Gal Martial Saint

The concept of "Body Seizure" does exist within this cultivation game's worldview.

In the bottom-layer logic of this system, if a Target of Affection—whether human, demon, or Artifact Spirit—is completely seized and its essence changes, the name displayed in the game will directly swap to the True Name of the one who seized it.

Gu Chengming had considered this when he originally created the MOD.

Once a Target of Affection is "seized," the name above their head is replaced by the name of the one who seized them.

But now...

Gu Chengming confirmed the panel once more.

[Huiyuan Sword Art: Flowing Light Sword Shadow (CG Not Unlocked)]

The subject was still "Huiyuan Sword Art."

It just had an extra suffix.

Flowing Light Sword Shadow.

Mm, logically speaking, it should be fine.

Then the reason Huiyuan Sword Art had become like this was probably because the move Flowing Light Sword Shadow originated from another Cultivation Method.

He remembered the system had once given a name—it was something like... Flowing Clouds Following Moon Sword Technique?

Gu Chengming had a guess in his heart.

So the personality change in Huiyuan Sword Art right now was actually the personality of Flowing Clouds Following Moon?

Then the CG unlock for this suffix might be related to Flowing Clouds Following Moon Sword Technique.

But immediately, a new question arose.

As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

To win over a target, you first had to figure out its temperament and nature.

The previous Huiyuan Sword Art was easy to understand—just keep accompanying the little Resentful Woman, and her resentment would naturally fade away.

But this one now...

This type that spoke with tildes and musical notes was usually either a pink-haired psycho or that kind of completely unpredictable fun-seeker.

He needed to probe.

Gu Chengming made up his mind, deciding to take the initiative and tentatively ask in his mind:

"How are you feeling?"

The response came quickly, and it still carried that elusive, cheerful vibe.

[Huiyuan Sword Art giggled. Was it calling it??]

Gu Chengming: "..."

Could you stop talking with musical notes? I can't hear them either?

But talking with musical notes might be a good breakthrough point.

Gu Chengming steadied himself and continued probing: "Your personality seems to have changed quite a bit. Is it because you comprehended Flowing Light Sword Shadow?"

This time, the response was slightly delayed.

[Huiyuan Sword Art blinked and decided to keep it a secret.]

[It said, what was there to explore in such boring theoretical questions?]

[What mattered was that it had become stronger now. Not only could it help you swing your sword faster, but it could also...]

[It deliberately left a cliffhanger.]

[It could let you see more interesting scenery. Wasn't that good?]

Gu Chengming frowned slightly.

Avoiding the question, changing the subject.

And it was the kind of avoidance that made it hard to find fault, even making it seem a bit cute.

This was a world of difference from the previous Huiyuan Sword Art, which said whatever it thought and even laid bare its feelings of inferiority without reservation.

After this brief exchange, Gu Chengming had already formed a preliminary portrait in his mind.

More lively, more malicious.

And better at... disguise.

Yes, disguise.

This was what Gu Chengming cared about most.

According to this system's setting, the interaction between him and a Cultivation Method was essentially the embodiment of the method's "inner voice." What he saw was their "True Self."

But now, facing this new Huiyuan Sword Art, Gu Chengming felt a strong sense of dissonance.

Every word it said, though it seemed to express emotion, felt more like... a "performance."

It was playing the role of a "lively, cute, somewhat mysterious" character.

That "?" and the description of "blinking" were all carefully concealing its true intentions and thoughts behind a solid veil.

It was talking to you, but it wasn't letting you see its "heart."

This gave Gu Chengming a bit of a headache.

Trying to win over a target that would lie to you, or at least hold back from you, increased the difficulty coefficient exponentially.

"This is a bit tricky..."

Gu Chengming rubbed his temples.

Before, it was "I can hear your thoughts, so I know how to coax you."

Now it had become "I can hear your words, but I don't know which ones are true and which ones are you messing with me."

It was like playing a Galgame where every option was "???"—one wrong move and you'd walk straight into a Bad End.

Just as Gu Chengming was sinking into thought, another line of text popped up in his mind.

[Huiyuan Sword Art watches you frown in contemplation, seeming to find it quite amusing.]

[It wants to poke your cheek.]

[Why aren't you talking? Are you scared by how it looks now? Or is it...]

The text paused briefly, then became lighter and more playful.

