Beauty Isn't Necessarily a Woman

Beauty Isn't Necessarily a Woman.

Yang Shan cleared the Novice Realm in forty-seven minutes of game time.

In his previous life, the Player who earned "First Fighter in the Entire Server" had been Xiao Aotian, one of the "Three Sects."

He had also been the owner of the Heavenly Flame, Fallen Heart Flame! But he had triggered it an hour and twenty minutes later.

After successfully claiming the Global Announcement, Yang Shan did not linger in the Novice Realm.

After all, once one broke through to Fighter, the experience obtainable in the Novice Realm would be greatly reduced.

After clicking the button to leave the realm, Yang Shan received a system prompt: Ding! Congratulations, Player, on perfectly clearing the Novice Realm. System reward: one Yellow Rank Low-Level Cultivation Method and 100 Spirit Stones.

"Perfectly cleared."

Yang Shan scoffed at that evaluation.

Even the most useless Player could spend a month in the Novice Realm and still receive a perfect-clear rating upon leaving.

Tian Yao Company's planning department was like a bunch of scumbags, capable of saying any sweet words without a shred of conscience.

After all, sugar-coated shells cost nothing.

Still, the effect was pretty good.

The game's currency had been altered from the original novel.

"Gold coins" had only appeared during the early and middle stages of the original novel. After the protagonist Xiao Yan went to the Central Plains, gold coins had practically disappeared altogether.

The game's currency, "Spirit Stones," possessed a hard advantage far beyond gold coins: cultivation!

Spirit Stones contained a trace of pure spiritual energy. During offline AFK Cultivation, Players could choose to consume Spirit Stones to increase their cultivation speed.

Spirit Stones were even involved in much of the alchemy, weapon forging, and formation setup.

The design of Spirit Stones was also one of Tian Yao Company's key methods for reclaiming in-game currency and maintaining healthy supply and demand for game resources.

If Players were willing to continue honing themselves in the Novice Realm, they could obtain more Spirit Stones there and might even acquire a Yellow Rank Mid-Level Cultivation Method.

But for Yang Shan, entering the Dou Qi Continent as soon as possible was the proper path.

In the early stages of the game, Tian Yao Company had not equipped every Player with a Storage Ring in pursuit of a more realistic experience.

Thus, the cultivation method and Spirit Stones Yang Shan had obtained were all tucked into his sleeves.

"Basic Thunder Skill"

Rank: Yellow Rank Low-Level

Cultivation Requirement: 1 point of Thunder Spirit Root Dou Qi Intensity Increase: 1 Total Dou Qi Increase: 10

He clicked to use it!

Ding! Congratulations, Player, on successfully learning "Basic Thunder Skill." Due to your extraordinary talent and exceptional comprehension, "Basic Thunder Skill" proficiency has reached perfection.

Yang Shan had no reaction whatsoever.

What extraordinary-talent nonsense? It was all just a routine! A simplified map of the Dou Qi Continent had already appeared before Yang Shan.

The regions currently lit up on the map included the Jia Ma Empire, where the protagonist Xiao Yan had first begun, as well as the Chuyun Empire, Luoyan Empire, and Mulan Empire.

More maps would be unlocked later.

But for now, after leaving the Novice Realm, Players could only choose one of those four nations as their descent location.

One area had to be mentioned here: Wutan City of the Jia Ma Empire.

The Xiao Family where the original protagonist Xiao Yan had lived was one of Wutan City's three great families.

If Players had been given full freedom to choose their city, more than half would probably have chosen to descend in Wutan City immediately.

Therefore, if one wanted to descend in Wutan City, one had to enter a lottery.

Win the lottery, and one could descend there normally. Lose it, and the descent location would be chosen at random.

If a Player did not wish to descend in Wutan City, they could freely choose another city.

Yang Shan would absolutely not consider Wutan City.

Quite a few Players treated games like gambling.

The number of Players in China had exceeded a hundred million the moment the servers opened. Even with Tian Yao Company's traffic-diversion measures, Wutan City was still packed to the brim.

Every town's resources were limited.

Even if Wutan City had its resource supply increased due to the excessive number of descending Players, it would still be difficult to support over a million Players.

In his previous life, Yang Shan had gambled, and his luck had been good enough for him to descend in Wutan City.

As a result, even farming monsters in the early game had required fighting over them!

Yang Shan did not dare gamble on his luck again.

Besides, Yang Shan secretly laughed to himself.

