[{"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-462":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},596585,846,"Chapter 462: There Seems to Be No Winner in This Contest","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-462",462,"\u003Cp>\"Phew...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo gripped the Scarlet Sky sword, steadying his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan had just sparred with the \"Ice Block\" and seemed to have no chance to retaliate, but that didn’t mean Xie Xuan was weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather, the Ice Block’s martial prowess was so overwhelming that even Qin Yuzhi, a seventh-realm expert in the Palm of Mysteries, called it outright cheating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Li Mo had already observed Xie Xuan’s techniques—otherwise, whether he could last ten moves was anyone’s guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, then I’ll...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo suddenly raised his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many moves are we exchanging? We should set the terms.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you force me to defend even once, you win.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan considered this. His opponent was the \"Divine Hammer Little Tyrant,\" ranked fourth among the Hidden Dragons. Though he was wielding a sword now, he couldn’t be underestimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo nodded, then sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shame—this was a proper spar, so he couldn’t use the \"King of Brawls Ultimate Technique\"...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan exhaled slowly, gathering his sword intent once more. The tip of his blade dipped slightly, its unseen edge already locking onto his opponent’s vital points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his sword—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cough—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan staggered, his face flushing red as he nearly choked on his own breath. This time, he was genuinely annoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What now?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, sorry, just one more question.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo offered an apologetic smile—he truly hadn’t meant to interrupt again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I fail to withstand ten moves, I can’t enter the Ascending Cloud Pavilion. But if I succeed, what then? Just letting me in? The Ascending Cloud Pavilion isn’t yours to grant access to. Doesn’t that make the stakes a bit unfair?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan paused. Now that he thought about it, that did make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the Ascending Cloud Pavilion was Li Mo’s right to begin with. Even if he withstood ten moves, he’d only be reclaiming what was already his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what do you propose?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we settle this, you can’t challenge her again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo pointed at Princess Little Jiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, Xie Xuan nodded stiffly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. No more questions this time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"None.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m acting on someone’s behalf—she can’t stay in the Imperial Capital. Now, draw your sword!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the words fell, Xie Xuan’s aura surged, no longer holding back as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes blazed with clarity, sharp and unyielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seemingly ordinary longsword slid from its sheath with inhuman precision—not a single motion wasted, not a fraction of speed altered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if he had repeated this action ten thousand times. A single draw of the sword carried the weight of towering mountains and impending storms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo narrowed his eyes. He recognized this feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skill approaching the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple draw, yet it seemed to dissolve the barriers between sword techniques, achieving a seamless harmony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was only an echo—true mastery of the Dao was still far beyond reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Xie Xuan moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still the Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship—deceptively steady, grounded in fundamentals, yet concealing endless variations within its simplicity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as you thought you’d found a counter, the sword shifted again, forcing you to discard your strategy entirely. It was enough to make one spit blood in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xie Xuan truly lives up to his name as the Sword Fanatic...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Zeng exhaled heavily, his gaze complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emergence of the Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship marked the Tianshan Sword Manor’s rise over the Cloud-Crossing Sword Citadel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generations of Sword Citadel experts had dedicated themselves to dismantling this technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t just him. The Imperial Capital brimmed with sword masters—wearing a blade was a point of pride, especially now, during the Hidden Dragon Tournament, when experts from across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands had gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After being suppressed by the Cold Fairy’s swordsmanship, Xie Xuan has actually gained new insights and ascended further.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder he’s remained the unshakable 'Second Xie' for so many years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Without this, he’d never have earned the recognition of the Tianshan Ancestor’s personal sword.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the far end of the murmuring crowd, an eight-man palanquin drifted past. Though the carriage itself hovered midair, vibrant flowers bloomed atop it, so lifelike they even drew butterflies to rest upon them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could dead wood burst into spring?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps one only needed to glimpse the graceful figure behind the curtains to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clad in embroidered silk, her neck was swan-like, her waist slender—yet her \"evil\" was disproportionately ample...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Li Mo seen her, even he would’ve been stunned. For the first time, he’d encounter someone surpassing even his beautiful master in that regard...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Madam, there’s a sword duel outside the Ascending Cloud Pavilion,\" the Maid chirped, peering curiously before giggling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, it’s that poor, silly sword fanatic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did the Maid recognize Xie Xuan at a glance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Xie Xuan, the young master of Tianshan Sword Manor, had once disguised himself as a servant in the Moonlit Pleasure Pavilion just to catch a glimpse of the madam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For half a year, he endured beatings and insults without complaint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Martial artists and their petty rivalries. Nothing worth seeing. Let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enchantress couldn’t even feign interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The palanquin resumed its journey—until a burst of nearby chatter caught her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the 'Wife-Blessing Battle Soul' is using a sword this time, he’s in trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She abruptly halted the procession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, $2he ever-shifting sword gleam closed in on Li Mo’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo steadied his breath. The principles of the Nine Swords of Dugu flowed through his mind, the essence of \"Breaking Sword Momentum\" rising within him—reducing all swordplay to stark black-and-white lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was no dodging, then he wouldn’t dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Force him to defend!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scarlet Sky didn’t retreat. Instead, it carved a bizarre arc from below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan’s elusive swordplay hesitated—then transformed again, like parting a wave only to find darker currents beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship: one move plotted ten, a hundred ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfazed, Li Mo guided Scarlet Sky along the hidden currents, leaping like a fish riding the tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One side wove layers of intricate swordplay, an inescapable net where every feint could be a fatal trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other seemed effortless, yet distilled complexity into simplicity, striking at the root with ruthless efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would the fish die tangled in the net, or break free into open waters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, the former seemed likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The half-mastered Nine Swords of Dugu still can’t dismantle the Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Mo realized that each apparent counter only tightened Xie Xuan’s ever-shifting web.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding-dong—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single note from a zither rang out, ethereal as celestial music, lingering in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Li Mo, it was clarity itself. Xie Xuan, however, froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That split-second hesitation tore a hole in the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scarlet Sky struck the spine of that unadorned sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword gleam vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xie Xuan was forced to defend!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Divine Hammer Little Tyrant wins!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His swordsmanship is this exceptional? If he can pressure Xie Xuan into defending, how terrifying must his hammer techniques be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Peerless swordsmanship, divine hammer arts—it’s only natural.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. A name might be mistaken, but a title never lies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've heard a thing or two about Brother Li's hammer techniques. If you'd seen that one strike he made in the Southern Border...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan froze in place, then suddenly turned his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Li Mo fell into deep thought, slowly raising a questioning eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell? I clearly use a sword—haven’t even pulled out a hammer—so how am I suddenly a hammer-wielding god now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These little geniuses... they actually saw right through me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Li’s stubborn defiance shattered on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Xuan was spellbound, his mind completely detached from the duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this match, it seemed there would be no winner.\u003C\u002Fp>",1310,"2026-05-30T17:19:00.270Z","2026-06-01T04:31:46.286Z",1,"novelbin.me","dd69221ecb0d53c66d6817581c2ceaff931a95c829b085f51244f0a80ff8e042","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-463","investing-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-chapter-461",737,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Finvesting-in-the-reborn-empress-she-actually-cal-cover.jpg"]