Chapter 84
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Mo could only awkwardly rise to his feet.
His mind was equally in disarray.
Had he just experienced a kidney stone incident?
Oh, he had lost control for a moment and ended up in Ying Bing's embrace.
Who could blame him when the aura hidden within that icy sword energy was so chilling? Was it really his fault?
Li Mo thought to himself, glancing sideways at Ying Bing.
The girl didn’t look at him; if it weren’t for the lingering fragrance at the tip of her nose, it would seem as if everything that had just happened was merely a figment of imagination.
But Li Mo was certain.
The heart that had suddenly quickened was not his...
“As long as you’re all unhurt, that’s good.”
“As for the outcome…”
Shangguan Wencang’s gaze swept over the young man and woman, and a hint of bewilderment flickered in his eyes, leaving him in a bit of a quandary.
“He won, she won.”
The two spoke in unison.
Ying Bing referred to the wager.
Li Mo felt that he shouldn’t take advantage and then act coy.
To be fair, he had indeed lost; however, after falling into her arms, Ying Bing hadn’t delivered a finishing blow.
There was a clear gap in their strengths.
Unless he activated the World Seed and used the Pangu Cataclysmic Meteor Hammer, but that power was something he couldn’t control yet, and it didn’t fully belong to him at this moment.
After pondering for a moment, Li Mo added:
“Our private wager, of course, only concerns the two of us.”
Seeing his sincere tone and lack of attachment to the so-called chief disciple title, Shangguan Wencang nodded:
“Then it’s settled; Ying Bing shall be the champion of this martial gathering, the current chief disciple.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, cheers erupted from below the stage, and everyone on the high platform stood up in unison to congratulate her.
The chief disciple among this generation of disciples, the future master of Qingyuan Sect, naturally required their acknowledgment.
In the crowd, the young man in a white robe from the Burning Jade Forest had a fiery gaze, then turned to Li Mo beside him, revealing a hint of dissatisfaction.
The young man in the blood-red robe remained seated, but the ease in his eyes had vanished, replaced by an inescapable sense of danger and contemplation.
On the stage.
“Yes.”
Ying Bing didn’t seem too concerned about the title.
Both she and Li Mo had made it into the top three, and that was enough.
Whether or not she was the chief disciple of Qingyuan Sect didn’t hold much significance; it wouldn’t affect the system’s rankings.
The system ranked the prodigies without regard for fame.
Shangguan Wencang wore a helpless expression.
He understood Ying Bing’s character to some extent; she truly was someone who was free from worldly distractions. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that she could reach heights that her peers could hardly aspire to.
The two who were qualified to be chief disciples showed no interest in the position, which was frustrating, but there was nothing he could do about it.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he declared loudly:
“Those who rank high in this martial gathering will receive rewards.”
“The top three can enter the library and select one ultimate skill, while the other disciples will receive various rewards.”
“You all possess exceptional talents and will be the pillars of our sect in the future. As the world’s tides shift, I hope you continue to maintain your ambition.”
...
When it came to ultimate skills, countless gazes turned once more to the two who possessed Tian Shuang and Chi Xiao.
The rumors surrounding these two swords had persisted within the sect for ages.
Were these rumors true or false?
If these two were to acquire the corresponding sword techniques, it would finally be time for the truth to come to light.
...
The Nine Peaks Martial Gathering came to a close.
On this day, many changes occurred within the sect, and numerous rumors began to circulate.
However, life in the Qiushui Pavilion remained as usual.
Li Mo hummed a little tune, clanging pots and pans in the kitchen as he prepared a meal.
The stream flowing through the courtyard gurgled cheerfully, and it seemed to have gained a spirit of its own lately, making the peach blossoms by the stream bloom with extraordinary vibrancy.
A petal fell with the wind, drifting onto the pages of a book, becoming a bookmark for the girl.
The book was boldly titled:
“Yuehua Sword Classic”
And a copy of the “Rilun Sword Classic” lay quietly nearby.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Li Mo poked his head out from the kitchen.
Ying Bing stood up to help bring the dishes.
“Master, Master?”
Li Mo gently tapped the woman in the rocking chair, but she remained unresponsive, leaving only a defiant silhouette.
