Chapter 29: Three-Year Revitalization of the Cultivation World - 29% Progress
The cold wind howled, and the exhaled breath turned into white vapor that was clearly visible. The thick ice reflected the dazzling sunlight. The midday sun was relatively warm, but it still could not dispel the bone-chilling cold. The fierce wind, carrying the smell of the sea, stung people's faces.
On the vast ice surface, three tiny figures struggled against the fierce wind.
After finally traversing the icy plains ravaged by fierce winds, before they could even rest and catch their breath, an icebreaker slowly approached from afar.
"Oh no, that big oaf." The shortest and most bundled-up of the three said sullenly, "That ship in front is the icebreaker from 1818. I saw him bid for it at the auction house."
"An old acquaintance has arrived." The tallest one lifted the thick iron mask covering his face, revealing an ordinary face underneath. The system notification sounded "Defense -100," restoring the overall view.
The short man muttered, "How come I always run into him in every game?"
"Let's prepare for battle. There's only one BOSS, and we can't share it all," the one who had been silent until now finally spoke.
Seeing the tall man take off his mask, the short man reached out and said, "Old Xiao, why don't you give me that mask? It has at least 100 defense, and I happen to have an empty face armor slot."
“There’s a problem with this model; it’s obstructing the view.” The man known as “Old Xiao” handed over a mask and casually stuck a floral decoration with 80 defense on his face.
The tall, strong man had an exquisitely patterned plum blossom decoration on his face, but the other two didn't find it strange at all.
When fighting monsters, you can't leave any equipment slots empty. You should stack whatever you have to increase attack and defense without looking bad.
“It’s alright, I don’t fight in close combat, so I don’t need a wide field of vision.” The short man put on his mask, the shape of which changed to fit the user’s face.
She turned her head and asked, "Speaking of which, we're going to fight for the BOSS eventually. Why don't you use 1818 to test your new ghost banner with them? I wonder if the ghost banner in the game and the soul-summoning banner in reality have anything in common?"
This trio is none other than Su Xiaoyao and her two companions who teamed up three years ago. After leaving the secret realm, they recognized each other as mission takers and have since become a fixed team not only in real life but also in the newly launched game section of the system.
Three years have passed, and Jiang Yun, who has gradually shed his naivety, has a coldness in his eyes that is no different from that of the icy plains. Unlike Xiao Tingyuan, who is focused on filling up his equipment bar, and Su Xiaoyao, whose skills are all maxed out and whose health bar is thicker than ice, Jiang Yun, who comes from a wealthy family, has regained the temperament of a noble young master after breaking free from his inner demons and his state of mind has changed. Wearing a sable cloak, he looks like a handsome young gentleman.
The only thing that didn't fit his refined and noble demeanor was the ghost banner he held in his hand. The eerie ghostly aura emanating from the banner added a touch of melancholy to his face as its owner.
"The Ghost Banner's description says it's based on the Soul-Summoning Banner. I'm not strong enough to control the Soul-Summoning Banner right now, so I'll use the Ghost Banner to practice beforehand," Jiang Yun said softly.
Su Xiaoyao beamed with joy: "That's great! Once we hunt down the White Shark BOSS in the Ice Plains, you'll definitely dominate the game section this quarter. With the other points, you'll take the top spot on the leaderboard. Let's continue to push 1818 out of the top three and not give him a chance to fight back."
The leaderboard is like a hook hanging in front of everyone; even the least ambitious person can't help but strive harder when they see the bottom of the rankings.
As the taskers gradually became acquainted in the virtual space, although they remained anonymous, their ID numbers did not change. The system forum and game section developed into a fairly realistic second world. No one wanted to lose face in front of people they knew, and she was no exception. She would occasionally exert herself to revive her ranking.
And this rivalry between 1818 and 1818 is all a tragic tale.
Su Xiaoyao had witnessed the grand scene of 1818, who had just bound to the system, drawing 200 times for a guaranteed Saint-grade Transformation Pill, and knew that the other party must be a powerful figure with profound cultivation.
Originally, there was no conflict between them, but whether it was because there were only 108 mission participants and the circle was too small, or because 1818's behavior was too arrogant, their three-person team always seemed to run into each other no matter what they did.
For example, Xiao Tingyuan wanted to climb the Snake game leaderboard to earn some points, but in the last quarter of the time, she was overtaken by the second-place player 1818. Her blood pressure soared, and the next quarter she immediately stayed up to take first place from 1818. In the blink of an eye, she discovered that this sixth-place player had stolen the leaderboard from the neighboring Gold Miner, causing her to be pushed to second place because she was using Gold Miner to earn points. After suffering this undeserved misfortune, she wailed on the forum for three days, but was banned for two days for posting too many similar posts.
For example, a tasker with the ID 007 dominated the task leaderboard, winning the top spot for three consecutive quarters. Just when she was about to break through, she was overtaken by 1818 in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, another tasker, also planning to cause trouble, unfortunately ran into her, and several other taskers interfered, pushing 007 out of the top five in one fell swoop. This infuriated 007, who then went on a rampage across all game sections in the following quarter, leaving no room for others. Although their paths ultimately led to the same result, being pushed to second place despite her and 996's plan to take first place was very frustrating. The renowned 996 was even mocked by other taskers because of this, and to appease 996, she had to diligently train to make it feel better.
For example, she took first place on the 1818 ranking twice this year. Instead of waiting until the fourth quarter, she launched a surprise attack in the third quarter. 007, eager for revenge, thought of the same thing and worked together to suppress her to third place.
For example, a few days ago, the largest holographic cultivation game in the gaming sector, which uses spiritual consciousness as a medium to log in, opened three new large-scale team dungeons. They chose the Ghost Banner. Not many people chose the banner. Coincidentally, they ran into 1818. Although there were differences between them individually and the other party, the three of them had been working together for three years. The other party's temporary team had a lower level of tacit understanding than them. In cultivation games, everyone starts at the same point, so he was at a disadvantage. 1818 unfortunately lost.
