Chapter 50: Come Play Tomorrow

When all is said and done, what was the ultimate purpose of cultivating immortality, practicing martial arts, and advancing one's cultivation?

Having walked the martial path for centuries and the path of cultivation for millennia, who would willingly choose to see themselves grow old and decrepit, their physical power failing their will, if given a choice?

To transform from a withered, dying old man back into a youth bursting with physical vitality, reversing the aging process to return to the prime of one's years—this was an obsession that even ancient philosophers, famous for thousands of years, had failed to see through, let alone Nalan Hongwu.

It was no wonder that even Nalan Hongwu found it somewhat difficult to suppress the roiling emotions in his heart.

Several tens of minutes later.

"Old Master, you've been fighting for ages, so why haven't you allocated any of your points?" Generally speaking, the players in the internet cafe were mostly young people like him, with at most a few middle-aged folk. Where had anyone ever seen an elder of such an advanced age running to an internet cafe to play games?

Thus, out of pure curiosity, An Cheng and the others had glanced over from behind for a bit.

"Old Master, you haven't assigned any skill points either. Are you just using basic attacks the whole time?"

"What attribute points? What skill points?" Nalan Hongwu was in the thick of a thrilling slaughter. "You youngsters, do not disturb this old master, or else beware lest I throw you all out!"

The faces of An Cheng and his companions instantly darkened. "We kindly reminded you two old men to learn martial techniques, and yet you want to throw us out?"

"Learn what martial techniques?!" Having relied entirely on basic attacks the whole way, Nalan Hongwu blew at his beard and stared in disdain. "This old master knows countless martial techniques. Do I still need to learn others?!"

"Scram, scram, scram! Whichever family's brat you are, do not disturb this grandfather's enjoyment!" Elder Fu shouted in reprimand repeatedly.

An Cheng: "..."

Ouyang Cheng: "..."

Bu Che: "..."

After another period of time had passed...

"Old Fu, have you noticed? Why do the monsters here seem to be getting more and more formidable?" On the screen, Nalan Hongwu looked thoroughly disheveled and covered in dust.

"Gulp... Gulp..." Elder Fu, who had only a sliver of health left, was frantically chugging potions...

And on Nalan Hongwu’s screen, a blue Rakanishu, crackling all over with electricity, led a swarm of Carvers, crying "Rakanishu!" as it chased them relentlessly!

"Could it be that this old master's life is fated to end here today?!" Nalan Hongwu shouted. "Old Fu, retreat first! Right now our internal energy is insufficient. Let this old master return and train for ten years, and after my cultivation makes great strides, I shall return to trouble this monster again!"

"..."

After playing for a while himself, Fang Qi was just about to go out and get something to eat. Turning his head, he discovered that on the screens of the two old men, their characters were sitting inside an inn room, cross-legged and in a meditative posture, facing the sky with their five centers.

"???" Fang Qi walked over, thoroughly baffled. "I say, Old Master, your health and mana are completely full, so why are you meditating?"

"Shoo, shoo, shoo! This old master just encountered a formidable monster named Rakanishu." Nalan Hongwu was extremely displeased by Fang Qi’s sudden interruption, snorting coldly. "By this old master’s estimation, to defeat it, one must have at least another ten years of cultivation! Let this old master practice my skills for ten years first!"

Elder Fu sneered darkly. "If not for the fact that striking this monster with a sword causes a vast expanse of lightning to burst from its body, forcing us to resist it directly with our cultivation, the two of us would not have been brought to this point by our own abilities!"

"WTF???" This time, it was Fang Qi’s turn to be dumbfounded.

You fucking need to train for ten years to fight Rakanishu?!

Who permitted you to be this arrogant?!

"Why has this kid stopped talking?"

"Presumably because he has never seen such a formidable monster before?"

"..." Fang Qi gave the two of them a deep look. "A minor boss that others could swat to death with their eyes closed, and you plan to fight it for ten years? Are you certain you're being serious?"

The two froze for a moment, seemingly realizing that something was a bit off as well. Training for ten years just to play a game?

However, they had only just clashed with that monster. Given their current strength, if placed in the real world, dealing with that kind of monster would indeed require at least another ten years of training. There seemed to be nothing wrong with that logic, right?

Yet Fang Qi actually said that this kind of monster could be swatted to death with one's eyes closed?!

One had to know that the two of them had nearly been swatted to death by the monster without even wearing it down!

Fang Qi actually had the audacity to boast that it could be swatted to death with closed eyes?!

Nalan Hongwu's face darkened, and he turned his head coldly. "Very well, you kid show us then, how to swat this monster to death with your eyes closed! What if you fail to swat it to death?"

