Chapter 118
After agreeing to look out for each other in the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm, Li Mo descended the mountain against the setting sun.
He felt a bit tired, his body weak...
Well, that was just an illusion.
Little Li knew that he was actually stronger than before he ascended the mountain; the nine-petal lotus in his dantian had already bloomed two leaves.
However, compared to the feeling of having the Dragon and Tiger Golden Pill in his dantian—where he could command the winds and clouds, and his entire aura was unified—this was still lacking.
As soon as his senior brother Xiao Bao left, Li Mo felt as if his body had grown heavier.
"With this experience, it’ll be much easier for me to condense my own Xuan Dan in the future."
Little Li was filled with hope regarding his Xuan Dan realm.
As he walked down the mountain, he stopped by the Outer Affairs Hall to buy some groceries while checking the investment returns from earlier.
【Congratulations, host, for helping 'Tang Xiaobao' open his mind.】
【Investment feedback: Ancient Bronze Transformation Seal.】
【Ancient Bronze Transformation Seal】: "Used on the Divine Vision Diagram, it can elevate a high-grade Divine Vision Diagram or lower by one grade."
"Transformation Seal... is it something like the Heavenly Book Seal?"
Li Mo pondered for a moment.
He only had two Divine Vision Diagrams; one was the Golden Crow Transformation Diagram, which was of the extreme form and couldn’t utilize the Transformation Seal at all.
The other was a Night Ghost Stone Carving, which was a lower form Divine Vision Diagram.
Using it on that would be a waste.
"With my good looks, practicing this would be even more of a waste."
Little Li decided to temporarily store the Transformation Seal.
By the time he returned to Qiushui Pavilion, the sky was darkening.
As soon as he stepped inside, he was met with lingering frost that, when blown by the wind, would surely make an ordinary person shiver.
Clearly, some ice block had just finished practicing.
"It’s just a bit of frost."
Li Mo entered with a basket of groceries.
What caught his eye was a girl sitting under a tree, playing chess.
She had somehow found a chessboard and was playing against herself in her spare time.
The moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting a graceful glow on her and the chessboard.
Hearing footsteps at the door, she wrinkled her nose:
"What’s that smell on you?"
Emmm...
Li Mo leaned closer to his sleeve and sniffed, realizing, "It’s the fragrance of pills from Dan Ding Peak."
"By the way, why are you playing chess by yourself?"
Ying Bing turned her gaze to the side, where Shang Wu was.
Well, it was clear that the Master didn’t seem like someone who would play chess.
Li Mo thought for a moment; it was time to organize some team-building activities.
This was necessary for maintaining the relationship with the ice block’s big financier!
"Perfect timing, we can enjoy some good food while playing."
"Then I’ll teach you a type of chess that even Master can learn."
Shang Wu looked up and rolled her eyes at him.
Translated as polite Master: "You?"
...
Before long, a pot was set up in the small courtyard.
The pickled vegetable clay pot was bubbling away.
"This is what you call good food?" Shang Wu scoffed.
She preferred big fish and meat.
"This is where you don’t understand, Master. Do you know what it means to..."
Li Mo sliced the tofu while humming a little tune:
"Eat pickled vegetables and tofu~ The Emperor himself can’t compare to me~"
In fact, the pickled vegetable tofu in the pot was anything but ordinary.
As everyone knew, Little Li wouldn’t give up a rare investment opportunity just for a change of taste.
The tofu was ground from exquisite beans, and the pickled vegetables were made from the Seven-Leaf Moisture Herb, fragrant and delicious.
Shang Wu tried to sing a couple of lines and took a bite of tofu, her eyes lighting up:
"Eating hot pot and singing seems pretty fun, huh?"
"Master, your voice is quite nice. Have you considered letting me be your agent? We could debut at the Qunfang Pavilion!"
"Hmph, forget it. If I went, would their top star even need to compete?"
"True, true."
The master and disciple chatted while eating.
Ying Bing, who had been tense, inexplicably relaxed a bit at that moment.
She had just learned about the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm today.
In her previous life, her Blood Phoenix essence was obtained by slaying Han Zhen, which was already a matter of her Law Body realm.
But unlike her past life, this time the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm had stirred up quite a commotion, attracting attention from all sides, which would inevitably lead to many changes.
"Ice block."
