Chapter 341: Meeting an Old Friend in a Distant Land

【So you’re the one who passed the Sword Soul trial?】

Beneath Clearwater Pool was not a murky underwater world, but a bright and separate dimension.

Chen Huaian stood amidst the rippling waves, but felt no current—everything here was an illusion.

Only the Taiji diagram formed by the flowing Yin-Yang Sword Intent emitted a faint pressure.

Three zhang away, a white-haired old man in white robes stood with his right hand resting on a sword box, his posture proud and aloof.

Before Chen Huaian could respond,

The old man spoke again—his voice tinged with cautious hope.

“Odd changes remain unchanged; even changes follow the sign?”

Chen Huaian’s eyes lit up and he replied, “Check the quadrant to read the symbol!”

Zhang Yibai’s remnant soul whipped his head around, his sharp old eyes glistening with moisture.

“Good! Very good! Hahahaha!”

He stepped forward in a single stride and appeared before Chen Huaian, swaying his head with joy.

“There are three joys in life—having your name on the honor roll, wedding night in the bridal chamber, and meeting an old friend in a distant land! I crossed into the Cangyun Realm and experienced the first two. Never thought, at the end of my life, I’d find the third! Heaven truly favors me!”

Chen Huaian looked at Elder Zhang Yibai with a grin and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t really get it—I’m a science major.”

Zhang Yibai: “…”

What was up with this kid?!

The whole touching mood was instantly ruined.

“Ahem. This Venerable One is a transmigrator too. I’ve been in the Cangyun Realm for nearly four thousand years, watching it decline from a vibrant era of spiritual energy to today’s scarcity and desolation... I thought becoming immortal would explain the reason for the spiritual drought, but I died before I could even finish my journey—ambushed by those two old b*stards from Yaoshi Holy Land and Burning Purity Holy Land. Now I’m down to a single strand of Sword Soul.”

That part, Chen Huaian understood.

He was surprised Zhang Yibai had cultivated for nearly four thousand years and still hadn’t become an immortal.

In that case, maybe he wasn’t doing so badly himself.

“Senior, didn’t you have any cheats?”

“Nope.” Zhang Yibai shook his head and gave Chen Huaian a sidelong glance. “Do you?”

“I don’t either.” Chen Huaian shook his head repeatedly.

His avatar didn’t. He was purely playing the game as his original self.

Would you call playing a game a cheat? If so, that’s setting the bar way too low.

As for the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid and the Azure Lotus Sword Canon—that was just compensation from the game devs because he recharged too much money!

“In this era, transmigrators without cheats really have it rough.”

Zhang Yibai gave him a sympathetic look but quickly brightened. “No worries, bro. Even though all I’ve got left is a Sword Soul, from today on—I’ll be your cheat! Ever read Battle Through the Heavens? I’ll be like the old man in the ring. You just find a sword for me to live in, and I’ll be the old grandpa in the sword! I even picked a name—Sword Grandpa!”

Because he’d run into a fellow earthling, Zhang Yibai’s air of a lofty holy land elder vanished.

He was now all grins and gestures like a hardcore web novel addict suffering from long-term sleep deprivation.

“Seriously? You can really live inside a sword?” Chen Huaian looked at him with sparkling eyes.

He had no doubt about Zhang Yibai’s motives. The guy was practically glowing green with friendliness—on the map and in person.

“Of course.” Zhang Yibai lifted his chin. “Ahem, but uh, don’t pick a trash sword. I need comfort to live in...”

“I’ve got a natal flying sword that’s about to become a spirit treasure. It’s called Blackscale. Interested?”

“A natal spirit treasure? That’s excellent!” Zhang Yibai showed genuine surprise.

Most Void Fusion Realm cultivators used spiritual weapons—only Mahayana-level cultivators could handle spirit treasures.

Because spirit treasures demanded a higher-grade Small World to power them—otherwise they couldn’t even be used.

This junior was only at the Eighth Realm of Void Fusion, yet his Small World had already met the requirement.

