The vast training grounds were filled with thousands of soldiers, yet there was an eerie silence hanging in the air.
Even within the ranks of the Whale-Breathing Coral Army, things were tense.
“Wow, this thing is connected to the Earth’s veins and can withstand the impact of the Ninth Level of Inner Vision!”
“Weren’t you guys watching? The coral stone turned red, meaning Young Hero Li just unleashed an strike strong enough to reach the External Realm!”
“An Observation Realm strike resulting in an External Realm hit, this is…”
“Wow!”
The crowd erupted into a frenzy.
On the commanding platform, Zhong Zhenyue and Zhong Ling held their breath, their eyes glued to the spectacle, filled with envy and longing.
Through the swirling wind and snow of the training grounds, the young man stood proud, a true hero among armies, looking like a deity descended from the heavens.
And that girl, like a fairy in the snow, played an ominous tune with her delicate hands, her eyes filled with his figure, glowing softly like water. Even the harsh winter seemed to warm up, as if the storm had cleared, unveiling a peaceful sky.
“Can we be like that someday?” Zhong Ling asked, pressing her lips together.
“Not even close,” Zhong Zhenyue replied, both envious and a bit embarrassed. “Not to mention everything else, we grew up together, and even our coordination isn’t up to par with those two.”
Zhong Ling tentatively suggested, “Then let’s start practicing our coordination.”
“…..”
Zhong Zhenyue froze, memories of Young Hero Li’s words from last night popped into his head.
If your biological sister wasn’t your biological sister, would you want her to be?
By the way, why doesn’t Zhong Ling look anything like him?
Qu Sheng burst into laughter:
“Bring forth my Snow-Treading Dragon Horse for Young Hero Li!”
“Yes, sir!”
Guard Commander Wu Lang personally led the horse back to Li Mo.
At this moment, the military formation slowly came to a stop. In their shining armor, the young man stood tall and proud, accepting the admiration of all.
What a rush!
No wonder the protagonists in stories love showing off.
It was a pity he wasn’t suited up; he’d be even more impressive then.
But, feeling the mesmerizing power in his Dantian, Little Li decided not to worry too much about these minor flaws.
Seventy-five percent completion.
The next power was the Somersault Cloud, which would cover his biggest weakness: speed!
Once he mastered the Somersault Cloud, wouldn’t he be able to use gold-plated stamps to evolve the image of Sun Wukong into a divine entity?
Little Li’s excitement made him clench his fists.
“This is the general’s steed; please mount it, Young Hero Li.”
At that moment, Wu Lang led over a horse completely white as snow, no other colors mixed in, with silver scales on its joints.
“Wow.”
Little Li mounted the horse, but he felt even more nervous than before when he was the main array conductor.
This beast was tough to ride!
Without anyone demonstrating, he was simply flustered.
However, his nervousness was conveniently overlooked by the crowd.
The young man was already a strikingly handsome figure, having just bravely faced the armies, and now, riding this rare steed, who wouldn’t proclaim him as a dashing young hero?
“Young Hero Li!”
Someone shouted first.
Soon the entire training ground echoed his name, a wave of cheers rolling in like a tsunami.
It was as if some legendary hero had returned, riding on a rainbow after a victorious battle.
Hearing the hoofbeats approaching, Ying Bing gently lifted her eyes, gazing at him riding into view.
She put away her ancient zither, rubbed the head of a plush doll, her eyes sparkling mysteriously.
“Cold Fairy, troops in abundance, right?”
“…..”
Ying Bing paused, pinching the doll’s fingers, and quietly said, “Husband’s spirit, brave before the troops?”
Little Li, who was already a bit clumsy on horseback, nearly fell off the steed.
Returning to the platform, he received plenty of praise from the generals.
Qu Sheng even suggested giving him the Snow-Treading Dragon Horse as a token of gratitude for his contributions to Green Wood Camp.
Little Li politely declined, claiming he had an even swifter steed.
Um… not exactly a horse.
It’s more like the Somersault Cloud.
Though riding around on a cloud during battle sounds a bit odd, it’s definitely much cooler than just a horse.
…..
As the day faded into evening, the sun, having hidden behind clouds all day, finally peeked through.
