[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal":3,"chapter-investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-131":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},596891,846,"Chapter 131: The Second Trial: Bronze Palace","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-131",131,"\u003Cp>At that moment, Ying Bing seemed momentarily dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Memories she had swept into the corners of her mind—ones she refused to dwell on—surged uncontrollably from the depths of her consciousness once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if the rankings this time ended up just like last time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hot springs... and having to wear that outfit...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face remained expressionless, but her delicate fingers curled tightly around the hilt of Tianshuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oi, Ice Block?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo waved his hand in front of her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing lifted her gaze, her expression deadly serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Never been. Never will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo scratched his head, a forest of question marks sprouting in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since when did the Ice Block’s whole vibe change like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing exhaled softly and turned her gaze toward the depths of the secret realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura of the Blood Phoenix Essence grew ever closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those scenes in her mind... they would never come to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A towering pillar of white light dissipated, leaving behind only a solitary gateway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through it, faint glimpses of bronze steps could be seen—steps that seemed out of place in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And atop those steps stood four palaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each one was ancient and majestic, their structures rugged and imposing, distinct from the refined elegance of the Great Yu Dynasty, evoking an instinctive awe in all who beheld them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them hovered midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This must be... a construct from the Great Shang era.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Great Shang worshipped the Bronze Divine Tree, with the Hundred Birds as their totems. The Blood Phoenix pledging allegiance to them makes sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo turned and saw it was Senior Brother Ouyang, the chief disciple of Ruyi Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd erupted in murmurs, their eyes alight with shock and excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A secret realm from the Great Shang era, preserved so flawlessly until now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opportunities hidden within must far surpass anything they could imagine!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Second Trial: Ascend the Azure Ladder.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Those who enter the fourth palace shall witness Creation and Eternity.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial’s rules were simple—brutally so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bronze steps and the four palaces were the trial itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In essence, it was no different from the Stairway to Heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether you understood or not, all you had to do was climb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creation and Eternity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who dared claim such things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the sheer audacity of the proclamation, paired with the mystique of the floating bronze palaces, lent it an air of credibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, one by one, they stepped through the gateway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This secret realm isn’t quite what I expected...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo found the whole thing a bit suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was this place structured like some kind of entrance exam?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first trial had tested combat prowess and cunning, even seeming to encourage bloodshed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the second trial had thrown out a carbon copy of the Stairway to Heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just wild speculation from a novel reader’s perspective—he’d seen real inheritances before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one beneath Qingyuan, for instance, had no convoluted trials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the inheritance didn’t choose you, you’d never even find the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he overthinking this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once everyone had entered, the gateway vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those at the front merely exchanged glances, none daring to take the first step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one wanted to be the guinea pig.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew what would happen once they set foot on those steps? Better to let someone else test the waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph. To think you lot are nothing more than a pack of cowards.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jinghong strode forward, chin raised, his face brimming with arrogance as he ascended the first step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned slightly but showed no other reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the others follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this stage, the surviving disciples of Qingyuan Sect had naturally grouped together—aside from Li Mo’s trio, only Ouyang, another elite disciple, and Tie Qi remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo and Ying Bing took the lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his foot touched the first step, realization dawned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t like the Stairway to Heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That trial tested one’s innate talent—the greater the talent, the lighter the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here? No pressure at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just a simple path to the palaces, then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the thought crossed his mind, Li Mo heard a whisper in his heart. But when he focused, it was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A glance at the others showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real trial must lie within the palaces...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha! Money... so much money! And rare treasures! Divine weapons!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, someone burst into mad laughter, staggering toward the edge of the steps—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then stepped off into the abyss below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chasm was deep. No sound of impact followed. Perhaps he’d been ejected from the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo was still puzzling over it when his vision blurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stacks of crimson banknotes materialized before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The illusion lasted only a second before fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah... money from his past life wasn’t exactly useful here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I saw a divine weapon just now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So this trial tests whether we can resist greed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No fools had made it this far. They quickly grasped the trial’s true nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, very few fell after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, most had reached the first palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The palace doors swung open, revealing a dazzling sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piles of treasures filled the hall—divine weapons, spiritual herbs, elixirs, pearls the size of fists, mountains of crimson gold... wealth beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good heavens... how much is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My sect’s vault doesn’t hold a hundredth of this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Crimson gold! A single tael trades for ten of regular gold—and here it’s stacked like firewood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were all people of the world, many of whom claimed to disdain wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how many could truly resist its allure?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivation was an expensive pursuit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some ways, money mattered more than talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Kneel and kowtow to enter.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The message was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few bows, and you could claim these riches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it also meant forfeiting the rest of the trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many hesitated. But in the end, some couldn’t resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it all! I’ve fought tooth and nail for things like this. With this kind of wealth, what can’t I get?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who knows if the later rewards will even be ours? Might as well split this haul!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What if the first palace’s treasures are the best?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of fifty, over a dozen entered the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirty-some remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Worthless dross.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jinghong scoffed and pressed onward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tie Qi’s breathing grew heavy as he eyed the wealth, but seeing someone else remain unmoved, he held his ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li... you’re not interested in this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, I am.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re just not offering enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tie Qi: \"??\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of nonsense was that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Li Mo came from wealth, there was no way his family’s coffers could rival this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly didn’t care and was deliberately saying it like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ying Bing naturally had no need to explain further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ice block found counting money quite enjoyable, but only if she could watch it accumulate bit by bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang didn’t seem interested in money either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Senior Brother Xiaobao...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The things inside weren’t even worth as much as he himself.\u003C\u002Fp>",1183,"2026-05-30T17:19:00.269Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.889Z",1,"novelbin.me","2bb07d8443d63fe14fc113e861c3870076a092f06609bb1df6b972433c29317a","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-132","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-130",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]