Chapter 214: Care to Repeat That?

Chapter 214: Care to Repeat That?

"What is love in this world? It makes people… makes people… uh… makes people fondle the Great Thunder!"

Returning from the Lingxi Valley dojo, Chen Huai’an swayed his head back and forth, sighing in exasperation.

What a wonderful woman Lingxi Valley’s Valley Master was—delicate and beautiful, with a gentle temperament, the charm of a young maiden combined with the allure of a mature woman.

And on top of that, she had a famous daughter ranked high on the Beauty List~

And yet, Zhao Zhenlong, that damn bastard, had abandoned all of that to indulge himself in the Yaochi Holy Land?

Well, look where that got him—he played himself to death.

Serves him right!

Chen Huai’an spat in disdain and lounged comfortably on his throne in the Sacred Dragon Hall.

He could more or less guess how Zhao Zhenlong had met his end.

The environment in the Holy Lands was undoubtedly far more cutthroat than any sect. Zhao Zhenlong had strong talent, so he must have been treated like a treasure when he first joined. But as even more talented cultivators entered Yaochi, his value would have plummeted. Perhaps he had been kicked aside by a Yaochi female cultivator, felt too ashamed to return to Lingxi Valley, and wandered aimlessly—only to fall into the hands of that old hag from the Spirit Lotus Sect!

Brilliant deduction! Chen Huai’an gave himself a score of 100.

Out of 10.

"Heavenly Divination, is there a way for me to monitor my dear Qingran’s safety in the real world at all times?"

It had already been half a day.

Chen Huai’an was starving and planned to log off for a meal.

Might as well check on any movements from the Demon Slayer Bureau headquarters while he was at it.

But with Li Qingran still inside the secret realm, logging off now made him uneasy.

【Heavenly Divination in progress… Divination complete. This is your fifth divination today. ¥100,000 deducted.】

【Option 1: Draw from the new Fortune Carp Prize Pool for a chance to obtain the Supreme Gold reward—Life Soul Lantern. The lantern's color will indicate your virtual girlfriend Li Qingran’s status: Green for Safe, Yellow for Injured, Red for Seriously Injured, Black for Near Death, and if the lantern shatters, she is dead.】

【Option 2: The Sect Master of Shaoyang Sect possesses an artifact called the Yang Soul Mirror. With a personal belonging of Li Qingran, you can use it to view her basic condition.】

Chen Huai’an narrowed his eyes, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the hilt of his Blackscale Sword.

The Sword Pavilion also had soul lanterns, but they were primitive—either lit or extinguished, signifying life or death. Unlike the Fortune Carp’s prize pool item, which provided detailed status updates.

The second Fortune Carp Prize Pool had increased in price along with Li Qingran’s cultivation.

Previously, one draw cost ¥100. Now, a single pull was ¥999.

With his current level of fortune loss, he’d need at least a thousand pulls to guarantee a jackpot. That meant spending a full ¥1,000,000!

At the same time, the description in the game’s system suggested that the Yang Soul Mirror might be even more effective.

However, obtaining it would likely put him at odds with the Shaoyang Sect Master.

"Should I be a miserable unlucky bastard, or should I be a bandit? That is the question."

Chen Huai’an pondered for a moment.

So what if that Shaoyang Sect Master, Zhang Tinghai, got upset?

Was his grievance worth ¥1,000,000?

With a million, he could afford to practice the first ten moves of the Green Lotus Sword Manual with his Nascent Soul Perfection cultivation.

At that point, how many Shaoyang Sect Masters could he even cut down?

Having made up his mind, Chen Huai’an soared towards the mountain where the Shaoyang Sect was temporarily staying.

…

"What are you doing here?"

On the mountaintop, Zhang Tinghai stared warily at the figure before him—a man dressed in black robes, smiling pleasantly, yet radiating an overwhelming spiritual pressure that pinned every Shaoyang Sect disciple to the ground.

"Daoist Zhang, I hear you possess an artifact called the Yang Soul Mirror. Is that correct?"

"I do," Zhang Tinghai admitted, unsure what this old ancestor of the Sword Pavilion was up to.

