Chapter 193: Rewards.

"Dongfang Bubai!"

With a bang, Dongfang Bubai's door was flung open from the outside. Yaoyue stood in the doorway, a smile on her lips, looking down at Dongfang Bubai.

Upon catching sight of Yaoyue, a sharp glint flashed in Dongfang Bubai's eyes.

Dongfang Bubai had long known that Yaoyue would be impatient to wait. Given her personality, once she received the reward and believed she surpassed her, she would definitely come after him.

Just like Dongfang Bubai had done last month. Whether it

was Dongfang Bubai or Yaoyue, whenever the other's strength surpassed theirs, the other would proactively pursue them.

"Yaoyue, I want to see just how powerful you are with your scheming and subterfuge," Dongfang Bubai declared without a shred of awe.

"I'll show you!"

Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue rushed directly outside the city walls and, without a word, attacked.

Bang, bang, bang—

the two clashed relentlessly, their energies colliding in a truly earth-shattering manner. Fortunately, they were outside the city walls, or else the entire city would have been awakened by their two men.

From the moment the two clashed, Dongfang Bubai was at a disadvantage. Against Yaoyue, she couldn't gain even a single advantage.

This was within Dongfang Bubai's expectations, after all, her cultivation level was lower than Yaoyue's. Even with the updated version of the Sunflower Manual,

she was still no match for Yaoyue. However, Dongfang Bubai, observing Yaoyue's attacks, understood that she hadn't, like her, gained the inspiration to further refine her Mingyu Gong. She didn't yet possess a Grandmaster-level technique.

Yaoyue, despite having dominated Dongfang Bubai in battle, wasn't entirely pleased.

She realized her fight with Dongfang Bubai wasn't going the way she'd envisioned.

Yaoyue had envisioned a battle where she, at the Zhixuan realm, would crush Dongfang Bubai, a Grandmaster at the Vajra realm.

However, despite being stronger than Dongfang Bubai, she wasn't quite on top.

Although Dongfang Bubai's cultivation was only at the third level of Grandmaster, her Qi circulation, martial arts techniques, and other aspects seemed to have completely surpassed Yaoyue's.

This put Yaoyue in a bad mood.

Bang—

Yaoyue finally broke Dongfang Bubai's Qi, slamming him down with a palm strike. Dongfang Bubai was instantly sent flying, a trace of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

Facing Yaoyue, a fourth-level Grandmaster, Dongfang Bubai had ultimately been defeated.

But even in defeat, Dongfang Bubai didn't seem upset, remaining calm.

And the victor, Yaoyue, despite having defeated Dongfang Bubai, didn't show any particular joy on her face.

It was clear that Yaoyue was still struggling to accept that she hadn't crushed Dongfang Bubai.

...

[Monthly Summary: You were mentioned 152 times in your diary this month, gaining one year and three months of internal cultivation. The diary owner's favorability towards you is 80, granting you an additional fivefold bonus. Ultimately, you have achieved seven years and six months of internal cultivation. And additionally, she obtained the hidden weapon, the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles.

A massive surge of true qi flowed directly into her body, quickly merging with her own.

After seven and a half years of cultivating true qi, Huang Rong's cultivation, which had just reached the sixth level of Grandmaster, rapidly solidified. She rapidly advanced from the early sixth level to the middle and late sixth level, then to the seventh level, and finally to the early eighth level. Only then did her rapid growth cease.

Huang Rong was naturally delighted with her growth. She even hoped to quickly reach the Grandmaster level and compete with Dongfang Bubai and Yao Yue.

Of course, Huang Rong's thoughts were wishful thinking.

After all, Huang Rong's current situation was somewhat similar to Ye Xiu's before he acquired the body of the God of War. She had only cultivated through diaries, lacking any real combat experience. Even her mastery of martial arts was far inferior to Ye Xiu's.

At least, thanks to the diary's reward, Ye Xiu had mastered most of his martial arts to the point of perfection, even reaching full power. The power he could unleash was considerable. Huang Rong, on the other hand, was purely focused on increasing her cultivation, with her external martial arts techniques barely reaching a deep understanding.

Even without Ye Xiu, let alone someone who had already attained the War God's Body, Huang Rong couldn't defeat him.

Therefore, Huang Rong's thoughts and ideas were pure fantasy.

Meanwhile, the hidden weapon, the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle, appeared directly in Huang Rong's hand.

It looked incredibly small, easily grasped by Huang Rong's delicate hands. It was a small cylindrical shape, with a dense layer of tiny holes on the front, as fine as the thickness of a cow's hair. At the back, a button, with a simple press, unleashed the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle.

This Torrential Pear Blossom Needle could kill even a ninth-level Grandmaster caught off guard with a single strike.

Even before, the Rain of Pear Blossoms Needle was known as the most prestigious hidden weapon in the martial arts world. However, the subsequent appearance of a hidden weapon called the Peacock Feather cost it its title.

