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

Chapter 212: Luring the Tiger Away?

Chapter 212: Luring the Tiger Away?

Elder Qi Zhengyan of Zhenwu Holy Land swiftly formed a hand seal, and beneath his feet, a massive Taiji Diagram unfurled, expanding to shield nearly all the cultivators above the demonic formation.

BOOM!

The instant the formation shattered, the power that had been brewing within finally erupted.

A hint of Reversal Dao Law was concealed within, and any cultivator with even a shred of Dao comprehension immediately sensed that something was terribly wrong.

No wonder this formation had been so difficult to break.

Its thick, impenetrable shell had never been its true defense—it was merely a disguise, concealing the Dao resonance at its core.

It had been absorbing all the energy from the cultivators’ relentless attacks this whole time.

And now, under the influence of the Reversal Dao Law, that accumulated energy had reached its absolute peak.

It detonated.

“Hold the damn line—!!” Elder Qi roared.

A blazing crimson beam erupted from the center of the formation, piercing the heavens.

The red light painted Qi Zhengyan’s deeply wrinkled face in a fiery glow.

Cultivators scattered in all directions as the protective Taiji Array shattered in just two seconds under the overwhelming force.

Two elders from Yaochi Holy Land and Pure Nirvana Holy Land, both at the Fusion Realm, exchanged glances.

“Elder Qi, we’ll assist you!”

They landed atop the Taiji Array, pressing their hands downward. Their eyes shone with divine light as they funneled their spiritual energy into the formation.

But even with their combined efforts, a rapid crackling sound rang out—

The Taiji Array continued to fracture.

—

A thousand meters away, Chen Huai’an stared at the rising pillar of crimson energy with his mouth slightly agape.

He hadn't expected this demonic formation to function like an energy cannon, where whatever was fired into it would be fired back out just as violently…

The moment the formation exploded, Qingyun Patriarch had already activated her Natal Artifact, teleporting both of them to safety.

It was a blue mist-like cloud, moving at unimaginable speeds and transforming them into pure vapor.

Even if they had been hit directly, Chen Huai’an estimated they would have remained unscathed thanks to her artifact.

“These demonic cultivators are more cunning than I expected! This formation was nothing but a trap!” Rong Qingyun’s face was pale.

She was already suffering from internal injuries, and just now, she had exerted her full strength to protect both herself and Chen Huai’an.

But it was all worth it.

As long as Chen Huai’an-gege was safe, nothing else mattered.

“Daoist Chen, what do you think these demonic cultivators are trying to achieve with this commotion?” Rong Qingyun gazed at him softly, eager to hear his wise and charismatic insights.

Surely, someone as powerful, charming, and knowledgeable as him would have an extraordinary perspective!

Chen Huai’an thought for a moment.

Then, he opened the system translator.

"I believe… No. 56 rebar should be mixed with spaghetti to avoid disrupting the excavator’s biochemical indicators—"

What Rong Qingyun heard was:

【I believe… this could be a diversion tactic.】

“Ah! As expected of Daoist Chen!” Her eyes sparkled with admiration, and she clapped her delicate hands.

“Yun’er thought the same! This place is far from the entrance of the secret realm, beyond the reach of divine senses. I’ll contact that useless son of mi— ahem, the Second Elder, at once!”

She took out a Transmission Jade Talisman and asked a few questions.

Surprisingly—and somewhat reassuringly—

The secret realm entrance was completely normal.

There was no sign of an ambush.

But at that moment—

The Taiji Array, which had been barely holding on, was on the verge of collapse.

“Elder Qi, this isn’t working!”

An elder from Yaochi Holy Land glanced back at the Nascent Soul cultivators who hadn’t yet evacuated, his tone urgent.

“We can’t keep taking this head-on. Instead of resisting, why not redirect the energy somewhere else?”

By now, Qi Zhengyan’s face was drenched in sweat, his complexion ghastly pale.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded.

“Alright… My spiritual energy is nearly depleted. Assist me in redirecting it!”

The three elders pressed down on the Taiji Array simultaneously.

Qi Zhengyan focused on stabilizing it.

The Yaochi and Pure Nirvana elders worked to tilt the array—redirecting the immense energy elsewhere.

“Hold— the damn— line!!”

With a unified roar, the three elders exerted their full strength.

