Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 885: Disguise

The gourd appeared unchanged from before, its system-provided functions still accessible.

However, upon a more detailed inspection this time, Chen Huaian noticed that certain functions were explicitly marked for cautious usage.

One such example was the purchase of a Supreme Grade Spiritual Treasure flying sword, known as the [Gentleman's Sword].

If his memory served correctly, wasn't this the very sword belonging to Zhang Mengchu?

Acquiring this sword would necessitate stripping its current ownership, rendering it masterless before a Divine Soul blood pact could be formed, thus binding it to the new owner.

It was crucial to remember that the [Gentleman's Sword] harbored a Sword Spirit. The ability to sever the celestial contract between such a spirit and its sworn master implied the intervention of the Heavenly Dao's power.

The cost associated with this sword was astronomical, vastly exceeding that of ordinary masterless magical artifacts by millions, possibly even billions, of times over.

This exorbitant price was likely due to the inherent rule-breaking involved, necessitating the 'Heavenly Dao's' direct involvement.

This revelation prompted Chen Huaian to recall his previous dealings with the Jade Pool Holy Land and the Burning Purity Holy Land, where he had likewise acquired his adversaries' magical artifacts.

By simply exchanging Spirit Stones, those formidable treasures had become his, simultaneously depriving his opponents of their cherished possessions.

All these transactions were facilitated by the Cangyun Realm's 'Heavenly Dao'.

The system, or more accurately, the middle corpse, had served as the intermediary for communication with the Cangyun Realm's Heavenly Dao.

His earlier suspicion that the Electronic Girlfriend and the Heavenly Dao were in league proved to be entirely accurate.

Furthermore, the [Heaven's Calculation] function was also designated for cautious use.

Chen Huaian now understood the implication completely.

Any function intertwined with the Cangyun Realm's Heavenly Dao mandated careful handling. The disappearance of the intermediary, the bridge to the Heavenly Dao, meant that utilizing these functions risked detection by the Cangyun Realm's Heavenly Dao, the repercussions of which remained unknown.

The middle corpse had offered no explicit warnings.

However, this very silence served as the most potent hint.

Chen Huaian shook his head, diverting his attention from the tantalizing 'functions' and 'goods' on display.

Retaining them seemed futile, yet discarding them felt like a regrettable waste.

At his current level of cultivation, what power system remained beyond his comprehension? What cultivation technique or pill formulation could he not master?

He himself was a veritable 'system', a Mysterious Benefactor-level golden finger manifesting within another's artifact.

Few functions or items could genuinely capture his interest, and coincidentally, all those that could were inextricably linked to the Cangyun Realm's Heavenly Dao and thus rendered unusable.

"A feast for the eyes, but nothing to savor. Merely a source of envy."

Chen Huaian shifted his gaze to the ancient-looking longsword.

Initially, he had believed this blade was a divine artifact bestowed by the middle corpse, intended to grant him the means of self-preservation.

Yet, upon grasping its hilt and probing its depths with his Divine Soul, he realized his assumption was mistaken.

Within the sword, there was no world-ending Sword Qi, nor any intricate or profound sword techniques.

It contained but a single element—an aura.

*Hum—!*

As Chen Huaian's fingers tightened their grip.

A mysterious, profound, and utterly detached aura instantly permeated his entire being.

In that singular moment, he felt transformed, no longer merely Chen Huaian.

He embodied that aloof, emotionless, rule-bound entity... the middle corpse.

"An ingenious stratagem."

Chen Huaian caressed the ancient sword's surface, a flicker of admiration crossing his features.

What manner of sword was this, truly?

It was, in essence, a disguise, a formidable facade capable of deceiving the very heavens.

With it, even should the upper corpse manifest in person, or if the Cangyun Realm's Heavenly Dao were to become truly suspicious...

He could still employ this guise to execute a masterful act of "borrowing a corpse to return the soul."

The middle corpse had meticulously accounted for every contingency, planning even for the aftermath.

