As Xiao Mo’s consciousness swayed in a brief haze, Xiao Mo returned to reality once again.

Xiao Mo tried to recall the fifth-life experience from the Book of a Hundred Lives, yet no matter what he did, he still could not remember.

And whenever Xiao Mo forced himself to think, that guilty, stabbing ache gnawed at his heart like ants, biting without end.

Xiao Mo even found it a little hard to breathe.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Xiao Mo steadied his mind.

At the same time, the voice of the Book of a Hundred Lives rang out inside Xiao Mo’s head—

[The Book of a Hundred Lives: Fifth-life experience complete. Host experience concluded.]

[Task One: The host aided her in conquering other nations and unified every realm within the book. She thereafter proclaimed herself Emperor—carriages shared the same tracks, writing shared the same script, speech shared the same sounds. Diligent in governance, she opened an age of prosperity.

Task Progress: Complete.

Task Reward: Art of Marching Armies; Forge the Dao Through War.

Art of Marching Armies: This art contains every realization the host gained regarding military strategy in the fifth life. When the host leads an army into battle, the host has a higher probability of discerning the opponent’s deployments, seeing through feints and truths, and increasing troop morale by thirty percent.

Forge the Dao Through War: The battlefield is a land of karma. For most cultivators, the battlefield is also a place to break through by comprehending life and death. In the future, when the host takes the field to slay enemies or engages other cultivators in lethal struggle and sparring, the host may accelerate improvement in realm, and is more likely to gain insight between life and death.]

[Task Two: The higher the host’s renown in this life, the richer the reward at settlement.

Task Progress: Name-shaking across the world of myriad arts and the demon-race world, with fame even spreading to the Outer Sea.

Task Reward: renown.

Renown—The more people who know the host, and the higher the host’s standing in their hearts, the more feedback the host may receive from the Great Dao (effective after the Golden Core Realm).]

[Task Three: Cultivation must not be neglected. Whether sword, Confucian, or martial path—this is so for all. At the end of the fifth life, the higher the host’s realm, the richer the reward.

Task Progress: Jade-Polished Realm, perfect completion.

Task Reward: Godslayer Spear Intent; martial physique.

Godslayer Spear Intent: The Godslayer Spear Art was created by an ancient human ancestor. The spear forms are nine in total; nine is the ultimate ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) number. When the host trains to the ninth form, the host may also slay gods!

This spear intent contains the spear art, the Heaven-Splitting Fist, as well as essential cultivation insights.

Note: This spear art also exists in reality, and the lineage is unbroken. If the host intends to use this spear art before others, the host must be strictly cautious.

Martial physique: When the host tempers the body and refines the physique, the host may draw tempering medicines to their utmost limit. The strength of the physique will receive an additional increase according to the host’s actual bodily strength.]

[Rewards have been issued.]

[The Book of a Hundred Lives: Sixth life is preparing. Preparation time unknown. Upon completion, the host will be notified at the first moment.]

[Addendum: Because the host’s realm is low and mental strength is relatively ordinary, in order to protect the host, the Book of a Hundred Lives has sealed the host’s fifth-life memories.

Otherwise, after living through five lives, the host would “lose the self.”

As the host’s realm rises and mental strength and soul grow stronger, the Book of a Hundred Lives will gradually lift the restriction.]

When the final voice of the Book of a Hundred Lives faded, Xiao Mo felt knowledge—familiar yet unfamiliar—pour into his mind.

All of it was content about commanding troops and waging war.

In only an instant, Xiao Mo understood it all and fused it into himself.

And it was not the kind of understanding that leaves you thinking, It’s shallow when it’s only read on the page.

Xiao Mo felt as though he had truly led armies in war for an entire lifetime.

Xiao Mo even had a sense—

That right now, he could lead a great host and trade a few rounds with the famed generals of this age.

Next, within Xiao Mo’s body, a spear intent appeared out of nothing.

Just as the Book of a Hundred Lives had said,𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

This spear intent held the Godslayer Spear Art, along with certain realizations.

Those realizations could let Xiao Mo avoid quite a few detours.

Train the fist before the spear.

The Heaven-Splitting Fist was a prerequisite for learning the Godslayer Spear Art, so it was naturally included.

This left Xiao Mo delighted.

Because even setting aside learning the Godslayer Spear, the Heaven-Splitting Fist alone was a fist art sufficient to prove the way into the upper realms. Practicing it also brought no small benefit to the physique.

If an ordinary person practiced it—say, an emperor practiced diligently—then setting everything else aside, selecting five or six consorts in a single night would not be a problem. It was a hundred times stronger than any so-called aphrodisiac.

And the Heaven-Splitting Fist took far less effort than the Godslayer Spear.

For now, he could focus on the Cursive Sword Formula and, in spare moments, practice the fist art.

When the time was ripe, he would cultivate the Godslayer Spear again.

And just as Xiao Mo was experiencing the Godslayer Spear—

Xiao Mo suddenly felt a surge of agony through his body.

It felt as though his muscles, tendons, bones, and skin were kneaded into a lump, crushed, and then reshaped.

Xiao Mo hurriedly grabbed a soft pillow and bit down, afraid that if he cried out, he would draw Wei Xun inside.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn,

Xiao Mo lay on the cushioned daybed in the Imperial Study, his clothes already soaked through with sweat.

This time there was no filth seeping out of his pores. Xiao Mo felt that his body had become “harder” in a different way.

Not hard like stone, but tough—resilient.

In plain terms, his defenses had improved, and the ceiling of his vitality had thickened as well.

Xiao Mo changed into clean clothes and walked out of the Imperial Study.

“Your Majesty.”

Seeing His Majesty emerge, Wei Xun immediately bowed.

Wei Xun stole a glance at His Majesty and could not help freezing—why did it feel like His Majesty looked better than before?

“Wei Xun, prepare the procession.”

Xiao Mo spoke to Wei Xun, a hint of anticipation in his tone.

“Where is Your Majesty going?” Wei Xun also noticed that His Majesty’s mood seemed fairly good.

“The National Preceptor’s Residence.”

Xiao Mo smiled.

These past days, he had been pressed down and beaten by that Immortal Lady Jiang the entire time—pressed down and beaten even when they were in the same realm.

Now his physique was much stronger.

Surely he could recover a little face.

“Yes, Your Majesty. This old servant will go prepare the imperial palanquin at once.”

Even though Wei Xun did not understand why His Majesty always went to the National Preceptor’s Residence—why His Majesty would still go even after coming out now and then bruised purple and blue—

Perhaps His Majesty simply liked that sort of thing.

But after Wei Xun took only a few steps, he immediately turned back.

“Ah, Your Majesty—look at this old servant’s memory. Palace of Spiritual Heart on the Empress Dowager’s side sent over a dossier, and asks that Your Majesty review it.”

Xiao Mo took the dossier and opened it. Inside were matters regarding the Empress Dowager’s selection of palace maids, along with the list of those chosen. Today was the final wrap-up.

“There’s no problem. Have someone tell Mother that she doesn’t need to report this sort of matter to me,” Xiao Mo said.

As for palace maids, Xiao Mo did not care at all.

He would not even be able to handle the two future consorts properly.

However—

Xiao Mo glanced at the palace maids standing guard outside the door of the Imperial Study.

Xiao Mo knew they were all informants planted by Yan Shanao.

This time a new batch of palace maids had arrived.

Could he quietly cultivate a few trusted confidants of his own?