Chen Huai'an paused in his steps.
So, it had finally come to this.
A hidden BOSS! The classic overused trope in cultivation novels — the ancestral elder of the sect!
Defeat the weak, the strong show up. Defeat the strong, the resurrected arrive.
Invincible on Earth, yet someone always shows up from Heaven — an endless nesting doll of enemies.
If it were any other player, their only options now would be: flee or get crushed by the plot.
But he wasn't just any player.
He was Chen the Immortal — and he had money.
"You... you're the old monster hiding in Qingyun Sect, huh? Heh."
Chen Huai'an tilted his head slightly, half his face shrouded in shadow. Only that golden vertical pupil still burned bright.
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire crowd fell silent in shock.
Li Qingran gazed at him quietly, sensing that this "senior" spoke quite differently from how he had before.
But… that didn't matter.
Her heart was pounding fast.
Sect Master Wu Duantian and the elders stared at Chen Huai'an like he'd lost his mind.
Zhang Hanxiao, who had been playing dead, peeked open an eye.
Lu Changtian stopped writhing in pain.
Mu Baishuang covered her mouth in disbelief.
Even the half-dead Elder Qingxuan twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Did he just call the Ancestral Elder of Qingyun Sect, a peak Nascent Soul–Fusion realm cultivator, an "old monster"?
Well, she was old, sure…
But have some respect!
And what was he showing off for as a mere late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?!
There's a whole realm gap — an abyss!
"You... called me an old monster?"
Wrinkles twitched at the corners of the elder's eyes. Her lips curled into a smile — a very cold, killing-intent-laden smile.
"That's right. Old. Monster."
Chen Huai'an wasn't fazed, but he could feel this hidden boss was about to snap — time to unleash the power of money!
He muttered in his heart:
"Boost my cultivation to peak Fusion realm!"
Since this was a neural-interface game, it should recognize his thought commands.
Just as he expected — a prompt popped up:
[Realm not yet unlocked. Insufficient balance.]
Chen Huai'an: "???"
"Fine, Fusion realm late stage!"
[Not unlocked. Insufficient balance.]
"Mid-stage Fusion?!"
[Still locked. Not enough funds.]
"Early-stage Fusion??"
[Nope. Still broke.]
Chen Huai'an: "…Dead. I'm so screwed. GG."
The exchange took but a moment.
Meanwhile, the ancestral elder's aura surged. Behind her, a massive stone avatar began forming — dark-faced, white-haired, red-eyed and awe-inspiring.
Six arms each held a weapon: sword, saber, spear, vase, shield, and fan. Every gesture exuded divine authority.
She had summoned her Divine Aspect.
Chen Huai'an's expression was calm, but his heart was racing.
Was this really the dreaded plot kill event?
Then, a new prompt popped up:
[You have enraged the hidden boss "Ancestral Elder of Qingyun Sect." You now have three options (multiple choice allowed):]
Suddenly standing tall again, Chen Huai'an's back straightened like a ruler.
[Limited-Time Deal] Recharge ¥18 to get a Thousand-Mile Escape Talisman and flee the battlefield!
[Insane 0.001x Discount!] Recharge ¥88 to temporarily gain late Fusion realm aura for 30 seconds!
[Exclusive Charm Package ♡] Recharge ¥188 to boost your Charisma. The Ancestral Elder now sees you in a new light. (Increased chance of romance route unlocked.)
…
Was that third one for real?
Chen Huai'an hesitated.
Romancing an ancient sugar mommy in another world?
If it weren't for Li Qingran, he'd have slammed that option in a heartbeat!
This was just a game after all. Why not ride the coattails of a wealthy cougar?
But now…
Chen narrowed his eyes.
Just as the elder prepared to strike, he slammed ¥294 to the game — all three options selected.
In an instant, the Ancestral Elder's gaze froze.
She stared at his face shrouded in divine light.
Why did it feel... so familiar?
"Zihao… Is that you?"
"No, he's already dead. It can't be him. But that aura… it's so much like his…"
The killing aura dissipated like air from a punctured balloon.
Lu Zihao — once her lover, one of the top ten beauties of the Cangyun Realm.
But his talent was too poor. Despite all the resources she gave him, he failed to reach Nascent Soul and died young.
She wasn't always this old crone.
Cultivators had ways to stay young forever.
She chose to grow old — because her heart had died with him.
And now, that long-dead heart sparked faintly with life again…
Only to be snuffed out in an instant.
"Old hag, so what if you're in the Fusion realm?"
Chen Huai'an smiled faintly — and let his aura explode.
Fusion Realm, Late Stage.
The entire Qingyun Sect plaza was instantly weighed down by an invisible mountain.
Under the crushing pressure of two Fusion cultivators, the Nascent Soul elders couldn't even raise their heads — their knees sank into the stone floor.
Behind Chen, a massive Black Dragon Aspect rose into the sky, towering over the elder's own avatar.
Its roar echoed across the heavens, its golden vertical eyes blinding like twin suns.
'Should I recite a poem now?'
Chen frowned, overcome by a strange urge.
But his brain was blank. He couldn't just yell: "Damn, that's badass," right?
So he stayed silent, keeping his cool facade.
Unbeknownst to him, Li Qingran was already blushing hard beside him.
"You… you're a Fusion cultivator too?"
The elder's heart wavered further.
He looked so much like her dead lover…
Had power equal to her own…
Should she keep fighting today?
If she did — how could she ever mend things with him afterward?
If she didn't — wouldn't the sect lose face?
While she hesitated, Chen was watching the timer.
Only seconds left.
Then, he threw out a line:
"Today I've witnessed the grandeur of Qingyun Sect. I came for justice, and I've got it. Let's not drag this out. Goodbye."
Five seconds left.
Chen Huai'an pulled out the Thousand-Mile Escape Talisman.
He reached for Li Qingran's hand — missed — but the talisman activated, enveloping them both.
"Might I ask your name, fellow cultivator?"
The elder's voice trembled slightly.
"Sword Sect, Chen Huai'an."
Whoosh!
Their figures vanished.
"Sword Sect? A hidden sect perhaps…?"
The elder stood in place, conflicted.
But in the end, she didn't pursue.
His strength might very well exceed hers.
She turned to Qingxuan.
Her dragon-headed cane tapped his shoulder — healing light enveloped him.
After a while, the battered Qingxuan raised his head.
"Mother…"
"Shut up. Get your ass to the Cliff of Reflection and start repenting."
She coldly turned to leave.
After a few steps, she turned back again:
"Send two batches of Youth-Restoring Pills to my quarters. Within half an hour."
Qingxuan: "?"
"Oh, and prep a milk bath. With roses."
Qingxuan: "???"