Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 759: The Eve of Departure

"Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Li Qingran blinked her eyes. "Elder Zhang and Elder Su both mentioned it."

Chen Huaian figured it was necessary to provide Li Qingran with a quick briefing on the circumstances in that realm.

He offered her a straightforward summary of the essential details.

For instance, the cultivation framework there differed from the one in the Cangyun Realm, and the stages of cultivation from the Cangyun Realm certainly couldn't be directly transferred over.

Plus explanations about Battle Souls and World Rings...

Yet, he chose not to reveal to Li Qingran that her Battle Soul had already been set up.

He assumed Li Qingran would grow more wary once she learned the realities of the Canglan Realm. To his surprise, she ended up even more enthusiastic.

"Master! This is precisely the sort of world your disciple yearns to explore!"

Li Qingran balled her fists and inhaled deeply. "Climbing to the top in a Small Thousand World, then coming back to the Cangyun Realm... your disciple's cultivation is bound to advance greatly. Maybe by that time, I can finally assist Master in fights."

Chen Huaian gently stroked Li Qingran's head with affection.

How could he fail to understand the reason behind Li Qingran's unwavering drive to boost her power?

"Still, venturing into a Small Thousand World with its entirely foreign cultivation system... you'll face plenty of perils."

Li Qingran seized Chen Huaian's hand, her lovely features set in fierce resolve. "Your disciple fears nothing."

"Very well." Chen Huaian drew in a deep breath, his face growing serious.

He wasn't the sort to keep Li Qingran hidden away, barring her from any journeys.

He honored Li Qingran's decisions and possessed the means to secure the route she selected.

Since Li Qingran desired to venture forth and carve her own destiny, then off she should go.

The future remained unpredictable, yet he wished that amid any unavoidable disaster, Li Qingran could at least defend herself.

"Master... you're permitting your disciple to leave?" Li Qingran inquired tentatively, searching Chen Huaian's gaze. She had braced for scolding and multiple pleas from her master, even ready with rebuttals, but apparently... none were required?

"I permit it." Chen Huaian nodded. "However, prior to your departure, your master must ready some items to shield you."

…

Time flowed differently between Earth Star and the Cangyun Realm, so despite his wounds mending, Chen Huaian felt no rush to head back to Earth Star.

In truth, returning offered scant purpose. The Sect Summoning Token functioned solely on Earth Star, with its recharge timed to Earth Star's clock.

In the interim, Chen Huaian discreetly called upon Dan Yun and Xiang Tiange for a discussion.

The chief aim was to gather supplies for Li Qingran ahead of her trip to the Canglan Realm.

At the same time, word of Li Qingran's impending journey to a Small Thousand World began circulating across the Moon Shadow Sect and throughout the Cangyun Realm.

"Heard the latest? The Moon Shadow Sect's Qingran Fairy plans to head to a Small Thousand World!"

"What?! From where? Can we trust it? Why would Qingran Fairy risk a Small Thousand World? It's incredibly hazardous!"

"Seems it's for boosting her power..."

"Qingran Fairy's already incredibly strong, but she's still willing to brave such perils in a Small Thousand World... Next to her, we come off as pretty pathetic."

Normally, disciples vied to outdo each other in cultivation zeal. But against Li Qingran, they all sensed profound shame.

"Does anybody know which Small Thousand World Qingran Fairy's choosing for her training? If she can go, so should we!"

"Ha, sounds like you've got hidden intentions, right? Dreaming of the same Small Thousand World for a lucky run-in with Qingran Fairy? Keep dreaming!"

"Hey, watch your words! Do I seem like that type?"

The disciples argued passionately. Even certain elders from other sects started pondering trips to a Small Thousand World for training.

To be fair, while some harbored less-than-pure reasons, others were sincere cultivators seeking true growth.

These were mainly those stalled at their realm for ages. Despite moving to the spirit-rich mountains by the Moon Shadow Sect, their stubborn barriers refused to budge. At that point, denser Spiritual Energy no longer helped; they needed an alternative, bolder approach.

For a stretch, waves of sect disciples petitioned their elders and seniors to access a Small Thousand World.

Yet, the elders and sect leaders from those groups were clueless on entering a Small Thousand World themselves, forcing them to approach the Moon Shadow Sect repeatedly, laden with offerings.

Meanwhile, beyond Li Qingran's cave abode.

Presents and goodbye notes from various sects' young prodigies stacked up like peaks.

"Upon first seeing you, my Sword Heart rippled. Three hundred years of Dao attainment, yet I find myself unable to maintain composure."

"Hearing the sound of your jade flute stirs, I wish to transform into a green luan to always accompany you. I do not seek to be the sole sovereign of the immortal path, but only to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you, gazing upon the sea of clouds and stars."

"Last night, the starlight was like your sword, the True Fire in my dantian blazed because of you. If you permit our hearts to unite, I swear upon my Golden Core to cultivate the path of longevity together."

Li Qingran perched at the table, her chin propped on one hand.

Next to her, Yue Qianchi appeared thrilled, flipping through letters one by one, nodding and bobbing as she read them out loud to Li Qingran with over-the-top flair.

