Reborn Again—Is a Global Announcement Really Too Much to Ask?

As one of the foremost giants in China's—and indeed the world's—gaming industry, Tianyao Group placed particular emphasis on players' gaming experience.

Every Player who entered the game was first placed into a mirrored "Novice Realm."

Within this realm, Players were essentially in "single-player mode," the initial stage for adapting to the game's mechanics.

Of course, the Novice Realm's greatest purpose was really to "serve the Players."

Letting Players relive the classic opening of the original story was certainly a good thing.

But the forbearance of "do not bully the poor youth" was no longer suitable as an initial experience for modern Players.

So how could Players have a good gaming experience at the very start? Cheats! Give the Players cheats right away!

Thus, the system immediately issued three consecutive notifications:

Ding! Congratulations, Player. Because you maintained a good mindset despite everyone's mockery, your potential has been awakened!

Congratulations, Player, on breaking through to Dou Qi Level 2! You have gained 1 Free Attribute!

Congratulations, Player, on breaking through to Dou Qi Level 3! You have gained 1 Free Attribute!

Players were customers, and customers were gods! They had to make Players unable to leave the game.

Only then would Players willingly fork over their RMB!

What forbearance? Toss that aside.

What Players were to "film" now was the brainless face-slapping drama of a power-fantasy protagonist! The scene Yang Shan had just experienced actually hid plenty of tricks.

The unrestrained ridicule from those around him could easily affect a Player's mood.

But no matter how a Player reacted to that mockery—

Even if a female Player with a poor mentality burst into loud sobs on the spot—

The system would still praise her, saying, "The Player is filled with extreme indignation and sorrow, awakening her potential."

No matter what Players did, or even if they did nothing at all, the system would make up some excuse to encourage them.

Then it would let them shoot up two entire Dou Qi levels in a row!

Because the Player's cultivation had suddenly risen by two levels, two more vertical marks on the stone stele would light up.

Standing still and breaking through two cultivation levels at once.

That was the makings of a Great Emperor! Once the deacon responsible for announcing levels revealed this news—

Wouldn't that be like dragging over all the spectators and repeatedly slapping them across the face? And that wasn't all!

There were clan elders drinking tea in the courtyard next door.

They were ready at all times to make a perfectly reasonable entrance after the deacon announced the earth-shattering news.

These seasoned hands, already set with bootlicker traits, would worship Players like their own fathers!

Those bastard planners at Tianyao Group had absolutely no shame.

Anyway, within this Novice Realm, they had only one goal.

To lick the Players' boots until they were satisfied!

This arrangement was clearly different from other online games on the market.

The moment you entered those games, a scantily clad 2D girl popped up with a first-top-up gift pack written beside her.

They held out their hands for money the instant they met you.

How was that any different from begging? This comfortable life would continue until the Player broke through to Fighter.

At that point, Players could choose for themselves whether to leave the Novice Realm and officially enter the world map of the Dou Qi Continent.

It was worth mentioning that in the launch version, around 12% of Players never left the Novice Realm before the version ended.

Reality had already left everyone too crushed to breathe.

It was rare to get to play the lord in a game. Yang Shan had wasted quite a bit of time in the Novice Realm in his previous life.

He had even raised a beautiful NPC barely past twenty to 80 Favorability! Yet the Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya's Friendship System had not been implemented.

Back then, Yang Shan had drawn his sword and looked around in utter confusion. Having come back for another chance, he would never repeat the same mistakes!

Yang Shan had to clear the Novice Realm in the shortest possible time!

So the instant he received the system notification, he removed his hand from the stone stele.

The stele did not display Dou Qi Level 3.

The system-arranged face-slapping villain and the bootlickers rushing in all sank without a trace! Every NPC in the game behaved according to basic logic.

Since Yang Shan had not revealed his true level, the deacon beside him did not give him a pleasant look either:

"You still haven't improved after all these years? You really are trash. The test is over, so what are you still standing here for? Get lost!"

Ding! The Player has been scorned by everyone in the clan. You may choose to challenge someone of your generation and prove your strength!

The system AI of Battle Through the Heavens, AI Nüwa, was among the best in the world. No matter what a Player did, Nüwa would immediately calculate a reasonable follow-up arrangement.

After receiving the notification, Yang Shan immediately turned around, looked at the hundred-odd youths below in all manner of appearances, and deliberately raised his voice:

"What the hell are you little punks laughing at?"

That single sentence silenced the originally noisy Martial Arts Arena!

After perhaps two or three seconds, a chubby young man among the spectators could no longer sit still:

"Yang Shan, you trash at Dou Qi Level 1, how dare you call us little punks? This is intolerable! Deacon! I, Song Rentou, request a challenge against Yang Shan!"

Though the deacon was also extremely displeased with Yang Shan, he still said, "To spar at the clan assessment, both parties must agree."

Before the deacon could finish, Yang Shan answered, "I agree!"

The chubby Song Rentou immediately jumped onto a nearby arena platform and pointed at Yang Shan's nose as he cursed, "You little bastard, get up here and let this young master teach you a proper lesson!"

