Cultivation Era Descends

"What kind of garbage is this 0.1-discount mobile game? A ten-pull costs 20,000 Spirit Stones. The power creep is out of control, isn't it?"

"You have to pull for even a Golden Core in this cultivation game? What the hell kind of game is this?"

"First recharge: 6 yuan, 66 yuan, 666 yuan, 6,666 yuan? They're robbing me blind!"

"Hey, customer service, I'm a student. Can I get a refund for the money I spent?"

"Get lost!"

Jiang Liu opened his eyes, still dazed, and was astonished to find himself in a classroom.

Desks, a blackboard, classmates, the Head Teacher, and a countdown to the Gaokao: 301 days.

Wasn't I just under the covers playing a 0.1-discount mobile game?

How did I suddenly end up in a classroom?

No, something wasn't right.

He looked around and saw the whole class sitting cross-legged on their desks, eyes closed and breathing steady, as if meditating. It was an eerie, unsettling sight.

Then he looked at himself. He was sitting in the same position.

Who uses a desk for meditation?

Could I be dreaming?

"Jiang Liu! Your posture's crooked. Close your eyes!"

Just then, the Head Teacher at the lectern glared at him and scolded, "It hasn't even been two hours, and you can't sit still? With this little self-control, how are you supposed to cultivate immortality?"

"You can't even do well in school, and all you do is play games. Now that a game that can change the world has arrived, you still won't take it seriously. What do you think you're going to do with yourself?"

Jiang Liu: "?????"

They don't teach math and science at school anymore? They teach cultivation now?

Jiang Liu looked utterly bewildered. He was just about to say something when a sudden pain stabbed through his head, followed by a flood of memories that surged in like a rising tide.

The cultivation game has arrived.

Game characters and reality are synchronized.

An era of cultivation for all.

I played a 0.1-discount mobile game and got myself sent to a parallel world?

Jiang Liu was truly stunned. In this world, two years ago, a game called Cultivation Era had arrived, forcibly binding everyone's souls to the app.

From newborn babies to centenarians, everyone had been forced to register an account. The whole world was cultivating immortality.

However, even though cultivation was for everyone, the servers still opened at different times.

Over the past two years, more than twenty regions had opened around the world, covering three-fifths of its land area.

The Celestial Dynasty had opened three regions. Today was the launch day for Zone 4, located in Haishi, where Jiang Liu was.

As he sorted through the memories in his mind, Jiang Liu couldn't help grumbling inwardly.

Damn, even cultivation has different servers?

Our zone hasn't even started, and there are already Golden Core experts out there. How are we supposed to play this game?

Excuse me, can I change my household registration and switch zones?

[Time remaining until Cultivation Era opens in Celestial Dynasty Zone 4: 4,436 seconds. Please wait patiently.]

[Time remaining until Cultivation Era opens in Celestial Dynasty Zone 4: 4,425 seconds. Please wait patiently.]

A mechanical electronic voice echoed in Jiang Liu's mind, filling him with a growing excitement and anticipation.

He'd played over a hundred cultivation mobile games. Surely he could handle a real-life cultivation game?

I'm going to climb the level rankings!

I'm going to be the first to start playing!

I'm going to ascend!

Just as Jiang Liu was frantically trying to remember what to do first when a cultivation game launched, the Head Teacher spoke again.

"Quick, quick, quick! Cultivation Era has launched early!"

Jiang Liu: "."

Now that's realistic!

In an instant, Jiang Liu clearly felt the other students' breathing quicken. The atmosphere in the whole classroom grew tense.

The next second.

A flash of white light appeared in Jiang Liu's vision, as though an image had been reflected onto his retina. His eyes filled with light, and a translucent game interface appeared before him.

It didn't require manual controls; he could operate it directly with his thoughts.

The game interface showed a primeval wasteland beneath a vast white-and-blue sky. Birds and beasts flew and roamed, dragons and phoenixes danced through the air, and savage creatures roared at the screen.

At the center of the interface were the four large characters: [Celestial Dynasty Zone 4].

Jiang Liu eagerly selected the zone, but the game didn't start as he'd expected.

He paused, then tapped it several more times. Still nothing.

[Time remaining until Cultivation Era opens in Celestial Dynasty Zone 4: 4,241 seconds. Please wait patiently patiently patiently patiently patiently patiently]

The electronic voice in his mind kept repeating like a crashed computer. One word, "patiently," rang in Jiang Liu's ears until he was dumbfounded.

Damn it, the game's frozen?!

Jiang Liu panicked and sprang onto his desk, reporting to the Head Teacher, "Teacher, my client's frozen. I can't get in. What do I do?"

"I know you're anxious, but don't panic yet."

The Head Teacher was busy operating Cultivation Era and didn't even look up. He replied casually, "Bugs are normal when a game launches. It might fix itself in a bit."

Jiang Liu: "."

Jiang Liu sat back down, speechless and utterly numb.

Bugs were normal in games, sure, but it depended on what kind of game it was!

