《Cultivating in Online Games》


 CH 1

    There is a simple tea shack on the outskirts of the small town near the Canglan Mountains. A few people were sitting in the shack. They have no baggage, and they¡¯re faces are not weather-worn from a long journey, but they don¡¯t look like locals and look rather weird.


    The owner of the tea shack isn¡¯t surprised; he sees a lot of this kind of people.


    Canglan Mountain is the end of the human world. There used to be a towering peak here. According to legend, experts who can climb the peak to the heavenly palace on top of the clouds, are reborn and become gods of the upper realm, so this mountain is called ¡± Tianzhu¡±.1


    Because the lands around Tianzhu are a forbidden place in the human world, mortal creatures cannot survive near it. Nothing grows on the entire Canglan Mountain Range, except for strange stones made from the bones of ancient wild animals. The rest are lifeless, snow-capped mountains.


    No one knows what¡¯s behind the Canglan Mountain Range, and no one knows what¡¯s beyond the end of the human world.


    Until ten years ago, two sword auras, one clear and one turbid, broke through the sky. The Tianzhu broke, the mountains collapsed and the ground cracked. After fire and rain, the original Tianzhu disappeared, and thousands of years of ice and snow melted and turned into a mist stretching for thousands of miles.


    A year later, a touch of verdant green appeared at the foot of Canglan Mountain, and the first grass sprouts on this lifeless land.


    Three years later, people gradually came here to open up the wasteland. They found the soil is particularly suitable for crop growth, and it slowly became a small town.


    Later, a tea shack appeared at the end of the town, providing expensive tea for those who came to visit the Canglan Mountains.


    The tea shack is built at the end of the road. Further ahead leads to an unknown place.


    Most travelers will stay in the small town, go to the tea shack to drink a bowl of thick tea, look at the Tianzhu ruins, and say some weird words.


    In the mouths of these people, a person called ¡°Dugu Zhuo¡± was mentioned countless times.


    ¡°Dugu Zhuo¡¯s all to blame. If it weren¡¯t for him, the Nine Heavens2 wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± When the boss served the tea bowl for the guest, he heard a conversation he was already familiar with.


    The boss left the table and withdrew his ears impatiently.


    He had listened to the story of Dugu Zhuo for several years. While everyone have heard it, very few people have actually seen Dugu Zhuo. Everyone only talked about these things.


    Dugu Zhuo, a disciple of Qingtian Sword Sect. Originally a good seedling looked highly upon by the sect, but did something heinous.


    He coveted the pair of Xuan and Su swords guarded by the Tianjian Sect for generations. In order to win the divine swords, he was ruthless and murdered the previous owner of the Xuan Jian3 n order to win the divine sword, he was heartbroken and murdered the previous Xuan Jian owner, his own father!


    The Dugu Zhuo who committed the crime of killing his own father severely injured Ye Zhou, the owner of Su Jian, and took it away.


    After that, the whereabouts of Ye Zhou was unknown. When Dugu Zhuo reappeared, he had already refined two divine swords, and presumably Ye Zhou bones had turned to dust.


    Holding the two swords of creation, Dugu Zhuo stepped onto the Tianzhu and tried to become a god as a sinner. The god was furious and knocked him down. Dugu Zhuo, who became angry and furious, sacrificed the pair of divine swords and broke Tianzhu. The Nine Heavens, having lost Tianzhu, fell into the human world, and the realm of gods no longer existed,


    No longer having a possibility to become god, the cultivation world fell into chaos, and countless cultivators scolded the demon scourge, Dugu Zhuo.


    But they only dared to curse privately. If they really met Dugu Zhuo, who would dare to speak up to him?


    The tea shack was very small, and the two guests in Taoist robes did not deliberately avoid taboos. The scolding kept entering the boss¡¯s ears, making him frown.


    He is just an ordinary person and doesn¡¯t understand the love and hatred of those cultivators. In his opinion, if it were not the collapse of Tianzhu, the court wouldn¡¯t have sent a group of slaves to open up wasteland. Reclaiming farmland meant being free from slavery, and he would not have become a rich peasant with dozens of acres of land.


    What the guests say, the tea shack owner can¡¯t refute. He can only pretend not to hear, and stare down at the ground under his feet.


    Every spring, a few weeds drilled in the cracks of the earth, the fresh verdant shade looking very gratifying.


    Most of the guests from the tea shack came to see the Tianzhu ruins, took a look, drank tea, sighed, cursed Dugu Zhuo, and paid money and left, so the tea shack was empty at noon.


    The east wind blew. Even in spring, the cold wind is still a bit bitter. Seeing that the guests are all gone, the owner of the tea shack cleaned up the stall, preparing to go home.


    At this moment, a man in black, wearing a hat and carrying a package, walked into the tea shack and sat at the corner table.


    ¡°A bowl of hot tea.¡± When the man put the package on the table it made a slight ¡°clang¡± sound. The package was obviously a weapon.


    The boss didn¡¯t dare to neglect him, and hurriedly brought a big bowl of steaming tea.


    When putting down the tea bowl, the boss inadvertently saw the man¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but zone out for a while.


    This person is too good-looking, better-looking than the small town¡¯s tofu Xi Shi, better-looking than the white flowers in the spring mountains, and better-looking than the snowy scenery outside the windows in winter.


    It is also colder than ice and snow.


    The boss didn¡¯t dare to look at him directly, and returned to the pantry, peeking at the man in black through a gap in the wood.


    He stretched out his hand to lift the tea bowl. His fingers were distinct, thin and slender like a strong bamboo. Across his fingers and on the back of his hands were sword scars, like jade that was shattered and glued back, giving people a shocking pain just thinking about it.


    The black-clothed man drank the hot tea slowly. Each movement was pleasing to the eyes, and seemed very well-educated.


    He put down the empty tea bowl, did not call the boss to refill the tea, but took out a piece of warm jade from his arms and looked at it quietly.


    A jade of excellent color was placed on a palm full of knife marks looked very unmatched.


    The man in black frowned slightly, as if he was in a bad mood. He put his other hand on the package, and the sound of metal colliding came again, and the tea shack owner couldn¡¯t help shrinking his neck.


    At this time, a slightly chilly spring breeze was blowing. An early spring apricot flower fell on the warm jade held in his palm, the pale pink petals making the warm jade appear more lush, full of vitality.


    The black-clothed man looked at his palm and smiled softly. The contours of the face under the hat became soft, and the murderous air dissipated a lot with this smile.


    The tea shack owner suddenly relaxed, and boldly poked his head out of the tea room and asked: ¡°Guest, do you want to more tea?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The black-clothed man put down a piece of silver, carried the package, got up, and left the tea shack.


    Seeing his direction was the Canglan Mountains where no one dared to step, the boss couldn¡¯t help chasing after him. He shouted from behind, ¡°Guest, in front of you is a forbidden place. It is said that the Demon King Dugu Zhuo is there. You can¡¯t go to the Canglan Mountains to practice cultivation!¡±


    The black-clothed man had no intention of paying attention to the tea shack owner. Hearing this, he stopped, turned slightly, lifted the hat, revealing most of his face.


    His body seemed to be fused with the misty Canglan Mountains. His sight fell on the boss with a look through the turmoil of the world, and his voice was not happy or angry: ¡°I am Dugu Zhuo.¡±


    After that, he pressed down the hat, turned and continued along the path, disappearing in the mist after a short while.


    Long after he left, the owner of the tea shack sat on the ground, trembling. ¡°He is Dugu Zhuo?¡±


    The demon who deceived his master, killed his father, and slaughtered the gods, Dugu Zhuo?


    ¡°How come?¡± the tea shack owner murmured.


    Getting up to clean the table and chairs, he saw a pale pink apricot blossom beside the tea bowl Dugu Zhuo had used. The petals were intact.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± The boss said again.


    The black-clothed Dugu Zhuo, who puzzled the boss, had already set foot on the Canglan Mountains. It seemed that he felt that the former site of Tianzhu was under his feet.


    ¡°Quiet.¡± Dugu Zhuo shouted in a low voice.


    The contents of the package bounced twice restlessly. Dugu Zhuo unwrapped the package to reveal two broken swords inside.


    The two swords that used to create the world have now become four pieces of rusty scrap iron. The Dugu Zhuo who once cut off the Tianzhu and fought against the Nine Heavens has also shattered his dantian4, and there is not much time.


    Dugu Zhuo picked up the Su Jian, hung the piece of warm jade on the hilt of the broken sword, and waited quietly for a moment. The warm jade and broken sword made no response.


    Not here either.


    From the ends of the earth to here, there is nowhere to be seen.5


    For ten years, Dugu Zhuo has traveled to every corner of the human world, but could not find the whereabouts of Ye Zhou¡¯s remnant soul.


    There is no possibility of seeing each other again in this life. Dugu Zhuo only wants an afterlife, but Ye Zhou has no afterlife.


    He put away the broken sword, holding the warm jade firmly, and walked firmly into the fog.


    No one knows what is on the other side of the Canglan Mountain range. The Tianzhu stood here before, and no one can get out of this mountain range.


    Even if Tianzhu disappears, the fog will cause people to lose their way, die in the blue clouds and mist, or return to the foot of the mountain.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s current level is almost the same as that of a newcomer, and there is only death waiting by continuing forward.


    But he didn¡¯t intend to look back. Behind him was the past that was toyed by fate, an unbearable life, and a world without Ye Zhou.


    Dugu Zhuo stepped forward firmly, feeling strong resistance in every step he took, moving forward with difficulty.


    But even if he only took an inch, Dugu Zhuo had to move forward an inch.


    He walked forward with difficulty step by step. Clouds and mist covered his eyes, the cold air whisking from the mountains freezing his body, and he himself was covered in frost. If it weren¡¯t for the warm jade in his palm, Dugu Zhuo would have already turned into an ice sculpture.


    Consciousness gradually blurring, Dugu Zhuo could not help but recall half of his life in his mind, like a candle before death.


    In a daze, he seemed to see a young Ye Zhou, jumping in the mountains and forests, fighting a few monsters.


    Dugu Zhuo smiled. Ye Zhou was his elder. When he met Ye Zhou, Ye Zhou was already the elder of Qingtian Sword Sect. He stood in front of him wearing a plain white robe and looked at him indifferently, coldly said: ¡°Follow me.¡±


    When he first met, Ye Zhou was tall and cold in his heart. How could he be a teenager?


    However, it was not bad to have such an illusion before he died. At least he can see Ye Zhou¡¯s carefree appearance.


    As Dugu Zhuo was reminiscing, the fog in front gradually dissipated, and the figure of the young Ye Zhou became clearer and clearer.


    The young Ye Zhou, dressed in white, was not afraid of being besieged by a few monsters, holding an ordinary iron sword, as he struggled to kill him.


    Two fists are hard to fight four hands, the beast kept hitting the young Ye Zhou¡¯s body, and Ye Zhou¡¯s face was pale and growing weaker and weaker.


    Even in a fantasy world, Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t watch Ye Zhou get injured. He picked up the black broken sword from the package. This was the Xuan Jian that Dugu Zhuo got after his father¡¯s death. He yearned for it all his life, and after getting it, abandoned the divine sword.


    When Dugu Zhuo took the sword, the young Ye Zhou dexterously distanced himself from the monster, took out a bottle of medicine and drank it, saying to himself: ¡°It is still difficult to deal with these elite monsters with my current HP. It¡¯s good I prepared many types of healing medicine.¡±


    Taking medicine to recover his blood, the young Ye Zhou saw a black-clothed man rushing into the monster group, carrying a tattered iron sword, and snatching away the elite monster who he finally managed to grind to residual blood.


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s meridians have long been broken. At this moment, he can only use one move to force Xuan Jian sword to move.


    Fortunately, the monster isn¡¯t strong and can be slaughtered in one move.


    After the monster fell, Dugu Zhuo was also unstable, half kneeling on the ground, holding the hilt of Xuan Jian in hand, trying his best to suppress the churning blood in his chest.


    Even in his illusion, Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want to vomit blood in front of Ye Zhou.


    After barely stabilizing his body, Dugu Zhuo was about to raise his head to look at Ye Zhou when suddenly a strange sound came from his ear¡ª¡ª


    [Ding, you killed the monsters and get 3 low-grade spirit stones.]


    [Ding, you killed the monsters, and get the secret book <Inverse Sword Manual>.]


    [Ding, you killed the monsters, and get a precious healing spirit grass.]


    [Ding, you killed the monsters, gaining 100*6 experience, do you use want to use your experience to upgrade? Yes/No]


    What is this? Dugu Zhuo was confused.


    At this time, a strong wind blew his ears. The young Ye Zhou, whose wounds were healed, came over with a sword, his brows were full of anger as he shouted: ¡°Dare to steal my monster?¡±


    Sword qi rushed towards his face, tearing Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hat apart. He was unaware of all the changes around him; he only felt that the Ye Zhou in front of him was extremely real.


    Dugu Zhuo stared at Ye Zhou¡¯s face, and whispered, ¡°Have I arrived in the afterlife?¡±


    When he saw Dugu Zhuo¡¯s face, Ye Zhou¡¯s sword tip tilted and the original trajectory aiming for Dugo Zhuo¡¯s shoulder missed.


    ÌìÖù: Pillar holding up the skies/heavens.


    ¾ÅÖØÌì. Personally prefer nine realms, but using nine heavens since that¡¯s what the google says.


    Jian = sword. Xuan Jian is the Xuan sword mentioned 1 line ago. For readability, I¡¯ll use ¡°Xian Jian¡± and ¡°Su Jian¡± to refer to the swords similar to how you would refer to ¡°Excalibur.¡±


    Analogous and sometimes called ¡°golden core¡± depending on the author/translated. Considered an core or mass of qi/energy/spirit one forms, after which they can often be said to formally having stepped into cultivation.


    Adapted an adage. Basically, he scoured the earth but couldn¡¯t find what he¡¯s looking for.

 CH 2

    ¡°Nine Heavens¡± is an online keyboard game that set countless brilliant records in the gaming industry. In the minds of many players, it¡¯s a classic that declined after the advent of the era of mobile games.


    After ten years of silence, ¡°Nine Heavens¡± made a comeback with brand-new technology. Known as the world¡¯s first holographic online game, it began its public beta after the overwhelming announcement.


    Ye Zhou is a loyal fan of the keyboard era of ¡°Nine Heavens¡±. He bought a holographic helmet in advance and entered the game as soon as it was publicly tested.


    On the first day of the game, everyone is a novice, and there¡¯s a bit of fumbling with the new mode.


    The game company that has been dormant for many years is very cunning. It not only wants to retain old players, but also wants to entice new players. In order to give everyone a consistent starting point, many changes were made to the game.


    Among these changes, hiding the IDs and titles of players, mobs, NPC, and bosses in the game is the most tricky one.


    The game concept of ¡°Nine Heavens¡± is to feature an immersive online game that presents players with the most realistic Xianxia1 world. In this world where people, fairies, demons, and monsters are rampant, ordinary people can¡¯t distinguish the identities of other people at all.


    Because of this setting, Ye Zhou suffered a lot.


    For example, he took a novice mission to go hunting in the wild. After luring a cute young white rabbit with carrots, he was burned to death by the rabbit from flames sprayed from its mouth. The white rabbit who burned him also roared at him: ¡°Don¡¯t have eyes, I¡¯m a monster player!¡±


    For another example, at night he took on a mission to exorcise ghosts in the village, and the other person beside him was young and handsome. They also took over the task from the village chief. After walking to the village, Ye Zhou extended an olive branch to each other and sent out a team invitation. The ¡°player¡± smiled gloomily and bit a chunk of Ye Zhou¡¯s blood out. The so-called ¡°player¡± is a ghost hidden in the village.


    Even if you go to the outskirts to collect medicine, you may get a whisper from ginseng and hear it scolding the sky: ¡°*** game company, you ****! Why do you randomly assign people choosing the spiritual race to a ginseng? ¡±


    Ye Zhou can only comfortably touch the small head of the ginseng, and show a gloating smile, secretly rejoicing that he chose the human race, and is not too miserable.


    ¡°Nine Heavens¡± has six races to choose from, human, demon, devil, ghost, spirit, and alien. In the promotional video, the six have their own advantages. The human race is handsome, demons are beautiful, devils are powerful, ghosts are weird, spirits are wispy, and aliens are mysterious. Each race has its allure.


    Unexpectedly, after starting the service, demons are animals that have not cultivated human form yet. The spiritual race are from spirit grasses such as Ganoderma lucidum, ginseng, and snow lotus. And ghosts can¡¯t see daylight. While he has yet to meet a devil or alien, he believes that these two races should each have their own sufferings.


    The human race is not bad compared to other races, but they also have the most average attributes. Other races have a certain attribute that is extraordinarily high, while the human race is okay in all aspects, and only average.


    After stepping in pits several times in a row, Ye Zhou finally found a forest full of mobs and no players, and worked hard to upgrade by killing mobs.


    Seeing these monsters were about to be crushed to death stolen by others, how could Ye Zhou not be angry?


    He slashed down with a sword, but stopped in time after seeing the face of the person.


    Ye Zhou was definitely not bewildered by the beauty, but at this moment he doubts about the monster thief¡¯s identity.


    The face value data of the initial account of the ¡°Nine Heavens¡± Terran is 80% of the player¡¯s original appearance. After upgrading, there is a chance to increase one¡¯s appearance. The demons and spirit races have high inherent appearance stats, but they do not even have a human form at the beginning. At best, it is the smoothest fur in a group of white rabbits or the best looking in a bunch of medicinal materials.


    If the appearance is too high, there must be abnormalities. Either the monster thief himself is better-looking than the celebrity, or he is not a player!


    Ye Zhou, who had stepped on too many pits, was very cautious. He changed the trajectory of his sword in time, and the tip of the sword moved from the top of the head to the shoulder.


    Ye Zhou flipped his wrist lightly, and the long sword lay across the thief¡¯s neck as he asked vigilantly: ¡°Who are you¡­player? NPC?¡±


    The other party did not answer, but looked at Ye Zhou firmly.


    Dugu Zhuo wanted to tell the young Ye Zhou his name, but he couldn¡¯t speak. If he speaks at this time, a mouthful of blood will be sprayed on Ye Zhou¡¯s snow-white clothes, and Dugu Zhuo does not want this to happen.


    He didn¡¯t know whether it was an illusion or an afterlife, and it didn¡¯t matter as long as he can see the living Ye Zhou ¨C even if it is only an illusion.


    Dugu Zhuo slowly raised his hand. Holding the tip of Ye Zhou¡¯s sword, blood dripped down his palm, and the pain was as real as Ye Zhou in front of him.


    The young Ye Zhou showed a look of horror, releasing his sword and jumped back a few steps, distancing himself from Dugu Zhuo. He said in a surprised tone: ¡°You can still grab equipment like this?¡±


    Equipment? Player? NPC? A few words that he had never heard passed into Dugu Zhuo¡¯s ears. He looked at the iron sword that Ye Zhou took back, and he recognized that it was a spirit sword that could still be tempered with a single glance.


    Seeing the spiritual herb at his feet, he knew that this herb could heal some simple injuries, and it could also replenish some spiritual energy in the body.


    Although he couldn¡¯t heal his meridians, it could suppress the blood qi that was churning in his body at this moment.


    Dugu Zhuo decisively picked up the herb and swallowed it, absorbing the aura in the herb.


    ¡°Hey, the human race can¡¯t directly absorb medicinal herbs. You have to go to the city to find an alchemist to refine a pill, otherwise it will be wasted.¡± Ye Zhou reminded.


    In an instant, the spiritual energy entered his meridians, and Dugu Zhuo¡¯s internal injuries were temporarily suppressed. He looked at Ye Zhou and slowly said, ¡°I have a special physique, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo naturally knew that such grasses could not be taken directly, and a lot of medicinal properties would be wasted. But since he merged with Xuan Jian, he could no longer be regarded as a human.


    While talking, Dugu Zhuo applied the blood in his palm to Ye Zhou¡¯s iron sword. Even if Xuan Jian was broken, the sword owner¡¯s blood is a great nourishment to ordinary spirit weapons. The iron sword greedily absorbed the blood containing sword qi, and the blade became sharper.


    After all, it was ordinary steel, unable to withstand too much sword qi, and could not continue to contain it after only absorbing three drops of blood. Dugu Zhuo wiped the excess blood from the sword and returned the sword to Ye Zhou.


    Ye Zhou looked at him vigilantly and refused to take the sword.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t remember me.¡± Dugu Zhuo thought sadly.


    The less he remembered, the more Dugu Zhuo felt that this place was real, not an illusion.


    If it were a terrible illusion, Ye Zhou would definitely be as he remembered, frowning and shaking his head lightly at him, out of reach.


    The corner of Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes swept across the corpses of a few monsters on the ground, and he remembered the ¡°robbing monsters¡± mentioned by Ye Zhou and the sound of acquiring various spirit stones, manuals, and grasses in his ears.


    Could it be that Ye Zhou was not besieged by the monster, but wanted to obtain these things and actively attacked the monster?


    Is the back of the Canglan Mountain range actually a secret realm where treasures can be obtained through hunting? Did Ye Zhou¡¯s soul return to the back of the Canglan Mountain range when the Tianzhu collapsed?


    Dugu Zhuo pressed down the doubts in his heard and apologized: ¡°¡­ Zai xia2 is Dugu Zhuo. I did not know these were your prey, and hastily attacked. I¡¯m very sorry, and can only upgrade your spirit sword as compensation.¡±


    He handed out the spirit sword again. At the same time, he held the warm jade in the palm of his hand calmly, and sent it to Ye Zhou with the hilt.


    ¡°Speak normally. Either secondary disease3 or an NPC, which kind are you?¡± Ye Zhou continued to ask without taking the sword.


    Secondary disease? NPC? Dugu Zhuo tried to analyze two completely unfamiliar words. The second one was completely unclear, and the first one could be guessed as a disease.


    Dugu Zhuo could only answer cautiously: ¡°Zai Xia is indeed ill.¡±


    ¡°Admitting you¡¯re sick. Are you¡­ so honest?¡± Ye Zhou¡¯s face was surprised, and his vigilance gradually faded.


    Seeing Ye Zhou¡¯s eyes, Dugu Zhuo vaguely felt that he had admitted to having some kind of terrible disease. But at this point, he had to follow along and replied: ¡°Things can be told to others, and I have never lied.


    ¡°You must be very good in classical Chinese and literature.¡± Ye Zhou relaxed, taking the upgraded sword, and inadvertently touching the piece of warm jade with his fingertips.


    Suddenly, the warm jade hung in the air, blooming with splendor.


    re: a genre about cultivation. Or world of cultivating to immortality.


    An ye old and deferential way of saying ¡°I¡±


    Also translated as ¡°middle school¡± or ¡°grade 10¡± disease. Someone who has the mind of a middle schooler and pretends to be cool, outstanding, or in this case, pretending to live in a real Xianxia/ancient setting

 CH 3

    The moment the jade pendant lit up, the blood in Dugu Zhuo¡¯s body surged, and the wound on his left chest that had healed for many years began to ache again.


    After defying his life to destroy the Tianzhu, Dugu Zhuo, the demon of the world, was not as beautiful as the cultivators imagined. His meridians were severed, and his spiritual roots were destroyed. It was only because of the strong support of his obsessed soul did not dissipate, as he dragged his remnant body to search for Ye Zhou¡¯s scattered soul.


    Dugu Zhuo had no hope of being able to continue his relationship with Ye Zhou. He just felt that the way of heaven was unfair, and he wanted to fight for Ye Zhou¡¯s stability in the next life.


    The Ye Zhou, who he searched everywhere in the world but couldn¡¯t find, was right in front of Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes.


    The warm jade bloomed splendidly because of finding its origin, and the ray of remnant soul hidden in the jade pendant entered the middle of Ye Zhou¡¯s eyebrows.


    Ye Zhou didn¡¯t notice the return of the soul, he stared at the warm jade and asked, ¡°What do you do with this prop? It looks amazing.¡±


    Prop? Dugu Zhuo suppressed his doubts, enduring the frantic excitement in his heart, and tried his best to say in a steady voice: ¡°Soul-locking jade, the jade pendant forcibly locks one¡¯s soul. It¡¯s not an ordinary thing.¡±


    ¡°Such a powerful prop? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s godly tier. Come on! Where did you get it?¡± Ye Zhou stretched out his hand, with the soul-locking jade in his palm. He glanced at Dugu Zhuo and saw that he didn¡¯t mean to take it back.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary spirit weapon.¡± Dugu Zhuo stared at Ye Zhou¡¯s actions, and saw his expression full of curiosity towards the existence of the soul-locking jade. There were still some words he didn¡¯t understand, which showed that he had already reincarnated. Reincarnated, and didn¡¯t remember anything.


    It¡¯s also good to forget. Dugu Zhuo recalled the terrible fate he had before, and felt that the past had no value for Ye Zhou to remember.


    The only thing he worried about was whether the soul of Ye Zhou in front of him was complete.


    Dugu Zhuo stepped forward and reached out to Ye Zhou.


    Ye Zhou thought that Dugu Zhuo would take back the jade pendant and handed it to Dugu Zhuo obediently. Unexpectedly, the other party didn¡¯t look at Yu at all, but put his fingers on Ye Zhou¡¯s wrist, as if he was checking his pulse.


    Ye Zhou increasingly suspected that Dugu Zhuo was an NPC. There were too many doubts about him, and he didn¡¯t look like a player born in modern society.


    However, the experience of being cheated by the game company was too tragic, Ye Zhou did not dare to jump to a conclusion, secretly observing Dugu Zhuo with the idea of ??scrutiny.


    Dugu Zhuo let go of Ye Zhou¡¯s wrist, frowning tightly.


    He was slightly acquainted with the technique of soul splitting, and was able to find his body had a serious problem.Judging from his pulse, Ye Zhou¡¯s life span should be more than 24 or 25, but the person in front looks only 14 or 15, with a tender face, and is still a young man who has not yet up tall.


    Looking at his face again, the outline of his face did not match the bones. It was as if his appearance had been artificially cultivated, and made more ordinary.


    Dugu Zhuo deliberately pressed hard during the pulse, but Ye Zhou did not respond. The sense of pain and touch were much lower than that of ordinary people. According to the pulse, there shouldn¡¯t be this kind of disease.


    Even more weird is that according to Dugu Zhuo¡¯s inference, of Ye Zhou¡¯s three and seven souls, half was missing. Judging from the pulse pattern, Ye Zhou should be a person who has been bedridden for a long time and relies on various drugs to sustain his life.


    Just like¡­ just a body closely related to Ye Zhou, but Ye Zhou himself was not here.


    But if Ye Zhou were not there, how could the remnant soul in the jade pendant be absorbed by him?


    A feeling of concern overwhelmed the joy of reunion, and Dugu Zhuo¡¯s feverish mind gradually calmed down, thinking about his situation seriously.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s forcible trespass into the Canglan mountains was not unsuccessful. It was true that other people could not leave the edge of the human world. Perhaps because he had pair of Su Jian and Xuan Jian that he could come to this completely unfamiliar world beyond the mountain range.


    Dugu Zhuo looked at the direction he came from. The place that was supposed to be clouds and mist turned into a forest. Only then did he jump out of the forest and took the lives of several monsters in one move.


    Thinking of the monsters, Dugu Zhuo looked down again, and saw the corpses turned into ashes that scattered away. Rustling came from the depths of the woods and two extremely ugly beasts shuttled through the forest.


    ¡°Respawned!¡± Ye Zhou hurriedly swallowed a handful of pills, simultaneously telling Dugu Zhuo, ¡°Don¡¯t care if you¡¯re an NPC or not. But if you grab my monsters, I will absolutely cut you for revenge!¡±


    Seeing the monster spawn, Ye Zhou tossed away Dugu Zhuo, who was still unclear about the situation, and swung his sword at a monster.


    Ye Zhou originally wanted to swing his sword defensively, but the sword qi struck it, splitting the trees in front of him and the monster beast hidden behind the trees in half.


    The combat special effects of ¡°Nine Heavens¡± are very well done. The sword qi is a light blue light, and with the special effects of slashing, it has a sharp sense of a sword cutting through the sky.


    ¡°So powerful?¡± Ye Zhou looked at the sword in his hand incredulously, and chopped the other monsters at a distance. The beasts he couldn¡¯t kill with all his energy before were torn apart in an instant.


    Ye Zhou also earned a few spiritual stones and herbs. He hasn¡¯t learned the tricks yet, so he can only bend over to pick up fallen items one by one, and pat his belt, to store them into his storage belt.


    His belt was given by the system when registering. The capacity is very small. It is almost full now. There¡¯s a level 10 requirement to wear higher-level belts He is currently level 9 and can reach level 10 with a little more experience. Ye Zhou intends to farm monsters to upgrade here.


    When Ye Zhou fought, Dugu Zhuo watched this strange world with full of doubts.


    No, it¡¯s no unfamiliar, Dugu Zhuo has seen this forest and monster.


    This is a forest of karmic obstacles. Buddhist believers often come here to confide in their distress. Over time, the excessive accumulation of evil thoughts will turn into ugly monsters. Karma beasts have no mind, only instinct and maliciousness towards all living beings, and will attack all living beings indiscriminately.


    Karma forests are planted by Buddhist schools, but eradicating evil thoughts is the task of everyone in the righteous way.


    There is a karma forest near almost every martial arts sect, and sects will regularly issue tasks to clear karma beasts. Disciples below the foundation period will receive tasks, which can not only improve their skills, but also receive spiritual stones or medicinal materials from the sect as rewards¡­


    Dugu Zhuo suddenly remembered the sound he heard when he killed those monsters. There was a storage jade pendant hanging from his waist. He used his spiritual sense to investigate. Inside were a few extraordinarily poor spirit stones and a miscellaneous jade pendant.


    He must figure out Ye Zhou¡¯s physical condition; it¡¯s not sure if it is related to this weird world.


    Seeing the young Ye Zhou looking for a monster in the karma forest, Dugu Zhuo took out a piece of jade slip to investigate it with his divine consciousness.


    Jade slips are magic weapons commonly used in the cultivation world to store knowledge. Spiritual jades suitable for storing divine consciousness are made into bamboo slips. Then, practitioners uses divine consciousness to record the content in the jade slip. The recorded content is like. book that can be used hundred to thousands of times.


    Dugu Zhuo originally thought that the jade slip recorded in this piece of jade slip should be the ¡°Ni Jian Jue¡±1 that had dropped before. After his divine consciousness penetrated into it, he felt that something was wrong. It was written with some unclear words and symbols-


    Name: Dugu Zhuo


    Race: Initial Human race, later transformed into alien


    Stamina: ???


    Spiritual qi: ???


    Defense: ???


    Attack: ???


    HP: 100/???


    Level: 3/???


    Identity: To be unlocked.


    Background: To be unlocked.


    Main task: To be unlocked


    Dugu Zhuo knew every word on the jade slip, but when combined together, nothing made sense.


    As he was raising the jade slip and frowning, Ye Zhou had already cleared a wave of monsters, happily holding the sword and came to Dugu Zhuo and said: ¡°The weapon you forged is so easy to use!¡±


    This sword was originally just a newbie weapon bought by at the weapon shop. Weapons made from broken copper and rotten iron have extremely poor durability. A blade becomes jagged after a few cuts. You need to carry a large number of sharpening stones, and sharpen the blade every so often to maintain durability.


    After reforging, the iron sword made a qualitative leap. In terms of power, it is at least a weapon for level 20-30, but can ignore the level difference and be used before level 10. This is a peerless magic weapon.


    With Dugu Zhuo giving weapons so generously, Ye Zhou couldn¡¯t help inquiring the other party¡¯s identity in a questioning tone. He simply stretched out his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s add as friends!¡±


    Only players can add friends to each other. Just add a friend to find out. If you can add, they¡¯re a player; if you don¡¯t add, it¡¯s an NPC.


    Moreover, after becoming friends, Ye Zhou had the opportunity to unconditionally gift items and money to the other party. Saying ¡°thank you¡± isn¡¯t enough after receiving such benefits from Dugu Zhuo.


    Ye Zhou just waited for Dugu Zhuo to nod before sending a friend request.


    How did Dugu Zhuo face Ye Zhou¡¯s invitation? He actually bit his index finger and squeezed a drop of blood out of his fingertips.


    ¡°Blood alliance¡± ¨C this is the way of worship that existed in the keyboard era of ¡°Nine Heavens¡±. The two sides take a drop of heart¡¯s blood to fuse together, and the racial attributes will generate a covenant skill at will.


    There are many benefits of forming such an alliance, but the cost of dissolving it is quite heavy. After the dissolution, the level of both parties will drop by 10%, and an important piece of equipment will be randomly lost.


    Ye Zhou just wanted to simply add a friend, and he didn¡¯t even think about establishing such a close relationship before knowing him.


    But he was the one who proposed to add friends, and he was the one who got the high-level weapon. It seemed a bit impolite to rashly refuse.


    This¡­ Ye Zhou looked at Dugu Zhuo hesitantly, and saw Dugu Zhuo¡¯s blood dripping into the grass. Holographic games are no better than keyboard online games, and the sense of reality is too strong, unlike the relentless rejection across the screen.


    In the end, Ye Zhou hesitantly bit his fingertips under Dugu Zhuo¡¯s somewhat sad eyes, letting his blood merge with Dugu Zhuo.


    [Ding, you are in an alliance with Dugu Zhuo, do you entrust the system to assign character relationships based on each other¡¯s attributes? Yes/No]


    Ye Zhoudao: ¡°According to each other¡¯s attributes? There was no such reminder before. Did the game change after the upgrade?¡±


    In the original version, the relationship between the players regardless of gender are like sworn brothers. This time, with it being unknown, it feels like opening a black box, which is quite interesting.


    ¡°Choose ¡®Yes¡¯!¡± Ye Zhou said to Dugu Zhuo. ¡°Let¡¯s see how the new alliance will be distributed.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo also received a system prompt, and a dialogue option of ¡°yes or no¡± popped up in front of him, and he calmly followed Ye Zhou¡¯s instructions. The two clicked ¡°Yes¡± together.


    Two rays of light, one black and one white, were released from the fused blood of the two people, spinning like a Tai Chi symbol, and finally turned into a piece of jade slip recording the relationship between the two.


    According to the jade bamboo slips, their relationship determined by the system is a ¡°mentor-apprentice relationship¡±. Ye Zhou is the master and Dugu Zhuo is the apprentice. The covenant skill is ¡°Double Swords Combo¡±, which requires them to be level 80 or higher to use.


    ¡°Mentoring relationship? Why is it a mentoring relationship?¡± Ye Zhou shocked. ¡°Now the whole game is full of low-grade novice players, and there¡¯s no coaching system activated yet. I¡¯m just level 9, how can I be someone else¡¯s master?¡±


    Seeing the words ¡°mentor and apprentice¡± on the jade slip, Dugu Zhuo felt that this was already the best result.


    ¡°Is it because my account is bound to the keyboard ¡°Nine Heavens¡± account?¡± Ye Zhou guessed, ¡°Have you bound a keyboard account? You can receive a lot of old players returning gift packages.¡±


    ¡°Zai xia¡­¡± Dugu Zhuo thought for a bit, copying Ye Zhou¡¯s tone, ¡°I don¡¯t have an ¡®account¡¯, and I haven¡¯t played ¡®keyboard¡¯.¡±2


    ¡°The assignment of the master and apprentice may be related to the keyboard online game account binding.¡± Ye Zhou analyzed seriously.


    Dugu Zhuo read the soul message passed on when they were forming the alliance, and read the other party¡¯s name: ¡°Ye Zhou?¡±


    Similar but different from the previous life.


    ¡°Ah? Can you see my real name when registering after a blood alliance? My ID is clearly ¡®Yi Ye Bian Zhou¡¯. Can this the game company¡¯s disclose the player¡¯s privacy like this? But your name is still the ID of ¡®Dugu Zhuo¡¯?¡± Ye Zhou puzzledly asked. Dugu Zhuo doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary name in modern society. It is most likely a screen name.


    Hearing Ye Zhou mentioning ¡°game¡± many times, Dugu Zhuo even felt things were not right, so he cautiously replied: ¡°I missed two words.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the case, but I accidentally revealed my real name.¡± Ye Zhou patted his head, a bit embarrassed.


    After friending, you can check some of each other¡¯s attributes. Ye Zhou can see Dugu Zhuo¡¯s level, race and other information, but he can¡¯t see the hidden attributes that are all question marks.


    He curiously said: ¡°You are really a player. But you¡¯re only level 3 and haven¡¯t selected a profession. How did you forge my sword so powerfully?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo felt that this world had many similarities to the world of cultivation he knew well. At this point, there is a slight difference, so he considered and said: ¡°Humans are indeed able to refine alchemy or refining weapons after the foundation period, but aliens are different.¡±


    ¡°Oh, aliens are indeed a new race after the revision.¡± Ye Zhou said, ¡°You may not know if you haven¡¯t played the keyboard version. In the original game, alien is a race that only NPCs and bosses can have. After the revision, alien has been added. However, there is no way to choose alien directly when creating the account. The game company explained that it is in the game. Players who meet such a chance will have the opportunity to transform into a foreign race. Did you have any adventures to change your race?¡±


    ¡°I got a sword and no longer belonged to the human race.¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°The broken sword in your package? You¡¯re lucky. After you become an alien race, are there any changes? Does blood strengthening weapons also have something to do with this blade.¡±


    Ye Zhou weighed the iron sword and couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°No, it¡¯s not good luck at all. If other players know the effect of your blood, won¡¯t they chase you to get blood to strengthen weapons? Is the game company so pitted? It¡¯s already difficult to transform into a special race, and the result is more miserable than the demon or spirit race?


    Using the phonetic to denote Dugu Zhuo¡¯s mind of what this thing is.


    Here he uses ÔÚÏ (Zai xia) before the ellipses and ÎÒ (modern day ¡®I¡¯) afterwards. Similarly, account and keyboard are in quotes because he doesn¡¯t fully get those terms and is just parroting the sounds

 CH 4

    After being recognized as Dugu Zhuo¡¯s master by the system, Ye Zhou inexplicably felt a sense of responsibility. The change of status made him feel obligated to plan for his apprentice.


    ¡°Is it a passive skill or an active skill?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    Dugu Zhuo roughly understood what he wanted to ask, and succinctly replied: ¡°Passive.¡±


    Ye Zhou looked sad. ¡°Passive is troublesome. If it¡¯s the keyboard game, everyone is very high-level, and there is no shortage of full-level artifacts or skills in the game. It¡¯s good for players to charge up to buy equipment, and there is no need to hunt down an ordinary player. But now, the holographic game has just been publicly tested, and the highest level on the leaderboard is only 20. Weapons above level 10 are considered magic weapons, and there is no in-game currency exchange system. You can help them upgrade weapons, and are a walking treasure chest.¡±


    His apprentice is only level 3. If players make a cut here and a cut there, how can he upgrade?


    ¡°Before you reach a high level, try not to have conflicts with other players. Find a place where there are few people, and don¡¯t let people discover your passive skills.¡± Ye Zhou thought hard, but only came up with such a solution.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t understand most of Ye Zhuo¡¯s words, but remembered each and every one of them. He thought about it for a while, and calmly asked a question that was the safest and easiest to obtain information: ¡°Is there any difference between the ¡®keyboard¡¯ and ¡®holographic¡¯ games? Can you tell me about the characteristics of the ¡®keyboard¡¯ game?¡±


    Ye Zhou said: ¡°The difference is really big, the holographic reality is too powerful! Keyboard games should be played in front of a computer. Once a long time passes, there¡¯s back pain and eye strain. My parents have long forbidden me to play on the computer, whereas I can lie on bed with the holographic helmet to play. But there is a daily time limit.¡±


    What about feel? Compared to reality, it is an imitation.


    Games, artificial feel, helmets, lying on the bed¡­


    Dugu Zhuo raised his hand, fingertips ran across the ends of Ye Zhou¡¯s hair. A touch of his long hair swept across his fingers was conveyed.


    ¡°There are still many changes in the game itself. There really are too many; it is difficult to explain them one by one. We can talk about it in the future.¡± Ye Zhou said seriously and responsibly. ¡°The keyboard version never had passive forging skills like yours. There is no feeling of bleeding or bloodletting on the screen. Passive skills are difficult to achieve ¨C who knows how much the server has been upgraded to achieve this in a fully simulated environment.¡±


    Having said that, Ye Zhou also couldn¡¯t help but poked Dugu Zhuo¡¯s long hair. The thick black hair looked very silky. Ye Zhou regretfully said, ¡°Why is the sense of touch decreased when pain threshold is lowered! When I go offline, I will post comments on the official website.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, you can switch between windows in the keyboard version. Go on standby while watching dramas and brushing the forum. This isn¡¯t possible now. At present, the helmet does not have the function to download other apps, and cannot log in to the browser or other video software.¡±


    Hearing this, Dugu Zhuo already has a general impression of the world in front of him.


    This is not a real world, but more like the Qingtian Sword Sect¡¯s mystic realm.


    Sword cultivation is no easier than other methods, and weapons have no eyes. When early  stage disciples act freely from others in the sect, fatal injuries are commonplace. As a result, everywhere, they send new disciples to the mystic realm to hone their swords.


    The mystic realm a passed down formation in Qingtian Sword Sect. After disciples enter, their bodies fall into a deep sleep, while their divine sense enter a secret realm composed of formations. Inside, they can let go and learn from fellow disciples, fight fake monsters, and can truly feel the sword¡¯s power.


    The biggest benefit of the realm is, apart from consuming some mental power, their bodies will not be injured and can practice swords freely.


    This is more complicated than the mystic realm, and Ye Zhou¡¯s real body should be far away from him.


    Then what is he?


    In order to confirm his identity, Dugu Zhuo said to Ye Zhou like engaging in small chat: ¡°It¡¯s really realistic. You can¡¯t even tell whether I¡¯m a ¡®player¡¯ or ¡®NPC¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how many times I have been scammed today.¡± Ye Zhou sighed, shaking his head. ¡°And you speak so sternly. If you didn¡¯t say you have secondary disease, I will really treat you as an NPC. Don¡¯t rob monsters in the future, this kind of behavior¡­ even if you can beat them, you will easily offend others like this.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo followed his words: ¡°I was not sure if you were an ¡®NPC¡¯.¡±


    ¡°My speech is so modern, how can I be like an NPC?¡± Ye Zhou was unconvinced.


    Dugu Zhuo had already roughly understood what an NPC was. They are similar to monsters in the mystic realm. All of which was false and unreal, and could not be transformed into entities or appear in the real world.


    Maybe he really is an NPC.


    ¡°It¡¯s another monster!¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°I only have less than half an hour left today, so I have to get to level 10  now. Let¡¯s team up to share experience. Your level is too low and you don¡¯t have any good weapons. First watch on the sidelines; Master will let you rub experience.¡±


    Ye Zhou jumped up to the top of a tree after speaking, ready to ambush the mob.


    Level up? With a thought, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s divine sense penetrated into the jade slip with his personal information. He saw that there was a progress bar next to Level 3, as well as the option of whether to upgrade.


    He tried to press ¡°Yes¡± with his mind, and the 600 points of experience he earned from killing monsters was enough for jump to rise to two levels in a row. Suddenly, he became level 5.


    After the upgrade, Dugu Zhuo vaguely felt that his body had undergone very slight changes. A warm current appeared in his broken dantian, and the pain in his meridians was slightly relieved.


    It seems that upgrading can let his body slowly recover.


    This is a good thing. No matter what world you are in, strength is very important.


    In the past, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s heart was as gray as death, and he did not put life and death in his heart. Now that he finally found Ye Zhou, there finally was some fighting spirit.


    Ye Zhou¡¯s soul is not complete. He still needs to find the scattered remnants, so he must increase his strength as soon as possible.


    At this time, Ye Zhou on the other side had already quickly eliminated the two mobs. When the mobs fell to the ground, Dugu Zhuo once again heard the voice announce, ¡°Ding, you killed the monsters and gain 100 experience.¡±


    Each time Ye Zhou kills a little monster, Dugu Zhuo gets 100 experience. It turns out that this is the ¡®team rubbing experience¡¯. It¡¯s a bit like a master leading an apprentice to kill demons.


    He was taken care of by Ye Zhou again.


    Dugu Zhuo smiled with some nostalgia, watching the experience progress bar grow longer.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t know the symbols that represented numbers. First, Ye Zhou said his level, so Dugu Zhuo remembered that ¡°3¡± was ¡°3¡±. When he leveled up, he learned ¡°4¡± and ¡°5¡±. With Ye Zhou slashing monsters producing +100 and +100, Dugu Zhuo quickly remembered the characters 1 through 9 and understood the meaning of ¡°0¡±. One more ¡°0¡± is a multiple of 10..


    After reading the numbers, he realized that as the level increased, the experience needed to upgrade also rose. He used 200 experience to upgrade from level 3 to level 4, 400 from level 4 to level 5, and it takes 1000 to go from level 5 to level 6.According to this growth rate, isn¡¯t a terrifying amount of experience needed to can reach level 80 where they can use the combined skills?


    The monsters in the karma forest were not enough, and Dugu Zhuo looked at the unending beasts on the ground with some worry.


    The upgraded weapon greatly improved Ye Zhou¡¯s efficiency, and two rounds of monsters were quickly cleared.


    He landed in front of Dugu Zhuo and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Finally, unlocked the group attack skill at level 10. But the cost to upgrade has reached 4000. There¡¯s not enough mobs here; let¡¯s go to other maps tomorrow. I hope that there will be fewer players on the next map. At one time when I first started doing quests in Novice Village, there were more players than quests!¡±


    There are other players? And a lot of them?


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°There are only two of us ¡®players¡¯ here.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not easy to reach here,¡± Ye Zhou said proudly. ¡°I took a quest to buy incense from Tanye Temple in Xinshou Village. Seeing players snatching incense at the door, I didn¡¯t want to squeeze in with them, so I went for a walk in the sparsely populated bamboo forest. I accidentally touched a purple bamboo and was transported here. How did you come in?¡±


    ¡°Same as you.¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go offline,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°My family controls my game time very strictly, and can¡¯t go online for too long every day. Uh, why don¡¯t you first stay here and reach level 10, then look for other places. I¡¯ll find you when I¡¯m online.


    He¡¯s leaving? Dugu Zhuo looked at Ye Zhou reluctantly; he only saw Ye Zhou for a moment.


    Emotionally, he doesn¡¯t want to be separated from Ye Zhou. But intellectually, he knows that this is not the real world, and Ye Zhou must return to reality. Even in the Qingtian Sword Sect, it is impossible for disciples to stay in the mystic realm for too long, their bodies will gradually dry up with divine consciousness.


    After a long minute, he finally uttered a sentence. ¡°Tomorrow, how can I find you?¡±


    ¡°The flow of game time and real time seems to be the same,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°I will be online at about 9 am and get off around noon. Then from 3 to 6pm in the afternoon, and will not be online at night.¡±


    Seeing that Dugu Zhuo was ignorant about things, Ye Zhou urged: ¡°If you encounter other players, try not to have any disputes. If nothing else works, go offline. Don¡¯t expose that special skill. Those players are desperate to upgrade and can suck you dry. Focus on upgrading step by step, and I will send a paper crane transmission tomorrow when I go online.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo could only say: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Ye Zhou took out his jade slip, which represents the control panel, and opened the log off button. Before leaving, he glanced at Dugu Zhuo standing in the woods, and finally plucked up the courage to ask: ¡°Er¡­ do you really look like this in reality? The appearance adjusted to 80% can still do this, this¡­¡±


    Dugu Zhuo touched his face subconsciously; he knew that his face was very attractive.


    Although Ye Zhou hadn¡¯t praised him for being good-looking, Dugu Zhuo knew that Ye Zhou cared about his appearance. There was a time when he fought with a fellow disciple, leaving several blood stains on his face, and internal injuries. After the battle, Ye Zhou threw him a few bottles of medicine for external injuries, while Dugu Zhuo had to go the deacon¡¯s hall to receive the medicine for internal injuries.


    After Ye Zhou left, there were ten years of wind and frost. Dugu Zhuo hadn¡¯t paid attention to his appearance for a long time, which was much worse than it was at his peak.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse.¡± Dugu Zhuo had a nostalgic smile.


    ¡°!¡± Ye Zhou logged off with his heart in his mouth. Even this can be considered a bit worse! He couldn¡¯t communicate with Dugu Zhuo for the time being. He was angry and jealous!


    Seeing him disappear into thin air, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s smile solidified. His joy faded, leaving only the loneliness and the confusion of being in a strange world.


    Standing in the forest, the corpse of the monsters under his feet disappeared, and the rustling sounds came from inside the forest again.


    In Ye Zhou¡¯s words, ¡°the mobs have refreshed.¡±


    Ugly monsters emerged from the forest, and will respawn after they are killed. Like the karma forest known to Dugu Zhuo, countless monsters will be born continuously.


    Monster will instinctively attack people, and Dugu Zhuo was quickly surrounded by small monsters.


    After rubbing experience from Ye Zhou just now, he has risen to level 7. There is true qi flowing in his body, and he may be able to use some of the techniques he has learned before.


    Level 10 in the game is considered the early qi refining level. Dugu Zhuo¡¯s current level is not even as good as ordinary outer disciples, and the true essence in the body is simply not enough to use skills.


    But cultivators feeling the way of heaven, and arousing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, can often use power hundreds and thousands times their level.


    He used to be a quasi-god who stepped on the Tianzhu, driving the two divine swords to smash the Tianzhu with the power of nine heavens. No one knows how to communicate with the heavens and the earth better than him.


    Here, heaven and earth are full of aura.


    Dugu Zhuo urged the few strands of true qi in his body and used his sword art. The aura of heaven and earth in the karma forest was attracted to Dugu Zhuo, condensing around him, to be used by him.


    ¡°Huh? There is a teleportation formation here. Ah, there are a group of mobs over there!¡± Not far away, two players suddenly appeared in the karma forest. Apparently, like Ye Zhou, they discovered the secret of the bamboo forest of Tanye Temple.


    After they approached, they found a person standing among a group of monsters.


    Fallen leaves in the bamboo forest rotate without wind, spinning around the person¡¯s body. His index and middle fingers came together, and lightly tapped a bamboo leaf in front of him.


    Countless bamboo leaves flew out like blades. The bodies of the dozens of monsters surrounding him were shot through by the bamboo leaves, and fell heavily to the ground.


    The man¡¯s hair bun was cut by a bamboo leaf, long hair scattering, flying amongst the bamboo leaves.


    The black-clothed man standing in the corpse of the monster beast turned his body sideways and looked at the two players coldly, his eyes full of killing intent.


    The two players made a decisive decision. Taking out an escape prop, they immediately turned and ran. Paper cranes were used to transmit a message to their teammates as they ran: ¡°Help! There is a good-looking person in the bamboo forest of Tanye Temple. At least level 50 or above. A boss!¡±

 CH 5

    Dugu Zhuo was just trying out his skills to see how much he recovered from his injuries. He tried the ¡°Five Elements Sword Art¡± that all the beginner disciples of the Qingtian Sword Sect must practice.


    There are five realms in sword cultivation, namely, common sword, imperial sword, all sword, the void sword, and the void-self.


    These five realms have nothing to do with a cultivator¡¯s skill. If a cultivator has no talent in one of them, even if one has already ascended to an immortal, he may only be in the common sword realm. And if they are extremely talented in swords, they can reach the realm of void sword, just after entering Dao.


    ¡°Five Elements Sword Art¡± is exactly the mental method for practicing the sword realm. It is divided into three stages. First, the sword is made with the five elements of the mortal world, and the gold, wood, earth, water, and fire swords are practiced to the extreme. The first stage is to be controlled by the sword, exerting the five element swords; this is the common sword realm.


    The second stage is to abandon the five elements. Choose a suitable spirit sword, hibernate with the sword, and a master of the sword. This is the imperial sword realm.


    The third stage is to break away from the shape of the sword. Cultivate an invisible sword, know the five elements of heaven, and find the sword everywhere. This is all sword.


    The ¡°Five Elements Sword Art¡± practiced to the extreme is nothing more than the ¡°all sword¡± realm.


    What Dugu Zhuo just used was this. He didn¡¯t have a sword in hand, but everything around him could be a sword. He used the fallen leaves in the bamboo forest as a sword, and slaughtered all the karma beasts with a single move.


    This move requires a very high realm, but the skill itself is not profound. Dugu Zhuo used seven levels of his true qi to use a high-level trick. His true qi was weak and not very powerful; it was just bluffing it¡¯s true strength.


    This momentum fell in the eyes of the two players who had been in contact with the keyboard ¡°Nine Heavens¡±.


    Now the highest level player in the game is only level 15. It is said that he is trying his best to climb a mountain towards apprenticeship. Schools have not been selected yet, how can there be such a powerful skill.


    The two players thought that they had accidentally opened a level 50 map. The difference in strength was too great, and they obviously couldn¡¯t fight it. They were so scared that they turned around and ran, not forgetting to send a message to their teammates first.


    In a normal online game, whether it is a keyboard online game or a holographic online game, it is impossible for players to hear other people¡¯s voices.


    This is the same as secret sound transmissions in the cultivation world. Unless there is too much difference in skill, the content of the dialogue will not be noticed.


    But Dugu Zhuo not only saw them, he also heard the content of their paper cranes.


    The two saw his face and misunderstood he was a ¡°level 50 boss¡±. Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this word, but instinctively felt that he couldn¡¯t let them escape like this.


    Seeing that the two players were about to flee to the teleportation formation, Dugu Zhuo tapped his toes and creating a wind sword with a burst of energy, cutting off two bamboos one after another. The huge bamboo branches fell, blocking the path of the two players.


    ¡°This¡­ damaging the environment to intercept players? Is it a new gameplay?¡± the two players exclaimed.


    Dugu Zhuo shuttled between the bamboo forests, finally coming up to the two of them. Standing on the bamboo branches that were chopped by the sword, he looked at them condescendingly.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes swept across their faces and saw no shock, only surprise. It was obvious that he was not afraid of him, but had an urge to try fighting.


    Yes, like the mystic realm, players will not really die. In the past, if he encountered a powerful monster in the mystic realm, he will not be afraid, and would try to challenge it instead.


    There was one male and one female player, holding a paper fan and long whip, respectively.  Seeing Dugu Zhuo is blocking the way, they took out their broken1 paper fans and whips to prepare for the challenge.


    It¡¯s not shameful to be killed by a boss above level 50, treating it as a new style of gameplay.


    Seeing that the two were not afraid of him, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s complexion eased, dropping from the bamboo branch, and slowly said: ¡°You have misunderstood, I am also a player.¡±


    ¡°Liar! How can a player use such terrible skills?¡± The male player faced Dugu Zhuo. Tossing out the fan, the paper surface turn to steel the moment it was thrown out. It was made up of many throat-slitting blades.


    Dugu Zhuo flashed sideways slightly and heard the female player say: ¡°Right! How can a normal person grow up like you, unless you send me a picture of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Photo¡± ¨C from the context, seems to be a portrait. Dugu Zhuo smoothly replied: ¡°You can¡¯t post photos.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want his photo? Even if it¡¯s send, it may be photoshopped. No, NPCs will not post photos. Why am I being crooked by you, what am I thinking?¡± said the male player.


    The female player shook her whip symbolically and was reluctant to attack Dugu Zhuo. She embarrassedly said: ¡°I was just testing it out. What if?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo just wanted to say something, and suddenly noticed a strong wind behind him. Without turning his head back, he stretched his hand back and grabbed the hidden weapon, which was the paper fan he had just avoided.


    ¡°The dodging action is really good, and can grab it empty-handedly. After the game is upgraded, the experience is great.¡± The male player was not anxious after his weapon is taken, analyzing very honestly/ ¡°When will live broadcasting be available? With these kinds of graphics, there must be many people buying helmets to play.¡±


    As he was talking, he saw the ¡°boss¡± close the paper fan, and dexterously jump towards him.


