Chapter 3 Exploring
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Primordial chaos expanded continuously since its inception.
For billions of years, its height beyond the heavens, its thickness beyond the depths, with boundaries and spans unknown!
After the Sealing God Tribulation, the primordial chaos shattered, splitting into the Four Great Continents.
These are Eastern Continent, Western Continent, Nan Zhanbu Continent, and Northern Continent.
Beyond the Four Great Continents extends the vast Four Seas.
Above lie the Nine Heavens, below, the Nine Nether.
Beyond the Four Great Continents and the Four Seas, lies the Endless Void. Within it, countless large and small worlds orbit around these core lands of the Four Great Continents and the Four Seas, like stars surrounding the moon.
In the outer realms, the starry sky glitters brilliantly. Within the Celestial Cycle Stars, limitless Life Spirits are nurtured!
"Primordial" has been open for three thousand eight hundred years.
Up to now, the footprints of players have only been within a limited range. Not to mention those born in the vast expanse of the Four Great Continents, even those on an inconspicuous small island in the East Sea, without the cultivation of the Mahayana Realm, would not think of leaving.
For most players, they spend their lives wandering their birthplace, unable to escape this cage.
Lu Qingfeng was born on an isolated continent beyond the Northern Continent, billions of miles away from the Earth Immortal World where the Four Great Continents are located.
It is said that in this continent, some players cultivated to the Mahayana Realm, losing hope in surpassing the calamity, tried to cross the Void to the Northern Continent in search of opportunity, but ultimately got lost in the Endless Void, vanishing into nothingness!
...
"Heavenly Fox Realm——Hundred Barbarians Archipelago——Seven Sword Mountain Range——Elephant King City——Black Sand Town."
"My current location is Black Sand Town, akin to a Newbie Village."
Lu Qingfeng strolled twice around Black Sand Town and gathered quite a lot of information.
Black Sand Town is under the jurisdiction of Elephant King City, which itself is one of the eight hundred mountains and twelve hundred cities within the Seven Sword Mountain Range governed by the Seven Sword Sects.
This colossal Seven Sword Mountain Range is but a corner on an unremarkable island amongst the Hundred Barbarians Archipelago!
"Such a vast map, is it really just a game created by that Human Federation?"
Lu Qingfeng couldn't help but doubt!
This doubt is clearly meaningless, Elephant King City, Seven Sword Mountain Range, Hundred Barbarians Archipelago, none of these matters to the current Lu Qingfeng. He continued to walk, familiarizing himself with Black Sand Town.
In Black Sand Town, newbies make up a vast majority and there are guilds of all sizes.
Amongst them are dozens of established guilds, some nearing the threshold of forming their own sects. Some are directly supported and established by the Wanxiang City and other sects around Black Sand Town, specifically to recruit and select talented disciples!
"Heavenly Pool Guild is recruiting new members, requirements: level 10 and above, mastery of a combat spell or martial technique!"
"Imperial City Guild sincerely invites experts to join, requirements: level 21 and above, any combat spell cultivation to the Third Level!"
"Sword Immortal Guild is recruiting, requirements: level 10 and above!"
...
Passing by the guild plaza, Lu Qingfeng saw crowds of people.
Numerous guilds continually select and absorb newcomers, and countless newcomers here are choosing the guilds that suit them.
"In 'Primordial,' the lines between natives, players, and the descendants of players in the game have long been blurred, indistinguishable at a glance. Black Sand Town is no exception."
"But in the Human Federation, with a huge population base, constantly, teenagers reaching the age of sixteen are able to join 'Primordial' and become newbie players."
"These new players can take on tasks from shops and government offices, or join major guilds to obtain starting resources."
Lu Qingfeng wandered around Black Sand Town for most of the day, barely managing to familiarize himself with even half of the West District. To fully explore Black Sand Town would take at least three to five days.
Black Sand Town, though called a town, is not small in scope.
The urban area alone stretches out for forty to fifty miles. The town has a permanent population of over two hundred thousand, and including the surrounding villages, totals at least five hundred thousand.
