Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 856.4: Who Exactly Did This

Chapter 856.4: Who Exactly Did This

…

“Respected Immortal, are you returning to dine?”

Zhang Yibai observed the statue in total quietude.

Whatever dread they previously harbored toward this mysterious deity had dwindled by more than half.

However, the figure stirred once again, its visage regaining a touch of color and vitality.

The Stone Pine “Great Immortal” squeaked in a shrill tone, “This Immortal cannot contend with that Wu E, yet according to the established codes, incense offerings cannot be accepted without recompense, and the Leader of Kunlun cannot be denied aid. Thus, this Immortal shall grant a great favor and summon an immortal capable of resolving this situation. Ensure the incense is prepared with sincerity, and do not be sloppy toward that individual!”

Having spoken, the statue returned to its silent state.

Zhang Yibai gestured toward the idol, then glanced at Gu Changsheng with a smirk, “Oh ho, look at that, a display of principles after all.”

“Ancestor, I beg you, refrain from discussing principles…” Gu Changsheng lowered his voice, “We must be vigilant with our words. Should those immortals perceive us as disrespectful…”

He felt neither fear nor profound awe concerning these beings. Even if they were immortals belonging to the Cangyun Realm, his respect was reserved primarily for the formidable.

However, finding themselves under another's domain, he had to keep a low profile. He worried that if Zhang Yibai misspoke, some immortal hailing from Earth Star might feel slighted and strike him down with a mere slap.

“It is of no consequence.” Zhang Yibai steadied a statue with one hand, preparing to retort, when it unexpectedly shifted.

The duo retracted their steps in haste.

Soon enough, a gritty stone statue encased in rock armor with a pine perched on its pate “awakened.”

It was evident that this immortal held a higher standing than the Stone Pine Great Immortal; its aura was far more concentrated, and a jade token bearing the characters “Kunlun” dangled from its waist.

If Zhang Yibai’s intuition served him, this was undoubtedly the Mountain God of Mount Kunlun.

Even within the Cangyun Realm, a mountain god is considered a minor deity; the distinction rests upon the mountain's prestige and the volume of incense received. Renowned peaks garnered more offerings, occasionally allowing their deities to contest a Demon Immortal.

But the mountain god emerging before them appeared rather… precarious.

Nevertheless, he was likely the most powerful being the Stone Pine entity could contact.

“I am Shiqing, the Mountain God of Kunlun! Word reached me that Kunlun’s Leader is in distress, and I have arrived to provide assistance!”

The newly awakened immortal announced himself with authority.

In contrast to the earlier Great Immortal, the mountain god possessed the gravity and dignity of a genuine deity, though a somber gray aura clung to him, casting a somewhat sinister shadow.

Zhang Yibai immediately concluded—this entity might not be an equal to the Demon Immortal, but retrieving Hua Jin the True One from the clutches of Wu E should be within his capabilities.

“Since my assistance is required, surrender the incense first.”

Hardly had the thought crossed Zhang Yibai’s mind when the mountain god outstretched an open palm toward Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng.

His demeanor remained grave, yet the avarice in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng recognized the familiar perfume of the incense upon Shiqing, the very same offering they had burned for the Stone Pine Great Immortal minutes ago. It stood to reason that the Stone Pine had handed over his cut to the mountain god.

What a layered form of extortion.

Zhang Yibai proceeded to light the remaining supply, placing it into Shiqing’s censer. Pale wisps curled upward, only to be drawn by Shiqing’s inhale directly into his nose and mouth.

Shiqing squinted in ecstasy, pulling in the smoke with the fervor of an addict receiving a fix.

Once every shred of incense was consumed, the mountain god finally appeared content. The gray haze manifesting around him shifted into a faint, golden glow of incense.

“Not bad! The aroma of high-grade Celestial Essence is quite pure!” Shiqing commended, offering a thumbs-up. “Accepting incense while ensuring protection! You two juniors, accompany me!”

Before the sentence could fully escape his lips, a surreal phenomenon disrupted the Kunlun range.

Boom—!

The earth groaned, and the peaks swayed.

The rocky crust beneath Shiqing’s feet surged like an oceanic tide, and his frame ascended from the shaking ground—what had been a three-meter statue transformed into a colossal titan. His rock armor displayed rugged textures in the sunlight, and the pine crowning his head fanned outward like a canopy.

He reached down with a palm broad as a fan, mountain mists trailing from his fingertips, and gingerly scooped up Zhang Yibai, Gu Changsheng, and Wang Shouyi, depositing them securely into a hollow within his shoulder.

The wind roared past their ears.

The mountains below began to shrink rapidly…

In a heartbeat, they had transcended the sea of clouds.

