Chapter 405 - 386: Is Someone Fighting with Magic Over There?

Chapter 405: Chapter 386: Is Someone Fighting with Magic Over There?

The few players who could have originally monopolized the rewards, like `[One Sword Decides the Universe]` and `[Biqu Country Go 4]`, were stunned for a moment, their faces twisting into complicated expressions.

Although they felt a pang of disappointment, they could only shake their heads with a wry smile as they watched the regular players around them erupt in excitement.

’Ah, well. Sharing the joy is better than keeping it to yourself. It’s not like we could’ve taken first place anyway. At least this way, we get a bigger piece of the pie—we can learn from all four books. It’s just a shame the actual Cultivation techniques aren’t available.’

But for all the other low-level players who had yet to begin their Cultivation, this brought "hope"!

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!"

"Long live Miss Su! I love you!!"

"Brothers! What are you all standing around for? Get grinding! For the Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Skill! For the Abi Dao Three Blades!!!"

In an instant, a wave of construction fervor ten times more intense than before erupted across the ruins of Anhe City. The players who, just moments ago, had been complaining about the wealth gap with their morale in shambles, were now jacked up as if on steroids, grinding frantically for that extra 1% on the progress bar.

"I’m going to learn the Floating Light and Shadow Body Skill first! If you can run faster, your grinding efficiency will be higher! It’s like they say, sharpening your axe won’t slow down the woodcutting!"

`[Biqu Country Go 4]` couldn’t help but sigh as they looked at the clear progress bars in the shop. "Sigh, even though we went from having a bowl of soup all to ourselves to sharing it with everyone, at least... the bowl is big enough for us to learn all four skills!"

`[One Sword Decides the Universe]` nodded in agreement and immediately dumped the several thousand contribution points he had just earned straight into the Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Skill.

[System Prompt: Congratulations! Your learning progress for the Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Skill has reached 10%. You have unlocked the first level of its Heart Method: Power of the Dragon Elephant!]

He felt the new, immense power welling up inside him, his expression complicated. "It’s nothing compared to actual Cultivation, but... this is... not bad, I guess. AAAAAAHHH! WHY ISN’T IT A CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE?! I want a Dharma Idol of Heaven and Earth so badly!!!"

Although these upgrades were still minuscule, they meant the world to the free-to-play players. These were players who were unwilling or unable to spend money, who could only invest their time and energy. For them, a clear path of advancement where grinding paid off—a future where they could leave players from other starting cities in the dust—was more than enough to get them fired up.

’Following a pro really does get you some perks! And these perks were personally prepared by Miss Su herself!’

...

Having successfully used the four ultimate techniques to ignite the players’ passion for grinding, Su Ling’er struck while the iron was hot and began to lay out her grand blueprint for the reconstruction of Anhe City.

She cleared her throat and, addressing the members of the now-official council, began to ask for the sky.

Standing atop the ruins, Su Ling’er laid out her vision. In one breath, she issued dozens of directives, followed by a slew of broader, more abstract requirements, articulating her dream of a peaceful and prosperous Anhe City.

The core mechanism had been established when the council system was first created: Su Ling’er was only responsible for proposing macro-level requirements and final goals, while the council would act as an extension of her will.

As for how to research and execute her plans, how to transform abstract concepts into feasible proposals, and how to realize the technical details... those were all problems for the player-led council and the City Guard to solve.

As Su Ling’er laid out her wild and imaginative demands one by one, the system automatically generated dozens of [City Development Quests] and [Restrictions] on the council members’ [Quest Panels].

Now, the entire City Guard and all the other players were eagerly waiting for the council members to break down these massive main quests and release them as specific, executable daily quests for farming contribution points.

The council members gazed at the long list of quests on their panels. The restrictions were numerous, but with the diverse and powerful productivity of the player base, some of the goals wouldn’t be hard to achieve. This meant that a massive amount of contribution points—and the chance to fully master those four peerless techniques—was waving at them.

After dealing with these "trivial matters," Su Ling’er nodded in satisfaction. ’It feels good to not have to worry about the details yourself and just make wild demands.’ With that, she finally prepared to return to the sect.

In front of the temporary tent serving as the Su Mansion, the sorrow of parting hung in the air.

Mrs. Su grasped her daughter’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears. A thousand words condensed into one: "...Take care of yourself out there."

Su Wenjing and Su Wenxuan flanked her, clutching the corners of their older sister’s clothes, their faces etched with reluctance.

Her father, Su Wenshan, patted her shoulder, his eyes filled with gratification and pride. "Go on. For the Su Family to produce an Immortal like you is an honor for our entire clan. Don’t worry about things at home. Just remember, you didn’t just save Anhe City; you also saved your Eldest Senior Brother’s face. When you go back, you must be sure to assist him well."

Assist Eldest Senior Brother...

Su Ling’er nodded resolutely. ’I will! I’ll definitely help Eldest Senior Brother "guide" all those new disciples with demonic inclinations right out of the sect!’

After bidding her family farewell, Su Ling’er took one last look at the city, which was already showing signs of new life amid the ruins.

’Still...’ She glanced around, a nagging feeling in her mind. ’Have I... forgotten someone?’

’Oh well. Eldest Senior Brother’s affairs are more important.’

She mounted her flying sword and, transforming into a streak of light, sped off in the direction of the Guixi Sect.

...

「Meanwhile, in a dark and damp secret passage in the mountains behind Qingxu Temple.」

"SHIING! SHIING! SHIING! SHIING!"

Li Chunfeng repeatedly drew and sheathed his sword. He had been walking in the dark for a very long time, down a seemingly endless secret passage.

He looked ahead, where a faint glimmer of light was finally visible.

"Finally... Am I finally getting out?! This is my lucky day!"

A wave of elation washed over Li Chunfeng, and he sprinted toward the light of the exit.

’Along the way, I followed Senior Sister Su Ling’er’s tip about the "abnormal bronze and wooden statues" and found the mechanism,’ he thought. ’But who could have guessed it would hide a secret passage?’

The exit was an opening just large enough for one person to pass through.

What greeted his eyes was a stretch of desolate, wild land.

He scanned his surroundings but found no trace of his fellow disciples from Qingxu Temple. He did, however, spot some old, blackened bloodstains on the ground.

"Is this... a sign of a fight?"

He crouched down, rubbing a bit of soil between his fingers, his heart filled with doubt.

He also spotted a few demon beast carcasses nearby, mangled by some sharp weapon. They didn’t appear to be a common species.

’Something’s not right.’

Li Chunfeng’s brow furrowed.

’Logically speaking,’ he mused, ’demon beasts shouldn’t appear in droves within human territory unless they’re being deliberately raised. And besides, what would they even eat to survive in this wasteland?’

’It’s just not normal...’

He carefully examined the demon beast carcasses. They appeared to have been dead for several days, and their Demon Cores were gone.

’Could it be that the people from Qingxu Temple emerged from the secret passage only to be ambushed by demon beasts that were lying in wait? Or did something else happen?’

Just then—

"RUUUMBLE—!!!"

The ground suddenly began to shake violently!

Li Chunfeng staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

He looked toward the distant sky in horror, where lights of every color imaginable were swirling and shifting madly.

’What’s happening over there? Is someone in a magical battle?’