Game Proficiency

The days spent mining were bitter and exhausting.

Thankfully, he could play the game at night. As long as he kept at it, he could get through the hardship.

Actually, Mu Ye had tested the Mind Eye ability again inside the mine and discovered a second Red Flame Crystal.

He just hadn't reported it.

Come on, finding the first one could be explained by good luck. But if he found Red Flame Crystals twice in a row, not only would Steward Xu grow suspicious, the other laborers probably would too.

Although the Jinshi Sect was a righteous sect, people's hearts were treacherous. Who didn't harbor a little malice deep down?

"It's a pity my strength is lacking. If I were at the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining, I could dig out these valuable Spirit Ores myself."

A Body Cultivator wouldn't even need to reach the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining. The second or third level might be enough to dig up these Spirit Ores.

Unfortunately, in the Cultivation World of today, Body Cultivators were beneath even the lowest of the low. You could barely find any.

The reason was simple. Body Cultivators were difficult to train, consumed a great deal of resources, and many body-tempering techniques had strict requirements. None of that was the main problem, though. The real issue was that Body Cultivators were much weaker in the early stages than Cultivators who refined essence into qi.

Often, before a Body Cultivator could even make a move, a Cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm would send a spell flying their way, leaving them scrambling.

A Body Cultivator with a profound realm was naturally formidable, but few Cultivators would consider taking that path.

Another reason was that cultivating as a Body Cultivator was even more bitter and exhausting.

For all these reasons, there were fewer and fewer Body Cultivator techniques, and even fewer people practicing them.

Across the vast Cultivation World of the Eastern Wasteland, there were only a handful of sects dedicated to body cultivation. Most were low-ranking sects like the Jinshi Sect, fallen into such decline.

The day's mining work ended in no time.

This time, Mu Ye first visited the nearby Qinghe Market to see if any Jinshi Sect laborers were selling Spirit Fields.

If there were, he could rent a cheap one and consider trying his hand at farming.

After making a round, he found that even a single mu of Spirit Field required a deposit of over fifty.

"There are more laborers farming, so the Spirit Fields have gotten expensive..."

Mu Ye grumbled to himself. He was at a loss.

The Jinshi Sect wouldn't give its laborers Spirit Fields for free. Outer Disciples with official positions could be assigned one, but the harvest would be split fifty-fifty.

Laborers had to rent their own, though there was an upside: if they rented one themselves, the split was ninety-ten, with the Jinshi Sect receiving just a token tenth.

In practice, though, laborers had low cultivation and poor command of spells, so they couldn't properly care for their Spirit Fields. Their yields were often far worse than those of Outer Disciples. Even with a ninety-ten split, their annual harvest was nowhere near that of regular Outer Disciples.

Unable to find a suitable Spirit Field and still short on Spirit Stones, Mu Ye headed straight back.

After eating his fill, Mu Ye lay on his bed and practiced cultivation for a while. He found that his bottleneck had loosened slightly.

His spiritual root was too poor, and his cultivation method was garbage. His cultivation efficiency was abysmal.

A bottleneck was really just a result of low conversion efficiency. On top of that, his constitution was average, making it hard for him to gather the Spiritual Energy he absorbed. He kept getting stuck at that point.

If he stuck it out, perhaps he could reach the second level in a few years.

"Forget it. I'll play the game."

When he opened Sword and Blade Demon Sealing, he saw that the second stage was now available.

[Seven Absolutes Imperial Map]

But it required 500 Paradise Coins, and there was also a recommended strength level: Second Grade (maximum: Seventh Grade).

The Second Grade rating was probably how the game ranked strength. Classic.

When it came to recommended strength, Mu Ye always aimed higher.

"I'll try the Ranger this time, one at a time..."

Mu Ye pondered.

The Ranger started with a certain reputation and goodwill, so he should be a good choice for exploring the World Map.

[Character selection successful. Please enter a name again.]

