Free Web NovelAutumn Water Pavilion.
Night fell, and the air was cool.
Today, only three small dishes were on the table, not made by Li Mo, but brought back from the dining hall.
Ying Bing held her bowl, her cheeks moving slightly.
She only ate half a bowl before putting down her chopsticks.
Today's food was truly bland.
Ying Bing never fussed about food; as long as it was clean and filling, it was enough. For her, eating was merely a necessity for her current body, nothing more.
Her desire for food was as faint as her other desires.
Hmm...
Before she had hotpot and barbecue, it was indeed like this.
'I could have endured the darkness, if I had never seen the light.'
This principle also applied to delicious food.
Now, looking at these ordinary dishes, Ying Bing felt a sense of emptiness.
She subtly glanced at the opposite side.
The young man was mechanically shoveling food, his face full of existential doubt.
Xiao Li's mood was indeed extremely complex.
"Panjie Meteor Hammer... Divine Weapon..."
When Murong Xiao quietly told him it might be the divine weapon moving beneath Shenfeng Cave, Li Mo's expression was incredibly vivid.
"My sword technique is at Minor Achievement, but Chixiao Sword ignores me."
"Yet, I clearly haven't practiced any Hammer Technique, but the divine hammer has a special fondness for me."
That hammer, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was Chixiao Sword's father.
Could it be that he wasn't suited for swords at all, but rather for hammers?
In his mind, he couldn't help but envision himself with an evil smile, swinging a hammer to smash an enemy's skull...
"Hiss..."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Li Mo slammed down his chopsticks, dispelling the image in his mind.
He had no appetite to eat anymore. As if not believing in evil, he picked up his long sword and walked into the courtyard.
Holding the Azure Steel Sword, he practiced his sword technique for the first time himself.
The sword light flowed, and it could be considered quite powerful.
At this age, to practice a high-grade sword technique to Minor Achievement, any Elder who saw it would praise him as a Sword Dao Genius.
"Minor Achievement in ten days."
"He does have some talent for practicing swords."
Ying Bing also felt it was barely passable.
Of course, there was still a long way to go before he could be considered a true Sword Dao Genius.
Even without her past life's experience and insight, it would only take her half an hour to learn a high-grade sword technique to Minor Achievement.
However, in the Dao of the Sword, there were Prodigies even more terrifying than her.
Born with a Sword Heart and Sword Bone, they could innovate any sword technique with a single glance, create peerless-level sword techniques at ten, and master Supreme martial art-level sword techniques to Transcendent Realm at twenty.
Such people truly existed.
And they were also a defeated opponent that left a deep impression on Ying Bing.
If Li Mo could know what she was thinking, he would probably smile bitterly.
He knew his own affairs.
The years he spent practicing swords were longer than his actual age.
Now, it could only be considered barely passable.
Then his true talent might only be considered utter trash...
"I don't feel any progress at all."
"I can't even see the dawn of Major Achievement."
As Li Mo practiced his sword, he had to admit one thing.
This wasn't practicing sword; at most, it was just dancing with a sword, because there was no progress after each round.
He didn't even know which direction to strive for.
People are not afraid of not working hard, but of not even finding the direction to work hard.
Could it be that he really wasn't the Materials to be a swordsman?
"The essence of your sword technique lies in holding back the strike."
Suddenly, a familiar clear voice echoed in his ear.
Before Li Mo could react, a slender, fair hand had already taken the Azure Steel Sword from his grasp.
"The longer you can accumulate, the stronger the power you explode will be."
Whoosh—
"Therefore, your sword strikes should be like embroidery, controlling every bit of your strength." freёwebnoѵel.com
Swish—
"The stronger your control, the stronger the power you can accumulate."
A beauty under the moon, dancing with a light and agile sword.
When she used the sword, she was focused and serious, her movements carrying a harmonious beauty untouched by the mundane.
Like an ice lotus in a deep mountain pond, slowly blooming through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Li Mo was lost in thought.
But then, he felt a bit confused.
Ice Cube clearly hadn't practiced "Fire Crane Thousand Feathers," had she?
