Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 848: Urging Construction

Cangbo Mountain.

The original mountain chain here had been torn apart into a deep ravine by bolts of heavenly thunder when an immortal faced his tribulation in this very location.

Su Qinian had picked this spot as the ideal feng shui site for erecting the grand platform. Dawn was barely breaking, yet cultivators were already toiling away in the gorge.

Certain sword-wielding cultivators soared in from thousands of li distant, hauling pristine white jade sourced from Southern Province.

Meanwhile, powerful body refiners shouldered enormous rocks, stacking the heavy stones onto the partially built elevated stage.

Given that many of these stone slabs were extraordinarily huge, spell casters could hoist them with spiritual power, yet struggled to position them with care and accuracy—unless they were ancient powerhouses akin to Su Qinian.

However, if one had already reached the Unity Realm or Void Shattering Realm, why would they stoop to such routine chores as moving building materials?

"Elder Su, could you please give us a hint, what is this high platform being built for?"

He was encircled by elders from various small sects.

These smaller sects had shifted their bases near the Moon Shadow Sect, just like the medium and larger ones. Still, unlike prominent groups such as the Blade Sect and Zen Sect, they rarely got chances to connect with the Moon Shadow Sect, though they did reap the benefits of the spiritual energy leaking from it.

As the proverb states, folks aim for better prospects. For these minor sects aiming to climb higher, forging ties with powerful sects was essential.

Cangbo Mountain marked the farthest edge of the Moon Shadow Sect's central domain, and it hosted the densest cluster of small sects.

Witnessing the white jade platform gradually taking shape, even if only the base was underway, some had already sniffed out the potential and arrived.

"What's it being built for? Hehe~" Su Qinian arched a brow, offering a enigmatic grin.

This expression caused the sect elders to look at each other, their hearts itching like they were overrun by countless ants.

"Elder Su, this is Spirit Void Grass newly harvested from our sect, all the freshest kind, ideal for steeping tea that leaves a sweet linger. Please don't deem it inadequate."

A Nascent Soul stage elder quivered as he set a storage ring on the tea table in front of Su Qinian, his features beaming with sycophancy.

At this sight, the rest quickly caught on.

"Elder Su, this premium spiritual flying sword—I can't handle it well myself. It suits you far better."

"Elder Su, this millennium-old Moon Bright Pearl, do accept it. It works wonders for pill refining or crafting ornaments for your dao companion."

...

A assortment of goods that mortals would treasure, but the Moon Shadow Sect viewed as commonplace supplies, now lay presented before him.

Su Qinian took each one in turn.

Not out of avarice—these items were worthless to him.

Yet as the Supreme Elder of the Moon Shadow Sect, he embodied the sect's dignity and had to uphold the proper decorum and protocols.

Should he respond freely to every query from these juniors and grow overly chummy, these small sects would soon lose their respect for the Moon Shadow Sect.

Without that reverence for the Moon Shadow Sect, their doom would loom close.

He was essentially preserving their lives!

"Hmph, actually it's not a big deal." With the gifts exchanged, Su Qinian at last yielded. "Our sect's ancestor commanded the building of this high platform. The ancestor named it the Ascension Platform. He kept its exact function from me, but feel free to speculate."

"The Moon Shadow Sect ancestor?" One voice rang out in astonishment. "Is it... Chen Sword Master?"

Su Qinian affirmed with a nod. "Precisely."

"Since it bears the name Ascension Platform, it surely relates to ascending to immortality. Does that mean Chen Sword Master is approaching his moment of ascension?

Hence, he's raising the Ascension Platform ahead of time to ready for the heavenly tribulation?"

Su Qinian eyed the one who spoke.

At first, he himself had assumed Chen Huaian intended the Ascension Platform for his own tribulation.

But reconsidering, that didn't fit. The ancestor stood at the Great Ascension Second Tribulation level, still needing at least a century before tribulation, wasn't that so?

There was no reason to construct an Ascension Platform right now.

Furthermore, from what he knew of the ancestor, the elder abhorred ostentatious displays above all.

If the esteemed one truly sought immortality, a single sword stroke could cleave through the storm of celestial lightning. Why bother with this Ascension Platform?

Thus, the Ascension Platform served another aim, likely a massive undertaking that would aid the whole Cangyun Realm.

To curb the juniors' escalating wild theories, Su Qinian stated evenly, "It's unrelated to the ancestor's ascension. I figure it's more like an arena for a grand tournament open to all Cangyun Realm cultivators. Top performers in the event will earn prizes, and non-Moon Shadow Sect members might even get invited to join our sect!"

"Hiss—! So that's it!" The elders suddenly understood.

Their faces then displayed a blend of delight and concern.

The delight came from knowing that they, as seasoned cultivators, could likely join such an event.

The concern arose from the fear that if tournaments like this happened yearly, their small sects would struggle to attract any talented recruits.

Meanwhile, the Moon Shadow Sect would blaze like the sun at noon, expanding ever more powerfully.

Eventually, the Moon Shadow Sect might crush other factions with ease...

Who could assure it wouldn't rival titans like Yaochi and the Burning Purity Holy Land?