What kind of game was this?

A cultivation game made by Gods, one that could lead all of humanity to ascension!

How could a game like this have bugs? Could the Gods please get their act together?

With no other choice, Jiang Liu kept listening to the word "patiently" echo in his mind while frantically tapping the button to enter the game with his thoughts, growing more and more impatient.

He was in a panic, but all the students around him had already entered the game. Sitting cross-legged on their desks with their eyes closed, their faces were slightly flushed with excitement.

"Teacher, I got a Water-Fire Dual Spiritual Root. Isn't that really strong?"

"The Five Elements Spiritual Root is strongest, a single spiritual root comes next, and a dual spiritual root after that. Special spiritual roots are the exception. Anyone with one, report it right away!"

"Teacher, I can't get past stage 1-1. What do I do?"

"Don't panic. I'm still waiting too."

"Teacher, everything in the Mall costs Spirit Stones. Where are we supposed to get those?"

"Daily Sign-in gives you five Spirit Stones. Wait, Zone 1 has been open for two years. You haven't looked up any guides online?"

"Teacher, the Cultivation Forum is locked to our zone. We can't get in without registering!"

"The First Recharge costs six Spirit Stones? The Monthly Card costs thirty? Where are we supposed to get those?"

"A ten-pull costs 128 Spirit Stones? The grand prize is a Supreme Spiritual Root! Damn, that's tempting!"

"Buying Spirit Stones at a thousand to one! Hurry up, I want to get through the story!"

As Jiang Liu listened, something started to feel off.

The Mall, Daily Sign-in, First Recharge, Monthly Card, ten-pulls.

This all sounded way too familiar!

A few minutes after Cultivation Era launched, the classroom filled with noisy chatter. Most of the students were scratching their heads in frustration.

They'd discovered that they couldn't beat even one stage after entering the game. Aside from claiming the Daily Sign-in reward, they couldn't do anything!

They started at Qi Condensation Layer 0 and couldn't beat the story. Even the lowest-level cultivation technique in the Mall cost dozens of Spirit Stones.

And the only skill in their skill slots was the most basic Breathing Technique.

So... what now?

Many students exited the game interface and turned their confused gazes toward the Head Teacher, waiting for further instructions.

"Jiang Liu, you still haven't gotten in?"

His deskmate, Li Dongze, turned to look at Jiang Liu, his eyes full of sympathy. "You've got it rough."

"I couldn't help it."

Jiang Liu sighed and asked Li Dongze curiously, "What kind of spiritual root did you get?"

"Three Mixed Spiritual Roots: metal, wood, and water."

Li Dongze replied helplessly, "Pretty garbage."

"Yeah, you've got it rough too."

Jiang Liu gave him a sympathetic look in return.

"What's so rough about it?"

Li Dongze said unconcernedly, "I can just spend money to pull a Supreme Spiritual Root. Once I get home, I'll have my dad buy me a few thousand Spirit Stones. I'll pull a complete set of Supreme Five Elements Spiritual Roots first."

Jiang Liu: "."

Only then did he remember that his deskmate was a bona fide rich second-generation kid, whose family had assets worth over a billion yuan. Buying a few Spirit Stones would be easy for him.

Two years after Cultivation Era arrived, Spirit Stone production remained extremely low, so it hadn't had much impact on the existing currency system. People still used money in their daily lives.

Well, if Spirit Stones had affected the currency system anywhere, it was on the West Coast.

A big shot on the West Coast had publicly denounced God for stepping in as judge and pushing Spirit Stones to forcibly break the US Dollar's oil monopoly.

It was pretty funny. Oil was now traded using Spirit Stones.

"Good buddy, I'll get right to it."

Li Dongze nudged Jiang Liu's arm and lowered his voice. "Once you get into the game, sell me the five Spirit Stones from your sign-in, okay? I want to buy the First Recharge as soon as possible. It gives you several Qi Refining Pills. I'll give you one!"

Jiang Liu shot him a sidelong glance and didn't reply, letting out a deep sigh inwardly.

With different zones launching at different times, ordinary people had to rely on patience and luck to cultivate, while the rich relied on the Mall and gift packs.

This was nothing like the cultivation he'd imagined!

[Enter Game]

Suddenly, the word "patiently" that had been echoing in his ears disappeared. A prompt to enter the game rang in his mind, making Jiang Liu shudder. He hurriedly switched back to Cultivation Era.

The translucent game interface reappeared in his vision.

At the same time, an electronic voice sounded in his mind.

[Welcome to Cultivation Era 0.1-Discount Welfare Version. This game helps all living beings enjoy cultivation and ascend together.]

[Healthy Gaming Advisory]

[Resist unhealthy games; reject pirated games.]

Jiang Liu: "?????"

Jiang Liu: "!!!!!"

He didn't hear a single word of the gaming advisory. His mind was filled with the very first sentence.

Welcome to the 0.1-discount Welfare Version of Cultivation Era?!

Did my client freeze because of a bug and dump me into another version?