Next door in the side room.

  Li Mo stared bnkly at the ceiling.

  Good news: his childhood sweetheart has the potential to become a great emperor.

  Bad news: their retionship isn't great, and he often makes a fool of himself in front of her.

  Once they join the Qingyuan Sect, she will surely shine brightly.

  Li Mo couldn't help but imagine the cssic scene where the protagonist's talent is tested, and the testing stone explodes with a bang.

  Then, the minor antagonists who bullied the protagonist would tremble and line up to be humiliated.

  Just at that moment.

  [Investment successful, investment: a bowl of ginseng chicken soup.]

  [Reward settlement in progress...]

  [Congratutions to the host, reward: one Heavenly Essence Replenishing Pill.]

  [Heavenly Essence Replenishing Pill: "Formed with six patterns, it is among the best, capable of compensating for innate deficiencies."]

  An open jade box appeared out of thin air on the table.

  Inside was a crystal-clear pill, exuding a purple aura, with divine light contained but not released.

  Li Mo opened his mouth, his expression slightly stiff, and his breath stopped for a few seconds.

  He had heard of this thing.

  He was a premature baby.

  His mother was frightened during pregnancy and gave birth prematurely before nine months.

  This resulted in him being weak and sickly from a young age, learning to walk a year ter than other children.

  His father never said it, but he was worried and tried to find a solution everywhere.

  One of those solutions was to find this so-called Innate Replenishing Pill.

  Unfortunately, this thing was priceless.

  Even if the Li family spent half of their fortune, they might only be able to buy a two-patterned one, and even that wasn't guaranteed.

  Many well-established families were eager for this pill, willing to pay extra to nurture their descendants, as no one would mind having a bit more innate talent before practicing martial arts.

  Therefore, Li Mo had always sought it in vain.

  He never expected to obtain it in this way.

  And it's a six-patterned one!

  Even if Li Mo was ignorant, he knew how precious this was.

  With each additional pattern, the value of the pill multiplied several times, and it became exponentially harder to find.

  Six patterns, he had never even heard of such a thing, its rarity unimaginable.

  "Woo~ Seems like it doesn't have much taste."

  Li Mo smacked his lips.

  No matter how precious something is, it's only yours once you eat it.

  The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, with no discernible taste, and slid down his throat into his stomach.

  The next moment.

  He felt a warm current spontaneously arise in his limbs and bones, transforming into swimming fish, traveling along his skeleton, meridians, and internal organs.

  It was like a long drought meeting rain, like dead wood coming back to life.

  "Whoo."

  Li Mo let out a long breath, opened his eyes again, and his gaze was bright and spirited.

  His body felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted, the world before him seemed to have a veil lifted, and with each breath, the air carried a fragrance, and his body felt full of inexhaustible strength.

  To describe it inadequately.

  Li Mo felt like an old man suddenly rejuvenated by decades.

  If he were to practice martial arts again, even if he couldn't be considered a fwless jade, he would at least be a solid stone without any fws.

  "A six-patterned pill, truly lives up to its name, and this was just in exchange for a bowl of chicken soup."

  Li Mo clicked his tongue in amazement.

  The return on this investment was too exaggerated.

  Of course, the biggest reason was probably the investment target.

  Ying Bing.

  In his impression, her personality could basically be summed up in two words: 'ice block.'

  Improving their retionship would undoubtedly be a long-term task, but the returns were worth pursuing.

  A red destiny, missing this opportunity would mean never encountering it again in eight lifetimes.

  "Butler Xu!"

  "Young Master, what do you need?"

  The butler hurried in.

  Li Mo lowered his voice and asked, "Does Ying Bing have any favorite foods?"

  The butler was taken aback, thought for a moment, and said, "Probably not. Miss Bing usually has no particur appetite."

  "Does she have anything else she likes?"

  "Well... I don't know."

  The butler wore a pained expression. What mischief was the young master pnning today?

  In the past, he always instructed the servants to make things difficult for Miss Bing, never caring about her preferences.

  "It's fine, you've done your best."

  Li Mo recalled and couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

  As the butler was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something at the door:

  "By the way, young master, the master instructed that when we reach the city at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain, we should take Miss Bing to see a doctor."

  "He also gave two hundred taels of silver for the consultation fee. What do you think..."

  "Go, and if the money isn't enough, take it from my private stash."

  Li Mo waved his hand generously.

  If spending money could earn rewards, it would be more than worth it.

  "We have to travel early tomorrow, so rest early."

  "Yes..."

  The butler scratched his head and nodded in agreement.

  What was going on with the young master? Recently, he seemed to have changed his ways, not only being polite to him but also having a sunnier attitude towards Miss Bing.

  Perhaps he had grown up after seeing the world outside?

  ***

  The next day.

  The first rays of morning light fell, and the frost in the side room glistened.

  The girl curled up on the bed, hugging her knees, like a sleeping spirit in the snow.

  Ying Bing was dreaming.

  She dreamed of her past life.

