“May 20th, how nostalgic.” Song Shuhang turned off the computer, and climbed out of the bed.
His body felt very heavy, and the feeling of weakness from having gotten over a cold overcame him.
“If I was who I was back then, I would definitely simply stay here, lay down, and sleep. However, the me now is completely different.” Song Shuhang put on his clothes and went to wash his face.
This virtual world was lifelike, completely different from ordinary ‘dreams and illusions’.
The degree of reality it was capable of emulating was already comparable to that of the ‘dreamland’.
The only difference it had from the dreamland was that he could control his body here.
It was like another real world, just as if he’d been reborn in a ‘parallel world’.
A feeling of weakness kept on affecting his body, but Song Shuhang’s mental state was very good.
A cold was a small problem for him. It neither hurt nor itched, and the pain level couldn’t even reach a millionth of what he could tolerate.
“What should I do?” Song Shuhang thought for a while, and remembered the simplified body tempering liquid prescription that Senior Medicine Master had posted in the ‘Nine Provinces Number One Group’.
The moment he’d stepped into the world of cultivation was a very important moment in his life.
Should I go and buy some medicinal materials and try to temper my body? Song Shuhang thought to himself.
He remembered all the medicinal materials on the prescription.
A cultivator’s memory was amazing, and with this particular memory being a key turning point in his life, making it one of the most deeply ingrained memories he had, he could naturally remember it easily.
After recalling the items on the prescription, Song Shuhang smiled and shook his head.
Although many medicinal materials for the body tempering liquid could be bought in Chinese pharmacies, there were a few of them that were spirit plants of the world of cultivation, such as Morning Dew Profound Grass or Fresh Tyrant Branch, which were unavailable in pharmacies.
It appeared that he couldn’t refine the liquid to ‘break out’.
Song Shuhang stretched himself, took the key to the roof, and walked to the top of the dormitory.
Even if refining the liquid wasn’t going to work, both the ‘Basic Buddhist Fist Technique’ and the ‘True Self Meditation Scripture’ were still firmly imprinted in his mind. These parts of his memories weren’t taken from him.
Although he didn’t have body tempering liquid to aid him, it was definitely not a problem for him to throw a few punches with the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯.
After arriving on the rooftop, Song Shuhang took a deep breath.
He skillfully assumed the starting pose of the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯.
This was his best fist technique, and he’d been using it even after reaching the Fifth Stage Realm. The fist technique had long been ingrained into his soul.
His fist was like a dragon as he silently chanted the fist technique’s formula.
Back then, Senior Medicine Master had pointed out to him that this was the correct way to practice the Buddhist Foundation Establishment Fist Technique. The chanting and fist moves would draw the spiritual qi between heaven and earth, allowing the cultivator to temper their body.
If he didn’t do the chanting, then he wouldn’t be able to draw the spiritual qi, rendering the fist technique useless.
After throwing a punch, Song Shuhang didn’t sense any spiritual qi gathering towards him.
After a set of the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯, he felt nothing but fatigue. Even the wind blowing on the rooftop caused his body to shiver.
It seems that even a basic cultivation technique isn’t the key to breaking this game. Song Shuhang shook his arms and stretched himself, leaning on the rooftop’s railing and staring at the scenery of Jiangnan University Town.
At the same time, the thought “Was everything just a dream? The Basic Buddhist Fist Technique had no effect at all. Was it just my imagination?” constantly pervaded his mind.
Song Shuhang chuckled, and said, “Naive.”
This virtual world underestimated Song Shuhang’s will too much.
His will was at the same level as his ‘talent for enduring pain’; there was hardly anything that could defeat it.
300 years of living as a green onion, hundreds of years of living as a ghost spirit fragment with years of being studied by the liquid metal ball, time and time of dreamland experiences… Although it had only been six months, the things that had taken place were so incredible that not even he dared to believe them; this had helped him lay a foundation that was beyond anybody’s imagination.
He had always claimed that his will was ‘as hard as steel’, but in actuality, he felt that his heart was even firmer than superalloys.
This kind of low-level ‘review bombing’ had no effect on him at all.
Song Shuhang felt that he was an especially calm player.
If refining medicinal liquid and basic cultivation techniques aren’t the key to breaking the game, then I can only choose to wait patiently. Song Shuhang tapped the railings lightly.
He chose to wait for a special day.
June 1st, Children’s Day.
Well, it wasn’t that he wanted to celebrate Children’s Day.
But on this day, he might be able to meet a special person.
“I’ll wait, it’s only 10 days.” Song Shuhang shook the key, went down from the rooftop, and relocked the rooftop door along the way lest his senior brothers and sisters from Jiangnan University City went up and had a fight there.
Fights could end in people dying, and Song Shuhang would, of course, at least lock the door to prevent that from happening.
Time flew by.
It was as if Song Shuhang had returned to his normal student life, attending classes, chatting, and having fun with friends.
