Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Selecting Players
"Player Jiang Tianya, there is a hidden quest that involves mortal danger. Do you accept?"
"Player Liang Xueyao, there is a hidden quest..."
"Player Zhou Nvzi, there is a hidden quest..."
"Player Lin Yuyu, there is a hidden quest..."
The System went down the list, asking the few players with the highest cultivation Realms.
It clearly explained that this hidden quest might require being online for an extended period, involved mortal danger, and had an unknown reward.
Only two of them hesitated.
The ones who agreed the fastest were Lin Yuyu, Jiang Tianya, and Shuitan.
To be on the safe side, the System asked seven people, but it estimated that at most five players could enter.
And that had to include Mu Qiu.
There was no need to even ask Mu Qiu. Once the Secret Realm opened, the key would be in her hands, so she had to go in. She had no choice.
The ones who hesitated were Han Tian and Liang Xueyao.
Han Tian was currently a top rising star in the streaming world. His stream of "Starting with a broken sect" was one-of-a-kind on the internet, and with Ma Shaojie’s promotion, his traffic was now ridiculously high.
Just from the Broken Sect, Han Tian was already rolling in dough.
The reason he hesitated was that the Broken Sect had no safety net; if he went and something really happened, his account would be gone for good.
That was a fortune of astronomical proportions on the line.
’But if I don’t go... it’s a hidden quest!’
’What would the netizens think of me if they found out?’
’Plus, it could advance my cultivation.’
’To go, or not to go?’
For Han Tian, this was no less than a major turning point in his life.
Liang Xueyao hesitated because, after all, he had a problem with his leg and couldn’t stay online for long periods. Giving him the hidden quest might be a waste of an opportunity.
He could only refuse with a heavy heart.
With his exceptionally high Spirit Root and what seemed to be a considerable talent for Artifact Refining, Liang Xueyao’s progress was astonishingly fast.
What surprised Song Jiulai the most was that Lin Yuyu was also on the list.
Lin Yuyu was a player from the second batch and used to hang around with Zhen Weida back then.
They still hung out, but Lin Yuyu’s progress was so terrifyingly fast that she had already caught up to the veteran players from the first batch, even surpassing the main contingent.
The System also said, "Lin Yuyu’s combat power is quite strong. She’s never encountered anything like this in real life; it seems she unlocked her talent here. When she fights demon beasts, her predictions and battlefield awareness are exceptionally sharp."
Zhou Nvzi, Han Tian, Jiang Tianya, Liang Xueyao, Mu Qiu, Lin Yuyu, and then there was Shuitan.
These seven people were currently the game’s top-tier combatants. Mu Qiu was the strongest, having not only reached Late-stage Qi Refining but also possessing her own Magic Treasure.
Since quitting her job, she had focused on her cultivation and also helped Han Tian. It was said that Han Tian intended to groom her into the Sect’s number one combatant. He had already contacted Mu Qiu in real life, planning to have her join his offline studio.
With Mu Qiu’s strength, she could also stream, and Han Tian had suggested it. But she personally disliked being in the public eye and lacked the charisma for streaming, so she had turned down his proposal.
Zhan Sheng currently had the highest talent, but having just joined, they couldn’t be counted among the top group.
By the time there was activity from the Secret Realm, Song Jiulai’s puppets were ready.
She prepared new puppet bodies for several players, had the System distribute them, and then asked the System, "Is it confirmed?"
The System replied, "Confirmed. Only five players can enter, including Mu Qiu. You are not included."
A realization dawned on Song Jiulai. "Then who isn’t going?"
"Xue Yao and Han Tian. Xue Yao has his real-life reasons. Han Tian’s combat power is a bit lacking; it’s better for him to focus on streaming."
Song Jiulai: "OK."
At the same time, the System notified Han Tian, "You don’t have to worry anymore. The quota for the hidden quest has been filled. You don’t need to go."
Han Tian was stunned.
He had spent ages psyching himself up and had finally decided to go.
’Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is a major matter concerning my cultivation!’
He immediately blurted out, "I’m willing to go, I’m willing to go! I was just thinking it over, I never said I wouldn’t go!"
System: "Well, it’s a moot point. It has nothing to do with whether you want to go or not. You were cut because your strength is insufficient."
Han Tian: "..."
’I would have rather been told that I was the one who was unwilling to go.’
Learning this painful truth, Han Tian immediately felt like he’d lost out on hundreds of millions.
’If only I’d known, I would have agreed immediately without any hesitation when the System first asked!’
Seeing his glum expression, another player walked over and looked at him with amusement. "What’s wrong, Brother Han?"
When Han Tian saw who it was, he immediately put on a flustered expression. "No, no, no, Ma, I wouldn’t dare have you call me ’brother.’"
This player was none other than Ma Shaojie.
The sensation Ma Shaojie caused on Weibo had brought another wave of drastic changes to the Broken Sect, though the players were unaware of it.
To the players, Ma Shaojie was also a well-known figure.
Because the game experience was so hyper-realistic, Ma Shaojie even used his real name as his ID.
So, he was recognizable at a glance.
When Ma Shaojie first joined, Han Tian had wanted to proactively befriend him. After all, not just anyone could get close to a person with his kind of connections in real life.
But then he thought that doing so might create the impression that he was trying to ride on someone else’s coattails. He was a big-name streamer now, after all, and the netizens saw his every move.
Who would have thought that Ma Shaojie would take the initiative to find him, just to ask about some of the game’s unwritten rules.
After all, Han Tian was the one who ran the game’s guide website, so it was only natural that Ma Shaojie would seek him out with questions.
Given Ma Shaojie’s status, Han Tian was more than willing to share everything he knew, and so the two became acquainted.
Ma Shaojie joked, "With your status as a veteran player, you’ve certainly earned the right to be called ’brother.’ I saw you looking all glum just now. Did something happen? According to your current plan, you’re trying to open a new trade route for the Sect, right?"
"Yeah." Han Tian sighed. "The System just asked me if I wanted to accept a hidden quest. I hesitated for a moment, and now the chance is gone."
Ma Shaojie was incredulous. "You had a chance for a hidden quest and you actually hesitated!"
Han Tian said, "Ma, to be honest with you, the quest explicitly stated it was highly dangerous and the reward might not even be great. This game has no respawns, so of course I’d hesitate. Who knew that after just a moment of hesitation, the spot would be gone? What’s more hurtful is that the System said I was cut because my strength wasn’t good enough."
A realization dawned on Ma Shaojie. "Meaning there are players now whose strength surpasses yours?"
"That’s for sure," Han Tian said. "I’m not on the battle-maniac path. Let’s not even talk about the mysterious Shuitan—right now, I can’t even catch up to Mu Qiu. Even Zhou Nvzi’s cultivation level has surpassed mine."
The players would occasionally spar with each other.
Even without using a Magic Treasure, Mu Qiu’s combat instincts were enough to let her completely dominate Han Tian and the others in a fight.
It just went to show: comparison is the death of joy.
Ma Shaojie deeply agreed, then said, "If you guys are going to continue on to the Liuyun Sect, can you take me with you? I won’t ask for a free carry. I’ll give each of you 1,000 points. In exchange, just protect me a bit while I train. How about it?"
Points could be exchanged for real money, and that sum was equivalent to ten thousand.
For Han Tian, it wasn’t a huge amount, but for the other members of the team, it was an absolute fortune.
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