"Qingran, oh, these sect disciples show real flair too~ Their cultivation might not impress, but they excel at crafting these sweet verses."

The missives and gifts came in all sorts, chiefly from sects beyond the Moon Shadow Sect.

At first, Sword Pavilion disciples harbored no such notions toward Li Qingran.

Not due to any lack of beauty or talent on her part, but because long before the Moon Shadow Sect formed, Sword Pavilion members had attempted pursuits.

Every single one got thoroughly thrashed by Li Qingran, sent sprawling on the Martial Platform, teeth scattered and pride shattered.

Over time, those Sword Pavilion disciples naturally abandoned such pursuits.

Afterward, with Li Qingran ascending to Sect Master, only awe lingered for them.

But disciples from external sects hadn't endured that humbling defeat.

In their view, Li Qingran shone with unmatched talent, stunning beauty, and exalted position—she embodied the ideal woman of the Cangyun Realm.

Regardless of whether this ideal figure would spare them a glance, wasn't it worth a shot?

What if luck struck?

…

"Senior Sister Yue, that's plenty~" Li Qingran rolled her eyes, replying with exasperation, "The Cangyun Realm prizes strength most of all. What good are smooth words alone? Anyway, my heart is wholly devoted to Master. These cultivators just stick like stubborn bandages.

Even conceding on poetry and tunes, these disciples couldn't shine Master's boots."

"Oh?" Yue Qianchi squinted her eyes.

Every cultivator in the Cangyun Realm recognized Chen Sword Master as not just an unmatched Sword Master but also a master poet.

His poetic prowess ranked supreme, though she feigned ignorance, playfully remarking, "The ancestor stays buried in cultivation. Does he really squeeze in time for poems or songs to cheer you up? I doubt it~"

"You doubt it?!" Li Qingran huffed softly.

Staring at the night beyond the window, Chen Huaian's figure effortlessly appeared in her thoughts.

"Master once shared, 'The reeds are luxuriant and green, the white dew has turned to frost. The one I long for is on the other side of the water.'"

Moonlight flowed like liquid, silently draping the sill and bathing Li Qingran's refined features in a tender sheen.

Her gaze sparkled faintly, as though immersed in a cozy recollection, her lips curving into a subtle, warm smile without thought.

"Master explained that poetry isn't just idle diversion between cultivation sessions; it's a cultivation method unto itself—a means to probe one's inner truth and mirror the cosmos." Her tone stayed gentle, but rang with firm conviction. "Consider 'The reeds are luxuriant and green.' On the surface, it paints a landscape. Yet Master noted it conveys the toil of pursuit and the sorrow of a distant love. It mirrors we cultivators chasing the slippery Heavenly Dao, swimming upstream, our road lengthy and fraught."

Yue Qianchi's playful look eased into something softer. Resting her chin on her hand, she paid close heed.

Beyond the cave, night winds whispered through the woods, their murmur like subtle harmony.

Li Qingran's finger idly sketched shapes on the table as she went on, "And further... 'Rising at dawn to clear the weeds, returning home under the moon, hoe on shoulder.' Master described this as profound in its plainness. It depicts farming's delight, yet symbolizes cultivation's groundwork—relentless daily toil forms the solid root of the Great Dao, irreplaceable by a flash of insight."

She halted, her eyes gleaming brighter, as if capturing every star from the night sky. "The verse that touches me deepest is 'Generations of men come and pass away, yet the river moon looks the same year after year.' Master murmured it once, perched above a cloud ocean, eyes fixed on the luminous moon overhead.

He remarked that though a cultivator's life spans eons, against heaven and earth's timelessness, it's merely a blink.

With a steadfast, focused Dao Heart alone can one, through ceaseless flux, cling to a sliver of authenticity—to behold heaven and earth, all beings, and one's own essence."

Yue Qianchi had dropped all jesting. She breathed a quiet sigh, her words laced with real respect. "The ancestor's level is truly beyond our grasp. Simple verses, through his lens, unveil such deep Dao insights." She paused, then eyed the letter pile inevitably, chuckling as she shook her head. "Set against that, these 'swear upon my Golden Core' and 'green luan to always accompany you' feel... downright lackluster."

Li Qingran offered a soft smile and fell silent, directing her sight to the radiant moon framed by the window, her expression tender yet determined.

For an instant, the cave abode hushed, steeped in pure luminescence and a subtle scent wafting gently.

Yue Qianchi, sensing the mood, refrained from interrupting and rose quietly to depart.

Much later, Li Qingran murmured to herself, her whisper feather-light like a reverie. "Master, behold this moonlight. Has it pierced through ages, lighting every realm? I ponder what the Canglan Realm's moon resembles... Your disciple will hold fast to your lessons. Even there, I won't sully your name."

She channeled Spiritual Energy to her finger and delicately inscribed in the air.

A line of wobbly, scrawled script materialized soundlessly, then faded away gradually—

"The moon is still the ancient moon, but new people walk the mortal world."

Night winds bore the distant pines' rustle, akin to a soft exhalation.

…