"Is the cost of robbery this high in this world?"
After hearing Xia Ling's quote, Lin Qi could not help but click his tongue.
He had known long ago that signal-jamming equipment was expensive, but he had not expected it to be this expensive.
Even the most basic jamming equipment cost two hundred thousand bits. If they relied on growing Blood Essence Rice, they probably could not afford it without half a year's work. And jamming equipment with a one-kilometer range was practically useless—ordinary people could run out of its range in minutes. It needed a range of at least three kilometers.
Five hundred thousand bits!
Ordinary people could forget about such a price for their entire lives.
That was right. Ordinary people could work hard their whole lives and still not even qualify to become bandits...
"Three-kilometer jamming equipment. Oh, and give me a secondhand basic photocopier too."
"A photocopier? All right, I'll have someone prepare it right away. The basic photocopier will be free. Is there anything else you need? At Phosphor Fire Trading Market, we won't brag about anything else, but in the outskirts, few trading markets have a more complete selection of goods than us."
"Nothing else for now. If I need anything next time, I'll come again."
"In that case, will the three hundred and sixty thousand bits still be settled in cash?"
"Mm, all cash. It puts people at ease."
Seeing that Lin Qi truly had nothing else to buy, Xia Ling could only clap her hands helplessly and have the Half-Scale Race guards by the door prepare the jamming equipment and cash.
Before long, the Half-Scale Race guard wearing A6 Battle Armor came over carrying two metal cases, one large and one small. Lin Qi had Fang Zhen and the others move the cases onto the Big Three-Wheeler, with no intention whatsoever of lingering in the trading market.
As Lin Qi drove the Big Three-Wheeler away from Phosphor Fire Trading Market, Xia Ling at the entrance gave the departing group another look. Her pitch-black tail could not help slapping against the ground.
"Miss, those people are all very weak. The person with the strongest physical fitness is still several years away from becoming an apprentice." The elderly Half-Scale Race guard held a tester as he reported quietly. "It is also my first time seeing their clothing. They are likely a gang that was only recently established in the wilderness."
"Interesting, a small wilderness gang?" Xia Ling glanced at the large metal case behind her and could not help sighing. "What a pity. It seems this is all the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros meat they had."
"Miss, do you need me to keep an eye on them? Since they are a small gang, they probably found the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros carcass. They should have kept some Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros meat to cultivate their subordinates with," the Half-Scale Race guard said respectfully.
"No need. There is no reason to offend a group of lunatics who have spent years roaming the wilderness over a little Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros meat." Xia Ling shook her head. "Besides, with so much Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros meat this time, it should be enough for me to break through and become a Quasi-Martial Artist."
"Congratulations, Miss! This way, next semester, you will be able to dominate the entire junior class of City of Light Chasing!" Upon hearing that, the Half-Scale Race guard became even more respectful.
Xia Ling nodded and walked happily toward the large metal case.
"What flavor should I eat today?"
Obsidian Martial Arts Hall was now completely shrouded in night.
However, the martial arts hall's basement was blazing with activity.
"Earlier, Outlander, when you said the outskirts were like a future metropolis, I didn't really believe you. Now I really do." Fang Zhen excitedly recalled everything he had seen in Phosphor Fire Market. "Those weapons! That equipment! They were just too cool! But when will we be able to buy them?"
"Brother Zhen, isn't that missing the point?" Outlander Gunslinger said speechlessly. "Didn't I tell you before? We triggered a combat-instance storyline in the outskirts. A combat-instance storyline! When we went to that trading market today, you saw it too. Dojo Master is clearly preparing to make a move against the White Feather Gang."
"I really didn't expect a combat instance to arrive so quickly. It seems this game's development progress really depends on Dojo Master." Twilight of the Gods said somewhat regretfully. "I wasn't prepared much this time. I've been digging holes like mad lately and barely improved my Breathing Technique. My physical fitness has only just entered the Quasi-Apprentice level. I wonder if I can get a mission."
"Probably." Fang Zhen analyzed, "Judging from this storyline, the other side should have quite a few people. They can't possibly send only a few of us. Besides, didn't the game add twenty slots specifically for this mission? Those slots are likely for testing the upcoming team-instance battles. Otherwise, there would be no need to add twenty all at once."
"That's what I think too." Peerless One Shot nodded in agreement and said with a smile, "Newcomers are finally coming this time. I'm no longer part of the weakest batch."
Among the ten players now, the undisputed first tier consisted of Luo Wu Shang, Zhang Qingwei, and One Leaf Floating Cloud, whose physical fitness had reached Quasi-Apprentice level and who had also created martial techniques at the fourth stage or above.
As for the second tier, it was Fang Zhen, whose Star Explosion Meditation Technique had reached the beginner level. Combined with Quasi-Apprentice physical fitness, he was fundamentally incomparable to players whose Star Explosion Meditation Technique had not even reached the beginner level.
