Shangguan Hongyue carried Chen Xian on her flying sword, introducing him to the layout of the Xuanyun Sword Sect as they went.
"Ever since we rose to sect-level power, the sect has expanded with several subsidiary peaks."
"Besides Sect Master Peak, Morning Sun Peak and Sunset Valley are where the Outer Sect disciples train and live."
"The six peaks surrounding us—Sword, Pill, Artifact, Talisman, Formation, and Beast—are all reserved for Inner Sect disciples."
"Now that this junior has advanced to the Sword Master Realm, I'm an Inner Sect disciple, so I train and live on Mystic Cloud Peak, which is also called Sword Peak Mountain."
Whenever she talked about the Xuanyun Sword Sect, Shangguan Hongyue became quite the chatterbox.
Chen Xian nodded repeatedly as he listened.
Without this girl, he'd probably have gotten lost in the Xuanyun Sword Sect.
The sect was enormous, about as large as the university in Bay Bay that he'd known before transmigrating—340 square kilometers.
"Granduncle, I'll take you to Pill Peak to collect your Life-Prolonging Pill first."
Shangguan Hongyue pointed toward a distant peak, its buildings mostly blue-green.
Just then...
"Boom! Boom-boom!"
The sound of war drums reverberated through the mountain ravines.
Two enormous warships, entirely black and comparable to aircraft carriers in appearance and size, slowly rose from a distant valley into the clouds.
At the same time, hundreds upon thousands of streaks of spiritual light shot skyward from the various peaks, like a swarm of wasps sweeping through, buzzing as they flew toward the warships.
One by one, the streaks of light descended, revealing rows of imposing, spirited male and female cultivators standing in formation on the decks.
Chen Xian's cloudy eyes trembled slightly. "So this is the Xuanyun Sword Sect's true strength? It's practically a war machine!"
"Set off!"
The two elders standing at the very front of the warships shouted with thunderous authority, their battle flags snapping in the wind.
The two warships slowly shifted forward like a pair of colossal beasts awakening.
Chen Xian was just about to say that the things weren't even as fast as flying swords when, the next moment—
"Vmmm—"
A yellow barrier enveloped the warships amid a deep hum. They accelerated, moving faster and faster.
"Whoosh!"
Chen Xian barely blinked, and the two ships had vanished right before his eyes!
Only the long contrails in the sky bore witness to the two great ships that had once rested there.
"Holy crap... No wonder nobody who cultivates immortality bothers climbing the conventional tech tree."
These things flew even faster than missiles!
"I hope everyone returns safely." Shangguan Hongyue gazed at the contrails in the sky and murmured softly.
"Hm?" Chen Xian glanced at the girl in surprise. He hadn't expected her to care so much about her fellow disciples.
"I have to work hard at cultivating! I'll try to break through to the third layer of the Sword Master Realm as soon as possible. Then I'll be able to join the battle!"
Shangguan Hongyue clenched her dainty fist, her eyes full of longing for strength.
"Keep at it! This old man has to work hard at cultivating, too."
Her spirit inspired Chen Xian, and he couldn't help encouraging her.
"Hm? Can you still cultivate, senior?"
Shangguan Hongyue tilted her head and looked at the old man beside her in confusion.
She'd always thought the senior was hiding his strength, but now she understood: he had "lost his cultivation."
Could someone who had lost their cultivation still cultivate?
"Why couldn't I? Maybe it won't be long before I surpass you, girl!"
Chen Xian raised his white brows slightly and stroked his beard, his tone mysterious.
He had the Mystic Jade Sword Bone, and his Sword Path comprehension was currently four times as high!
What would it become after he refined the [Sword Dao Affinity] trait later? Eight times? Ten times?
Once he began cultivating, wouldn't his cultivation shoot up like a rocket?
The cheat system didn't play by the rules.
"Pfft, Granduncle, you're just bragging~"
Shangguan Hongyue had grown familiar with Chen Xian and even made a face at him.
"What do you mean, bragging? Don't you know how to respect your elders?"
