Chapter 7: Entering in the Snake Forest
Lin Jichen Leisurely Walks Out of the Village
At the village entrance, there was a simple direction sign indicating various locations where wild beasts could be found nearby.
The territory of the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake was in the bamboo forest to the southeast.
Lin Jichen picked up his iron sword and hurried toward the bamboo forest.
The sword in his hand was particularly eye-catching to everyone.
After all, while everyone else was still barehanded, he already had a weapon, naturally making everyone curious.
"Big bro, where did you get that weapon?"
"Hey, little brother, can you tell me how you got that weapon? I really want one too~"
"Boss, please carry me! Can we form a party?"
"Brother, are you selling that sword? I'll pay you. We can trade outside the game—I'll transfer via Alipay or WeChat."
Bombarded with questions, Lin Jichen was extremely annoyed and quickly sped up to run away.
After shaking off most of the players, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, a small group of players continued to tail him, trying to uncover his secrets.
Lin Jichen didn't care about the eyes watching him from behind and kept walking at his own pace.
Less than two minutes later, a bamboo forest appeared ahead. A warning sign at the entrance read: [Snake Forest – Enter with Caution]
Lin Jichen stepped inside.
The bamboo forest was tranquil, with only the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind. It seemed as if there was nothing there.
But upon closer inspection, one could see emerald green snakes coiled around the branches of some bamboo trees, with green shadows slithering across the ground.
Lin Jichen didn't rush into battle. Instead, he first pulled up his combat attribute panel.
---
[Stats]
- HP: 100/100
- Mana: 100/100
- Realm: Mortal Realm
- Cultivation Points: 0/100
- Strength: 1
- Spirit Power: 1
- Defense: 1
- Speed: 1
- Skills: None
- Equipment: Iron Sword
---
A very basic stats panel.
Strength determined physical damage, while spirit power affected spell damage.
1 point of strength equaled 10 attack points, and the same applied to spirit power.
This was the standard combat attribute panel for all players at the start of the game.
Once they reached the Qi Refining Realm, these attributes would increase tenfold.
Innate attributes had no direct correlation with combat attributes, so even though Lin Jichen's innate stats were maxed out, his combat stats were the same as everyone else's.
No matter how much of a prodigy one was, if they hadn't learned anything, they were still just an ordinary person.
Closing the panel, Lin Jichen got to work on his task.
He quickly spotted a Bamboo Leaf Green Snake coiled around a bamboo branch.
Its deep emerald body blended almost perfectly with the bamboo, making it extremely difficult to notice without careful observation.
Especially its triangular head and those eerie crimson eyes—they sent chills down one's spine, making people instinctively want to stay away.
The realism of "Eight Desolations" was truly incredible. Its 100% authenticity rating was no exaggeration.
The Bamboo Leaf Green Snake, upon detecting Lin Jichen approaching its territory, immediately flicked its tongue and slightly lifted its head—a clear sign of an impending attack.
Lin Jichen decided to strike first.
He casually swung his iron sword at the snake's body, leaving a noticeable sword mark.
"-30!"
A blood-red damage number floated above the snake.
At the same time, Lin Jichen saw the snake's stats panel.
---
[Wild Monster: Bamboo Leaf Green Snake]
- HP: 120/150
- Strength: 2
- Defense: 1
- Skill: Venom
---
Wounded, the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake hissed aggressively, its ferocity fully unleashed as it lunged at Lin Jichen.
Lin Jichen wasn't foolish enough to stand there and get bitten.
For new players, venomous monsters were the worst to deal with, as their attacks inflicted poison damage, causing continuous HP loss.
Since beginners were unfamiliar with movement techniques, dodging attacks was difficult.
Once poisoned, if they didn't have money for antidotes, they were as good as doomed.
Early on, new players would rather fight tough, tanky beasts than mess with venomous creatures.
But Lin Jichen was no newbie.
He accurately judged the snake's attack trajectory, stepped back with a nimble sidestep, and effortlessly dodged the lunge.
Snakes' attack patterns were well known—if they missed their target, they would immediately recoil before striking again.
As expected, the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake retracted its head after missing.
Seizing the opening, Lin Jichen twirled his sword in a flourish and slashed precisely at the snake's "seven-inch" mark.
Everyone knew the saying: "Strike a snake at seven inches." That's where its heart was.
In "Eight Desolations", every creature had weaknesses and strengths. Hitting weak points dealt increased damage.
The snake's skin was torn open, fresh blood gushing from a deep wound.
It fell from the bamboo, writhing in agony.
"Critical hit! -60!"
The damage was doubled!
The snake was left with only 60 HP.
Without hesitation, Lin Jichen thrust his sword once more, precisely piercing the seven-inch mark.
"-60!"
The damage completely drained its HP, killing the snake instantly.
"Switching to a new class… doesn't feel bad at all."
Lin Jichen murmured to himself, gripping his iron sword.
Although transitioning from a spellcaster to a weapon-based class was a drastic change, he had spent years mastering "Eight Desolations". His game knowledge was unmatched.
He had faced countless players of different classes in combat.
Through experience, he had learned their skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
That's why, even with a new class, he adapted quickly.
As a spellcaster, Lin Jichen was the strongest.
If he played any other class, he would at least be at Diamond rank.
In "Eight Desolations", game mechanics and combat skills mattered more than class choice.
Some players simply lacked gaming talent—no matter how powerful their class was, they wouldn't perform well.
But Lin Jichen was a natural gaming prodigy.
No matter what game he played, he pushed mechanics to the limit, inventing creative strategies and unconventional tactics.
Even in his past life, as a spellcaster—the least mechanically demanding class—he still outperformed everyone.
Despite starting a year later than others, he climbed to the top ten of the Heavenly Rankings, becoming the undisputed #1 spellcaster.
This was Lin Jichen's innate ability. Simply put, he was born to be a gamer.
Trying out the sword for the first time, he didn't feel uncomfortable. Instead, he felt a strange sense of familiarity and excitement.
After the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake died, a faint blue light drifted into Lin Jichen's body.
"Cultivation Points +3."
His cultivation progress changed from [0/100] to [3/100].
Cultivation points were essentially experience points.
Once full, players could break through realms and gain increased stats.
The snake provided a high amount of cultivation points.
Even the toughest wild boar in the starter village only gave 5 points.
Most early-game monsters only awarded 1 or 2 points, which was pitifully low.
Leveling up in "Eight Desolations" was extremely difficult, but there were many ways to increase cultivation.
Defeating monsters and completing quests were the most common methods, but other options included alchemy, meditation, and even dual cultivation with the opposite sex...
Having defeated his first monster after reincarnation, Lin Jichen was in a good mood.
The snake's corpse dissolved into a Soul Tomb.
When Lin Jichen looted it, he found... only a pair of venomous fangs.
Just as he thought that was all—
He was surprised to see a white-colored piece of equipment inside the Soul Tomb...