Yang Ling again chose Cave No. 2.
Not long after going deep, having dug for the better part of half a day, he felt something was off.
"Wrong. I've been mining all day these past days; by my earlier experience I should have leveled up by now. Why is there no sign of it?"
"Could it be that past Level 10, the experience needed jumps all at once?"
"Or do I have to successfully change class before I can keep leveling?"
He couldn't help muttering inwardly.
If a class change was required to level up, that was trouble!
He had no idea what the conditions for a class change were.
Nor did he know where he could do it.
Unless he exposed his strength, he'd have no chance of joining the Shanhe Sect.
And that would easily make people connect him to Bitter Enlightenment Temple's scripture!
He knew the people of this world weren't given to twists and turns of reasoning. With Bitter Enlightenment Temple's power, the moment they grew suspicious, they wouldn't hunt for evidence — they'd likely just kill him outright.
"Class..."
Yang Ling murmured, then went back to his digging, head down.
He'd see for himself whether he could still level up.
Soon the sun set.
Yang Ling hadn't leveled up.
He returned to the hut to practice his fist art and cultivate the Vajra Wisdom King Art.
The second day, the third, the fourth.
As always, mine by day, cultivate by night, no sleep at all.
The Vajra Wisdom King Art's experience rose at 8 a day.
The Mountain-Crushing Fist's proficiency rose about twenty a day.
After about five or six days.
Yang Ling had confirmed he couldn't level up before a class change.
"Looks like, for now, I don't need to go into the caves by day — I'll spend all my time pushing the Mountain-Crushing Fist's proficiency."
"I've saved almost 20 taels of silver too. I'll buy an identity, and keep the rest in reserve."
After that he no longer went to the caves by day, staying in the hut the whole time.
He stocked food and water, going out only to use the privy.
He cultivated the Mountain-Crushing Fist about twenty-two hours a day.
As a result, his proficiency began to soar at thirty-five or thirty-six a day.
In just a few days, his proficiency broke the 1000 mark!
「Congratulations — the Mountain-Crushing Fist has advanced to Fluent」
The game chime sounded.
A blazing warm current surged through Yang Ling.
Yang Ling's face didn't change; he kept practicing.
His fist art had gradually grown fierce.
If he willed it, every punch could mobilize his whole body's strength.
The hut was small, yet Yang Ling wove and turned nimbly within it.
Punch after punch shot out.
Surging power passed up his spine, joint by joint, and finally reached his fist.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Cracks of split air rang out one after another!
Before he knew it, he'd begun circulating the Vajra Wisdom King Art.
A casual punch seemed able to shatter the very air!
Yang Ling's mind stirred; keeping the art active, he opened the panel:
Name: Yang Ling
Class: Martial Artist
Level: 10
Strength: 32 (15+6)
Agility: 20 (15)
Spirit: 17
Martial Art: Vajra Wisdom King Art (First Glimpse)
Experience: 72/1000
Mountain-Crushing Fist (Fluent)
Proficiency: 0/10000
HP: 210
"These are simply inhuman numbers..."
"A pity this world has no shortage of inhuman people."
"Wu Que, Wang Jing, Huineng — all inhuman. Of them, Xu Qing's attributes are the most terrifying. No telling what boost he gets circulating the Shanhe Heart Method, combined with his Shanhe Saber-Draw Art and Shanhe Twelve Fists..."
"Against him, I'd probably still be no match. Compared with them, I'm still missing something crucial."
"The experience of life-or-death combat!"
A grave look crossed Yang Ling's face.
He'd always avoided fights while mining; his only life-or-death kill had been a one-sided rout.
Still, apart from Xu Qing, Huineng, and Wang Jing, he was confident he could crush Wu Que.
"A clever man never seeks out too strong an opponent."
"As long as I keep my opponent a notch weaker than me, my odds in a fight are high."
"No — why am I treating local natives as my opponents?"
Yang Ling's expression turned odd.
By rights, his true opponents were the players who'd entered 「Divine Realm」 like him.
"It's the early game now; the players aren't much of a threat. The local natives are the bigger threat."
"Treating them as opponents is fine too — it fires up my iron will to grind."
His attention returned to the matter of the Mountain-Crushing Fist's proficiency.
"The third stage, Refined, needs 10,000 proficiency."
"If my Spirit can't rise further, I gain 1.7 proficiency an hour, thirty-odd a day, no problem."
"At that rate, I'd advance in under three hundred days."
"That's the worst case. With luck, I'll have changed class by then — otherwise other players' levels will far outstrip mine, and winning chest rewards later would be a pipe dream!"
A trace of urgency rose in Yang Ling's heart.
This was an invisible contest.
The game's rewards had only so many slots.
If he fell behind, the rewards wouldn't land on him.
"Change class, push to Level 20, try to win another chest."
"As for later... not winning one is fine too. At least I'll carve out a decent standing in Divine Realm."
Before long, Yang Ling left the hut and came to Wu Que's residence.
After a vein guard announced him, he was shown to Wu Que, who wore a calm expression.
He quietly opened Wu Que's panel:
Name: Wu Que
Class: Martial Artist
Strength: 12
Agility: 8
Spirit: 3
Martial Art: Black Tiger Fist (Proficient)
"Not a shred of progress — which shows that for natives, without the boost of experience and proficiency, they truly fall far behind players."
"The Black Tiger Fist is at the Proficient level; call it a +12 Strength boost — so Wu Que's peak Strength is only 24."
"His Strength is 8 below mine."
"His Agility 12 below."
"His Spirit 14 below."
"He hasn't cultivated a heart method, so his HP can't be higher than mine — probably around 120."
Though he couldn't see a native's HP, he reckoned it wouldn't differ much from a player's.
With his experience, Yang Ling had roughly gauged Wu Que's strength.
But that reckoning didn't include the experience of life-or-death combat.
"Yang Ling, you want to buy a Qingshan City identity?"
Wu Que said mildly.
Yang Ling was all respect: "Overseer Wu, I've gathered five taels of fine silver."
"Only five? You think I don't know your mining speed?"
Wu Que smiled ambiguously.
Yang Ling lowered his head and said nothing.
"This is your identity. I'll have someone go to the Qingshan City magistrate's office to register you. Once your registry is entered, you'll be a person of Qingshan City from then on."
Wu Que took up a jade slip and wrote on it Yang Ling's name, age, and height.
Seeing this, Yang Ling quickly took out the silver he'd prepared and handed it over.
Only then did Wu Que hand him the jade slip.
"Besides, you'll need to make a trip to the Qingshan City magistrate's office in person, to have a painter make a portrait of you for the record. That way, even if the jade slip is lost or damaged, you can pay a fee to have it reissued."
"Without a portrait, this registry lapses in a month. That's the Kingdom of Zhao's rule. Understood?"
Wu Que said.
Yang Ling felt a slight chill inside. It seemed that, backward as it was, the Kingdom of Zhao did a decent job of its census.
"That matter I mentioned to you before — it's about time. We'll happen to pass through Qingshan City, so come along with me. You can stop by the magistrate's office and settle your registry on the way."
Wu Que added.
Yang Ling kept his composure: "Then I'll go back and pack first."
"Go on."
Wu Que waved a hand.
Stepping out of Wu Que's residence, a wary look crossed Yang Ling's face.
Fifth Brother's dying words were still fresh in his memory.
This so-called miners' contest might carry mortal danger!