Thinking of this, Su Xiaoyao glanced at the shining title above her head that wasn't hidden, took out two bricks from her backpack, and silently switched to battle mode.
With all these issues piling up, this time things are bound to get out of hand.
As the icebreaker sailed out of the deep sea, the three mission members stood side by side at the bow, gazing at the frozen sea and chatting casually.
Like the forum section, the game section prevents players from revealing their personal information. However, people are naturally curious, and after experiencing the benefits of the system, everyone wants to know who else is qualified to become the chosen one, just like themselves.
In reality, many people pay attention to geniuses who have suddenly risen to prominence in the past three years, or lucky ones who have suddenly obtained sacred treasures. However, opportunities in the cultivation world are unpredictable. If you try to find out that the other party is not a mission taker, you may be considered crazy. Therefore, they prefer to communicate through system forums and game sections where they can meet in person.
"This sea area is very similar to the one I saw in reality a few days ago," the young woman with the inscription "[Number One Talisman Cultivator Under Heaven - 12345]" on her head said meaningfully.
Due to geographical reasons, the landmasses near the sea on the four continents have extremely different temperatures, and only the eastern coast of Lingzhou continent can freeze such a thick layer of ice.
The person next to him, [Shengshi Meiyan·10086], understood and chuckled: "I rarely come to such a cold place in real life. It's desolate and there's nothing to eat."
Three years ago, the initial version of the forum was not very intelligent, and many people witnessed Er Gou's name change. At the same time, along with the race revealed by Tasker 10086's "mermaid calendar", the other two were obviously witnesses at the time and were not very curious about his claim of looking for food in the ice field.
The leader of this temporary team, 1818, lazily raised his eyes. His ordinary facial features, randomly generated by the system, did not diminish his noble air at all.
"I'd be willing to participate in a martial arts tournament if it were held on this icy plain; it would be quite novel," he said.
The other two kept a close eye on the system notifications and breathed a sigh of relief when they found they hadn't been warned.
The system has been upgraded, and being warned that points will be deducted.
10086 and 12345 stared at each other.
In reality, a competition is being held on the eastern coast of Lingzhou Continent, where most of the young and promising cultivators of Lingzhou have come to make a name for themselves on behalf of their respective forces.
The three of them formed a team through the forum, and when they met in the game, 1818 intentionally or unintentionally revealed his intention to become friends. He was hinting that they should meet there.
10086 suddenly realized why 1818 had chosen him even though he wasn't ranked highly—it turned out they wanted him to be a benchmark.
When a merman stands among humans, his captivating face alone is enough to draw attention, not to mention anything else.
He wasn't angry or ashamed at being used. Who among the mission takers didn't know the name 1818? He was a recognized top-five powerhouse! It would be perfect to meet him offline and team up with him before the entrance exam for Tianyan Academy.
No human, beast, demon, or monster could remain calm after learning in advance that Tianyan Academy would be opening its gates. The mission takers who got the news first had been racking their brains for the past three years to accumulate points and improve their own strength. No one knew the specific content of the entrance examination. Having a few more companions was never a bad thing, since everyone would be classmates in the future anyway.
The participants all experienced the benefits provided by the system and did not doubt the authenticity of the mission. Moreover, many people tried to bring the information into reality after discovering that the system forum did not prohibit discussions on the topic, without feeling any obstacles.
Soon, the mission takers shared the seemingly unrealistic news that "the Heavenly Dao Ancestor, who ascended ten thousand years ago, pitied the decline of the cultivation world and specially sent his disciples to establish an academy" with their relatives and friends. The cultivators of the powerful families did everything they could to make their clansmen believe in them and risked all their resources to quickly cultivate the next generation.
In addition, three years ago, several outer disciples of the Liuyun Sect returned from their travels and spread the same rumors. Given the declining state of the cultivation world, many people were willing to believe this absurd rumor. For a time, the cultivation world lost many evil influences, and cultivators competed to cultivate, showing signs of a thriving revival.
Under intense pressure, those who unlocked the final mission of the main storyline not only knew that this was not a rumor, but also knew that the Tianyan Academy would open its gates this year. So, in order to get admitted and to improve their rankings, they added extra missions to their exams.
The cultivation world has finally developed into the kind of world that 996 (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week) had been hoping for.
The three taskers were exchanging glances to confirm the offline binding arrangements when they caught sight of three figures appearing ahead.
Upon seeing the golden inscription "Entering the Martial World - 996" above the head of the person walking in the middle, 10086 and 12345 both twitched their lips in unison.
"Entering the Martial World" is a title given as a gift at the beginning of the game, while the gold title is a unique mark of the top three in the overall ranking of the cultivation game.
A beginner's title with gold plating, what a show-off!
At the end of each quarter, the ranking battle between those who complete tasks like 1818 and 996 intensifies, and their conflict is no secret.
With a hint of jealousy and a desire to flatter 1818, 10086 muttered under his breath, "How pretentious. People with real talent don't need to make a fuss about titles."
"Ha, how childish." 12345 also expressed her dissatisfaction, but she would never admit that she was jealous.
1818 remained silent.
In the desolate, cold wind, the two suddenly paused, as if remembering something, and simultaneously turned their heads to look at the top of 1818... standing in the middle.
The gleaming golden sign, "Entering the Martial World - 1818," looked exactly like a copy-paste of the pretentious guy in front of him.
1818's disdainful gaze swept coldly over the two of them.
10086: "..."
12345: "…………"
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Author's Note: Pretentious, utterly childish, 1818: (▼ヘ▼)
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