At the main hall of Qingyuan Sect's central peak, the elders and all core disciples stood silently on the steps outside, waiting.

Thanks to a certain "Divine Hammer Little Tyrant," what should have been a commendation ceremony now risked turning into a reprimand.

While the Great Yu dynasty ruled alongside the sects in shared governance—without formal master-subject relations—history had seen sects rise in rebellion during the empire's millennia-long reign.

Experience proved it wiser to maintain some reverence for the imperial family.

"Our ancestors survived the collapse of the old world in times of chaos," Shangguan Wencang said gravely, sweeping his gaze over the elders. "This is hardly the sky falling."

He then glanced at the sky, calculating the time.

"The Crown Prince should arrive soon... Ah, right."

"Where are Li Mo and Ying Bing?"

Truth be told, those two were the main figures in this affair. Jiang Yu hadn’t come to inspect some minor sect like Qingyuan in the first place.

......

The next morning.

The room was no longer frosted with icy mist, but a faint cold fragrance lingered in the air.

Ying Bing opened her eyes on the bed and instinctively glanced at the empty space beside her.

Once, her first act upon waking had been to check if her sword was still at her side. But at some point, that habit had changed.

"Forty-nine forms..."

She sheathed the Jade Phoenix Divine Blade.

Now, her Hundred Avians Phoenix Form had roughly caught up to her Moon Goddess Divine Intent, marking the beginning of their mutual reinforcement.

Though still at the sixth aperture of the Observation Spirit realm, her spiritual essence had progressed significantly since yesterday.

"Before reaching the Observation Spirit realm, I must fuse these two divine intents into one... then step into the Inner Scenery."

"Only then can the Moon-Phoenix of the Great Yin manifest."

Merging divine intents was a perilous path, one that even the most gifted prodigies attempted—including the top-ranked genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the Crown Prince of Great Yu.

But as far as she knew, across two lifetimes, she alone had ever succeeded in harmonizing such grand divine forms.

Suddenly, that annoying system chimed in again:

[Reminder: This system hasn’t updated the rankings in a year. Host, have you forgotten me?]

"It hasn’t been a year."

[The new year has passed, so it counts as a year. Moreover, I just detected emotional fluctuations from the host.]

Such a peculiar system algorithm.

Ying Bing had indeed been considering whether to resume the rankings. But after a moment’s thought, she dismissed the idea for now.

She’d revisit it after visiting Rotten Ke Mountain.

Her sword aura had reached its peak in her past life during the Hidden Dragon Gathering in the imperial capital, where she defeated countless elites to forge her path.

Now, she intended to walk that road again.

"I’ll defeat him properly this time... that ice block."

"Bing Tuozi."

Li Mo’s voice came from outside.

"We’re leaving."

"Mn."

The slender, tall figure of Ying Bing had already changed into her attire—the Moon Goddess’s Flowing Immortal Robe draped over a white undershirt that outlined her graceful form, transforming her ethereal beauty into something more distant and untouchable.

She pushed open the door to find Li Mo waiting outside, clad in his Pure Yang Long Robe.

By some unspoken agreement, their outfits matched like... well, a couple’s training attire.

The two left the Autumn Water Pavilion together. As they passed, Li Mo glanced at their master’s room—not out of any voyeuristic tendencies, of course. The upstanding young gentleman Li Mo had no such vices.

Good. Their master lay sprawled across the bed, snoring peacefully after downing two bottles of Immortal’s Drunk.

"Hah—"

"It’s quite chilly today."

Li Mo flexed his fingers, finding them restless. With nowhere else to put them, he ended up scratching his neck, leaving faint red marks.

Given the fiery temper of the "Little Tyrant," the marks reflected starkly in Ying Bing’s eyes.

The kind left by a woman sitting in a man’s lap, devouring his neck in a storm of passion... though the shape wasn’t quite the same.

...What am I thinking?

A flicker of unease passed through Ying Bing’s serene gaze as she lowered her small hand.

Then Li Mo blinked.

His restless fingers now held a cold, delicate hand.

"See? It’s freezing. Your hands are icy."

"...Mn. A little."

The "ice block" fell silent for a few seconds before nodding slightly.

"Exactly. And as a professional, I know cold starts from the feet. So if your hands are cold, your feet must be too."

Li Mo spoke with grave authority, as if lecturing on universal truths.

Having said that, he released her hand, seemingly ready to test his theory.

After all, practice was the sole criterion for truth.

Even as a mere technician, one must always seek verification!

If you don’t open the box, how do you know if Schrödinger’s cat is alive or dead?

If you don’t take off those little boots, how do you know—

"?"

Meeting Ying Bing’s silent, piercing stare, Technician Li coughed and averted his gaze, his expression suddenly pure as fresh snow.

But their path had just brought them to the sect’s gate.

Looking ahead, they spotted two figures—one in pink, one in cyan—riding atop cloud-patterned steeds, surrounded by attendants.

Those steeds, as rare and divine-blooded as Commander Qu Sheng’s mount, were pure white—a hue reserved solely for the Great Yu imperial family or those granted imperial favor. Commoners called them "Celestial Steeds."

In another life, they’d be the equivalent of limited-edition Rolls-Royces.

The newcomers charged through the gate as if intending to ride straight to the main hall—less like bearers of praise, more like an army demanding answers.

The pink-robed woman on the lead steed spotted the pair just as they prepared to ascend.

"Li Mo... Ying Bing?"

The Crown Prince hadn’t come personally today, sending only these two maidservants to Qingyuan Sect.

The pink-robed woman, Dan Hong, understood this as a deliberate snub. Still seething from yesterday’s humiliation, she burned for retribution.

Accompanying the Crown Prince, even high-ranking experts from major sects treated her with deference. When had she ever suffered such an insult?

Yet before she could speak, Li Mo frowned first.

"No galloping within the sect grounds."

"Every inch under heaven belongs to the sovereign. How dare you obstruct the Crown Prince’s decree?"

Dan Hong’s eyes turned razor-sharp. Today, Jiang Yu hadn’t restricted her cultivation. At the Inner Scenery realm, no matter how talented Li Mo was, he remained merely an Observation Spirit cultivator.

She drew her whip, its crack splitting the air like a venomous serpent lunging for Li Mo’s face.

Snap!

The lash veered inexplicably off-course, striking the stone steps beside them and shattering the rock.

"Impudent wretch! You dare dodge?"

She drew an artifact from her sleeve, the faint pressure of her Inner Scenery domain stirring the surrounding qi.

But in the next instant, a sword gleam flashed—cold as moonlight on frost.

Ying Bing stepped forward, Heavenly Frost in hand, her gaze icy and imperious.

"Oh no—honored guests, please remain calm! Junior Sister Bing, don’t—"

Ouyang, who’d rushed down to greet them, nearly fainted on the spot.

"Damn it, Junior Brother Li just offended them yesterday. Now it's Junior Sister Bing's turn today—did these two plan this together?"

Clearly, neither side in the conflict paid Ouyang any heed.

The woman in green robes, Qing Que, dismounted and said to him, "The Crown Prince ordered us sisters to instruct the two Hidden Dragon Ranking prodigies in martial arts. Since that’s the case, we’ll do it right here at the mountain gate."

Hearing this, Ouyang could only stamp his foot in frustration before turning to rush toward the main peak’s grand hall to deliver the news.

Qing Que’s gaze fell upon the aloof swordswoman, and for a moment, she was struck by the illusion of seeing that legendary woman from the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor—the one who had once dazzled the entire martial world.

Could it be...?

At that moment, Ying Bing’s eyes also shifted toward her, and she spoke softly:

"You two, come at me together."