Fang Qi’s face twitched. I am already level 18. For a minor boss that can be hacked to death at level three or four, you're asking me what happens if I can't swat it to death with my eyes closed?

"How about a bet?"

Nalan Hongwu bared his teeth; it had been a very long time since he had encountered such a daring young man. "Exactly what this old master intends! This old master will not bully you either. If you lose, summon that cultivator behind you, and this old master shall have a word with him! As for you, scram back to wherever you came from!"

Fang Qi’s face grew increasingly dark. How could this old man speak like that?

"And what if you lose?" Fang Qi said displeasedly.

"This old master, lose?!" Nalan Hongwu’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had witnessed the formidability of that Rakanishu. Setting aside the fact that his strength in the game was restricted, even in reality, given Fang Qi’s age, no matter how high his cultivation was, it would be impossible for him to escape alive from amidst so many Carvers!

"There is always a one-in-a-million chance for everything, is there not?" Fang Qi rolled his eyes. "If you lose, in the future, make less of a ruckus and stop shouting in this shop. Treat others the same as any customer, with equal status."

Nalan Hongwu was stunned. He actually made this kind of request?!

He had originally thought that given his status, the other party’s demand would at least be a noble title, a reward, or something similar.

Even if his identity hadn't been discerned, the kid should have at least asked for a few thousand spirit crystals or the like. He had not expected Fang Qi’s request to be so simple.

Without a second thought, Nalan Hongwu agreed, "This old master promises you then!"

"Come over and watch for yourselves." Fang Qi sat back in his own seat, logging onto his level 18 Paladin, and teleported to the Stony Field.

"Yours is also a Paladin?" Seeing that Fang Qi was also playing a Paladin, the two became even more disdainful.

Since both of them were playing Paladins as well, they naturally understood the "strength" of a Paladin even better.

Immediately afterward, the two watched as Fang Qi charged straight into the cluster of monsters.

"Is this kid seeking death?!" Charging directly into a mob of monsters was, to them, indeed no different from seeking death.

But before the words could be fully spoken, the two witnessed a scene that left them completely dumbstruck!

They watched as Fang Qi truly closed his eyes, and immediately following that, one glowing hammer after another manifested around Fang Qi’s body, beginning to spin with him as the center!

One, two, three...

In mere moments, a large quantity of glowing hammers transformed into a storm of light around Fang Qi!

"Rakanishu!"

Countless surrounding Carvers shrieked as they collapsed to the ground, and with a thunderous boom!

Rakanishu’s corpse violently exploded apart!

A massive burst of items!

By the time Fang Qi opened his eyes, there was nothing left around him except a floor covered in corpses!

Nalan Hongwu: "..."

Elder Fu: "..."

This fucking thing is a Paladin too?!

Then what on earth were they playing?!

"What were those glowing hammers just now? How come this old master has never seen them?!" Nalan Hongwu’s old face flushed red, finally realizing the fact that he had actually lost a bet to such a junior.

Fortunately, he had not revealed his identity just now. Otherwise, if word got out that the patriarch of an ancient family, the Prince Nalan, had lost a bet to an underage brat, he would truly lose all face imaginable!

Yet, remembering the words he had spoken earlier, Nalan Hongwu’s face still turned a deep shade of crimson!

Slapped in the face within minutes!

He glanced at Fang Qi, noting that the youth seemed entirely unbothered by the matter.

"Does the kid actually possess some modicum of magnanimity?" Finding that Fang Qi wasn't digging his heels in, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Fang Qi opened the skill tree and pointed at Blessed Hammer. "Isn't it just this thing? Once you reach level 18, just click right here to learn it."

By the time the two of them had allocated their skill and attribute points according to Fang Qi's explanation, they had also equipped a few pieces of blue gear.

"...Can martial techniques really be trained this way?!"

"And growing one's strength only requires leveling up and adding attribute points?"

"Who on earth conceived this..." In that fleeting instant, Nalan Hongwu felt as though he had suddenly leaped from antiquity straight into the modern era, walking at the very vanguard of the age!

To think he had previously doubted whether such an epoch-making, advanced artifact could satisfy him!

"Old Fu! Come with me now to slaughter that monster! I shall teach it the consequences of hunting me down!" Just as the two of them had finally grown familiar with the game's mechanics and were eagerly itching to dive back in.

"Furthermore, your playtime has reached its limit," Fang Qi said nonchalantly. "If you wish to play, please return tomorrow."

Nalan Hongwu was dumbfounded.

What had he just been thinking? That this kid possessed good magnanimity?

Just when his profound interest had been piqued and he was ready to make a grand showing, the boy actually hit him with a time limit?!

Nalan Hongwu felt fit to spit blood!

Is he intentionally playing with me?!

He felt an immediate urge to draw his blade and hack the boy down on the spot.

.