Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal?-Chapter 711: The Self-Sacrifice Ruse

Chapter 711: The Self-Sacrifice Ruse

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“What? Chen Huaian?!”

The Mountain-Moving Sage shouted in astonishment, and the other four Demon Saints’ first reactions were all disbelief.

Indeed, Chen Huaian was at the peak of the First Tribulation within the Great Ascension Stage, that was true, but crossing the tribulation is a life-or-death matter—who would not prepare thoroughly and wait until they were at peak condition before provoking the power of heaven and earth?

He had just endured a major battle and had just set up a terrifying sword formation that blanketed the firmament, so his true essence must have been heavily depleted.

To trigger a tribulation in such a rushed state, in the eyes of the Five Demon Saints, was tantamount to seeking death!

Chen Huaian was really gambling his life just to keep the five of them there…

But was it really worth risking his life for a bunch of ants?

At this moment the sky was already fully shrouded by thick tribulation clouds, and the overwhelming oppressive force derived from the laws of heaven and earth pressed down so heavily that the air itself seemed to congeal.

Who would dare fly through it?

The Mountain-Moving Sage was the first to suppress his demonic cloud and descend back to the ground.

Black Wind, Manifestation Sage, and the Toxic Enemy Sage followed closely and landed one after another.

Only the Golden-Winged Roc, relying on its innate speed, unwillingly kept flapping forward, trying desperately to escape this deathly thunder region. It did not realize that the cloud coverage spanning thousands of miles clung to it like a bone-deep parasite; deep within the clouds, a blinding golden thunderbolt had already condensed, poised to strike!

“Roc! Looking to die?!” Manifestation Sage roared. His massive body surged up, his great claw like an iron pincer suddenly snatched the Golden-Winged Roc’s wing and tore it from the air.

“You won’t get out! The laws of heaven and earth have locked onto our qi!” Manifestation Sage glared at the Roc, whose soul was still reeling, his voice low as thunder. “The only chance now is to stand still, restrain your breath, and avoid becoming the target of the heavenly thunder’s venting of wrath. After Chen Huaian finishes the tribulation, successful or not, we will make our move!”

“But…” The Roc’s voice quivered with lingering fear, “what if he succeeds in the tribulation? Right now, leaning on the sword formation, he can contend with us five. If he then advances to the second tribulation of Great Ascension and fights solo, who of us could withstand a single stroke from him? Even if we destroy those sects now, when he later settles scores, wouldn’t we be—”

“Not so easy!” Manifestation Sage sneered, cutting him off. His gaze turned to the figure sitting cross-legged at the center of the storm clouds, a cold certainty in his eyes. “Premature, ill-preparedly provoking the heavenly tribulation equals certain death. Even if he gets lucky, he’ll be struck half to death by the thunder and recovery will not be quick. That will be our opportunity!”

To Manifestation Sage, Chen Huaian’s act was nothing more than a desperate gamble to force them to stay, to protect the roots of those insect-like sects.

And the price for this gamble could very well be his life.

Originally they had no guarantee they could kill Chen Huaian.

But after the tribulation… things might be different.

“Each of us take a position and sit. Wait for the right moment. Today will be Chen Huaian’s day of death!”

With that, Manifestation Sage’s massive form thudded down into a seated posture, his demonic aura restrained, his eyes like venomous snakes locking onto the figure in the thunderclouds.

Now, even if they urged him to leave, he absolutely would not.

The other four Saints exchanged glances, murderous light flashing in their eyes.

They obeyed, sat down, and their demonic qi roiled as they hurried to restore themselves to peak condition.

All waiting for the chance to strike after the tribulation.

…

Inside the sword formation, the atmosphere was entirely different.

Witnessing Chen Huaian forcibly keeping the Five Demon Saints there, sacrificing himself to protect the foundations of their sects, daring to trigger a heavenly tribulation while encircled by deadly enemies, had clenched the hearts of all the cultivators tight.

℞𝖆NꝋᛒÊꞨ

Fu Hongyu, sect master of the Blade Sect, gripped his sword hilt until his knuckles turned white, tears filling his tiger-like eyes, voice choked: “Elder Chen… would actually risk himself for our sake!” He looked up at the figure in the tribulation cloud with no more doubt, only deep reverence and resolve.

Originally, most who accepted the honorary elder position of Moon Shadow Sect did so because of the offer Chen Huaian had made.

He himself had never felt much belonging to Moon Shadow Sect.

But now, seeing Chen Huaian’s lofty righteousness, he could no longer treat Chen or Moon Shadow Sect as a mere opportunity to benefit from.

Look and see!

Burning Heaven monk had fled after witnessing Tu Shan Yue ascend and was frightened away.

Other Great Ascension cultivators in Void Abyss saw the Five Demon Saints’ arrogance and that they had no intention to act, so they avoided battle, washing their hands of the affair.

Only Elder Chen stepped forward!

Is such an elder not worth following to death?!

“Amitabha…” Fa Dahai of the Zen Sect intoned a Buddha name, his prayer beads turning rapidly through his fingers. He looked at Chen Huaian as if seeing a layer of Buddhist light around him. “Elder’s action is not for private gain but for the lives of all. Such great compassion and courage should be our model!”

Behind him, the Zen disciples all showed pity and reverence, hands joined in prayer.

The flippant look had long vanished from the face of Wang Dagen, master of the Bliss Sect. He bit his teeth, his eyes heavy with an unprecedented solemnity and emotion.

