"Who am I? Where am I?"
It felt like an eternity had passed, yet perhaps only an instant.
Outside the window, the same cold moon hung in the sky, casting its pale light over the frozen stream.
Inside the chamber, Li Mo opened his eyes in confusion.
The vast, primordial visions from before still lingered in his mind, refusing to fade, nearly overwhelming his senses.
Now, only one sensation dominated his awareness:
Hunger.
Not the hunger of the stomach, but a deep, soul-deep craving.
Instinctively, he retrieved a vial of Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Vein Spirit Milk and gulped it down in one go.
The essence of the earth veins surged into his dantian, absorbed by his thirty-six primary meridians before converging into his core, bringing a sensation akin to parched land finally blessed with rain.
"Ah..."
Wiping his lips, Li Mo finally regained his composure and recalled what had just happened.
He had used the Heavenly Scripture Seal to refine a martial technique.
He had elevated a divine martial art, transforming it into a single petal of a lotus.
"That technique... I’m not even sure if it can still be called a martial art anymore."
The feeling was strange.
Li Mo understood its essence, yet he found no way to articulate it.
Words failed him.
Every method he knew for conveying knowledge seemed utterly inadequate to describe what the technique embodied.
Then, he noticed something unusual.
Quickly, he focused his attention inward, toward his dantian.
There,
a faint wisp of energy hovered, almost tangible.
Pale red in hue, like an eternal flame that had burned since time immemorial, never extinguishing.
Inner Breath!?
This time, his Inner Breath hadn’t vanished!
"A whole vial of Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Vein Spirit Milk, and all I got was this tiny strand?"
Li Mo couldn’t help but laugh wryly.
Now he finally understood the purpose of those thirty-six meridians.
Without them working in unison to refine the earth vein essence, even this single wisp of Inner Breath would have been impossible to condense.
Raising a finger,
the strand of Inner Breath manifested at his fingertip.
It held no heat, no discernible aura.
With a flick,
the wisp shot out the window, landing on the frozen stream.
Miraculously, it began to burn.
The ice was ignited.
Yet, it didn’t melt into water.
The flickering flames reflected in Li Mo’s widened eyes, mirroring his astonishment.
"If I don’t recall it, it’ll keep burning like this."
"Until the entire stream is consumed..."
"This Inner Breath doesn’t just burn ice—it can even consume other ‘flames’..."
A realization dawned upon him.
No other martial artist’s Inner Breath could boast such an outrageous property.
At best, theirs might be tougher or more lethal.
But his? It could incinerate all things—only a matter of time.
"So... how exactly did this Inner Breath fit inside my body?"
Li Mo had stumbled upon the critical question.
Well.
This could only be attributed to the wonders of his Profound Yin Immortal Physique.
"Regardless, I’ve finally reached the Inner Breath realm."
A weight lifted from Li Mo’s heart.
He still had twelve vials of Earth Vein Spirit Milk left.
Setting aside three—two for his parents, one for emergencies—he decided to dedicate the remaining nine to cultivation.
Enough talk. Time to charge ahead!
......
Upstairs.
The room was suffused with a snowy hue, every surface coated in frost.
The finely crafted bed had cracked under the extreme cold.
Ying Bing’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.
A faint ripple of Inner Breath pulsed around her.
Even now, she was harnessing the restless Lunar Qi to cultivate.
The process was agonizing, but the rewards were immense.
The Lunar Essence—supremely cold, supremely gentle.
While it withered all things, it also concealed the seeds of rebirth.
This was why her physique far surpassed others of her realm.
"The time... should be about right."
Ying Bing lifted her gaze to the bright moon hanging high in the sky.
Midnight.
Right on schedule, the system chimed with a notification:
[Scanning the Eastern Wasteland Domain to compile a list of all prodigies...]
[Conducting combat power comparisons for the host...]
The system performed both tasks simultaneously.
In truth, the list alone sufficed.
If her name topped it, nothing else needed to be said.
"Haah..."
A breath laced with ice crystals escaped her lips as a trace of focus settled on her jade-like features.
Not out of concern for her position, but curiosity.
Aside from Li Mo,
would anyone else in this life defy her expectations?
And where would that youth, so different from his past incarnation, rank?
In the bone-chilling cold, time seemed to lose all meaning.
[Ding—]
[Initial ranking results announced.]
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 50th Place: Lin Jiang.]
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 49th Place: Zhao Qin.]
...
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 30th Place: Murong Xiao.]
...
As the system’s words materialized line by line, Ying Bing’s expression returned to its usual serenity.
The rankings did deviate slightly from her memories.
Lin Jiang, Murong Xiao...
Coincidentally, both seemed acquainted with Li Mo?
His name hadn’t appeared yet.
Not surprising.
Li Mo’s swordsmanship had been learned from her, after all.
And today’s clash had even revealed something she hadn’t anticipated.
His rank would surely land within the top twenty.
The system’s announcements continued.
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 20th Place: Xiao Qin.]
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 19th Place: Mei Ziguang.]
...
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 14th Place: Luo Yu.]
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 13th Place: Zuo Qiuyang.]
...
Gradually, some names began to stir recognition in Ying Bing’s mind.
Some had risen to prominence in the Eastern Wasteland Domain in her past life, while others had ventured to the Central Divine Land, leaving their mark on the grand stage of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Luo Yu, for instance, had led the Blazing Jade Valley to supremacy in Purple Sun Prefecture after the decline of the Qingyuan Sect.
Zuo Qiuyang had claimed victory in the Abyssal Trials, later becoming a dreaded assassin under the banner of the Misty Rain Pavilion.
All were figures of extraordinary talent.
As for the top ten? They were true dragons among men.
A thought flickered through Ying Bing’s mind.
Li Mo’s absence meant only one thing.
He had broken into the top ten.
No—even higher.
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 5th Place: Zhong Zhenyue.]
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 4th Place: Han Zhen.]
[Eastern Wasteland Domain Prodigy Ranking, 3rd Place: Shang Li.]
At this, a rare trace of bewilderment flashed in Ying Bing’s serene eyes.
These individuals had all carved their names into the annals of history, rising as titans amidst the tides of fate.
Shang Li, the last crown prince of the Great Shang Dynasty, had wielded the remnants of his fallen kingdom’s fortune to stage a dramatic resurgence.
Han Zhen was an enigma—his meteoric ascent and martial arts, seemingly out of sync with the current era, hinted at an inheritance from an ancient lineage.
For Li Mo to surpass them, placing only beneath her?
The thought had barely formed when—
Ying Bing’s mind froze.
Her tranquil eyes widened in shock.
[Eastern Wasteland Domain's Heavenly Pride Ranking, Second Place: Ying Bing.]
She saw herself.
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
