The sky darkened at dusk.
In the Mountain Lord Temple, the glow of the campfire had long been overshadowed by the radiance of the Jade Phoenix Deity.
Li Mo sat alone before the altar, gazing at the remaining drops of essence blood in his system space.
"Lu Wu... Bai Ze... Xie Zhi..."
With the Jade Phoenix Deity's assistance, he no longer needed to agonize over selecting which divine spirits to integrate into his Seventy-Two Transformations.
All he had to do was prepare the essence blood in advance.
So, he first took out the Moon Purity Crystal, contemplating the divine essence of the Lunar Goddess to nourish his spiritual soul and bring himself to peak condition.
Roughly half an hour later.
Amidst the swirling auras, a spirit beast leaped forth—tiger-headed, green-maned, covered in white fur, and crowned with a single horn. This was the Jade Phoenix Deity's chosen form for him.
Li Mo stared intently at the divine spirit.
The myriad divine nuances within its bloodline surged into his mind like a spring.
Unlike the ferocity typical of demonic beasts, the Bai Ze's spirit was gentle and amiable.
Young Li had transformed into Bai Ze Li.
Another transformation was added to his Seventy-Two Transformations.
"Bai Ze seems exceptionally sensitive to the thoughts of others..."
"If the person's mind isn't strong enough, I might even discern their innermost thoughts?"
The Bai Ze's bloodline power was quite useful, especially when paired with the Heavenly Eye—it practically stripped the opponent bare.
Unfortunately, none of the transformation's unique traits could be used while in human form.
With these thoughts, Li Mo stood up.
Under the cold moonlight.
Ying Bing sat at a portable tea table, exuding her familiar aura of serene divinity. She sipped her tea lightly, her frost-like eyes scanning for any disturbances in the surroundings.
But when she saw the young man emerge from the temple, her gaze visibly softened.
Li Mo momentarily forgot about her constitution and instinctively draped his outer robe over her shoulders.
Ying Bing reached up to touch the garment, her delicate nose twitching slightly before she merely tightened the collar.
"The wind is a bit strong."
"Go on. Leave your safety to me."
Li Mo grinned and gave her a thumbs-up, looking every bit the reliable protector.
They switched places. Ying Bing stepped into the Mountain Lord Temple, glancing back to see the young man pick up the teacup she had left behind and take a sip. A wave of inexplicable reassurance washed over her.
Being able to focus entirely on comprehending divine essence was ideal.
With him out there, she could rest easy.
"If anything happens, blow the Jade Feather Whistle."
"With me here, nothing will go wrong."
Li Mo shook the red string tied around his wrist to show he understood.
Ying Bing left the temple door slightly ajar.
She wasn’t in a hurry to activate the Jade Phoenix Deity just yet—instead, she peeked through the crack.
Young Li sat outside with a solemn expression, looking every bit the vigilant guardian.
At the rustle of leaves, his figure flickered as he appeared atop a tree, only to click his tongue in self-mockery upon realizing it was just a bird.
No sooner had he returned to his seat than the grass rustled again. A few breaths later, he came back holding a rabbit, muttering about whether they should roast it for breakfast.
A glimmer of amusement flashed in Ying Bing’s moonlit eyes.
Only then did she wrap herself in his robe and begin channeling the Jade Phoenix Deity, pouring all her focus into the Hundred Avian Spirit.
Gradually, the night deepened.
Li Mo’s eyes snapped open at the sound of fluttering wings—unusual, too close.
He reached out and snatched the tiny bird mid-flight. It was no larger than a thumb, resembling a hummingbird.
"I’m here on behalf of Clan Leader Shang!"
The bird wriggled in his grip, its voice muffled.
When Li Mo released it, the bird shot him a glare that was almost human in its indignation.
"What did Clan Leader Shang say?" Li Mo had no time to worry about a bird’s feelings.
"Two sixth-rank Disaster Beasts are coming for you!"
Li Mo’s expression turned grave.
