Chapter 26: Main City Lin’an

Blood Colored Poppy’s expression shifted slightly, and she said softly,

“A second-grade Flying Sword is hard to price right now, and I don’t have that much silver on me. How about I owe you all a favor, and you let me have the Jade Water Sword?”

Blood Colored Poppy spoke with such grace and honesty that no one felt she was taking advantage. Her words carried great confidence, as if her personal favor far outweighed the value of a second-grade Flying Sword at that moment.

“If you don’t believe me, I can transfer some money in real life.”

Apart from Ye Rong, everyone present had considerable wealth—at least they weren’t in a hurry to exchange equipment for real money—so they all politely declined with a smile. This left Ye Rong feeling quite frustrated. He thought, “You might not need it, but I really do! Now if I ask alone, it would be awkward, as if I don’t trust Blood Colored Poppy.”

“Haha, Blood Colored Poppy, as one of the leaders of the Herbal Hall, who wouldn’t trust your promise!”

Blue Chariot laughed heartily, and even the usually sharp-tongued Young Master Wei nodded, clearly wary of Blood Colored Poppy and not daring to mock her.

“Blue Chariot, go quickly and come back soon. We’ll wait for you in this village.”

“Of course, Misty Waters, don’t worry. Will you still join Emei in the Open Beta Test?”

“Yes.”

Misty Waters’ face remained cool and unreadable as she answered with one word and said no more.

Generally, Closed Beta players did not change their Sects easily. After three months of Closed Beta experience, sticking with a familiar Sect was much better than jumping into a completely new one. Changing Sects would put them on the same starting line as newcomers, after all.

They all added each other as friends, but when it came to Ye Rong and Young Master Wei, Ye Rong coldly stepped back, leaving Young Master Wei utterly stunned. Young Master Wei never imagined a newbie would pass up the chance to befriend him and instead challenge him so boldly.

New players were still too impulsive, he thought. Although Young Master Wei was vulgar, his strength was not to be underestimated. He wasn’t alone either—one of the Kunlun Three Heroes from the Closed Beta was his backer. Ethereal Green Robe watched coldly, observing the scene and silently noting this to himself.

Blue Chariot clasped his hands together toward the group, used an Earth Deity Talisman, and was enveloped in a yellow light before vanishing instantly.

…

Ye Rong held a map with an extremely complex layout, on which a line of small text read: “Tomb of Marquis Wu Relic Map, Page Three.”

Not long after Blue Chariot left, Blood Colored Poppy approached him and proposed swapping their task completion order, openly offering some compensation in return.

Blood Colored Poppy’s sincere attitude and earnest words made Ye Rong hesitate rather than refuse outright, and he considered the offer carefully.

The compensation she offered was one of the Tomb of Marquis Wu Relic Maps, which Ye Rong now held in his hand.

After a brief consideration, Ye Rong agreed. It wasn’t because he feared Blood Colored Poppy, but because at only level 14, even if he took the second spot to complete the task, he couldn’t use the Earth Deity Talisman immediately.

By agreeing to her request, he could earn a favor and obtain a relic map of unknown use and value, all without any loss to himself.

As Ye Rong expected, not half an hour after he reached level 15, Blue Chariot’s Hundred-Mile Voice Transmission arrived.

Now a Formal Disciple of Emei, Blue Chariot looked imposing. When he wielded his sword, purple light flashed, and with just a few strikes, he killed the Great Water Turtle, giving Ye Rong a clear demonstration of a Sect disciple’s strength.

At the same time, Blue Chariot warned Ye Rong that Young Master Wei was narrow-minded and would surely seek revenge if offended, advising Ye Rong to be careful.

Ye Rong naturally thanked him and said he understood.

As for the newly acquired Earth Deity Talisman, Ye Rong set up a stall in the Starter Village and quickly sold it for five taels of silver.

He could have gotten a higher price with more time, but Ye Rong was in a hurry to leave for the Main City. Plus, players in the Starter Village had limited silver, and there wasn’t much more to squeeze out of them.

Tearing the Earth Deity Talisman, a layer of yellow earth enveloped him. After a moment of dizziness, he opened his eyes to find himself in a completely different place.

The bluestone streets were several times wider than those in the Starter Village, lined with various shops and homes. The roads were bustling with people, filled with constant noise and excitement.

Although he knew these were ordinary life-type NPCs, Ye Rong still felt a vibrant energy, a lively atmosphere completely different from the Starter Village.

In the distance, he could faintly make out towering city walls, standing ten zhang high, grand and majestic. A winding moat flowed past, surrounding the entire city.

Ye Rong knew clearly: this was one of the nine great Main Cities of the Far Shore—Lin’an City!

In the Far Shore, there were nine Main Cities and eighteen regions in total, roughly matching real-world geography. However, the game’s world was expanded and extended several times larger than reality.

Under each of the nine Main Cities, hundreds of Starter Villages were assigned based on players’ real-life locations. Since Ye Rong lived in a small city in the Jiangnan region, he was naturally assigned under Lin’an City.

For now, Ye Rong had no time to explore the mysteries of the Main City. His only thought was how to quickly join the Qingcheng Sect and embark on the true path of cultivation. During the Closed Beta, very few players chose not to join any Sect, relying solely on their own efforts to practice techniques and Sword Art Forms left by Rogue Cultivators. Unfortunately, most struggled terribly, with few ever rising to prominence.

Without a Sect’s support, there was no clear, worry-free cultivation path. They couldn’t access the various Dao Scrolls, Flying Swords, and Magic Treasures offered by Sects. Only if they stumbled upon incredible opportunities, like obtaining treasures of Scattered Immortals, could they rise from obscurity.

Ye Rong had no intention of taking that path. He had long decided to join the Qingcheng Sect.

As for how to join a Sect, Ye Rong had already studied the official website in detail and even searched the Forum for several posts about Qingcheng Sect’s entry experiences.

Although Qingcheng wasn’t as orthodox as Emei, with its disciples all richly equipped, and not as far-reaching as Kunlun with its widespread branches and hidden influence, it was still a major Sect in the Far Shore. Compared to places like Wudang or Zhushan, it was much better—at least mid-to-upper tier, leading the second rank.

The Qingcheng Sect was located in the Sichuan Region, countless miles away from Lin’an. Flying there with a third-grade Taixuan Ice Soul Sword might take one or two months, if it even reached at all.

Fortunately, every Main City had a Qingcheng outpost with disciples stationed there, responsible for selecting and guiding new disciples, eliminating evil beings, assigning tasks, and more. What Ye Rong needed to do was quickly find that disciple and have him send him to Qingcheng.