He studied diligently when it was time to study, played happily when it was time to play, and he never forgot to go to that familiar bookstore to freeload some books.
Of course, he hadn’t really wasted these 10 days.
Although he couldn’t practice, with even meditation techniques like the ❮True Self Meditation Scripture❯ not working, he could use these ’10 days’ to organize the things he had learned in the past in his mind.
In the past, his life was too thrilling and packed.
In just over five months, he reached the peak of the Fifth Stage Realm, and he had been busy all the way.
Now that he was free, he began to organize the theoretical cultivation knowledge that he had mastered.
The ❮Three Thousand Sabers Scripture❯ and the ❮Righteous Body Tempering Poem❯ that came with the ❮Scholarly Indestructible Body of the Buddha❯ were things that he especially needed to ponder over a long period of time.
By taking his time to ponder them, he would gain many more insights.
There were also the main cultivation techniques he practiced, such as the ❮Thirty-Three Divine Beasts’ Technique❯ and the ❮Holy Ape Dragon Power Technique❯, as well as the saber intent that always felt like it was just a thread away from transforming.
Song Shuhang felt that he had benefited greatly during these 10 days.
He was able to get a better understanding of himself.
It was a very interesting feeling.
In addition, maybe it was because he was mulling over the ❮Righteous Body Tempering Poem❯ day and night… but the scholarly aura surrounding Song Shuhang’s body became increasingly clear.
In this virtual world, his roommates Gao Moumou, Tubo, and Yangde had complained about the changes that had happened to him over the last 10 days more than once.
And very quickly, the 10 days were over.
June 1st, Saturday.
His three roommates only stayed in the dorms during classes, and would go home to rest on weekends.
Song Shuhang got up early in the morning, washed his face, and then ran to those small alleys.
Sixteen, will she show up today?
The small Sixteen had short hair and a pretty face. Her petite stature always made people think that she was just a high school student.
Will she appear? Or will she not appear?
The entire ‘Nine Provinces Number One Group’ was gone, and none of the seniors’ numbers in the group belonged to their old selves. But if this virtual world was so real, some of the basic things shouldn’t have changed too much.
Song Shuhang estimated that the probability of Sixteen’s appearing should be around 50-50.
If she appeared, then she would be an opportunity to break the game.
If she didn’t appear… then all hope wasn’t lost. The opportunity to break the game might just be hidden deeper, and he needed to look for it carefully.
Song Shuhang believed that his will was firm enough, and that he belonged to the very calm type when he wanted.
After making preparations in his heart, no matter what the result was, he would be able to calmly accept it.
The waiting time was always long.
If I meet Sixteen, how do I get in touch with her? Song Shuhang thought.
After all, in this world, Sixteen didn’t know him at all.
Should I go up to the wall and kabedon her?
This is a good idea! After all, Sixteen has the innate talent of always being kabedon’d.
However, I’ll definitely get beaten up that way.
So, should I approach her by pretending to be an acquaintance?
For example, after seeing her, he could smile slightly, and say, “You are Sixteen, right? You’ve grown up so quickly. Actually, I am a good friend of Su Clan’s Seven, and my name is Tyrannical Song. Has Seven ever mentioned me to you?”
Mm-hm, this kind of approach had a relatively high success rate.
And in order to increase his ‘credibility’, he could even mention the ❮Tyrannical Saber Flight❯ and ❮Moonlight Saber Control❯, which Senior Seven had let Sixteen impart to him.
However, the problem was that Senior Su Clan’s Seven was a famous figure in the world of cultivation. If he tried to get close to Sixteen, he would probably end up arousing her vigilance.
Then… should he let it develop according to his memories?
No, this time around, he hadn’t cultivated at all and would die like a random passerby A.
“Wait…” Song Shuhang’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Perhaps death was his ‘chance’ to break the game?
Should he try dying and see?
It wouldn’t be the first time he died, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Then…
One day passed.
There was no sight of the heavenly tribulation in the sky.
Su Clan’s Sixteen did not appear, either.
Song Shuhang looked up at the sky.
After sighing, he stood up.
Previously, he felt that he could accept this result calmly. After all, he’d mentally prepared himself.
But when Su Clan’s Sixteen really didn’t show up, there was a huge sense of loss that hit him hard.
“Well, you’ve finally won over me once. In this case, Song Shuhang -1 point, virtual world +1 point.” Song Shuhang stood up and stretched himself.
It appeared that the key to breaking the game wouldn’t be so easy to find.
He got up and returned to Jiangnan University Town.
Song Shuhang nodded silently, and said, “Hmm, when I get back from the virtual world, and return to the main world from the Black Dragon World, I’ll go looking for ‘Young Master Hai’. It’s best if I can find that ‘Zheng Neng’ as well. I’ll get three big gift packages, and then make an appointment with Sixteen.”
He planned on making up for the sense of loss he felt from not being able to meet Sixteen in the virtual world when he got back to the main world.
This stupid virtual world! You can’t understand my heart at all!