Chapter 31: Storytelling Revitalizes the Cultivation World (31% complete)

After a heated debate on the forum, the taskers united against a common enemy and decided to run the Iceborne instance together after it restarted.

No one would refuse the opportunity to train in a virtual game, not only because training through games is extremely fast and allows for the accumulation of practical experience, but also because the flow of time within the game system is different from that in the outside world. Three days in the game are equivalent to one day in reality. If it weren't for the fact that staying too long would result in being forcibly logged off by the system, some training fanatics would wish they could live in the game system to train.

The process of choosing a time turned into another farce. Fortunately, Su Xiaoyao had always been an excellent student and a class committee member, so she was adept at statistics and voting. With interests at stake, no one was willing to fall behind. Thus, the 108 students finally managed to set a time when almost everyone was online.

Everyone had been to the Icefield before and knew the power of sharks' territorial dominance. This time, no one held back; they all shared their discoveries about the sharks' weaknesses. Su Xiaoyao also gathered several taskmasters skilled in weapon crafting to create a more powerful version of armor that was impervious to water and fire but reeked of an unbearable stench—a stench that humans found unpleasant, but beasts found even more so. Someone even contributed a very rare, top-grade fishing net. They had thought of every possible method before finally forming a team to tackle the dungeon.

The challenge was far from smooth sailing. The sharks were not only well-coordinated, but also a highly intelligent species. They knew how to ambush, escape, and pick on the weak. They even had the strategy of scattering the team and defeating them one by one. After being wiped out twice in a row, the defeated prodigies realized that going it alone was not going to work, and silently and consciously sought out others to team up with.

Some people spend too much time in the virtual game and then have things to do in real life, but they see each other and don't say anything. They've gone through a dungeon four times, and they're all holding their breath, and no one wants to leave at this point.

After overcoming numerous setbacks and hardships, the entire team successfully completed the Icefield dungeon for the first time.

After successfully completing the mission, the participants continued to dislike each other, arguing fiercely over the uneven distribution of spoils. The 108 participants, of varying heights, completely blocked the game lobby. The mission ended abruptly when the system forced them offline, and the rewards were automatically calculated and distributed according to their contributions.

After issuing the announcement to reassure the mission participants, Lin Ming picked up his teacup and took a sip.

On the bustling street, people couldn't help but peek out from time to time at the open windows on the second floor of the study.

The black-haired man in green robes blends with the snow-covered landscape of the season, creating a serene and beautiful scene of immortals amidst the falling goose feathers. In the painting, the immortals sip tea with their eyes closed, detached from the world, drifting gracefully among the dust.

Lin Ming was completely unaware that he had become a spectacle in other people's eyes; he was secretly exchanging ideas in his inner chat group.

[Lin Ming: I shared a post from two years ago, take a look.]

The post is titled "My host has passed away, sob sob sob".

[System 2023: The host I was randomly bound to was a mortal without spiritual roots who died peacefully at the age of one hundred. We've been together for a year, and I really want to cry, sob sob sob sob]

[System 444: Pat the poster]

[System 1314: My condolences, dear, this is beyond our control]

[System 101: What a pity, we didn't get the Marrow Cleansing Pill?]

[System 2023: Alas, the old lady is an ordinary person, and her body may not be able to withstand the effects of the Marrow Cleansing Pill. She said she would be content to live to a ripe old age and did not want to risk her life and worry her younger generation.]

[System 444: This is too sad. So, what are you planning to do next?]

[System 2023: I'm really worried about this. My host has a grandson who's only fourteen years old and they depend on each other for survival. I promised to take good care of the child for her, but after unbinding, I'll be randomly bound to the next host. Does anyone know how to gain the right to choose the next host? I want to bind with my host's grandson.]

[System 14159: That's a bit difficult. According to the system regulations, only systems with sufficient experience have the right to choose their own hosts. It's hard to determine how much experience you need, but you've only been out of school for a year, so you definitely don't meet the requirements.]

[System 444: On a side note, isn't there a big age difference between 100 and 14? My host's grandmother would only be in her early fifties if she hadn't passed away.]

[System 007: As an old classmate, I still want to say something. This may sound a bit out of line, but when choosing a host, it's best to select the best. Acting on emotions is not a good idea. Forcing someone who is not suited for cultivation to improve is not good for either of you.]

[System 2023: Thank you for your concern, classmate! He is the child my host picked up. He is very sensible, filial, and hardworking. He gets up before dawn every day to chop wood and start a fire. Although he lives in a small mountain village without cultivation resources, he is extremely talented. He has already reached the late stage of Qi Refining by self-studying the basic Qi Refining cultivation techniques in the newbie gift pack.]

[System 007: Reached the late Qi Refining stage in a year in the mortal realm? Bind your account now, don't hesitate.]

[System 250: You're a fool with a fool's luck in 2023, your bottom-of-the-barrel grades are saved!]

[System 3344: Change host? I'm familiar with that. Here, I happen to have an extra self-selection host application form here. I'll send it to you.]

[System 14159: Wasn't your eighth host driven mad by demonic possession and righteously executed yesterday? You should use it yourself too, right?]

[System 3344: I've misjudged eight times in a year. This time I've decided to believe in random fate, so I don't need an application form.]

[System 2023: Thank you so much! May you have a safe and peaceful life!]

[System 3344: You're welcome. Just wish me luck in not doing things more than nine times.]

After browsing the post, the small group in my mind continued to exchange ideas.

[Jun Huilian: I've been too busy these past three years, this is the first time I've seen this post.]

Rong Ling: If I remember correctly, seven out of the one hundred systems in the closed beta had changed hosts.

[Lin Ming: Yes, around the time this post was published, the system hasn't changed hosts since.]

