Su Yuniang: "Ahem, ahem, so you're saying our salary is Magic Coins? Those are Spiritual Qi batteries? Like those Spirit Stones in traditional cultivation that only break down after multiple charges?"
Jiucai Rong: "That's correct."
Su Yuniang: "Then paying us in Magic Coins, doesn't that make the gameplay quite profound? Magic Coins as batteries to forge new energy planes, machine guns, Gatling guns? Could that be a possibility?"
Jiucai Rong: "Personally, I don't think it's very practical. Based on current intelligence, Magical Artifacts aren't just small, they're also highly precise and powerful. Which one isn't stronger than planes and cannons? Your idea lacks perspective, it's like thinking an emperor as wealthy as he is must be using a gold hoe for farming."
Su Yuniang pondered for a moment: "True, they have their own forging system, just think about the descriptions in mythology, aren't Flying Swords way better than planes? Still, it might be worth trying during the actual forging process, since it's a game all about wild imaginations."
Jiucai Rong also felt that practice leads to truth: "Actually, this world can be cultivated in, using the Spiritual Qi from Magic Coins for cultivation. In short, it's quite hard for us to cultivate."
Following that, Jiucai Rong explained some basics.
Everyone found it bizarre.
Planting Spirit Roots?
Three Flowers Gathering at the Top?
Each kind of Spiritual Root has different Innate Divine Techniques?
Advanced Ancient Celestial Earth Spirit Grass, possessing heaven-defying Abnormal Spirit Roots?
Su Yuniang discussed it with him and found it amusing:
"Based on my years of reading novels, I've analyzed that these Spiritual Roots are quite interesting, similar to 'Spirit Root Drawing', where trees, flowers, and grass all over are equipped with 'Lifebound Divine Techniques', doesn't that make the land covered with random C, B, A... SSR? That's too fun!"
Look!
This game is all about refinement.
The combat background involving smithing here is way better than those cliché combat systems next door, I'd want to play it as a combat MMORPG myself.
Those decaying pay-to-win assembly line games should take note and learn some lessons here.
Every aspect is detailed.
This is what truly means to create a game with heart.
Jiucai Rong said: "That being said, most Cultivators will choose the same Universal Spirit Root because each kind of Spirit Root requires the corresponding Cultivation Technique Manuals,
and a Cultivation Technique is perfected through the sacrifices of many Cultivators risking their lives,
a path becomes spacious only when traveled by many.
It's safe to say that a single inheritance of Five Elements Universal Spirit Root is enough to establish a Sect, which in turn has a full array of various Spells under everyone's effort."
Su Yuniang: "So choosing an unknown Spirit Root, even if its Innate Divine Techniques might have great potential, without a Cultivation Technique, or even the corresponding Combat Techniques, it's a dead end? What a pity."
It's initially estimated to enrich the game's background.
After all, the name 'Sword Forging Competition' destined that blacksmithing should be mainstream, rather than cultivation.
Su Yuniang then asked a crucial question: "What about the map's borders?"
Jiucai Rong: "It's just this one manor, going out will be blocked by the map's boundary fog, you can't get out. I asked the old steward, and he said we all signed a ten-year long contract, during which we're not allowed to leave the mountain for home visits, but correspondence with family is allowed."
"This basically suggests the map will permanently be this large, but perhaps in ten years when the production team gets more funding, they'll expand the map, making it truly open-world."
Everyone fell into thought.
Ten years, huh.
Most games don't even operate for ten years before shutting down.
This game clearly has a map that's always only as big as one mountain!
And Ning Zheng actually shares this perspective:
Your activity area is only this large. After ten years off the mountain?
A hundred years still won't allow you down the mountain!
For a cultivator with a theoretical lifespan of 800 years, a mere ten years is incredibly short?
It's important to note that the time scale for Cultivators and mortals isn't the same.
He only considered that within these 800 years, he could continue operating in that world.
In his perspective, he doesn't care what that world's social civilization would evolve into over 800 years.
They have sons, grandsons, they can still play the game, right?
Sons and grandsons endlessly, batch after batch of small blacksmiths over 800 years is enough.
It's a very plain, simple operation idea.
Even though, his 800-year lifespan has a high degree of fiction.
The first body of Five-Body Realm, he only cultivated the head, the head's flesh and blood is undying.
Currently only the head can live for 800 years, the body will age and decay.
How does this theory manage to live for eight hundred years?