Su Qinian savored his tea, inwardly smug at unraveling the ancestor's scheme. The washing-machine artifact whirled three times quicker.

All at once, a figure cast a shadow from the rear.

The minor sect cultivators blanched, dropping to their knees in unison.

A shiver raced down Su Qinian's back. He whipped around, and sweat poured over him.

"Anc... ancestor, what wind has blown you here?"

"No wind." Chen Huaian's expression was somber, though a smirk tugged at his lips. "This Venerable One just overheard some fool babbling nonsense from afar!"

He gestured toward the build site. "I tasked you with raising the Ascension Platform, yet after a full day, the base isn't even done. Are you useless?"

Su Qinian bowed his head low, enduring the reprimand without retort.

Yet inwardly, he felt profoundly unjust.

How expansive was the Cangbo Mountain ravine? Per Chen Huaian's standards, finishing the foundation in a day was already remarkably swift.

"This Venerable One grants you just three days. In three days, a ten-thousand-zhang platform must stand tall.

Should This Venerable One find no Ascension Platform after three days, you'll join This Venerable One for sword training."

At the mention of sword practice with Chen Huaian, Su Qinian's complexion turned ashen.

To outsiders, it might seem an honor, but to him, it was sheer agony—a brutal, uneven thrashing from which he gained zilch.

"Ancestor, have no doubt. The Ascension Platform will stand complete in three days!"

Su Qinian hiked up his sleeves, stowed the washing-machine artifact, and dove into the crew handling the stones.

The Moon Shadow Sect elders overseeing the area were summoned by him to pitch in as well.

With these Unity and Void Shattering Realm experts pitching in, the Ascension Platform's assembly surged forward at ten times the previous rate.

Observing this, Chen Huaian appeared marginally content.

Idly, he snatched the century-old Spirit Void Grass from the tea table to pass to his young disciple for tea-making later.

"The Ascension Platform is precisely as its name implies." Chen Huaian regarded the kneeling cultivators, who stared up at him with keen anticipation. "This Venerable One divined the stars by night, unraveled cosmic mysteries, perceived the waning of immortals in the Cangyun Realm, and received divine insight leading to this solution—to erect this Ascension Platform.

When the Ascension Platform finishes, the heavens and earth will send down tests. Those who climb it and conquer the tests can hasten their journey toward immortality.

In this way, every soul in the Cangyun Realm gains a shot at immortality. The era of many immortals rising as one draws near."

Upon absorbing Chen Huaian's declaration, the grounded cultivators first went still, then their visages bloomed with incredulous joy, their forms quaking faintly from thrill.

Some among them had lingered at Nascent Soul peak for centuries, seeing their years slip away, their dao path blocked, their spirits long shattered. Others recognized their own average talents, grateful just to reach their level, never fantasizing about immortality. Yet now, this supreme Chen Sword Master of the Cangyun Realm had revealed a path, a boon, to quicken the path to immortality!

For these low-tier cultivators facing dim prospects, this was like a beacon piercing the gloom, a lifeline clutched amid the waves!

"Sword Master... are these words true?!" The elder who gifted the Spirit Void Grass rasped, his gaze alight with frantic yearning.

"This Venerable One's pledge outweighs any peak." Chen Huaian clasped his hands behind, his voice steady with irrefutable command. "With the Ascension Platform done, the chances will emerge on their own. Grasping them rests on your personal destinies."

"Thud!"

The group prostrated deeply once more, this time born of true appreciation and veneration.

"Sword Master's immense grace! We... we pledge to labor tirelessly in service!"

The elder burst out, "How might we aid Sword Master in hastening this platform's rise?"

This was the very line Chen Huaian sought. He dipped his head, his voice warming slightly. "This platform ties to the Cangyun Realm's fateful future. Erecting it earns boundless merit and virtue. Rally your sects' skilled members to aid the build. Greater the toil, greater the bond forged. Upon completion, the cosmos will acknowledge it, inscribing the virtues accordingly."

"Yes! Yes! We heed Sword Master's command with utmost respect!"

Infused with fervor like fresh blood, the men leaped up from the earth. Forgetting decorum and pride, they morphed into light trails, racing back to their sects at their utmost speeds ever, dreading a second's delay would let rivals claim this monumental chance first.

Chen Huaian tracked their vanishing silhouettes on the horizon, a sly curve forming on his lips.

Truly, sketching vast ideals and sharing prophecies remained the prime method to ignite zeal.

No force or bribe matched the raw pull of a "path to immortality" aspiration.

As word spread, not just these small sects, but mid-tier ones too, and even peak experts mired in stalls, would catch the rumor and flock as "free laborers."

Then, forget three days—even two days to raise the ten-thousand-zhang platform from scratch would prove no challenge.

The initial phase of the mission was all but locked in.

His spirits lifted a touch, yet another issue crossed his mind, creasing his forehead faintly.

He had earlier plumbed heavenly secrets and detected that his opportunistic 'little brother' Xiao Feng had indeed run into peril, his fate aura churning wildly, hinting at impending calamity.

"Tsk, this old guy truly won't give anyone a break."

Chen Huaian sighed, his form blurring as he vanished from view.

Finding Xiao Feng took precedence right now.