Cultivating in Online Games

Chapter 35 – Unbearable fury

Dugu Zhuo had specifically found the Sun-Worshipping Cult Instance in order for Ye Zhou to train in, and he had absolutely no plans to try and clear it.

Ye Zhou also had never thought that they could defeat the instance with only two people, so he didn’t want to kill all of the peach tree monsters. After they were all dead, the elder would wake up, so Ye Zhou left one or two of their branches. If all the tree branches weren’t cleared within ten minutes, the entire peach forest would come back to life, making for a neverending fight.

This was a nightmare for those players dedicating themselves to beating the instance, but to Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo, it was a perpetually-renewing opportunity for them to practice their skills, so their fortune couldn’t be better.

After the peach tree monsters spent quite a while getting bullied by these two people who didn’t obey common sense, they at last managed to hold out to the instance’s time limit, at which the system was all too eager to kick the two outside.

Naturally, a lot of players saw them be suddenly ejected from the instance and appear on a main street in the Eternal Day District.

The failure rate for the Sun Worshipping Cult instance was extremely high, so the players were already used to seeing scenes like this. However, this was the first time they saw only two people be ejected, and the players of the Eternal Day District immediately began chattering: Look, those two idiots thought they could clear the level 20 instance all on their own, and what do you know, they’ve been ejected! Hahahaha!

Dugu Zhuo didn’t care about other players’ thoughts of him. In his life, he had endured far too many rumors and lies, so this level of mockery was unable to shake him at all.

Ye Zhou, though, felt indignant. He stepped in front of Dugu Zhuo, glaring at those players, thinking, “You all have no idea how strong Dugu Zhuo is. We didn’t pass the instance because we spent all two hours playing, unlike you guys who take two hours and can’t beat it!”

Seeing Ye Zhou’s infuriated expression, Dugu Zhuo placed a hand on his shoulder, transmitting, “No need to mind them.”

Ye Zhou gave the surrounding players a glare and sent back a private message. “After we establish our sect, we have to make it the number one sect in this game, so all the players know how impressive you are!”

Dugu Zhuo gazed at Ye Zhou, thinking that he was starting to overlap with the previous life’s Ye Zhou within his memories.

Back then, he had reached Golden Core and thus was able to participate in the Great Centennial Competition of the cultivation world. Dugu Zhuo had been an exceptional prodigy, so he should’ve been able to prove his skills to the world in that competition. However, due to various reasons, he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a certain evil cultivator. The entire Qingtian Sect mocked Dugu Zhuo back then, and other sects also began to variously criticize Dugu Zhuo for losing to the wicked sects in such a critical duel, ruining the righteous path’s prestige as well as giving up one of their magic artifacts.

Dugu Zhuo, having become the scapegoat of all the righteous sects, stood amidst the crowd, listening to everyone’s scorn. Fury welled up within his chest, and he was on the verge of throwing caution to the wind and starting a fight in the middle of the gathering.

However, a ray of pure white light shot into the midst of the field. In between Dugu Zhuo and the evil cultivator, a sword appeared whose lethal aura filled the air.

It was the magic sword that Ye Zhou customarily used, Ning Zhe, named for “rather break than bend”[1]. The Su Sword was a divine blade, and even as its wielder, Ye Zhou would never bring it out except at critical junctures. On ordinary occasions, he used the Ning Zhe sword.

The sword separated Dugu Zhuo and the evil cultivator, and the display of power from a Mahayana cultivator brought a hush over the whole gathering.

From the booth where the elders of every sect were seated came a crisp and cold voice. “My sect has lost this match. The general of a losing army is in no position to brag, and I have no dissent to offer. However, three years from today, any brave hero here who’s willing to look down upon my sect’s disciples are welcome to challenge Dugu Zhuo to a fight, with no restriction on numbers and no stipulation about life and death. What say you?”

The evil cultivator who had dueled Dugu Zhuo let out a haughty laugh and said, “Then what if every member of my sect who’s present today all challenge Dugu Zhuo? You’re not worried about your little disciple becoming exhausted by fighting us in turns and getting killed?”

