It was a pity his streaming account still didn't have many followers—otherwise, he'd totally do an unboxing live stream.
Grinning from ear to ear, Chen Huaian carried the two boxes into the room. He shut the door and windows, pulled the curtains closed, and only switched on the bedside lamp. Settling back onto the bed, he rubbed his hands together in excitement.
"First up, our little Qingran's adorable gift!"
He clipped the tape with a nail clipper, opened the small box—
—and his face instantly darkened.
Inside was just a sealed bag containing a bracelet. The beads looked like they were made of… glass?
"Ehhh… a little cheap, huh."
He picked up the bracelet. It felt cool and smooth in his hand, and maybe it was just his imagination, but the air seemed fresher the moment he breathed in. His morning grogginess was swept away.
"Although the materials are cheap, the craftsmanship is awful, and the characters carved on the beads are ugly enough to make me cry..."
He looked at the crooked blessing etched onto the bracelet.
Still, he slipped it on, a warm smile blooming on his face:
"But the moment I think about this being a gift from Qingran, my whole mood improves."
That's right—he attributed that refreshing sensation to "the power of love."
Not far away, in the shoebox on the desk, the motionless black cat's nose twitched.
Its tightly shut eyes cracked open just a sliver.
---
"Now, time for the big one!"
This time, Chen Huaian got a little more aggressive.
Three moves and the large item was revealed.
It was a long sword, ancient in style.
Though it looked aged, the wear was clearly deliberate.
Measuring a meter and a half, the blade was bronze-colored, adorned with black scale patterns. The hilt was engraved with complex traditional characters—likely the swordsmith's signature, he guessed.
"Name's Blackscale, huh? Pretty fitting."
He held the sword up to the ceiling light.
The glow slid along the blade, reflecting a cold gleam that didn't seem to belong in this modern era.
No—this sword didn't belong here at all.
It felt like it belonged to Li Qingran's world, the Cangyun Realm.
This wasn't a replica or a prop.
This was a real, living flying sword from another world.
"Man, I must've slept badly and fried my brain."
Chen Huaian shook his head, annoyed at his own wild imagination.
Still, he had to admit—the developers' attention to detail was insane.
Even the previous protective charm, though it faded, really felt like Qingran had made it.
This bracelet too—probably just glass, yet it carried that same faint scent as the old charm.
That's what we call dedication to detail.
And this sword? Nothing to nitpick.
Real steel. Real weight.
Even if he just hung it on the wall as decoration, it would look badass.
"Is this blade sharpened?"
He scratched his head, tempted to test it with his finger—then immediately withdrew.
His instincts screamed: Bad idea.
Instead, he picked up a curled black hair from the floor.
Gently dropped it onto the blade.
Zing—!
He could almost hear the sword sing.
The hair split cleanly in mid-air and drifted down in two halves.
"Holy sh—this thing's razor-sharp!"
"Isn't this basically a regulated weapon? How did it get through shipping?"
Was he going to get arrested for owning this?!
He hurriedly sheathed the sword.
Conveniently, there was a nail in the wall from an old painting.
He hung Blackscale Sword on it.
Oddly enough, the ancient weapon didn't look out of place in the modern hotel decor.
"It's settled then. Blackscale Sword—you'll be cremated with me one day! Mwahahaha!"
Blackscale Sword: "…"
Black cat in the shoebox: "…"
[What the hell is up with this guy? He actually has a flying sword?]
[Wait—could spiritual artifacts still exist in this era? I've never seen one on the road. But puppet tech seems pretty advanced…]
The black cat's big round eyes peeped from the shoebox.
It had been roused by the spiritual energy radiating from the spirit stones.
That energy was like the most precious medicine to it right now—just breathing the air nearby sped up its healing.
First the golden-needle technique, then ancestral dragon protection…
Now spirit stones and flying swords?
The black cat's mind was in chaos.
It couldn't figure out what kind of freak Chen Huaian was, let alone what was going on with this strange modern world.
By all logic, anything spiritual or cultivation-related should've disappeared from this era long ago.
Its own observations since waking up had confirmed that.
But this guy? He's got it all?!
This isn't science… this is nonsense!
Forget it. For now, recovering was the top priority.
That Ancestral Dragon aura was scary, but it only reacted when it sensed harm—
As long as it didn't make a move against the human, it should be safe.
It was just about to let out a weak meow to attract his attention—
Only to realize—
The human was gone.
[Where'd he go?!]
Dragging its battered body to the windowsill, the black cat peeked out.
Down below, it spotted him—in pajamas, holding a clothes-drying rod, charging across the plaza.
---
Old Li had been practicing tai chi on this small square for 20 years.
Among the many retirees in the nearby eight or nine residential buildings,
he was the undisputed #1 in elderly tai chi.
"Don't play games while walking! Watch for cars!"
He scolded two kids crossing the road while playing Honor of Kings.
One of them turned around and flipped him the finger.
"Mind your own business, grandpa!"
"Why you little—ugh…"
Old Li shook his head as the kids walked off.
Youth these days had no vitality.
All they did was play games.
Not like in his time.
Technology might've advanced society, but it had also made people lose innocence and soul.
"Sigh—"
He sighed again and walked over to the tree where he always practiced.
But someone was already there.
A young man in pajamas, drenched in sweat, holding a clothes rod in a strange posture—
But there was a spark of vigor about him.
Old Li's eyes lit up.
A spirited young man—that was exactly what society was missing!
His form was awkward, unrefined.
But the potential… it was there.
Today, fate had brought this young man to him.
As a senior, it was his duty to guide him.
"Young man, that's not right. Your stance isn't stable—this isn't how you do horse stance!"
Chen Huaian was in pain, trying to train in the Azure Lotus Sword Codex.
Suddenly, an old voice sounded behind him—
Then two strong hands pressed down on his shoulders.
A foot wedged between his legs and pushed outward.
"HSSSSS—!"
His right leg, still in a cast, flared with pain—
But strangely, he wasn't angry at all.
Because as the old man corrected his posture—
he saw something amazing:
[Azure Lotus Sword Codex – Chapter 1 Progress: 2% → 13%]