The third tier consisted of people like them, whose physical fitness had reached Quasi-Apprentice level but who had not created any formidable martial techniques and whose Meditation Techniques had not reached the beginner level.
The three people following One Leaf Floating Cloud were clearly casual players. Their strength could not be called weak, but compared to professional-level players like them, they were clearly lacking in both reaction speed and combat. At their core, though, they were the same—third-tier players.
"I wonder whether there will be any promising talents among the newcomers this time." Fang Zhen also looked expectantly toward the underground confinement room. "If our team can recruit a few good prospects, we might catch up to Luo Wu Shang's team."
Among the three teams, Luo Wu Shang's was currently the strongest. With two first-tier experts, the other teams simply could not compete.
Just as Fang Zhen and the other veterans chatted, the official High Martial Descent announcement in the outside world also released a message.
"The slots for this round have all been distributed. The next distribution of slots will be announced in the notice as soon as possible."
"That's it? Where's my slot? Why didn't I get one?"
"They've all been handed out? What's going on? I just got off work. What exactly did I miss?"
"Whoever has a slot, are you willing to share it? I'm willing to pay one hundred thousand! I'll grind for twenty-four hours straight and definitely get ahead of everyone else!"
"This brother is awesome, grinding one account for twenty-four hours straight. Too bad the game developers thought of that ages ago. Apparently, accounts are bound to brainwaves. If you switch to someone else, they simply can't log in."
"Hahahaha, I got one! I got one! Just be jealous!"
"Damn! Another one has gone crazy."
The official comments section erupted once again because of the system announcement. Every player who had failed to obtain a slot was filled with resentment.
Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, underground confinement room.
"Ahhh! This technology! How did they make this virtual engine?"
"Holy crap! This game is actually real! I'm not dreaming, am I?"
"This wall is seriously sturdy. It can actually withstand the power of my twenty years of cultivation in that punch!"
"This metal texture feels exactly like what I've touched in real life! And the dust on the ground—even every grain is so clear. How many K resolution did they use?"
The newly awakened newbie players were immediately filled with curiosity toward everything in the confinement room. Quite a few players did foolish things, leaving the veterans outside the room watching in embarrassment.
"This batch of newcomers doesn't seem too promising." Looking at the newbies, who did not seem to have a single normal person among them, Twilight of the Gods could not help worrying whether they would be able to recruit enough manpower later.
"Fang Zhen!"
When a startled cry came from inside the confinement room, Fang Zhen immediately looked toward the man who had shouted.
"Captain Li? Why are you here?" Fang Zhen could not help revealing a look of surprise when he saw the familiar figure.
He remembered that High Martial Descent had nearly one hundred thousand purchasers already, yet not a single person had passed the testing assessment so far. In other words, everyone who could enter had been selected purely by luck.
A two-in-ten-thousand chance!
What kind of luck was that!
Just as Fang Zhen marveled at Li Ranxing's luck, another figure walked out from the stairway. Dressed in a pitch-black martial robe, with a resolute gaze, he walked in casually, yet every veteran present voluntarily moved aside to make way for him.
Seeing this, the other newbies also stopped their strange behavior and all looked toward the approaching man.
Although the newbies did not know much about High Martial Descent, they had learned from Fang Zhen's livestream that the man before them, Lin Qi, was the Dojo Master of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
He was an NPC who could dictate player permissions. If they made this NPC unhappy, he could kick them out of the martial arts hall in minutes. Then they would not even be able to play anymore, and could only return to how things had been before—watching others happily dig holes with their eyes wide open. That would be sheer torment.
"The test is finally here. It wasn't for nothing that I bought a shovel online and practiced at home every day."
"You newcomers are all doomed. The number one newcomer this time will definitely be me. To learn how to dig holes better, I specifically studied quite a few textbooks online and even went to a park to practice."
"What does that count for? When I saw that the first stage of this game was digging holes, I dug out a two-level basement beneath my own house."
As they watched Lin Qi approach, many newbies were brimming with confidence in the test he was about to announce.
"Newcomers! Welcome to Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. I am your Dojo Master, Lin Qi. By the rules, if you wish to become proud disciples of the martial arts hall, you must prove yourselves."
Looking at these eager, restless newbies, Lin Qi was quite satisfied. This batch of newcomers was young, and every one of them was more driven. They had clearly come prepared to become qualified leeks.
"There is a registration book on the table. Write down your names and ages, then go over there and choose a little shovel you like. Go out, turn right, and head upstairs. At the training ground, this hall has already prepared its treasured Soul Shocking Breathing Technique for you. You must reach the beginner level within twelve hours."
"The person with the highest beginner proficiency within twelve hours will receive this hall's other treasured technique, the Star Explosion Meditation Technique. I hope you will not disappoint me. You may begin now!"
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