“No need to take turns. You may all attack at once.” That crisp voice rang unmistakably in the ears of everyone in attendance. “After three years, Dugu Zhuo will never again need to fear any opponent of Deity Transformation or lower.”

That claim was so arrogant that it seemed to offend every sect in attendance. The disciples in participation didn’t dare argue with someone who clearly possessed Mahayana-level power, but the sect elders weren’t willing to let it pass.

On the spot, they made an agreement with Qingtian Sect, to challenge Dugu Zhuo again after three years.

Yet, three years later, before the arranged time had even come, Dugu Zhuo set off alone for that evil sect and single-handedly slaughtered every member, rescuing twenty-three women who had been kidnapped to be used as living cauldrons. Afterward, his reputation spread far and wide, and he was considered a god of slaughter among the cultivation world.

Subsequently, no one dared to bring up the arrangement made three years ago. When the day came, Ye Zhou actively sent out invitations to all the sects who had issued a challenge, and got back message after message admitting defeat.

Ye Zhou tossed them at Dugu Zhuo, and the pieces of paper fluttered down near him like snowflakes. With his back to Dugu Zhuo, Ye Zhou said indifferently, “Here are your winnings.”

Ye Zhou’s attitude was bad as always, but by then Dugu Zhuo had already grown up and realized how hard the man tried for him.

After Ye Zhou had left, Dugu Zhuo picked up all the slips on the ground and carefully placed them inside his storage item. This was his gift from Ye Zhou.

A player pointed at Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou and started to laugh loudly. “You guys didn’t take on the instance with two people, did you? Are you both idiots?”

Those words woke Dugu Zhuo from his reminiscence. He saw that Ye Zhou was so furious he was forming hand seals and looking like he wanted to beat the other person, so quickly held him back, rubbing the top of his head.

“No, listen to me,” Ye Zhou said, not willing to be placated this time. He charged up to the other party. “Let’s fight, and then you’ll know whether or not we have what it takes!”

The player looked Ye Zhou up and down and sneered. “You? Forget it. I’ve already reached level 20, and I only came back here to guide new players through the instance. There’s no way you can beat me.”

“Why don’t you just say whether or not you have the guts to fight?” Ye Zhou said, lifting his head pridefully.

That player looked back at his party members and said, “Wait for me a little. I’ll deal with him in less than a minute.”

Ye Zhou also told Dugu Zhuo, “I’ll log off later. Don’t try to stop me.”

Looking at him helplessly, Dugu Zhuo said in a quiet voice, “Hand me your sword.”

The sword he had retempered for Ye Zhou previously had been too low level. Its durability was too low and it was worn out badly, so Ye Zhou had long since replaced it with the Refined Steel Sword the system had gifted him at level 20. Dugu Zhuo had wanted to help him upgrade it, but Ye Zhou had figured that they would soon reach level 30 and have to replace the sword again, so didn’t want Dugu Zhuo to use his blood on a temporary sword.

Now Dugu Zhuo wanted to upgrade Ye Zhou’s equipment on the spot, but Ye Zhou immediately understood his intention and shook his head. “It’s not necessary!”

He drew his sword and began a duel.

Players were allowed to duel within the Eternal Day District, but it was still limited to level 20 and below players. Players above level 20 had to go to a designated dueling field or the wilderness.

The other player accepted Ye Zhou’s invitation to duel and brought out a long spear, its head shining with frosty light. It didn’t look like a level 20 equipment, maybe level 30 or even higher.

There were many hidden easter eggs throughout the game. This player had obviously been able to get his hands on something impressive, so no wonder his attitude was so arrogant.

The other player made the first move. He swung the spear, and the light shrouding the tip formed into a silver serpent, flying through the air towards Ye Zhou.

The spectators surrounding them cried out in amazement. Someone said, “I know now! That guy’s the first player to pass the level 20 instance, Unrivaled Divine General! That spear was his gift for first clearance!”

