Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 511: Rice Bucket's Identity
Chen Huaian didn't feel a strong sense of dread. Even though his physical state hadn't fully recovered, he had mended significantly. Most importantly, the instability within his minor world had settled, allowing him the option to retreat there at a moment's notice.
Still, he viewed that as a final resort. He couldn't be certain if ancient powerhouses like Burning Heaven or Tu Shan Yue, who had reached the doorstep of immortality, possessed the means to drag him out of his minor world by force.
"Let us reach a pleasant agreement then," Tu Shan Yue remarked, gliding to Chen Huaian's right side. Her intentions were twofold: to uncover the link between the Sword Pavilion's ancestor and the White Sword, and to gauge the White Sword's reaction if she offered Chen Huaian as a sacrifice. If that plan failed...
If the White Sword remained out of reach, a backup wouldn't be so bad. Having such a handsome figure before her—even if they lacked a physical bond—spiritual communion would be more than enough.
"Benefactor, please forgive my intrusion!" Burning Heaven took his place to Chen Huaian's left, his face wearing a mask of kindness. His original purpose for entering the mortal realm was to settle a debt with Real Person Yuyao. However, after sensing a massive demonic presence near the Cangbo Mountain Range and seeing no Great Ascension experts from the Void Abyss stepping up, his meddlesome nature drove him to investigate.
Upon arrival, he had sensed an even more terrifying demonic Qi. It was clear that a deep investigation was required.
At that moment, Chen Huaian watched his map as the yellow indicators for the two figures shifted to a deep red—two bosses had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"There is no escape."
Such terrible luck. Chen Huaian sighed internally, contemplating a quick retreat into his minor world. Once inside, he could simply log out of the game. If he left the Cangyun Realm entirely, Tu Shan Yue and Burning Heaven would surely lose his trail. Furthermore, the Moon Shadow Sect disciples had likely finished their withdrawal into the minor world, so he had no further worries for them.
As the two ancient beings closed the distance, Chen Huaian braced himself.
Suddenly—"Hey! You two old farts are bullying a junior—how truly pathetic!" A relaxed voice drifted from behind them.
Tu Shan Yue and Burning Heaven both stiffened. Neither had hidden their cultivation levels—who could possibly sneak up on them? This newcomer had to be another peak Great Ascension third tribulation cultivator.
The group turned toward the sound. Standing by the edge of the lightning crater was a small girl dressed in bright yellow, a black square hat on her head and a divination banner strapped to her back. Without appearing to move a muscle, she drifted before them like a breeze.
Chen Huaian blinked in confusion at the girl. "Ri... Rice Bucket?"
The girl standing there was the same one who had consumed his high-grade spirit vein—likely one of the severed corpses of Jade Compassion.
"Sword Master Chen, your disciple was incredibly worried about you. If she hadn't pleaded with me, and if I hadn't enjoyed all that food and drink you provided, I wouldn't have bothered coming," Rice Bucket said, her eyes curving into thin slits as she smiled, completely ignoring the presence of Burning Heaven and Tu Shan Yue.
"You are... Jade Compassion?!" Burning Heaven stared at the girl, his aged features twisting in shock. He was certain of her identity. Although her personality was that of a young girl rather than the refined Jade Compassion, her aura and face were identical. But Jade Compassion was supposed to have ascended to immortality long ago. Who was this person standing here...
"If you know I'm Jade Compassion, why haven't you run away yet?" The girl's expression turned cold and sharp.
Burning Heaven's face darkened as he pressed his hands together in prayer. "Even if you are our senior, Jade Compassion, you cannot protect a demonic cultivator. Furthermore, when it comes to cultivation..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a massive wave of cultivation pressure surged from the girl—it was unmistakably the Great Ascension third tribulation perfection stage. Burning Heaven went quiet. Tu Shan Yue stood frozen, feeling a cold shiver run down her spine. Facing two perfected Great Ascension humans was a terrifying prospect. While she didn't fear the heavenly tribulation itself, getting wounded before it arrived would be a death sentence.
"What, you want to fight?" Rice Bucket rolled up her sleeves, her cheeks puffed out in a show of aggression. "Come on then! Let us fight until the heavens fall and the earth breaks, until the laws of the universe shatter, and until the heavenly tribulation comes down to wipe you old fossils out!"
"Aren't you also at the peak of Great Ascension?" Burning Heaven asked after a moment of silence. "Would you not fear the tribulation as well?"
"This venerable one has already ascended—what is there to fear?" Rice Bucket shook her fist at them. "Are we fighting or not? Make up your minds! If not, I'm going back for dinner!"
Burning Heaven's expression flickered with doubt. The idea of an ascended Jade Compassion standing there made his head spin. He couldn't tell what her current state was, but he knew he wouldn't be taking the sword cultivator today.
"Amitabha." Burning Heaven chanted, his eyes downcast and unreadable. "Senior Jade Compassion, though this sword cultivator may use demonic paths, since he is your junior, this humble monk must have made a mistake. We will depart for now and visit another time!"
"Fine, fine. Next time I'll give you some pointers on how to ascend," Rice Bucket said with a dismissive wave.
Burning Heaven cast a long look at Rice Bucket and Chen Huaian before turning into a golden Bodhi leaf and disappearing toward the west.
"And what about you? Still hanging around?" Rice Bucket looked at Tu Shan Yue with an appreciative gaze. "Those fox tails are lovely! Why don't you give me one to make a coat?"
"Senior is joking. If you want a coat, I can have my sisters make you the finest fox fur garments. My own tails are far too old," Tu Shan Yue said with a forced smile, quickly tucking her tails out of sight. Not knowing what the girl might do, she tried to stay polite: "This was all a misunderstanding. This junior will take her leave..."
She backed away slowly, only summoning a radiant cloud to fly away once she was far enough. The five demon saints, who had been terrified by the presence of Burning Heaven and Rice Bucket, followed her lead without a second thought.
Before long, only Chen Huaian and Rice Bucket were left at the crater's edge.
"Um, Senior..."
Chen Huaian looked at the girl with a bit of embarrassment. He was the one who had named her "Rice Bucket." If he had known she was such a powerful expert, would he have dared to be so casual?
"Oh? You're calling me 'Senior' now? You're being quite polite, Sword Master Chen." The girl walked over and gave Chen Huaian a few light taps on his shoulder and back. Pure true essence flowed into him, instantly repairing his remaining wounds.
"There's no need for that." She let out a burp and smiled. "After all, this venerable one only got this strong by eating that entire high-grade spirit vein... Oh, and that Celestial Jade Marrow—currency from another world really does taste better. I also snacked on your top-grade spirit jades—maybe eight or nine thousand of them." She gave Chen Huaian a pointed look. "You... you aren't mad about that, are you?"
Chen Huaian shook his head. In the past, he would have been devastated. But now, since maintaining his Great Ascension first tribulation state only cost 500 spirit jades an hour, he didn't mind the loss as much. Besides, trading a spirit vein for a top-tier protector was a bargain!
"So... are you really Jade Compassion? Did you actually... ascend?!"
"No." The girl wagged a finger playfully. "This venerable one is the middle corpse, severed by Jade Compassion using the Three Corpses Severing technique!"