In the near future, a hot post would appear on Battle Through the Heavens' Game Forum: Does anyone else have a chubby guy called Song Rentou in their Novice Realm? Clearly, this Song Rentou was also a special benefit prepared by AI Nüwa.

Though Song Rentou had reached Dou Qi Level 3, every one of his attributes was less than a third of a Player's!

In other words, Song Rentou could not even break the defense of any Player.

Even a rookie who knew absolutely nothing about virtual online games could beat the shit out of Song Rentou! Yang Shan stepped onto the platform, while the deacon, acting as referee, recited the classic sixteen-word mantra:

"Arena sparring, fists and feet have no eyes. Do not overreach yourselves. The match begins!"

The moment the referee finished speaking, Yang Shan had already rushed forward. He leaped up and accurately kicked Song Rentou in the face.

Song Rentou let out a scream, and his entire body flew off the platform like a kicked ball.

Player Yang Shan has defeated opponent Song Rentou (Dou Qi Level 3), gaining 100 experience points.

Congratulations, Player, on breaking through to Dou Qi Level 4! You have gained 1 Free Attribute!

In the Novice Realm, Players primarily leveled through benefits granted by the system, but there were plenty of ways to gain extra experience and speed up leveling.

Yet the most efficient method was undoubtedly arena challenges! The experience gained from defeating opponents in the Novice Realm was calculated at ten times the actual kill experience! Someone beneath the platform stared in shock. "Could a kick like that really come from someone at Dou Qi Level 1?"

Someone else shook his head wildly. "I don't believe it. It's all an illusion. Song Rentou must have been careless!"

Of course, there were also young girls in the bloom of youth, with a little bit of beauty to them, their eyes sparkling with stars. "Oh my God, he even did a split in midair. That angle was so dashing!"

Some looked down on him, while others praised him as handsome—every reaction perfectly catered to the Player's gradually swelling desire to show off.

Under normal circumstances, at this point in the story, the deacon would step forward to praise the Player before reporting the matter to the clan elders.

But there was another plot branch to choose from!

Before the deacon could speak, Yang Shan pointed at the crowd of his peers below the platform and shouted:

"I thought you were all experts. Turns out you're good for nothing but barking like dogs. Huh? Weren't there a whole bunch of dogs yapping just now? Why'd they go quiet?"

Quite a few of his peers below the platform were so furious their faces nearly bled.

When a Player's words were provocative enough, they would trigger another branch—

A gauntlet challenge!

One clan junior after another would roll up their sleeves, curse under their breath, and step forward to spar with the Player.

And every subsequent victory would reward the Player with ten times the kill experience of an opponent at the same level!

Though Yang Shan had not stood at the pinnacle of Players like the Three Sects and Twelve Emperors in his previous life, he had still been a bona fide first-rate expert! His practical combat skills and experience surpassed Players at this stage by miles! Beating a few ordinary NPCs was effortless! But merely defeating them was not enough.

Battle Through the Heavens' AI system followed relatively realistic logic. Players had to keep taunting their opponents after winning in order to make these NPCs charge forward one after another to deliver experience.

Yang Shan fully displayed the literary prowess expected of an online keyboard virtuoso. Every time he defeated someone, he would inevitably shout:

"Is that all?"

"I haven't even put in any effort, and you're already down."

"My grandma is stronger than you!"

"Cao Pi's wife entered the vegetable garden—you're Zhen Ji pulling vegetables!"

Arena sparring was not a fight to the death.

Making an opponent lose their ability to fight, knocking them off the platform, or forcing them to surrender all counted as victory.

And Battle Through the Heavens' combat system adhered to real-world logic.

Broken arms and legs, injured internal organs, or even two broken bones would all weaken combat strength.

The throat, heart, and similar areas were fatal weak points.

This was precisely why Yang Shan had placed a large number of his attribute points into Agility when creating his character.

Of all martial arts under heaven, nothing is unbreakable; only speed is undefeatable.

As long as his attack power was enough to break through an opponent's defense, he could use his speed advantage to strike their weak points with precision, shortening the time required for each match as much as possible.

Therefore, Yang Shan basically seized the initiative with every attack.

Using moves such as eye gouges, groin kicks, and chrysanthemum stabs, he made his opponents lose the match before they had time to retaliate.

Including the taunts after each victory, Yang Shan claimed twenty-one consecutive wins at a rate of one match every two minutes!

His level soared all the way up, and his cheat-like experience gain efficiency successfully allowed him to condense a Dou Qi Cyclone.

From this moment on, Yang Shan had become a "powerful" Fighter!

Ding! Global Announcement: Congratulations to Player "Yang Shan" for becoming the first Player on the server to break through to Fighter! You have received the title "Number One Fighter Under Heaven" and been rewarded with Free Spiritual Root +2, Meridians +3, Comprehension +1, Good Fortune +1!

Yang Shan immediately added the two Spiritual Root points to Fire Spirit Root and Wood Spirit Root.

He had also met the basic requirements to become an Alchemist.

A perfect start!