“I’ve also heard that. The system also gave him a top quality material item, the Serpent Soul Jade, so it looks like he’s combined the jade with the spear to create a new weapon.”

“My friend paid him to be led through the instance and saw that spear in action. That silver snake has a freezing and control effect. If it even touches you, you’ll be frozen solid and become defenseless for ten seconds. Also, the cold air it breathes out is poisonous and will cut the opponent’s attack and speed in half.”

“Because of the spear’s length, its range of attack is larger and its attack speed is also faster than a sword. What kind of brainless player thought he could take on Unrivaled Divine General?”

“Isn’t it to be expected? They tried to take on the instance with two people, so they might as well also pick a fight with the first guy who cleared the instance.”

The spectating players were talking publicly, so Dugu Zhuo heard everything they said. 

Dugu Zhuo had always disregarded the words of others, but now he found himself unintentionally clenching a fist. His Ye Zhou was not someone other people could look down upon.

At this moment, Dugu Zhuo suddenly realized why Ye Zhou wanted to fight even if it meant pushing back his log-out time. Both of them were overly protective people.

The silver serpent moved far faster than a normal player, lashing out toward Ye Zhou like a streak of lightning. Ye Zhou remained calm, though, forming hand seals with practiced motions, and in the instant before the serpent impacted him, he flew up into the air, gazing down at his opponent.

Ye Zhou originally wanted to use the Five Phases Swordplay or the Tiangang Steps. Both of them had jade slips, so he would only need to press a button to activate them.

However, when he thought to bring out a jade slip, he suddenly remembered the hand seal that Dugu Zhuo had used to fly on his sword, and as if it had all clicked in his mind, he formed the hand seal and silently commanded, “Rise,” and the Refined Steel Sword rose up into the air, shooting toward the serpent.

The silver serpent’s speed couldn’t match up to a sword’s, and, unable to avoid in time, it was pierced through its throat, causing half its body to vanish.

The serpent’s freezing and weakening effects were meant to affect living beings, whether players or monsters, so against the Refined Steel Sword which couldn’t be frozen or poisoned, it had little effect.

Even so, a layer of frost enveloped the body of the sword, decreasing its speed significantly.

Ye Zhou had intended for the sword to pierce through the serpent and Divine General in one move, but, having been slowed down, the sword was blocked by Divine General’s spear.

In the time that took, Ye Zhou had already brought out the Five Phases Swordplay’s jade slip and selected the earth sword to use. Attention focused on Ye Zhou above him, Divine General never noticed the danger beneath his feet, and by the time a party member warned him, it was too late.

Dozens of blades formed from stone and earth slammed into Divine General’s body. The earth swords weren’t very sharp, but their attack power was high. Being hit by many dozen at once, Divine General would have a hard time even if each individual sword didn’t do much.

He had a lot of health, so even after all the successive attacks, 20% of it remained. Divine General was an experienced player, and even under the circumstances, he brought out a handful of healing pills and was about to stuff them in his mouth.

Ye Zhou didn’t give him a chance to heal, however. Ten seconds had already passed and the frost covering the Refined Steel Sword had melted, its speed returning to normal. It approached Divine General from the back and pierced through his chest, taking his life before he was able to consume the pills.

After all those major techniques, Ye Zhou was also out of spiritual energy. No longer able to maintain the flight spell, he fell from the sky.

Dugu Zhuo took a step forward and caught Ye Zhou in his arms.

Dugu Zhuo didn’t drag out their embrace, and after Ye Zhou was standing firmly on the ground, he let go. Their contact was so quick that Ye Zhou didn’t even have the time to feel embarrassed.

Ye Zhou could only prop up his body weakened from lack of spiritual energy and say to Unrivaled Divine General’s corpse, “I hope that was enough to show you! We could’ve completed the instance even with just the two of us. Today we’ve hit the time limit, but tomorrow, you can see us do it!”