Chapter 6

The majestic name of the Hangu Pass comes from its location in a valley that is as deep and dangerous as a letter box. Stretching from the Xiaoshan Mountains in the east to the Tongjin in the west, it is known as the Hangu Valley, renowned for its natural defenses. The Hangu Pass guards the narrow and perilous Xiaohan Pass, connecting to the Hengling Mountains in the west, facing a steep ravine in the east, backed by the Qinling Mountains in the south, and bordered by the Yellow River in the north. Its strategic location and narrow roads are often described as "not wide enough for a cart to turn or for horses to ride side by side."

If one were to walk along the pass from the Xiaoshan Mountains to the west, it would take a considerable amount of time, as the mountains are winding and difficult to traverse, with hidden dangers and fierce monsters in the deep forests. Taking a detour would be even longer, so Zhou Yi used the Earth Spirit Talisman.

Standing at the foot of this ancient and famous stronghold, Zhou Yi looked out beyond the pass, where the grass was lush and the road rugged. The distant mountains seemed to exude a powerful aura, while the imposing pass exuded a restrained energy. The people coming and going through the pass were constant, and the soldiers guarding it stood like statues. It was hard to tell which dynasty "Pianyan" was set in, but the checkpoint seemed unusually relaxed.

Zhou Yi walked around the city wall, but his mind was preoccupied with other matters. After the incident with the Great Deity of Salvation, he had to be more cautious about his current route. He even had a sense of disorientation, feeling that he might not be in the world he knew, yet the sense of reality and familiarity made him half-believe and half-doubt.

After much deliberation, Zhou Yi decided to level up first and then follow the plan to find the Hangu Pass Warden, Guan Yizi. If that didn't work, he would start from practical considerations and find a demon master on Mount Hua, and then look for the traces of Qi Practitioners when the opportunity arose.

After all, the Tianliang Studio people were pressing him hard! On his first login, Zhou Yi had to reach level 10 and find a master, or else he would receive no messages, and the Tianliang team would send someone to reclaim the collective property the next day. Given the reality, Zhou Yi had to consider leveling up first.

He took stock of his assets: 10 coins for the ride, 750 coins for the talisman, and 10 coins for incense, totaling 770 coins, leaving him with 230 coins. Zhou Yi entered the pass and set his respawn point inside the Hangu Pass. He spent 100 coins at the clinic to buy five small recovery pills, leaving him with 130 coins for emergencies.

As he came out of the Hangu Pass, Zhou Yi suddenly saw a purple cloud rising in the distance, which surprised him.

"Purple clouds from the east, another celestial being has descended. These NPCs visiting relatives and friends are quite leisurely!" He thought, "What do I care if the big shots come down to the mortal world?" He shook his head and headed to the leveling area.

Less than a mile east of the Hangu Pass, there was a beginner leveling area called Wang'an Flower Valley. The edge of the valley had level 3 small flower spirits, and deeper in, the monsters were of higher levels. Zhou Yi drew his green sword and started killing monsters in the edge area.

The level 3 small flower spirits were relatively easy to deal with. For efficiency, Zhou Yi would lure at least three at a time, eating pills while fighting. If he lured too many, he would take a detour.

After killing about 15 monsters, a light shone on his head, and Zhou Yi reached level 2.

The four basic attributes are called "basic" because they are crucial to the player. The Bone attribute directly affects the player's experience gain. A higher Bone attribute means faster leveling, which is why sects prefer to recruit players with high Bone attributes.

Zhou Yi's consideration of the basic attributes, especially the full Bone attribute, was for two reasons: to quickly catch up with the game's progress and for other, more complex reasons that were hard to explain.

The Bone attribute is connected to many things. In fact, the four basic attributes are linked to a wide range of things, such as how Insight directly affects the progress of the player's Daoist scriptures and techniques, making it hard to choose. These four basic attributes are also linked to hidden attributes, adding another layer of complexity.

While leveling, Zhou Yi pondered his route. In the "Pianyan" world, almost all sects and professions need to be explored by the players. From this perspective, almost all sects and professions are hidden. The current challenges he faced were similar to those of the experienced players who had participated in the beta test: high variability and difficulty in advancing. New players who blindly explore would not face these challenges.

In his memory, there were only three ways to become a Qi Practitioner: the Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taqing lineages.

In the Heavenly Court, there are four Celestial Masters. Apart from Xu Shengyang, who is skilled in the art of Sword Immortals, the other three Celestial Masters each follow one of the Three Pure Ones. The Celestial Master who follows the Yuqing lineage, if he achieves the position of Earth Immortal, can join the Jade Pillar Cave on Zhongnan Mountain to practice under the Qi Practitioner Yunzhongzi. The Celestial Master who follows the Shangqing lineage, if he achieves the position of Earth Immortal, can join the secluded Immortal Wudang Holy Mother to practice.

Among the Three Pure Ones, only the Taqing lineage is different. It does not follow the Zhang Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain but instead follows the Wenshi Zhenren of the Qingyang Palace in Sichuan. If one has good fortune and a compatible constitution, they can become a Qi Practitioner without achieving the position of Earth Immortal.

Of course, the levels of Qi Practitioners vary. The first two practice Earth Immortal Qi techniques, while the third practices human Qi techniques to build a foundation, with a significant difference. However, the position of Earth Immortal is too distant, and starting from the basics might not be bad.

Wenshi Zhenren, who invited Laozi to leave the "Tao Te Ching" at the Hangu Pass, is a historical and cultural figure whose real name is unknown. Zhou Yi bought the Earth Spirit Talismans for both the Hangu Pass and the Qingyang Palace in Sichuan at a high price, ensuring that Laozi could find him wherever he was.