Was what she said correct?
【Twenty years of Martial Arts Comprehension successfully injected.】
Xiao Li decided to take a small shortcut.
Anyway, the Sect trial was coming soon, and improving his sword technique would definitely be useful.
【Year one, thanks to Ying Bing's guidance, you found the correct practice direction for Fire Crane Thousand Feathers.】
【Year five, you diligently practiced your control over the sword, finally able to hold back seventeen feathers without striking.】
【Year seven, the further you go, the harder it is to practice control. Even a tiny bit of progress requires immense effort. You spent two years with no progress.】
【Year thirteen, through painstaking effort, you finally integrated the technique into your body's instinct, able to hold back twenty-four feathers.】
【Year twenty, you successfully left thirty feathers on the wooden dummy for the first time.】
【Fire Crane Thousand Feathers Sword Technique, Major Achievement.】
Li Mo: "..."
Sword Dao experience, like water, instantly surged into his mind.
But he couldn't feel happy at all.
Ice Cube's guidance was indeed correct.
What was certain was that she hadn't practiced this sword technique; she had only watched him practice it once.
And then... she could guide him?
Although he really didn't want to use this adjective, Li Mo had to admit that his heart was filled with...
Terrifyingly so!
Puff, puff, puff—
A series of dull thuds.
The young woman sheathed her sword and turned around. Dozens of feather marks suddenly appeared on the bamboo behind her, bursting into dazzling ice flowers. freewēbnoveℓ.com
She didn't even turn her head, merely asking softly:
"Did you learn it?"
Li Mo: "...Yes."
It was clear that Ice Cube had no intention of teasing him.
She genuinely wanted to teach him, and she genuinely believed that he could make progress just by watching once.
Li Mo suddenly remembered in his previous life, when he asked a top student a math question, and they wrote down four solutions without even looking up.
Each one was beyond the curriculum.
Then they sincerely asked him: "Did you get it?"
"Do it once."
The sword was thrown back.
Li Mo, with complicated feelings, took the sword and practiced.
In Ying Bing's slightly lowered eyes, the slightly clumsy figure of the young man was reflected, and a hint of satisfaction showed on her face.
Not bad.
If he could be taught, then he wasn't too stupid; he was considered Materials for practicing swords.
"Did I practice correctly?"
Li Mo turned around, only to find the space behind him empty.
The window on the second floor was closed again, and a thin layer of ice quickly condensed on it.
It seemed she had gone back to cultivate again.
"How many meridians has Ice Cube opened now?"
Li Mo pondered slightly.
He originally thought he was progressing very quickly in the Qi Blood Realm.
Even a red Tianming might not be able to catch up to him.
But what just happened made him curb his arrogance.
Xiao Li put away his little bit of smugness.
He also returned to his room and sat cross-legged on his bed.
The fiery sparrow feather pouch on his chest radiated a steady and gentle warmth.
Fire Heart Lotus Creation Art, activate!
Tonight, he would try to open the ninth meridian!
Unconsciously.
The moon shone high in the sky.
Next door.
"The ninth meridian, it's done."
Ying Bing opened her eyes, the ice crystals on her eyelashes twinkling slightly.
From opening her meridians until now, it had only been half a month, yet she had already condensed nine meridians.
In her previous life, she had taken a full three months.
Her Realm had progressed several times faster.
But.
Her combat power was more than dozens of times stronger!
Now, she could at most use her current body to unleash a Perfection-level sword technique.
Her combat experience, let alone in Ziyang Prefecture, was undeniably the best in the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Moreover, she also possessed Taiyin Power. Although she couldn't control it yet, even a trace of its overflow was enough to serve as a trump card.
"The Sect trial, I should be able to handle any variables now."
"If I can obtain one of the Yuan Huang Nine Souls of the Nine-Colored Yuanhuang, I will have reached Perfection in the Qi Blood Realm."
"And that mysterious System..."
Ying Bing's eyes could not hide a hint of anticipation.
Undoubtedly, she would become the top-ranked individual in the System ranking.
At that time, she would also receive System rewards, making her even stronger.
