"He's so good at pretending!" thought a certain fox-faced person.
Upon seeing me, this fool, getting drenched in the rain, he actually suspended all the raindrops around.
In front of Chu Huaixu, raindrops hung suspended, crystal clear yet motionless, defying the laws of nature.
He, who was already soaked through, curiously raised a finger and gently poked one of the raindrops.
"I can't even move it?" He was astonished.
He quickly realized it was because each raindrop was enveloped in a layer of power that he couldn't see.
This power enclosing them created the breathtaking scene before him.
As for the owner of this power, it was easy to guess.
Chu Huaixu looked up at the man in the high sky, whose appearance was unclear, and evaluated him with just two words in his heart:
"Pretentious show-off!"
...
...
Under the oiled-paper umbrella, Han Shuangjiang slightly tightened her right hand holding the handle.
Though she appeared cold as ice on the outside, with a calm demeanor, her heart was extremely shocked.
"Soaring through the sky... this is... a Great Cultivator!"
In the Profound Yellow Realm, cultivators are divided into nine realms, and once one's cultivation reaches the Fifth Realm, they are honored as a Great Cultivator.
The most obvious trait of a Great Cultivator is that they can fly without relying on external objects.
Such powerful individuals are rare even among the Four Great Sects of Mirror Country.
It's known that in Joy Sect where Han Shuangjiang was once situated, even the Sect Leader, Saintess, and Saint Heir hadn't reached the Fifth Realm in strength.
To be precise, the Sect Leader, with his big fat bottom and sweet-talking manner, was merely at the Third Realm.
If it really came down to a fight, a Great Cultivator could easily suppress him with just a slight move of a finger!
However, with her understanding of Joy Sect, Han Shuangjiang knew well that in such a situation, the sect members would likely kneel and hold that finger in their mouths.
Thinking this, she immediately shook her head lightly, dismissing her wild thoughts and her recollections of past experiences.
That place where debauchery sounds echoed around the clock was something she truly didn't want to recall.
In Joy Sect, the culture of comparison was rampant. It's easy to imagine what people compared.
Han Shuangjiang did not want to become a subject of comparison in someone else's conversation one day.
It's said that the Saint Heir and Saintess also have a duty to give lectures to their juniors, showcasing "Joyful Entanglement" to everyone...
She only wished to rid herself of all this and take control of her own destiny!
The premise of all this was cultivation, was to become strong!
Hence, upon realizing the other party was a Great Cultivator, Han Shuangjiang first felt shocked, then her heart turned fervent!
This was Wumeng Mountain outside the Daoist Sect, and it could basically be confirmed that this person was not only at least a Fifth Realm expert but most likely from the powerful Daoist Sect!
"He didn't lie to me; that storyteller didn't lie!" Han Shuangjiang exclaimed in her heart.
"He said if I came here at midnight tonight, I could join the Daoist Sect, and it turns out to be true!"
Just a few days ago, she had met a storyteller by chance, and he had said this to her before disappearing in a blink.
"Could this actually be my opportunity!" Han Shuangjiang raised her head, watching the figure in high altitude slowly descend.
This person, dressed in a white robe, landed between Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang, the contrast between the three was stark.
Chu Huaixu was all wet, but even with strands of wet hair plastered against his forehead, his handsomeness couldn't be concealed.
Han Shuangjiang, holding the oiled-paper umbrella, remained breathtakingly beautiful even with a thin veil covering her.
He was a handsome man, she was a beauty, and the Great Cultivator was... well, a person.
This individual's white robe and overall demeanor gave off an exceptionally otherworldly feeling.
Yet his appearance was quite unremarkable.
If this were in a period drama, after creating such a commotion, his aura exposed, and causing raindrops to hang suspended in mid-air, should the camera pan to his face, it would surely disappoint the audience's expectations.
But Chu Huaixu recognized him, still feeling very surprised.
Before his transmigration, the timeline in "Borrowed Sword" was Xuan Calendar 1997, and the game had entered public testing in 1991, already six years past.
At that time, as a veteran player, he had already leveled up to 49.
