Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 848: Urging Construction

Chapter 848: Urging Construction

Mount Cangbo.

An immortal had faced his heavenly tribulation right here, causing the former mountain chain to be torn asunder by strikes of celestial thunder, resulting in a vast canyon.

This spot served as the ideal feng shui site selected by Su Qinian for erecting the grand platform. Dawn was barely breaking with the first light, yet a team of cultivators was already laboring away in the depths of this gorge.

Certain cultivators soared on their flying swords from distances of thousands of li, hauling pristine white jade sourced from the Southern Province to this location.

Meanwhile, robust body cultivators, boasting tremendous power, hauled enormous boulders and positioned stone slabs onto the partially built elevated platform.

Given that numerous stone pieces were excessively large, spell-wielding cultivators might raise them via spiritual power, yet struggled to maneuver them with the required delicacy and accuracy—except for ancient powerhouses like Su Qinian.

However, if they had already attained the status of such ancient experts at the Unity Realm or Void Shattering Realm, why would they stoop to tasks as trivial as hauling construction materials?

"Elder Su, might you share a little insight? What exactly is the purpose of this high platform we're constructing?"

He found himself encircled by elders from various small sects.

These smaller sects had shifted their bases near the Moon Shadow Sect, just like the mid-tier and major ones. Still, unlike prominent groups such as the Blade Sect and Zen Sect, they rarely got chances to engage with the Moon Shadow Sect, although they did reap the benefits of the spiritual energy leaking from it.

As the proverb states, folks always aim higher. For these small sects aspiring to ascend, forging ties with powerful sects was essential.

And Mount Cangbo marked the farthest edge of the Moon Shadow Sect's central domain, while also hosting the densest cluster of minor sects.

Witnessing the white jade platform gradually emerging from the earth—even if only its base was being set—some had already sensed the potential and arrived on the scene.

"Built for what, you ask? Hehe~" Su Qinian arched a brow, offering a enigmatic grin.

This expression prompted the sect elders to trade looks, their hearts itching like a swarm of ten thousand ants scurrying about.

"Elder Su, this is Spirit Void Grass just harvested from our sect, all at its peak freshness, ideal for steeping tea that leaves a delightful sweetness. Please accept it without disdain."

A Nascent Soul stage elder, with shaky hands, set a storage ring upon the tea table in front of Su Qinian, his features beaming with sycophancy.

At that sight, the rest swiftly caught on.

"Elder Su, this superior spiritual flying sword—I can't truly master it. It suits you far better."

"Elder Su, this millennium-old Moon Bright Pearl, do take it. It works wonders for pill refinement or crafting ornaments for your dao companion."

...

A assortment of items precious to ordinary folk, yet commonplace supplies for the Moon Shadow Sect, now lay presented before him.

Su Qinian took each one in turn.

It stemmed not from avarice—these were trifles to him.

Yet as the Supreme Elder of the Moon Shadow Sect, he embodied the faction's dignity and had to uphold the fitting decorum and protocols.

Should he respond freely to every query from these juniors and grow overly chummy, these small sects would soon forfeit their respect for the Moon Shadow Sect.

Without that reverence for the Moon Shadow Sect, their doom by annihilation loomed close.

He was essentially preserving their existence!

"Hmph, truth be told, it's nothing secretive." Once the gifts had been exchanged, Su Qinian at last yielded. "Our sect's ancestor commanded the erection of this high platform. The ancestor dubs it the Ascension Platform. He kept its exact function from me, but feel free to speculate."

"The ancestor of the Moon Shadow Sect?" one voice rang out in astonishment. "Is it possible... that it's Chen Sword Master?"

Su Qinian inclined his head. "Precisely so."

"Given its name as Ascension Platform, it surely relates to ascending to immortality. Might Chen Sword Master be approaching the pivotal moment of his ascension?

Thus, he's commissioning the Ascension Platform ahead of time to ready himself for the heavenly tribulation?"

Su Qinian cast a look toward the one who spoke.

At first, he himself had assumed Chen Huaian intended the Ascension Platform for his tribulation.

But reflecting further, that logic faltered. The ancestor stood at the Great Ascension Second Tribulation level, with no less than a century before his tribulation, wasn't that so?

There was utterly no reason to construct any Ascension Platform just yet.

Besides, from what he knew of the ancestor, the elder abhorred ostentatious displays above all.

Should the esteemed figure genuinely seek immortality, he could cleave through the heavens' thunderous barrage with a single blade stroke. Why bother with this Ascension Platform?

Hence, the Ascension Platform undoubtedly served another aim, likely some monumental endeavor advantageous to the whole Cangyun Realm.

To curb these juniors' guesses from spiraling further, Su Qinian stated evenly, "It bears no connection to the ancestor's own ascension. In my view, it's more akin to an arena for a grand competition open to all cultivators across the Cangyun Realm. Those who perform well in the event shall earn prizes, and should they not belong to the Moon Shadow Sect, they'll gain entry into our ranks!"

"Hiss—! So that's the case!" The elderly men suddenly comprehended.

Their countenances then shifted, displaying a blend of delight and concern.

The delight came from realizing that they, as aged cultivators, might join such a contest themselves.

The concern arose from fearing that if the event occurred yearly, their small sects would cease attracting any talented recruits.

In contrast, the Moon Shadow Sect would blaze like the noonday sun, expanding ever more powerfully.

At that juncture, the Moon Shadow Sect could eradicate other factions with mere casual effort...

Who could assure it wouldn't evolve into a titan akin to Yaochi or the Burning Purity Holy Land?

Su Qinian savored his tea, inwardly smug at unraveling the ancestor's scheme. The washing-machine relic whirled thrice as swiftly as before.