"For 'Primordial' startups, if not guided by a senior, let's set that aside. If starting alone, leaving the city to level up through monster slaying is the worst option. Generally, players choose to join a guild, or to join an Artifact Refining Workshop, Alchemy Workshop, or talisman refining workshop as an apprentice."
"This method allows one to obtain a basic cultivation technique, earn a definite amount of cultivation resources, and also master a secondary profession. Multiple benefits make it naturally the first choice."
Lu Qingfeng arrived in front of an Alchemy Workshop named 'Wangchen.'
Wangchen Alchemy Workshop was not big, and a notice was posted at the door—
"Wangchen Alchemy Workshop is recruiting apprentices. A contract with the player will provide a free basic cultivation technique, a basic alchemy spell, five Yellow Dragon Pills, and five Fasting Pills. One month after signing the contract, the player must process at least ten portions of basic medicinal materials for the Alchemy Workshop daily, for a period of one year."
Black Sand Town's various Alchemy Workshops and Artifact Refining Workshops had similar standards for recruiting apprentices, specifically designed for newbie players like Lu Qingfeng.
Put plainly, it is a 'poverty alleviation project.'
Lu Qingfeng stood in front of the notice and even without seeing any person in charge of the Wangchen Alchemy Workshop, he signed a contract with the establishment.
After the contract signing was completed, the notice board flashed, two booklets, two Jade Bottles, and a Green Stone Token fell out, landing in Lu Qingfeng's hands.
Nearby Lu Qingfeng, there were several other newbies who received the same items.
[Cultivation Technique: Flame Sun Scripture]
[Grade: Basic Level, Nine layers in total]
[Cultivation Requirements: None]
[Cultivation Method Technique Characteristics: None]
...
[Manual: Alchemy Introduction]
[Grade: Basic Level]
[Annotation: A basic alchemy manual, listing the processing methods for forty-six medicinal materials]
...
[Elixir Pills: Yellow Dragon Pill]
[Grade: Low-level]
[Annotation: Postnatal Fetal Breathing Realm cultivation elixir, can slightly strengthen Inner Breath]
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[Elixir Pills: Fasting Pill]
[Grade: Low-level]
[Annotation: Can cause abstinence from food for six days when consumed by those in the Postnatal Fetal Breathing Realm]
...
[Equipment: Green Stone Talisman]
[Grade: Low-level]
[Annotation: Available for new players to reside for one year, containing a simple medicinal herb processing station; already bound, property of Wangchen Alchemy Workshop, not tradable, automatically repossessed after one year]
...
"Worrying about nowhere to cultivate."
Lu Qingfeng examined the Green Stone Talisman. With this talisman, at least for the first year after entering the game, there was no need to worry about lacking a place to live and cultivate.
It's just a pity that the Green Stone Talisman can't be used outside of Black Sand Town, and it will be reclaimed by the Alchemy Workshop after a year; otherwise, it would be essential for travel and residence.
Tucking away the Green Stone Talisman, Lu Qingfeng took out the "Flame Sun Scripture" and the "Alchemy Introduction".
Both of them are at the basic level.
According to the introduction of cultivation technique grades, basic level techniques can be cultivated up until the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The "Flame Sun Scripture" provided for free by the Wangchen Alchemy Workshop is even considered trash among basic level techniques, only allowing cultivation up to the peak of the Postnatal Fetal Breathing Realm.
"Postnatal is divided into the Fetal Breathing Realm and True Qi Realm. Only by breaking through the True Qi Realm can one advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage, which is still very far away for me. For now, the 'Flame Sun Scripture' seems suitable."
Lu Qingfeng held the "Flame Sun Scripture," clapped his hands together, and a large chunk of information flowed into his mind, permanently memorized like a brand. Then, he slapped the "Alchemy Introduction," and dozens of essential techniques and treatments for medicinal herbs filled his mind.
Name: Lu Qingfeng
Race: Human
Faction: None
Title: None
Cultivation: None
Level: Level 0 (0/1)
Life Span: 16/68
Root Bone: 1
Merit: Unknown
Karma: Unknown
Cultivation Techniques: "Yellow Court Scripture First Layer" (uninitiated)[Technique Characteristics: Derivation Technique (First Layer); Commanding Multiple Techniques (First Layer); Karma Removal (First Layer)]; "Flame Sun Scripture First Layer" (uninitiated);
Spells: None
Divine Skills: None
Equipment: None
Alchemy: "Alchemy Introduction" (uninitiated)
...
