Chapter 61: Jiang Xiaoyue's Ambition

"We're here, this is the place!" As a cultivator of no small attainment, Bai Lang naturally possessed a wide circle of acquaintances, and Zhan Yan and Zhou Hong were no exception. Thus, when the three of them arrived today, their company had grown to include three more men and another woman.

"Brother Bai," a slightly younger, white-robed cultivator remarked, casting a dubious gaze toward the direction Bai Lang was pointing. "Is this not a commoner's district? Moreover, the storefront is rather meager. How could such a paltry shop catch your discerning eye, Brother Bai?"

Though Fang Qi's internet cafe housed over fifty computers, it lacked the private booths and partitioned lounges of the cafes from his previous life. The uniform rows of connecting seats naturally saved a vast amount of space, making the storefront appear altogether insignificant when compared to truly grand establishments.

"Daoist Yu speaks the truth," chimed in a middle-aged Daoist beside the white-robed cultivator, dressed in a deep blue robe with his hair bound in a Daoist topknot. He too looked on in perplexity. "Brother Bai, you have traveled far and wide over the years and possess vast erudition. A place so highly recommended by you ought to be sufficiently novel, and yet, before us..."

He pointed at the small shop before them, his tone laced with skepticism. "Can such a little shop truly contain anything of value that even Daoist Bai would hold it in such high regard?"

Beside Zhan Yan stood a ruddy-faced, middle-aged cultivator sporting a pair of flared mustaches. His demeanor was quite stable and composed, but as the other two spoke up, he likewise directed his gaze over. It was evident that although he had not questioned it aloud, he found the matter equally astonishing.

"Senior Sister Zhou!" A somewhat naive young girl accompanied Zhou Hongying. Clearly too shy to converse with the others, she merely leaned in close to Zhou Hongying's ear, though her tone carried a distinct note of displeasure. "Did you really wake me up at the crack of dawn just to bring me to a place like this?"

Her cultivation was visibly inferior to the rest. Early this morning, she had boarded a massive spiritual vessel flying directly from Skysea City to Jiuhua City, rushing over in a flurry under the assumption that some urgent matter was afoot. How could she have guessed that this senior sister, with whom she had always been on excellent terms, would actually bring her to this...

Origins Internet Club?

What sort of situation was this?

She widened her eyes and stared intently at the small shop over and over, yet she could discern nothing extraordinary about it.

"Do you fellow Daoists perhaps distrust me?" Bai Lang laughed heartily. "I dare guarantee that you have never even dreamed of the things in this shop, let alone seen them. It is absolutely novel and thrilling!"

The several companions looked at one another. "Is it truly that marvelous?"

The middle-aged cultivator beside Zhan Yan said solemnly, "Yesterday, I did hear Brother Zhan mention that this shop possesses a miraculous spiritual artifact called a 'computer.' It is supposedly peerless in its potency; once activated, it is as though one is reborn into another world, living under a completely different identity. That does indeed sound exceedingly novel, but if that is all it is, was it truly necessary for you to be so invested, Daoist?"

"Of course it does not end there," Zhan Yan said, gently stroking his beard. "If the interesting aspects were limited to just that, I would not have recommended it to you, Brother."

Pushing open the main doors, the establishment indeed imparted a distinct sensation. The illumination within was not particularly bright, yet with the soft white light shining down from the ceiling, interwoven with the radiant glows from the various screens, it was by no means dim.

Although the interior styling incorporated a few fundamental elements of Jiuhua City, such as solid wood, flora, and fauna, the design of the tables, chairs, and apparatuses formed a completely unique aesthetic. The fusion of the two styles truly offered a refreshing and eye-opening experience.

Beholding the newcomers, Jiang Xiaoyue instantly froze. "Aren't these the same cultivators from yesterday? They actually brought several more people with them today?"

"Little girl, activate another four Diablos for us," Bai Lang greeted her with a jovial smile.

"Little... girl...?" Jiang Xiaoyue blinked her eyes repeatedly, seemingly failing to register the words at first.

"That detestable boss... now no one even gives this princess her proper title of respect..." Realization dawned upon Jiang Xiaoyue, and with a face full of tearful indignation, she grumbled, "Thirty-two crystals in total for the four activations. It is two crystals per person per hour to use the machines. May I ask how many hours you require?"

