Li Mo was utterly baffled. He had initially felt a vague sense of familiarity with the person before him, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect her first words to leave him petrified on the spot. Since when was he married? He had no recollection of such a thing. He didn’t even have a wife—so where did this "in-law family" come from?

"Are you mistaken?"

"No... Never mind. Just consider it a slip of the tongue. I’ll just... call you by your name."

Feng Zhi’s expression was peculiar, her gaze far from that of someone meeting him for the first time.

"?"

Li Mo subconsciously touched his neck, where a red mark—present since birth, like a birthmark—rested.

But Feng Zhi knew better. That was no ordinary mark...

Indeed, the reason she had aligned herself with the Li family, bestowing upon them a sliver of her power, was solely for him.

After all, even among the Celestial Clan, few could ever hope to interact with Ying Bing.

He was likely the only path to reaching her.

Feng Zhi couldn’t shake the feeling that Jiang Yu’s current trajectory was unsustainable. His methods grew increasingly extreme, and the tensions between the Earthly Cities and the Human Cities were escalating. Jiang Yu didn’t care, but she sensed danger looming.

Every celestial calamity claimed lives—even among the Celestial Clan.

She needed a contingency plan.

One path lay with Ying Bing, the other with Li Mo himself.

Bound by their agreement, he had forgotten his past, leaving him unaware of the formidable support behind him.

The once-great King’s Village was now known as Mo City.

It had become the sacred land of all Blade Seekers and the birthplace of countless powerful warriors from the Human Cities.

Those warriors were formidable—one among them, Dong Changtian, even made her feel threatened.

It was hard to believe Ying Bing wasn’t involved.

For heaven’s sake, Mo City was originally called Li Mo City before the name was shortened—anyone with half a brain could figure it out!

Moreover, Mo City was fiercely united.

They worshipped none of the Celestial Clan, yet possessed an inexplicable cohesion. No matter where they were, displaying a certain strange symbol would instantly mark them as allies.

This was why, despite being viewed as a thorn in the side by the Earthly Cities, Mo City remained untouched.

All of this was Feng Zhi’s speculation.

She was almost certain, but the other Celestial Clan members remained oblivious.

"Have we met before?"

"Where would we have met?"

Feng Zhi shook her head, offering no further explanation.

Li Mo pointed at the vibrant red-patterned cotton coat draped over her shoulders. "I can’t help but feel this outfit doesn’t quite match the Celestial City’s usual style?"

Feng Zhi replied, "I simply prefer colorful clothing. It’s quite common."

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely."

Seeing her deadpan expression, Li Mo rubbed his chin. The way she delivered such nonsense with a straight face felt eerily familiar—like looking into a mirror.

Truly a born performer... or rather, a leading actor. He could spot the act from a mile away.

"Feng Zhi, what are you discussing with him? Why hasn’t it begun yet?"

A voice laced with thunder rumbled from the side.

It was Lei Ze, the Celestial who descended amid lightning—bare-chested, muscles coiled, his head shaved clean.

Feng Zhi nodded. "Let’s begin."

Suppressing his doubts, Li Mo drew the sword at his waist.

Old Li had told him that once one’s martial prowess reached a certain level, the Celestial Clan would bestow their power, allowing martial arts to truly resonate with heaven and earth.

He often wondered—could he achieve this on his own?

Rumors said some exceptionally strong mortals in the Human Cities had done it.

Sadly, he hadn’t had enough time to try...

"You, come here!"

"Who, me?"

"Ahem, my apologies. That’s the opening stance of my martial art. Since this is a full demonstration..."

"...Just get on with it."

Swish—

Before the words fully left her mouth, his blade carved a dazzling arc through the air.

Seemingly casual, yet executed with the grace of an antelope’s leap—swift as a startled swan, fierce yet unpredictable, leaving opponents feeling utterly exposed.

With every movement, his aura surged to its peak.

"Huh... this kid."

Even the typically aloof and unflappable Celestial Clan members turned their gazes, sensing something extraordinary.

To their eyes, Li Mo’s swordsmanship faintly resonated with the natural frequencies of the world.

If augmented by the Celestial Clan’s heavenly power, it might ascend to a level even they couldn’t ignore.

No wonder Feng Zhi had spoken with him alone for so long.

She must have known the Li family had such a promising talent...

The Celestial Clan was no longer as detached from worldly affairs as before.

Under Jiang Yu’s influence, they had come to understand the importance of influence. Now, they spread their names through noble families, ensuring their legacies endured...

What none of them expected was Feng Zhi’s verdict after witnessing Li Mo’s display:

"I cannot pass my power to you. Send another Li family member next time."

"Why won’t you grant it?" Lei Ze asked, puzzled.

"..."

Feng Zhi thought to herself—as if I’d dare.

Her sole purpose in bestowing power upon the Li family was to protect them.

"I have my reasons," she said, shaking her head.

Lei Ze, Chun Mang, Yan Rong, and the other Celestial Clan members could say little more.

But to the Earthly City’s observers, Old Li was frantic.

Losing the inheritance meant more than just losing power—it meant losing the backing of a mighty Celestial.

What went wrong? Did Li Mo offend Feng Zhi during their conversation?

"Li Mo! Li Mo!" Old Li frantically signaled him with his eyes.

"Sigh..."

Li Mo exhaled. Personally, he didn’t care.

But he wasn’t alone in this world—he couldn’t just think of himself.

Silently, he retrieved a hammer from his sleeve.

Whoosh—CRACK!

With a single swing, winds howled, thunder roared, and the stars trembled.

The surroundings darkened abruptly. The celestial bodies above halted their mysterious orbits, and intangible threads seemed to link them to the hammer in his hand.

A magnificent spectacle unfolded without warning.

"!!"

The warriors of the Earthly Cities paled. This surpassed anything they recognized as martial arts.

Without the Celestial Clan’s blessing, he had harnessed the power of heaven and earth—using nothing but a hammer?

Even in Mo City, few could accomplish this, and those who could were all advanced in years.

The Celestial Clan members leaned back slightly, deep in thought.

After a few seconds of silence...

"Feng Zhi, if you won’t take him, I will!"

"Who says it’s your turn? My thunder is better suited for him!"

"With strength like that, he belongs with me, Ju Bo. Moving mountains and diverting seas would be child’s play!"

The Celestial Clan erupted into argument, none willing to back down.

The reason was simple.

Even without their inheritance, this power guaranteed Li Mo’s eventual ascension to their ranks. Such cases were rare, but not unheard of.

No longer did they see him as a mere mortal—he was now a future peer.

"Enough!" Feng Zhi stamped her foot and shouted.

A stampede of unnameable creatures galloped through her mind.

She never could have imagined that Li Mo, who had been an utterly ordinary village chief in his past life, would be reborn in the Earth City as a martial warrior with such astonishing talent. Had he been hiding his true abilities all along back in the Li Manor?

If he had been born in the Celestial City instead, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Yet, of all times, he chose to reveal his prowess now—under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

What should be done now? Could they really allow Li Mo to inherit the legacy of the other clans?