Chapter 86
Li Mo was well aware of the content, yet he struggled to find the right words to express it.
Words failed him.
The methods he knew for conveying information felt utterly inadequate when it came to the profound concepts described in martial arts.
Then he sensed something was amiss.
He quickly focused his attention on his dantian.
Before him, a faint breath lingered within, almost tangible.
It glowed a soft red, reminiscent of an ancient flame that had burned eternally, never extinguished.
Inner breath!?
This time, his inner breath had not vanished!
"A bottle of ten-thousand-year-old earth vein spirit milk only managed to condense this tiny bit?"
Li Mo couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
At last, he understood the purpose of those thirty-six meridians.
Without their assistance in transforming the essence of the earth vein, he wouldn't have been able to condense even this small amount of inner breath.
He raised a finger.
That tiny bit of inner breath immediately manifested at his fingertip.
It had no temperature, no discernible aura.
With a flick of his finger, the inner breath shot out the window and landed on the frozen stream.
To his amazement, it ignited.
The ice was "lit."
And it didn’t melt into water.
The flames danced in Li Mo's pupils, reflecting the astonishment deep within his eyes.
"If I don’t retract it, it will keep burning like this."
"Until the entire stream is consumed..."
This inner breath could not only burn ice; it could scorch other forms of "fire" as well...
A realization dawned upon him.
Other martial artists' inner breaths certainly didn’t possess such exaggerated properties.
At most, they were just a bit more resilient and had greater lethality.
But his inner breath could incinerate anything; it was merely a matter of time.
"So how did this inner breath get into my body?"
Li Mo discovered a blind spot.
Well, this could probably only be attributed to the wonders of the Xuanpin Immortal Body (玄牝仙体, a mystical body type in the story).
"Regardless, I’ve finally reached the realm of inner breath."
Li Mo finally felt a weight lift from his heart.
He still had twelve bottles of earth vein spirit milk left.
He planned to set aside three bottles—two for his parents and one for emergencies. The remaining nine bottles, he intended to use entirely for cultivation.
Time to get started!
...
Upstairs.
The room was filled with a snowy hue, frost covering every visible surface.
The finely crafted wooden bed had cracked from the cold.
Ying Bing's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
A faint wave of inner breath pulsed through the air.
Indeed, even at this moment, she was still harnessing the restless energy of the Taiyin (太阴, the "Great Yin" energy) to practice.
This required enduring immense pain, but the rewards were even greater.
Taiyin, the coldest and softest of energies.
While it withered all things, it also harbored the vitality of rebirth.
This was why her physical body far surpassed others at the same level.
"The time should be... about right."
Ying Bing lifted her gaze to the bright moon hanging in the sky.
It was the hour of the Rat.
The system was punctual, sending a notification at that very moment:
[Compiling a list of all geniuses within the Eastern Wilderness region...]
[Conducting a power comparison for the host...]
The system's two tasks were happening simultaneously.
In fact, just looking at the list would suffice.
As long as her name appeared at the top, everything else would be self-evident.
"Ah..."
With a breath that carried the chill of ice, a serious expression emerged on Ying Bing's beautiful face.
It wasn't that she was worried about her position; rather, she was curious.
Aside from Li Mo, were there others in this life who would surprise her?
What position would that boy, so different from her past life, hold?
In the extreme cold where water turned to ice, time seemed to lose its meaning.
[Ding—]
[The first ranking results are now available.]
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank fifty: Lin Jiang.]
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank forty-nine: Zhao Qin.]
...
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank thirty: Murong Xiao.]
...
As she watched the lines of text appear on the system, Ying Bing's expression returned to calm.
The system's rankings did indeed differ slightly from her memories.
For instance, Lin Jiang and Murong Xiao.
Coincidentally, it seemed both of them were acquainted with Li Mo?
So far, she hadn’t seen his name.
That was to be expected.
Li Mo's swordsmanship was learned from her.
Little master, there’s more to this chapter, please click the next page to continue reading; it gets even more exciting!
Moreover, during their spar today, he had revealed some unexpected abilities.
His rank would surely be at least in the top twenty.
The system's rankings continued to unfold.
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank twenty: Xiao Qin.]
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank nineteen: Mei Ziguan.]
...
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank fourteen: Luo Yu.]
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank thirteen: Zuo Qiu Yang.]
...
Gradually, some names in the system's rankings began to resonate with Ying Bing. Some were renowned figures from her past life who had made a name for themselves in the Eastern Wilderness, while others had later ventured to the Central Divine Continent, leaving their mark in the tumultuous world.
For instance, Luo Yu, who, after the decline of the Qingyuan Sect, led the Fenyu Valley to become a dominant force in the Ziyang Prefecture.
Or Zuo Qiu Yang, who had triumphed in the Endless Trials and later became a feared assassin in the Xiyu Tower.
All were exceptional talents.
As for the top ten, they were truly the cream of the crop.
Ying Bing's thoughts stirred.
She realized that Li Mo was not among them.
Had he made it into the top ten?
No... it was more than just the top ten.
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank five: Zhong Zhenyue.]
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank four: Han Zhen.]
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank three: Shang Li.]
Upon seeing this, a flicker of confusion and bewilderment crossed Ying Bing's eyes.
These individuals were all destined to shine brightly in the future, making waves in the grand scheme of things.
For instance, Shang Li, the former prince of the Great Shang Dynasty.
He carried the last vestiges of the Great Shang's fortune and later made a grand return to power.
Or Han Zhen.
This person was quite mysterious; Ying Bing only knew that his rise was astonishingly rapid, and his martial arts seemed to belong to an entirely different era, hinting at a legacy from an ancient power.
Li Mo could surpass them, but only in relation to himself?
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Ying Bing's thoughts suddenly froze, her serene eyes widening in shock.
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank two: Ying Bing.]
She saw her own name.
Chapter 83: The Completely Chaotic Ice Block Begins Punishment from Tomorrow
In the vast expanse of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, there are wonders beyond imagination.
But this was merely the ranking of the Eastern Wilderness region.
It did not include the Great Yu Dynasty or those transcendent sects; it was just a corner of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
In that moment, Ying Bing's mind went blank.
But the system would not pause for her confusion and bewilderment.
[Eastern Wilderness region genius, rank one: Li Mo.]
The remaining text silently appeared.
Li...
Mo?
These two characters struck a storm in Ying Bing's eyes.
In her mind, the image of the boy, as warm as spring, busy in the kitchen, and his trusting words on Qingyuan surfaced...
How could it be him?
How could it possibly be him?
Indeed, Li Mo had changed significantly from what she once knew.
His personality had improved, making him feel like a breath of fresh air; his talent had soared, qualifying him to discuss swordsmanship with her, and he had obtained some kind of inheritance.
But...
He had just lost to her today!
On the arena, Ying Bing hadn’t been entirely serious; she was more curious about the extent of his strength.
The result had indeed surprised her.
But Li Mo's strength was still quite a distance from her own.
Moreover, since they entered the Qingyuan Sect, they had been together day and night.
Under her very nose, she hadn’t seen him have any extraordinary encounters.
In the same realm, there might be some who could rival her, but they were all well-known figures.
Why?
Why was it him?
At this moment, the boy's figure was shrouded in a heavy veil of mystery.
The air felt as if it had solidified.
Ying Bing's emotions were strange.
Shock, confusion, doubt, and unwillingness...
Being overshadowed by someone else, was this what it felt like?
[Comparison complete, rewards are being distributed.]
[The host ranks second in the list.]
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