Chapter 406: Zhang Yibai’s Ambition [Starfall Snow]

“Brother Chen, didn’t you say your disciple hit a bottleneck and wanted me to help her train?”

Zhang Yibai, who had just been released, stared blankly at Li Qingran who was in the middle of breaking through, pointing at her in confusion. “What’s going on here? She had an epiphany?”

“Yeah.” Chen Huaian gave a wry smile.

“Incredible, your disciple is truly incredible!”

Zhang Yibai clicked his tongue in amazement, then looked Chen Huaian over. “You, as her Master, are also quite something. An epiphany is her own fortune, but being able to casually trigger it—now that’s the mark of a great Master.”

“Would you mind telling this old brother how you got her to reach epiphany?”

Zhang Yibai asked with a mind to learn.

After all, he wasn’t entirely dead yet—there was still hope for him.

He could still have disciples all over the world one day~

But Chen Huaian just kept his lips tightly sealed, his gaze lowered.

“Oh, keeping secrets now? What kind of attitude is that?”

Zhang Yibai sneered, then began to calculate with his fingers.

After a few minutes, his face suddenly changed. He hissed sharply.

He looked up at Chen Huaian, his expression odd, like he didn’t believe what he’d just divined. Shaking his head in disbelief, he recalculated. But the more he calculated, the more things didn’t add up. The way he looked at Chen Huaian grew increasingly disturbed.

Eventually, he gave up on calculating, his face darkening.

Pointing at Chen Huaian, his finger visibly trembling: “You... you’re chasing your Master?! Shame on you! You’ve got such a good disciple and you just had to sleep with her! Isn’t watching her grow up healthy and happy enough for you?!”

“Never thought you were this kind of person!”

“Brother Chen, I really... need to learn from you!”

Chen Huaian: ಠ_ಠ ????

Come on, man.

Learn from him?

He was all ready to be condemned by Zhang Yibai.

Chen Huaian glared at Zhang Yibai and bared his teeth. “You’re no saint either!”

“Flattered.” Zhang Yibai stroked his beard with a chuckle. “If you’re not shameless, the heavens will smite you. It’s just a pity that all my disciples are men, and I don’t swing that way. That’s why I’ve spent all these long years alone!”

“That can’t be. There are tons of geniuses in the Cangyun Realm. Not even one female disciple caught your eye?” Chen Huaian asked in confusion. “What’s your standard for taking disciples?”

“Standard? It’s simple!”

Zhang Yibai counted off on his fingers: “First, must have a single spiritual root—preferably Sword Spiritual Root. Second, must comprehend either Pure Yang or Pure Yin Sword Intent. Third, must be under a hundred years old. Fourth, must be able to withstand three of my palm strikes after I suppress my cultivation. That’s it, just these minor conditions.”

Chen Huaian: “……”

The hell is that supposed to be simple?

Any one of those would be a high bar.

Especially the fourth.

Even a Mahayana-stage cultivator suppressing their cultivation to the same realm—three strikes would still crush most juniors. This is like a myth-level player smurfing in bronze rank.

“So, not a single female disciple passed the test?”

“None.” Zhang Yibai shook his head and sighed.

“Have you considered... lowering the bar a bit?” Chen Huaian hesitated.

“How could I lower the bar?” Zhang Yibai looked appalled. “This is for a personal disciple! Selection must be strict, stricter, and then even stricter!”

“But didn’t you say you wanted a Dao Companion?”

“So what.” Zhang Yibai was unmoved. “Even a Dao Companion has to take three of my palm strikes!”

Chen Huaian: “……”

No wonder this old man has no Dao Companion or cute female disciples.

“So, did you summon me just to show off your disciple’s epiphany?” Zhang Yibai seemed to think the previous topic wasn’t so appropriate and returned to normal conversation.

“Well, I’ve seen it now. I’ll go back to resting inside the sword.”

“Not so fast.” Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes at Zhang Yibai’s spirit form, giving him a thorough once-over—sure enough, he had traces of gray aura on him too.

He hadn’t been able to see it before because his strength and divine sense weren’t strong enough.

But now, with Dang Kang’s support, Zhang Yibai was crystal clear to him.

However, the gray aura on Zhang Yibai was extremely faint—barely visible.

“Old brother, do you know about reincarnation in this world?”

“Reincarnation?”

“Seems you haven’t encountered it yet.” Seeing Zhang Yibai’s confused expression, Chen Huaian told him everything he currently knew.

“There’s something like that?!”

Zhang Yibai’s expression turned grim.

He didn’t doubt Chen Huaian’s words.

“In fact, Brother Chen, after we returned to Earth, I already felt something off. A strange and eerie energy blanketed the entire world—it felt just like facing a Heavenly Tribulation.”

“But I didn’t want to scare you, so I kept it to myself.”

Chen Huaian immediately understood—Zhang Yibai might not see the gray aura, but his terrifying Mahayana-stage divine sense still picked up on the anomaly.

“Do you have any ideas to deal with this?”

Zhang Yibai thought for a moment, then suddenly looked up. “Brother Chen, this is urgent. Based on what you told me, I fear that if we delay any longer, the entire world will become Ascenders. If you want to change the game, you’ll have to go against the whole world!”

“Exactly.” Chen Huaian nodded, smiling bitterly. “I may be strong, but I don’t think I can take on the world. I do want to reduce the number of Ascenders, but due to my sensitive identity, I can’t act openly…”

“I see.” Zhang Yibai stroked his beard. “How about this: once the Black Scales Sword becomes a Spiritual Treasure, you help restore my soul and find a vessel. I’ll establish a sect here on Earth to openly suppress the Ascenders. Meanwhile, you operate from the shadows using the Cangyun Realm’s resources to grow my sect. As long as most cultivators aren’t Ascenders—or even if it’s fifty-fifty—we’ve got a shot at flipping the board. What do you think?”

“You’re planning to build another Zhenwu Holy Land on Earth?” Chen Huaian’s eyes widened.

Zhang Yibai stroked his beard and laughed boldly. “Why not?”

“Back then, I built Zhenwu Holy Land from scratch. Now I just lack a body. Besides, with your backing, why couldn’t the glory of Zhenwu rise again in this world?”

At this moment, the Patriarch of Zhenwu Holy Land radiated with confidence.

Chen Huaian understood—Zhang Yibai was doing this to be his shield.

With Zhenwu Holy Land as cover, he could safely grow in the shadows.

Say no more.

Tears welled up.

If he were a woman, he’d probably bear Zhang Yibai a few monkeys.

“Don’t fall for me, I’m just a legend.” Zhang Yibai saw the emotion in Chen Huaian’s eyes and grinned. “If this world really is doomed to fall into a cycle of destruction, then they’ll have to walk over this old man’s bones first!”

“Master, Uncle Zhang, what are you talking about?”

A clear voice rang out from behind.

Chen Huaian and Zhang Yibai instantly dropped the subject and turned around in unison.

Li Qingran had unknowingly finished her meditation.

Her face was glowing, her aura stronger than ever.

Clearly, she had broken through to the Late Golden Core Stage!

Chen Huaian and Zhang Yibai exchanged a glance—both of them were impressed.

Zhang Yibai marveled at Li Qingran’s monstrous talent.

And Chen Huaian was thinking—he was finally getting his Spiritual Treasure!