Black Sand Town.
Inside the Green Stone Talisman.
Lu Qingfeng felt hunger in his belly, consumed a Fasting Pill, and began his first cultivation.
The "Flame Sun Scripture" is just the lowest grade among basic level techniques, divided into nine layers. Upon mastering the ninth layer, one can reach the Postnatal Fetal Breathing Ninth Layer.
"I wonder what level this technique would be at in the Returning to Truth Sect, whether it can compare to the 'Returning to Truth Technique'."
Lu Qingfeng couldn't help but think.
The Returning to Truth Sect governed tens of thousands of residents in Jiuzhai County, and its high-ranking masters were hailed as deities among men.
But after all, it was just a sect in the mortal world.
And although Lu Qingfeng's cultivation technique came from "Primordial", it was a free giveaway, certainly not treasured.
Whether the "Flame Sun Scripture" or the "Returning to Truth Technique" is more powerful is hard to say.
Lu Qingfeng planned to study whether he could record the Returning to Truth Technique inscribed on the tree bark onto his attribute panel after logging off this time.
But for now, cultivation is more important.
In "Primordial", there are two ways to improve cultivation and level.
The first way is to cultivate.
Whether it's methodically meditating, circulating energy, or swallowing Spirit Pills and marvelous medicines, it's all part of the first method.
The second is the traditional levelling up by defeating monsters.
In "Primordial", there are fierce beasts left over from the second Calamity everywhere. Slaying these fierce beasts can earn experience, thereby increasing cultivation and level.
The first method is safe but slow. The second is dangerous, but the levelling speed is fast.
However, the vast majority of players in the early stage will choose the first method. Because in "Primordial", once you die, you are left with only two choices: reincarnation and starting anew or revival.
Reincarnation and rebuilding goes without saying, it's akin to deleting your account and starting over.
Other than the various cultivation techniques and skills learned that are imprinted in the mind and can't be erased, cultivation is rolled back to square one, and all various time-consuming spells, Divine Skills must be relearned from scratch.
It's not just about giving you a brand new sixteen-year-old body.
Instead, it's about nurturing from infancy, a full sixteen years, before one can leave the Rebirth Pool and start cultivating anew.
Even for a newbie who dies, sixteen years are wasted.
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The cost is immense, as one can imagine.
Players of "Primordial" also have a finite lifespan in real life. If one cannot break through to a certain level of cultivation before the end of their life span, thereby increasing their life span, and ends up dying in reality, then they truly must "reincarnate."
And if the True Body enters the game and dies, choosing to 'reincarnate' would mean being reincarnated just like the original inhabitants of Primordial, with memories obscured; it's no different from truly dying.
In short, if the True Body dies, whether in reality or in the game after choosing to have the True Body enter and then deciding to 'reincarnate', it is the same as being dead.
If it is not the True Body entering the game, and one dies in the game and chooses 'reincarnation', that is akin to deleting an account and starting over.
As for the resurrection option.
After a player dies, whether via True Body login or not, they can choose to resurrect directly at the Rebirth Pool or a respawn point they have set.
In addition to paying a cost corresponding to one's cultivation level, one's level will drop anywhere from five to fifty levels. That aside, the key point is that with each death, one's foundation will be damaged.
Unless one can recover their foundation with miraculous Spirit Pills, future advancements will be even more difficult.
Therefore, whether to choose reincarnation or direct resurrection is a matter of varying opinions.
Of course, if not necessary, most players are willing to endure hard cultivation or take drugs to increase their cultivation level, and would not opt for the extremely dangerous monster hunting for leveling up.
After all, whether it is reincarnation or resurrection, although it may seem similar to ordinary online games, the actual cost is something ordinary players cannot afford.
It's no different from having only one life.
Thus, leveling up by killing monsters is very rare.
Not advisable.
At this moment, Lu Qingfeng, without spells or Divine Skills, without magic artifacts or talismans, can only choose to earnestly sit and cultivate to level up.