In the Profound Yellow Realm, before formally cultivating, mortals must first undergo Acupoint Opening, unlocking their acupoints, and strengthening their bodies, then they could introduce Qi into the body and become a First Realm cultivator.
For players, the Acupoint Opening and Body Refining Stage corresponds to Level 1-9.
Players reaching Level 10 would equate to a First Realm NPC.
Level 19 would be equivalent to First Realm Great Perfection!
With this conversion, Chu Huaixu at Level 49 was equivalent to Fourth Realm Great Perfection.
Advancing one more level to Level 50 would correspond to a Great Cultivator in the Profound Yellow Realm!
However, he didn't advance purely because the current game's level cap was 49.
Though he had transmigrated, and the current timeline is Xuan Calendar 1990, pushed back a year, his memory hadn't faded, and he naturally recognized this famous person before him.
"Li Chunsong, Sixth Elder of the Daoist Sect, a terrifying presence at the Seventh Realm, a renowned powerhouse in the entire Profound Yellow Realm."
"On game forums, he also had many resounding nicknames."
"Dead Gambling Addict, Charitable Gambling King, Li Purely Sending... "
This person was a compulsive gambler, either gambling or on his way to gamble.
Fortunately, he always upheld the principle of small stakes for amusement, rarely gambling heavily, just doing it frequently and betting on everything.
Since he almost never won a gamble, these nicknames came about.
Chu Huaixu didn't expect to encounter him at the foot of Wumeng Mountain.
Besides, he had no idea what the man intended to do.
It's important to know that even with his former Level 49 character, he was no match for Li Chunsong.
What's more, after this period of thought, he had faintly guessed something about his identity.
"I was being hunted by Xue Hu from the Patrol Office, and the Patrol Office belongs to the Mirror Country Court."
"Xue Hu also claimed I intended to infiltrate the Daoist Sect with ulterior motives."
"So my allegiance is likely to be opposed to both the Daoist Sect and the Court."
"Damn, that makes me probably someone from Moon Country!"
Now standing before him was a renowned figure from the Daoist Sect, a major figure in the cultivation world. If anything were detected...
This made Chu Huaixu extremely alarmed, his body tensed, though he tried his utmost to remain calm.
For he knew well that in front of such a high-level expert, he was really quite "transparent."
For instance, the rapid acceleration of his heartbeat could easily be detected by the other.
"Damn, damn, damn!" He cursed inwardly, his brain working rapidly.
Cold sweat seeped from his body, blending with the rainwater on his skin.
The only thing he could offer was the hundred taels of silver notes in his pocket.
Chu Huaixu recalled all the information he had on Li Chunsong, then glanced at Han Shuangjiang not far away.
He remembered clearly that a player from the Daoist Sect had posted on the forum, saying that the two "World Protagonists" of East Continent Mirror Country—Han Shuangjiang and Xu Ziqing—were actually brought to the Daoist Sect together by Li Chunsong.
At this moment, he noticed Li Chunsong had looked at him with some astonishment, then heaved a gentle sigh.
Yet after the sigh, he said nothing further, only asking one question: "What are your names?"
"Han Shuangjiang."
"Chu Huaixu."
Upon hearing this, Li Chunsong glanced at them with interest and said, "Shuangjiang, one of the twenty-four solar terms. Huaixu, the fourth month. Your names... are quite interesting."
The tone and look had an air of randomly matchmaking them.
With a wave of his sleeve, he said, "Alright, I won't belabor the point. I deliberately came a bit earlier than the agreed time, but didn't expect you two to arrive even earlier."
"Then let's return to the Daoist Sect together."
With these words, a storm of emotions erupted in Chu Huaixu's heart.
However, in the next instant, Li Chunsong lightly tapped forward with his finger, and both he and Han Shuangjiang floated upward, following him as they flew upwards.
Only after all three flew far did the suspended raindrops finally fall to the ground.
...
...
On the other side, in the dense forest at the foot of Wumeng Mountain, a delicate-looking youth named Xu Ziqing was anxiously pacing.
Because he was in a hurry.
However, he was surrounded by people from the Patrol Office.
...
(P.S.: Thanks to both new and old friends for your tips, much appreciated.
It's the beginning of the month, asking for monthly votes!)