Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’ Chapter 5: The Mysterious Feminine Immortal Physique: The Initiation Ceremony

For the first time in their long friendship, the young man and woman were forced to occupy the same room.

The girl’s silhouette vanished as her slender hands pulled the bed curtains tight, sealing herself away.

“She’s turned into a block of ice again.”

Li Mo shifted his attention away, settling onto the divan while pulling a quilt around himself.

From his perspective, she wasn’t the type to be easily swayed by mere conversation.

Regardless, it was impossible to guess what she was thinking.

“Wait, does an investment necessarily have to be a physical object?”

While deep in thought, Li Mo examined the prize he had recently acquired.

[Mystical Womb Immortal Physique]: “An immortal body forged through the tribulations of the secular world, containing infinite mysteries and the source of all beginnings.”

“Claim reward?”

The description was incredibly brief—only a few words long.

However, the terminology was so jarring that Li Mo’s eyebrow twitched in surprise.

It felt completely out of place with the world around him. Wasn’t this supposed to be a martial world?

Perhaps it was just flowery marketing used by the system to sound more prestigious?

Still...

It sounded impressive enough.

With a simple thought, he accepted the reward.

Immediately—

A thunderous roar, heard by him alone, erupted in his ears.

His consciousness was hurled into total chaos, as if his mind had been split open by a bolt of lightning, leaving him unable to sense his own physical form.

Bzz—

Bzz—

Within that void, a tempest seemed to rage—resembling the very birth of heaven and earth, overflowing with a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds.

Li Mo’s senses were overwhelmed, unable to focus on anything clearly.

For a brief moment, he felt as tiny as a speck of dust, yet simultaneously as vast as the universe, far exceeding mortal limits.

It was as if he had vanished entirely, yet existed in every corner of reality at once.

The concept of time became meaningless.

Then—

He was swallowed by total darkness.

Across the room, the silk curtains on the bed began to glaze over with frost, becoming so brittle they seemed ready to shatter.

The girl sat clutching her legs, her lips drained of color and her eyelashes coated in white powder.

Even her breathing emitted a primordial, relentless cold.

She appeared as though she were trapped in the deepest pits of a frozen purgatory.

Yet, she was used to this suffering. There was no fear or agony—only a profound silence.

Ying Bing understood that this misery would only cease once she fully harnessed the power of the Lunar Yin.

To do that, she first needed to clear her Meridians.

“Pure Yang Pill.”

“Xue Jing is widely considered the top alchemist in the Purple Sun Prefecture.”

She took the pill and swallowed it whole.

A gentle warmth radiated from her Dantian, slowly filtering into her Meridians.

There was no doubt—she would finish her Meridian awakening before the entrance ceremony! Suddenly, a thought struck her.

Ying Bing parted the frozen curtains and looked toward the divan.

The young man was lying there peacefully, even letting out soft, steady snores.

...He was actually sleeping?

“Is he... completely unaffected?”

The following morning, Li Mo woke up on his divan. His eyes seemed deeper, as if they held the stars—clear and calm, yet as profound as a mountain spring.

On the surface, he looked the same as before.

However, even while standing still, he radiated an aura of perfect harmony, as if he were perfectly synchronized with the world.

[Name: Li Mo] [Age: 16] [Physique: Mystical Womb Immortal Physique] [Realm: None] [Destiny: ??] [Evaluation: Possessing an immortal physique, his destiny is veiled in chaos—impossible to discern.] [Recent Events: The relationship with his childhood friend has improved slightly, moving past the stage of being strangers.]

Li Mo had anticipated his destiny turning purple or perhaps gold.

Instead, he was greeted by two prominent question marks.

“Things have definitely changed,” he thought. “But trying to figure out exactly what is different... is difficult.”

After a moment of reflection, he pushed the thought aside.

At the very least, the rewards from the system—especially those linked to the “ice block” Ying Bing—had never let him down.

“Since I haven’t even begun my Cultivation yet, I’ll just have to discover these changes as I go.”

He reached for the teapot, only to discover the water inside was a solid block of ice.

The cause was obviously the “ice block” on the bed.

Yet, despite the freezing temperature in the room, he didn’t feel the slightest bit cold.

If nothing else, he had acquired an immunity to extreme temperatures.

“I don’t have to worry about failing the Sect’s entrance exam now.”

“Making it into the inner Sect should be a certainty, shouldn’t it?”

Feeling relaxed, Li Mo decided to wander through the town—perhaps he would stumble upon another valuable investment target.

Two days later, Ying Bing had remained secluded in the room ever since she consumed the Pure Yang Pill.

She took no food or water.

Li Mo wasn't concerned.

With her incredible luck, she wasn't going to starve. It was likely just a byproduct of her special constitution, so it was best not to disturb her.

However, the room's furniture was ruined by the constant cold, forcing Li Mo to pay five hundred taels in damages.

During those two days, he ran into many potential investments.

Most were common, with only a few showing a blue glow.

Their goals were... diverse.

A poor scholar looking for a rich wife.

A wealthy man who wanted to know what it felt like to be poor.

Even a massive brute who had a secret desire to wear women’s clothes.

Li Mo could only sigh at such requests.

Naturally, there were many normal people as well.

Every small gain added up.

