In the room, Lan Xiaoke excitedly suggested playing It Takes Two, a cooperative two-player game that had gained high praise in recent years for its emphasis on teamwork.
Though Ye Chuan had never played it before, his years of experience as a special forces operative and his countless battles in the gaming arena allowed him to quickly grasp the basics and dive right in.
"Woo-hoo~" Lan Xiaoke seemed thrilled, her fingers flying across the controller.
The first boss was a uniquely designed vacuum cleaner. Despite being first-time partners, Ye Chuan and Lan Xiaoke coordinated seamlessly.
Working together, they defeated the boss in no time.
When the screen displayed the "Level Complete" prompt, Lan Xiaoke threw her hands up in excitement before wrapping them around Ye Chuan’s neck with a cheerful "Yeah!"
This timid girl could be pretty cute sometimes, just like a little kid.
Seeing her giggle uncontrollably, Ye Chuan didn’t scold her. He actually thought the game was pretty fun—plus, it was a good way to raise Lan Xiaoke’s favorability.
The only downside was that most of the ghost-themed items were useless to him.
Too niche, not practical.
But once Lan Xiaoke’s cultivation level and favorability increased, maybe there’d be some unexpected rewards.
Preferably something rule-based.
Lan Xiaoke suddenly tapped her chin and said, "Qianshuang still hasn’t learned how to control the camera with the controller. Every time she plays, she ends up lost after a few steps."
Her tone carried a hint of exasperation, but also affection.
Ye Chuan replied, "She grew up with different experiences than you."
After all, Bai Qianshuang was born with the Heavenly Dao physique. On the Tianxuan Continent, she had dedicated her life to cultivation from a young age, so she naturally wasn’t familiar with gaming mechanics.
But if it came to swordsmanship or playing the zither, Lan Xiaoke wouldn’t stand a chance.
Lan Xiaoke wagged a finger. "I know, I know. That’s why I’m not rushing her. I’ll teach her slowly so she can enjoy games too."
Ye Chuan smiled faintly. His gaze drifted to Lan Xiaoke’s face, then lingered on the white bangs covering one of her eyes.
"Speaking of which, why do you always hide one eye?"
From the first time he met her, she had kept one eye concealed, never letting anyone see it.
At the question, Lan Xiaoke blinked, her baby-fat cheeks tensing slightly. She instinctively pressed a hand to her bangs, turning away from Ye Chuan as her voice wavered.
"I-It’s nothing!"
Clearly, she didn’t want him prying into her secret.
Ye Chuan noticed her reaction. Though curious, he didn’t press further.
...
Late at night, Ye Chuan returned to his room and lay on his bed, pulling out his phone to sweep through his daily adventures.
[You have swept through today’s adventures—]
[Sweep complete. Items obtained: 0]
Ye Chuan: "..."
Huh?
That’s a terrible haul. A whole day of sweeping and not a single treasure?
Curious, he opened the adventure log to see what had happened.
Turns out, he hadn’t left his cave dwelling in the Qingyun Sect at all—he’d just spent the day cultivating in seclusion.
[Flying Cloud Peak is rebuilding structures destroyed by heavenly lightning. Qingyun Sect disciples have gathered to help.]
[You pretended to be severely injured and chose to hide away, sleeping and cultivating instead.]
Well.
Not a bad choice, honestly.
Since there was nothing to gain, Ye Chuan didn’t dwell on it. He checked the daily point shop instead.
Plenty of good items, but his points were still too low.
If only money could be exchanged for points.
But no matter how much he willed it, his phone offered no such option.
Next, he upgraded everything else.
[Alchemy Furnace: Tianxuan Furnace (Supreme Grade, Tier 10)]
Eight upgrades later, another four to five million was gone.
"At least it’s ready for when I need to refine pills for my Golden Core breakthrough," Ye Chuan mused, now familiar with the system’s patterns.
After dealing with the furnace, he did a round of gacha pulls.
Ten thousand a pop? Let’s go for two hundred, then.
No big deal—money wasn’t an issue.
[Congratulations! You obtained Railgun—added to inventory.]
[Congratulations! You obtained Sutra of Blazing Heaven—added to inventory.]
[Congratulations! You obtained Passive: Mana Circuit—added to inventory.]
[Congratulations! You obtained Spatial Jump—added to inventory.]
...
Two hundred pulls in, several golden flashes lit up the screen.
"Got some golds. Too bad no reds," Ye Chuan muttered.
Gold was Supreme Grade. Red was Mythic.
Anything beyond that was unknown—he’d never pulled a Mythic item despite spending a fortune.
Pulling the Chaos Undying Body in a single attempt must have drained eight lifetimes’ worth of luck. Mythic-grade physiques weren’t easy to come by.
Shaking off the thought, he checked his new skills and spells.
"Some decent stuff here."
A few magic-related passives boosted elemental affinities, spell power, and mana efficiency.
One particularly interesting find was that mana cost reduction passives seemed stackable.
If he pulled enough, could he reach zero mana consumption?
As he browsed his inventory, his finger paused on one item.
[Item: Spatial Jump
Allows a single spatial jump. Distance depends on the user’s mental strength.]
Teleportation—now that was terrifying.
Intrigued, Ye Chuan immediately learned the spell, absorbing its mechanics into his mind.
If mental strength determined the range…
Could divine sense substitute?
He unleashed his divine sense, enveloping the entire house. With a thought, he vanished.
The next moment, he reappeared in another room.
The sensation was surreal—like blinking from one spot to another.
This room was familiar. His gaze landed on a girl sitting cross-legged on the bed, absorbing spiritual energy.
"Already at late-stage Golden Core?" Ye Chuan realized Bai Qianshuang had broken through—just like his own recent advancement to mid-stage Crystallization.
Not bad. The Spirit Gathering Array was worth the investment.
Not wanting to disturb her, Ye Chuan willed himself away again.
Hah. Fun.
Back in his room.