“Young Hero Ke… Young Hero Ke?”
The soft sound of Wei Zhaoliu’s voice pierced through his daze, and Ke Mo just woke up from his dizzy spell, blinking as if he had just stepped out of a time machine.
Not long ago, he had been in the weird and wonderful Crescent Moon Star Cave, and now—surprise, surprise—he was back at the top of Sword Building.
That peculiar rock? Still there, just sitting there like it was auditioning for a role in a drama.
Wei Zhaoliu, looking confused, asked, “What’s the deal with your master? Didn’t he ever tell you that this rock shouldn’t be touched at random? Are you feeling better?”
“I didn’t faint because of the rock…” Ke Mo sighed, picking up the scroll that depicted the very cave he had just visited.
That divine aura in the painting sent waves of shock through his mind.
His consciousness soul showed signs of awakening, and he quickly tried to suppress it.
You don’t discuss the way of the Dao with mortals, just like you don’t talk to summer bugs about ice.
He didn’t have the foundation just yet to fully grasp the divine abilities illustrated within the scroll.
But one day, oh yes, one fine day in the future, when his consciousness soul grew strong enough…
All those details would be firmly in his grip!
Little Ke Mo stared at the scroll with awe, his heart racing and his eyes aflame with excitement.
Then he suddenly noticed that Wei Zhaoliu was giving him a rather odd look.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re just staring and stupidly smiling at a weird monkey, what’s up with that?”
“….. that’s the Divine Observing Diagram.”
Ke Mo blinked, momentarily perplexed.
As if a light bulb clicked on, Wei Zhaoliu said, “Right, right! Young Hero Ke, if you say so, then it must be true.”
“But you know, failing to emulate that rock isn’t a big deal. You don’t have to feel embarrassed about it.”
She assumed that Ke Mo had messed up the Divine Observing Diagram and was feeling all moody and prideful about it.
I mean, how could a decent rock turn into a silly monkey, right?
At least Ke Mo was just a stickler for pride and hadn’t actually lost his marbles.
“…..”
In that moment, Ke Mo seemed to get it.
The divine aura in this painting did not belong to Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
To others, it was just another fancy piece of art.
He could observe it because he had the immortal body.
………..
As the sun sank lower in the sky, all the disciples of the Sword City, along with a couple of elders, stood up and bowed— to what appeared to be a not-so-grown-up girl.
If this scene had happened in the past, it would have had everyone gasping in disbelief.
Ying Bing stood there, momentarily speechless.
Hmm….
In the past, she would have probably just ignored such scenes entirely.
After all, she had observed the miraculous rock and now had no debts to the Sword City.
But standing there in front of so many gazes that were either reverent or grateful, she felt a bit dazed for a moment.
Is this why he always liked to help others?
If it were him speaking, he would probably say something like…
Ying Bing softly inclined her head, “No need to thank me. I hope everyone here can continue to practice sincerely and may all touch the profound mysteries of swordsmanship.”
As dusk fell and the moon rose, the sword spirits within the Sword Pool awakened, their ethereal voices echoing in response to her words.
These sword spirits had mostly been wielded by the esteemed swordsmen of Hengyun Sword City, and remnants of their spirits remained.
Now, they all surfaced, transforming into pure divine consciousness, converging towards the stage.
The girl stood there, one hand holding a sword and the other clutching a big-headed doll.
Today, she wore a long, goose-yellow dress that couldn’t quite conceal her radiant skin.
Her dark brows resembled distant mountains, her eyes hid the moon, and with her glamorous features, she looked increasingly like a celestial being under the adoring gaze of the audience.
Amidst the crowd, whispers spread like wildfire.
“Has Miss Ying broken through again?”
“I almost forgot; she just turned eighteen…”
“Our Hengyun Sword City has thrived all these years, inviting martial artists from all over to observe the miraculous rocks. Isn’t that the essence of what she just said?”
“No wonder it drew out the lingering spirits of the predecessors.”
“It’s so unfortunate the Qianlong List was announced early; if it had waited a little longer, Miss Ying would definitely not just be eighteenth.”
“I find this all a bit absurd; a few casual words made the Sword Pool bubble, it’s simply unbelievable.”
“Don’t forget, Young Hero Ke is a wife-attracting powerhouse. I have a theory that’s rather unfounded…”
……
“?”
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Ying Bing herself hadn’t expected the breakthrough to come so suddenly.
Nor did she expect the considerable commotion it would stir.
“It’s the fortune of these dusty swords that helped Miss Ying break through,” Elder Zeng remarked, his eyes filled with curiosity rather than surprise.
“This is a joyous occasion and calls for celebration! How about you stay for dinner tonight, Miss Ying?”
“No, thank you. I prefer simple fare.”
Ying Bing glanced off towards the distance, and her gaze suddenly shifted.
Without saying much more, she descended from the platform.
Elder Zeng raised an eyebrow and turned to watch her leave.
He saw a young boy squatting under a tree at the entrance of the Sword Pool.
He was drawing something in the dirt with a twig, something for Jiang Chulong to see.
Ying Bing approached the boy and squatted down to watch for a bit.
Then the three of them left together.
With the sunset behind them and the new moon ahead, their figures gradually faded into the distance.
The elders fell into a daze.
What had they come here for again?
Suddenly, they felt like a bunch of lost puppies.
…..
The night was cool as water.
In the courtyard of the tavern, Ke Mo sat cross-legged in his room, the Divine Observing Diagram resting on his knees.
The little guy in his dantian glowed brightly, but this time, it wasn’t those mysterious and majestic moon patterns.
It was instead the divine aura gradually flowing out from the scroll in front of him.
“Phew…”
After a long while, Ke Mo exhaled a breath of air.
The divine abilities within the scroll, even when shown through the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths methods, still weighed heavily on his spirit.
Observing the “Wukong Seeking the Dao Diagram” was far more challenging than before.
Of course, if he managed to fully comprehend it, the benefits would be beyond imagination.
“This is just the initial shape.”
“What if one day I attain the great Dao divine shape?”
What a pity.
He just didn’t have the gold-sealed talisman yet.
So far, only investing in the Ice Chunk seemed to yield any rewards.
“She has broken through today, so she should be consolidating her realm, right?”
Ke Mo shook his head and went back to his ponderings.
…..
On the tavern’s rooftop.
Sitting in a massage chair, Ying Bing was reflecting on the bird-like forms imprinted in her mind.
She always practiced her skills with utmost seriousness.
But for some reason tonight, she felt a bit distracted…
Is it because she’s been practicing dual cultivation with him?
But she and Ke Mo had hardly spoken a few words.
Suddenly, phantom-like words appeared before her eyes.
[You have a Class B reward waiting to be claimed.]
A grading reward for a punishment…
No.
It’s hard to even say this was a reward.
Ying Bing paused in her tracks.
Even if she didn’t want it, the system surely would still deliver…
And sure enough.
This time, the system wasn’t even attempting to put on a show and seemed to have caught on to her thoughts.
[The next Class C reward is: Kiss Ke Mo.]
Ying Bing: “…..”
She had her doubts.
Surely, a penalty grading couldn’t possibly come with a normal reward.
…….
P.S.: My computer at home had issues, and I spent all afternoon hunting for an internet café, and since it happens to be the weekend, all the cafés were packed…
In the end, I managed to find a rickety little internet café and finally typed this out. Sorry for the late update!
Note that the environment here is terrible, affecting my writing conditions, and several keys on the keyboard are missing!
Most likely, I owe you all a chapter, and I will definitely make up for the missed update! ORZ
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