Chapter 173: If the Sword Rusts, Then Abandon It

“I plan to go out for a walk with Mei Niang. When I am in Miaojiang, I feel as if my sword has rusted.” Lin Feng looked at Chen Xiyi, who was playing with insects, as he spoke.

“Oh, then go ahead. I never stopped you. But, what does it feel like when a sword rusts?”

Chen Xiyi could not help but ask this question.

How can a person have such a feeling? He himself had isolated for so many years without ever experiencing that sensation. And how could Lin Feng, who had trained in the sword since childhood, only feel it now after such a short time?

“It’s just a feeling. Do you want me to bring you anything?” Lin Feng asked.

“Nothing in particular. Just bring me something suitable when you see one. Have you thought about visiting the source of the Ascension Ritual?” Chen Xiyi thought about it and realized there was nothing he really needed. Besides, Lin Feng probably wasn’t skilled enough to get martial arts manuals from other sects anyway.

“I plan to go there once. I suspect there is something I need. I am just a bit lost, that is all. I do not want to become Wandering Light.” Lin Feng thought, how could he possibly become that future version of himself who disregarded the world?

“Are you sure it’s what you need, and not what Wandering Light needs?” Chen Xiyi asked in reply.

“I do not know. But if the Wandering Light Sword is here with you, then many things cannot avoid involving you.” As he said this, Lin Feng untied the Wandering Light Sword from his waist and threw it to Chen Xiyi.

“You really are…” Chen Xiyi was both amused and frustrated.

“You told me before about the Dugu Nine Swords: not hindered by objects; grass, trees, bamboos, and stones can all be swords. From then on, refine your skills and gradually reach the state where no sword surpasses having a sword.”

“Since the sword has rusted, then do not use the sword anymore, right?”

Lin Feng said with a slight smile.

Chen Xiyi looked at Lin Feng and for a moment did not know what to say.

He had very little concept of these matters. For others, martial arts could become an ideological realm. But for Chen Xiyi, they were merely combat models composed of movements and data used to enhance oneself.

If calculated, his combat models could only reach the proficient level. To go beyond that to the transcendent level would require skills blended with artistic conception.

Of course, this did not mean Chen Xiyi’s combat models were weak in fighting power. The level might not rise, but as the operational logic continuously strengthened, they would still be able to cope.

It was equivalent to a poet competing with a supercomputer. The poet could write couplets full of artistic conception and romance, while the supercomputer could match each word and phrase with corresponding lines in reply. Even if the response was crude, it could still match.

“I do not understand the philosophies of you sword users. As long as you are happy, that is fine.” Chen Xiyi looked at the insect in front of him and casually replied.

“That is true. You indeed do not use the sword.”

“Not only do I not use the sword, I hardly even know many moves.” Chen Xiyi joked. He could perform moves by the book, but for actual combat, he still relied on his own combat models for analysis.

Combat was simply about killing the enemy. As long as the final result was achieved, the process—whether using firearms or blades—did not matter. What was important was being able to kill the enemy and how to do it with the least effort and cost.

For Chen Xiyi, there were no elaborate complications.

“Then today I will bid you farewell. By the time I return, perhaps the Sword Art will have been perfected.” Lin Feng knew that once he left, it would be at least three to five years before he could return to Miaojiang.

“Are you sure? The future you did not manage to turn the entire Ascension Ritual into Sword Art. Can you do it?” Chen Xiyi expressed doubt, hinting that Lin Feng might be boasting.

“He is in the future; I am in the present. What separates him and the Ascension Ritual is not just the ritual, but also time.”

“I can accomplish things that he cannot.”

Lin Feng was very confident about this.

Although Chen Xiyi did not know where Lin Feng’s mysterious confidence came from, he felt that even if the future Temporal Immortal might not match those Qi Refiners who had lived for unknown ages, even a pig, after accumulating experience for thirty thousand years, would become a divine pig.

“Alright, if you think you can, then you can. I probably won’t leave the Miaojiang Five Immortals Cave in the coming years… Wait, you took the leader of the Five Immortals Sect away. Then who will manage the Five Immortals Sect next? Will someone foolish come to challenge me?”

Chen Xiyi only then realized: if you take away the leader of the Five Immortals Sect, what if some clueless person comes looking for him later?

“Mei Niang has already taken care of it. You are now the Grand Elder of the Five Immortals Sect. Even the acting sect leader does not have as much authority as you. If anyone dares to challenge you, just kill them.” Between the Five Immortals Sect and Chen Xiyi, Lin Feng naturally sided with Chen Xiyi. If he hadn’t gotten involved with Mei Yu, he wouldn’t care about the Five Immortals Sect at all.

“What a move. She directly recruited me. No wonder she did not dare to see me. But we have to make it clear: tell her to explain to her subordinates properly. I don’t want to return to find the entire Miaojiang emptied out by the time you both come back.”

During his experiments and studies, Chen Xiyi generally followed the principle of not provoking others if unprovoked. But if someone really offended him, his idle multiplier had not increased in a long time. If he became impatient, he might turn everyone into Nourishment Resources.

He felt that after gaining a Soul, he had become much more humane.

But that did not mean his mindset was normal. His mindset was still that of a Player.

However, when facing high-star-level friends, his attitude tended to be closer to that of a normal person.

The so-called high-star-level friends, of course, referred to those above 4 stars.

“Tsk, then you should show some mercy.” Lin Feng obviously did not believe Chen Xiyi meant what he said, so he teased him.

