"What the fuck is this place?" Hou Shing is shocked by what he saw. What kind of place is this exactly? He looked at his seniors askance. But it looked like Nee Chen and Xiang Ya are just as surprised by what they are seeing.
They are only gone in weeks, and this is what they returned to… an unrecognizable cultivator city! Though it is far from the level of Sword Metropolitan, the city in front of Hou Shing is definitely a cultivator city of at least above average.
Hou Shing has gone to many different cities, and he has seen what they are like. Most of them are mortal cities, and the only cultivator city he has seen is Sword Metropolitan.
"Seniors… What is this place?"
The one answering Hou Shing is Nee Chen's reluctant voice.
"This is our, the System's Providence Sect's Immortal City…"
Nee Chen doubtfully said as his eyes land on the Server Forum, a method to converse with the player community. Nee Chen is similarly in disbelief as it has been just weeks since they left. In Nee Chen's eyes is the friendly hue of blue that revealed to him the so-called forum.
Tearing his sight away from the forum, his eyes landed on the many people of the Immortal City who have levels above their heads.
All of them are cultivators. Every one and each of them has some levels in them. Xiang Ya tugs Nee Chen's robes. "Let's go meet the Game Master…"
Nee Chen nods as the two of them stroll in the city with Desolate Mountain in mind. All of the buildings have an artistic touch to them. Nee Chen hasn't been to a cultivator city, but he reckoned this is how it looked like.
Judging by Hou Shing's surprise, this place must be quite good, and can even be considered novel. That is what Nee Chen thought at least.
"Junior Hou Shing, what do you think of this place?"
"Incredible… Though most of the infrastructures here are inferior to Sword Metropolitan, this place has so much better points… Like the ambient qi, and the number of cultivators! Wait… I recognize that guy, isn't he from Sword Metropolitan? And that guy too? Wait, what is happening?"
Hou Shing only have high praises for the city but turned to bafflement as he recognized some mortals who shouldn't be there. Forget mortals, they are now cultivators!
In the short month that Hou Shing has left Sword Metropolitan, lots of mortals have become cultivators already! This is cheating!
For someone to become a cultivator, they need talent and a passable Spirit Root. To have so many mortals turned into cultivators is too beyond his imagination.
"Are they? Are they people from Sword Metropolitan?" Hou Shing doubtfully asked.
Xiang Ya who had read most of the forum discussions answered Hou Shing.
"Yes, they are all people moved by the Little General's words."
Nee Chen who seemed to be fiddling on air, was chatting with Lu Gao. Nee Chen smiled and enjoyed their little quips.
{Personal Messages—
Humble Blade: How are you doing, little Gao?
Hyper Blast Super General: Brother! You cannot believe it! There is a city now below Desolate Mountain! Also, there is a palace now on Desolate Mountain! It is insane… So many people are here… I kind of sneaked yesterday to play in the new city but I was almost crowded to death!
Humble Blade: That's great! You are still young, so it matters that you should play around! How about Lurker? He didn't cause trouble for you, right?
Hyper Blast Super General: Oh, Brother Lurker? He is great! He is currently in the city gathering information and stuff. He might not look like it, but he likes learning human-related stuff. Also, I am now at level 70! Almost at the peak of the third stage!
Humble Blade: Oho! Great, great!]
Nee Chen's eyes looked above and he saw the great palace. He didn't notice it because he was admiring the city too much. Noticing his actions, Xiang Ya and Hou Shing similarly looked at the great palace. Sounds of gasping can be heard from them. It was truly a grand palace even with the distance separating them.
As they were on the way to the palace, Nee Chen's eyes suddenly landed on a peculiar guy hawking his wares. "Isn't that Lurker?" he asked Xiang Ya.
"Buy your maps! Buy your maps! Ten gold pieces per map! I have a guide map for 1st stage cultivators from where to hunt relatively easy beasts so that they can level up! I also have a map of where to farm rich resources like stones, wood, and even some places with ores! I also offer Bus services for your low levels! This afternoon, I'd do a run near the shallow creek!"
