"有时,人们必须不情愿地承认,尽管理想是充实而丰富的,但现实往往是严峻而贫乏的."
"而此时,位于星网梦炉空间内的莉莉,也不例外."
"得到万里疆土,她欢喜雀跃,冲了进去."
"直到系统问她打算怎么扩张领地的时候,莉莉才泼了一盆冷水,浑身一冷."
"一万平方公里,就是这个面积.如果以最简单的方式开发,一块长一百公里,宽一百公里的方形土地,就只有她曾经拥有的领土的六百六十分之一."
"要重现" 山河经",这点地盘远远不够."
"她还是太穷了."
"现在加上莉莉花费一千星币购买的一平方公里,梦熔之域的面积总共只有一万零一平方公里."
"就算她把第一场比赛的十万星币奖金全部兑换出来,也不过能扩大一百平方公里的领地,简直是九牛一毛."
"而"山河经"究竟有多庞大?"
"山经里有记载山脉,有东山,南山,西山,北山,中山,二十六座山脉,近五百座大山."
"海经里记载了海洋,海内,海外,大荒之中."
"天地东西长二万八千里,南北长二万六千里."
"这确实是一个难以想象的广阔世界."
"莉莉想了又想,想要完美地重现,肯定是不可能的,这么小的面积,按照古籍记载的尺寸,就算是两座山峰都难以覆盖."
"但她至少要确保文妖鸟和饕餮的巢穴排列整齐,一个在北山经,一个在西山经,中间隔着无数座山峰,总不能把中间的山都砍掉吧."
"Recreating it to scale was impossible, and if she wanted to achieve a better result, she could only reduce the scale and create a... well, a 'trimmed-down' version of the "Classic of Mountains and Rivers"... or rather, an N-fold miniature version."
"In a sales office, miniature models are often false representations, but hers would be a miniature, a true rendition of the"Classic of Mountains and Rivers"."
"Anyway, the distance units in the Mountain Classic are all in li, so she could simply scale it down. She could always expand it later when she had more money."
"Without hesitation, she went ahead with it. Once the area of the ten thousand square kilometers was expanded, the Taotie, Wenyao Bird, and Shèn Taotie were all overjoyed."
"Lily's mind stirred, and beneath her appeared a cloud bed. She floated in the sky of the Dreamforge Realm, gazing down at the land below, mentally making plans."
"After a moment of thought, she forged paper and a brush, contemplating as she prepared to sketch. While she could directly use her mental energy to work, she considered the risk of making a mistake and wasting her energy. A rough draft would be a safer approach."
"Although she had entered this magical Dreamforge world, the habit of jotting down and sketching to record her thoughts, ingrained from her past life, was one she couldn't easily shake off."
"Though she was working on the "Classic of Mountains and Rivers", Lily found herself recalling relevant records from other ancient texts as she worked."
"In the"Classic of Mountains and Rivers", the first volume is the Southern Mountain Classic, but given the harsh conditions, Lily could only tearfully gloss over the Southern Mountain Classic for now. She began forging from the Northern Mountain Classic instead."
"She knew very well that what she had showcased in the Dreamforger livestream battle were the Taotie, the Shèn Taotie, and the original Wenyao Bird."
"The interstellar people who came to her Dreamforge Realm must have done so with those creatures in mind."
"Thus, Lily had a clear idea of how to pWenyao Bird eed with the creation of the miniature"Classic of Mountains and Rivers" within the current ten thousand square kilometers."
"She would begin by sculpting the overall landscape of the"Classic of Mountains and Rivers", including the Five Mountains and the vast seas both within and beyond the Great Wilderness. Her primary focus would be on the Northern Mountain Classic and the Western Mountain Classic, with detailed depictions of the Taotie and Wenyao Bird's dwellings, while giving a lighter treatment to the other regions of the Northern Mountain Classic and Western Mountain Classic."
"By observing the small to perceive the grand, she would use composition to infinitely amplify the sense of space."