The head can be detached and placed in a special tank for nutrients.
It's using a head to live up to the theoretical 800-year lifespan, but this requires someone to spend a lot of money to regularly change the fish tank's nutrient solution.
The entire fish tank is a spectacle; some cultivators reportedly keep their Tao companions, wives, husbands alive this way.
However!
This is under the condition that cultivation does not advance; surely, cultivation can't stagnate forever?
I, within the support of the villagers and the blacksmith, truly receive 500 Qi Fortune Value daily—I'm a naturally gifted talent!
Impossible for me to spend my life in the Five-Body Realm with just one head.
Su Yuniang: "The manor's map should remain permanently the same size, but we can send letters to family; the landlord's farmhand has this privilege, which is very reasonable, but is it a hidden setting here? We outside have no family, who do we send them to?"
Jiucai Rong: "Hmm, we can send letters, probably to our one-on-one exclusive clients? As a famous blacksmith, various important figures will personally request you to work, possibly a future gameplay feature."
Su Yuniang thought about it and found it increasingly interesting:
"The possibility of a letter system? That sounds so exciting, I want to become the woman of the Blacksmith King, renowned worldwide, making them crave for my offerings! They can only send letters asking for magical artifacts, begging me as their granny, and I can extort them for all sorts of resources as forging rewards!"
Su Yuniang found Jiucai Rong to be a quick and formidable person.
At least he understands this game more than she does.
Extremely covert, playing various sneaky tricks to obtain hidden information, and boldly setting up an outrageous idle dormitory.
Most people probably wouldn't be able to adapt this readily.
Even his current restraint was gradually easing.
The conversation between these two sped up the chat, and the number of people in the live stream skyrocketed crazily.
Even.
Jiucai Rong's fledgling live stream channel had over twenty thousand viewers.
Jiucai Rong smiled: "Moreover, I obtained interesting information; the source of Magic Copper might involve a terrifying world view of giant creatures."
Su Yuniang exclaimed cutely: "Eh? Eh? Isn't Magic Copper a subterranean mineral?"
Jiucai Rong: "In this world, the cultivators' bodies are exceptionally strong, living for hundreds or thousands of years; supposedly, many die but leave behind powerful undying bodies. And Magic Copper...I saw a term in the manager's files, Shoushan Copper."
Su Yuniang was shocked: "Huh? Could it be like Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, literally? The copper mines we dig are giant brains? That would be too miraculous!"
Jiucai Rong: "Unsure, just a possibility. If true, digging deeper may lead to a mineral vein named after a spine, making for an intriguing digging game. But now, I want to discuss another matter—food."
He let go completely, gradually showing a confident expression and said:
"Not about recipes or dish pairing; recipes are already being compiled, with flavors and feedback on various stones. It's a culinary fairy tale manor, those interested can check the gourmet live stream."
"From another angle, today someone in the game used dirt with bugs as a dark crab roe burger—ate it and vomited. It's a bug problem; we the Money Children eat meat but throw up, yet the old manager distinctly eats meat without dirt, which implies a hidden setting."
Su Yuniang cooperated well: "What hint is that?"
Jiucai Rong: "If other races are added in future, like the manager's human race, would their taste differ?"
"Here I boldly predict! Later, we might trigger a hidden race mission, unlocking new racial options. Changing race will open a new taste world; for us, earth will turn from a dessert mountain of chocolate and ice cream sundae into various meats...becoming peerless delicacies."
Everyone listened, astounded.
Hidden race mission?
If true, that would be brilliant.
Switching races would change recipes, offering entirely new taste experiences?
This setting is remarkably unique, worthy of two words: stunning.
For players who love eating and traveling, it's a killer feature.
From another angle, who doesn't love traveling and tasting delicious food?
Holiday crowds overrun the mountains show that.
And here, you can experience it directly online.
Discussing this, everyone felt the immense dedication in Sword Casting Manor's many details—an exquisite work of art.
Like a truly complete and flamboyant mythical world.
A small game managing this manor squeezed out charm on a tiny plot of land.
As they talked, it seemed more and more interesting.
Various inconspicuous details explored and deduced one by one.
Not to mention the amazed players outside, even Su Yuniang, who just emerged, listened passionately, excited all over, yearning to enter and wield the big hammer Duang~Duang and forge ten pounds of iron, violently playing the game to indulge and release.
This game is too exhilarating.