Both Nee Chen and Xiang Ya have 'What the fuck!?' faces.
It is understandable. Maybe it is just their prejudice since they were enemies before. Still, it is beyond their expectations that a cultivator beast would actually do something like this— sell stuff! And if they heard it right, he also offered services for power leveling.
Nee Chen walked to Lurker and asked. "What are you doing? Do you really need gold?"
Lurker looked over, only for a sneer to leave his face.
"Get away fucker, I won't sell anything to you!"
"I am just curious man, just tell me!"
"I won't! You are a bastard!"
"And you are a fucking crocodile!"
The other players who are lining up cannot really interfere with the quarreling of the two big bosses. It is quite plain to them that this two are not to be trifled with. Especially with the Level 80 label hanging above their heads.
Diffusing their situation is Xiang Ya as she came between the two.
"Sorry about that, sir Lurker…"
"That's fine, little one."
The two, Xiang Ya and Lurker are more cordial with each other. It is like the respect between fellow comrades who shared a battle once. Lurker doesn't care about Nee Chen. To him, Nee Chen is a bastard that PKs and ambushes innocent crocodiles.
"What is happening, lord Lurker?" Xiang Ya respectfully asked Lurker.
"I now have the sub-class Scout, and now I have a mapping skill. I suggest you also get a sub-class that will create a synergy with your main class. I am trying to save some gold. The new specialization system would need a lot of resources. I already have a build in mind. Now, all I need are gold to buy the necessary materials to stimulate the new skills."
Nee Chen and Xiang Ya nodded knowingly as they too read the tutorial guides. In fact, there are some thread discussions in the Forum of the builds which is quite a hot topic to them.
"Thank you, lord Lurker," Xiang Ya cusped her fists in bidding farewell to the crocodile cultivator. "May the heavens and fortune be on your side."
Lurker similarly cusped his fists.
The party of three: Hou Shing, Nee Chen, and Xiang Ya proceeded on their way.
They saw more of the novel things. There is even some sparring on a platform of rocks. The most interesting they saw was the many people gathering at a blacksmith shop. Business is booming, and it was as if this place weren't just an empty clearing.
Arriving just at the very foot of the Desolate Mountain, Hou Shing's jaws opened agape. Only now did he notice that the marbles composing the ground are polished and had a certain sacredness. Hou Shing's eyes looked at the heavenly stairs of the same marble that seemed to be a path more to heaven than a palace.
However, this is not where the surprises stopped as someone suddenly appeared beside them— the 11th royal princess of Biron Kingdom. Hou Shing cannot be mistaken. His eyes bulged in surprise at the celebrity.
Yin Shu awkwardly looked at the exaggerated response of Hou Shing. For some time, the people in the Immortal City got used to Yin Shu. For someone of Royal Blood, her face is quite well known to the commoners as she frequently appeared on the tongue.
Her protective bodyguard, Shan Yulin, comes forward and admonished Hou Shing.
"How dare you gawk at the 11th princess?"
Hou Shing instinctively went on one knee to pay respects to the princess. However, before he can even do that, Nee Chen held his arm and stopped him from kneeling.
"He is a guest! You are now a member of System's Providence Sect! One of our core tenets is to treat people our equal!"
Of course, Shan Yulin knew, as she read the Beginner's Crash Course that is a prerequisite for every player. That's why she was able to quickly make a counterargument. "But he is not a player! The laws that the Game Master decided that we should treat our fellow players as equal but whoever this guy is… he is not a player!"
Shan Yulin has long reached Level 80 in the short duration of a week thanks to a certain crocodile so she wasn't deterred by Nee Che. That aside, Nee Chen is not the only one she should watch out for as Xiang Ya is there too.
"Stop this… We are at the foot of the Game Master's abode. "Xiang Ya diplomatically said.
And, Yin Shu made a follow-up. "Exactly, we shouldn't disrespect the master…"
Thankfully, the commotion didn't escalate any further.