Li Mo: "Young Lady, Interested in Dual Cultivation"

As the hour of Zi arrived, an extreme chill once again spread through the air.

This time, however, it permeated Li Mo's room.

Wherever the moonlight touched within the chamber, everything was painted in a snowy hue.

[Punishment for the defeated: Sharing a bed for one month.]

[Completion progress: 1/30.]

[Congratulations, Host, for fulfilling the punishment conditions. Rewards will be distributed in stages.]

[Next reward: Three vials of Emperor’s Nectar.]

Three vials of Emperor’s Nectar.

That would last her a long time, and even after using it, she would still reap the benefits.

The punishment seemed strict, but compared to the rewards, it almost felt insignificant.

At this thought, Ying Bing’s mind momentarily stalled.

If the subject of the punishment hadn’t been him…

Would she still feel the same way?

The steady, strong heartbeat and breathing beside her grew closer, clear and real, and the confusion in her heart seemed to dissipate bit by bit.

One thing was certain—she was definitely not in the midst of a tribulation for immortality.

"He probably isn’t conscious right now…"

Under the moonlight, Ying Bing studied the young man lying just inches away from her.

His features were gentle, his face as fair as jade, tinged with a faint flush from the alcohol.

With his refined and handsome appearance, he would look quite the scholarly type if dressed in Confucian robes.

Yet, the silly grin on his lips contrasted sharply with his usual clever and quick-witted nature.

Even lying beside her, his body radiated warmth, unaffected by the cold.

To speak without bias…

He was quite handsome.

And it was this very person who, through sheer coincidence and twists of fate, had usurped her place at the top.

Having lived two lives, he might be the only one who had ever surpassed her.

Even by Ying Bing’s standards, she had to admit—

Li Mo truly had what it took to stand among the prodigies.

But this would be the last time.

Next time…

Just then—

"Mmm…"

Suddenly, an arm draped over her, resting heavily on her body.

Li Mo had rather poor sleeping habits, often ending up in awkward positions.

"......"

...

This night felt endlessly long.

The next morning.

"Who am I?"

A certain young man surnamed Li blinked groggily as he stared at the ceiling, his mind blank rather than aching.

After a moment of emptiness, his memories finally trickled back.

He recalled drinking with his master last night.

"Alcohol and indulgence are truly dangerous."

"Starting today, I quit drinking!"

Li Mo swore to himself.

Sitting up, the familiar furnishings of the room struck him as odd.

And then there was that faint, familiar fragrance drifting into his nose…

Li Mo: "!"

If I slept here, where did the ice block sleep?

His ears twitched as he caught the sound of swordplay from downstairs.

Peering out the window, he saw that aloof figure, her sword moving in harmony with the falling petals.

The familiar ice block had returned.

[Congratulations, Host, for successfully helping Ying Bing regain her confidence.]

[Investment reward: "Phoenix Cries Over Heaven’s Marsh."]

Li Mo smiled in satisfaction.

Seems like last night’s motivational talk worked.

Young girls in their teens really do love stories—maybe he should tell more in the future…

This martial art, just from the name alone, was clearly no ordinary technique!

Still grinning, Li Mo checked the skill description—then his smile froze.

["Phoenix Cries Over Heaven’s Marsh": A dual-cultivation martial art with profound applications. Allows two individuals of similar cultivation levels to harmonize their spiritual intent. At higher levels, it can even manifest celestial phenomena.]

Li Mo: "......"

Such a dignified name, yet it’s a dual-cultivation technique?!

Who am I supposed to practice this with?! (Throws imaginary object.)

After flipping through the first few pages, however, Li Mo admitted he’d misunderstood.

While it was indeed dual-cultivation, it didn’t follow the path of Yin-Yang absorption. In fact, even individuals of the same gender could practice it, provided their compatibility was high enough.

But who should he practice with?

Li Mo headed downstairs and immediately saw Ying Bing finishing her sword practice, her gaze lifting to meet his.

The ice block?

Wait.

Speaking of which, if he slept here last night, where did she sleep?

"You drank too much last night," Ying Bing said softly.

"......"

Li Mo’s throat tightened.

He must have just gotten up to relieve himself and forgotten he’d changed rooms.

"Uh… I didn’t do anything inappropriate while drunk, did I?" Li Mo asked nervously.

Ying Bing shook her head. "You slept like the dead."

"That’s a relief."

Li Mo exhaled.

Thank goodness it was the ice block in the room—if it had been any other woman, things would’ve been complicated.

"How far have you gotten with those two sword manuals?"

True to form, Ying Bing didn’t dwell on last night’s events.

Li Mo nodded.

"Those two sword manuals were originally one, right?"

This conclusion was courtesy of Princess Little Jiang.

The girl had taken the manuals and, holding one in each hand, started practicing both the "Solar Wheel Sword Manual" and the "Lunar Radiance Sword Manual" simultaneously.

Upon realizing they were parts of a single technique, she’d excitedly rushed to tell him, thinking it was their master’s test.

"You figured it out."

Ying Bing’s tone was casual, but a flicker of emotion passed through her eyes.

"In that case, let’s use this sword technique for today’s sparring."

"......"

Li Mo fell into deep thought.

He hadn’t actually learned it yet.

A peerless sword technique like this would undoubtedly require a significant amount of martial insight. Even with the roughly 230 years’ worth he’d accumulated from acting as a middleman between Ying Bing and Princess Little Jiang, the cost would sting.

But some things were worth spending on.

If his swordsmanship didn’t keep up, he wouldn’t be able to keep earning rewards between the two of them.

"Give me a moment."

[Fifty years of martial insight successfully invested.]

[Year 1: Faced with the peerless sword technique, you made no progress, utterly lost on where to begin.]

[Year 8: You finally grasped the connection between the "Solar Wheel Sword Manual" and the "Lunar Radiance Sword Manual."]

[Year 12: You successfully merged the two sword techniques into the "Sun-Moon Crossed Swords."]

...

[Year 50: Your "Sun-Moon Crossed Swords" reached the initial mastery stage.]

As enlightenment filled his mind, Li Mo sighed softly.

Initial mastery was barely enough to use.

"Ready."

...

Half an hour later, the two sheathed their swords.

"We didn’t achieve spiritual harmony."

"At this rate, achieving perfect synchronization will be impossible in the short term."

Ying Bing lowered her gaze, clearly dissatisfied with their joint practice.

Strange.

Li Mo’s swordsmanship talent wasn’t lacking.

And he had indeed mastered a peerless sword technique in an impressively short time.

So why did their coordination feel so off?

For a moment, she couldn’t tell whether the issue lay with her or with Li Mo.

"Maybe we’re just not in sync enough."

Li Mo scratched his head.

He suspected the problem was mostly his own inadequacy—he just couldn’t keep up with Ying Bing’s level.

What to do?

Come to think of it, mastering this sword technique alongside Ying Bing should count as an investment, right?

The trouble was, even if he poured all his remaining martial insight into the "Sun-Moon Crossed Swords," it still wouldn’t be enough to reach perfection.

"Synchronicity requires spiritual harmony between two individuals…" Ying Bing mused.

Suddenly, inspiration struck Li Mo.

"I have a dual-cultivation technique that might help. Want to give it a try?"