Buying an Identity

Yang Ling chose Mine No. 2 again.

He hadn't gone very deep before, after mining for half a day, he sensed something was off.

"Something's wrong. I've been mining during the day these past few days. Based on my previous experience, I should've leveled up by now, so why hasn't anything happened?"

"Could it be that after Level 10, the experience required suddenly increased?"

"Or do I need to successfully change classes before I can keep leveling up?"

He couldn't help but wonder.

If he needed to change classes before leveling up, that would be troublesome!

He knew absolutely nothing about the requirements for changing classes.

Nor did he know where he could do it.

Unless he exposed his strength and found a way to join the Mountains and Rivers Sect.

If he did that, it would be easy for people to connect him to that Buddhist scripture from Bitter Enlightenment Temple!

He knew people in this world weren't so roundabout.

Given Bitter Enlightenment Temple's influence, once they grew suspicious, they wouldn't bother looking for evidence. They'd probably just kill him outright.

"Class..."

Yang Ling murmured, then lowered his head and continued working.

He wanted to see whether he could still level up.

Before long, the sun set.

Yang Ling didn't level up.

He returned to his wooden cabin to practice his fists and cultivate the Vajra Wisdom King Art.

The second day, the third day, the fourth day.

As always, he mined during the day and trained at night, not sleeping at all.

The Vajra Wisdom King Art gained 8 experience points per day.

The Mountain-Crushing Fist's proficiency also increased by around twenty points every day.

About five or six days later.

Yang Ling had confirmed that he couldn't level up before changing classes.

"It seems I don't need to go to the mine during the day for now. I need to devote all my time to raising the Mountain-Crushing Fist's proficiency."

"I've also saved nearly twenty taels of silver. I'll buy an identity and keep the rest in reserve."

From then on, he stopped going to the mine during the day and stayed in his wooden cabin.

He stocked up on food and water, only leaving to use the toilet.

He spent roughly twenty-two hours every day training the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

As a result, his proficiency began soaring by thirty-five or thirty-six points a day.

In just a few days, his proficiency broke through the 1,000-point mark!

"Congratulations, Mountain-Crushing Fist has advanced to Complete Integration."

The game notification sounded.

A scorching current surged through Yang Ling's body.

Yang Ling's expression remained unchanged as he continued practicing his fists.

His fist technique was gradually becoming sharper and fiercer.

As long as he wanted, every punch could draw upon the power of his entire body.

The wooden cabin was small, yet Yang Ling nimbly weaved and shifted within it.

Punch after punch flew out.

Surging power traveled through his spine, passing from vertebra to vertebra before finally reaching his fist.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of fists tearing through the air rang out again and again!

Before he knew it, he had begun circulating the Vajra Wisdom King Art.

Even a casual punch seemed capable of shattering the air!

With a thought, Yang Ling maintained his cultivation state and opened his status panel:

Character: Yang Ling

Class: Martial Artist

Level: 10

Strength: 32 (15+6)

Agility: 20 (15)

Spirit: 17

Martial Arts: Vajra Wisdom King Art (Initial Mastery)

Experience: 72/1000

Mountain-Crushing Fist (Complete Integration)

Proficiency: 0/10000

Health: 210

"This is practically inhuman data..."

"Unfortunately, there are quite a few nonhumans in this world."

"Wu Que, Wang Jing, Hui Neng—they're all nonhuman. Xu Qing's attributes are the most terrifying. I wonder how much they'd increase when he circulates the River-Mountain Heart Method?

Combined with his River-Mountain Draw-Sword Art and Twelve River-Mountain Fists..."

"I'd probably still be no match for him. Compared with them, I'm still lacking something extremely important."

"Experience in life-and-death combat!"

Yang Ling's expression turned grave.

He had always hidden away and mined. His only life-and-death battle had been a complete one-sided crushing.

Fortunately, aside from Xu Qing, Hui Neng, and Wang Jing.

He was confident he could crush Wu Que.

"Smart people never go looking for opponents who are too strong."

