As the shattered particles of light reassembled into form, the scene before Yin Huaichen transformed once more.
An indescribably magnificent city came into view.
It was a city that blended Eastern classical aesthetics with futuristic design. Splendid structures floated in the air, morning light shattering across sweeping eaves and intricate brackets. Crimson steam surged from beneath rows upon rows of buildings, supporting nine tiered, octagonal structures that rotated slowly.
A colossal central tower pierced through the clouds. Interwoven steam pipelines stretched in all directions, silver white condensation seeping from their seams. Bronze bells hung from the eaves, swaying gently amid the vast white mist. Ancient architectural styles fused seamlessly with steampunk elements, forming a breathtaking scene.
A warm wind carrying the scent of rust blew toward him. If he hadn’t known in advance that this was a game, Yin Huaichen would have been unable to distinguish it from reality yet at the same time, it felt unmistakably like something born of imagination, leaving him momentarily dazed.
“Holy crap, this is a game?”
“As expected of something developed by the central system… the realism is insane! It completely crushes every other full dive game on the market!”
“But I don’t quite get it, is this modern or ancient?”
“Didn’t read the official guide, huh? It clearly says it’s a steampunk fantasy setting that blends ancient and modern elements. Otherwise, how would you have classes like Arcanists and Mechanists?”
The bustling chatter reached his ears. Snapping out of his initial shock, Yin Huaichen realized he was standing on a street within the city.
This was a player spawn zone, one of many scattered throughout the city.
Beams of blue light representing players entering the game continued to descend from the distance. The entire city, like some colossal mechanical beast in operation, seemed to gain a touch of vitality with the arrival of players.
Yin Huaichen had read the guidebook beforehand and knew that this city was merely the equivalent of a “beginner village.” However, the scale and level of detail here were already comparable to the main cities in most full dive games on the market and there were thousands upon thousands of such “beginner villages” scattered across the world…
To support a virtual world of such immense scale, one that even surpassed reality itself, there was likely no server in the entire Federation capable of handling it, aside from the central system.
Those who logged in right at launch were mostly players eager to stay ahead in progression. After the initial wave of astonishment, the surrounding players hurried off without delay, rushing to find quests or level up.
Yin Huaichen, however, was in no rush at all. He strolled leisurely through this “beginner village” known as Thousand Mechanisms City.
When he entered the game, he had been randomly assigned to Canglan Continent.
A bit of a pity. In his previous life, Wuchang Palace had been located on the far side of the mainland, in Penglai Continent. Transportation back then had not been convenient and Yin Huaichen had rarely ever left Penglai. As a result, he knew very little about Canglan.
But after wandering around for a while, he became increasingly certain that this game was intricately connected to his previous world. Aside from architectural elements bearing the hallmarks of this era, he even recognized certain sects within Thousand Mechanisms City.
Whether Eternity had been built using his original world as a blueprint or not, the familiar elements around him gradually brightened his mood.
Ever since he had been diagnosed with neurogenic myasthenic degeneration at sixteen, Yin Huaichen had almost forgotten what it felt like to possess a healthy body.
Now, with his consciousness immersed in the full dive game, the virtual body created through cutting edge technology carried no discomfort at all, no sharp pain from protesting nerves with even the slightest movement.
This sense of freedom, the ability to run and jump at will… only someone who had been ill could truly understand it.
Somewhere along the roadside, Yin Huaichen casually plucked a blade of foxtail grass and held it between his lips. While others raced against time in the critical early stage of the game’s launch, he spent half an hour leisurely exploring, gradually familiarizing himself with his surroundings and this healthy, energetic body. Only then did he open the map and locate his next destination.
In Eternity, classes such as Martial Artist, Arcanist and Mechanist belonged to broad archetypes. After choosing a class, players still needed to join specific sects to learn skills. Even among players of the same class, differences in sect affiliation would lead to entirely distinct skill sets and combat styles. This was one of the game’s defining features.
A map composed of blue virtual lines unfolded in the air before him. According to it, the nearest sect to his current location was the Cangming Sword Sect.