Abruptly, a silhouette overshadowed from the rear.

The minor sect cultivators blanched in terror, dropping to their knees in succession.

A shiver raced along Su Qinian's back. Swiveling to glance, beads of cold perspiration soaked him at once.

"Anc... ancestor, what brings you upon these winds?"

"No winds at all." Chen Huaian's visage was overcast, though a smirk tugged at his mouth. "This Venerable One simply overheard some foolish prattle from over yonder!"

He gestured toward the work site. "I tasked you with erecting the Ascension Platform, yet after a full day, even the base remains incomplete. Are you utterly useless?"

Su Qinian bowed his head low, unable to raise it amid the reprimand.

Yet deep down, he harbored profound injustice.

How expansive was the canyon of Mount Cangbo? Per Chen Huaian's stipulations, finishing the foundation within one day was already remarkably swift.

"This Venerable One grants you just three days. In three days' time, a platform soaring ten thousand zhang must stand tall upon the earth.

Should This Venerable One fail to behold the completed Ascension Platform by then, you shall join This Venerable One for sword drills."

Upon hearing of accompanying Chen Huaian in sword drills, Su Qinian's complexion drained to a sickly hue.

To outsiders, it might appear an honor, but to him, it was sheer agony—a lopsided thrashing from which he gained zilch.

"Ancestor, fear not. In three days, the Ascension Platform shall without doubt be finished!"

Su Qinian hitched up his robes, stowed the washing-machine relic, and dove into the crew handling the stone slabs.

The Moon Shadow Sect elders overseeing the perimeter were summoned by him to pitch in as well.

With these Unity and Void Shattering Realm experts now involved, the pace of constructing the entire Ascension Platform surged forward by tenfold.

Observing this, Chen Huaian at last appeared marginally content.

In passing, he swept up the century-old Spirit Void Grass from the tea table, intending to pass it to his young disciple for tea-making later.

"The term Ascension Platform implies its true nature straightforwardly." Chen Huaian regarded the cultivators prostrated before him, their eyes fixed upon him with anticipation. "This Venerable One divined the stars by night, unraveled cosmic mysteries, perceived the waning of immortals within the Cangyun Realm, and received a divine spark leading to this method—to raise this Ascension Platform.

Upon its completion, the heavens and earth shall grant their ordeals. Whosoever climbs the platform and conquers the ordeals may hasten their journey toward immortality.

Hence, every soul in the Cangyun Realm gains a shot at immortality. The era of countless immortals rising in unison draws near."

Upon absorbing Chen Huaian's declaration, the kneeling cultivators initially stilled, then their features bloomed with incredulous rapture, their forms quivering faintly from the thrill.

Some among them had languished at the Nascent Soul pinnacle for centuries, their vital years slipping away, their dao path sealed, their spirits long desiccated. Others recognized their middling talents, deeming their present cultivation a stroke of fortune, never aspiring to immortality. Yet now, this Chen Sword Master, reigning supreme in the Cangyun Realm, had declared personally of a pathway, a boon, to quicken the path to immortality!

For these low-tier cultivators adrift in uncertainty, this revelation shone like a beacon in the void, a lifeline clutched amid the torrent!

"Sword Master... is this truly so?!" The elder who gifted the Spirit Void Grass inquired in a raspy tone, his gaze alight with fervent longing.

"This Venerable One's pledge outweighs the mightiest peaks." Chen Huaian clasped his hands behind, his voice steady yet infused with irrefutable command. "With the Ascension Platform done, the chances shall emerge on their own. Seizing them rests upon your personal destinies."

"Thud!"

The group prostrated deeply once more, this instance born of sincere thanks and veneration.

"Sword Master's immense benevolence! We... we pledge to labor as oxen and steeds in service!"

The elder proclaimed with fervor, "How might we aid Sword Master in hastening this platform's rise?"

This was the very line Chen Huaian sought. He dipped his head approvingly, his manner easing somewhat. "This platform ties into the Cangyun Realm's forthcoming fate and vigor. Erecting it accrues boundless merit and goodness. Rally your sects' skilled disciples to aid the build. Greater the toil invested, vaster the bonds forged. When the Ascension Platform stands complete, the cosmos shall acknowledge it, inscribing the virtues accrued."

"Yes! Yes! We shall heed Sword Master's command with utmost respect!"

The men, invigorated as if by vital elixir, leaped to their feet from the dirt. Disregarding decorum or pride, they morphed into radiant streaks, hurtling toward their sects at the zenith of their speeds, dreading a single delayed instant might let this world-altering prospect slip to rivals.

Chen Huaian observed their vanishing silhouettes on the distant skyline, a subtle smile gracing his lips.

Truly, sketching vast ideals and sharing prophetic sights remained the supreme means to ignite passion.

No force or lure rivaled the raw potency of a "path to immortality" aspiration.

As this tidings disseminated, not just these small sects, but mid-sized ones too, and even select masters mired in breakthroughs, would catch the rumor and flock willingly as "free laborers."

By that point, far from three days, raising this ten-thousand-zhang platform from scratch in two would prove no challenge.

The initial phase of the endeavor was firmly in hand.

His spirits lightened a touch, yet another concern surfaced, creasing his forehead faintly.

He had earlier plumbed the cosmic secrets and detected that his opportunistic 'junior brother' Xiao Feng appeared to have stumbled into real peril, his fate's aura roiling chaotically, subtly hinting at a dire blood calamity.

"Tsk, this stubborn geezer truly offers no respite."

Chen Huaian sighed, his form blurring as it vanished from view.

The pressing task at hand was locating Xiao Feng without delay.