Chapter 20: Swearing to the Heavens
âP-Predecessor, w-what is this?â
Li Qingran was initially startled when Chen Huaiâan mentioned helping her restore her dantian. Then something landed on the table, and the entire room was engulfed in a radiant green light accompanied by a dense medicinal fragrance. Just one breath made her feel as though her spiritual qi was circulating faster!
âThis is the medicine that can restore your dantian,â Chen Huaiâan replied.
He didnât reveal the name of the pillâafter all, just one look at it screamed âpriceless.â
To Chen Huaiâan, Li Qingran was essentially a high-intelligence AI character. Given the current level of AI technology, it wasnât impossible to achieve this degree of sophistication, provided there was enough data to train the model. Since the game developers were skilled hackers, creating such an advanced AI model would be a walk in the park.
Although high-intelligence AI differed from humans, it could simulate emotions under the influence of its data streams. If he outright told Li Qingran that it was a
Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill
, sheâd surely refuse to accept it.
âMedicine to restore a dantian?â Li Qingran murmured, stunned. She had never heard of such a thing. To her knowledge, once a dantian was shattered, it was virtually impossible to repair. Even if restoration was conceivable, it would involve methods far beyond the reach of a Foundation Establishment cultivator like her.
Moreover, the sheer commotion caused by the appearance of this pill indicated its immense value.
âPredecessor, this medicine is too precious. I cannot accept it.â Li Qingranâs tone was resolute. She indeed longed to restore her dantian, but she had already received far too many favors from the predecessor. She had no means to repay him in equal measure, and this imbalance filled her with guilt.
âTake it if I say so!â Chen Huaiâan muttered as he tapped the communication talisman, amused at how lifelike the AI was. In most other gamesâeven ones with nurturing elementsâthe NPC would simply accept the item without question. He continued, âThis pill was prepared specifically for you. Itâs useless to me. Take it now, or others will come and snatch it!â
What Li Qingran heard was: âThis pill is useless to me. The commotion just now has already drawn attention from other cultivators, and I canât conceal the heavenly phenomenon for long. If you donât consume it now, youâll only be making trouble for me!â
âI...â
Li Qingran glanced at the ceiling, her eyes returning to the pill on the table. She bit her lower lip, visibly conflicted.
Consuming the pill would leave her with a crushing debt of gratitude. But refusing the pill would mean causing trouble for her predecessor...
âHurry up!â
The sharp reprimand from above startled her, causing her to tremble.
Faced with a choice between breaking her principles and defying her predecessor, she ultimately chose to break her principles. She couldnât bear to make him angry.
Carefully, she picked up the pill, her expression filled with apprehension.
Chen Huaiâan smirked as he watched her hesitantly cradle the pill in her hands. âHah, so in the end, you still obediently listened to me!â
He realized that being called âPredecessorâ by Li Qingran was starting to get to his head. Perhaps from now on, he should refer to himself as âthis lordââit felt more fitting for the occasion.
âIf you donât take the pill, my 90,000 yuan will have been wasted!â
Amid the urgency earlier, he hadnât even had the chance to check what heâd won during the last 500 draws.
Li Qingran, holding the pill, decided that if she was to break her principles, she must find a way to make amends.
Looking up at the ceiling, she raised one hand, holding three fingers upright to represent Heaven, Earth, and Man, and declared in a loud voice:
âToday, this junior Li Qingran received the aid of the predecessor, gaining the divine medicine to restore my dantian. I am deeply ashamed of my inability to repay this kindness. From now on, should the predecessor require anything of me, I vow to face mountains of blades and seas of fire, even the infernal depths, without hesitation or regret!â âÎïŒźoÍÊÆSÌ©
She swore this to the Dao of Heaven and to her Dao Heart, her words resonating with the heavens. Spiritual qi surged around her, lifting her long black hair and revealing her determined gaze.
Having made her vow, she was free of burden. With no hesitation, she raised the pill to her mouth and consumed it.
She had now entrusted everything she had to the predecessor. It was the only thing she could offer.
The celestial-grade Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill dissolved the moment it touched her tongue, transforming into a clear stream that flowed directly toward her shattered dantian. From Chen Huaiâanâs perspective, a golden thread snaked its way into her abdomen. At the same time, the entire room began to spin, as if drawn into a vortex centered around Li Qingran. The vortex expanded outward, forming a tornado that reached the sky.
âSo this is a spiritual qi vortex?â Chen Huaiâan mused. Since the game was set in a cultivation world, Li Qingran was likely absorbing a vast amount of spiritual qi to fuel the pillâs effects.
âSpeaking of which, isnât this causing a bit too much commotion? Shouldnât I conceal it again?â
The spiritual qi vortex tore through the clouds above, leaving a gaping hole in the sky.
On the map, the chaotic red dots swarmed toward his location like moths to a flame.
ăLi Qingran has consumed the celestial-grade Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill, triggering continuous heavenly phenomena. Would you like to pay „28 to conceal the heavenly phenomenon?ă
âWhat the...!â
Chen Huaiâan was both furious and amused.
Drip-feeding me now, huh? Canât you just be straightforward?
Despite his grumbling, he begrudgingly paid the „28.
In Wanqing Mountainâ
âItâs over there! Itâs over there!â
âSuch an overwhelming surge of spiritual qiâthis must be where the divine pill emerged!â
âHahaha! Iâm going to ascend to immortality!â
Suddenly, the vortex of spiritual qi dissipated, snuffed out as if by an invisible hand.
The treasure hunters were left dumbfounded once again.
âDamn it! Where did it go?â
âAre you kidding me?!â
âForget it! Search everywhere! Donât let anything slip past, even if itâs a pile of dungâsniff it just in case!â
Meanwhile, Chen Huaiâan was contentedly admiring Li Qingran as she meditated in a cross-legged position.
She sat quietly, strands of black hair cascading over her shoulders, swaying gently amidst the flow of spiritual qi. Her simple attire complemented her serene and elegant demeanor. Usually, her eyebrows carried a hint of heroism, but now, with her eyes closed and her lips pressed tightly together, her pale face bore a delicate, sickly beauty that evoked pity.
Chen Huaiâan, a practical-minded science student, didnât have much in the way of flowery language. Still, he couldnât help but marvel at her beauty in his own way.
âDamn, sheâs stunning!â
He forced himself to look away. Any longer, and he might find it impossible to concentrate later.
He still hadnât checked what treasures heâd drawn from his 1,000 attempts at the Fortune Carp Pool. Opening his inventory, he saw all 12 slots packed to the brim: low-grade spirit stones, mid-grade spirit stones, communication talismans, Thunderfire Talismans in four grades from Mortal to Celestial, a Black Armor Formation, an Intermediate Spirit Gathering Formation, the Su Xian Sword, and a golden jade slip.
âSeriously? Why canât all the Thunderfire Talismans go into one slot?â
Chen Huaiâan cursed his luck but decided against giving them all to Li Qingranâafter all, if she got controlled, heâd need them for backup support.
The most intriguing item was the golden jade slip. A golden-tier treasureâdefinitely something extraordinary!