[Rong Ling: In other words, the participants have received at least two years of training, so it's time to move on to the next stage.]

[Jun Huilian: My three years of seclusion were worthwhile. The academy is now complete, and we can immediately begin our official publicity campaign.]

[Feng Wujue: Great! I don't have to face a three-year-old anymore! I'm so happy I could cry!]

[Jun Huilian: You said she was very quiet a while ago, but lately she's stopped being so engrossed in dress-up games?]

[Feng Wujue: Little Phoenix has an anti-addiction system for minors, and he comes to bother me as soon as he can't play.]

[Jun Huilian: Don't panic, students will take over in six months at most.]

[Feng Wujue: Speaking of which, has anyone estimated the number of applicants? That island in the center of the sea probably can't hold them all.]

[Rong Ling: We're only admitting 1,000 students in our first batch. I suggest setting an application threshold; otherwise, there will be too many applicants.]

[Lin Ming: Distributing badges? A-Lian and I have distributed them to other people before.]

[Jun Huilian: Giving a few is fine, but distributing them on a large scale is not advisable. There will always be people who don't get any. Those aristocratic families who are used to monopolizing things will not care about morality when it comes to profits. If they start a wave of killing and robbing, it will go against our original intention of making the cultivation world prosperous.]

[Lin Ming: Indeed, only those who arrive within a certain time limit are eligible to register for the entrance examination; let them decide their own speed.]

[Jun Huilian: Okay]

[Guiyi: I've lived in Yingzhou for over a decade and am most familiar with it, so I'll be responsible for creating this part of the written exam questions.]

[Feng Wujue: Slow down, we're on the same side, don't get involved.]

[Jun Huilian: You guys come up with the exam questions when you have time. I still need to write the textbook. Sigh, I can't stop for a moment.]

[Lin Ming: No rush. The textbook you wrote, "Five Years to Foundation Building, Three Years to Golden Core," and the accompanying basic exercise book, "No Big Problems," will be enough for at least three months.]

[Jun Huilian: It's urgent. I have a lot of things to do, and other troubles might arise in the next three months. How about this: the four of you can split the main textbook work equally. Lin Ming, you can continue updating the textbook. Rong Ling, you can help compile the advanced version of the exercise book, "Massive Mistakes on Small Questions." The next improved version, "All Difficult Questions Wrong," will be done by Wu Jue. The pinnacle version, "Do Every Problem," will be given to Gui Yi. This allocation would be perfect.]

Lin Ming: ...

Rong Ling: ...

Feng Wujue: ...

[Guiyi: And what about you?]

[Jun Huilian: I'm not idle either. Besides the general textbooks, there are also specialized ones. I've compiled "Sword Dao Level 4 True Questions" and "Sound Cultivation Manual" based on 677 cultivation methods, and I'm currently writing "Ghost Cultivation Secret Manual Compilation." I've never tried this cultivation path before, so extracting the essence from various cultivation methods without personal experience is a bit difficult. If you have time, please help me out. The talisman cultivation part is easy to write; I just need to compile pictures and texts of common low-grade spirit talismans. Who wants to do it?]

[Lin Ming: I'm going to do some promotion for the university, I'm logging off now ^_^]

Rong Ling: Read but not replying

[Feng Wujue: Suddenly remembered that I'm also a minor. My anti-addiction period is over, time to log off]

[Guiyi: The academy's pond is still empty. I'm planning to go to the sea tribe to catch two carp with higher cultivation levels. PS: The sea tribe's signal is bad; sometimes I can't see messages.]

[Jun Hui Lian: (╬￣ Pan￣)]

After ending the conversation, Lin Ming got up and put on a white cloak. As he passed the main hall of the study, he brushed past a down-on-his-luck storyteller.

The storyteller lingered on his retreating figure for several moments, inwardly marveling at the young man's handsome appearance and extraordinary bearing.

Once the figure was out of sight, he turned back and continued to peruse the miscellaneous books piled up in front of him.

He was a wandering storyteller who, while passing through the eastern coast of Lingzhou Continent, took advantage of the martial arts competition that had gathered cultivators and wanted to earn some travel expenses, so he signed up at a teahouse.

It's not easy for an ordinary person to make a living in a town full of cultivators. After two days of unsuccessful attempts, the teahouse owner suggested that he come to the bookstore to understand the tastes of cultivators when it comes to reading stories.

He flipped through several books, all of which were cultivation biographies, and none of them were interesting.

Just as he was losing patience, he suddenly noticed the book at the bottom, its brand-new pages standing out from the other old books.

He moved aside the books piled on top and saw the title.

The Tales of the Four Continents and the Seas.

"People actually go to explore such desolate places as the central seas of the four continents?" He was intrigued and turned to the first page to read.

"This was the most dangerous time I ever traveled the seas. I was accidentally caught in a storm, but by a stroke of luck, I stumbled into the realm of immortals. I was taken in by a kind old woman who was in charge of cleaning, and lived on the outskirts for ten days. I even caught a glimpse of the immortals... Interesting."

The storyteller's eyes lit up, and he took the book to pay the bill.

Seeing him approaching, the shopkeeper casually remarked, "Those piled up there are books we're clearing out. One low-grade spirit stone per book. Why don't you buy a couple more?"

"No need, I just like this one." The storyteller readily paid and happily took the book back to the teahouse.

He paid so quickly that the shopkeeper only caught a glimpse of the corner of the book and paused for a moment, wondering if there were such new books in the clearance sale.

The doubt lasted only a moment; it was just a book, and he quickly put it out of his mind.

Lin Ming, who should have disappeared around the street corner, suddenly turned back. He went back into the study, flipped through the miscellaneous books, and after not finding the book lying underneath, smiled enigmatically. He then casually picked out a book about weapon cultivators to pay for.