Chen Huai’an’s smile grew even friendlier, revealing a neat row of white teeth. "I feel a connection with it."

"Huh?" Zhang Tinghai was momentarily stunned, not comprehending what he meant.

"I performed a divination and discovered that I am fated to obtain this item. So, I have come to fulfill this karma."

Zhang Tinghai stared blankly at Chen Huai’an.

The hell was this nonsense?

This Sword Pavilion ancestor wasn’t bald, had no Buddhist scar on his forehead, and wasn’t glowing with divine light.

Then why was he talking like one of those insufferable monks from the Zen Sect or those tumor-ridden maniacs from the Burning Purification Sect?

"You want my Yang Soul Mirror? Well, you’re not getting it!" Zhang Tinghai scoffed, outright rejecting him.

He still held a grudge from before.

The Sword Pavilion’s old ancestor had destroyed their dojo with a single slash, showing zero respect.

And now he wanted to take his Yang Soul Mirror?

If he gave it away, how would he monitor his own son inside the secret realm?

Chen Huai’an didn’t respond. He simply elevated his cultivation to Fusion Realm Perfection.

BOOM—!

The mountain’s surface cracked apart, sending debris flying in all directions. The entire peak where the Shaoyang Sect resided instantly split into jagged pieces like a shattered puzzle.

"Care to repeat that?"

Zhang Tinghai dropped to his knees, his face deathly pale. Cold sweat drenched his robes.

An invisible force crushed against his spine, making his bones crack audibly as he was lifted three inches off the ground, his legs dangling.

He didn’t dare move.

Forcing a smile, he stammered, "S-Senior… I-I too feel the deep karmic bond between you and the Yang Soul Mirror!"

"Hmm." Chen Huai’an nodded slightly, retracting his oppressive aura. "Well said. Continue."

Zhang Tinghai’s feet touched the ground again. His legs trembled like jelly, but he wasted no time in pulling out the Yang Soul Mirror and respectfully offering it with both hands.

"To assist Senior in fulfilling his karmic destiny is the duty of this junior. Please, Senior, do not hesitate to accept it."

Chen Huai’an took the Yang Soul Mirror and narrowed his eyes. "Has anyone threatened you today?"

"N-No!" Zhang Tinghai frantically shook his head. "Absolutely not! Everything I’ve done today has been entirely voluntary!"

"Good." Chen Huai’an stored the Yang Soul Mirror into his player inventory. Then, tapping Zhang Tinghai’s shoulder three times, he added, "Should your Shaoyang Sect face any calamity in the future, just mention my name. If it’s within my power, I’ll help you weather it once."

To him, this was just an empty promise—a useless gesture.

But to Zhang Tinghai, it was a miracle.

A favor from a Fusion Realm Perfection cultivator!

The Sword Pavilion’s old ancestor was truly generous.

Even though he… uh, "fated away" his Yang Soul Mirror, he still left behind a valuable favor.

With someone of this strength backing them, the Shaoyang Sect had essentially been handed a get-out-of-jail-free card!

As long as the Holy Lands didn’t interfere, no other sect would dare provoke them.

As for his son?

The Yang Soul Mirror could only let him see—it couldn’t save anyone. Watching helplessly wouldn’t change anything.

And if his son died… well, he could always have another.

Wait…

Come to think of it, that Sword Pavilion ancestor never even mentioned his name.

Zhang Tinghai watched as Chen Huai’an disappeared into the horizon, lost in thought.

"Hold on a second!" He slapped his thigh, realization dawning.

Powerful cultivators at this level often had unique titles.

And just now, the Sword Pavilion ancestor had tapped his shoulder three times.

Could it be… his title was

Sword Third

?!

Feeling enlightened, Zhang Tinghai cupped his hands toward the distant sky, his eyes brimming with gratitude.

…

"This whole damn realm is full of lunatics."

Standing on his flying sword, Chen Huai’an sighed and shook his head.

He had barely even tried, hadn’t even given his name, and yet Zhang Tinghai was grateful beyond words.

Aren’t cultivators supposed to be smart?

Why were they all such gullible idiots?

Buying their own demise and handing him the cash?

"Whatever. Let’s test out this Yang Soul Mirror."