164: The Midnight Tall Man's Conundrum

Midnight Gao Sou opposed Star Fiend's proposal.

In fact, this wasn't Star Fiend's first suggestion.

Players could constantly undergo Rebirth, providing an endless supply of Physical Bodies, almost like a perpetual motion machine in a Xuanhuan World.

Refining players for Cultivation was more efficient and sustainable than refining natives.

Star Fiend even pointed out, with pinpoint accuracy, that Duan Kong Cave's almost nonexistent entry requirements for Disciples were precisely to exploit players' Physical Bodies, treating them like leeks to be harvested every few days.

The key was that many players in Duan Kong Cave were willing to accept their losses, feeling that since they couldn't Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment anyway, and their current account would naturally reach its lifespan, it was understandable for their Physical Body to be taken by the Sect.

Star Fiend continuously tried to build Midnight Gao Sou's mental fortitude.

But Midnight Gao Sou always had a bottom line in his heart that he couldn't cross; he repeatedly refused and told Star Fiend never to bring up the matter again.

"Gao Sou, I've contacted Watermelon Prince and the others. Let's all go in together, so we can look out for each other no matter what happens."

"Good, let's go in together."

Midnight Gao Sou dismissed his distracting thoughts, nodded to Old Potato, and waited for several other Great Love Sect Mortal Foundation and Immortal Foundation Cultivators. Together, they passed through the lingering glow of the Formation and headed towards the layered mountain range... The Mage secretly infiltrated Mingshui Heaven.

He didn't seek resources within, but instead observed from the periphery, watching the myriad forms of players.

After some time, he summarized the characteristic behaviors of different player groups:

Exploration-type players would search the entire Grotto-Heaven for treasures and resisted engaging in combat with other players, as it would waste time.

Scenery-type players would advance slowly after entering, constantly posing for photos. Sometimes they would capture excited exploration-type players and even pull others in for group photos.

PVP-type players' goal in entering the Grotto-Heaven wasn't treasure hunting, but to engage in unrestrained PVP using the Grotto-Heaven's environment. Currently, most scenery-type players had been killed by them, and importantly, they would also lie in wait, specifically ambushing excited exploration-type players after they found treasures.

These three types of players formed the Grotto-Heaven player ecosystem: treasure hunting, sightseeing, and killing.

The Mage was another type of player, a rarer kind. He came to the Grotto-Heaven not for treasure, not for scenery, and certainly not for killing or PK.

He was here to gather player intelligence.

Ever since receiving the Buddhist Legacy, the Mage knew that if he wanted to continue developing, he would inevitably become a Buddhist Cultivator similar to an Evil Cultivator, madly converting others, forcing them to offer worship, and even commanding their Souls.

But what he hadn't expected was that the Great Love Sect developed too quickly, and the Evil Cultivator movement rose too fiercely. Native Mortals were decreasing at a visible rate, and the remaining ones were all in danger, gradually gathering under the protection of various Sects and large cities.

As a result, the Mage couldn't find any opportunities for promotion, which greatly frustrated him.

He had no choice but to pursue a more troublesome path: using players to achieve his promotion.

But there was a problem: he was, after all, an UP streamer and had some reputation to uphold. Directly converting players and binding their Souls would give him a bad name if it got out.

So the Mage had been paying attention to the situation of the Great Love Sect and Midnight Gao Sou, wanting to know to what extent players could accept Evil Cultivators.

He had now determined that players could accept Qi and blood plundering, could actively refine Physical Bodies, and their repulsion towards Evil Cultivators was not as high as he had imagined.

After entering the Grotto-Heaven, the Mage also specifically observed the Great Love Sect's lower-level Disciples on the periphery, as well as a group of players who disliked the Great Love Sect.

He was surprised to find that players who opposed the Great Love Sect did indeed have prejudices against Evil Cultivators, but this was somewhat similar to the profession or gameplay

disdain chains

in other games, and had not escalated to personal attacks.

In fact, when players from both sides met in the Grotto-Heaven, they would sometimes politely greet each other until they discovered a treasure and then began to fight.

After all, they could Rebirth even if they died. Currently, everyone's Realm was not high, and the cost of death was not high, so they didn't harbor much hostility towards players who killed them.

After observing for a while, the Mage pondered.

His Buddhist Dao was too evil. Converting players directly bound their Souls, even tracing their next Reincarnation. It certainly seemed unacceptable, but... 'Right now, everyone indeed can't accept it, but I see that Midnight Gao Sou and his group are clearly losing control. According to what Bald Monk said, these Evil Cultivators will definitely explode later.'

'At that time, I'll appear as a savior, lead the righteous army to overthrow the Great Love Sect, abolish the Evil Cultivation methods, and prohibit Qi and blood absorption and Physical Body Devour. This will definitely boost my reputation significantly.'

'By then, getting some Souls should be acceptable.'

The Mage contemplated the future development of his account, and the more he thought, the more he felt it had potential.

As an UP streamer skilled in strategy simulation games, the Mage was not good at fighting, but he excelled at long-term planning. Ever since he was taken as a Disciple by Bald Monk, he had been thinking about how to advance.

'This account's Soul is bound by that Monk, so its future value isn't high to begin with. I'll mess around with it first, try my best to reach the Vajra Realm, gather all sorts of resources, either sell them or hide them, and then create a new account.'

'Even if the Soul issue is exposed, I can cooperate and say that I didn't expect it to happen, so I deleted my account to show my shame. That should help salvage some of my reputation.'

'Hmm, I can't be like Midnight Gao Sou, being manipulated by these players and unable to act of my own accord...'

While thinking, the Mage wandered around the periphery of the Grotto-Heaven, continuously observing the myriad forms of players.

The number of Great Love Sect players was extremely large, and they held an absolute advantage in the Grotto-Heaven's periphery. Each one was more excited than the last, greatly enjoying the rapid increase in strength brought by Evil Cultivation.

They didn't know yet that someone had already set their sights on the Great Love Sect, and had even begun preparing for what would happen after the Great Love Sect's collapse... Midnight Gao Sou, Old Potato, and the others stepped onto the Spirit Peak. After walking about a few hundred meters, they saw a pavilion with flying eaves, upturned corners, and shimmering glazed tiles, looking very magnificent.

Everyone entered and saw that this should be the living and Cultivation quarters for Mingshui Heaven's Disciples. Inside were some scattered spiritual resources, not many, and not of high grade. The most valuable item was actually a small rank 6 Spirit Gathering Array.

Midnight Gao Sou's Formation attainments were decent now, so he spent some time dismantling the Spirit Gathering Array and packed up the usable resources.

Just as they were about to delve deeper, Old Potato stopped, paused, and then spoke:

"An Elder has requested assistance. He said he found a warehouse with a rank 5 Magic Treasure inside. He and other players ran into each other and are in a stalemate."

Midnight Gao Sou stopped, his brows slightly furrowed.

Since an Elder discovered it, even if they went to assist, this precious rank 5 Magic Treasure should belong to the Elder according to Great Love Sect rules, as they were supposed to help each other.

"Why don't we just pretend we didn't see it?"

Watermelon Prince spoke: "I checked his coordinates; he's quite far from us. Going there would be too much of a time-waster, there's no need."

Another Mortal Foundation Elder said: "When we attacked Yangshan City before, Jiang Yezi contributed a lot and even spent his own money on a rank 6 Medicinal Pill to slay the city-guarding general. If we don't help them this time, it will be difficult to get them to do things for us in the future."

Midnight Gao Sou hesitated for a moment, then still said: "Let's go, let's help him."