Chapter Forty-Seven: Masters of Martial Arts

Divine Ruin · Nine Peaks Ridge · Southeastern Ruins

It took Ye Yu and his five companions quite some time to finally collect the hides of the Blackrock Thickhide Boars. The process was not without its setbacks, as there was always the chance of failure during gathering, which inevitably slowed their progress. Fortunately, their levels and the damage they could inflict were more than sufficient, making the task of dealing with the boars relatively straightforward.

“This wasn't easy at all,” Luo Feng said, lifting his left hand to wipe his forehead with the back of it.

“I get the feeling Divine Ruin is getting smarter and smarter,” Huang Hong remarked, glancing around and recalling their recent encounter with the ‘Old Rogue’. He noticed that even the NPCs in Divine Ruin were subtly changing, likely due to the game’s AI advancements. Even the key storyline NPCs had been imbued with this intelligence.

Ye Yu chuckled and replied, “That’s not necessarily a good thing. With AI like this, there’s less we can do. It undeniably increases the challenge. Divine Ruin’s difficulty scales with growth, unlike other games with fixed levels.”

The others nodded in agreement. No wonder the game had remained so popular for so long, its momentum only continuing to build.

With the Blackrock Thickhide Boar quest completed, the six turned back toward Nine Peaks Village. Along the way, many players gawked in astonishment at their passing.

“That’s Liang Ye’s regular squad!”

“Yeah, Liang Ye was the first to unlock the new map on our server. They say our server’s stats are ahead of every other.”

“Look, their guild tag—Supreme Ancient World.”

Ye Yu could only smile wryly; it was impossible to keep a low profile now. Their team of six was undoubtedly the most famous on the Xuantian server, unmatched by any others.

Upon returning to Nine Peaks Village, they found the village seamstress, who greeted them with a small, confident smile. “Just leave everything to me. Don’t worry, I’m the fastest hand in all of Nine Peaks Ridge. I’ll have the Blackrock Thickhide Boar boots finished for you in half an hour.”

“Let’s hope so,” Luo Feng replied, arching an eyebrow and folding his arms.

Half an hour—an hour in the real world—left them with nothing to do. For Ye Yu’s team, who had already completed all the main and side quests available to them, this hour was an exercise in boredom.

“Are we really just going to wait here for an hour?” Qu Zheng complained, then turned to Ye Yu. “Hey, Third, what do you think about gaming clubs?”

“Professional eSports clubs exist for a reason,” Ye Yu replied, looking up at the sky. “They have strong analytics teams supporting their players, and their members’ individual skills are professional-level. These players are among the best on their servers.”

He paused, then continued with a subtle smile, “But to be honest, there aren’t many players left who still dream of going pro—and actually take the plunge.”

Suddenly, after Ye Yu’s words, the surrounding sounds seemed to hush, as if even a pin dropping could be heard.

“Third, you want to join, don’t you?” Tan Cong asked, his eyes glinting with a peculiar light.

“To be a professional gamer—that’s what I wanted before, what I want now, and what I’ll always want,” Ye Yu replied, withdrawing his gaze from the sky to meet Tan Cong’s eyes with a smile.

“Why not give it a try, then?” Luo Wei said, arms folded, a playful smile on his lips.

“If you want in, we’ll back you up,” Luo Feng added, stepping up beside Ye Yu and giving a thumbs-up. “That’s the best answer we can give.”

“Thanks, but I’m not ready yet. It’s not a decision to make lightly. Besides, as you all know, there are definitely scouts from other clubs lurking around Xuantian, looking to poach talented players.”

Hearing this, everyone was taken aback. Luo Feng was the first to speak. “Wait, do you know someone who’s been invited?”

“Yeah. ‘Knows the Cold and Warm’ was invited, but he turned it down. He joined the game just for fun, and the reason he gave for refusing was honestly hilarious.”

“What did he say?” Everyone was curious.

Ye Yu grinned. “‘Knows the Cold and Warm’ said, ‘How dare they invite our team when they didn’t even invite the strongest fixed party in Purple Void Illusion? Are they trying to break up our guild?’”

“That’s a brilliant answer!”

“What a legend!”

“Exactly!”

Their idle chatter made the hour pass unnoticed. When the time was up, the six of them headed to the seamstress’s house, where she emerged with a pair of boots crafted from the Blackrock Thickhide Boar hide.

“Time is money, and time is life. Here are the boots I made for you, please inspect them,” she declared.

“Your efficiency is impressive—you get thirty-two likes from me,” Luo Feng replied.

“Thank you for your praise. I hope you’ll come again next time,” the seamstress replied with a smile.

With the boots in hand, the six made their way to a small courtyard nearby. Clearly, these boots were meant for the ‘Old Rogue’.

As they entered the ‘Old Rogue’s’ courtyard, they found him sitting on the steps before the hall, pipe in hand, one leg crossed over the other, smiling as he watched them approach.

“What took you so long? You’re a step too late. They left as quietly as they came, waving goodbye to the western clouds…” he mused.

Luo Feng quickly motioned for him to stop. “So you’re saying they got away?”

“I suppose hope is like the road beneath our feet. There was no path at first, but as people walk, a path appears. Daosha and his companion are now just a faint memory. Even though I wanted your help to teach them a lesson, I find myself powerless now.”

The ‘Old Rogue’ shook his head with a wry smile, a deep melancholy on his face.

“How did it come to this?” Ye Yu asked, confusion clouding his features as he looked at the old man.

“Just now, a friend from the underworld sent word: Master Shang Yangyan has issued a bounty, shaking the whole martial world.”

Shang Yangyan, in Divine Ruin, was set as a martial arts master with power rivaling or surpassing the greatest heroes from classic wuxia tales. In later chapters and dungeons, players would even face off against him, his AI so formidable that barely five percent of players worldwide had ever completed the challenge. Those few said that even with another chance, victory would be far from certain, cementing his status as one of the game’s most powerful bosses.

“The bounty is for his mischievous yet brilliant daughter. She’s a prodigy in the five elements, the eight trigrams, and arcane formations. Blessed by heaven, stunningly beautiful, wise and clever, a renaissance woman versed in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and a master in the kitchen.”

“Old man, aren’t you going a bit overboard?” Qu Zheng interrupted, worried the old rogue would never stop talking.

The old rogue only smiled. “I say this because the route Shang’s daughter took matches Daosha’s path. Some are even speculating—could Daosha be her?”

Ye Yu frowned. “Could it be…?”

“I don’t know. But after hearing the message, I started worrying and decided to pursue Daosha. But apparently, Daosha entered Hero Town, and if she really is Shang’s daughter, we wouldn’t stand a chance. Anyway, she vanished after arriving there the day before yesterday.”

“This is just confusing!” Huang Hong said awkwardly.

Ye Yu nodded. “If that’s the case, I suppose Daosha has chosen to lay low. It’s a bit surprising, honestly.”

“In any case, thank you for getting me these boots. Of course, I’ll reward you for your help.”

With that, the ‘Old Rogue’ handed out the appropriate rewards. Upon completion of the quest, Ye Yu and his companions all advanced to level 37.

…