He bowed toward the figure within the tribulation and said in a deep voice, “Elder Chen’s righteousness! He’d stake his life to protect our disciples and descendants—this favor I, Wang, will remember! In the future, the Bliss Sect shall follow Moon Shadow Sect’s lead!”

Other sect masters and elders nearby glanced at Wang Dagen with disdain.

Following Moon Shadow Sect and Elder Chen? That’s called siding and lending support.

The Bliss Sect—what kind of proper sect is that? They’d probably be rejected even if they offered themselves.

Wang Dagen’s declaration was purely opportunistic.

“Master…” Within the Moon Shadow formation, Li Qingran stood in a plain white dress, the formation’s gale whipping her clothes into flapping waves.

She tilted her head up at the familiar, solitary figure at the heart of the thunderclouds, her teeth clenched so hard her lower lip nearly bled.

Her autumn-like eyes brimmed with an unspeakable worry and pain.

She knew what her master was doing.

But if there were a choice, she would rather he not play the hero sheltering the world.

She only wanted her master to be safe…

But now everything had already happened.

All she could do was pray silently—pray that heaven would show mercy to Chen Huaian who was sacrificing himself for the greater good.

“Heaven protect him… please let my master pass through the tribulation smoothly…”

The gaze of all cultivators converged on one point, worry, emotion, and reverence entwining into a silent force.

They strained to keep the sword formation operational, pouring their cultivation without reserve into the formation core, hoping to shoulder even a fraction of the burden from the figure confronting the heavenly might.

At the center of the tribulation clouds, Chen Huaian sat cross-legged, heart as calm as an ancient well.

The power of the heavenly law he had invoked swirled toward him like a vortex.

“Boom—crack!”

The first bolt of heavenly thunder finally ripped through the heavy clouds, bearing majestic heavenly might, like a snarling violet serpent plunging straight down!

Its grandeur made the mountain ranges hum.

Chen Huaian remained composed; his index finger like a sword, a condensed, almost tangible silver-white sword aura surged up to meet that destructive thunderbolt with precision.

Rumble!

Blinding light exploded, wild energy spewed in all directions.

Chen Huaian’s figure trembled, but he only lifted one brow.

Not right.

This tribulation’s power… seemed much weaker than expected?

Far from the world-shattering ferocity recorded in the classics for the first thunder.

Normally, the first thunder is strong, meant to intimidate the one crossing the tribulation.

The second thunder is slightly weaker than the first.

Only afterward does the thunderpower gradually increase.

But now the first thunder was like an itch—so if that was the case…

The doubt flashed through Chen Huaian’s mind and passed.

Then the second, the third… thunderbolts fell in rapid succession, each thicker than the last, each more terrifying in might.

Chen Huaian dared not slacken; his sword finger struck one after another, sword auras crisscrossing, sometimes resisting, sometimes diffusing.

Even facing the tribulation, his swordsmanship still displayed remarkable skill.

Until the tenth bolt, a crimson-gold thunderbolt, ripped the sky and fell with the aura of world-consuming annihilation!

Chen Huaian let out a long cry; with a majestic move, his “Silver River Swordfall” surged up carrying sword intent and collided furiously with that golden thunder.

Boom—!!!

A deafening explosion echoed through heaven and earth.

Chen Huaian’s body shook violently, his protective sword qi torn apart, and his shoulder and chest were instantly scorched open by the violent thunderpower. The wounds charred black before blood seeped out—high heat had evaporated it—and sharp pain radiated through his body.

“Tastes right…” Chen Huaian muttered.

The previous few thunders had been like scratches.

This tenth thunder finally made him feel something.

But only a little.

Chen Huaian guessed that even if the power increased tenfold more, he could hold it.

However, at the same time that the acute pain arrived, a strange warm current quietly leaked from the thunder’s energy into his wounds. The torn flesh began to writhe and mend at a visibly rapid pace! The charring faded, and the new skin glowed faintly like jade.

Chen Huaian suddenly bowed his head, staring at his rapidly healing wounds, then lifted his eyes to the indifferent golden Thunder Eye above, his gaze full of astonishment.

“No… huh?!”

“You really are easing up, aren’t you? You actually are easing up, damn it!”

Healed by a tribulation?!

Was this a joke?!

But looking at that golden Thunder Eye above, which wore a solemn, earnest expression, Chen Huaian felt the Heavenly Dao might not be joking.

Yet he felt no joy—only heavier suspicion.

If a monstrously karmic demon like Tu Shan Yue could ascend unscathed, it was not mere luck.

It seemed the Heavenly Dao was unusually “lenient” toward all Great Ascension cultivators?

But why?

Chen Huaian’s gaze pierced through the rolling thunderclouds as if trying to stab through the distant, unknowable heavens to see the existence behind them.

The Heavenly Dao was forcing Great Ascension cultivators to rapidly become immortals…

There had to be something seriously wrong in that.

But that was not a problem he could solve right now. After the tribulation he would at best reach the second tribulation of Great Ascension.

Rather than waste time speculating on the Heavenly Dao’s intentions, it was better to focus on the matter at hand.

“Boom—!”

Another thunderbolt infused with the essence of heaven and earth and the breath of annihilation descended.

“Argh!!!” Chen Huaian howled in pain and pleasure at once, letting out an exaggerated cry.

While screaming, he kept watching the faces of the other cultivators around him.

Then he screamed even more miserably.

Heh heh!

This self-sacrifice ruse once performed, once all this is over, won’t these sects be scrambling to join Moon Shadow Sect?

…