In the era of his previous life, the Cangming Sword Sect had already been a well established orthodox sect. When its fourth generation sect master took office, he had even paid a visit to Wuchang Palace.
Now, the Cangming Sword Sect had become a central pillar of Canglan Continent, with branches in various cities. Its branch in Thousand Mechanisms City occupied a mountain that appeared to have been pierced through by a colossal sword reaching the heavens.
Dark green basalt formed its foundation, upon which stood grand, classical buildings. Amid the mingling mist and steam, the structures appeared and disappeared like a city dusted with snow, imposing and majestic.
By the time Yin Huaichen arrived at the entrance, a large number of players had already gathered there.
As expected, no matter the type of game, players who favored swords were always the most numerous. Moreover, the Cangming Sword Sect was a prestigious sect, making it especially attractive to those in the Martial Artist category.
“Greetings, traveler from afar.”
The guide NPC standing at the entrance was a lively looking child, his face adorned with a pleasant and polite smile. “The Hall of Initiation is to the left. Please follow me.”
In Eternity, NPCs referred to players as “Cloud Treaders.”
Although merely an unremarkable NPC in the world of Eternity, his expressions and tone were remarkably vivid, indistinguishable from a real person. As the official guide had stated, NPCs in Eternity possessed intelligence and the higher their level, the more advanced it became. Through interaction with NPCs, players could even trigger various hidden encounters.
Arriving at the Hall of Initiation, they found a vast central plaza. Many players were already practicing sword strikes against wooden dummies. Standing in the center was a broad shouldered, burly middle aged man. When Yin Huaichen approached, the man smiled.
“The Cangming Sword Sect welcomes all worthy talents. Young friend, are you willing to join our sect?”
After Yin Huaichen agreed, system notifications appeared before him.
【You have joined “Cangming Sword Sect” and obtained the identity: Outer Disciple of Cangming Sword Sect.】
【You have learned skill: Basic Sword Mastery (Passive).】
【You have learned skill: Cangming Sword Manual.】
【You have obtained weapon: Cangming Sword.】
“Our sect’s swordsmanship is unmatched under heaven. As your cultivation improves, you will be able to learn even more advanced techniques.”
The middle aged man said, “For now, you may proceed to the rear to test your sword.”
With that, he turned to attend to the next player.
Unmatched under heaven?
Yin Huaichen scratched his cheek and glanced at the weapon now in his hand.
In the martial world of his previous life, talented individuals had been as common as clouds. Masters of swordsmanship were countless. The Cangming Sword Manual could only be considered above average, where did it get the audacity to claim supremacy?
“Quite the ego,” Yin Huaichen muttered under his breath.
Although the system granted weapon bore the impressive name “Cangming Sword,” it was, in reality, just an ordinary iron longsword with unremarkable attributes.
【Cangming Sword: Sharpness 4, Core Attributes +2.】
Yin Huaichen wasn’t picky. Weighing the sword in his hand, he walked to the back and found an unoccupied wooden dummy, beginning to test his newly learned skills.
The Cangming Sword Manual granted only three moves: “Azure Dragon in the Sleeve,” “Triple Flood Dragon Probe,” and “Soaring Dragon Step.”
Facing the wooden dummy, Yin Huaichen took a light breath, then activated the skill.
Azure Dragon in the Sleeve,
The moment the skill activated, his body moved on its own. The Cangming Sword flicked lightly in his hand, transforming into a sharp line that slashed toward the dummy. A soft sound followed and a clean sword mark appeared.
23!
【Azure Dragon in the Sleeve completion: 60%.】
According to the sect’s standard, achieving 60% completion meant initial mastery. As skill level and proficiency increased, the completion rate would improve, resulting in higher damage.
Yet Yin Huaichen frowned, glancing at his own hand in confusion.
The moment the skill activated, he had felt a strange force guiding his body, assisting him in completing the movement.
It was an odd sensation, like his body didn’t belong to him in that instant. Invisible strings seemed to control his movements, carrying him through a sequence of attacks. It made him feel extremely uncomfortable and awkward.
Let’s try again.
