The carriage was chugging along toward Yunzhou City with a determined pace.
Ke Mo was seated inside, flipping through a book in his hands.
To be honest, he thought this investment return was absolutely outrageous and seemed pretty useless. But hey, curiosity got the better of him.
Can a massage technique really be a supreme skill?
“First move: Strolling through the mountains and rivers. What mountains? What rivers?”
Ke Mo leaned back in shock, completely flabbergasted. This was truly a supreme skill! If he mastered it, he’d definitely be the top technician at Chunfeng Tower.
Jiang Chulong was watching with curiosity. What’s Ke Ge looking at? Unfortunately, just as she wanted to peek over, Ke Ge wouldn’t let her see…
Meanwhile, at the tea table, Ying Bing had the Tian Shuang sword propped on her knees, a cup of tea in front of her, eyes casting down slightly.
The Yunzhou Martial Arts Summit was going to have the big names that would soon make waves across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Just the top talents on the Qianlong List alone had four or five coming, not to mention many hidden powerhouses.
So many talented fighters viewed Hengyun Sword City as the perfect place to showcase their sword skills.
In a clash between experts, it was all about timing, spirit, and a good old-fashioned ‘who’s got the bigger ego.’
She wasn’t worried about landing in the top three, of course.
But the Shenxiao Heavenly Heart Sword demanded relentless forward momentum. The stronger the flow builds up, the mightier it becomes. The time to start was now.
“Eighth move… whoa…”
A sharp intake of breath from Little Ke rang out.
Ying Bing furrowed her brows. Was he… researching a new martial skill again?
“Tenth move, whoa, incredible… he’s really a genius.”
Ke Mo couldn’t help but exclaim. I mean, c’mon! Who else but a genius could turn a massage technique into a supreme skill?
Unable to hold back, Ying Bing blinked and glanced at the book he was holding. It boldly declared:
‘Nianhua Finger.’
With her experience, it was easy to decipher the profound Zen meaning behind such a name. Could it be… a deep Buddhist martial art?
Otherwise, why on earth would he expose such awe-struck expressions?
Ying Bing felt her heart tighten. Weird. She had never felt nervous about anything before. But seeing this young man gasping and shaking his head left her a bit unsettled.
“Who thought this up? It’s too strong!”
“Even the gods can’t compare.”
Ke Mo sighed after reading through the Nianhua Finger. To be honest, he hadn’t been interested at all before. But now that he saw it, he couldn’t help but want to learn a couple of moves.
“What are you looking at…?”
Ying Bing couldn’t resist asking. Even when he was studying the supreme skill ‘Riyun Sword Classic,’ he hadn’t reacted this much.
Not even the gods could compare? Given that the system said he was already better than her, if he mastered this ‘Nianhua Finger’…
“Oh, this thing?” Ke Mo shook the book in his hand.
“A supreme skill. Specifically a study of massage techniques.”
Little Ke felt a bit embarrassed. Who knows if massage techniques are really considered proper? After all, it involved touching places that shouldn’t be touched for the sake of effective massage…
No wonder they say don’t casually use it on the opposite s*x; it could easily lead to misunderstandings!
“Supreme skill…?”
Just as Ying Bing let out a sigh of relief, she suddenly realized something was off:
“Mas…sage?”
She recalled the punishment content for the next time:
【Request for a victory stroke…】
Initially, she didn’t have much imagination about this aspect. But just not long ago, when they were sparring…
Just thinking about the electrifying sensation made her heart all mixed up. The initial annoyance faded away, leaving behind something strange that couldn’t be dismissed.
“This kind of martial arts, learning it… is a waste of time.”
“Don’t worry, I’m just having a look for fun.”
Ke Mo chuckled. Was she worried about his martial spirit being distracted and getting messy?
Ying Bing was actually quite nice.
Wait a minute. Little Ke noticed some concern hidden behind Ying Bing’s beautifully arched brows. What was troubling her?
【Name: Ying Bing】
【Age: 16】
【Root Bone: Taiyin Moon Phoenix Body.】
【Realm: Guan Shen (Watching God).】
Friendly reminder: The top right corner has options for ‘Simplified/Traditional’, ‘Adjust Font Size’, ‘Reading Background Color’, etc.
【Fate: Red (Bearing imperial bones, Xuanbing as fate, Qiushui as spirit, possessing the aspect of Phoenix Sky.)】
【Evaluation: A fateful life filled with tribulations, always able to turn misfortune into fortune. At this moment, her feathers are rich and beautiful, waiting for the winds of change; she will surely soar across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, a phoenix rising in the six directions.】
【Recent Encounter: Hoping to enter the top three of the Martial Arts Summit to observe the Horizontal Cloud Sword Marks, aiming to be the true number one among her peers.】
“Hmm?”