"The Xiao Family of Wutan City has completely changed. What would I even go there for?"

The Xiao Family of Wutan City did not merely lack Xiao Yan. Even Xiao Yan's father, Xiao Zhan, and his two older brothers, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, were gone!

The Xiao Family's patriarch was named "Xiao Yuanshan."

However, Xiao Mei, Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning, and the others who had appeared early in the original novel were all present.

Tian Yao Company had deliberately concealed this matter. Only after Players began questioning them a week after the servers opened did they give an explanation: with Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan was the protagonist.

Without Xiao Yan, everyone was the protagonist!

Putting the Xiao Family aside, quite a few other characters from the original novel had already appeared in Yang Shan's previous life.

It was worth mentioning that Xiao Xun'er, the original novel's female lead, had initially appeared under the name Gu Xun'er! Tian Yao Company's unconventional design had once sparked dissatisfaction among many Players.

But as "Battle Through the Heavens" ran for longer and longer, its various branching plotlines gradually surfaced, leaving the vast number of Players personally involved utterly amazed.

Looking at the map of the Northwest Continent before him, Yang Shan tapped the Jia Ma Empire.

After the map enlarged, Yang Shan pointed northeast again.

Esteemed Player 'Yang Shan,' please confirm whether you wish to select Cloud Frost City of the Jia Ma Empire as your descent location.

"Confirm!"

Please close your eyes. Teleportation will begin shortly.

When Yang Shan opened his eyes again, he was already standing before Cloud Frost City's towering gates.

Cloud Frost City was the foremost of the five cities in the northeastern region of the Jia Ma Empire.

It bordered the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range had occupied a considerable portion of the original novel's early story.

The original protagonist Xiao Yan had encountered Yun Yun, the Yunlan Sect's leader, and Xiao Yi Xian, two of his confidantes, in the Magical Beast Mountain Range! In the game, nearly all Players from the northeastern region's five cities had been "raised" by the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Two flags at the city gates were particularly eye-catching.

One bore the character "Chai," while the other bore "Pang."

Just as Wutan City had three great families competing for dominance,

Cloud Frost City had the Chai Family and Pang Family locked in a long-standing standoff.

Furthermore, as the foremost city among the northeastern region's five cities, the heads of both the Chai Family and Pang Family were genuine Dou Ling experts! Yang Shan took a deep breath.

What came next was the first problem he would face in developing after the server launch.

How was he supposed to refuse invitations from the Chai Family and Pang Family? Joining an NPC faction was a choice every Player who left the Novice Realm had to make.

On one hand, Players could use the various missions issued by NPC factions to quickly adapt to the game's mechanics.

On the other hand, Tian Yao Company was also laying the groundwork for version 1.1's "Family War."

In the next version, conflicts among families within the major cities would intensify, and all Players would be swept into the vortex of this "faction war."

Not far away, a beautiful mature woman in red was already approaching with graceful steps.

Her alluring figure swayed as she walked, and the generous curves at her chest made it difficult to look away.

"This humble woman is Pang Yan. Seeing this young hero stride like a dragon and walk like a tiger, with such an imposing bearing, you must be no ordinary man. May I ask whether you have found lodging in Cloud Frost City?"

Ding! Player, please note: Due to your extraordinary talent, you have caught the attention of Pang Yan, an elder of the Pang Family. You may choose to interact with Pang Yan and obtain the qualifications to join the Pang Family.

Yang Shan shifted back two steps, trying to widen the distance between himself and Pang Yan.

Pang Yan was a bona fide Da Dou Shi, and she had been arranged by the system to make Players choose.

There was no way he could get around her through force.

Pang Yan could beat Yang Shan, a mere One-Star Fighter, into a pulp with one hand.

Yang Shan did not rashly give any answer.

Because the Chai Family's NPC had also arrived!

"Young Master, do not believe this poisonous woman. She may seem warm and welcoming, but her heart is as vicious as a serpent's. Not a few people have died at her hands over the years."

The speaker was a pretty beauty dressed in blue silk.

Though the silk robes were somewhat loose and did not show off her figure, the beauty looked at Yang Shan with exceptionally sincere eyes, as though a pool of spring water held boundless affection. "Young hero, my name is Chai Wenjing, and I come from the Chai Family, the foremost family in Cloud Frost City. Our family most enjoys befriending talented young heroes. Would you honor us with a visit to the Chai Family?"