In terms of the Qi Blood Realm alone, looking across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, from ancient times to the present, she dared to say she was unparalleled.
....
Time flowed by.
Sunrise and sunset.
Diligent Xiao Li was already up, busy in the kitchen early in the morning.
"Yesterday she opened her mouth to give guidance, so I'll make today's breakfast more abundant."
"Speaking of which, breaking through to the nine meridians with the Fire Heart Lotus Creation Art has also greatly improved my control over heat."
Li Mo thought to himself as he stir-fried the dishes.
That's right.
Last night, he had already opened his ninth meridian.
He heard that opening meridians became harder the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ further one progressed, but he had never felt any Bottleneck or similar obstacles so far.
Every Breakthrough was as natural as water flowing into a channel.
After making breakfast, he ate a simple meal and then, as usual, went to the mountain gate, ready to harvest a wave of Martial Arts Comprehension.
"Li Zhenchuan, you're here again today?"
Today, it was still the old woman handling the withdrawal procedures for Disciples leaving the Sect.
Li Mo coming every day made the old lady feel uneasy.
You're not thinking of withdrawing from the Sect like the Outer Sect Disciple, are you?
"Nothing, I'm just strolling around."
Li Mo had just smiled and greeted her when his expression suddenly froze the next moment.
He had just activated his Tianming Divine Eye.
【Name: Jiang Yue】
【Age: 19】
【Bone Root: None.】
【Realm: Qi Blood Realm, Four Meridians.】
【Tianming: Black】
【Evaluation: Among the common people, nothing noteworthy.】
【Recent Encounter: When returning home down the mountain, encountered Demon Summoning Cultists, was implanted with a beast seed, and died from essence blood being devoured.】
【Name: Duan An】
【Age: 18】
【Bone Root: None.】
【Realm: Qi Blood Realm, Two Meridians.】
【Tianming: Black】
【Evaluation: Among the common people, nothing noteworthy.】
【Recent Encounter: When returning home down the mountain, encountered Demon Summoning Cultists, was implanted with a beast seed, and died from essence blood being devoured.】
.....
These two were not isolated cases.
Li Mo looked out, and it was a dense sea of black; every Disciple leaving the Sect to return home had a black Tianming above their head.
Everyone here would die.
And even their manner of death was identical.
"Demon Summoning Sect?"
Li Mo's brows furrowed tightly.
After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly stood in front of this group of Disciples.
"Fellow Senior Brothers, please stop..."
"I have ten thousand taels of silver stored in Fanghua House, but ever since I joined Qingyuan Sect, I've resolved to focus on Martial Dao, so I don't think I'll be using it."
"Since you're returning home, why not go and enjoy yourselves for a few days, help me spend the silver, and put my thoughts to rest."
.......
Ten minutes later.
Li Mo gained a large number of investment returns to claim.
A total of one hundred and ten years of Martial Arts Comprehension, plus all sorts of miscellaneous items.
Hmm, those returning Disciples were all tricked by him into going to Fanghua House.
Fanghua House was the liveliest pleasure quarter in Ziyang Fu City, often frequented by high officials and nobles, and an overnight stay cost at least 30 taels of silver.
Naturally, it was also a safe place.
Upon hearing that going to Fanghua House for food and entertainment was free, everyone was overjoyed.
There was such a good thing?
They almost called Li Mo 'godfather' on the spot!
Looking at their excited expressions, they probably wouldn't be willing to come out until they had a few days of uninhibited fun.
"The Demon Summoning Sect doesn't seem to be one of the three Sects of Ziyang Prefecture."
"It doesn't sound like a legitimate School..."
Li Mo retracted his gaze and walked towards Shenbing Peak.
This world was not a law-abiding society.
Thinking too much was useless; becoming strong himself was what truly mattered.
......
In a blink of an eye, three days later.
Autumn Water Pavilion.
"It seems the maximum is ten meridians."
Li Mo stood up, kneaded his thighs which were sore and numb from sitting all night, and opened a bundle next to him.
Inside were two sets of clothes, one dark blue and the other indigo blue, both made of high-quality Songjiang brocade.
