309: You're just a player

Tian Chi Ling's voice lingered in Ye Chun's ears, plunging him into confusion, his top player's confidence nearly shattered.

Tian Chi Ling's voice continued to echo:

"You players can restart endlessly; I'm very clear about that."

"Originally a power belonging only to Nascent Soul Cultivators, you players can achieve it even as Mortals. I truly envy that."

"This means that even if I destroy your Physical Body and shatter your Soul, there is still a terrifying power that can restore your Soul, reshape your Physical Body for you, and even help you Possess a Golden Core."

"So, killing you all doesn't have a decisive effect."

Ye Chun frowned, asking with some confusion, "But... what does that matter? We players are just such unique existences."

"state-stabilizing seal, if I'm not mistaken, you must have accepted reality and are preparing to join forces with us players, right?"

"Then why bother to set up a scheme to make us Golden Core players kill each other? What is this for?"

Ye Chun's confusion wasn't because he was caught in a scheme.

As a former professional player, he had experienced intrigue and had been schemed against by other teams and players.

This couldn't shatter his confidence; it only ignited his excitement at being challenged.

His confusion was because he was schemed against by someone who shouldn't have been able to scheme.

A Nascent Soul Cultivator with powerful Cultivation, capable of directly suppressing everyone with a flick of a hand, specifically using a small Tian Family to set up a scheme, making Golden Core players kill each other... Why is this?

Is it just for fun? Just to watch a show?

Are the reasons really that superficial?

At this moment, Tian Chi Ling's voice continued:

"Of course, it's to destroy your Dao Heart."

Tian Chi Ling's lips curled up, as if the person behind her had no concerns whatsoever, not afraid to reveal her arrangements:

"You players can indeed restart endlessly, switch accounts infinitely, and live on without end."

"However, as far as I know, there is one thing that you cannot change no matter how many times you restart, no matter how many accounts you switch: your Dao Heart."

"As long as I destroy your Dao Heart, preventing you from ever stepping into Nascent Soul again, then no matter how many accounts you restart, you won't be able to rebuild your Dao Heart, and naturally, you won't be able to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul."

"Then, for me, you will no longer be a threat."

"You will simply be a dog under my command from now on."

Ye Chun didn't look at Tian Chi Ling; he only gazed at the empty sky. He remained silent for a long time before asking,

"I admit that being schemed against this time did make me angry, even confused, and for a moment, I was disoriented."

"But how could that possibly destroy my Dao Heart?"

"It's nothing more than a memorable game plot. After this plot is over, I'll go back to doing what I usually do."

"Perhaps after a long time, when I recall this plot, I might even smile."

Tian Chi Ling suddenly let out a loud laugh.

Then, the voice no longer came from her, but appeared vaguely from all around.

Ye Chun knew that this was a transmission from the void, a method exclusive to Nascent Soul.

"Ye Chun, oh Ye Chun, I know what you're thinking."

"Let's be clear about this and not limit ourselves to this one scheme."

"Let me reveal your subconscious."

"You always think this is a game, don't you?"

"Because it's a game, the official developers need to consider player experience, retention, reputation, and even more, revenue, right?"

"Because it's a game, whether it's equipment design, skill design, or individual plot designs, they all need to be meticulously arranged, right?"

"Even a Nascent Soul-level powerhouse like me, even if I'm seen as using top-tier AI in your eyes, I'm still just an NPC, ultimately serving the player experience, right?"

"If my autonomy conflicts with player experience, if my independence conflicts with game mechanics, then that variable of me will definitely be eliminated to maintain player experience, right?"

Ye Chun felt a chill throughout his body. The deepest, most firmly believed concept in his heart was being peeled back layer by layer by the other party.

"So you all believe that as long as there's a Realm, you players will always strive to reach it, because it was designed for you to play."

"As long as there's a Magic Treasure, it will eventually be yours, otherwise why would it be designed?"

"So, you always firmly believe that you can challenge Nascent Soul, merely a matter of how many times you fail, how many resources you consume, and how much time you spend..."

"But today I tell you, you cannot Breakthrough to Nascent Soul?"

"As long as I, a Nascent Soul, exist, you will never be able to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul."

"Designs similar to the Tian Family will continue to appear, even making it impossible for you to detect them. Perhaps everything you obtain, everything you seek, is merely an arrangement by my state-stabilizing seal?"

"Under my arrangement, the only path you lead to is a dead end, not a way out."

"And besides my state-stabilizing seal, are there no other Nascent Souls in the Xuanhuan World? What about the Soul Transformation above that?"

"Ye Chun, you players have long been firmly restricted."

"The higher Realms are not for you."

Ye Chun felt a chill throughout his body, but there was still a last shred of hope in his heart, a hope based on common sense.

But at this moment, the state-stabilizing seal said again,

"Why do you think I established Great River City, launched the novice guide, and released various missions these days?"

"I'm testing."

"I, this NPC, am usurping the authority that belongs to the designer, the planner, the operations team, or even the developer."

"But... have I disappeared?"

"I'm still alive and well."

"This indicates that either there is no designer for the Xuanhuan World at all, or that designer simply doesn't care if its world is a bit more free."

Ye Chun was already as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He had never imagined that one day an NPC within a game would discuss such issues with him.

When game design is no longer controlled by the designer, and game resources no longer exclusively serve the player experience... at this point, can a top player like him truly continue to dominate in the "game"?

Ultimately, these skilled gamers of theirs merely understood the designer's intentions better, could better grasp the game's direction, and could better pinpoint the necessary interactions in the game.

But now... everything had changed.

"Indulge in your confusion..."

"Remember, Ye Chun, every opportunity you encounter from now on, every mission, and even every Magic Treasure and Cultivation Technique..."

"Could all be a scheme of my state-stabilizing seal!"

"They are not good things to help you reach Nascent Soul, but poison that will utterly shatter your Dao path!"

The voice finally disappeared.

Tian Chi Ling's body stiffened and she fell down.

Ye Chun stood frozen in place, unable to recover for a long time.

He knew.

The Xuanhuan World had completely changed.