[Mu Huangtu.]

[World Map opened. Entering Taiping City...]

Mu Ye picked a name at random.

He would mainly play the Demon Sealer, after all. The Demon Sealer had high combat power and special abilities.

He could just pick the other characters at random.

Once the selection was complete, the Ranger appeared as a man chewing on a blade of grass. He wore martial clothes, and his frivolous expression concealed a hint of seriousness.

[You are a wandering Ranger in Taiping City. You stand up for the weak and have made quite a name for yourself...]

He entered Taiping City once more, its streets as familiar as ever.

Mu Ye wanted to try out the Ranger, so he controlled the character and walked over to a nearby bun stall. He picked up a bun and popped it into his mouth.

The Peddler's expression changed, and he was about to scold him. But when he saw the Ranger, his face immediately broke into a broad smile:

"So it's you! Had enough to eat? If not, there's more here."

"..." Mu Ye.

Damn, was this Ranger the sort who ate and drank for free?

But then a message appeared.

[The bun Peddler's goodwill decreased.]

Clearly, even with the initial reputation and goodwill, eating and drinking for free would still lower them.

Mu Ye didn't keep eating. Instead, he went straight to the Divine Fist Martial Hall.

This time, Mu Ye immediately chose the second option.

[2. My martial skills are poor. I've come to seek a master and learn.]

Unlike with the Demon Sealer, after he chose this option, the gatekeeping disciple's expression softened. He smiled and said:

"So it's Little Hero Mu. In that case, come in with me."

The Divine Fist Martial Hall was a famous martial hall in Taiping City. If he wanted to improve his strength, this was the right place.

"Hell yeah!"

"Having initial reputation and goodwill really does make a difference."

The Demon Sealer couldn't get in no matter what, unless he forced his way inside.

"No wonder this character needs Paradise Coins to unlock!"

Of course, as good as the Ranger was, his overall strength couldn't compare to the Demon Sealer's.

Without the Demon Subduing Body, it would be even harder to get through the Tutorial Stage.

That was probably why the Tutorial Stage only allowed the Demon Sealer.

As they walked into the Divine Fist Martial Hall, the disciple began explaining:

"With demons and monsters running rampant in these troubled times, learning martial arts will at least let you protect yourself."

"Yesterday, a demon appeared during the Shen Mansion's grand ceremony. The scene was utter chaos. A senior brother who was there told me that at the critical moment, a Demon Sealer descended like a true savior and killed the demon with a single slash. He was incredible!"

"For the Shen Mansion to hire someone that powerful, they must be quite something."

Hearing this, Mu Ye was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected the Demon Sealer's reputation to have spread already.

Hired by the Shen Mansion?

Madam Shen hadn't hired him. Mu Ye was puzzled.

But a moment later, he realized that Madam Shen was probably borrowing the Demon Sealer's name to intimidate the petty criminals.

"Madam Shen's pretty clever. She's no simple woman," Mu Ye thought.

As they entered the martial hall, shouts rang out all around them. Burly men with bare chests practiced with their fists, palms, fingers, and legs, smashing rocks and shattering stone tablets. They looked quite formidable.

Mu Ye glanced around. As a Cultivator, he naturally looked down on such a scene.

A few mundane martial arts techniques were nothing special.

But as they walked farther in, he spotted a rugged-looking middle-aged man who stood apart from the other martial hall disciples.

A fiery glow shone in the man's palm, as if a faint flame were burning there. Each time he swung his fists and palms, he unleashed a powerful wave of heat.

"Senior Brother, what is that?" Mu Ye asked.

"That's our sect's secret art, the Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art: Crimson Flame Fist." The disciple looked at the man with adoration. "It's the foundation of our Divine Fist Martial Hall. This is our master, Yan Zhennan."

"Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art?" Mu Ye asked, puzzled.

