Profound Yellow Sect.
There were Three Great Halls: the main Zhengyang Hall, and the side halls, Gathering Sun Hall and Yingyang Hall.
Inside Zhengyang Hall stood a massive stone stele engraved with the two characters for "Heaven and Earth," signifying a reverence for nature rather than the worship of gods or Buddhas.
Xu Nian stepped out of Zhengyang Hall and set the players' spawning point between Gathering Sun Hall and Yingyang Hall. The future would inevitably bring more players, and relying on a single spawn point would become insufficient, so preparing in advance was a wise precaution.
Before long, the wind chimes hanging at the entryways of the two great halls began to ring on their own, despite the absence of wind. The sound was pleasing to the ears, seeming to herald to the entire Profound Yellow Sect that esteemed guests had arrived.
The next moment, the first silhouette emerged from the doorway of Gathering Sun Hall. She curiously surveyed her surroundings with a bumpkin-like demeanor, reaching out to caress the nearby buildings.
This touch! This visual impact! This damned clarity! If she didn't know this was a game, she would have thought she had actually transmigrated.
Xu Nian stood at the entrance and glanced at this player. Then, all of her attributes were displayed before him.
[Player: Evil Queen Morgana.]
[Status: Profound Yellow Sect Disciple.]
[Equipment: None.]
[Realm: None.]
[Talent: Beauty Brings Misfortune.]
Currently, the player's attributes weren't numerous, but they offered a clear glimpse into her situation. According to the realms of this world, a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist was considered a beginner but already possessed the qualifications to recruit people and establish a force. The pinnacle was to become a First-Grade Martial Artist. As for realms above that, Xu Nian was unclear; it seemed that neither Liang City nor Fengxiang Prefecture had anyone who surpassed the First-Grade Martial Artist rank. Even Xu Nian himself had yet to become a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist.
Soon afterward, more players began to emerge from both Gathering Sun Hall and Yingyang Hall. Apart from the player Morgana, almost all the others lacked any talents. It appeared the System only bestowed talents under certain specific conditions. Out of thirty players, only three or four had talents, making the odds quite low.
"Holy crap, is this really a game? You're telling me this is a VR game?"
"Awesome, there's even a sense of pain!"
"This is definitely cutting-edge tech! Which gaming god is behind this game?"
"I thought we had complete freedom, so why can't I take off my pants?"
"Is this a wuxia-style game? It feels like we're in a cultivation sect!"
"According to the official website's storyline, it seems we're all Profound Yellow Sect disciples. Does that mean we'll get quests soon? Where are the NPCs?"
"..."
The players grew increasingly excited, as everything seemed to overwhelm them. This was exactly the effect Xu Nian had hoped for. Watching the players wander around the mountain, continuously testing the game's freedom and acclimating to this world's settings, Xu Nian felt considerably relieved.
Some players had even noticed Xu Nian and were curiously observing him. They could also see information about Xu Nian, but in their eyes, all that was displayed above his head was his name and title.
[Xu Nian: Xuanhuang Sect Leader.]
Does this mean he's their Sect Leader?
Players roamed throughout the Profound Yellow Sect's territory. Some climbed trees to raid nests, others dived into the water to catch fish, and still others were relentlessly trying to take off their own pants. Aside from being unable to leave the Profound Yellow Sect, they were constantly exploring the game's freedom.
Once all thirty players were online, Xu Nian received a System reward.
[Congratulations to the Host for completing the task. The reward has been issued.]
A warm current surged through him. Xu Nian felt his dantian fill with raging internal energy; at this moment, he knew he had become a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist!
Now, he was a genuine Jianghu expert. It was all thanks to the System. Despite striving for a year, he hadn't reached the status of a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist. Yet, a single reward from the System had instantly elevated him to this level. How could that not be exhilarating?
Suddenly, he sensed something amiss. As a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist, he could now perceive certain dangers. He turned and saw the player named 'Evil Queen Morgana' with her hands clasped, apparently preparing to aim a blow at his rear. Judging by her movements, she seemed quite practiced in such acts.
Xu Nian: ???
Is this player nuts or something? She actually wants to unleash the 'Thousand-Year Kill' secret technique?
Before Morgana could react, Xu Nian fiercely swung his sleeve, sending her tumbling to the ground.
"HOLY SHIT, THAT REALLY HURTS!" Morgana yelled as she scrambled up from the ground, hurriedly telling the others, "NPCs aren't just neutral; they actually attack players!"
Hearing this, the other four players also approached.
"Is this our Sect Leader? Hey, Game Designer, come out here! Why can't we make our characters look this handsome?"
"I need the character creation data for him. I've got to save it for my roommate."
"It's so unfair! Our custom faces look like crap, but the Sect Leader is this handsome? I won't stand for it!"
"I wonder if character creation data from other games can be imported here."
"..."
By now, the players had all gathered in front of the main hall. As per Xu Nian's instructions, the System activated a forced restriction, ensuring no player could make any unexpected moves.
"We can't move? Did someone trigger a story quest?"
"Everyone stop chattering. Let's see what the story is about so we can prepare for the upcoming quests."
"Quiet down and show our Sect Leader some respect!"
"..."
The players gradually quieted down, their eyes burning with eagerness as they stared at Sect Leader Xu Nian.
For Xu Nian, now that all the players had arrived, it was time to begin his 'chive'-cultivating plan. If you don't cultivate them, they won't be good for harvesting!
The System seemed to understand Xu Nian's needs and immediately issued a new task!
[Task: Eliminating Mountain Bandits.]
[Introduction: The Black Wind Stronghold has been raiding and plundering. As the Xuanhuang Sect Leader, you cannot allow them to continue their wicked ways.]
[Objective: Kill all the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold.]
[Time Limit: Two days.]
[Reward: Based on Host's completion level.]
[Tip: The Host may delegate this task to his disciples and can freely divide it into subtasks. Rewards are limited to Contribution Points, and the total Contribution Points awarded for this task cannot exceed 100.]
Hiss— The System truly understood his intentions!
This task appeared to be for him. However, he also had the authority to assign it to the players. Their completion would essentially count as his own. In this way, the players were undoubtedly his workers.
As for Contribution Points? They seemed to be of little use to him personally. However, the players were ordinary people. If they naively charged at the blood-stained bandits, their chances of winning were minimal. Even if they could resurrect and try again, dying repeatedly would just be feeding kills to the enemy for nothing.
Xu Nian didn't rush to issue the task. Instead, he began his spiel, needing to rally the 'chives'' enthusiasm...