    At such a close distance, the male player thought he was going to be killed in seconds. Who knew that the ¡°boss¡± has no intention of attacking. He held the paper fan, tapping the man¡¯s arms. He casually said: ¡°Whether you believe is up to you.¡±


    ¡°Believe. I believe you!¡± The female player said, ¡°If you were the boss, we would have died a long time ago.¡±


    The male player also put away his paper fan and spoke: ¡°First, why do you have such a powerful skill?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo recalled what Ye Zhou said before, and replied: ¡°One-time item.¡±


    ¡°You used up such a powerful item like this?¡±


    ¡°Just try it out.¡± Dugu Zhuo said simply.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s purpose is very simple. It¡¯s fine as long as these two people regard him as a player. ¡°The monsters here are suitable for players below level 10.¡±


    After that, he turned around and left to take a loo at the world outside the karma forest.At this time, he heard the female player say: ¡°Handsome guy, add a friend?¡±


    A floating dialog box appeared in front of Dugu Zhuo, which read: [Player Qingyuelove2 requests to add you as a friend. Do you accept? Yes/No]


    It turns out that this is what Ye Zhou meant by ¡°adding friends¡±, not mixing their blood.


    When Dugu Zhuo reunited with Ye Zhou, for fear that it would be difficult to see each other again. in order to establish the closest relationship with Ye Zhou, he chose to establish a blood contract. After it¡¯s established, he can sense Ye Zhou¡¯s position at any time. No matter where Ye Zhou was, he could find him.


    However, after Ye Zhou went offline, the contract was completely cut off. He couldn¡¯t find Ye Zhou in this world.


    It is impossible for Dugu Zhuo to be satisfied with such an encounter in this mysterious world. He must understand the real world in which Ye Zhou is located, and can inquire news from the two people in front of him.


    Dugu Zhuo lightly tapped ¡°Yes¡± and received a system prompt: [You have passed Qingyuelove¡¯s friend application, and the current friendliness is 1. ]


    After becoming friends, you can see the basic information of the other party. It¡¯s less than of his blood contract. Only Dugu Zhuo¡¯s name, level, and sect are visible. Race and character status are hidden.


    Dugu Zhuo saw the opposite player was named Qingyuelove, level 11, no sect. She is one level higher than Ye Zhou.


    Seeing that his teammate added Dugu Zhuo as a friend, the male player was not to be outdone and sent a friend request.


    Dugu Zhuo accepted it as well. The male player is named [email protected], level 11, no sect.


    The names of these two people seem to be a joke. The incomprehensible characters ¡°love¡± and ¡°@¡± are piled up with ridiculous words. Obviously they are not real names, and just pronouns in the game.


    ¡°Wow, your name without symbols isn¡¯t shared with someone else?¡± [email protected] said. ¡°I needed to change several symbols in Long Aotian before registering successfully.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the high rate of your name?¡± Qingyuelove said, ¡°It¡¯s too dirty!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t yours dirty? It¡¯s 02023, and you still add English to your name.¡± [email protected] was not to be outdone.


    While listening to the two quarreling, Dugu Zhuo used the experience gained from killing monsters to raise his level to level 9.


    After he used the ¡°Five Elements Sword Art¡±, his body was drained. He should meditate cross-legged several weeks to recover. But after the upgrade, his true qi was immediately replenished, and the bun that was scattered by the bamboo leaves returned to normal.


    It seems that leveling up can restore one¡¯s state, which is a bit similar to the way a cultivator breaks through the realm.


    Dugu Zhuo used his known knowledge to understand the new world little by little.


    [email protected] couldn¡¯t win Qingyuelove in an argument, so he stopped talking back. Instead, he changed the topic to Dugu Zhuo. ¡°Can add as friends; you¡¯re indeed not a boss. But brother, did you really not spend any money to buy a skin?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo heard ¡°skin¡± and thought it was something a like disguise technique, beauty technique, or human skin mask. He shook his head and replied: ¡°The game does not yet have a currency exchange.¡±


    This is what Ye Zhou told him before.


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± [email protected] sniffed. ¡°What¡¯s the use of being handsome, it¡¯s only level 9.¡±


    ¡°My disposable items are already used, and the monsters here don¡¯t give enough experience. I was planning to go out to do a task. What about you two?¡± Dugu Zhuo said in the same tone4 as the two of them.


    Ye Zhou was only level 10, and Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t plan on leveling up more. Instead of staying in the karma forest, he might as well go to the outside world to find out more.


    This game world is inextricably connected with his original world. Dugu Zhuo wants to adapt to the new world, learn more about the relationship between the two worlds, and wants to know how he and Ye Zhou came here.


    Qingyuelove: ¡°I¡¯ll do a task with you.¡±


    [email protected]: ¡°We plan to explore the new map.¡±


    The two said exactly the opposite things. Having a disagreement, they began quarreling again.


    Dugu Zhuo only regarded them as tools for obtaining information. He did not intend to wait for a result of their quarrel, and said politely: ¡°You take your time to discuss.¡±


    After that, he went to the teleportation formation and was sent to Tanye Temple.


    There is a feeling of time and space changing during the transmission. The sight in his eyes underwent a huge change, from a green bamboo forest to a temple full of incense.


    The temple was originally a clean place, but now it was like a vegetable market. There were a lot of people¡­


    ¡°Hey, hey! Can¡¯t you see so many people lining up for incense? Go to the back of the line. Don¡¯t you have any manners?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t gaming helmets expensive? Why are there so many people in the public beta?¡±


    ¡°It used to be crowded when playing online games, but now it¡¯s really crowded. Why did I set the feeling parameter so high? Whoever stepped on my toe ¨C it hurts!¡±


    These are all people queuing for the incense task.


    ¡°Master, I am here to hand in and receive a new mission.¡±


    ¡°Amitabha, the donor, this cat does not meet the requirements.¡±


    ¡°Why not? The dead flower5 next door can receive it, why can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t deceive this monk with your demon clan ways. Gan! Arhat¡¯s golden body6, evildoer appear¡±


    A golden light flashed, and the black cat in the player¡¯s arms suddenly fell to the ground. The monk releasing the mission was still kind.


    The black cat stiffened, lay down for a while, then resurrected on the spot. He stretched out his paw and scratched the released player, and vomited: ¡°Let me test this out, I don¡¯t believe it won¡¯t work!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you try?¡± The player fled with his head in his arms. ¡°How could I know that this old man looks thin and thin, but is so ruthless. At least level 40 or above. And you¡¯re only level 1, so if you die and lose a level, it won¡¯t hurt!¡±


    ¡°Let you try, let you try! I will cancel my number when I go offline and re-register as a human.¡± The black cat licked his paw and said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, the black cat is so cute. It¡¯s a species that was finally found randomly. Look at the mushroom next door, they have it much harder!¡± The player pointed to the free clinic booth in front of the Tanye Temple.


    Black Cat: ¡°Are you blind, that¡¯s a lingzhi7!¡±


    A kind-minded old monk was sitting in front of the free clinic booth, giving free treatment to the poor.


    There is a lingzhi on the table where the old monk is diagnosing people¡¯s pulses.Every time the old monk diagnoses a disease, he clasps his hands to the lingzhi. ¡°Saving a life is better than building a seventh-level floating buddha. This benefactor will be blessed if he sacrifices his life to save others.¡±


    He took a ray of spiritual energy from lingzhi and injected it into the eyebrows of the sick, and they healed immediately.


    The lingzhi rocked its body, feebly saying: ¡°No thanks are needed. Just trouble you to give me experience, so I can reach level 20 and become a human. Oooh, the life of a spirit race is so bitter.¡±


    A player next to the lingzhi pointed. ¡°They¡¯re first in the player ranking list. Spirit races level up so fast! Only needs to help heal people for EXP.¡±


    ¡°Wow, he can level up by saving people? Soon, they¡¯ll be level 20!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for him to continue to doing rescue missions. There must be a limit on the number of times.¡±


    Sure enough, as the player spoke, then the lingzhi reached level 16, the old monk held it up. ¡°Donor, your mission today has reached its limit. If you continue treating, your life will be endangered. Please come back tomorrow.¡±


    The old monk put the llingzhi on the ground, took out a snow lotus from the bamboo basket at his feet, and said to the snow lotus kindly: ¡°Saving a life is better than building a seventh-level floating buddha. This benefactor will be blessed if he sacrifices his life to save others.¡±


    Snow lotus waved the leaf: ¡°Troubled you. Hurry up.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°¡­¡±


    It is a lively and harmonious world.


    Broken, as in weak or bad quality


    the ¡®love¡¯ is spelled out in English.


    Here, the author should be referring to 2020. They make it backwards for censorship or other plagarism reasons I¡¯d suspect.


    re: modern. Not that secondary disease or ancient way he spoke in before


    another player whose type is a flower


    a spell/skill


    Translates to Ganoderma lucidum. Re: Some medicinal ¡®shroom, that in this novel, doubles as a species for spirit race players.

 CH 6

    Players who wanted to join in and see the bustle came to the old monk¡¯s side and peeked at the bamboo basket under his feet, wanting to know if the monk had stuffed all the beta spirit players.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look,¡± Lingzhi on the side who just completed the task spoke up. ¡°When I was in the basket earlier, I thought I was the only one. Who knows where he took a new out from.¡±


    When saying this, the lingzhi grew a large pair of eyes, looking like a chibi, jealously glancing at the snow lotus on the table. It was not only scary, but even cuter.


    The players didn¡¯t give up and took a look. As expected, there was nothing in the bamboo basket. But after snow lotus completed the task, the old monk would definitely come up with another spirit race player.


    The human players who could not squeeze into the spirit race team gathered around Lingzhi to inquire about the news. ¡°Your level is so high. Will you need to continue saving up and leveling like this in the future?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Lingzhi rolled its eyes. ¡°After reaching level 20 and getting a human form, you can probably do quests to upgrade.¡±


    ¡°There are so few spirit races, and there is only one old monk for quests. Is it too slow for everyone to upgrade?¡± A player asked. ¡°And in here, the spirit race still needs to queue. The keyboard game is much less troublesome.¡±


    In the keyboard era, players can only see the dialog between themselves and the NPC. As long as the server has enough capacity, players can complete a task together, without queuing at all.


    Another player replied: ¡°It¡¯s only in public beta now, and it is of course difficult to upgrade. This game adjusts according to the level, which better matches players. If it is too easy to upgrade, players will soon lose interest. How can the game companies make money then?¡±


    Someone asked a monk in front of the door: ¡°Master, if there are too many people in Tanye Temple, what should you do if your temple can¡¯t hold them?¡±


    The monk replied according to the game program: ¡°One flower, one world, one leaf, and one bodhi. In the eyes of the donor I only saw one altar temple, but there are altars everywhere in the world, and Dao exists beyond me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand. Who can translate this?¡± A player asked.


    Mixed in with the players to secretly observe, Dugu Zhuo responded: ¡°Three thousand worlds, how many players there are, will be how many temples there are.¡±


    After being enlightened, a player said: ¡°Meaning once the number of players reach a certain number, the game company will naturally upgrade to provide faster service.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo listened carefully to everyone¡¯s words, and quickly absorbed knowledge.


    He looked at Lingzhi and the players piled around it. Who knew when Qingyuelove and [email protected], he encountered in the karma forest, went over there, next to Lingzhi to inquire about their experience upgrading.


    ¡°Can you move?¡± A player poked the thick ganoderma lucidum cap.


    ¡°While going, do you know where you are touching? I want to report your indecent assault to GM1!¡± Lingzhi said displeased.


    ¡°Then are you male or female?¡± The player continued to poke with an unruly hand.


    The voices of the spirit and monster races are crisp and childlike, and cannot distinguish whether its male or female.


    ¡°After level 20, you can choose your own gender.¡± Lingzhi moved its body hard to avoid the cheap player. It is really difficult to move.


    ¡°How did you climb up to Tanye Temple and be used as medicinal materials by the old monk?¡± The player was still poking at the irate mushroom.


    At this time, a monk dressed in a dark yellow monk robe came to Lingzhi. One side of the robe sleeve was tied to his waist, showing strong arms and developed chest muscles. His bare hand was holding a Zen stick and the other hand was held near the heart, as he chanted. He bowed slightly, and said politely: ¡°This benefactor, this spirit race saves countless lives. Please don¡¯t hurt him.¡±


    Lingzhi moved his body with difficulty and got close to the monk¡¯s feet.


    The player with cheap hands knew his actions weren¡¯t good, but he had an attitude of seeking death. Thus, he pinched his courage to say to the monk: ¡°So what if I touch?¡±


    ¡°Donor, the poor monk must offend.¡± The monk held the stick with both hands, swirling through the air, dancing. ¡°Gan! Don¡¯t enrage Jingang!¡±2


    After the Zen stick hit, and the player was smashed so that only one piece of equipment remained, and disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Players who are the unruly and molest spirit players, violating the game¡¯s regulations that players are not allowed to sexually harass players, are restricted from doing tasks related to Tanye Temple for seven days. ¡± The monk made a full-server announcement majestically.


    After finishing talking about the regulations, the monk regained his benevolent look and said, ¡°Amitabha.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    The monks in Tanye Temple are all double-faced!


    The player with cheap hands who was beaten contacted a friend who shared back with the audience: ¡°It¡¯s so cruel. A Zen stick beat a person from level 12 to level 9, down three levels in a row, also dropping the best equipment on his body. It seems that the game is very strict in terms of sexual harassment, and the punishment is extremely high!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Qingyuelove, who followed Dugu Zhuo, entered the crowd at some point. ¡°The game is very well-made, with many handsome men and beautiful women. What if someone is really a pervert? If you spend a lot of money to upgrade in a holographic online game, it will be miserable if taken advantage of because of said bad behavior.¡±


    Another ¡°female¡± player said: ¡± Yes. Behavior below the neck is not allowed. If you want to change clothes, you can only choose one-click to change.¡±3


    As a keyboard game, the characters in Nine Heavens were much more exposed with thin clothes. After upgrading to a holographic online game, both men¡¯s clothing and women¡¯s clothing are covered tightly.


    Even so, it is better to directly interact with handsome men and beautiful women than to see characters through a screen. Players will spend a lot of money to buy game helmets to experience holographic games.


    Qingyuelove sighed: ¡°I originally rushed to the handsome little brother Xianxia in the promotional video. Who knows that after spending so much money on a game helmet, what I saw was a group of crooked melons and cracked dates. Not as good as ordinary NPCs, there are so many handsome monks in Tanye Temple!¡±


    There are a few sisters standing beside the Zen stick monk. The monk with sword eyebrows and stars closed his eyes and said: ¡°Desire is emptiness, emptiness is desire.¡± There is a layer of white light around him, preventing players from drawing close.


    This means that they can¡¯t molest NPCs either.


    The game company¡¯s intention is obvious: we are a healthy, green, and environmentally friendly game!


    At this time, someone was surprised: ¡°A unique temperament suddenly appeared in the NPCs queuing for treatment. Isn¡¯t it a hidden mission?¡±


    Qingyuelove is a face-con. She came to play this game to get close to 3D paper people. As soon as she heard that his temperament was good, she immediately shifted her eyes from the monk to the free clinic booth, and saw the lone lonely standing among a group of gray NPCs.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an NPC, that¡¯s a player!¡± Qingyuelove explained.


    Unfortunately, no one listened to her, and the players rushed to the free clinic booth.


    If it is a keyboard, you can click on the dialogue with the mouse, but this is a hologram, so they are not allowed to molest the NPC. Players can only talk to Dugu Zhuo.


    There are not many NPCs in front of the free clinic booth, and the number has been maintained at 5. After one person is cured, new NPCs will be lined up at the end.


    Dugu Zhuo stood at the end of the team and became the sixth, but there was no NPC to stop him.


    As if he hadn¡¯t heard the words of the players, he waited intently for his turn.


    Dugu Zhuo had a panoramic view of what happened in Tanye Temple, and the players¡¯ actions made him discover a few rules.


    First, it is difficult for the player to distinguish whether the other party is an NPC or player, but NPCs know;


    Second, disrupting an NPC task, such as deliberately turning in the wrong item, will result in punishment (such as the black cat);


    Third, the attack by the monk at Tanye Temple ¨C he can avoid it.


    The monk made two moves, and Dugu Zhuo could see clearly that the power of the monk¡¯s moves was not fixed, and is adjusted according to a player¡¯s level and the severity of the violation.


    The player poking Lingzhi and the black cat are of different levels, and the monks have completely different reactions.


    Dugu Zhuo secretly estimated that the monk¡¯s attack power and speed should be more than 50% of the player¡¯s maximum level. With his sword skills and footwork, he is 70% certain he can avoid it.


    For Dugu Zhuo, 70% is enough to take a risk.


    The column of his identity is still ¡°to be unlocked¡±. Ye Zhou regards him as a player, and his identity has not been unlocked. Qingyue and Aotian regard him as a boss, and his identity has not been unlocked. the people around him regard him as an NPC, and his identity has not yet been unlocked.


    Dugu Zhuo wants to know who he was. Since it seems impossible to unlock from player¡¯s guessing, it¡¯s better to try with an NPC.


    The old monk is in the role of an NPC free clinic. Dugu Zhuo is seriously injured and meets the conditions of the free clinic booth. If he is an NPC, he will be treated.


    Dugu Zhuo observed the old monk¡¯s movements, imagined several attack directions, and simulated escape routes in his mind. He was slightly nervous in his heart, but appeared calm on the surface.


    Players can be resurrected after death, he might not.


    This attempt was very risky, but Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want to back down.


    He felt that since he had set foot on the avenue of cultivation, he was competing with the heavens.


    In the Qingtian Sword Sect, he has always been trained as the future Xuan Jian master. Only Ye Zhou persuaded him to break away from his fate and never touch the Xuan Jian.


    Ye Zhou saw the fate that Dugu Zhuo was about to bear, and kept pushing Dugu Zhuo away from the abyss of fate. But he could knot stop Dugu Zhuo from taking the sword by killing his father in the end.


    When his biological father Dugu Yue died in front of him, Dugu Zhuo realized that all of his life was arranged. He was like a chess piece. The love of his parents, friends, teachers and even Ye Zhou was all doomed from the moment he was born.


    He is the master of Xuan Jian selected by Heaven. He must bear all the sins in the world and cut off all feelings with his own hands before he can bear this sword.


    But why? Why can the gods in the heavenly palace control his life so indifferently, just to make him a scabbard of a sword?


    Dugu Zhuo never obeyed fate. The same is true when he enters a whole new world.


    It is true that he is very likely to be just an NPC designed in the game. In the words of players, NPCs runs in accordance with the program in the server, exactly like him in Tianjian Sect.


    He will not admit this fate.


    He was finally reached the head of the line. Dugu Zhuo sat in front of the free clinic booth, stretched out his wrist, and let the old monk signal his pulse.


    Qingyuelove went to Dugu Zhuo¡¯s side, and sent him whisper: ¡°Come down. If the old monk finds that you are joined in for fun, you will be killed off like those two who caused trouble!¡±


    This is a private message. Sound is secretly transmitted with true qi, and delivered to the ear of the other party without leakage.


    Dugu Zhuo could do this trick tool, so he sent a private chat to Qingyuelove: ¡°I¡¯m hurt. Just testing the rules of the game.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you are so smart!¡± Qingyuelove did not chat privately this time, but said publicly. ¡°First hurt yourself, and then queue up in front of the free clinic booth. Maybe this can be a place for players to heal!¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± The snow lotus on the stall was also a great tonic. ¡°Does this mean that our spirit race can be used as healing and assistance in the future, and can also revive teammates?¡±


    ¡°It is possible!¡± A group of players agreed.


    Everyone focused on Dugu Zhuo. Some believed he was a special NPC, and some believed he was a player.


    The old monk slowly stretched out his hand and placed it on Dugu Zhuo¡¯s pulse.


    ¡°Donor, you¡­¡± The old monk¡¯s kind eyes sharpened instantly. He grabbed Dugu Zhuo¡¯s veins, tapped the table with the other hand, and the overwhelming true qi enveloped Dugu Zhuo.


    This is¡­


    Dugu Zhuo perceives what the old monk is going to do based on the attributes of the true qi. He obviously could get rid of the opponent and flee, but he just endured it, letting the old monk¡¯s essence trap him inside.


    The noisy surrounding sounds instantly calmed down, and the players were all stuck. Only Dugu Zhuo and the old monk were able to move in the entire space.


    Wuxiangjie, this is the highest and deepest realm of Buddha cultivation. It can open up a small world of its own with true essence. The small world is independent of the world, and the time and space outside will not pass away.


    This is just a game, how could there be no time or space suddenly?


    While Dugu Zhuo was in doubt, he heard the old monk say: ¡°Mr. Dugu, your wounds, this poor monk can¡¯t cure.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Dugu Zhuo calmly said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an NPC?¡±


    ¡°What ¡®NPC¡¯?¡± The old monk folded his palms together. ¡°Poor monk is named Tan Ji.¡±


    Master Tan Ji?


    Dugu Zhuo remembered that Master Tan Ji was the most respected monk in the realm of cultivation. He could have long since ascended, but he kept reincarnating, crossing worlds, and cultivating the merits in life.


    How could such a master appear in this online game?


    ¡°Mr. Dugu used himself as a guide, with the help of the Divine Sword of Creation, to destroy the foundation of the three heavens, and was injured only by the two Xuan, Su swords and the backlash of the realm. The divine punishment on your body, this monk cannot crack.¡± Master Tan Ji said. ¡°But Mr. Dugu gave countless creatures a glimmer of vitality for three days. Blessed merits are added to one¡¯s body, your meridians are slowly being healed, and one day you will be healed.¡°


    ¡°How can I have merit?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°What Mr. Dugu has done, sin is in the skies, merit is in the ages.¡± The old monk said.


    What else did Dugu Zhuo want to ask? At this time, the people around started moving. Master Tanji, who had a clever eye, turned into a dull old monk. He said to Dugu Zhuo: ¡°This player, please don¡¯t affect people¡¯s treatment. Players can go to the medicine hall in the next town for diagnosis and treatment. Players below level 20 will not consume spirit stones.¡±


    After Dugu Zhuo was asked to leave the free clinic booth by the old monk, Qingyuelove ran over and said: ¡°You are still good, and will ask where to heal injuries. You¡¯re a pro player, right?¡±


    He ignored Qingyuelove, instead using his spiritual sense to search for personal information in the jade slip, only to see that the identity column had been unlocked-


    Game master, i.e., admins


    Honestly, I had no idea how to translate this line¡­ What he¡¯s saying is like a spell, and Jingang is King Kong so I kept it part phonetic since was weird in English.


    Re: this guy probably wanted to see his character/avatar naked.

 CH 7

    There was a spring rain on the other side of the Canglan Mountain Range. Two monks were sheltering from the rain in a ruined temple that had been in disrepair for a long time.The elderly monk sat cross-legged and snored after a while.


    Another young monk: ¡°?¡±


    What kind of person is Master Tan Ji, the nine-times reincarnating monk. The Buddha who was born with the power of Mahayana, has long since gotten rid of the mortal shell, how can he fall asleep and snore??


    ¡°Master?¡± the young monk whispered.


    Master Tan Ji slowly opened his eyes, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and asked the disciple doubtfully: ¡°Master seems to be asleep?¡±


    ¡°Not only did I slept, but also snorted,¡± the young monk answered straightforwardly.


    He has just been ordained and he is the youngest disciple of Master Tan Ji.


    Master Tan Ji didn¡¯t care about his disciple¡¯s frankness. Rolling the string of Buddhist beads in his hands a few times, he then said: ¡°Teacher had a dream.¡±


    ¡°A prophetic dream?¡± the young monk asked.


    With Master Tan Ji¡¯s skill, he suddenly fell asleep. It could only be because he realized the way of heaven and communicated with heaven and earth.


    ¡°No,¡± Master Tan Ji shook his head, ¡°Teacher dreamed that I went up the mountain to collect medicine and brought back many untransformed spirit practitioners. Teacher set up a free clinic booth in front of a small temple and used the energy from these spirit practitioners to help the working people. Healing also lets these spirit practitioners accumulate merit and form.¡±


    ¡°How can spirit practitioners be willing to do this?¡± The young monk said.


    Spiritual cultivators are born and cultivated from the earth. It is hard for them to survive until thousands of years without being picked by humans or beasts, avoid cultivators and monsters before transforming, and escape combat..


    Master Tan Ji did not answer. He looked at the appearance of the little apprentice, and suddenly said: ¡°Go pick a stick that is about the same height as a Zen stick, and then take off one sleeve and tie it around your waist.¡±


    The young monk was puzzled, but He still did as Master Tan Ji ordered.


    Before he was shaved bald, he used to be a magnate of the rivers and lakes, and is very muscular. When he wears a monk¡¯s robe, none of this is revealed. Only half of his arms can be seen to see how developed each muscle is.


    The young monk stood in front of Master Tan Jiwith a tall wooden stick, unlike a monk.


    Master Tan Ji nodded with satisfaction: ¡°Similar.¡±


    ¡°What is it like?¡± The young monk patted his head, wondering what happened to the master.


    Master Tan Ji did not answer, but looked at the drizzle outside the temple: ¡°Today is different from the past. Since the Tianzhu collapsed and the nine heavens merged into one, the last three days that originally condensed 80% of the world¡¯s aura were destroyed. The aura is returned to the world. Even this spring drizzle contains unimaginable aura.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The young monk nodded.


    ¡°It is easier for the spirit race to absorb aura than before, but it is also more difficult to transform.¡± Master Tan Ji said.


    Spirit races are indeed born by nature, but before they become intellectual, they are easily targeted by other races, and often become medicinal materials for other people¡¯s alchemy first. Occasionally, those who practice cultivation will owe a lot of karmic debt, and they will have to spend the rest of their lives to repay them.


    After the collapse of the Tianzhu, Master Tan Ji has been thinking about what to do in the world, and how to avoid the world with excess spiritual energy from becoming an ancient battlefield again.


    The dream of just now provided a new way of thinking for Master Tan Ji.


    ¡°Check and balance.¡± Master Tan Ji said.


    He walked out of the temple in the rain and looked up at the plaque of the ruined temple. The spring rain washed away the dust on the plaque, revealing the words ¡°Tanye Temple¡±.


    Master Tan Ji looked at the three words, recalled the dream, and said to the disciple after a long time: ¡°You and I stay here. Teacher will open a charity stall, you stay by teacher¡¯s side to maintain the order of all visitors.¡±


    ¡°Charity? Here?¡± The young monk pointed to the empty and leaky temple.


    ¡°It¡¯s here. After the rain stops, you can repair the temple with teacher.¡± Master Tan Ji blinked at his disciple. ¡°After all, we are all ¡®npc¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The young disciple was confused.


    ¡ª¨C


    In ¡°Nine Heavens¡± seeing the word ¡°bug¡±, Dugu Zhuo fell silent in confusion.


    Qingyuelove said to [email protected]: ¡°Were you also stuck just now?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± [email protected] replied. ¡°But the time has not changed, is it an illusion?¡±


    ¡°The game server is not yet stable. After all, it¡¯s still in public beta , and there may be bugs.¡± Qingyuelove guessed.


    Dugu Zhuo put away the jade slip, and his gaze fell on the two players following him. He didn¡¯t want to be too much involved with players other than Ye Zhou. Now it seems that these two people are still useful.


    He came to the door of Tanye Temple, picked up a branch, drawing a gourd on the ground, and crookedly wrote down ¡°bug¡±.


    The trailing Qingyuelove said: ¡°Bug? Why are you writing this?¡±


    Bug?1 It turns out that what they just usedwas this term.


    ¡°Just now I also felt that time stopped for a while.¡± Dugu Zhuo added without a pause.


    [email protected]: ¡°It seems that everyone feels that it is really stuck. A holographic game can still freeze? Let me go offline, I will contact customer service to give feedback and suggest that they fix this bug as soon as possible.¡±


    When he spoke, Dugu Zhuo began to gain some understanding of the word ¡°bug¡±. In order to further determine the meaning, he asked: ¡°Did you find any other bugs?¡±


    ¡°Your English is a little bit inaccurate,¡± [email protected] pointed to Dugu Zhuo¡¯s writing on the ground. ¡°Apart from the lag just now, I haven¡¯t found any other problems. But you are more like a bug.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°Me? Do I have any problems?¡±


    [email protected]: ¡°Just that a disposable item. Everyone is focused on grinding and leveling, but you can clear dozens of mobs in a second. Isn¡¯t that a bug? What is the name of the one-time item you found? Send it me to see if the value is broken. If there is a problem, I¡¯ll also report this prop as a bug.¡±


    Problems, broken values, loopholes¡­ Dugu Zhuo extracted key words.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s understanding is ¨C as soon as an existence beyond the control of the rules is discovered, the rules will try to find and erase it. This is a bug.


    He ignored [email protected]¡¯s ask to send over props, turned around and walked outside the Tanye Temple. [email protected] quickly followed, muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t be so stingy. If you have a good prop, share it. By the way, share where you got it. Even if it¡¯s a one-off, it¡¯s not bad. The game has just started, and this powerful item is very valuable.¡±


    Qingyuelove and [email protected], one who was dazed by his appearance and the other who wanted news about a powerful item. The two of them followed Dugu Zhuo and left Tanye Temple like Siamese twins, with a black cat trailing behind them.


    The black cat¡¯s foot pads were very soft, and there was no sound when they stepped on the ground, so Qingyuelove and [email protected] did not find him.


    Dugu Zhuo immediately noticed the demon qi, and picked it up, grabbing the black cat by the nape.


    ¡°Huh? When did the cat follow? Demon race?¡± [email protected]


    ¡°Wow! What a cute kitten, can I pet you?¡± Qingyuelove said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about touching me!¡± The black cat licked his paws. ¡°It¡¯s forbidden to molest players in-game. Of course, it¡¯s okay for me to touch myself. Oh, I¡¯m so cute.¡±


    The black cat nudged his paw hard, revealing drunken eyes.


    Qingyue lost interest in an instant, and said blankly, ¡°You are too wretched, a waste a cute cat face.¡±


    [email protected] doesn¡¯t like cats very much, and he is very resistant to black cats. He is warily asked: ¡°What are you doing following us?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s following you, I¡¯m following him.¡± The black cat twisted his body. Being held in Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hand, it was a bit difficult to move. ¡°I think when you just tried to test the old monk, it was very powerful at the time. Not only was it not punished, but also gained some clues, so I came over to ask if you have any upgrade methods for the monster race2.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t the monster clan perform quest upgrades like us?¡± Qingyue asked.


    The black cat bowed his head in frustration: ¡°Hey, we can¡¯t do all the tasks that the human race can do, and we can¡¯t treat diseases and save people for experience like the spirit race. Low-level monsters can¡¯t beat the mobs. It¡¯s hard and hard to upgrade, you see. Just look at the level of the monsters on the rankings.¡±


    [email protected] opened the rankings and screened out the monsters. Sure enough, he saw all the monsters were only level 1.


    ¡°I say, when I sent them a message for help, why didn¡¯t I even get a reply for so long? It turned out to be only level 1!¡± [email protected]


    Dugu Zhuo said at the right time: ¡°Seek help?¡±


    Qingyue explained to him: ¡°Before, the two of us thought you were a boss, so we asked our teammates for help. The message was sent nowhere.3 It seems that they haven¡¯t found a way to upgrade the monster race yet.¡±


    ¡°In the keyboard era, no matter which race one is, the tasks are the same. Many changes have happened after the upgrade.¡± The black cat sighed. ¡°I reached an agreement with a player to let him take me along. I thought I could upgrade, but I didn¡¯t expect to be killed by a monk. There is no place for me to upgrade in Tanye Temple. I have to find another way.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo put down the frowning black cat, thinking about the monster race he had encountered before.


    Some monster races concentrate on cultivation and absorb the essence of the sun and moon, and the cultivation speed is a bit slower. Other demon races confuse humans and absorb human qi. Their cultivation is very fast, but the lightning catastrophe will also be more difficult.


    Dugu Zhuo said to the black cat: ¡°The monster race should increase its strength by bathing in the moonlight. If you can get a set of cultivation methods, it will be faster. Of course, you can also try to confuse humans.¡±


    ¡°I actually have a talent called ¡®Charm¡¯ that¡¯s useless for mobs. There is also a ¡°Moon Worship Technique¡± training skill, but the game started at 8 o¡¯clock in the morning, and I haven¡¯t seen the moon yet.¡± The black cat replied.


    He thought for a while, jumped onto an ordinary NPC on the side of the Tanye Temple, displayed the ¡°Charm¡± skill, and whispered ¡°meow¡± at that person.


    The man immediately hugged the black cat as if he had lost his soul, sucked hard at the cat¡¯s fur, and fell down helplessly.


    ¡°Huh? I leveled up! Up to level 5 all of a sudden!¡± Black cat said happily, ¡°It turns out that the demon¡¯s talent is to absorb the essence of NPCs to upgrade. The upgrade speed is really fast. I¡¯m going to find humans¡­¡±


    Before the words finished, the monk in front of the Tanye Temple got a Zen stick from nowhere and slammed it heavily on the black cat. The protector monk shouted: ¡°Gan! Bold evildoer, dare to kill people in front of the Tanye Temple!¡±


    Black cat:¡± ¡­¡­ ¡±


    Turns out races also have to choose their leveling spots, the Tanye Temple is an anti-demon location!

 CH 8

    ¡°Meow~¡± The black cat resurrected on the spot. The originally curled paws stretched out, revealing soft paw pads.


    The holographic visuals of ¡°Nine Heaves¡± is very beautiful. Even the death of a character is beautiful. Female characters of the human race will gracefully rotate and fall on the ground, skirts scattered, with blood stains on the corners of clothes like blooming blood red flowers. Their faces slender and dusty, with eyes closed and a teardrop hanging in the corner of their eyes, as if she was having a sad dream that they cannot be awakened.


    The death scenes of male characters are less beautiful and more heroic.


    Non-humans, such as the cat in front of him, curled up their limbs and their body rolled up. There was a special effect of sunlight (moon or starlight at night) hitting the small body to make the cat look a little serene and a little sad.


    ¡°Dropped 2 levels.¡± the black cat checked his level, his eyes shining. ¡°Absorbing a human NPC increases it by 4, and only drops 2 after being killed once. This exchange! If I can find someone far away from Tanye Temple, I will soon be the number one player in the rankings. Hahahahahaha!¡±


    He jumped up with a wild smile, stepping on Qingyue and Aotian¡¯s shoulders as he ran away from the Tanye Temple. But when passing by Dugu Zhuo, he was once again caught by on nape of the neck by this person.


    Dugu Zhuo used the black cat in order to verify the connection between his original world and the game world, and did not intend to cultivate a monster that sucks human spirit everywhere.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let me go!¡± The black cat attacked Dugu Zhuo with its teeth and dancing claws, but the claws were too short, and the position that Dugu Zhuo held was too clever. It happened to be the blind spot of the black cat. He could not touch Dugu Zhuo at all.


    ¡°The easier the way, the more costly.¡± Dugu Zhuo said lightly.


    The practice of absorbing the essence of other creatures is indeed easier than the practice of worshipping the moon, but when encountering lighting tribulation, it is very difficult to counter. What¡¯s more, does the black cat think the righteous sects are dead when acting so recklessly? It may not be able to wait for lighting tribulation, but end up encircled to death by righteous sects.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t explain these things to the black cat. After all, he wasn¡¯t sure whether the rules of the game were consistent with his original world. He just didn¡¯t want these NPCs to be killed due to his own suggestions, which would increase his evil karma, and he didn¡¯t know when he would be ¡®rewarded¡¯.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t cost anything as long as I stay away from Tanye Templ. Let me go, I¡¯ll use my claws if you continue!¡±


    Seeing that the physical attack didn¡¯t work, the black cat began to consider other attacks.


    After using the charm skill once, a brief skill introduction appeared behind the skill. After the black cat clicked it on, it was discovered that the target of the charm talent skill does not distinguish between NPC, player, or boss, only the level difference.


    As long as the opponent is a human race and the level difference is within 10 levels, they can charm the opponent indiscriminately, unless the opponent is practicing monkhood or uses a pure heart mantra to resist.


    The highest ranking list now is only level 16, and the level of the human race in front of him does not exceed level 10. The black cat made a decisive action and used ¡°charm¡±. He raised his tail and ¡°meowed¡± at Dugu Zhuo, with big eyes. Poor and cute, his long tail swept across Dugu Zhuo¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Charm¡± is a group attack skill. Players within 1 meter will be affected. The closer the distance, the greater the impact. As the level increases, the range of the skill will expand accordingly.


    When the black cat lightly ¡°meowed¡±, the onlookers Qingyue and Aotian were also affected. Qingyue already likes cats and was greatly affected. She grabbed Dugu Zhuo¡¯s arm and said: ¡°How can we hurt this cat? So cute!¡±


    [email protected] also opened the paper fan like losing his soul, and readied an attacking posture at Dugu Zhuo: ¡°Let go of that cat!¡±


    Seeing that the excellent effect, the black cat called out again, adding fuel to the fire. ¡°Meow~¡±


    It turns out that this method can be used to get other players to protect him. The demon race is pretty good!


    Seeing the look of the black cat, Dugu Zhuo sneered.


    If a sword cultivator wants to unite human and sword, his will must be as firm as a sharp blade, otherwise he will not be able to subdue a spiritual sword at all.


    Don¡¯t say that his state of mind is far higher than that of the level 3 untransformed monsters in this area. Even if the monsters come to seduce him, in the eyes of Dugu Zhuo, those monsters who are scratching their heads are not worthy of carrying shoes for Ye Zhou.


    Dugu Zhuo stretched out his long arms and snatched [email protected]¡¯s paper fan. [email protected] was in a controlled state, his speed and power were all halved, so his weapon was easily taken away.


    The paper fan ¡°popped¡± twice hit on Aotian and Qingyue¡¯s foreheads. Aotian rubbed the light red mark and said: ¡°?! Huh I just seem to have lost control of my account.¡±


    ¡°You, do you want to upgrade so much?¡± Dugu Zhuo said to the black cat. ¡°I¡¯ll let you.¡±


    ¡°Meow? Why weren¡¯t you charmed?¡± The black cat shouted, ¡°Are you a human? What are you going to do!¡±


    Carrying the black cat, Dugu Zhuo walked into the Tanye Temple and the karma forest teleportation array, and threw the cat into a group of monsters. ¡°This place is suitable for players below level 10. Play slowly.¡±


    ¡°Where is this? What are these little monsters? Looks so terrible!¡± Seeing a monster attack, the black cat raised its claws to resist, scratching the forehead of the monster beast with one claw, and saw a long blood bar appearing on the monster¡¯s head, with a -1.


    The demon race¡¯s initial attack power differs based on one¡¯s species. Monsters such as bear demons, tiger demons, etc., have no charm skill, but an extremely high attack. Whereas this cat monster¡¯s attack is not worth mentioning in front of this group of monsters.


    Under the siege of monsters, the black cat began to lose blood.


    Now everyone is a low-level player and has never been out of the Novice Village. Other maps have not been unlocked, so they can only resurrect in place. It will also be like this after going offline.


    Dugu Zhuo kicked down a few bamboos and laid down a wandering formation. It is difficult for unfamiliar people to escape of the formation. The phenomenon of ¡°ghosts hitting a wall¡± will appear, and they will spin around in place.


    ¡°There are a lot of monsters here, enough for you to reach level 10.¡± Dugu Zhuo made a ¡°please¡± gesture to the black cat, and then left the karma forest.


    Qingyue and Aotian: ¡°¡­¡±


    They listened to the screams of the black cat ¡°Me-oowwww~¡± and watched it quickly reach a state of residual blood under the siege of the monsters.


    ¡°Is it too cruel?¡± Coming out of the karma forest, Qingyue asked sympathetically. ¡°Going offline can only return in the same place. And there are no resurrection points to respawn at. Charm doesn¡¯t work on mobs. How can he get out of this forest?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine at night.¡± Dugu Zhuo looked up at the sky and determined the time according to the position of the sun, ¡°It is three quarters to the hour. When the moon reaches the treetops at haishi1, the demon race can absorb spiritual energy, and its power will increase.¡±


    Qingyue: ¡°¡­What time is haishi?¡±


    They knew that the game control panel would display the time in the lower right corner, and one could switch between game time and real time. The real time display was 18:30, and the game time was youshi three-tenths.


    ¡°Zi, chou, yin, mao¡­¡± Aotian has some basic understanding and converted with his fingers. ¡°It is about nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Two and a half hours later.¡±


    ¡°I hope he will not be so angry that he will not be online all night. Otherwise it truly won¡¯t be able to get out.¡± Qingyue said sympathetically.


    Although Qingyue sympathized, she didn¡¯t mean to save the black cat. After all, the black cat charmed them first. If Dugu Zhuo hadn¡¯t been affected, the three of them might have become a group of coolies now. Such punishment would be nothing. Speaking of it, the black cat even took advantage of Dugu Zhuo finding such a good place to level up. What does a few deaths count as?


    ¡°Why do you still use this 12 shichen2 method for telling time? It¡¯s been a long time!¡± [email protected] asked.


    At the beginning, Dugu Zhuo was worried that they would find out who he was. After seeing the strange behaviors of players, he calmed down. He said casually: ¡°Is this not in line with the game?¡±


    ¡°It fits the scene very well, full of feeling.¡± Aotian accepted Dugu Zhuo¡¯s explanation naturally.


    Dugu Zhuo said: ¡°You know how to convert time, so let me test you. What time is 9 o¡¯clock in the morning?¡±


    [email protected] pointed and counted: ¡°End of chenshi, start of yishi.¡±


    ¡°12 o¡¯clock in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Wushi, halfway.¡±


    ¡°3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°End of weishi, start of shenshi.¡±


    ¡°6 o¡¯clock in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°You shi and 2 points.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask any more.¡± Aotian raised his hands in the air for mercy. ¡°I can be considered dead.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo obtained Ye Zhou¡¯s specific online hours. According to [email protected]¡¯s answer, he roughly understands the conversion 70-80%, so he longer tortured [email protected]


    ¡°I think you know a lot. Obviously we are low-level players, how do you know so much?¡± Qingyue asked curiously.


    Dugu Zhuo recalled how Ye Zhou guessed the rules of the holographic game based on the keyboard era, and said: ¡°I guessed based on keyboard games.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo wanted to visit the small town near Tanye Temple to learn more about this game. After taking a few steps, he received the system prompt¡ª


    [Ding! You eliminated a harm for the people, and justice value +1.]


    [Ding! You create your own formation. The system rewards a blank jade slip, which has been collected as a storage magic weapon. Please name the formation and follow the prompts to make a jade slip and submit it to the game company for review. After the review is successful, the formation can be passed on to other players in the form of transactions.]


    He paused and analyzed these two system prompts.


    When killing monsters before, the system prompted ¡°killing monsters¡±, and the rewards were items such as spirit stones, experience, herbs, and useless manuals. The prompt that suddenly appeared at this moment was ¡°elimination of harm for the people¡± and increased justice value, which was different from before.


    He hasn¡¯t done anything now, just simply walked. Why is he rewarded?


    Unless it was¡­


    Dugu Zhuo looked in the direction of the karma forest, that cat should have been killed by monsters once.


    ¡°How did you stop? Yes, where are you going?¡± [email protected] asked.


    ¡°What is justice value?¡± Dugu Zhuo chose not to answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, there was no such thing as justice in the keyboard era.¡± [email protected] replied.


    The cat demon absorbed the human race¡¯s spirit which is harmful to the ¡°people¡± in the game. Dugu Zhuo threw him to the karma forest to die, which was regarded as his hard work, so he got 1 point of justice.


    As for the value of justice, it is still unclear.


    Dugu Zhuo temporarily suppressed his doubts, and took out a blank jade slip from the storage bag. Instead of looking at the system prompt, he used a method he knew well to engrave the array method of the Wandering Array in the jade slip with divine consciousness.


    A ray of light flashed, and the ¡°Submit¡± button popped up in the void. Dugu Zhuo clicked ¡°Submit¡± and waited for the game company to review.


    He took his follower Qingyue and Aotian out of the range of Tanye Temple, came to the bustling town. Walking to the edge of the town, he saw a very familiar tea shed, which was almost the same as the deadly expensive tea shed at the foot of the Canglan Mountains.


    Dugu Zhuo was about to walk towards the tea shed, when a voice sounded in the sky-


    ¡°Announcement: Dugu Zhuo created the ¡°Wandering Array¡±. The system has reviewed and approved it, and he has been awarded the title of ¡®Array Master¡¯.¡±


    Think ancient way of calling certain hours of the day.


    shichen = roughly 2 hours. The ¡®shi¡¯ in haishi refers to the ¡®hour¡¯-like unit

 CH 9

    Having experienced the mobile game era, which was once sluggish, game companies knew that holographic games have great shortcomings in portability and time allocation. As such, they had to use various methods to attract players in order to be successful on the market.


    For this reason, the ¡°Nine Heavens¡± holographic online game breaks the tradition and had a new way of playing. In order to make the game closer to the real world of Xianxia, ??artificial intelligence is specially part of the main system of the game.


    As long as basic instructions are written, the host system will make its own choice according to those instruction.


    Like other artificial intelligence software on the market which can write poems, lyrics, arrange music, and so on based on topics, the strong decision making autonomy greatly reduced the burden on programmers.


    The fact that players can create skills is also a new type of gameplay designed by game planners. This kind of gameplay allows players to have a higher degree of freedom, and the stickiness of the game is also greater than that of traditional game systems. The game planner will enter certain standards for the artificial intelligence. As long as the standards are met and the difficulty of the game itself is not exceeded, the main system can review and publish it by itself.


    When Dugu Zhuo uploaded the jade slip, the main system scanned his data three times and concluded that the data was normal, and passed the array formation after reviewing.


    During this period, the operation speed of the main system was slowed by 0.001 seconds, which was too short to be discovered by anyone.


    Dugu Zhuo knew nothing about what happened in the background. He was a little surprised that he could actually write the methods he knew before without problems.


    This means that as the injury gradually recovers, he will be able to perform more and more tricks, and his freedom in the game world will also increase.


    Dugu Zhuo looked at the jade slip in his palm that recorded the Wandering Array, thinking about the ¡°Five Elements Sword Art¡± he used to deal with those Karma Forest monsters, that did not trigger a system prompt.


    The biggest difference between the two is that ¡°Wandering Array¡± deals with players, and ¡°Five Elements Sword Art¡± deals with NPCs, false characters that can be resurrected at any time.


    Even if it was not recognized by the system, he can still use the ¡°Five Elements Sword Art¡± against monsters. Is there any difference between recognized and unrecognized skills?


    As Dugu Zhuo was deep in thought, the players in the game had already exploded.


    ¡°Creating your own tricks and abilities? This game is good, are there so many ways to play?¡±


    ¡°There is no prompt before the name of ¡®Dugu Zhuo¡¯ saying if the player is an NPC, nor anything saying if this is a game ID. There is no player without an ID.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the creator must be a player.¡±


    ¡°The setting of not distinguishing between players and NPCs is really tricky. I created an account with my friend. I¡¯m human, he¡¯s a demon. I thought he was the one who appeared with me in Novice Village after the account was established. We met to fight monsters together, and then ¡®he¡¯ bit me to death in one bite. Later I found out that this was not my friend at all, it was the target of the ghost exorcism mission in Novice Village!¡±


    ¡°Still the same sentence ¨C ¡°not necessarily a person ¨C the game planners really are dogs!¡±


    ¡°I checked for a long time and could not find Dugu Zhuo. Unable to bear it, and called customer service.¡±


    Many players exited the game to call customer service, to inquiry about gameplay methods, but they all received the same response without any extras.


    [email protected], who was following Dugu Zhuo, also hung up and went offline. On the side, Qingyue saw Dugu Zhuo¡¯s contemplative expression and did not dare to disturb him.


    Dugu Zhuo was originally studying the jade slip. Seeing [email protected]¡¯s spirit leave his body, he hurriedly came to check his pulse.


    [email protected]¡¯s pulse is weak when his soul is out of his body. Only a breath is left inside, and the entire person is dull and silly.


    Dugu Zhuo patted his face curiously. He didn¡¯t expect they could still leave the same with their souls.


    ¡°He left the game,¡± Qingyue explained. ¡°You just triggered a new gameplay. He guessed that you might be confused, so he went offline to find information.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo poked [email protected]¡¯s forehead, causing him to fall on the ground like a tumbler and bounce up again.


    It was also the first time that Qingyue saw someone¡¯s avatar hang up in a holographic game. Thinking it was quite fun, she followed Dugu Zhuo to poke [email protected]¡¯s face.


    ¡°It turns out that when people hang up in holographic games, it¡¯s like this. It¡¯s not the same as keyboard games, which you can¡¯t poke.¡± Qingyue smiled.


    Dugu Zhuo thought of someone saying that this game was the first time he played this kind of game, so he tentatively asked: ¡°The heartbeat is almost gone, and the breathing is very light. Why does this happen?¡±


    Qingyue thought for a while and said: ¡°Probably It¡¯s because the holographic helmet can read a player¡¯s physical information and simulate it in the game. Now he takes off the helmet but does not shut down and go offline. The body and the helmet are separated, and the helmet cannot read his information.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    It turns out that the holographic game uses a magic tool worn on the head to transmit human consciousness into this world similar to the mysterious realm.


    At this time [email protected] came back, and he said angrily: ¡°The customer service call is too difficult to make, and it has been busy. But Xiaoyao got through, and he sent me a customer service reply.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyao is also offline,¡± Qingyue replied. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to the help message sent to him just now?¡±


    Aotian said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, he is a willow tree demon, the big tree at the entrance of the village. I called customer service to ask how to upgrade, and he didn¡¯t receive my message at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too miserable.¡± Qingyue said with emotion, ¡°Fortunately, I chose the human race at the beginning.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I told him that he can practice with Yue at night.¡± Aotian said.


    ¡°Monster, spirit, and human races can move in Novice Village. What about the demon race?¡± Dugu Zhuo inserted into the conversation between the two seamlessly.


    ¡°My friend also chose the demon race. He said that the demon novice village is different from ours. It is said that you can only go to the main city after reaching level 20.¡± Aotian replied.


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°How did the customer service explain the jade pendant?¡±


    [email protected]: ¡°The customer service gave a few conditions. First of all, it must be a skill that does not exist in other games in the world. This is to avoid the problem of plagiarism; secondly It is in line with the current game world background. For example, a craftsman cannot build mechas, nor can he use skills such as magic fighting spirits. It can be accepted only if it conforms to traditional Xianxia culture. Finally, it must be usable by players and has to take effect before being recognized as being successful.¡±


    ¡°Then what are the characteristics of recognized skills?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    [email protected]: ¡°It can be traded, imparted, and gifted. Skills created by oneself can be copied on other jade slips. Copying requires the consumption of spirit stones, the player¡¯s vitality, spiritual power, etc. Self-created skills of different levels can be copied a different number of times. Low-level skills can be replicated many times, and more advanced skills can be replicated less.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°Why is there a limit on the number of times?¡±


    ¡°The customer service explained that according to the traditions of the cultivation world. The more advanced skills are hidden, and will only be passed to one or two disciples. Also, self-created skills can only be purchased from the creator, and cannot be resold again.¡± [email protected] explained.


    Dugu Zhuo glanced at the note on the Wandering Array, which showed that it could be copied a hundred times.


    Wandering Array is the lowest-level formation, which can only trap a cultivator. It cannot stop cultivators who can fly with swords. In his world, any disciple or cultivator with good arithmetic ability can use this formation. No wonder it can be copied so many times.


    ¡°Next, I have to ask, Great God, how did you create this formation?¡± [email protected] did not hesitate to call Dugu Zhuo ¡®Great God¡¯. He is worth it!


    This question really stumped Dugu Zhuo. He couldn¡¯t explain his identity, and could only briefly say: ¡°I am good at arithmetic and Go, and the formation method is learned from that.¡±


    Qingyue and Aotian fell silent upon thinking of mathematics. They determinedly gave up how to create them, and asked: ¡°That¡­ Great God, how many copies can you make? Can you sell one to us?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo carefully said: ¡°A hundred times. I can also give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Total of 100. Can it be enough?¡± Qingyue clutched her heart. ¡°Do you know that hearing the word ¡°limited¡± makes me want to chop your hands?¡±


    Aotian is rather calm. One hundred is not too much, nor is it too little. It seems that the game company wants to control the power of the player¡¯s own skills within a relatively special range, which can encourage player¡¯s to create their own skills and increase retention, but also limit the number of other players and prevent them from creating skills that dominate the game and affect the skills in the game itself.


    Aotian said: ¡°Great God should set a price. I remember that this skill prevented the black cat from getting out of the woods. When everyone¡¯s level is low, it is a good skill. We are embarrassed to pay nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the first one in the entire game!¡± Qingyue also nodded.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s choice of gifting is also a test of their behavior.


    If the two accept it without burden, then Dugu Zhuo can part ways with the two from now on, no matter what. And if they show gratitude, and even thought for Dugu Zhuo, they could be friends.


    After all, he understands the world is limited. He still needs to get information from players.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you two can provide blank jade slips.¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Unexpectedly, Qingyue and Aotian met a great god with a good temper. They rushed to the spiritual tool shop in Novice Village, spent some low-grade spirit stones and bought two blank jade slips.


    There are two kinds of coins in this game. One is ordinary copper coins and silver coins. Players can buy some daily necessities, such as steamed buns, tea, and other items. The other is spirit stones, which are used to purchase weapons, equipment, jade slips, spirit tools, talisman, and other items.


    It is conceivable that the use of silver in the later period will be very limited. If the game has real currency exchange, real money should also be exchanged for spirit stones.


    Dugu Zhuo recorded the Wandering Array silently on two jade slips. The number of remaining copies of the original slip became 98.


    Aotian and Qingyue received the jade slips and said enthusiastically: ¡°Let¡¯s go to kill the monsters and try the power of the formation!¡±


    ¡°No hurry,¡± Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes fell on the tea shed in the corner of the town. ¡°Let¡¯s go drink a bowl of crude tea first.¡±

 CH 10

    Chapter 10 ¨C Good night


    Even though this was a beta test and the game company had used invite codes to limit the number of players, the starting village was still packed with people.


    Some were working hard at tasks, while others were strolling around and enjoying the scenery.


    The tea shack was the most distant sightseeing spot in the starting village, so of course it was overcrowded. When the group of three arrived, they were given a piece of paper by a waiter, who told them to queue for their place. There were over a hundred people in front of them.


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Standing in line behind a hundred-plus people, he listened to the players¡¯ chatter.


    ¡°Bleh! When they said ¡®rough tea and simple food¡¯, I thought it was just modesty, but this tea is seriously bitter!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me! I heard that a VR game could simulate gourmet food, so I raised my taste sensitivity to 120%. It nearly killed me!¡±


    ¡°This shitty tea costs ten silver taels. Isn¡¯t the owner scamming us?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s scamming people, maybe there¡¯s a hidden quest here?¡±


    Back in the PC game, players could open dialogue boxes with NPCs by clicking on them, but you couldn¡¯t point and tap on NPCs in a VR game. If you ever touched the wrong spot, the NPC would either aggro you like the warrior monk at Tanye Temple and eliminate you in one shot, or they would be like this owner here¡ª


    ¡°Honored guest, this shop only sells tea, not special services. If you want to harass a good man, there¡¯ll be a fine.¡±


    The moment the owner finished speaking, the player who had poked the NPC started yelling, probably because he had heard a system notification. ¡°You shitty old man, you¡¯re going to cheat me out of a hundred taels just for a poke? My balance has gone into the negatives! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a scammer?¡±


    He was so mad he was about to charge at the owner, and his friend standing by him could no longer hold him back. ¡°If you have to pay 100 silver taels for just touching him, you¡¯re really going to get punished for attacking him,¡± the friend reminded.


    ¡°Then let me see what exactly the punishment is,¡± the player said, swinging a fist.


    No punishment materialized. The tea shack owner held his head and pleaded for mercy, while the waiter abandoned his work, running off yelling for the authorities.


    The surrounding players didn¡¯t exactly approve, but they also wanted to know what kind of punishment would come of hurting an NPC, so they all stood on the sidelines and spectated.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t like to involve himself in other people¡¯s business in the first place, but after a while, the waiter still hadn¡¯t returned with a bailiff. He idly glanced over the owner¡¯s cash box and suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Let me borrow your fan,¡± he said to Long @ Aotian.


    He grabbed Long @ Aotian¡¯s paper fan and leapt into the air, stepping on the heads of the players in line as he arrived at the interior of the tea shack. He lightly tapped a few of the attacking player¡¯s acupuncture points with the fan, instantly immobilizing him.


    ¡°Thank you, young hero!¡± The owner raised his head and started profusely thanking Dugu Zhuo.


    Dugu Zhuo examined the tea shack owner¡¯s face and sighed quietly.


