The third closed beta

The appearance of the Stable meant that the mount feature could now be unlocked.

For the moment, Ye Chen had no intention of enabling it.

Unlocking mounts would encourage some of the players' laziness.

Running around and traveling on foot counted as training too, didn't it?

Besides, the Hidden Jun Village was the starter village where players spawned.

There were no rare or exotic beasts nearby worth capturing.

As such, unlocking mounts would only be a waste.

There was no harm in waiting until the players grew stronger and explored farther afield.

Then another system notification sounded.

[Ding! Congratulations! Your village has reached level three. You have received one level-up gift pack.]

[Would you like to open it now?]

There was nothing to hesitate over. Ye Chen immediately selected "Yes."

[Ding! Level-up gift pack opened. You have received a set of C-rank Five Elements Ninjutsu.]

[Lightning Release: Daybreak mastered.]

[Fire Release: Melt Shield mastered.]

[Wind Release: Breathless mastered.]

[Earth Release: Seismic Wave mastered.]

[Water Release: Water Therapy mastered.]

Ye Chen shook his head slightly. Compared with the previous set of B-rank Five Elements Ninjutsu, this set was practically useless.

Still, it was better than nothing. Besides, a large number of new players would soon enter this world.

The wider the selection in the shop, the more it could help them improve.

Without a second thought, Ye Chen listed the set of C-rank Five Elements Ninjutsu in the shop.

But the system's rewards weren't over yet.

[Ding! Congratulations! You have received one mysterious item: Cowhide War Drum.][Cowhide War Drum: Each strike grants allied members three random buffs.

Duration: one hour.

Cooldown: twenty-four hours.]

Ye Chen immediately brightened and murmured,

"Talk about getting a pillow just as I'm nodding off! These rewards couldn't have come at a better time."

The Cowhide War Drum would be a powerful asset on the battlefield.

Giving his allies three buffs before a battle started would practically be cheating!

Of course, just how overpowered the drum was would depend on the buffs' attributes and strength.

With a light tap of his finger, Ye Chen put the Cowhide War Drum away.

Only after confirming there were no more rewards did he switch to the system's verification results screen.

[Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully developed the S-rank ninjutsu: Big Ball Rasengan. You have been rewarded with 100,000 chakra.]

For any other player, 100,000 chakra would indeed have been an enormous reward.

However, Ye Chen, who had reached the early Kage Level, needed a full 500,000 chakra to advance.

Compared with the other rewards, this one didn't seem quite so "important."

Of course, Ye Chen couldn't get too far ahead of himself. A hundred thousand chakra was already a huge amount.

He happily accepted it. His strength rose a little, though the difference was barely noticeable.

What pleased Ye Chen most was that the verification results had confirmed his theory.

For a moment, Ye Chen hesitated.

He was debating whether to list this newly developed S-rank ninjutsu in the shop as well.

After all, the requirements for using the Big Ball Rasengan were quite demanding.

Even Ye Chen found it somewhat troublesome to use, never mind the players.

But after only a brief hesitation, Ye Chen listed the S-rank ninjutsu in the shop.

Before making his decision, he had thought of Daoist Master Sanfeng, Raijin, who had invented his own ninjutsu, and Emperor of Sinking, whose luck was off the charts.

They all possessed exceptional gifts that even Ye Chen couldn't help admiring.

Who knew whether the next batch of recruits would include someone even more extraordinary?

Ye Chen remembered that Raijin seemed to be a die-hard Naruto fan.

Ever since the A-rank ninjutsu Rasengan had been listed in the shop, the guy had become obsessed.

Just as Ye Chen had done while developing ninjutsu, he found somewhere deserted every day and practiced his techniques.

Of all the players, his Rasengan proficiency was currently the highest.

The feedback Ye Chen received from that practice had likewise allowed him to master the Rasengan's peak power.

It was hard to imagine how stunned Raijin would be when the S-rank Big Ball Rasengan appeared in the shop.

After finishing the listings, Ye Chen immediately headed to the official site and posted an announcement.

At once, it caused an uproar both inside and outside the game.

[Ding! The S-rank ninjutsu Big Ball Rasengan is now available in the shop. Players may purchase it with the required contribution points.]

"Wh-what? S-rank ninjutsu? Did I hear that right?"

"It really is S-rank ninjutsu. I was shopping just now, and I checked as soon as I heard the notification. It's all true."

"Bro, is the S-rank ninjutsu expensive?"

"Not at all. Just 1,000 contribution points. It's an absolute bargain."

"Oh my god! These developers are way too generous! Selling S-rank ninjutsu for peanuts? I'm bowing down to them."

"Same here..."

"..."

Dai Xiaomei, who was carrying out a quest, stopped what she was doing and immediately cried out,

"Guys, guys, it's S-rank ninjutsu! I'm going to buy it right now and show you all what it can do."

For once, her stream's chat didn't argue. Everyone urged her on.

"Quick! Quick! Buy the S-rank ninjutsu already, and I'll send you a rocket!"

"One starship for a ninjutsu demonstration!"

"Good grief! Did the game designers get kicked in the head by a donkey? Releasing S-rank ninjutsu this early-aren't they worried everyone will have it?"

"Hey! Don't be so salty, dude. We finally get developers this generous, and jealous losers like you still have to trash them. Where's the justice?"

"Exactly! Developers this generous are hard to find. Watch your mouths!"

"Hmph! What do you mean, salty? I'm just telling it like it is. What, am I not allowed to talk now?"

"..."

The stream's chat erupted into arguments, but Dai Xiaomei simply ignored them.

Now that her stream had taken off, this had become an everyday occurrence.

The trolls and those fighting back tore into each other, drawing more viewers into the fray.

That only sent the stream's popularity soaring, so Dai Xiaomei was happy to let it happen.

Dai Xiaomei's contribution points had long since reached four digits. She spent 1,000 without even blinking.

Of course, paying 1,000 contribution points for an S-rank ninjutsu was already an incredible bargain.

As soon as she finished her purchase, Dai Xiaomei shouted,

"Quit arguing! If you interrupt my training, you'll never hear the end of it!"

As she spoke, she extended her right hand, and a point of light flickered in her palm.

This was the first sign of her chakra being released, just like with the A-rank Rasengan.

But after flickering a few times in Dai Xiaomei's palm, the light went out with a little pop.

Dai Xiaomei stood frozen and stammered,

"This... isn't right. I followed the instructions..."

The viewers in her stream were thoroughly amused.

"Hahaha! Old lady, you strained for all that time just to squeeze out a fart?"

"Silent farts stink, loud farts don't. I'll sniff this one!"

"Show some restraint, commenter above. Have a little dignity."

"Exactly! How can you have no dignity? Me... I'm not picky!"

"..."