Chapter 47
As he drew his sword, Ying Bing's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.
However, after just a few strikes, Li Mo stopped.
"Uh... can you show me that again?"
"....... Sure."
Ying Bing paused for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Thus, the little class on the Ice Chunk Sword Technique resumed.
.....
"Wait for me a moment..."
"I got it! Can you show me that again?"
.....
This scene played out repeatedly.
Ying Bing felt an indescribable strangeness.
It was as if Li Mo... was both clever and foolish?
He was clumsy while teaching, often needing to adjust his guidance, and frequently making mistakes that she considered quite basic.
But when he closed his eyes to think for a moment, it was as if he had an epiphany; all those errors and missteps vanished without a trace.
After a while, he would ask her to teach him the next part again.
What she didn’t know was that her little student was actually conserving his martial insights.
......
Three days later.
Having just broken through to the twelfth meridian, the Ice Chunk had another dream that night.
She dreamt of presiding over the Gui Palace, before she ascended to the Phoenix Heaven.
At that time, the righteous and demonic paths in Zhongzhou were locked in fierce conflict.
The imperial court sat back and watched the tigers fight, stirring the pot, eager for the sects to suffer mutual destruction.
The Gui Palace, straddling the line between righteousness and evil, rarely intervened in the affairs of the martial world, yet it gathered nearly half of the powerful female cultivators from across the realms, making both sides strive with all their might to win her over.
However, the Dayu Dynasty clearly did not want to see the Gui Palace join either side, as it would disrupt the balance.
Thus, the regent prince at the time prepared countless lavish betrothal gifts to woo the Gui Palace.
"I, the prince, wish to unite with the master of the Gui Palace in a joyful bond, forever as kindred spirits."
This was not the first time someone had come to propose, but it was certainly the most grandiose.
Yet the outcome was no different.
The suitor couldn’t even withstand three strikes.
"I have no interest in the weak."
There were always interruptions, and it was quite bothersome.
In truth, she had no interest in imperial ambitions or the bloodshed that accompanied them.
Aside from stabilizing her position at the pinnacle of martial arts, nothing else occupied her mind.
So she must have said something like that back then.
But as the tale spread, it morphed into:
"The master of the Gui Palace prefers men stronger than herself."
This rumor persisted even until she became the Empress of Phoenix Heaven, though no one dared to challenge her anymore...
"I’ve been dreaming a lot lately..."
"Without reaching the Divine Realm, I ultimately cannot control my own spirit."
Ying Bing rose, brushing off the frost flowers from her shoulders.
Outside the window, the sound of swordplay reached her ears, and she propped open the window.
In the sunlight, a young man danced with his sword.
The sword shadows sometimes multiplied into hundreds, sometimes converging into one.
With effortless grace, like flowing clouds and flowing water, it resembled a celestial crane stretching its form.
Ying Bing watched quietly, a subtle smile curling at the corners of her mouth, a curve she didn’t even notice herself.
She should still be considered a good teacher.
Of course, it also had to do with Li Mo's talent.
Strangely enough, when someone teaches, progress is rapid; when left to their own devices, they remain ordinary.
But all in all, despite the stumbles, he had actually reached a transformative level with this superior sword technique.
Originally, Ying Bing thought achieving completeness would be quite good.
It could be said that he had far exceeded her expectations.
In half a month, when the system ranked the talents within the Eastern Wilderness, perhaps she would indeed see him somewhere on the list?
---
**Chapter 42: Choosing Weapons in the Divine Blade Cave for Another Battle with the Red Sky Sword**
Outside the carriage, the beautiful scenery of the Qingyuan Mountain Range receded.
"I can consider myself a swordsman now."
"From great achievement to transformation."
"Eighty years..."
Little Li Mo, feeling a mix of excitement and concern, began to ponder whether his expenses were too high.
In total, he had spent over a hundred years of martial insights on swordsmanship.
If it weren’t for Ice Chunk teaching him step by step, it would have cost even more.
It felt a bit like spending two months' salary on a high-end computer, only to let it gather dust without time to play.
Well, maybe not quite that extreme.
The transformative sword technique was certainly much more powerful than using his fists.
"My martial insights should be enough for now."
"With a hundred and ten years left, I’m not worried about getting lost in new martial arts."
