After closing the chat channel, Zhang Yuhe paused to think.
From what he'd observed, most players possessed low-grade spiritual roots in terms of cultivation qualifications. A few had middle-grade roots. As for high-grade spiritual roots, he'd only spotted one after combing through the chat channel for a long time.
Of course, there were likely other low-key players, just like him—silently watching the screen without saying a word.
He also noticed something odd: everyone seemed to spawn in similar environments. Either a crumbling temple, a dilapidated Taoist shrine, or a deserted wilderness village. No one had encountered any native inhabitants of Yufantian yet.
It was strange. Yufantian was supposed to be vast, so how could there be so many broken, abandoned places?
This threw a wrench into his plan to gather more intel about the world through other players' chats.
"Forget it. Better to check out this place first and then start cultivating."
Zhang Yuhe studied the ruined Taoist temple around him. Shafts of sunlight pierced through holes in the roof, casting pale beams on the dusty ground. The walls were worn and flaking, and the gate's wooden panels had long since disappeared.
Through the open gate, he could see dense forests and distant mountains. From time to time, the cries of unknown beasts echoed, mingled with birdsong.
A chill ran down his spine.
"It's kinda creepy being here alone…"
There was no sign of human activity nearby, which made him uneasy.
"Better start cultivating."
Strength gave courage. Without power, no place felt safe. But with enough cultivation, he could walk confidently anywhere in the world.
He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and carefully recalled the Qi-Inducing Art he'd received upon entering Yufantian.
This world was unlike any game he'd played.
In Zhang Yuhe's view, Yufantian wasn't really a game at all. It was a real world, merely disguised as one. The so-called "players" were actually travelers, collectively transported here.
If players wanted to grow stronger, there was only one path: diligent cultivation.
There were no experience points from killing monsters—though sometimes items would drop. But the drop rate remained a mystery. After all, everyone was new, and likely no one had slain a monster yet.
As he began to circulate the technique, spiritual energy slowly gathered around him. It flowed along precise meridians, gradually entering his Dantian Qi Sea.
The sensation was indescribably mystical.
After some time, a slightly stronger aura surged from his body, sweeping outward and kicking up a layer of dust.
"Did I just level up?"
Zhang Yuhe's eyes lit up.
That was fast. What had it been—ten minutes? Twenty?
He could feel spiritual energy circulating in his dantian. On a whim, he threw a punch. The energy surged down his arm and burst outward.
Boom!
A decayed wooden board nearby split in two with a loud crack.
"Whoa. That's... intense."
Punching something apart from a distance—this was something he'd only ever seen in shows. Now, it had happened to him.
He excitedly summoned his attribute panel.
Name: Zhang YuheSect: NoneRealm: Qi Training – Level 1Spiritual Roots: Gold (Dao-Grade), Wood (Dao-Grade), Water (Dao-Grade), Fire (Dao-Grade), Earth (Dao-Grade), Wind (Dao-Grade), Thunder (Dao-Grade), Ice (Dao-Grade)Special Physique: Hunyuan Dao BodyLuck: Good FortuneComprehension: ???Cultivation Method: Qi-Inducing SecretMagic & Abilities: None
"Haha! I really leveled up!"
His joy was unmistakable. He had finally broken free from mortal limits and stepped into the realm of true cultivators.
If he could bring this strength back to the real world… what would that be like?
"Time to keep going."
Since cultivation worked, what was there to hesitate about?
He dove back into practice. Roughly half an hour later, another surge of spiritual energy rose from within him.
He had likely reached the second level of Qi training.
This time, he didn't bother checking the panel again—no point wasting time. He wanted to see how far he could get in one sitting.
Time passed. How much, he didn't know.
Eventually, Zhang Yuhe stood up, stretching his limbs.
"Is it... getting dark?"
He glanced outside and saw the sun dipping below the horizon, staining the sky with vivid red clouds.
When he had arrived, the sun was high overhead—it had been noon. Now, it was dusk.
"Time flies."
He sighed. While cultivating, he'd completely lost track of time. Half a day had slipped by without him realizing. No wonder the old saying went, 'Time is unknown in the mountains.'
Yufantian's flow of time was different from Blue Star's.
According to the game's website, one day in the real world equated to one hundred days in Yufantian. To be precise, twelve hours of real-world time translated to a hundred days in-game.
Players could only access Yufantian from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. At 8:00 a.m., they would be forcibly logged out, and time in Yufantian would pause—like someone pressing a stop button.
As for the reason behind this or how it worked, no one knew. Most chalked it up to game design.
After all, immortal cultivation wasn't something that could be explained scientifically.
He had cultivated in Yufantian for what felt like half a day, but it had probably only been the length of a cigarette in the real world.
Zhang Yuhe checked his attribute panel and sighed.
"Sigh... It's slowing down."
After hours of practice, he had reached the fourth level of Qi training. But progress was clearly tapering off.
It had taken around ten minutes to reach the first level. Another thirty to hit the second. Over two hours for the third and fourth.
Though his speed was still phenomenal—like rocketing through levels—he wasn't satisfied.
This was just the Qi Training stage. If progress was already slowing down now, how long would it take to reach Mahayana and ascend?
Thousands of years?
Still, that was the goal.
With his incredible talents, even a pig could become the second senior brother given the right environment.
Set your goals high—then grind to achieve them.
First things first: reach Great Perfection in Qi Training.
"My stomach's growling... time to eat."
Zhang Yuhe touched his belly and frowned.
Despite reaching the fourth level, he was still only a cultivator, not a god. If he didn't eat, he got hungry.
He hadn't thought about food before entering. Not that it would've helped—he couldn't exactly carry a hundred days' worth of supplies.
"Better hunt something before it gets dark."
Drawing his long knife, Zhang Yuhe stepped outside the Taoist temple for the first time.