Thinking she had fallen asleep, he moved around to face her.
To his surprise, his master’s eyes were vacant, as if her soul had departed, and she was mumbling to herself.
Leaning in to listen, it seemed she was saying, “My money... my money...”
Li Mo: “......”
It appeared his master had gone bankrupt again, her heart shattered.
But he couldn’t really blame her.
Li Mo knew exactly how to handle such situations; he placed two jars of fine wine beside her, waiting for her to get drunk and wake up revitalized.
After doing all this, he returned to the table.
He hadn’t finished reading the sword classics yet, so he began to eat while flipping through the pages.
This was his first encounter with ultimate-level sword techniques, even if they were merely low-grade.
But after a while, he let out a long sigh.
Ultimate sword techniques were truly difficult...
He felt like a middle school student tackling college-level problems.
Was Ying Bing...
“I’m done reading.”
A copy of the “Yuehua Sword Classic” was suddenly thrust in front of him.
The implication was clear: she wanted to swap books.
Li Mo was taken aback; since he wouldn’t be able to learn it anytime soon, he handed over the sword technique he had been holding.
After a moment, Ying Bing’s calm voice broke the silence:
“Did you notice anything?”
“Um... I’ll take a look in my room later.”
Li Mo buried his head in his food.
He recognized the characters in both sword techniques, but when they came together, they felt so foreign.
After finishing his meal, Li Mo hugged the two sword techniques, ready to head back to his room.
But then he heard Ying Bing’s voice behind him:
“Tonight, it’s best to keep your distance from me.”
“Otherwise, you might get hurt.”
Huh?
Li Mo was puzzled but nodded:
“Then I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
Ying Bing lifted her head, gazing at the moon that had yet to fully rise in the sky.
Today was the day the system would reveal its results.
It was also the day of the Yin Moon and Yin Day, the time of the year when the moon was full.
Her physique would be particularly formidable today, even she found it hard to control, and she could only minimize the range of its effects.
Thud—
The sound of the boy climbing the stairs echoed.
She couldn’t help but retract her gaze, looking at the figure ascending.
“That last move he used.”
“Was it also a result of chance?”
“His talent seems to extend beyond just the sword path.”
Clearing her mind of distractions, Ying Bing returned to her room, quietly waiting for time to pass.
At this moment, nothing else mattered.
In this life, things were slightly different from her past experiences, and many unexpected events had occurred.
But.
Her result as number one would not change.
She just wondered... could Li Mo make it into the top twenty?
---
Chapter 81: Princess Xiao Jiang's Interests and the Fiery Red Lotus of Karma
“Tonight’s moon seems brighter than usual?”
In the guest room, Li Mo had just laid out his bedding.
After a moment’s thought, he guessed that Ying Bing didn’t want him staying next door due to her unique physique.
Was it a regular occurrence every month, like those few days, or did it happen occasionally?
“The Taiyin Moon Phoenix Body has various extraordinary traits and phenomena.”
“My celestial body is too low-key; even breaking through is a problem now.”
Li Mo could only grumble a bit.
The system had never given him anything useless, especially not what had burst forth from Ying Bing.
But this matter of physique...
It was something that martial artists with such traits had explored and refined over generations based on experience.
Like Lin Jiang, who clearly knew he should practice spear techniques to maximize the advantages of his physique.
Li Mo had no one to draw from for guidance.
He could only rely on himself, step by step, to explore...
With these thoughts in mind, Li Mo opened the two newly acquired ultimate sword techniques and began to study them carefully.
Gradually, the night deepened.
Suddenly, the World Seed vibrated.
“Is Chuchong here so early today?”
...
Within the World Seed.
Jiang Chuchong held a branch, her little head drooping. She had just demonstrated her results and was quietly glancing at the opposite side.
Biting her lip, she cautiously asked:
“Teacher... I... I didn’t disappoint you, did I?”
What she didn’t know was that the ‘Heavenly Lord’ was on the verge of gasping in awe, thinking to himself how terrifying this girl was.
A single blade of grass could sever the sun, moon, and stars; he had merely said it casually to encourage Princess Xiao Jiang.
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