A woman in a red skirt fluttered like a peony about to bloom, with glimpses of two lively legs peeking through.
With her willow-like eyebrows raised, she surveyed the scene, her hands itching to get started.
She wasn’t alone; several familiar faces trailed behind her.
Hmm?
Shang Wu froze mid-scan.
“Babes, my dear disciple?”
“…Master.”
As soon as Ke Mo heard that tone, he knew exactly who it was, though for a moment, he had his doubts.
“Master, where did you get the wallet for this tavern?”
“Naturally, the sect covered it.”
Qian Bufan and Xue Jing strolled up from the stairs, while Tang Xiaobao waved at Ke Mo.
“Oh, look who’s here.” Shang Wu frowned, looking slightly disappointed.
“….” Ignoring the displeased beauty teacher, Ke Mo turned to face the others:
“Elder Qian, Elder Xue, why did you arrive so fast from Ziyang Mansion and Yunzhou?”
Xue Jing chuckled, “You little rascals have made quite the splash. Our Qingyuan Sect has no stronghold in Yunzhou, and although Hengyun Sword City is nearby, I couldn’t just sit back and relax.”
“We drove all night, burning through two whole spirit crystals to make it here by dawn.”
Qian Bufan looked like he might shed a tear over the expenses.
“Totally worth it.”
Warmth flowed through Ke Mo and the brothers, feeling quite touched.
When it comes to the big stuff, the elders are remarkably reliable.
Though our Qingyuan Sect isn’t as prestigious as Hengyun Sword City, we have connections they lack!
“Master, didn’t you say there’s still one more ‘thing’?”
Tang Xiaobao looked puzzled:
“You mentioned that our Qingyuan Sect hasn’t had such a moment of glory in years; at a time like this, shouldn’t we flaunt it live for all the world to see…”
Smack—
Elder Xue emotionlessly flicked Tang Xiaobao on the forehead.
Rubbing his now sore head, Tang Xiaobao thought to himself, Didn’t the master say that on the way out?
He still needed to nail down the final detail to complete the picture — maturity of mind and all that.
Ah, adulthood is complicated.
Ke Mo: “…..”
Everyone: “…..”
Guess it’s rare for someone to get emotional around here.
The elders settled in, and everyone tacitly forgot about the awkward moment, the atmosphere becoming lively again.
After a couple of sips of tea, Xue Jing casually commented:
“Honestly, I was going to send little Xiaobao to notify everyone, but I didn’t expect you’d choose such a prime spot.”
“I burned a big hole in my pocket to secure this tavern.”
Qian Bufan gazed at the shimmering lake, taking in the whole Dragon Gate view, suddenly feeling generous:
“Penny-pinching at home, but we’ve got disciples aiming for the Qianlong List; we can’t skimp on the show.”
He then huffed as if recalling:
“Except the tavern owner doesn’t seem very trustworthy…”
“Exactly!”
Shang Wu nodded, calling over the waiter:
“Tell your boss to come here!”
The waiter scratched his head and scampered up to Ke Mo:
“Boss, she wants to see you.”
Shang Wu: “?”
Qian Bufan: “……”
Why didn’t I take Ke Mo as a disciple back in the day? Was it because the slots for true disciples were filled?
Why didn’t someone just kick one of them out?
Just then, excited shouts arose from the bustling shores of Yulong Lake.
Ke Mo turned his gaze in that direction, only to see the grand Dragon Gate glowing with shimmering light.
The radiance wasn’t blinding; instead, intricate characters emerged, gradually forming a glowing screen.
Its presence stood firm, rivaling that of the three great suns overhead.
“Now, that’s not something just any martial arts techniques can pull off.”
Ke Mo sighed, realizing why the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Earths seemed to take their cues from Yantian Sect.
This scene was hard not to admire.
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As the Dragon Gate fell into Ying Bing’s sight, it suddenly didn’t seem so overwhelmingly majestic to her.
She fixated on the characters above, calm yet contemplative.
