Chapter 90
**Evaluation:** Fate is fraught with trials, yet it always finds a way to turn misfortune into fortune. At this moment, one may not yet have fully spread their wings, but when the winds of change arise, they will surely soar high above the heavens and earth, like a phoenix gracing the realms.
**Recent Encounter:** I foresaw an existence I could not surpass, and for a moment, I struggled to accept my defeat. My heart felt hollow, and I began to doubt my commitment to the martial path.
The power of the Taiyin (太阴, "Great Yin") was out of control, deeply rooted in my body, leaving me in a weakened state.
---
Li Mo: “??”
Defeating the Ice Block?
Whose subordinate is this, to be so fierce?
“You... are much stronger than yesterday.”
Ying Bing’s voice came softly, tinged with a hint of weakness.
“Me?”
Li Mo pointed at himself, momentarily taken aback.
“Yeah.”
“Besides your divine weapon, your inner energy is also quite extraordinary.”
Ying Bing sat at the stone table, her figure appearing somewhat frail.
Her heart was indeed in turmoil.
The system's demands, the unexpectedly formidable youth.
None of these were the root of her distress.
The most crucial factor was the dream she had last night, returning to the ruins.
She began to doubt her own path, questioning whether she was still undergoing tribulations on the road to immortality, never truly reborn...
She truly couldn’t distinguish.
“...Me?”
Li Mo was momentarily speechless.
The one who made the Ice Block retreat into herself was... him?
Oh dear.
“How is that possible?” Li Mo instinctively waved his hands.
Ying Bing remained silent.
Shang Wu pondered seriously for a moment:
“Good disciple, you’re actually quite strong.”
“If I were to suppress my power and fight you at the same level, it would probably be fifty-fifty. In a life-and-death battle, you’d have a greater chance of winning, maybe seventy-thirty.”
The acknowledgment from the fighting king of Qingyuan Sect carried significant weight.
Li Mo couldn’t help but be stunned.
In his past life, he had grown accustomed to being a nobody and had long accepted his ordinariness.
What could he do? With all those twenty-four-year-old prodigies and fourteen-year-olds getting into Tsinghua, he felt like an NPC just filling space in the world.
But...
In such a short time, his changes seemed indeed substantial.
So much so that even he felt a bit unfamiliar with himself.
He had just thought that if he were merely temporarily in a subordinate position, there was no need to doubt himself or even life itself.
A girl like the Ice Block, a destined one, was just a bit of wind and frost...
Upon reflection, wasn’t this also a case of projecting one’s own feelings onto others?
If he couldn’t accept his sudden success, he could somewhat understand the Ice Block, after all, she was inherently cool and proud...
“This wine... tsk tsk.”
Shang Wu’s cheeks flushed, and she quickly became tipsy, starting to mumble with a silly smile:
“Thinking back to when I roamed the world, in taverns, with storytellers... sharing tales of the martial world.”
“The stories were quite interesting, but they loved to embellish and spread rumors.”
At this, Shang Wu clenched her fist and slammed it on the table.
Hearing this, Li Mo’s eyes brightened.
Storytelling...
“Hey? Precious disciple, have you ever heard of storytelling?”
Shang Wu propped her chin on one hand, tilting her head in inquiry.
Heard of it? More than that!
A mysterious smile appeared on Li Mo’s lips: “I’ve heard many, and I know plenty you’ve definitely never heard of.”
“Bragging.”
Shang Wu scoffed, “I’ve read more books than you’ve used paper.”
Seeing her disbelief, Li Mo glanced at the Ice Block and cleared his throat:
“Don’t believe me? Then let me tell you a story.”
“Let’s hear one.”
Shang Wu egged him on.
Though Ying Bing was still lost in thought, she was somewhat drawn in.
The legacy he had received was extraordinary; perhaps it contained secrets long lost to the world?
*Clap—*
Li Mo slapped the table, channeling the presence of a storyteller:
“Ladies, esteemed guests.”
“I’m parched and can’t tell a tale without a drink. May I trouble you for a cup?”
Li Mo’s performative personality wasn’t something new.
Over time, Shang Wu and Ying Bing had grown accustomed to his antics.
“Tsk tsk, there’s a bit of flair to it.”
