Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Arrival of Second Test Players! (Three Updates)
Xu Nian returned two days later.
He wasn’t concerned about how Jianghu and the Temple Hall would handle things. On the contrary, his top priority was the arrival of new players: the Second Test players!
This was his day to welcome the fresh chives, for only with enough chives could his power truly grow. The First Test players had already become Old Sixes. They weren’t very diligent in completing Tasks anymore, much to Xu Nian’s disappointment.
The players were also waiting for Xu Nian and the others to return. After all, they too were curious about the new players.
「Half an hour later.」
Three hundred players descended en masse at the foot of the Profound Yellow Sect’s mountain.
"Holy shit, is this the game world? I’m freaking blown away by this game!"
"Everything feels so real, I can even smell the flowers—you’re telling me this is just a game?"
"Damn awesome, damn awesome! I’m lucky to be able to play this game in my lifetime!"
"I can walk again? I can actually walk around here? It’s been ten years, man! I’ve been wheelchair-bound for ten years, and now I’m standing again!"
"..."
Three hundred Second Test players gathered at the foot of the mountain, but due to the System’s restrictions, they could only stand still and look around.
Xu Nian, on the other hand, nonchalantly led the First Test players down the mountain.
Having already done their research on the game, the Second Test players knew about some of the Non-player Characters, such as the Sect Leader before them. All the Large Tasks were initiated through him. Of course, some old lechers were more eager to see the Sect’s Blood Demoness. Videos and photos taken by players had already made many hearts flutter. Every night, some would obsess over the Blood Demoness’s photos and videos to the point of growing thin and haggard.
Unfortunately, the only one to greet them now was Sect Leader Xu Nian. The Blood Demoness herself was still on the mountain reading novels, not having bothered to come down with them.
"The Sect Leader is seriously handsome, even better looking than in the photos and videos."
"Those haughty guys at the back, are they the First Test players?"
"What’s there to be proud of? Isn’t it just that they started playing a bit earlier? They’re almost sticking their noses up in the air."
"Give me some time, and I will surpass them too!"
"..."
The Second Test players, watching the First Test players following behind Xu Nian, began to buzz with commentary. What’s the big deal? Given some time and participation in a few Large Tasks, they too could catch up with the First Test players’ progress. What was there to gloat about?
The First Test players, looking at those three hundred newcomers, wore the faint smile of a senior brother watching a junior brother just starting out. Catch up to them? With Contribution Points firmly in their grasp, catching up wouldn’t be so easy. They wouldn’t lift a finger even for a one-to-five-hundred ratio! Once the newcomers died a few times and realized the importance of Contribution Points, then they would have a proper talk about prices.
"These are the Second Test players? They look like such idiots."
"Look at that fatty, like a bumpkin entering the city for the first time—hasn’t he ever played a game before?"
"Dude, you looked just like him when you first came here."
"Bullshit! As if I could ever look like those clueless idiots!"
"..."
Xu Nian slowly raised his hand. The System stepped in, immediately silencing all players. It was too noisy!
In an instant, the entire Mountain Gate fell silent, and the Second Test players all looked towards Xu Nian.
Xu Nian glanced at the Second Test players and slowly said, "You are all potential disciples who wish to join the Profound Yellow Sect. Henceforth, you must aim to glorify and expand the Sect without betraying it, or else you will be expelled from the Sect!"
As he spoke, the System also sent out a game manual, which was essentially a long list of rules and regulations.
"Holy shit, this thing’s really damn long—is this supposed to be a manual?"
"Damn it! Man, I never read manuals, okay?"
"Sigh, Game Designers are idiots—appraisal complete!"
"Just scroll to the end and agree, who’s actually going to read it word for word?"
"..."
Faced with this manual, the players all chose to drag it directly to the end. Reading it line-by-line was way too much hassle.
After everyone agreed, Xu Nian continued, "Currently, the reputation of the Profound Yellow Sect has risen greatly. This is all thanks to these disciples behind me. Without them, the Profound Yellow Sect as you know it today would not exist! You are here because of the Profound Yellow Sect’s current fame, so joining is not meant to be easy. Offering help in times of genuine need is far more valuable than adding flourishes to an already prosperous situation—a concept you should all understand. I will be waiting at the Mountain Peak. To ascend the mountain, you must earn their recognition. This is the test for you to become disciples of the Profound Yellow Sect!"
After Xu Nian finished speaking, the players all had peculiar expressions on their faces. Isn’t this just bullying the newbies? They knew nothing and had to go head-to-head with veteran players who had been playing for so long? Wasn’t this just asking for a beating?
But Xu Nian paid them no mind, simply turning and heading up the mountain, leaving the players staring at each other in dismay.
The First Test players also received a Task at this moment.
[Sect Task: Test the New Disciples.]
[Reward: Unlock Secondary Profession selection; an increase in items available at the Contribution Hall, including special exchange items.]
First Test players all had hundreds of Contribution Points in their hands. Raising their Realm required a large number of Contribution Points, and a few hundred were not enough. So the only choice left was to improve their power through other means.
Secondary Professions allowed players to take on various identities in Jianghu: Constable, Escort, Scholar, Musician... With hundreds of Secondary Professions to choose from, you could pick one if you excelled in it. Moreover, choosing a Secondary Profession also meant you could take on Tasks related to that profession. This was another way of Earning Contribution Points.
As for the changes in the Contribution Hall, it would no longer offer just Martial Arts Manuals but also other special exchange items. As long as you had enough Contribution Points, Rocket Cannons would be yours to command!
「The Second Test.」
It was like moving from the Stone Age into the Renaissance Era! In the end, Contribution Points were what mattered most. This was something all First Test players needed to take very seriously.
Junlin glanced at the Second Test players and stepped forward. He said, "Old Six, just come over to my side. Joining us here is the same as me leading you up the mountain to meet the Sect Leader."
Among the Second Test players, an ordinary-looking young man hurried out. "Brother Junlin, I thought you wouldn’t take me."
The young man’s ID was Neighbor Six, specially poached by Junlin as a dedicated Military Advisor with a salary. The affairs of Lingxiao Pavilion would henceforth be entirely left to Neighbor Six.
The rest of the Second Test players watching this scene were completely flabbergasted. Damn! You can play like this? You can even use connections to get ahead in a game?
Instantly, all the Second Test players envied Neighbor Six. After all, they hadn’t had any prior eager conversations with the First Test players.