"Zhen, Zhen, stop wasting your time with this stupid library. All the books here are just nonsense written by ancient people who fantasized about becoming Cultivators. If you really want to cultivate, just play this newly released game—you can actually cultivate there!" Zhen, who was absorbed in reading the Eternal Dragon Scripture, was interrupted by a 17-year-old girl wearing a high school uniform—a blue skirt and white shirt with a red tie.
Zhen looked up to find that she was holding a brand-new Virtual Reality Glasses set, still in its box.
It was the latest technological breakthrough from ten years ago, a device used to enter the virtual world, which had revolutionized the way the world worked.
However, Zhen was a lover of ancient culture. He had no interest in modern technology, let alone a video game.
He worked as a history lecturer at a university, and when he wasn't working, he usually came to this library to read.
The books in this library consisted of scriptures and combat techniques—things modern people considered nonsense, as cultivation was believed to be nothing more than the imagination of novel writers.
Despite being considered nonsense, the Chinese government viewed those books as historical heritage. They built a library in the center of Shenzhen to preserve them.
However, Zhen, who had studied those books in depth, knew they weren't mere fantasy. He had come to understand parts of the scriptures and techniques, and they were indeed applicable for altering the body—if Earth still had something called Qi.
Unfortunately, almost no one came to the library, other than Zhen or a few people just looking for a quiet place to relax.
The young woman, Tang Xin, occasionally came by because her father's company office was next door to the library.
Although there was a significant age gap between them, they had somehow become close.
When Tang Xin arrived in front of him, she pushed the Eternal Dragon Scripture aside and placed the Virtual Glasses in front of Zhen.
Instead of sitting on a chair, she sat on the table, crossing her long legs, loosening her tie, and unbuttoning the top of her shirt as if to cool herself with the AC breeze.
Her alluring figure, combined with her beautiful face and long black hair, naturally captivated the few other visitors present.
They couldn't help but envy Zhen for being close to such a beautiful young woman.
"I told you, I'm not interested in playing games," Zhen said to her, trying to push the glasses aside, but Tang Xin stopped him.
"Hey Zhen, what if you just try it once? Maybe all those scriptures you've read actually work in this game. If so, then the books might be real—just unusable because Earth no longer has Qi," Tang Xin said softly with a slight smile.
Zhen rolled his eyes at her words.
"A game is just a bunch of data—how can cultivation methods be usable in it?" he replied.
"Isn't it better to try than not at all?" Tang Xin responded.
"If I'm right, you'll be lucky. The cultivation concept in the game is exactly as you've described. You have to understand scriptures and techniques. You even retain your comprehension. There are even rumors that the game actually sends us to a real cultivation world. I've tried it, and it feels incredibly real. Plus, the game is played by many elites, including rich elders," she added.
"Seriously?" Zhen couldn't help but be surprised.
Tang Xin may have been talkative, but in all the time he'd known her, Zhen had never caught her lying.
She always told the truth.
Naturally, he was now curious—why would elites, including the elderly, play this game?
"Are you interested now? That's why you should give it a try," Tang Xin said with a giggle.
Zhen looked at the Virtual Glasses and then nodded.
"I'll try it here. Please watch over my body," he said to her.
"Don't worry, your body is safe beside me," Tang Xin chuckled.
Zhen put on the Virtual Glasses and pressed the green button, which immediately forced him to sleep after scanning his eyes.
As soon as he fell asleep, he appeared in a tunnel of powerful winds that didn't affect his body at all.
DING!
(A new account with code 0009ANBB289 has been created!)
He received a notification as a status window popped up before him.
It wasn't his first time entering the virtual world, but he had deleted his old account, so the system treated this as a new registration.
After that, he appeared on a long beach, crowded with people relaxing.
This was the base server of the virtual world. Each Virtual Glasses product had a base server.
In his status window, Zhen saw an app with a mountain icon named (Sacred Beast Mountain!)
That must be the game Tang Xin had mentioned.
Zhen entered the game, and his body teleported again.
DING!
Welcome to Sacred Beast Mountain, new Reincarnator with account code 0009ANBB289!
You carry 210 Soul Power!
You carry Eternal Dragon Scripture with 9% comprehension, an SSS-Rank scripture!
You carry Time Control Scripture with 1% comprehension, an SSS-Rank scripture!
You carry Space Dao Scripture with 3% comprehension, an SSS-Rank scripture!
You carry Sword Slash Technique with 5% comprehension, a Tier 9 Technique!
You carry Gravity Power Technique with 1% comprehension, a Tier 9 Technique!
[Name: Xia Zhen]
[Cultivation: Mortal]
[Qi: 0/1000]
[System Points: 0]
[Body:
– Eternal Dragon Body [9% Form]
[Soul Power: 210]
[Bloodline:
– General]
[Scriptures:
– Eternal Dragon Scripture (9%)
– Time Control Scripture (1%)
– Space Dao Scripture (3%)
[Techniques:
– Sword Slash Technique (5%)
– Gravity Power Technique (1%)
[Inventory:
– Empty!]
(Absorb Qi by imagining it to cultivate!)
(Scriptures are used to transform your Qi into specific powers. Greater comprehension makes absorption easier and faster!)
(System Points: The main reward you will receive after killing a Wild Beast can be exchanged for Spirit Coins, the common currency in the cultivation world, or used to increase your Comprehension of Scriptures and Techniques. The price of Comprehension for each scripture and technique varies depending on its power!
(Body: Can be shaped with certain scriptures like your Eternal Dragon Scripture to form a Dragon Body!)
(Soul Power: The part of you that must be trained. The higher your Soul Power, the better your comprehension. Meditation increases Soul Power gradually, but Soul Power is useless in combat unless you merge Beast Souls into your own!)
(Bloodline: Something you can merge into your body to gain innate talents. Some bloodlines contain secret techniques usable only by the bloodline bearer!)
After reading the barrage of notifications carefully, Zhen found himself in the middle of a massive forest where every tree seemed to pierce the clouds.
He noticed changes in himself—he was now wearing white robes, and his hair had grown down to his waist.
It felt strange, but he couldn't help being amazed as he sensed the abundance of Qi in the air around him.
He recognized it as Qi, as he had read detailed descriptions about how it would feel in a world where Qi existed.
But more important than that was what he had brought with him.
How could the scriptures and techniques he studied in the library appear in this game?
He even already had 210 Soul Power.
Tang Xin had talked about this, but he thought it was just nonsense to persuade him to play the game. Yet it happened just as she said.
"This is no ordinary game—this is no nonsense!" Zhen suddenly realized that this game held hidden mysteries, which might be why the elites and even their elders played it.
'But can Soul Power really not be felt? I still don't feel anything… or is it because I don't have any cultivation yet?'