"Flame Sun Scripture!"
Memories of the mystic knowledge of Flame Sun Scripture flowed through Lu Qingfeng's mind.
An indescribable Qi Perception faintly emerged within his body, elusive and difficult to grasp.
In reality, following what Lu Qingshan learned from the Returning to Truth Sect, the entry-level to the first layer of the Returning to Truth Technique is to perceive Fetal Breathing, to give birth to Qi Perception, and to refine it into Inner Breath.
This process could take just a few days for those with high talent, whereas for those of average talent, it could take months or even years. Then there are those with extremely low talent who cannot capture the Qi Perception in their entire lifetime.
These are what people commonly refer to as 'trash'.
From the age of twelve to fifteen, Lu Qingfeng was assessed yearly by Return to Truth Sect for his cultivation potential, but he never even qualified to be a servant disciple — he belonged to the last category.
The 'Root Bone: 1' on his attribute panel was clear proof.
As for Lu Qingshan, he belonged to the second category, with average talent. He could enter the door in a few months or a few years.
After entering "Primordial", Lu Qingfeng's talent seemed to show no improvement.
Sitting with the Green Stone Talisman for half an hour, the Qi Perception within Lu Qingfeng remained faint and elusive, impossible to capture.
"It seems I'll have to rely on taking pills."
Lu Qingfeng felt helpless as he stood up to stretch his numb body. After a short while, he resumed his cultivation.
This time, he took out and consumed one of the five Yellow Dragon Pills given by Wangchen Alchemy Workshop.
Immediately operating the Flame Sun Scripture, he began refining the potency of the pill.
The power of the Yellow Dragon Pill was astonishing. As soon as it entered his abdomen, it transformed into a warm current that spread through his limbs and bones, giving a feeling of floating and about to become immortal.
Time passed.
After an unknown duration, as the power of the pill faded, Lu Qingfeng slowly opened his eyes with a tinge of disappointment.
"One Yellow Dragon Pill isn't enough!"
Lu Qingfeng had such poor talent that even the 'Yellow Dragon Pill', a sacred pill for the early stage of Fetal Breathing cultivation, failed to enable him to comprehend Qi Perception.
Adjusting his mindset, Lu Qingfeng got up and walked for a while before taking another pill.
After consuming the Yellow Dragon Pill, after an undefined amount of time when the effects had passed, he still failed to grasp that obscure Qi Perception.
"Another try!"
Lu Qingfeng did not get discouraged.
If he couldn't comprehend Qi Perception with the aid of Yellow Dragon Pills in the game, what hope would he have once he returned to reality?
The third pill!
The fourth pill!
The effect of the Yellow Dragon Pills did not fail after all.
After taking four Yellow Dragon Pills in a row, Lu Qingfeng suddenly felt a stroke of insight, catching a glimpse of the elusive Qi Perception. Qi Perception suddenly emerged, and the pure power of the pill unfolded, spurring the creation of the first strand of Inner Breath.
The Inner Breath whirled around hundreds of times, stabilizing itself while absorbing the drug's power.
[Congratulations to the player for advancing to Postnatal Fetal Breathing Realm First Level, level up to Level 1, Flame Sun Scripture First Layer reaching the entry level.]
Lu Qingfeng opened his eyes and a golden system prompt appeared before him.
"I leveled up."
Lu Qingfeng was startled for a moment, as various memories of online games and mini-games he played in his former life rushed to his mind.
He had been reborn in a different world for sixteen years now, surviving miserably in the oppressive Black Wood Village, and his personality had long since become silent and gloomy, with most of the memories from his previous life deeply buried in his heart.
Now suddenly evoked, a mix of emotions welled up within him.
More importantly, with the experience gained this time in perceiving Qi Perception, there was a potential for cultivating in reality, a hope for transcending the ordinary.