"After planning the mountain ranges and waterways, Lily began forging the dream, one mountain at a time."
"The peak of the Northern Mountain is the Mountain of the Lone Fox, where a large number of alder trees resembling elm trees grow. This is the source of the Feng Shui River, which flows westward, merging into the You River. Within the Feng Shui River, there are also purple stones and literary stones."
"The Taotie resides in Gouwu Mountain, where a vast jade mine stretches across the mountain, and beneath it, copper mines are hidden, making it a true treasure mountain."
"Lily poured all her energy into it, but her mental strength was limited. She sketched the entire landscape outline, then meticulously completed the core Gouwu Mountain. By the end, she felt completely drained."
"She crawled out of the consciousness chamber, finding that the nutrient fluid inside had been completely consumed."
"While sipping on high-energy nutrient fluid in her dormitory, Lily finally had time to check and reply to a few messages on the Starweb from her intelligent brain."
"When one is within the Dreamforge Realm, all messages are blocked out."
"However, before blocking the messages, she had informed James and the instructors in the training camp that she was in her personal Dreamforge Realm. After all, nothing could happen to her while she was on the Starweb. Otherwise, with Lily currently holding the top spot in the Star Sea Dreamforge Livestream Battle, the guiding Dreamforgers from the training camp would have long since barged into her dormitory, worried that something might go wrong while she was immersed in the Dreamforge Realm."
"Although the high-energy nutrient liquid in her hand didn't taste very good, Lily endured it, knowing that this purified nutrient liquid was the fastest way to restore her energy."
"[James]: Sis! You're out! Want to eat?"
"[Lily]: There are too many people outside. The dormitory still has nutrient liquid, and the meals from the cafeteria are kept at a constant temperature and condition."
"[James]: There are hardly any contestants left in the training area. More than half of the contestants from our star zone have been eliminated in the first round of the official competition."
Upon reading James' message, Lily was stunned for a moment. So many? To eliminate more than half of a star zone in the first match—wasn't it the same for the other star zones as well?
"[James]: I heard from Grandfather that the early rounds have the highest and fastest elimination rates. The schedule is also really tight—three days after one match, the next one starts. The next match is the day after tomorrow. If you don't come out tomorrow, I'm going to have to force the door open with a few of the instructors."
"Lily had already spent a full day and night within the Dreamforge Realm."
"Lily knew James' performance. She had submitted her own work early and checked his contestant livestream. There, she saw him being chased by a horde of Taoties, running wildly, yet he still managed to earn enough points to advance, even surpassing the required amount by quite a margin."
"As for how he managed to earn points while running, Lily happened to see it clearly at the time. He was riding a flying horse through the mist, with the Taoties in front unable to see him. As the flying horse leapt over them, its hooves crushed the unfortunate Taoties behind him, and the points were earned just like that."
"Lily multitasked, replying to the instructors at the base, assuring them that she would participate in the competition on time and that no one should disturb her in the meantime."
"[James]: By the way, sis, everyone on the Starweb is asking where you've gone and why you haven't appeared. They're also wondering when your personal Dreamforge Realm will open. Your Dreamforge hall has already been thoroughly explored, and now everyone is asking what the"Classic of Mountains and Rivers is"."
Upon reading this, Lily switched to her contestant homepage and took a quick look. Since her account was set to private and she hadn't posted any updates, with only James and the official Dreamforge Livestream Battle account being followed, no one else could send her messages except for James and the official account.
"Netizens couldn't send messages, but Lily's follower count had reached an incomprehensible number, steadily increasing with every passing moment. It was currently in the millions, with a trend of rapidly heading toward tens of millions."
"On the Starweb feed, a trending topic with her name appeared, and countless netizens were asking about the"Classic of Mountains and Rivers"."."
"[Lily]: Have the other contestants' Dreamforge Realms been opened?
Rather than checking one by one, asking the well-informed James is the quickest way."
