and desires... and Ying Bing was also influenced by Ying Huang...'

Li Mo suddenly understood the origin of that coldness.

To avoid being swayed by the Great Daos, she had embraced detachment—only to become the Celestial Phoenix Empress, yet by then...

Fortunately, the one before him now was not the version of Ying Bing without him.

"I want ice..."

"Hm?"

Ying Bing snapped out of her thoughts, her crimson lips pursing slightly. "What did you say you wanted?"

"Ice."

"Popsicles? I remember you like those. We could make some this summer and store them in the Autumn Water Pavilion."

With a deadpan expression, Ying Bing rambled on nonsensically, earnestly discussing what shapes to make the popsicles this time.

She looked even more serious than when she had been analyzing the fate of the nation earlier—except she couldn’t bring herself to meet the childish fool’s gaze.

Lately, the way Li Mo looked at her had grown increasingly... hungry. The clothes from last night were still hidden away, too embarrassing to wash. If she met his eyes now, she feared...

One more glance, and she might melt.

"Let’s make milk popsicles. They’re simple, tasty, and I like them too."

"Where do we get the milk?"

"The new batch of spirit beasts at Rare Beast Peak might have some. We can ask when we pass by."

"I’ve never seen you drink milk before..."

"Ah, by the way, where did the imperial decree go?"

Though they had agreed to head to Dan Ding Peak, the two spent most of the day wandering around the Qingyuan Sect. Truthfully, neither had explored every corner of the sect.

Take Luoxia Peak, for instance—bathed in perpetual twilight. After Ying Bing absorbed the Phoenix Aura, the auroras had vanished, but the morning and evening glows remained breathtaking. There were also countless scenic spots beyond the nine main peaks.

At this moment, Li Mo desperately wished for a bicycle.

Under the warm sun, walking hand-in-hand through dappled shadows amid the cicadas’ chorus—if only he could ride a bike with Ying Bing on the back, this path would stretch as endlessly as time itself.

Was this what Ying Bing meant by "journeying through countless mountains and rivers"?

While they admired the scenery, they themselves became the view for many Qingyuan disciples—like the warm sun and cold moon suspended in the heavens.

Thanks to them, the Qingyuan Sect had grown livelier than ever, attracting countless visitors, including scions of noble families.

"Is that Senior Brother Li and Senior Sister Ying?"

"Damn... I thought The Domineering Empress Falls for Me was the peak of fantasy, but here’s the real-life version!"

"The animated adaptation in the collector’s edition was good, but nothing beats seeing them in person."

"Hey, as juniors, how much should we contribute for their wedding gift?"

"Just bring your own chopsticks. Senior Brother Li famously has no concept of money... and he’s an amazing cook. If there’s a banquet, he’ll definitely prepare it himself."

"Wait, what?"

......

By noon, Li Mo and Ying Bing finally arrived at Dan Ding Peak.

The place had changed significantly—new alchemy chambers had been added, the air thick with the scent of herbs and furnace flames. Novice disciples clanged away at their cauldrons, the scene bustling with energy.

It was so lively, one might mistake it for a culinary academy.

A grand archway stood at the entrance, inscribed: "Five Years of Cooking, Three Years of Alchemy."

In the courtyard at the peak’s summit, the Dragon-Tiger Furnace billowed steam. Having recently broken through to the Outer Realm, Elder Xue Jing had devoted himself even more fervently to alchemy.

Boom—

The furnace lid spiraled into the sky with a resounding explosion.

"What’s missing for a Divine Pill?" Xue Jing stroked his beard, sighing as he peered at Tang Xiaobao inside the furnace.

Generations of effort had been poured into this endeavor. In the end, it was Li Mo’s serendipitous assistance that helped Tang Xiaobao unlock eight of the nine crucial meridians.

The ninth was exponentially harder, for a complete Nine-Aperture Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill was no ordinary elixir—it was a Divine Pill.

"Ah, Junior Brother Li!"

Tang Xiaobao crawled out of the furnace, wiping his soot-streaked face into a grin.

Li Mo nodded. "Still refining cunning, huh?"

"Yeah, still missing some." Tang Xiaobao’s expression soured.

"This poor kid..."

Xue Jing shook his head. "It seems this old man will never refine a Divine Pill in this lifetime."

"Elder Xue, you’re a genius of alchemy. Now that you’ve broken through, your lifespan has increased. Keep at it—you’ll find a way."

"But without even a direction... No one knows what a Divine Pill truly looks like. The records are scarce, and the legends contradict each other."

Divine Pill...

Li Mo paused, suddenly recalling something. "I’ve seen one."

"What?"

Xue Jing perked up instantly, voice trembling with excitement. "Where? In the Imperial Capital? Who has it? Can you negotiate for me to see it, just once?"

Divine Pills were unlike Divine Weapons.

Divine Weapons endured long after their wielders perished, but pills were consumed—gone in an instant. Who would keep a Divine Pill as an heirloom, inviting bloodshed? Most would swallow it the moment they got it.

"No need for that. You can examine it, but I’ll need it back. I only have one, and it’s... reserved."

"???"

Xue Jing’s face stiffened.

Li Mo handed him a crystal case, sealed with talismans. A rhythmic pulse echoed from within, accompanied by faint phoenix cries and dragon roars.

"Elder Xue, if it were any other Divine Pill, I’d give it to you. But this one has a purpose—it’s not for me..."

"Then who is it for?"

Xue Jing followed Li Mo’s gaze to the side.

"?"

Ying Bing studied the box, sensing something off about Li Mo’s tone—almost guilty.

"What does this Divine Pill do?"

"I’m no alchemist. How would I know?"

Li Mo coughed lightly, feigning nonchalance.

"Then allow this old man to study it!"

Xue Jing clutched the box like a treasure, dragging Tang Xiaobao toward a quiet chamber, each step brimming with urgency.

"That Elder Xue..." Li Mo chuckled wryly, climbing into the Dragon-Tiger Furnace.

The moment he settled in, he frowned.

"With Elder Xue gone... who’ll refine my Profound Pill now?"

He glanced at the other Dan Ding Peak disciples. Clearly, none of them could craft even a Profound Pill—something so rare it required a lantern to find.

Hell, even Elder Xue had struggled before his breakthrough.

The disciples exchanged uneasy looks.

Just then, as Ying Bing puzzled over why the Divine Pill was meant for her and what it did, she suddenly—

"Childish fool."

"Uh... huh?"

"Let me help you with that."

"Ice block, you know how to do this?"

"Didn't you say it's similar to cooking?"

"!"