Li Mo suddenly became alert. Was Ice Chunk feeling… nervous?
And around peers who made her feel inadequate?
Were there other experts too?
Instantly, Little Li became cautious about the fairytale city of Yunzhou.
…
Before long, he looked up to see a sprawling, bustling city, its grandeur dwarfing Ziyang Mansion by a hundred times, as if built upon the storied ages that have weathered the sands of time.
Yunzhou City was livelier than ever.
“Wow…”
Jiang Chulong poked her little head out, peering around like a curious kitten.
Having been in the royal capital, she had rarely set foot outside, and now? She had never seen such a scene!
Impulsively, she grabbed onto Li Mo’s sleeve, a little anxious yet excited.
“This city is so big; surely there are plenty of tasty foods too.”
Li Mo smiled: “I’ll take you to eat something delicious later.”
“Really?”
Jiang Chulong cautiously perked up her lips: “Brother Li is so good to me…”
Li Mo: “…”
This silly girl was lucky to have bumped into him; otherwise, if she encountered a bad person, she’d be fooled into counting coins for them!
He couldn’t even begin to imagine how she survived back in the palace, trusting just about anyone.
Due to the recent influx of martial artists, there were now many more armored guards stationed at the city gate, making entry stricter.
All entrants were subjected to a search.
After the search, there was a fee of about a couple of silver coins to enter, and then off they went.
“Two silver coins per person, whoa…”
Brother Ouyang was astonished. How much silver was this? One day of work would exhaust him for a few years!
“Yunzhou’s martial spirit is a lot stronger than the Eastern Wilderness,” Xu Zhiqing said, excitement mixed with nervousness.
Although she enjoyed glamorous moments at Ziyang Mansion and had quite a reputation, here? She felt as insignificant as a drop of water in an ocean.
“There are indeed many people carrying swords here.”
Li Mo nodded, tightening his grip on the Crimson Sky Sword.
Hmph!
Who dares say he’s not a swordsman?
The eyes of fate opened.
Every time he arrived in a new place, he checked for any worthy investment prospects.
“Whoa, the new issue of the Qianlong List is out!”
“Zhong Zhenyue! He made it onto the Qianlong List too! I heard he’s been defending against Disaster Beasts in the borders alongside his Highness, will he come to Yunzhou this time?”
“He’s ranked eighty-ninth? I remember the former eighty-ninth was Bai Jinghong from Hengyun Sword City!”
“Bai Shaoxia is now ranked eighty-first!”
The Qianlong List!
This was a prestigious list published by the Yantian Sect, ranking the finest heroes across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths based on their achievements in battle.
The Martial Arts Summit was a stage for young martial artists to shine. Other rankings existed but none drew as many spectators as the Qianlong List.
“I probably won’t have a chance to be on that list again,” Brother Shen Yunfei sighed. Given his age, he barely qualified as a young talent anymore.
While he spoke, he looked toward the distance.
Not just him; the other disciples from the Qingyuan Sect looked over too.
“Ying Bing! Li Mo…”
After this summit, how remarkable would they be once they finally made their debut?
They were all watching, feeling proper envy.
“It’s Bai Shaoxia!”
“And Cao Shaoxia, Wu Shaoxia!”
“Hengyun’s three heroes are here for the list viewing!”
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, recognizing the stern-looking young hero mounting a white horse, exuding an air of mastery.
But that wasn’t all.
Alongside Bai Jinghong were two other outstanding talents from the Qianlong List, even ranking higher than him.
The crowd quickly parted to make way, for they were not only talented warriors but the true insiders of Hengyun Sword City.
However, just as everyone was admiring their gallant spirit, Bai Jinghong’s gaze suddenly locked onto something.
Thud—
Bai Shaoxia seemed to see a dreadful flood beast, his pupils dilating in shock.
Then, like a reflex, his knees buckled, and he knelt.
The crowd: “???!!”
Li Mo: “…”
He was just about to store the celestial mace in the system space.
Awkward!
He barged into their territory, and now here they were, kneeling in front of him. What to do?
Online, waiting for help, very urgent indeed.
…
P.S.: The sudden drop in results yesterday was due to some side plot I wrote; I got confused for a while, and it was much later… There’s still one more chapter I likely have to pull an all-nighter for, so you may have to wait until tomorrow to read it.
Sorry about that, audience! Mwah!