Therefore, Huang Rong was quite delighted to have acquired such a hidden weapon. After all, Huang Rong had always loved such rare items.

She even felt the urge to dismantle the Rain of Pear Blossoms Needle. However, Huang Rong knew that she had little knowledge of such hidden weapons, and that dismantling the needle would render it useless, so she refrained from actually doing so.

...

[Monthly Summary: You have been mentioned sixty-two times in your diary this month, gaining six months of internal cultivation. The diary owner's favorability towards you is now 79, granting you an additional double bonus. Ultimately, you have achieved one year and six months of internal cultivation. You also gained the martial arts transformation technique. After a year and a

half of infusing her with zhenqi, Murong Qiudi's cultivation level rose from the third to the fourth level of the Grandmaster Realm.

At the same time, a sinister martial art called Huagong Dafa emerged in her mind.

Murong Qiudi couldn't help but frown at the sight of Huagong Dafa. This technique was incredibly insidious, capable of dissolving another's martial arts. However, its cultivation requirements were also quite high, requiring the use of poison, and every practice required the use of poison. Without sufficient poison, the technique would backfire.

She had heard of Huagong Dafa, but she hadn't expected its cultivation method to be so complex.

If Murong Qiudi hadn't had the potential to reach Grandmaster, she might have attempted Huagong Dafa. After all, while Huagong Dafa was sinister and difficult to practice, its power was truly astonishing.

But for Murong Qiudi now, Huagong Dafa was completely useless, and she disdained it.

Therefore, Murong Qiudi only glanced at the Huagong Dafa and then turned his attention to the favorability.

Looking at the 79 points of favorability, Murong Qiudi's face darkened.

After sleeping with Ye Xiu for a few nights, his favorability rating had already risen to 80. However, due to the interference of Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue, who had brought Xie Xiaofeng to light, Ye Xiu's favorability rating dropped again, to 79.

She should have received a fivefold increase in favorability, ultimately granting her three years of internal cultivation. But now, with her favorability rating reduced to 79, she could only receive a year and a half of cultivation, a drop in half.

How could Murong Qiudi feel any better?

"Dongfang Bubai, Yaoyue, and Xie Xiaofeng!!!" Murong Qiudi gritted her teeth, uttering these three names.

However, despite Murong Qiudi's deep hatred for these three, she had little recourse.

First, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue were both Grandmasters, not to mention the Sun Moon Divine Cult and the Yihua Palace, both of whom were no less powerful than her own Tianzun organization. It was practically impossible for her to deal with them.

So, in the end, Murong Qiudi directed her wrath at Xie Xiaofeng.

Xie Xiaofeng hadn't yet reached Grandmaster status.

Murong Qiudi had specially dispatched someone to investigate, and Xie Xiaofeng's current cultivation level was at the peak of the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm. While it seemed as though he could break through to Grandmaster status at any moment, he wasn't a Grandmaster yet.

Murong Qiudi's plan to deal with him would at least be easier than it had been for Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue

. However, even a peak ninth level Grandmaster was still far beyond Murong Qiudi's capabilities.

However, Murong Qiudi prided herself on her understanding of Xie Xiaofeng's character, and she hoped to devise traps and tactics to deal with

him, hoping she might succeed. Most importantly, if she could eliminate Xie Xiaofeng, Ye Xiu might not misunderstand her obsession with him—well, that was true before she met Ye Xiu, but now Murong Qiudi's feelings had changed, though Ye Xiu was unaware.

Murong Qiudi believed that if she could eliminate Xie Xiaofeng, or even completely disassociate herself from him, Ye Xiu's favorability toward her would rise again, allowing her to receive even more rewards and improve her cultivation even more rapidly. Thinking of

this, Murong Qiudi became increasingly impatient, eager to eliminate Xie Xiaofeng.

"Calm down, stay calm, stay calm. Xie Xiaofeng is too powerful, especially since he's known as the Sword God. Even if he hasn't reached the Grandmaster level, he's certainly not weaker than a Grandmaster," Murong Qiudi thought silently.

"The deadly swordsman Yan Shisan, perhaps he could kill Xie Xiaofeng!" Murong Qiudi pondered, wishing Yan Shisan would appear right now and fight Xie Xiaofeng to the death.

...

[Monthly Summary: You were mentioned one hundred and thirty-two times in your diary this month. You gained one year's worth of internal cultivation. The diary owner's favorability towards you is now 79, allowing you to receive an additional double reward bonus.] Ultimately, you gained three years and three months of internal cultivation. You also received the bonus martial art, "Eye-to-Eye Sword."

Three years and three months of internal cultivation allowed Ning Zhongze to advance from the first level of Grandmaster Realm to the second.

Three years and three months of cultivation, for a mere one-level increase, clearly indicates that Ning Zhongze's talent is significantly inferior to Yao Yue and Dongfang Bubai.

This is understandable, however. If Ning Zhongze's talent were comparable to Dongfang Bubai's, she wouldn't have reached the Grandmaster level only after receiving the diary reward.

