Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 856.6: Below One, Above Ten Thousand

Renshou scrambled back to hide behind Chen Huaian, his body trembling violently.

“Ancient One… this situation is turning ominous… Your Taotie seems to be losing its composure; it might no longer obey your commands…”

Chen Huaian raised an eyebrow, observing the clearly transformed aura of the Muscle Tyrant, and mused, “Is such a thing even possible?”

“Indeed.” Renshou nodded vigorously. “There is a distinct probability of this occurring. Your bond with the beast is a blood-contract. Your vital essence anchors its bloodline, establishing your authority as master. Since its destiny energy and bloodline have been fully restored, its power has reached its zenith. It is possible your vital essence can no longer suppress its bloodline. Should that happen, it will break free completely, and then… it will settle all scores, both new and old, with you!”

Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes at this warning. “Is the situation genuinely that dire?”

“It… it is truly that grave!” Renshou affirmed with repeated nods.

One must remember this was the ancient, savage Taotie!

The mere notion that Chen Sword Master could claim such a creature as a pet was already a miracle of fantasy. After all, the Taotie possessed the quintessential temperament of a fierce beast: it feared neither heaven nor earth and defied even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors—how could it ever willingly submit to a mere mortal?

In the nature of such a beast, once a genuine opportunity to escape arises, it will expend every ounce of its fury to break free and destroy its master.

With all the Ancient One’s might, he might contest a Taotie at its peak, but he would be like a tiny shrimp by comparison; the shockwaves of such a battle could easily cost him his life.

“So the Meridian Refining Technique carries such a hazardous flaw!” Chen Huaian unsheathed the Black Scales Sword, eyeing the Muscle Tyrant sideways. “It seems I must purge this house today!”

A frigid killing intent washed over the Muscle Tyrant’s head.

The sensation jolted the Muscle Tyrant out of its trance of newly regained power. Its simple mind finally processed Renshou’s claims, and its expression turned dark with rage.

“You doddering old fool, I was just about to offer you sincere gratitude for helping me recover my strength. And you go and snitch to my master, claiming I intend to slay him? What are your true designs?!”

The Muscle Tyrant pressed forward until it loomed over Chen Huaian, carefully avoiding the edge of the blade. It thrust its massive head forward, its blood-drenched maw hovering directly above Renshou.

Renshou grabbed Chen Huaian’s sleeve, stuttering, “Ancient One, do not trust his words, this is nothing but… a cunning scheme by the beast! It is simply waiting for you to lower your guard!”

“Still trying to sow discord! Die for me!” the Muscle Tyrant snarled, lifting a massive claw to strike down at Renshou, all while keeping a watchful eye on Chen Huaian’s reactions.

Chen Huaian raised his sword to intercept; with a sharp 'shing!', a sliver of silver-white sword qi flashed above Renshou’s head, halting the Muscle Tyrant’s claws mid-air.

Finding this opening, the Muscle Tyrant stepped back with a snort, retracting its limb.

That chattering old man was, after all, its benefactor; a bit of intimidation had been enough—actually slaughtering him would be improper.

“Ancient One, you can casually deflect a full-force strike from the Taotie?!” Renshou looked stunned.

That blow from the Taotie had felt like the heavens collapsing, yet Chen Huaian had dismissed it with ease.

Little wonder the Taotie dared not rebel…

Renshou bowed respectfully. “It appears my vision was limited. Ancient One, your vital essence still exerts a crushing suppression over the King of Fierce Beasts!”

He then bowed deeply to the Muscle Tyrant. “Senior, my profound apologies. I nearly caused you to be sliced by the Ancient One’s blade, ahem… Er… our sect possesses many exquisite spirit fruits and well-fed spirit cattle, delicacies beloved by common beasts. Should the opportunity arise, I shall bring some for you to sample.”

Chen Huaian: “…”

Muscle Tyrant: “…”

It appeared suddenly very invested in those otherwise trivial fruits and meats. Still, since the old man offered them in good faith, it would begrudgingly accept.

“Someone is approaching.” At that moment, Chen Huaian’s expression tightened as he stared toward the western horizon.

Renshou cast his gaze in the same direction but detected nothing.

The Muscle Tyrant reacted instantly, moving to shield Chen Huaian and Renshou with a solemn countenance. “Master, do you recall my instructions? My mission is to command the attention of the Myriad Gods and Buddhas. Your path is to conceal your identity and refine your cultivation, growing until you can eventually shatter this cycle of reincarnation. To succeed, you might even need to masquerade as one of those Myriad Gods and Buddhas.”

“I shall stall their search for you. When the powers of the Upper Realm are preoccupied with me, you can remain perfectly hidden… provided you never reveal the Ancestral Dragon’s aura. Now that the Wells of Heaven have opened and the paths between the Realms are exposed, even elites like Wu E or Chen Niu cannot track you, but those immortals and gods certainly can. Once they lock onto your essence, no disguise will protect you.”

Chen Huaian nodded.

He fully grasped the Muscle Tyrant’s objective, which was precisely why he had labored to restore its strength. Although he himself had not yet encountered any deities hunting for the Dragon’s successor, the Muscle Tyrant’s warning was clear evidence that the threat was imminent and severe.

Thus, he required the Muscle Tyrant to serve as a beacon for these pursuers.

And despite having reached the Great Ascension Stage, he knew that compared to the Myriad Gods and Buddhas, he was still far too fragile.

“Master, you must depart now.”

Noticing Chen Huaian’s resolve, the Muscle Tyrant did not insist he stay. A flash of relief lit its red-gold eyes.

What it feared most was a situation where Chen Huaian would recklessly choose to stay and fight by its side. That would not touch it; it would only cause it agony. Fortunately, Chen Huaian was chosen by the Ancestral Dragon for a reason—he was rational and methodical.

“Ensure your own safety. If victory is impossible, flee immediately; do not perish needlessly.”

Chen Huaian retreated while urging the beast, “Your purpose is to draw them out. You must remain alive to keep their focus, to force them to chase you… survival is your primary objective!”

“Ke ke ke!” The Taotie threw its head back and laughed wildly, a sound that shook even the heavens.

“In the presence of those immortal gods in the Upper Realm, I may be insignificant. But in this Lower Realm, I am below one, yet above ten thousand! Whoever dares come, I shall slaughter them all!”

As it unleashed its roar, Chen Huaian guided Renshou away.

A hundred li away, the mountain-sized form of the Taotie had dwindled to a tiny black speck. Yet, Renshou could not resist glancing back.

The King of Fierce Beasts stood with its horns hooked toward the sky, cracks in its hide leaking dark red blood-essence, yet its countenance only grew more ferocious. Its red-gold eyes blazed with an eternal flame that distorted the very air. Not a trace of fear remained—only an unwavering, singular focus.

That silhouette stood as tall as a mountain, as if holding up a crumbling sky, sheltering all dangers behind its back.

“To rely on the body of a fierce beast to perform an act of protection…”

Renshou whispered, his eyes clouded with complicated emotions, his heart arriving at a sudden, profound realization.