[Idle mode has been turned off.]
[The Nightmare Fragment instance time has been advanced to six months later.]
When Bai Yi logged into the Nightmare Game again, he found himself sitting in a tavern hall, still dressed in hemp clothes, with a bamboo hat covering most of his face. The once world-renowned Hanguang Sword lay quietly on the table.
Accompanying it was a table full of fine wine and delicacies.
The sounds of patrons drinking and chatting constantly filled the air around him.
Their excited and chaotic mental waves were like a ball of yarn that had been rolled around by a cat on the floor and tangled into knots, all rushing into Bai Yi’s mind.
Countless streams of information were gathered together by him.
Bai Yi pulled open the invisible game panel before his eyes, and line after line of historical information from the idle period scrolled past.
[At the Immortal Spiritual Conference, the appearance of the nameless person in a bamboo hat opened up ideas for everyone, allowing a group of NPCs to witness an unprecedented prospect for immortal cultivation. Frenzy +1+1+1…]
[Your character Pei Hefeng was awarded glorious titles such as “Guide to Immortal Cultivation”, “Teacher of a Hundred Generations”, “Ancestor of the Way”, and so on.][Under your influence, your character Pei Hefeng opened the door to a new world, self-taught strange characteristics such as “Bewitching People”, “Thought Induction”, “Talking Nonsense”, “Convincing with Reason”, and developed a strong interest in deceiving and misleading people.]
[Character fate progression in progress.]
[In the first month of being left to his own devices, your character Pei Hefeng’s speech at the Immortal Spiritual Conference was widely spread, expanding to three nearby counties, with the number of followers constantly growing.]
[In the second month of being left to his own devices, your character Pei Hefeng was invited to participate in perfecting the basic breathing technique of the immortal cultivation system, gaining the favor of the master of Baixue Mountain Villa, and becoming an honored guest there. Your character Pei Hefeng attempted to practice the basic breathing technique without success, but through dietary supplements, he absorbed spiritual energy to refine his physical body, pretending to have succeeded in cultivation, and successfully refined his body.]
[In the third month of being left to his own devices, at the earnest and repeated invitation of the Supreme Elder of Qiongshan Sect, your character Pei Hefeng participated in a private small Immortal Spiritual meeting held by a group of special NPCs. With his identity as a cultivation failure, he guided the world, instructing a group of cultivation geniuses, and jointly created the initial version of the immortal cultivation system suitable for this world.]
[In the third month of being left to his own devices, your character Pei Hefeng had successfully infiltrated the enemy’s inner circle, becoming an undercover boss, viewed as a close friend and reliable mentor by the top batch of cultivation geniuses, a selfless guide, and a mysterious pathfinder. Under the guidance of your character Pei Hefeng, they strived upwards, breaking through the threshold of immortal cultivation one after another, advancing towards higher realms.]
……
[In the fifth month of being left to his own devices, your character Pei Hefeng, under the alias Pei Qiuxian, had thoroughly become famous throughout the world, sparking a cultivation frenzy across the land, known to all within the four seas. The popularized immortal cultivation system and basic breathing technique were highly praised in the martial world. Apart from those immune to spiritual energy, people all over the world abandoned martial arts for immortal cultivation!]
[In the sixth month of being left to his own devices, your character was invited to the northern seashore to witness the young sect master of the North Sea Sword Sect break through the stage of Qi Refining and Body Tempering, entering a brand new realm of cultivation.]
The noise in the tavern was incessant. Outside, the streets were also crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder.
These were all “cultivators” who had traveled from far and wide upon hearing the news that the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect was about to break through.
Of course, given their level, if they were to call themselves cultivators in a real world of immortal cultivation, it would be laughable.
As the sun rose in the sky, people began to move towards the towering, endless snow-capped mountains outside the city.
The entrance to the North Sea Sword Sect lay deep within those majestic snow mountains.
At the peak of the highest snow mountain, a figure had been sitting for a long time. He had white clothes and black hair, with a young and handsome face, exuding an aura of serenity and indifference.
