82 - Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’

Chapter 82: The Rankings Are Out, Ying Bing: "I'm Second?" "Who am I? Where am I?" It felt as if an eternity had passed, yet it seemed like just a fleeting moment. Outside the window, the cold moon still watched over the frozen stream. In the small room, Li Mo opened his eyes in confusion. The majestic scenes that had played out just now lingered in his mind, nearly consuming all his senses. At this moment, a singular emotion dominated his consciousness. Hunger. It wasn't a physical hunger; it was an overwhelming desire from the depths of his soul. Instinctively, he reached for a bottle of the Millennia Earth Vein Spiritual Milk, drinking it down in one go. The essence of the earth veins poured into his dantian, continuously absorbed by thirty-six main meridians, converging within his dantian, offering his body a sensation akin to rain falling after a long drought. "Ah..." Li Mo wiped the corner of his mouth, finally regaining his composure and recalling what had transpired. He had used the Heavenly Book Seal to deduce martial arts. He had elevated a divine skill to a higher grade, transforming it into a lotus petal. "That martial art... I wonder if it can still be called martial art." The feeling was peculiar. Li Mo understood its content, yet he couldn’t find the words to describe it. When he tried to articulate it, he found words had already failed him. It was as if the usual means of conveying information fell woefully short when attempting to describe martial arts. Then he noticed something amiss. His attention snapped back to his dantian. A faint wisp of energy lingered there, almost tangible. Its color was a faint red, resembling an everlasting flame from ancient times, never extinguishing. Internal energy!? This time, his internal energy hadn't vanished! "A single bottle of Millennia Earth Vein Spiritual Milk, and it only condensed a wisp?" Li Mo was taken aback. At last, he understood the purpose of those thirty-six meridians. Without them converting the essence of the earth veins, even this tiny thread of internal energy wouldn’t have formed. He raised one finger. Immediately, the wisp of internal energy surfaced at his fingertip. Neither hot nor exuding any aura. With a slight flick. The internal energy shot out of the window, landing on the frozen stream. Astonishingly, it began to 'burn.' The ice was 'ignited.' Yet it did not melt into water. The flames danced in Li Mo's pupils, reflections of his astonishment. "If I don’t reclaim it, it will continue to burn like this." "Until the entire stream is consumed..." "This internal energy can ignite ice and even burn other 'fires'..." A revelation dawned on him. Other martial artists' internal energy certainly didn’t possess such extraordinary qualities. At most, theirs was more resilient and potent. His internal energy could incinerate anything—it was merely a matter of time. "So how did this internal energy get stored inside me?" Li Mo identified a blind spot. Well... Perhaps it was the marvel of the Xuanbin Immortal Physique. "In any case, I've finally reached the internal energy stage." He at last placed the massive worry in his heart to rest. Currently, he still had twelve bottles of earth vein spiritual milk. He set aside three bottles: two for his parents and one for emergencies. The remaining nine, he planned to use solely for training. "Enough talk, it's time to charge forward!" ...... Upstairs. The room was filled with snow, frost covering everything in sight. The fine wood bedstead had cracked from the cold. Ying Bing furrowed her delicate brows slightly. Faint fluctuations of internal energy could be felt. Indeed, even at a time like this, she was honing her skills using the agitated Taiyin energy. This required enduring great pain but promised even greater rewards. Taiyin, the utmost coldness, the utmost softness. When it withers everything, it also nurtures the vitality of new growth. This was why her physical strength far surpassed those at her level. "The time should... almost be here." Ying Bing looked up, gazing at the bright moon hanging overhead. Midnight had arrived. The system was precise, providing timely notifications at this moment: [Compiling a list of all geniuses within the Eastern Desolate Domain...] [Comparing combat prowess for the host...] The system handled both tasks simultaneously. To her, simply reviewing the list would suffice. As long as her name appeared at the top, the rest would be self-evident. "Ah..." Ying Bing exhaled a breath tinged with frost, her jade-like complexion reflecting a hint of seriousness. She wasn’t worried about her rank; she was curious. Apart from Li Mo, in this lifetime, would there be others who surprised her? What position would that boy, so different from his past self, attain? In the extreme cold where water solidified into ice, time seemed to lose meaning. [Ding dong—] [First ranking results announced.] [50th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Lin Jiang.] [49th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Zhao Qin.] ..... [30th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Murong Xiao.] ...... Seeing the lines of text appear from the system, Ying Bing's expression returned to calm. The system's rankings had slight differences from what she remembered. For instance, Lin Jiang and Murong Xiao. Interestingly, both seemed to know Li Mo. His name had yet to appear. That was normal. Li Mo's swordsmanship was learned from her. And during their encounter today, he had showcased things that surprised her. His rank would likely be in the top twenty. The system's ranking continued to unfold. [20th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Xiao Qin.] [19th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Mei Ziguang.] ..... [14th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Luo Yu.] [13th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Zuo Qiu Yang.] .... Gradually, within the rankings, some names were starting to become familiar to Ying Bing. Some had made great names for themselves in the Eastern Desolate Domain in her past life; others had ventured to the Central Divine Province, leaving their mark in the annals of history across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. For example, Luo Yu, who led the Feng Yugu from decline to become the spearhead of the Purple Sun Prefecture after Qingyuan Sect fell. Zuo Qiu Yang, who excelled in the Infernal Trial and later became the leader of the deadly assassin group Rain Pavilion. All were outstanding talents. As for the top ten, they were truly outstanding figures. A thought crossed Ying Bing's mind. She realized Li Mo wasn’t among them. He made it to the top ten? No... more than the top ten. [5th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Zhong Zhenyue.] [4th on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Han Zhen.] [3rd on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Shang Li.] Seeing this, Ying Bing's gaze finally flashed with a hint of confusion and uncertainty. These individuals were destined to shine brilliantly across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths in the future, making waves in the vast tapestry of fate, each a hero in their own right. For example, Shang Li, former crown prince of the Sheng Dynasty, who bore the dynasty’s final destiny and later restored the kingdom with grandeur. And Han Zhen, whose mysterious origins and unprecedented rise suggested ties to ancient forces, wielding martial arts seemingly beyond their era. For Li Mo to surpass them all, just below her? As the thought took root, Ying Bing's mind suddenly froze, her serene eyes wide with shock. [2nd on the Eastern Desolate Domain Genius Rankings: Ying Bing.] She saw herself.