"Mm?"
Li Mo’s call brought her back to reality.
"Did you learn it?"
"What?"
Ying Bing gently placed a piece of tofu in her mouth.
"Five-in-a-row, if you haven’t learned it, I’ll teach you again."
Li Mo didn’t wait for her agreement and directly picked up a piece to demonstrate.
"Just like this, connect five pieces, and you win."
"Isn’t that a game for children?"
Ying Bing shook her head.
Seeing her lack of interest, Li Mo shrugged and continued playing with Shang Wu.
The beautiful Master had never lost at luck but had never won at skill.
"Master, you’re terrible at this."
"Wah, I refuse to accept that!"
Shang Wu had a paper note stuck to her forehead.
Two minutes later.
"Terrible, just practice more... But losing to me, the Chess Saint of Qingyuan Sect, is still an honor."
Li Mo’s performative personality kicked in as he stood with his hands behind his back, striking a heroic pose.
"Little Bing, help me get revenge!"
Shang Wu sought outside assistance.
She already had two notes on her face.
Li Mo looked over with a smile.
Just now, the ice block had said it was boring, but she had been glancing over here the whole time.
"Do you want to play a few rounds?"
"You said it’s a child’s game; let’s see if you can win against me."
If it were someone else saying this, Ying Bing would have ignored it.
She didn’t need to prove herself by winning against others.
But this was Li Mo.
"Alright."
She put down her chopsticks, her clear eyes locking onto him.
Li Mo: "!"
Strange, what was this burning desire to win?
It felt even more intense than the competition at the Nine Veins Martial Meet.
Ying Bing’s competitive spirit was truly peculiar.
But Little Li was the 'founder' of Five-in-a-Row; how could he lose his momentum?
"Hmph, just a slight move from me, and I’ll have you throwing in the towel!"
...
One minute later.
Li Mo stared at the chessboard, questioning his life.
Lost?
He, a Five-in-a-Row master! The grid notebooks he used in high school and middle school could circle Qiushui Pavilion three times combined.
How could he lose the first game?
"Looks like we won’t be playing many rounds."
Ying Bing spoke lightly.
Her moonlit eyes sparkled with a hint of joy.
"Alright, alright, a bet’s a bet."
Seeing her expression relax, Li Mo tore off a piece of paper.
"Come on, stick it on."
"Um..."
Ying Bing took the paper, lowered her gaze for a few seconds, and poked it on a certain someone’s middle finger.
Li Mo: "?"
---
Chapter 117: Ying Bing’s Approval of the Perfect Jade Liquid Realm
The game segment at Qiushui Pavilion came to an end.
"Alright, I’ll admit you’re impressive."
The boy’s face now bore six or seven paper notes.
Through the gaps in the notes, he caught a glimpse of the girl’s slightly upturned lips.
At the same time, a series of notifications from the system rang out:
【Congratulations, host, for successfully allowing 'Ying Bing' to win at Five-in-a-Row.】
【Investment feedback: Azure Vein Jade Slip.】
【Congratulations, host, for investing in 'Ying Bing's' exquisite bean tofu and Seven-Leaf Moisture Herb pickles.】
【Investment feedback: Dustless Pen.】
...
Although these were items like writing tools, they were definitely not ordinary.
The understated luxury and depth of these items were evident; they were treasures.
Who said we lost?
This was a win, wasn’t it?
Li Mo was secretly delighted, but across from him, Ying Bing softly reminded him:
"Practice your sword."
Their sword practice time had shifted from once a day to once every three days.
Well, mainly because Princess Jiang’s questions had decreased in frequency.
For some reason, today, Ying Bing was particularly serious.
Little Li was both pained and joyful.
Half an hour later.
Princess Jiang’s textbook had thickened a bit more.
And Li Mo, without resting, picked up his sword again, combining his martial insights with the sword techniques he had just borrowed from the library.
"Why are you still practicing these superior sword techniques?"
Ying Bing stood alone with her sword, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, filled with confusion.
He had already mastered a supreme sword technique.
The gap between superior martial arts and supreme techniques was vast; even the saying "other mountains can attack jade" didn’t apply here.
Why bother?
"....."
Li Mo was truly left speechless by the question.
He couldn’t just say he was using it to feed Jiang Chuchong while making a profit as the middleman, could he?
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