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

Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Lu Yao of the Spirit Fox Sect

Thanks to the system’s words.

Song Jiulai’s thoughts turned even graver.

It couldn’t be helped. The Longevity Sect wasn’t exactly situated on prime real estate.

First, it was close to the demon beast frontier, with Demon Cave Valley nearby. If an attack occurred, just as Senior Sister Shui Ping had said, the demon beasts would arrive without warning, and the sect could be easily wiped out.

Whether they could hold out until the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect arrived was a secondary concern.

Second, the Sect was in decline, and its Spiritual Energy was weaker than in other areas.

But there was an upside: it was so remote that virtually no Cultivators from Major Sects ever came by.

No matter how much of a commotion the Longevity Sect raised, as long as it was confined to its own little patch of land, no one would make a special trip to investigate.

Song Jiulai didn’t even know who the Demon Cultivator was. What if, after attacking the Spirit Fox Sect, they targeted another Sect next?

Song Jiulai felt he had to take precautions.

First and foremost, he needed to make the players understand the gravity of the situation.

’Even the most casual players should get a move on when they find out, right?’

[Ding! A sudden incident has occurred: The Spirit Fox Sect has been attacked by a Golden Core Stage Demon Cultivator. Over half of the Sect’s Cultivators are dead or wounded. The Sect’s current status is unknown.]

This notification stunned all the players who were still online.

Soon, the players were gathering in groups to discuss the news.

"The Spirit Fox Sect? Who are they? I’ve been here for so long and never heard of them."

"I know about them. I heard the mortals downhill say it’s a Beast Taming Sect, even farther away than us. Probably about the same size as the Feique Sect."

"...About the same size as the Feique Sect, and it got attacked by a Demon Cultivator?"

"And what’s a Demon Cultivator?"

This came from some new players who didn’t pay attention to the story.

"Holy shit, the Spirit Fox Sect was attacked! Doesn’t that mean we could be next?"

"Definitely. The system even sent out a special alert. This means our Sect isn’t completely safe, either."

The players thought to themselves, ’What’s coming has come.’

Every game needed a main storyline.

The Longevity Sect’s development had been too peaceful so far; it really lacked a sense of urgency.

Well, now that urgency had arrived.

A Golden Core Stage Demon Cultivator was not something the players could handle at their current level, but that didn’t mean they could just ignore it.

If the Longevity Sect was really destroyed, they wouldn’t be able to play the game anymore!

Even the casual, non-combat-oriented players felt they couldn’t just relax anymore. They had no desire to go fight demon beasts, so what could they do? How about grinding their life skills?

To them, aside from hardcore combat missions like killing demon beasts, skills like Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and even Beast Taming were all considered life skills.

It was just that these skills could also contribute to combat power.

The Medicine Sect needed medicine furnaces, but the Furnaces were expensive and could easily explode from improper use. It was better to let the expert, Miao Miao, test the waters first.

Artifact Refining was simpler. As long as you had spiritual ore, you could do it.

Gritting their teeth, some of the life-skill players borrowed money from the Sect to purchase the Secret Techniques they needed. Then, they grouped up to buy some low-level materials, preparing to practice and start the grind.

Even players who had logged off to take a break because of the heavy snow were called back online. A flurry of activity erupted within the Sect as they started tackling all sorts of tasks.

A few other players took charge of persuading the mortals and Cultivators in Wang’an County to get on board with the reconstruction plan.

The mortals were easy enough to convince. Immortals were offering to help rebuild their homes, and they were told the new structures would be resistant to extreme weather. Who could possibly say no to that?

The Cultivator side was more troublesome.

However, after being offered a few benefits, they readily agreed to change their architectural style.

Of course, just to be safe, the players even issued a ’Wang’an County Demolition Notice.’ Whether one was a Cultivator or a mortal, once you signed on the dotted line, the deal was binding.

The reason for the signatures was that the renovated houses would be redistributed by lottery. You got whichever one you drew, and there was to be no complaining!

Wang’an County wasn’t large, but the Longevity Sect was preparing to perform a miracle.

Fan Guzhou spearheaded the agreement-signing process. Given his current standing, he was the most suitable person for the job.

Some of the life-skill players were also assigned to the housing renovation tasks.

Even without any direction from Song Jiulai, the Sect’s players had already established a preliminary management structure.

Chen Miaomiao was in charge of logistics and dedicated herself to research. Fan Guzhou handled the public-facing business affairs in Wang’an County. Zhou Xiao, Han Tian, and the others were responsible for implementing plans and keeping things under control. All they needed to do was raise their cultivation to be among the top tier of players, which was the only way to gain real prestige.

The reason everyone let Fan Guzhou and his group manage was simple: they actually paid a salary.

The new players wanted to earn points too, so of course they chose to listen to the veterans.

"I never would’ve guessed. In real life, I majored in civil engineering, but after graduating I ended up as a warehouse manager for a small company. I thought I’d never get to work in my actual field."

A player with a civil engineering degree sighed with genuine emotion. "Who would have thought I’d find a job in my field inside a game?"

They were part of the third batch of new players assigned to the reconstruction project.

Another player chatting with him also sighed. "Yeah, if this were real life, I wouldn’t touch this stuff with a ten-foot pole. But what are those expert players thinking? I saw their designs—the residential area only takes up a fraction of the space. What are they using the rest for?"

"Factories, I think," the civil engineering player said. "That’s what I heard them say, anyway."

"Building factories in a game?" The other player’s eyes widened. "Holy shit, who logs into a game to work a job?"

"...When you’re new and have no points, there’s no other choice but to work."

"...Fair point."

The civil engineering player then asked, "Hey, how many more beta testing spots do you think they’ll open up? I see a ton of people on Weibo still begging for access. Didn’t everyone used to say this game wasn’t even real?"

"I didn’t believe it either before I got in. Now I’m in the game every single day. A few of my classmates believe me now, and they keep telling me I have to let them know the second more spots become available."

While the players were chattering away, Lu Yao sat in a tavern in Wang’an County, her gaze drifting aimlessly around the room.

She had already found out that Jingque True Man of the Feique Sect had indeed left to travel the world.

Only those at the Golden Core Stage had so few worries, free to at least wander between the various Major Sects.

And once they left on such a journey, there was no telling how long it would be before they returned.

The Spirit Fox Sect was beyond saving.

In Lu Yao’s hand, a Jade Token had already crumbled into dust, leaving only faint traces behind.

That was her master’s Token.

A shattered Token meant that her master...

She closed her eyes. A Cultivator was not supposed to experience such intense emotional turmoil, but she couldn’t stop herself as two lines of clear tears streamed down her face.

"Your grape wine has arrived."

The timid voice of a mortal waiter sounded from within the tavern.

He placed the wine Lu Yao had randomly ordered onto the table.

Not daring to look up, he backed away.

Lu Yao picked up the bottle and drank straight from the neck.

She hadn’t rashly told the Feique Sect about what had happened to the Spirit Fox Sect. It would do nothing but cause them trouble.

She was only drinking because she didn’t know what else to do.

As the wine went down, the cool, crisp sweetness of the grapes and a sharp, spicy kick flooded her senses.

She thought, ’The wine made by mortals is getting better and better.’