Ning Zhongze, knowing her limitations, was already overjoyed to have reached the second level.

However, upon seeing the martial art gifted by the diary, she was completely stunned.

"Eye-to-Eye Sword? What kind of martial art is this?" Ning Zhongze found it a bit hard to accept, even finding it absurd. The

"Eye-to-Eye Sword" required a man and a woman in love to practice.

Each sword move requires eye contact, etched with tender affection, to unleash its full power.

If there's no affection between the two, or if the affection isn't deep enough, the move won't unleash its full power.

Unless practiced by a passionate couple, this eye contact sword technique would be, at best, a third-rate one. However, when used by two deeply in love, it possesses the power of a top-tier sword technique.

If a Grandmaster-level couple were to perform this technique, even a Grandmaster wouldn't be completely powerless. Ning

Zhongze was truly envious of its power, but the thought of the requirements for its use made him want to cover his face.

The thought of a sword technique requiring only a man and a woman to practice together instantly brought Ye Xiu to his mind.

However, Ning Zhongze instantly suppressed Ye Xiu's presence. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes, especially since Ye Xiu was her husband's disciple and the man her daughter Yue Lingshan loved.

Ning Zhongze felt a pang of guilt at the thought.

But who could she turn to for training in this sword technique? Ning Zhongze couldn't help but think of her nominal husband, Yue Buqun—

and the thought of him, painted eyebrows and cheeks, dressed in a crimson robe, and wielding orchid fingers, sent a shudder down her spine.

"This sword technique is so, so strange—perhaps I could give it to Shan'er and let her try it," Ning Zhongze thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Yue Lingshan, the woman in Ning Zhongze's heart, had also received her reward.

[Monthly Summary: You have been mentioned one hundred and forty-two times in your diary this month, gaining one year and two months of internal cultivation. The diary owner's favorability towards you is now 73, granting you an additional double bonus. Ultimately, you have gained three years and six months of internal cultivation. You also gained the bonus skill, Dusk Drizzle Red Sleeves Sword Technique.] Yue Lingshan

's cultivation talent was still slightly inferior to Ning Zhongze's. After three and a half years of internal cultivation, her level had increased from the second level of Xiantian to the fourth level.

She was barely satisfied with her two-level increase.

The reason for this was that she knew Huang Rong, who was younger than her, was far more skilled than she was, which was why she felt reluctant.

As for the additional Dusk Drizzle Red Sleeves sword technique she had received, Yue Lingshan's eyes lit up when she saw it.

Although Yue Lingshan was a disciple of the Huashan Sword School and had practiced swordsmanship since childhood,

the Dusk Drizzle Red Sleeves sword technique was truly stunning.

According to the description of this sword technique, the moves were beautiful and graceful, and the swords suitable for this technique were equally beautiful and graceful.

Girls, to begin with, have little resistance to beauty, let alone this sword technique, which was incredibly powerful.

Yue Lingshan felt that, of all the martial arts she knew, only the Wind God Leg could even begin to rival this sword technique. The Huashan School's numerous sword techniques simply couldn't stand up to the Dusk Drizzle Red Sleeves sword technique.

"It's decided. From today on, I'm abandoning the sword for the sword," Yue Lingshan thought brightly.

I just wonder if, when Ning Zhongze handed her the Meiguiyanzhi sword and told her to find a way to train with Ye Xiu, she would abandon it and focus on some sword technique.

...

Lianxing, who had already left Yihua Palace and headed for Huashan, also received her reward.

However, because Lianxing wasn't around Ye Xiu, he rarely mentioned her in his diary. Even when he did, it was because of Yaoyue. Not to mention, Ye Xiu's favorability towards Lianxing was only 68 points, so the bonus was only doubled.

Therefore, after receiving the reward, Lianxing only broke through from the ninth level of Grandmaster to the first level of Grandmaster.

However, Lianxing was already very happy about this. After all, two months ago, she hadn't even thought she could become a Grandmaster.

However, the thought that she had only just reached Grandmaster status, while her sister was already at who knows how many levels of Grandmaster, made her feel a tinge of jealousy.

Lianxing truly wanted to surpass her sister, but she knew it was almost impossible, so she couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

However, Jiang Yuyan, who was beside Lianxing, received more rewards than Lianxing. This

was because Jiang Yuyan was mentioned more times by Ye Xiu in his diary than Lianxing. Although the favorability of both of them was in the range of 60-70, the more times she was mentioned, the more rewards she received.

In addition, Jiang Yuyan's cultivation level was originally low, so after receiving the rewards, her cultivation level would naturally improve faster.

Jiang Yuyan's own talent for cultivation was not worse than Lianxing's, and even Jiang Yuyan's talent for cultivation was not inferior to Yaoyue's.

So after receiving this reward, Jiang Yuyan's cultivation level grew rapidly from the fourth level of the acquired realm until she broke through to the first level of the innate realm, and then she stopped.