Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal?

Chapter 849: The Demonic Old Man Xiao, Who Went Astray

…Northern Continent, Myriad Caverns Mountain.

The mountain here was like a honeycomb, with a labyrinth of underground caverns crisscrossing to unknown depths. A sinister, baleful energy permeated the air, making it a favorite hiding spot for demon cultivators and certain evil beings.

Chen Huaian's figure appeared soundlessly before an inconspicuous cavern entrance, his brow slightly furrowed.

His divination had pointed to this place, and the violent, chaotic, yet faintly familiar aura emanating from deep within the caverns confirmed that Xiao Feng was indeed here, though his condition was extremely poor.

"Old Demon Xiao should have no match in the entire Cangyun Realm… who could have injured him like this?"

Chen Huaian frowned, his heart filled with confusion, while also remaining three parts vigilant towards the impending danger.

He took a step inside, his figure flitting like a ghost through the intricate network of caves, ignoring the low-level demonic creatures lurking in the shadows and the naturally-formed illusion arrays.

The deeper he went, the heavier that violent aura became, mixed with pained roars and the thunderous crashes of rock being frantically smashed.

Finally, within a massive underground cavern, Chen Huaian saw Xiao Feng.

The Xiao Feng at this moment was a far cry from his usual image of a cynical old demon.

His hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot crimson. Demonic Energy surged and boiled around him like uncontrolled black flames.

He was currently attacking the cavern walls with frenzied abandon. His fists and feet contained terrifying power enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, causing the entire cave to tremble and rubble to rain down. Strangely, he wasn't using any True Essence, as if he had forgotten he possessed it, relying purely on brute physical force.

Seeing this situation, Chen Huaian understood perfectly — Old Demon Xiao was suffering from a severe Qi Deviation.

"Kill! Kill you! All of you, die!!" Xiao Feng roared, his voice hoarse and twisted, filled with endless resentment and madness.

Chen Huaian sighed, his voice clearly piercing through the ears of the frenzied Xiao Feng. "Old Xiao, wake up."

The words were like ice water thrown into boiling oil.

Xiao Feng whipped his head around, his crimson pupils locking onto Chen Huaian with deadly focus.

There was not a trace of familiarity in that gaze, only pure destructive desire.

"You… it's you! It's all because of you!! Kill! Kill you!!"

It was as if he recognized Chen Huaian, or perhaps projected the source of his inner demons onto Chen Huaian. With a roar, he transformed into a black lightning bolt, charging straight forward.

Demonic Energy surged to the heavens, coalescing into a gigantic ghostly claw that tore through the air, descending to grab Chen Huaian's head!

"Stubborn and unenlightened." Chen Huaian's eyes narrowed. He pointed his fingers together like a sword and casually slashed forward.

There was no earth-shattering commotion, only a condensed, almost space-rending pale golden Sword Aura that flashed past.

*Ssssh—!*

The massive demonic ghost claw was split cleanly down the middle as if by a hot knife through butter, the violent Demonic Energy instantly dispersing.

The Sword Aura's momentum didn't diminish, accurately slapping against Xiao Feng's chest.

*Pfft!*

Xiao Feng's forward charge came to an abrupt halt as if struck by a heavy blow. A mouthful of blood sprayed out, and the crimson in his eyes dimmed somewhat.

His entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, smashing heavily against the cavern wall before sliding down limply, temporarily knocked unconscious.

Chen Huaian took a step forward, arriving at Xiao Feng's side.

He placed a single hand on top of Xiao Feng's head. A vast, ocean-like Divine Sense surged forth, yet with extreme care, it probed deep into the recesses of his Sea of Consciousness.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, it was already a scene of Demonic Energy pervading a chaotic haze.

And at the very center of that Demonic Energy, a "heart demon" with a face identical to Chen Huaian's, yet twisted with a sinister, ferocious expression, was laughing wildly and wantonly.

Cowering and trembling at the feet of this heart demon was Xiao Feng, his hair disheveled and his face dirty.

"Hahaha! He's here again! Xiao Feng, see that? He's here to control you!

In his eyes, you're nothing but a useful dog! This time, guess how he's going to hurt you?!"

The heart demon arrogantly taunted, exploiting Xiao Feng's deepest fear — the fear of loss, the anxiety of being "abandoned" or "used" again by the most important person.

It turned out Xiao Feng had always harbored a lingering grudge about Chen Huaian impersonating his elder brother. This grudge wasn't directed at Chen Huaian's character, but rather a fear that Chen Huaian's friendship was merely for exploitation. In fact, he wasn't even afraid of being used; he was more terrified of losing Chen Huaian as a friend if the facade shattered.

Despite their relatively short time together, he had already come to regard Chen Huaian as a brother. That's why, upon sensing the impending heavenly tribulation, even though the Moon Shadow Sect was the best place to undergo it, he still left the sect, choosing this remote, desolate corner instead.