"As long as my opponents remain a notch weaker than me, my chances of winning will stay high."

"Wait... why am I treating the local natives as opponents?"

Yang Ling suddenly wore an odd expression.

Logically speaking, his real opponents should be players who had entered the Divine Realm just like him.

"It's still the early stage of the game. Players aren't much of a threat yet. The local natives are the greater threat for now."

"It's fine to treat them as opponents. That'll only stir up my iron-like fighting spirit to grind."

He returned his attention to the Mountain-Crushing Fist's proficiency.

"The third realm, Perfect Mastery, requires 10,000 proficiency points."

"If my spirit can't continue increasing, I can gain 1.7 proficiency per hour. Getting more than thirty points a day won't be a problem."

"At that rate, I'll be able to advance in less than three hundred days."

"That's the worst-case calculation. If I'm lucky, I should successfully change classes during that time. Otherwise, the other players' levels will definitely leave mine far behind, and getting chest rewards later will be nothing but a dream!"

A trace of urgency rose in Yang Ling's heart.

This was an invisible competition.

The game only offered so many reward slots.

If he fell behind, the rewards wouldn't go to him.

"Change classes, rush to Level 20, and strive to get another chest."

"As for after that... it won't matter if I don't get any more. At the very least, I'll have a decent identity and status in the Divine Realm."

Not long after, Yang Ling left the wooden cabin and arrived at Wu Que's residence.

After the mine guards reported his arrival, he met Wu Que, who wore a calm expression.

He quietly opened Wu Que's status panel:

Character: Wu Que

Class: Martial Artist

Strength: 12

Agility: 8

Spirit: 3

Martial Arts: Black Tiger Fist (Advanced Mastery)

"Not a single bit of improvement. This proves that without the boosts from experience and proficiency, the natives really are far inferior to players."

"The Black Tiger Fist is at Advanced Mastery. Even if it adds 12 Strength, Wu Que's maximum Strength is only 24."

"His Strength is 8 points lower than mine."

"His Agility is 12 points lower than mine."

"His Spirit is 14 points lower than mine."

"He hasn't cultivated a heart method either, so his health can't possibly be higher than mine. It's probably around 120."

Though he couldn't see a native's health, it probably wasn't too different from a player's.

Based on his experience, Yang Ling had already roughly estimated Wu Que's strength.

However, that estimate didn't account for life-and-death combat experience.

"Yang Ling, you want to buy an identity in Green Mountain City?"

Wu Que asked indifferently.

Yang Ling replied respectfully, "Supervisor Wu, I've gathered five taels of patterned silver."

"Only five taels? Do you think I don't know how fast you mine?"

Wu Que gave a half-smile.

Yang Ling lowered his head without speaking.

"Here is your identity. I'll have someone go to Green Mountain City's government office to register your household.

Once your household registration is completed, you'll be a resident of Green Mountain City from then on."

Wu Que picked up a jade slip and wrote down Yang Ling's name, age, and height.

Seeing this, Yang Ling quickly took out the silver he had prepared and handed it over.

Only then did Wu Que give him the jade slip.

"Additionally, you'll need to make a personal trip to Green Mountain City's government office and have an artist draw your portrait for the records.

That way, even if your jade slip is lost or damaged, you can pay a fee there to get a replacement."

"Without a portrait, this household registration will expire after one month. Those are the rules of the Zhao Kingdom. Do you understand?"

Wu Que said.

Yang Ling's heart tightened slightly. The Zhao Kingdom might not have been advanced, but it seemed to do a fairly good job with population registration.

"The matter I mentioned to you last time is about due. We'll be passing through Green Mountain City anyway, so come with me. You can also stop by the government office and complete your household registration."

Wu Que added.

Yang Ling kept his expression neutral. "Then I'll return to pack my luggage first."

"Go."

Wu Que waved him off.

After leaving Wu Que's residence, Yang Ling's face took on a wary look.

Fifth Brother's words before his death were still fresh in his mind.

This so-called miners' sparring match might involve mortal danger!