Ding... Simulation System connected. Quest System activated. Please choose whether to accept the new quest.
Just as Li Mu muttered under his breath and prepared to enter the simulation shop within his consciousness, a long-lost notification sounded. The scene in his mind changed in an instant.
Seria, the girl in Western dress, appeared before him once more. She wore a blue retro European gown, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, her exquisite makeup even more refined than before.
The familiar parchment scroll in her hand slowly unfurled. A streak of fire wandered across the paper, sketching out line after line of words. Looking closely, Li Mu saw the detailed contents of the new quest.
Defeat Nangong Qi within twenty moves. Quest reward: unlock the Beginner Smelting Function.
What followed was an introduction to the new function. Smelting Function: weapons, Dharmic Treasures, martial skills, cultivation techniques, and any other items could be smelted to obtain corresponding new items. At the beginner stage, there was a twenty percent chance of obtaining a new item one grade higher than the original smelted items.
That simple description left Li Mu overjoyed. The smelting function was a core feature found in many online games. It could smelt items useless to oneself in exchange for new ones.
Moreover, the description stated that the new item had a chance of rising one grade above the previous items. In other words, smelting two Yellow Tier Low-grade Martial Skills might produce an entirely new Yellow Tier Intermediate Martial Skill. Likewise, smelting two Yellow Tier beginner-grade weapons might yield a Yellow Tier Intermediate Immortal Artifact.
Such a heaven-defying function was simply unimaginable. One had to know that the gap between every grade of a Dharmic Treasure or martial skill was enormous. For example, if two cultivators of similar cultivation fought, one using a Yellow Tier Low-grade Martial Skill and the other a Yellow Tier Intermediate Martial Skill, then without considering any other factors, the victor would be beyond doubt.
"I wonder exactly how the Refinement System operates. If two Yellow Tier high-grade weapons are smelted, can they produce a Profound Tier beginner-grade Dharmic Treasure? And if three or four cultivation techniques are smelted together, can that increase the success rate of upgrading the new cultivation technique? I need to study all of this carefully. This function will help me tremendously."
Li Mu was meticulous by nature, and he quickly drew inferences from one instance to many, thinking of numerous aspects of the Refinement System worth exploring. Of course, he also knew that no matter how heaven-defying the new function was, everything depended on completing the quest first.
Defeat Nangong Qi within twenty moves. That was the condition for completing the quest. When Li Mu first saw it, he had nearly cursed aloud.
Nangong Qi was a peerless genius who had reached the Half-step Core Formation Realm at eighteen. Li Mu had considerable confidence in his own strength, but defeating him within twenty moves was something even Liu Yu and Hao Meng might not be able to accomplish.
The tempting quest reward lay right before him. The smelting function held great significance for Li Mu's future path of seeking immortality, and giving it up so easily was equally impossible.
Thus, how he could defeat the Earth Tier Class monitor before him within twenty moves—this nearly unsolvable problem—truly gave Li Mu a headache.
Fortunately, Li Mu was, after all, a soul from the twenty-first century. Having struggled through countless online games for years, when it came to turning the impossible into possible through schemes and tactics, there might truly not be anyone in the vast Immortal Realm who could surpass him.
Back in the Canyon Game on the Valoran Continent, a profound saying about Li Mu had once circulated: "The deepest road in this world is Li Mu's routine."
Watching Nangong Qi, who was still desperately striking poses to reinforce his own persona, Li Mu quickly formed a set of tactics in his mind.
"Everything has been planned out, but I'm still missing one crucial piece of equipment. Looks like I'll have to spend the last of this money too."
Li Mu hesitated for a moment before making up his mind. He connected his consciousness to the simulation shop and spent all his remaining system coins in exchange for a mysterious piece of equipment. Money could be earned again, but if the quest failed and he could not unlock the Refinement System, that would truly be a huge loss.
Nangong Qi greatly enjoyed the screams and cheers from below the stage. For a long time, he had cultivated the image of an Aristocratic Clan's eldest son, a heaven-blessed genius, and a refined, studious senior. Yet beneath that exterior, his desire for control and cold-blooded nature had reached a twisted degree. From the day he was born, anything he wanted had to be his, no matter what means he used.
Therefore, Li Mu's appearance and the rise of the Profound Tier Class had put Nangong Qi in a very bad mood today. And for Young Master Nangong, people and matters that displeased him had to be eliminated directly.
When Nangong Qi turned his gaze toward Li Mu on the other side of the arena again, he saw a youth with a grim face, so nervous that even the hand holding his sword trembled slightly. As though realizing Nangong Qi had noticed, Li Mu hurriedly tucked his hand behind his back, but the cold sweat dripping down his face completely exposed the terror in his heart.
"How laughable. I was actually worried I might lose to someone like this. In the end, he's merely a newcomer with a silver tongue. After ten years without cultivation, he probably can't even take one move from me now. No, I can't finish him off so quickly. He made me waste Fang Yan, my secret weapon, as well as the Blood Demon Pill. No matter what, I have to torment him a little."
Li Mu's displayed panic and helplessness made Nangong Qi let out a long breath. Hao Meng's earlier display of strength had indeed frightened him badly, but after calming down and thinking it through, Hao Meng was Hao Meng, and Li Mu was Li Mu. What sort of person was this young master of the Li family? Qinglan City's greatest laughingstock. As the city lord's son, he had never cultivated. No matter what, such trash could not possibly pose a threat to him.
"Junior Brother, if you're ready, then let's begin."
Now at ease, Nangong Qi stepped forward several paces and spoke to Li Mu. His every gesture remained as polished as jade. His purple robe billowed in the wind, a longsword at his side, and his heroic bearing stood out sharply. As expected, another wave of screams erupted from beneath the stage.
"Senior Brother Nangong, I'm ready. We can begin at any time."
Li Mu looked at Nangong Qi before him and was clearly stunned for a moment, but he quickly came back to his senses. Cupping his hands, he hurriedly replied.
"Heh, Li Mu must have been intimidated by my peerless bearing as well. He's forcing himself to stay calm now, but once we begin fighting, I'm afraid he'll reveal his true colors."
Nangong Qi noticed even Li Mu's slightest change in expression. He could not help sneering, becoming even more convinced of his judgment.
I wonder how my acting was. Judging by Senior Brother Nangong's expression, I should have fooled him. Now I can proceed with the next step of the plan.
What Nangong Qi did not know was that he was not the only one on the arena with a rich inner monologue. Li Mu was the same. Thus, the two men, each harboring his own thoughts, acted against one another. This contest, later called by Qinglan Academy's descendants the Battle of Actors, thus raised its curtain.
Li Mu was the first to lose his patience. The Shadowless Sword in his hand carved a streak like a startled swan through the air, its fierce sword intent directly enveloping Nangong Qi.
Seeing his opponent attack first without even raising his aura, clearly having lost his footing, Nangong Qi revealed a disdainful smile. He drew his own sword directly, weaving layer upon layer of sword shadows through the air as he met Li Mu's Shadowless Sword.
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