Chapter 245: Miss, Want to Join the Guild?

Speaking of the shopkeeper, he was truly a piece of work, casting people aside outside and ignoring them completely! Returning all by himself just to strike down some spiders!

"By the way, why did those people leave?" Ruan Ning gestured toward the departing Huang Shan and his companions, asking, "Could it be they discovered that this item of yours isn't actually that formidable?"

"Sister Ruan..." Zou Mo pointed to the small blackboard, his forehead heavily lined with dark streaks as he said, "Each person can only play for six hours. Once time is up, the shopkeeper drives them away... He wouldn't even let them add more money!"

Zou Mo also felt that his own shopkeeper's way of doing business was somewhat treacherous. Though the product was indeed exceptional, one could not behave in such a manner, could they? Putting aside whether he made a profit or not, what would he do if he infuriated all the customers?

Was he going to beat them all out, one by one?

Ruan Ning: "..."

"Hmph! Conducting business like this, I reckon they won't return tomorrow!" Ruan Ning felt that while this thing could accelerate cultivation, and that was well and good, who didn't possess something to accelerate cultivation? If nothing else, the spiritual meals and spiritual medicines she consumed daily could quicken her training!

Not to mention there was a specialized Grand Spirit-Gathering Formation within this city, along with training chambers constructed from stacked spiritual stones, yielding an even swifter cultivation effect!

There were even more formidable methods within the Inner City!

Coupled with certain unorthodox and sinister methods like Blood Elixirs, which could refine the essence, blood, and cultivation of others into medicinal pills—consuming just one would cause one's power to surge violently, albeit with a few side effects!

Speaking of which, methods to rapidly elevate one's cultivation abounded in this city. What was found in Fang Qi's shop, even if the method was somewhat peculiar, was nothing to be surprised about!

Thus, she believed that with Fang Qi refusing to let people stay, wouldn't they simply go elsewhere to cultivate tomorrow?

Just as she harbored this thought, Xiao Mo beside her dealt another blow: "Sister Ruan, I just overheard those few men quietly discussing something... asking to borrow some people from someone named Tao-something, so they could continue playing!"

Ruan Ning nearly tripped and fell face-first onto the ground!

Borrowing people just to come and play?!

"Tao-what?!" Ruan Ning's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately thought of a figure who possessed a fair share of influence. After all, there were not many surnamed Tao in this vicinity.

It was one thing to play by oneself, but what was the meaning of borrowing people to come and play?

Could it be solely for the sake of hacking those few people to death?!

They were not fools. Without any benefits, would they hurl massive sums of money into this place just to avenge some illusory grievance?

Once or twice might pass, but now it had escalated to the point of borrowing people from others?!

She suddenly felt that something was amiss, staring intently at Fang Qi with a suspicious glare, scanning him over and over.

Fang Qi was absorbed in the game: "Xiaoyue! Cast a Heal! Lure another spider over here! Right, right, right! Chop this head off first!"

He had absolutely no time to pay her any mind.

"Let me try this 'Legend' thing! How much is it?!" Once curiosity sprouted within a girl's heart...

She finally could contain herself no longer, drawing from her purse and placing the coins upon the table!

"Sister Ruan, aren't you going to watch your shop?"

"Closing early today!" Ruan Ning roared like a bristling cat.

Then, she sat down beside him with an aggressive, wide-legged stance: "I shall sit right here in your shop and watch to see when it gets smashed to pieces by others!"

She actually knew how to play this, having watched Huang Shan play for a long time beforehand.

She selected a Mage. As for the name, having seen Huang Shan and the others use aliases before, she simply decided to choose an alias for herself as well.

Ning Shuang

Just after she finished naming her character, she noticed Fang Qi staring directly at her screen.

"What?"

"I think changing it to 'Wrath Slasher' would be more domineering, young lady," Fang Qi said earnestly. "Or perhaps changing it to 'Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Frost' wouldn't be bad either."

