"What are you talking about?"
Ying Bing picked up her chopsticks, acting as if she hadn't heard anything just now.
"Brother Li is very dissatisfied with his nickname."
Murong Xiao shook his head, offering advice: "Brother Li, it's just a fleeting reputation—why cling to it so stubbornly? It's nothing more than transient smoke and illusory bubbles."
"Really? 'Love Burier'?"
"......"
The 'Love Burier' seemed to have an epiphany—book knowledge alone is shallow; one cannot truly advise others without experiencing it firsthand.
A man's growth sometimes happens in an instant...
"I think it's quite nice." Ying Bing's cheeks moved slightly as she lowered her eyes, a faint smile hidden within.
As her words fell, the hall fell into silence. Countless hearts churned with mixed emotions, as if a bottle of spices had been overturned inside them.The highest-ranked woman on the Hidden Dragon Ranking—perhaps the most exceptionally talented in its history.
Just yesterday, she had wielded a divine sword to command heavenly tribulation, slashing through the Outer Scenery realm. Though she hadn't outright defeated a Fifth Realm expert, it was still an unprecedented feat.
Her smile... could actually be this gentle? Even carrying a hint of helplessness.
The crowd inwardly cursed: Damn you, 'Wife-Blessing Battle Soul,' don’t you dare take your blessings for granted! How can you be dissatisfied with your nickname? Do you like the sound of my grinding molars instead?
"Amitabha. This humble monk has severed worldly ties, and his golden sea has run dry."
Murong Xiao chanted a Buddhist mantra before sinking his teeth into a roasted hog's knuckle.
"I have more important matters." Xiao Qin gulped down his drink.
"......" Huang Donglai remained vigilant.
Though he had tried his best to stay inconspicuous, his place on the Hidden Dragon Ranking made him a prime target for noble families in the imperial capital seeking sons-in-law—even a 'two-faced turtle' like him wasn’t spared.
But in his eyes, beauties were nothing but calamities!
And Miss Ying? The greatest calamity of them all! So Brother Li was in grave danger!
"......Alright, do any of you even have partners? Spouting nonsense like this."
Qin Yuzhi's casual remark instantly ended the debate.
The dining table fell silent, leaving only the sound of everyone quietly eating.
After a moment, it was Princess Little Jiang who innocently asked:
"Big Brother Li, do you want a swordsman’s nickname?"
"Hmm... I’ve been learning a lot of sword techniques recently."
Li Mo glanced at the martial insights he had crossed out—eight hundred years' worth.
"But a person can only have two nicknames. I wonder which one will get replaced when the time comes."
Princess Little Jiang blinked.
"......"
Truly a difficult choice.
At that moment, the 'Ice Block's' chopsticks paused, her gaze subtly drifting toward Li Mo.
Li Mo declared righteously: "Naturally, 'Divine Hammer Little Tyrant' stays. 'Wife-Blessing Battle Soul' can remain as well."
"Oho~ So 'Wife-Blessing Battle Soul' gets to stay, huh?"
"Tch, is this how you repay your hammer talent?"
The group erupted in teasing, though inwardly, they couldn’t help but give Li Mo a thumbs-up. No wonder you're the 'Wife-Blessing Battle Soul'—your talent in this area might just rival your hammer skills.
A happy ending for all.
Except for the hammer spirit, which was throwing another tantrum in its pocket realm.
A ripple of amusement flickered in the Ice Block’s eyes before she spoke:
"With the Heavenly Sword in hand, you have potential. How’s your progress now?"
Li Mo thought for a moment. "About twenty to thirty percent."
"Mn. As long as you reach ten to twenty percent, then... Hm?"
The Ice Block snapped back to reality, her clear eyes fixed on him as she tilted her head slightly.
The usually aloof her now looked... a little dumbfounded?
"How much?!" Bai Jinghong's eyes widened.
Losing to Li Mo in other areas was one thing, but now even in swordsmanship?
How long had it been since Li Mo obtained the Heavenly Sword?
They couldn’t accept this!
Li Mo rubbed his temples. "The warrior’s commoner sword—I’ve already mastered it. But the scholar’s sword of statecraft is much harder for me."
"????"
"It’s true. He’s finished learning it."
Ying Bing gave a slight nod. The fact that Li Mo could access the scholar’s sword meant he had already grasped thirty percent of the Heavenly Sword’s essence.
"Come to my room later."
"Alright."
Li Mo couldn’t help but grin, quickly finishing his meal.
Then, young Li led his Ice Block teacher upstairs by the hand.
The others were left speechless. Could his swordsmanship talent really be this monstrous?
Is he actually going to pull it off?
As silence lingered, respectful greetings suddenly sounded at the entrance of the Cloud-Stepping Pavilion—something along the lines of "Greetings, Divine Smith Du, greetings, Young Manor Lord."
Divine Smith Du had come today to dissuade Li Mo from straying further down the wrong path. Xie Xuan accompanied him, nodding slightly to the group before noticing the few still seated at the table.
"Everyone, where’s Li Mo?"
One glance at the dishes told Xie Xuan this was Chef Li’s handiwork.
"He went to learn swordsmanship from Sister Ice." Princess Little Jiang answered.
"Just as I thought. His obsession runs deep—this is no mere hobby anymore."
Divine Smith Du sighed.
"Miss Ying is too indulgent, letting him have his way like this."
"Even if Li Mo learns from her, it’ll take him ages to..."
Xie Xuan knew full well the swordsmanship prowess of the 'Divine Hammer Little Tyrant.'
"Brother Xie, you’re mistaken." Huang Donglai shook his head.
"Miss Ying isn’t indulging him?"
Xie Xuan pondered for a moment before clapping his hands.
"Ah! The Frost Fairy’s move is brilliant—using sword lessons to make him realize he shouldn’t keep playing with swords?"
"Uh, what I meant was—your second statement is wrong. Miss Ying plans to teach him that sword technique that summons heavenly tribulation... what was it called? 'Divine Thunder Demon-Slaying'?"
"?"
Xie Xuan froze. Seeing Du Wufeng’s confusion, he quickly added:
"That technique alone would take me three to five years to learn—if I even manage it at all."
"????"
Du Wufeng leaned back slightly before striding upstairs with purpose.
The usually carefree old Du now wore the solemn aura of a life mentor, ready to rescue a lost lamb from irreversible folly.
"This time, I won’t be fooled again!"
......