Old Master, Times Have Changed - Chapter 684 (Patreon)

Chapter 684: The Significance of Opening a New System

Lord Hong: “It’s probably because last time I got thrown out of the Supreme Tai Xuan Realm by Xuan, I finally relaxed for once, so my cultivation progressed a tiny bit faster.”

Daoist Yuanjun: “Elder Brother still can’t forget that divine maiden heavenly consort dancing at the divine court dharma assembly in the Realm of Peace, can you?”

That sudden backstab from his own little sister left Lord Hong a beat slow to react.

Lord Hong: “What I meant was the local customs and culture—scenery that’s nothing like the Supreme Tai Xuan Realm.”

And it wasn’t like I went alone.

Overlord: “Sounds like you still can’t forget. /side-eye grin”

Pill Patriarch: “Daoist friend Lord Hong may be old, but his heart isn’t.”

Lord Hong: “…”

You’re the one who’s old!

I’m a dignified True Immortal—everlasting, eternally present, undying and unwearing.

Now or in the future, I’m forever young!

Lord Hong: “Once I’ve basically finished analyzing the ‘ritual’ transcendent system, I’ll go into closed-door cultivation for a while.”

Lord Hong: “After spending some time sorting out my own insights, I should be able to cross that step.”

Lord Hong: “It’s a shame. Originally, Daoist friend Overlord should’ve been ahead of me. /shrug”

Overlord: “/smile”

Overlord: “/body-cultivator elegant phrasing”

Pill Patriarch: “Oh, so Daoist friend Overlord has accepted this sticker setting too?”

Lord Hong: “Can’t be helped—facts are right there in front of us. /side-eye grin”

Dao-attaining, Dao-bearing, Dao source.

These three realms as concepts only came after Xu Xing, plagued by “Dao confusion,” went to the Hehuan Sect and clearly confirmed that he had touched “Dao source.”

Before that, even True Immortals like them only used simple labels like “True Immortal” and “above True Immortal” to describe their own level and the level Xu Xing stood at.

The road ahead was too blurry, so no one dared to stride forward rashly.

That was also why Overlord’s progress had been delayed a little.

Overlord: “Who takes the first step isn’t decided yet.”

Lord Hong: “Oh?”

Lord Hong: “From what you’re saying… could it be you also…”

Overlord: “/side-eye grin”

Lord Hong: “/shock”

Lord Hong: “/handshake”

Overlord: “/handshake”

Huh??!

Did these two just reach some kind of unspoken agreement?

Lord Hong: “Anyway, after things in the Tai Xuan Realm are wrapped up, everyone should go out more, see the sights of different worlds.”

Lord Hong: “Catch up sooner—then we’ll have more topics in common.”

Overlord: “That’s the truth.”

Pill Patriarch: “…”

Artifact Lord: “/complicated expression”

The group chat was ‘harmonious’ as always.

It was just that for some reason, Meizu—normally the one who loved spamming the chat the most—didn’t send a single message from start to finish.

Xu Xing looked at the chat log, thought for a moment, and sent one too.

Sword Ancestor: “Later I’ll forward the ritual material Daoist friend Lord Hong organized to the other discussion group.”

Sword Ancestor: “And I’ll also mention the conclusions we discussed in that group.”

No matter what, news about the unknown Dao-attaining one was something Huo had worked hard to bring back.

If they got results on their side and didn’t tell him…

That would be a bit too much.

Overlord: “Of course. Then I’ll trouble Daoist Brother.”

He really didn’t want to talk in that other group.

Every message had to include punctuation—like it stripped away the very essence of “spamming.”

Lord Hong: “Speaking of which, Huo only mentioned that unknown Dao-attaining one this time, but didn’t mention anything about Yuan.”

Even if Huo wasn’t considered very strong among the thirteen True Immortals of the Tai Xuan Realm…

He was still a True Immortal!

In a mere Taiyi Realm with only a mystic-level energy tier, even if the world’s birth had something to do with Tai’s fall back then, it was absolutely impossible to hide it from him.

So there were only two possibilities.

Lord Hong: “Either Yuan has already left, or Huo discovered it but doesn’t want to say?”

Overlord: “Yuan is only at Soul Transformation. In fifty years, even if his Dao is suited for traveling the Chaos Sea, at most he’d only go a bit beyond the range of one standard realm-domain from Taiyi Realm.”

A standard realm-domain range referred to the size of the Realm of Earthly Immortals Realm-Domain.

Overlord: “Huo couldn’t have missed it. So it can only be the latter.”

Overlord: “Daoist Brother, why not just ask him directly?”

They didn’t really care how Yuan was doing right now.

After all, leaving the Tai Xuan Realm back then was his own choice.

Everyone had to bear the consequences of their choices.

It was just that Daoist Brother ultimately came from the same place as Yuan.