Ding! Player, please note: Due to your extraordinary talent, you have caught the attention of Chai Wenjing, an elder of the Chai Family. You may choose to interact with Chai Wenjing and obtain the qualifications to join the Chai Family.

Chai Wenjing's words displeased Pang Yan.

"Since when did your Chai Family become Cloud Frost City's foremost family? Where does that leave my Pang Family?"

Chai Wenjing calmly replied, "Young hero, Pang Yan has no good intentions. For all you know, she plans to lure you into the Pang Family and harm you."

Pang Yan immediately retorted.

"Harm him? This young hero is so handsome—who wouldn't be tempted by him? This humble woman merely wishes to invite him for a meal. What, are you trying to steal him from me?"

The two NPCs before him were absolutely top-tier in both looks and temperament.

Put them on a short-video platform, dress them in a little less fabric, and have them dance a few times, and they would gain heaps of followers without even using beauty filters.

On top of that, "Battle Through the Heavens" had practically maxed out its realism. It was impossible to distinguish reality from illusion.

It was as though two lovely beauties were truly standing right before him.

He could even smell their fragrance! One was passionate as fire, while the other was gentle as water. They had been made specifically for Players to "choose" between!

Ding! Player has triggered the special exclusive storyline, Two Beauties Compete. After making a choice, the Player will gain 5 Favorability with the selected character.

Yang Shan felt no stir in his heart.

Could a scene that every Player encountered at server launch still be called a "special exclusive storyline"?

And that damned Favorability! In his previous life, the one responsible for recruiting Players for the Xiao Family in Wutan City had been Xiao Mei, the original protagonist Xiao Yan's beautiful younger cousin.

That young but naturally seductive little beauty had hooked countless male Players!

In the end, how many Players had managed to raise Xiao Mei's Favorability to 50? No matter what honey trap the Pang Family and Chai Family used, Yang Shan would never fall for it.

Because Yang Shan's target was Cloud Frost City's hidden faction:

The Mittel Yunshuang Branch! Through that faction, Yang Shan would later be able to directly contact the Mite'er Family's upper ranks! As one of the Jia Ma Empire's three top families, joining the Mite'er Family had far greater prospects than joining either the Pang Family or Chai Family! Seeing that Pang Yan and Chai Wenjing, these two longtime rivals, were practically about to fight, Yang Shan held his breath and began walking, preparing to slip past them without saying a word.

Sharp-eyed Pang Yan immediately caught up, hooked her arm through Yang Shan's, and wildly rubbed her ample curves against him as she said coquettishly,

"Oh my, young hero, why are you leaving without a word? Did this humble woman do something wrong?"

Chai Wenjing grew anxious beside them.

"Pang Yan, you're too shameless! Take your hand off the young hero's arm!"

Compared to Pang Yan, Chai Wenjing was far more reserved.

Chai Wenjing stepped forward to pull Pang Yan away, only for Pang Yan to shove her backhandedly.

Pang Yan had not used much force, but Chai Wenjing suddenly cried out in pain and threw herself directly into Yang Shan's arms.

She spoke softly, "Young hero, I think I twisted my ankle. I can't walk."

A dignified Da Dou Shi had twisted her ankle from a casual shove.

Chai Wenjing had kept herself well hidden. Who would have thought she was premium Biluochun tea worth three thousand a pound! Since he could not evade them, he could only give the two women a reason convincing enough to make them back off.

Yang Shan had a Certain Kill move!

"Elders, please conduct yourselves with dignity. I have no interest in women! Please return."

NPCs needed reasons and logic to recruit Players too. Yang Shan was saying his steel bar had already bent—what could Pang Yan and Chai Wenjing use to make him agree? It was not as though they could directly bring out top-tier cultivation methods or supreme equipment; that would violate the game's rules.

But to his surprise, Pang Yan, with her fiery personality, showed not the slightest surprise upon hearing this. "So the young hero enjoys men. That's fine!"

Pang Yan snapped her fingers.

Two male NPCs immediately emerged from behind the city gates.

One wore white robes and looked refined and elegant.

The other wore tight black clothes, with a broad back and muscular waist.

Yang Shan's mouth twitched.

"Damn! I overlooked it! Those dog planners at Tian Yao Company had arranged honey traps for female Players too!"

A beauty did not necessarily have to be a woman.

Yang Shan was now facing the same choice female Players had to face: a brawny muscle man, or a handsome little puppy?

The muscle man even grinned at Yang Shan. "Brother, want to fence?"