Qin Yi softly uttered two words, "King's Sacrificial Offering," and in that instant, his mind moved swiftly. He began casting off every bit of power and every skill he didn't currently need, sending them hurtling into the cosmic void.
"C-Rank Ninjutsu, B-Rank Ninjutsu, A-Rank Ninjutsu, redundant Taijutsu, secondary Devil Fruit abilities, anything that isn't central to my King's core!"
Everything offered up in this sacrificial ritual, skills, techniques, and abilities, would become instantly and permanently unavailable to him. They would vanish, leaving him technically incomplete. But to Qin Yi, that hardly mattered.
His nation's subjects now numbered in the tens of thousands, each capable of borrowing and wielding various abilities from the collective power base. So long as he retained his core power, his overall strength as King would not diminish in the slightest.
For a full half hour, Qin Yi continued his offering. By the end, he had sacrificed nearly thirty percent of the Qin Nation's combined skill arsenal, a truly staggering price. Sweat beaded on his forehead before he finally exhaled a long breath.
"Stop."
The moment those two words left his mouth, the mysterious conduit that had been consuming abilities and sacrificial items trembled, then ceased its devouring.
Immediately afterward, a formless, ancient force descended, enveloping Qin Yi completely.
"Cross the Realm Gate," A whisper seemed to echo from the void. "Step into the world of The Legend of Sword and Fairy."
A spark of fierce light flared in Qin Yi's eyes.
"The Sword Immortal Civilization… here I come!"
Taking three firm steps forward, he plunged into the glowing portal.
The surrounding void shimmered with chaotic, multicolored light. Qin Yi stood calmly within the shifting radiance, silently waiting for the transference to complete.
Half a moment later, the brightness ahead exploded into clarity, and the scene before him slammed into focus.
He was standing in a tranquil flower garden, the air thick with a refreshing, earthy fragrance. In his hand, he held a watering pot, as though he'd been tending the flowers for hours.
"Senior Martial Uncle Chang Yi, the Sect Lord is calling for you."
Startled, Qin Yi turned around to see a young man, handsome, gentle-faced, about twenty years old, looking at him curiously.
In the blink of an eye, Qin Yi's mind absorbed the identity information that had been fused into his soul: his current role was Chang Yi, a member of the Chang Generation of Mount Shu. He was the junior brother of the current Mount Shu Sect Lord, Xu Zhangqing. Though they belonged to different branches of the same sect, addressing Xu Zhangqing as "Senior Brother" was entirely proper.
"Xu Zhangqing…" Qin Yi murmured inwardly as realization dawned on him.
He had arrived in the Legend of Sword and Fairy world, specifically, during the period before the events of the first game. The time when Xu Zhangqing served as Sect Lord was chronologically situated between the storylines of Sword and Fairy III and Sword and Fairy I.
This meant Qin Yi needed to tread carefully. This world housed beings of unimaginable, cosmic might. One wrong move, and even the gods and immortals of the upper realms might strike him down without hesitation.
"Senior Martial Uncle Chang Yi." The young man frowned slightly, seeing him dazed, and called out again.
"Oh… lead the way. By the way, what's your name?" Qin Yi smiled faintly as he asked, playing the part.
"I am Dugu Yuyun, Senior Martial Uncle." The youth replied respectfully.
Qin Yi paused mid-step when he heard the name, his eyes flashing with genuine surprise.
"You're Dugu Yuyun?"
This young man before him… was none other than the future Sect Lord of Mount Shu, the very Sword Saint who would one day seal Zhao Ling'er within the Demon Prison Tower! And he, Qin Yi, was his Senior Martial Uncle!
Dugu Yuyun frowned slightly. He found this Senior Martial Uncle rather frivolous and unfamiliar, but out of courtesy, he answered again, "Yes, Senior Martial Uncle. My name is Dugu Yuyun."
On the surface, both of them appeared to be around twenty years old; there was little visible difference in age.
Qin Yi's curiosity deepened. "How old are you this year?"
"I'm thirty, Senior Martial Uncle," Dugu Yuyun replied politely, though impatience flickered behind his calm expression.
"Thirty years old, huh? Tsk tsk tsk!" Qin Yi clicked his tongue, this guy was actually older than him, despite the appearance.
"Am I that old? Senior Martial Uncle, you're already fifty. Shouldn't you be the one clicking your tongue?" Dugu Yuyun couldn't help but laugh lightly. He felt that this Senior Martial Uncle he'd never met before acted more like a newly initiated disciple, flighty and clueless.
"I'm… fifty?" Qin Yi froze, finally processing the full context of his new identity. Indeed, he and the current Sect Lord, Xu Zhangqing, were of the same generation, so being fifty wasn't particularly surprising. In this Immortal Cultivation world, fifty was still infancy.
From then on, Qin Yi would speak, and Dugu Yuyun would reply. But if Qin Yi fell silent, this future Sword Saint would immediately revert to keeping a stony, respectful expression.
After a few twists and turns, Dugu Yuyun led Qin Yi to the entrance of Mount Shu's main hall.
"The Sect Lord is inside. Please, go in, Senior Martial Uncle."
Qin Yi nodded and stepped forward.
Once inside the grand Mount Shu Hall, he swept his gaze across the chamber, it was already filled with people, all faintly familiar from the fused memories.
"All Elders of the Chang Generation, huh? Did something big happen in Mount Shu?"
The question lingered in his thoughts. He now understood the steep cost of his King's Sacrificial Offering. He had given up thirty percent of his nation's total skill knowledge, and in return, he'd only gained the identity of Chang Yi, a Mount Shu disciple with zero combat power.
"My current identity… has absolutely no cultivation base at all?" Qin Yi sighed inwardly.
No wonder he hadn't received any cultivation method information. The sacrificial technique was truly stingy, he had offered up so much, and in return, he'd only gained a recognized Mount Shu identity, a fifty-year-old body frozen to look twenty, and zero combat power. The original Chang Yi had dedicated his life to flowers, not sword arts.
…
"Mount Shu has stood for hundreds of years," said a deep, authoritative voice from the front of the hall. "Each generation of Sect Lords has worked tirelessly to uphold our duty, to slay demons, eliminate evil, and preserve peace for the mortal realm."
"Immortal cultivation begins with cultivating virtue. Since our Mount Shu Immortal Sword Faction was founded, we have taken saving the world and aiding others as our sacred mission. Compared to that, attaining the Dao and becoming immortal is only secondary."
The man speaking stood at the front, a middle-aged cultivator whose gaze was as sharp as a sword, his presence commanding and solemn. This was Mount Shu's current Sect Lord, Xu Zhangqing.
"This time, however, the Mount Shu Immortal Land has begun to collapse for reasons unknown. From this point on, all within the sect must remain calm and steady."
"As Elders and Martial Uncles of the Chang Generation, you must all stay vigilant."
Xu Zhangqing began calling names one by one, issuing orders and assigning tasks with clear order and efficiency.
Before long, the space in front of Qin Yi cleared.
Xu Zhangqing raised his eyebrows slightly, his keen eyes locking onto Qin Yi.
"Chang Yi."
Just that one name, yet his brow immediately furrowed, his gaze full of stern reproach.
"So many years have passed, and your cultivation is still so pitifully weak."
"As a disciple of Mount Shu, a Chang Generation disciple, no less, you're not even as capable as some of the new initiates."
"Don't you find that shameful?"
(End of Chapter)
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