"[James]: They've mostly all been opened. After all, space is limited, so some have temporarily created some dreamscapes. The match just ended, and it's the peak time for contestant popularity. Opening the Dreamforge Realms and activating the sensory connection is the perfect opportunity to make a lot of money!"
As she spoke, Lily saw the transaction record James had sent from his credit account. James' backend was constantly updating, reflecting the flow of money in real-time.
"Hot topics in any era spread quickly. Two days later, the next Dreamforge Livestream competition would begin, and the heat from the previous round would soon fade. Therefore, contestants were all eager to seize the opportunity while they could."
"However, James didn't act yet. Although 100 Star Coins seemed like a small amount, the number of viewers was so large that it added up quickly. As the saying goes, 'small profits from many sales.'"
"After finishing the high-energy nutrient liquid, Lily returned to the Starweb Dreamforge Realm, where she was faced with a serious question."
"How should she price her Dreamforge Realm?"
"The Wenyao Bird had been priced at a thousand Star Coins, but as another creature from the Classic of Mountains and Rivers, how much would the Starweb price the Taotie, one of the Four Ancient Fiends? And what about the Shèn Taotie?"
"And what about these rugged mountain ranges, the endless, vast seas and mountains?"
"While she started forging the Western Mountain Classic and creating the Dreamforge Realm for Taiqi Mountain, where the Wenyao Bird resided, Lily simultaneously activated the Starweb system's real-time pricing feature."
"An S-grade Dreamforge Realm, with sensory connection, would never be priced lower than 1,000 Star Coins. Now, with the integration of mountains and rivers, the overall price for the Wenyao Bird's realm had increased by 2,000 Star Coins."
"The Taotie and Gouwu Mountain were priced at 3,000 Star Coins, while the Shèn Taotie and the smaller sea area across from it would require 1,500 Star Coins."
"This was the reference price given for individual Dreamforge realms. The Starweb system also offered three bundle package options."
"Lily felt a bit stunned. Buying just one was more expensive than her entire previous fortune. While this was a good thing for her, it wasn't very friendly to her potential audience."
"In her former homeland, there were countless channels for acquiring knowledge and information. However, in this starry age, due to the Dreamer's invasion and the loss of cultural heritage, many forms of culture, tradition, and knowledge now required high-level payment."
"Lily buried herself in work for another day, restoring the resting places of the Taotie, Shèn Taotie, and Wenyao Bird. The mountains, rivers, and misty clouds gradually took shape, and a simplified version of the vast world of mountains and seas slowly began to form."
"After thoroughly checking everything three times, Lily took a deep breath. She carefully reviewed the Starweb system's final real-time pricing. Eventually, she decided to adjust the reference price, changing it to a bundled price of 5,000 Star Coins for the entire Mountain and Sea Realm Dreamforge. After purchase, users could directly experience sensory connection and gain access to the full map of the Mountain and Sea Realm."
Although the current territory of Guanshanhai is small, and the areas that have been developed are limited, this does not prevent Lily from sketching a grand vision for the online community of Xinghai.
"Player Lily, your personal independent Dreamforge, [Guanshanhai], has been completed. Do you wish to open the sensory link to the outside world?"
"Open," Lily confirmed, then entered the player homepage, switched the privacy mode to public, and shared the updates of her personal independent Dreamforge.
At the same time, all of Lily's followers on Xingnet received a notification from the network: "The player you follow, Lily, has opened..."
After giving herself a bit of publicity, Lily glanced at the time and logged off directly. She hadn't slept in two days and nights, as the continuous excitement from forging the mountain and sea had kept her in an overly stimulated state. But now that the task was complete, she could no longer keep herself going. Though high-energy nutrients were effective, nothing compared to a long, restful sleep.
She struggled to climb out of the consciousness chamber, setting multiple alarms on her brain interface, then sent a message to James.
"If I'm not awake three hours before tomorrow's match, break in with the guidance system. I can't miss the competition; otherwise, where will I find land to buy?"
Collapsing onto the bed, Lily could no longer hold on. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she instantly fell into a deep sleep.
