Chapter 246: Green Bamboo Ridge
Of course, the rewards didn’t stop there.
The high-ranking players on the points leaderboard got something, but there was still no incentive for the players at the bottom.
The only real motivator was this.
[The first 100 players to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage will receive a commemorative medal personally forged by the Sect Master. A certain number of these medals can be exchanged for a grand mystery prize!]
System: "What the hell is this commemorative medal?"
Song Jiulai said, "A commemorative medal! A limited edition! You don’t even get that, and you’re supposed to be the System?"
System: "..."
Song Jiulai explained, "Our game hasn’t had any sort of ranking system until now, so the players’ motivation has been low. Even though this is an Immortal Cultivation Game, having these medals changes things. At the very least, they’re limited edition. It’s a mark of glory—you get it, glory? This is the motivation they need to level up quickly."
System: "So what about this grand mystery prize?"
Song Jiulai: "It’s just an empty promise. We’ll see what happens if someone actually manages to collect them all."
System: "..."
’As expected of the Sect Master,’ the System thought. ’That little brain of his sure works fast.’
System: "So how are you going to make these commemorative medals?"
Song Jiulai said, "It’s simple. I’ll just forge some fancy designs and stamp my insignia on them. It won’t cost much money or effort."
To the players, it was a commemorative medal representing glory.
To Song Jiu, there was no loss.
It’s a game, after all. As long as rankings are involved, even if there are some casuals who don’t want to compete, there will definitely be those who do.
Sure enough, when the message went out, the players were in an uproar again.
The world chat was spammed with messages, but privately, everyone had their own ideas.
Setting aside Shuitan, who had already reached Foundation Establishment, Mu Qiu and Honghuang met up just in time to see the message from the Sect.
"A commemorative medal?"
The previous points event was one thing. They were already trying to figure out how to earn points here in the Dragon Frost Swamp, but they probably didn’t have as much freedom as they did on First Mountain.
After all, the Sea View Sect’s forces were watching over this area.
Mu Qiu was very interested in the medal. "What kind of design do you think it has?"
Honghuang threw up his hands. "How would we know? The System sent it, right? It says you can exchange them for a grand mystery prize. How grand and mysterious can it be?"
The poor players still thought Song Jiulai had the grand mystery prize all prepared.
They never imagined a Sect Master would dare to start making empty promises the moment he announced it.
Mu Qiu thought for a moment. "I should be getting there soon."
Ever since starting Cultivation, the profound feeling in his heart had grown stronger, and he was quite confident about his impending breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.
Honghuang was a little envious. "Looks like I still need to work harder."
An Xiu recalled the Sect Master’s usual style and thought for a moment. "This medal... if the first 100 people to reach Foundation Establishment all get one, they’ll be relatively easy to obtain. The number required to exchange them will probably be quite high. Still, it’s worth competing for."
After all, there were only three hundred players right now, and Shuitan was the only one at Foundation Establishment. In reality, the players hadn’t even been in the game for a few months.
Their leveling speed was already terrifying.
The Feique Sect next door was a prime example—it took their disciples many years to reach Foundation Establishment.
The Longevity Sect’s speed was abnormal in itself, but considering the Longevity Sect players were often running around outside First Mountain, most of them were never seen.
The ones who remained were only responsible for cultivating the Spirit Fields, so seeing them less often made it slightly more acceptable.
At this point, it was almost no different from being merged.
Honghuang clenched his fist. "Of course we’re competing! We were among the first to join the game, right? We’re both at Late-stage Qi Refining now. If we can’t even break into the top one hundred to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, we might as well just die."
An Xiu: "Don’t lump me in with you."
Honghuang: "..."
In the Taixue Sect, Zhan Sheng heard the news, and after a moment of thought, the corners of her lips curled up. "Is the Sect Master getting antsy?"
She was, of course, speaking to the System in her head.
System: "What do you mean?"
Zhan Sheng said, "The number of players has already reached three hundred, yet only one has reached Foundation Establishment. He’s holding an event to motivate everyone. I’m guessing this commemorative medal is something the Sect Master came up with on the spot?"
The System was shocked but calmly tried to save face for Song Jiulai. "Of course not. This was all part of the Sect Master’s plan. The Sect Master has everything under control."
Zhan Sheng knew what the System was trying to do and just smiled without saying a word.
She was now in the Taixue Sect, familiarizing herself with its ways under the guidance of Senior Sister Chu Qi.
Newcomers all started by raising spiritual beasts.
She had already learned to identify many First-rank Spirit Beasts.
Soon, a female cultivator named Lu Zhu would take her on as a disciple.
During this time, she had also met other people from the Taixue Sect.
However, the activities of new disciples were restricted to the foot of the Taixue Sect’s mountain. The Heavenly Palace-like structure on the summit was, for now, inaccessible.
But unlike other players, Zhan Sheng wasn’t chasing Levels.
Although the Spiritual Energy in the Taixue Sect was dense, one still had to constantly meditate and cultivate.
The alternative was to go out and hunt demon beasts to train.
If you just idled around, the speed of your Spiritual Energy growth would be slow.
She had spent the past few days familiarizing herself with everything in the Taixue Sect, using her free time to ponder her own affairs.
She didn’t seem very motivated to cultivate.
Just then, Senior Sister Chu Qi, whom she hadn’t seen for a day, came looking for Zhan Sheng. Spotting her, she called out in a crisp voice, "Junior Sister Zhan Sheng, come over here."
Chu Qi wasn’t very old. In a Cave Heaven Blessed Land like the Taixue Sect, and with an excellent Spirit Root, her Cultivation was naturally very fast.
In a place like the Feique Sect, countless people her age were still struggling in the introductory Qi Refinement Realm.
Alas, such is fate.
Zhan Sheng walked over, showing utmost respect to this Senior Sister who looked younger than her. "Senior Sister, what are your instructions?"
Chu Qi laughed. "Don’t be so formal. I came today to take you back to Green Bamboo Ridge. Your name has been recorded in the Sect’s register. From now on, you’ll be my master’s disciple. You’ll be the eighth, which makes you my Eighth Junior Sister."
Chu Qi was named Chu Qi because on the day she entered the Taixue Sect, she became Master Lü Zhu’s seventh disciple. It was as simple as that.
Her master said she had an affinity with the number seven and thus named her Chu Qi.
Zhan Sheng had been recommended, so she didn’t need to go through the official channels.
Hearing this, Zhan Sheng bowed slightly to Chu Qi. "Seventh Senior Sister."
Chu Qi beamed with delight. "Excellent, excellent! From now on, I’m your senior sister."
Although many people in the sect called her Senior Sister, within Green Bamboo Ridge, she was the youngest junior sister.
’Now I finally get to be a senior sister, too!’
Chu Qi led Zhan Sheng back to Green Bamboo Ridge, explaining, "Your life on Green Bamboo Ridge will be much like it has been in the main sect area so far. All our new disciples begin by raising spiritual beasts. We’ll go to the Hundred Beasts Garden in a bit to pick a spiritual beast that suits you. Nurture it well. In the future, it will be your most important combat partner. For a Beast Taming Sect like ours, spiritual beasts are the most important thing."
Having been in this game for so long, the idea of a spiritual beast still piqued Zhan Sheng’s curiosity.
At these words, her eyes lit up slightly.