Dong~

The battle not far away was one-sided.

Shocking! The Divine Monk Huai Kong, Seventh Realm Profound Mastery, who wields a great Dao, whose slightest move could make the demons of the Southern Border tremble in fear, is now being suppressed by the demoness, utterly powerless to fight back!

To be honest.

Little Li feeling very uncomfortable right now. He just used his Heavenly Mandate Divine Eye to see what was going on and could understand the two people's uncontrollable emotions that had been suppressed for thousands of years. He wanted to leave, but he was afraid that the sound of getting up would disturb the two people opposite him.

He looked at Ice Block and noticed a strand of her hair being playfully blown to the corner of her lips by a gentle breeze.

So I casually tucked it behind her ear.

"Ice Block, your ears are a little hot."

Ying Bing lowered her eyes and removed his hand from her ear, which had been brushing against her lips.

"It's getting cold, and I've caught a chill."

"A cold?"

Little Li really wanted to believe it.

But he still remembered the time when ice cream could freeze in the room with the Ice Block; for her to catch a cold was truly a miracle.

Looking at her pursed lips, so moist and inviting, Li Mo felt that his ears must be burning hot right now.

It seems he caught the same cold as her.

"Ice Block..."

Little Li's eyes were as resolute as when Murong Xiao said he wanted to abstain from lust.

"Um?"

Ying Bing's beautiful eyes widened in surprise, while Shen Shuang's jade-like face froze.

At this moment, the unparalleled divine skills and the path to immortality in Phoenix Heavenly Empress's mind seemed to have all turned into pink bubbles, exploding without a trace.

She can capture fleeting moments in an instant.

But then he saw the boy close his eyes and lean closer.

She only had time to close her eyes as well...

Thump--

It made a very crisp sound.

"Hiss..."

Their foreheads made intimate contact.

Li Mo clutched the spot where he had bumped his head. He was incredibly stubborn; he didn't feel any pain, but why was his heart aching so badly that he couldn't breathe?!

Especially when you see the girl across from you, her fair forehead flushed, her eyes unfocused, looking less cold and more dazed...

"Should we...?"

"No."

"..."

Little Li now regrets reading so many novels. If he hadn't, he would have given away his first kiss!

Who said you have to close your eyes when you bite your lip?!

Those lousy novelists misled me!

"It must have hurt a lot."

"Fine."

"Real?"

The Ice Block is expressionless now, not grinning at all, doesn't look like anything's wrong!

Um...

In fact, Ying Bing's expressionless face was initially due to a bit of confusion, and then her thoughts became chaotic. She had already recalled the sensation of their lips touching each other the last time.

Just thinking about it makes me feel...

If that really happened, would she still need to activate the system for the next ranking?

Facing him, she probably wouldn't even be able to lift her sword. Given the system's comprehensive power comparison, could she possibly win?

Ying Bing suddenly understood.

Why Divine Monk Huai Kong Master Huai Kong, Profound Mastery Sage Shang Qinqing, who had fallen from the Seventh Realm?

Even with a difference of an entire realm, there's no chance of winning!

The 'thud' sound just now was particularly jarring.

Now, Divine Monk Huai Kong and Shang Qinqing could no longer pretend they hadn't noticed the two of them and act as if everyone else was invisible.

"The little ones are watching."

Shang Qinqing rolled her eyes at Huai Kong and reluctantly let go of him.

Divine Monk Huai Kong: "..."

You knew all along, and now you're just shy?

Amitabha Buddha, what a sin!

"This old monk does not remember what just happened..."

"Um?"

"Qinqing, I am still the abbot."

Huai Kong let out a heavy sigh.

He cannot return to secular life until someone takes over his responsibilities.

"I'll wait for you, I've waited a thousand years."

"This connection, perhaps... won't last too long."

The Divine Monk Huai Kong said with a complicated expression.

He knew everything that had happened in every corner of the Hanging Temple, even without deliberately exploring it.

He knew that Murong Xiao gave Li Mo the Buddhist beads, and he also knew about the Buddhist scripture that Li Mo gave Murong Xiao.

A moment later, Huai Kong removed his veil and turned to leave.

It's unclear how many times they exchanged glances, but Shang Qinqing concealed the tenderness in her eyes and reverted to her usual nonchalant demeanor.

When she arrived, she noticed a slight silence between the boy and girl. She couldn't hide the smile on her lips; they probably weren't hungry, as they hadn't even taken out any sunflower seeds to eat. She said with a bright smile:

"Oh, Little Bing, what are you doing here?"

"I just arrived and was planning to say goodbye. I'm currently figuring out which route is the fastest."

Li Mo's expression remained unchanged.

It wasn't that he was good at pretending nothing happened; it was mainly that he saw something he shouldn't have seen, and he guessed that his 'intimate contact' with the Ice Block had also been seen by others.

Those who know, know; it's a tacit understanding.

"Tsk tsk, it's rare to find a disciple like you that Shang Wu could teach."

Shang Qinqing looked her up and down, marveling at her appearance.

"Does the Clan Leader Shang know Master?"

"It's more than just knowing her. Back then, I was only a seventh-rank cultivator and hadn't even taken human form yet. She almost plucked my feathers and stewed me."

"..."

Little Li speechless for a moment.

She decided to avoid mentioning her master when she was out and about in the future, as her master's old acquaintances might not only be powerful, but the way they met was also not so pleasant.

"You don't need to overthink it. Her personality isn't entirely incomprehensible..."

Shang Qinqing shook her head, not wanting to delve further into the topic.

She reached out, tapped on the map, and drew a line.

"Take this road back to Nanguan City."

"Isn't this... a huge detour?"

Li Mo followed her directions with his eyes, somewhat puzzled. This route was twice as long as the one he had taken to get here, because it wasn't a straight line but rather involved several large turns.

But Little Li is not stupid.

After a moment's thought, he blurted out:

"Because of the Jade Phoenix God?"

Brother Murong had also reminded him of this.

This journey home is destined to be anything but peaceful.

"It's not just Jade Phoenix God; the two of you are also a reason."

"I can't openly help you then, but I can guarantee that the Calamity Beast."

Shang Qinqing smiled, but her words were quite domineering.

"Thank you, Clan Leader Shang."

Li Mo understood the underlying meaning in her words.

That means there's a possibility of encountering a powerful demon?

The Demon Race reveres the first rank, while human martial artists revere the ninth realm; the two are opposites.

A Great Demon is equivalent to the Inner Scene of a human, and a Rank 5 Calamity Beast is usually stronger than Inner Scene.

But they've already helped us, so we can't ask for too much more.

Moreover...

How can a martial artist not experience trials and tribulations?

I said thank you, but there was no response for a long time.

When Li Mo looked up again, he found that not only Shang Qinqing was missing, but also the Marriage Tree, Buddhist Buddha Hall, Ancient Temple Pagoda and other structures in the distance had all vanished.

Only bare mountain peaks remain, as if it were all a dream.

He quickly glanced to the side, and his mind immediately calmed down.

"Ice Block, let's go home."

Li Mo twitched his fingers, intending to reach out, but then remembered the awkwardness from earlier.

"Um."

A cool, soft little hand suddenly appeared in his palm, and he instinctively clenched it.

Looking at the magnificent scenery of Southern Border, all his worries and other distracting thoughts vanished, and he felt only the vastness and height of the world.

The journey home is long.

Fortunately, I didn't have to go alone.

Ying Bing gazed at the boy's profile, seemingly...

Is that what you think too?