Figures flitted between the continuous snow mountains, coming from all directions towards the peak. The seated young man seemed unaware of everything around him, eyes closed, his aura gradually merging with the surrounding environment.
The moment his aura completely harmonized, the young man suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright. He recited in a casual tone:
“For twenty years I’ve been in confusion, today I finally know who I am!”
As his words fell, a powerful aura burst from him, as if some invisible shackle had been broken.
The look in his eyes became increasingly detached and ethereal, as if his entire soul had left his body and floated up to the high heavens.
All the onlookers were stunned.
“Is this what a true immortal cultivator is like?” someone exclaimed in shock and admiration, “Enlightenment and breakthrough, seeking immortality?”
“Yes! This must be the legendary ‘enlightenment’ and ‘sudden realization’! They say the biggest difference between immortal cultivation and martial arts is that, besides tempering the body, cultivators must constantly comprehend the great principles of heaven and earth to break through realms,” someone sighed. “I fear I have no hope in this lifetime!”
“…Young Master Qiu is truly a rare talent in the world, he actually succeeded! This aptitude and comprehension ability is unparalleled in the current age!”
The spectators’ feelings of amazement and envy need not be mentioned. A trace of longing appeared in their eyes, fantasizing that in the near future, they too could be like this, with a chance to become immortals.
Just then, someone called out, “Wait, something’s not right. Everyone, quick, look at Young Master Qiu’s face!”
Startled by this voice, everyone looked.
They saw that the originally serene and handsome face now showed signs of distortion. Amidst the flying snow, various emotions flashed through the young man’s once detached and pure eyes – anger, sorrow, resentment, wild joy, fear, struggle… finally turning into a chaotic and crazy deep black, like the gates of an abyss opening, with countless demons about to crawl out from his eyes!
“Stop it, stop it, stop it, get out of my head!” he suddenly started pounding his head violently.
“Get out, get out, get out—”
To everyone’s astonishment, he lost control and shouted, his aura instantly falling into chaos. Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The wind howled, and cries of alarm rose around. The young man clutched his head, rolling on the ground in agony.
“What’s happening? What’s going on?”
“Is it a failed breakthrough? Did something go wrong?”
“Ah— Help! Young Master Qiu has gone into qi deviation!”
Violent sword qi surged around, accompanied by screams and shouts. The young man in white had drawn his sword at some point and began killing indiscriminately.
Fortunately, many experts were present among those invited. After the initial surprise, they acted quickly, working together to restrain him, finally calming the situation.
“Alas, how could this happen!” These top experts who intervened were also among those with the strongest aptitude for immortal cultivation in this world. They had all contributed to the current basic breathing technique and cultivation system. They had come to witness the North Sea Sword Sect’s young master’s successful breakthrough, to validate their path of immortal cultivation. They never expected such an incident and were at a loss for what to do.
“Let me take a look.” A figure emerged from the crowd, approaching the young man who was restrained but still in a state of chaotic madness. He was immediately recognized.
“When did Fellow Cultivator Pei arrive? We didn’t even notice!” Upon seeing him, the perplexed crowd showed signs of delight. “Do you have a way to quell his qi deviation?”
“This is likely not ordinary qi deviation, but rather a mishap while comprehending the Heavenly Dao,” Bai Yi spoke softly from under his bamboo hat.
After some examination, he muttered in a puzzled tone. “How could this be? If it were an error in the internal meridian pathways while absorbing spiritual energy, it would be understandable. With the magnificent Heavenly Dao above, one either comprehends or doesn’t. Even a failed comprehension shouldn’t lead to demonic deviation!”
“…Unless, there’s a problem with the Dao itself.”
He mumbled almost inaudibly, then suddenly seemed to snap out of his contemplation, quickly shaking his head. “No, no, no, I must be overthinking!”
But the highly skilled individuals around him, all with keen senses, caught that barely perceptible sentence.
And in an instant, they understood its implications.
!!!
For a moment, everyone seemed to be struck by a great terror, their breathing faltering.
“No, no, no, that’s impossible!” They too shook their heads internally, completely dispelling that absurd notion.
Everyone’s attention returned to the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect. The urgent matter at hand was to escort him back to the North Sea Sword Sect and find a way to help him recover quickly.
