"Come on, 001, repeat after me: Sword Heart Accomplishment. Accomplishment—the second tone. Make it rise at the end, the second tone."
He felt it was necessary to correct 001's pronunciation, but 001 ignored him.
Because there was nothing wrong with 001's settings. The problem was Ye Chang'an.
That guy had been too excited when explaining the settings and had said "great" instead of "accomplishment."
So 001 wasn't taking the blame. Ye Chang'an had to take it.
But did carrying that blame feel good?
Ye Chang'an had only one word in response.
Awesome!
"It's the Tai Xu Sword Heart right off the bat. Is there anything better than this?"
Ye Chang'an grinned foolishly, but before long, he felt his Sword Heart tremble as faint cracks began to appear. He hurriedly reined in his emotions and did not dare laugh anymore.
"This Sword Heart is really troublesome."
As a cultivation art that tempered the mind and forged the body, the Sword Heart Art had extremely high demands on one's temperament.
And those demands lasted from beginning to end. Even after the Sword Heart was fully accomplished, it needed to be tempered for life. Otherwise, one careless moment could shatter it.
A shattered Sword Heart could not be restored, so Ye Chang'an had to be careful.
As for how to be careful... well, probably by staying calm and not getting carried away. Whatever emotions he felt, he could not react too strongly.
"Doesn't that make me an old Taoist priest?"
It did, somewhat, but the Tai Xu Sword Qi belonged to the Tai Xu Sword Sect, and the Tai Xu Sword Sect's headquarters was Fu Yun Temple. It was perfectly normal for the people there to be Taoists.
However, the temple currently only had a Taoist Nun. Its only male, Ye Chang'an, was not yet a Tai Xu Disciple.
His aptitude was too poor.
"If I end the simulation now, the Sword Heart will still be there when I return. I should qualify to take a master, right?"
Ye Chang'an muttered to himself, then planned to find a way to end the simulation and return to Tai Xu.
The method was simple. If he died, he would return.
It was a simulated life, after all. Death was the end.
Although he had only lived this life for four years, his goal had been achieved. Once it was time to leave, he should leave. There was no need to stay.
So he turned his head and looked around for a suitable way to end himself, only to see a bunch of little kids.
"Oh, I'm still in the junior kindergarten class."
He patted his forehead and sorted through his memories, deciding that dying could wait a little longer. He should not scare the children.
He sat obediently and waited for school to end, but he could not stay still. Looking around, he found a toy keyboard.
"An electronic keyboard? I didn't expect I'd get a chance to play with one of these again."
He pressed a few scales to test the sound and suddenly felt a little wistful.
Before transmigrating, he had been a corporate drone. But before becoming a corporate drone, he had also been someone who chased his dreams.
He had developed a deep interest in music when his parents taught him piano. He had passed the arts exam and entered a prestigious music university.
He had chased a dream of music, only to sink into the filthy vat of reality after waking from that dream.
If he had not possessed this musical talent, he might not even have been qualified to become a corporate drone.
"Sigh, I'll just play something."
His somewhat heavy mood needed music to ease it. He closed his eyes, inhaled, relaxed, and then his fingers deftly danced over the keys.
Twelve years had passed, yet his fingers did not seem rusty at all. Instead, they felt even more responsive.
That was thanks to the Sword Heart. It allowed him to sense every minute change within his body and control every part of it with greater flexibility.
Thus, he played with skill and ease, relaxed and natural.
The melody flowed out, washing through the room. The kindergarten children froze, then all turned to stare at him in surprise.
Most of them did not know Ye Chang'an, but they knew the toy keyboard in his hands.
After all, they had been in school for several months. Trying every toy was simply what little kids did.
But when they played it, it did not produce anything as smooth and pleasant as Ye Chang'an's music. It sounded so good that the children were left utterly stunned.
"That's amazing~"
A child exclaimed, looking at him with envy.
And it was not just one child, but many.
They had all been captivated by Ye Chang'an's music.
Among them was a little girl with wine-red hair.
Wow, that sounds so good. He plays so well.
Little Eden stared at Ye Chang'an with sparkling eyes. She loved his music, and her own hands began to itch.
Born into a musical family, she had already begun learning instruments and music theory.
She liked music, and she liked performing.
I want to play too.
Eden could not resist any longer. She turned her head from side to side, looking for a toy, then borrowed a toy harp from another child and ran over to Ye Chang'an.
"Hey, um... can I play with you?"
Eden approached and greeted him sweetly.
"Hmm?"
Ye Chang'an opened his eyes and looked at her. He did not recognize her. She was not a friend he had made before recovering his memories.