Shang Qinqing had assured them they wouldn’t encounter any demon kings.
Yet, throughout their journey, they hadn’t even run into fifth- or sixth-rank Disaster Beasts.
Now, two had appeared at once, as if they’d coordinated their attack.
Sixth-rank—equivalent to a human’s Inner Realm.
"Two Inner Realm cultivators..."
Sensing the fluctuations of divine comprehension behind him, Li Mo dismissed the thought of blowing the Jade Feather Whistle.
First, the ice block was at a critical juncture.
Second, he wanted to test his current limits.
The top ten prodigies on the Hidden Dragon Ranking could all fight Inner Realm experts.
What about two at once?
The hummingbird demon shuddered, its feathers standing on end, and fled without another word.
The ground trembled as two enormous, shadowy figures loomed in the distance.
One was a four-headed serpent, its body reeking of a pungent, corrosive stench that withered the vegetation in its wake—a form Li Mo recognized well.
The other Disaster Beast was also a serpent, but with six legs and four wings. The air around it was so parched that even dew couldn’t form. Standing dozens of yards away, it made Li Mo’s throat feel like he’d spent a night in an air-conditioned room, woken up thirsty, and then stepped out into scorching sunlight to buy water.
"Xiangliu Clan? Feiyi Clan?"
Li Mo had seen the true forms of these two races within the Jade Phoenix Deity’s records.
Seeing him standing alone, the Xiangliu’s four heads simultaneously twisted into bloodthirsty grins.
"So you’re the one who crushed our young clan leader’s skull? Good, good..."
"The glow of the Celestial Jade... We’ll devour you!"
The Feiyi greedily eyed the temple.
Both Disaster Beasts were highly aggressive.
Young Li pondered for a moment.
First, he needed to figure out why these two had come together.
I know you’re eager, but hold on.
Ahem—actually, it was the tranquilizing effect of the Lunar Radiance.
The serene glow enveloped them. It wasn’t an offensive technique, so even those of higher cultivation couldn’t resist it.
"I wonder how you taste... Blah blah..."
"Celestial Jade... Keh keh... Huh?"
The Xiangliu and Feiyi abruptly entered a state of zen.
All their negative emotions seemed to vanish in an instant.
Seeing the technique take effect, Li Mo asked:
"Quite the coincidence, you two arriving together."
"No harm telling you."
The Xiangliu’s four heads spoke in unison: "It’s not just us two. Four sixth-rank demon beasts agreed to hunt you down."
"But we got here first. Figured there was no point waiting for those incompetents—we can handle you alone."
The Feiyi’s eerie laughter returned as greed reignited in its eyes.
Four sixth-rank Disaster Beasts?
Li Mo narrowed his eyes.
"Who are the other two?"
"Riverflood Crocodile and Nine-Headed Bird..." The Feiyi began, but—
The Xiangliu’s killing intent surged back first. "You’re dead tonight. Surrender, and we’ll make it quick."
"About the Celestial Jade—one more question."
Young Li’s voice floated over lightly:
"There’s only one jade. How do you plan... to split it?"
The Art of Provocation:
If facing multiple enemies, try sowing discord.
While Young Li tangled with the two great demons—
Inside the room, Ying Bing's eyes opened slightly, a faint glimmer flickering in her gaze.
How could she not be aware of the commotion outside?
Li Mo hadn't blown the Jade Feather Whistle yet.
If Li Mo went all out now, could he defeat two Inner Realm experts?
But would it be dangerous?
It was as if two tiny figures had appeared on Ying Bing's shoulders, both bearing her own likeness.
One wore a cold expression, saying, "Men all have their pride, especially in front of the one they love. Don’t you want to see him descend like a god? What’s wrong with being protected just once?"
The other was full of worry, muttering, "But he’s so reckless—what if he gets hurt? What if he loses an arm or a leg? Wouldn’t you regret it to death then?"
The two little figures bickered back and forth.
In Ying Bing’s usually calm and sharp eyes, a trace of confusion was especially evident.