[Check out the auxiliary chapters!]
...
Yulong groaned.
`` This just in! Xian Impact will be open to the public in 3 days...``
'Hm? But Xian Impact has been going strong for 10 years?' He thought, his hands groping for the mute button on his phone. Only, it didn't feel like his phone. Eventually, he managed to find the mute button on the machine.
Yulong finally opened his eyes.
Where was he?
He immediately turned, only to see the crisp and sharp lines of his desk. Slipping out of his bed, he touched his face.
"I... Can see well again!" The prospect of being able to magically see well appealed to him. Being a gamer and staring at a screen for years hadn't done well for his vision. The VR game Xian Impact solved it, but at that point, it was too late.
Another thing surprised him though. It was his voice. It didn't sound like his alcohol-ridden and smoke-raspy voice. No, this was his youthful voice from 10 years ago.
"Hmm, I can't sense quality Qi?" He said. Not only that, this seemed like his old apartment too, from the time when he was barely scraping by. He looked at a long mirror in the front of his bed. Blue hair, cold eyes, a face with sharp features, Yes, this was his old appearance.
Boom!
His door opened with a bang, and he was surprised to see his skinny roommate, Qianfan.
'He isn't dead?'
"Are you just waking up? The Fallen Forge Sect is accepting disciples today! If we're late, we might not get to be disciples!"
In seeing his roommate still living and breathing, from 10 years ago, Yulong started crying.
"Eh? Did I hurt your feelings?" Qianfan said, his eyes widening.
"No," Yulong said, wiping his tears. "You didn't insult me. Don't worry, I will come." With that, Yulong closed the door. Waiting until Qianfan walked away, he walked back into the mirror.
"Hehe... I'm back! I got a second chance... There is no way this was staged!" Yulong laughed, jumping around like a madman. One would reason that this was a hallucination, but it was too realistic.
After jumping around, Yulong slipped into outwear and headed to eat breakfast. he just wanted to spend time reminiscing with Qianfan. But he had to keep moving as Xian Impact would be released in 3 days.
"Brother Qianfan, I've made a decision," Yulong said at breakfast. "I'm not joining that sect. I will create my own, or become a lone cultivator."
Qianfan paused after hearing the seriousness of Yulong's words. Suddenly, he felt that he was in front of a different person. The bloodlust emanating from Yulong caused him to sweat.
"...Are you sure, Brother Yulong?" Qianfan answered nervously. Being a lone cultivator wouldn't give a lot of benefits other than freedom.
"Yes. This Brother will provide for himself." Yulong said. Breakfast was silent, and Qianfan left to go apply to become a disciple in the Fallen Forge sect. With the house to himself, Yulong went back to his room.
'Since this is 10 years earlier, cultivation hasn't been discovered yet. No one knows that the techniques in-game work in real life.' Yulong easily remembered the techniques from the game, so he tried cultivating with his best technique.
In the first hour, the strands of Qi wouldn't move, but he managed to guide one into his dantian, overcoming one of the greatest hurdles for a cultivator as he broke into the First Level Mortal Martial realm.
He continued cultivating precisely, feeling stronger than he was before his breakthrough. He could sense Qi better by the time Qianfan came back. The next 2 days were spent talking and cultivating, letting Yulong reach Second Level Mortal Martial.
Then the day of the game dawned.
Yulong went out to go get the headset required to play Xian Impact. Qianfan had a headset provided by his sect, but Yulong would have to fend for himself.
He only had 4,000 dollars, barely enough to buy the Basic Helmet. On his way in front of the store were people he hated.
His old bullies.
"Yulong! Are you here for the game too? Hehe, Give me some money!"
"Get out of my way," Yulong simply said, ignoring them and brushing past them.
"You grew balls, I'll give you that, but why can't you give a pal a loan? I'll pay you back." The biggest out of the three said, acting as their leader. He ran full force at Yulong.
"Slow," Yulong said, sidestepping. His cultivation was low, but he could easily destroy them. Suddenly, a jab flew for his face, but Yulong dodged it again, counterattacking with a gut punch. Tubby down.
Next was the skinny guy, who succumbed to the same fate. By this time, a crowd had already gathered.
Then there was the guy that was between them both, who was scared.
"You were laughing a second ago. Come." Yulong said. The guy mustered up his courage and threw a punch.
Only to be met with a side step and a back heel kick that would leave any normal human bedridden for a month.
"Hmph, I hoped for more of a challenge." Yulong said as the crowd dispersed, before stealing the bullies' money and heading towards the store. Now he had about 250,000, enough to buy a Golden Helmet.
Yulong sinisterly smiled.
Beware world! The legendary Ao Bing will rock the world once more!