Xiao Feng looked timidly at the incoming Chen Huaian, then lowered his head in pain.

He didn't know it was the real Chen Huaian who had entered, believing instead he was about to face betrayal and bullying.

However, when the heart demon clearly saw the intruder was Chen Huaian himself, its arrogant bluster abruptly choked.

Chen Huaian's Divine Sense avatar materialized within the Sea of Consciousness, staring coldly at the heart demon. "How laughable! A mere heart demon dares to impersonate This Venerable One? What colossal gall!"

"You… why are you here?!" the heart demon blustered, retreating with a show of outward strength masking inner fear.

It originated from the Heavenly Demon Art and possessed an innate, instinctive fear of Chen Huaian, who had created the Heavenly Demon Art - People's Education Press Master Edition and understood it inside out.

"Old Xiao is This Venerable One's friend. Why wouldn't I come?

As for you… knowing full well the Heavenly Demon Art was modified by This Venerable One, you still dare to wreak havoc within Old Xiao's Divine Soul… seeking death!"

Chen Huaian couldn't be bothered with further talk. His Divine Sense transformed into countless golden threads of sword light, spreading out to envelop the heart demon from all directions.

The heart demon shrieked, mobilizing all of Xiao Feng's heart demon power to resist. Black Demonic Energy morphed into various ferocious demonic creatures pouncing forward.

But all of this was futile before Chen Huaian.

The golden sword threads were supremely yang and pure, containing unparalleled Sword Intent and an inherent suppression of the Heavenly Demon Art's source.

The demonic creatures disintegrated upon contact. The sword threads, like a net, easily bound the heart demon tightly.

"No! You can't destroy me! I am part of him! Destroying me will damage him too!" the heart demon cried out in terror.

"Who said anything about destroying you?" Chen Huaian's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Just helping you return to your source."

With a thought, the golden sword threads suddenly contracted, forcibly refining and purifying that massive clump of heart demon power.

In the end, it transformed into a wisp of pure black energy, feeding back into Xiao Feng's dormant primordial spirit.

In the outside world, the unconscious Xiao Feng's body shuddered violently. The violent Demonic Energy around him began to calm and converge at a visible rate, eventually becoming docile and profound. The ferocious pain on his face gradually dissipated, replaced by a serene stillness born of destruction and renewal.

Several hours later, an aura far more powerful and harmonious than before erupted from within Xiao Feng's body!

Great Ascension third tribulation peak!

Simultaneously, high above the cavern, beyond the thick layers of rock, the heavens and earth abruptly changed color. Dark clouds gathered, and lightning serpents danced chaotically.

A terrifying pressure of heaven and earth began to condense — the heavenly tribulation had arrived as scheduled.

Xiao Feng's eyes snapped open. The crimson in his pupils had completely vanished, replaced by clarity, and further deepened by a resolute determination forged through hardship.

He looked at Chen Huaian standing guard beside him, his eyes filled with complexity and gratitude.

"Chen Sword Master, this time…" his voice was somewhat hoarse, "thank you."

Chen Huaian waved his hand dismissively. "Cut the formalities. Being able to pull through is your own Fortune. Besides, This Venerable One did use underhanded methods back then. It's completely understandable for you to have reservations."

"It has nothing to do with you. I was just being petty myself." Xiao Feng gave a bitter smile, then looked up at the cavern ceiling, his gaze sharp. "The heavenly tribulation is here. You should leave quickly, don't get implicated because of me."

He paused, a familiar, somewhat arrogant smile appearing on his face, but his eyes were incomparably serious. "Once this old man ascends and becomes an immortal, I'll go to the Immortal Realm first and carve out a territory! When you come up later, this old man will have your back! I guarantee no one will dare cause trouble in front of you!"

Spirit Void Old Ghost had said the same thing.

What was this?

He wasn't even an immortal yet, and he was already planning to establish territory in the Immortal Realm?

Chen Huaian couldn't help but chuckle, patting Old Demon Xiao on the shoulder. "Alright, This Venerable One will be waiting for your protection. But be careful, don't get blasted to pieces by those tribulation lightning bolts."

With that, he said no more. His figure flashed, and he reappeared outside the Myriad Caverns Mountain, gazing from afar at the sky where thunderclouds were gathering.

Xiao Feng, feeling the surging power within him and the terrifying Heaven's Might locking onto him from the sky, felt a surge of heroic spirit. He let out a clear, long cry:

"Today, this old man, Xiao Feng, shall tread the path to heaven with this demonic body! With this tribulation, I shall prove my Great Dao!"

He then transformed into a streak of black light, actively shooting out of the cavern to meet the sky full of thunder and lightning!

The black clouds churned, revealing a crimson-gold Thunder Eye.

The Ascension Tribulation had begun.

…