"You've spent years wandering outside, so you know a few crude punches and kicks," the disciple said with a smile. "But those don't amount to much. If you want to become a true Martial Master, you have to learn a Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art and open the Divine Apertures in your body to attain a grade."

"The Divine Apertures are hidden gateways within our bodies. Practicing secret arts can help us open them, transforming us completely and giving us boundless strength and swift feet."

"According to the experience of those who came before us, there are countless Divine Apertures in the body. Opening ten makes you a Martial Master, fifty makes you a Second Grade Martial Master, and a hundred makes you a Third Grade powerhouse."

"Once the Crimson Flame Fist reaches its highest level, the tenth level and full mastery, it can help us open a hundred Divine Apertures. One punch can melt gold and burn bone, making you a local overlord!"

Mu Ye considered this.

Only Third Grade?

The Crimson Flame Fist wasn't all that impressive.

"Can anyone learn it?" Mu Ye asked.

The disciple hesitated before answering:

"The Crimson Flame Fist is extremely difficult to practice. Our master is exceptionally talented. He took a Vermilion Fruit when he was young, yet he's only just reached the eighth level and opened eighty Divine Apertures. You can learn it, but as a new disciple, you'd be better off practicing one of our other martial arts first."

"They can't open Divine Apertures, but they can still temper your body and strengthen your bones and muscles, preparing you to practice the Crimson Flame Fist."

Mu Ye thought, why learn anything else, then? If he was going to learn, he might as well learn something stronger.

"What if I want to break through to Third Grade?" Mu Ye asked curiously.

"Young man, don't reach beyond your grasp," the disciple scolded. "There aren't many Third Grade experts in Taiping City. But since you asked, if you want to break through a hundred Divine Apertures, you'll naturally have to practice an even more powerful Divine Aperture True Martial Art. Take the Shen Mansion, for example. The Sea Overturning Supreme Divine Skill practiced by Hero Shen Tianxing is said to open a thousand apertures and make one a Fifth Grade Grandmaster. But Hero Shen only practiced a fragment, and barely made it to a hundred apertures."

"As for anything higher, the highest anyone's reached so far is the Sixth Grade Postnatal Grandmaster. Divine Aperture True Martial Arts like that are extremely rare in the world."

Mu Ye was getting excited.

"Senior Brother, I want to learn the Crimson Flame Fist."

"Sure." The disciple smiled. "Once you've completed the apprentice ceremony, Master will pass it on to you."

Before long, Mu Ye knelt on the ground and performed the apprentice ceremony, bowing three times and kowtowing nine times.

During the ceremony, they also explained many of the sect's rules, such as not passing their teachings on to outsiders and so on.

The hall master, Yan Zhennan, was a forthright man with pale red hair. A new disciple joining the hall who was a well-known Ranger would help spread its reputation, so he was naturally pleased.

As for Mu Ye wanting to learn the Crimson Flame Fist, Yan Zhennan didn't take it to heart.

This kind of Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art was almost impossible for an ordinary newcomer to learn.

If Mu Ye really managed to learn it, then the Divine Fist Martial Hall would have gained a talented disciple. That would be even better.

So if he wanted to learn, Yan Zhennan would teach him!

"Little Hero Mu, I'll now give you the Crimson Flame Fist's Divine Aperture Diagram to study. This technique is also an internal cultivation method in its own right. It's extremely difficult to practice, so don't say I didn't warn you."

After the hall master personally taught him, a message appeared.

[First learned a Divine Aperture Secret Martial Art: Crimson Flame Fist]

[Martial Arts system unlocked. In True Mode, martial arts learned will synchronize with the player and be shared with other characters.]

[Crimson Flame Fist: 0/100]

Seeing this message, Mu Ye's eyes lit up.

What did it mean for it to synchronize with the player? Did that mean that if he learned it in the game, he'd know it in real life too?

Wait!

Proficiency?

I knew it! How could a game not have this?

Now he could grind to his heart's content!