Isn't This a Game? Why Are You All Cultivating for Real!

Chapter 133: Chapter 133: A Funeral and a Wedding

"Shit, shit, shit, shit—"

"I almost forgot new players were joining around this time."

"Of all the times for the damn Sect Master to open up slots for new players, she had to choose now. I finally get why they gave us 100 points this time!!"

"These 100 points aren’t going to be easy to earn!"

Just as the veteran players were frantically complaining, the demon beasts appeared in a pack.

They were two hours earlier than Zhen Weida and the others had warned.

That meant Han Tian and the others had no way of making it back in time.

Most of the combat division is out of the Sect right now!!

The lifestyle players who remained in the Sect were truly panicking.

It wasn’t that they were afraid of dying. They were afraid that if they died and the game was ruined, what would they do then?

A life without this game was worse than death!

The first things the players spotted were a few First Rank Toad Snakes.

They moved quickly through the dead of night. Players guarding the outskirts of Wang’an County spotted them, immediately slaying them and sending out a warning.

The Toad Snakes were as disgusting as ever. Some lifestyle players had it so easy they’d never even seen a whole Toad Snake before; the mere sight of one made them want to vomit.

In an instant, there was vomiting, cursing, and all-around chaos as the players devolved into a noisy mess.

This was the situation that greeted the new players when they logged on.

Fortunately, their new residences were all located together within Wang’an County. They were just situated far from where the mortals lived to avoid arousing suspicion.

When Zhan Sheng opened her eyes, she saw a female cultivator in an ancient-style dress approaching. Her tone was gentle yet urgent. "New players, just stay here for a bit. There’s a demon beast invasion happening in the game right now. It’s a big deal. Whatever you do, don’t go out. If you die, your account is gone for good!"

Zhan Sheng’s lips twitched noticeably when she saw the female cultivator.

When the female cultivator saw her, she gave Zhan Sheng a pitying look. "Oh no, another one who doesn’t know how to use the character creator. And your customization skills are awful... How is your face even uglier than the last batch of default models?"

It seemed to take a great deal of effort, but Zhan Sheng managed to suppress her shock by blinking rapidly.

She asked quickly, "What’s happening? What demon beast invasion?"

She hadn’t done any research before entering the game.

She had only briefly glanced at the official website.

Wei Jun had said the game offered absolute freedom and that a Sect would guide players upon entry.

Zhan Sheng had been completely dismissive at first, but when she opened her eyes and saw the female cultivator before her, she was almost rendered speechless.

She’d been alive for decades, but this was the first time she’d ever been so shocked that her entire worldview was upended.

"It’s a demon beast invasion, and we don’t know how many of them there are yet." The female player’s face was etched with a hint of sorrow, her expression so realistic. "This is just awful. We haven’t been developing for that long. Are the game devs completely unreasonable?"

Zhan Sheng pressed on, "Can you give me the basics of the game? What are we supposed to do?"

Lian Yueqiao glanced at her. She was there to orient the new players anyway, so she quickly ran through the basics.

"You’ll probably have to wait for the Sect Master to come back and give you a Spirit Root Pill. Only after your Spirit Root is opened can you cultivate and gain combat strength. Right now, you’re all just ordinary people. You can’t help, so whatever you do, don’t run around."

Zhan Sheng looked up.

In the darkness, she could see a county town of considerable size.

However, it was mostly just foundations, aside from the ancient-style dormitory that had been built where they stood.

It was clear that modern people were beginning to intervene in the development here.

Far off in the night, her excellent eyesight allowed her to spot people flying in mid-air, surrounded by dancing flashes of fire and lightning.

Zhan Sheng’s pupils constricted for a moment.

She lowered her head, her mind racing.

The more she thought, the more she realized something. She touched her temples in shock.

’It doesn’t hurt?’

’It really doesn’t hurt?’

She usually suffered from debilitating headaches after processing large amounts of information, but now, that problem seemed to be gone.

With no time to rejoice in this discovery, Zhan Sheng quickly assessed the situation.

Wei Jun hadn’t said much, only that the game offered a lot of freedom. It was her own fault for not reading any guides before jumping in. Based on the reaction of the female player guiding her, this demon beast invasion was likely the first major game event the players had ever faced.

Zhan Sheng had played games before—not like this one, but the underlying logic was similar.

’A game event. It must be pretty serious.’

Lian Yueqiao had also said that most of the combat players were currently away from the Sect, leaving behind only lifestyle players.

"Have you guys not fought many demon beasts?"

Zhan Sheng suddenly asked Lian Yueqiao, who nodded. "I’ve never fought one. I’ve never even left the Sect grounds. I spend all day helping them tend to the Spirit Grass. I only reached the Qi Refining Middle Stage by farming. I wouldn’t dare..."

’So her abilities are basically at the level of an ordinary person.’

’She has superhuman combat potential but lacks the courage.’

’The others are probably the same.’

’There’s too little information. Not enough for a proper analysis.’

Zhan Sheng looked around. "The county town is a safe zone, right? Can I go over there and see what’s happening?"

Lian Yueqiao was startled. "You can go over there, I guess, but stay away from the periphery! You’re just a normal person right now. If you go over there and get attacked, you’ll really die. There’s no new-player protection or respawn mechanic here. Little girl, don’t be so reckless."

Her subconscious choice of words and tone made Zhan Sheng wonder about Lian Yueqiao’s real-life age.

She didn’t comment on it, though, only saying, "I’m just going to take a look. I’ll be careful. If things look bad, I’ll come right back."

As a final question, she asked, "Any idea when the Sect Master will be back?"

Lian Yueqiao shook her head. "I have no idea. The Sect Master is very mysterious and rarely returns to the Sect. But since there are players involved, she’ll definitely come back."

Zhan Sheng nodded thoughtfully, then headed towards the most bustling area of Wang’an County.

The Sect players’ residences had been built in a remote area for safety, but its proximity to Feique Mountain made it quite secure.

Her figure disappeared into the night. She was only a new player and hadn’t yet had her Spirit Root modified, but her movements were clearly quite agile.

Just as she set off, she suddenly heard a voice.

"Information scan complete. A Spirit Root Opening Pill and a Soul Cultivation Heart Method will now be issued to you. However, altering your Spirit Root will take a very long time. Do you choose to use them now?"

Zhan Sheng recognized the system notification voice; she had heard it when she first logged in.

The information contained in that message made her pause. "You mean the current situation isn’t suitable for using them, correct?"

To her surprise, the system replied, "Correct."

Zhan Sheng: "Then I won’t use them now."

After a pause, she asked another question: "Are you the system, or the Sect Master?"

System: "I am the system."

Zhan Sheng nodded instinctively. "Understood."

Meanwhile, the system notified Song Jiulai, who was currently rushing back with her hair on fire. "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Song Jiulai: "Give me both at once!"

"The bad news is that the demon beast invasion is real, and the scale is currently unknown."

"The good news is we’ve got a super-talented new recruit. Her energy is immense, and her innate talent surpasses Shuitan’s. As for whether she’ll reach the level of a Metal Spirit Root... it’s hard to say."

Song Jiulai: "..."

For a moment, her face was a veritable color palette of emotions.

"Should I be laughing or crying right now?"

System: "Just hold the funeral and the celebration at the same time. No conflict."

Song Jiulai: "..."