Chapter 217: Blades and Storms (Part 3)
It was only at this moment that Zhou Ning finally understood why this map was called Blades and Storms.
In a wuxia game world dominated by cold weapons such as sabers and swords, having it called "Sword Art Online" was, admittedly, quite fitting.
Still, when it came to playing a game within a game, in terms of schemes, nothing could beat this idiotic simulator.
Zhou Ning praised it inwardly.
Simulation continued.
["Could they be trying to PK you?" You couldn't help but chuckle. As a former player yourself, you naturally understood the terror of players — even if they weren't strong now, their immortality and nearly limitless growth potential meant they would eventually become the dreaded Fourth Calamity of the game world.]
[Sure enough, a few players came at you. You had no intention of humoring them — you easily sent them back to the respawn point, and while you were at it, you lowered their favorability toward you by 20 points, hoping they wouldn't regret it later.]
[Although you revealed your HP bar, perhaps because you were too handsome and your style differed greatly from other NPCs, the other players only grew more excited. Like masochists, they swarmed toward you in an attempt to trigger some kind of quest.]
[And when the public beta began, your system panel had already undergone significant changes — you now had an NPC template that allowed you to interact with players.]
[If given the choice, you would naturally prefer to have a relatively good relationship with players. So you tried issuing them a patrol quest — and it worked! Instantly, countless ideas came to mind.]
[From September 2, 2022, to November 15, 2022, with your superior "harvesting" techniques, you gained a huge amount of experience by teaching some basic martial arts. Well, maybe not that huge — just enough to raise Eternal Life Art and Two Sleeves of Green Serpents to the third tier.]
[Gradually, more and more of the constables under your command were actually players. Every time you received a side quest, they would rush in even more aggressively than you.]
[On November 19, 2022, Qiu Chuji came to see you again. After receiving his invitation, you specially went to the Quanzhen Sect — partly to meet the current sect leader, Ma Yu, and partly to try and obtain the Nine Yin Manual that might be hidden on the back of the stone coffin in the secret chamber of the Ancient Tomb.]
[On November 22, 2022, following the novel's plot, without much searching, you luckily found the waterway leading into the Ancient Tomb. You successfully sneaked in through the waterway, and sure enough, you found Wang Chongyang's engraved writings inside — exactly as in the novel! Although it lacked several powerful moves such as Nine Yin White Bone Claw, Heart Shattering Palm, and White Python Whip, as well as the crucial Sanskrit General Outline, it didn't affect you much. You unhesitatingly made a rubbing of the text. (You have obtained an epic item: Martial Arts Manual "Nine Yin Manual" [Incomplete].)]
[Since the Quanzhen Heart Method, Nine Yin Manual, and Eternal Life Art were all Daoist mental arts, even without the Sanskrit General Outline, it didn't take you much time to merge them together. You avoided detours and easily mastered all three, once again greatly improving your strength.]
[As your strength grew, your branch of the Six Gates in Yangzhou became highly valued. As a major hub connecting north and south, Yangzhou was prosperous and bustling, but also crawling with notorious thieves and criminals. Among them were Xiang Wentian of the Sun and Moon Divine Cult, known as "Old Man Heavenly King," and Bian Bufù of the Demon Sect's Yin Kui faction, one of its Six Elders.]
[These two were second- or third-rate experts in this world and had not learned any high-level martial arts. You originally thought you might not be their match, but the truth proved you had underestimated yourself. Facing Bian Bufù, you used Two Sleeves of Green Serpents for the first time — your movements swayed like a green dragon, unleashing twelve consecutive strikes in one seamless flow. Your opponent froze in shock and collapsed in defeat.]
[This battle took place in the bustling streets of Yangzhou, with countless bystanders and players witnessing the scene. In this world, the Six Gates were strong, standing between the imperial court and the martial world. You didn't need to worry too much about revenge from the Demon Sect — at least not within Six Gates territory.]
[As an outstanding "imperial hound," you went on to defeat twenty-three more foes, striking fear into all evildoers who passed through. Players found it immensely satisfying — they would gather behind you in droves to bolster your presence, and sometimes joined in group fights to gain generous experience. In a way, the players were now bound to you, ready to provide you with abundant cannon fodder and a steady stream of experience.]
[On December 15, 2022, the new Wulin Rookie Ranking was released, and for the first time, your name appeared on it. Ranked first was Jian Chen, the chief disciple of the legendary Wulin Myth "Nameless." Not long ago, he had broken the Sword Sage's "Sword Twenty-Two" with one move, Name Unknown, earning massive fame and securing the top spot. Second was Qiao Feng, who had just turned twenty-seven this year. You were ranked eleventh for your victories over Xiang Wentian and Bian Bufù.]
[This ranking was fairly accurate. Your current strength still lagged behind those near the top, such as Qiao Feng and Xiao Qiushui — even Xiao Qiushui was only ranked ninth. Though you were strong now, you probably still weren't his match.]
[While you remained humble, your system thought otherwise. After completing the previous main quest of joining a sect, you now received a new main quest — "Sword Worship."]
[The quest required you to challenge the top sword masters in the martial world one by one, including Jian Chen, who was ranked first on the Rookie List, and defeat them. While you were confident, this world had its share of monsters — the Sword Sage, Nameless, Ximen Chuixue, Ye Gucheng, and Dugu Qiubai, to name a few.]
[In some ways, you were lucky. With your Nemesis talent, you were destined never to be outmatched in duels. At worst, you could take your time, issuing challenges every half month. For now, there was no rush.]
[On February 7, 2023, you received another promotion. Due to your outstanding performance in Yangzhou, you were transferred to the Six Gates headquarters in Luoyang City to continue serving as head constable.]
[There, you met "Six-Five Divine Marquis" Zhuge Zhengwo, as well as the Four Famous Constables — Heartless, Iron Hands, Cold Blood, and Life Snatcher. Among them, Cold Blood was one of your quest targets — a famed fast-sword expert. After observing several of his moves, you easily devised countless counters.]
[Then, to the bafflement of the Four Famous Constables, the first major thing you did upon arriving in Luoyang was to challenge Cold Blood. The duel was held on Tianjin Bridge, and you suppressed him from start to finish. His fast sword style produced only seven strikes before you skillfully countered and won with ease. Watching from the side, Zhuge Zhengwo couldn't help but praise: "Judging by swordsmanship alone, you should rank first among the younger generation."]
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