Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 676: The pot calling the kettle black
Previously on Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal?...
Chapter 676: The pot calling the kettle black
Clang—!
A metallic vibration rang out, faint yet piercingly sharp.
This sword hum held a far more lethal edge than Chen Niu’s roar. The Ascenders stationed around the basin felt the vibration so intensely that blood began to pour from their ears. Realizing the danger, they fled the area immediately, not daring to linger near such a volatile zone.
That incredibly tough demonic tentacle, which had managed to reach within three feet of the formation’s boundary, was sliced clean through as if by the most peerless blade in existence. The premium Celestial Jade Marrow it had been dragging suddenly lost its tether. Driven by inertia and the residual force of the strike, the treasure was sent tumbling diagonally upward into the air.
Directly in the path of the soaring Celestial Jade Marrow—right where that silvery sword light had flashed—a palm-sized, unstable silver spatial rift silently tore open. Fragmented sword glimmers flickered along the edges of the tear, which pulsed with chaotic spatial fluctuations.
The thrown premium Celestial Jade Marrow flew on a perfect trajectory, plunging headfirst into the small rift. There was a brief shimmer of purple-gold light, and then it vanished entirely! The rift sealed itself shut instantly, leaving no trace that it had ever been there.
The entire sequence happened in a heartbeat. It was so rapid that even True One Hua Jin and the Monk Chen Niu only caught a glimpse of the sword light’s afterimage and the moment the jade marrow disappeared.
"Excellent sword technique!" Hua Jin the True One cried out, her voice a mix of astonishment and relief.
She assumed that either Zhang Yibai or Gu Changsheng had acted from the shadows to help. In her mind, they had used sword Qi to sever the enemy’s hold and then employed sword intent to rip open space and secure the prize.
Turning her attention toward the earth veins, she sent a mental transmission: "Senior Zhang, Senior Gu, magnificent work! That intervention was perfectly timed! Now our Kunlun Immortal Palace will possess two pieces of premium Celestial Jade Marrow, and naturally, you and Senior Chen will have priority access to these resources!"
Outside the formation, the cruel smirk on Chen Niu’s face froze before twisting into a mask of pure rage and shock. He had watched his prize snatched away in a manner he could not fathom.
"Ah—!!" He roared, stomping his feet in a fit of fury. His severed demonic tentacles lashed out blindly, shattering the surrounding cliffs and peaks into rubble.
"Who! Who is the one sabotaging my plans?!"
Today had been filled with too many anomalies, leaving him unsure if this was truly Hua Jin’s doing or something else entirely.
Meanwhile, deep within the earth veins—
Lin Fan sat near the formation core alongside Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng. He held a sword-finger gesture, a silver glow slowly receding from his fingertip. Before him, a palm-sized rift flickering with sword glimmers was in the final stages of closing.
Just before the gap vanished, his hand moved like a lightning strike, reaching inside.
Swish!
A piece of premium Celestial Jade Marrow, the size of an infant’s fist and glowing with a brilliant purple-gold aura, was pulled steadily from the rift.
Lin Fan weighed the warm, crystalline treasure in his palm. Sensing the massive spiritual energy within, a predatory smirk touched his lips.
What a magnificent find!
Even as a Void Shattering expert, he was stunned by the sheer density of the energy. It was no wonder the ancestor was so intent on claiming these premium Celestial Jade Marrows.
He glanced at Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng, both of whom looked on with pleasant surprise.
"Heh, what do you think, Ancestor, Fellow Daoist Gu? My little diversion worked out quite well, didn't it?"
Lin Fan felt a rush of adrenaline. It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed the thrill of stealing a treasure right from under someone’s nose.
"You rogue!" Zhang Yibai muttered, seeing the look on Lin Fan’s face. He knew the man’s history as a mountain bandit all too well. Though Zhang Yibai had led him onto the path of Cultivation, some traits remained unchanged. Despite reaching the Void Shattering stage, Lin Fan still possessed the heart of a bandit.
Before the True Martial Holy Land had been founded, Lin Fan had been instrumental in seizing resources. One could argue that while his status wasn't as high as Zhang Yibai's, he was a true founding pillar of the Sect.
"Old Lin, you only succeeded because our grand formation masked your presence," Gu Changsheng remarked irritably, rolling his eyes. "If the Ancestor’s formation wasn't powerful enough to keep the demon immortal avatar at bay, your location would have been pinpointed the moment you moved."
"Is that so?" The smirk on Lin Fan's face vanished, replaced by a cold, brutal glint in his eyes. "Old Gu, are you doubting my skills? Just watch. There are two more pieces of premium Celestial Jade Marrow coming in the next wave. I’ll seize them both for the Ancestor!"
At that moment, Hua Jin’s message reached them. Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng looked at each other, awkward smiles appearing on their faces.
"True One Hua Jin..." Zhang Yibai hesitated before replying with feigned suspicion, "That sword strike wasn't from me or Gu Changsheng. There must be another party interfering."
"What?!" The joy on Hua Jin’s face turned to stone. She gasped in disbelief, "Are you saying... that the premium Celestial Jade Marrow was stolen by an unknown thief?"
"Ahem, precisely," Zhang Yibai answered. "That sword light was incredibly fast—a classic 'hit and run.' The perpetrator likely didn't want to face both you and the demonic monk of the Great Thunder Temple, so they fled immediately..."
"This is intolerable!" Now it was Hua Jin’s turn to stomp her feet in frustration.
She scanned the area with gritted teeth, just as she had when the mysterious girl vanished. Once again, the thief who had made off with the prize had left no aura behind.
Chen Niu watched Hua Jin’s outburst with surprise and couldn't help but ask, "What’s this, Hua Jin? You mean that Celestial Jade Marrow wasn't taken by your people?"
Hearing her tone, Chen Niu realized the truth. He burst into a loud, hearty laugh, looking immensely satisfied. While losing the premium Celestial Jade Marrow was infuriating, the fact that Hua Jin had also failed to get it halved his frustration. If no one had it, then no one could claim victory over the other.
After he finished laughing, Chen Niu turned serious and made a proposal. "True One Hua Jin, when the next Celestial Jade Marrow descends, why don't we join forces against these interlopers? We should clear out these rats first before we compete for the prize. At the very least, we can ensure the jade marrow doesn't end up in the hands of 'outsiders'."
Chen Niu put heavy emphasis on the word 'outsiders.'
Hua Jin understood his meaning perfectly. In the grand scheme of things, they were both pawns for higher powers. Despite their rivalry, they were technically on the same side of the board.
Though Hua Jin remained silent and dark-faced, Chen Niu knew her lack of a retort meant she agreed.
Zhang Yibai overheard their entire exchange. Within the grand formation, everything was under his control; even Chen Niu, standing just outside, could hide nothing from his senses.
He turned to Lin Fan with a teasing glint in his eye.
"Well, Little Lin, it seems things just got complicated. You’ll have to deal with both of them at once now."