Li Mo calculated for a moment and decided not to dwell on it further.
"When we enter the Divine Blade Cave, you can take a look at that Red Sky."
Ying Bing took a gentle sip of tea.
"Alright."
Li Mo readily agreed.
In fact, he was indeed eager to try out the Red Sky Sword.
It wasn’t that he held a grudge against it for having struck him; he wasn’t one to hold onto a thirty-year grudge.
The Red Sky, being of the fire element, paired with the Fire Heart Lotus technique, would greatly enhance its power, making it particularly suitable for him.
This enhancement might not be very noticeable at the Blood Qi Realm, but once he reached the Inner Breath Realm, it would be clearly visible.
At this moment, the sound of metal clanging could already be heard outside.
Stepping down from the carriage, he saw a crowd gathered in front of the Divine Blade Cave.
As Ying Bing descended, the murmurs in the crowd quieted significantly, and various awed gazes turned toward her.
The pressure of Ice Chunk was palpable.
She was not only the true disciple of the sect leader but also the future of the sect.
Not only among her peers, but in the history of Qingyuan Sect, she was also uniquely brilliant.
"Li brother!"
"Li junior brother!"
In the crowd, two voices called out simultaneously, then exchanged surprised glances.
Murong Xiao and Xiao Qin looked at each other and nodded slightly.
They had both performed well in the sect trials and had met Li Mo before.
"Li brother, you actually took first place, as expected of you."
Murong Xiao praised.
"I was shocked when I heard the news too."
Xiao Qin's aura was much stronger than before.
Through the trials, he had returned to the inner sect.
What surprised him was that Li Mo's aura was now even stronger than his.
He had just re-cultivated after dispersing his energy, with a teacher assisting him.
Li Mo's progress was truly astonishing.
"What kind of weapon are you planning to choose today, Li junior brother?"
"I’ve made some small achievements in my swordsmanship recently."
"Well, it’s no problem for Li junior brother to choose a renowned weapon."
"That’s where Xiao brother doesn’t quite understand Li brother..."
After some pleasantries, they mostly discussed their recent situations.
Murong Xiao had completed his body refinement and met Elder Han He’s expectations, allowing him to start learning the forging techniques passed down from the Divine Blade Peak.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qin not only returned to the inner sect but was also valued by an elder, with the potential to be accepted as a true disciple in the future.
Everyone had a bright future ahead.
Seeing those he had invested in now thriving, Li Mo couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
Ding ding ding—
Suddenly, the sound of a gong rang out at the entrance of the Divine Blade Cave.
The inner sect steward guarding the entrance stepped out:
"The time has come!"
Every year, the Divine Blade Cave would briefly calm down before erupting again with greater intensity.
Disciples with lower realms typically chose this time to enter the cave and select their weapons.
The disciples instinctively made way.
Ying Bing lowered her gaze and walked into the Divine Blade Cave.
However, she had barely reached the center of the first layer when she stopped, gently raising her pure hand.
Just as everyone was puzzled, a clear sound rang out—
Clang—
The sound of swords echoed, and a dozen white ribbons flew through the air, hovering before Ying Bing, allowing her to choose.
All were renowned long swords.
"Emmmmm...."
How magnificent.
Li Mo watched, feeling as if he had entered a cat café with a cat-obsessed nature.
He was not particularly surprised.
He remained calm, but the others were anything but calm, gasps of astonishment erupted.
"Renowned weapons, all renowned weapons!"
"Wow, not only did she gain the recognition of renowned weapons, but they also flew out from the third layer for her to choose?"
"Weren’t renowned weapons supposed to have spirits and be aloof? Usually, they wouldn’t even let ordinary people take a look, so why are they all gathered here today?"
"Too terrifying..."
"Wait, what’s that over there?"
As the discussions grew louder, two ribbons, one blue and one white, shot forth, causing the other renowned long swords to move aside.
One radiated heat, while the other was as cold as ice.
To Li Mo, they were both familiar swords.
Red Sky, Heavenly Frost.
Everyone felt as if their breath had been stolen.
They wouldn’t even dare to dream of such a thing.
Even the disciples of the Divine Blade Peak couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy; many had been in the sect for years and had only heard of these two legendary swords crafted by the founding master of the Divine Blade Peak, never having seen them in person.
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