    Unimportant NPCs in the game only had a few distinct appearances. Throw on some different clothes and a new hairstyle and skin tone, and they were a new character. This tea shack owner¡¯s features looked exactly the same as that of a middle-aged man he¡¯d seen in front of the healing booth, with only his clothes and hair being changed.


    It seemed this owner wasn¡¯t the one that he had met at the Canglan Mountains. A game was just a game, in the end.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? This is none of your business!¡± the player Dugu Zhuo had immobilized with his spiritual essence said furiously. His friends standing behind him were also glaring at Dugu Zhuo.


    Qingyue and Aotian couldn¡¯t stay back anymore and also rushed forward to defend their dashen.


    They weren¡¯t very heroic people, but this was just a game anyway, so why not act like it this once?


    As both sides were in a tense standoff, the waiter finally returned with the bailiff. The shop owner pointed at the troublemaking player and said, ¡°Sir, it was him who damaged my shop and attacked me!¡±


    The bailiff glanced at the players and waved a hand. ¡°Take away the culprit and bring his companions for interrogation too.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± his companions yelled. ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything, so why are you taking us too?¡±


    The bailiff didn¡¯t care and shackled a couple of players. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what guilt by association is?¡±


    Several of the players were level 10, yet they lost all their strength when captured and had no ability to resist as they were dragged away.


    Witnessing their punishment, the spectating players now knew for a fact that this game was anti-violence. You could bully players, but you were absolutely not allowed to bully NPCs.


    Now that the players had been taken away, their seats were free and ought to be given to the next people in line. However, after wiping the table clean, the shop owner gestured Dugu Zhuo¡¯s group to it with a grin. ¡°Honored guest, please sit.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t it supposed to be our turns?¡± some players in line hollered.


    ¡°Paying customers must follow the rules, but these are my benefactors,¡± the owner said, with an attitude of ¡®I¡¯m the boss and my word goes¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m inviting them, and as my guests, their tea is on me.¡±


    The players in line couldn¡¯t argue. After all, it was their own fault they hadn¡¯t helped when the owner was attacked.


    Sitting at the main table of the shabby tea shack, Dugu Zhuo thought back to all that had just happened.


    The bailiffs had shown up after he had apprehended the culprit and not a moment earlier or later, as if they had been in hiding and waiting for someone to intervene before they came out.


    And after the troublemaker was captured, he had received another system notification, saying that he had earned another Righteousness Point by upholding the law.


    However, the technique he had used to immobilize that player had not led to a prompt for him to create a new jade slip.


    Back when he laid down the Misdirection Array, he didn¡¯t receive a prompt either, only when the black cat had been bitten to death. It seemed that one of the conditions for creating a skill was causing the death of a player with it.


    As he was contemplating, the owner brought over a pot of green tea, as well as some delicate desserts. The other players were having tea in crude bowls, while they were given fine porcelain cups.


    ¡°It smells good!¡± Qingyue said, sniffing her cup, a contented look appearing on her face.


    ¡°Mm, this is delicious!¡± Aotian said, nibbling the teacakes with his eyes glowing. ¡°It¡¯s sweet but not too much, and you don¡¯t have to worry about your weight while eating it!¡±


    The other players: ¡°¡­¡±


    They regretted not helping uphold justice so much!


    Dugu Zhuo took a sip of the tea. It was far better than the bowl he¡¯d had at the Canglan Mountains.


    He looked into the distance, seeing the boundaries of the town shrouded in fog. Qingyue had said that she¡¯d tried walking into the fog once, but only returned to her starting point. She probably wasn¡¯t a high enough level or hadn¡¯t fulfilled some requirements in order to be able to leave the starting village.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the other side of the fog?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°This old man doesn¡¯t know,¡± the owner said. ¡°For generations, my family has lived in this village, and no one has gone into the fog.¡±


    It looked like uncovering the mysteries of this world wasn¡¯t going to be so easy.


    Dugu Zhuo wasn¡¯t in a rush. He was only level 9 right now and his injuries hadn¡¯t recovered. He didn¡¯t have any leads on Ye Zhou¡¯s soul either, so he could investigate slowly.


    Cultivators were untouched by time. Dugu Zhuo had cultivated for several centuries to reach his current level, so he was very patient.


    He asked the owner a few more questions, but the owner was oblivious about all of them. The time was now the second ke of Xushi, or like Aotian would say, 7:30 pm, and the sun was gradually setting.


    ¡°Night is falling,¡± the tea shop owner said suddenly. ¡°I must close up shop soon. All the guests in the queue need not worry. This shop opens every day at Chenshi and everyone¡¯s positions will be retained if they come back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s closing up at nightfall? What kind of a shop is that?¡± Some players who had been queuing for a long time were unhappy, but they didn¡¯t dare to harm any NPCs. It seemed this tea shack didn¡¯t have any useful clues anyway, just a place where you could drink tea and mess with some NPCs.


    Dugu Zhuo also stood to leave along with his group, but the owner called for him to wait.


    ¡°Please wait, young heroes,¡± the tea shack owner said in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in here.¡±


    The group of three came to the kitchen, where the owner took out 100 taels of silver from the money box and gave them to Dugu Zhuo. ¡°The night is dangerous. Before the fourth ke of Xushi, you must either log off or find an inn to stay the night.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Aotian said. ¡°Night¡¯s the perfect time for leveling up, so why would we go stay at an inn? At 8 pm, the nightlife has just begun. Who would stop playing?¡±


    ¡°You can choose an inn that provides an energy gathering array,¡± the owner said. ¡°While meditating within the array, you can gain experience even if idling.


    ¡°Those inns are rare, though. In this town, only Youpeng Inn has an energy gathering array and its space is limited. Fortunately, I¡¯m relatives with the owner of the inn, so if I write you a recommendation, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll give you three premium rooms.¡±


    He handed three letters to each of the group. ¡°The sun has almost set. Young heroes, be quick!¡±


    There was urgency in his voice, and even Aotian noticed something was odd. ¡°Is this old man telling us that there¡¯ll be some danger in the night?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo accepted the 100 silver taels and said, ¡°According to your guess, when the currency exchange is activated, we¡¯ll be able to purchase spirit stones. In that case, why are there two sets of currency? What is the silver used for?¡±


    ¡°For casual players to buy food and enjoy themselves, I guess?¡± Qingyue mused.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Following the shop owner¡¯s instructions, they arrived at Youpeng Inn in five minutes. After handing in their recommendations, they got themselves three premium rooms.


    Each room cost 100 taels of silver, so the shop owner¡¯s reward was only enough to cover Dugu Zhuo¡¯s stay. Fortunately, Qingyue and Aotian had completed a lot of tasks during the day, so after emptying their wallets, they managed to scrape together 180 taels, only enough for one room.


    ¡°You¡¯re 20 taels short,¡± said the inn¡¯s proprietor. ¡°If you lend me someone to work in the backyard, I¡¯ll give you 10 taels for an hour.¡±


    Aotian helplessly followed him to wash dishes and feed horses, while Dugu Zhuo went to his room.


    The walls of the room were inlaid with spiritual stones, focusing spiritual energy onto the bed, so that one could cultivate just by lying down.


    Dugu Zhuo checked the spiritual energy within the stones. The array would hold for twelve hours, and lose effect by Chenshi the next morning, or 7 to 8 am.


    In the yard, Aotian grumbled as he cut straw for the horses. ¡°What a lame game. If I have to work off my debt, can¡¯t it just drain some of my stamina? Why do I have to actually work for two hours? I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m paying so much to stay at this shitty inn.¡±


    As he was complaining, 8 pm arrived.


    The sky had gone completely dark, as the moon slowly rose over the trees. Long @ Aotian suddenly received a paper crane from a friend. ¡°Mwahahahaha! I can move now! You all have no idea what you¡¯re in for! I¡¯m the strongest willow yao there ever was!¡±


    Aotian stopped in the middle of feeding the horses, dumbfounded, and played the message again.


    Qingyue had also rushed to the yard by now. ¡°Xiao Wen[1] sent me a message just now. She said yao below level 20 could take human forms at night, and right now yao, demons, and ghosts are running about in the streets.¡±


    Xiao Wen was Qingyue¡¯s friend who, after making a demon character, Qingyue had never seen again.


    ¡°No way,¡± said Aotian. ¡°In that case, the humans right now¡­¡± He glanced at the back courtyard wall. ¡°Wanna see?¡±


    They climbed to the top of the wall and saw crowds filling the streets. Groups of human players were knocking on every door they could, wailing, ¡°Save us! Ghosts and monsters are running around everywhere! Open up, let me in!¡±


    A house¡¯s door opened and a thick arm reached out, killing a player in one slap.


    The NPCs from the daytime had turned from kind civilians into demons and monsters, and the races who had trouble leveling up during the day, the yao, ghosts, and demons, could now take missions.


    As for the humans and spirits, the lucky ones had gotten to Tanye Temple or an inn before 8, while the unlucky ones got killed by NPCs, or simply logged off to play tomorrow.


    There was also a system announcement sent out:


    [Good night, everyone. Welcome to the world of ghosts and demons.]


    Qingyue and Aotian: ¡°¡­¡±


    This was also a game mechanic?


    spooooky times


    thank you all for reading!


    Please support the original author over on jjwxc.


    1. С little ÎÄ literature, writing, culture

 CH 11

    Chapter 11 ¨C Reencounter


    In Nine Heavens, demons were originally humans. The game¡¯s setting followed ancient mythology, and the in-game demons were the people of the mythical Chiyou[1]. They looked like humans, with long horns on their heads, clawed hands, and tall and sturdy bodies, possessing exceptional strength. If a player chose a demon character, they could set their height to a maximum of 150% of their original, so this point alone tempted many players.


    At nighttime, the yao didn¡¯t gain completely human forms. For example, Aotian and Qingyue¡¯s friend, Xiaoyao, still looked like a willow tree, only now with a face on its trunk. He could uproot himself and move around, using his branches as weapons, his combat strength extremely high.


    Yao could cultivate using human essence, but at night, all the NPCs became demons. Yao couldn¡¯t steal essence from them, so they could only hunt down the human players who hadn¡¯t found shelter at night.


    The sound of cussing could be heard all over the village. The human players had spent a lot of effort reaching level 10 during the day, and now, at night, they had to be trampled over by the yao, demons, and ghosts. They ran around looking for hiding places while insulting the game company.


    A particularly tall demon saw Qingyue and Aotian atop the wall and swung a saber at least two meters long toward them, but found himself blocked by the inn¡¯s barrier array.


    ¡°Tch, we can¡¯t invade the residences, or the Tanye Temple monks will come out to banish demons,¡± the demon player said, shaking his head in disappointment as he walked away.


    After escaping disaster, Qingyue and Aotian huddled back behind the wall. Aotian sighed and said, ¡°This game is way too mean. We¡¯re all low level, yet some players can kill players of other species to level up. Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Dugu-dashen,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°It seemed like he noticed way earlier that something would happen at night, so he convinced us to hurry up and find an inn.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Aotian said. ¡°Maybe he was part of a closed beta.¡±


    They walked to the door, but their way was blocked by a stony-faced waiter. ¡°Did you finish your work?¡±


    Aotian owed the inn 20 silver and needed to work for two hours to pay it off, so if they both worked together, that time could be halved.


    Qingyue stayed to help him finish faster, and after they combined their efforts for an hour, the waiter finally let them go free.


    It was 9 pm and Dugu Zhuo had already meditated in the energy gathering array for an hour. Checking his experience bar, he saw he had gained 1000 experience.


    He only needed 100 more EXP to reach level 10. Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want to outlevel Ye Zhou, so he stopped meditating.


    Urgent knocking came from outside the door at that point, so he opened the door and saw Aotian and Qingyue standing outside and looking frantic. ¡°Dashen, all hell is breaking loose outside! Have you looked?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo replied calmly, ¡°So the races which couldn¡¯t cultivate during the day are allowed to come out now?¡±


    Seeing how he appeared to have already anticipated everything, Long @ Aotian couldn¡¯t be more impressed. He nodded several times. ¡°Dashen, you knew from the start, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I only had a guess,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    The humans and spirits had too much of an advantage during the day, while the yao were pushed to one side and the demons and ghosts weren¡¯t present at all. This balance was too skewed.


    Dugu Zhuo felt that this game world shared some similarities with his former world, so he had made his assumptions based off the common sense of the cultivation world. Usually, demons, ghosts, and yao would roam the night, while having their powers greatly diminished during the day. If the game was also set up in this way, then surely, when night fell, there would be a few changes.


    ¡°The civilians in the starting village have also become demons,¡± Qingyue said, her face white from fright. ¡°They¡¯re humans by day, but demons by night, and they even attack human players.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Dugu Zhuo was slightly taken aback.


    He had thought that when the yao and demons emerged at night, the villagers would lock their doors and stay inside. He hadn¡¯t imagined that the town would completely change upon nightfall.


    ¡°Was there something like this in the PC game?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked Aotian.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Aotian said. ¡°What kind of a hostile mechanic is this? Not everyone can reliably log on during daytime or nighttime. Is the company trying to lose players?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°At higher levels, humans, spirits, yao, and demons alike will all have no problem in sunlight. Only low-level players will be restricted by sunlight or moonlight.¡±


    ¡°So the company did this in order to increase the difficulty of leveling up?¡± Aotian said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, furrowing his brow. He thought back to Tanye Temple. Logically, something like this shouldn¡¯t occur where Buddhist cultivators were present. However, he also knew very well that this was a game, not his former world, so differences were natural¡­ right?


    Thinking of this, Dugu Zhuo unconsciously touched his bundle, which held the broken Xuansu Swords.


    While Dugu Zhuo contemplated, he suddenly heard a notification by his ear.


    [Ding! Your master Ye Zhou is online.]


    Normally, you wouldn¡¯t get notified for a friend coming online, but for a blood bond, you would get a system notification.


    Dugu Zhuo hadn¡¯t been aware of this when he offered the blood oath. He had just been trying to forge a strong connection with Ye Zhou so that he could sense Ye Zhou¡¯s location at all times.


    By a blind coincidence, though, he could now know Ye Zhou¡¯s online status whenever he wanted.


    Ye Zhou had clearly said that he would be on 9 to 12 in the morning and 3 to 6 in the afternoon. Right now, it was past 9 pm, so why had he suddenly logged on?


    Dugu Zhuo abruptly remembered that Ye Zhou had gone offline in the Karmic Forest. At night, the monsters within it would be empowered, plus there was a cat yao he had trapped in there!


    Dugu Zhuo leapt to his feet and rushed out of the room, with Qingyue and Aotian following him. They saw him kick open the main gate of the inn and vanish into the night filled with monsters.


    The two looked at each other, not knowing what was with their dashen, or whether or not they should follow.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Aunt Wu, I¡¯m going to bed.¡± At 9 pm, Ye Zhou got in bed right on time, and after telling his mom, dad, and the aunt who always took care of him good night, he closed his eyes and acted like he was asleep.


    Aunt Wu placed a call button next to his bed, reminding him that if he felt unwell anywhere, he should press it immediately, and she would rush to his side.


    Ye Zhou agreed obediently, and after Aunt Wu left him a nightlight and closed the door behind him, his eyes opened.


    His family always tried to keep him from overexerting himself, and Ye Zhou also knew that his body wouldn¡¯t be able to take too much activity.


    After signing off of Nine Heavens today, though, he felt a lot better. He had always been sickly and even eating a meal took a lot of effort from him. Today, however, he felt full of energy, as if he had taken some sort of miracle pill.


    In the nightlight¡¯s weak glow, Ye Zhou looked at the VR helmet on his wheelchair.


    Inside the game, he could run and jump around to his heart¡¯s content.


    Perhaps that was why he was in such high spirits.


    The helmet seemed to be calling out to Ye Zhou. He couldn¡¯t resist anymore and, pushing himself upright with difficulty, barely managed to reach the helmet on his chair.


    Ye Zhou told himself he¡¯d just play for two hours. He set his game timer for logging off at 11 pm sharp.


    He put on his helmet without a sound, input his information, and entered the game.


    The Karmic Forest looked beautiful at night, with the moonlight glowing on the leaves. In a nimble leap, Ye Zhou landed on a tree branch, admiring the moon.


    The nightscape of this game was very realistic. The breeze that blew across Ye Zhou¡¯s skin carried a slight chill, and even though his touch sensitivity was at its lowest setting and he couldn¡¯t feel the faint breeze against his face, the coolness made him feel good.


    He hadn¡¯t seen the moon from outside in a long time, only able to sit in his wheelchair and watch through a window.


    ¡°Yeoww!¡± The sharp cry of a cat interrupted Ye Zhou¡¯s peace.


    Hearing a gust whistle by his ear, Ye Zhou dodged instinctively without looking back as a black shadow streaked through the area where he had just stood.


    ¡°What kind of a monster is this? The boss of this bamboo forest?¡± Ye Zhou stared carefully and saw a black human figure which seemed to have a tail and pointy ears. Its eyes glowed an eerie green under the moonlight.


    He felt like his vision was weaker than usual, and checking his stats, saw that his speed, agility, strength, stamina, and various other stats had all been lowered by 10%, cutting his abilities significantly.


    ¡°Are you a player or NPC?¡± Ye Zhou asked warily. ¡°I¡¯m a player, so if you want to fight monsters, you¡¯ve found the wrong target.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± the other party said, revealing their face in the moonlight. He was a person with a cat¡¯s face. ¡°Player or NPC, I can use the vital essence of any human to level up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also a mechanic?¡± Ye Zhou said, sighing. ¡°I guess players would lose out if they miss the night in this game.¡±


    Swinging sharp claws, the cat-man charged toward Ye Zhou, who dodged at an unhurried pace. Even if his speed and vision were decreased by 10%, Ye Zhou still could rely on his superior maneuvering to avoid him.


    Unable to hit Ye Zhou, the cat-man leapt up, curling his body up in midair and transforming into a little black cat.


    Ye Zhou was stunned for a moment. ¡°So yao really can turn into humans. You couldn¡¯t transform during the day, so is the reason you can right now because night has fallen?¡±


    ¡°Mroww,¡± the cat said sweetly. It started to seem cuter to Ye Zhou¡¯s eyes.


    He already liked small furry animals and had once wanted a cat or dog, but his health was too poor and too much dust and lint in the air could trigger an asthma attack for him. His room was always kept clear of dust and he couldn¡¯t keep any pets.


    The cat¡¯s fur looked so soft. Ye Zhou couldn¡¯t help thinking about how much he wanted to rub its ears.


    His eyes a bit hazy, he reached out toward the cat, which walked up to him with its tail held high.


    After dying a few times in the Karmic Forest, the black cat had gotten mad and logged off, yelling at the game company for not giving yao a break ever since. Finally, at 8 pm, someone had posted that yao, ghosts, and demons should log on immediately, since their stats would increase at night. Only then did he log back in to discover that he could become a half-yao under the moonlight. Not only did his stats go up, but he could cultivate with the moon and gain experience.


    His senses were sharper at night, allowing him to see the Misdirection Array¡¯s weak point immediately. He could also use the array against the karmic beasts instead, and had risen to level 8 in just an hour.


    He¡¯d been planning to leave this stupid forest after level 10, when a human player conveniently showed up.


    The black cat didn¡¯t care whether his target was a player or NPC. They would only lose a few levels, after all, so it was about the same as killing them.


    The Beguile technique was strengthened under the moonlight. The black cat leapt onto Ye Zhou¡¯s shoulder, rubbing his cheek with his head, opening his mouth and leaning toward the defenseless Ye Zhou.


    Ye Zhou knew he had fallen for a trick. The jade hanging from his waist, gifted by Dugu Zhuo, was releasing warmth into his body, trying to alert him.


    The sword in his hand was also buzzing. If only Ye Zhou wanted to, he could use the sword aura to dispel the charm.


    Yet¡­


    Ye Zhou looked at the cat¡¯s ears. He told himself that he would squeeze them once, just once, then break free.


    As his fingers were about to touch the cat¡¯s ears, a human figure flashed by.


    That person threw one arm around Ye Zhou¡¯s waist, grabbing the cat¡¯s scruff with the other. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he said with concern. ¡°Has this yao taken your vital essence? Have you lost any levels?¡±


    Under the moonlight, Ye Zhou saw that it was Dugu Zhuo.

 CH 12

    Chapter 12 ¨C Zhulong Town


    There was blood splattered on Dugu Zhuo¡¯s face, appearing especially vivid under the moonlight. Ye Zhou remembered his disciple¡¯s special ability and raised a hand without thinking, wiping at the bloodstain with a fingertip.


    ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± he said with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s someone else¡¯s.¡± Dugu Zhuo casually wiped the blood off with a sleeve.


    Blood was also splattered across his clothes, but his complexion looked healthy and his HP bar was full. It seemed it was all other people¡¯s blood.


    Dugu Zhuo valued propriety. Though he seemed to be holding Ye Zhou, he only had an arm thrown around his waist, without actually touching him, as he used his own body to separate Ye Zhou from the black cat.


    Even so, they were currently too close to each other. Ye Zhou could actually see each of Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyelashes. They trailed down from his eyelids, thick and long like small combs.


    They were standing on a branch, so Ye Zhou couldn¡¯t even back away if he wanted to, or he would fall off.


    Fortunately, though, Dugu Zhuo noticed his discomfort and distanced himself from Ye Zhou right away. He hopped off the tree with the cat in his hand.


    Ye Zhou followed him down. He saw that several stalks of bamboo had fallen over, lying scattered in a pile. Dugu Zhuo landed right between two stalks, while the recently spawned beasts wandered in circles outside.


    ¡°Dashen, you ran off too fast!¡± Two more people ran up, out of breath. Based off their speech, they appeared to be players.


    Without being affected by the bamboo, they leapt into the midst of them, and the female player said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing dashen sent us the Misdirection Array, or we wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter it.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this array have a time limit, though?¡± the male player said doubtfully. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it can still trap people after so long. Doesn¡¯t an array without a time limit seem like a bug?¡±


    ¡°These guys are¡­¡± Ye Zhou looked toward Dugu Zhuo. These two players seemed quite familiar with his disciple.


    ¡°I met them recently,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°One is Long Aotian, and the other is Qingyue¡­¡±


    Dugu Zhuo pursed his lips. He didn¡¯t know how to read the symbols after Qingyue.


    The numbers were still pronounced the same as the ones he was familiar with, and since the game constantly showed him his experience value, he had figured it out easily. But the words ¡°love¡± and ¡°bug¡± came from a completely different language family from the words Dugu Zhuo was familiar with, so he had no basis to infer from.


    Qingyue also thought the username she had come up with was overly childish and quickly said, ¡°Qingyue love.¡±


    ¡°Yi Ye Pian Zhou,¡± Ye Zhou said to introduce himself.


    It was far simpler to make friends with someone in a video game compared to real life. You just had to exchange names and add each other as friends, and now you could be considered to know each other.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would return at 9 am tomorrow? Why are you here now?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked, concentrating on Ye Zhou without paying any mind to the black cat.


    ¡°I wanted to play a bit, so I snuck online,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°I can stay until 11.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo was very happy to be able to spend two more hours with Ye Zhou, but remembering his diagnosis from reading Ye Zhou¡¯s pulse earlier today, he put a hand lightly on Ye Zhou¡¯s arm and said, ¡°If your health isn¡¯t good, you should rest more. Don¡¯t let yourself be distracted by games.¡±


    Ye Zhou smiled at him. ¡°Normally people would encourage their friends to play more, but you¡¯re not like other people, are you? Don¡¯t worry, I can limit myself. I feel much better today, or I wouldn¡¯t have gone online secretly.¡±


    He felt better? Remembering the piece of soul which had entered Ye Zhou¡¯s forehead, Dugu Zhuo wanted to say something, but he sensed a gust by his hand, as if something sharp was aiming at him.


    Without glancing over, Dugu Zhuo caught the black cat¡¯s hand.


    Ye Zhou also saw the cat in Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hand transform back into a cat-man. He might be lured astray by furry animals, but he had no mercy towards a cat person.


    Whirling around, Ye Zhou pulled Dugu Zhuo behind him, drawing his sword from his waist. Its fierce sword light slashed forth, causing damage to everything it touched. The sword aura scattered the bamboo stalks on the ground, destroying the Misdirection Array.


    ¡°Oh, so it can last a long time because it¡¯s very easy to break,¡± Aotian said at one side in realization. ¡°It was formed using bamboo, which can easily be moved or cut apart. You just need to destroy a few pieces of bamboo to break the array.¡±


    The reason the black cat hadn¡¯t been able to escape for so long was because his body was small during the day, plus he didn¡¯t have much strength and his level was low, so he couldn¡¯t break the array. After night fell, when he could transform into the cat-man, he had quickly dashed out.


    This didn¡¯t mean the Misdirection Array was weak, though. It was easily broken if set up with bamboo stalks, but with other materials, it might not be.


    The jade slip said that the Misdirection Array could be formed using weapons, rocks, plants, or spiritual stones. The better the material, the stronger the array would be.


    At Ye Zhou¡¯s current level, his sword could be considered a legendary weapon, and in one slash, he knocked off 60% of the level 8 cat yao¡¯s health. In one more blow, the cat would certainly be dead.


    ¡°Wait!¡± The cat didn¡¯t want to lose more levels, begging, ¡°Stop fighting, I surrender! After you trapped me in this forest earlier, I¡¯ve already been bitten to death by the beasts three times. I don¡¯t want to die anymore today. Be the bigger man, alright?¡±


    In order to show that he meant no harm, the yao transformed back into a cat, waving his tail at Ye Zhou.


    While he could go all-out in attacking the cat person, Ye Zhou couldn¡¯t bring himself to attack a little cat, and the situation the black cat had just described was too pitiful. Feeling sympathy, Ye Zhou withdrew his sword.


    ¡°He had wanted to steal your vital essence to level up,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°This yao bore wicked intentions. He ought to be eliminated.¡±


    Hearing Dugu Zhuo speak archaically, Ye Zhou thought his chuunibyou was acting up again. He held back Dugu Zhuo. ¡°We can¡¯t eliminate him. Even if we drain all his levels, what good will that be? He¡¯s already lost enough.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s thinking had been stuck in his original world, and only now when he heard Ye Zhou speak did he remember that this was all but a game.


    When sensing Ye Zhou log on, he had remembered that Ye Zhou was within the Karmic Forest and been anxious about his safety. Disregarding all else, he had charged out of the inn, cutting down demons, ghosts, and yao as he met them. Only upon reaching the forest did he remember that Ye Zhou had a spiritual sword that he had strengthened. Even if the monsters were powered up at night, they likely still couldn¡¯t stand up to Ye Zhou.


    He hadn¡¯t been thinking, in his worry.


    ¡°Right, right,¡± the black cat said, following Ye Zhou¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m just level 8, so even if I lose all my levels, it won¡¯t amount to much. Plus, look how cute I am! Could you bear to? Mrow~¡±


    The black cat crooked his head at the watchers, innocence and harmlessness filling his large eyes. He looked absolutely adorable, even drawing out his meow in a coquettish fashion.


    ¡°You really do know the power of this character of yours,¡± Qingyue muttered. Even though she knew the cat¡¯s personality was terrible, she couldn¡¯t help but be lured by him.


    Ye Zhou¡¯s fingers twitched on their own. As he held back his hand from petting the cat, he looked uncertainly at Dugu Zhuo. ¡°It¡¯s so nice being a yao. I almost want to make a new character.¡±


    Ye Zhou, playing a yao? Dugu Zhuo looked at the black cat, then the youthful Ye Zhou. He rubbed his nose a little, then said, ¡°If you try to attack us again, I¡¯ll kill you on sight.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± the black cat said frantically. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re really something, dashen. Everything you said during the day came true at night.¡±


    ¡°What happened at night?¡± Ye Zhou asked, unaware of the changes. ¡°I had heard that yao and spirits could only become human at level 20. This cat could turn into a cat person at level 8.¡±


    Aotian liked to talk, so he described all the changes that had happened at night to Ye Zhou, as well as emphasizing Dugu Zhuo¡¯s wisdom, how he had found them a place to stay before 8 pm and kept them from being trapped in the village of demons.


    ¡°There are a lot of people yelling on the forums about the game company not caring about their customers,¡± said the black cat. ¡°After getting killed so many times by the monsters, I got pissed and logged off, and only came back on after someone said on the forums that yao would be stronger at night.¡±


    ¡°This truly isn¡¯t very logical,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°During the day, I felt like this game was too biased toward humans and spirits, and now it¡¯s too harsh on them. Even as humans level up, their enemies will level up with them. It¡¯ll affect the balance too much, and we won¡¯t be able to play this game anymore.¡±


    As he spoke, with the Misdirection Array broken, the monsters began to surround them.


    Ye Zhou cleared them with a single swing of his sword. He was still in a party with Dugu Zhuo, so Dugu Zhuo rose to level 10.


    [Ding! Congratulations upon reaching level 10, the Qi Refining stage. At level 10, you can choose to join Tanye Temple, abandoning the secular world and becoming a monk. You can also find a way to leave Zhulong Town[1], and search for a sect that suits you within Nine Heavens.]


    An idea came to Dugu Zhuo upon hearing this prompt.


    He asked the other players. Ye Zhou, Qingyue, and Aotian had all already reached level 10 and received the prompt.


    The cat was only level 8, so to see the prompt yao would receive upon level 10, Dugu Zhuo added him as a friend and invited him to their party. After letting him share experience for half an hour, this player known as ¡°Jet Black¡±[2] finally reached level 10.


    The prompt he got was:


    [Ding! Congratulations upon reaching level 10, the Wisdom Unlocking stage. At level 10, you can choose between cultivating by moonlight or by stealing human essence. You can also find a way to leave Zhulong Town, and search for a suitable place for yao to cultivate within Nine Heavens.]


    ¡°So we really need to leave this town first,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°I walked around during the day and didn¡¯t find an exit anywhere, though. It¡¯s surrounded on all sides by fog, so I couldn¡¯t see any paths.¡±


    At that moment, Dugu Zhuo spoke. ¡°This town is called Zhulong Town.¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± asked Aotian.


    ¡°In the legends, the torch dragon brought day by opening his eyes and night by closing them. And this Zhulong Town is habitable by humans by day, and haunted by night.¡±

 CH 13

    Chapter 13 ¨C Dugu Yue


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t know whether the torch dragon he was familiar with would be the same in this world, but he spoke his knowledge anyway.


    If someone questioned him, acting like they hadn¡¯t heard any such legend, Dugu Zhuo could just pretend that he had misremembered. No one would suspect his identity because he failed to remember a myth correctly.


    Though he had braced himself for all this, he heard Ye Zhou say, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that legend. When I was leveling up during the day, I didn¡¯t notice the town¡¯s name at all. You¡¯re so observant.¡±


    ¡°Back then, you had not seen the situation at night,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Since Ye Zhou hadn¡¯t questioned the torch dragon¡¯s legend, it seemed the two worlds¡¯ mythologies were similar. Dugu Zhuo was even more convinced that there was a connection between these two worlds.


    ¡°The starting village was different during the PC game,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°There¡¯s been a huge change in that aspect. I think this difference between day and night might not just be for the different races. It might lead to the first main questline.¡±


    ¡°Main questline?¡± Dugu Zhuo looked toward Ye Zhou.


    Thinking of himself as Dugu Zhuo¡¯s master, Ye Zhou explained patiently, ¡°Nine Heavens was a game with a main questline. ¡®Nine Heavens¡¯ actually refers to the name of the realm. This world is divided into the upper, middle, and lower three heavens, with the mortal realm located at the bottom three heavens. These lower layers are all equal and the six races can coexist in peace here. The middle heavens are empty, filled with a celestial wind difficult for mortals to cross, while the upper heavens is where the divine palaces are.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo was deeply shaken by Ye Zhou¡¯s explanation. He grabbed Ye Zhou¡¯s wrist, gripping it hard, his shoulders trembling faintly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ye Zhou had lowered his pain and touch sensitivity, so he didn¡¯t realize how much force Dugu Zhuo was using.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s fingers were ice-cold. It took all his willpower to remain calm as he spoke. ¡°I think I once heard someone talk about the game¡¯s setting. Are the upper and lower heavens connected by a Pillar of Heaven in the Canglan mountain range?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ye Zhou answered, not noticing anything wrong. ¡°Before mobile games took over the market, Nine Heavens was really popular, so it makes sense that you¡¯ve heard it talked about before.¡±


    Aotian also cut in. ¡°There¡¯s also the two divine swords of creation, which are passed down through the generations by the Qingtian Sect. I used to be a big fan of Nine Heavens and was always waiting for the company to release the ¡®Sword Tomb¡¯ storyline, but then the game declined. I heard the company couldn¡¯t find new investors back then, so they gave up on the latter half of the storyline.¡±


    ¡°Two divine swords?¡± Dugu Zhuo unconsciously touched the bundle.


    ¡°They¡¯re called the Xuan Sword and the Su Sword,¡± Aotian said. ¡°It was said that they were born alongside the Pillar of Heaven during the formation of the world. The two swords each have a different wielder. One of them was named¡­ what was his name? It¡¯s really similar to yours.¡±


    ¡°Was it Dugu Yue[1]?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked. ¡°Yue as in the Five Sacred Mountains?¡±


    ¡°That was the name!¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°He was the wielder of the Xuan Sword.¡±


    ¡°What about the Su Sword?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    Ye Zhou and Aotian shared a glance, looking lost. Aotian shook his head. ¡°The company only revealed the wielder of the Xuan Sword. The Su Sword wasn¡¯t brought up, and the Sword Tomb storyline was never released. Who knows if it¡¯ll be released in the VR edition.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo let go of Ye Zhou and backed up a few steps. Leaning against a thick bamboo stalk, he managed to stay steady on his feet.


    Dugu Yue was the name of his father. He had stolen this sword from his own father¡¯s hands, becoming the master of the Xuan Sword by force.


    In the bundle, the Xuan Sword seemed to sense Dugu Zhuo¡¯s complicated emotions and started clanking, shaking the bag vigorously.


    ¡°What¡¯s in your bundle?¡± the black cat said, approaching. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you put it in a storage item? Did it get full? Woah, it¡¯s moving!¡±


    In curiosity, the cat raised a paw, wanting to touch the wildly moving bundle. Dugu Zhuo gave him a vicious look. He lifted a hand, about to kill this little cat yao who didn¡¯t know his place.


    Ye Zhou knew Dugu Zhuo¡¯s identity as a mythic. Though he had seen the swords in Dugu Zhuo¡¯s bundle, he didn¡¯t know they were the Xuansu Twin Swords, and only assumed Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want other people seeing the swords and discovering his identity. He reached Dugu Zhuo¡¯s side in a dash and picked the cat up by his scruff.


    He copied the way Dugu Zhuo had carried the cat before, barely whisking the cat away from Dugu Zhuo¡¯s strike.


    ¡°You think you all can pick me up whenever? Mrow!¡± the black cat fumed, struggling.


    ¡°I just¡­ thought you¡¯d feel nice, so I wanted to try it,¡± Ye Zhou said, changing the topic of conversation. ¡°Don¡¯t you think your form is cute?¡±


    Pleased at being complimented by Ye Zhou, the cat stroked his whiskers with a paw, raising his head proudly. ¡°Ahem. I can agree with you.¡±


    Ye Zhou released the cat. Under the moonlight, he surreptitiously gave Dugu Zhuo a clap on the shoulder, then turned to everyone else.


    ¡°Speaking of the two swords, I heard that one¡¯s white and one¡¯s black. One of them maintains the pure qi of the human realm and can cleanse all, while the other carries all the impure qi of the human realm, and can contaminate all. I thought the situation of Zhulong Town was a bit like the twin swords, so I guessed it might be related to the main storyline.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Aotian said in realization. ¡°Maybe the game company really does want to reopen the Sword Tomb storyline, so they put a clue in the starting town of this game.¡±


    Qingyue hadn¡¯t played the PC version, being a player who had been drawn in by the VR technology. After listening closely to the conversation, she said, ¡°If Zhulong Town resembles the main storyline so much, then since we were able to think of it, surely other players of the PC version would also be able to. Maybe if we complete it ahead of them, we¡¯ll get some sort of prize.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s sure to be a big prize for whoever first completes even a part of the main storyline,¡± Aotian said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and come up with a way to complete it,¡± Qingyue said, excited. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to take the lead from us.¡±


    ¡°No need to worry,¡± Aotian said. ¡°We only have a guess right now and we don¡¯t even know where to look for clues.¡±


    With Ye Zhou¡¯s reassurance, Dugu Zhuo had managed to calm down. ¡°Tanye Temple,¡± he said.


    Dugu Zhuo took Ye Zhou¡¯s hand into his grip, placing his fingertips against his pulse and feeling the beats of his heart, one following another.


    The reading told him that Ye Zhou might be bedridden, possibly paralyzed, and his life would likely be short.


    Dugu Zhuo remembered how Ye Zhou had said that he felt especially good today, not as tired as usual, and his current pulse indeed seemed much healthier than before.


    Possibly, Ye Zhou¡¯s poor health had to do with his incomplete soul. If he found every piece of Ye Zhou¡¯s soul, perhaps Ye Zhou would be able to walk and live his life in good health.


    Dugu Zhuo had once walked across the entire world. The pieces of Ye Zhou¡¯s soul weren¡¯t present in his world.


    Were they here, then? Was Ye Zhou¡¯s soul hidden in this world which had so many connections to his own?


    And Dugu Yue¡­


    If he wanted to know the truth of everything and find Ye Zhou¡¯s missing soul, it seemed he could only level up and advance on the main questline.


    Looking at the surrounding bamboo forest, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°Tanye Temple is a place which allows no wickedness. When the black cat tried to sneak in for the life release task during the daytime, the monk even killed him. Right now, demons are running wild in the streets and killing human players, so why do the monks of Tanye Temple do nothing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Aotian exclaimed.


    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Qingyue said, ¡°back when we left the inn, the waiter who had watched us work told us that if we left during the night, we couldn¡¯t return, and our room fare would be wasted. I was worried back then that we wouldn¡¯t be allowed to enter Tanye Temple either, but we just hopped over the wall without meeting a single monk.¡±


    The other buildings in the town held demons, and the inns were forbidden to enter, so the only place in town which could be entered day and night was Tanye Temple.


    Since he had been preoccupied with Ye Zhou, Dugu Zhuo had paid no attention to his surroundings as he rushed to the Karmic Forest, and had no idea what Tanye Temple was like at night.


    ¡°We¡¯re all level 10 now, so why don¡¯t we go outside to see?¡± Ye Zhou said.


    They all formed a party. Since Ye Zhou had originally formed the team, everyone recognized him as the team leader. He led them out of the Karmic Forest, where they saw that the bustling Tanye Temple from the daytime was now quiet, with all the humans and spirits having disappeared off to somewhere.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the main hall,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Ye Zhou led them all to the temple, but the door was sealed. Ye Zhou pushed and it didn¡¯t open, so he knocked lightly and asked, ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    ¡°Amitabha,¡± someone recited from inside. ¡°Players who have offered incense during the day can stay the night in the back courtyard, but other players may not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so the incense offering task can also be a lifesaver,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve offered incense.¡±


    After some thinking, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°We are not here for shelter. We just want to ask questions regarding Zhulong Town. Great master, as yao and demons roam the streets, why does the Tanye Temple, upholders of the righteous path, allow them to act as they please?¡±


    Silence came from behind the door for a long time, until there was finally a deep sigh. The door opened, and inside the main hall, two rows of candles placed next to the Buddha statue automatically lit.


    An old monk knelt on a prayer mat in front of the statue. His eyes were shut, a rosary in his hand and his back to the group. ¡°Please enter, benefactors.¡±

 CH 14

    Chapter 14 ¨C Abandon the blade


    This monk wasn¡¯t Grandmaster Tanji, only a plain and unremarkable NPC.


    Dugu Zhuo sat cross-legged on a prayer mat at the monk¡¯s side. He pressed his palms together respectfully, then asked, ¡°Where are the human players?¡±


    ¡°The heroes who have offered incense during the day will be able to enter though a small back door,¡± the monk answered.


    ¡°No wonder we didn¡¯t see anybody after hopping the wall,¡± Aotian said. ¡°They entered though another path.¡±


    ¡°Even if there¡¯s a door left open, they should get a notification,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°A normal player wouldn¡¯t realize there was another entrance. There must be a lot of tasks during the day which can keep a player safe at night.¡±


    ¡°It feels a bit like a survival game,¡± Qingyue said with excitement. ¡°A task that seems trivial during the day can actually be your ticket for survival at night! It¡¯s intense!¡±


    As he listened to the players and NPC¡¯s words, Dugu Zhuo quickly assembled the pieces of information and noticed something. The old monk had only said that players who had offered incense could enter though the back door, but he hadn¡¯t mentioned other players.


    ¡°Can players who haven¡¯t offered incense enter?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    The old monk put down his rosary and looked at Dugu Zhuo. ¡°A Buddhist temple is a sacred place. At night, the Tanye Temple has the great responsibility of protecting the humans of Zhulong Town. Aside from the young heroes who have formed a connection with Buddha, none can enter Tanye Temple.¡±


    ¡°Then how¡¯d we get in?¡± Aotian asked curiously.


    ¡°You have all demonstrated heroism and righteousness in braving danger to cleanse the Karmic Forest. You are the righteous warriors this old monk has been waiting for.¡±


    As it turned out, the reason they could enter Tanye Temple though the main gate and encounter this obviously important NPC was because they had slain monsters in the Karmic Forest.


    The old monk had barely finished speaking when a server announcement rang though the air. ¡°The righteous team, Yi Ye Pian Zhou, Dugu Zhuo, Qingyue love, Long @ Aotian, and Jet Black, have activated the main storyline in Zhulong Town. All players are free to search for cookies.


    Whether they were yao, ghosts, or demons enjoying the night life, humans struggling to survive, or spirits focusing on absorbing the moonlight, every player stopped what they were doing to listen.


    A thousand different voices rang out everywhere, as rows and rows of words scrolled by in Dugu Zhuo¡¯s vision.


    [Dugu Zhuo? What a familiar name. Feels like I¡¯ve heard it not long ago.]


    [The player who discovered an array and became an array expert earlier today.]


    [What¡¯s the array expert title good for?]


    [How come he ran into all the nice things?]


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes felt overwhelmed and he fumbled with his control jade slip for a bit until he finally found the button that closed the world chat, and shut off the lines of text. Things got a lot calmer.


    Strange, back when there had been a system announcement for him becoming an array expert, he hadn¡¯t been bombarded with text, so what changed?


    Dugu Zhuo inspected his control panel and found there was an additional line of text¡ª¡±Due to 70% or more of current players recognizing ¡®Dugu Zhuo¡¯ as a player, the ¡®player¡¯ identity has been added.¡±


    In his personal information, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s identity was now listed as: BUG, player.


    Following that was a string of numbers, which must¡¯ve been the ID he¡¯d heard people talk about.


    As a player, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s messaging screen now had a panel for direct messages from strangers, which Dugu Zhuo closed so that random people couldn¡¯t disturb him.


    He never imagined he would¡¯ve become a player within this game.


    According to the system prompt, he had this role because of ¡°70% or more players recognizing him¡±. The thoughts of players could actually affect the system¡¯s perception.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ye Zhou asked, seeing Dugu Zhuo wave the jade slip as if he was controlling a panel.


    ¡°Closing the world chat,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°It¡¯s bothersome.¡±


    ¡°It kind of is,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°But I get a lot of information about trades from it, so it¡¯d also be annoying if I closed it. I¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡±


    After some pondering, Dugu Zhuo asked, ¡°This game doesn¡¯t differentiate between players and NPCs. If all of the players were to, say, see this old monk as a player, would the system recognize him as such?¡±


    ¡°How could that happen? It¡¯s not like this is a novel or comic.¡± Ye Zhou clapped Dugu Zhuo on the shoulder. ¡°Something must be done about your chuunibyou.¡±


    So a player¡¯s conception could not actually make an NPC into a player. Only he could change his identity, but why? Dugu Zhuo mulled it over. Could it be because he was a bug?


    After some time, he couldn¡¯t come up with an answer, and in the meantime, Aotian, Qingyue, and the black cat had practically turned the temple¡¯s main hall upside down in their search for clues. Dugu Zhuo knew that they had too little information at the present time, so he put aside his misgivings and went to stop them.


    ¡°Stop searching. Especially you, Cat, don¡¯t touch the Buddha statue. Don¡¯t you see the monk is raising his staff?¡±


    They immediately stopped messing around, turning their heads to look at the old monk. He had indeed stood up at some point, exchanging the prayer beads in his hand for a monk staff, currently looking up at the black cat who was standing on the Buddha statue¡¯s dais.


    The black cat hopped down immediately, hiding behind Dugu Zhuo¡¯s feet with his tail tucked between his legs, poking out half his head to watch the monk.


    The old monk looked at Dugu Zhuo with his expression full of benevolence. ¡°As a member of the righteous path, why do you consort with yao?¡±


    ¡°Righteous?¡± Dugu Zhuo said scornfully. ¡°Where do you get that from? Why do you take me as a member of the righteous path?¡±


    ¡°Your Righteousness Points, of course. For upholding justice and punishing evil, you have gained five Righteousness Points, so currently you are the most righteous person in Zhulong Town.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo had gained one Righteousness Point for killing the black cat, one for rescuing the tea shop owner, and he¡¯d gotten the remaining three while killing yao who were stealing human player¡¯s essences on his way to save Ye Zhou tonight.


    Dugu Zhuo had always been wondering what Righteousness Points were for. ¡°How about him?¡± he asked, pointing at the black cat. ¡°How many Righteousness Points does he have?¡±


    ¡°Since this yao has stolen the vital essence of humans, he cannot be considered righteous. Unless he cleanses his sins, I cannot tell you how to break the curse of Zhulong Town,¡± the monk replied.


    Immediately, all four human players were gathered around and staring down the black cat. The cat took a few steps back, planting his claws in the ground and arching his back, his fur standing on end. ¡°Mrow! What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try kicking him out of the party first,¡± Aotian suggested.


    It was the opening period of the game, so they had to do some experimentation. Ye Zhou kicked him out immediately, then asked the monk, ¡°Can you tell us now?¡±


    The old monk lowered his staff and said amiably, ¡°This old monk trusts that you young heroes value camaraderie and would not abandon a friend.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    It looked like since they had first spoken to the monk as a party, they had to complete the mission as a party, bringing the cat along. Ye Zhou added him back to the party, but the moment he did, the monk raised his staff again, acting like he was about to exorcise a yao.


    ¡°This is unreasonable,¡± the black cat spoke in defense of himself. ¡°If I can¡¯t do the mission, then all the races active at night would have trouble with it. There are only six races in the game, and if three of them can¡¯t do the main storyline, they¡¯re practically prevented from playing!¡±


    ¡°The announcement told us that all players could search for clues,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°We might not need this monk to find information about the curse.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo carefully poured over all that had happened since he had come to this world. There was black and white, light and darkness, and the races divided into two sides. He finally came to an answer.


    He traced the shape of the Taiji in the air and said to the group, ¡°If we envision the daytime and nighttime as the two sides of the Taiji, our position right now is Tanye Temple within the nighttime town, which can be seen as the spot of white within the black. And if we consider the white side to be day, during daytime, there should be a location which shelters the nighttime races, as the spot of black within the white.¡±


    Ye Zhou said in realization, ¡°So that¡¯s why we saw nothing relating to the main questline here at daytime, but we could find clues at night. Humans can be attacked outside at night, so we have to leave shelter and brave the ghosts and demons to enter Tanye Temple¡¯s front gate, in order to activate the main questline. We also had to slay monsters in the Karmic Forest. These are strict requirements.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first important questline,¡± Aotian said. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t gotten lucky, it might¡¯ve taken half a month to find this.¡±


    ¡°Since the monk won¡¯t give us the clue, will we need to wait until day and find the point of darkness?¡± Qingyue asked.


    Dugu Zhuo shook his head. ¡°Since the cat was rejected for having too many Sin Points, I probably wouldn¡¯t be accepted at the other location for having too many Righteousness Points.¡±


    ¡°And we just had to include him in the party when we started the task¡­¡± Qingyue turned her head and tried to give the cat a spiteful look, but the first thing she saw was the cat washing his face with a paw and she instantly felt affection for him again. She turned away and shook a fist. ¡°Why¡¯d he have to be a cat?¡±


    Jet Black¡¯s personality was so unlikeable, yet his appearance was unreasonably alluring. Was this a yao¡¯s special trait?


    While everyone was stuck, Dugu Zhuo picked up the cat and walked up to the old monk. ¡°Great master, did not the Buddha once say, ¡®Abandon the killer¡¯s knife and become a Buddha on the spot¡¯? He regrets his actions, so will you give him another chance?¡±


    A bit of liveliness shone in the old monk¡¯s eyes. ¡°Amitabha,¡± he recited. ¡°The Buddha is benevolent. If you abandon the killer¡¯s knife, you may become a Buddha on the spot. Benefactor Jet Black, will you abandon the knife and hereby walk the righteous path?¡±


    ¡°What does abandon the knife mean?¡± the black cat said blankly.


    The monk didn¡¯t respond, but Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°The killer¡¯s knife would be the weapon with which you harm others. I assume that you must completely abandon the technique to level up using vital essence in order to be forgiven.¡±


    ¡°How can I do that?¡± the cat said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I level up slower than the other yao?¡±


    It was a reasonable thing to say. This was the equivalent of stopping a human player from gaining experience via missions, so no player would be willing.


    ¡°Sacrifice is bound to bring gain,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°This game seems to value balance, so if you give up one method of leveling up, surely the game will provide another. Even if it doesn¡¯t, if I have a way to level up in the future, I¡¯ll share it with you. I won¡¯t let you fall behind.¡±


    This simple reasoning was actually extremely persuasive.


    The black cat stared at Dugu Zhuo for a while, stunned, while muttering, ¡°I don¡¯t even know you outside the game, so why do I trust you?¡±


    Despite those words, the black cat approached the monk, saying while stroking his whiskers, ¡°Then how should I abandon the blade?¡±


    ¡°Amitabha,¡± the monk said. ¡°You are wise, benefactor.¡±


    A dialogue box appeared before the cat, asking whether he wanted to accept the old monk¡¯s purification. After the purification, he would retain his Beguile technique, but lose the ability to steal vital essence.


    After hesitating for a long while, the black cat finally hit ¡°Accept¡±.


    The old monk raised his staff and tapped the cat on the head with it. In a ray of Buddha¡¯s light, the black cat lost one of his abilities.


    At the same time, the old monk said, ¡°From now on, you are an unshaven disciple of our Buddhist sect. I shall provide you with a rosary, which can summon a law-protector of Buddha to help you when your life is in danger.¡±


    Accepting the rosary, the black cat shared its stats in the party chat.


    The technique ¡°Punishing Vajra¡± was a technique specifically for Jet Black. When his HP dropped to 3% or below, it could summon a Vajra with infinite attack strength, capable of killing any player in one shot.


    ¡°It has infinite attack and can indiscriminately kill anything! What an incredible technique!¡± Aotian said, so excited he rubbed the cat on the head. ¡°If you can just keep your HP at 3%, we can bring you along to defeat any boss, and even in PVP you can kill players no matter how strong they are. That¡¯s not a technique to sneeze at!¡±


    The black cat also looked pleased with himself as he stroked his whiskers. ¡°The only problem is it¡¯s hard to maintain health at 3%. It looks like I¡¯ll have to bring more healing items in the future and get some practice with this technique. Hey, don¡¯t you touch my head.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Aotian removed his hand. ¡°Your fur just looks too sleek.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo handed the black cat a jade slip. ¡°If you find a good weapon in the future, I can strengthen it for you.¡±


    The jade slip recorded the Misdirection Array. Their enmity originated from the Misdirection Array, so he might as well use this to solve it.


    And while no one was looking, Dugu Zhuo secretly handed a jade slip to Ye Zhou under his wide sleeve. Ye Zhou inspected it and found it was the Misdirection Array.


    Mysteriously, Ye Zhou felt awkward. With his face reddening slightly, he put it away, thinking that if he found something good in the future, he needed to let his disciple have it first.


    After cleansing the black cat¡¯s sins, they remade their party, and Ye Zhou asked about the torch dragon¡¯s curse again.


    The old monk didn¡¯t refuse this time, instead opening his eyes with a look of lamentation. ¡°Ah, instead of the torch dragon¡¯s curse, what¡¯s affecting this town could more be called the workings of fate.


    ¡°According to legend, the torch dragon once brought disaster to the human realm, and was punished by the heavenly emperor of old, escaping into the Netherworld. From then on, day no longer came to the Netherworld, which became a paradise for demons and ghosts. The torch dragon also turned from a divine beast to a demonic one, and therefore would be lured by the wicked qi of the human realm. Ten years ago, this town was peaceful, but when that child was born, he drew the torch dragon¡¯s attention, bringing the Netherworld to this town.¡±


    ¡°That child?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    The old monk sighed. ¡°Yes, the child destined to become the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder. He was born filled with impure qi, fated to lose all his familial ties and murder his own father. Once he leaves this town, the torch dragon will divert its attention. You must find him and help the Qingtian Sect bring him away, in order to separate this town from the Netherworld.¡±


    ¡°The Xuan Sword!¡± Aotian cried. ¡°It really is the Sword Tomb storyline! Nine Heavens has decided to continue it! My time has come!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo, though, was thunderstruck.


    He had been ordained to lose his family from the day he was born. When he was ten years old, his mother had passed away. After he was all alone in the world, a man arrived claiming to be his father¡¯s shidi[1]. He took him away from the town he had been born in, to Qingtian Sect.


    1. younger martial brothe

 CH 15

    Chapter 15 ¨C Dugu Zhuo[1]


    Dugu Zhuo had experienced many abrupt changes throughout his life and soon steadied his emotions. ¡°Where is that child?¡± he asked the old monk. ¡°How should we contact the Qingtian Sect?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± The old monk somehow brought out a wooden fish[2] and started beating it rhythmically. ¡°This poor monk is in the mood for tofu. Widow Yang at the village gate makes the best tofu. Would you young heroes buy some for this monk tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Aotian said. ¡°You¡¯re giving us an item collection task at the best part?¡± He had been listening excitedly to the main storyline, and now that he¡¯d suddenly been assigned a task, he went over and grabbed the monk¡¯s robe.


    The moment he touched the monk¡¯s lapel, the monk tapped the wooden fish, which released a ring of light that pushed Aotian away.


    The old monk continued to beat the wooden fish while reciting sutras, with an act of ¡°don¡¯t bother me if you don¡¯t have the tofu.¡±


    ¡°Guess we can¡¯t complete this task at night,¡± Ye Zhou said, glancing at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s almost 11, so I have to leave now. Should we meet at 9 tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°I should get to bed too,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°Staying up late would be bad for my complexion. I don¡¯t have classes tomorrow, so I can play the whole day.¡±


    After each member of the group said they could play tomorrow and agreed to the 9 am meeting time, Ye Zhou logged off.


    Aotian and Qingyue went off to find their demon and yao friends, in order to see if they had found anything, so they exited Dugu Zhuo¡¯s party and left.


    After Jet Black had become a monk and gotten a rosary to protect himself, he could now move freely within every major Buddhist temple, so he decided to cultivate by bathing in moonlight on the temple¡¯s roof.


    Soon, everyone had gone their own ways, leaving Dugu Zhuo alone and no longer in a party.


    Dugu Zhuo sat next to the old monk and asked, ¡°Great master, why have I come to this world?¡±


    The old monk kept tapping the wooden fish. ¡°If you want to offer incense, you may line up at Tanye Temple every day starting at Chenshi.¡±


    ¡°Are you the monk who was healing the people during the day?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°There is an herb-collecting monk in the mountains behind the temple,¡± the monk said. ¡°Spirits who wish to heal the people can find him to be taken to the healing booth.¡±


    Most spirits spawned in the back mountains and could move around within the earth, so it should be easy for them to find the herb collector.


    ¡°That child¡­ is he named Xiao Bao[3]?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked again.


    ¡°Have you bought the tofu yet?¡± the monk said. ¡°This old monk is too hungry to have the energy to speak.¡±


    No matter what Dugu Zhuo asked, the monk only had these three answers, giving tips to the humans and spirits and requesting tofu.


    This wasn¡¯t the Grandmaster Tanji who had suddenly appeared before Dugu Zhuo earlier today, just an ordinary NPC.


    The NPCs in Nine Heavens were too realistic, and had always given Dugu Zhuo the illusion that they were all real people. Only now, when faced with the monk¡¯s mechanical, rote, and unchanging responses, did he really realize that he was in a false world.


