Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 695: Tailspin

Chapter 695: Tailspin

…

"Tsk," Chen Huaian remarked as he placed his jade chopsticks aside. Turning a sincere gaze toward Hua Jin the True One, who occupied the seat of honor next to him, he offered his compliments. "The culinary arts within this Immortal Palace are truly beyond compare. These side dishes are particularly impressive; the spiritual energy infused within them remains perfectly stable, and the seasoning is flawlessly balanced. They are vastly superior to those so-called spirit elixirs that possess a brilliant luster but have been stripped of their authentic essence."

He cast a pointed look toward a corner where several jade vials of pills, marked with the insignia of the Kunlun Immortal Palace, were piled. These were Cultivation resources that Hua Jin the True One had presented to the C Province Exorcist Division as a gift, though Chen Huaian privately felt the Division had little actual use for them.

Hua Jin the True One was in the middle of pouring wine for Zhang Yibai. Upon hearing his praise, a small smile touched her lips; her eyes flickered with a rare warmth and a faint, nearly imperceptible sense of accomplishment. "Senior Chen flatters me. These are merely simple, rustic flavors; they cannot hope to rival the long-established alchemy traditions of the Immortal Palace. If they suit Senior's palate, I shall have Little YiYi transcribe the recipes for you later."

As she spoke, her eyes shifted, unintentionally brushing past Wang Shouyi. He was standing behind her, stealing glances at her profile, but the moment their eyes met, he hastily looked away, his ears turning a bright crimson.

"Splendid!" Chen Huaian gave a boisterous laugh and raised his glazed chalice. The amber spirit wine within the cup sparkled with tiny, shimmering motes of light. "Shouyi is a lucky man indeed!"

The most exquisite delicacies on the table had all been crafted by the hands of Hua Jin the True One. Across her many cycles of rebirth, even without making a dedicated study of the culinary arts, the mere fragments of time she had spent experimenting had culminated in a level of mastery that would easily eclipse ninety-nine percent of the chefs on Earth Star.

Though Chen Huaian’s comment seemed offhand, it caused Wang Shouyi’s face to flush even deeper as he lowered his head further. Hua Jin the True One’s hand faltered for a heartbeat as she poured, but she quickly resumed her task for Zhang Yibai as if she were unaffected, though a slight ripple of emotion was hidden behind her downcast lashes.

Their bond had become an open secret by now. There was no point in denying it before the group, yet there was also no need to flaunt it—such a display would be far too garish.

The wine was exceptional, possessing a velvety texture that masked a potent, lingering strength. As the rounds of drinking progressed, a relaxed atmosphere settled over the banquet hall. Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng spoke in hushed tones, while Hua Jin the True One was occupied by Zhao Ying, Xiang Xiaoyuan, and several others who were offering toasts amidst bright laughter. Lin Lingling, meanwhile, had surrendered entirely to her appetite, her focus solely on the food; she only raised her empty cup as a mere formality when a toast was called.

From a shadowed corner, Wu E sat gnawing on a massive spirit fruit, juice dripping from his chin as his tiny, bead-like eyes scanned the room. Noticing Chen Huaian leaning back against a cushion with one hand propped against his temple—looking dazed and listless as he stared into his cup—Wu E sensed his chance.

Discarding the half-finished fruit, Wu E wiped his greasy palms on his clothes and crept toward Chen Huaian. He forced a sycophantic grin and whispered, "Big Boss… Big Boss?"

Chen Huaian’s eyelids lifted sluggishly, his blurry vision settling on the creature.

"Heh heh," Wu E said, rubbing his hands together with an air of feigned embarrassment. "I… my gut is acting up. I might have eaten that fruit too quickly… I need to… find a spot to relieve myself… if that’s alright…"

It was the only excuse Wu E could come up with, but he figured if a tactic worked once, it was worth repeating. In his mind, all strategies were valid in the art of deception.

For two long seconds, Chen Huaian simply stared, a look that sent a sudden chill through Wu E’s heart. Just as he feared his ruse had been unmasked, Chen Huaian suddenly smirked. His voice was heavy with the slurring of wine as he waved a hand dismissively. "Mm… off with you then… don’t wander… be quick about it…" Then, as if the alcohol had finally claimed him, he drifted off again, his fingers tracing the rim of his cup aimlessly.

"Deepest thanks, Big Boss! Deepest thanks!" Wu E acted as though he had received a royal pardon. He bowed and scraped, yet his exit was remarkably swift. His bulky frame glided along the wall like a phantom, slipping out the door and vanishing into the thick darkness of the night.

The moment the heavy curtain fell shut, the previously inebriated Chen Huaian snapped his eyes open. They were piercing and clear, devoid of even a hint of drunkenness. A cold smirk played on his lips. His physical form began to blur like ink dissolving in a pool, silently vanishing until only a faint indentation remained on the cushion.

…

A cool night breeze blew through the air, carrying the damp, earthy scent of the Tianfu region. Wu E’s massive silhouette darted through the shadows with incredible agility, moving almost silently as if he were a natural extension of the dark. He made no move to find a restroom; instead, he steered clear of the Exorcist Division’s perimeter and plunged into a desolate mountain ravine.

He remained blissfully unaware that a hundred zhang behind him, a figure even paler than the moonlight—nearly synchronized with the vibrations of the air—was following him at a steady pace. Chen Huaian’s divine sense acted like a silent net; he had long ago pinned the location of the crocodile-like figure who believed himself to be unseen.

"Foolish humans, always so easily deceived!" Wu E thought with smug satisfaction. Chen Niu was right—humans were prone to arrogance. Now that the Kunlun Immortal Palace had secured the Celestial Jade Marrow while the Great Thunder Temple walked away empty-handed, they had clearly let their guard down. Cultivators getting wasted on wine? How pathetic! It was a shame his current Cultivation was merely at the Nascent Soul stage… if he weren't trapped in this pathetic body, he would have slaughtered every soul at that feast! "I must bolster my power—I need to reach the Demon Sealing Pagoda to consume the demonic souls of fierce beasts, sigh—!" "What lie can I use to get to another Demon Sealing Pagoda? I can't claim a stomach ache every single day…" "Regardless, I should report this situation to my elder first."

…

Trailing behind Wu E, Chen Huaian overheard every word of the crocodile’s internal monologue. He had purposely allowed Wu E to escape so he could track him and harvest more information. If he could pinpoint the location of another Demon Immortal avatar through Wu E, it would be ideal—once the cooldown for the Sect Summoning Token ended, he would unleash Lin Fan, his most lethal asset, directly upon that avatar.

"So this malignant entity requires the demonic souls of fierce beasts from the Demon Sealing Pagoda to grow stronger—does this trait stem from possessing Muscle Tyrant?" Chen Huaian pondered, his eyes narrowing. If that was the case, the other two Demon Immortal avatars, lacking their own resources, would undoubtedly seek similar paths—perhaps by launching raids on Demon Sealing Pagodas to feast on souls and potentially trigger a Well of Heaven. If they were allowed to grow, they would become ticking time bombs.

"In that case, I will be the one to harvest the demonic souls from the Demon Sealing Pagoda first; it serves as preparation for Muscle Tyrant’s eventual revival anyway." Chen Huaian’s gaze turned cold. To ensure safety, he could not permit these Demon Immortal avatars to touch a single fierce beast soul. He needed to predict which Demon Sealing Pagodas they would target and strike first. He could only conclude that Bai Ze’s innate gift for divination was the perfect tool for his strategy! Without that ability, he would likely still be wandering in the dark.

…

Burned out