Chapter 29: What a Sword!

Chapter 29: What a Sword!

All living beings are at their most vulnerable when they sleep—vulnerable enough to be killed by entities far weaker than themselves.

And now was no exception.

The black cat crouched low, its gaze fixed on Chen Huai’an’s exposed neck.

Having only recently awakened, it was still too weak to face an adult human in direct combat. However, with more time to recover and a few more prey to restore its vitality, even those four-wheeled steel contraptions would no longer pose a threat.

The thought of those vehicles made the cat’s eyes flicker with hatred.

Those cunning humans had hidden themselves inside fast-moving steel boxes. Caught unaware during their first encounter, it had nearly been run over!

Its revenge would begin now, by devouring this human.

Whoosh!

The black cat leaped at Chen Huai’an, moving so quickly it blurred into a shadowy streak. Its claws extended, leaving crimson trails in the air, aimed directly at the man’s throat.

Just as it was about to strike—

ROAR!

A thunderous dragon’s roar exploded in its mind, making the cat dizzy. Its nimble limbs stiffened, and it dropped to the floor like a lump of dead weight.

[Ancestral Dragon?]

[This aura... how is this possible?]

Trembling, the black cat staggered to its feet, shaking its head to clear the disorientation. It looked again at the sleeping man, disbelief filling its round eyes.

The noise caused Chen Huai’an to smack his lips and roll over, the blanket slipping to reveal his bare back. On his skin, a black dragon tattoo coiled and writhed, its golden eyes glowing faintly with an aura of dominance.

As if sensing the cat’s gaze—

ROAR!

Another dragon’s roar reverberated in its mind.

The black cat froze as the tattooed dragon leaped off Chen Huai’an’s back.

[What the—?! Isn’t this overkill?]

Terrified, the cat turned to flee, but the dragon’s tail, edged with golden scales, lashed out and swatted it straight back into the shoebox.

Bang!

The lid snapped shut.

[Curse it all! This human has the protection of an Ancestral Dragon!]

Curled up in the box, the cat shivered in pain. Its organs burned as if on fire, and it spat out a mouthful of blood.

Having just awoken, its body was fragile. In this era of spiritual energy scarcity, healing was already difficult. Add to that its earlier injuries from being struck by a car and attacked by a bird—it had barely survived. Now, the dragon’s strike had worsened its condition considerably. 𐍂𝘼NỐ₿Ęś

[I must leave! This place is too dangerous!]

It tried to steady itself but felt faint. After staggering two steps, it collapsed inside the box, unconscious.

The moonlight remained serene, washing over the room. The dragon tattoo circled the bed once before returning to Chen Huai’an’s back.

In his sleep, Chen Huai’an chuckled, scratched his rear, and rolled over again.

At 7:00 AM, Chen Huai’an’s alarm went off. He reached out blindly, grabbing his phone and swiping to unlock it, revealing a face with deep dark circles.

Virtual Girlfriend: Activated!

Onscreen, Li Qingran was seated cross-legged on her bed, meditating and absorbing spiritual energy from the mid-level Spirit Gathering Formation.

[Status: Cultivating]

[Progress: 7631/9999 (Eighth Layer)]

[Remaining Lifespan: 273 years]

[Affection Level: 60 (Close)]

“Not bad!” Chen Huai’an perked up, immediately awake upon seeing her progress.

Although he could only afford a mid-level Spirit Gathering Formation due to his dwindling funds, Li Qingran had still managed to ascend two whole layers overnight. Her rapid advancement was remarkable.

This was the terrifying power of a Supreme Dantian.

Smiling with satisfaction, Chen Huai’an tapped her shoulder in the interface, triggering several reward notifications.

Three golden bags materialized on Li Qingran’s desk.

[Spirit Stone Mystery Box: Contains random rewards such as 1 Spirit Crystal, 99 High-Grade Spirit Stones, or 999 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Guaranteed minimum: 1,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. (For Li Qingran only.)]

“Eh, not bad, I guess,” he muttered, unimpressed by the small rewards. His focus was on the grand prize awaiting Li Qingran when she reached the peak of the Qi Refinement Stage.

The prize’s interface glowed with a dazzling purple light:

[Tideborne Technique (Low-Tier Profound Rank)]

The description made his eyes widen in awe.

“Wow, no wonder this is a reward from the system. It’s terrifyingly good!”

Although he hadn’t asked what cultivation technique Li Qingran currently practiced, he doubted it was anywhere near as exceptional as this one.

Opening her profile, he found her technique:

Chiyun Technique—Low-Tier Profound Rank.

It was the same rank as the Tideborne Technique, but switching techniques required discarding her current cultivation base. All the progress she had painstakingly made would be lost.

“Eh, better hold onto it for now,” Chen Huai’an mused. He noticed the Tideborne Technique wasn’t marked as exclusive to Li Qingran, sparking a curious thought.

“Could I use this myself?”

His mind wandered to the Green Lotus Sword Manual. What if he needed to learn the Tideborne Technique first to unlock it?

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought. “These game developers sure know how to make everything feel serious, as if cultivation will make you a real immortal.”

Just then, two notifications popped up:

[Your virtual girlfriend’s gift has arrived!]

[Your selected loot has arrived!]

The first was the bracelet Li Qingran had made for him.

The second was a choice of items dropped from Ye Futian: a fragmented demonic cultivation manual, a low-grade magic sword, a damaged mid-grade spiritual weapon, and several spirit stones. He had selected the sword as his “real-world loot.”

A knock came from his door.

Startled, Chen Huai’an hopped out of bed with his crutch and dashed to the door. He was determined to catch the mysterious early-morning delivery person.

But when he flung the door open, no one was there.

“Parkour master, huh?” he muttered, glancing at the stairwell.

Looking down, he spotted two packages:

One was a small box labeled “Qingran’s Gift,” perfectly sized for the bracelet.

The other was a long, heavy package, nearly five feet in length, with the bold words “Spoils of War” printed on it.

“Just as I thought,” he muttered.

Bending to pick up the long package, he was caught off guard by its weight. It thudded back to the floor, leaving a noticeable dent in the hotel’s wooden flooring.

“Crap!”

Panicked, he grabbed a corner of the carpet to cover the damage. Only then did he lift the package carefully, a spark of excitement flickering in his eyes.

“What a sword. What a sword!”

He couldn’t help but cackle. “Now

I

have my own sword!”