Shang Wu spotted Jiang Chulong shedding little pearls of tears and immediately furrowed her willow-leaf brows.
"It was me... I cried on my own..."
Jiang Chulong pinched the hem of her clothes and mumbled timidly.
"What kind of beast would bully such a pitiful little girl?"
Shang Wu's sense of justice flared up. Hands on her hips, she declared, "Speak up without fear, sister will help you beat him to death."
She leaned back slightly, pursed her lips, and snorted, "Hmph, in a one-on-one, I could easily crush him... but it’d be a bit like bullying the weak. It’s up to you, disciple."
Li Mo pointed at himself.
"When all the Hidden Dragon prodigies gather in the imperial capital, you can challenge him then."
"As long as you win, beating him up would be justified, fair, and reasonable."
Shang Wu gave a thumbs-up, signaling, "I believe in you, my precious disciple."
"And while you're at it, beat him up for me too."
"...What if I can't win?"
Li Mo’s lips twitched.
"If you can't win... gah~"
Shang Wu grabbed her own neck, rolled her eyes, and stuck out her tongue.
The little princess had almost calmed down, but the thought of Brother Li being beaten into the same ghastly state as Shang Wu scared her into tears again.
Li Mo patted Jiang Chulong’s head, then suddenly had an idea.
He walked over to Ouyang and whispered something in his ear.
Ouyang’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Junior Brother Li, you’re an absolute genius among geniuses!"
The two quickly took out paper and began sketching.
A small booklet was handed to Jiang Chulong.
It had no cover, but the edges were neatly bound to prevent it from falling apart.
The first page revealed a drawing—a cute little girl carrying a small basket and holding a peach blossom branch.
The strokes were simple, but the skilled artistry gave the girl an irresistibly soft and adorable charm.
Jiang Chulong wiped away the tears blurring her vision, finally calming down.
"Flip through it," Li Mo encouraged with a smile.
So the little princess placed the booklet on her lap and gently turned the pages. Each drawing depicted her scavenging through the streets, picking up scraps here and there.
The light gradually returned to Jiang Chulong’s eyes beneath the cloth covering them.
It’s drawn so well...
"Press the corner with your finger, ."
"Then you can make the drawings move."
Li Mo guided her on how to flip through the booklet like an animation.
"You can... do it ..."
Jiang Chulong copied his movements.
Sure enough, the characters in the booklet came to life!
In the drawings, she found a chibi-style wooden figurine of Li Mo, took it home, and buried it in the soil.
Then, seasons passed—spring to autumn.
The next year, a living, breathing Brother Li sprouted from the ground!
In the animation, the slightly goofy-looking Brother Li picked her up and spun her around in circles.
The end—flowers scattered in celebration!
Jiang Chulong burst into laughter, then whispered shyly,
"But actually... it was Brother Li who picked me up..."
"Let’s go cook something."
The small courtyard the group had rented was nearing the end of its lease. But plans changed—when they first rented it, they hadn’t expected Ying Bing to become the Sword Prodigy of Hengyun and be required to give lectures at the Sword Pool.
Li Mo also hadn’t anticipated needing to spend every day copying the patterns of mystical stones.
So, they simply settled in at an inn instead.
The setting sun cast golden hues over Fish-Dragon Lake, and from the Dragon Gate, the sinking sun appeared to descend right into its center.
Ying Bing stood atop the open-air rooftop, waiting for the moon to rise.
"Hidden Dragon Ranking’s first place."
Gazing at Jiang Yu’s name on the Dragon Gate, its glow gradually dimming, Ying Bing couldn’t help but recall—
After she defeated the Great Yu Crown Prince in three strikes, Emperor Jingtai soon abdicated, becoming the Retired Emperor, and Jiang Yu ascended the throne.
Then, his temperament changed drastically.
Some said Jiang Yu had always been cruel, merely hiding it well before.
Others claimed his cultivation had gone awry.
Opinions varied, but one thing was certain—after his coronation, chaos spread across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and the Great Yu Dynasty teetered on the brink of collapse multiple times.
The truth behind it all remained unknown, even to her.
Clearing her mind, Ying Bing prepared for tonight’s meditation.
[Countdown to next ranking comparison: Four days.]
The system reminded her punctually every day...
And then repeated the penalty details.
It was annoyingly persistent, as if afraid she’d forget.
"This time, the Hidden Dragon Ranking will be personally reviewed by Tian Miao."
Ying Bing lowered her gaze in contemplation.
With a miraculous system offering rewards—
She had to strive for it.
This time, she had gained some understanding of Li Mo’s soul and the divine will he embodied.
Her divine weapon, the True Phoenix Feather, could counter his.
As for divine techniques—
The move named "Heavenly Sword Descends" could be executed even at the lowest level of divine observation.
But that was something he couldn’t yet achieve.
This time’s outcome shouldn’t be unexpected.
Thoughts flowing through her mind, Ying Bing began her moonlit meditation.
In a private courtyard of the inn.
The entire space was filled with the fragrance of elixirs, though Xue Jing’s barrier prevented it from spreading outside.
Inside the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron, fiery serpents coiled and spat, the source of the medicinal aroma.
"Elder Xue really carries his cauldron everywhere."
Li Mo had taken a break from dual cultivation today.
"Overturning Heaven and Earth, the Mortal-Slaying Hammer" was the first divine technique he had mastered.
Yet, despite reaching perfection in it, he still couldn’t perform even the first stance—"Overturning Heaven."
He was still missing four profound pills.
So, the young disciple thought of the culinary—no, alchemical genius who rivaled his own skills—Elder Xue.
Not far away, the elixir refinement had reached the final stage—high heat to condense the essence.
"Master, the pill is done!"
The cauldron’s flames extinguished, and Tang Xiaobao jumped out, holding a five-lined pill in his small hand.
"Though it’s not due to any improvement in my alchemy."
Xue Jing took the pill, stroking his beard with a sigh.
"Alas, I remain one step away from becoming a grandmaster."
"...So you’re still just a master then."
Tang Xiaobao tilted his head and carefully placed the pill into a vial.
Li Mo shook his head and corrected seriously,
"No, it’s different. This is called ‘Peak Great Master of Alchemy, Half-Step Grandmaster.’"
"That’s... complicated..."
Tang Xiaobao blinked, barely comprehending. "So, you look down on regular masters, but can’t reach grandmaster, stuck in between?"
It seemed Senior Brother Xiaobao’s missing intelligence was indeed crucial.
After a long silence, Xue Jing sighed dramatically at the sky.
"I will spare no effort to ensure Xiaobao’s nine apertures are perfected."
"Master is so kind to me."
The touching scene of master-disciple affection was truly moving.
Xue Jing found his grand-disciple much more agreeable, regretting his past foolishness more and more.
"Li Mo, now that you’re a Hidden Dragon prodigy, you probably didn’t come here for pill refinement."
He had personally witnessed his grand-disciple treating six or seven-lined pills like snacks.
"Elder Xue sees all."
"So, you came to learn alchemy from me?"
Xue Jing beamed with pride, his smile grandfatherly.
Little Mo has finally come to his senses.
Indeed, Li Mo did not deny it.
"That's right. I wish to discuss with you the method of External Elixirs."
Unpleasant memories flooded Xue Jing's mind, and his smile vanished.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect this.
His disciple's grand-disciple may have had an epiphany, but it seems he’s strayed onto an unorthodox path.
You’ve already reached the state of observing the divine, and yet you’re still obsessing over some External Elixir nonsense?!