The last rays bathed the thin layer of snow, reflecting a soft glow, resembling a curtain that mirrored the exotic charm of Qingmu City, making it even more vibrant and alive.
The carriage departed from the brightly lit Green Wood Camp, still bustling with tense training.
‘The system still has a ton of rewards left to tally.’
‘And I haven’t even had time to comprehend the Somersault Cloud.’
Li Mo lay back in the carriage, waves of exhaustion washing over him like a tide.
No matter how strong he was, carrying forty people’s worth of armor left him feeling weak.
This kind of fatigue wasn’t just physical; his consciousness also felt drained.
So tired.
By the way, nearby, Ying Bing, with her serene and flawless beauty, sat quietly, compiling her understanding of military formations.
The scratch of her pen on paper, the gentle rumble of the carriage wheels rolling over the snow, created a harmonious and tranquil atmosphere.
Li Mo blanked out, not wanting to think of anything. He simply watched her in silence.
“If only there were a Fountain of Eternal Youth here too,” he mused.
“Yeah…”
Ying Bing glanced out the window. Since the hot spring was at the Qingyuan Sect, and not here, she said, “Relaxing in a bath while snowflakes fall would be pretty comfy.”
“A bath… we have a pretty big tub in our room, right?”
Li Mo thought that with some rare treasures thrown in, it could barely be considered a low-grade Fountain of Eternal Youth.
He’d have to try it out when he got back.
“…..”
Ying Bing didn’t seem to catch what he said; she was focused on her writing.
But tomorrow, Qu Sheng might have a few more question marks hovering over his head.
What kind of formation is Li Mo’s formation?
And what is this “Bathing Situation” army setup?
“Hey, Brother Li!”
As they neared the tavern, they spotted a candy painting stall. Today, it was surprisingly unbusy, with only an apprentice named Tiger standing there. Tiger spotted them right away.
“Brother Li, you didn’t happen to come back from the Green Wood Camp, did you?”
“Yep, that’s right.”
“It was so lively there today! I heard the top talents from the Qianlong List were putting on a show! Did you see the real deal? Were they as cool as I thought?”
“Not bad; he’s just a smidge better than Wu Yanzu.”
“??”
Li Mo glanced around at the candy painting stall and asked, “Why’s it looking slow today?”
“Yeah, it’s chilly, and the candy is freezing before I can finish painting it! Can’t sell any, and Grandpa was worried the candy at home would get damp, so he sent me back to watch the stall.”
Tiger pouted, clearly unhappy about not being able to join the fun at Green Wood Camp.
“Then why not just sell sugar balls instead? Roll the candy into balls, wrap them in paper, and sell them cheaper.”
“Hey, why didn’t me and Grandpa think of that? Brother Li, you’re a genius!”
Before long.
Since they were close to the tavern, Li Mo hopped out of the carriage, enthusiastically discussing how to make sugar balls with Tiger.
Watching the young man roll the sugar balls, Ying Bing felt a tinge of helplessness, then lowered her gaze to check the military formation notes she had just written.
But after a quick glance, she froze.
To create the Li Mo formation, the vital component was… sugar…
Ying Bing’s clear eyes momentarily filled with confusion.
What did she just write down?
How did she end up including a penalty from the system??
As she pondered, Li Mo burst out laughing.
“Ha ha! Our first sugar ball is ready!”
“Brother Li, you’re amazing!” Tiger chimed in with praise.
Li Mo raised an eyebrow, smiling. He remembered that Ying Bing seemed to like sweet treats, even if she didn’t say so, considering she devoured that entire candy figure the other day.
So, he ducked back into the carriage and stuffed the sugar ball into her palm.
“…..”
The freshly made sugar ball was warm to the touch.
If he popped it in his mouth, it would probably dissolve quickly and turn into sweet, stretchy syrup, right?
Looking at the sugar ball, Ying Bing’s eyelashes fluttered gently. She felt like she had found the reason for her jumbled notes on military formations.
“Your hands are cold.”
Li Mo furrowed his brow and casually tucked her long, delicate hand—and the candy—into his pocket.
….
PS: Little Puff Street is taking a sick day today; the meds just won’t lower the fever, planning to get an IV.
So I’m looking for charging power, please! OTL.