  She joined Qingyuan Mountain, was initially diagnosed with a blocked meridian, and only after a fortuitous encounter six months ter was she able to open her meridians.

  Then she dispyed monstrous talent, leaving her peers far behind.

  At eighteen, even the Sect Master of Qingyuan was no match for her.

  She ventured beyond the Eastern Wastend Region and witnessed a broader world.

  The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were vast.

  Hidden sects, ancient prodigies, dynasty geniuses, and even old monsters reincarnated to cultivate anew, heroes sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain.

  It was a brilliant era.

  Yet, she remained the most dazzling presence in the grand scheme of things!

  First on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, first on the Mortal Ranking, first on the Mystic Ranking, first on the Earth Ranking, first on the Heaven Ranking...

  She ultimately became one of the Nine Heavens, standing on equal footing with the Martial Emperor of the Yu Dynasty in Central Province, known as Phoenix Heaven.

  The Nine Heavens.

  It signified the nine most powerful individuals in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

  Of course, above the Nine Heavens, there was a legendary Supreme Realm.

  Ying Bing slowly opened her eyes.

  Everything reminded her that she had truly returned to the past.

  And encountered something that never appeared in her previous life.

  "Is it still there?"

  Before her was a strange set of characters.

  These characters were visible only to her, as if they would exist eternally as long as she didn't make a choice.

  A system...

  In both her past and present lives, she had never encountered such a thing.

  "The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are vast, and I am far from omniscient.

  Perhaps this is a power I've never encountered?"

  Ying Bing lowered her gaze for a moment, then made a mental decision.

  [Ding, binding successful.]

  [Host: Ying Bing.]

  [This system is the Peerless Prodigy System, dedicated to helping the host achieve an invincible path.]

  Ying Bing's expression remained calm, showing little reaction.

  An invincible path?

  She had already walked it once.

  Her path to rise was inherently an invincible one, as brilliant as the stars, with no one more dazzling than her.

  In her previous life, even Emperor Yu could only match her by relying on special means.

  At her peak, one would have to search the history books to find a worthy opponent.

  In this life, she would only be stronger!

  [Completion rewards will grant the opportunity to ascend to immortality.]

  At this moment, the system presented another piece of information.

  Ying Bing's breath caught for a moment.

  Immortality!

  This was a word that existed in legends!

  It was said that in every era, there would be a unique 'immortal' in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

  Transcending all beings, truly detached, truly immortal.

  However, since the Yu Dynasty established its rule, becoming immortal had become a legend, as if this path had been completely severed, adding an air of mystery.

  This was also the greatest secret pursued and contested by the Nine Heavens throughout the ages.

  With no path to immortality, she confidently chose the most difficult path, one that only a handful of people throughout history had succeeded in.

  But in the end, she still fell short by one step...

  Could this so-called system truly offer a chance to become immortal?

  Ying Bing calmed her emotions and asked: "What does challenge mean?"

  [This system will encompass all talented martial artists of the same generation within a certain region and rank them, once a month.]

  [After the rankings are announced, rewards will be distributed based on the host's position.]

  [Current ranking range: Eastern Wastend Region.]

  In an instant, Ying Bing's mind was filled with numerous memories.

  Not only the system's rules but also various restrictions.

  For example, no external factors could interfere with the challenge.

  The existence of the system couldn't be revealed to make others deliberately concede.

  Such rules essentially blocked all shortcuts.

  However...

  Genius rankings?

  In her previous life, she was synonymous with the prodigious talents of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

  And now, with the memories of her past life, retracing her martial path, she would only be stronger than before!

  If what the system said was true, it would undoubtedly shorten the time it took for her to return to her peak, and even allow her to step into that unknown realm.

  Even if it was exaggerated, she had nothing to lose.

  The punishment for the defeated?

  In both her past and present lives, she had never experienced being overshadowed by anyone.

  Central Divine Continent was always known for its talented people, yet after she arrived, the younger generation was overshadowed, almost turning pale at the mention of 'Bing.'

  Some old monsters even disguised themselves, suppressing their cultivation, pretending to be rising stars to challenge her.

  Only to be forced to reveal their true forms.

  And still lose.

  [Prompt: Would you like to enable the punishment mechanism?]

  [Once enabled, the rewards will be more generous, but after the rankings are announced, you must complete the punishment for the defeated against the top ranker.]

  "Nothing could be better."

  Ying Bing's choice was clear.

  She would undoubtedly be the top ranker.

  To her, this punishment was essentially non-existent.

  This wasn't arrogance.

  For something she had already achieved, maximizing the rewards was a no-brainer.

  [Punishment for the defeated, successfully enabled!]

  Ying Bing opened the door and stepped out.

  ***

  "Good morning."

  Not far away, a young man also opened his door.

  Their eyes met, and Li Mo grinned, showing a smile as warm as spring sunshine.

  Compared to yesterday, the shadow on his face seemed to have disappeared, adding a touch of handsome charm.

  Overnight, he seemed like a sunny young man.

  It seemed he had changed somewhat from the distant memory she had of him.