Evidently, Jiang Xiaoyue was beginning to grow quite proficient in her duties.

"Six hours, of course!" A cultivator of Bai Lang's caliber would hardly lack this small amount of money. Unless there was some truly urgent matter, they would naturally play for the full six hours.

Meanwhile, the others seized the opportunity to begin inspecting the entire internet cafe.

The cafe was indeed bustling with people, and at this hour, it was already nearly filled to capacity. Consequently, wherever one looked, players immersed in their games met the eye.

On some screens, there was a man wielding a strange spiritual artifact; each time it discharged fire, a monster would collapse.

On others, individuals brandished longswords or staves, a manner of combat far closer to their own methods.

Though they had not yet begun to touch these games themselves, connecting what they saw with their prior conversations allowed them to sense a profound savor of novelty.

Jiang Xiaoyue did not understand why it was called "activating a game." After all, she only needed to collect the money and place it in the counter, and the clients over there would naturally be able to play.

"Hmph! As long as the amount is correct, it doesn't matter anyway!" After all, there was a matter she found even more baffling, so she casually inquired while collecting the coin, "Don't you all find the items in this shop expensive?"

For something so exorbitant, it would be considered fortunate if people didn't hurl curses. Yet they actually brought more people along on the second day?

It was simply incomprehensible.

To one side, Zhan Yan and Zhou Hongying were busy imparting the basic experiences of the game to the newcomers.

Upon entering the game, the near-flawless realism of the scenery and characters struck the newcomers with an immense shock. Once they grasped the gameplay and the narrative—

"Hiss... this does indeed seem quite interesting... Let's go, let's go! Let's head out and slay a few monsters to try it!"

"Expensive?" Before the counter, Bai Lang looked at Jiang Xiaoyue with a peculiar expression, seemingly pondering why she would ask such a thing. Only after a moment did he speak, "Have you never played Diablo?"

"No, I won't play something so expensive!" Jiang Xiaoyue huffed delicately, while nursing a secret grievance in her heart. "This princess has spent all her money, where would I find the coins to play?"

"When this princess gets some money, I'll play for twelve hours a day and leave that rotten boss to sit here all by himself! Hmph!" As for the boss poisoning the game or some such nonsense, that had merely been a fleeting thought at the time; she naturally knew such a thing was unrealistic.

Furthermore, seeing everyone playing with such fiery enthusiasm these past few days only served to make her increasingly curious.

"No! If it's truly fun, I'll play. If it's not that fun, I won't let him profit off me!"

Thinking thus, the little girl felt a surge of joy. Alas, while ideals are full of substance, reality is...

Bai Lang smiled. "You'll understand once you try it."

Jiang Xiaoyue instantly withered like a frost-bitten eggplant, secretly gnashing her teeth in her heart. "No money..."

"Could it be that I truly have to cook for that detestable boss?" The thought brought another wave of tearful distress.

Meanwhile, on Bai Lang's side, they were all cultivators. With a total of seven cultivators, they naturally all chose magic-oriented classes.

The journey of seven purely magical classes venturing into the untamed wilderness—one could imagine how "beautiful" that spectacle would be using nothing but their feet.

"Ice Bolt! Ice Bolt! Daoist Zhou, cast an Ice Bolt!"

"The monster is coming for you, run quickly!"

"Old Bai, help slow it down!"

"Damn it, what sort of stamina does this sorcerer have?! I can't run anymore, hurry up and help me strike it!"

"Hold on for a bit, I have a whole swarm of Fallen Shaman right behind me!"

"Tank it for a moment!"

"Tank it your foot! Have you ever seen a sorcerer tanking monsters?"

"Holy crap! I'm dead!"

"Err... a dead Daoist is better than a dead poor priest, I'll open a town portal for you..." Bai Lang rubbed his nose sheepishly as he produced a Scroll of Town Portal.

As they gradually came to comprehend the novelty of this pastime, the newcomers also began to fall under the spell of this peculiar game. And so, a chaotic and tumultuous road of wilderness exploration commenced!