Black Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, Training Ground.
"After digging for so many days, we finally get to change things up. I wonder what this new map is like."
"But these task requirements are a bit high. Strength needs to be 95 kilograms, speed needs to be 9.5 meters per second. My current breathing technique has just reached 4% in proficiency. Whether it's strength or speed, I'm still lacking. Have any of you reached it?"
"I've been practicing Leopard Shadow Step a lot lately. My speed is there, but I'm still 3 kilograms short on strength."
The four members of Yiye Fuyun who rushed over to the notice board felt a surge of excitement in their eyes, even though they were just newcomers of four days.
Even working around the clock 24/7 and driving themselves to exhaustion, they were still a bit shy of meeting the task requirements.
"Although the rewards for this new map aren't great, the gaming company probably won't test things randomly. Maybe there's a special storyline or a special task," Twilight of the Gods said as he approached, his eyes lighting up.
Previously, when he dug a hole, he triggered a special storyline and got 500 points in one go. He turned around and sold it to Luo Wushang and made a hundred thousand. Who knows, this might be another chance.
With a hundred thousand in his pocket, he didn't have to worry about living expenses for several months and could even enjoy extras every day, making his dorm mates envious. Each one wondered if he'd won the lottery.
Even with recent deaths from exploring underground radiation zones, he no longer needed to pinch pennies. He could afford to die for fun.
And to explore underground better and more efficiently, he stubbornly managed to achieve 8% in Shocking God Breathing Technique through over ten deaths.
Now, his physical attributes had all met the task requirements, and he was just a hair's breadth away from becoming a true apprentice.
"Qingwei, how are you doing?" Luo Wushang asked, turning to Zhang Qingwei, who had just walked over.
"No problem with speed, but I'm short 0.4 kilograms on strength," Zhang Qingwei said with a smile. "But I should have no problem taking on this task today."
With that, Zhang Qingwei sat cross-legged and began practicing the Shocking God Breathing Technique, but barely a few minutes in.
A mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth, splattering the ground.
"Alright, my breathing technique has reached 8% proficiency," Zhang Qingwei wiped his mouth, a happy smile on his face. "But the injury is quite severe, one lung is severely bleeding. Wait a moment, I'll revive."
Zhang Qingwei fiercely activated the Shocking God Breathing Technique, and he almost turned into a blood man on the spot, but then turned to ashes.
This scene left Yiye Fuyun and the others filled with envy.
Breathing techniques aren't something you can improve just like that; it requires constant exploration. If you have an idea, the breathing technique improves fast, but if not, even dying a few times won't help.
"Brother Zhen, are you going?" Outer Gunman asked.
"Go, why not?" Fang Zhen said without hesitation. "Today, at worst, I'll take a leave and let the captain scold me."
"It's a pity. The breathing technique improvement for Gunman and me is a bit slow. We're only at 7% now and can only rely on Brother Zhen to scout the path," Yiqiang Bajue sighed.
Currently, in their Mecha Squad, only Fang Zhen had reached 10% in the breathing technique, making him a quasi-apprentice.
Among their ten members, he was one of only two quasi-apprentices. It would probably take them two to three days or quite a bit of money to speed up by dying a few times before they could catch up.
Outside Chasing Light City.
The scorching noonday sun beat down on the earth, and everything visible to the naked eye was a wasteland with not even a blade of grass in sight, only radiation-covered barren earth.
A tricycle the size of a small truck slowly drove along the cracked streets, with Fang Zhen, Luo Wushang, Twilight of the Gods, and Zhang Qingwei sitting in the back, curiously observing their surroundings like newborns fascinated by everything around them.
"This map is so huge! We've been traveling for over an hour, right? At this speed, we've traveled at least thirty kilometers." Fang Zhen was awestruck by the scenery along the way. "I can't imagine the cost of creating such a big and detailed map."
"Indeed, it's huge," Twilight of the Gods agreed. "For such a large map, if it were other games, they'd probably have created several towns by now. This game has not even one town, going all out for realism."
Normally, in virtual games, although maps are also huge, you wouldn't see landscapes stretching out tens of kilometers without checkpoints or tasks. Usually, there would be many buildings, but in the Descent of High Martial, there are none. Such extravagant splendor is unheard of.
"This vehicle is quite nice. I wonder when we'll be able to have one. Traveling would be so convenient." Luo Wushang wasn't too interested in the surroundings. Instead, she was fascinated by the large tricycle in front of her.
If we could own a means of transport comparable to a small truck, they could ditch the NPCs and transport ores and lumber in and out, the efficiency of earning points would be much faster than digging soil.
"Such an awesome vehicle, they probably won't let players own it," Fang Zhen said, touching the iron vehicle with an indescribable longing. "I see it's electric, just need to charge it. If I could really own one, I'd definitely drive the Hall Master crazy."
And listening to the four of them chatter, Lin Qi, who had been driving the tricycle all along, couldn't help but feel speechless.
