Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 712: Falling into the Trap

Chapter 712: Falling into the Trap

...

"Senior Chen’s cries are so agonizing! The intensity of that heavenly tribulation is truly frightening!"

These words came from Fu Hongyu, the Master of the Blade Sect.

He usually prided himself on being a man of iron resolve, rarely moved by the world around him.

However, seeing Chen Huaian endure such brutal torment under the heavenly tribulation caused tears to well in his eyes.

"Is there no way for us to assist Senior Chen?" Fa Dahai’s expression grew increasingly frantic as Chen Huaian’s pained screams echoed from the heart of the storm. "Amitabha, would it be possible for this old monk to use Buddhist techniques to soothe his injuries? Senior Chen appears to be suffering greatly..."

Fu Hongyu shook his head urgently. "Stop! Don't you see that even the Senior’s formation is useless against the heavenly tribulation? This lightning strikes his physical body directly. If we interfere with his tribulation crossing, we won't just fail to help; we will likely become targets of the lightning ourselves, making his trial even more difficult to survive..."

He clenched his teeth and balled his fists, saying with great effort, "Our only option is to wait! We can only pray that the Senior has the strength to endure!"

Wang Dagen clutched his head, sobbing uncontrollably. "We... we are truly useless! Wuwuwuwu!"

"We are not entirely without options." Rong Qingyun, the Qingyun Ancestor, appeared silently behind them. She watched the figure trapped in the lightning with a gaze full of reverence and deep devotion. "We can offer Senior Chen our support."

She tightened her grip. "Senior Chen, fenqi!"

Following her lead, Fu Hongyu shouted, "Fenqi, ancestor!"

As an honorary Elder of the Moon Shadow Sect who had fully committed his loyalty, addressing Chen Huaian as "ancestor" felt entirely appropriate.

Amidst the waves of "fenqi" chants, Li Qingran felt a strange sense of hesitation.

Perhaps it was due to the time she had spent on Earth Star with her master, but she felt that shouting "jiayou" would have been more natural.

However, as rows of cultivators within the formation roared "fenqi" toward the man sitting cross-legged beneath the storm, Li Qingran pushed aside her awkwardness. Despite feeling a bit embarrassed, she joined the chorus and shouted "fenqi" along with the rest.

...

In contrast to the somber atmosphere of the humans, the Five Great Demon Saints were filled with sadistic joy as they listened to Chen Huaian’s deteriorating screams.

"Hahaha! Do you hear that? Such wonderful music!" The Mountain-Moving Sage slapped his leg, his red eyes gleaming with malice. "It seems this tribulation was worth the effort; he is certainly feeling the bite!"

"Hehe, shall we place a wager?" The dark mist surrounding the Black Wind Sage pulsed with excitement. "I bet he won't last eighteen strikes. Look at him; his bones are likely charred to a crisp by now! Jiejie!"

"Eighteen? You're giving this Chen fellow too little credit." The Manifestation Sage snorted, white vapor billowing from his snout. "He is at the peak of the first tribulation Great Ascension Stage, and his sword intent is unrivaled in the Cangyun Realm. I don't mean to praise him, but his Dao of the sword is likely on par with Zhang Yibai’s. My guess... he becomes charcoal by the thirty-fifth strike at the latest!"

The Golden-Winged Roc smoothed its feathers and screeched, "Twenty-six! I wager he falls at the twenty-sixth bolt! For the prize... I’ll put up a genuine golden roc feather!" With a wince, it plucked a glowing feather from its tail.

"Jiejie, you are all being too generous."

The Venomous Foe Sage laughed coldly, his small eyes flickering with cruelty. "The louder he screams, the more broken he is. He’s a spent force. I bet he doesn't see twenty strikes! I'll wager this vial of 'Bone-Eroding Soul-Dissolving Needles'!"

This was a spiritual treasure crafted from a shed stinger, filled with lethal toxins.

The Mountain-Moving Sage bared his fangs in a wide grin. "Excellent! The bets are open, and I'll be the bookie! I say he fails halfway through, at the eighteenth strike! I’m wagering a jar of 'Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Fire Marrow'! Moving from the first to the second tribulation requires thirty-six bolts in total. We haven't even reached the midpoint yet. If he survives past that while howling like a dying wolf, he truly has a stubborn fate!"

They laughed and traded insults, laying out their treasures as if Chen Huaian was already a corpse.

Their predatory eyes were glued to the thunderclouds. Every time lightning struck, they let out low roars of anticipation, waiting for the moment he would turn to dust.

The human cultivators watching from the sword formation were nearly blind with fury. They suppressed their burning hatred, instead focusing all their energy on praying for Chen Huaian’s survival.

Time dragged on amidst the thunder and the mockery of the Demon Saints.

Twenty strikes... twenty-five... thirty...

Chen Huaian’s screams remained just as shrill and agonizing.

With every bolt, his body shook violently, appearing as though it would shatter at any second.

However, a sense of unease began to creep over the Five Demon Saints.