Compared to them, Daoist Brother would probably care more about Yuan’s current situation.

Sword Ancestor: “I believe Daoist friend Huo will handle it well. There’s no need to ask. If he wants to say it, he’ll say it.”

Overlord: “…”

Overlord: “Never thought the word ‘believe’ would ever be used on Huo. /complicated expression”

Pill Patriarch: “Yeah. It looks weird just seeing it. /complicated expression”

Sword Ancestor: “…”

That was Huo’s “reputation,” after all.

Mainly…

Right now they had no choice but to believe. He was stationed in the Tai Xuan Realm and couldn’t move, and he also had to maintain the Ascension Web and keep an eye on the condition of every Ascension Envoy.

He couldn’t even project a sliver of divine intent over there. This matter could only be left entirely to Huo.

Xu Xing exited the chat app, put his phone away, and looked at Bie Xuening beside him.

“Senior Sister, why didn’t you say anything in the group today?”

“I’m not good at that.” After a pause, she added softly, “I’d rather just watch you all talk.”

Big systems, small systems, deviating systems, and so on…

“Junior Brother, what do you think of that ‘ritual’ transcendent system?”

Xu Xing thought for a bit and answered, “Compared to the cultivation system we use now, it’s a transcendent system that deviates quite a lot from the original great cultivation system, and it’s pretty novel.”

Some people might feel that the more a system deviates from the original great system, the better it is.

But in reality, deviating more doesn’t mean “better.”

What matters most is whether it fits.

No matter what things look like now, back then they all grew step by step within the great cultivation system Xuan created.

It was just that in the process of growing, they gradually altered that original great system into something that suited them better.

And no matter how much they deviated, Xuan would still be the source of transcendence—this wouldn’t change in the slightest.

In that situation, deliberately chasing a complete departure from the original great cultivation system had no meaning at all.

Back then, the reason they chose to separate their current system from the original “fetal breathing, condensing one” system was mainly to lower the difficulty for human cultivators to advance into Dao-reaching, Integration, and Soul Transformation—the “three realms near immortality.”

After all, the “fetal breathing, condensing one” system would always be best suited only to the Cang race.

If they didn’t separate the cultivation system, then no matter how perfectly they polished the cultivation methods, when humans cultivated it there would inevitably be a trace of flaw.

Opening a new system was simply to jump out of the old framework.

Whether the difference from the original system was huge or not wasn’t that important.

Mm…

At least, that was how it was for them.

As for the “ritual” transcendent system…

Choosing a larger degree of deviation probably had a special purpose.

…

…

Elsewhere.

Yue Ling, bristling with fury, had already rushed to the vicinity of Chi Jiuyu’s cave abode.

She strode to the entrance, lifted her foot, and was about to kick the door open!

But at the instant she was about to bring her foot down, she forcibly stopped the impulse.

Breaking into someone else’s cave abode and damaging their property was illegal!

What if she beat her up in a moment, and then that girl held a grudge and reported her…

Even if the Disciplinary Hall didn’t necessarily dare to handle it,

She was a dignified Sword Ancestor of the Sword Sect. If it really got to that point, where would she put her face?

More importantly, she had just been punished by her liege. If she caused trouble again, she might make her liege angry again…

Thinking of that, she swallowed the urge to kick the door open.

She clenched her right fist, rose onto her toes, and pressed the doorbell with her left hand.

Ding-dong~

A crisp chime rang out.

Very quickly, along with a “click,” the door opened. The one opening it was an ancient-looking cyan-gold longsword.

Chi Jiuyu’s Natal Spirit Sword.

Seeing this made Yue Ling even angrier.

She remembered that book, Guide to Cultivating Sword Spirits, and she remembered the days of toil like an ox and a horse.

“Hello duck~” the cyan-gold longsword greeted politely.

Normally, Yue Ling would have argued properly and made it call her “Lord Yue Ling,” or at the very least “Senior Yue Ling.”

But today, she had no mood to waste words.

She stepped into the cave abode, walked briskly several paces inward, and finally saw Chi Jiuyu.

Chi Jiuyu was in the living room, sprawled without any decorum on a beanbag lounger, half her body sunk into it. She held a game controller, and the screen in front of her flickered with gameplay.

But in Yue Ling’s perception, Chi Jiuyu’s mana was circulating along an exquisitely profound trajectory without pause.

Clearly, her “grind-king divine art” had reached the level where she could play games and cultivate at the same time.

In that moment, Yue Ling’s anger hit the ceiling.

I’ve been suffering because of the Guide to Cultivating Sword Spirits you wrote—doing backbreaking work every day—and you’re in here playing games…

Chi Jiuyu also noticed Yue Ling’s arrival. A faint sense of danger rose in her heart, but she still forced herself to stay calm.

“Eh? How do you have time to come to my—holy— you—mmph!!”

