A Return Gift, and the Thousand Forms Martial Venerable's Shock

The next morning.

Li Mo got out of bed feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

He had only slept for two hours or so, yet he still felt full of vigor and energy, strength coursing through his entire body.

Last night, he had practiced until very late.

What he got in return was that his third meridian was only a hair's breadth from being opened.

Leaving aside everything else, in strength alone, he was much greater than before.

That was the conclusion he came to when he accidentally snapped a pair of chopsticks while making breakfast.

"Is Ice Block still training?"

"She's seriously grinding. No wonder she can be the Daughter of Destiny."

Li Mo placed breakfast into the steamer.

As long as someone lit a fire and warmed it up, it would be ready to eat—another tiny little detail.

What a joke. Was what Ice Block ate really breakfast?

This was all gleaming-white investment, real gold and silver!

And with Ice Block's destiny level, there was a very real chance she might burst out some surprise for him.

"Details determine success or failure. I'm simply an investment genius."

Little Li happily gave himself that evaluation.

As for silver now, there was no need to even mention it.

In the System Space, just the gold alone amounted to five thousand taels, along with all sorts of precious and rare items.

Maybe they would all come in handy in the future.

A truly successful investor had to understand the principle that even a mosquito's leg was still meat!

"I'll go to Divine Blade Cave this morning and train the Extreme Weapon Slaughter Body."

Li Mo calculated inwardly.

He believed that a powerful body was just as important as cultivation realm.

Although Little Li had set his heart on becoming a sword hero.

But who said a Sword Saint couldn't build tank gear?

Besides, the Extreme Weapon Slaughter Body could improve his connection with weapons. Once he had a good sword in the future, it would allow his sword techniques to erupt with even greater power.

Li Mo had only just stepped out.

Before he had gone far, he ran into a familiar figure coming toward him.

It was Xiao Qin.

Now, though he was still wearing the gray robe of an outer sect disciple, his entire bearing looked much better, giving off quite the sense of having swept away the gloom and holding his head high.

The inner sect.

Moreover, the aura on Xiao Qin's body was much stronger than before.

"Junior Brother Li."

Xiao Qin had clearly been waiting at the entrance of Autumn Water Pavilion for a while.

Seeing the door open and Li Mo come out, he laughed in a full, resonant voice:

"Thanks to you, I've returned to the ten meridians of the Blood-Qi Realm."

"Then I should congratulate Senior Brother Xiao."

Li Mo was not surprised by this, and he was quite happy inside.

Old Xiao was still a decent person. Being able to avoid wasting away his years and see the light of day again sooner was a good thing too.

"It's all thanks to Junior Brother's blessing."

Xiao Qin shook his head and said sincerely, "If not for that Profound Crystal of yours, Junior Brother, I'm afraid I would still have wasted away for a long time. This is a grace no different from giving me a new life."

"It's good that you've recovered. At this rate, Senior Brother will soon be able to return to the inner sect."

Li Mo offered a word of praise, with no doubt at all.

Old Xiao should have already activated the Seven Stars Ancient Pendant.

He just did not know whether what was inside was an inheritance, the legacy of a powerful expert, or perhaps... that powerful expert himself?

In any case, no matter which it was, Xiao Qin's future accomplishments would not be low.

Just as he was thinking this, Li Mo suddenly seemed to sense something.

Someone... was spying on him?

Li Mo's thoughts turned, and he naturally reacted.

Could it be... Xiao Qin's old grandpa?

"Junior Brother, you helped me when I was in desperate need. I truly don't know how to repay this kindness."

"I recently had something of a fortuitous encounter. An old senior gave me a protective talisman."

Xiao Qin reached into his sleeve and took out a golden brocade pouch.

Its make was clearly not a product of this era, and its material was no ordinary gold thread either. Even through it, one could still sense a quiet, gentle warmth.

Mm, the only fly in the ointment was that the brocade pouch had been strung up with a hemp cord.

"Inside is a feather left behind by an auspicious beast with a powerful bloodline. It can ward off evil and nourish the physical body."

"With something this good, doesn't Brother Xiao need it himself?"

Li Mo roughly knew who the senior Old Xiao spoke of was.

Looked like he really had run into an old grandpa.

No wonder he could take out such a fine protective treasure.

"It isn't of much use to me anymore."

"So please, Junior Brother, don't refuse."

Seeing him hesitate, Xiao Qin spoke somewhat urgently.

Li Mo understood, though he did not show it on his face. Smiling, he took the brocade pouch.

"Then I'll accept it shamelessly. Many thanks, Senior Brother Xiao."

When it came to life-saving treasures, one could never have too many.

He was currently cultivating the Extreme Weapon Slaughter Body, so in the future, the defense of his physical body would definitely be formidable.

In short, his physical defense would be extremely high.

But if he ran into that sort of "magical damage," that might not be the case.