“Make sure to tell it well; if it’s good, there’ll be a reward.”
Shang Wu cheerfully poured him a cup of Immortal’s Drunkenness.
Li Mo took a sip, feeling warmth spread through him, his mind suddenly clearer.
The novels from his past life and the storytelling in this world were indeed different.
But that wouldn’t stump him.
He just needed to trim and polish the tale.
Also, considering the audience, after all, girls love a bit of romance...
“Today, I’ll tell you a story titled ‘The Return of the Empress.’”
Ying Bing: “?”
Shang Wu: “Sounds interesting.”
Li Mo’s clear voice resonated:
“This story also has a little poem.”
“In the valley of despair, the cold wind blows, the cicadas sing in spring and autumn... the girl returns!”
---
**Chapter 87: The Modified Empress Storms into Ying Bing’s Room**
“She was unparalleled in beauty, ethereal and transcendent, recognized as a fairy in the martial world.”
“She held a revered status, decisive in her actions, causing countless powers across the realms to tremble at her presence.”
“She was immensely powerful, her sword’s light chilling nineteen states.”
“Her name was Leng Qingqiu, an empress, also known as the Cold Demoness across the realms, for her strength made her a taboo existence.”
In just a few words, Li Mo painted a vivid image of a cold, powerful empress.
Shang Wu pondered for a moment, her expression skeptical:
“Is there really such a person? I’ve never heard of her.”
Ying Bing also looked at Li Mo, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Li Mo cleared his throat:
“They say she’s a taboo existence, and given how long ago this was, it’s normal for you not to know.”
“The Great Shang Dynasty once thrived, and many remarkable figures have since faded into obscurity.”
Shang Wu pursed her lips and took a sip of her drink.
“Alright then.”
Li Mo continued:
“However, the taller the tree, the harder it falls. Especially for someone like her, an empress who didn’t rely on any power and was not under anyone’s control, she was naturally seen as a thorn in many people’s sides.”
“To deal with her, both righteous and demonic paths united, forcing her into a corner.”
“That day, the sun and moon lost their light, the heavens and earth turned upside down, gods wept, and ghosts howled.”
“Her palace ran red with blood, corpses piled high, countless powerful beings fell, shaking the world.”
“Though Leng Qingqiu was strong, she was also at the end of her rope, pushed to the brink of an abyss.”
Shang Wu’s eyes sparkled with excitement, clearly immersed in the story.
Ying Bing’s contemplative expression deepened.
She felt a sense of familiarity.
Though the empress in Li Mo’s story had a different name and experiences, certain encounters resonated with her.
In her past life, she too had been unwelcome in the realms, even though she had done nothing wrong, merely focusing on her martial path, never intending to stir up trouble.
But while she didn’t enter the martial world, the martial world came to her.
An existence that was powerful and uncontrollable was enough to be seen as a thorn in the side.
Yet.
The ending of her story and that of the empress Li Mo spoke of diverged.
“With no way out, she left behind a single phrase: ‘Though I abandon my martial heart, I have no regrets,’ and leaped into the abyss.”
“Ah? What happened next? What happened next?”
Shang Wu asked eagerly.
Did the protagonist die right at the beginning?
Was that the end?
Li Mo chuckled softly:
“Don’t rush, Master. Think about it; since this secret has been passed down, how could the protagonist truly be dead? To be honest, this secret was left behind by Leng Qingqiu herself.”
“At the brink of death, she activated a wondrous item called ‘Spring and Autumn Cicada.’”
“So!”
“She not only didn’t die but returned to her youthful days!”
Li Mo’s storytelling was immersive, filled with a strong sense of presence.
His words resonated powerfully.
Shang Wu: “!”
*Clap—*
This was the second time today.
Ying Bing, lost in thought, dropped her chopsticks.
Shang Wu rolled her eyes:
“Little Bing, you find this too shocking, right? Is there really something in this world that can bring someone back to life?”
“And not just that, it even reverses time!”
The most insurmountable thing in this world is life and death.
The most ruthless thing in this world is time.
Countless remarkable figures and unparalleled strong beings ultimately succumbed to time, unable to escape the shackles of life and death.
“Transcending life and death, reversing time... how is that even possible?”
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