Sharing the Sword Art

"If this game keeps going like this, I'm afraid fewer and fewer people will play it."

On the forums, a player began complaining.

Who knew what was going on? Why was playing a game this hard?

Making money in there was hard, and sometimes, when all they wanted was to earn some money, they could easily die once they ventured into the wilderness.

Often, they died without even knowing why.

If this kept up, how were they supposed to earn money to practice martial arts at a martial hall?

"It really is hard to endure, but I've finally made it through somewhat. I finally got into a martial hall today!"

"How did you get into a martial hall, boss? How did you earn the money? I came across a small fortuitous opportunity, but I only earn two taels of silver a month. Even then, it'll still take me a while to get in."

"A lot more people have been leaving the game lately. Before, when I was in town, I could see loads of players at a glance. Now there are suddenly far fewer people around."

"Exactly. I do woodcutting quests. There used to be at least a hundred people around the place where I chop wood. Now there are only a dozen or so left."

The players began discussing it in the thread, all feeling that learning martial arts had been too difficult lately.

One after another, they had already given up.

Fang Zelin frowned as he read the contents of the thread.

After thinking for a while, an idea suddenly struck him, and he immediately began writing a post online.

It was the Wind-Riding Sword Art he had learned at the martial hall.

Since he had already begun cultivating immortality and no longer had any use for the sword art, he might as well write it out online and see whether the players could learn it in the other world.

Of course, if some of the players tried practicing martial arts in reality and actually learned them, that would be interesting.

As he thought, Fang Zelin wrote out the details of the Wind-Riding Sword Art.

This world really was rather unusual. To the players, it was a game world.

But Fang Zelin leaned more toward believing that this was a real world.

Although he still had no way of confirming whether it truly was, Fang Zelin felt that, if possible, it would be better not to have too many players quit.

He would retain at least some of them.

After all, if this really was a real world, having more people from Blazing Summer over there, with greater strength, should benefit Blazing Summer.

After finishing the Wind-Riding Sword Art, Fang Zelin added a note that they could buy medicinal decoctions from martial halls.

With medicinal decoctions, cultivation would be a little easier.

As for how to practice, Fang Zelin had written that out in great detail as well.

Soon, a post titled "Seeking the Dao World: An Introduction to Sword Arts" appeared on the forums.

It was also prominently pinned on the forums.

In mere moments, countless people flooded into the thread, and when they saw that the poster was sharing knowledge he had learned at a martial hall...

Countless people immediately left words of thanks beneath the post.

Some, however, wondered whether knowledge they read here could also be used in the game world.

But when they reached the end of the post and saw Fang Zelin emphasize that, after firmly memorizing this knowledge, they could practice it in the game world, they immediately felt reassured.

Countless people began cheering.

With a sword art and the introductory explanations in the post, all they needed to do next was enter the game world, buy medicinal decoctions, and drink them. Then they could cultivate.

At the thought, countless people excitedly hurried into the game world.

Fang Zelin carefully read through the replies. After confirming that most people had no questions, he opened the chat window and was about to send Jiuchuan the link to the post.

But the next instant, the chat window began shaking first.

Then he saw a message from Jiuchuan saying that he had successfully joined a martial hall!

Fang Zelin was momentarily taken aback by the news. After confirming that the martial hall Jiuchuan had joined was quite well known locally, he deleted the link he had been about to send.

If Jiuchuan could join a martial hall, that was certainly best. It would save him from taking many wrong turns.

For instance, in circulating Qi Force.

The other players had no choice. They could not save up that much silver, so they could only use this method.

After chatting with Jiuchuan and confirming that his training at the martial hall was going reasonably well, Fang Zelin felt reassured.

The two chatted for a while, then each entered Seeking the Dao.

Splash!

With a splash of water, Fang Zelin pulled a palm-sized fish from the river.

Fang Zelin set the fish aside, then cast his rod again and continued fishing.

Ripples glittered across the Yongding River, and a gentle breeze blew in from the water, leaving him thoroughly refreshed and at ease.

After fishing for a while, Fang Zelin could not help pursing his lips at the scant few fish he had caught.

Forget it. As long as there's enough to eat today.

With that thought, Fang Zelin put away his fishing rod and carried the fish back to the pond he had dug.

He released the fish in his hands.

The few fish that had just been released immediately stirred up countless splashes in the pond.

Fang Zelin paid little attention to this. Lately, he had found getting drinking water rather inconvenient. There was spring water on the mountain, but it did not flow in his direction.

Fang Zelin planned to cut some bamboo, hollow it out to use as pipes, and channel the water over.

This kind of work was quite simple. After spending a little while cutting bamboo in the mountains, Fang Zelin had enough. Once he had hollowed it all out, he began joining the lengths together one by one.

The bamboo ran through the woods, supported on tree branches, then extended straight into the backyard of Fang Zelin's house.

There was a pool in the backyard. The spring water flowed into it continuously, then flowed onward into the Yongding River.

After finishing all this, Fang Zelin nodded in satisfaction.

A little later, however, Fang Zelin felt somewhat dissatisfied again. The area around the house seemed a little too empty, so he transplanted a few stalks of bamboo beside the courtyard.

"Mm, that'll do!"

Having finished, Fang Zelin clapped his hands and looked at the fruits of his labor, quite satisfied.

Then Fang Zelin went to the field to check on the spirit rice.

Compared to before, the spirit rice had grown much thicker and sturdier, and looked extremely robust.

But after examining it carefully, a hint of doubt appeared on Fang Zelin's face.

"Why does this stuff seem to be growing a little strangely?"

If Fang Zelin remembered correctly, as rice seedlings gradually matured, they developed toward bearing grain.

But the seedlings before him were growing increasingly thick and sturdy. Fang Zelin even felt that they were developing rather like little trees.

The spirit rice before him really was a little too burly.

Spirit rice is spirit rice. It's normal for it to grow a little differently from rice seedlings. I must have taken too much for granted.

Fang Zelin examined it carefully, then reached a conclusion.

The spirit rice before him differed quite considerably from ordinary rice and the like.

How can so many people be complaining about this chapter? The protagonist just subconsciously feels that this is a real world, which is why he doesn't want the players to quit. If it were a game world, they could quit if they wanted. What's the big deal?

But if it's a real world, just think about an actual world. You should be able to understand what that means, right?

What's wrong with sharing the sword art to strengthen his country a little? As for harming the interests of the ancient world, the protagonist's stance is on his own country's side.

How can considering things from his country's standpoint get this much criticism too...?