Chapter 49: The Game Helmet?

Lu Changtian was momentarily stunned.

When had it started? When did he become increasingly impatient with his junior sister's requests to practice swordsmanship? It was he who had encouraged her to spar with him regularly, so why had everything changed?

He no longer patiently guided her through moves, nor did he wait for Li Qingran at the training grounds every day.

In the past, even if Li Qingran was clumsy, he would smile and encourage her, carefully reviewing their sessions. But later, no matter how hard she tried, in his eyes, her efforts were riddled with flaws, stupidity, and a lack of talent in swordsmanship.

Hah…

So that's how it was.

It wasn't Li Qingran who had changed.

It was him.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Li Qingran could have easily harmed Mu Baisuang and the others if she had wanted to. From beginning to end, they were just venting their frustrations.

They were venting their dissatisfaction because they hadn't gotten what they wanted.

Li Qingran had always treated them as her senior brothers, as family.

But they had lost themselves in her constant calls of "senior brother."

Everything had become taken for granted…

Lu Changtian finally understood.

"Do whatever you want with me. Kill me, torture me—this is what I owe you." He couldn't face Li Qingran anymore and just lowered his head with a sigh.

"You, cripple your dantian."

Li Qingran sheathed her sword and turned away, leaving behind a slender, straight-backed figure.

Lu Changtian pursed his lips, clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them. "If… if I cripple my dantian, will you forgive me? Qingran, can you… can you return to Chixiao Peak?"

The swaying figure didn't look back.

The cold wind was biting, carrying two resolute words.

"No."

…

"Damn, that's awesome!" Chen Huaian, who had been slightly nervous in front of his phone, suddenly slapped his thigh. "This is exactly the feeling I wanted—slapping them in the face, throwing it all back at them! Hahaha! As expected of my Qingran baby, the money wasn't wasted!"

He had been a little worried that the game developers might pull some nonsense, like having Li Qingran soften up out of pity, then be coaxed back to Chixiao Peak, leading to a cliché redemption arc where the senior brothers repent and chase after their junior sister.

If that happened, his character might end up becoming a tool to support Chixiao Peak and Qingyun Sect under the influence of the plot… Just thinking about it made him feel sick! What's the difference between that and NTR?

Fortunately, the game developers had their heads on straight.

[Thank you for your support of this game. Your exclusive game helmet has been delivered!]

A pop-up window appeared.

At the same time, there was a thud at the door.

Chen Huaian shot up from his seat and "flew" to the door. He opened it, glanced around, then chuckled and picked up the box before returning to the couch.

Inside the box was a black game helmet that looked like a motorcycle helmet but had a more high-tech design. It bore the logo of Electronic Girlfriend and featured a chibi version of Li Qingran next to it.

Chen Huaian slowly typed out a question mark.

The black cat beside him also slowly typed out a question mark.

Chen Huaian: "If I put this thing on my head, it's not going to explode, right? It's a bit suspicious. This game doesn't seem like the kind that would need a game helmet…"

The black cat: [If I'm not mistaken… this thing is a broken immortal artifact. What's the deal with this big shot? What's his connection to the Ancestral Dragon?]

Chen Huaian glanced at the black cat and asked, "Why are you shaking?"

The black cat meowed and started licking its paw awkwardly.

It was just a little cat. It would always be just a little cat.

What did it know?

It knew nothing!

In the end, Chen Huaian put the helmet on his head. He might not trust the game developers, but he trusted the 300,000 yuan he had spent.

[Electronic Girlfriend connecting…]

The screen went black for a moment.

Chen Huaian was stunned. He saw Li Qingran walking toward him step by step. Looking around, wasn't this the Qingyun Sect's plaza?

"Holy crap! This VR technology is insane!"

Chen Huaian had tried the latest VR helmet at an experience center before. The graphics were indeed realistic, but there was still a noticeable sense of detachment.

But Electronic Girlfriend was different.

He was truly immersed!

If there was anything that felt off… well, there was.

Although the visuals and environmental sounds were incredibly lifelike—as if Li Qingran was really standing in front of him, with even the tiny blood vessels under her skin visible and the sound of sand rolling audible—there was still a faint sense of separation.

He couldn't touch the world in the game.

Even so, Chen Huaian was satisfied.

300,000 yuan? Totally worth it!

Not a single penny wasted!

In the future, buying a thermos for a plane ride would feel like taking off.

…

"Today, I, Lu Changtian, will cripple my dantian. First, to atone for my sins, and second, to earn the forgiveness of Junior Sister Qingran. Even if I die, I will have no regrets. I beg Master to grant me this!" Lu Changtian stood up, about to cripple his dantian, when a furious roar echoed above him, and his body froze.

"You fool! I've worked so hard to cultivate you to this point, and now you're going to cripple your dantian and cultivation for the sake of one person? Useless! Go to the Reflection Cliff and face the wall!"

Just as his first disciple was about to cripple his dantian,

Qingxuan Daoist could no longer sit idly by.

Lu Changtian was his favorite disciple, followed by Xiao Yifeng, and then Mu Baisuang—not because Mu Baisuang had any exceptional talent, but because she knew how to talk and please people.

Lu Changtian was his first disciple. How much effort had he poured into him? How could he just watch as Lu Changtian crippled himself?

Chen Huaian thought, This is unacceptable!

The game developers had finally succumbed to feeding players garbage.

[Your character projection has been activated. You may move freely. Nascent Soul Perfection state remaining: 21 hours.]

[You may speak freely! Please note that all your words and decisions will affect the plot's direction. Your actions represent your image, so think before you act!]

Chen Huaian glanced at the screen.

He swallowed the curse on his lips and, with a stern expression, coldly said:

"I've already said that no one is allowed to interfere in today's matter!"

"Qingxuan Daoist, don't say I didn't warn you!"

…

…