With such a foundation, his future was limitless. At minimum, he’d reach the Second Tribulation of Mahayana.

Compared to Li Ziping, this kid was leagues better.

Clearly, choosing a fellow countryman was the right call.

Zhang Yibai was delighted. If it really was a spirit treasure, then his remnant soul had a chance to rebuild his path.

He had mentally prepared to hide out for a while and then embrace death.

Until Chen Huaian pulled out the battered and beat-up Blackscale Sword.

Zhang Yibai’s smile vanished. His fingers trembled as he pointed at the sword. “This... this is a spirit treasure?”

“It’s not right now.” Chen Huaian gave a sheepish grin. “But it will be soon.”

“You’re trying to sell me dreams now?” Zhang Yibai chuckled bitterly, but didn’t push the issue.

He knew how hard it was to obtain a spirit treasure.

Nowadays in the Cangyun Realm, nearly all spirit treasures were relics passed down from ancient cultivators.

And most of those were already in the hands of Real Person Yuyao, Reverend Karma, or the old monsters of Guixu.

He himself had once held three spirit treasures, the Zhenwu Twin Swords being one of them.

The other two had been burned to fuel his Reincarnation Sword Intent during the battle against Real Person Yuyao and Reverend Karma—reduced to nothing.

Now only the broken Sword Soul of the Zhenwu Twin Swords remained—his last anchor to existence.

That Sword Soul had sacrificed itself to preserve his remnant soul.

And in turn, he had fused with its fragments, becoming a new Sword Soul.

Truth be told, Zhang Yibai believed he had more value than that ring grandpa from the novels.

“Well then. Since I’ve chosen you as my successor,” Zhang Yibai withdrew his playful expression, growing solemn.

“Even if your natal sword is just a junk weapon, this Venerable One has never regretted a choice. I have full confidence I can raise you into the greatest sword cultivator in the Cangyun Realm… no, the greatest Sword Immortal… hmm, not impossible at all!”

As he mentioned “the greatest Sword Immortal,” a strange flicker passed through Zhang Yibai’s eyes.

“And this Venerable One has only one request—protect Zhenwu Holy Land!”

“No problem,” Chen Huaian nodded with a smile.

Even without this encounter with Zhang Yibai, he would’ve done his best for Zhenwu Holy Land—for Zhang Mengchu’s sake.

Now that Zhang Mengchu had sent that look and sowed those seeds with Real Person Yuyao, she was bound to go berserk on Zhenwu.

“Good!” Seeing Chen Huaian’s agreement, Zhang Yibai stepped forward, solemnly grasped Blackscale Sword, and merged into it as a stream of Yin-Yang energy.

At the same time, the Sword Mirror beneath Clearwater Pool began collapsing toward the center at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The Taiji diagram beneath Chen Huaian’s feet spun faster and faster.

All around him, remnants of Yin-Yang Sword Intent gathered into phantom sword cultivators who mirrored his every motion.

Judging by their clothing, these were elders and Real Persons of Zhenwu Holy Land from past generations—and among them was Zhang Yibai’s own silhouette.

Only Zhang Yibai had pushed Yin-Yang Sword Intent to its peak, merging it into the even greater Reincarnation Sword Intent.

As the Taiji diagram vanished, a spinning Taiji symbol appeared at the guard of Blackscale Sword.

Yin and Yang converged into chaos, like a black pearl reflecting an abyss embedded in the sword's hilt.

Blackscale Sword didn’t change much on the surface—but a profound, mysterious sword aura now wrapped its blade and sheath.

A system prompt appeared in Chen Huaian’s vision:

【Blackscale Sword has absorbed a mysterious Sword Soul】

【Blackscale Sword upgraded to Supreme-grade Spiritual Weapon】

【Blackscale Sword · Reincarnation (Damaged)】

Well well, he was familiar with this kind of transformation.

Chen Huaian gave Blackscale Sword a once-over.

So this was… being enchanted, huh~

…