However, certain truths cannot be concealed indefinitely.

Even with this sword, he never harbored the illusion of perpetual concealment, as he could not maintain the dual roles of the lower corpse and the middle corpse indefinitely.

This would become even more untenable once the two worlds, and subsequently the Canglan World, fully merged.

He was, ultimately, not the middle corpse.

Inevitably, flaws would surface.

The accumulation of these imperfections, coupled with the upper corpse's growing suspicion, would precipitate his downfall.

Therefore, the middle corpse's gift of this sword was not intended for him to indefinitely prolong his existence through evasion.

This blade was a tool to buy him precious time, time to accumulate strength!

Possessing the strength to rival Earth Star's various immortals, he knew that facing the upper corpse, he wouldn't be a mere ant, easily swatted aside.

"Since returning to Earth Star is impossible, and the Cangyun Realm is fraught with peril..."

Chen Huaian sheathed his sword, his imposing aura receding instantly, transforming him back into the familiar Master that Li Qingran knew.

"Then, for the time being, I can only endure and hold my ground within this Canglan Realm."

Since I've arrived, I might as well make the most of it.

As long as he remained alive and continued to grow stronger, the game wasn't over yet.

However...

Chen Huaian looked down at his own hands, which seemed somewhat insubstantial.

As a Battle Soul, lacking a physical body and meridians, the usual methods of absorbing Spiritual Energy and cultivating through meditation were clearly not viable here.

Furthermore, confined by the realm's rules, the power he could manifest in the Canglan Realm was a mere ten-thousandth of his True Body's might.

It felt as though he was bound by countless fetters. He possessed the power to shatter heavens and earth, yet he couldn't unleash a single ounce of it.

This state of affairs left him deeply displeased.

Profoundly displeased.

"How can I unleash the power dormant within me?"

Chen Huaian pondered aloud, his gaze roving across Li Qingran's Battle Soul space.

His attention soon settled on an object not too far away.

There, a sword floated—the Su Xian Sword.

This was Li Qingran's first Battle Soul.

Presently, encircling this sword, which resembled pure white jade, were four World Rings.

One was purple, and three were black.

World Rings.

Within this realm, they served as the source of power, the manifestation of its rules.

Each World Ring signified a unique skill, representing a significant evolutionary leap in life.

Chen Huaian's eyes narrowed.

He glanced at his own bare feet, then back at the Su Xian Sword adorned with its 'medals'.

As the old saying goes, when in new territory, adapt to its customs.

Upon entering a new world, one must embrace that world's power—at least until one wields power that surpasses the world itself, adhering to this fundamental law is paramount.

He, too, was currently a Battle Soul.

If the Su Xian Sword could be augmented with World Rings, then why couldn't he?

What would occur if a Sword Immortal's Remnant Soul, a cultivator, were to be equipped with this world's World Rings...

Would it merely grant a skill, like any ordinary Battle Soul?

Or could it... mend his fractured Divine Soul, and perhaps even induce a remarkable qualitative change in his current dilapidated form?

"Intriguing."

A playful smile touched the corner of Chen Huaian's lips.

This was an uncharted path, never trod by anyone before.

It was also the sole avenue visible to him for breaking free from this predicament.

With this realization, Chen Huaian's mind became remarkably clear.

"Disciple~"

He projected a wisp of thought towards Li Qingran.

He was unable to vocalize externally, but within this Battle Soul space, he could communicate freely.

"What is it, Master?"

Li Qingran, on the verge of stepping onto the stage to receive her award, paused in her tracks upon hearing Chen Huaian's voice.

"Your Master... desires World Rings!"

This marked the first time Chen Huaian had made a request of Li Qingran, and a sense of mild awkwardness settled upon him:

"Mm... it's this world's power system... any type of World Ring will suffice.

Allow your Master... to experience it first!"

...

Didn't Old Chen always descend with his True Body in the past? Even if only a hand descended, it was still his True Body's hand. Moreover, an avatar is merely a concentration of cultivation, a vessel.