[{"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-178":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},596701,846,"Chapter 178: What kind of freak is this guy","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-178",178,"\u003Cp>\"You picked this yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jinghong spread his hands with a helpless chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent is still using a sword, and you're already sweating buckets?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Mu was meditating nearby, not even bothering to lift an eyelid—his stance was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No swaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph, do you really think I'm scared? I never planned to switch anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He stepped onto the stage on the first day. By the time his spiritual energy depletes, he might not even face me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Chushu snorted coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword trial lasted three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, $2i Mo’s swordsmanship was impressive, but at least he could hold his own against him. Ying Bing or Jiang Chulong would be far tougher opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling countless eyes upon him, Young Li exhaled deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This felt amazing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, he’d felt a twinge of regret—perhaps the martial insights he’d poured into the Nine Swords of Dugu had gone beyond \"business sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, his spirits soared. What was the point of living if he couldn’t do what brought him joy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no sworn enemies he absolutely had to defeat, nor any world-saving burdens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo then addressed the crowd loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Which brave soul wishes to step up and exchange a few moves?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The reward I mentioned earlier will stand for all three days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most attendees were here to broaden their horizons and learn from others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The privilege to study the Hengyun Sword Mark wasn’t something they’d ever expected to attain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sparring with Li Mo not only earned them gold but also revealed their weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could they refuse such an offer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li Mo is just like the protagonist Jiang Chen in the comics—kind-hearted and ever-helpful...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who said that? The comic hero wasn’t nearly this strong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After this, who knows how the Hidden Dragon Ranking will shift?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long line formed before Li Mo’s stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zhong Zhenyue from the neighboring platform couldn’t help glancing over, clearly intrigued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But duelists weren’t allowed to challenge each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, if he stepped down now, he wouldn’t even make it to the front of the queue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo had no shortage of challengers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an instructor, Young Li was remarkably authoritative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever he spotted a flaw, he’d patiently explain it to his opponent while simultaneously dissecting their techniques and integrating them into his own swordsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with pure skill alone, he was confident he could defeat opponents two or three minor realms above him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jinghong felt damned if he did, damned if he didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sigh, he stepped onto the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am Bai Jinghong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clasped his hands in salute, suppressing his aura to the Inner Breath realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword trial aimed to identify martial prodigies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the greater one’s talent, the more they could glean from the Hengyun Sword Mark. Rules were rules—he had to restrain his cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please enlighten me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I-I dare not... truly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chulong shook her head like a rattle-drum, flustered by the courtesy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stole a glance at Big Brother Li nearby, then awkwardly mimicked his demeanor:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"P-please... you make the first move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jinghong didn’t dare underestimate her. He focused entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Striking first meant seizing the initiative!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flick of his wrist, he channeled his inner energy, activating his Hanguang Sword Body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword qi surged like tidal waves—the signature Hengyun Sword Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet within those waves lurked countless variations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a technique his senior sister had spent three years meditating before the sword mark to comprehend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasps rose from the crowd. Against the overwhelming tide of sword qi, Jiang Chulong’s petite frame seemed fragile as a leaf...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The raging currents crashed forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For once, a look of concentration flashed across Jiang Chulong’s delicate face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she met the lethal storm head-on, her slender body swaying like a blade of grass in the wind—or a tiny fish navigating turbulent waters. No matter how fierce the sword qi, it couldn’t touch her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was like wild grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Delicate yet unyielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint sound. The peachwood branch tapped Bai Jinghong’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His prized sword clattered to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jinghong stood frozen, disbelief written across his face. He’d never imagined his sword qi could be dismantled like this—it defied all logic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the existential crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d once believed only his senior sister surpassed him in swordsmanship talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you... okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"S-sorry... you’re not... that weak...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s just... my teacher... taught me well...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chulong fumbled through her apology, unsure how to comfort him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jinghong: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His crisis deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spectators were dumbstruck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the Three Heroes of Hengyun, a prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, had lost like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the elders frowned. If they suppressed their cultivation to the Inner Breath realm, could they have replicated the girl’s feat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Cao Mu had also fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against that divine swordsmanship, he hadn’t lasted past the third stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raw talent aside, $2ing Bing’s performance had been even more terrifying than the girl’s!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the elders not seen their share of wonders, they might’ve thought the world had turned upside down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Records say when the Martial Ancestor studied at Sword City in his youth, did he ever display such brilliance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he wasn’t holding back, likely not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once those girls reach the fifth or sixth aperture of Divine Observation, the Hidden Dragon Ranking will be rewritten.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Having them here to study the sword mark is a blessing for our sect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, $2lmost no one dared challenge Ying Bing or Jiang Chulong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why bother? Even Hidden Dragon elites had been crushed. Did they fancy a beating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Li Mo’s stage remained lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That boy... hmm, how to put it? Strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Zeng set down his Overbearing Empress Falls for Me comic, stroking his beard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s strong, yet it’s as if his strength lies purely in technique.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other elders nodded. They shared the same unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To use an analogy—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were mathematics professors watching someone wield formulas with peerless precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sword qi, no sword momentum, no sword intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just sheer, unrivaled skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, even without dedicated training, traces of those elements would manifest naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of freak was this kid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Congratulations, Host. Successful investment in ‘Huang Donglai.’ Prevented his return to a backwater town, sparing him from missing the grand era.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Investment reward: Seven-Rune Yingxu Pill.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, $2oung Li had just intercepted Huang Donglai, convincing him to change his plans and challenge him instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their duel had been thrilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well fought.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo handed over a gold note.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My shame.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Donglai eyed the note warily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a thorough inspection—confirming no tracking marks or poison—he carefully tucked it into his robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He noticed that Huang Donglai's inner robe was stuffed with numerous small bottles and jars, many of which clearly weren’t healing medicines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was even a bottle of quicklime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During their earlier exchange, he had distinctly seen Huang Donglai reflexively reach for it, only to hold back at the last moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cultivator at the Observation Deity Realm still reaching for quicklime—pure muscle memory, huh...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Huang Donglai left, $2i Mo exhaled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just sparred with over eighty people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all the while, he had been channeling his martial insights to enhance his techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just one step away...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nine Swords of Dugu wasn’t merely a sword technique—it could also elevate one’s cultivation realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were to employ the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Xuan Dan Scripture, wouldn’t that mean condensing yet another Mystic Elixir?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he wasn’t even sure if it could still be called a Mystic Elixir at that point...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, $2 figure stepped onto the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This humble one is Wu Chushu. I seek your guidance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Wu Chushu, clad in a blue robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no choice but to act now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because as time passed, he realized Li Mo’s spiritual energy seemed inexhaustible, showing no signs of depletion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual energy couldn’t truly be infinite, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That could only mean his recovery speed was unimaginable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was his energy undiminished, but his swordplay was also growing more elusive, more formidable by the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t step up now, the opportunity would slip away entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>",1380,"2026-05-30T17:19:00.270Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.286Z",1,"novelbin.me","2479afd2eb1afefae245140204eef85ef7489135785775fbe8f77fab361b8947","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-179","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-177",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]