After a moment’s thought, Yin Huaichen activated the skill once more. This time, just before his body was guided into motion, he exerted a bit of force, attempting to break free from that invisible pull.
It was as if unseen threads had been snapped. The sword that had originally been heading toward the dummy abruptly changed direction under his deliberate interference, slashing into empty air.
【Azure Dragon in the Sleeve failed.】
Yin Huaichen: “?”
He quickly identified the issue.
If he allowed the system to control his body, the skill could be executed successfully but if he deliberately resisted, his movements would become distorted, leading to failure.
However, the system controlled execution, whether in terms of force application or bodily coordination, did not align with Yin Huaichen’s own habits at all.
For a supposedly high freedom, next generation full dive game, Eternity didn’t seem all that free…
After several more attempts, he still couldn’t adapt. So he summoned the system’s intelligent assistant and began inquiring about the game’s combat mechanics.
The assistant responded promptly. “This is the effect of assisted casting.”
“Assisted casting?” Yin Huaichen repeated, puzzled.
“Yes. When a player uses a skill, the system guides the player’s body based on preset templates to facilitate execution.”
It was easy enough to understand. After all, even in a full dive game, players couldn’t realistically train martial arts from scratch, it would be far too time consuming and demanding.
But this answer clearly did not satisfy Yin Huaichen.
“Can it be turned off?”
“Assisted casting can be adjusted between 20% and 100%. The lower the assistance ratio, the greater the player’s freedom during execution.”
“Would you like to modify the assistance ratio?”
“I mean turn it off.”
His response caused the assistant to pause briefly. After a second, it replied, “Please note: disabling assisted casting will remove system guided movements, significantly increasing the failure rate of skill execution. Are you sure you want to proceed?”
“Confirm.”
After successfully locating the option to disable assisted casting, Yin Huaichen tried again and this time, he discovered something entirely new.
The strange pulling sensation disappeared. His body felt no different from reality. He shook his hand lightly and attempted the movement once more.
【The Cangming Sword swept across the dummy!】
【Azure Dragon in the Sleeve failed.】
A nearby player practicing skills couldn’t help but laugh.
With system correction, most players could meet the requirements after one or two attempts and move on to complete quests. This was the first time he had seen someone fail even a basic skill.
What terrible talent!
Most players would probably have given up at this point.
But Yin Huaichen was clearly not the type to follow the usual path.
Even failing to properly execute a mid tier sword technique like the Cangming Sword Manual, if word of that got out, it would be an outright disgrace to Wuchang Palace.
Strictly speaking, Wuchang Palace was not exactly a sect.
In the old martial world, talent flourished and masters were as numerous as clouds. Countless sects and forces stood side by side yet among them, Wuchang Palace held a unique and transcendent position.
As one of the oldest powers in existence, Wuchang Palace never involved itself in the conflicts of the martial world. It was located on a small island off the coast of Penglai Continent.
Every ten years, emissaries would be sent out from Wuchang Palace to invite the greatest martial artists of the era to Wuchang Island, where they would leave behind imprints of their martial arts.
Those invited were all unparalleled geniuses of their generation. At the time, being invited by Wuchang Palace was considered the highest honor. To have one’s martial techniques preserved within its halls was a glory that would echo through history.
As the young master, Yin Huaichen had been groomed from childhood as the next successor. From the moment he could understand things, he had followed the Palace Master, Yin Yuan, in learning martial arts.
More than once, Yin Yuan had said that Yin Huaichen possessed extraordinary talent and that one day he would surely become one of the most outstanding masters in Wuchang Palace’s history.
It was a pity that before he could grow into that expectation, Yin Huaichen had lost his life and been sent to another world…
Thinking of this, a trace of unwillingness rose within him.
If he couldn’t even master such a simple move, wouldn’t that mean completely disgracing Wuchang Palace?
There had to be something he was doing wrong…
Yin Huaichen closed his eyes, recalling the sensation from when he had just executed Azure Dragon in the Sleeve.
The trajectory of this sword technique was not difficult to grasp. It was somewhat similar to a stance he had once practiced, “Knocking Sword Form,” with comparable points of force application and structural flow.
