334: First impression of newcomers

Wan Lin wandered around the unknown small city.

Soon, he discovered a big problem: most of the native bosses were unwilling to hire him.

Whether it was for mining, gathering herbs, or the strenuous labor of a porter for merchants, no one wanted to hire him.

Upon closer inquiry, Wan Lin finally learned that the Veteran Players had ruined the reputation of players.

For most native Mortals, “players” meant a group of idle loafers.

Not to mention their terrible attitude towards work, they were especially fond of leaving without a word, or simply forming gangs and usurping others' positions.

Most seriously, some players would suddenly begin Cultivation, then use force to sweep through everything around them, making off with the spoils and leaving behind tearful natives.

Over time, the working-class people at the bottom could only keep their distance from players, completely unwilling to hire them.

For Veteran Players, they had a Lifespan acceleration System, so even with poor Aptitude, they could enter Qi Refining using common, low-quality Cultivation Techniques after expending a few decades of Lifespan. At worst, they would be in Spirit Nurturing.

This was considered a successful start, allowing them to experience the Cultivation gameplay.

Therefore, Veteran Players always looked down on Mortals and were indifferent to Mortal work.

But for new players, they were out of luck.

Wan Lin felt as if he was trapped in this small city.

He even wondered if he would really have to spend decades here in mediocrity, and then rise with a Golden Finger using the hard-earned transaction points he accumulated?

That would truly be decades... And how many transaction points a Mortal body could accumulate was still a big question mark.

“Is this... the new world? It’s like starting a second life...” “But... I am a player...”

Wan Lin found a secluded alley in the city, sat on the ground, and the player forum appeared before his eyes.

“Huge Benefits Giveaway!”

“To help new players get started quickly, I have decided to sponsor one hundred million new players, providing each of them with 1 Spirit Stone as starting capital!”

“First come, first served, no extensions!”

“Poster: Li Changfeng”

Wan Lin had heard a little about Li Changfeng, a top-tier rich second-generation in China, and a genuine top-tier tycoon in the game as well.

But now that everyone was virtualized, real-world wealth and power could not be brought into the virtual world. Li Changfeng only possessed everything he had accumulated in the game previously.

What he used was gone; he could no longer unscrupulously sweep the trading house with real-world money.

Under such circumstances, Li Changfeng, who always presented himself as a major villain, actually took the initiative to sponsor new players?

Wan Lin found it somewhat incredible, but he didn't hesitate and immediately replied to the post.

Sure enough, he didn't have to wait long before he heard a notification:

“Player ‘Li Changfeng’ transferred 1 Spirit Stone to you.”

“Withdraw.”

A ripple of the Great Void appeared before his eyes.

A clear, translucent pale-green crystal fell into Wan Lin's hand. It was cold to the touch, but it ignited a fire in his heart.

Spirit Stones, for Cultivators, were almost equivalent to grain for Mortals; though essential, they held little value. High-level Cultivators even disdained using these inefficient Spirit Stones, instead pursuing wondrous items containing more special effects.

But for Mortals, just this small piece was enough for decades of hard labor without food or drink.

More importantly, if one used a teleportation array with others, the minimum ticket price was exactly one Spirit Stone.

This meant Wan Lin could now directly travel to Great River City via the teleportation array, where he could receive the new player guidance from the state-stabilizing seal and obtain various new player resources provided by the state-stabilizing seal.

He could break out of his predicament!

“Li Changfeng...”

Wan Lin looked at Li Changfeng’s avatar on the forum, which depicted a Young Master in brocade robes.

“What a good person!”

For new players like him, Li Changfeng’s past misdeeds were unknown, and his reputation as a villain was not something they were familiar with.

The Li Changfeng he knew was simply a great person who provided Spirit Stones to new players for free, helping them quickly overcome their initial difficulties.

“It seems the Xuanhuan World isn’t as full of evil Cultivators as many say; there are still more good people.”

Wan Lin's first impression of the Xuanhuan World was thus established.

He hummed a little tune as he headed to the teleportation array.

As it turned out, many new players were queuing up, teleporting one after another.

Strangely, they weren't paying with their own Spirit Stones; instead, a man in a black robe at the front was settling the bill.

Wan Lin was curious and inquired, only to learn that it was a Veteran Player offering assistance, helping these newcomers teleport to Great River City for free.

“What a good person!”

Wan Lin immediately smiled and specifically walked up to the black-robed man, insisting on asking for his name and even wanting to add him as a friend.

The black-robed man seemed a bit hesitant, pondering for a long time before quietly saying, “Adding a friend is fine... My name is Midnight Gao Sou.”

Wan Lin thought for a moment; he seemed to have heard this name somewhere before, but he couldn't recall it for a while.

He just smiled and said, “Is that your character nickname? I heard that character nicknames in the Xuanhuan World will become permanent and cannot be changed, only when you achieve Fifth Grade can you choose a Daoist title for yourself.

“Do you really want to play the Xuanhuan World with such a name?”

The Xuanhuan World was too realistic; Wan Lin felt that bearing the name “Midnight Gao Sou” was truly too embarrassing.

Midnight Gao Sou, however, laughed and said, “I used this name before, and I also thought about changing my name, but then I thought... I have to make this name stand tall again... Alright, hurry up and teleport. Great River City awaits you, and the wonders of the Xuanhuan World await you.”

Wan Lin smiled at him and said, “Thank you! Before coming in, I was afraid the Xuanhuan World would be full of evil Cultivators, but now it seems everyone is a good person!”

Midnight Gao Sou was stunned, then gave a wry smile, and after some thought, said:

“I still have to remind you, in the beginner area, which is the Immortal Dynasty area, players cannot refine each other; there will be new player protection.

“But once you leave the beginner area, it will be lawless.

“So if anyone tries to take you out of the beginner area, you must be careful.”

Wan Lin was noncommittal, merely smiling and saying, “Don't worry, I'm not some naive fool.”

Wan Lin and the other new players walked towards the teleportation array. Once enough people gathered, they all began to teleport together.

The scenery before their eyes rapidly changed, as if a force enveloped them, instantly placing them in the Great Void, then flowing swiftly.

Mortals had no Spiritual Sense; they could not detect their surroundings or perceive how the teleportation worked.

Wan Lin only knew that, not long after, he landed on another teleportation array.

Looking around, he saw bustling streets, packed with people. The towering pavilions were filled with both new and Veteran Players, and even the Foundation Establishment players flying in the sky were so numerous they almost collided.

Great River City, they had arrived.