Tie Qi's legs itched as if swarmed by countless ants.
Yet he felt no pain, only staring blankly, afraid it might be an illusion.
His empty stumps began sprouting bones, swiftly followed by sinews, veins, and flesh.
It all felt like a dream.
But the sharp discomfort reminded him—this was real.
Suddenly, Tie Qi remembered.
Last night, while drinking with the young man, Li Mo had mentioned having a way to heal him, to let him walk again.
At the time, he'd dismissed it as drunken bravado.
"Not even a whimper. Old Tie's a tough one, huh?"
Li Mo silently gave him a mental thumbs-up.
"Brother Li, this is..." Tie Qi's throat felt parched.
"Earth-Meld Flesh Restoration Pill," Li Mo replied casually.
Those few words sent shockwaves through Tie Qi's heart.
Having longed to mend his crippled body, he knew this pill was forged from the rare Earth-Meld Herb blended with other treasures.
Even if he found the herb, he'd need years to gather the remaining ingredients and afford an alchemist's fee.
For the pill to work so well, its refinement tier must be exceptional...
And yet, such a priceless pill had been slipped into him without his knowledge, in such a theatrical manner.
"Brother Li, such a precious pill... I don't know how I can ever repay you..."
"Old Tie, you never struck me as the sentimental type."
Li Mo waved it off, teasing,
"Last night after drinks, you weren’t ."
Their acquaintance wasn’t long, but Li Mo found Tie Qi straightforward and bold—someone worth befriending.
Besides, Li Mo hadn’t lost out; he’d gained far more in return.
Tie Qi stood, lips trembling, eyes glistening:
"You’ve given me a new life. From now on, if you ever need anything, I’ll go through fire and water without hesitation."
"No need for that. Let’s deal with the trouble at hand first."
Li Mo pointed into the distance.
After the Hellfire reduced the Treant King to ashes, the horde of lesser treants was stirring again.
Whether due to dull wits or disbelief that the flames would return, they were regrouping.
Tie Qi wiped away what might’ve been his first-ever tears:
"Brother Li, could you... move aside a bit?"
"Huh? No need. I’m not that weak—I don’t need to hide."
"No, you’re standing on my halberd’s hilt."
In the end, they didn’t fight side by side.
Tie Qi charged into the treant horde alone, his halberd a whirlwind of vengeance, as if sweeping away years of pent-up frustration.
After decades as a cripple, he deserved this catharsis.
Li Mo watched calmly as Tie Qi carved through the monsters.
Then came an unexpected boon—mid-battle, Tie Qi broke through to a higher cultivation realm.
As for the beast tokens dropped by the treants, Tie Qi handed every last one to Li Mo.
Having achieved his goal—and beyond—he had no need to chase rankings.
"Ice Block’s slaughtering way too fast."
Li Mo glanced skyward, clicking his tongue.
The rankings above had shifted significantly.
Between slaying skeletal beasts and Tie Qi’s tokens, Li Mo now held 70 tokens, placing second.
Ice Block? A staggering 118 tokens, leagues ahead.
"Even butchering a hundred pigs would take time..."
Well... with his hammer, Young Li could probably match that speed.
But no need—top fifty was enough.
"Brother Li, where to next?"
Tie Qi’s expression screamed unwavering loyalty.
Li Mo pulled out his notebook.
He checked off Tie Qi’s name, then scanned the next destination, plotting a route.
His investment strategy prioritized main targets while assisting secondary ones along the way.
Even villains got "help"—when the investment paid off.
But as the saying goes, "If you help someone, help them all the way to the afterlife." For the truly wicked, Young Li would kindly send them to meet Buddha... after shearing them clean.
The two journeyed onward.
"Regrets! This place is too perilous! Will my Falling Leaf Palm meet its end here...?"
"Fiend, taste my blade!"
"Monsters, eat my halberd!"
"You two are... True Disciple Li? Brother Tie?"
A lone cultivator, encircled by skeletal serpents.
Two figures descended like saviors.
"Yao Beiqing! You call yourself the White Horse Swordsman, yet you ambush friends and steal tokens?!"
"Who’d know it was me? I’ll remain the noble hero!"
"Truth is, I’ve coveted your wife for years. After this, I’ll comfort her as your ‘dear friend’—marry your widow, spank your kids, keke—"
Two figures descended.
"Hypocrite, taste my—"
Li Mo fed a healing pill to the man who had just let out a sinister cackle while ambushing his friend—and even helped the scoundrel recover.
But the moment the healing was done, he ran him through with his sword, sending him straight to the underworld.
Tie Qi and the rescued man were utterly dumbfounded.
What in the... Are you a living saint or the King of Hell himself?
Hard to say, but one thing’s certain—
This is just too ruthless!
The above was just two snippets.
In truth, Li Mo, with Tie Qi by his side, had taken on the role of a righteous arbiter in the secret realm, dispensing justice far beyond these acts.
Of course, those truly irredeemable villains were few and far between.
Life in the martial world wasn’t so black and white.
Most who survived near-death experiences lost their appetite for further adventure in the secret realm. After all, facing mortality teaches one lesson above all:
Staying alive is what matters most.
And the dangers of this secret realm far exceeded their expectations.
Many who heeded advice followed Young Master Li’s directions to a safe spot to lay low.
Namely... the now demon-tree-free Demon Tree Forest.
When they ran into each other, confusion was inevitable.
"You... were saved by Young Master Li too?"
"What a coincidence—same here!"
"So... everyone here owes their lives to Young Master Li?"
"He didn’t just save me—he saw right through my... congenital deficiency and gave me a Black Tiger Vitality Pill! Ah, he’s like a second father to me!"
"Same! If not for Young Master Li, my son would’ve taken another man’s surname by now!"
The rescued crowd exchanged glances, speechless, hearts brimming with awe.
Young Master Li... he really is something else.
A man of such virtue!
No, "virtuous" doesn’t even cut it.
He’s the very embodiment of justice!
Some were already discussing plans to erect shrines and temples in his honor once they got out.
"It’s not that Buddha isn’t worth worshiping—it’s that Young Master Li offers better value!"
"Exactly! When there’s trouble, he steps up! When help’s needed, he delivers!"
"From now on, anyone who opposes Young Master Li is my sworn enemy!"
"If villains oppose him, it proves they’re beyond redemption—good riddance!"
"If decent folk oppose him, they must be hypocrites—still good riddance!"
As more survivors gathered, the vibe took an odd turn.
But that wasn’t the point.
What mattered was that the entire secret realm had transformed into a haven of harmony.
Deep within the secret realm.
Han Shi, clad in blood-red robes, ever the unfathomable mastermind, furrowed his brow in contemplation.
By his calculations, the realm should’ve been drenched in blood by now.
"Why are so few dead?"