119: Chapter 119 "The Waiting-for-Husband Rock"

Some meddlesome sect disciples also recognized her.

That stone-like woman was the first-generation Sect Leader, Cang Mingyue.

However, due to her cultivation and prestige, those disciples did not dare to disturb her.

At first, people whispered among themselves.

They speculated whether the Sect Leader was practicing some profound technique or observing the stars.

Later, an elderly handyman from Donglai Prefecture sighed softly and shared some secrets he had heard from his elders.

He spoke of the legend from many years ago about Emperor Su, who changed the world, and the mermaid of the East Sea.

Later still, without knowing who started it, people began to quietly call the figure on the reef...

"The Husband-Watching Stone."

On the shores of the East Sea, the legend of the "Husband-Watching Stone" grew more distant and profound.

When fishermen returned from the sea and saw that blue silhouette on the reef, they felt at peace.

It was as if an invisible force was protecting this stretch of sea.

Children hearing the story would point at the reef and ask their mothers,

"Is that fairy still waiting for her husband to return?"

The mother would stroke the child's head, gaze at that persistent blue silhouette, and sigh softly.

"Perhaps... she will wait forever."

Countless seasons passed.

Incense burned brightly at Wangchen Temple, and generations of disciples came and went.

The story of the "Husband-Watching Stone" became a sect legend known to every new disciple.

The figure on the reef remained as always.

Gradually, in the eyes of the people, it truly seemed to have become a strange, natural reef with the silhouette of a woman.

Only at specific hours...

...did it seem, in a daze, that the "stone statue's" sleeves fluttered slightly in the wind.

After the evil demons were mostly cleared out by Ye Jingjun,

Various "strange tales" took over the ecological niche of the demon race, becoming a part of the stories people enjoyed discussing in the streets.

However, the protagonists of these strange tales mostly did not harm humans.

With the camel bells of merchant travelers and the recitations of poets,

Unique strange tales from various regions were passed down throughout Great Ning.

Only then did the people of Donglai Prefecture learn...

...that far away in the Capital, a legend similar to Donglai's "Husband-Watching Stone" had appeared.

It was on an originally nameless small hill in the outskirts of the Capital.

Because people often caught a glimpse of a blurred yet stunning red figure standing on the hilltop during misty mornings or evenings filled with sunset glow,

The nearby villagers reverently called it "Phoenix Perch Ridge."

The red figure was like a phantom, yet real; no one could get close enough to see clearly.

They only knew she always seemed to look toward the Capital, as if keeping watch.

An ancient historian, in his own compilation of strange records, tremblingly put pen to paper to write down this discovery.

"The Emperor passed, and the Empress entered secluded cultivation."

"Yet a crimson shadow often appears in the outskirts of the Capital."

"Gazing at the palace gates, year after year, without end..."

...

In a flash, it was as if several years had passed in a grand dream.

Feeling the jolting of the airplane beneath him, Su Chen finally felt the reality of returning to the real world.

Several years in the investment world might not even be an hour in the real world.

"A few more rounds of investment, and I might actually develop a mental illness," Su Chen couldn't help but remark.

"However, in this high-martial world, to protect those I care about and become a player rather than a pawn, I still need to increase my strength."

"Time to claim the rewards for the second round of investment..."

[Ding! Detected that the second round of investment has ended.]

[In this round, there were a total of two investees.]

[Through the Host's efforts, both investment targets have become guardian deities of the Great Ning World, and the fate of the Great Ning human race has been broken accordingly.]

[Calculating score...]

[Score calculation complete.]

[Since there were two investment targets, the investment rating for this round is: SS]

"The score isn't as high as last time...?" Su Chen murmured to himself.

But it was normal.

His exit time was indeed slightly earlier than last time.

It was only natural for the score to be a bit lower.

Regardless, the rank hadn't dropped, so it wouldn't affect his 'six out of seven' reward phase.

Hearing that Cang Mingyue and Ye Jingjun had ultimately become the guardian deities of the Great Ning World, he felt a sense of relief.

The two investment targets had developed exactly according to the path he had planned.

It seemed they were now immersed in their respective careers.

Even if the Great Ning World truly existed,

With the "rewards" he left behind before departing,

They probably wouldn't remain forever immersed in the pain of his departure.

[Based on the Host's score, the rewards for this round of investment have been calculated.]

[According to this round's investment rating, the Host can choose six out of the following seven rewards!]

[1. Martial Dao Vitality (Gold, Talent Type: Significantly improves the Host's skeletal structure; the Host's martial arts cultivation speed will always be fixed at the highest talent level of this world.)]

[2. Mermaid's Gift (Gold, Skill Type: The Host can grant the Mermaid's Gift to any creature, possessing the ability to enlighten a creature's intelligence and heal all known injuries and diseases.)]

[3. Myriad Swords Return to Origin (Purple, Talent Type: The Host will become the Master of Myriad Swords, capable of manipulating all sword-type weapons at will.)]

[4. Sword Soul Power (Blue, Cultivation Type: Derived from the Sword Soul Power bestowed upon the Host by Ye Yuan; it can raise the Host's current cultivation to the seventh rank of the Great Ning World, equivalent to a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist on Blue Star.)]

[5. Demon Taming Art (Purple, Skill Type: The Host fought for the rights of kind demon races and gained their recognition, obtaining a natural affinity for any demon race.)]

[6. A Sword Covered in Cracks (Unknown, Memento Type): Your "body" in the Great Ning World, a divine artifact, though it is unknown if it can still be used.]

[7. A Mermaid's Tear (Unknown, Memento Type): A mermaid has only one in her life—a single tear shed when she is deeply moved by emotion.]

"Every reward seems pretty good..."

Su Chen thought for a moment and selected all rewards except for number 3.

He mainly hesitated between 3 and 4.

4 appeared to be a pure Blue-grade reward, a cultivation boost.

With Reward 1 present, increasing his cultivation seemed to be only a matter of time.

However, Reward 3 was also a bit of a word game.

Become the Master of Myriad Swords?

It sounded powerful.

But he already had the "Master of Five Weapons" trait!

A sword is also a type of weapon.

Since he could manipulate the weapons of Huaxia, he could naturally manipulate swords freely.

In that case, it would be better to temporarily boost his cultivation.

[Congratulations, Host! Rewards have been distributed; please check them!]

[Next round of investment can be opened in: 99 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes.]

[Thank you for using the system. See you in the next round of investment!]

As his consciousness returned, Su Chen felt his surging cultivation.

He subconsciously looked in Jiang Luoli's direction.

He found that she was still immersed in her own cultivation.

Feeling a bit bored, he opened the airplane window shade beside him.

He discovered that the scenery below the plane consisted of stretches of snow-capped mountains.

That's not right!

As a liberal arts student, Su Chen knew very well.

The route from Jianghai to Jinguan City shouldn't pass over the Snowy Plateau at all!

Just as he was about to wake Jiang Luoli, he heard the sounds of passengers shouting in the front rows.

"Someone's hijacking the plane! Someone's hijacking the plane!"