    There seemed to be a soundproofing array within the Tanye Temple. Inside the main hall, they could hear no sounds from the back courtyard or the Karmic Forest, and no matter how loudly the monk beat the wooden fish, the sound only echoed within the room.


    Dugu Zhuo craned his neck up to the Buddha statue above him, and suddenly said, ¡°When I was young, I didn¡¯t have a name, so my mother always called me Xiao Bao.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even known his surname, and only upon arriving at Qingtian Sect had he known that his father was named Dugu.


    Dugu Yue had named him Dugu Zhuo, Zhuo as in impure, a name that was supposed to sum up his entire life.


    Back then, he didn¡¯t know what the name meant, only blindly following Ye Zhou to get his name registered within the sect roster.


    Ye Zhou drew a drop of blood from his fingertip, dipped a spiritual brush in it, and wrote down ¡°Dugu Zhuo[4]¡± on the roster.


    The ten-year-old Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t read, but he recognized that the character Ye Zhou had written down for Zhuo was different. He yelled at Ye Zhou without any manners, ¡°You wrote my name wrong! You jerk!¡±


    He also wanted to insult him. He had grown up in the countryside, and though he couldn¡¯t read a single word, he was well versed in insults.


    Ye Zhou had placed an index finger against Dugu Zhuo¡¯s lips and said quietly, ¡°Silence.¡±


    Ye Zhou¡¯s finger was cold. Dugu Zhuo suddenly found himself unable to spit any of the insults that were on his tongue. He watched powerlessly as Ye Zhou set the jade slip containing his mistaken name before the memorial tablets of Qingtian Sect¡¯s generations of sect leaders, lit an incense stick, and handed it to Dugu Zhuo.


    ¡°Do not use foul language before the ancestral leaders of the sect,¡± Ye Zhou said lightly. ¡°You may speak if you are willing to speak properly. If you want to curse, your mouth can simply remain shut.¡±


    Unable to insult him, Dugu Zhuo held the incense and kowtowed three times before the ancestral tablets, then left grumpily.


    Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t speak for a whole year after that.


    Only when he learned to read, learned morality, and understood the difference between the two characters, did he realize what kind of a name Ye Zhou had given him.


    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± was the first thing he said to Ye Zhou.


    Ye Zhou had said unfeelingly, ¡°I¡¯m not your master.¡±


    ¡ª ¡°Ye Zhou was right. He wasn¡¯t my master,¡± Dugu Zhuo said to the ignorant monk. ¡°Even though he had been the one who led me to the Dao, he still wasn¡¯t my master.¡±


    ¡°If you want to find a master, you must reach level 15 and obtain an invitation from the Buddhist agency at Xuanyang City in order to enter the Buddhist sects,¡± the old monk answered according to keywords.


    Only because he knew the monk understood nothing, did Dugu Zhuo speak of these past matters.


    ¡°Now, Ye Zhou has become my master, which is perfect.¡± Dugu Zhuo smiled slightly. ¡°At the moment of the Pillar of Heaven¡¯s collapse, his shattered soul arrived to this world. Great master, why would his soul be here? Did my original world let him down so much?¡±


    Upon hearing the words ¡°Pillar of Heaven¡±, the old monk stopped moving. He put down his wooden fish, looking blank for a second. After looking around at his surroundings, he said to Dugu Zhuo, ¡°Amitabha, benefactor, have you appeared in this poor monk¡¯s dreams again?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo was stunned for a moment. He looked at the monk. ¡°Grandmaster Tanji.¡±


    ¡°That is me,¡± said the old monk, now Grandmaster Tanji.


    As Dugu Zhuo watched, the template features of the Nine Heavens monk gradually changed into those of Grandmaster Tanji.


    This was real!


    He didn¡¯t know how, but he had ¡°pulled¡± the monk from his original world into the VR game¡¯s world.


    ¡°The spiritual energy is so plentiful within my dreams,¡± the old monk said, rubbing his shoulders. ¡°Is this the world that this poor monk hopes to see?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°Tanye Temple, right?¡± The old monk looked up to the Buddha statue. ¡°This statue looks exactly like the one I commissioned.¡±


    Tanji struck up a conversation with Dugu Zhuo. Apparently, after their meeting at the healing booth, five months had passed for Tanji.


    He had been renovating the temple with his disciple all this time, finding a craftsman to create a Buddha statue, begging everywhere for resources to fix the temple, and even hiring a few wandering refugees to clear the nearby land for farming. Since this was a Buddhist temple and Tanji was a high-ranking monk, he was given a piece of land, which he all gave to the helpers aside from a portion large enough for the monks in the temple to be self-sufficient.


    He had also visited the spirit cultivators nearby who were nearly bursting from the over-abundant natural spiritual energy, and asked for their help in setting up a charity healing booth.


    A few years ago, spiritual energy was sparse within the lower heavens, fought over by the six races, so the spiritual cultivators, born as natural treasures favored by heaven and earth, would offer incredible boosts to the other races. After the collapse of the Pillar of Heaven, the nine layers of heaven merged with earth, replenishing the spiritual energy. Anyone could collect all the spiritual energy they wanted with a little cultivation, so spiritual cultivators were no longer coveted.


    After all, one would have to fight with a spiritual cultivator in order to obtain them, so it was more worthwhile to spend that time cultivating.


    Spiritual cultivators didn¡¯t need to cultivate, as spiritual energy would enter their bodies automatically, but with too much spiritual energy that they couldn¡¯t convert to inner essence, they all felt overstuffed.


    A ginseng that Tanji had found was so thick it resembled a tree stump, and when it saw Tanji approach, it clumsily struggled to move its body, having lost its original speed and nimbleness.


    Tanji was quickly able to open his healing booth, and after five months, a bustling small town had grown around Tanye Temple, in stark contrast to the original desolate land.


    ¡°Not everything has been good,¡± Tanji said. ¡°A few avaricious yao have come recently, coveting human vital essence. The residents of the town have become plump and healthy under the nurturing of the spiritual cultivators, which is exactly to the yaos¡¯ tastes. We¡¯ve already lost a few youths, which is currently troubling me.¡±


    ¡°So much time has passed already?¡± Dugu Zhuo said doubtfully.


    He had been searching for ten years, and the PC game had also lasted for ten years. He¡¯d thought that time was the same between the two worlds, but he had only been here for five hours, yet over there, five months had already passed.


    ¡°Has it been much time?¡± Tanji said.


    ¡°Two and a half shichen have passed here,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, automatically converting to the time system Grandmaster Tanji was familiar with.


    Grandmaster Tanji thought some and said, ¡°Sir Dugu, time in a dream can change freely. An instant can feel like a lifetime, or several shichen can pass in an instant.¡±


    ¡°If you explain this as a dream, then time can change without any rhyme or reason,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°When does the world remain unchanging? This poor monk has reincarnated for ten lifetimes and seen all of the mortal world. Sometimes, a hundred years can seem like a day, if your routine remains unchanged for a century. Sometimes in the span of one year, the dynasty has changed three or five times. Sometimes, one day feels like an entire lifetime. Is time not something so unfathomable?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Since the system could assign him as a player based on the playerbase¡¯s perception, Grandmaster Tanji might as well judge the flow of time based on his own perception. Dugu Zhuo had been in the game world for only five hours, but the experience had felt longer than ten years.


    ¡°Does Sir Dugu have any insights on the trouble with the yao?¡± Grandmaster Tanji asked.


    ¡°The six races intermingle within the world, and the Heavenly Dao favors humanity, the other races having always stood in opposition to them. This is difficult to solve, unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless what?¡± Tanji asked.


    ¡°Unless the realm were divided. Since the human race has a world where they are chief, the yao must also have their world where they are chief and so on, each staying within their own territory and not encroaching on any other,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Tanji shook his head. ¡°That would be difficult. This monk doesn¡¯t possess such cosmic power.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°It was just idle talk.¡±


    Tanji looked at Dugu Zhuo, though. ¡°This poor monk may not, but Sir Dugu might. Legends say the twin swords of creation were formed from the axe Pangu[5] used to split heaven and earth, so they have the ability to divide the world. In this world, perhaps only Sir Dugu can accomplish this division of the realms.¡±


    ¡°The twin swords are already¡ª¡±


    Before Dugu Zhuo could finish talking, Tanji abruptly vanished. The old monk picked up the wooden fish again and started lightly tapping on it. Light came from outside, the night having already passed.


    Dugu Zhuo went outside to look at the sun. It was already Chenshi.


    It seemed like he and Tanji had once again entered a separate space in between the two worlds, or perhaps a dreamscape.


    In a single conversation, the night had gone by.


    the author actually said in their first author¡¯s note that they originally named dugu zhuo ¶À¹Â×Ç, but they didn¡¯t like the way it looked because the characters were too similar lol


    thank you all for reading!


    Please support the original author over on jjwxc


    1. zhuo is written differently, ×Ç, same pronunciation. it means impure


    2. a wooden percussion instrument beaten to keep timing during prayers and such


    3. С±¦ little treasure. a baby¡¯s pet name


    4. the current spelling now. zhuo as in outstanding


    5. the creator deity of chinese myth. he was born when the cosmos was formless chaos and split it apart, separating the sky and earth

 CH 16

    Chapter 16 ¨C Widow Yang


    Dugu Zhuo mentally calculated the time. It was 7 am right now, so there was still one shichen until Ye Zhou would log on.


    Lots of players had already lined up before the Tanye Temple to offer incense. They were all discussing the events of last night, most of them cursing the game company, saying they didn¡¯t care how they treated their players since they were the only VR game on the market. What kind of a player could always log on during the day or during the night? It was basically a hostile mechanic. No matter what they said, though, they still didn¡¯t look like they were about to quit the game, so it seemed that the sense of realism that came with VR was hard for other games to measure up to.


    There was also a small portion of players who thought the solution was money, and at worst they could hire someone to level up for them during the day. The game company couldn¡¯t always maintain this division between day and night, so surely there would be a solution at a higher level.


    A tiny amount of players thought it was caused by the main storyline, so after they passed the storyline, this day and night setup might change.


    Hiding behind the main door, Dugu Zhuo listened to the players¡¯ discussions, studying their modern vocabulary. From the terms they used, he gradually began to form an image of the world Ye Zhou lived in.


    He wanted to spend his life with Ye Zhou someday, so it was necessary for him to learn about the environment Ye Zhou lived in, in order for them to have a mutual understanding.


    The martial monk stood guard before the main hall in the daytime, so that people could freely exit but not enter. The old monk was still tapping the wooden fish.


    Seeing that the main hall was empty, Dugu Zhuo decided to meditate and get some rest.


    At full strength, he wouldn¡¯t need to rest, but he was injured right now, so he needed it occasionally. He didn¡¯t have to sleep a full night like an ordinary person, but he still needed to regulate his breathing for a short while.


    After about half an hour, Dugu Zhuo opened his eyes, feeling full of energy. Checking his own status, he found that he could gain experience by cultivating inside Tanye Temple. He had gained 1500 experience points, but fortunately not enough to level up, his level remaining at 10.


    Leaving the temple, Dugu Zhuo saw that the healing booth had been set up again at the temple gates, and the level 16 lingzhi who was number one on the leaderboard yesterday was once again healing people. At this rate, that lingzhi would probably be the first embodied player in the game.


    Yao and spirits were both originally beasts and birds, or vegetation and herbs, but the distinction was that yao were born as mortals. In a million cats, you might not find even a single cat yao, so though their species were populous, very few of them could become yao.


    On the other hand, spirits were beings nurtured by the natural world, like ginseng, lingzhi, snow lotuses, and qilin. They were filled with spiritual energy from birth, and would be able to embody themselves as long as they lived to a certain age.


    The boundary between the two was a bit vague. Dugu Zhuo had always distinguished them by their yao qi or spiritual qi, but it seemed they were split according to species in the game. Mundane plants or animals were yao, while legendary beasts and magic herbs were spirits.


    The old monk who was helping the lingzhi accumulate virtue looked exactly like the one inside the temple. Using Long @ Aotian¡¯s words, they were ¡°copy-pasted from the same template.¡±


    Standing in front of the temple gates, Dugu Zhuo quietly waited for his party members to arrive.


    Half an hour later, people started logging on. Ye Zhou had purposefully arrived ten minutes early, entering the game at 8:50, and with his blood bond, there was a notification the instant he logged on. He was the first to meet up with Dugu Zhuo, and gave him an energetic clap on the shoulder.


    Dugu Zhuo took the chance to grab Ye Zhou¡¯s wrist. Through the distance and yet closeness of the network, he used the VR game¡¯s simulated pulse to check on the condition of Ye Zhou¡¯s body.


    ¡°Your complexion looks good,¡± Dugu Zhuo said with satisfaction.


    ¡°Yeah, my family doctor said this morning that my condition was especially healthy,¡± Ye Zhou said happily.


    If he went to bed too late, he would have trouble sleeping, and have nightmares and cold sweats the whole night, yet last night he had slept especially deeply.


    In the past, Ye Zhou had always heard the clanking of a sword in his dreams, as if something was calling to him urgently. Last night, however, he had dreamed of the bamboo forest where he had met Dugu Zhuo. The scenery was beautiful, and when he woke up in the morning, he felt carefree.


    ¡°I guess always staying indoors really will lead to psychological issues,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°I can¡¯t go outside, so it¡¯s lucky that I have this VR game.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo maintained propriety at all times, so he didn¡¯t ask about Ye Zhou¡¯s health problems. They still weren¡¯t that familiar with each other.


    He had finally managed to find Ye Zhou, so Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want his undue haste to drive Ye Zhou away from him.


    This game was his only connection with Ye Zhou. Dugu Zhuo could only act within the game, so if Ye Zhou stopped playing, they would never be able to meet again.


    After they idly chatted for a few minutes, the other players also logged on one by one. Aotian and Qingyue were still level 11, but the black cat had risen to level 14.


    Everyone looked at this cat who had gained several levels in just a night.


    The black cat yawned. ¡°I can only level up at night, can¡¯t I? I idled while cultivating in the moonlight, slept until 4, then hunted monsters in the Karmic Forest for three hours. I went back to sleep for two hours at 7, and if I hadn¡¯t set an alarm, I almost wouldn¡¯t have woken up.¡±


    ¡°Last night, Xiaoyao and his friends were also grinding non-stop, and by now they¡¯re level 13,¡± said Aotian.


    Qingyue pulled her lips in distaste. ¡°The way Xiaoyao levels up is too extreme. Whenever he sees someone, he tries to steal their vital essence, and he¡¯s even earned the title ¡®Ringleader of Yao¡¯. He¡¯s about to become the Tree Demon from The Maiden¡¯s Spirit[1].¡±


    ¡°How many Sin Points does he have?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°You get one Sin Point for stealing one person¡¯s essence, so right now he has over a hundred points¡­¡± Qingyue said.


    ¡°That many?¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Won¡¯t he be rednamed?¡±


    Seeing Dugu Zhuo give him a look of confusion, Ye Zhou remembered that his disciple hadn¡¯t played the PC edition and explained, ¡°Back in the PC version where characters¡¯ names were displayed, people who had killed too many players would have their names turn red, so that¡¯s called getting rednamed. If someone with a red name dies, they lose more experience and items, and most players don¡¯t like them either, so they¡¯re liable to get attacked.¡±


    ¡°Player names aren¡¯t displayed in Nine Heavens, though,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°So since this mechanic is new, Xiaoyao wanted to test what would happen if your Sin Points were extremely high,¡± Aotian said. ¡°After all, players don¡¯t die when you steal their essence, just their health drops to critical, they become weakened, and they lose a portion of experience. We suspect that later on, there might be different factions in the game based on Righteousness or Sin Points, or what race you are.¡±


    ¡°I had wanted to form a party with Xiaoyao, but now¡­ I guess if we¡¯re different races, we walk different paths,¡± Qingyue said.


    Chatting as they walked, the group quickly came to the tofu stand.


    ¡°I just knew Widow Yang would be good-looking. They say that beauties sell tofu!¡± Aotian said excitedly as he laid eyes on the woman.


    ¡°Stopped in your tracks because you saw a pretty woman?¡± Qingyue said, slapping Aotian hard on the back of the head. He narrowly escaped being beaten by her whip.


    The game developers had worked hard on Widow Yang¡¯s character model, and within the group, only Dugu Zhuo¡¯s looks were superior to hers. Everyone else looked plain set alongside this NPC.


    Ye Zhou¡¯s looks weren¡¯t bad, but he was young and not at his full height, so he lost some of his allure.


    Since the NPC¡¯s looks were so good, there was naturally a crowd of players gathered around and buying tofu.


    Fortunately, Widow Yang didn¡¯t have any missions to give players experience and everyone had done their sightseeing yesterday, so there weren¡¯t many people at the tofu stand today. After standing in line for a few minutes, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s group reached the front.


    The few players that had been before them stood to one side eating their tofu while chatting. ¡°This tofu tastes pretty good. It¡¯d be even better if this game had fried chicken and Coke. I bet lots of people on diets would come here to satisfy their cravings.¡±


    As the party leader, Ye Zhou led the group in buying tofu, but after all the other players had bought their tofu without any trouble, Widow Yang burst into tears upon facing them and said, ¡°You young heroes look like honest and good people, so will you please help this lowly woman? I will surely make the finest tofu as a reward for you, at no cost.¡±


    The black cat said angrily, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you offer your hand in marriage? What kind of a shameless NPC asks for help and then only gives a piece of tofu?¡±


    Ye Zhou, however, had already foreseen that this task wouldn¡¯t be resolved just by buying some tofu, so asked unruffled, ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Of course we¡¯ll help you, as long as we can.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my son. He¡¯s not well,¡± Widow Yang said, sobbing. ¡°He¡¯s already been unconscious for three days, and he¡¯s lost so much weight I can hardly recognize him. I went to the healing booth at Tanye Temple, but the monk told me that it wasn¡¯t an illness, and instead the work of an evil creature.¡±


    ¡°Look at the state your town is in,¡± Aotian said. ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if there weren¡¯t evil creatures. We won¡¯t have to wait until night to complete this task, will we? Please tell me no!¡±


    Aotian¡¯s concern didn¡¯t come true, as Widow Yang continued, ¡°The monk said that the curse could only be broken with the heart¡¯s blood of a male child born at noon and filled with yang energy. I don¡¯t know where to find one, but I hear the fortune teller at the booth outside knows the birth dates and times of everyone in town. Can you ask him for me?¡±


    It was a chain of tasks. Accepting the task to find the heart¡¯s blood, Ye Zhou led the party to the fortune telling booth.


    As they left the tofu stand, Dugu Zhuo noticed that several more players had gotten in line behind them. A few of them looked odd, wearing bamboo hats that covered their faces completely, with their whole bodies clothed. All that was visible of them was their eyes.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you had a demon player friend, who told you that he appeared in a different place during the day?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°He¡¯s called Wen Zhi Binbin, so we all call him Xiao Wen. Yesterday, he told us that after creating his character, he appeared in a hellish-looking place. The area was very small and there were ghosts and demons everywhere, which terrified him so much he thought he had transmigrated into a horror movie.¡±


    ¡°He said he could take some tasks there, but the experience gain was very slow,¡± Aotian said. ¡°There was a huge gate blocking them, which only opened at night.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo turned to Ye Zhou. ¡°Yesterday, didn¡¯t you run into someone you thought was a player, but he was actually a ghost for an exorcism mission?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ye Zhou said, nodding. ¡°That boss was so good at acting, I really thought he was a player.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he was a player,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°How could that be? He was clearly the mission boss,¡± Ye Zhou said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°In order to find the main storyline, we needed to move about when the ghosts and demons were active at night. Then how will the ghosts and demons find the main storyline? Won¡¯t they have to move about within the daytime world, where the humans belong?¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t leave that area, though,¡± Aotian said.


    ¡°You just said that they could accept tasks. Couldn¡¯t there be a possibility that one of them was the same task that Ye Zhou took, except, Ye Zhou¡¯s mission was exorcising ghosts, while their mission was eliminating the exorcist harming their fellow ghosts?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible!¡± Ye Zhou cried, thinking back to that boss. ¡°He was too much like a player, that even after he revealed himself as a ghost, I still thought someone was controlling him.¡±


    Looking at the couple of players lined up before the tofu stand, covered head to toe, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°Therefore, even during the day, there may be demons and ghosts within this town.¡±


    thank you all for reading!


    Please support the original author over on jjwxc


    1. the film that was localized as A Chinese Ghost Story. the villain of it is a tree yao


    2. ÎÄÖʱò±ò cultured and refined

 CH 17

    Chapter 17 ¨C Cheng Huang Temple


    The group wasn¡¯t in a hurry to do their task, instead hiding behind a building to watch the veiled players buy tofu.


    ¡°Human, yao, and spirit players wouldn¡¯t be dressing like that during the day, so they must either be special NPCs, demons, or ghosts,¡± Qingyue said confidently.


    ¡°How come?¡± Black Cat asked.


    ¡°Video games are about looks,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°What kind of player would wear that getup, unless they couldn¡¯t show their face?¡±


    ¡°Video games are about looks?¡± Black Cat said, arching his back in shock. ¡°What do you play, dress-up gacha games?¡±


    Qingyue pinched her face, then gave Dugu Zhuo an envious look. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I tricked into playing by this game¡¯s max level attractive characters in VR? After spending so much money on a helmet, I found out this stupid game actually uses your normal appearance lowered to 80%. I¡¯ve been putting my attribute points every level-up on my appearance, so now I finally look okay.¡±


    There were six attributes in Nine Heavens, strength, health, spirit, agility, attractiveness, and will. With each level up, each attribute would automatically increase by one, plus the game would give players six attribute points, which they could use to adjust their attributes how they wanted.


    Once attribute points were allocated, they couldn¡¯t be changed. Since the game was new right now, no one was sure how best to allocate their attributes, so for the first few levels, they could only spend them blindly.


    For example, Aotian had calculatedly spent his points on agility, health, and spirit, Black Cat had picked agility and spirit, following the yao race¡¯s affinities, while Ye Zhou had picked will and spirit.


    You didn¡¯t often see a player who spent all their first points on appearance like Qingyue.


    ¡°Assuming Dugu Zhuo¡¯s conjecture was correct, Qingyue¡¯s point isn¡¯t unreasonable,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°If these people really are ghost or demon players, and took some sort of task in order to appear in the daytime town, how come they¡¯re lining up to buy tofu just like us?¡±


    Ye Zhou emphasized ¡®buy tofu¡¯. SInce Widow Yang was part of the main questline, why would a few players who could only come to the daytime town on a task specifically want to see her?


    It was too much of a coincidence. Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo shared a glance.


    ¡°I recall you once said the PC game had PVP restrictions in certain maps, so that players could not attack each other in populated areas like this one,¡± Dugu Zhuo said to Ye Zhou.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ye Zhou said, ¡°but in the VR edition, they changed it so that players level 20 or lower can fight without restrictions. You¡¯d only be restricted above level 20. Right now though, the highest level is¡­ 18? That¡¯s fast! Looks like we¡¯ll be seeing the first embodied spirit soon.¡±


    Naturally, the level 18 player was the lingzhi from earlier. The top ten ranks on the leaderboard were all spirit players, and no non-spirits were higher than level 15.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t really care whether some players leveled up exceedingly fast. He said, ¡°Since we can fight below level 20, let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    They had a party of five, and their opponents happened to also be five people, so they had an equal matchup.


    Aotian held Dugu Zhuo back. ¡°Hold on, even if you¡¯re sure that they¡¯re players, what¡¯s the point? I know you¡¯re suspecting that they¡¯re also on the main questline, but that¡¯s pretty normal. Everyone does tasks together, and whoever¡¯s fastest gets to be first. Instead of confirming their identities, we might as well hurry up and find the fortune teller.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo shook his head. ¡°I just have a suspicion. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.¡±


    Unable to convince Dugu Zhuo, Aotian said, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we split up? Whoever wants to can stay here and investigate that group, while the rest can do the tasks with me.¡±


    It was a good solution. Qingyue and Ye Zhou decided to stay and cause trouble with Dugu Zhuo, while Black Cat chose to complete tasks with Aotian.


    Black Cat was a normal player, so he wanted to be the first to complete the questline. Ye Zhou wanted that too, but he was more worried about his disciple, so decided to stay and back him up. Qingyue¡¯s thinking was extremely simple, on the other hand. She just wanted to see what those players looked like under their hats.


    Since the party leader had to complete the tasks, Ye Zhou transferred leadership to Aotian and the five went their separate ways.


    When they had received their task from Widow Yang, other players had been unable to see their interaction. In their eyes, their conversation had simply been about buying tofu, as the game company had placed a filter on them in order to keep the storyline secret.


    In the same way, the veiled group seemed to be normally buying tofu to Dugu Zhuo and his party, so they couldn¡¯t notice anything suspicious.


    After the group mysteriously bought their tofu, they shared a few glances and sent a few private messages, then left the stand.


    They didn¡¯t seem to know where to head next, and after picking a random direction, started questioning the first NPC they met.


    In a deserted alleyway, Ye Zhou quietly drew his weapon.


    His sword was powerful, so Ye Zhou was confident he could destroy their clothes in one hit and reveal their true appearances.


    However, Dugu Zhuo held his hand down.


    Ye Zhou gave Dugu Zhuo a confused look. Dugu Zhuo had suggested this attack, and now the time was ripe, yet he was preventing Ye Zhou from acting.


    ¡°I want to see where their mission goal is,¡± Dugu Zhuo said to Ye Zhou in a private message.


    Ye Zhou accepted his explanation, and the three followed the veiled team as they wandered through Zhulong Town. After a while, they heard a system notification. ¡°You¡¯ve agreed to roast the perfect beggar¡¯s chicken for the fortune teller. The beggar boss at the outskirts of town makes the most authentic beggar¡¯s chicken.¡±


    It seemed like Aotian and Black Cat had already found the fortune teller and received the next task.


    Each link of the quest chain led to another, making it quite a hassle. In order to obtain one thing, they had to complete tasks for several people.


    However, for each completed task, the players received a bit of experience, and the main questline¡¯s quest rewards were good compared to fighting monsters or completing instances.


    Meanwhile, the veiled team had asked half the town¡¯s NPCs before finally arriving at a temple in the north side of town.


    ¡°It¡¯s Cheng Huang Temple,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Yesterday, I spoke to every NPC in town that had dialogue, but there weren¡¯t any tasks relating to this temple. There also aren¡¯t many people in the area, so I guess human players can¡¯t get tasks relating to Cheng Huang Temple.¡±


    Since the other team had come here, the possibility they were demons or ghosts was now even higher.


    ¡°If they¡¯re also doing the main questline, how come it¡¯s completely different from ours?¡± Qingyue asked.


    Ye Zhou thought for a bit. ¡°Assuming that that ghost I met was a player, we were completing the same mission under different roles. Maybe the main questline they¡¯re trying to complete is completely different from ours?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± said Qingyue.


    ¡°The task we received from the Tanye Temple was to help the Qingtian Sect take in the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder. Maybe their task is to have some other sect take the kid away, or kill him?¡±


    ¡°But in that case, the main storyline would have two outcomes, so how would the game¡¯s plot continue?¡± Qingyue said doubtfully.


    They both looked at Dugu Zhuo. Over these two days, Dugu Zhuo had displayed impressive insight and been spot-on in all his conjectures, so perhaps he would have some ideas about this too.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t answer, just looking like he was deep in thought and knew something else about the main storyline.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say now,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°I¡¯m going to find out more information.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Qingyue asked.


    Dugu Zhuo rearranged his clothes, making himself look even more distinguished. He smiled at Ye Zhou. ¡°Don¡¯t I look very much like an NPC?¡±


    A light breeze stirred Dugu Zhuo¡¯s long hair. Ye Zhou, his heart thumping wildly, was unable to answer in time. Instead, Qingyue answered, ¡°You look uncannily so!¡±


    ¡°Then let me give my NPC act a shot,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Before the veiled team entered Cheng Huang Temple, Dugu Zhuo hopped over the wall into the courtyard.


    A temple usually had a main and side entrance, so Dugu Zhuo was familiar with the way Cheng Huang Temple was constructed. He found the back door to the main hall and slipped inside.


    Cheng Huang Temple wasn¡¯t as lively as Tanye Temple, with only one person sweeping the main hall. It was a bit like Tanye Temple at nighttime.


    There was a huge sealed gate in the back courtyard, making Dugu Zhuo think of how Aotian and Qingyue had said their friend was stuck behind a large gate during the day.


    Seeing the other team was now hesitating outside the temple hall, Dugu Zhuo thrust out a palm and slammed the main doors shut.


    The attendant who was sweeping the floor was startled and looked toward Dugu Zhuo. ¡°Young hero, outsiders may not enter the main hall.¡±


    The NPCs in the game all referred to human players as ¡°young hero¡±. ¡°I am not a young hero,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    The attendant froze for a moment. Staring at Dugu Zhuo, he seemed to be confused about his own perception. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°Lord Cheng Huang presides over this place. Outsiders may not enter.¡±


    Thinking back to how closely this storyline resembled his own life, Dugu Zhuo released some of his sword aura and said, ¡°This one is Dugu Zhuo, the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder.¡±


    ¡°The Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder? This¡­¡± The NPC was completely incoherent, apparently not knowing how he should identify this man before him. He threw down his broom, holding his head and seeming to be in pain.


    Dugu Zhuo had found out while interacting with the old monk that his presence seemed to be able to call over people from his own world and influence the NPCs of this world.


    He assumed that this attendant was important in the demons and ghosts completing the main questline, so he was curious what would come of him revealing his identity before this NPC.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be Dugu Zhuo, Xiao Bao is only ten, Dugu Zhuo shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± the NPC babbled.


    ¡°This town is divided between night and day due to the torch dragon¡¯s curse. The Tanye Temple wishes for the Qingtian Sect to take away the future Xuan Sword wielder. What do you people want?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    As if he had heard some kind of keyword, the attendant¡¯s behavior improved slightly. He stared blankly at Dugu Zhuo. ¡°The Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder is meant to be taken by the Qingtian Sect. We only wanted the future Xuan Sword wielder to be more suited to the wicked qi of the Nine Desires Abyss.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Dugu Zhuo said, gripping the attendant¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The attendant shook his head. ¡°In any case, right now we must make the Xuan Sword wielder¡¯s mother die an unkind death in hatred and resentment.¡±

 CH 18

    Chapter 18 ¨C Nine Desires Abyss


    At ten, Dugu Zhuo had still been an ignorant child, and didn¡¯t know the reason for many of the things happening around him.


    He only remembered that at the time, his mother had been deeply ill, and had not been aware of her surroundings even when she was awake, hazily asking whether that man had abandoned her.


    Her mind wasn¡¯t clear, and just before her death, she had clung to Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hand like she was possessed, saying she hated this life she had spent in lonely waiting, and she hated having a child out of marriage. All the suffering in her life had been brought about by that man and that child. In her next life, she never wished to see these two people again.


    On her deathbed, she saw Dugu Zhuo as his father, and her hateful eyes and words struck deep into Dugu Zhuo¡¯s heart.


    Dugu Zhuo had never resented his mother. He had truly lived the first ten years of his life in hardship, his mother being looked down upon by everyone, spurned by the world for having a child before marriage. She had been driven away from home by her parents and traveled far to this small town. Hard work had bent her back, and in the grips of illness, she was very rarely happy.


    Dugu Zhuo only thought that maybe it would¡¯ve been better if he were never born. Maybe everyone around him would be happier, whether it was his mother or Ye Zhou.


    ¡°Why do you want to bring the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder closer to the Nine Desires Abyss?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    The attendant shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we have done as such for thousands of years. But looking at things now, we should¡¯ve killed Dugu Zhuo at the start, and let the Qingtian Sect find a new wielder. He was the one person most unsuited to wielding the divine sword.¡±


    This NPC was suddenly full of life, no longer supplying predetermined answers by rote. Fear filled his expression as he clutched the front of his robes. ¡°We only wanted to push the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder closer to the Nine Desires Abyss, but we couldn¡¯t have imagined that he¡¯d be so extreme. He destroyed the divine realm and didn¡¯t even spare the Netherworld. He¡¯s a madman!¡±


    Witnessing the attendant¡¯s transformation, Dugu Zhuo knew that he had brought another person into the game, only this time, it was someone he didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°Jiao Yan, the gatekeeper of the Nine Desires Abyss in the Netherworld,¡± the attendant said.


    The Netherworld was the territory of ghosts and demons, governing the cycle of life and death. Normally, it should be an orderly place like the human realm, and even though sometimes wicked ghosts or demons might wreak havoc, the Netherworld would send people to apprehend them.


    The Nine Desires Abyss was different, however. It constantly collected the nine desires of the human realm, and the overabundance of malevolent intent could no longer be purified, only sealed. One of the roles of the Xuansu Twin Swords was to suppress the Nine Desires Abyss, preventing its demonic energy from corrupting the Netherworld and turning it into a true demonic realm.


    When he had broken the swords, despite his grief, Dugu Zhuo had not forgotten his mission. The collapse of the Pillar of Heaven had released the heavenly fire of the Canglan mountain range, and with the Su Sword, which connected to the divine realm, and the Xuan Sword, which connected to the Nine Desires Abyss, Dugu Zhuo guided the heavenly fire into the Abyss, cleansing its wicked qi completely.


    There was no more Nine Desires Abyss, and the remaining wicked qi which spilled out from it was gradually cleansed by the abundant spiritual energy of the human world following the fall of the divine realm.


    The human realm had reached a new equilibrium.


    It must¡¯ve been an outcome that neither the divine realm nor the Nine Desires Abyss could¡¯ve imagined.


    After saying his words, Jiao Yan vanished, once again becoming that unremarkable temple attendant. A knocking sound came from outside the temple hall. ¡°Is anyone there? Can we come in?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo immediately removed the attendant¡¯s outer clothes, placed a binding spell on him, and stuffed him, in his inner robes, behind the temple¡¯s statue of Cheng Huang.


    He put on the attendant¡¯s clothes and picked up the broom. The plain gray robe did nothing to conceal his otherworldly demeanor.


    A player wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to an NPC, certainly not take off their clothes, but Dugu Zhuo was able to. When Dugu Zhuo stole the attendant¡¯s clothes, the game froze for a moment.


    It passed in a split second, too fast for any of the players to notice, and even the programmer who was always checking the data could not notice a single number change so briefly.


    Only the artificial intelligence of Nine Heavens took a glance at Dugu Zhuo¡¯s data, then continued with its garbage collection as if it had noticed nothing out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Enter,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    The veiled gang finally dared to enter the temple, immediately taking off their conical hats and other cloaking items upon coming inside. Dugu Zhuo could now see their features.


    Two of them took off a bracelet and their bodies immediately grew a foot in size. They were over two meters tall, with bulging muscles and two small horns atop their heads. Their fingernails were sharp and their skin was slightly red.


    These were low-level demons.


    The remaining three people seemed sinister, and after their hats came off, so did two of their shadows, to be thrown in a corner along with the hats. These two players cast no shadows, showing they were ghosts. The last player had a shadow, but his skin was pale and he seemed to be a jiangshi or some such.


    ¡°I was suffocating,¡± one of the demons said. ¡°This shitty game doesn¡¯t give its players any dignity. What kind of demons are weak to sunlight?¡±


    ¡°You may be weak to sunlight, but at least you won¡¯t die in it,¡± said the first ghost.


    The jiangshi looked at Dugu Zhuo, and after freezing for a moment, started furiously patting Ghost Two on the shoulder. ¡°Quick, take a screenshot!¡±


    The jiangshi¡¯s hand passed right through Ghost Two¡¯s body. Below level 20, ghosts didn¡¯t have corporeal bodies, being only phantoms that couldn¡¯t be touched by anyone solid.


    Upon hearing the jiangshi¡¯s voice, everyone¡¯s attention turned toward Dugu Zhuo, and they all took a breath.


    Holding the broom with an indifferent expression, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°What business do these young heroes have?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to take a screen¡ª er, no, we¡¯re here to do the main questline. How come you look completely different from last night?¡± said Demon Two.


    ¡°One form can have many expressions,¡± Dugu Zhuo said calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s day now, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Ghost One. ¡°It¡¯s not strange that the NPC would be different. Plus, we¡¯re doing the main questline now, so maybe we get special treatment.¡± He rubbed his hands.


    None of them doubted Dugu Zhuo was an NPC, saying, ¡°We¡¯ve already suffused Widow Yang¡¯s tofu with yin energy. What¡¯s the next task?¡±


    So they hadn¡¯t gone to buy tofu, but to place yin energy within it.


    If an ordinary person ate that tofu filled with yin energy, their body would be weakened and they would become bedridden with serious illness. He didn¡¯t know what the demons were scheming.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t resent these players. He knew that they didn¡¯t know why they were doing these things, only following the game¡¯s prompts. He could still cause these players some trouble, though.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve infused yin energy into the tofu, the bailiffs may investigate. Go to the yamen[1] to cause trouble, so they don¡¯t ruin the Netherworld¡¯s grand plan,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    When he had seen the bailiffs at the shop yesterday, their levels had been at least 25, so if a few players caused trouble at the yamen, they would die without even understanding why.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the team responded, but none of them left, only gathering around Dugu Zhuo and circling him.


    ¡°His eyelashes are so long,¡± said the jiangshi. ¡°Is he an eyelash god?¡±


    Ghost One said, ¡°The proportions of his facial features are flawless. Look at the straight bridge of his nose, his lips at just the right thickness, the perfect corners of his eyes. His teeth are straight and even, his jawline is impeccable¡­ his forehead, the bridge of his nose, and his jaw perfectly align to the golden ratio. His eyebrows look this good without even being sculpted, and his eyes¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± said Ghost Two. ¡°What are you, a plastic surgeon? Your analysis is going way too deep!¡±


    ¡°How much work did the company put into his model?¡± said Demon One. ¡°All his movements look so natural. I can almost see all the nights of sleepless work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too harsh,¡± Demon Two said. ¡°I don¡¯t even feel like taking a screenshot now.¡±


    The group surrounded Dugu Zhuo, chattering while snapping pictures, and even unable to hold back from wanting to touch Dugu Zhuo¡¯s face.


    ¡°Young heroes, watch your manners under the eyes of Cheng Huang,¡± Dugu Zhuo said coldly.


    ¡°Oh, what if we don¡¯t?¡± said Ghost One, grabbing for Dugu Zhuo¡¯s arm, trying to take advantage of his own incorporeality.


    ¡°Lowly ghost, watch yourself!¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    He mentally recited a command of the Five Phases Swordplay, causing the broom in his hand to instantly split apart, each straw of it becoming a sharp blade that flew toward the five players, impaling them all in a flurry.


    After killing all the players, Dugu Zhuo received another system notification that he had gained five Righteousness Points for eliminating evil beings, as well as enough experience to bring him to level 13. He chose not to level up, as he didn¡¯t want to surpass Ye Zhou.


    At the same time, he received a message of ¡°Ding! You¡¯ve created a sword style. A blank jade slip has been sent to your storage item. Please name your sword style and record it according to system guidelines, then submit it for approval. After approval, your sword style can be given to other players in a transaction.¡±


    It seemed he could really create a technique by using his own swordplay to kill players.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t immediately record the Five Phases Swordplay. With a sweep of his hand, he pushed the corpses of the five players out of the temple and closed the door, then dragged the temple attendant out from behind the divine statue.


    He replaced the attendant¡¯s clothes, released his binding, and silently left the temple from the back door.


    After leaping over the wall around the temple, he received a notification that ¡°the beggar boss wants you to catch chickens¡±. These NPCs really knew how to torment players.


    Ye Zhou immediately grabbed Dugu Zhuo upon seeing him and dragged him to a hiding place some distance away, before saying out of breath, ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I was worried you¡¯d got caught.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°I have the information.¡±


    Before Dugu Zhuo could say it, Ye Zhou covered his mouth. ¡°Wait until we meet up with Aotian and the others. They¡¯re working hard on the tasks, so we can¡¯t leave them out.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Dugu Zhuo said lightly. His lips unintentionally brushed against Ye Zhou¡¯s palm as he spoke.


    Ye Zhou, having been disappointed that he couldn¡¯t feel the night breeze last night, had set his pain and tactile sensitivity to 50% when logging on today, so he felt Dugu Zhuo¡¯s lips against his palm.


    It was far lighter than it should¡¯ve been, but it still sent Ye Zhou¡¯s heart racing.


    He withdrew his hand as if he hadn¡¯t felt anything, and after reuniting with Qingyue and contacting Aotian, they finally met up near Granny Wang¡¯s chicken coop.


    ¡°Are these chickens or sparrows?¡± Aotian said, fuming and pointing to a chicken sitting on the roof.


    He turned to Black Cat. ¡°And you! Aren¡¯t you the most nimble? Since you¡¯re a cat, don¡¯t you know how to catch chickens?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a cat, not a hawk!¡± Black Cat replied.


    As they quarreled while covered in chicken feathers, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s group caught up. Dugu Zhuo leapt lightly onto the roof, caught two chickens, and tossed them to Ye Zhou.


    His movements were graceful, and he quickly captured ten chickens, two for each member of the party. He paid Granny Wang for them in silver, finally completing this chain of missions.

 CH 19

    Chapter 19 ¨C The washerwoman


    ¡°No way, pretending to be an NPC actually worked?¡±


    As they carried the chickens on their way back to the beggar boss, Long @ Aotian listened to Qingyue recount what had happened, his expression filled with disbelief.


    Aotian hadn¡¯t agreed with Dugu Zhuo about following the veiled group at the beginning because he had thought that even though the other party was also on the main questline, they just needed to be one step ahead of them and snatch the first completion. When time was so contested, what kind of person would spend it tailing people instead of completing tasks?


    But somehow, Dugu Zhuo had actually successfully tailed them, and also duped the other team into messing with the yamen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it though,¡± Aotian said. ¡°How did they mistake you for a quest-giving NPC? Normally when an NPC assigns a task, party members who aren¡¯t there will get an audio notification, and even if the ones who are there won¡¯t, they would see it on the mission scroll. If they went to the yamen without any sort of notification, aren¡¯t they a little too easy to dupe?¡±


    ¡°You can only see the mission scroll if you open it,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Even back in the PC game, we would forget our missions and have to open up the log.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Aotian said, still not quite believing it. ¡°Then what¡¯d you do to the original NPC?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t see any NPC, they just assumed I was one,¡± Dugu Zhuo said very briefly.


    This was certainly a possibility in such a tricky VR game as this one. After all, if one couldn¡¯t distinguish between players and NPCs, upon encountering someone who seemed completely unlike a player, it was quite likely one would think they were an NPC.


    Black Cat stroked his whiskers. ¡°I thought they were on the same missions as us, but it turns out they were actually putting yin energy in the tofu. They¡¯re basically poisoning it, aren¡¯t they? We¡¯re actually doing two completely different things.¡±


    ¡°Do you even have to ask?¡± Aotian said. ¡°They¡¯re trying to poison the old monk. He told us to buy tofu, so when we come back with some poisoned tofu, we¡¯re probably going to end up fighting. I need to buy some more medicine.¡±


    Typically, the main storyline would, on top of item-finding and people-finding quests, have designated combat stages. Aotian had been thinking all along about where they might get into a fight, and this seemed like an opportunity.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, remembering the temple attendant¡¯s words. ¡°Let¡¯s first find the pure yang child¡¯s blood.¡±


    They found the beggar in order to make the beggar¡¯s chicken. He roasted the ten, kept three for himself, and sent each person one which they placed into their storage items, leaving the remaining two for giving to the fortune teller.


    The beggar¡¯s chicken could boost stamina and health, as well as being delicious. After hearing that eating in-game could satisfy your cravings without gaining you weight, Qingyue had already decided to have the chicken for lunch.


    They received plenty of experience from the beggar boss, and after giving the chickens to the fortune teller, they received more experience and some silver. After completing this chain of tasks, Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo both rose to level 12.


    After eating the beggar¡¯s chicken, the fortune teller stroked his long whiskers and, after calculating on his fingers, said, ¡°It¡¯s the child of the washerwoman at the east side of town.¡±


    They then set off to find the washerwoman. Furrowing her brow, Qingyue asked, ¡°Does taking the child¡¯s heart blood mean we¡¯ll have to kill him? Isn¡¯t this task a bit heartless?¡±


    ¡°I just knew that you didn¡¯t read cultivation novels,¡± Aotian said. ¡°Heart¡¯s blood refers to blood from the tip of the middle finger, since the fingers are connected to the heart. It¡¯ll hurt a lot when we take the blood, but he won¡¯t die.¡±


    Qingyue let out a breath. ¡°I see. In such a realistic-feeling VR game, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do such a thing even if I knew it was a game.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°If the game actually had a storyline like that, it wouldn¡¯t have been able to pass inspection. The fact that it¡¯s been published means everything must¡¯ve been above par. Even if we have to fight a boss, it¡¯ll probably be something inhuman or we¡¯ll have to subdue instead of kill them.¡±


    As they spoke amongst themselves, they arrived at the east side of town, and after asking around, finally found the washerwoman at a riverbank, washing clothes.


    She was dressed like a married woman. Her face was filled with hardship, but despite that they could see that she was only around twenty-five and her looks were actually quite attractive. If she was dressed up, she would be better-looking than Widow Yang.


    Squatting by the riverbank, she was washing clothes one by one, with great difficulty. At the start of spring, the river water was still icy cold, turning her hands bright red from the chill.


    As Aotian was about to speak to her, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°Make me team leader.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo was truly more suited to being the leader than he was, so Aotian transferred leadership without complaint. Dugu Zhuo walked forward and sat at the washerwoman¡¯s side. He took the clothes from her hands and said quietly, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    The washerwoman stared blankly at him for a moment. She waved her hands cracked from the cold and said, ¡°No, young hero, you needn¡¯t bother with such lowly people¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t lowly,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    He was strong and the washerwoman feared the clothes would rip if she tried to fight over them, so she could only let Dugu Zhuo wash them.


    His party members never could¡¯ve imagined he¡¯d help an NPC with their chores either. Black Cat questioned, ¡°Do we first have to win the NPC¡¯s goodwill before we can complete the mission?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Qingyue said. ¡°My gut tells me that we should probably follow him.¡±


    Due to the strength and powerful analytical abilities Dugu Zhuo had displayed all along, everyone trusted him and had complete faith in his sudden decision to help the washerwoman with her clothes.


    Ye Zhou took a look at the small mound of clothes near the washerwoman and said to the party, ¡°Who knows how long it¡¯ll take one person to wash all of these? Let¡¯s all help out.¡±


    Thus, the entire party joined together in using the most primitive method to wash clothes. Modern people were already used to having washing machines, and none of them had scrubbed clothes by hand at a riverbank like this. Today, this video game gave them a reason to appreciate the world they lived in.


    The players had plenty of stamina and with their pain blocked off, didn¡¯t feel the water¡¯s chill. They went through the washing at a swift pace.


    Even though Ye Zhou had his pain sensitivity at 50%, he didn¡¯t feel the water was freezing, only cool enough that it felt nice to soak his hands in.


    Without a human form, Black Cat couldn¡¯t help with the washing, but he felt awkward to be doing nothing while everyone worked. He hopped into the washerwoman¡¯s lap and said haughtily, ¡°Put your hands around me.¡±


    She held the cat, who curled up and used his warm and soft body to help warm her ice-cold hands. Lifting his head, he said, ¡°Look how cute I am. You¡¯re one lucky NPC.¡±


    Qingyue and co: ¡°¡­¡±


    There was nothing cute about this cat¡¯s attitude, so stuffed up with confidence in his own appearance. Was this the joy of being a cat?


    Using their speed-up function, the four finished washing the mound of clothes in less than half an hour. Dugu Zhuo wrung each one dry and folded them properly, replacing them in the washerwoman¡¯s basket, then helped her lift it.


    ¡°I¡­ thank you so much for your help, young heroes,¡± the washerwoman said, releasing the cat. ¡°I cannot hope to repay your magnanimity. I¡­¡±


    She clutched at her skirt, looking truly at a loss.


    ¡°Dashen, the task, the task!¡± Aotian saw Dugu Zhuo stand staring at the washerwoman for a long time without speaking, and couldn¡¯t help poking him in the back and reminding him.


    Dugu Zhuo finally said, ¡°You can repay us right now. We need a drop of blood from your son¡¯s fingertip.¡±


    The washerwoman looked clearly reluctant, so Dugu Zhuo explained the general situation to her. Upon hearing that it was for saving a child, the washerwoman said, ¡°Then of course I will help. Young heroes, please do draw the blood gently. My Xiao Bao is scared of pain.¡±


    ¡°She immediately agreed without any other conditions!¡± Aotian said passionately, after being driven to headache by all the item collection tasks. ¡°So that¡¯s why dashen wanted us to wash the clothes. Since the NPC is in debt to us, she won¡¯t make any other requests. This saves so much time and effort!¡±


    ¡°We can buy him candied hawthorn,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Does he like that?¡±


    ¡°He does. If he can have candied hawthorn, I¡¯m sure Xiao Bao won¡¯t complain.¡± The washerwoman let out a breath.


    Hearing this, the party opened their mission logs and found a task for buying candied hawthorn.


    ¡°This¡­ is dashen a designer for this game?¡± Qingyue asked Ye Zhou, bewildered. ¡°How did he beat the NPC to assigning a task?¡±


    Qingyue thought that since this Yi Ye Pian Zhou seemed to get along so well with their dashen, they must be longtime acquaintances, so Ye Zhou must know more about him.


    Ye Zhou shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    If Dugu Zhuo was a designer of the game, then why had he been assigned his master?


    ¡°We¡¯re not in a rush,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Let us help you bring the clothes back.¡±


    The washerwoman wanted to protest again, but she couldn¡¯t win against Dugu Zhuo¡¯s strength, so could only bring the group back to her leaky little thatch hut.


    Zhulong Town looked prosperous, yet the washerwoman had only this bare one-room house. She didn¡¯t even have a straw mat, only piling some blankets over a bed of straw and sleeping on it.


    Seeing how poor she was, the group gradually fell silent.


    The washerwoman also felt awkward. ¡°I don¡¯t have chairs. Let me go roll some bundles into cushions you can sit on.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Dugu Zhuo walked up to the stove and saw that a plate of freshly-made tofu had been placed on it.


    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯d this tofu come from?¡± the washerwoman asked upon seeing it. ¡°Did Xiao Bao buy it? Lately, Xiao Bao has been helping grind beans for Widow Yang. She must¡¯ve sent it over.¡±


    Looking at the piece of tofu which was still fragrantly steaming, the washerwoman¡¯s eyes grew hazy all of a sudden. As if Dugu Zhuo and the group weren¡¯t present, she picked up the plate and said, ¡°This tofu looks delicious. I still haven¡¯t had breakfast.¡±


    She was about to eat the tofu when Dugu Zhuo grabbed her. ¡°This tofu isn¡¯t good. I have beggar¡¯s chicken for you.¡±


    He pulled the plate of tofu out of her hands and retrieved the chicken the beggar boss had roasted from his storage item. Its fragrance immediately suffused the room.


    However, the washerwoman acted like she couldn¡¯t see the chicken. With only the tofu in her mind, she tried to take it back from Dugu Zhuo.


    ¡°No way, this isn¡¯t right,¡± Aotian said. ¡°What person would only want to eat tofu when there¡¯s roast chicken in front of them?¡± His mouth watered as he looked at the chicken Dugu Zhuo held.


    Seeing that Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t hold her off with a plate of tofu in one hand and a chicken in the other, Ye Zhou flashed behind him and took the tofu, stuffing it into his storage item to prevent the washerwoman from getting her hands on it.


    With the tofu gone from her line of sight, the washerwoman came back to her senses. Seeming to have forgotten all about what had just happened, she delightedly accepted the beggar¡¯s chicken. ¡°Many thanks, young hero,¡± she said gratefully. ¡°There¡¯s no need to buy candied hawthorn. If he can eat this meat, I¡¯m sure Xiao Bao would let you prick all ten of his fingers without complaining.¡±


    The group shared a glance, all being sure of one thing.


    This plate of tofu must be the one the veiled team had placed yin energy in.

 CH 20

    Chapter 20 ¨C The search for Xiao Bao


    ¡°Why would they send poisoned tofu to the washerwoman?¡± Aotian said. ¡°Do they not want Widow Yang¡¯s son to get better? Could Widow Yang¡¯s son be the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder that we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°The washerwoman put away such a delicious-smelling chicken to eat with her son, even though she¡¯s starving. I¡¯m so touched,¡± Qingyue said.


    ¡°When she looked at the tofu, her eyes seemed a bit like the way the people I had beguiled looked at me, mrow,¡± said Black Cat.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Dugu Zhuo trick the veiled team into going to the yamen?¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Who came here to deliver tofu?¡±


    Each member of the party looked at Dugu Zhuo, awaiting his analysis.


    ¡°When will Xiao Bao be back?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked the washerwoman.


    After carefully placing the roast chicken onto the still-warm stove to maintain its heat, the washerwoman answered, ¡°Widow Yang usually grinds beans in the morning. Since he¡¯s brought the tofu back, he must¡¯ve already returned. Xiao Bao is a good child and never goes running about, so he must be picking wild vegetables now. We won¡¯t need wild vegetables today, so can you young heroes bring him back to eat the chicken? I don¡¯t want such good food to go cold.¡±


    ¡°Find Xiao Bao¡± was now added to the group¡¯s task list.


    Accepting the task, the party left the house, and Aotian opened up a map. ¡°This is considerate. They¡¯ve pointed out the place where Xiao Bao usually picks vegetables, so we won¡¯t have to ask NPCs all the way.¡±


    They were about to go to that location, but Dugu Zhuo, as the leader, headed in a completely different direction.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Aotian asked.


    ¡°Widow Yang¡¯s home,¡± Dugu Zhuo answered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Aotian said. ¡°But the map we were given shows the vegetable picking location.¡±


    All of a sudden, Ye Zhou understood Dugu Zhuo¡¯s intention. He explained for him, ¡°The washerwoman thinks Xiao Bao is picking vegetables because she assumed Xiao Bao brought back that plate of tofu. But what if it wasn¡¯t delivered by Xiao Bao? Weren¡¯t we guessing earlier that the veiled team had brought it over?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°Maybe while Xiao Bao was working for Widow Yang, he witnessed someone poison the tofu to be given to the washerwoman, and now he¡¯s in danger!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not that serious,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°But there¡¯s a chance there¡¯s actually danger. In any case, Xiao Bao is in a more perilous situation at Widow Yang¡¯s place, so let¡¯s check there first.¡±


    After finishing their discussion, the group picked up their speed and rushed all the way to Widow Yang¡¯s tofu stand.


    It was now 11, close to noon, so Widow Yang had already closed her stand and gone home. The five split up to find NPCs, asking anyone they met where Widow Yang lived.


    Widow Yang was quite famous in town and many people knew where her home was. However, Aotian, Ye Zhou, and Black Cat returned with no luck, while only Qingyue and Dugu Zhuo had gotten answers.


    Qingyue had asked a female NPC, who gave her directions immediately.


    The NPC Dugu Zhuo ran into had said, ¡°Young hero, seeing your righteous air, I know you must not be the type of person to harass a widow. You must have business, so I¡¯ll tell you where to go.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Aotian asked. ¡°Me and Qingyue asked the same NPC, but she didn¡¯t tell me, only Qingyue.¡±


    ¡°Must be your gender and Righteousness Points,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°The NPC I just asked said to me, ¡®Widow Yang is not that sort of person, so don¡¯t be foolish.¡¯ I guess if a male player asked where her home was, the NPCs would assume they¡¯re planning something improper. Only a female player or someone with high righteousness would get an answer.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Aotian said. ¡°It looks like Righteousness and Sin Points will be important in this game.¡±


    Widow Yang¡¯s home was near the tofu stand, so they arrived after a short walk. It was an ordinary residence, with a large gate and a high wall surrounding it. The courtyard was large with three buildings inside. There was a main and side wing, as well as a large tofu workshop to the west.


    Aotian was about to hop right over the wall, but Dugu Zhuo held him back.


    ¡°Let Black Cat go first,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Yao specialize in stealth. Neither NPC nor player will be able to see him.¡±


    There were stray cats wandering all over Zhulong Town, so no one would be able to tell which was a real cat, which was a player, and which was an NPC yao.


    ¡°Do you see what I¡¯m good for now?¡± Black Cat gave his paw a lick and leapt nimbly up, reaching the roof of the house in just a few bounds.