No matter how much he trembled or how burnt he appeared, he refused to fall.

Boom——!

The thirty-fourth golden bolt of lightning crashed down with terrifying force.

When the light faded, the figure at the bottom of the crater looked like nothing more than a lump of coal.

His aura was incredibly faint, like a dying flame in a storm.

The Manifestation Sage’s smile wavered. He gave a dry laugh. "Heh... it looks like I might win? I bet he dies on the final strike..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth bolts fused together. They descended as a single, devastating force of finality!

BOOM——!!!

Chen Huaian’s blackened form was swallowed by a blinding explosion of light.

When the brilliance vanished, a heavy silence filled the pit. The charcoal-like body sat motionless. His aura had vanished completely.

Silence reigned. A deathly stillness gripped the sword formation.

The glow of the formation Chen Huaian had established began to fade. The thousands of floating swords flickered weakly, no longer receiving power from their master.

The remaining cultivators struggled to keep it active, but they were not at the Great Ascension Stage.

"Anc... Ancestor?!" Fu Hongyu’s face turned deathly pale. He stumbled back, his sword falling to the ground with a clang.

He stared at the lifeless remains, feeling as though all hope had been extinguished.

"Amitabha..." The prayer beads in Fa Dahai’s hands snapped, scattering across the ground. The old monk closed his eyes as tears of grief rolled down his face.

"Senior... wuwuwu..." Wang Dagen wailed in earnest this time.

If Chen Huaian hadn't survived, they were all as good as dead. While he mourned the Senior, he was also terrified for the fate of his sect.

"Master——!!!" Li Qingran let out a scream of pure agony, her tears falling like rain.

The pain in her chest was physical, making it hard to draw breath. However, through her overwhelming grief, she felt a tiny flicker through their Dao Companion contract. It was like a lifeline to a drowning person. Her heart skipped a beat—something wasn't right!

Though her master’s aura was nearly gone, the connection hadn't been severed.

It didn't feel like the fading spark of a dying man. It felt more like something being intentionally hidden or suppressed.

She looked at the despair around her and the charred body in the pit, wondering if she was simply delusional. Torn between hope and grief, she stared into the deep crater through her tears.

...

The Five Demon Saints stared at the pit in silence for a moment before erupting into thunderous laughter!

"Hahaha! He’s broken! Chen Huaian is finished!" The Mountain-Moving Sage roared, leaping forward. His massive frame, wreathed in demonic Qi, plummeted toward the pit like a falling star.

"Old thief Chen! Your time has come!" The Black Wind Sage turned into a screeching tornado and lunged.

"I'll rip him apart for stealing our spirit veins!" The Manifestation Sage bellowed, swinging his massive axe.

"His primordial soul belongs to me!" The Venomous Foe Sage’s eyes burned with greed.

"Kill him while he’s weak! Jiejiejie!" The Golden-Winged Roc was the quickest, a streak of gold cutting through the air, claws aimed at the head of the charcoal figure.

Driven by years of fear, hatred, and greed, the Five Demon Saints charged like wild beasts into the sword formation’s zone, heading straight for the pit.

Li Qingran flew out from the formation, her face set in a murderous rage. The Elders and disciples of the Moon Shadow Sect followed her without hesitation.

"Protect the ancestor!!!" Fu Hongyu roared until his voice cracked.

Despite being only an honorary member, he was the first to charge out, ignoring his own safety to reach the pit.

Fa Dahai, Wang Dagen, Rong Qingyun, and countless others followed like a tidal wave. Even if they were overmatched, they were willing to use their lives to buy Chen Huaian time.

Then, just as the Five Demon Saints crossed into the formation’s range...

A soft chuckle resonated through the air.

Hum——!

The dormant sword formation suddenly came to life. Thousands of sword shadows hummed in unison, their energy becoming incredibly sharp and oppressive.

A gentle, heavenly light descended from the sky, bathing the charred figure in the pit.

Under this light, which was saturated with the essence of heaven and earth, the blackened crust on the "charcoal" figure began to flake away like melting snow. As the ash fell, it revealed skin that was flawless and as clear as jade.

An overwhelming, terrifying pressure—powerful enough to split the heavens—erupted from the center of the pit and swept across the world.

The wind howled and space itself seemed to freeze. The Five Demon Saints were stopped in their tracks as if they had slammed into a solid wall.

Their laughter turned to masks of pure horror. A single realization hit them all at once—they had been lured into a trap!

Crack, crack——!

The last of the burnt shell fell away, revealing Chen Huaian sitting cross-legged, completely unharmed.

He slowly opened his eyes to face the charging saints.

His gaze was calm, as deep as the ancient stars, yet filled with a sword intent sharp enough to cut through the void and sever the laws of causality. Everywhere he looked, the air seemed to fragment.

The world turned to a void of black and white, leaving only those piercing, sword-like eyes at the center of existence.

...

Two chapters total, 6000 words. I am exhausted; time for sleep.