"What would our lives become if we left the internet behind?"
Lin Changqiang had pondered that question before. He had once firmly believed that modern people would find life without the internet unbearably tedious, but now he realized he had been wrong.
Perhaps because its technology was relatively primitive, Tianxuan Continent had a remarkably beautiful environment. The air was always fragrant with the scent of earth, and on summer nights, even the brightest moonlight could not conceal the stars filling the sky.
Besides sparring in martial arts with Lin Dong, Lin Changqiang now most enjoyed emptying his mind and body, lying spread-eagled on the grass, breathing the fresh air, watching drifting clouds during the day and stars at night.
Summer gave way to autumn, and time flew by unnoticed. Before long, the day of the Lin Family's younger generation Clan Competition arrived.
When the morning light broke through the clouds and shone upon the land, the Lin Family instantly burst into commotion. A lively atmosphere enveloped the entire estate.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, on reaching Body Tempering Stage Seven. The Origin Energy Seed has broken out of the bones and flowed into the meridians."
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, on achieving: Refining Origin into Meridians. Reward: two Lottery Draw Opportunities."
Good news lifted one's spirits. Having just woken from his dreams, Lin Changqiang had still been somewhat groggy, but he immediately snapped awake and hurriedly checked his personal information.
Host: Lin Changqiang Gender: Male Cultivation Level: Body Tempering Stage Seven (8%) Martial Arts: Stone Splitting Leg (Rank 1), Through-the-Back Fist (Rank 1), Eight Desolations Palm (Rank 2) Cultivation Technique: None Spiritual Power Level: None Secret Technique: None Spiritual Power Technique: None Treasures: Little Loudspeaker (1), Double Experience Card (2), Double Gold Coin Card (1), Inner Demon Trial Card (1) Lottery Draw Count: 2
During this period, whenever Lin Changqiang found that Lin Dong's cultivation had surpassed his, he would switch Guerrilla to Blessing. Once his own cultivation surpassed Lin Dong's again, he would switch Blessing back to Guerrilla. The two of them chased one another all the way until they both reached Body Tempering Stage Seven.
"Not bad, not bad at all. Leeching experience feels really great~" Lin Changqiang sighed while shaking his head. "But ever since Lin Dong and I started cultivating together, that little girl Qing Tan has gradually become more familiar with me too. Her favorability has already risen to fifty-seven. Sigh, what should I do?"
After thinking for several seconds without coming up with a solution, Lin Changqiang simply stopped worrying about it. After all, he could not possibly deliberately hurt Qing Tan just for the effect of Blessing.
"System, use all Lottery Draw Opportunities!"
Lin Changqiang waved a hand grandly, full of heroic spirit.
"Ding! Two Lottery Draw Opportunities successfully used. Congratulations, Host, on obtaining one Double Experience Card and a High-grade Spirit Treasure—Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear."
"Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear?!"
Lin Changqiang's eyes lit up. When he had been young, his school had required him to watch Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and he had especially liked Zhao Yun. Though he later learned that the historical Zhao Yun had not been nearly as powerful as he was in the novel, what did that matter? What he liked was the man from the novel who charged in and out of Changban Slope seven times.
He could not help recalling the days when he had controlled Zhao Yun in all sorts of games and slaughtered enemies, along with those imposing and cool lines.
"Only with no fear in one's heart can one soar through the skies."
"A lone rider and single spear broke through encirclement, his heroic spirit and sharp edge striking fear into enemy hearts."
"Do not be satisfied with who you are now. That will only halt your growth."
"System, since the skills, weapons, equipment, and all that from games have been altered, why is the Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear only a High-grade Spirit Treasure?"
Lin Changqiang was somewhat dissatisfied. On Tianxuan Continent, treasures were divided into low-grade, mid-grade, and High-grade Spirit Treasures; Earth-tier Spirit Treasures; Heaven-tier Spirit Treasures; low-, mid-, and high-grade Pure Origin Treasures; as well as even more powerful divine artifacts. In other words, the Dragon Gallbladder Bright Silver Spear's quality was not even considered mid-grade or above.