    His movements were quick and soundless. If this were night, he would truly be an assassin in the dark.


    Pattering over the roof tiles with not a whisper of sound, he first took a look around the main house, and found a young boy lying unconscious on a bed in the central bedroom. A cloth was placed over his forehead, and his face was flushed, like he was sick.


    Black Cat sent a message to the rest of the group, describing the situation as he saw it.


    ¡°That must be Widow Yang¡¯s son,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Check the other rooms.¡±


    Black Cat went to the tofu workshop and only found a donkey munching on hay, no people.


    Finally, he came to the side wing. He carefully lifted a roof tile with one paw, making only a slight noise, but a rough voice yelled, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°Meow,¡± Black Cat said in an unconcerned tone.


    A large man wearing a conical hat ran out of the east wing, and upon seeing there was a cat on the roof, scrutinized it for a while, seemingly trying to distinguish whether it was an actual cat or a yao player.


    Black Cat licked a paw, seeming perfectly like a cat in his actions and mannerisms.


    ¡°Is¡­ that a real cat?¡± the player said doubtfully.


    Seeing his suspicions slowly fade, Black Cat strutted openly away along the wall to where the rest of his party hid, each step elegant and graceful.


    The player in the hat let go of his concerns and returned inside the house.


    Seeing him go, Black Cat sent his party a message in a rush. ¡°Fuck! The entire team of five is inside that room! There¡¯s an unconscious little boy on the floor, and Widow Yang is holding a knife and crying.¡±


    ¡°When we were helping the washerwoman with her clothes, they must¡¯ve already realized that the task to go to the yamen was fake and gotten the real task,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to fight.¡±


    This game was truly intriguing. The opponent they had to combat in the main questline wasn¡¯t an NPC, but other players.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Aotian said. ¡°This means that there could be two endings to this questline, and two plots for this video game. This is a VR game, not an RPG. Each character, each frame, and each special effect costs money. Do you know how expensive having two different plots would be?¡±


    Qingyue clapped Aotian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This is how the game is, though. Let¡¯s complete the mission first.¡±


    ¡°How many spirit stones do you all have?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    Everyone counted up their total and came up with 136 low-grade spirit stones.


    ¡°The Misdirection Array can be created with 99 of them,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Black Cat, you lay out the array.¡±


    Because of Dugu Zhuo¡¯s generosity in giving the Misdirection Array to his party members for free, they all knew how to use it and could move freely within it.


    Obeying his order, Black Cat took 99 spirit stones and returned to the courtyard.


    He didn¡¯t create the array like Dugu Zhuo, first laying all the materials in place and then using spiritual energy to activate it.


    Since he had the jade slip gifted by Dugu Zhuo, which recorded all the details of the array, he only needed to provide 99 spirit stones and press the ¡®confirm¡¯ button, and by paying 50% of his health and 80% of his spiritual energy, the array would be formed.


    Right now, Jet Black was the only player who had experienced the Misdirection Array, and the sensation of constantly running in circles in that bamboo forest was hauntingly familiar to him. It was like there was something wrong with his brain, and no matter which direction he went, he ended up back in the same place.


    If even using bamboo stalks to form the array led to such an effect, he couldn¡¯t guess what an array created with low-grade spirit stones would be like.


    ¡°During the day, your fighting ability is low, so you¡¯re in charge of the array,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°The array will consume spirit stones, so you need to constantly watch its condition and supplement it with spirit stones. Everyone else, follow me.¡±


    As the Misdirection Array activated, the courtyard was enveloped by thick fog. The party could see normally within it, but people who were unfamiliar with the Misdirection Array would run into a lot of illusions.


    Black Cat took a few red pills to replenish his health and blue pills to replenish spiritual energy, then lay across the roof to watch the battle.


    Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou had leapt forward, side by side. Ye Zhou stood in midair and swung his sword down, cleaving apart the house in one stroke.


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Wasn¡¯t Ye Zhou¡¯s sword too good? If he put it on the market, it seemed like it would be worth quite a lot.


    Even if the in-game currency exchange wasn¡¯t open yet, a sword like this could still be sold privately, just at a greater risk.


    Looking at the elite equipment that had been leaked by players up to this point, Ye Zhou¡¯s sword must be the strongest weapon currently in the game.


    Inside the house, Widow Yang held a knife, shaking her head as she sobbed. ¡°No, I can¡¯t do it. I just wanted to save my son, I didn¡¯t want to harm any other children!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to convince her for so long,¡± said the veiled party¡¯s Ghost One impatiently. ¡°Maybe we should just help her do it.¡±


    ¡°The task was to entice Widow Yang to do it, not do it ourselves,¡± said the jiangshi. ¡°Plus, this game doesn¡¯t allow players to do this sort of thing. It¡¯s too violent, it won¡¯t pass the filters.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if we had a yao,¡± Demon One said. ¡°With the yao Beguile ability, we could make Widow Yang act.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me!¡± said Demon Two. ¡°We can just go out and find a yao player. The willow tree yao at the village gates seems strong. Maybe we can borrow a branch.¡±


    As they discussed casually amongst each other, the whole house suddenly cracked open, and they found themselves engulfed by fog.


    ¡°Who did that?¡± Ghost Two hollered.


    Even though Ye Zhou and his party had launched a surprise attack, the veiled team reacted quickly. Demon Two immediately took out an item and threw it into the air, causing a vast black cloth to blanket the entire courtyard, blocking out the sun.


    The battlefield instantly fell into darkness. Both ghosts had vanished, lurking within the fog to attack opportunistically.


    Qingyue, Aotian, and Ye Zhou faced the two demons and the jiangshi head-on. With their knowledge of the Misdirection Array, they hid after making each attack, their maneuvering flawless, while the veiled team turned in circles in the courtyard and nearly attacked their own allies.


    Unfortunately, with the cloth blocking out the sun, the human players¡¯ combat power was decreased while their opponents¡¯ defenses had increased significantly. Each strike took away very little health.


    The battle was on!

 CH 21

    Chapter 21 ¨C Heart Linking Technique


    There were two ghosts who had vanished and couldn¡¯t be located. Using the Five Phases Swordplay, Dugu Zhuo solidified a wind sword in midair, which he stepped onto, surveying the courtyard from above.


    The cloth covering the sky should be the treasure of ghostkind, Sunshade, capable of temporarily blocking out sunlight and allowing ghosts to be at full power during the day. After ghosts solidified a form, it would no longer have any use for them.


    Just like human cultivators had the stages of Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Deity Transformation, and so on, ghost cultivators were split into the stages of Soul Gathering, Soul Condensing, Soul Solidification, Body Solidification, Ghost General, and so on. Body Solidification was equivalent to Nascent Soul stage in a human, and before a ghost reached that, the Sunshade was an incredibly powerful artifact.


    Who knew where these players had gotten something so impressive. Even Ye Zhou¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t cleave through it.


    Fortunately, in order to maintain the Sunshade, one ghost had to continually supply spirit stones, basically equivalent to how they had Black Cat maintaining the Misdirection Array. Black Cat was also similarly hidden, lurking on the shadowy roof eaves.


    Everyone in the party knew the Misdirection Array, though, so even if Black Cat was found, any of the remaining four could take over maintaining it. However, the other team had only two ghosts. Instead of fighting the jiangshi and demons head-on, they might as well spend their efforts on dealing with the ghosts. If the Sunshade¡¯s effect wore off, the veiled team would have no combat ability under the light of noon.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t know, however, whether the artifact and battle tactics he was familiar with would be the same in this world.


    Just then, he heard Ye Zhou speak in the party chat. ¡°The thing blocking the light is Sunshade, a power-up item for ghosts from the PC version. It can only be used by ghosts, so we just need to get rid of the two ghost players. I just don¡¯t know whether this requirement has been changed in the VR game.¡±


    It looked like they were the same. Ye Zhou¡¯s words banished Dugu Zhuo¡¯s doubts.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth trying,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Everyone else, keep the three other players busy, I¡¯ll deal with the ghosts.¡±


    ¡°Black Cat, transfer the array¡¯s control to me,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°You keep calling me Black Cat. Can¡¯t you call me Jet?¡± Black Cat swished his tail back and forth in dissatisfaction, but transferred the control of the array over to his party member.


    The other person had to be a party member and know the array for the transfer to be successful. However, Black Cat currently held all the spirit stones, so once Dugu Zhuo expended too much of the spiritual energy, he would have to transfer it back to Black Cat.


    Circulating his spiritual energy, Dugu Zhuo changed the array¡¯s illusion from white mist into a forest of peach trees.


    He then transferred the array back to Black Cat and ordered, ¡°Add spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°No way! You expended half the spiritual energy at once?¡± All 99 spirit stones held less than half of their original spiritual energy, with over a dozen already at 5%. Black Cat quickly replaced eighteen of the stones, leaving him with only nineteen.


    ¡°I can only maintain it for two more minutes!¡± Black Cat cried. ¡°After two minutes, we¡¯ll lose the ability to hide and be defenseless facing the opponents¡¯ power-up!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Within the forest, Ye Zhou, Aotian, and Qingyue employed guerrilla tactics against their opponents under the cover of the array. They were all low-level and didn¡¯t have much combat power, purely relying on maneuvering, stamina, and endurance. The group of three slunk through the forest, retreating after every attack, incessantly wearing down the opponents¡¯ stamina and health.


    Meanwhile, the demons and jiangshi tanked their attacks with their high defenses and health.


    Ye Zhou struck a critical hit with his sword, which doubled his attacking power and took out 60% of the jiangshi¡¯s health at once.


    One of their enemies was close to falling. Yet the next time Qingyue swung her whip, the jiangshi grabbed it, pulling Qingyue over.


    Aotian brought out his fan, about to cut through Qingyue¡¯s whip, when the jiangshi plucked out his two canine teeth and threw them at Qingyue¡¯s neck. Two holes appeared on Qingyue¡¯s neck, dropping her HP by 60%, while the jiangshi was fully healed.


    Aotian¡¯s fan finally arrived, slicing through the whip, and Qingyue hid within the array again.


    As she left the range of the bloodsucking attack, those two teeth returned to the jiangshi¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Come on! Didn¡¯t you tell me that in the PC game, jiangshi had to grab another player¡¯s neck in order to suck their blood and heal themselves?¡± Qingyue yelled at Aotian, holding her neck. ¡°How come now they can throw their teeth? If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve let go earlier!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t been able to escape, since she could¡¯ve simply abandoned her weapon. She still had a jade hairpin for close-ranged attacks, so she had been planning to stab the jiangshi with it once he pulled her close, in order to strike the final blow against this opponent.


    Who knew about this change that a jiangshi could now throw teeth, turning their bloodsucking attack¡¯s range from ten centimeters to two meters!


    ¡°I guess in a VR game, this kind of scene of grabbing someone¡¯s neck and sucking their blood won¡¯t pass the censors,¡± Aotian said awkwardly.


    Fortunately, he had brought a lot of healing medicine. Qingyue swallowed three or four at once, bringing her health to above 70%.


    She had just gotten up when the jiangshi pointed at them. ¡°Over there!¡±


    The two demons charged towards Qingyue, each hurling a ball of demonic fire. Upon hitting Qingyue, the dark green flames took her HP down to 10%.


    Qingyue touched the holes on her neck and immediately realized that the jiangshi had found her using the yin energy remaining in her wounds. ¡°Keep away from me,¡± she called out.


    She was about to be overwhelmed, and no one in the party could revive, so she could only wait to die.


    Ye Zhou wanted to back her up, but suddenly his entire body felt cold, and he found himself unable to control his movements, swinging his sword toward Aotian.


    Possession! This was the ghost race¡¯s innate ability, to enter a player¡¯s body and take control of an enemy.


    Among the different races in Nine Heavens, humans had the most average stats without any particular strong point, so they were the weakest race at the beginning. Ghosts, yao, demons, and spirits each had their own innate abilities, but humans didn¡¯t get anything special.


    Ye Zhou¡¯s strike hit Aotian. Ye Zhou¡¯s sword was overwhelmingly powerful, and even without a critical hit, it took out 50% of Aotian¡¯s HP. Together with the previous attacks of the demons, Aotian¡¯s health was now at a critical state.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not ready?¡± Black Cat yelled, as he constantly replenished spirit stones. ¡°I¡¯m down to five stones!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo, who had been standing in midair and searching for the two ghosts all this time, formed two different hand seals in his hands, manifesting a wind sword and wood sword.


    In the Eight Trigrams, Xun was wind, associated with wood in the five phases. Aside from metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, the Five Phases Swordplay could also manifest five derivative attributes. Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t simultaneously use swords of two different attributes, but he could use two different versions of the same attribute.


    The wind sword swept chaotically through the peach forest, stirring up a flurry of peach blossom petals, which finally revealed the outline of a person at the door of the tofu workshop.


    Peach trees protected against evil spirits, so even though a ghost could pass through solid objects, they wouldn¡¯t be able to phase through peach blossoms.


    ¡°Found one.¡± The moment the ghost was visible, Dugu Zhuo struck with the wood sword. The countless peach blossoms transformed into blades, instantly eliminating the ghost in a thousand slashes.


    With the death of Ghost One, the Sunshade was about to fall. Ghost Two cried, ¡°Oh no!¡± and immediately stopped possessing Ye Zhou, about to take over the Sunshade.


    This was exactly the chance Dugu Zhuo had been waiting for. Wind blades and flower petals danced around Ye Zhou, and the moment the ghost left his body, the flower petals swallowed him and punched him full of holes.


    The Sunshade now fell, leaving the light of noon to illuminate the remaining three.


    The jiangshi cried out in pain and shielded his eyes. Qingyue, with only a sliver of her health remaining, brought out her hairpin and stabbed him in the forehead. He turned to ashes under the sun¡¯s rays.


    Meanwhile, Ye Zhou and Aotian also took advantage of the light and took out the two demons in a few attacks.


    Now that the veiled team had been entirely eliminated, the Sunshade vanished, and at the same time Black Cat lost the ability to maintain the Misdirection Array. It disappeared, returning the courtyard to normal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they leave corpses?¡± Qingyue rubbed her neck, finding that the wounds on it had vanished under the sunlight.


    ¡°I guessed they returned to their spawn point,¡± Aotian said. ¡°We spawn in Zhulong Town, so we leave corpses here. Ghosts and demons spawn in the Netherworld, so their corpses would return to the Netherworld and they would revive there.¡±


    ¡°I never imagined they would have an item as powerful as the Sunshade,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°This was a dangerous fight. Every member of our team specializes in offense. We¡¯re missing healing, defense, and support.¡±


    The other team had covered all the positions well, with the exception of healing.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be better when we can join sects,¡± Aotian said. ¡°At the early stages, this was a pretty good outcome. None of us had any techniques, just normal attacks.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of techniques, did you find a treasure trove?¡± Black Cat said to Dugu Zhuo. ¡°How come you have the Misdirection Array and also that strange technique back then?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Aotian said in sudden realization. ¡°The first time we met Dugu, he used this technique to eliminate a dozen monsters in one strike. I was so scared I thought he was a boss. You¡¯re barely over level 10 just like us, so how come you¡¯re so badass?¡±


    After forcibly having used a dual sword form, Dugu Zhuo had not only expended his spiritual essence but wreaked havoc on his dantian. His sword qi had run out of his control and was causing damage throughout his body, injuring his internal organs.


    Ye Zhou knew about Dugu Zhuo¡¯s identity as a mythic and the strange properties of his blood, so didn¡¯t suspect him. He noticed that Dugu Zhuo looked deathly pale and hurriedly opened his stats via the blood bond. He was immediately shocked. ¡°How did your health get so low? You¡¯re at 10%¡­ no, 9¡­ 8¡­ it¡¯s still going down? How come? You¡¯ve already used the technique!¡±


    Ye Zhou supported Dugu Zhuo¡¯s body, grabbing healing medicine from his bag and stuffing seven or eight kinds into Dugu Zhuo¡¯s mouth. He gave him one each type of healing medicine he had collected, raising his health to 60%, but it quickly fell back to 10%.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the cost of your technique way too harsh?¡± Ye Zhou said anxiously.


    Seeing his concern, Dugu Zhuo raised a hand and covered Ye Zhou¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Merely an internal injury.¡±


    ¡°How do we treat it?¡± said Ye Zhou. ¡°You¡¯re losing health again.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s body seemed to have an HP drain, with all of Ye Zhou¡¯s medicines having no effect.


    At this moment, Ye Zhou suddenly heard a system notification. ¡°Ding! Dugu Zhuo has been critically injured and cannot be cured. Eventually, he will lose all his health and die. Would you like to use your blood bond¡¯s Heart Linking Technique in order to heal Dugu Zhuo? Yes/No¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Heart Linking Technique?¡± Ye Zhou asked. ¡°What¡¯ll happen if he keeps losing health?¡±


    ¡°He will completely vanish from his game.¡± Ye Zhou hadn¡¯t noticed that the system was no longer talking to him via dialogue boxes, but was speaking directly into his mind like a conversation.


    ¡°You¡¯ll lock his account?¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°You can¡¯t! He has a mythic account. Use the technique!¡±


    Ye Zhou tapped the accept button, and instantly, he felt like all of his internal organs were being sliced by blades.


    Damn, he¡¯d forgotten that he had raised his pain sensitivity to 50% today. It seriously hurt! A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    Dugu Zhuo was now no longer losing health, his pallor gradually improving.


    Why did it hurt so much? Ye Zhou didn¡¯t want anyone to know that he had raised the pain sensitivity. He put down Dugu Zhuo and said with his back to everyone, ¡°It¡¯s almost 12, so I have to log off. I¡¯m going to eat lunch, then I¡¯ll be back at 3.¡±


    With those words, Ye Zhou hit the log out button and vanished.

 CH 22

    Chapter 22 ¨C A missing soul


    ¡°Bian Zhou sure left quick,¡± Aotian said, looking at the place where he had vanished. ¡°He pretty much disappeared as soon as the fight was finished. Is he skipping class and the teacher¡¯s about to call roll?¡±


    Ye Zhou¡¯s in-game name was Yi Ye Pian Zhou, but that was too long and pronunciations were not shown in the game, so the party members decided to call him Bian Zhou[1] for short.


    Dugu Zhuo had previously felt splitting pain in his dantian, but now it had been relieved significantly. Actually, when he had forcefully used a dual sword form, he was acting with a plan. He certainly would throw the spiritual essence within his body into chaos for a short while, but even though the twin swords of creation were broken, they weren¡¯t completely powerless. He could still suppress his spiritual essence by forcefully drawing on their remnant sword qi, and only have to suffer some pain for a bit.


    It was indeed a bit perilous when he first started losing hit points, but after Ye Zhou gave him medicine, he had regained enough energy to suppress the sword qi. Yet Ye Zhou had done something he didn¡¯t understand, after which the pain was gone and the sword qi within his body had vanished as well.


    With Ye Zhou having also logged off without any explanation, Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t help but be a bit worried.


    He looked over the panel for their blood bond again and again. After Ye Zhou¡¯s ¡°master¡± status, there was now a small pink heart-shaped symbol. Dugu Zhuo tapped it, but the system didn¡¯t provide any explanation. He had no idea what it meant.


    At least, no matter what Ye Zhou had done, it should stay on his game character and not affect his physical body. Dugu Zhuo tried to reassure himself, suppressing his feelings of concern.


    He glanced at the time. It was fifteen minutes before 12. Ye Zhou had logged off earlier than the times he had said previously, so it was uncertain whether he would still log on at the same time this afternoon.


    ¡°Since Bian Zhou¡¯s gone, should we wait for him?¡± Black Cat asked.


    Qingyue looked toward the east wing. ¡°Let¡¯s check on Xiao Bao first. We have to at least pick up Xiao Bao and bring him back to the washerwoman¡¯s home, and then protect his mother just in case that group of players comes back.¡±


    ¡°After that fight, we¡¯ve zeroed out on spirit stones and consumed a lot of healing medicine, yet we didn¡¯t get any experience, equipment, materials, or herbs. There were only five Righteousness Points. This fight was a waste of time, huh?¡± Aotian let out a long sigh as he glanced over his bag.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m a yao with four Righteousness Points,¡± Black Cat said. ¡°I had one Sin Point from stealing that NPC¡¯s essence, but now that¡¯s been completely canceled out.¡±


    The group walked into the east building and saw Widow Yang holding a knife, her face filled with tear streaks as she watched Xiao Bao lie on the floor. She kept repeating ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Xiao Bao was thinner than he should be and looked clearly malnourished. With a large head and a skinny body, he resembled a radish. He had no injuries on him, but he was unconscious, and even when Qingyue went up and shook him, he didn¡¯t wake.


    The moment the group found Xiao Bao, they received a system notification.


    Each of them had earned 25,000 experience points, a set of level 10-20 equipment that matched their stats, fifty low-grade spirit stones, and 100 silver taels.


    ¡°We got so much!¡± Aotian said, delighted. ¡°This much experience is enough to bring us to level 16 or 17. It looks like finding Xiao Bao was really an important step in this task. By the time we complete the task, we might get to level 20.¡±


    ¡°What about the reward for Ye Zhou?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    Everyone was calling him Bian Zhou, but Dugu Zhuo staunchly kept calling him Ye Zhou, making him seem a bit rigid.


    ¡°He¡¯ll probably receive his reward when he logs on,¡± Aotian said, giving Dugu Zhuo an odd look. ¡°Dashen, have you ever lost a quest reward because you went offline? You need to make a call to the game company¡¯s service hotline if you did. They can reimburse you it.¡±


    Hearing how flippantly Aotian spoke, Dugu Zhuo realized that he had made a misstep and asked something against common sense.


    He didn¡¯t know what ¡°making a call¡± was, but he still said unflappably, ¡°I do not ¡®make calls¡¯ much. I¡¯ll try when I log off later.¡±


    Seeing his vague words led his party members to not suspect anything, he secretly let out a breath and turned his gaze to Xiao Bao.


    Poor families didn¡¯t own mirrors, so in his childhood, he had only hazily seen his own face in the river water. He had faint memories that when he was young, he wasn¡¯t particularly good-looking at all. He had a big head and skinny neck and looked like a freak compared to the other kids.


    When it came to the details of his features, Dugu Zhuo had never looked closely at them.


    He remembered what his mother looked like, though, and she was the exact same as the washerwoman. In that case, this little boy who was so skinny he looked deformed must be his own child self.


    Dugu Zhuo gave Xiao Bao a cold look and slowly said, ¡°Ugly.¡±


    Kneeling down to give Xiao Bao medicine, Qingyue retorted to him, ¡°He¡¯s clearly skinny from malnutrition. I remember seeing in my textbooks a picture of a child who¡¯d had a harsh upbringing and looked like a little radish. I don¡¯t think this child will turn out ugly. The washerwoman looks so beautiful, so if Xiao Bao was fed well and taken care of, he might become a pretty little boy.¡±


    ¡°Wake up.¡± Aotian tapped Qingyue on the head. ¡°This is how he¡¯s designed in the game. He can¡¯t become pretty.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo had suffered a lot of humiliation in his youth, and when he first entered Qingtian Sect, many people looked down on him. It was Ye Zhou who noticed this and brought a still-disobedient Dugu Zhuo to the Star Hanging Peak.


    Star Hanging Peak was Ye Zhou¡¯s cultivation ground, and the whole mountain peak belonged to him. He had no disciples, so Dugu Zhuo¡¯s days on the peak were peaceful.


    By the time he descended the peak and made an astonishing debut at the once-per-century Discussion Conference of the whole cultivation world, he had already become the youngest Core Formation cultivator in Qingtian Sect. No one dared look down on him again, and no one would try to talk to him so argumentatively.


    Later on, no one besides Ye Zhou would dare to look directly at him, and when speaking to him, would only bow their heads and reply, ¡°Yes¡±, or ¡°Maybe¡±.


    Qingyue¡¯s tone with him wasn¡¯t contempt, nor fear, instead casually placing them on the same level.


    Silently, Dugu Zhuo watched as the players bustled around Xiao Bao, an unfamiliar feeling arising within his heart.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Xiao Bao waking up?¡±


    Qingyue pinched the space between Xiao Bao¡¯s nose and lips, but he still didn¡¯t stir. She went up to Widow Yang and yanked the knife away from her, asking, ¡°You know that Xiao Bao is the child of pure yang, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Widow Yang said, sobbing. She had an elegant bearing, so even her crying moved people¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°It took us a lot of effort to find the fortune teller and get him to tell us about Xiao Bao,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°You were selling tofu all that time, so how did you find out?¡±


    Widow Yang sobbed, ¡°After you left, people from the yamen came to me and said they had caught several miscreants poisoning my tofu, and wanted me to go identify them.¡±


    Hearing her words, everyone had a shock. They never thought there would be a follow-up to the business of the yamen. Was the plot capable of repairing itself?


    Widow Yang continued, ¡°When I got there, I saw that those people clearly weren¡¯t human and wanted to go back and check my tofu immediately, but one of the ghosts possessed me and said he knew how to save my son.


    ¡°When he said that, it was like I lost all sense of reason. I lied to the yamen¡¯s officials that I had tested my tofu with a silver needle and found no poison. Then I paid for those ghosts and demons¡¯ release and brought them back to my house.


    ¡°They told me that my son wasn¡¯t suffering from fever, but from yin energy within his body. If it was two hours earlier, he could be cured by Xiao Bao¡¯s blood, but it was too late now and they could only channel the yin energy into Xiao Bao¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°You agreed to that?¡± Engrossed in listening, Qingyue was so emotionally moved she pounded on a wall.


    Since the NPC had entered her plot-relaying mode, she paid no attention to Qingyue¡¯s words and continued speaking in a melancholic tone, ¡°Later, something with its face covered ran off with a plate of tofu, and I was certain they meant harm towards someone, but still I blinded my conscience and pretended I never saw anything.


    ¡°I used the technique they showed me and channeled the yin energy into Xiao Bao¡¯s body. After that, my son¡¯s fever really did improve, but Xiao Bao now won¡¯t wake up.


    ¡°They also told me that my son¡¯s fever had gone on too long and he had lost one of his Earthly Souls[2]. They wanted me to pierce Xiao Bao¡¯s skull with this knife and steal one of his Earthly Souls, so it can be given to my son.¡±


    Aotian immediately grabbed the knife and inspected it, finding that it wasn¡¯t a knife but more of a thick triangular spike, and he could also see its stats.


    He shared its stats in the party chat, and a dialogue box appeared before Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes¡ª


    Weapon Name: Soul-Stealing Spike


    Weapon Level: 40


    Usage Restriction: Special weapon for the main questline, must be used by Widow Yang.


    Effect: The one pierced by this weapon will lose an Earthly Soul and be deficient in a particular emotion, their personality becoming extreme. The last victim¡¯s name is not known, but because of the emotion they lacked, they personally murdered their own family.


    Seeing the weapon¡¯s effect, Dugu Zhuo felt a chill within his heart.


    Ye Zhou had often sighed deeply as he looked at him, saying that he had lost one of his Earthly Souls and lacked fear, guilt, and moral restrictions. He didn¡¯t know where that soul had ended up, and after searching everywhere, Ye Zhou could only use the Su Sword on Dugu Zhuo, creating a whole new Earthly Soul with its divine power and placing it inside Dugu Zhuo¡¯s body.


    It was because of this Earthly Soul that Dugu Zhou would later be able to control both swords.


    Unfortunately, back then he was young and ignorant and had no idea where he could have lost one of his souls. He thought Ye Zhou was trying a new method to torment him, and often spoke rudely to Ye Zhou.


    Up to today, he hadn¡¯t known who had stolen one of his Earthly Souls, and why.


    Yet somehow, this mysterious video game was displaying the truth of the past before Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes.


    Dugu Zhuo remembered this day, the day when everything in his life had changed.


    He was working at the tofu shop back then, and could bring home some leftover tofu every day to eat. He rarely ever got to eat well, so he had been very happy.


    One day, he must¡¯ve been weak from hunger, and fainted while he was working. When he woke up, the tofu shop¡¯s owner didn¡¯t blame him, even kindly giving him a silver piece and telling him to buy something good to eat.


    He returned home with the money and found his mother collapsed on the floor and groaning in pain. The silver piece was not even close to enough to summon a doctor. He knelt crying before the straw pile that served as a bed.


    Hearing his crying, his mother woke up. She spoke of how she hated him and his father, then placed her hands around Dugu Zhuo¡¯s neck, as if she wanted to kill this burdensome child with her own hands.


    Dugu Zhuo was choked unconscious by his mother, and after waking up, found a man who looked like an immortal standing by him. The man told him he was from the Qingtian Sect, and wanted to bring Dugu Zhuo back to the sect to meet his father.


    His mother had already passed away from illness, lying on the straw bed with her face twisted in agony and her eyes still staring at him.


    Dugu Zhuo cremated his mother¡¯s body, and together with that man, left the town he had grown up in, heading for the Qingtian Sect.


    He never could¡¯ve imagined that this past of his would have a group of people¡¯s schemes behind it.


    Dugu Zhuo stared at Widow Yang. After so much time had passed, he no longer remembered what the proprietor of the tofu shop had looked like, and didn¡¯t know if she was the same as this Widow Yang before him. He only knew that the emotions within him that he could never resolve now exploded forth. Expressionless, he grabbed Widow Yang¡¯s neck, lifting her off the ground with one hand.


    Widow Yang¡¯s eyes quickly rolled back in her head, as she cried weakly for help.


    ¡°D¡ªd¡ªdashen! It¡¯s just the game¡¯s plot! It¡¯s just a story!¡± Aotian ran up and grabbed Dugu Zhuo¡¯s arm. ¡°It seriously pisses me off too, but you can¡¯t get so emotional about it. Even if you choke her to death, she¡¯s just an NPC, so she¡¯ll probably come back to life tomorrow and go back to selling tofu.¡±


    Black Cat leapt onto Widow Yang¡¯s head, his deep green eyes gazing at Dugu Zhuo. He licked a paw, looking unconcerned. ¡°Mrow. Back when I stole an NPC¡¯s vital essence, didn¡¯t you teach me a lesson and make me stop hurting them?¡±


    Qingyue also grabbed Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hand. ¡°Widow Yang hasn¡¯t stabbed Xiao Bao yet. They tried to convince her, but she just wouldn¡¯t do it. Dashen, I think we got here in time!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo slowly turned to look at Qingyue.


    Qingyue felt a bone-deep chill from the killing intent that filled his eyes, but she stood her ground and said, ¡°If we had followed the map the game gave us while we were looking for Xiao Bao, by the time we got here, Widow Yang might¡¯ve already stabbed Xiao Bao and stolen one of his Earthly Souls. But it hasn¡¯t happened yet! Dashen, your quick thinking saved the day! You weren¡¯t misled by the map and took us right to Widow Yang¡¯s house. She didn¡¯t get a chance to do anything!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hand loosened a bit.


    Seeing that her words were working, Qingyue kept saying, ¡°Look at Xiao Bao, he¡¯s still unconscious. We have to find a way to get rid of the yin energy. The washerwoman is still waiting to eat roast chicken with him!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo released Widow Yang and said coldly, ¡°Bring me a plate of clean tofu.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Terrified, Widow Yang picked herself off the ground, her voice still hoarse, and ran off to the tofu workshop.


    Gradually, Dugu Zhuo returned to normal.


    That¡¯s right, this was just a game, just an NPC. Even if he killed Widow Yang right now, he couldn¡¯t change what had happened in the past.


    Qingyue, Aotian, and Black Cat gathered together and watched Dugu Zhuo carefully. Seeing that he no longer looked murderous, Aotian asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Dashen, were you scaring Widow Yang on purpose, so she would make a piece of tofu for the monk at Tanye Temple?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°There¡¯s still a task to buy tofu that we haven¡¯t completed.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo offered no explanation. He didn¡¯t want to speak right now, and leaned against a wall, quietly awaiting the tofu.


    Widow Yang had already sold all her tofu, so now made a fresh batch. Trembling, she delivered a steaming piece of tofu to Dugu Zhuo.


    ¡°Since we have the tofu now, should we bring it to Tanye Temple?¡± Aotian asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll send Widow Yang to the yamen,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Since she¡¯s an NPC, let¡¯s follow the game¡¯s regulations.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know whether there would be any point in doing this, but it was the only method available to him.


    The party obeyed and brought Widow Yang to the yamen, where the bailiff really did take the case. He even found a doctor to take care of Widow Yang¡¯s son, and took care of all the follow-up.


    The party earned five thousand experience points and two Righteousness Points, so it seemed their choice was correct.


    After finishing everything, it was now 1 pm. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Ye Zhou to return before continuing,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Aotian and the rest were hungry anyway, and eating a chicken in the game wouldn¡¯t fill their stomachs, so they all logged off, arranging to meet at 3 this afternoon.


    After everyone had left, Dugu Zhuo looked at the Soul-Stealing Spike. With a thought, a blast of extremely pure sword qi struck the spike, instantly reducing the level 40 special item to dust.


    This was the divine power of the Su Sword which replaced one of Dugu Zhuo¡¯s souls. It had incomparable power, but he couldn¡¯t use it much, as every time he did, his emotions would grow weaker.


    1. bian is another reading of pian


    2. there is a daoist belief that the human soul is made of three hun and seven po. the hun are the spiritual or mental components which leave the body after death and enter reincarnation, while the po are the material components which each govern a different emotion, and return to the earth with the body

 CH 23

    Chapter 23 ¨C Becoming mythic


    After logging off, Ye Zhou¡¯s pain vanished. Shaken, he immediately dialed his pain sensitivity to 0%. Even if he could no longer feel anything, he didn¡¯t want to experience that kind of pain again.


    He remembered how pale Dugu Zhuo¡¯s face had looked and wondered whether he had set his pain sensitivity rather high.


    When he got on later, he needed to ask Dugu Zhuo what it was set at, and suggest he lower it a bit.


    After having lunch, the caretaker pushed him into a glass-roofed room so he could get some sun, then returned him to his room to nap.


    Ye Zhou had a bunch of chaotic dreams. In them, he saw fragmented images of a high mountain peak that pierced the clouds collapsing, its surroundings becoming a sea of flames. He seemed to hear someone¡¯s voice call out, filled with grief and despair. In his dream, Ye Zhou wanted to comfort them, but found himself unable to speak.


    After waking, Ye Zhou¡¯s thoughts were in a tangle. He recalled that the doctor had told him VR games could cause mental fatigue, and if he ever had excessive dreams and felt confused, he needed to stop playing. His body was frail, so he had to to get proper sleep. If he lost sleep for more than a week, he was liable to fall ill.


    Ye Zhou held the VR helmet, hesitating. He hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep, but he felt energetic and even seemed to have more stamina than before.


    He had only been gaming for two days, so he¡¯d wait until he slept poorly for a whole week before doing something.


    Putting on the helmet, he logged in. The moment he entered the game, he fell to the floor from pain, his whole body twitching.


    What was going on? He had clearly set the pain sensitivity to 0%, so he shouldn¡¯t be able to feel anything at all. Had he misclicked?


    Ye Zhou wanted to open a panel to check, but he was in so much pain he couldn¡¯t even lift a finger. Holding the location of his dantian, he curled up on the ground, but someone picked him up.


    It was Dugu Zhuo.


    Ye Zhou had went offline in Widow Yang¡¯s courtyard. After quickly eating something for lunch, Dugu Zhuo had returned to the courtyard to wait for Ye Zhou. He sat meditating there for a while, mentally keeping track of the time.


    It was only 2:30 when Ye Zhou got on. Dugu Zhuo immediately stopped circulating spiritual essence and stood, taking the best-looking stance.


    He had put on the level 10-20 outfit that the game had given him, which was a dark blue long robe, made of a soft fabric with wide sleeves. When the wind blew, it clung to his figure, making his waist look more slim.


    He imitated the previous life¡¯s Ye Zhou in his posture and poise. Though he lacked Ye Zhou¡¯s unearthly aura, he still looked acceptable.


    Dugu Zhuo had been careful to stand in a position where Ye Zhou would be able to see his best angle immediately upon arriving. However, the moment Ye Zhou appeared, he collapsed in pain, so Dugu Zhuo could spare no more attention for his appearance. He picked up Ye Zhou, resting him in his lap.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked, worried and helpless.


    Ye Zhou couldn¡¯t speak through the pain. He felt Dugu Zhuo¡¯s strong arms holding him, and even his warm breaths blowing past his ears.


    How was this 0% pain and touch sensitivity? It was clearly 100%!


    But the game¡¯s pain sensitivity only went up to 70%. Even if a masochistic player wanted to set it to the max, the game wouldn¡¯t allow it, since any higher would exceed a human being¡¯s mental fortitude.


    In the throes of agony, Ye Zhou felt a current of warmth enter his body through his back, which made a circuit through his lower abdomen, after which the pain was immediately lessened significantly.


    ¡°Ugh, that really hurt,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°I¡¯m logging off to adjust the pain sensitivity. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The touch and pain sensitivity could only be set by logging off and back on, to allow the game to reload the data. They couldn¡¯t be adjusted in-game.


    With difficulty, Ye Zhou opened the control panel and selected the system settings, but found that his pain sensitivity really was at 0%!


    There was a small pink heart next to the number. Ye Zhou tapped it with a trembling finger and a dialogue box opened before him, reading: [Pain and tactile sensitivity currently being shared via the Heart Linking Technique. Sensitivity is set to 100%.]


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    So now that the Heart Linking Technique was active, even if he logged off and set his pain sensitivity to the negatives, as long as Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t adjust his, he would still be suffering.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be. The maximum is 70%, so how come you have it at 100%¡­¡± Ye Zhou said weakly.


    Dugu Zhuo was already checking Ye Zhou¡¯s pulse. He found sword qi lashing out chaotically through Ye Zhou¡¯s body, the same situation that he had previously been in.


    Somehow, Ye Zhou had taken on his suffering.


    Dugu Zhuo made his decision immediately. He grabbed the back of Ye Zhou¡¯s neck, preventing him from escaping, and pressed their foreheads together.


    ¡°What are you doing? Go log off and adjust¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, Ye Zhou felt a vast torrent of energy flow into him from Dugu Zhuo¡¯s forehead, sinking into his consciousness.


    Dugu Zhuo held the young Ye Zhou tightly in his lap, gripping his neck with one hand while the other arm was wrapped around him, leaving Ye Zhou unable to hit the button to log off.


    In a situation like this, the sword qi within Ye Zhou¡¯s body could only be calmed by the Su Sword¡¯s divine power.


    This was power that Ye Zhou had once given to him, so it was about time for him to return it to whom it belonged.


    After that vast power entered Ye Zhou¡¯s body, it not only subdued the rampaging sword qi, but completely reconstructed Ye Zhou¡¯s meridians.


    Ye Zhou just felt that, at one moment, his whole body felt weak, while the next moment it was filled with power. After this repeated for forty or fifty times, his pain was completely gone.


    Dugu Zhuo, however, backed away holding his head, looking quite unwell.


    ¡°Hey, what did you just do to me? Was it something else you found?¡± Ye Zhou checked his body, but didn¡¯t notice any difference.


    He opened his game panel again, receiving the reward for completing the ¡°Find Xiao Bao¡± task, which also gave him 25 thousand experience, a full set of level 10-20 equipment, and 50 spirit stones.


    None of his stats were different. Only the entry for his race had changed, from human to mythic.


    ¡°This¡­ what did you give me?¡± Ye Zhou poked Dugu Zhuo, who was propping his forehead on one hand. ¡°I¡¯m a mythic now. Will I be able to strengthen weapons with my blood like you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, his brows deeply furrowed as he tapped his fingers on his forehead. ¡°I am unsure how the change in your race will manifest in the future.¡±


    Ye Zhou didn¡¯t doubt Dugu Zhuo¡¯s words. The game was new now, so there were all kinds of aspects that players needed to explore themselves. It made sense for Dugu Zhuo to not know.


    ¡°Is your pain set to 100% because of your mythic race too? Even if you can, you shouldn¡¯t actually set it to 100%! This is a game full of swords and weapons, and it¡¯ll seriously hurt if you get hit even once,¡± Ye Zhou said.


    He felt his stomach, still a bit shaken. The sensation earlier of his body being shredded from the inside by blades had been too intense, and no normal person could possibly endure it.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t speak. He had completely lost the power of the Su Sword, and was missing one of his Earthly Souls. He didn¡¯t know what he would be like without the divine power restraining him.


    He probed his body with his spiritual essence, then checked his consciousness. Aside from his soul¡¯s structure being weaker, he didn¡¯t notice anything wrong.


    He finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful in the future. But what was the technique you used? Did you take on my injury for me?¡±


    ¡°You were injured and about to lose your account, and the system told me that I could use the ¡®Heart Linking Technique¡¯ to save you, so I didn¡¯t really think about it and just accepted,¡± Ye Zhou said.


    He spoke casually, as if he didn¡¯t consider this something worthy of thanks. He simply hadn¡¯t wanted his friend to lose all his levels and his character, and it wasn¡¯t a big deal that he had to feel some pain. It was just a game, after all.


    ¡°Heart Linking¡­¡± Dugu Zhuo¡¯s arm shook slightly. He held it still and slowly looked toward Ye Zhou. His young face was filled with innocence, completely ignorant of just what technique he had used.


    This was a method of sharing another person¡¯s pain. Even if it didn¡¯t link their lives and deaths like a soul pact, it was still capable of completely transferring someone¡¯s injuries to another person¡¯s body. Was Ye Zhou actually aware of what kind of choice he had made?


    To share one¡¯s pain, sensation, and deepest emotions with another person, and to know what was in their heart at all times¡ªthat was the Heart Linking Technique.


    If this link was created by an external source like a gu parasite, then all one would need to do was get rid of the parasite. But if it was built with a blood bond as foundation, then it could only be undone by one of them severing the bond.


    Dugu Zhuo looked at Ye Zhou and felt a tether in his mind snap.


    The elder whom he had respected, admired, cherished, and loved, the one he had sworn, in his mind, that he could never touch, was right in front of him.


    Feelings such as doubt, worry, fear, and restraint had been erased from Dugu Zhuo¡¯s mind. This was the Earthly Soul that he lacked. The moment he returned the divine power to Ye Zhou, those restrictions had vanished.


    Without respect, admiration, and cherishment, all that was left within him was love he could no longer hold back.


    Dugu Zhuo placed a hand on Ye Zhou¡¯s face, brushing a fingertip over his lips. Since Ye Zhou was sharing a tactile sensitivity of 100% with Dugu Zhuo, his whole body instantly felt tingly, and though he wanted to push Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hand away, when he met that pair of fathomless eyes, he found himself unable to do so.


    ¡°I¡ªIf you keep going, you¡¯ll activate the game¡¯s censorship system,¡± Ye Zhou stammered out.


    Dugu Zhuo seemed not to hear him as he gradually drew closer to Ye Zhou.


    As Ye Zhou grew more and more flustered, a black shadow passed between the two. Black Cat landed on the ground and spoke, licking a paw. ¡°I just got on and checked Aotian and Qingyue¡¯s status. They seem to be on too, so let¡¯s go to Tanye Temple together.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo finally released Ye Zhou. He turned to Black Cat, giving him a dark look.


    Unfortunately, Jet Black seemed to be a bit slow on the uptake, and said to Ye Zhou like he still hadn¡¯t noticed anything, ¡°Level up already! Everyone already got to level 17 with the rewarded experience, but Dugu really wanted to wait for you. Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ye Zhou said, returning to reality.


    He carefully looked at Dugu Zhuo and saw that he was raising a hand toward Black Cat with a deeply abnormal look in his eyes. He grabbed Dugu Zhuo¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s level up together.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo stared at Ye Zhou for a long time, before he slowly nodded. He and Ye Zhou ascended to level 17 together.


    Xiao Bao was still unconscious from the yin energy within his body, so at noon, everyone had settled him into Widow Yang¡¯s master bedroom. After Ye Zhou heard Black Cat summarize the story, he went to the room and picked up little Xiao Bao. ¡°You guys shouldn¡¯t have waited for me. You should¡¯ve gone to Tanye Temple and gotten Xiao Bao treated as soon as possible. The washerwoman is still waiting at home to eat roast chicken with him.¡±


    Xiao Bao and the washerwoman were just NPCs, but Ye Zhou still felt bad about letting them stay hungry. It must be because the game felt too realistic.


    Seeing Ye Zhou hold Xiao Bao in his arms, Dugu Zhuo had a complicated expression on his face. His hand lifted slightly, like he wanted to make Ye Zhou stop, but he hesitated.


    ¡°Do you want to hold him? Here.¡± Ye Zhou held Xiao Bao out to him, blocking Dugu Zhuo¡¯s line of sight.


    Dugu Zhuo glanced at the unconscious Xiao Bao and shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t touch him. You should hold him.¡±


    He took a step back, putting clear distance between himself and the young Xiao Bao.

 CH 24

    Chapter 24 ¨C Division of night and day


    By the time they reached Tanye Temple, Aotian and Qingyue were already waiting there.


    They had changed into the equipment that they had just received. Qingyue wore a pastel pink dress, covered with a white overcoat of light muslin, making her look even more young and lovely. She had also spent the points from her consecutive level-ups all on attractiveness, and now was an elegant young girl.


    Aotian, on the other hand, wore unremarkable grey workman¡¯s clothes, and his weapon had also changed from an ethereal-looking paper fan to a steel-spoked one. He no longer looked like a spirited young master, but more like a seasoned martial artist.


    Black Cat looked the same, aside from his fur being much glossier than before. Even if he put on equipment, it wouldn¡¯t show on his character, so they would only know what he had gotten when he took human form at night.


    ¡°Woah, your new clothes look really good,¡± Qingyue said, hopping up to Ye Zhou. ¡°Not many people can pull off white.¡±


    The lower-level equipments in Nine Heavens were all copied from the same templates and had the same styles, so only higher-level equipment would stand out. However, upon starting the game, each player could select a few of their favorite colors, which the game would take care to provide while awarding clothes to them. While filling in his basic information, Ye Zhou had only filled in the color white, so the game would only be gifting him white clothes. If he wanted a different color in the future, he would have to spend money on it.


    ¡°How come the materials of your clothes look way better than mine?¡± said Aotian, feeling the hem of Ye Zhou¡¯s robe.


    They were both humans, but Aotian¡¯s clothes looked to be made from cotton, while Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou¡¯s appeared to be silk. The material was smooth, glossy, and well-dyed, looking to be of a higher level than Qingyue and Aotian¡¯s.


    ¡°They got lucky and rolled better materials, I guess,¡± Qingyue said, also looking at their clothes enviously.


    Chatting idly, the group walked into Tanye Temple. While passing the healing booth, they saw that there were now three booths, with a snow lotus, a ginseng, and an egg lying on the tables. The number of sick NPCs had increased as well.


    ¡°They really will add more booths based on player number,¡± Aotian said, hiding a smile.


    The way all the spirit players were waiting in the monk¡¯s basket for their turn treating NPCs was just too amusing.


    ¡°I know the snow lotus and ginseng, but what¡¯s that egg?¡± Black Cat asked curiously, extending a paw towards it.


    Dugu Zhuo glanced at it. ¡°That¡¯s not an egg, it¡¯s a qilin.¡±


    ¡°Do qilin lay eggs?¡± Qingyue asked. ¡°They must give live birth, right? They kind of look like mammals.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t lay eggs,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°It¡¯s a defensive magic for young qilin, which envelopes it in an outer layer of hard stone in order to protect the newborn qilin inside.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was bad enough to become a lingzhi or a ginseng, but I didn¡¯t know you could also end up an egg,¡± Aotian said sympathetically. ¡°If it was me, I would delete the account and make a new one.¡±


    ¡°These races are cooler, though,¡± said Ye Zhou. ¡°And when we were fighting the veiled party, I noticed that their innate abilities were really strong, while the humans have nothing going for them in comparison. The only strong point about humans is that they can play without restrictions before level 20.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°I also heard that after a yao takes a human form, they¡¯re one hundred percent guaranteed to be better looking than any human!¡± Qingyue gave Black Cat a once-over, as if she was considering what he might look like after transforming.


    Black Cat¡¯s hackles stood straight up under Qingyue¡¯s gaze, and he quickly changed the subject. ¡°The highest level on the leaderboard right now is a level 19 lingzhi. He¡¯s so close to level 20, so how come today he could only gain three levels?¡±


    ¡°Embodiment is akin to completely reconstructing one¡¯s body for yao or spirits,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°How can it be that easy?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± said Ye Zhou. ¡°There might even be some special quest you have to complete in order to reach embodiment.¡±


    Since they had a task, the group faced no opposition walking into the temple. The old monk was still tapping on the wooden fish, exactly the same way he had been last night.


    Dugu Zhuo brought out two plates of tofu. One of them was the safe one that Widow Yang had just made, while the other was the one he had taken from the washerwoman. ¡°Great master, which one would you like?¡± he asked.


    The old monk put down the wooden fish and first ate the tofu from Widow Yang. After he set down the plate, he said, ¡°Such good tofu. What a shame. Chanyi?¡±


    A young monk who looked like a fighter, with one arm exposed and a staff in hand, emerged from who-knows-where and stood before the old monk. ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Widow Yang was lured astray by demons, and nearly harmed the washerwoman and her son. Her crimes do not warrant death, but she should be punished. Bring this thousand-year-old lingzhi to treat her son, so she has no lingering anxieties.¡± The old monk handed a plump lingzhi to Chanyi.


    Those watching thought this lingzhi looked familiar. Wasn¡¯t it the holder of the number one spot on the leaderboard, the now level 19 player?


    The lingzhi sat obediently in Chanyi¡¯s hand, looking around and saying proudly to the players surrounding him, ¡°What¡¯re you looking at? Never seen such a high-level player? After I complete this task, I can become embodied!¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    It was more like they had never seen a lingzhi with such a fat cap. Had he been fed fertilizer?


    After Chanyi took away the lingzhi, the mission involving Widow Yang could be considered finished, but the party didn¡¯t receive a notification that they had completed the task.


    The old monk held up the plate of poisoned tofu and said, ¡°Amitabha. I have devoted all my efforts toward maintaining the balance of night and day in Zhulong Town, but still there were underhanded parties attempting to harm the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder. Young heroes, thanks to your timely actions, this duo of mother and son didn¡¯t end up on the most tragic path.¡±


    ¡°Great master, can you save him?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    The old monk shook his head. ¡°I can save him for a time, but not his whole life. You should bring him back to the washerwoman. Just tell her, ¡®The time has come¡¯, and the decision after that will be left to her.¡±


    After speaking, the old monk thrust a palm toward the plate of tofu. The tofu dissipated into smoke along with the yin energy, as Buddha¡¯s light bathed the interior of Tanye Temple.


    The party received the prompt that they had completed the ¡°Buy Tofu¡± mission, and received a lot of experience and spirit stones, but the main quest still wasn¡¯t over.


    A flash of inspiration struck Aotian. ¡°Old man, are you saying that Xiao Bao is the Xuan Sword wielder?¡±


    The group thought about it. Their main quest hadn¡¯t been to buy tofu or find Xiao Bao, but to find the fated wielder of the Xuan Sword, and give him over to the Qingtian Sect.


    ¡°Amitabha.¡± At this critical moment, the old monk started playing deaf again.


    ¡°¡®The time has come¡¯?¡± Dugu Zhuo muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s take Xiao Bao back to the washerwoman, then.¡±


    Ye Zhou suddenly felt a pang in his heart, though it didn¡¯t seem like a feeling that belonged to him.


    Suppressing this strange emotion, Ye Zhou picked up Xiao Bao again and the party returned to the washerwoman¡¯s house.


    The washerwoman hadn¡¯t fallen unconscious like in Dugu Zhuo¡¯s memories, only waiting quietly at home to eat roast chicken together with Xiao Bao. The group recounted what Widow Yang had done and the old monk¡¯s words to her.


    ¡°What does he mean by ¡®the time has come¡¯?¡± the washerwoman said, crying as she held Xiao Bao.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, we¡¯re even more lost,¡± Aotian said blankly.


    The washerwoman gazed at her son¡¯s face and suddenly wiped away her tears, as if she had remembered something. She dug around through her things until, a long while later, she found an exquisite and translucent jade talisman.


    A reminiscent expression appeared on her face. ¡°Back before I knew I was pregnant with Xiao Bao, I had already arranged a marriage with his father, but a month before the ceremony, he suddenly vanished. On the day of my wedding, I waited and waited, but my groom never showed up.


    ¡°My mother canceled the marriage and brought me to a manor in the countryside, saying she would bring me back in two years after the controversy had died down, and look into marriage again then.


    ¡°My personal servant girl and wet nurse were both back home, while at the manor there were only the year-round laborers and a few unwed menial maids. When my belly kept growing bigger, I and the maids didn¡¯t understand what was happening and just assumed that I was ill.


    ¡°My parents were furious at me, so I didn¡¯t dare to send for a doctor, and hid in my room without letting anyone see me. By the time my mother came to visit, I had been pregnant for seven months.


    ¡°By that time, there was no way to get rid of the child. I overheard my parents saying that when the child was born, they would drown it, then marry me to a widower.


    ¡°I was terrified, and took my things and fled that night. I came to this town, lost and confused, and decided to stay here.¡±


    Qingyue was engrossed in the story and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°What kind of a father is that? He goes missing just like that, and we don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s alive or dead.¡±


    The washerwoman seemed to have not heard, still absorbed in her memories. ¡°When the times were harsh, I have regretted before and wondered, if I¡¯d just obeyed my mother and father back then, would I not have to suffer like this?


    ¡°But if I had done that, there would be no Xiao Bao. I would be having nightmares for my entire life, unable to forget this child I had lost.¡±


    The washerwoman gently stroked Xiao Bao¡¯s head. In a burst of strength, she shattered the jade talisman, and a streak of purple light flew into the sky, heading toward an unknown destination.


    ¡°About five years ago, a cultivator showed up and asked me for Xiao Bao. He said he could take Xiao Bao in, teach him cultivation, and bring him to see his father.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t believe him, so the cultivator left this jade talisman behind, telling me that Xiao Bao would meet with a great trial at age ten, and at that time I would naturally give him over.


    ¡°The moment I broke this talisman, Xiao Bao would belong to the cultivation sects and need to break all earthly attachments. He and I will have no connection from here on.¡±


    As she spoke, her tears fell one after another, and even as she said she wanted to send Xiao Bao off, her arms were firmly wrapped around the child with no intention of letting go.


    Dugu Zhuo wanted to tell her, ¡®You don¡¯t have to send him away. I¡¯ll rescue him. I¡¯ll teach him cultivation,¡¯ yet his hand passed right through Xiao Bao¡¯s body.


    He couldn¡¯t touch Xiao Bao. That was his past self, and Dugu Zhuo was incapable of coming into direct contact with his own past.


    Very soon, a handsome young cultivator with a sword on his back arrived before the straw hut. He extended his hands to the washerwoman. ¡°Give the child to me.¡±


    The washerwoman was crying. ¡°Can you really save him? Can you really let him live a good life, without suffering any more?¡±


    ¡°He will be the chief disciple of Qingtian Sect, and in the future, a supreme elder, ranking first or second in the cultivation world,¡± the sword cultivator answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish for great riches and prestige for him. I just want him to live well.¡± With shaking hands, the washerwoman handed her child over to the sword cultivator.


    When the cultivator took Xiao Bao, Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t move an inch.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to, but he couldn¡¯t. The arrangements of fate were playing out before him, and he was incapable of changing his own fate.


    The rest of the group, however, stood to one side discussing the sword cultivator, while snapping screenshots like mad.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome, so good-looking! He¡¯s just slightly below Dugu Zhuo!¡±


    ¡°He looks real badass. I wonder if I can be as impressive as him someday.¡±


    ¡°Mrow, he looks full of vital essence. I wish I could still steal people¡¯s essence.¡±


    As the three players blatantly spoke their own desires, Ye Zhou couldn¡¯t help but look at Dugu Zhuo.


    The swordsman exchanged a few more words with the washerwoman, then used a spell to dissipate the yin energy within Xiao Bao¡¯s body, upon which Xiao Bao¡¯s complexion instantly improved. The washerwoman wrapped up the still-warm beggar¡¯s chicken and gave it to the sword cultivator.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± he said. ¡°I will naturally ensure he eats and drinks well.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± The washerwoman frantically stuffed the chicken into Xiao Bao¡¯s arms. Before she could finish saying her words, the cultivator took the child and flew into the clouds, departing the little town.