Xiao Li immediately recognized that these were made by his mother.
There was also a family letter in the bundle.
"To my dear son, seeing this letter is like seeing you."
"You and Xiao Bing'er have both become Qingyuan Sect Legacy Disciples? Good, good, my son is as excellent as me!"
The handwriting was a bit messy, indicating that his father's hand was unsteady due to excitement when writing these words.
Li Mo chuckled, then continued reading.
"Since you've become a Legacy Disciple and practiced martial arts, you should mature a bit and change your reckless nature; you can't be as mischievous as before."
"A man of great ambition, only after establishing a family can he establish a career. It's time for you to consider a marriage."
"You must be especially good to Xiao Bing'er. You two have known each other since childhood, and now you've both entered Qingyuan Sect and are both Legacy Disciples. This is a fate given by Heaven."
"The near water tower first gets the moonlight, so open your mind and seize this opportunity!!!"
It was clear.
His father was a bit anxious, and his final strokes were very heavy.
He wished he could hold a big, chubby grandson next year.
Li Mo: "..."
Who understands, my family? In my last life, I was urged to have children until I died at twenty-six.
In this life, at sixteen, I still couldn't escape the urging marriage process.
Well, in Great Yu, it was quite common for men to marry at sixteen.
"Is this my problem...?"
Li Mo felt a headache coming on.
It was hard to imagine Ice Cube as a virtuous wife and loving mother.
Putting aside everything else.
Just thinking about the two of them sleeping in the same bed at night, Xiao Li shivered.
"Looks like I'll have to disappoint my father."
Li Mo shook his head and changed his clothes.
In just half a month, the young man in the mirror had more defined facial features, appearing even more sunny and handsome.
His originally somewhat thin body now had distinct muscles, typically looking lean in clothes and muscular without them.
Dressed in the martial attire sewn by his mother, anyone who saw him would praise him as a dashing young man.
Well, if you ignored the mandarin ducks playing in the water on the clothes.
"Ying Bing, Mother sewed you new clothes."
Li Mo, holding the clothes, knocked on the door next door.
It was the plum rain season recently, and the air was humid, so the door was frozen solid, making a thudding sound when knocked.
"Just leave it at the door."
A voice clearer than ice came from inside.
Li Mo nodded and went to warm up breakfast.
Not long after.
Footsteps sounded from the staircase.
Li Mo instinctively turned his head, and the bun in his mouth silently slipped out.
Her jade-like face was slightly lowered, radiant in the morning light, her black hair tied up, a high ponytail swaying behind her.
The form-fitting clothing made her figure even more graceful.
Not only were her legs longer than life, but the black gauze also clearly outlined the curves of her legs.
Black... black stockings?
Li Mo realized that it should be a material called 'Dark Cloud Gauze,' light, tough, cold-resistant, and high-temperature resistant.
At the same time, it was expensive; such protective gear was much more costly than weapons.
The person who invented this thing was truly a Genius.
"I will wait for you at Wangyue Cliff for one hour."
"Try to make it."
Ying Bing spoke abruptly.
"Wangyue Cliff? Why?"
Li Mo didn't know why she suddenly blurted out that sentence.
Ice Cube clearly had no intention of explaining to him.
Curious, Li Mo activated his Tianming Divine Eye.
【Name: Ying Bing】
【Age: 16】
【Bone Root: Taiyin Moon Phoenix Body.】
【Realm: Qi Blood Realm, Ten Meridians.】
【Tianming: Red (Possesses Imperial Bone, Xuanbing as fate, Autumn Water as spirit, has the appearance of Phoenix Heaven)】
【Evaluation: Has many tribulations in her destiny, but always turns misfortune into good fortune. At this time, her feathers are not yet full; when the winds and clouds change, she will surely soar high above the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, a Phoenix descending upon the Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations.】
【Recent Encounter: Participating in the Sect trial, plans to go to the Nine-Colored Yuanhuang Legacy site to obtain 'Azure Soul,' one of the Yuan Huang Nine Souls. To repay a favor, she plans to bring a 'burden' along.】
