Life Choices

Supported by two staff members, Yi Xiaofeng walked into the stadium.

Whoosh—

The entire audience erupted. Yi Xiaofeng jumped in fright. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet, or his eardrums might have been blown out.

After walking for a minute, he was seated in something resembling a sofa. He lay back comfortably as his body sank into it, followed by the sound of the pod door closing.

The surrounding clamor came to an abrupt halt.

Yi Xiaofeng could no longer hear anything, as though the entire world had fallen silent.

About ten seconds later, he suddenly felt weightless. Then he began falling, and the scene before him changed. He appeared high in the sky.

Layers upon layers of white clouds formed a kaleidoscopic sight that dazzled his eyes. Below him lay a vast, azure ocean, magnificent and boundless.

As he continued descending, he saw land.

This game was incredible!

It felt so real!

It was like bungee jumping in real life. Although he had never gone bungee jumping before, the blood-rushing tension felt far too real.

"Legend says that heaven and earth were created by immortals and gods. When all things first came into being, Ferocious Beasts roamed freely. Because humanity was weak, people became food in the bellies of countless beasts. The immortals and gods took pity on them and descended to spread the methods of cultivation. Mortals could refine Qi, reach Bigu, and form Cores, allowing them to contend against Ferocious Beasts and demon beasts. Upon reaching great mastery, they could Ascend to Immortality!"

"You are about to be reincarnated as a mortal. You now face a choice in life."

"First: the Evil Path. Live for yourself. The chance of Qi Deviation is greater."

"Second: the Righteous Path. Uphold chivalry, gain abundant opportunities, and receive the favor of the Heavenly Dao."

"Third: the Demonic Path. Stop at nothing to achieve your goals. Your talent will be higher, but the Heavenly Dao will not tolerate you."

An ancient old man's voice rang out beside Yi Xiaofeng's ear.

Yi Xiaofeng raised his brows.

This game had been developed by the Earth Alliance Government, so it was surely meant to promote positive values.

If he wanted to survive, choosing the Righteous Path should be easier.

Thus, Yi Xiaofeng chose the second option—the Righteous Path!

"You have chosen your path in life. Your opportunities have received a bonus. Special reminder: should a chivalrous person stray onto the wrong path, the price they pay will be greater."

"You have obtained your reincarnated body. Please prepare yourself!"

Yi Xiaofeng's heart surged with excitement.

Am I going to become a Demon-Slaying Sword Immortal from an immortal hero story?

A gourd of wine in hand, a sword at my side, roaming the world!

Kill one man every ten steps, leave no trace over a thousand miles!

Just thinking about it made him excited!

A flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and he was immediately unable to see anything.

After a while.

Yi Xiaofeng opened his eyes and found himself in a quaint ancient bedroom. It was not large, with room only for a bed, a dressing cabinet, a table, and chairs.

Lines of text appeared before him:

Name: Zhang Junyi

Gender: Male

Age: Twenty-three

Cultivation: First Layer of the Qi Refining Realm

Identity: When you were young, you obtained an immortal cultivation method by chance and entered the Cultivation World. However, because of your handsome appearance, you were entangled by female demons on the path of cultivation. Your yang energy was drained dry, leaving your body weak and frail. If you cannot obtain a Pure Yang Pill within half a year, you will die.

Main Quest: Obtain the Pure Yang Pill and survive until the end. Reward: 1,000 points!

Side Quest 1: Investigate the cause of death of City Lord Tang, owner of the Pure Yang Pill. Uncover the truth to receive 500 points!

Side Quest 2: Kill Demonic Path Cultivators and Evil Path Cultivators within the city. Receive 100 points for each kill. If you mistakenly kill a good person, 500 points will be deducted!

Side Quest 3: Protect City Lord Tang's daughter from demons and devils. Reward: 500 points!

...

Below that was a whole series of quests.

Anything related to justice would earn rewards. Of course, trivial things like helping someone pick up a wallet did not count.

The quest time limit was seven days.

"That's it? Then why not let the players meet each other?"

Yi Xiaofeng stroked his chin in thought. The Main Quest did not mention anything about concealing one's identity.

On second thought, Yi Xiaofeng figured it out.

If he told others that he was a player, they would definitely be on guard against him.

After all, this was a competition!

If he pretended to be an NPC, the other players would probably try to curry favor with him, and he could profit from it.

Yi Xiaofeng began examining the room. He found a sword and a bundle on the bed.

When he opened the bundle, he found it full of pills, along with two talisman papers.

The pills were all meant to nourish the body.

The talisman papers contained spells.

Fireball Spell!

Hmm...

This was fucking simple!

Yi Xiaofeng tucked the two talisman papers and some life-saving medicine into his clothes. The instant he obtained the talismans, he knew how to use them.

He only needed to channel the heat within his body into the talisman. Whichever direction the talisman faced was where the Fireball Spell would shoot. These talismans were single-use, meaning Yi Xiaofeng could only use them twice.

"This source of heat should be Spiritual Qi, right? Damn, this game is amazing. It directly gave me an instinct for controlling Spiritual Qi."

Yi Xiaofeng secretly marveled at it.

He continued searching, looking through the room for hidden clues or tools.

Meanwhile, in the stadium where the livestream was being recorded, a giant screen was projected overhead. Floating around it were light screens of various sizes, each displaying a third-person view of a different player.

"Dear viewers, we can see that all the players have now entered the game. Of the fifty contestants, twenty-three have not immediately left their rooms and are instead searching indoors for clues..."

The host's voice resounded throughout the stadium. The audience was no longer making a commotion, instead discussing things in low voices.

"According to our staff's investigation, Heavenly Dao Immortal Hero Game premiered on dozens of video websites in the Eastern Region. In less than ten minutes, its view count has surpassed five hundred million, while online discussion topics related to it have exceeded one hundred million. Its popularity is still rising rapidly."

The popularity of Heavenly Dao Immortal Hero Game continued to soar.

Yi Xiaofeng knew nothing of any of this.

He had searched the room for quite some time but found no opportunities.

Using the bronze mirror on the cabinet, he saw his own face.

His features were exactly the same, except his skin was far too pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. At a glance, he looked terribly weak.

His appearance resembled that of an ancient person. His hair was long, and he looked as carefree as a wandering swordsman.

Yi Xiaofeng patted his face, picked up his sword, and walked out of the room.

When he pushed open the door, bright sunlight spilled over him, making him unable to resist stretching lazily.

The sky was blue, and there were many white clouds. The sight made one's mood brighten.

Yi Xiaofeng took a sniff and found the air refreshing as well.

His first impression was quite good.

The environment was far better than that of a modern city.

He was staying in a courtyard. An old man was sweeping the ground within it.

When the old man saw him, he smiled and greeted him. "Young Master Zhang, did you sleep well last night?"

Three lines of text appeared before Yi Xiaofeng:

Name: Old Tian

Identity: Servant of the Wang Family

Relationship: You once saved Miss Wang from the hands of villains. When you came to Pure Yang City this time, Miss Wang recognized you and warmly invited you to stay.

There were even prompts!

Yi Xiaofeng smiled as well. "Not bad. Please thank your young miss for me. I have something to take care of outside."

"Of course. Take care, Young Master Zhang," Old Tian said with a chuckle.

After leaving the courtyard, Yi Xiaofeng arrived at a garden.

He did not plan to investigate the murder case right away. Instead, he wanted to see whether there were any opportunities nearby.

The fundamental point of this game was still to search for cultivation resources, not to go adventuring.

However, the Show Team had established a points system, which showed that points were not merely for ranking. These quests would guide players toward different opportunities.