"Hey~ Your chicken feet are showing~"

"I said it’s a roc’s talon! Wait... why am I reverting to my true form?"

"Where did this catgirl come from?"

"This lady just has a bit of Qiongqi bloodline, alright?"

"Who peed here?"

In front of the Qingyuan Sect’s grand hall, the Southern Border demonfolk erupted into chaos, shattering the silence. Everyone turned to look—these self-proclaimed masters of form-mimicking martial arts, the gallant warriors of the Southern Border, were now undergoing varying degrees of transformation.

Those at the Fourth Realm or below had fully reverted to their original forms.

Fifth Realm practitioners like Wu Qing showed half of their true appearance.

No wonder Murong Feng got even more excited when he found out she was a demon...

Only those like Shang Qinqing, at the Sixth Realm—equivalent to the human race’s Dharma Body Realm, where all divine wonders were internalized—remained unchanged.

But most of the demonfolk present clearly hadn’t reached the Sixth Realm.

Thus, the vast Qingyuan Sect was instantly shrouded in demonic energy. To the uninformed, it might have seemed like the demonfolk had stormed the mountain gates.

Many martial artists instinctively drew their weapons.

The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment.

Shangguan Wencang spoke up, "These practitioners of form-mimicking martial arts must have been inspired by Li Mo’s breakthrough and are now testing their techniques. Turning into demonfolk is perfectly reasonable."

"Li the Young Hero can do this too—no harm done."

The Prince of the Southern Border smoothed things over.

With both the imperial court and the Qingyuan Sect’s hosts assuring everyone it was fine...

"Ahem, this elder was also testing his martial arts." Elder Xu from Sword City swung his sword a couple of times before sheathing it again.

The misunderstanding was resolved.

The atmosphere returned to harmony, but everyone knew the real source of the phenomenon.

It was Li Mo’s inner landscape—that crimson giant.

Wherever the crimson light reached, all supernatural phenomena faded into mundanity, leaving only the raw power of blood and qi within the body.

Even Fifth Realm practitioners, who connected their inner world to the external, were not exempt—though they fared slightly better.

Gazing at the surging flames, the crowd’s flushed faces were a sight to behold.

What did this mean?

From now on, below the Sixth Realm, no flashy tricks would work against Li Mo—only pure physical strength mattered.

And when it came to physical prowess...

Everyone couldn’t help but recall Li Mo tearing apart the Demon Summoning Ancestor with his bare hands, the blazing pillar of his blood qi shooting into the heavens. The mere thought sent shivers down their spines.

"The Gangdou Sect once had a sect master surnamed Li. I believe there must be some connection to Young Hero Li," the Gangdou Sect Master said with utmost seriousness.

"Wait, when did we ever have a sect master named Li?"

"This elder says there was, so there was."

"But there’s no memorial tablet in the ancestral hall..."

"Just find one and modify it."

"...Makes sense."

The Gangdou Sect disciples saw no issue with this.

"As for the title of 'Sword Armor,' I believe Li the Young Hero is truly deserving," Elder Xu remarked calmly, hands clasped behind his back.

If not for the slight trembling in his legs, he might have looked perfectly composed.

"Old Xu, weren’t you questioning Li the Young Hero earlier?"

Another elder mimicked Elder Xu’s tone: "Then let me ask you, then let me ask you—what kind of Sword Armor is Li Mo? He’s nothing but a hammer!"

Elder Xu gnashed his teeth in fury. "Slander! This elder swears he never said such words! If I did, I’ll take your surname!"

The other elder paused, suddenly doubting his own memory.

Huh?

Wait a minute... Elder Xu and he shared the same surname—both were Xu!

"This must be the rising sun, its radiance boundless."

"Mmm..."

Shang Qinqing and Qin Yuzhi sighed in unison, lost in distant memories.

Every Shang Emperor was like a golden crow’s blazing sun, seated atop the bronze divine tree, casting light upon the world and gazing down upon all living things.

Though they might not be the same individual, each Shang Emperor, upon ascending to the tree’s peak, resembled the first light of dawn.

"Still, there are some differences."

Qin Yuzhi shook her head after a moment. "He lacks that regal majesty, that piercing brilliance."

"Yeah, and he’s not as handsome as Little Li is now!"

Shang Qinqing grinned, pulling out a handful of melon seeds.

Little Li had always been good-looking.

But now, with this added aura of warmth, composure, and unwavering resolve, anyone who saw him would imprint his image deep in their hearts, unforgettable.

Even if he didn’t look like this, his radiant spirit would naturally add its own special effects...

"Damn right, he’s handsome."

Listening to the rapid crunching of melon seeds, Qin Yuzhi nodded vigorously, sucking in a sharp breath. "Do you think Little Bing'er can see this from the depths of Qingyuan?"

"Tsk..."

Shang Qinqing suddenly grew agitated, nearly breathless.

Even outsiders could tell—Little Bing'er had already melted before.

This time, wouldn’t she just boil over?

......

Deep within Qingyuan, before the main tomb chamber of the imperial mausoleum.

"Good thing I already told my precious disciple that even if he surpasses me, he’ll still have to call me 'Master.'"

Shang Wu exhaled in relief, chugging from her gourd.

"Little Bing'er, I’ve really gone all out this time. What kind of fine wine should I ask him for... Little Bing'er?"

After rambling to herself, she turned to find Ying Bing standing tall, her face cold and aloof as she gazed up at the intertwined inner landscapes above.

Hmm... if one ignored her slightly parted vermilion lips and those glistening, dreamy eyes, the Frost Fairy still appeared as aloof and detached as ever.

"......"

Shang Wu scratched her head and went to check if the Cycle of Life and Death formation had sustained any damage.

"My inner realm, forged from the power of all living beings and the fortune of the Great Shang, is called 'All Mortals'!"

Li Mo and the crimson giant spoke in unison.

Then, the illusory scenery projected from his inner world slowly faded away.

When he emerged, he found the "ice block" still in the same spot—curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees, her chin resting atop them. Her jade-like face, free of makeup, bore a faint rosy hue as she pursed her lips and gazed at him, her eyes distant, lost in thoughts even she might not have understood.

"Ice block."

"......Hmm?" Ying Bing snapped out of her daze.

Every time Li Mo saw her like this, he found the contrast oddly endearing—this time especially so. But he fought to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.

"Why are you squatting here?"

"Haven’t rested in days. Standing is exhausting."

The Frost Fairy, who had broken through the Fourth Realm before him, replied coolly.

"Then why is your face so red? Are you sick?" Li Mo studied her with a serious expression, reaching out to touch her forehead.

"I’m not..."

"Then why?"

"Your inner realm was too red. It shone on me for a long time, and the color lingered."

"?"

Li Mo fell silent for a moment, a question mark practically materializing above his head.

What was this ice block saying? He recognized every word, but the meaning eluded him.

"I feel a little strange right now... my mind is muddled. I don’t even know what I’m saying." Ying Bing buried half her face in the crook of her arms, leaving only those soft, tender eyes exposed.

"Ice block, if you’re sick, you probably can’t walk, right?"

"That’s not exactly..."

"Let me carry you up. Okay?"

This was what Li Mo had wanted to do most after his breakthrough.

"...Okay."

The Frost Fairy’s words still carried a hint of stubbornness.

But because she had her own thoughts now... it wasn’t entirely stubborn.

...