Chapter 6: Two Protagonists
“He’s such a show-off!” a fox-faced individual thought.
Seeing me, this fool, standing in the rain, he actually stopped all the surrounding raindrops in mid-air.
Before Chu Huaixu’s eyes, raindrops floated suspended, crystalline and motionless, defying the laws of nature.
Soaked to the bone, he curiously raised a finger and gently poked one of the suspended raindrops.
“It won’t budge?” he marveled inwardly.
He soon understood that it was because each raindrop was encased in an invisible layer of power.
Because they were enveloped by this power, the shocking scene before him had materialized.
As for who this power belonged to, it was easy to guess.
Chu Huaixu looked up at the man in the sky whose appearance was obscured, and his evaluation could be summed up in two words:
“Show-off!”
Beneath the oil-paper umbrella, Han Shuangjiang’s right hand gripping the handle tightened slightly.
Although her outward appearance remained as cold as frost, and her expression was still calm, her heart was already immensely shocked.
“Flying through the air, this is… a Great Cultivator!”
In the Profound Yellow Realm, cultivators were divided into nine realms. Those who reached the fifth realm were respectfully addressed as Great Cultivators.
The most obvious characteristic of a Great Cultivator was their ability to fly without any external aids.
Individuals with such power were rare, even within the four major sects of Mirror Country.
It was worth noting that the Joyous Sect, where Han Shuangjiang had once belonged, did not even have its Sect Master, Saintess, or Saint Son reach the fifth realm.
To be precise, the Sect Master, with his ample posterior and silver tongue, was merely at the third realm.
If a confrontation were to occur, a Great Cultivator could easily suppress him with a mere flick of a finger!
However, knowing the Joyous Sect as she did, Han Shuangjiang was well aware that in such a situation, people from the sect would likely kneel and suck that finger.
With that thought, she gently shook her head, dismissing her fanciful thoughts and memories of past experiences.
She truly did not wish to recall that place, where decadent music was incessant.
Within the Joyous Sect, a culture of comparison was rampant. It was easy to imagine what people compared there.
Han Shuangjiang did not want to become an object of comparison for others one day.
She heard that the Saint Son and Saintess were also responsible for teaching junior disciples, demonstrating the “Joyous Embrace” to everyone.
She only wanted to escape all of this and control her own destiny!
And the prerequisite for all of this was cultivation, becoming stronger!
Therefore, upon seeing that the other party was a Great Cultivator, Han Shuangjiang was first shocked, and then her heart burned with fervent anticipation!
This area was Wumeng Mountain, outside the Daoist Sect. It was almost certain that the person was not only a powerhouse at least of the fifth realm, but likely hailed from the powerful Daoist Sect!
“He wasn’t lying to me, that storyteller didn’t lie to me!” Han Shuangjiang thought to herself.
“He said that if I came here at the Hour of the Rat tonight, I could join the Daoist Sect, and it’s actually true!”
Just a few days prior, she had coincidentally met a storyteller who told her this, and then vanished without a trace.
“Could this truly be my destiny!” Han Shuangjiang raised her head, watching the figure in the sky slowly descend.
Clad in white robes, he landed between Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang, creating a stark contrast among the three.
Chu Huaixu was profusely wet, but even with strands of damp hair clinging to his forehead, his handsomeness could not be concealed.
Han Shuangjiang held her oil-paper umbrella, but even with a thin veil, her peerless beauty could not be hidden.
He was a handsome man, and she was a beautiful woman. The Great Cultivator was him… a person.
The white robes and the entire bearing of this person gave off an aura of ethereal otherworldliness.
But his face was utterly ordinary.
If this were a historical drama, after causing such a commotion and exuding such presence, still keeping raindrops suspended in the air and creating such a grand scene, the moment the camera focused on his face, it would absolutely fail to meet the audience’s expectations.
However, Chu Huaixu recognized him and was quite surprised.
Before his transmigration, the timeline in “Sword Borrowing Art” was Xuan Calendar 1997. The game started public beta in 1991, and six years had passed.
At that time, he, as a veteran player, had already reached level 49.