"What Wrath Slasher, what Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Frost?" Ruan Ning rolled her eyes at him testily, entered the game, and then, brimming with immense curiosity, dashed straight outside the village to catch chickens.

After hacking several chickens to death, she discovered: "What is going on...? The growth of cultivation within my body... actually doesn't require my own refinement at all?!"

"How can it be so pure?!" She felt it was utterly inconceivable. One had to know that although there were many methods to accelerate cultivation in this city, no matter which one it was, the newly added spiritual energy within the body always required continuous refinement before it could be fully utilized for oneself!

Yet the cultivation obtained here was incomparably pure, devoid of any impurities whatsoever! It hardly required any refinement and could almost be directly utilized for oneself!

Not only that, but the speed of elevation was also extremely rapid!

"How is this possible?!" In her heart, she was so startled she could barely speak. Although there were plenty of bizarre things in this city, she had never seen a method with such a brilliant effect on elevating cultivation!

Even those grand masters in the Inner City, whom she had only ever heard of but never seen in person—their methods of cultivation probably weren't this shocking, right?!

At least the spiritual energy they obtained had to undergo multiple rounds of refinement!

Yet the spiritual energy obtained here was actually so profoundly pure that, without any refinement at all, it was purer than the spiritual energy others refined with meticulous care?!

It was simply too incredible!

Thinking this way, she continued to slay monsters, harvesting venison and chicken meat.

Animals did not drop coins; only monsters like Scarecrows and Rake Cats dropped money, and generally not much. Hunting wild beast meat was the sole source of funds in the early stages.

...

The Jiuhua City Shop.

Wang Qiang had just been dragged in to play this new game. He was, after all, an elite of the Jiuhua Army, so he did not lack funds, though his hands were a bit tight at the moment.

"Shall we go hunt some venison?" There were several people with him, and at this moment, everyone's hands were beginning to grow tight.

As the few of them were discussing this, having just found a deer, they saw a girl who hadn't even reached level seven rush out from the nearby woods, cleanly and swiftly hacking the deer down to the ground.

"Hmm...?" The few of them suddenly recalled the incident where those people had killed someone and caused Vice Commander Gong's entire backpack of items to drop, and their hearts stirred. "How about we...?"

"That might not be right... Qiangzi, we see each other all the time in this internet cafe..." another person advised.

"What's not right! She doesn't know who I am!" Wang Qiang spoke up. "Even if she finds out, I'm using an alias in the game! Can she find me?"

"Besides, she might be someone from that Morning Star Sea side. Vice Commander Gong said to kill anyone from that side on sight!"

With these words, a wicked courage finally grew from their desperation, and they rushed forward, each delivering a strike with their swords!

"Ah—!"

A sharp scream!

Looking at the Ruan Ning on the screen, who had dropped venison all over the ground upon her death, she flew into a towering rage on the spot: "What kind of trash is this?! You son of a bitch who lacks an asshole! Why did you suddenly ambush me!"

Although the severe pain sensation in Legend could be adjusted to its lowest setting of twenty percent, it was still very painful! The pain made Ruan Ning grimace.

Most importantly, the venison she had painstakingly gathered for so long had dropped in large quantities!

"What are you shouting and making a fuss about?" She was sitting right next to Fang Qi, and Fang Qi instantly felt a massive wave of noise pollution!

"I was killed and looted by someone! A lot of my venison dropped!"

Immediately following that, she resurrected, her eyes crimson as she charged back to retaliate.

"Qiangzi, that little wench is back again."

A flurry of wild thrashing.

"Ah—!"

A sharp, piercing scream resounded as she dropped her items once more.

After dropping her items, she discovered that Fang Qi was standing right beside the computer, watching!

Watching!!

This outrageous behavior made her grit her teeth in sheer vexation, but what infuriated her even more was discovering that Fang Qi had already reached level 14, soaring far ahead of the others: "Couldn't you have come over to help?!"

Fang Qi pointed toward a certain Dragon-Slaying Saber badge just outside the door, baring a mouthful of white teeth in a thoroughly amiable smile: "My lady, care to join our guild?"

.