"Is this actually a game?"
"How can this possibly be a game?"
Zhang Qingwei looked around at everything in the room, her beautiful eyes full of confusion and surprise, unable to put into words the shock she felt.
The biting cold in the room, the feedback sensation from stepping on the floor — even in the hundreds of virtual games she had played that focused on the five senses, she had never seen anything virtual engine technology.
"Are you okay, Qingwei?"
Luo Wushang watched Zhang Qingwei bouncing around like a lunatic, occasionally stomping the floor hard, and couldn’t help but walk over and wave a hand in front of Zhang Qingwei’s face, filled with curiosity.
Zhang Qingwei, who was also on a pilgrimage and had seen plenty of ups and downs, was hard to imagine going insane just by entering a game. Even if Descent of High Martial was a 100% virtual game, it shouldn’t drive someone mad .
"I’m fine." Zhang Qingwei stopped her actions, shook her head, and looked at Luo Wushang with excitement, "Wushang! I’ve got brains now! I’ve got brains now!"
"Yes, I know, I can see that." Luo Wushang nodded.
"Has this person gone mad?"
"It’s quite possible. After all, getting into this game is extremely difficult. I don’t even dare to tell my dorm mates, afraid they might do something rash in the middle of the night."
"Exactly, after I got the entry qualification, I didn’t dare speak loudly in the dorm."
The stern muscular young man doing squats and the lean young man rubbing floors both stopped and looked at Zhang Qingwei in astonishment, not expecting anyone to be more excited than them upon entering Descent of High Martial.
"Hello, both of you. I’m Twilight of the Gods." Twilight of the Gods looked at the stern muscular young man and the lean young man with some excitement, "Did you say dorm? Are you also college students?"
With only ten spots for Descent of High Martial, encountering peers was quite challenging.
"Yes! I’m a part-time university student, mainly a reserve member for the Blue Demoness Team. Just call me the Outer Gunman." The stern muscular young man nodded and introduced himself.
"What a coincidence! I’m also a part-time university student, primarily a formal member of the Imperial City Team. You can call me One Shot Incomparable." The lean young man surprisedly glanced at the stern muscular young man, not expecting to meet peers by chance.
"One reserve member of the Blue Demoness Team, one official member of the Imperial City Team. Is professional gaming this competitive now?" Fang Zhen looked at the two youthful professional players, barely in their twenties, who were also part-time university students, suddenly feeling that he was unable to keep up with the times.
The Blue Demoness Team, a frequent contender in the national league on the Mecha Continent, consistently ranked in the top four, with Blood Flame Gun Girl Chen Ya being the most famous figure, her personal skills ranking third nationally, and the team being notoriously strict in recruiting new members.
The Imperial City Team was also a regular in the top eight of the national league on the Mecha Continent, being an official member meant undeniable skills and technique.
"Brother Zhen, I owe you for my chance to play Descent of High Martial. I’ve been watching your live stream, basically grew up watching it." The Outer Gunman walked up to Fang Zhen, his face full of excitement, "From now on, little brother will follow Brother Zhen."
"Same here, had it not been for watching Brother Zhen’s streams all the time, I wouldn’t have found this game." One Shot Incomparable too felt like he had found his tribe.
"Great! Wonderful! With two brothers helping out, we’ll surely achieve great things in Descent of High Martial in the future!" Fang Zhen felt a rush of realization, followed by a surge of joy.
He was in dire need of manpower, his large Land of Energy found but poorly exploited; with two more helpers, developing that over a hundred square meter energy land would be significantly faster.
No longer would he quietly dig tunnels alone each night, lacking motivation.
Meanwhile, after everyone in the basement introduced themselves, someone also descended the stairs, instantly shifting the crowd’s attention. They all looked at the newcomer, especially the newcomers, whose gazes were filled with curiosity.
"This person seems so real!"
"They’re just like a real person!"
The newcomers, after some exchange, already knew the NPC before them was a supreme NPC governing them. Disobedience or misbehavior would lead to severe consequences.
"Newcomers! Welcome to Black Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, I am your Hall Master Lin Qi. According to the rules, if you want to become honorable disciples of the Martial Arts Hall, you must prove yourselves."
Lin Qi glanced at the newcomers eager to try, feeling quite satisfied. Although the system’s assessment was clearly tricky with no one passing the test, seven players were forcefully brought in, but the result was quite good; each was young and strong, excellent for labor.
Then Lin Qi pointed to a table nearby.
"On that table, there’s a register. You write down your name and age, then choose a beloved small shovel, head out of the door, turn right to the storeroom, and try to develop the Land of Energy within a twelve-hour time limit."
"The person who develops the most Land of Energy within the time limit can choose one of these two Museum’s Martial Techniques to learn, and the second most can choose the other. I look forward to your performance."
Lin Qi then took out from his pocket two books split into upper and lower sections: Shattering Stone Fist and Leopard Shadow Step.
Why they were split into two sections was simply because these martial techniques could only be split this way. Otherwise, Lin Qi would love to split them into nine sections, eighteen books.
Apprentice Level martial arts generally have two levels of realms: Shattering Stone Fist is divided into Pile Shattering Realm and Shattering Stone Realm, Leopard Shadow Step is divided into Wind Chasing Realm and Shadow Hunting Realm.
These two martial techniques have two levels of realms, each more explosive and difficult to grasp than the last.
Lin Qi was willing to present two martial techniques as rewards for newcomers’ development efforts.
The first reason is obviously to prevent newbie players from exploiting bugs to reap rewards; competition brings efficiency.
The second is to promote martial techniques, allowing all players to quickly enhance themselves through learning.
Martial arts are such that once one player learns, all other players can as well, only at different times, as he cannot limit players from spreading them. Unlike in High Martial World, where without a specialized instructor, practicing incorrectly could harm you, and instructors would check your purchase records before teaching; no record, no teaching.
Players, however, do not have concerns about rendering themselves useless; they just die more often.
"Is this the opening of the combat career system?"
"I figured with so many newcomers introduced at once, there’d be major moves. Didn’t expect the official to pull such a trick."
The crowd looked at the two martial techniques in Lin Qi’s hands, their eyes fixed on them. Especially those who had arrived a few days earlier — Fang Zhen, Luo Wushang, and Twilight of the Gods — their eyes were almost glued to the techniques.
Although the sandbox gameplay of underground development was quite enjoyable, in the 100% virtual reality Descent of High Martial, who wouldn’t want to experience superhuman sensation?
Especially after witnessing Qin Mu and Hou Fei’s battles firsthand; it was like watching two monsters clash.
Meanwhile, the viewers in the livestream saw this scene and erupted.
"Oh my! That’s so unfair! Why can they become superhuman while we’re stuck outside the game?"
"No, bro, not only are we stuck outside the game, we can’t even pass the testing assessments, just watch them play."
"I saw someone offering professional training with only 98, I’m offering twenty thousand, as long as he passes!"
"About that trainer, I seriously doubt he has enough lifespan to earn those twenty thousand."
As the discussions heated up in the livestream, more people started trying again to challenge the assessments, especially players fond of combat.
Previously everyone thought Qin Mu and Hou Fei’s battle was just a show by the game company for the audience, given players entered Descent of High Martial and did nothing but dig soil daily, occasionally practicing Shocking God Breathing Technique, having no other activities.
But now seeing the two martial techniques in Lin Qi’s hands, everyone realized that the fight, like a blockbuster movie, was not just a show; it was a battle players could truly achieve.