……
The events on the snow mountain left everyone terrified and shocked.
Bai Yi, however, was quite cheerful.
He started humming a tune again.
At this moment, he felt unprecedentedly refreshed!
The earlier incident was, of course, Bai Yi’s mischief!
As for how he accomplished it, it was related to the fragment of the Principle of All Things in his possession—
According to the information Bai Yi obtained from the game system, the fragment of the Principle of All Things could upgrade any skill, card, talent, or item, and could also be exchanged for Nightmare Crystals. It was essentially omnipotent within the game system.
So, he made a reasonable guess.
— Isn’t this just like a universal modifier in online games? It can freely add attribute points, modify skills, items, and so on. It’s truly a game-breaking equipment beyond the ordinary!
At that time, when he tried to use the fragment of the Principle of All Things to upgrade his talent “Rhythm of All Things,” the system refused, saying it couldn’t be done. So, what if instead of an upgrade, he made some small modifications?
Bai Yi proposed his request to the system—
“‘Rhythm of All Things’ can only passively receive the life rhythms from all things in the world. If we integrate a fragment of the Principle of All Things, could we build an invisible web of thoughts connecting all things in the world based on ‘Rhythm of All Things’…”
At this point, the color in his pupils deepened.
“—Previously, those people input to me one-way, now, I want to make this web of thoughts bidirectional~”
[After evaluation, the player’s idea is feasible.]
[Do you confirm using the fragment of the Principle of All Things to modify ‘Rhythm of All Things’ and derive ‘Web of Thoughts’?]
“Eh? It really can be done?”
Bai Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise, then lifted the corners of his mouth high. “Do you need to ask? Of course I confirm!”
…..
Fierce winds swept across the snow mountain peak, snowflakes flying everywhere.
A cheerful tune drifted through the air as a figure walked through the wind and snow, his snow-white hemp clothes seeming to merge with the blizzard.
Under the inconspicuous bamboo hat, his lips curled into a wild grin.
At this moment, an invisible web of thoughts permeated between heaven and earth, constantly expanding outward with him at its center.
The mental waves of countless people around him converged towards him, and with a single thought, he could spread them out again through this invisible web of thoughts.
On this invisible network, one thread was particularly tight, with the other end connected to the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect. At the moment of his breakthrough, Bai Yi had stuffed a large amount of chaotic thoughts onto this line.
As a result, that guy’s CPU overloaded and he became confused.
“Tsk.” Bai Yi expressed great disappointment at this, “Weakling!”
Over the years, the mental waves input into his head one-way were far more than this, and wasn’t he still fine?
Bai Yi stopped the continuous flow of mental waves into that line, lest he really burst that weakling’s brain.
— What was already in his head now was enough to keep him confused for a while. At least let others understand what happened.
……
A full half month passed before the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect gradually recovered from his previous chaotic and crazy state.
When others came to visit, he fearfully described the situation during his breakthrough:
“At that time, I emptied my mind, sinking into a state of no thought, feeling my spirit infinitely elevated, my soul thoroughly merging with heaven and earth. I was initially joyful. Who knew that next, it would be like sinking into a quagmire. In this world, there seemed to be endless demonic sounds, boundless delusions, infinite sorrows and hatreds, as if transformed into countless faces, filling all directions of heaven and earth.”
— And his emptied mind was like a naked person stripped of outer clothing, suddenly plunged into endless mire, disturbed by countless random thoughts, as if thousands of people were talking in his mind. How could he not break down?
Others who heard this exclaimed. “This immortal cultivation is truly inconceivable, and comprehending the Dao is fraught with difficulties!”
However, failing the first breakthrough attempt wasn’t a big deal. With experience, perhaps the next time would be smooth.
They were encouraging him to keep trying when the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect waved his hands. “No, no, forget it. I think I might have some misunderstanding about the path of immortal cultivation. I’m not a cultivation genius! My talent is in martial arts!”
The subsequent conversation among the crowd became:
“Believe in yourself, you can do it!”
“No, no, no, no, I really can’t!”
After this exchange, the crowd could only leave in disappointment.