However, there was some variability. The birdman said that as long as one wandered around the Hangu Pass, if they had high fortune, they would naturally meet Wenshi. Zhou Yi tried it, but his feet ached without seeing anyone. If he hadn't learned from an NPC that Wenshi was indeed there, he would have flown to the Qingyang Palace in Sichuan.

With no choice, Zhou Yi had to level up first. After about an hour, he reached level 5. He found it hard to gain experience from the level 3 small flower spirits, so he extracted the flower petals and headed deeper into the Wang'an Flower Valley.

Except for humanoid monsters, few monsters drop copper coins. Zhou Yi's money was dwindling.

Entering the Wang'an Flower Valley and walking along a small path, he soon reached the high-level monster area. The level 7 flower spirits were rare special monsters at level 10. Their special ability was their charm skill, which had high experience points but average health. However, their damage was terrifying, and it was easy to be confused by their spells, turning into light and respawning at the respawn point after three seconds. They were notorious for killing new players, and Zhou Yi saw many players leveling up outside the valley but none inside, indicating that most players in the Hangu Pass area knew about the flower spirits' danger.

However, the flower spirits were the basic threshold for new players to practice their skills. Successfully killing a flower spirit without taking damage was the entry-level test for the martial lineage. Of course, if one just wanted to have fun, there was no need to provoke these monsters, as effort and reward were proportional.

A light mist drifted through the valley, and Zhou Yi felt sweat on his back. He crouched behind a tree, holding his green sword in one hand and pressing the other on the damp ground, his eyes fixed on the approaching flower spirit. He suddenly leaped forward and slashed the flower spirit's writhing roots.

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A sharp scream echoed, and nearby flower spirits heard it and screeched, moving toward Zhou Yi.

He quickly calculated the distance and time it would take for the nearest flower spirit to reach him. He slashed the flower spirit's head, rolled to the right to avoid the whip-like branches, and cut through a row of flower spirit roots, then stabbed backward without turning around. The damage numbers floated up, and his movements were smooth and efficient, a technique he had learned from countless deaths.

The "Thunder Three Strikes" was a technique he had just imitated. Although it was not as powerful as the main lineage techniques and had no skill bonuses, it was more than enough to kill a flower spirit.

He didn't pick up the materials and quickly rolled back to avoid the flower spirits' attacks, moving through the crowd. The flower spirits' whips could not be easily recovered from with a small recovery pill, and he couldn't take a single hit. This was a skill that required practice.

Avoiding direct combat and not entering the crowd were the two basic principles for surviving against monsters like the flower spirits. The specific techniques had to be learned through practice.

In his previous life, martial lineage cultivation focused on close combat and physical attacks. To survive under a boss, one had to learn from various famous martial artists, breaking down and refining techniques to create the most effective and practical methods for oneself. This was the key to martial lineage cultivation.

These skills were unforgettable, and even when the old Taoist hit him, he couldn't help but dodge, showing how ingrained they were. As for the flower spirits, they were nothing when he put in real effort.

He killed six flower spirits in a row, and as he moved, the flower spirits gradually formed a group. Zhou Yi had to temporarily retreat from the valley, eliminating the flower spirits' enmity, and then re-entered the valley. The flower spirits were scattered, and he started to move around again.

After several rounds, he killed dozens of flower spirits and reached level 7. Just as he was about to go deeper, he noticed a strange light illuminating the valley, even blocking the weak sunlight. Looking up, he saw a large purple cloud covering the sky above the Wang'an Flower Valley.

"My goodness! That celestial being must be at least a thousand miles away, how did they get here so quickly!"

The purple mist rose, vast and boundless, with a dragon-like figure within. Zhou Yi quickly put away his green sword and tried to leave quickly. If he remembered correctly, this phenomenon indicated the descent of a celestial being from the Heavenly Realm. If his guess was right, the Wang'an Flower Valley was not a safe place to stay. Staying to watch the celestial being's appearance would likely turn him to ashes before he even saw it. The celestial being's divine power would instantly destroy him, sending him back to the Hangu Pass.

This was based on experience. The "Pianyan" world was vast and boundless, with countless opportunities and many powerful beings. There was no need to be fixated on celestial beings. Millions of users started from scratch, and if one could obtain a treasure left by Guangchengzi or be taken as a disciple by a senior in Dahuang, it would be a stroke of luck. If a mere mortal could gain the favor of a celestial being, the "Pianyan" world would need to be remade.

"Hero, save me!"

Just as he reached the entrance of the flower valley, he heard a shout behind him. Zhou Yi turned around and saw a disheveled old man riding a green ox, with a well-groomed shepherd boy following. The ox moved slowly and was soon surrounded by flower spirits. The boy waved his flute, trying to drive away the flower spirits, but was confused by their illusions and lost direction.

"Random combat trigger task?"

Zhou Yi slapped his leg, thinking he had to help. Since his level was low, he wouldn't face any penalties for dying. This random combat task was a good opportunity to earn virtue points, but the purple mist above made him hesitate.

"Oh! This task must have some rewards, and even if I die, what's there to fear!"

The boy was being whipped by a group of flower spirits, but his health was not dropping quickly. The old man was also surrounded, and the flower spirits were attacking the ox and the old man, making the task NPCs look miserable.

Zhou Yi rushed in and killed a flower spirit with two quick slashes. He marveled at the high fortune, as the random combat task was a great way to gain experience. With these two NPCs drawing the attention, the other flower spirits ignored him, making it easy to farm monsters.

"Speaking of which, these two have a lot of health. They haven't lost any health in a long time. Hey! This ox is so tough, it's a real blood ox!"

As he marveled, a golden light shone on his head, and he reached level 8.

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