He wanted to refuse, but then he saw the harp in her hands and the longing in her eyes, and he hesitated.
"Can you play?"
"I can. I learned at home." Eden nodded repeatedly.
"Then you play first. If I know it, I'll join in."
"Okay, I'm going to play now~"
Eden giggled and began playing a tune that was well known in this era, her fingers dancing over the strings.
Ye Chang'an had the melody in his memories. After thinking for a moment, he found the right point to join in and accompanied her.
The two melodies overlapped without the slightest awkwardness. Instead, they complemented each other perfectly.
"Wow, you're amazing. Your timing was so precise."
Eden exclaimed in surprise. Ye Chang'an nodded without saying anything, though he felt deeply puzzled inside.
What kind of world is this? Why are there so many monsters? A four-year-old can already play this well?
He had been playing instruments for over a decade.
Unable to figure it out, he stopped thinking about it and followed the melody, creating a perfect duet with Eden.
When the duet ended, Eden excitedly held out her little hand. "Um, hello, my name is Eden. What's your name? Can I play with you again?"
She wanted to perform with Ye Chang'an again.
Ye Chang'an, who had been preparing to end the simulation, suddenly did not want to end it just like that. It was because of the name Eden, as well as Eden's wine-red hair and golden eyes.
Mm-hmm~ Eden, red hair, golden eyes, and she can play beautifully at four years old.
I think I know who you are.
"Hello, Old Woman with Twin Guns. Oh, no, Eden. My name is Chang'an. You're welcome to come play with me again."
Chapter of Creation: Journey to a New World: 3. Eden's Man Was About to Be Stolen by Music
Eden—anyone who had played Honkai Impact 3rd: Elysian Realm had heard that name to some extent.
She was one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Previous Civilization, bearing the Signet of Gold. She was known as Eden of Gold, or Old Woman with Twin Guns.
Her red hair and golden eyes were not her most obvious traits.
Her defining trait was that she was big—in every sense of the word.
And she was also very rich.
Of course, those were all standards used to judge Eden after she became a star. For the young Eden, one could only identify her through her hair color, eye color, and musical ability.
The Eden who had come to make friends matched those criteria perfectly.
"Eden, let me ask you something. The place we're in is Mu Continent, right?"
Ye Chang'an tried to confirm it further, but Eden had no idea.
"I don't know. What's Mu Continent? Is it the name of a song I haven't heard before?"
Asking a four-year-old about world geography, it was already good enough that she had not mistaken the place name for candy.
And mistaking a place name for a song title... well, that was very Eden.
"Forget it. I'll ask someone else."
Ye Chang'an really did run off to ask the teacher, and the answer he received was affirmative.
This was Mu Continent. He also learned from the teacher that Eden's family was a renowned musical family on Mu Continent.
She's definitely the future Old Woman with Twin Guns.
Ye Chang'an was instantly energized. He immediately turned back, grabbed Eden's little hand, and said seriously,
"Eden, be my good friend."
Note that he meant good friend, not girlfriend. Ye Chang'an had no strange preferences. He wanted to make friends with her only to fulfill a dream he had once had.
It was a dream born before his musical dream had shattered—discussing music with Old Woman with Twin Guns.
A legendary singer whose voice could represent an entire era. Of course Ye Chang'an had wanted to do that.
Now that he had encountered her in the simulation, how could he simply leave?
He had to live. He absolutely had to live.
He would live until Eden became a superstar of the age, discuss music with her properly, and only then die and return to Tai Xu Mountain.
It might take a long time, but this was only a simulation, so it would not delay anything.
And he could use that time to cultivate the Tai Xu Sword Form. Not bad at all.
So he wanted to become good friends with Eden. His desire to befriend her was even stronger than Eden's had been when she first came to make friends with him.
"Um, Chang'an, we're already friends."
Eden pulled her little hand free, only for Ye Chang'an to grab it again.
"Friends aren't enough. We have to become good friends, very, very good friends."
Casual acquaintances were not enough for deep discussions. Only good friends could discuss music heart-to-heart.
"Mm~ Don't good friends have to start as friends first?"
"Oh, right. Then we'll be friends first, and work toward becoming good friends."
Ye Chang'an smiled, then began seeking Eden out every day at kindergarten to build their friendship.
Of course, even if he did not go looking for her, Eden would come looking for him.
For duets.
At five years old, you entered the senior kindergarten class. Eden became your classmate, giving you more opportunities to interact.
Your duets with Eden caused quite a stir at school. The teachers felt the two of you could enter a competition, so they signed you up.
The result was that you and Eden tied for first place, because the judges truly could not rank one above the other.
Before you continue