The pale-faced young master of the North Sea Sword Sect heaved a long sigh of relief.
Even now, he hadn’t fully recovered. He still felt like there was a lot of sludge in his head that hadn’t been poured out, his mind in complete chaos.
If this happened again, it might cost him his life!
“I never expected Young Master Qiu to be so cowardly!” Someone cursed disappointedly after leaving the North Sea Sword Sect. “Cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao should be about facing challenges head-on. To give up after one failure, how can one achieve great things!”
“Don’t you agree, Fellow Cultivator Pei?”
Bai Yi, being addressed, let out an “Ah” and replied, “Your words are most correct. I wonder if you would like to be the pioneer in this path?”
“Cough, this old man’s aptitude is dull…” The person laughed it off.
Bai Yi immediately let out a long sigh of disappointment.
…What happened to facing challenges head-on?
He now just hoped that everyone in the world would quickly start cultivating and actively connect to his web of thoughts.
It would be perfect to thoroughly pour out all the black sludge accumulated in his head over these seventeen years, like a big clean-up!
— The more he thought about it, the happier he became.
[On the seventh day of the second month, the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect, having perfected Qi Refining and Body Tempering, attempted to comprehend the Heavenly Dao on the North Sea Snow Peak, aiming to break through Qi Refining and directly reach Foundation Building. However, he fell into qi deviation and went mad on the spot. All observers were shocked and terrified, hesitation growing in their hearts.]
[On the fourteenth day of the fourth month, the master of Taixu Sect went into closed-door cultivation to break through, but fell into qi deviation in the secret chamber. When discovered, he had already taken his own life, the chamber in disarray. The news spread, causing an uproar in the martial world.]
[On the twenty-seventh day of the fourth month, Elder Li of the Canglang Sect, seeing his lifespan nearing its end, attempted to break through Qi Refining to extend his life. However, he fell into qi deviation while comprehending the Dao, went mad, and seriously injured seven disciples. He passed away in confusion shortly after, when his time came.]
[On the eighth day of the sixth month…]
…
[Starting with the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect, all cultivators who perfected Qi Refining and attempted to break through to the next realm invariably fell into qi deviation and lost control while comprehending the Dao.]
[In this era of spiritual energy resurgence, this group of fastest-progressing cultivators were precisely those bearing the great luck of this world’s immortal path, the most outstanding cultivation prodigies.]
[They should have been exploring the path of immortal cultivation, laying the foundation for tens of thousands of generations to come, becoming the pioneers for future cultivators. Now, however, their dao hearts were completely destroyed, and they avoided the path of immortal cultivation like the plague.]
[— You have successfully altered this world’s predetermined fate, changing the history of the Nightmare Fragment instance from its source.]
“Mad, mad, they’ve all gone mad!”
Under Bai Yi’s mischief, these horrifying “tragedies” made the entire martial world tremble.
— Who would still want to cultivate immortality? The more they cultivated, the madder they became. It was life-threatening!
He then subtly spread the concept of “Outer Realm Demons.” He let people know that such entities existed, supposedly found in records from some ancient texts.
Before long, the NPCs of this world lived up to his expectations and reasonably filled in the blanks—
“This must be the legendary Outer Realm Demons at work!”
“What heavenly spiritual energy? It’s clearly demonic energy! The Outer Realm Demons must be deliberately spreading demonic energy, attempting to infiltrate this world and turn everyone into their slaves!”
“It must be so without a doubt. This world has never heard of any immortal spiritual energy since ancient times. The martial way is the righteous path passed down for generations. What immortal cultivation? Nonsense, heresy! It’s the way of the Outer Realm Demons! That being the case, those who cultivate immortality must face heavenly punishment! This is the Heavenly Dao’s intolerance!”
“The martial way is favored by the Heavenly Dao. I will abandon immortal cultivation and practice martial arts!”
Some even quoted the classic words of the young master of the North Sea Sword Sect, making such declarations—
“What immortal cultivation genius? I’m not an immortal cultivation genius! My talent is in martial arts!”
“I will forever love the martial way! The martial way is eternal!”
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