On Xingnet, the followers who had been eagerly watching the vanished player, Lily, were in an uproar.
After much anticipation, the first-place Dreamforge was finally open!
[Guanshanhai? Is this name related to the "Classic of Mountains and Rivers"in the displayed information?]
is this price a money grab?? Thousands of starcoins!
[Country bumpkin, who doesn't know that the price for the sensory link is set by Xingnet? Don't forget, Goddess Lily is rated S-tier—this price is already considered low!]
As discussions erupted on Xingnet with dissatisfied users arguing about the price of the sensory link for the Dreamforge, the long-time viewers of Lily's livestream, who had been waiting for this moment, quickly made their purchases and entered the Dreamforge [Guanshanhai].
Barbara was one of them.
Barbara was a member of the human race from the Hick Star Zone, but she was not of the Birdman species. During that assessment competition, which sparked a local Xingnet war, she was one of the spectators, simply watching the drama unfold.
At that time, Barbara shared the same sentiment as many other netizens—surely, it was just Birdman Star hype. What kind of remarkable Dreamforger could come from such a lowly star?
However, after watching the first official match, those former thoughts had long since vanished. Seeing how impressive the Taoties Lily had forged were, and with her being ranked first in Xinghai, it was clear—her strength and achievements spoke for themselves. As for the words from before, they were undoubtedly just deliberate smears from her competitors!
These were people from their star domain, their star zone. The universe and the starry sea were so vast, but if they ever crossed paths, Barbara and Lily would still be from the same hometown.
Although the price of Lily's Dreamforge was ten to even dozens of times higher than other players', Barbara purchased it without hesitation.
She was determined to spend money to support a fellow player from her hometown star zone!
For 5,000 starcoins, she secured a player's Dreamforge, and in the future, if the player updated the main forge, no additional money would be required!
You have entered the Mountain and Sea Realm. Please enjoy Guanshanhai."
The voice was gentle and grand, not the cold, mechanical tone of the Xingnet system. It carried an indescribable warmth and nostalgia, as though imbued with the tenderness of countless years.
Barbara gazed at the nearby mountains, stretching endlessly, their peaks rising and falling in a continuous undulation. Enshrouded in mist, they appeared increasingly distant, with no end in sight.
She saw the distant sea, hazy and indistinct. Wherever Barbara's gaze fell, it seemed as though she could see that very spot, as if the landscape responded to her every thought.
The clouds hung high and the mist stretched far, across the four seas and eight realms.
Strange people, exotic lands, rare flowers, and unusual plants flashed before her eyes, but before she could fully take them in, they vanished as quickly as they appeared.
In a daze, there were crashing waves pounding the shore, with tumultuous Wenyao Bird ks tumbling through the air. It seemed as though Barbara was witnessing countless mythical sea creatures from the depths of the ocean.
A loud, piercing cry, seemingly coming from nowhere, jolted her awake. It felt as though her entire being was lifted, soaring into the air.
She was actually sitting on the back of a Wenyao Bird !
Barbara instinctively clung tighter as she saw the Wenyao Bird 's massive wings unfurling. It soared across the sea, rising and falling in the deep, endless night and the vast ocean below.
The rolling waves and endless surges of water surrounded them. Barbara had no idea where the Wenyao Bird was taking her. At times, it skimmed close to the sea surface; at others, it soared high above the ocean.
The next moment, Barbara saw a massive clam shell, its size enormous. It was identical to the one she had seen in the livestream, only much larger.
It was a Mirage Taotie!
The Wenyao Bird glided its wings closer to the Mirage Taotie. Before Barbara could even exclaim in surprise, the enormous clam shell exhaled a mist, forming a sliding path. Riding the wind and fog, she was carried right up to the Mirage Taotie.
When she turned around, the Wenyao Bird was already nowhere to be seen. The once dark and deep night sky had now brightened, with the dawn breaking.
