The Battle Begins
At that moment, Chen Huaian regretted one thing—
He hadn’t read enough books.
If he had, he’d have better words to describe the absolute tension filling Qingyun Sect’s main square.
A suffocating pressure weighed down on the disciples.
Taoist Qingxuan said nothing.
Instead—he drew his sword.
The Qingxuan Sword gleamed under the sunlight, and the air trembled under the immense spiritual aura he released.
Late-stage Spirit Transformation.
His robes billowed.
His long, black-and-white hair was swept up by the sheer force of his energy.
His hat fell to the ground, landing at his feet.
He was ready to fight.
Wu Duantian’s Intervention
“Seniors, let’s talk this out!”
Sect Master Wu Duantian rushed forward.
He had no interest in watching two top-tier cultivators clash in the middle of his sect.
If they went all out, Qingyun Sect would suffer.
Besides—
He still needed this mysterious cultivator to heal Zhao Lingtian’s Dantian.
If they became enemies now, how could he ask for a favor later?
“Taoist Qingxuan, let’s discuss this peacefully!”
Taoist Qingxuan’s expression remained cold.
“Lu Changtian is my eldest disciple,” he said.
“How can I just stand by and watch his Dantian get destroyed?”
His voice was firm—unyielding.
He glanced at the void behind Li Qingran.
“That man… He is definitely not at the Fusion Stage.
If he was, there would be no need to drag this out.”
Taoist Qingxuan was betting everything on this.
His opponent wasn’t as strong as he claimed.
If that was the case—then he could afford to go all in.
Wu Duantian sighed.
He understood Qingxuan’s reasoning.
Everyone here could see the truth.
The mysterious monk was powerful…
But he wasn’t invincible.
Still, Wu Duantian didn’t care.
All he wanted was for someone to heal Zhao Lingtian.
“Can’t we just talk?” he tried again.
But Taoist Qingxuan shook his head.
“There is nothing to talk about.”
Wu Duantian gave up.
“Fine, fight then!”
“If you destroy the mountain gate, don’t come crying when the ancestor wakes up.“
Chen Huaian Descends
A voice echoed through the void.
“Very well.”
“Let’s see if you are qualified to interfere today.”
A wave of terrifying pressure crashed down upon the square.
It was stronger than Taoist Qingxuan’s.
A figure emerged from the void.
A man dressed in black robes with flowing white hair stepped forward.
A long, black-scaled sword rested in his hand.
His face was partially obscured by divine light—handsome, yet mysterious.
But what truly sent shivers down everyone’s spine—
His golden, vertical pupils.
Just a single glance at him made their hearts race in fear.
He wasn’t just powerful.
He was terrifying.
A deafening roar split through the sky.
ROAR!
A black dragon phantom erupted from behind him, coiling around his body before merging into his sword.
It was as if the sword itself had a soul.
Li Qingran’s breath hitched.
She could only stare at the man standing before her.
Her face burned.
Her mind went blank.
“Senior…!”
Chen Huaian, meanwhile, was internally panicking.
“Crap, this is way too immersive!”
His VR helmet made everything feel too real.
He couldn’t even look at Li Qingran properly.
“Too pretty. Too dangerous. Must focus.”
But there was one problem.
How the hell was he supposed to fight?!
Beginner Combat Tutorial
[Ding! Beginner Combat Tutorial Activated.]
A window popped up in his vision.
Chen Huaian almost jumped in joy.
“YES! A fool-proof tutorial!”
The world around him froze.
A mirror appeared before him, along with a wooden training dummy.
[This game uses brain-mapped controls. Move by thinking.]
Chen Huaian hesitated.
Let’s try… a scissors hand pose.
A majestic immortal cultivator suddenly did a peace sign.
Chen Huaian instantly canceled it and returned to his cool stance.
“No one saw that. I hope.”
[Skills and techniques will be mapped to your mind. They will soon become part of your memory.]
[Please attack the dummy.]
Chen Huaian swung his sword.
The dummy shattered instantly.
“Huh?”
There was no impact.
It was like slicing through air.
[Now, use a skill.]
A list of moves appeared in his mind.
He chose—
〈Blue Lotus Sword Canon〉 – First Move: Wind and Waves.
The sword hummed.
Chen Huaian moved with it.
His blade flashed—
The dummy exploded.
A lingering sword image remained in the air.
[Shadow Kill: Instantly return to your previous position and strike again.]
“Holy crap.”
“This is too cool!”
Chen Huaian grinned.
“I need to teach this to Qingran!”
[Combat tutorial complete. Good luck!]
The Ultimate Move
Reality resumed.
Chen Huaian’s eyes locked onto Taoist Qingxuan.
“You like interfering, huh?”
A sword technique appeared in his mind.
The tenth move of the Qinglian Sword Canon—
Moon Rises over Tianshan.
He wanted to use the eleventh and twelfth moves, but they were locked.
“Tsk, if only I could stick the Milky Way in this old man’s face.”
The Black Scale Sword slid out half an inch.
The moment it moved—
Screeeech—
The sheer force of its sword intent cut the air itself.
“Old dog Qingxuan, you want to protect your disciple?”
“Then take this sword from me!”
The sword sang.
YIN—!
A thunderous roar echoed across Qingyun Sect.
And at that moment—
A sliver of moonlight rose from the ground.