    The washerwoman stared into the sky in a daze. She said in a light voice, ¡°I was thinking I could have a good meal together with Xiao Bao, and bid him a proper goodbye.¡±


    Who knew whether Xiao Bao would get to eat that beggar¡¯s chicken hastily shoved into his arms.


    After the sword cultivator departed, a system notification rang out across the server. ¡°Dugu Zhuo, Yi Ye Pian Zhou, Long @ Aotian, Qingyue love, and Jet Black have completed the first main storyline quest¡ªSending off a Child¡ªand undone the Torch Dragon¡¯s curse. Tonight, the game will be closed from hours 0 to 5 to undergo maintenance. After maintenance, the Netherworld map will be officially opened, bordering the northern side of town. Day and night will be once again divided, into the Eternal Night District and the Eternal Day District, so that humans and spirits can level up in the Eternal Day District, while demons, ghosts, and some yao can level up in the Eternal Night District.


    ¡°After both districts have been open for one week, the game will enter official release. All players will be able to register for the game by purchasing a VR helmet, and the currency exchange will be opened. We wish each player an enjoyable xianxia journey within Nine Heavens!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± players exclaimed one after another. ¡°What a fresh mechanic!¡±


    As the entire game was stirred into chaos by the server-wide announcement, Dugu Zhuo stared at his own hands.


    The moment the system had announced the completion of the first main quest, that Earthly Soul he was missing had been restored.

 CH 25

    Chapter 25 ¨C Celebratory feast


    Since Xiao Bao hadn¡¯t been stabbed with Widow Yang¡¯s Soul-Stealing Spike, and hadn¡¯t lost one of his Earthly Souls, did that mean his past had changed?


    Before Dugu Zhuo could think closely about it, he saw the washerwoman smile softly at him.


    Everything around them seemed to fall still, with only the washerwoman able to move.


    She walked up to Dugu Zhuo and looked him over meticulously, from head to toe. She let out a satisfied-sounding sigh and said quietly, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Dugu Zhuo wanted to say something, but no words came out of his mouth.


    The washerwoman didn¡¯t say anything else. After gazing deeply at Dugu Zhuo, she raised her head slightly and a pure white ray of light flew out of her body, shooting into the brow of Ye Zhou, who was currently discussing the system announcement with Aotian and the others.


    Ye Zhou had the Soul Locking Jade that Dugu Zhuo had given him hanging off his belt, and the moment the white light entered his body, the jade brightened momentarily.


    This was a piece of Ye Zhou¡¯s soul, so why would it be inside the washerwoman?


    After Ye Zhou completely absorbed the white light, the surroundings came to life again. Aotian and Ye Zhou were discussing the game¡¯s changes, while Qingyue said in an emotional voice, ¡°Ah, this story¡­ the washerwoman didn¡¯t want to abandon her child, she just had no other choice. Back then, she ran away from home for Xiao Bao¡¯s sake, and now she¡¯s also sent him away to protect him.¡±


    ¡°Would she not resent Xiao Bao?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked. ¡°Because of this child, she lost her leisurely life and ended up destitute, and in the end she might die painfully due to illness. All the grief in her life was due to Xiao Bao, so shouldn¡¯t she resent him?¡±


    Qingyue rolled her eyes at Dugu Zhuo. ¡°Some people might resent that child, but take a look at her. Do you think she does?¡±


    The washerwoman had lost the liveliness of earlier, once again an ordinary video game NPC. She looked toward the direction Xiao Bao and the sword cultivator had vanished in, silently shedding tears.


    ¡°Do you resent Xiao Bao?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°When times were tough, I have felt resentment,¡± the washerwoman said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t resent Xiao Bao, only his father who vanished without any warning or message. Xiao Bao is a good child who never causes trouble. Even when he¡¯s hungry or sick, he¡¯ll just tell me in a quiet voice that he doesn¡¯t feel well. When he¡¯s being bullied, he won¡¯t say, and he helps me with chores at such a young age.


    ¡°Who would resent a child like this? I can hardly treasure him enough.


    ¡°I only resent his father. Couldn¡¯t he have gone missing after the wedding? Then at least Xiao Bao would¡¯ve had a father.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo gently held one of her hands, feeling an old wound in the depths of his heart begin to heal.


    Back then, if it weren¡¯t for the schemes of those with ill intentions who had used negative energy to manipulate his mother, she wouldn¡¯t have attacked him in the moments before her death, and wouldn¡¯t have died full of resentment.


    And even tormented by negative energy, his mother had still broken the jade talisman at the last moment so someone could take him away, saving him.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t understand how this game could have such close connections to his past, and keep switching between the false and real worlds. But what he was sure of was that these were definitely things that had happened, just displaying before him a side of events he had previously been unaware of.


    Who had done this?


    Dugu Zhuo looked at the washerwoman, who had now become an ordinary NPC, then walked up to Ye Zhou and gently brushed his fingers over Ye Zhou¡¯s forehead.


    Ye Zhou was currently discussing with Aotian and Black Cat, and shuddered upon feeling Dugu Zhuo¡¯s touch.


    Thinking back to Dugu Zhuo¡¯s previous odd expression and overly intimate approach, he looked at him cautiously, but found his eyes deep and unreadable.


    Previously, Dugu Zhuo hadn¡¯t been able to hold back his feelings toward Ye Zhou, not just because he had been moved by his use of the Heart-Linking Technique, but more because after losing the Su Sword¡¯s divine power, he was missing one Earthly Soul and couldn¡¯t control his own emotions.


    Once he had lost the feelings of fear and guilt, moral values no longer had any meaning to him. Back then, in that frame of mind, Dugu Zhuo had even wanted to kill Black Cat for interfering. If he hadn¡¯t known that no one would die in a game if you killed them, he probably would¡¯ve chopped that cat into pieces.


    Right now, with his soul complete, Dugu Zhuo could act properly around Ye Zhou.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something on me?¡± Ye Zhou unconsciously rubbed his forehead.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Dugu Zhuo smiled softly. ¡°I just remembered you had said your health wasn¡¯t good. Lately, have you felt better, perhaps?¡±


    Aside from all the dreams, his health had been getting better and better. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling great lately,¡± Ye Zhou said.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Dugu Zhuo took Ye Zhou¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°This is a VR game, so why are you always taking my pulse?¡± Ye Zhou said, a bit awkwardly. ¡°What can you read from this?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this game fully simulate heartbeat and pulse?¡± Dugu Zhuo said with a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m studying medicine, but I¡¯ve always lacked practical experience. This game is a good chance for me to practice pulse reading.¡±


    ¡°Oh, traditional medicine?¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°The principles of traditional Chinese medicine are observing, listening to breathing, inquiring after symptoms, and taking the pulse. You can¡¯t just read a pulse.¡± Ye Zhou looked uncomfortable, but he didn¡¯t take his hand away, allowing Dugu Zhuo to examine him.


    Ye Zhou¡¯s situation was different from Dugu Zhuo¡¯s. Dugu Zhuo had been missing one whole Earthly Soul, while all of Ye Zhou¡¯s souls had been shattered into an indeterminable number of pieces.


    Back then, the wisp of soul which had entered Ye Zhou¡¯s forehead was a pitifully tiny piece, barely a thread.


    Attempting to calculate using the percentages the game used, the fragment of soul which had been in the Soul Locking Jade would¡¯ve been approximately 3%, the amount of Ye Zhou¡¯s soul which he already possessed would be around 40%, while the piece of soul which had been in the washerwoman was about 1%. All together, it was less than 50%, a depressingly low amount.


    Even with such little of his soul left, Ye Zhou was conscious and aware and his thinking was unhindered.


    This meant that the approximately 45% of his soul left was all dedicated to maintaining Ye Zhou¡¯s consciousness, abandoning all his cultivation, bodily functions, and past memories in exchange for allowing Ye Zhou¡¯s body to cling to life for a handful of years.


    The divine power that Dugu Zhuo had transferred to Ye Zhou could take the place of around 10% of his soul, so it might be able to improve his bodily condition a bit.


    ¡°Do you have trouble eating?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    Ye Zhou looked shocked. ¡°Your pulse reading is good. I really do have poor appetite.¡±


    In actuality, not only was his appetite poor, but by now he was practically a little fairy boy who subsisted on dewdrops. He could only keep down a bit of liquid food, and got most of his nutrients and sustenance by IV. There was an IV tube inserted on his ankle, which he needed to be fed through every morning and evening. Only during lunch could he manage a bit of porridge.


    ¡°Maybe your appetite will gradually improve,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    He released Ye Zhou¡¯s wrist and turned to the party members. ¡°To celebrate being first in the game to complete a main quest, why don¡¯t we have a feast here in the game?¡±


    Qingyue raised both her hands in approval. ¡°Sounds good! Since I¡¯m on a diet, I only had a meal replacement shake for lunch, and it tasted awful!¡±


    ¡°I had a good lunch, but I¡¯m still craving that beggar¡¯s chicken,¡± Aotian said.


    At some point, Black Cat had leapt onto the washerwoman¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Mrow, I can¡¯t finish a whole chicken, so I¡¯m willing to share a drumstick with the washerwoman.¡±


    Everyone was surprised at Black Cat¡¯s offer, since he hardly ever willingly gave something he owned to another person, let alone this ¡°person¡± being an NPC.


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Black Cat said, turning his face away. ¡°Didn¡¯t she give her chicken to Xiao Bao? S¡ªshe should at least eat something.¡±


    Qingyue gave Black Cat an askance look. ¡°Jet Black, are you the type who usually seems very self-important and talks big, and keeps getting their ass kicked at school, and acts aloof, but in private you¡¯ll cry while watching animated films?¡±


    ¡°Yeoww!¡± Black Cat let out a sharp cry, the fur on his back standing on end.


    Aotian smoothed his fur down. ¡°I kick the asses of guys like you every time I see them. You¡¯re a minor, aren¡¯t you? Registered with your parent¡¯s account?¡±


    Since Nine Heavens was a VR game, it had privacy protection systems, and only players eighteen and above could play without limit, while minors younger than eighteen could only spend two hours in-game per day, to prevent them from getting addicted.


    Every rule can be circumvented, however, and a lot of people would secretly use the accounts of their parents or other family members. Black Cat seemed to be one of those disobedient children.


    Ye Zhou saw Black Cat was on the verge of social death from his two friends¡¯ teasing and stepped in. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s split these four chickens and all share them, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± the party members all answered simultaneously.


    They decided to bring over a large stone to use as a table and had an outdoors banquet in the washerwoman¡¯s yard. Spreading a clean lotus leaf over the stone, the five party members and the washerwoman all dug into the meat together.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s delicious!¡± Qingyue pushed up her sleeves ungracefully. ¡°This is what¡¯s great about a video game. I can be a proper lady in real life, while I drink wine and eat meat to my heart¡¯s content in this game!¡±


    ¡°We should buy some wine next time,¡± Aotian said.


    Dugu Zhuo offered the washerwoman a chicken thigh. It was unclear whether the washerwoman was aware of his identity, but she accepted it with a smile, looking at him warmly, and said, ¡°Xiao Bao knows to take care of me.¡±


    Her voice was quiet, and only Dugu Zhuo who was at her side could hear her.


    During the feast, everyone gradually started discussing the game. ¡°What did the game mean just now by the Eternal Night District and the Eternal Day District?¡± Qingyue asked.


    ¡°I guess the starting villages of the various races will be different,¡± said Aotian. ¡°With the north side of town as the dividing line, one part will always be daytime, even if some human player is only able to log on at midnight, while the other part will always be nighttime, even if a demon player can only be on at noon.¡±


    ¡°After level 20, the time of day won¡¯t affect players that much,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°And the game will definitely release more items like the curtain the veiled party used to block out the sun, in order to minimize the impact of time of day.¡±


    ¡°Why did they make it like this?¡± Black Cat asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t they consider astronomy at all when designing this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother asking,¡± Aotian said. ¡°The answer will be the torch dragon anyway.¡±


    ¡°The torch dragon creates day by opening its eyes and night by closing them,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°If night and day are being divided, does that mean it has one eye open and one eye closed, like this?¡±


    As she spoke, she winked with her right eye.


    ¡°I can imagine it, hahahaha!¡± Aotian said.


    Listening to their speculation, Dugu Zhuo spoke. ¡°The Eternal Night District is likely a projection of the Netherworld onto the human realm. Since the human realm is rich in spiritual energy, it can sustain the presence of the Netherworld, in order to offer a refuge to ghosts and wandering spirits.


    ¡°As for the Eternal Day District¡­ if the game wants to come up with a logical explanation, I guess they would use heavenly fire or something along those lines.¡±


    ¡°Humans and spirits are bound to choose the Eternal Day District, and demons and ghosts will go to the Eternal Night District, but what will the yao do?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    Black Cat raised a paw. ¡°I took a look at my basic information just now, and my respawn point was changed to the Eternal Day District, and even the Moon Worship Chant was changed to the Sun Worship Chant.¡±


    Aotian quickly brought out a paper crane. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Xiaoyao and Xiao Wen.¡±


    After a minute, he smiled and said, ¡°Last night Xiaoyao stole so many people¡¯s essences that his Sin Points were off the charts, and he¡¯s been assigned right to the Eternal Night District. He¡¯s planted in the Eternal Day District right now, so he¡¯s currently trying to move over.¡±


    ¡°How is he moving?¡± Black Cat asked curiously.


    ¡°One root at a time,¡± Aotian said. ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    Since the game had added so many new features, surely new maps would be opened beyond town borders after maintenance, so everyone was looking forward to them and imagining how badass they would be after they leveled up.


    Dugu Zhuo looked at Ye Zhou and asked, ¡°Will there be more main quests after this one?¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°Xiao Bao is only ten years old right now. After we level up enough, we¡¯ll be able to activate the next main quest.¡±


    ¡°But this time we were lucky to have been able to clear this quest first and win the best prizes,¡± Aotian said. ¡°Who knows who¡¯ll take the lead next time.¡±


    After completing the ¡°Find the Xuan Sword¡¯s wielder¡± task, they had earned even more experience, a full set of level 20-30 equipment, spirit stones, and silver taels. They discussed for a bit and decided to level up after the maintenance, in case some new feature was added for leveling up and they wasted it by using their experience now.


    The main quest, huh? Dugu Zhuo glanced at Ye Zhou. The first piece of Ye Zhou¡¯s soul had been hidden in the main questline. Perhaps this meant the other pieces would also be scattered within the game, in the vicinity of the main questline.


    ¡°After we pass the main quest, will other people be able to do it too?¡± Qingyue asked. ¡°The washerwoman looks so pitiful. If other people can play it, she¡¯ll have to lose her son again and again.¡±


    Aotian shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re too sentimental. She¡¯s just an NPC. A main questline should be tied to the official plot and open to every player. I don¡¯t know if things have changed in the VR game, though. After all this time, Xiao Bao hasn¡¯t respawned and the washerwoman is still eating chicken here with us. Who knows what¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    Everyone fell silent. The experience of a VR game was different from a computer game, and it felt more realistic than even a movie. They didn¡¯t want the washerwoman to have to suffer again.


    As they all fell into melancholy, a bailiff arrived at the washerwoman¡¯s house, holding an authority token from the county magistrate.


    It turned out that after Widow Yang confessed, the magistrate had sentenced her to thirty rod strokes and three years of forced labor. The beating could be avoided by paying a fee, which Widow Yang had offered her tofu workshop to make up for. The county government had given it to the washerwoman as compensation, so that she could make tofu.


    As for Widow Yang¡¯s young son, he had been sent to Tanye Temple for the monks to raise and teach him. After three years when Widow Yang¡¯s forced labor was over, she could retrieve her son, and as for whether or not he wanted to join the monastery at the time, that was no longer the yamen¡¯s business.


    The washerwoman joyously packed up her belongings to go to Widow Yang¡¯s tofu workshop. In the future, she could make a living selling tofu, and her little straw hut would sit empty from now on.


    The party watched these upheavals, seeing the washerwoman grow ten years younger in a flash, looking radiant as she prepared to make tofu.


    Qingyue said, ¡°That¡¯s two vital NPCs gone. How is anyone else supposed to do this quest now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ one-time only?¡± Aotian said. ¡°That¡¯s such a waste!¡±


    This game seemed to not value its programmers¡¯ hard work at all, treating this perfectly good questline as disposable!


    Dugu Zhuo, on the other hand, let go of his worries and watched the washerwoman who was now already the new tofu-making beauty in town, hoping that her life would continue to get better and better from here.


    Even in an illusory game, she had reached a relatively kind ending.


    As everyone remarked over the game¡¯s boldness, another announcement rang across the server. ¡°The player Pang Du Du[1] has risen to level 20, becoming the first embodied player in the game, and receiving one [Bib] as reward.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Pang Du Du was that lingzhi who had always been at the top of the leaderboard, so it made sense that he was the first to become embodied, but what kind of a reward was a bib? Just what had he transformed into?


    1. it means plump

 CH 26

    Chapter 26 ¨C Sword master


    ¡°Spirits are different from yao,¡± Dugu Zhuo explained. ¡°If a yao hasn¡¯t eaten some sort of powerful elixir that allows them to embody themselves early, they will all take the form of a young man or woman. Spirit cultivators, however, take the forms of three-year-old children. That¡¯s why you hear stories of ginseng babies and the like.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You know so many myths,¡± Aotian said.


    ¡°This didn¡¯t exist in the PC version,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Does the game company think they can abuse their players however they want because it¡¯s a VR game?¡±


    Qingyue and Black Cat shared a look and both smiled wickedly at the same time. ¡°Since we aren¡¯t doing anything, let¡¯s check out the excitement!¡±


    They all had enough experience to reach level 20, so they weren¡¯t in a rush to advance. All they had to do with their remaining time was wander around exploring the game while waiting for the maintenance, so they definitely had nothing better to do.


    Black Cat was always up to watch chaos unfold, so he charged off for Tanye Temple ahead of everyone else.


    The bailiff had said earlier that Widow Yang¡¯s son would be under the care of Tanye Temple, while the lingzhi had been taken to heal the child, so the number one leaderboard player was probably at Tanye Temple right now.


    At the moment, there was already an impenetrable crowd of people before the Tanye Temple doors which no one could force their way through, giving people flashbacks to train stations during the New Years rush.


    During the day, you were forbidden from hopping the walls of Tanye Temple too, with a martial monk standing guard and ready to kill any player who dared try with one strike of his staff.


    ¡°How do you know you¡¯ll get killed?¡± Qingyue asked Black Cat.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s happened once before¡­¡± Black Cat covered his face with one paw, feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°Things might be different now,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°Mrow?¡±


    ¡°You are now a disciple of the Tanye Temple,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Black Cat¡¯s eyes brightened, and risking the wrath of the Punishing Vajra once again, he bent his body and leapt to the top of the wall in a graceful arc. The moment his feet landed on the wall, a martial monk who had previously been surrounded by players came forth riding the wind, Buddha¡¯s light enveloping his staff. ¡°Ho! Miscreant, take this humble monk¡¯s¡ª shidi[1]?¡±


    Black Cat had already been prepared to flee, but he saw the young monk with ¡°Ho!¡± popped up over his head smile at him gently as a spring breeze, toss aside his staff, and bend over to pick him up. He smoothed down Black Cat¡¯s spiked-up fur and said amiably, ¡°There¡¯s no need for our shidi to leap the walls when he wants to return to Tanye Temple. Just show the monk at the door your rosary and someone will let you in from the side door.¡±


    Most of the players lining up outside Tanye Temple were there to see the level 20 lingzhi, since he was the first embodied player and everyone wanted to know what would happen. The line was extremely long, though, and the people in the back couldn¡¯t squeeze through.


    Upon seeing a black cat who was clearly a yao get brought inside by a warrior monk, the players started to shout, ¡°There¡¯s an exploit!¡±, and loudly protest.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wondering about for a while,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°Every time these monks hit people, a word pops up over their heads. How is it read?¡±


    ¡°Ho!¡± said Aotian.


    ¡°So the monks of Tanye Temple have been openly saying dirty words all this time, and no one cares?[2]¡± Qingyue said.


    ¡°If normal players get a little too close to each other, they¡¯ll activate the censorship software, yet the Tanye Temple monks can openly pick up players and stroke their backs, and they won¡¯t be restricted?¡± Ye Zhou said.


    Several people exclaimed, ¡°This game has a double standard between NPCs and players!¡±


    Qingyue saw that the warrior monk had vanished with Black Cat in his arms and sent him a private message. ¡°You¡¯ve got in, but what are we supposed to do now?¡±


    They quickly received a reply from Black Cat in the party chat. ¡°Mrow~ I¡¯ll open the side door for you guys.¡±


    A large temple such as Tanye Temple couldn¡¯t only have one set of doors. There was a main door for worshippers, a back entrance for hired workers, and a side gate for important guests. With the cat on their side, everyone made it to the inside of Tanye Temple with no trouble.


    Even the players who had managed to squeeze through the main doors hadn¡¯t managed to see Pang Du Du. After all, Tanye Temple was for offering incense, not sightseeing.


    Looking proud of himself, Black Cat said, ¡°I already asked Chan¡¯er-shixiong[3], and he said the lingzhi is currently throwing a tantrum inside the temple.¡±


    ¡°Chan¡¯er[4]?¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Shixiong?¡±


    ¡°I recall the monk who took the lingzhi to perform treatment was called Chanyi[5]?¡± Aotian said. ¡°I had thought it was ¡®yi¡¯ as in ¡®intention¡¯, but it was actually the number one. Are all the NPCs of Tanye Temple named this thoughtlessly?¡±


    ¡°With the way you¡¯re bragging about your shixiong, it sounds like you¡¯re asking to get your ass kicked,¡± Qingyue said.


    Joking around, the party arrived at a side building in the back courtyard, where the monks reportedly held their morning prayers. The area was a bit smaller than the main temple hall, and the door was facing east.


    Right upon entering, they could see a plump three-year-old child draped in a monk¡¯s robe and wearing a red bib, rolling around on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t care! How can I let people see me like this? How can I fight monsters? Tanye Temple needs to look after me!¡±


    Chanyi put his palms together and said to Pang Du Du, ¡°Amitabha, benefactor, this temple cannot receive female guests. Please leave as soon as possible.¡±


    Everyone sputtered in laughter. Not only had the lingzhi transformed into a three-year-old, but it was also a little girl. It was fortunate that the Tanye Temple monks had lent her a robe, otherwise it would be quite improper.


    ¡°Are you a female player?¡± Qingyue crouched down in front of the lingzhi, poking her cheeks.


    ¡°No!¡± the lingzhi said in indignation. ¡°I made this account using my sister¡¯s ID, and picked a genderless spirit character because I thought I¡¯d be able to choose the gender when I became embodied. I didn¡¯t know you would be assigned a gender according to your account!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, cough, cough, cough!¡± Aotian laughed himself into a coughing fit.


    Black Cat only calmly stroked his whiskers, but inwardly he was glad he had used a young male¡¯s identification to make his account.


    Pang Du Du grumbled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind playing a female character. It could be fun to be a pretty young maiden. But am I a pretty young maiden right now? I can¡¯t even walk properly like this, and I¡¯m expected to fight and gain experience? What will I do to gain experience?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo was the only one who wasn¡¯t laughing. He said calmly, ¡°Spirit cultivators can use wood and earth meld to move extremely quickly. A cultivator at the same level would never be able to catch one.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Is that so?¡± Pang Du Du looked enviously at Dugu Zhuo¡¯s long legs underneath his robe. ¡°Let me try it out.¡±


    He (according to his original gender, he should be called a he) did a few squats on the spot, but nothing happened. He glared at Dugu Zhuo.


    ¡°There is a warding array inside the Tanye Temple, so you will not be able to use movement techniques without Mahayana-level power,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Under Chanyi¡¯s grateful gaze, Dugu Zhuo picked up the lingzhi baby and brought him out into the Karmic Forest, while the rest of the party came along to see the action.


    The Karmic Forest was no longer as peaceful as it had been that first day. Many players had found this map, and now there were more players in here than monsters. A bunch were leaping around in the trees, waiting for the monsters to respawn.


    ¡°Try it now.¡± Dugu Zhuo tossed the lingzhi onto the ground.


    The moment he touched the ground, the lingzhi baby vanished. The next moment, he poked out his head from a bamboo stalk ten meters away.


    ¡°Woah! This is fun!¡± the lingzhi exclaimed. ¡°The earth near me looks kind of like a hologram. I don¡¯t feel any pressure at all, and can see all of you even through deep earth.¡±


    ¡°Spirits also seem like a lot of fun,¡± Aotian said excitedly. ¡°How¡¯s the speed?¡±


    The lingzhi baby dove into the bamboo again, but everyone could still hear his voice. ¡°Ridiculously fast. I checked my stats just now, and my agility¡¯s now 100. Jeez, my normal agility is just 50!¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t do this before becoming embodied?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°Nope. I could only wriggle bit by bit in the dirt.¡± The lingzhi baby appeared again at Ye Zhou¡¯s feet, and also mischievously poked his leg.


    ¡°I had thought that spirits could only be healers, but looking at this, they could be great assassins!¡± Black Cat said, sitting on the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The lingzhi baby reappeared next to Black Cat and gave his tail a pull.


    ¡°Meow! Don¡¯t get too cocky!¡± Black Cat said, his fur sticking up.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get me! You can¡¯t get me!¡± The lingzhi baby instantly moved five meters away and stuck out his tongue at Black Cat.


    ¡°He¡¯s kind of asking to get beat up,¡± Ye Zhou muttered.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s ears twitched slightly, and he formed a hand seal. Countless earth blades emerged from the dirt, forming a cage and raising the lingzhi baby up. He was stuck firmly inside the cage, and would be injured by sword aura if he touched the bars.


    Dugu Zhuo manipulated the cage to come to him and grabbed the lingzhi baby by the nape. The earth swords turned back to soft dirt and fell away.


    He handed the lingzhi to Ye Zhou. ¡°You can beat him.¡±


    Ye Zhou¡¯s face reddened for some reason and he avoided Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nevermind. He¡¯s too little, it feels kind of like child abuse. It¡¯d look bad.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. He placed the lingzhi baby before Black Cat. ¡°You can scratch him.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t look good for a grown person to hit a child, but the cat and the three-year-old looked adorable together.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± the lingzhi begged upon seeing Black Cat unsheathe his sharp claws. ¡°Dashen, you¡¯re too badass. You knew everything about my technique immediately and you used such an impressive move. I¡¯ll be your little bro¡ª little sis, so let this disobedient little brat off the hook for once, alright?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°You¡¯ve used that technique a lot of times by now. Where¡¯d you learn it?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo had used the Five Phases Swordplay three times on players, and the system had also prompted him three times to submit it. Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want to always be on server announcements, though, and instead wanted to keep a low profile and protect Ye Zhou. He had been ignoring the system all this time and never submitted the Five Phases Swordplay.


    ¡°Do you want to learn it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s such an awesome sword technique, and the special effects look so good.¡± Ye Zhou stuck out two of his fingers and made a movement like he was directing a storm of swords. ¡°It¡¯s just too cool!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo expressionlessly tossed the lingzhi baby to Aotian, ordering, ¡°Don¡¯t let him touch any dirt or vegetation.¡±


    He took out the blank jade that the system had sent him and recorded the Five Phases Swordplay within it. The people here who were familiar knew that he was about to create a new technique again and immediately held their breaths, waiting.


    The system needed to validate every new technique. If a powerful technique like this could be copied and taught to them, they would be extremely lucky.


    The Five Phases Swordplay was far more complicated than the Misdirection Array, and the system took longer to approve it this time too. They had to wait a full hour.


    By then, Aotian and the group were crouching down and idly doodling circles on the ground, and the lingzhi baby was also looking up at Dugu Zhuo, waiting for a miracle to appear.


    They waited until 6:30, which was past Ye Zhou¡¯s designated time to log off. The nurse was about to come give him his IV any moment now, and Ye Zhou was nervously pacing around Dugu Zhuo, when the system announcement finally came.


    [Notice: Dugu Zhuo has created the <Five Phases Swordplay>, which has passed verification by the system. He has gained the title ¡°Sword Master¡±.]


    [Notice: The <Five Phases Swordplay> has been classified as a high-level sword art, which can only be learned by sword cultivators.]


    [Notice: Dugu Zhuo has earned the titles ¡°Array Expert¡± and ¡°Sword Master¡±. Upon obtaining a title for footwork, he will be able to create his own sect and take in players or NPCs as disciples.]


    The string of announcements spooked all the players in the game, and in a moment everyone was asking the same question: ¡°Just who is this Dugu Zhuo?¡±


    1. younger martial brother. you can refer to this resource


    2. ahahah i couldn¡¯t resist the joke


    originally what the monks said was äÆ gan. this is commonly used to censor the word ¸É which it is pronounced the same as.


    ¸É means do or, colloquially, fuck


    3. older marital brother


    4. ìø zen ¶þ two


    5. ìø zen Ò» one

 CH 27

    Chapter 27 ¨C Lingzhi joins


    The players had been stirred into a frenzy by the server announcement. No one paid any more mind to the first level 20 player and the strange [Bib] item he had received, everyone discussing Dugu Zhuo in the world chat. Seeing a wall of writing suddenly appear before their eyes, the group members rushed to close their world chat panels.


    Dugu Zhuo had already closed it, and didn¡¯t pay any mind to the system announcement, focusing on the information in his jade slip¡ª


    Name: Five Phases Swordplay


    Grade: High-class sword art


    Requirements to Learn: Level 30 or above, must be a sword cultivator with experience in the sword (the higher the experience level, the higher the success rate)


    Special Conditions: Metal-affiliated mythics may learn this technique without restrictions


    Replication Limit: 10 times


    Notice: Disciples who have reached a familiarity value of 100 may replicate this technique up to 3 times


    Everyone¡¯s attention was particularly drawn to the last note. This meant that if Dugu Zhuo passed down this sword technique to Ye Zhou, after Ye Zhou had used the technique many times and gained enough familiarity with it, he would then be able to copy it three more times and give it away in transactions with other people.


    Meanwhile, the ¡°Array Expert¡± title had also been explained. Since the system would rank arrays, sword techniques, and such by Low, Middle, High, and Ultimate-class, there were corresponding titles of Array Adept, Array Expert, Array Master, and Array Grandmaster, as well as Sword Adept, Sword Expert, Sword Master, and Sword Grandmaster.


    The title could have an effect on the replication limit. For example, if Dugu Zhuo later gained the Sword Grandmaster title, the replication limit of the Five Phases Swordplay would be increased to 30 times. Each of his students would still be able to replicate it three times, for a total of 90.


    And as for opening his own sect? Dugu Zhuo had never held those kinds of ambitions, and he thought there was no particular need for it.


    The whole party stared at Dugu Zhuo in tense anticipation, each hoping Dugu Zhuo could pass down the sword technique to them. They would be willing to pay¡ªhe only needed to name a price!


    ¡°Is this Dugu Zhuo fucking using a cheat engine?¡± They suddenly heard a voice ring out, belonging to some other player in the Karmic Forest.


    The downside of names not being displayed was how it was practically impossible to tell between a player and an NPC, but as an upside, now that every player was searching for Dugu Zhuo, Dugu Zhuo could pass right before their eyes without anyone recognizing him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± another player said. ¡°How can he create both an array and a sword technique? Who is he, a dev?¡±


    ¡°Even if he¡¯s the heir of a renowned martial arts lineage and the world martial arts champion, this is a cultivation game. Could he also be the heir to a line of practicing Daoists?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another option, that he writes novels, hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cheat engine, I¡¯m sure of it! I¡¯m logging off to report him right now.¡±


    ¡°You need his in-game ID to file a report. Can you find him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too worked up. Even if he¡¯s super impressive and can make his own techniques, there¡¯s no way they can match up to the game¡¯s original techniques. He only stands out right now because everyone¡¯s low level. After the maintenance, when new maps unlock and players can find masters to study under, we¡¯ll be able to surpass him.¡±


    ¡°¡®Start his own sect¡¯? Even if he does, who would want to join? The monsters have respawned. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s focus on grinding right now.¡±


    As all the players in the Karmic Forest started to discuss idly, the party members huddled into themselves and didn¡¯t dare make a sound. When all the conversations had finally moved on, Black Cat said quietly, ¡°Should I¡­ find my shixiong and ask him for an isolated room in the temple to discuss?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so quiet,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°If we chat in the party channel, no one will be able to hear.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you saying ¡®shixiong¡¯ with a bit too much familiarity?¡± Aotian said.


    Following after Dugu Zhuo, who held himself ramrod-straight, the group tiptoed toward the entrance to the Karmic Forest like they had committed a crime.


    ¡°Hey, over there!¡± a player called toward Long @ Aotian.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up?¡± Aotian answered, feeling guilty.


    ¡°The fat baby you¡¯re carrying there wouldn¡¯t happen to be the game¡¯s first level 20 player, would it?¡± the player asked. ¡°I heard that he turned into a three-year-old little brat.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, this is¡­ an item in the game. It¡¯s fake, heheh.¡±


    Aotian gave the lingzhi baby a few shakes to demonstrate, while the lingzhi baby played dead with his eyes open, not daring to even twitch.


    The player turned away, looking doubtful, and everyone rushed toward the transport array. With Black Cat¡¯s cuteness as their ticket, they finally returned to a location forbidden to normal players.


    Throughout this progression, Ye Zhou had wanted to say something, but Dugu Zhuo gripped his hand and said, ¡°Just wait half a ke¡ªno, ten minutes¡ªfor me.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s wide sleeves hid their linked hands. Ye Zhou hesitated for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Ten minutes is fine.¡±


    In the side hall, Dugu Zhuo told everyone the replication limit and prerequisites of the Five Phases Swordplay. No one cared much about the prerequisites, as rising to level 30 would only be a matter of time. The real problem was the replication limit of ten times. That made the situation entirely different from the Misdirection Array with its limit of 100.


    The lingzhi baby, who had personally experienced the fearsomeness of the Five Phases Swordplay, felt it might be stronger than any other technique within the game. He wanted it badly, yet covered his face and said, ¡°A limit of ten times. I¡¯ll never be able to afford it.¡±


    Aotian, Qingyue, and Black Cat all considered themselves close with Dugu Zhuo, but they didn¡¯t dare say anything.


    Ye Zhou had plenty of money. He wanted to say, ¡®name your price¡¯, but looking into Dugu Zhuo¡¯s eyes, he was unable to say anything.


    He faintly sensed that if he were to discuss money with Dugu Zhuo, the other man would be very hurt.


    ¡°At the moment, the only one who can learn the Five Phases Swordplay is Ye Zhou,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Bian Zhou only level 17?¡± the party chorused.


    Dugu Zhuo knew that even if he secretly handed the technique to Ye Zhou, in the future, the rest of the party would be able to tell, yet he also didn¡¯t want to reveal Ye Zhou¡¯s mythic identity, so he thought up an excuse off the cuff. ¡°Since I¡¯ve formed a blood oath with Ye Zhou, the system has assigned us a master and disciple relationship, thus I can pass the technique on to him.¡±


    After saying this, Dugu Zhuo handed a copy of the jade slip to Ye Zhou without any reservations.


    ¡°Take it,¡± he said. ¡°You just have to remember to give me a share if you find anything good in the future.¡±


    Ye Zhou finally accepted the jade slip, quickly scanning the information on it, and found that there was no mention that it could be transferred through a master-disciple relationship, though it did say that metal-affiliated mythics could learn it without requirements. He licked his slightly dry lips and felt his heart rate rise again.


    Dugu Zhuo had all his attention fixed on Ye Zhou¡¯s reaction. Seeing that Ye Zhou seemed to like it, he let a corner of his mouth curve in satisfaction. He turned to the rest of the group, about to cleverly talk them over, but when he turned his head, he was faced with three fingers and a cat paw offered to him.


    ¡°Zhuo-shen[1],¡± they all said, ¡°wanna form a blood oath? If you don¡¯t take money, we¡¯ll be your servants.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo replied, courteously but coldly, ¡°Ye Zhou and I know one another in private, so we formed a blood oath immediately upon entering the game.¡±


    The implication being, ¡®I don¡¯t particularly want to form a blood bond with you.¡¯


    Seeing everyone¡¯s despondent expressions, Dugu Zhuo reassured, ¡°We don¡¯t know yet what new sects or techniques will be introduced to the future game. Don¡¯t you feel it would be a shame to lock yourselves into becoming sword cultivators so early?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°I actually wanted to join a sect where I could make myself even prettier.¡±


    Hearing her words, everyone else wavered as well.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to offer money either,¡± Dugu Zhuo continued. ¡°I don¡¯t care about money. If we get along with each other and it¡¯s a suitable technique, of course I would be willing to give it to you.¡±


    Aotian showed an envious expression on his face. ¡°I sure would like to be able to say that I don¡¯t care about money.¡±


    No one suspected Dugu Zhuo of not having money. He exuded an aura of affluence, always appearing isolated and lofty and standing out from the masses. If Dugu Zhuo said he had money, then of course he had money.


    Surprisingly, these few words satisfied his fellow party members, and none of them held any resentment.


    After all, they had all witnessed Xiao Bao¡¯s past and saved the washerwoman together. Dugu Zhuo had now developed some faint goodwill toward them. He didn¡¯t want to have a falling-out with them, or for any of them to become jealous of Ye Zhou.


    He supposed that if he cared about Ye Zhou, he would have to care about his friends too.


    Ten minutes had gone by in the blink of an eye and Ye Zhou really couldn¡¯t stay longer. He said his farewells to everyone and arranged to meet at 9 am the next morning to explore the new maps together, then signed off.


    After he left, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s gaze grew colder, as he glanced over to the one outsider present, the lingzhi.


    The lingzhi baby¡¯s heart jumped in his chest as he abruptly realized that despite not being a member of this party, he had discovered Dugu Zhuo¡¯s identity. All of a sudden, he felt like a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves.


    The lingzhi baby immediately bent his little legs which looked chunky like lotus root. It was hard to tell whether he was sitting or kneeling. ¡°Zhuo-shen, I¡¯m playing this game by myself and I don¡¯t have a party. I really wanted to join some sort of powerful group, so¡­ do you suppose I could defect to you?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo had more than enough techniques to bind someone¡¯s soul and prevent them from saying something, but what good would those do? Even if they couldn¡¯t say something in the game, they could log off and go post it on the forums.


    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Dugu Zhuo had no way to control this player.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about my identity being exposed,¡± Dugu Zhuo said calmly. ¡°It would just cause some minor inconvenience. Do you think other players could actually pose any sort of problem to me? And the Five Phases Swordplay is nothing. In the future, I know I can create even more techniques of my own.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the lingzhi said, gaping.


    Dugu Zhuo gave Aotian a detached look, and Aotian immediately spoke up like a proper lackey, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Zhuo-shen already gifted the Misdirection Array he first created to this entire party. Even the cat has it.¡±


    Black Cat tried to raise his head proudly, but halfway there he realized that this wasn¡¯t much to be proud of. He maintained his head in a half-raised pose, though his neck started to ache.


    ¡°Is he really that generous?¡± the lingzhi said, unable to believe his ears.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Aotian said. ¡°He was also the one who found the first main quest. Ahh, thinking about it now, after seeing that stunning scene in the bamboo forest, choosing to follow him was my wisest decision in my entire gaming career. This is the real way to play a xianxia game! It feels great!¡±


    Aotian made a perfect supporting actor and, in a moment, the lingzhi¡¯s thoughts had shifted from ¡°I¡¯ll join if Dugu Zhuo gives me something¡± to ¡°it would be my loss to miss this chance to join Dugu Zhuo¡¯s team¡±.


    ¡°Th¡ªthen¡ª I¡¯m the number one player on the leaderboard. Would you consider me for your sect in the future?¡± the lingzhi said enthusiastically.


    ¡°That would depend on your aptitudes,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    The lingzhi baby immediately started rattling off his qualifications. ¡°I can heal and also move instantaneously! With a spirit in your party, you¡¯ll be closer to creating a union of all the races!¡±


    ¡°That sounds acceptable,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°If in the future, the game adds gangs or other ways of forming groups, there will be a place for you.¡±


    The lingzhi was overwhelmed with gratitude.


    ¡°If you perform well, this Misdirection Array can also be given to you in the future,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°The moment the game finishes maintenance, I¡¯ll show you the true power of a spirit!¡± the lingzhi said, clapping his own chest.


    Qingyue: ¡°¡­¡±


    Speechless, she could only give Dugu Zhuo and Aotian a thumbs-up. That was really something, converting the number one leaderboard player into an underling so quickly.1. shen Éñ is god

 CH 28

    Chapter 28 ¨C Level twenty


    After Ye Zhou received his usual IV and massage, he lay in his room, listening to soothing music in order to relax his mind. He needed to allow his brain to rest as quickly as possible, and not allow his gaming to affect his quality of sleep.


    After listening to music for a while, Ye Zhou¡¯s stomach gurgled, but he didn¡¯t pay it any mind.


    In a little while, his stomach made several noises in a row. Ye Zhou frowned. It couldn¡¯t be that he was hungry?


    Thinking about the word ¡®hungry¡¯, Ye Zhou¡¯s appetite suddenly surged up like the tide. He found he really, really wanted to eat something.


    His appetite had always been poor, and very rarely did this happen to him.


    It¡­ would be fine if he ate a little bit, right?


    With the controls on his automatic wheelchair, he came to the elevator and rode it down to the kitchen on the first floor. There wasn¡¯t any prepared food in the kitchen. He found a cucumber and a tomato and started munching on them contentedly.


    After eating them, he felt no discomfort in his stomach, and instead only got hungrier.


    Ye Zhou dug out the egg fryer and cooked himself a fried egg sizzling with oil. When he was about to eat it, the housekeeper found him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she said in shock.


    Ye Zhou could only eat liquid food and could never eat anything at night. This fried egg covered with grease would give him a stomachache for the whole night.


    Seeing someone discover him, Ye Zhou stuffed the whole fried egg in his mouth. It was still a bit too hot, but as long as he ate it fast, no one would steal food out of his mouth.


    The housekeeper knew that she couldn¡¯t dissuade Ye Zhou, and she couldn¡¯t take away food that was already eaten either, so she immediately gave a call to Ye Zhou¡¯s driver, and a group of people rushed Ye Zhou to the hospital.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± Ye Zhou said helplessly. He had an inexplicable feeling that he wouldn¡¯t have any problem with eating this food.


    He was sent to the emergency room and given an urgent check-up, but all the results turned out normal with no sign of any disorders. His digestive system was functioning just like an ordinary person¡¯s, digesting food without issue. Because he had gone too long without eating normal meals, his digestive system was weaker than normal, but he would only have to eat smaller meals more often as it strengthened.


    After a lot of hustle and bustle, Ye Zhou was back home and lying on his own bed, still feeling a bit of disbelief. It seemed like his body really was improving little by little.


    As Ye Zhou slept soundly, all the players of Nine Heavens had already gone offline, leaving Dugu Zhuo alone within the vast game world.


    As the programmers began to verify the game data, the environment around Dugu Zhuo kept changing erratically.


    At nightfall, the game hadn¡¯t undergone maintenance yet, so the town had become a den of demons again. Human and spirit players couldn¡¯t linger, so they went offline as soon as they could.


    Black Cat stuck around for a while, saying he wanted to try cultivating by moonlight again. He rolled around under the moonlight for a bit, and after confirming that he couldn¡¯t gain a single point of experience, signed off.


    The demons, ghosts, and yao didn¡¯t go on a rampage like they had the previous night. After taking a stroll around town, they gradually moved to the Eternal Night District.


    Qingyue and Aotian¡¯s friend, the willow tree yao, took the chance to steal the essences of a few human players who hadn¡¯t logged off yet and earn a few more Sin Points before moving along to the Eternal Night District as well.


    Tonight, the game world was peaceful, but the forums were abuzz.


    The players who couldn¡¯t be online were all expressing their opinions in various threads, some insulting the game company, some making guides to the different races, and even some posting advertisements offering their services for grinding or selling in-game items.


    Dugu Zhuo went to see the washerwoman at her tofu workshop. Her appearance was shifting slightly, as it seemed the system was making adjustments to NPCs.


    Seeing her complexion healthy and her face radiant, Dugu Zhuo, despite knowing clearly that she was an NPC, couldn¡¯t help but feel reassured anyway.


    He headed to the Tanye Temple again and used a pinch of Black Cat¡¯s fur to gain entry through the side door. He walked into the main hall and saw the old monk tapping on a wooden fish again.


    ¡°Great master,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°I had thought I was walking the road to my end, but I never could¡¯ve imagined that after the end, there would be a new beginning.¡±


    He had found Ye Zhou, discovered clues that might lead to finding the fragments of Ye Zhou¡¯s soul, regained the Earthly Soul he had lost, and realized the love his mother had felt for him at the moments before her death. Each of these things warmed up his heart which he felt had been abandoned by the world.


    The old monk seemed not to hear his words, but Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t mind. He just wanted a target to express his thoughts to.


    ¡°Unfortunately, some things that were ordained by fate can¡¯t be changed.¡± Dugu Zhuo¡¯s expression dulled again.


    Perhaps, at the conclusion of the first main quest, his mother had really used the power of Ye Zhou¡¯s soul fragment to come visit him for a moment and resolve lingering attachments, but someone who was already gone couldn¡¯t come back to life. In the end, she would always have died in suffering.


    ¡°Amitabha. Sir Dugu, we Buddhists cultivate the next life.¡± The old monk set down the wooden fish and spoke to Dugu Zhuo.


    Dugu Zhuo had already gotten used to NPCs occasionally turning into people from his original world. Previously, he¡¯d had to mention words like ¡°Pillar of Heaven¡± and ¡°twin swords of creation¡± in order for the NPCs to change, but it seemed that was no longer needed.


    Looking at Grandmaster Tanji before him, Dugu Zhuo faintly had a feeling that these people kept appearing because of his own desires.


    The first time Grandmaster Tanji had appeared, Dugu Zhuo wished to confirm his own identity and know whether this game world was connected to his own. Thus, Tanji had woken up in the healing booth monk¡¯s body.


    The second time, he had been struggling with doubts and wanted an answer, thus when he asked a question, Tanji showed up.


    The third time, when Jiao Yan appeared at Cheng Huang Temple, Dugu Zhuo must¡¯ve desperately wanted to know about his own past, and thus awakened someone with connections to it in that NPC¡¯s body.


    And this time, in a vacant video game and unsure of his next steps, Dugu Zhuo had wanted guidance.


    Grandmaster Tanji put his hands together and greeted him. ¡°Sir Dugu, we meet again.¡±


    ¡°Great master, what did you just mean by the next life?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°This old monk had a dream,¡± Grandmaster Tanji said. ¡°In it, Sir Dugu had some misunderstandings with his mother and they both discovered they held lingering regrets. With the help of Elder Ye Zhou, they were able to resolve them.¡±


    ¡°What kind of dream?¡± At this point, Dugu Zhuo was able to calmly speak with this great monk.


    ¡°In the dream, I was an old monk who could only tap a wooden fish and guide Sir Dugu to reuniting with his mother. I don¡¯t remember what Elder Ye Zhou did. All I know is that he was in the dream.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°What meaning is there in resolving a misunderstanding after someone has already died?¡±


    ¡°Naturally there is meaning. After your mother passed away bearing resentment, her soul would be unwilling to enter reincarnation, and eventually it would be destroyed. With lingering attachments in her heart, even if she was forced to reincarnate, she would still carry resentment into her next life, which would bring about new tragedies. Now, she has said the words she had wanted to say to you, and has successfully entered reincarnation. She will surely have a fortunate next life, and her pain will stop here.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo let out a small scoff. ¡°Aren¡¯t teachings of the next life a way for monks to con new disciples?¡±


    ¡°If you believe in it, then it shall be, but if you don¡¯t, it cannot possibly be,¡± said Tanji.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°At least, after hearing you say this, I¡¯m in a better mood.¡±


    Seeing Dugu Zhuo¡¯s frown fade, Tanji felt gratified and thought back to the things that had been happening lately in his world. He said, ¡°Last time, this monk had discussed with Sir Dugu over splitting the world. A little over a month has now passed since then, and lately, changes have been seen in the Netherworld.¡±


    ¡°What kinds of changes?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps because of the destruction of the Pillar of Heaven, an entrance has appeared to the Netherworld which originally was supposed to be separate from the human realm. This entrance is strange, though, shrouded in the mists of the Canglan mountains. Yao, demons, and ghosts can enter but not easily exit, while humans and spirits can exit, but not enter. The yao that had been troubling this old monk earlier have mostly been drawn to the Netherworld, while the few stubborn remaining ones were sent on by this monk¡¯s disciple.¡±


    ¡°The Eternal Night District¡­¡± Dugu Zhuo muttered.


    ¡°Indeed. The Netherworld certainly is a place of eternal night, and with the mists of the Canglan mountains enveloping it, no sunlight can pass though. The Eternal Night Realm is a good name.¡±


    ¡°Is there a region of eternal day?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± the old monk said. ¡°After all, this isn¡¯t the primordial age when ten suns hung in the sky, so how could there be eternal day?¡±


    It seemed there were points of similarity between the game world and his own world, but each had their own differences. It was almost like there was some sort of force which borrowed energy from the game world to gradually make changes to his own world.


    ¡°The twin swords of creation are both destroyed, so who could¡¯ve been able to control the world barrier at the Canglan mountains to split off the Netherworld?¡± Grandmaster Tanji shook his head. ¡°Speaking of which, the Netherworld is the home of ghosts, and while demons can carve a place in there with their strength, it is difficult for yao to find sanctuary, and spirits shouldn¡¯t just continue to mingle with the human race either¡­¡±


    Dugu Zhuo stared at Grandmaster Tanji for a bit, then interrupted him. ¡°Great master, you¡¯re almost like an NPC assigning me tasks.¡±


    ¡°Just what is an En Pee See?¡± Grandmaster Tanji asked, looking curious.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡±


    Setting aside his curiosity, Grandmaster Tanji gave him an amiable smile.


    Reciting ¡°Amitabha¡± one more time, Grandmaster Tanji turned back into the old NPC monk.


    Dugu Zhuo also turned to the outside, out of habit. The sun was up, and the maintenance had finished.


    Without him being aware of it, the time was now almost Sishi and Ye Zhou would be on soon. Dugu Zhuo went to the side room where they had bid farewell last night to wait for him.


    His timing was perfect, and Ye Zhou entered the game right when Dugu Zhuo got to the room. The first thing he saw was Dugu Zhuo, and, full of vigor, he bounded to Dugu Zhuo¡¯s side, gave him a high-five, and told him ¡°Good morning!¡± in a bright voice.


    Seeing his smile brightened Dugu Zhuo¡¯s mood as well. ¡°Good morning. You look well today.¡±


    ¡°Of course! I stuffed myself this morning!¡± Ye Zhou patted his stomach contentedly. ¡°Steamed buns are one of the greatest foods in the world. I haven¡¯t eaten a meat bun in years.¡±


    ¡°Your appetite has improved?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°Yeah. All of a sudden, I can keep meals down.¡± Ye Zhou hopped up onto a roof beam and sat on it, swinging his legs cheerfully. ¡°As long as a person can eat, he¡¯ll think there¡¯s still hope for life.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo hopped up after him and sat by Ye Zhou¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯ll continue to get better and better in the future,¡± he said gently.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hope for that much.¡± Ye Zhou, still unable to stop his good mood, bumped Dugu Zhuo with his shoulder.


    Dugu Zhuo lightly stroked Ye Zhou¡¯s long hair and said, ¡°You will get better.¡±


    Ye Zhou¡¯s heart started jumping around wildly again. He hopped down from the beam and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m going to check out how the game has changed after maintenance.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s side felt empty. As long as he could see Ye Zhou, though, he felt satisfied, so he leapt down after Ye Zhou and followed him to explore the game.


    The biggest change was that at every location where quests were given, there was now another NPC at the door. Tanye Temple also had a new greeter monk in front of the place where incense was offered, and any players who wanted to complete the incense offering task would only need to tap him to open a dialogue box which read, ¡°Benefactor, choose which temple hall to go to¡±, followed by ¡°Hall 1 (Full)¡±, ¡°Hall 2 (Full)¡± and ¡°Hall 3 (Available)¡±. As soon as one became full, a new choice would appear immediately, so players would no longer need to squeeze and line up.


    The Karmic Forest was the same, and when you were transported in, you would see a dialogue box saying ¡°Karmic Forest 1 is overfull and the Karmic Beasts have no place to hide. Would you like to enter Karmic Forest 2/3/4/5¡±, and so on.


    Other overcrowded locations had also received this update.


    The game company called this update the ¡°Myriad Worlds¡±. The server capacity had been expanded indefinitely and a single server could hold any number of players.


    Also because of this change, Nine Heavens had decided to not open up any new servers for the time being. All players would play on one server, creating a rich and bustling cultivation world.


    As the duo strolled through Tanye Temple, they ran into Black Cat and Lingzhi who had just logged on, and the four set off for the new Eternal Day and Night Districts which most players were curious about.


    Zhulong Town had already changed its name to Penglai Town. Two boulders had appeared at the northernmost point of town, one white, one black, both shrouded by mysterious mist.


    One could lightly knock on the white stone three times to be transported to the Eternal Day District, and on the black stone to enter the Eternal Night District.


    Aotian and Qingyue were on by now too, currently sight-seeing in the Eternal Day District. It was an ordinary small village where the descendants of a sun-worshipping clan lived. The town was bathed in sunlight year-round and had an abundance of tasks for gaining experience and training spots. Players could go to the mountain forests to hunt wild boars, birds, or other small animals for experience.


    Qingyue had asked her friend Xiaoyao, who reported that the Eternal Night District was a piece of the Netherworld, and all the residents were quite strange as well. Timid players would be really opposed to selecting the Eternal Night District, but of course it was a paradise for horror-lovers.


    The Eternal Night District also had places to train. Many beasts dwelled within the river of the Netherworld, so they could fight mobs for experience.


    The little town now truly returned to peace and quiet, becoming a transitional place. Before level 20, players of the Eternal Day District could visit the small town during the day, and the players of the Eternal Night District at night.


    The mist that had surrounded the town was now a perimeter wall which opened to the east and south, allowing players level 10 and up to leave. However, the players who were eager to leave the town the moment they hit level 10 would all die and return within five minutes. It was said that there were robbers and bandits and bestial yaos outside the walls, and anyone trying to leave while under level 20 was guaranteed to die.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to reach level 20 either. As hard as the players tried, they all became stuck at level 19.


    Without completing the max level instances in either the Eternal Day or Eternal Night District, or completing a special task like the lingzhi or Dugu Zhuo¡¯s party, they would not be able to advance.


    The party had no level limit and sufficient experience points saved up, and the game¡¯s maintenance had finished, so they all leveled up together.


    With each level-up, a player¡¯s body would be enveloped by a glorious halo, and after it faded, their appearance would change slightly.


    After three consecutive level-ups, Qingyue looked much more beautiful than before. She had unreservedly assigned all her stat points to appearance. She also twirled like she was in the middle of a transformation sequence and instantly changed her clothes to the new ones she had received from the game.


    She wore a buttercup-yellow dress, jade hairpins decorated with pearls, topaz bracelets, and a pure white storage belt, further enhancing her beauty.


    Meanwhile, Ye Zhou rose in height significantly, his stature changing from that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth to a young man. His height reached 1.8 meters, his facial features developing as well.


    He had put on his level 20 equipment, a set of white robes as pure as the snow on a lofty peak, so bright it seemed it would hurt one¡¯s eyes to look directly at.


    Staring at Ye Zhou, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s mind was blank for a while.

 CH 29

    Chapter 29 ¨C Joining sects


    As Dugu Zhuo watched Ye Zhou, Ye Zhou was also subtly observing him.


    Ye Zhou was less obvious about it than Dugu Zhuo. Pretending to examine all his friends¡¯ new outfits, he stole a look at Dugu Zhuo, trying to act nonchalant.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s level 20 equipment was an azure blue robe, made of soft materials which accentuated the shape of his already perfect body. His hair reached his waist like a waterfall, tied simply with a pendant at his head to prevent the wind from blowing the lush strands into disarray.


    Everyone else¡¯s appearance had changed, greatly or not, but only Dugu Zhuo remained the same, with the exceptional handsomeness that made him stand out from all other players.


