"Is his name really Lin Jichen?"
Yan Ruyu still held her phone, carefully examining the photo on the screen, as if she couldn't quite believe it.
Liu Xiazi snatched the phone and hugged it to her chest, her face full of jealousy. "Cousin, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to steal my idol too?"
Yan Ruyu quickly explained, "It's just that he looks so familiar, like someone I know."
Suspicious, Liu Xiazi asked, "Are you saying he looks like the guy you have a crush on?"
Yan Ruyu's face turned red, and she nodded.
"No way! What's the name of the guy you have a crush on?" Liu Xiazi jumped up from her chair.
"His name is also Lin Jichen."
"Damn, damn! Sis, you know Lin Jichen? You know the Sword God? Is this for real?" Liu Xiazi was beyond excited.
So her cousin knew the real Lin Jichen, which meant her idol was in the same city!
Thinking of this, Liu Xiazi was overjoyed, so excited she almost passed out on the spot.
Yan Ruyu said, "I'm not sure, but the photo looks a lot like the Lin Jichen I know. But I've only met him a few times, and the style and aura in the photo are completely different, so I can't be certain."
"It must be him! How could there be such a coincidence? Someone you know just happens to be named Lin Jichen? By the way, what does he look like in real life? Is he handsome?" Liu Xiazi asked eagerly.
Yan Ruyu nodded, and Liu Xiazi became even more convinced. She started dancing around like a madwoman.
"Hahaha, I'm so lucky! This must be fate! I was so close to my idol all along. No, no, cousin, I'm going to your school tomorrow to see him in person!"
Yan Ruyu was exasperated. "Please, tomorrow is Saturday, the school is closed."
"Really? Then I'll come next Monday. Oh no, I have to wait two days to see my idol, this is torture! I'm definitely not going to sleep tonight. Sis, tell me more about him. Besides being handsome, what else is he like? Is he a good person? Does he have a nice voice? Does he have a girlfriend? Does he..."
Liu Xiazi had completely forgotten about teaching Yan Ruyu how to play the game, her mind entirely focused on Lin Jichen, bombarding Yan Ruyu with questions.
Yan Ruyu was so annoyed her head was about to explode. She quickly escaped into her bedroom, but Liu Xiazi chased after her.
The two sisters chatted all night...
Lin Jichen had no idea that his number one fan from Tale of Immortal was eagerly waiting to meet him.
At this moment, he was traveling through the night, heading towards his mission location, the Hundred Thousand Mountains!
The Hundred Thousand Mountains were located in the far north of Yongning Province, a very remote area.
Even after teleporting to Yongning Province, Lin Jichen still had a long way to go.
Moreover, the Hundred Thousand Mountains were rugged and treacherous, filled with demons and evil spirits. Only players at the Golden Core Realm or higher dared to venture there.
But that was precisely Lin Jichen's destination.
He knew about the Violet Illusion Spirit Incense from his past life. This herb could only be found in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and there was a fixed spot where it respawned. That's why Lin Jichen had decisively taken on this hellish task.
Without this information, he wouldn't have wasted his time searching.
However, with his current speed, it would still take Lin Jichen several days to reach the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
So he traveled through the night, stopping to eat medicinal pills to restore his mana before continuing his flight.
In this game, there were very few players who would travel at night to find leveling spots.
Even those who played at night mostly chose closer leveling spots, while many others preferred to stay in the cities, indulging in the pleasures of the ancient immortal lifestyle.
The journey was tedious and exhausting, and many players had complained to the developers about it.
Why had no one discovered the Beast Forest? Because it was too far away, and few players were willing to waste several days wandering outside.
They also felt that many leveling spots were too far from teleportation arrays, wasting too much time on travel. They suggested the developers set up teleportation arrays at various locations to improve the gaming experience.
But the developers ignored these requests.
Only Lin Jichen knew that this was the true immortal world.
Setting up teleportation arrays at leveling spots would quickly lead to their destruction by beasts or demonic cultivators. It was simply impossible.
Moreover, the investment in teleportation arrays was enormous. No sect would be foolish enough to place them at leveling spots.
To become stronger, one had to endure the tedium.
Having Tale of Immortal as a transitional game was already a blessing. Killing monsters could increase one's cultivation.
When the worlds merged, everyone would have to cultivate like the NPCs in the immortal world, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
During breakthroughs, one could only choose to meditate in seclusion.
Seclusion was the most painful, as one had to remain awake, motionless, with only cultivation on their mind, trying every means to break through.
This loneliness and tedium were something current players couldn't comprehend.
Sometimes, breaking through a small realm could take days, tens of days, or even months.
The higher the realm, the longer the seclusion.
Before the world merger, Lin Jichen had already reached the peak of Divine Transformation.
But it took him five whole years to break through to the Enlightenment Realm.
During those five years, he spent at least two years in seclusion.
So Lin Jichen, long accustomed to this state, wasn't bothered by the tedious flying.
Moreover, it wasn't so bad now. With the gaming pod, he could listen to online music while flying, adding a bit of fun to the boring journey.
At his current speed, it would take Lin Jichen at least two more days to reach his destination.
Just then, the gaming pod's phone rang.
Lin Jichen continued flying while answering the call.
"Sister Xiaowei, what's up? Are you so eager to talk to Tang Tang because you're almost back?"
Lin Jichen said with a smile.
However, on the other end, Qin Xiaowei's voice sounded tired and sad.
"Little Chen, I might not be able to come back for a while. Could you please take care of Tang Tang for me a bit longer?"
Lin Jichen felt something was off. "What's wrong? Did the company give you a last-minute assignment?"
Qin Xiaowei let out a bitter laugh. "It's a long story. I can't even leave the Capital City right now."
"What happened?" Lin Jichen sensed trouble.
Qin Xiaowei sighed. "I was planning to come back after the music festival, but a rich kid from the Capital took a liking to me. He insisted I have dinner and drinks with him. I refused and even slapped him. Now he's threatening me. I have to hide in the Capital City for now."
Lin Jichen frowned. "Didn't your company help you?"
"They tried, but it was useless. That guy's family has a lot of influence in the Capital. My company is just a subsidiary here, and the person in charge doesn't dare to provoke him. I'm just a small singer, so they told me to find a place to hide until he calms down. He even took my ID."
Qin Xiaowei's voice was full of helplessness.