Chapter 267: This Is Called Fate

"Oh, it triggered right now?"

Feng Xue, who was studying votive power, suddenly had an insight and immediately stopped what he was doing; the books he kept in the library were all consecrated ritual objects, especially those recording genuine cultivation methods, which bore embedded trigger mechanisms that would awaken Feng Xue's awareness after prolonged reading.

But Feng Xue's original intent was merely to observe players interested in this area, to see whether they underwent any changes.

Yet at this very moment, Feng Xue could not help but change his mind.

There was no way to ignore it—just as Kitodora had generated an anomaly in votive power, someone had begun studying spellbooks; it was hard not to draw a connection.

"Could this really be an effect from the real world?"

Thinking this, Feng Xue decided to test it—he immediately adjusted his attire, reverted to his "cultivator Feng Xue" appearance, and prepared to depart.

"Uh, isn't Bi Gelei supposed to be coming?" Xiao Lingdang reminded him as Feng Xue moved toward the door, but Feng Xue merely waved his hand and said:

"When she arrives, grant her access—after all, we've gone through the process so many times, she should know how by now."

With that, Feng Xue performed a Spirit-Ghost Transport Technique, and in a swift whoosh, vanished without a trace…

But barely had he taken two steps when Bi Gelei's bat form slammed onto the ground with a thud, squawking loudly:

"Kitodora! Kitodora! Let me use that…"

"Young Lady Bi Gelei, the master has gone to the Secluded Village, but he has granted you access—you may perform the ritual directly if needed." Xiao Lingdang's virtual projection drifted forth, interrupting Bi Gelei; upon hearing this, Bi Gelei froze for a moment, then asked:

"Where's the ghost?"

"Seeing Mo Ying went with the master; unlike me, she can't create so many projections." Xiao Lingdang replied obediently, but Bi Gelei began frantically scratching her head:

"Are you kidding me? What good is just you?"

…

"Refining essence into Qi, refining Qi into spirit… are they really one and the same? And early cultivation stage actually shortens lifespan? That sounds extremely dangerous…"

Inside the library, the research fanatic, after taking screenshots and saving them, finally began reading carefully—but as he continued, his expression grew increasingly solemn.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled a common online claim: that many cultivation techniques online are real, but ordinary people exhaust themselves daily and simply cannot quit their jobs to cultivate, let alone persist for decades.

He had once strongly agreed with this view, and now, after seeing this introductory cultivation text, the feeling intensified.

Even for cultivation, spending twenty years might still not guarantee success—and it could even shorten your life; would this be feasible to promote in the modern world?

"Could this damn game actually be some cultivator's attempt at legacy transmission?"

Suddenly, the research fanatic had this thought—though it sounded absurd at first, upon closer reflection, it seemed oddly plausible.

After all, players who spend time on this time-sucking MMORPG are, one and all, wealthy and idle, meaning they likely have the capacity to quit their jobs and cultivate.

And the spell learning in the Secluded Village was almost certainly meant to test insight and talent, just as the old NPC had said: cultivation requires moral character; without it, cultivation is useless.

As for why the game only now introduced cultivation content after operating so long… first, it may have genuinely required time—when the game first launched, many players came merely to experience it, or were drawn by the fantasy of earning money like in online novel games; only after one or two updates did that artificial enthusiasm gradually fade.

Second, perhaps immortal cultivators perceive time differently from mortals; observing a group for five to ten years to assess potential might feel as brief to them as two or three weeks—or even two or three days—does to ordinary people.

As the saying goes: suspicion makes one see theft in a neighbor's axe; once a thought takes root, one automatically seeks evidence to support it.

The research fanatic now found himself trapped in this loop—in his eyes, everything seemed to corroborate his idea, yet…

"Twenty years… I don't even know what I'll be doing in twenty years!" The research fanatic sighed; though he wanted to claim he was a man of perseverance, in truth, he was just an ordinary person—his current job was relatively relaxed, but who could say whether he'd be unemployed in a few years?

Yet thinking of this, he suddenly recalled Professor Wang—

"Of course! If that artifact ritual truly works in the real world, couldn't I use it to land a job with Professor Wang? Then I could cultivate… wait, no! This isn't cultivation—it's research! And maybe I could even get funding and subsidies!"

At this thought, the research fanatic suddenly grew excited, his mind spiraling—just as a foolish grin spread across his face, a voice suddenly came from behind:

"I didn't expect anyone would notice these details."

"Ah!" The research fanatic, startled by the sudden voice, nearly leapt from his seat; seeing it was Feng Xue, he immediately bowed respectfully:

"Senior…"

"No need for formality, sit." Feng Xue offered a gentle smile, gently pressing his hands downward to signal the research fanatic to sit and speak.

The research fanatic did not refuse, but internally pondered how best to ask.

Should he ask directly whether these were real? Or subtly inquire about real-world cultivation taboos?

Or perhaps ask if there were any shortcuts?

Though he couldn't use Seeing Mo Ying's mind-reading ability, Feng Xue could tell from the research fanatic's conflicted expression that this man had truly discovered something; with a thought, he spoke:

"You're studying these basic tutorials—have you finally realized your own flaws and wish to correct them?"

"What flaws?" The research fanatic was momentarily confused, but instantly caught on and replied shrewdly:

"Please, Senior, teach me!"

"Easy, easy." Feng Xue nodded, his tone relaxing slightly, then spoke slowly:

"Others cultivate life but neglect nature; you youngsters, chasing quick results, neglect both life and nature. You may gain temporary combat power, but it's not sustainable—after a few years, you'll suffer the Five Heavens' Decline; even becoming a ghost immortal will be nearly impossible, let alone achieving true enlightenment!"

"But it's just a game character!" The research fanatic didn't care about that—but he truly wanted to cultivate in the real world, so he immediately pressed:

"Then is there still hope for me?"

(End of Chapter)