Putting aside distracting thoughts, he brought up his attribute panel—
Name: Lu Qingfeng
Race: Human
Faction: None
Title: None
Cultivation Level: Postnatal Fetal Breathing Realm First Level
Grade: Level 1 (0/5)
Inner Breath: 1/1 (Quality: Basic Level)
Life Span: 16/68
Root Bone: 1
Merit: Unknown
Karma: Unknown
Cultivation Technique: Yellow Court Scripture First Layer (Uninitiated) [Characteristics: Derivation Technique (First Layer); Mastery of All Techniques (First Layer); Karma Removal (First Layer)]; Flame Sun Scripture First Layer (Initiated) [Derivable];
Spells: None
Divine Skills: None
Equipment: None
Alchemy: Alchemy Introduction (Uninitiated) [Derivable]
There's not much change in the attribute panel.
Aside from the predictable changes in cultivation level and grade, a new section for Inner Breath appears. The terms [Derivable] can also be found following the Flame Sun Scripture and Alchemy Introduction.
"Derivation?"
"Is it perhaps the Derivation Technique characteristic of the Yellow Court Scripture?"
Lu Qingfeng's first thought.
Without much speculation, Lu Qingfeng directly clicks on the [Derivable] following the Flame Sun Scripture.
[Would you like to expend 1 experience point to derive the Flame Sun Scripture?]
[Notice: The player's current reserve of experience points is 0, engaging in derivation would result in falling to level 0.]
"Derivation consumes experience points, and if there aren't enough reserve experience points, it will also lead to a drop in level."
Lu Qingfeng summarizes the information and then clicks on the [Derivable] following the Alchemy Introduction.
[Would you like to expend 1 experience point to derive the Alchemy Introduction?]
[Notice: The player's current reserve of experience points is 0, engaging in derivation would result in falling to level 0.]
The information is the same.
Lu Qingfeng considers and chooses not to derive.
Yellow Dragon Pills are greatly beneficial for cultivation in the Fetal Breathing Realm at the early stage and are rather precious, so Lu Qingfeng cannot afford to waste them.
If he falls back due to derivation, firstly, he isn't sure if he can cultivate back up on his own in a short period. Secondly, he does not have more Yellow Dragon Pills to consume.
Sitting cross-legged, Lu Qingfeng continues to cultivate the Flame Sun Scripture.
He consumes four Yellow Dragon Pills, which give rise to his Qi Perception and promote him to the First Level of the Fetal Breathing Realm. There's still a considerable part of the pill's potency that hasn't been refined inside his body, and if he doesn't cultivate now, some of the potency will seep into all parts of the body, becoming difficult to harness.
Another part of it will dissipate through the body, thus going to waste.
While sitting in meditation, the effects of the Yellow Dragon Pills are indeed not weak.
After an unknown period, Lu Qingfeng finally refines all the pill potency that could be harnessed within his body.
His experience points also reach 4 at Level 1, soon he will be able to level up.
"Take out 2 experience points and try to derive the effect."
Lu Qingfeng opens his eyes and starts with the derivation of the Flame Sun Scripture.
[Would you like to expend 1 experience point to derive the Flame Sun Scripture?]
"Yes."
Lu Qingfeng silently says.
[Derivation process for the Flame Sun Scripture is underway——]
"..."
After spending the experience point, a golden system prompt box pops up in front of Lu Qingfeng, followed by no further action. On the attribute panel, the [Derivable] following the Flame Sun Scripture also has changed to [Derivation in progress].
"Is it because there aren't enough experience points, or is the derivation process too slow?"
Lu Qingfeng is perplexed.
"Let's try with the Alchemy Introduction."
[Would you like to expend 1 experience point to derive the Alchemy Introduction?]
"Yes."
[Derivation process for the Alchemy Introduction is underway——]
Similar to the Flame Sun Scripture, the Alchemy Introduction gets stuck in the middle of the derivation.
"What's this——"
Lu Qingfeng considers and touches the [Derivation in progress] term, and immediately a stream of information comes through——
[Flame Sun Scripture derivation in progress, required experience points 1/10]
[Alchemy Introduction derivation in progress, required experience points 1/10]
"So, it turns out the experience points I invested weren't enough."
Lu Qingfeng suddenly realizes.
Given this situation, he is now curious as to what the Flame Sun Scripture and Alchemy Introduction would be like after sufficient experience points are injected, but presently, the combined experience points he has are still insufficient to complete the derivation of any one of them.
He has no choice but to put it aside for now and silently exits "Primordial."
...