Gazing upward revealed tumbling, ancient clouds; looking down, the Kunlun Immortal Palace resembled a radiant gem nestled among the summits, Lingxiao Hall’s glazed tiles glinting through gaps in the haze.

Truly, from the pinnacle, all lesser summits look diminutive.

Fortunately, this was Shiqing’s physical manifestation, not the act of uprooting the mountain itself—had that occurred, the Earth Veins would have been compromised, and the Kunlun Immortal Palace would likely have collapsed under the strain.

“Juniors, why do you stand there in a daze? Show me the way!”

Shiqing’s booming voice startled Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng back to reality.

He chuckled, “Were you intimidated by my majestic true form?”

“Heh heh! Do not panic. Since you offered your incense, I shall resolve your troubles. A mere Demon Immortal…”

“This Immortal, *ahem*, can effortlessly retrieve your Kunlun Leader!”

Zhang Yibai & Gu Changsheng: “……”

Delivering the most gutless statement with the most dignified persona…

Still, the mountain god seemed reasonably sane.

Not inherently wicked, merely possessed of an odd aura.

Zhang Yibai relaxed and signaled the way to Shiqing.

“Great Immortal, proceed toward the north. Once you spot the four pillars of spiritual energy piercing the sky, you will have arrived. You should naturally hear Hua Jin the True One locked in combat with Wu E.”

Four pillars of spiritual energy?

Shiqing narrowed his eyes, an ominous sensation gnawing at his gut.

…

As the Mountain God of Kunlun, Shiqing wielded divine authority within the mountain’s borders.

He did not trudge with heavy, awkward movements. Instead, he glided upon mountain mists, his being harmonized with the earth’s qi. Each step felt like a rhythmic pulse across the skyline, yet his velocity was staggering.

The sea of clouds blurred by; the landscape below melted into shifting planes of color.

Soon, a ravaged expanse emerged in their view.

Where undulating peaks once stood, there was only leveled ruin; dense, ancient forests had been reduced to scorched wasteland.

A bottomless chasm, hundreds of zhang wide, split the earth like an open, jagged wound.

The atmosphere reeked of rampant demonic power, lethal sword qi, and the sickening scent of searing decay.

These clashing auras bore witness to the ferocity of the recent struggle.

Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng felt their hearts plummet.

The devastation of the battlefield suggested that the condition of Hua Jin the True One might be dire.

“Right ahead!” Zhang Yibai pointed toward an untouched highland on the chasm’s edge.

Shiqing shrank his form to roughly three zhang and gently set the trio upon the plateau.

There, Hua Jin the True One sat in a meditative posture upon a jade-green stone.

Her complexion was wan and her respiration shallow, with slivers of spiritual energy swirling around her as if she were in recovery.

“Her Eminence!” Wang Shouyi, who had accompanied Gu Changsheng and Zhang Yibai, cried out and hurried forward.

Zhang Yibai caught him, frowning.

He noticed that while Hua Jin had suffered injuries, they were not life-threatening. Her energy felt subtle and refined, resembling a breakthrough more than simple trauma. Near her lay the remains of Chen Niu, now nothing more than a hollow skeleton.

The Demon Immortal Wu E, who should have been holding this ground with arrogant defiance, was nowhere to be found.

Yet, the lingering sword qi felt eerily familiar, as though it belonged to… Chen Huaian?

Could it be that Wu E had been repelled by Chen Huaian?

“Hold back for now.” Zhang Yibai patted Wang Shouyi’s shoulder. “Her Eminence is at a pivotal stage in her breakthrough. Interrupting her now could prove disastrous.”

Wang Shouyi nodded, though his gaze remained fixed on Hua Jin, as if trying to grasp her well-being through sheer intensity.

Meanwhile…

Zhang Yibai furrowed his brow.

Shiqing had occupied this space for a moment—why was he not taking action?

He looked over.

Shiqing stood before the Demon Sealing Pagoda, his visage darkened.

The four Demon Sealing Pagodas were tilted at precarious angles; two had been severed mid-shaft, the broken surfaces cleanly sheared like mirrors, as if some terrifying force had sliced through them in a single motion.

The spiritual radiance of the columns had vanished, and the runes were decimated.

The central hub guarded by these towers now revealed unstable spatial distortions, with erratic strands of demonic energy and turbulent voids leaking into reality.

What occurred to the Demon Sealing Pagodas?

Zhang Yibai puzzled over the sight.

A heartbeat later, the mountain god’s physique shuddered beyond control.

Raising a rock-encrusted arm slowly,

whether battling terror or mounting rage, he stammered as he gestured toward the skewed pagodas,

and emitted a soul-shattering, throat-tearing howl, “Who!? Who on earth could have done this??”