Unconvinced, Chen Xian reached out and flicked her on the forehead.
"It doesn't hurt! Bleh!"
Shangguan Hongyue had seen it coming. Sword Qi shielded her, and with her Sword Master Realm cultivation, she hadn't felt a thing.
Chen Xian sighed helplessly. "The old get bullied wherever they go!"
After Shangguan Hongyue took Chen Xian on a quick tour of the various peaks, he was settled in a courtyard for Inner Sect disciples on Mystic Cloud Peak.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he held a jade box in his hands.
Inside was the Life-Prolonging Pill.
The steward who'd given it to him had said it was a Grade Six, low-grade pill that could extend his life by two and a half years.
Chen Xian didn't know what rank a Grade Six pill was, but it had to be extremely precious.
An old man like him, on the verge of death, was a liability anywhere. Yet they'd given him this pill for free.
He had to admit, the Xuanyun Sword Sect treated its "retired seniors" pretty well.
He suddenly understood why Shangguan Hongyue had prayed for her fellow senior brothers and sisters.
Who wouldn't love a sect like this?
Chen Xian carefully opened the jade box. A perfectly round green pill rested quietly on the soft cushion.
He picked it up, shut his eyes, and popped it into his mouth.
It didn't taste strange, as he'd expected. The moment the Life-Prolonging Pill touched his tongue, it turned into a refreshing liquid and slid down his throat.
The cool sensation lasted only a minute or two before fading.
There were no strange reactions. It felt just like he'd eaten a mint that melted in his mouth, and his mind seemed a little clearer.
With a thought, he called up the panel.
[Name: Chen Xian] [Realm: Dao Disciple, First Layer] [Lifespan: Two years and seven months] [...]
"Holy crap!" Seeing that his lifespan had really changed, Chen Xian's first reaction wasn't happiness. Instead, a cold sweat broke out on him.
One Life-Prolonging Pill added two and a half years to his lifespan. And two and a half years meant two years and six months, didn't it?
The panel had previously said his lifespan was [Less than one year]. He'd assumed he had at least half a year left to live!
Damn it! He'd only had a month left. He'd nearly kicked the bucket and died of old age!
Chen Xian's back went cold. And without this Life-Prolonging Pill, he might have gone into seclusion to cultivate, only for it to become a death seclusion.
With only a month, even with unlimited cheating, breaking through to the Dao Master Realm would've been all but impossible.
He'd subtly asked Shangguan Hongyue about the relationship between lifespan and cultivation realms.
He'd learned that lifespan only increased by twenty years upon reaching the Dao Master Realm.
After that, each layer added three years.
So Lei Qingyang had saved his life!
"Thanks to Xuanyun! Thanks to the sect master! I really have to kowtow to Sect Master Lei."
"May good fortune be returned to the good-hearted Sect Master Lei. May he live to a hundred!"
Chen Xian stuck his butt in the air, lay on the bed, and bowed toward Sect Master Peak.
"Achoo!"
Lei Qingyang, who was handling sect affairs, suddenly sneezed.
He sniffed and rubbed his nose in puzzlement.
"That's strange. I'm a Dao Venerable Realm powerhouse. How could I sneeze? It must be those old fossils from the Blood Demon Sect cursing me!"
An elder came over and handed him a cup of hot tea. "Sect Master, I checked the records at the Archives Hall."
"Well? Did you find anything?"
Lei Qingyang took a sip of tea without looking up, his hands busily processing the various reports.
"I suppose you could say I did." The elder hesitated, then nodded. He took a tattered scroll from his Mustard Seed Bag and spread it out before Lei Qingyang.
< Xuanyun Sword Sect—Detailed Record of the Blood Demon Sect Invasion in the Gengzi Year and the Annihilation of Sword Suppression Peak >
Lei Qingyang's gaze swept quickly across the page, stopping at a line in the middle:
< Inner Sect disciple Chen ****, Sword Bone ****, missing >
The contents were badly damaged, but Lei Qingyang let out a long breath. "It should be right. He really is our granduncle."
"Make sure he's well looked after from now on."