Yue Ling jumped straight up and pounced onto Chi Jiuyu, slamming her down with brute force and pressing her deeper into the beanbag lounger.

Thankfully the lounger’s material was excellent. Even though it was compressed and deformed completely, it showed no sign of tearing.

The cyan-gold longsword froze for a second.

Then, reacting, it saw its own Yuyu liege being roughed up.

Without the slightest hesitation, it charged over!

And then—

Yue Ling grabbed it in one hand and pinned it to the ground so it couldn’t move.

…

…

About twenty minutes later.

This “clash” between a sword immortal’s Natal Spirit Sword and a sword immortal’s disciple came to an end.

Yue Ling had taken Chi Jiuyu’s original spot, leaning back comfortably in the beanbag lounger, controller still in hand.

She opened her mouth, and sliced fruit was fed to her from the side.

Chi Jiuyu, bruised and swollen and baring her teeth in pain—almost unrecognizable—stood obediently beside the lounger holding a fruit plate.

The cyan-gold longsword was fixed to the nearby wall, unable to move, forced to watch the scene unfold…

Hiss…!

This is kind of weird.

“Jiuyu, have you realized your mistake?”

What a load of nonsense!

I’m not wrong!

Chi Jiuyu shouted in her heart, but on the surface she answered obediently.

“I was wrong.”

When you’re under someone’s roof, you have to bow your head.

Her Ancestor Jiuyu might be the number one genius across the heavens and myriad worlds, but she was still just a “genius.”

The one in front of her was a genuine immortal sword!

An immortal sword!

In the Sword Sect, counting both people and swords together, there were only three who could beat her!

“Good. Knowing you’re wrong is enough.”

Yue Ling was very satisfied with Chi Jiuyu’s attitude.

After beating her up, that bit of anger in her heart had also dissipated.

And besides, she was an elder, after all. Being too petty wouldn’t be good!

“Write a three thousand… no, five thousand word self-criticism. Hand it to me tomorrow.”

“You—!”

“Mm~?”

“I understand…”

Damn it!

When she found a chance in the future, she would definitely tattle hard to her master!

Chi Jiuyu swore silently.

Another ten minutes passed.

Yue Ling finished all the sliced fruit on the plate.

Ding-dong~!

Another crisp doorbell rang out.

Yue Ling, mid-game, paused and glanced to her side.

Chi Jiuyu paused too and pointed at her own face.

“You’re not thinking of making me open the door, are you?”

Yue Ling raised an eyebrow.

Seeing that, Chi Jiuyu immediately raised the banner.

“Think it through. If I go open the door looking like this, and someone sees me, it won’t just be my face that gets lost—later the Sword Sect, and even Master, will lose face too!”

Hearing that, Yue Ling couldn’t help but picture Bie Xuening’s face, and she instantly chickened out a little.

“W-who said I was making you open it!”

She pointed at the cyan-gold longsword on the wall and restored its freedom.

“You go open it.”

The cyan-gold longsword floated there quietly, resentment practically spilling out of it.

Yue Ling: “…”

Why is this sword so dumb?!

I’m helping you, do you get it!

Ding-dong~!

The doorbell rang again, breaking the awkwardness.

The cyan-gold longsword had no choice but to float over and open the door.

Not long after, accompanied by a “Thank you duck~” that sounded faintly youthful, the cyan-gold longsword floated back carrying a huge delivery box.

It drifted silently to Chi Jiuyu’s front.

“It’s a package~”

“A package?”

Chi Jiuyu set the now-empty fruit plate aside, took the package, and started unboxing it.

Yue Ling also watched with the corner of her eye.

Soon, as the outer shell was removed, an exquisite inner packaging printed with a yin-yang fish pattern appeared in their view.

Supreme Collector’s Edition game controller for Supreme Immortal Path.

Only thirty thousand copies across the entire Central Continent—extremely collectible!

Huh?!

Yue Ling’s eyes went wide.

“So it’s this.” Chi Jiuyu glanced at Yue Ling as if by accident.

She had asked Little Zhao to help her snag this not long ago.

In the Sword Sect you couldn’t even get it!

The purpose of buying it was mainly to give it to Yue Ling.

Before, when she discovered Yue Ling had been punished by Master, she had predicted there would be a day like today and planned to use this to dispel her anger.

But plans couldn’t keep up with changes.

It just happened to arrive right after she got beaten up.

Damn, that’s infuriating.

“This…” Yue Ling hesitated.

“You play Immortal Path, right? A Supreme Collector’s Edition co-branded controller. I spent a ton of effort to get it.”

“I…”

“They say each one has a different spiritual energy code. Once you link it to a player’s game account, it can even unlock hidden dungeon content.” Chi Jiuyu explained with a straight face.

As if afraid Yue Ling wouldn’t understand how ‘precious’ the controller was.

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