In the not-so-distant battlefield, things were looking grim.
Shockingly, the respectable Master Huai Kong, a top-tier seventh realm practitioner wielding a sizeable weapon, was making the beasts of the South Border tremble merely by stepping out. But here he was—getting absolutely dominated by a demoness! No chance to fight back whatsoever!
Honestly speaking, Little Li was feeling quite uncomfortable. He had just used the divine eye of destiny to peek into things and could understand the tension between the two people who had been pent-up for over a thousand years. He wanted to leave but was worried that the sound of him getting up would disturb the two over there.
He glanced at Ice Chunk and noticed a strand of her hair blowing mischievously in the wind and tickling her lip.
So, on impulse, he tucked it behind her ear.
“Ice Chunk, your ears are a bit hot.”
Ying Bing lowered her eyes, taking his hand off her lip and setting it back by her ear.
“It’s cold; just catching a bit of wind chill.”
“Wind chill?” Little Li found it hard to buy into that.
He remembered how freezing her room had been when she could chill her popsicles. If she caught a cold, that would be the stuff of legends.
Looking at her moist, tempting lips, Li Mo felt his ears suddenly get hot.
It seemed he had caught the same “wind chill.”
“Ice Chunk…”
Little Li’s gaze was as steadfast as Murong Xiao’s vow to give up lust.
“Hmm?”
Ying Bing’s beautiful eyes went wide, her frosty demeanor momentarily shocked.
In that instant, all thoughts of unparalleled divine skills and the path to becoming an immortal seemed to dissolve into bubbles, popping away without a trace.
She felt a fleeting moment, just like a fleeting shadow.
Little Li closed his eyes and leaned in.
But she managed to catch on and closed her eyes too…
BANG—
A crisp sound echoed.
“Ugh…”
Their foreheads collided with a charming impact.
Li Mo rubbed the site of the impact. His head was sturdy, and while it didn’t hurt at all, why did his heart feel like it was in a vice, making it hard to breathe?!
Especially when he saw the reddish tinge on the forehead of the girl opposite, her eyes losing focus, no longer so cold, but rather adorably dazed…
“Should we…?”
“No way.”
“……”
Little Li suddenly regretted reading so many novels. If he hadn’t, this first kiss wouldn’t have just slipped away!
Who said you had to close your eyes to kiss?!
Those stinky novel writers misled him!
“Must’ve hurt.”
“I’m fine.”
“Really?”
Ice Chunk’s face was expressionless, but she didn’t look happy about it at all, which really contradicted her “I’m fine” claim!
Well…
In truth, Ying Bing’s lack of expression was initially due to being dazed. After that, her thoughts got tangled up, and she was already recalling the sensation of their lips touching last time.
Just thinking about it was making her…
If that had just really happened, did she still need to start the next round of rankings?
Facing him, she might as well be unable to even lift a sword, judging by the comprehensive power comparison—it was impossible for her to win!
Ying Bing suddenly understood.
No wonder the esteemed Master Huai Kong, a pinnacle master, was utterly crushed by Shang Qin Qing when he had fallen to the seventh realm.
When there’s a whole realm’s gap, victory was not in the cards!
That ‘bang’ just now was especially jarring.
Now, neither Master Huai Kong nor Shang Qin Qing could pretend they hadn’t noticed the two of them, as though the others were merely background decorations.
“Little ones are watching.”
Shang Qin Qing threw a flirtatious glance at Master Huai Kong, reluctantly releasing him.
Master Huai Kong: “……”
Oh come on, you clearly knew what was going on and now you’re acting shy?
Amitabha, what a sin!
“The old monk can’t recall what just happened….”
“Hmm?”
“Qin Qing, I’m still the abbot.”
Master Huai Kong sighed with resignation.
If no one had picked up his burden for a day, he couldn’t return to the mortal realm for that same period.
Warm reminder: If you find this book enjoyable and wouldn’t want to lose it next time, don’t forget to add it to your shelf!
“Why wait for me? I’ve waited a millennium.”
“This karmic bond may not have to last so long.”
Master Huai Kong’s expression was complicated.
In the Floating Temple, no corner was left unchecked. Even when he didn’t intend to, he had his heart and mind inside all that had happened.
He knew when Murong Xiao gave Li Mo the prayer beads, and that Li Mo gave Murong Xiao that Buddhist scripture—he was well aware.
A moment later, Master Huai Kong removed his veil and turned to leave.
He didn’t know how many glances they exchanged, but Shang Qin Qing hid the tenderness in her gaze and transformed her expression into one of playful indifference.
When she walked over, she found the boy and girl silent. She couldn’t hide her grin, guessing they probably weren’t hungry since they didn’t even have seeds out to munch on.
“Hey, Little Ice Girl, what are you two doing here?”
“Just arrived, planning to have a chat with you, and figuring out which path is quicker.”
Li Mo acted nonchalant.
Not because he was good at pretending nothing was wrong, but mostly because he had seen too much that he wasn’t supposed to. He guessed Ice Chunk’s ‘contact’ moment had been witnessed.
Those who understood, understood. A silent agreement.
“Tsk tsk, it’s rare for Clan Leader Shang to produce such an outstanding disciple.”
Shang Qin Qing looked Little Li up and down, really impressed.
“Do you know my master?”
“More than just know. Back when I was seventh rank, still in the process of transformation, she almost cooked me up for soup.”
“……”
Little Li was momentarily speechless.
He decided to avoid mentioning his master next time he went out. Who knew what kind of powerful past friends had a master with such a notorious reputation?
“You don’t need to overthink. That kind of temperament of hers is not hard to understand…”
Shang Qin Qing shook her head, not diving deeper into the topic.
She pointed at the map and drew a line.
“You guys should take this route back to South Border.”
“Isn’t this… a major detour?”
Li Mo followed her pointed route, puzzled. It was at least twice as far compared to his earlier path. This was not a straight line but had several big bends.
But Little Li was not a fool.
After a moment of thought, he blurted out:
“Because of the Jade Phoenix Divine?”
Brother Murong had warned him too.
This return path was destined not to be peaceful.
“Not just the Jade Phoenix. You two are also… seeds of destiny.”
“At that time, I can’t help you overtly; I can only promise to find you without any fourth-grade disaster beasts lurking around.”
Shang Qin Qing smiled, but her words were undeniably assertive.
“Thanks, Clan Leader Shang.”
Li Mo caught onto her underlying message.
It meant they could encounter a major monster, right?
In the Monster Clan, the first-tier monsters held the respect, while human warriors looked up to the ninth realm; the two were opposites.
Major monsters, equivalent to a human within the interior realm, and generally, fifth-grade disaster beasts were often stronger than the interior realm.
But she had already extended her help; he couldn’t demand too much.
Besides…
How could a warrior not weather the storm?
A simple thank you received no response for some time.
When Li Mo looked back up, he realized not only was Shang Qin Qing gone but also the fate tree, the Buddhist hall, and the ancient temple—the scenery had disappeared completely.
Only the bald, barren peaks remained, as if it had all been a dream.
He hurriedly looked sideways, his heart settling.
“Ice Chunk, we’re headed home now.”
Li Mo wiggled his fingers, intending to reach out, but remembered the awkwardness from before.
“Uh-huh.”
A surprisingly icy, soft little hand slipped into his palm, and he instinctively tightened his grip.
Staring at the marvelous landscapes of the South Border, all worries and distractions faded away, leaving only a sense of the vastness of the world.
The journey home was long.
Great that it didn’t have to be done alone.
Ying Bing gazed at the profile of the boy, seeming to—
Think the same way?
…
P.S.: A call for the audience to recharge (weakened)