    Ye Zhou had been a head shorter than Dugu Zhuo, but after leveling up, his height had risen dramatically and was now within half a head of him. He didn¡¯t know if it was because his viewing angle was now different, but Dugu Zhuo¡¯s aura seemed even more otherworldly after leveling up. Previously, he might have felt a bit approachable, but now he was as if a fine sword drawn from its sheath, straight and sharp, causing people to be drawn by the edge, yet unable to look directly at that unbearably keen light.


    Aotian, who was completely plain and unremarkable after leveling up, stole Qingyue¡¯s mirror and looked himself over from all angles. ¡°My appearance is improving by leaps and bounds,¡± he said with satisfaction.


    Qingyue grabbed back her mirror without expression. ¡°Aside from the five free attractiveness points you¡¯ve gained, your appearance hasn¡¯t changed at all. Sometimes I don¡¯t know where your self-confidence comes from.¡±


    ¡°More like you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking at,¡± Aotian countered. ¡°Plus no one¡¯s changed that much, so the difference is basically huge with me.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s. Changed. That. Much?¡± Qingyue said, incensed. ¡°Clean your eyes and take another look at these three radiantly and diversely handsome brothers!¡±


    She pointed a finger. ¡°Firstly, Jet Black. Observe his gleaming black hair, those eyes that retain a hint of wildness, those long eyelashes and that elegant jawline. Add on his tall and slim build, the gracefulness of a cat in his steps, and the appeal of his twelve-to-thirteen-year-old appearance. Keep it up, my young cat!¡±


    She shifted her finger, pointing toward Ye Zhou. ¡°And now for this gentleman, transforming from a teenager to a young adult, retaining a hint of youthfulness within his maturity, his presence shining and upright, his simply tied long hair revealing a sword cultivator¡¯s carefree attitude. There¡¯s still room to improve for you.¡±


    Finally, Qingyue swept both her hands in a dramatic posture to show off Dugu Zhuo. ¡°And as for him, this is an emperor newly ascended to the throne, though youthful, already displaying the dignity of a ruler. His appearance hasn¡¯t changed much, true, but the aura that suffuses his whole body makes it practically impossible for people to look directly at him. Previously, our first impression upon seeing him was: hottie! But now, my first impression is: Great God, please carry me!¡±


    Qingyue¡¯s florid descriptions made Ye Zhou feel awkward, and he had wanted to interrupt her several times, but he also really wanted to hear what she would say about Dugu Zhuo, so managed to hold himself back.


    ¡°After seeing these three differently-handsome guys, take another look at yourself¡ª¡± In the middle of attacking Aotian¡¯s ego, Qingyue suddenly felt someone tug at her skirt, and looking down, she found a tiny child looking up at her. She patted the lingzhi on the head. ¡°I¡¯ll compliment you after you grow up into a beauty.¡±


    Aotian, who had previously been pretty self-satisfied with his changes in appearance, now looked stunned. Ignoring Qingyue, he turned to Dugu Zhuo and asked, ¡°Zhuo-shen, we¡¯re all already level 20, so do we need to go check out the level 20 instance? The first clearance is still up for grabs.¡±


    For anyone who wanted to reach level 20, this instance was a must-do, but now that they were already there, they could treat it very casually.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Dugu Zhuo replied.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen what an instance is like in VR,¡± Aotian said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty intrigued about the first instance released in this game.¡±


    ¡°Level 20 is equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage of a cultivator, thus the level 20 instance in the Eternal Day District must be something related to a heavenly tribulation or inner demon trial. The one for the Eternal Night District should be a trial of heavenly lightning,¡± Dugu Zhuo speculated.


    The more he understood about this game world, the more accurate his conjectures grew, and by now, all his party members had full confidence in him.


    ¡°But there¡¯ll be good rewards for clearing it first,¡± Aotian said, unwilling to give up.


    ¡°You can stay behind and find a party to do the instance with,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°I want to find the next main quest sooner.¡±


    Hearing of the main quest, Aotian¡¯s expression changed instantly. ¡°Right, right, right! We can play an instance anytime, and who cares if we don¡¯t get the first clearance, but the main quest is one-time-only and we won¡¯t ever be able to experience it if we miss the chance. The main questline is the bigger priority.


    ¡°I assume the main questline will follow Xiao Bao, or in other words, the Qingtian Sect,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°So we need to hurry up and leave the starting town to discover new maps.¡±


    Everyone else nodded in assent, so Dugu Zhuo added the lingzhi to the party as well.


    The maximum number of players in a party was six, so they were now full. Leading the party, Dugu Zhuo departed the little town.


    After strolling for a while, Black Cat thought his human form wasn¡¯t as convenient as his animal form, so turned back into a little cat, walking on rooftops and people¡¯s heads. Lingzhi swam about under the ground, much faster than the rest of the party, so he often had to stop and wait for the rest.


    They were all already Foundation Establishment stage and according to Dugu Zhuo¡¯s prior knowledge, they should now be able to fly on magic artifacts. However, the players only had their own personal power at this point, without orthodox teachings from any sect. They didn¡¯t know how to fly and could only run a bit faster now.


    Dugu Zhuo could use sword flight, and he had also gotten a sword with the level 20-30 equipment the game had given him. Though the Xuan Sword was broken, the ordinary sword he had received was still sufficient.


    However, since the rest of the party couldn¡¯t fly, Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want to stand out. He still had no way to explain his successive creation of an array and sword form to his party members. Fortunately, everyone else just thought he had secret knowledge of the game and didn¡¯t want to casually ask about it, so Dugu Zhuo was saved from having to come up with a lie for now.


    If he used sword flight right now, everyone would probably find it suspicious.


    Dugu Zhuo could only hold himself back and use Lightness Art to move forward along with his friends. At least, the scenery wasn¡¯t bad on their journey, so he still had a good time appreciating the landscape with Ye Zhou.


    Ye Zhou gazed at a faraway mountain, his expression one of fulfillment. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to travel, but there were always complications. I¡¯ve only been able to see most scenery on TV, so it¡¯s kind of nice to be able to see tall mountains and wide rivers in this game.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty of mountains and forests,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°I want to see the ocean.¡±


    Ye Zhou nodded. ¡°Me too. Who knows how wide the ocean will be.¡±


    ¡°The kunpeng[1] dwells in the Northern Ocean, and after subjugating it, one can ride it to the top of the heavens, or the depths of the sea,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°If you like the ocean, someday, when we¡¯re higher level, we can go to the Northern Ocean to search for the kunpeng.¡±


    Ye Zhou took his words as a joke. ¡°How could this game have a Northern Ocean map? It wasn¡¯t in the PC game, and of course there wasn¡¯t a kunpeng either. There was a sea, but I don¡¯t know if this game will include it.¡±


    As everyone walked along and chatted good-naturedly, Dugu Zhuo also cherished this opportunity to spend some uncomplicated time together.


    Unfortunately, this was a game, so how could it let players take a journey without any complications? Once in a while, it would spawn a group of bandits.


    The bandits on the route were all level 20 and would pop up now and again, so it was no wonder that those overly hasty players who left town before level 20 would all come crawling back and start grinding with a fury.


    For a fully level 20 party of six, however, these bandits only amounted to experience.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t need to act, as the rest of the party could send the bandits fleeing with just normal attacks.


    When Black Cat unleashed his Beguile ability, he could have the entire gang of bandits mesmerized as if they had seen some legendary beauty. After that, Ye Zhou only needed to use the Earth Sword of the Five Phases Swordplay once, then leave Qingyue and Aotian to mop up the stragglers.


    Lingzhi had originally been ready to use his healing techniques, but it turned out the party never gave him a chance, and finished every battle without losing any health.


    After finishing off an encounter so quickly, Aotian said, still unsatisfied, ¡°It¡¯d be better if we knew arrays. We¡¯d be able to kill even more at once.¡±


    As everyone chatted and joked while fighting mobs and gaining experience, they finally arrived at the closest city to Penglai Town¡ªJiuchuan[2] City. Based on the PC version, Jiuchuan City should have NPCs who would give players introductions to different sects.


    Seeing the tall city walls, Aotian said, ¡°We¡¯re finally here. Back in the PC version, we could¡¯ve made this journey in a minute, but here in VR, we had to spend an hour walking. The players¡¯ time is worthless to this game.¡±


    ¡°We had an enjoyable journey, though,¡± Qingyue said. ¡°We got to take a trip for free. In real life, we would¡¯ve had to spend money to see these sights.¡±


    ¡°At the beginning, players would be willing to make the trip for the scenery, but after a while, it would become unbearable,¡± Ye Zhou said.


    ¡°By Nascent Soul stage, one will be able to ride a sword and cross the land in a second,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°Like always, we gotta gain levels. Sects, here I come!¡± said Black Cat, rubbing his hands together while looking at the gates to Jiuchuan City.


    Jiuchuan City was modeled after the Chang¡¯an capital, a rectangular city with high walls and a moat surrounding it. Guards stood outside the city gates, and one could only enter by providing a travel pass.


    When a player reached level 20, they were automatically provided with a travel pass and encouraged to travel freely within the game.


    They entered the city without trouble, and Ye Zhou and Aotian followed their knowledge of the PC edition to a teahouse, where they found the NPC who would introduce them to sects.


    It looked like the game didn¡¯t intend to bottleneck players on finding sects, and after the NPC saw their travel passes, he enthusiastically said, ¡°So you young heroes have connections to the Qingtian Sect. Please sit.¡±


    Upon hearing ¡°Qingtian Sect¡±, the party immediately perked up. ¡°How come we have connections to the Qingtian Sect?¡± Aotian asked.


    ¡°Your travel passes have the seal of the Qingtian Sect on them, though this¡­ small hero, Pang Du Du, has Tanye Temple¡¯s seal. Tanye Temple is a major Buddhist temple. Unless you had the recommendations of major sects on your passes, I wouldn¡¯t be telling ordinary people about matters of the sects,¡± said the introduction NPC.


    ¡°Looks like the seals on our passes have to do with how we reached level 20,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°We used the main quest, so we¡¯re connected to Qingtian Sect, while Pang Du Du helped Tanye Temple heal Widow Yang¡¯s son, so he was recommended by Tanye Temple.¡±


    ¡°I guess even if a player managed to defeat the bandits before level 20, upon coming here, they would still be required to complete the level 20 instance,¡± Black Cat said.


    ¡°Then can you introduce us to the sects?¡± Qingyue said. ¡°Are there any that can improve your appearance?¡±


    The introductory NPC said, ¡°Naturally. For each of the five races within Nine Heavens, there are two sects.¡±


    The two human sects were the Mystic Heavenly Sect and the Blood Flame Alliance. The former sounded like a righteous sect, while you could tell from the latter¡¯s name that it wasn¡¯t much of a good place to be.


    Spirits had the Kunlun[3] Secret Valley and the Primeval Remnants, and once again, the first one was good, and the second one was evil.


    Yao had the Fate Severing Sect and the Nirvana School, and contrary to expectations, the former was good and the latter evil.


    Ghosts had the Qingliang Mountain and the Beimang Mountain, with the Beimang Mountain as evil.[4]


    Demons had the Jiuli[5] City and the Nine Desires Abyss, with the latter as evil.


    Once you selected your sect, you would have also picked your side.


    ¡°Are these all?¡± Qingyue said dejectedly. ¡°None of them sound like they would improve your appearance.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the introductory NPC said. ¡°There are two other sects which aren¡¯t restricted by race. One is the Pure Lady[6] Sect which only accepts female disciples and requires attractiveness to be 60 points or higher to join.


    ¡°The second is the Boundless Temple[7], a Buddhist temple which also isn¡¯t restricted by race and only accepts male disciples.¡±


    The group sat in a circle to discuss the various sects. After a while had passed and the NPC hadn¡¯t mentioned any other sects, Ye Zhou asked, ¡°What about the Qingtian Sect? Do they take disciples?¡±


    The introductory NPC said, ¡°The Qingtian Sect is the leader of all cultivation sects and doesn¡¯t accept disciples from the public. If you young heroes wish to join Qingtian Sect, you must pass an elite examination in order to be admitted to Qingtian Sect¡¯s secret library where you can choose a cultivation method to study.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°It looks like the main quest isn¡¯t so easy to trigger. There must be a lot of requirements.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo, however, had his attention on something else. ¡°You only mentioned five races. What about the mythic race?¡±


    The introductory NPC chuckled. ¡°Young hero, across the vast land, mythics are as rare as phoenix feathers, so how could they gather enough to form a sect? None of the sects accept mythics.¡±


    Ye Zhou stared blankly. He had transformed from human to mythic, and so had Dugu Zhuo. If they didn¡¯t have a sect to join, how would they learn skills and grow stronger?


    Seeing Ye Zhou space out, Dugu Zhuo gripped his hand and said quietly, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    By now, the rest had already picked their sects. Qingyue naturally picked the Pure Lady Sect, since in the first place she had been playing this game not to become a warrior who could slaughter enemies, but the prettiest girl under the heavens.


    Aotian, of course, picked the Mystic Heavenly Sect, whose name sounded grandiose the moment you heard it, fitting for someone named Long @ Aotian.


    Lingzhi picked the Kunlun Secret Valley. He already had an agreement with the Tanye Temple, so he didn¡¯t want to join the villains¡¯ camp.


    After wavering for a while between the two yao sects, Black Cat finally selected the Boundless Temple. It seemed he had made his decision to become a monk.


    The group dissolved their party and let the introductory NPC bring them each to the transport array for their respective sects, in order to begin a new tale.


    Only Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo still sat in the teahouse, with two cups of now cold tea set before them.


    ¡°Should I¡­ close this account and make a new character?¡± Ye Zhou said, a bit lost. ¡°We practically have no way to advance.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo smoothed Ye Zhou¡¯s furrowed brow with concern. ¡°If there is no sect for us, I will start a new sect,¡± he said with resolution. ¡°Under the vast heavens, there will be a place for us.¡±


    1. a mythological creature usually described as a huge bird which can transform into a huge fish


    2. ¾Å´¨ nine rivers


    honestly i never ended up remembering most of the cities


    3. a sacred mountain within chinese mythology


    4. one is a famous mountain known for temples and shrines and the other is known for the tombs of ancient kings


    5. alliance of tribes led by the mythical chiyou. by the way, none of these sects are important


    6. sun¨¹ is an ancient chinese goddess of music and sex


    7. wuliang temple, cause i can¡¯t remember whether it¡¯s already been mentioned and if so, how i wrote it

 CH 30

    Chapter 30 ¨C Sword flight


    Ye Zhou thought there might¡¯ve been static electricity on Dugu Zhuo¡¯s fingers, because after being touched by him, Ye Zhou¡¯s forehead felt tingly. Ye Zhou avoided responding to Dugu Zhuo, instead asking stubbornly, ¡°Aren¡¯t the Pure Lady Sect and Boundless Temple unrestricted by race? Mythics aren¡¯t even allowed to join those two?¡±


    The introductory NPC replied, ¡°They are unrestricted to the five races available to the public, excluding the mythic race.¡±


    That¡¯s right, when players made their account, they could only choose between the five races of human, spirit, ghost, demon, and yao, and the game¡¯s official website had also stated that mythics were special and it was based on luck whether a player could become one.


    ¡°What exactly are mythics?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    Dugu Zhuo answered, ¡°It refers to any of the original races who have become associated with divine power. Because divine power resides within us, we are unable to use the methods of other sects.¡±


    Ye Zhou quickly changed their conversation to a private message. ¡°Divine power? Where¡¯d that come from?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo also replied with a voice transmission. ¡°Some people happen upon the inheritance of a god, or accidentally merge with the relics of a divine beast of primordial times, while some merge with divine artifacts. You and I are the latter. The attributes of divine power correspond to the five phases, so since we¡¯ve become one with divine weapons, we are classified as metal-attribute mythics.¡±


    Ye Zhou, his thoughts tangled into a mess, shot off a series of questions. ¡°Divine artifact? When did I merge with a divine artifact? When did you? Which one?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo, thinking about how the Xuansu Twin Swords were weapons of creation and tied to the game¡¯s plot, wasn¡¯t sure whether or not to tell Ye Zhou about them.


    He was a bug, and only recognized as a player due to the acknowledgement of 70% or more of the playerbase. He wasn¡¯t certain of if the playerbase knew the truth, whether it would affect his identity.


    Most importantly, he didn¡¯t want Ye Zhou to remember his past life. It was better for all the matters of their pasts to fade to smoke, and only be remembered by him alone.


    For some things, it was best Ye Zhou never knew.


    Thus, Dugu Zhuo responded, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to deceive you, but I also cannot say.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh.¡± Ye Zhou bowed his head, looking a bit dejected.


    He hadn¡¯t known Dugu Zhuo for very long and it wasn¡¯t his place to probe into the other¡¯s secrets, but¡­


    Ye Zhou surreptitiously took a glance at Dugu Zhuo. He had actually thought that Dugu Zhuo was secretly pursuing him, but now, that seemed to not be the case.


    ¡°You became a mythic due to me pouring a divine artifact¡¯s power into your body, in order to suppress the sword qi,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Ye Zhou remembered the knife-like pains that had stabbed through his guts after he¡¯d used the Heart Linking Technique, and said with a shudder, ¡°So you did that to save me. Why was it so painful, then? Because you merged with a divine artifact?¡±


    ¡°Essentially,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Ye Zhou had mobility issues, and the environment in his home needed to be kept as sterile as possible, as the wind and dust from outside could make him seriously ill. From a young age, he had gotten used to not being able to go outside, not being curious, and not asking too many questions. Even though he still had many doubts, since he saw that Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t want to answer, he decided not to pry.


    ¡°Then how are we going to start our own sect? What were the requirements the system said last time, again?¡±


    ¡°I need to attain a title for footwork,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°How? How have you been creating your own techniques up to this point, anyway?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°I was able to create the Misdirection Array after trapping and killing Black Cat with it, and the Five Phases Swordplay after killing the veiled team with it. The requirement for creating a technique is affecting a player with it.¡±


    ¡°But how are you supposed to hurt someone with footwork? From my understanding, footwork should be something like an evasive technique, right?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    Dugu Zhuo looked at him and suddenly smiled. ¡°Would you like to try it out? Some footwork?¡±


    ¡°How? Are you going to use me for creating a technique?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo promptly brought Ye Zhou to outside Jiuchuan City. He explained, ¡°Jiuchuan City is a gathering place of humans which holds innumerable mortal lives, so in order to protect them from demons or ghosts, the major cultivation sects will normally set up arrays within major cities. Inside Jiuchuan City, even a Mahayana cultivator would be unable to fly. Foundation Establishment and under cultivators could brawl within the city, but the higher one¡¯s realm, the more one¡¯s power will be limited.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t these settings all new?¡± Ye Zhou asked. ¡°How do you know them?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo smiled slightly and didn¡¯t reply. He drew the ¡°Refined Steel Sword¡± which the game had gifted him, put an arm around Ye Zhou¡¯s waist, and said quietly, ¡°Hold on to me.¡±


    Ye Zhou didn¡¯t know what Dugu Zhuo was planning, and being suddenly held made him want to back away. However, looking into those incomparably gentle eyes, Ye Zhou ended up obeying and putting his hands around Dugu Zhuo¡¯s waist.


    When Ye Zhou was holding him securely, Dugu Zhuo released him out of courtesy and formed several hand seals, softly calling out, ¡°Rise!¡±


    That level 20 steel sword really did rise into the air and begin flying. Holding onto Ye Zhou, Dugu Zhuo leapt onto the sword¡¯s body.


    With a swish, the sword charged toward the clouds, flying in the direction of Penglai Town.


    ¡°God!¡± The wind whistled in Ye Zhou¡¯s ears, causing him to close his eyes in shock. He was originally a bit awkward holding on to Dugu Zhuo, but now he clung to his waist, burying his face in his back.


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s waist looked slim, but it was firm and filled with strength, and Ye Zhou felt very secure clinging to him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to fear,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, his voice gentle and warm. ¡°With spiritual energy protecting you, you won¡¯t fall.¡±


    Only then did Ye Zhou open his eyes and carefully look downward. He saw Dugu Zhuo was standing upon the sword as if it were flat ground. His feet were wider than the blade, but he never lost his balance.


    Ye Zhou also stood on the blade. He was instantly so scared his legs shook, but realized that his feet were planted very firmly, and it didn¡¯t at all feel like he was standing on just the surface of a slim sword.


    Even though he knew that this was only a game and nothing would happen to him, when he saw the mountains and forests grow smaller and smaller through the gaps in the clouds, Ye Zhou still felt dizzy, his legs going weak and an empty feeling in his chest, as if he was drifting away.


    These were symptoms of acrophobia. Ye Zhou had never been somewhere high before, so he¡¯d never known he had a fear of heights.


    Dugu Zhuo placed a hand around Ye Zhou¡¯s wrist and felt his pulse was unsteady. Seeing that Ye Zhou really was terrified, he turned around and placed both his hands on Ye Zhou¡¯s temples, rubbing them lightly.


    Dugu Zhuo still remembered that when he had traveled to Star Draping Peak with Ye Zhou for the first time, he had felt the same way. The previous few times he had flown, he was unconscious, so this was the first time he had been alert. They flew extremely high as well, and he was terrified out of his mind.


    Back then, he had really disliked Ye Zhou and even hated that aloof man a little. He wasn¡¯t willing to cling to Ye Zhou¡¯s clothes, so stood on the sword with his face pale and his mouth tightly shut, not uttering a sound.


    At the time, Dugu Zhuo had thought that he would surely die, that even if Ye Zhou didn¡¯t push him, he would lose his balance and fall, his body getting smashed to pieces on that mountain peak.


    Right when Dugu Zhuo thought his heart would burst through his chest, Ye Zhou raised a hand and Dugu Zhuo found himself enveloped by an expanse of white. He could no longer feel the fierce winds raised by their speed and no longer see the scenery under his feet. It also felt as if he was being embraced, and he instantly was no longer afraid.


    When he was able to see again, he found that they were already at Star Draping Peak, his feet planted on blessedly solid ground.


    Only later did he realize that back then, it was Ye Zhou¡¯s white robe which was draped over him, a renowned magic item in the cultivation world which could block the full force of a Mahayana cultivator.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Dugu Zhuo said softly. ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have a magic robe, so this was the best he could do to help Ye Zhou alleviate his fear.


    At the same time, Dugu Zhuo commanded the sword to descend and slow down. Feeling Dugu Zhuo trying to reassure him, as well as hearing the noise by his ears die down, Ye Zhou gradually opened his eyes and found they were now standing three meters in the air, while under their feet were a couple of bandits who had gathered around but were powerless to do anything to them.


    ¡°Y¡ªyou can stop rubbing my head,¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°I¡¯m alright. I never realized before how much of a coward I was.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo lowered his hands. ¡°I started off too fast, and didn¡¯t give you time to prepare.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, I¡­ I still really like flying.¡± As he thought back to what had just happened, Ye Zhou¡¯s fear gradually faded, and his eyes started to brighten.


    Dugu Zhuo watched him serenely.


    Ye Zhou shifted his weight on the sword, moving one of his feet out and stepping on the air near the blade. He found that it was also solid.


    ¡°Why is it like that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°This is sword flight,¡± Dugu Zhuo responded. ¡°One infuses their own spiritual essence into a magic artifact, creating an invisible barrier of spiritual energy around the sword¡¯s body, and thus allowing themselves to fly freely through the air. However, the spiritual energy barrier will decrease the speed of flight, so at higher levels, there are even faster methods which can cross vast distances in a flash. I¡¯m not certain whether this qualifies as footwork, but if it doesn¡¯t, there are also various fast movement techniques.¡±


    ¡°Can¡­ can we take another flight?¡± Ye Zhou asked. ¡°Accelerate more slowly this time, little by little.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Dugu Zhuo lifted a finger, and the sword slowly began to fly, but not too high, and at the speed of an ordinary person running.


    Seeing that Ye Zhou didn¡¯t look uncomfortable, Dugu Zhuo gradually increased the speed, as well as creating a barrier around Ye Zhou with his spiritual essence in order to muffle the sound of the wind.


    Ye Zhou slowly grew accustomed to it, and from time to time, urged Dugu Zhuo to go faster. After flying freely in the skies for a short while, they arrived at Penglai Town.


    ¡°It took us that long to make the journey walking, but the return trip only took¡­ ten minutes?¡± Ye Zhou said, looking at the time. ¡°What¡¯s the fastest we can go?¡±


    ¡°If a cultivator reaches Mahayana and becomes one with heaven and earth, they can travel thousands of li in the blink of an eye,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°No wonder there wasn¡¯t a transport array between these two maps. They want players to learn how to fly on their own!¡± Ye Zhou said excitedly.


    This was completely different from the slow flight on mounts in the PC game, and allowed players to personally experience the sensations of flying. Brave people could experience it with their full senses, while someone less brave could decrease their sensory input, and still enjoy watching the scenery.


    ¡°This is so fun!¡± Ye Zhou was exuberant for a short while, until he finally remembered that they were going to create a footwork technique. ¡°Has the system prompted you to submit a technique?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    ¡°What? Are we actually going to have to kill a player, then?¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°If there was no reason for it, I¡¯d feel bad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look around the Eternal Night District,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°You wait in town for me.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Ye Zhou felt a bit worried. In the middle of the day, if a player who appeared to be a human walked into the Eternal Night District, wouldn¡¯t they get mobbed by the ghosts and demons?


    Dugu Zhuo said nothing. He brought Ye Zhou to a restaurant, and after saying ¡°wait for me,¡± left.


    If Ye Zhou didn¡¯t want him to proactively attack players, then he might as well get players to attack him.


    Walking up to the black boulder, Dugu Zhuo pushed back his sleeve and politely knocked on it three times.


    Even though the Eternal Night District was the spawn point of demons and ghosts, human players weren¡¯t actually restricted from entry, a direct contradiction to the Eternal Night Realm in the Netherworld that Grandmaster Tanji had spoken of, which forbade humans entry. In the game, any player could go sightseeing inside. Just as long as you weren¡¯t afraid of death, you could experience for yourself what a procession of a hundred ghosts looked like.


    The entrance to the Eternal Night District opened, and Dugu Zhuo calmly walked in. The moment he entered, he saw a lump of mosaic sitting near his feet.


    Dugu Zhuo frowned slightly. ¡°What is this?¡±


    The mosaic was red-colored. A young ghost maiden in white robes drifted up, pushed aside her hair, and said to Dugu Zhuo, ¡°That guy made himself too terrifying, so it didn¡¯t pass system approval and he got mosaic¡¯d.¡±


    ¡°Here we are in the Eternal Night District, where you can experience yourself an invasion of ghosts and demons, but they won¡¯t allow red blood, they won¡¯t allow bodies that are damaged too badly, they won¡¯t allow you to take off your skullcap, they won¡¯t allow you to extend long tongues and scare people. There¡¯s no life in the Eternal Night District like this!¡± The mosaic had a crisp male voice.


    ¡°Stop talking. If you go on, I¡¯m going to delete this account and create a human character!¡± the white-robed maiden said, covering her ears and looking frightened.


    The ghosts had even managed to scare themselves. Dugu Zhuo found these two players intriguing and held no enmity towards them, so decided to leave them alone. He glanced over the other players, trying to find one who would be likely to get into a fight.

 CH 31

    Chapter 31 ¨C Tiangang Steps


    The Eternal Night District was different from what Dugu Zhuo had originally imagined. He still had a deep impression of that first night where demons had run rampant and hunted down human beings, so he had thought that he would be attacked upon taking one step into the Eternal Night District. In that case, he could combine evasion and sword techniques to eliminate a few of those foolish players, and complete the requirements for forming a sect.


    Unexpectedly, the Eternal Night District looked quite peaceful. It was filled with every variety of ghosts each trying their best to get past the system censorship, but aside from being mentally overstimulating, it was calm.


    On that first night, part of the reason why the demons and ghosts had massacred human players on the streets had been envy.


    Everyone had started playing at the same time, so how come they could party it up in the daylight, offering incense and drinking tea and watching lingzhis feed themselves to NPCs, while the ghosts and demons had to be confined to a tiny dark area to fight each other over a handful of missions so they could go out and pretend to be bosses?


    Qingyue and Aotian¡¯s friend, Xiaoyao, had had it worse. At least the ghosts and demons could move about within the dark area, but Xiaoyao was stuck being a tree, and even had to watch other players enjoy themselves under his branches. He actually personally witnessed a pair of players who had somehow gotten feelings for each other within the game and were planning to fool around under the big willow tree. Fortunately, the game¡¯s censorship system stopped that from happening, otherwise Xiaoyao would¡¯ve gone crazy from rage.


    Being suppressed tended to make people go out of control. The restrictions during the day were too harsh, so at night, the ghosts and demons went a little crazy. That was why they had indiscriminately attacked human players, in order to make them as miserable during the night as they¡¯d been during the day.


    Now that the Eternal Night District and the Eternal Day District were opened, everyone had their own territory and could gain experience freely, so the demons and ghosts calmed down a lot.


    Aside from a player like Xiaoyao, who was going after the title ¡°Wicked Yao King¡±, very few people would proactively attack humans.


    Plus, who would see Dugu Zhuo as a player?


    When Dugu Zhuo was with his party, everyone else saw the ordinary players accompanying him and thus guessed that he was a player, but while he was alone, there was still a large possibility he would be mistaken for an NPC.


    The white-robed maiden also made this same mistake, and, assuming that he issued some special task, drifted over and asked, ¡°Which sect are you from, immortal?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo ignored her. He swept his gaze over the Eternal Night District, trying to find some easily provoked players. It would be even better if he ran into the veiled party again. They were old enemies, so surely it would be justified for them to fight again.


    The white-robed maiden still thought Dugu Zhuo was a special NPC, though, and who knew how much hair the designers had lost over his model. He had to be an important character, maybe even the main storyline¡¯s final boss!


    In order to activate the main storyline, you had to speak the right keyword or perform the right action. Since the white-robed maiden had no idea what this NPC would respond to, she started trying every conversation topic she could think of.


    ¡°I logged on today immediately after the maintenance, at five in the morning, and I saw an NPC woman sweeping the streets who looked kind of like Widow Yang from the tofu stand. Since she looked so good, someone took a screenshot of her and uploaded it.¡±


    ¡°The tea shack at the outskirts of town is overpriced.¡±


    ¡°Have you been to the most expensive inn in town? Us ghosts can pass through walls, but we can¡¯t enter that inn or Tanye Temple.¡±


    ¡°The old monk at the Tanye Temple healing booth has become a couple of young monks. Someone asked one of their names and apparently it was ¡®Chansan¡¯[1].¡±


    Dugu Zhuo clenched a fist, wondering whether verbal annoyance could be counted as provocation, and whether he could just get rid of this ghost.


    The mosaic¡¯d player nearby had now returned to normal. He was a young man with a pale face and a gloomy countenance. He held his own severed head in his hands, while the wound on his neck was covered with black blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying,¡± the beheaded boy said to the white-robed maiden. ¡°This NPC¡¯s a saint for not having choked you to death yet. If you bothered the Tanye Temple monks this way, they would be like ¡®Ho! Wicked being!¡¯ and send you right back here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying my luck by testing keywords, duh,¡± the white-robed maiden said. Her eyes suddenly brightened and she revealed an eerie smile. ¡°Do you suppose I should try phasing through his body, or possessing him?¡±


    The beheaded boy wiped at the black liquid dripping down from the corners of his eyes and said, ¡°You made fun of me turning myself into a mosaic to scare people, but look at you! All you think about is a bunch of terrifying things that just look okay on the surface.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just the proper way to play a ghost character.¡± The white-robed maiden drifted up into the air with a foreboding smile. ¡°Here I go.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo glanced at her. ¡°This counts as self-defense, then.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo wasn¡¯t clear on what the system meant by ¡°footwork¡±. He had assumed it meant something like wind riding or flying on artifacts, but after taking a trip with Ye Zhou, the system didn¡¯t react in any way. Maybe this was because he hadn¡¯t killed any players, or maybe he was misunderstanding.


    Perhaps footwork didn¡¯t refer to movement techniques, but to¡­


    Since someone here didn¡¯t value her life, he might as well use her to experiment on.


    Dugu Zhuo circulated his spiritual essence. After reaching Foundation Establishment at level 20, he could already stand in the air with spiritual essence alone. As the maiden launched herself towards him, trying to pass through his body, he leapt into the air. His steps moved in a complicated way, walking over different positions in midair.


    Aside from movement techniques, there were another set of techniques which could be called footwork. With them, a cultivator used heaven and earth as a chessboard, moving through set positions upon the board. Each footstep was a pawn, and these pawns invoked the powers of the stars. This was called the Tiangang[2] Steps.


    Opposing it, there was also a corresponding Disha Steps which invoked the power of spiritual veins beneath the earth.


    Both these two systems of footwork had myriad variations, and how much a cultivator could make use of the powers of heaven and earth would depend on their own understanding.


    For now, Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t sense the spiritual veins of the Eternal Night District, and it wasn¡¯t a place with rich spiritual veins anyway, so he decided on the Tiangang Steps instead of the Disha Steps.


    ¡°Woah! He¡¯s flying! Is he an NPC? He looks so¡­¡± Another demon player remarked to one side, as Dugu Zhuo took several steps in midair, each footstep forceful as if it was leaving a mark in the sky.


    If this were day, Dugu Zhuo could invoke the sun¡¯s power, and even if, with his current power, he could only summon a tiny amount of the sun¡¯s true fire, it would still be sufficient to incinerate these players.


    There was no sun in the Eternal Night District, though, just the moon and stars. Dugu Zhuo couldn¡¯t command the power of the stars in a very complex way with his current strength, so he could only use the moon and the seven stars of the Big Dipper. Thus, he chose the moon.


    The moon in the Eternal Night District was always full, so its power would always be at the maximum. The points where Dugu Zhuo¡¯s feet had just fallen shone with light, which led the moon in the sky to gradually brighten.


    Dugu Zhuo pointed to the moon with his left hand, while his right hand drew the design of the Tiangang Steps below him with blinding speed. He clapped his hands together. The moonlight became overpowering, linking with the glowing points under his feet and forming a reflected image of the full moon.


    ¡°It¡¯s the moon! That guy¡¯s stolen the moonlight!¡± The maiden, not sensing any danger, clapped the beheaded boy several times on the shoulder. ¡°Quick, quick! What are you doing just standing there? Take screenshots! Record a video!¡±


    Other people in the Eternal Night District had also noticed the commotion by now, and the vigilant ones had activated their screenshot or recording functions, but found that all of them had been disabled at this moment.


    Even if someone had taken a screenshot of Dugu Zhuo earlier because of his appearance, those screenshots had now vanished without a trace.


    There were no postings of pictures of Dugu Zhuo on any forums or chatting platforms, as if there were some invisible force which deleted everything that contained Dugu Zhuo¡¯s appearance, in order to prevent knowledge of it from spreading beyond the game.


    Staring agape, the white-robed maiden watched Dugu Zhuo standing atop the reflection of the moon, which now approached her until it had trapped her and the beheaded boy, who was still messing with his screenshotting function.


    The gentle and cool light of the moon illuminated them. In an instant, the two ghosts felt as if they had gained a deeper understanding of the Moon Worship Chant, and realized how to use the moon to strengthen their own abilities as well.


    Feeling these sensations, they were unwilling to avoid the moon¡¯s power, only wanting to bathe in this beautiful moonlight and never wake again.


    And indeed, the two players never woke up again.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t have the power to maintain this technique for long. As the moonlight dissipated, so did the two ghosts¡¯ forms. Real ghosts would¡¯ve been eradicated, but these two players had just died and lost some experience and a few equipment items, spirit stones, and silver pieces. They would be fine in actuality.


    Additionally, ghosts who managed to survive basking in the moon¡¯s power would have their cultivation speed dramatically improved in the future.


    On the whole, they had actually gained from this encounter, so this could be considered merciful for Dugu Zhuo.


    As expected, after the two players¡¯ deaths, Dugu Zhuo received a notification from the system, telling him he could submit a footwork technique, as well as providing him a blank jade slip.


    Dugu Zhuo turned around and left the Eternal Night District. He wanted to record the technique and wait for the system¡¯s approval together with Ye Zhou.


    Very soon after he left, the two ghosts resurrected on the spot. The white-robed maiden held the youth¡¯s head up, so they could make eye contact easier.


    After they had both stared at each other cluelessly for a while, the white-robed maiden asked, ¡°Did we just witness a god descend to earth?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and he kicked our asses,¡± said the beheaded boy.


    ¡°What level are we?¡± the maiden said.


    ¡°Nineteen,¡± said the boy. ¡°You said the level 20 instance was too hard, so you wanted to wait for someone else to clear it first and publish a guide.¡±


    With eyes resolute, the maiden said, ¡°Look for a team to challenge the instance immediately. Within ten minutes, I want to be standing in the daylight, and know everything about this NPC!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve read too many tyrant novels,¡± said the boy. ¡°Forget ten minutes. The instance can only be attempted once per day, and you might not pass it once in ten days!¡±


    As they gathered their team, Dugu Zhuo flew back to the restaurant.


    It was almost the sixth ke of Wushi, and Ye Zhou was supposed to log off at 12, which was the fourth ke of Wushi. Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t know if Ye Zhou had waited for him, and at this point immediately started wondering about the cost of what he had gained.


    He reached their private room on the second floor in a few steps and was about to enter, when he saw that Ye Zhou had ordered a tableful of food and was currently gnawing on pig trotters with his sleeves rolled back.


    Seeing Dugu Zhuo had returned, Ye Zhou put down the pig trotter awkwardly, not knowing where to put his greasy hands. ¡°I¡¯m just enjoying the ability to eat whatever I want in-game,¡± he said, a bit embarrassed.


    Dugu Zhuo always behaved very properly and had eaten that roast chicken last time with propriety too, so Ye Zhou felt uncomfortable about being discovered scarfing down food by him.


    However, Dugu Zhuo acted as if nothing was amiss and said. ¡°I was worried you had logged off. What a relief.¡±


    He sat in front of Ye Zhou and casually cast a cleansing spell. In a ripple of light, the grease on Ye Zhou¡¯s hands vanished.


    The grease on his face hadn¡¯t been cleansed, however. Dugu Zhuo had a waiter deliver a clean handkerchief, which he then used to carefully wipe Ye Zhou¡¯s mouth.


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    If he had a cleansing spell, why didn¡¯t he cleanse Ye Zhou¡¯s mouth as well, and insist on using a handkerchief?


    Ye Zhou once again felt like Dugu Zhuo was secretly pursuing him.


    However, Dugu Zhuo acted with utmost propriety and never came into contact with Ye Zhou¡¯s lips, even through the handkerchief. After wiping off the oil around his mouth, he put down the handkerchief and picked up some chopsticks. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll pick it out for you.¡±


    Surreptitiously, he used the Five Phases Swordplay to shroud his chopsticks in a faint sword aura, which cleanly sliced the meat off the bones of that pig trotter, turning all the meat and skin into perfectly bite-sized pieces.


    Dugu Zhuo put the pieces into an empty dish and placed it before Ye Zhou.


    Ye Zhou wanted to say that pig trotter tasted the best when you gnawed on it, but seeing the perfectly-sliced meat, he blushed and muttered his thanks instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for you to leave. Were you waiting for me?¡± Dugu Zhuo looked expectantly at him.


    Actually, he had wanted to eat a bit more¡­ Swallowing down a mouthful of pig meat, Ye Zhou said quietly, ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡±


    Though Dugu Zhuo wanted Ye Zhou to be with him in the game at all times, he still said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t miss your noontime nap. Log off soon. If you want to eat, I can accompany you to eat this afternoon for three hours.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that long to eat.¡± Ye Zhou quickly scarfed down the sliced pig trotter in the dish. ¡°Did you succeed?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, looking indifferent, as if this was a matter hardly worth mentioning.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Have you submitted it yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°I had wanted to wait with you for the results.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ll have to get off really soon.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you to come online tomorrow.¡±


    Ye Zhou suddenly felt like he couldn¡¯t remain within Dugu Zhuo¡¯s sight. A bit flustered, he stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m logging off to nap right now. I¡¯ll be on at the precise time this afternoon.¡±


    After he was gone, Dugu Zhuo sat alone at the table, gazing at the empty opposite seat.


    He sat like that, gazing serenely, for a whole hour. Finally, Dugu Zhuo called over the waiter, ordering him to clear the thoroughly cold food and make a new set of specialty dishes, to be delivered at Shenshi, or three in the afternoon.


    After the table had been cleared, Dugu Zhuo opened a window next to him. He rested an arm on the windowsill, his sleeve fluttering in a light breeze.


    If a player outside simply looked up, they would be able to see Dugu Zhuo¡¯s uncommonly handsome face, staring fixedly at someone else.


    Who knew what person was sitting opposite him, deserving of such a deep gaze from this man.


    Meanwhile, Ye Zhou had returned to the real world, but all he could think about was Dugu Zhuo. After eating lunch without enthusiasm, he woodenly let someone set him on his bed in preparation for his afternoon nap.


    He thought that he hadn¡¯t known Dugu Zhuo for long enough, but also he couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of person Dugu Zhuo was in real life.


    Speaking of which, to start secretly pursuing him from the moment they met¡­ then again, maybe he was just misinterpreting. If Dugu Zhuo treated everyone he met this way, wasn¡¯t he too flippant?


    Except, Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t treat other people the same way. Qingyue looked so pretty after leveling up, but Dugu Zhuo hadn¡¯t shown any reaction. As for Jet Black and Aotian¡­ actually, forget about them. One didn¡¯t take a human form much and had become a monk, while the other was too skimpy towards his appearance and hadn¡¯t added a single attractiveness point even at level 20.


    Was there a possibility? A notion appeared in Ye Zhou¡¯s mind. It was a game anyway, so¡­ maybe¡­


    His gaze fell on his legs. There was no sensation in them, and despite people massaging them every day, they continued to atrophy and looked abnormally thin.


    Ye Zhou closed his eyes. There wasn¡¯t any possibility.


    1. yeah that means zen three


    2. in daoist tradition there are 108 stars associated with the big dipper, 36 Ììî¸ tiangang stars and 72 µØÉ· disha stars. these were featured as heroes in chinese literary classic Water Margin

 CH 32

    Chapter 32 ¨C Teaching techniques


    In the afternoon, when Ye Zhou came online, the waiter brought up a new tableful of food, and the two of them ate together while waiting for the system¡¯s result.


    During this time, Ye Zhou stood by the principle that one should not talk while they eat, and spoke as little as possible. Dugu Zhuo felt Ye Zhou was distancing himself, but instead of forcibly closing this distance, he maintained a level of interaction that Ye Zhou was comfortable with, no longer taking overly intimate actions.


    The Tiangang Steps took longer to analyze than even the Five Phases Swordplay. It took until 5 PM for the system to leisurely issue its announcement¡ª


    [Notice: Dugu Zhuo has created the Tiangang Steps, which has passed verification by the system. He has gained the title ¡°Footwork Master¡±]


    [Notice: The Tiangang Steps has been recognized by the system as a high-level footwork technique, which can be learned by all players.]


    [Notice: Dugu Zhuo has now obtained the titles ¡°Array Expert¡±, ¡°Sword Master¡±, and ¡°Footwork Master¡±. He has now fulfilled the prerequisites for creating a sect and can found his own sect within the game, in order to take players or NPCs as disciples.]


    After this announcement, the players within the game weren¡¯t actually that excited. They were numb to the successive system announcements by now, and some people were even quietly writing stories on the forum where Dugu Zhuo was the protagonist and a cultivator who had transmigrated into the body of an NPC.


    In fact, by now, there had already been people who called the service hotline and reported Dugu Zhuo for using a cheat engine, but the service personnel had investigated and found all his data to be normal. The system had found nothing out of the ordinary, so a lot of people abandoned the crusade at that point.


    Of course, the most important point was that the players assumed the techniques they would gain by finding a sect and a master shouldn¡¯t fall behind Dugu Zhuo¡¯s self-created techniques. And plus, up to this point, Dugu Zhuo hadn¡¯t received any tangible rewards, just titles. He might be able to start a sect and take in disciples, but players could also take on disciples and gain followers. There were uncountable people in the larger gangs, so there didn¡¯t seem to be many upsides to being the master of a sect. It wasn¡¯t very enviable.


    There were even a few combative players who were looking forward to fighting with Dugu Zhuo when they reached a higher level, to see just how good his self-created techniques were.


    ¡°How do we start our own sect?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    Dugu Zhuo frowned. ¡°A sect panel has appeared on the control screen, which says that in addition to creating three techniques, I must also fulfill a set of requirements.¡±


    Firstly, they had to find land suitable for building a mountain sect. It needed to have several mountain peaks, and spiritual veins under the earth to sustain the spiritual energy of the area.


    Secondly, they needed enough silver to buy this land from the local government, a very impressive amount of silver taels, in the tens of millions.


    Thirdly, they needed a strong magic artifact to sustain their sect array. It needed to be an artifact of at least the Nascent Soul stage, and if in the future, the sect master increased in realm, the artifact would also need to be upgraded.


    Fourth, they needed an uncountable number of high-grade spirit stones, in order to set up an array to defend their sect.


    Fifth, they needed a divine beast as sect guardian, which had to be of the spirit race.


    Sixth, when forming their sect, they needed at least three players. One would be the sect master, one the sect elder, and one their chief disciple.


    After hearing this long list of requirements, Ye Zhou instantly got a headache. Starting a new sect was way too difficult.


    Dugu Zhuo, on the other hand, thought that if these were all of the requirements, it was actually easier than he had anticipated.


    ¡°These requirements ought to exist,¡± he said. ¡°Naturally we will need a mountain if we want a sect. An artifact, spirit stones, and a guardian beast are all things that every sect has. As for the chief disciple, we can just arbitrarily pick another player. I¡¯ll be the sect master, and you the elder.¡±


    ¡°Me? Shouldn¡¯t I be the disciple?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°How could that be? The system recognized you as my master, so of course you must be the Supreme Elder of our sect,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Ye Zhou sighed deeply, trying to strengthen his willpower against Dugu Zhuo. Initially he had thought this was too much of a hassle, but now he actually felt that Dugu Zhuo¡¯s words were reasonable. Starting a sect of one¡¯s own like this felt like running a business.


    ¡°Then how are we supposed to get these things?¡± Ye Zhou asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t the system assign you some tasks?¡±


    Previously in the PC game, if players wanted to start a gang or a clan, they would have to complete a set of missions from the system, and every time they did, their territory would be expanded a little. For larger gangs, the leader and core members would¡¯ve been overworked in the early days, completing missions late into the night, as well as spending all the money they earned in the game on the gang.


    If this wasn¡¯t enough, the gang leader would have to spend his own money, and even hire players to help complete the tasks.


    Despite all this, there were still many people who enjoyed creating their own gang, just enjoying the business-like feel of it.


    After looking over the control panel, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°There is a mission next to the mountain requirement.¡±


    ¡°What kind? A quest chain? An item collection quest?¡±


    In Ye Zhou¡¯s mind, in order to obtain a piece of land, they would have to complete a series of tasks in order to win an NPC¡¯s goodwill, so that they would be willing to sell a mine about to go bankrupt to them. Or they could be forced to collect a set of items, to create their own mountain.


    However, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°Select one of the following instances with suitable mountain ranges, and take them as our own.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Ye Zhou rubbed his ear, wondering if he had heard wrong.


    ¡°The provided instances are the level 100 Canglan Heavenly Fire instance, the level 90 Thousand Yao Spirit Fog instance, the level 80 Heavenly Dragon Vein instance, the level 70¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Ye Zhou interrupted. ¡°What does the system mean by this? Are we expected to complete such hard instances?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°We¡¯re meant to defeat the boss and all the monsters in the instance to the point that they submit to us and become our subordinates. Mm, this isn¡¯t a bad method. After subjugating them, we¡¯ll obtain a guardian beast too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the lowest level instance the system provided?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°The level 40 Spirit Yao Tiger Fang¡ª¡± Dugu Zhuo cut himself off abruptly.


    ¡°Level 40 is alright. But if we don¡¯t have a sect before level 40, won¡¯t our progress be too slow?¡± Ye Zhou was so anxious he wanted to ram his head into a wall.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use this instance,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, suddenly looking resolute.


    He brought out a jade slip and placed it into Ye Zhou¡¯s hand. ¡°This is the Tiangang Steps, a strong technique in its own right. In a bit, I¡¯ll teach you sword flight and wind riding, so we can level up as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Huh? The system didn¡¯t recognize your sword flight as a technique, so how am I supposed to learn it?¡± Ye Zhou asked, as he accepted the Tiangang Steps.


    Dugu Zhuo smiled slightly. ¡°Your aptitudes are good, so I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll be able to learn it.¡±


    There were too many players in the game, and they needed a quiet area to train. Without Black Cat around, they couldn¡¯t enter the Tanye Temple. After thinking for a bit, Dugu Zhuo decided to simply purchase a two-person room in that inn which allowed you to meditate and gain experience. It would be 200 silver for a night, and Ye Zhou would be able to conveniently meditate there.


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hold on, there was something not quite right about this development.


    He could set aside the room-sharing for now. After all, nothing could happen under the game¡¯s censorship system. More importantly, just why did Dugu Zhuo believe he could learn such a technique?


    This game, Nine Heavens, in order to give players an authentic xianxia experience, seemed to be using the most advanced brain linking technology.


    Any command a player issued could be linked with a specific action within the game. With the player¡¯s thoughts, the in-game character could run, leap, roll, and so on. Techniques worked the same way, linking the special effect in-game to the technique¡¯s name, so that when the player thought of the technique¡¯s name, the command would be issued and the player character would be able to attack.


    The underlying principles behind this were very complex, and Ye Zhou wasn¡¯t interested in understanding them either.


    But in the end, cultivation in this game was nothing like the cultivation shown in novels, and was simply the combination of mental commands and technology. If his in-game character hadn¡¯t learned a certain technique, then no matter how much he thought, he wouldn¡¯t be able to carry out that action.


    ¡°No way. It¡¯s totally impossible,¡± Ye Zhou said, refusing to sit cross-legged on the bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible for you,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Ye Zhou had been the elder of Qingtian Sect, the master of the Su Sword, and therefore his aptitude for the sword was far beyond normal people¡¯s. It was said that he had been able to establish his foundation at ten, and only because after Foundation Establishment, a cultivator¡¯s appearance wouldn¡¯t change, had he suppressed his cultivation in order to establish his foundation at eighteen, in order for his body to mature.


    After that, he had broken through Golden Core stage within two years, and Nascent Soul stage within ten, becoming a genius rarely seen in ten thousand years.


    Ye Zhou was unable to persuade Dugu Zhuo, and finally obeyed and sat cross-legged. The requirements for his posture were high as well, since he had to let the palms of both his hands and feet, as well as the top of his head, face the sky. He was told this posture would allow spiritual essence to most easily flow through his body.


    It was way too difficult to have the bottoms of both his feet face the sky after sitting cross-legged. He needed to first place his left leg over his right leg, then his right leg over his left. Fortunately, this was a game, and it was easy to pull his character into position.


    ¡°What should I do next?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    Next, he saw Dugu Zhuo also sit on the bed. His eyes immediately widened. If this went on, they¡¯d activate the system¡¯s screening functions.


    However, Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t do anything, only sitting behind Ye Zhou and pressing both palms against his back. ¡°I¡¯m going to pour my spiritual essence into your body. All you need to do is try to feel the true qi within your dantian. Then you can allow your qi to circulate within your body, the same way I do.¡±


    After speaking, Dugu Zhuo began to circulate his spiritual essence. Ye Zhou really sensed a warm current enter his body from his back, beginning to circulate within his body.


    This was illogical!


    Even though he was filled with doubts, Ye Zhou closed his eyes and tried to sense the spiritual essence within his body under Dugu Zhuo¡¯s guidance. Very quickly, he felt warmth within his dantian. He imagined there was a current of true qi within his dantian, and tried to guide it throughout his body. After only a short while, he had entered a meditative trance.


    Dugu Zhuo withdrew his hands. He had been sure that Ye Zhou¡¯s aptitude would be sufficient.


    ¡°The first time you circulate your true qi, you only need to complete nine grand circuits,¡± he said. ¡°You are at Foundation Establishment stage with your current level, so nine shouldn¡¯t be hard.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard at all. After effortlessly completing six circuits, Ye Zhou felt a beeping noise start up by his ears.


    This was his housekeeper calling him. Actually, the VR helmet could be disconnected just like a PC by unplugging the power. The planners of Nine Heavens had accounted for the possibility of sudden disconnections, and aside from an abrupt change in vision, there wouldn¡¯t be any psychological effect.


    However, Ye Zhou¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good, and his housekeeper didn¡¯t want to directly disconnect his helmet, afraid that the sudden change in environment would make his heartbeat speed up and cause him to become short of breath. She had simply installed an alarm on his helmet, so when she needed him to log off, she could just press the alarm to remind him.


    He was still not done cultivating, though, and he enjoyed the sensation of qi flowing freely through his body too much. He decided to just close off his senses and allow the alarm to beep, until he finally finished nine grand circuits.


    Upon opening his eyes, Ye Zhou said frantically, ¡°It¡¯s already 7:30! No wonder my housekeeper is so impatient. I might not be able to get on tonight. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    After saying his farewells, he quickly left the game.

 CH 33

    Chapter 33 ¨C Learning spells


    Ye Zhou thought cultivation would be a simple matter. After he could sense the presence of his true qi, he should be able to make progress effortlessly and reach level 30 or 40 in no time.


    However, for the next several days, he found himself in an endless loop of logging on, cultivating, logging off, eating lunch, sunbathing, getting a massage, napping, logging back on, and cultivating again.


    His dream of roaming the game world and seeing the grand mountains and rivers had disappeared. Instead, he was shut in a tiny inn room for several days on end, cultivating and cultivating while he stared at Dugu Zhuo¡¯s handsome face.


    Er, he didn¡¯t actually stare at Dugu Zhuo all day. Cultivation was at least good for his health, and after closing his eyes and circulating spiritual essence thirty-six times, his body felt better all over.


    Even though Ye Zhou received the best of care, chronic illness still took a toll on him. His body constantly felt heavy and he lacked vitality, always looking pale and often listless.


    After cultivating in the game, perhaps it had helped his psychological health. On top of that, being able to eat meals these past few days caused his complexion to improve greatly.


    But like this, his rate of leveling was far too slow!


    Cultivation did nothing to get him experience to level up. Well, he did get some. In a whole afternoon, cultivating for three hours and circulating his true qi thirty-six times, he could gain 200 experience points. Also, resting in this inn could gain you experience, 1,000 an hour, even when idling. Every day, he could get a maximum of 10,000 experience points, since he wouldn¡¯t gain any more after idling for over ten hours.


    He got 400 experience every day from cultivating, which didn¡¯t even match up to what he got for free over those six hours.


    As for why he didn¡¯t idle for those remaining four hours? Mainly, he didn¡¯t feel right letting his body remain in the game alone with Dugu Zhuo.


    Even if he knew the game had a filter, and Dugu Zhuo was a strict gentleman who wouldn¡¯t do anything to his body, Dugu Zhuo would still gaze at his character with his pair of deep and storied eyes, and even just imagining this scene, Ye Zhou felt like burning up.


    Ten levels ago, 1,000 experience would¡¯ve been a lot, but now, at level 20, 1,000 experience was an insignificant amount.


    It took 100,000 experience just to go from level 20 to level 21. By level 29, the experience needed to move to level 30 would be 200,000, a terrifying number.


    Watching the indicator show +1,000, +1,000, +1,000, +200, every single day, Ye Zhou felt his head hurt. It had been seven days, a full seven days that the game had been in open registration, and a swarm of new players who dwarfed the old playerbase by a factor of ten had bought helmets and poured into the game. The company had also activated the currency exchange. Yet Ye Zhou, with his total of 6400 x 7 = 44,800 experience, hadn¡¯t even gotten halfway to level 21.


    He couldn¡¯t resist asking Dugu Zhuo, ¡°At this rate, won¡¯t it take me two or three years to reach level 40?¡±


    At the moment, Dugu Zhuo was sitting at the table laying out food for Ye Zhou. Over these few days, he had ordered the waiter to bring them food in their room, in order to let Ye Zhou sample gourmet dishes within the game.


    Hearing Ye Zhou¡¯s words, Dugu Zhuo said unhurriedly, ¡°I went to Jiuchuan City and asked the owner of the spiritual wares shop, and he told me that level 40 is equivalent to the Core Formation stage. If you can go from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Core Formation stage in only two years, aren¡¯t you already a remarkable genius?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo¡¯s expression was indifferent, as if he didn¡¯t feel a hint of impatience, and taking two years to move from level 20 to level 40 in a game was perfectly normal.