In the Profound Yellow Realm, before mortals could officially begin cultivating, they had to first open their meridians, clear their acupoints, and strengthen their physical bodies before they could absorb spiritual energy and become cultivators of the First Realm.
For players, this meridian-opening and body-tempering phase corresponded to levels 1-9.
When players reached level 10, they were comparable to NPCs of the First Realm.
Level 19 was equivalent to the Great Perfection of the First Realm!
Converting this, Chu Huaixu’s level 49 was equivalent to the Great Perfection of the Fourth Realm.
An increase of one level, reaching level 50, would be comparable to a Great Cultivator in the Profound Yellow Realm!
The reason he hadn’t leveled up further was simply because the level cap for the current game version was 49.
Although he had transmigrated, and the current timeline was Xuan Calendar 1990, a year earlier, his memories had not vanished, and he naturally recognized this famous figure before him.
“Li Chunsong, the Sixth Elder of the Daoist Sect, a terrifying existence of the Seventh Realm, a powerhouse ranked among the top in the entire Profound Yellow Realm.”
“He also had many well-known titles on the game forums.”
“Dead Gambler, Philanthropic Gambling King, Li Chun Song…”
This person was addicted to gambling, either gambling or on his way to gamble.
Fortunately, he always adhered to the principle of “small bets for pleasure,” rarely betting large amounts, but his frequency was high, and he loved to gamble on everything.
Because he lost almost every gamble, he had acquired these nicknames.
Chu Huaixu hadn’t expected to encounter him at the foot of Wumeng Mountain.
Besides this, he didn’t know what the other party was doing.
It was worth noting that even his level 49 main character, which he played before transmigration, was no match for Li Chunsong.
Moreover, after some contemplation, he had begun to form some vague suspicions about his own identity.
“I am being pursued by Xue Hu from the Police Office, and the Police Office belongs to the court of Mirror Country.”
“Xue Hu also said I want to infiltrate the Daoist Sect with malicious intent.”
“Then my Faction is likely on the opposing side of the Daoist Sect and the court.”
“Damn it, then I’m probably from Moon Country!”
And now, facing him was an unparalleled expert ranked among the Daoist Sect’s best, a major figure in the cultivation world. If he sensed anything…
This caused Chu Huaixu’s alarm bells to ring, and his body tensed up, though he tried his best to remain calm.
Because he knew very well that before a powerhouse of this caliber, he was quite “transparent.”
For example, his wildly accelerating heartbeat could be easily detected by the other party.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” he cursed inwardly, his mind racing at full speed.
Cold sweat broke out from his body, mingling with the rainwater.
The only thing he could rely on now was the hundred taels of silver bills in his pocket.
Chu Huaixu recalled all the information he had about Li Chunsong and then glanced at Han Shuangjiang nearby.
He remembered very clearly that players from the Daoist Sect had posted on the forums saying that the two “World Protagonists” of Eastern Continent and Mirror Country – Han Shuangjiang and Xu Ziqing – were both brought to the Daoist Sect by Li Chunsong.
At this moment, he also noticed that after Li Chunsong glanced at him, he first seemed somewhat surprised, then let out a slight sigh.
But after sighing, he didn’t say much, only asking, “What are your names?”
“Han Shuangjiang.”
“Chu Huaixu.”
Upon hearing this, Li Chunsong looked at them with interest and said, “Shuangjiang, one of the twenty-four solar terms. Huaixu, it’s the fourth month. Your names are quite interesting.”
His tone and expression held a hint of matchmaking.
With a wave of his sleeve, he said, “Alright, I won’t waste time with pleasantries. I deliberately arrived a little earlier than the agreed time, but I didn’t expect you two to arrive even earlier.”
“Then come back to the Daoist Sect with me.”
At these words, a storm of shock erupted in Chu Huaixu’s heart.
However, the next moment, Li Chunsong pointed forward with his finger, and he and Han Shuangjiang levitated, flying upwards with him.
Only after the three had flown far away did the suspended raindrops finally fall.
On the other side, in the dense forest at the foot of Wumeng Mountain, the delicate young man named Xu Ziqing was consumed by anxiety.
Because he was in a hurry.
However, he was surrounded by people from the Police Office.