“I think you should save some mercy. Don’t leave with one wife and come back with ten more, truly forming the twelve Temporal Immortals for me.” Chen Xiyi could not help but tease back.

“No need to worry about that. I have the Heart-Linking Gu and Mei Niang. Nothing will happen.” Lin Feng was even more confident about this than he was about perfecting his Sword Art.

Chen Xiyi, however, did not think so: “Do you know? Under certain conditions, multiple Heart-Linking Gu can be planted. It is not a reliable safeguard. I have a newly researched Lock Yang Gu here, specifically—”

“Cough, no need, no need. You get busy. I need to pack my things. You can use that thing yourself.” Lin Feng hurriedly interrupted Chen Xiyi and fled in panic.

Chen Xiyi had a dark line on his face: “How could I even use this thing?”

He simply did not have a body. He would have to wait until the Home Game was perfected. Otherwise, forget about organs—he couldn’t even take off his own pants. Forcibly pulling them down would be like tearing his skin. Cutting open would directly reveal the Primordial Spirit inside his body, composed of Qi Mechanism and Soul.

It was a chaotic mess. He even considered reshaping it.

“This 404 restriction can even cross worlds.”

Fortunately, as a Player, Chen Xiyi ate only to increase his Satiety Level. There were no subsequent excretion issues, or else he would probably be stuck miserably.

“Damn, if I don’t have the corresponding Module, does that mean I will be single for life?”

Chen Xiyi discovered an extremely serious problem. As a half-finished Sandbox Game, whether it had a marriage function was already in question. Given the current situation, even if it did, it was highly likely to be in the unfinished half.

This made Chen Xiyi extremely annoyed.

“One world, one Module, and it is very likely that the Module would correspond to the same system as that world. So, wanting to end my singlehood seems like a long and arduous task.”

It was only then that Chen Xiyi realized the severity of the matter.

“Trash game, ruining my youth.”

Fortunately, Chen Xiyi did not place much importance on this aspect. He would not die and did not need descendants.

In terms of emotions, he was relatively normal—mostly friendships. Although occasionally shown affection or given “dog food” (being made to feel single), Chen Xiyi expressed that it did not matter. In the future, if he had the chance, he would dance on their graves to let them know the harshness of the world.

…

“Senior, were you looking for me?” Qi Bin came before Chen Xiyi respectfully. As a lone wanderer in the Jianghu without a sect, and having lost his former glory due to a broken Dantian, now that he finally had a chance to cling to Chen Xiyi, he naturally intended to hold on tightly.

“Yes. How has your recovery been lately?” Chen Xiyi asked gently with a kind expression.

“Thank you for your concern, Senior. I have recovered well and have reached the Body Forging fifth layer again.” Qi Bin quickly replied.

“That is good, very good. You have already opened Gu cavities in your Gu Martial Arts. The next stage of cultivating the Calamity Poison Body will not be easy. But you must understand one thing: the Calamity Poison Body is a secret of the Gu Martial Arts. If you succeed, Xiantian will not be a worry. However, if you are not careful during the process, you could die.” Chen Xiyi’s words were gentle, but in reality, he gave no room for choice and directly indicated that the other must continue training.

Qi Bin did not catch the implied meaning in Chen Xiyi’s words. He was still hesitating, thinking he had a choice.

“Please teach me the Secret Gu Martial Arts, Senior.” Qi Bin gritted his teeth, immediately knelt down, and spoke.

For him, this was an opportunity. If he grasped it, not to mention the lofty goal of Xiantian, just becoming a Postnatal Warrior would be enough.

Moreover, Qi Bin believed that Chen Xiyi, being a kind-hearted doctor, would definitely not harm him.

“Very good. I was not wrong about you. Both your aptitude and your character are very suitable for my Gu Martial Arts path.” Since the other was so reasonable, Chen Xiyi saw no reason to be stingy with praise anyway. They were empty promises—praising the other to make him feel better was even more ideal.

A good mood allowed the test subject to face the experiment with a better mindset, which improved the success rate significantly.

Having a death wish and being positive were two extremely different experimental conditions.

“Here, take this pill and lie on the bed. When you wake up, you will be reborn just like before.” Chen Xiyi smiled and took out an anesthetic pill, handing it to Qi Bin.

Qi Bin naturally took the pill without hesitation and lay down on the operating table.

Within just one minute, Qi Bin lost consciousness.

Chen Xiyi took out eleven bizarrely shaped Gu Insects and placed them nearby for later use. Then, with practiced ease, he cut open Qi Bin’s abdomen.

“This Internal Energy is really versatile. It not only boosts combat power but also heals wounds, detoxifies, refreshes the mind, and clears the head. It’s truly amazing.”

The wound left from connecting the Internal Force Gu to Qi Bin’s Dantian had already healed. It had only been a month. If not for the scar, one wouldn’t even notice it had been there.

“However, because Internal Energy is too versatile, it can do many things but excels at none.”

“This type is considered relatively orthodox Internal Energy.”

Internal Energy also had inclinations. For example, the Internal Energy cultivated from the Five Immortals Sect’s martial arts mostly had a toxic bias. When attacking with Internal Energy, it carried toxicity to enhance poisonous martial arts and increased the user’s resistance to poison, along with better detoxification abilities. This could be considered adding special effects, but it would be weaker in recovery and boosting offense and defense.

From this perspective, the nature of Internal Energy also differed depending on the sect’s martial arts.

Chen Xiyi carefully transplanted the corresponding Gu Insects into Qi Bin’s internal organs and connected them in various ways.

“It seems there is not much rejection. Probably because the Internal Force Gu adapted in advance.”