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

Wuming followed Ke Yuning.

She seemed to have hidden her identity and cultivation; no one reacted at all as they walked along.

Even though her appearance was stunning, others walked past without so much as a second glance, not even sparing a curious look for Wuming.

The only exception was the Sea View Sect elder from before, who knew her identity.

A chill went down Wuming’s spine.

’So this is the power of the Nascent Soul Stage,’ he thought. ’Even her casual Spells are this miraculous.’

"From now on, you are a member of my Yuning Pavilion. Once this trip for the Sea View Sect’s selection trials is over, I will bring you back to the Sect."

The voice of the woman in front of him drifted faintly into his ears.

Even though they were walking on a busy street, no one else could hear it.

Wuming replied respectfully, "Yes, Elder."

Ke Yuning walked ahead, but her Divine Sense was already taking in Wuming’s expression and behavior.

Wuming’s expression was one of cool indifference.

But beneath that indifference was a disposition Ke Yuning had never encountered before.

It was a disposition of exceptional fortitude and resolve.

She had seen similar people before, but none were quite like him.

And this physical form...

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but while his appearance was undeniably stunning—and she had confirmed it wasn’t magically altered, that it was his true face—

she still felt that it wasn’t the face he was meant to have.

’With my Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, I can’t see the issue?’

’How... interesting.’

"A Metal Spirit Root should qualify you for the Inner Sect of the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect. But since you’ve caught my eye, you won’t be going down that path. I won’t be taking you as my disciple, either."

As Ke Yuning spoke, she kept a close watch on Wuming’s expression.

But he didn’t show the slightest flicker of emotion, simply responding with a respectful, "Yes."

It was as if he didn’t care about any of it.

Ke Yuning suddenly let out another low chuckle. "Don’t say I’m mistreating you. You’re only at the Early-stage of Foundation Establishment and need to raise your cultivation. Once we’re back at the Sect, I’ll tell you what to do next."

Wuming replied robotically, "Yes."

System: "Don’t you worry, I will defend your chastity to the death! If she dares to force herself on you, I’ll have you drop dead right in front of her! She’ll regret it for the rest of her life and won’t see you again even in her countless recurring dreams."

Wuming: "..."

’No wonder Qing Guo said this system was insane.’

He wanted to log off but couldn’t find an opportunity. Soon enough, however, Ke Yuning gave him one.

Ke Yuning simply brought him back to an inn in Liu Xian City—though not to share a room.

She told Wuming to wait there and then left on her own.

Wuming logged off and immediately reported the matter to his assigned staff member.

The staff member’s expression was complicated. They hesitated for a long moment before saying, "Then... what will you do if that happens? That sort of thing shouldn’t be possible in the game, right...?"

"..." After a three-second silence, Wuming said, "The system is willing to give me a free body replacement."

Meaning, if it really came to that, he would have to abandon his current body.

It wasn’t a bad plan, all things considered.

After finishing his report, Wuming logged back on.

By now, both he and Qing Guo had noticed that something was unusual about this game.

In the real world, aside from necessary biological functions, they were gradually getting used to not needing sleep, allowing them to remain online for long, high-intensity periods.

For the national team playing the game, the fact that it was changing their own bodies was a semi-open secret. Anyone who played for a while would notice the anomalies.

It just hadn’t been fully disclosed internally yet.

After all, there weren’t many slots on the national team to begin with.

The players were developing steadily, and more and more of them were starting to livestream.

The game now catered to a wide range of viewers. Some people streamed idyllic, constructive lifestyles, while others streamed thrilling demon beast hunts. In short, everyone had their own playstyle.

「Meanwhile.」

On the fifth day of fully Refining the Five Elements Colored Stones, Song Jiulai opened her eyes.

"The Gold Element is fully Refined."

Having completely absorbed the Gold Element colorful stone, Song Jiulai felt the Spiritual Energy in her Dantian constantly expanding and churning.

It felt as if even the banner could barely suppress it.

And as she forcefully suppressed it, she could feel her real body being affected as well.

Because both bodies shared a single cultivation pool, the changes in her real body were obvious. Even her second Dragon Shadow, which hadn’t shown signs of condensing for days, was beginning to stir.

Song Jiulai’s eyes gleamed. "These Five Elements Colored Stones are good for me. Should I continue Refining them?"

She had a feeling that these colorful stones wouldn’t be easy to Refine.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect to offer so many colorful stones to test these disciples in the Early Stage of Qi Refinement.

No players had managed to get into the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s selection trials. After all, they had tried before; with their current experience, it was still too much of a stretch for them to fight other Cultivators.

Therefore, the system couldn’t gain any intel either.

It simply said, "If it’s good for you, then you might as well go all in on this one."

Song Jiulai’s own Five Elements weren’t in conflict. If she could Refine them all in one go, the benefits to her real body would be immense. It would be worth it even if the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect discovered something was amiss.

Besides, the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect had thrown out this bait precisely to screen for a situation like this.

"My second Dragon Shadow is stirring. If I Refine all five of these colorful stones, there might be hope for the Dragon Transformation Bone Second Turn..."

Song Jiulai murmured to herself. She was already at the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. If this was an opportunity, she might even reach the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment.

And what did the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect hope to gain from this?

Her eyes narrowed. "Then let’s take the gamble!"

With that, she began to absorb the Wood Element stone.

The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect had given them a month. She had Refined the Gold Element in just five days, which probably meant the remaining ones would be even more difficult.

「At that same moment.」

Atop a mountain peak, the white-bearded old man who had praised Song Jiulai’s patience during the first trial watched the distant rising sun and said leisurely, "The Five Elements Colored Stones are the foundation of one’s Spirit Root, as well as an esoteric secret of our Ten Thousand Immortals Sect. For thousands of years, only a handful of people in our Sect have been able to Refine all five stones. Most stop at one or two. Anyone who manages three is a genius of exceptional perception."

"Indeed. In the past, we always screened the disciples ourselves. I don’t know why we’re making such a fuss this time."

The beautiful female Cultivator sighed softly. "Perhaps they were frightened by the prophecy about the people from beyond the heavens."

The white-bearded old man shook his head. "Not at all. The specifics of the prophecy are unknown, and it never said it would necessarily be a bad thing."

"Hm?"

He suddenly sensed something and his expression turned to shock. "Someone has Refined a Gold Element colorful stone on the fifth day!"

"What? The fifth day?" The beautiful woman was also in disbelief. "So fast? It’s been many years since we’ve seen such speed."

A sharp glint flashed in the white-bearded old man’s eyes.

"To have Refined the Gold Element in just five days... If this speed continues... A pity, the Five Elements both fuse and conflict, so it only grows more difficult toward the end. Still, with twenty-five days remaining, there’s a strong chance for a Three-Colored Stone! If a disciple capable of a Three-Colored Stone appears, I will personally accept them into the sect, even if they fail the subsequent trials."

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