With that thought, Yin Huaichen leaned slightly forward, his hand once again resting on the sword hilt.
In his previous life, martial artists of every sect had strict hierarchical realms, all built upon the extension of “inner breath,” which gave rise to various schools of martial arts.
Modern ancient martial arts, however, were an entirely different system. Perhaps it was because the meridian structures of the human body differed between worlds, or perhaps because modern society lacked the presence of spiritual energy, or perhaps both. In any case, ever since transmigrating, Yin Huaichen had attempted to cultivate inner breath again but had never succeeded.
After eighteen years, he had long grown accustomed to the modern system. Now, recalling the sword techniques of his past life inevitably felt somewhat unfamiliar.
The trajectory flows like a dragon, force converges in hidden bursts, power erupts from the spine…
Yin Huaichen exhaled softly, clearing his mind.
The wind whispered past his ears. His body sank slightly…
And then,
He felt it.
From his dantian, a subtle force began to stir, flowing through his body. Like the first spark of a newly kindled flame, faint yet undeniably real.
It was the long lost sensation of inner breath.
As that inner breath coursed through his limbs and meridians, an extraordinary clarity emerged. It was as though every inch of his muscles fell under his control. Even the air before him seemed to slow. Dust motes drifting within his field of vision moved sluggishly, each reflecting the flickering light dancing in his pupils.
The lazy expression on Yin Huaichen’s face vanished in an instant.
Then his hand shot up.
The sword swept through the air.
In a flash, it was as if an enraged azure dragon had awakened from hibernation. A blade of light, clear as autumn water, streaked forward!
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
✧ Your mission, should you choose to accept it: FEED THE TRANSLATOR. ✧
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Remember to keep a positive moodChapter 2 · Have fun playing the gameChapter 3 · Skill completion rateChapter 4 · Strange and malevolent creatures roam outside the cityChapter 5 · 90% complete!Chapter 6 · Serving the sect is my dutyChapter 7 · First meetingChapter 8 · Fang LecangChapter 9 · A prestigious and righteous sect!Chapter 10 · Kill Chi BantuChapter 11 · Spoils of warChapter 12 · We’ve made a fortune!Chapter 13 · Thunder and fire extinguish goldChapter 14 · You found it?Chapter 15 · The so called degree of freedomChapter 16 · The secrets of life and deathChapter 17 · A minor leader of the first rank.Chapter 18 · What kind of luck do you have?Chapter 19 · Let’s Do itChapter 20 · The BOSS escapedChapter 21 · “A wound to the heart is also a wound.”Chapter 22 · Good people are always blessed.Chapter 23 · The Old Man of the Valley of BonesChapter 24 · It’s me, young master!Chapter 25 · Take it slow and steadyChapter 26 · The older they get, the stingier they becomeChapter 27 · You know this person tooChapter 28 · I saw Wei Wanzhou againChapter 29 · You’d better keep having this kind of luckChapter 30 · “Password lock” crackedChapter 31 · We’ve come to punish you!Chapter 32 · A boorish country bumpkin who knows no manners.Chapter 33 · You have crossed the lineChapter 34 · Now that we’re here, do you think we can leave?Chapter 35 · A trivial skillChapter 36 · Actually, I was just kiddingChapter 37 · Upgrade mission complete, rating: SSS!Chapter 38 · AwardChapter 39 · I have always been law-abiding and law-abidingChapter 40 · Are you coming back for dinner tonight?Chapter 41 · Purple Lightning Square Seal.Chapter 42 · A money-grubberChapter 43 · BetChapter 44 · Four Continents Chamber of CommerceChapter 45 · This was my third meeting with Wei WanzhouChapter 46 · Oh, you want to hit on me.Chapter 47 · The angry drizzle has stoppedChapter 48 · Thunder SpearChapter 49 · “Are you a devil?”Chapter 50 · The Impermanent Lord!?Chapter 51 · Loot everywhere..Chapter 52 · His identity remains a mystery.Chapter 53 · Why not show yourself?Chapter 54 · He confronted Li Mingrui.Chapter 55 · Auction