"Ding! Replying to Host: when the Host draws a weapon or piece of equipment, its quality is determined by the Host's current level. At the highest, it can exceed the Host by two major realms. At the lowest, it will be equivalent to the Host's current realm."
"Huh?" Even with skin as thick as Lin Changqiang's, he found the atmosphere a little awkward. "So it was because of me..."
After finishing the draws, Lin Changqiang unequipped Blessing and replaced it with Guerrilla. He then washed up at a soldier's pace, casually ate something to fill his stomach, and rushed without stopping toward the Training Hall where the Clan Competition was being held. By the time he arrived, the atmosphere was already blazing hot, with crowds everywhere he looked.
Although the Lin Family was not among the top forces in Qingyang Town, it still carried considerable weight. Thus, quite a few guests had come to watch the Clan Competition. On one hand, they wanted to build good relations; on the other, they wanted to take the opportunity to assess the abilities of the Lin Family's younger generation. After all, outstanding fresh blood was extremely important to a family.
Though it was not his first time seeing such a bustling scene, Lin Changqiang still felt somewhat nervous. In the past, he had always merely been a spectator, but today, he would be stepping onto the arena to "perform."
Because he had woken up late, Lin Changqiang had missed the confrontation between Lin Dong's family and the families of Lin Shan and Lin Hong. Just as he was feeling somewhat regretful, he saw a large group of people suddenly enter the Training Hall.
Walking at the head of the crowd with vigorous strides was an elderly man with white hair and the posture of a pine. He wore brocade robes and gave off an exceptionally tough impression. His eyes swept over the entire hall, and he carried an imposing presence without even needing to show anger.
This man was the Lin Family's patriarch—Lin Zhentian. However, Lin Changqiang and his former roommates generally preferred to call him Megatron.
The moment Lin Zhentian appeared, the Training Hall immediately erupted. All the guests hurriedly rose to their feet and clasped their hands in greeting.
Lin Zhentian smiled as he exchanged greetings with the distinguished guests, then chatted with Lin Dong's family for a while before slowly making his way to the seat of honor. The Training Hall gradually fell silent, and countless gazes turned toward Lin Zhentian.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lin Zhentian calmly clasped his hands toward the guest seating and spoke loudly.
"Today is the day of my Lin Family's Clan Competition. Thank you all for coming to support us. I see that everyone here is an old acquaintance, so this old man will not waste words. Let us get straight to the point."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zhentian turned his gaze toward Lin Ken beside him. Lin Ken smiled and nodded, then walked onto the broad arena in the center of the Training Hall. He took a bamboo cylinder filled with many bamboo slips from his sleeve.
"The usual rules: draw lots to determine your opponents. All youngsters participating in the Clan Competition, come draw your lots."
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of young men and women stepped out from the Training Hall and each took a bamboo slip from the cylinder. Reminded of his high school days, Lin Changqiang secretly smacked Lin Dong on the butt in a blind spot outside everyone's view. Lin Dong jumped in fright, then turned around and found Lin Changqiang grinning behind him. He merely shot him a glare and said nothing more.
"There are five arenas here, numbered one through five. Those who draw numbers one through ten, head to the corresponding arenas first and begin the first round."
Lin Changqiang glanced at the bamboo slip marked with the number "one" in his hand and headed toward Arena One. After stepping up, he discovered that his opponent was not Lin Dong, but a young man with a pair of dimples on his face. He could not help letting out a sigh of relief.
It was not that Lin Changqiang was no match for Lin Dong. If he truly fought seriously, with Holy Light Protection, he could wear Lin Dong down until he collapsed even through sheer endurance. It was simply that, with both of them at Body Tempering Stage Seven, having one of them eliminated in the first round would be far too unpleasant.
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