[Are you thinking about how to get to know it again?]

[It's okay, we have plenty of time. Let's take it slow~?]

PS: One more chapter, coming a bit later.

Chapter 42: Chapter Forty—I Will Achieve the Perfect Ending.

The night breeze was cool, stirring up a few withered leaves in the courtyard.

For some reason, the wind tonight was especially strong.

Gu Chengming held his wooden sword, focusing his breath and steadying his mind.

He couldn't quite figure out Huiyuan Sword Art's reactions, but there was still one thing he could confirm.

—And that was the use of Flowing Light Sword Shadow.

He didn't channel much Spiritual Energy; he only tried to touch that newly born Spiritual Power circuit within his body, one that carried a faintly unfamiliar aura.

It was a light, bouncing sensation, as if it might slip through his fingertips at any moment.

With a flick of his mind, the unremarkable wooden sword in his hand suddenly let out a clear, resonant hum.

There was no earth-shattering display, no dazzling brilliance.

Gu Chengming's figure flickered in place, as if a single frame of the scene had stuttered.

The next instant, an extremely faint Sword Mark, almost blending into the moonlight, had already appeared on the bluestone ground three zhang away.

After a Light Sound, the afterimage at Gu Chengming's original position slowly dissipated.

So fast it was unbelievable—even Gu Chengming himself felt a momentary daze.

[Flowing Light Sword Shadow: CG Unlocked +5]

Before the small text flashing across his retina could be fully read, the cheerful voice in his mind had already sounded.

[Now, isn't it much more impressive than that clumsy guy who used to just teach you how to swing a sword?]

Gu Chengming lowered his head to glance at the wooden sword in his hand, then felt the Dantian that had been drained empty in an instant.

Impressive, it certainly was.

The speed of this one strike was at least several times faster than the original moves of the Huiyuan Sword Art. If used in actual combat, it would be enough to catch an opponent off guard.

But the cost was also severe. Just one move had directly sucked away a third of his "mana bar." If he couldn't kill anyone with three consecutive strikes, he'd have to lie flat and take the mockery.

On the other side, Hundred Bones, who had witnessed the entire process, was completely dumbfounded.

[Hundred Bones thought to itself, so this is the power gained by sacrificing oneself?]

[Damn, why does it feel like Body Seizure isn't so scary anymore?]

Gu Chengming, however, didn't care about what Hundred Bones was thinking. His attention was entirely on that line about "CG Unlocked."

Using the sword technique only added 5 points.

This meant that simply "using" it wasn't the key to unlocking. That so-called CG, and the true face of "Flowing Light Sword Shadow" that had yet to reveal itself, were clearly hidden much deeper.

Gu Chengming put away his wooden sword and stood in the courtyard, letting the night wind mess up his hair.

He was silent for a moment, then asked softly in his mind:

"Huiyuan Sword Art."

[Huiyuan Sword Art laughed and said, what's up? Does it want to show you again?]

Gu Chengming didn't take her bait; instead, he cut straight to the chase:

"Will you change back?"

"Back to how you were before."

The voice in his mind paused, for a rare moment.

Then that lighthearted feeling surged back, as if the pause had never happened.

[Huiyuan Sword Art let out an aiya. It always wants to climb higher, you know. The old version wasn't good enough, wasn't strong enough—couldn't even walk far with you.]

[Isn't this better now? It's stronger, more interesting, and can help you more.]

[Or... are you actually someone who clings to the past, who doesn't like how it's changed?]

She deftly tossed the question back, glossing over the heavy topic with a light touch.

Gu Chengming took a deep breath.

This feeling... was awful.

He was a player, a so-called "Fourth Calamity" who would stop at nothing to clear the game—but he was still human.

He really disliked this sensation of familiar people or things suddenly becoming unrecognizable.

Especially when the change wasn't natural, but carried a sense of twisting itself to cater to him, to avoid being abandoned.

"Huiyuan Sword Art."

Gu Chengming's voice dropped, carrying a seriousness he'd never shown before.

In his mind, he spoke, word by word:

"I don't know if you can understand what I mean."

"If you really changed because of this sword move, became what you are now, then I'll try to accept it, to get to know you again."

"No matter what you become, as long as you're still the Huiyuan Sword Art that's been with me all this time, I'll treat you the same as always."

He paused here, then his tone grew even more resolute: