Observing the Divine Fundamental Diagram, the Enraged Crowd of Burning Jade Forest

"Are you...?"

"Picking... picking up trash."

"But I haven’t left yet."

"Hammer King... doesn’t seem... like a bad person."

Jiang Chulong first poked Liu Heng with a small branch, confirming that he was indeed dead—limp as mud—before letting out a relieved sigh.

If he was dead, and no one wanted his belongings, then they were trash.

And trash was fair game for her to take.

Jiang Chulong timidly raised her head again, her hopeful little eyes glimmering.

"...Go ahead."

Li Mo’s lips twitched slightly before he asked,

"You’re not afraid of me, but aren’t you worried about running into other bad people?"

"I’ve... met them before..."

"When they’re bad... I use this... to hit them."

She waved the little branch in her hand, then used it to pick through Liu Heng’s belongings one by one, her excitement evident.

After all, she usually only found scattered, unwanted scraps—rarely this much loot.

Li Mo fell silent.

So this was what you meant by "practicing swordplay while picking up trash"?

For her to have survived this long, her luck must be incredible.

Wait...

Maybe it wasn’t just luck.

After a moment of thought, he spoke gravely,

"Don’t come out to scavenge for a while. The city isn’t safe right now."

"But if I don’t... I won’t... have money."

"What do you need money for?"

"To buy... cloth... for clothes."

"Is this enough now?"

Li Mo watched as she fished out a few crumpled silver notes from Liu Heng’s pockets.

"Enough... enough."

Jiang Chulong nodded earnestly.

"Then hurry home."

After a pause, Li Mo added, "But you can’t have this."

With a flick of his inner energy, he snatched the small statue she had just picked up.

"Thank you... Hammer King..."

"I’ll go now."

Jiang Chulong was delighted, even giving a little wave before tiptoeing away.

Her thin, small figure vanished into the night like a wisp of straw carried off by the wind.

"I should go see her soon," Li Mo thought to himself.

Maybe tomorrow?

He stepped out of the alley.

Behind him, Liu Heng’s corpse—its organs crushed into pulp, sprawled like mud—silently burst into flames, quickly turning to white ash.

He never got to experience the hammer’s destructive inner energy.

If he were still alive, he might have regretted that.

......

Back at the hotpot restaurant, second floor.

[Congratulations, Host. You successfully invested in ‘Luo Yao’ and saved her life.]

[Reward: Named Artifact—Jade Sword Peach Blossom Branch.]

[Jade Sword Peach Blossom Branch]: "Once, a master of the sword path glimpsed enlightenment amidst a peach blossom grove. On a whim, they plucked a branch and wielded it as a blade—thus, a Named Artifact was born."

A jade-like branch materialized in his palm, adorned with three fresh peach blossoms, as if just plucked.

When inner energy flowed into it, faint traces of sharpness shimmered along its length.

Unlike forged weapons, this branch seemed naturally formed—undoubtedly a top-tier Named Artifact.

"Suits Chulong well."

"I’ll give it to her when she’s close to breaking through to the Inner Breath realm."

Unconsciously, Li Mo’s lips curled slightly.

Stowing the Jade Sword Peach Blossom Branch away, he retrieved another item from his robes—a grotesque statue of a bat-like demon, its four wings spread, its visage horrifying.

An eerie aura clung to it, and staring too long made one feel as if their mind were being sucked in.

For a fleeting moment, the demon bat seemed to stir to life...

"This thing is unnerving."

Li Mo steadied his breathing, pulling himself back to clarity.

"That statue records the Night Ghost Foundation Diagram."

The cool voice came from the doorway.

Li Mo looked up.

Ah, Woven Mist Silk—black and sheer as stockings.

The slightest movement of her legs made light ripple across the fabric.

Why is no one speaking up, my dear ministers?

His gaze traveled upward to see Ying Bing stepping into the room, clad in a skintight black outfit of the same material.

‘Could a master craftsman weave Woven Mist Silk into fishnet patterns... or even more daring designs?’

Li Mo subtly pinched his own thigh.

"You recognize this?"

"Mn. It’s used to comprehend the Spirit Observation realm."

Ying Bing gave a slight nod. "Spirit Observation means observing objects, living beings, and ultimately the essence of heaven and earth—tempering the spirit."

"Over time, the spirit forms connections with the external world, dissolving the Mystic Core. That marks entry into Spirit Observation."

"When your spirit grows strong enough to manifest an inner world, projecting mental landscapes into reality, you reach the Inner Scenery realm."

The ice block rarely spoke this much at once.

But the information was invaluable—a complete roadmap from Inner Breath to Spirit Observation and beyond.

She made it sound like personal experience...

Li Mo recalled the illusory yet tangible gusts of ghostly wind and shadows Liu Heng had conjured.

No doubt, he had been studying this ‘Night Ghost Statue,’ advancing from Mystic Core toward Spirit Observation.

Had Li Mo not undergone Shang Wu’s brutal training, brute force might have been his only option.

"You practice the Fire Heart Lotus Art. Learn the ‘Extreme Yang Fire Lotus Force’ from her first, then have her paint you a ‘Southern Bright Fire Lotus Diagram’..."

Ying Bing trailed off, her brows knitting slightly.

Shang Wu didn’t seem the type to paint foundation diagrams—let alone carve statues.

"Wouldn’t observing the real thing be better?" Li Mo asked.

"Obviously."

Statues and paintings could never fully replicate the true essence.

After a pause, Li Mo pressed,

"Then why not observe the sun directly?"

It hung in the sky, free for all to see.

And everyone in the world could do it.

"It’s not that simple."

"First, you need matching martial techniques."

"Second, you must endure it. Aside from the Great Yu imperial family, no one can observe the Sun’s divinity. Attempt it, and your soul will scatter before you succeed."

Ying Bing had observed the Moon—the Lunar Essence—to reach Spirit Observation.

But that was only possible because of her extraordinary constitution.

Li Mo glanced out the window.

He wasn’t practicing the Extreme Yang Fire Lotus Force anymore.

Once he had safeguards in place, he might just try observing the Sun’s divinity.

If that failed, he could always observe his Indestructible Starfall Hammer—breaking into Spirit Observation through body refinement.

"I’m only at Inner Breath Condensation. No rush."

"Shall we visit Chulong together tomorrow?"

"Mn."

After the exchange, silence fell.

Li Mo sat on the bed.

Ying Bing stood wordlessly, her lips pressed together.

Time for the beloved dual cultivation session.

But today posed a challenge for Li Mo.

The ice block hadn’t changed clothes.

As all men know, cold conditions make little brothers lose morale.

But as all men also know—

Young Li here was impervious to heat and cold, and his martial arts skewed yang-aligned.

Cold wasn’t an issue.

This was trouble.

...

Meanwhile.

A certain runaway girl, disguised as a young hero, slunk back to the magistrate’s office in disgrace.

"Brother, I was bullied and almost died! Wuwuwuwu!" The voice was deafening.

"What?!"

"Who the hell dared?! I'll chop them into pieces and feed them to the dogs!"

"To take advantage of the chaos and mess with our Burning Jade Forest—unforgivable!" The true disciples of Burning Jade Forest were seething with rage.