He collected a variety of rewards—though few were relevant to martial arts. Most were just odd items.

Art, toys, cooking ingredients, expensive wine... even a girl's undergarments.

This wide-net approach only gave him minor returns.

At dawn on the third day.

“Quality is better than quantity.”

“Unless it’s a special situation, I’m going to ignore the white and gray investments from now on.”

Li Mo opened the door.

Inside, an elegant figure was sitting at the mirror, brushing her long, smooth hair.

“Are you feeling better?”

“A little.”

Ying Bing’s pale, porcelain face finally had a hint of color.

She had successfully cleared her Meridians.

She was no longer someone with “blocked Meridians,” and her hidden talents were finally beginning to show.

It was all thanks to that Pure Yang Pill.

“Come on, let’s get some breakfast,” Li Mo said with a grin.

Ying Bing took her bowl and whispered, “Thank you.”

“What?”

Li Mo stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with shock.

Did the “ice block” just actually... thank him?

It was hard to believe.

“I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”

But Ying Bing didn’t repeat herself, quietly eating her porridge in silence.

The Clear Abyss Sect Initiation. By the time their carriage reached the main road, they were still miles from the Sect, but the vehicle could go no further.

The crowds were massive, with people packed tightly together.

Walking the rest of the way, Li Mo felt a sense of familiarity.

There were youths everywhere, resembling students gathering for a morning drill.

After walking for another thirty minutes—

The massive gates of the Clear Abyss Sect appeared, surrounded by disciples wearing various colored robes.

In front of them, seven examiners were seated behind long tables.

Bong—

Bong—

Bong—

Three deep chimes signaled the start.

A heavy-set Elder with a red face spoke, his voice echoing like a clap of thunder:

“Root bone is the primary obstacle in martial arts. If your foundation is weak, your journey will be painful—no amount of work can fix such a defect.”

“Those with poor root bone should leave now. Don’t waste your life here.”

Nobody moved.

The people who had traveled this far either believed in their talent or refused to give up.

They were too close now.

There was no turning back.

The stout Elder waved his hand at the crowd and said:

“Then form lines and step forward for the bone inspection.”

As he spoke, the young men and women followed the instructions of the Clear Abyss Sect disciples and lined up for the test.

The examiners seemed to use a specific technique—with a single touch to the shoulder, they could determine a person’s bone quality.

“Wu Ping, Lower Grade C. Next.”

“He Haikuo, Middle Grade D.”

“Qian Ningning, Lower Grade D...”

The Clear Abyss Sect used four ranks for bone quality: A, B, C, and D. Reaching Grade C was the minimum requirement to join the Sect.

Many things made up a person's talent, and bone structure was only the beginning. A Grade C result meant a person had earned their place on the path of Cultivation.

Despite this, only about ten or twenty percent of the applicants reached Grade C or higher.

This first phase would likely remove eighty percent of the crowd.

As for those who surpassed Grade A?

They were simply listed as Top Grade A.

“It’s not perfect, but most of those with a cyan destiny or better are passing easily.”

Li Mo waited in line, keeping his Heavenly Eye of Destiny active.

“Young lady, come forward.”

The elderly woman at the front signaled.

Ying Bing walked out from the crowd, immediately drawing everyone’s attention because of her stunning beauty.

Standing there with a cold, calm air, she seemed to silence the world around her, making it impossible to ignore her.

Li Mo rubbed his chin.

Based on the tropes he knew, one of two things would happen: she would either be a total genius or a complete failure.

But with that kind of aura, she definitely wasn't average...

“Hiss...”

As expected.

The old woman’s eyes narrowed instantly.

Her face became very serious as she composed herself, her clothes fluttering despite the lack of wind—she was using her internal Qi to check the girl’s bones.

The scene caught the eye of everyone nearby, even the other examiners, who looked on with interest.

Even a Top Grade A result usually didn't cause this much of a stir.

A moment later, the old examiner’s voice rang out across the area:

“Ying Bing—Top Grade A!”

Her voice was filled with both shock and delight.

The crowd went into a frenzy.

In the Clear Abyss Sect’s history, people with Top Grade A talent were incredibly rare.

Murong Xiao, known as the “Prodigy of Purple Sun Prefecture,” had only achieved Lower Grade A—and that had made him the greatest genius in ten years.

Li Mo: “...”

So, she was the genius type.

Under the gaze of thousands, Ying Bing became the center of the world.

Yet, she remained completely indifferent.

She knew this wasn't a big deal.

The only reason she was Top Grade A was because that was the highest rank the Clear Abyss Sect could give.

“Unfazed by success or failure—such mental strength is rare. I look forward to seeing how you handle the Heavenly Staircase.”

Even the stout Elder couldn't resist giving her a compliment.

The bone test was just to remove those who couldn't cultivate.

The real test of potential was the second round:

The Heavenly Staircase!

While bones weren't everything, someone with a Top Grade A foundation was guaranteed to do well in the next phase.

The ceremony had only just started.

And yet, the winner had likely already been found.

Ying Bing nodded and walked over to the group of successful candidates.

The pride on the faces of the others who had passed vanished instantly.

While they were wondering if they could get into the inner Sect, Ying Bing was already a lock to become a true disciple.