This brocade pouch happened to make up for that shortcoming. At the very least, he would not need to worry about being ambushed by all manner of messy methods.

One investment, two returns.

Ying had won so hard she was numb.

"As long as it's useful to you, Junior Brother."

Xiao Qin smiled as if he had let out a breath of relief.

He had been afraid Junior Brother Li would keep refusing and not accept it.

"Junior Brother, then I'll be going first. I still have some miscellaneous matters to handle."

Xiao Qin waved his hand.

His teacher was still very weak at present and urgently needed medicinal herbs and treasures to restore his Will Soul.

He had to think of a way to search for them.

Although he knew those things were all extremely expensive, he could at least first ask around and find out where they might be obtained.

"Take care, Senior Brother."

Li Mo nodded.

Once he wore the brocade pouch properly, he could immediately feel a thread of warmth.

Clatter—

A sound came from behind him. Ying Bing had opened the window to air the room.

The ice frozen onto the window fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

On the road down the mountain.

Even Xiao Qin's steps had become much lighter.

But before he had gone far, Thousand Forms Martial Venerable's voice rang out in his consciousness.

"Such aptitude... such aptitude... it simply crowns the ancient and modern eras!"

His tone was thick with amazement; one could even hear the shock in it.

This powerful expert, who had once said even the Purple Sun Prefecture Master was nothing more than an ant, had clearly lost his composure somewhat.

"Teacher?"

Xiao Qin could not help but be slightly stunned. He stopped in his tracks and subconsciously said, "Teacher, are you saying Junior Brother Li's aptitude is very strong?"

"No, not him. That little girl!"

The old man's voice seemed difficult to calm even now.

"The girl?"

Xiao Qin thought for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Oh, Teacher, you mean Junior Sister Ying Bing? I heard she and Junior Brother Li were childhood sweethearts. They grew up together, and both of them are true disciples."

"In the future, they'll probably advance shoulder to shoulder. Maybe they'll even become a beautiful tale..."

Old Xiao revealed a slight auntie-like smile, along with a bit of envy.

"Advance shoulder to shoulder?"

Thousand Forms Martial Venerable let out a faint, lingering sigh and said, "Disciple, you have no idea what she bears upon her. People like that are born in answer to destiny."

"That Junior Brother Li of yours can be considered innately quite complete. In a small place like Purple Sun Prefecture, he counts as outstanding among his peers, but that is only limited to Purple Sun Prefecture."

"That little girl may perhaps shine brilliantly across the future Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."

"To think that after my Divine Charm, this old man would actually have the fortune to witness such an existence in her most insignificant days..."

Xiao Qin listened in complete bewilderment.

Yesterday, Teacher still had the air of an expert who looked down upon the whole world. Wasn't this change in attitude a little too fast?

It was, well, pretty sudden.

"But Teacher, just yesterday you told me not to belittle myself."

"Mm. If you can reach the realm this old man once stood in, perhaps you will have the fortune to witness her soar through the nine heavens."

Thousand Forms Martial Venerable spoke with emotion.

It was as if even merely becoming a witness to it would be an extremely honorable thing.

The Fire Sparrow Feather he had given Xiao Qin, which Xiao Qin had then passed on to Li Mo, had come from one of his intimate female friends.

If he had not been so familiar with it, he likely would not have been able to sense it so clearly either.

"???"

Xiao Qin was a little dazed.

He had not even left Purple Sun Prefecture, let alone the Eastern Wasteland Domain, much less the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths beyond.

He simply had no idea what kind of concept that was.

Thousand Forms Martial Venerable said again:

"To Purple Sun Prefecture, Clear Abyss Sect is a colossal monster, but in the Eastern Wasteland Domain, it does not count for much. What this old man can help you with is merely giving you the qualifications to see how vast heaven and earth truly are."

"In the future, that girl may perhaps have a place in the legends of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."

"As for the difference between them, you will naturally understand it in the future."

The old man's voice paused, then he said again:

"When one man attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

"Since that Li Mo and Ying Bing share the bond of childhood sweethearts, his future achievements definitely won't be low either. In any case, he won't be inferior to you, so interact with him more."

Without anyone noticing.

Thousand Forms Martial Venerable's attitude had changed.

From giving support to interacting more.

And this change was only because of Junior Sister Ying Bing?

"Junior Brother Li and I are kindred spirits. He's my very first friend."

Xiao Qin's smile was filled with open-hearted ease.

Since they were friends, why think so much about it?

"That state of mind of yours is rather good."

"I hope you can keep that original heart of yours, hahaha."

The old man could not help but be infected by his smile as well.

But immediately after, perhaps because he had spoken too much, even his voice became a little more illusory.

"I hope I can find some wondrous object today that benefits the soul."

Xiao Qin's pace down the mountain quickened somewhat.