Wait, don’t I know this?
Jiang Chulong fidgeted with her clothes, her gaze flitting around until she finally mustered the courage to look toward the screen.
The elders and others felt a bit of tension in the air.
Everyone knew those two little rascals were certain to make it onto the list, but how high would they rank?
Before long, cursive characters danced across the glowing screen, crafted with elegant strokes:
【Qianlong List, 100th: Huang Donglai.】
【Martial Arts: Mastered Five Apertures of Guan Shen, perfected Wind and Cloud Leg technique, and achieved greatness with the Five Poisons Scripture. He’s also comprehended the Cloud Tracers technique from Hengyun Sword City and refined a high-tier body cultivation technique — the bl**d Turtle Technique — to perfection. His movement skills are top-notch, his physique is robust, and his poison skills are outstanding.】
【Record: Has fought with numerous formidable opponents at the eight and nine apertures level, including Hejian Spear and Ten Thousand Li Eagle, always escaping unscathed. He’s tasted victory and defeat, and has taken down quite a few opponents with lower realms and extensive connections…】
【Nickname: Flying Poison Double-Sided Turtle.】
“……”
The lively shores of Yulong Lake fell silent for a moment.
It’s common knowledge that those who make it onto the Qianlong List are all prodigies.
Seeing Huang Donglai’s nickname, everyone couldn’t help but feel he brought the overall credibility of the list down a notch.
But nobody could deny…
The guy was indeed strong; even Nine Apertures of Guan Shen couldn’t touch him.
It’s almost bizarre how powerful he was…
Li Mo: “…..”
What an absurd nickname: Flying Poison Double-Sided Turtle.
“Hahaha……”
Shang Wu laughed so hard she nearly fell apart, before asking again:
“Hey, babe disciple, have you crossed paths with this guy at the Martial Summit?”
“Yeah, we fought.”
Li Mo recalled that slippery figure.
“And?” Shang Wu prodded.
“He hits like a ton of bricks but runs like the wind. The damage… well, the summit banned poison usage, and I almost couldn’t resist smashing him with my hammer.”
Li Mo replied earnestly.
“So, you defeated him using only your sword skills against someone with Five Apertures?”
Xue Jing and Qian Bufan exchanged glances.
As if they didn’t already know something had gone down in the bl**d Phoenix Secret Realm.
Little Li’s swordsmanship was impressive, but there’s no way he could beat a Qianlong List prodigy, right?
Unless he had a godly weapon?
Xue Jing suddenly remembered; they still had no clue what Li Mo comprehended in Hengyun Sword City, and they intended to pay a visit to express their gratitude.
“Little Mo, how’s your swordsmanship after watching the sword marks?”
“…..”
Li Mo blinked, pondering before saying:
“Just a step away, really, just that close to becoming a Sword Hero.”
Alas, the elders and ancestors from Hengyun Sword City disagreed.
“Ha! Sword Hero? Isn’t that Little Ice Girl?”
Shang Wu believed her dear disciple was just boasting.
“And just what ‘Sword Hero’ are you?”
“Of course, not a Sword Hero. I feel shameful saying this, but they call me Sword Immortal around the city.”
“You… Sword Immortal…”
Shang Wu’s eyes glimmered with skepticism.
“Ugh, why did I just acquire this tavern? Shouldn’t there be plenty of fine wines here…?”
Shang Wu beamed, “Let’s be real; the title of Sword Immortal truly suits you.”
Right…
You scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours.
Even Master’s authority couldn’t hold a candle to the charm of free drinks…
As Li Mo laughed, his face suddenly froze.
Wait a minute.
The Qianlong List is so detailed; it’ll reveal the competitors’ biggest strengths.
His greatest strength isn’t his sword skills.
Does that mean… the impending collapse will just be delayed…
After all, wasn’t he the one who might be absent?!
Between shimmering reflections, the Dragon Gate had already revealed the eighty-fifth name.