The cultivators watched as the Taiji Array slowly shifted its angle.

The formation itself carried traces of Reversal Dao Law, meaning the energy beam striking it was refracted, much like light bouncing off a mirror.

This significantly reduced the pressure on Elder Qi Zhengyan, who had been struggling to maintain the array.

From a distance, Chen Huai’an observed the shifting array with a nagging sense of unease.

And then—

As the Taiji Array fully tilted and the energy beam was redirected sideways—

It finally hit him.

That beam was now headed straight for the entrance of the secret realm.

Qi Zhengyan and the others could barely withstand such terrifying energy.

What about the old, weak, and injured near the secret realm?

How the hell were they supposed to block it?!

Wait.

These three old bastards—

Did they do this on purpose?!

Chen Huai’an’s lips twitched.

There weren’t any Sword Pavilion disciples near the secret realm, so he wasn’t exactly worried—but he did have some suspicions about these elders' motives.

Yet, without proof, accusing them outright was meaningless.

“You’re going to hit the secret realm entrance at this rate!” Rong Qingyun had also noticed the problem. She hurriedly approached Elder Qi Zhengyan, who was already meditating to recover.

Qi Zhengyan had just breathed a sigh of relief—

Only for it to catch in his throat when he heard her words.

He turned to check the trajectory of the energy beam—

And sure enough, it was headed straight for the secret realm entrance.

“Quick! Tilt the formation again!”

The elders of Yaochi Holy Land and Pure Nirvana Holy Land immediately adjusted their positions to assist.

A few seconds later—

The energy beam angled upward, shooting toward the sky, completely missing the secret realm entrance.

Only then did the three elders finally exhale, drenched in sweat.

Qi Zhengyan remained seated in the center of the array, forming seals with both hands. Eight golden chains of spiritual energy locked down the chaotic formation patterns, stabilizing the remnants of the array.

He took a deep breath and swept his gaze over the gathered cultivators.

His voice boomed like a great bell, echoing in all directions:

"I have exhausted a century of cultivation to suppress this formation. All of you—return to the secret realm entrance immediately and investigate any anomalies!"

The cultivators didn’t hesitate.

They expressed their gratitude and swiftly departed.

Rong Qingyun’s earlier warning had made it clear that something was amiss, and they weren’t about to waste time.

Chen Huai’an followed the crowd back to the secret realm entrance.

There was no widespread destruction in sight.

However, the disciples stationed outside various sect camps appeared restless.

The moment they saw their elders return, their tension visibly eased.

Chen Huai’an frowned slightly.

Had he misjudged the situation?

Had those elders truly not redirected the energy beam intentionally?

Unfortunately, there were no Sword Pavilion disciples stationed here, so he had no way of getting a reliable answer.

After thinking for a moment, he turned toward the Lingxi Valley compound.

—

The white jade platform shimmered under a golden sunset glow.

In the midst of it, Yun Baiyu, the master of Lingxi Valley, was channeling spiritual energy through her palm, gently soothing her anxious disciples.

Just then—

A tear split through the eastern clouds, and a streak of sword energy descended like a frozen star.

Chen Huai’an had arrived.

Even before his sword was fully sheathed, the sharp aura of his sword intent shook the peach blossom trees bordering the dojo, causing a cascade of petals to fall.

“Lord Sword Sovereign’s presence graces my humble valley.”

Yun Baiyu gracefully rose and greeted him with a polite bow.

“No need for formalities.”

Chen Huai’an glanced around and nearly chuckled.

Every single Lingxi Valley disciple here wore a sword at their waist.

Huh.

Since when did Lingxi Valley disciples start training in swordsmanship?

He wasn’t here to figure that out, though.

So, he got straight to the point:

“You never left the secret realm entrance. Did you witness anything unusual?”

“Oh? So that’s what Sword Sovereign came to ask about.”

Yun Baiyu raised a delicate brow, adjusted her flowing sleeves, and spoke with lingering apprehension:

“Moments ago, a surge of immensely powerful energy came streaking from the west. It shattered the protective barrier surrounding the secret realm entrance and narrowly missed my Lingxi Valley dojo before shooting straight into the Small Secret Realm Gate…”

She exhaled softly, as if still shaken by the experience.

“…Fortunately, it didn’t strike any sect compounds, so at least we were spared a disaster.”