Riding the mist exhaled by the Shèn Beast, Barbara gazed at the sea beneath, illuminated by the scattered rays of light. The sky and water met on the horizon, where countless streaks of rosy glow painted the sky. Brilliant golden light bathed the world as the red sun slowly rose.
In that narrow gap between heaven and earth, the stars and moon glimmered, while the great sun blazed with a thousand rays, shattering the vast, shimmering ripples of light on the sea, turning the surface into a glittering expanse of golden waves.
Barbara held her breath, afraid to blink, lest she miss even the slightest detail. She stared almost blankly at the sight of the sun rising over the sea before her.
She was completely unaware that the mist beneath her had already dissipated, and just as she was about to plummet toward the sea, a sharp pain suddenly jolted through her. Before she could even cry out, her body was gripped by a massive claw.
"Ah!" She couldn't move. Looking up, she realized she was still flying.
She was grasped by an unknown nine-headed divine bird, its brilliant, endless wings almost blinding her. As she looked closer, she saw that the bird's head bore the face of a human.
She couldn't move, nor dared she to. Gripped by the massive claw, she was carried through smoke and rosy clouds, soaring over mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, and vast oceans.
They flew so fast that Barbara could only catch glimpses of a fleeting illusion. It appeared as though there was a place surrounded by glowing light, where ethereal mist rose, and a Taotie with the body of a tiger and the face of a human stood as a guardian.
It was unclear how long or how far they had flown, but it felt as though they had reached the edge of the sky and the precipice of the sea. Finally, Barbara saw a mountain again.
Just like the mountains she had first seen, within the span of a single step, she could sense the vast expanse of miles stretching out before her.
One mountain after another—some large, some small, ridges and valleys, towering and twisting, stretching endlessly. Some mountains were covered with trees and plants, while others were barren. Barbara had lost count and no longer bothered to.
At last, the enormous claw that had been holding her loosened, and Barbara fell from the sky, landing before a black abyss.
She closed her eyes and fell straight into the gaping mouth of the voracious Taotie.
Her entire body spun, as if the world were turning upside down. When she finally landed back on the ground, she still felt a bit disoriented.
The lush grass was filled with many strange flowers and plants that Barbara didn't recognize. Upon spotting the voracious Taotie, she sprang to her feet, her gaze lifting to the distance. The path she had come by and the divine bird that had brought her here were nowhere to be seen.
Amidst the vast, rolling mist, there were endless undulating mountain ranges, with winding, overlapping peaks. Divine birds darted through the air, and strange figures roamed across the land.
Absurd yet real, magnificent and fantastical.
As Barbara watched the countdown for the sensory link service nearing its end, a massive scroll unfolded before her eyes, resembling a map of this Mountain and Sea Realm.
She gazed at the small icons that appeared above—symbols of the Wenyao Bird , theShèn Beast, and the Taotie—each flickering to life. Yet, amidst the vast expanse of the Mountain and Sea Realm, stretching endlessly, Barbara's eyes widened in realization: the corner of this world she had visited was but a mere speck.
Suddenly, Barbara remembered that the item she had purchased might unlock the corresponding mountain range. Her breath quickened as she immediately located the Northern Subrange, where the taotie resided.
"System, I want to explore the other mountains in the Northern Subrange!"
In such a mysterious world, where the mountains and seas forge dreams, even the mere chance to witness another place for ten seconds was worth any cost.
"Area locked, not yet accessible."
"Nonsense! When the great bird flew her around, Barbara had clearly seen those mountains. How could they be locked?"
Is it just about the money? Take it, take it all!
芭芭拉一刻也舍不得离开山海境——这个充满了未知,奇妙,神秘的世界一直吸引着她.
和芭芭拉有着同样感触的,还有无数的观众,他们同时结束了自己的山海境之旅.
被星网系统强制传送走,芭芭拉的脑海里全是山海界的一切,她已经无法用语言来形容自己的心情了.
她只觉得自己经历的这一切,就如同一场盛大的梦,壮丽而又梦幻.
那是一份自古以来无尽的浪漫.