It was just an electric tricycle, used for who knows how many years by who knows how many owners, yet it became a divine artifact in the eyes of the players.
Lin Qi couldn't even imagine, if the players knew that in the high martial world there were not only battle vehicles that could fight off ordinary exotic beasts, but also battle armor that armed martial artists, all directly for sale in Chasing Light City, he didn't know how excited they would be.
Of course, Lin Qi also yearned for those things; it's just that even a middle-class person could not afford them in a lifetime at such prices.
Even for Lin Qi now, just this broken electric tricycle had been sold by those unscrupulous merchants at fifty thousand Bit, with a rental cost of two thousand Bit a month, completely unaffordable for black-listed vagabonds.
If not for considering the efficiency of repairing the martial arts hall, Lin Qi truly couldn't bear to rent this electric tricycle.
Grizzly Mine.
After Lin Qi drove for more than three hours, a stretch of continuous mountains appeared in everyone's view, covered with towering trees, a stark contrast to the ruins along the way, full of vitality.
As Lin Qi drove on the mountain road for a while, a drone with a radius of over two meters flew from afar, directly scanning Lin Qi and the others, equipped with machine guns and two RPGs on its body.
"Identity confirmed, you may now follow me to the mine area."
The appearance of the drone and its intelligent armament left Fang Zhen and the other three stunned.
Not only were Fang Zhen and the others stunned, but even the spectators watching the livestream were all left gaping in disbelief that this was real.
What was supposed to be a post-apocalyptic wasteland had now turned into a world of future technology?
Then what's the point of learning martial arts?
Isn't learning to use guns more appealing?
"Brothers, if I switch my specialization to mechanics now, will I still have time?"
"Damn! This Descent of High Martial world is quite awesome, I'm not really interested in martial arts, if it wasn't for the virtuality being 100%, I probably wouldn't have booked it, but now I'm in love, mechas and cannons, I definitely have to go in and play, my spear technique is top-notch, accurate and fast within ten steps."
As the audience in the livestream engaged in lively discussion, Lin Qi followed the drone to the entrance of the mine.
"Alright, you will now split into two groups, one to move the minerals in the mine, and the other to chop trees." Lin Qi glanced at the departing drone and instructed the four directly.
The Grizzly Mine was vast, and even the large gangs in Chasing Light City couldn't cover everything, they mostly detected and prevented outsiders from entering. As Lin Qi had a collaboration with Cangjing Weapon Shop, the output of minerals on his side from the mine would be recorded by Grizzly Mine and sent to Cangjing Weapon Shop.
So, regarding the minerals, neither party worried unless the movers were courting death.
And the most important thing for the Grizzly Mine was the minerals; they didn't care about the ordinary trees on the mountain and naturally wouldn't mind them chopping trees.
After Lin Qi finished instructing, the four also looked at each other.
Luo Wushang and Zhang Qingwei went directly to transport the minerals, while Fang Zhen and Twilight of the Gods went to chop trees.
In the woods.
"Brother Zhen, why don't you try to compete for transporting minerals? With your strength and speed, you shouldn't be worse than Sister Qingwei, maybe the hall master will agree." Twilight of the Gods looked at Fang Zhen strangely.
In terms of strength, Fang Zhen ranked first among ten people, only slightly slower than Luo Wushang, and transporting minerals wasn't difficult, just loading them onto a vehicle. The mine was deep, requiring multiple trips, but 100 kilograms equaled 3 points, which was much better compared to chopping and transporting trees.
"You just don't get it, do you?" Fang Zhen chuckled, "Before the new map opened, the NPC had us learn two martial arts, among which the Leopard Shadow Step could be practiced during transportation. So what about the Shattering Stone Fist? I've always been curious about this, game tests wouldn't come out with useless stuff."
"Are you saying? The Shattering Stone Fist is used here?" Twilight of the Gods was still somewhat confused after hearing this.
"Of course." Fang Zhen nodded, displaying the demeanor of a professional expert, "Every game test has its purpose, previously we tested Leopard Shadow Step in the dojo's basement, now that we've come to Grizzly Mine, naturally, it's to test the Shattering Stone Fist, and wasn't it clearly stated on the Shattering Stone Fist?"
"The First Layer is the Pile Shattering Realm, Pile Shattering Pile Shattering, aren't these just natural wooden piles? With so many wooden piles here, isn't this a natural holy land for martial arts training? If not practicing now, when to practice Shattering Stone Fist?"
"Brother Zhen, you're amazing! This game understanding is invincible." Twilight of the Gods heard this, feeling invigorated, and gave a big thumbs up.
They originally thought Leopard Shadow Step was the version answer, unexpectedly, Shattering Stone Fist was the version child!
"Alright, let's practice quickly, don't let them find out."
"Otherwise, they'll definitely fight with us for it."
Fang Zhen waved his hand nonchalantly, directly found a tree four or five meters high, and planned to practice Shattering Stone Fist.