    Ye Zhou wanted to say, ¡°I think I¡¯ll just delete this account and make a new one¡±, but Dugu Zhuo was also a mythic, and this account had a blood bond and heart link with him. Since Dugu Zhuo showed no intention to delete his account and start over, and was determined to play a mythic character to the end, then if Ye Zhou made a new character, wouldn¡¯t Dugu Zhuo end up playing alone?


    ¡°When did you go to Jiuchuan City?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°After you leave, I¡¯ll walk around the maps that are currently open and talk to every NPC,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°I remember that you¡¯ve said this game has a lot of hidden information and won¡¯t lay bare everything for its players, so after walking around, I¡¯ve found out that all of these secrets are held by the NPCs. By simply talking to them, one can obtain a lot of information.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Ye Zhou said with interest.


    ¡°There is no restriction when reaching level 30, but when going from level 39 to 40, one will be encountering the critical point for reaching the Core Formation stage. Not only will they have to pass the level 40 instance, but also overcome an inner demon trial and a heavenly tribulation. This was what a storyteller at the restaurant where the sect introductory NPC was told me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much to do? It¡¯s almost like a movie. I want to start leveling up now!¡± Ye Zhou said, rubbing his hands together, once again thinking of going outside to grind levels.


    ¡°Do you know what the highest-level player is at now?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked.


    ¡°Must be at least 25 by now, right?¡± During all these days of meditation, Ye Zhou hadn¡¯t looked at the leaderboard once. At Dugu Zhuo¡¯s words, he immediately opened it and saw, at the top, a whole procession of level 20 players. ¡°No one has leveled up?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be, right? In a full week, no one had gained a single level. Even the spirit cultivators who progressed the fastest were stuck. Why would this be?


    ¡°You can ask our old teammates,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    Ye Zhou had previously been a bit envious of everyone, for having sects and being able to train. He was worried he¡¯d be left behind, so he hadn¡¯t contacted his friends. After seeing the levels on the leaderboard, however, he now just realized that having sects didn¡¯t seem to be making things much easier for them. He sent some messages to his friends, asking about their current situations.


    It was five in the afternoon now, when the number of players online started to grow, so his teammates replied quickly.


    Qingyue said, ¡°The Pure Lady Sect is just so wonderful. It¡¯s fulfilled my every expectation for this game. I do deep breathing exercises every day and practice refined posture while standing, sitting, walking, and lying down, as well as do makeup. After being taught for a week, I¡¯ve started to put my teacher¡¯s instructions into practice in real life, and I think my actual attractiveness value has also improved!¡±


    After the message, she had also sent a recording of the game, which showed her reading a book. She looked quite a bit more refined than before.


    She didn¡¯t mention leveling up once, apparently engrossed in her beauty lessons and not caring about her level in the least.


    Aotian said, ¡°I¡¯m currently under the Mystic Heavenly Sect¡¯s mountain catching toads, and I¡¯ve gotten lost once again and can¡¯t find my way back. Toads, you are my mortal enemies!¡±


    He seemed to be in quite a plight.


    Pang Du Du the lingzhi said, ¡°Spirits cultivate by bathing in sunlight or moonlight, or planting herbs and flowers, using their own spiritual energy to nurture the next generation of spirit cultivators. Look at the succulent I¡¯ve grown, isn¡¯t it cute?¡±


    The attached image was a cactus whose limbs had grown fat from the lingzhi¡¯s care. He seemed to have retired to become a gardener ahead of time.


    Black Cat¡¯s response was even more indecipherable. ¡°Amitabha. Thus I have heard. At one time, Buddha was residing within Jeta¡¯s Grove, in¡­¡±[1]


    It must have been a sutra, but he didn¡¯t know which.


    While Ye Zhou was puzzling over this, Black Cat sent a second voice recording. ¡°Dammit! Why did I have to choose the Boundless Temple? What¡¯s wrong with being a proper yao? Every day, I have to recite sutra after sutra after sutra. After memorizing one section, I gain 100,000 experience. For copying one from memory in traditional characters, I get 100,000 experience. For copying one in Sanskrit, I get 500,000 experience. Right now, I haven¡¯t memorized a single line! I never worked this hard in school!¡±


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    This game¡¯s mentorship and leveling up system was too unique. Weren¡¯t they scared their players would smash their helmets and quit playing?


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Don¡¯t just go by how they¡¯re complaining to your face. Cultivation is difficult, but sect life comes with its own diversions.¡±


    He brought out several jade messaging talismans, which were specifically used in the game to record and send scenes. They were capable of replaying simple images, and had to be bought with jade stones. There had been similar talismans in Dugu Zhuo¡¯s original world, so he was familiar with their use.


    After pouring his spiritual essence into the talisman, several miniature holographic projections appeared inside the room.


    In the scenes, the leader of the Pure Lady Sect led Qingyue into a room, which was filled with all sorts of beautiful outfits. An alluring NPC told Qingyue that if she cultivated well and passed the sect¡¯s evaluation, she could choose one of these outfits for free, and Qingyue¡¯s eyes immediately started to sparkle.


    Aotian was, under his shixiong¡¯s lead, riding a red-crowned crane among the clouds. His shixiong told him that if he caught a thousand toads, he could ride the crane for five minutes. Aotian spent five minutes riding the crane and the whole rest of the day catching toads. He resembled someone working a nine-to-five job all day for a bite to eat.


    Lingzhi, on the other hand, had be led by a silver dragon to the Penglai Immortal Island[2]. He swam in the ocean¡¯s currents, enjoying the water¡¯s nourishment.


    As for Black Cat¡­ Black Cat was being stroked by a group of monks. He had rolled over to reveal his belly, looking like a relaxed massage client.


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Wow, the game company really understood players¡¯ hearts. They always had some way to hook players and get them to willingly complete tasks. This was also something only possible in a VR game. In a PC game, which player would happily memorize sutras because their character on the screen was being massaged by some monks?


    ¡°What about me, then?¡± Ye Zhou said, looking toward Dugu Zhuo. ¡°Sect Master Dugu, I¡¯ve been cultivating for seven days, so haven¡¯t I earned an award voucher?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo had never heard the term ¡°award voucher¡±, but he understood Ye Zhou¡¯s meaning. He smiled and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t having you cultivate in order to gain spiritual essence. Experience points in this game are roughly equivalent to spiritual essence, and there are plenty of ways to gain that. Naturally we won¡¯t be leveling up in this way. I had you meditate in order to familiarize you with the circulation of spiritual essence, in order to teach you some spells.¡±


    ¡°Then, right now¡­¡± Ye Zhou pointed at himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re about ready.¡± Dugu Zhuo glanced at the sky through the window. ¡°But it¡¯s already nearly time for you to leave. Let¡¯s start tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take to learn one spell?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°With your aptitudes, a simple one shouldn¡¯t take more than one or two shichen,¡± Dugu Zhuo replied.


    ¡°Then I can sneak online tonight,¡± Ye Zhou said, winking at Dugu Zhuo. ¡°The last few days, my health has gotten way better. This morning, when I got my blood tested, every indicator was normal, and my doctor was actually shocked. He said that next month, if my blood test comes back just as good, I might be able to sit in the sun outdoors!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo took Ye Zhou¡¯s pulse every day, so of course he knew that after starting cultivation, his fragments of soul had started to solidify, though there was no way for his body to recover. Even if his soul was still incomplete, he would no longer suffer symptoms from it being unstable. He could stay up late one or two nights now and then.


    ¡°One shichen at most,¡± he allowed.


    ¡°Then I can get on at eight tonight, and off at ten. I won¡¯t miss too much sleep.¡± Ye Zhou gave Dugu Zhuo an ok sign.


    With Dugu Zhuo¡¯s promise, Ye Zhou was restless all through dinner. At just 7:30, he claimed to be tired and went to bed. His housekeeper and nurse didn¡¯t dare bother him, and carried him onto his bed, placed a call button at the head of his bed, and reminded him to press it if he felt discomfort anywhere.


    Ye Zhou pretended to be asleep, but when they both left, he immediately reached for the helmet on his nightstand. Before 19:50, he appeared within the game.


    When he put on his helmet, the thought, ¡®this feels like we¡¯re having a secret relationship¡¯ flashed through Ye Zhou¡¯s mind, but he immediately squashed it.


    He was still sitting cross-legged on the bed. Upon logging on, he hopped off the bed and said excitedly to Dugu Zhuo, ¡°Where are we going to practice? Surely not the inside of a guest room?¡±


    He was tactfully implying that he really wanted to leave this room by now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found a good place,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s quiet, free from crowds, abundant in spiritual energy, and will allow us to gain a good amount of experience.¡±


    Ye Zhou assumed Dugu Zhuo had found out from an NPC the location of a training room or a training map, so he trustingly followed Dugu Zhuo.


    Dugu Zhuo brought him to the boundary between the Eternal Day and Eternal Night Districts, knocked on the boulder for the Eternal Day District, and led him inside. He went to a location, exchanged a few lines with an NPC, and they were both transported to a new area.


    At the same time, Ye Zhou heard a system notification. ¡°You have now entered the Eternal Day District¡¯s Sun-Worshipping Cult Instance.¡±


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    This ¡°quiet, free from crowds, abundant in spiritual energy, and experience-rich¡± place, was the level 20 instance?


    1. this is how begins many of buddha¡¯s teachings as recorded by his disciple ananda


    2. a mythical island where immortals reside. i think we already had a town called penglai, but this is different

 CH 34

    Chapter 34 ¨C Peach Tree Monsters


    After seven days, there had been persistent players who had already made it past the level 20 instance. A few of those had put together a guidebook on the forums, and charged money for access. A few professional guides would also lead players though the instance, again for a cost.


    After logging off, Ye Zhou would occasionally check the forums, so he had heard about the Eternal Night District and Eternal Day District¡¯s instances.


    Here in the Eternal Day District, the background of the instance seemed to be that the Sun-Worshipping Clan had created the Eternal Day District. The Sun-Worshipping Clan was descended from Kuafu[1], and carried the bloodline of a primordial divinity.


    The obsession of Kuafu¡¯s people for the sun was etched into their blood. After Kuafu died pursuing the sun, his wooden staff became a peach forest, and his descendants settled down beside it. Back in primordial ages, Kuafu¡¯s descendants had possessed divine power, discovered the remnant power Kuafu had left behind in the forest, and awakened to a technique to control time. Thus, they had caused time to stagnate forever within this area.


    In the Eternal Day District, the sun rose in the east every morning at seven, and after setting in the west at seven every night, it immediately rose again, and then, like a 12-hour tape played in reverse, it traveled from the west to the east, where it would once again rise the next day. This repeated day after day and year after year, giving rise to the Eternal Day District.


    The Eternal Day District¡¯s Sun-Worshipping Cult Instance was started via a youth of the cult. As time had flowed on and tens of thousands of years had gone by, the divine power lingering within the people of the Sun-Worshipping Clan diminished further and further, until they were nearly unable to maintain the reversal of time within the Eternal Day District.


    The youth of the Sun-Worshipping Cult believed that their clan must now leave the Eternal Day District. Only by embracing cold and darkness could they have a real future. Otherwise, sooner or later, the Eternal Day District would vanish completely, and the Sun-Worshipping Clan which had never faced night would perish.


    But the elder of the Sun-Worshipping Cult refused to recognize the youth¡¯s ideas, believing that the sun would forever belong to their clan.


    The youth wanted to convince his elder, but he alone wasn¡¯t strong enough. Thus, he asked for help from the brave young heroes (players) who frequented the Eternal Day District, hoping they could help him get through the elder¡¯s trial.


    After they passed the instance, the elder would entrust the players with guiding the youth out of the Eternal Day District, and as an expression of his gratitude, he would gift each player with one Foundation Establishment Pill. After eating it, they could form their foundation and rise to level 20.


    Of course, the youth wouldn¡¯t actually leave with the players. He needed to stay where he was and continue to lead other players through the instance.


    Inside the instance, no other players would show up, leaving each group of challengers alone, so it indeed could be said to be a calm place.


    The issue was that this was a six-player instance. They could still enter with less people. There was a limited number of mobs, which would award a fixed amount of experience, so the fewer players there were, the more experience each would get.


    That was on the condition that they could clear it, of course.


    Even full parties of six level 19 players would come stumbling out beaten black and blue. Each monster had level 20 strength and the three gatekeeper bosses were absurdly strong on top of that. If two people entered, they would probably die and get kicked out in less than five minutes.


    If they got killed, they would lose items and experience. Ye Zhou had earned just a pitiful amount of experience from cultivating over those seven days, and he really couldn¡¯t afford to lose any of it.


    The youth guiding them said diligently to Dugu Zhuo, ¡°Before us is the peach forest born from Lord Kuafu¡¯s staff. The elder said that if I wanted to leave, I must first pass Lord Kuafu¡¯s trials.¡±


    In the first stage, they had to enter the forest, where the trees would become monsters and attack players in a never-ending flurry of branches. The trees had crazy amounts of HP and were extremely difficult to kill. Their branches hit hard and could knock off over 30% of someone¡¯s HP in one hit. Each tree had seven branches and the forest had a total of 30 trees which could transform into monsters, so players were essentially walking into a slaughterfest.


    The most infuriating part of it all was that the youth would also join in the battle. He had very little HP and would lose half of it if he got hit once. If he got hit twice, he would be dead, and his death would mean the end of the instance and the players automatically getting kicked out.


    The players could only attempt to make it through by trial and error, dying time after time in order to find out the patterns of the branches¡¯ movements. They had to avoid as many of them as possible, while also protecting the youth who was determined to fight head-on with the peach tree monsters. It was truly exhausting.


    This stage tested the players¡¯ abilities to cooperate as well as their powers of avoidance. The first stage alone took out innumerable players.


    Listening to the youth¡¯s words, Ye Zhou surreptitiously tugged on Dugu Zhuo¡¯s sleeve. ¡°We can¡¯t beat this.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo told the youth, ¡°I only want to borrow the space here for a while. We won¡¯t be going through the instance.¡±


    He proceeded to use the binding spell he had employed against the temple attendant on the youth. The youth was instantly rendered immobile, like a block of wood.


    Ye Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°I¡¯ve come in here before. Originally, I had wanted to know how the game explained the existence of the Eternal Day District, but I accidentally triggered the level 20 instance, and discovered this was an excellent place to cultivate. Not only will we not be disturbed by other players, or draw anyone¡¯s attention, but the environment is pleasant and the peach forest is very beautiful.¡±


    Ye Zhou nimbly avoided a branch that came whipping at him. ¡°Are you sure this is a ¡®calm¡¯ place? You better protect that kid. If he dies, we¡¯ll be kicked out of the instance!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo put one arm around Ye Zhou and picked up the youth with his other hand. He flew high up into the sky, far beyond the reach of the peach branches, and crossed over the peach forest, setting the youth down beyond the radius of the trees¡¯ attacks.


    On the other side of the forest was the second challenge of the instance. A man slept beyond the peach forest, the slumbering soul of the previous elder of the Sun-Worshipping Cult. If the trees protecting him had been defeated, this elder would awaken and unleash an AOE attack which would leave all the players half-dead.


    If the players who had put so much effort into defeating the peach forest had been aware of this setup, it would¡¯ve been fine, and they could avoid the area attack. But this was the game¡¯s debut, and the players were completely clueless as they stumbled out of the tiger¡¯s lair and into the wolves¡¯ den. Typically the first attack left them confused and scattered, and they all got wiped out in short order.


    However, the condition for the elder waking up was the peach trees¡¯ defeat.


    Right now, the trees couldn¡¯t even touch Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou, and there was no way the elder would awaken. Dugu Zhuo set the youth down at the elder¡¯s feet.


    There was a bit of distance between the elder and the forest. The vegetation grew lushly here, and a field of rapeseed flowers were currently blooming in full force, looking splendid.


    Ye Zhou sank into the flower field and couldn¡¯t help letting out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°I calculated earlier that after staying in the instance for one shichen without clearing it, we would be ejected. This is a good opportunity for practicing spells.¡±


    It¡­ actually made sense. It just seemed like somewhat of a misunderstanding as to the point of an instance. Ye Zhou stole a glance at Dugu Zhuo, feeling a spark of happiness.


    After all those days shut up in one hotel room, now that he had suddenly come to this beautiful scenery, his spirits naturally felt lifted.


    He just needed to ignore the wildly lashing branches off to one side. They looked as if they were raging powerlessly.


    A butterfly flitted among the rapeseed blooms. Ye Zhou extended a finger, and that multicolored butterfly landed on it. Ye Zhou smiled softly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°This place really is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°If you like it, from now on, we can come here every day to train for two hours,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°If you ever get bored of this scenery, we can go to the Eternal Night District. The Netherworld there is also very beautiful.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo spoke so matter-of-factly that Ye Zhou almost got the idea that instances were made for tourism.


    Alarmed by his own thoughts, Ye Zhou knocked himself on the head, startling the butterfly off his finger.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dugu Zhuo asked. ¡°Does your head hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Ye Zhou waved his hands. ¡°Should we start practicing? Am I really going to be able to learn spells, though?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Dugu Zhuo said with full confidence.


    He first taught Ye Zhou the acupuncture points, lightly tapping a few positions across Ye Zhou¡¯s body. ¡°Remember these few acupuncture points. You must guide your spiritual essence through these positions.¡±


    Ye Zhou had always had good memory, and was able to remember all of them after being taught once. He also easily found the same acupuncture points on Dugu Zhuo¡¯s body.


    ¡°What are these for?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°Cultivators sense the energy of the heavens and earth, making it their own or borrowing it,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°In order to accomplish this, one must first be able to commune with heaven and earth. Arrays, footwork techniques, and even sword techniques are all languages in order to communicate with heaven, while spells connect this language with our own bodies.


    ¡°Simple spells don¡¯t require this language, and can be used with only hand signs. When you form the hand sign, let your spiritual essence circulate through these points, and you¡¯ll be able to lessen the earth¡¯s restrictions on you and ascend into the sky. This is the Flight Spell.¡±


    Ye Zhou unexpectedly understood Dugu Zhuo¡¯s explanation. ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly be an actual cultivator, could you?¡± he asked.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t deny, instead saying, ¡°You can also understand the explanation I just gave as a procedure that already existed within the game. By reconfiguring these procedures, I can also create techniques of my own.¡±


    This was an explanation that Ye Zhou could accept. Maybe Dugu Zhuo was actually a legendary hacker.


    Due to his cultivation over the past few days, Ye Zhou was already familiar with controlling his spiritual essence. After memorizing the hand seals that Dugu Zhuo taught him, Ye Zhou started trying to use the hand seals as he manipulated his spiritual essence.


    This wasn¡¯t as simple as it had sounded. He had to control his spiritual essence while forming hand seals at the same time, and each time he made a movement, his spiritual essence had to pass through an acupuncture point at the exact same time. Even one mistake would cause it all to fail.


    After trying for a few times, Ye Zhou still couldn¡¯t get it to work, but he didn¡¯t get discouraged and still seemed spirited as he kept practicing, getting better with each attempt.


    After about an hour, Ye Zhou was feeling rather mentally fatigued, but he felt a sudden flash of insight. He no longer needed to purposefully remember every step, but instead, as he naturally formed the hand signs, his spiritual essence made the circulation perfectly, and he completed the whole process in one breath, without any issue.


    Slowly, he rose off the ground. Ye Zhou felt like he could hear the voice of the vast land, as well as the pulse of the heavens. He knew the circulation of his spiritual essence that could allow his steps to no longer be restricted by the earth, and how to commune with the heavens for it to support his body.


    ¡°I can really fly!¡± Delighted, Ye Zhou soared back and forth through the air, loving the feeling of freedom.


    Lost in his joy, he forgot that just to one side, the peach trees were lying in wait with malicious intent. He accidentally flew a bit too low, causing two branches to come whipping towards him.


    Two branches could do 60% of his HP in damage at most, so he wasn¡¯t very worried. However, over the past few days, he had adjusted his pain sensitivity to 70% for his meditation, so it would be agony if these two hits landed.


    At this moment of peril, a sword light flashed by and severed both branches.


    A hand grabbed Ye Zhou and pulled him up some distance, far out of the trees¡¯ range of attack.


    Ye Zhou had already grown tired of saying ¡°thank you¡±. If they kept saying it to each other, they would feel like strangers.


    ¡°Is this sword flight?¡± Ye Zhou glanced toward the sword, and saw it to be Dugu Zhuo¡¯s Refined Steel Sword.


    ¡°You¡¯re also capable of it, but there isn¡¯t enough time left today for you to learn it,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°It¡¯s sufficient that you¡¯ve mastered the Flight Spell today.¡±


    Ye Zhou looked at the peach trees below him, and suddenly came up with an idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try beating the first challenge of the instance like this, fighting the monsters from the sky? You can use your new steel sword, while I try the Five Phases Swordplay.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Dugu Zhuo said.


    They slowly approached the peach forest and stopped just outside the range of the branches. Ye Zhou drew out the jade slip containing the Five Phases Swordplay, and pressed the ¡°use¡± button.


    The Five Phases Swordplay wasn¡¯t like the Misdirection Array. It was a high-level sword technique, and in order to successfully use it, one needed very high mastery of the sword. Ye Zhou¡¯s mastery wasn¡¯t at that level yet.


    However, as if he had a natural familiarity with the Five Phases Swordplay, Ye Zhou instantly understood how to create blades out of wind, sending a few dozen wind blades whirling through the peach forest and severing several branches.


    Robed in white, Ye Zhou stood in midair, gazing downwards. His expression was solemn, and in his form, Dugu Zhuo saw a familiar impression.


    Dugu Zhuo had been admiring Ye Zhou as he fought the trees, but upon seeing his mannerisms change, his heart skipped a beat.


    He came up and poked Ye Zhou on one cheek, breaking that flawless and cold visage.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ye Zhou said, the dignified expression vanishing, holding his cheek and staring wide-eyed at Dugu Zhuo. He looked a bit cute.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Dugu Zhuo said, feeling his heart settle.


    Dugu Zhuo liked Ye Zhou. He was satisfied with his current life. But he had no wish for Ye Zhou to turn back into his old self, or remember the events of his past life.


    Things were fine the way they were now.

 CH 35

    Chapter 35 ¨C Unbearable fury


    Dugu Zhuo had specifically found the Sun-Worshipping Cult Instance in order for Ye Zhou to train in, and he had absolutely no plans to try and clear it.


    Ye Zhou also had never thought that they could defeat the instance with only two people, so he didn¡¯t want to kill all of the peach tree monsters. After they were all dead, the elder would wake up, so Ye Zhou left one or two of their branches. If all the tree branches weren¡¯t cleared within ten minutes, the entire peach forest would come back to life, making for a neverending fight.


    This was a nightmare for those players dedicating themselves to beating the instance, but to Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo, it was a perpetual-renewing opportunity for them to practice their skills, so their fortune couldn¡¯t be better.


    After the peach tree monsters spent quite a while getting bullied by these two people who didn¡¯t obey common sense, they at last managed to hold out to the instance¡¯s time limit, at which the system was all too eager to kick the two outside.


    Naturally, a lot of players saw them be suddenly ejected from the instance and appear on a main street in the Eternal Day District.


    The failure rate for the Sun Worshipping Cult instance was extremely high, so the players were already used to seeing scenes like this. However, this was the first time they saw only two people be ejected, and the players of the Eternal Day District immediately began chattering: Look, those two idiots thought they could clear the level 20 instance all on their own, and what do you know, they¡¯ve been ejected! Hahahaha!


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t care about other players¡¯ thoughts of him. In his life, he had endured far too many rumors and lies, so this level of mockery was unable to shake him at all.


    Ye Zhou, though, felt indignant. He stepped in front of Dugu Zhuo, glaring at those players, thinking, ¡°You all have no idea how strong Dugu Zhuo is. We didn¡¯t pass the instance because we spent all two hours playing, unlike you guys who take two hours and can¡¯t beat it!¡±


    Seeing Ye Zhou¡¯s infuriated expression, Dugu Zhuo placed a hand on his shoulder, transmitting, ¡°No need to mind them.¡±


    Ye Zhou gave the surrounding players a glare and sent back a private message. ¡°After we establish our sect, we have to make it the number one sect in this game, so all the players know how impressive you are!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo gazed at Ye Zhou, thinking that he was starting to overlap with the previous life¡¯s Ye Zhou within his memories.


    Back then, he had reached Golden Core and thus was able to participate in the Great Centennial Competition of the cultivation world. Dugu Zhuo had been an exceptional prodigy, so he should¡¯ve been able to prove his skills to the world in that competition. However, due to various reasons, he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a certain evil cultivator. The entire Qingtian Sect mocked Dugu Zhuo back then, and other sects also began to variously criticize Dugu Zhuo for losing to the wicked sects in such a critical duel, ruining the righteous path¡¯s prestige as well as giving up one of their magic artifacts.


    Dugu Zhuo, having become the scapegoat of all the righteous sects, stood amidst the crowd, listening to everyone¡¯s scorn. Fury welled up within his chest, and he was on the verge of throwing caution to the wind and starting a fight in the middle of the gathering.


    However, a ray of pure white light shot into the midst of the field. In between Dugu Zhuo and the evil cultivator, a sword appeared whose lethal aura filled the air.


    It was the magic sword that Ye Zhou customarily used, Ning Zhe, named for ¡°rather break than bend¡±[1]. The Su Sword was a divine blade, and even as its wielder, Ye Zhou would never bring it out except at critical junctures. On ordinary occasions, he used the Ning Zhe sword.


    The sword separated Dugu Zhuo and the evil cultivator, and the display of power from a Mahayana cultivator brought a hush over the whole gathering.


    From the booth where the elders of every sect were seated came a crisp and cold voice. ¡°My sect has lost this match. The general of a losing army is in no position to brag, and I have no dissent to offer. However, three years from today, any brave hero here who¡¯s willing to look down upon my sect¡¯s disciples are welcome to challenge Dugu Zhuo to a fight, with no restriction on numbers and no stipulation about life and death. What say you?¡±


    The evil cultivator who had dueled Dugu Zhuo let out a haughty laugh and said, ¡°Then what if every member of my sect who¡¯s present today all challenge Dugu Zhuo? You¡¯re not worried about your little disciple becoming exhausted by fighting us in turns and getting killed?¡±


    ¡°No need to take turns. You may all attack at once.¡± That crisp voice rang unmistakably in the ears of everyone in attendance. ¡°After three years, Dugu Zhuo will never again need to fear any opponent of Deity Transformation or lower.¡±


    That claim was so arrogant that it seemed to offend every sect in attendance. The disciples in participation didn¡¯t dare argue with someone who clearly possessed Mahayana-level power, but the sect elders weren¡¯t willing to let it pass.


    On the spot, they made an agreement with Qingtian Sect, to challenge Dugu Zhuo again after three years.


    Yet, three years later, before the arranged time had even come, Dugu Zhuo set off alone for that evil sect and single-handedly slaughtered every member, rescuing twenty-three women who had been kidnapped to be used as living cauldrons. Afterward, his reputation spread far and wide, and he was considered a god of slaughter among the cultivation world.


    Subsequently, no one dared to bring up the arrangement made three years ago. When the day came, Ye Zhou actively sent out invitations to all the sects who had issued a challenge, and got back message after message admitting defeat.


    Ye Zhou tossed them at Dugu Zhuo, and the pieces of paper fluttered down near him like snowflakes. With his back to Dugu Zhuo, Ye Zhou said indifferently, ¡°Here are your winnings.¡±


    Ye Zhou¡¯s attitude was bad as always, but by then Dugu Zhuo had already grown up and realized how hard the man tried for him.


    After Ye Zhou had left, Dugu Zhuo picked up all the slips on the ground and carefully placed them inside his storage item. This was his gift from Ye Zhou.


    A player pointed at Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou and started to laugh loudly. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t take on the instance with two people, did you? Are you both idiots?¡±


    Those words woke Dugu Zhuo from his reminiscence. He saw that Ye Zhou was so furious he was forming hand seals and looking like he wanted to beat the other person, so quickly held him back, rubbing the top of his head.


    ¡°No, listen to me,¡± Ye Zhou said, not willing to be placated this time. He charged up to the other party. ¡°Let¡¯s fight, and then you¡¯ll know whether or not we have what it takes!¡±


    The player looked Ye Zhou up and down and sneered. ¡°You? Forget it. I¡¯ve already reached level 20, and I only came back here to guide new players through the instance. There¡¯s no way you can beat me.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just say whether or not you have the guts to fight?¡± Ye Zhou said, lifting his head pridefully.


    That player looked back at his party members and said, ¡°Wait for me a little. I¡¯ll deal with him in less than a minute.¡±


    Ye Zhou also told Dugu Zhuo, ¡°I¡¯ll log off later. Don¡¯t try to stop me.¡±


    Looking at him helplessly, Dugu Zhuo said in a quiet voice, ¡°Hand me your sword.¡±


    The sword he had retempered for Ye Zhou previously had been too low level. Its durability was too low and it was worn out badly, so Ye Zhou had long since replaced it with the Refined Stee; Sword the system had gifted him at level 20. Dugu Zhuo had wanted to help him upgrade it, but Ye Zhou had figured that they would soon reach level 30 and have to replace the sword again, so didn¡¯t want Dugu Zhuo to use his blood on a temporary sword.


    Now Dugu Zhuo wanted to upgrade Ye Zhou¡¯s equipment on the spot, but Ye Zhou immediately understood his intention and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary!¡±


    He drew his sword and began a duel.


    Players were allowed to duel within the Eternal Day District, but it was still limited to level 20 and below players. Players above level 20 had to go to a designated dueling field or the wilderness.


    The other player accepted Ye Zhou¡¯s invitation to duel and brought out a long spear, its head shining with frosty light. It didn¡¯t look like a level 20 equipment, maybe level 30 or even higher.


    There were many hidden easter eggs throughout the game. This player had obviously been able to get his hands on something impressive, so no wonder his attitude was so arrogant.


    The other player made the first move. He swung the spear, and the light shrouding the tip formed into a silver serpent, flying through the air towards Ye Zhou.


    The spectators surrounding them cried out in amazement. Someone said, ¡°I know now! That guy¡¯s the first player to pass the level 20 instance, Unrivaled Divine General! That spear was his gift for first clearance!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that. The system also gave him a top quality material item, the Serpent Soul Jade, so it looks like he¡¯s combined the jade with the spear to create a new weapon.¡±


    ¡°My friend paid him to be led through the instance and saw that spear in action. That silver snake has a freezing and control effect. If it even touches you, you¡¯ll be frozen solid and become defenseless for ten seconds. Also, the cold air it breathes out is poisonous and will cut the opponent¡¯s attack and speed in half.¡±


    ¡°Because of the spear¡¯s length, its range of attack is larger and its attack speed is also faster than a sword. What kind of brainless player thought he could take on Unrivaled Divine General?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it to be expected? They tried to take on the instance with two people, so they might as well also pick a fight with the first guy who cleared the instance.¡±


    The spectating players were talking publicly, so Dugu Zhuo heard everything they said.


    Dugu Zhuo had always disregarded the words of others, but now he found himself unintentionally clenching a fist. His Ye Zhou was not someone other people could look down upon.


    At this moment, Dugu Zhuo suddenly realized why Ye Zhou wanted to fight even if it meant pushing back his log-out time. Both of them were overly protective people.


    The silver serpent moved far faster than a normal player, lashing out toward Ye Zhou like a streak of lightning. Ye Zhou remained calm, though, forming hand seals with practiced motions, and in the instant before the serpent impacted him, he flew up into the air, gazing down at his opponent.


    Ye Zhou originally wanted to use the Five Phases Swordplay or the Tiangang Steps. Both of them had jade slips, so he would only need to press a button to activate them.


    However, when he thought to bring out a jade slip, he suddenly remembered the hand seal that Dugu Zhuo had used to fly on his sword, and as if it had all clicked in his mind, he formed the hand seal and silently commanded, ¡°Rise,¡± and the Refined Steel Sword rose up into the air, shooting toward the serpent.


    The silver serpent¡¯s speed couldn¡¯t match up to a sword¡¯s, and, unable to avoid in time, it was pierced through its throat, causing half its body to vanish.


    The serpent¡¯s freezing and weakening effects were meant to affect living beings, whether players or monsters, so against the Refined Steel Sword which couldn¡¯t be frozen or poisoned, it had little effect.


    Even so, a layer of frost enveloped the body of the sword, decreasing its speed significantly.


    Ye Zhou had intended for the sword to pierce through the serpent and Divine General in one move, but, having been slowed down, the sword was blocked by Divine General¡¯s spear.


    In the time that took, Ye Zhou had already brought out the Five Phases Swordplay¡¯s jade slip and selected the earth sword to use. Attention focused on Ye Zhou above him, Divine General never noticed the danger beneath his feet, and by the time a party member warned him, it was too late.


    Dozens of blades formed from stone and earth slammed into Divine General¡¯s body. The earth swords weren¡¯t very sharp, but their attack power was high. Being hit by many dozen at once, Divine General would have a hard time even if each individual sword didn¡¯t do much.


    He had a lot of health, so even after all the successive attacks, 20% of it remained. Divine General was an experienced player, and even under the circumstances, he brought out a handful of healing pills and was about to stuff them in his mouth.


    Ye Zhou didn¡¯t give him a chance to heal, however. Ten seconds had already passed and the frost covering the Refined Steel Sword had melted, its speed returning to normal. It approached Divine General from the back and pierced through his chest, taking his life before he was able to consume the pills.


    After all those major techniques, Ye Zhou was also out of spiritual energy. No longer able to maintain the flight spell, he fell from the sky.


    Dugu Zhuo took a step forward and caught Ye Zhou in his arms.


    Dugu Zhuo didn¡¯t drag out their embrace, and after Ye Zhou was standing firmly on the ground, he let go. Their contact was so quick that Ye Zhou didn¡¯t even have the time to feel embarrassed.


    Ye Zhou could only prop up his body weakened from lack of spiritual energy and say to Unrivaled Divine General¡¯s corpse, ¡°I hope that was enough to show you! We could¡¯ve completed the instance even with just the two of us. Today we¡¯ve hit the time limit, but tomorrow, you can see us do it!¡±

 CH 36

    Chapter 36 ¨C Money-making scheme


    Ye Zhou was considering how to clear the instance with two people the next day in order to make everyone eat their mocking words when Unrivaled Divine General revived on the spot and shouted at Ye Zhou, ¡°Who cares about competing with you? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    He had accepted a job to lead people through the instance, so even if he was fuming, he still needed to diligently serve his clients.


    Unrivaled Divine General departed with that, without tossing out any parting words like ¡°you just wait for me¡±, so it turned out he could actually accept defeat when he needed to.


    Seeing the excitement was over, the surrounding crowd stopped watching Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou and hurried off on their own business.


    Ye Zhou returned to his inn room, and after saying goodbye to Dugu Zhuo, went offline to rest.


    After he departed, Dugu Zhuo left the room. Without Ye Zhou there, he didn¡¯t find any entertainment in staring at a blank wall.


    Over this period, when Ye Zhou logged off, Dugu Zhuo hadn¡¯t remained idle. He had walked pretty much every inch of the currently open maps in Nine Heavens, trying to find the next main storyline task.


    If the main storyline was as closely connected with his past as it seemed, he didn¡¯t want Ye Zhou involved in the next part at all costs. Nine Heavens¡¯ main storyline wouldn¡¯t reappear after being completed, so if he finished one part alone, other people wouldn¡¯t be aware of that portion of his past.


    Unfortunately, these last couple days, he had thoroughly searched Penglai Town, the Eternal Day and Night Districts, and Jiuchuan City, and even interrogated every bandit and thug on the road from Penglai Town to Jiuchuan City, and in the end not managed to find any clues towards the main storyline.


    Perhaps this was because a requirement was unfulfilled, or because many maps in the game were still not open, so the clues hadn¡¯t been released yet.


    Ye Zhou progressed rapidly in cultivation, so he would be able to learn basic techniques very quickly. The next thing he would want to do would undoubtedly be going to the level 20+ instances to level up. It couldn¡¯t be delayed any longer.


    Just as Dugu Zhuo expected, after Ye Zhou cultivated for less than a week, he had mastered the flight spell, the sword flight technique, and the Five Elements Talismans. After all their preparations were ready, he and Dugu Zhuo set off, fully equipped, to challenge the Sun-Worshipping Cult instance.


    They no longer needed Foundation Establishment Pills, and the pills the Sun-Worshipping Cult instance gave out were bound to the player and could not be sold, so clearing this instance honestly didn¡¯t hold much benefit for them, and only amounted to some experience. However, while the amount of experience points could be considered significant to players below level 20, past level 20, it would be more efficient to run around in the wilderness and find bandits to beat up.


    Dugu Zhuo had verified this comparison by going to the wilderness and fighting bandits while Ye Zhou was gone.


    Initially, in order to obtain information, Dugu Zhuo had left a member of an ambush alive in order to follow him back to the bandits¡¯ mountain lair.


    The lair was filled with countless pieces of silver, low-grade spirit stones, and medicinal ingredients, as any items dropped by players who got killed by the bandits would automatically appear in their storeroom.


    Dugu Zhuo cleared out the lair, and on top of the experience and Righteousness Points, he had obtained a good 100,000 silver taels. Over this period of time, the room fare for him and Ye Zhou had come from here.


    Thinking of the tens of millions of funds they would need to found a sect, Dugu Zhuo decided that he could raise the money by robbing bandits. If he just repeated this a couple hundred times, he would be set.


    The second day, he repeated the same formula, following the one surviving bandit back to their mountain lair, only to find that the inside of the lair was bare and the bandit leader was currently boiling wild vegetables to eat.


    Upon seeing Dugu Zhuo, the bandit leader fell to his knees and said, ¡°Great hero, please spare us! Business wasn¡¯t good today, and we didn¡¯t manage to kill many travelers, so we¡¯re truly penniless. My brothers are going to bed with their stomachs empty tonight!¡±


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°¡­¡±


    The bandits¡¯ strategist, a man with a pinched and gaunt face, also kneeled down and said, ¡°Great hero, how about tomorrow, after we¡¯ve robbed some people, we¡¯ll give you all our earnings?¡±


    Dugu Zhuo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Waiting for these bandits to rob players would be less effective than him going out to rob players himself.


    Just like that, Dugu Zhuo¡¯s plan to get rich crumbled.


    He quickly came up with a new plan, but he would only know whether or not it could be viable after beating the Sun-Worshipping Cult instance. So, he said that this instance wasn¡¯t really worth clearing, but in actuality, even though he would accompany Ye Zhou no matter what if Ye Zhou wanted to do it, Dugu Zhuo certainly had his own reason to clear it.


    The instance wasn¡¯t actually hard, just an extreme test of a player¡¯s control of the game.


    After subduing the Peach Tree Monsters, they needed to flee to outside the elder¡¯s range in order to avoid his barrage of AoE attacks, and dodge his single-target attacks afterwards. As long as their movements were precise, they would be able to win by whittling away at the elder.


    This stage wasn¡¯t difficult. They had thoroughly practiced the flight spell, so they would be able to dodge the elder¡¯s attacks easily.


    The problem was the elder¡¯s extremely high health pool and strong defense, which meant that they would have trouble causing damage to him with their weapons.


    The Five Phases Swordplay and the Tiangang Steps were powerful, but they also expended too much spiritual energy. At their current levels, if they tried to use their sword and movement techniques at the same time, their spiritual energy would run out in no time. They would have no way to fight, unable to sustain even the most basic flight or sword command technique.


    Plus, the Five Phases Swordplay and the Tiangang Steps had cooldown periods, and couldn¡¯t be used again within a fifteen second timespan.


    After some discussion, they decided that after one person used a sword technique, they would immediately fall back and eat pills to replenish spiritual energy, while the other person would come forward and use their movement techniques. Fighting in turns like this, they finally managed to drain the elder¡¯s health in a few cycles.


    Before dying, the elder let out a frustrated bellow. He wasn¡¯t weak, it was just that he couldn¡¯t fly.


    The next challenge was a rather cliche riddle of truth and lies. They were faced with two doors and two guardians, one of which always told the truth, and one of which always told lies. In order to find the correct door, they could only ask one question to one gatekeeper.


    If they went through the correct door, they would arrive at the main hall of the temple, but if they were mistaken, they would have to fight the divine beast of the Sun-Worshipping Cult. Only by winning could they leave and return to the correct door.


    With Dugu Zhuo¡¯s intellect, he could easily figure out which door was the true one, but upon hearing ¡°divine beast¡±, he remembered that their sect still needed a guardian beast. Tempted away, he purposefully chose the incorrect door in order to see the divine beast, in case they could capture it for their sect.


    Dugu Zhuo had assumed that in the Sun-Worshipping Temple, the divine beast should be a three-legged sun crow or something else related to the sun, and at the very least, it had to be an animal, surely. But on the other side of the door, he found a row of sunflowers.


    The sunflowers might¡¯ve looked ordinary, but their combat strength was terrifying.


    Their natural ability to face the sun made them very sensitive to light, and from even a single ray of light, they could discern the two¡¯s locations and spit out a barrage of sunflower seeds.


    The sunflower seeds were no snack, either. Every one of them was a tiny bomb, which would penetrate into the flesh of players before exploding. Not only did they cause serious damage, but if they hit the arms or legs, they would affect attack damage or movement speed.


    The volume of the attack was also extremely high, as dense as raindrops, so even Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou¡¯s evasive abilities might not be able to avoid them.


    Dugu Zhuo instantly thought up a countermeasure, however. He and Ye Zhou shared a glance, then Ye Zhou went forward and blocked the first wave, as Dugu Zhuo prepared a talisman.


    However, just at this moment, the Sun-Worshipping Cult¡¯s youth had to cause problems. He was designed by the devs to act as an obstacle, so every time the players faced a challenge, he would yell, ¡°This is one of Elder¡¯s trials, I won¡¯t back down!¡± and charge right in. He could get himself killed in the blink of an eye. The players couldn¡¯t even hold him back, and countless died because of him.


    Dugu Zhuo had originally used the binding spell on him and carried him in one arm. He¡¯d been portable and hadn¡¯t managed to cause any trouble.


    However, these sunflowers were the divine beasts of the Sun-Worshipping Cult, and their purpose was to protect the members of the Sun-Worshipping Tribe. When they entered the gates, the youth was able to borrow their power to break the binding spell, and as Dugu Zhuo focused on his talismans, charged forth while drawing a dagger, shouting, ¡°Honored divine beasts, please test me!¡±


    Ye Zhou had all his attention on simultaneously using Sword Flight and the Five Phases Swordplay to block the sunflower seeds. With wind swords protecting him, he hadn¡¯t sustained any injury yet.


    Seeing the youth charge in, Ye Zhou, in a pinch, sent a few of his wind swords out to protect him. A hole appeared in his defenses and one sunflower seed was able to hit him in the shoulder. It detonated, instantly taking away 20% of Ye Zhou¡¯s health.


    The damage was nothing, but Ye Zhou had adjusted his pain sensitivity to the highest setting. The pain disrupted his concentration. He was unable to maintain the wind swords, and countless sunflower seeds flew toward him.


    Through the Heart Linking Technique, Dugu Zhuo also felt the pain in his shoulder. In the past, he had perpetually been in pain, so his pain threshold and endurance were high.


    As Ye Zhou faced the omnidirectional threat, Dugu Zhuo appeared in front of him in the moment before impact, and tossed an illumination talisman into the air.


    The entire room was instantly lit up as the talisman let out blinding rays. All the sunflowers couldn¡¯t help but look up toward the talisman, causing all the seeds to shoot in its direction, temporarily taking the two out of the line of fire.


    Dugu Zhuo immediately tossed out a flame talisman in succession. It started a raging inferno, which Dugu Zhuo took advantage of to use the Five Phases Swordplay¡¯s fire swords.


    The sunflowers had nowhere to hide from the intense blaze, and all were incinerated.


    This battle had been rather costly for them. Their spiritual energy was depleted, and Ye Zhou had also been injured.


    Fortunately, it would take the sunflowers five minutes to revive, so they had some time to recuperate.


    They had no healing abilities between them. Dugu Zhuo pulled open Ye Zhou¡¯s clothes, used qi to force out the splintered pieces of sunflower seed in Ye Zhou¡¯s arm, then applied healing medicine to the area as well as giving him pills. Healing medicine took effect instantaneously in the game, so Ye Zhou recovered at once.


    ¡°Argh, it hurts like hell!¡± Ye Zhou said, clutching his shoulder.


    Dugu Zhuo blamed himself for it all. If he hadn¡¯t been so determined to catch a divine beast for his sect, Ye Zhou wouldn¡¯t have been hurt.


    Before he could even get out any words of apology, though, Ye Zhou raised a hand and poked Dugu Zhuo in the cheek, saying with a smile, ¡°Why are you feeling bad about it? Isn¡¯t choosing to fight the wrong door a normal way to play?


    ¡°When I played games in the past, I would also take on some hidden challenges when I got bored. It¡¯s another way to have fun. Even if you took the wrong door on purpose, I also would¡¯ve wanted to see the divine beast of the Sun-Worshipping Cult.


    ¡°I took a screenshot just now too. When I log off, I¡¯m going to post it on the forums. The other players are going to love the true identity of this instance¡¯s divine beasts!¡±


    With his unconcerned attitude, he managed to resolve Dugu Zhuo¡¯s feelings of guilt.


    Seeing that Dugu Zhuo was staring at his shoulder, Ye Zhou quickly put his clothes back on, standing up as if nothing had been going on. ¡°Maybe you should draw a few more talismans right now. After we pass through the next door, we¡¯ll be onto the final boss, so preparing a little more couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Gazing at Ye Zhou, Dugu Zhuo said, ¡°Next time you log on, make sure to set the pain sensitivity to zero.¡±


    Even though Ye Zhou had already used the Heart Linking Technique and would be able to feel Dugu Zhuo¡¯s pain through it, if he adjusted his setting to zero, he could at least not feel pain when he himself got injured.


    ¡°Yeah, I will,¡± Ye Zhou said casually. ¡°Get to your talismans.¡±


    Dugu Zhuo turned away to draw, while Ye Zhou, holding his hands behind his back, whistled guiltily.


    Ye Zhou knew full well it was dangerous to set the pain sensitivity very high, but the game had pain and touch sensitivity linked. If he set his pain to zero, then in the future, when Dugu Zhuo patted him, poked him, or held his hand, he wouldn¡¯t be able to feel it, and he wouldn¡¯t even be able to feel Dugu Zhuo¡¯s breathing when they stood very close to each other.


    Of course, through the Heart Linking Technique, he could feel Dugu Zhuo¡¯s sensations, but those were Dugu Zhuo¡¯s, not his own.


    He simply wouldn¡¯t adjust it, Ye Zhou thought with his back to Dugu Zhuo, having flat-out deceived him.


    In order to prevent injuries in the boss fight as much as possible, Dugu Zhuo drew a lot of talismans. He also used physical methods (a rope) to wrap the Sun-Worshipping youth into a bundle. Finally, they left the room, now selecting the correct gate, into the worship hall of the Sun-Worshipping Temple.


    The current elder of the Sun-Worshipping Temple saw them and smiled unkindly. ¡°After so many trials, do you still not understand?¡±


    This line was directed at the Sun-Worshipping youth. Ye Zhou had a bad feeling. Maybe that stumbling block kid had another trap in place for the players.

 CH 37

    After the Sun-Worshipping youth heard the elder¡¯s words, his body glowed red and spewed out flames, immediately burning away Dugu Zhuo¡¯s ropes and breaking through the binding spell.


    Flames burning in both eyes, he charged directly at the two.


    At the same time, Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo heard a system prompt. ¡°The Sun-Worshipping youth has fallen under the elder¡¯s control! You must defeat the elder in order to save the youth. Ensure you do not harm the youth!¡±


    That last reminder was the most important. When Ye Zhou saw the youth was spewing out fireballs and about to attack them, he already had a fist clenched, and wanted nothing more than to beat up this NPC who had been determined to be an obstacle this entire journey.


    After already meeting misfortune once because of the youth, Dugu Zhuo wouldn¡¯t allow such a thing to happen again.


    As the youth started spitting out fire, countless lines of writing suddenly appeared across his body, while Dugu Zhuo recited something under his breath. The youth instantly froze.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Ye Zhou asked.


    ¡°The Immobilization Curse,¡± Dugu Zhuo replied.


    His current power was insufficient for directly casting the Immobilization Curse, so he needed the support of talismans. While he had been writing talismans, he had also used the cinnabar to write the necessary inscription for the Immobilization Curse on the youth, in case of an emergency.


    After coming under the elder¡¯s control, the youth¡¯s power had increased dramatically, easily able to break through the ropes and a rudimentary binding spell, but the Immobilization Curse was significantly more powerful and could even temporarily immobilize someone with equivalent power to oneself.


    By Dugu Zhuo¡¯s estimate, the boss of a level 20 instance should be only level 25 to 30 at most, so they would not yet be at Core Formation stage. Thus, the youth couldn¡¯t be that powerful under his control, so an Immobilization Curse at Foundation Establishment stage should suffice.


    They saw the youth rooted to the spot, still able to breathe fire, but his movements were sealed. As long as Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo made sure to stay away from him as they fought, they wouldn¡¯t be attacked from behind.


    Dugu Zhuo knew so many techniques, Ye Zhou didn¡¯t even want to bother asking whether he was the system come to life. He focused on attacking the elder.


    ¡°The system shows that the Immobilization Curse will only last three minutes,¡± Dugu Zhuo said. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±


    Compared to the previous elder, the current elder not only had slightly stronger offensive and defensive stats, he also had an ability which could randomly take control of one player every thirty seconds.


    Fortunately, this technique could be dodged, so as long as they moved quickly, they would be able to avoid it.


    While fighting, the elder also spewed some lines towards the players:


    ¡°The Sun-Worshipping Tribe can never leave the light. I will not let you take away one of our young members.¡±


    ¡°Even if I am to fade away along with this realm of suspended time, I will persevere to the end.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ take care of him¡­¡±


    The last line was spoken when he was on the verge of defeat. He had a sliver of health left, and Dugu Zhuo invoked the power of the sun with the Tiangang Steps, summoning a ferocious blaze down from the sky and incinerating the last of the elder¡¯s health bar.


    When the flames faded away, the Sun-Worshipping Elder¡¯s body had vanished, and a sunflower stood where he used to be.


    ¡°Elder!¡± The youth had also come to his senses, and seeing his elder like this, he was completely stunned.


    The Immobilization Curse wore off by then and the youth dashed over to the sunflower, wrapping his arms around it. ¡°Elder, how did this¡­¡±


    Ye Zhou was also shocked. This scene had never been mentioned in the strategy guide he¡¯d bought. After they defeated the elder, he should¡¯ve become amicable again and encouraged the youth in his journey, as well as gifting the players the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    The guide had also contained instructions for how to find the correct door, emphasizing that they should never walk though the other door, since the divine beasts behind it were impossible to defeat. As for what kind of beasts they were, the guide had neglected to mention.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that the Sun-Worshipping Elder would transform into a sunflower? Weren¡¯t they the guardian beasts of the Sun-Worshipping Temple?


    Ye Zhou shared a glance with Dugu Zhuo, and a single conjecture arose within both of them. Could it be that up to this day, every player who had gone through the instance had used the correct door?


    The Eternal Day District had only been released for half a month at this point, and in order to ascend to level 20 as soon as possible so they could enter new maps and join sects, the players would generally choose the easiest route through the instance. After all, the instance could only be attempted once a day, so if they were defeated while fighting the beasts, they would have to wait until the next day to try again.


    Even the players who had the patience to attempt the hard route were probably given a lot of trouble by the sunflowers¡¯ omnidirectional attack and the youth¡¯s death-seeking tendencies.


    So, while blindly fighting their ways through, they had managed to discover an alternative ending to this instance?


    The sunflower weakly waved a leaf, touching it to the youth¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy.¡±


    While sobbing, the youth said, ¡°Elder, why did you turn into a sunflower?¡±


    ¡°This is the price of the time-reversal spell,¡± the sunflower said. ¡°You just opened the gate which held this temple¡¯s guardian divine beasts, did you not? Those ¡®divine beasts¡¯ are all members of the Sun-Worshipping Cult. For generations, we have prayed to our founder, Kuafu, to stay the sun in its course, so in the end we have become plants which live facing the light.¡±


    ¡°But my mom and dad are both part of the Sun-Worshipping Cult. They make me breakfast and dinner every day. Will they¡­¡± A look of fear showed on the youth¡¯s face.


    ¡°While time flows normally and the sun travels from the east to the west, we can remain as we are. When night begins to fall and the time reversal starts, we will become sunflowers. Only I, here in the worship hall, will not change,¡± the sunflower said with difficulty.


    ¡°Why did you all do this?¡± the youth said, sobbing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better if we all leave together?¡±


    ¡°Because we fear darkness and crave the light. Each member of the Sun-Worshipping Tribe who has already birthed a child must join the Sun-Worshipping Cult, offering their strength to our sun. In the village, only the unmarried youths are still human.¡±


    The youth threw his arms around the sunflower and started bawling.


    The sunflower turned to Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou and said, ¡°Brave heroes, you have lent your courage to this young member of our tribe, in order to allow him to face the truth. I hope that in the future, as he enters ordinary society, you can continue to give him such courage.¡±


    Rather moved by what he was hearing, Ye Zhou nodded vigorously and said, ¡°We will.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will give you these.¡± The sunflower spread out a leaf, which held two Foundation-Establishing Pills.


    After they took the pills, the sunflower said, ¡°Also¡­ you may take what is inside that room, too.¡±


    He pointed to a side door in the worship hall, which, based off the direction, seemed to lead to the room where they had just fought the divine beasts.


    Opening the door, the two found the sunflowers standing in two rows, silently watching them.


    At the far end of the sunflowers, there was a small box, which Ye Zhou opened and found a golden pearl inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ye Zhou said, trying to open the item¡¯s information.


    [Heart¡¯s Dream Pearl: A mysterious pearl gifted by the Sun-Worshipping Elder, it represents the gratitude of the instance¡¯s boss for the player. When used, it can increase an instance boss¡¯s favor toward the player. With sufficient favor, it is possible for a boss to see the player as a trusted friend.]


    ¡°What kind of a weird effect is this?¡± Ye Zhou said. ¡°Can favor make a boss stop attacking the player, or decrease its critical hit rate?¡±


    He scrolled the description, but there was no mention of any attack decreasing effect. If it wasn¡¯t listed, it must not exist.


    ¡°If it won¡¯t give us an advantage when clearing an instance, what good does increasing a boss¡¯s favor do? We went through all the effort of going through the instance in hard mode and all we got was this little thing? What about high-level equips? Crafting materials? A weapon like Unrivaled Divine General had? We don¡¯t get any of that?¡± Ye Zhou said doubtfully.


    His question still hung in the air when he was ejected from the instance, and the system made a server-wide announcement at the same time. [Congratulations to the players Dugu Zhuo and Yi Ye Pian Zhou for clearing the Sun-Worshipping Cult Instance in hard mode.]


    The system would only make a server-wide announcement upon the first clearance of an instance, and it would usually mention what kind of powerful equipment or materials they had received, but Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo¡¯s announcement mentioned nothing.


    ¡°One, two¡­ one, two¡­ one, two¡­ I¡¯ve counted three times, but the announcement still lists only two players.¡±


    ¡°Two players cleared the level 20 instance in hard mode? This must be a joke!¡±


    ¡°I remember a few days ago someone picked a fight with Unrivaled Divine General and declared they were going to clear the instance with two people. Are these those people? That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°I can clearly tell you guys are new players who joined since open registration. Do you see this name? Dugu Zhuo? No matter what happens involving him, I don¡¯t find it strange anymore. He¡¯s a frequent guest of the system announcements.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, what was the reward for the first clearance of hard mode?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any¡­¡±


    ¡°There really is none, the announcement didn¡¯t mention any.¡±


    ¡°Dang. You would get a prize for clearing it normally, but they cleared the hard mode and got nothing. Is their luck just abysmal?¡±


    ¡°Our luck isn¡¯t necessarily bad.¡± As the players discussed amongst themselves, Dugu Zhuo took the pearl from Ye Zhou¡¯s palm. ¡°Remember our tasks for founding a sect? In order to obtain the land, we need to seize territory from one of the instances. Perhaps this pearl is related to that task.¡±