Chapter III. Groping

　　The Flood has been expanding since its inception. 　　For billions of years, it did not know the height of the sky, the thickness of the earth, its borders or its verticality! 　　After the Great God-Sealing Robbery, the Floodwasteland was shattered and divided into four major continents. 　　Respectively, the East Sheng Shenzhou, West Niuga Zhou, South Junbuzhou, North Club Continent. 　　Outside the four continents, the vastness of the four seas. 　　There are nine skies above it, and nine ghosts below it. 　　Beyond the four continents and the four seas, there is an endless void. Countless large worlds and small worlds in the void, such as the stars, around the four continents, the four seas, the core of the flood operation. 　　Outside the domain, there is even a bright starry sky. The stars in the circumference of the heavens nurture countless living beings! 　　It has been 3,800 years since the opening of the Flood. 　　So far, the footprints of the players are still only limited to a small area. Not to mention the players born in the infinite vastness of the four continents, even if it is just an insignificant island in the East China Sea, if there is no Mahayana cultivation, will not be able to leave. 　　Most players, throughout their lives, would only wander around their birthplace, unable to jump out of the cage. 　　Lu Qingfeng was born, is a lonely continent outside the North Club Continent, from the four continents where the Immortal World is not known how many billions of miles away. 　　It is said that in this continent, there was a player who cultivated to the Mahayana stage, conscious of the hopelessness of the apocalypse, trying to cross the void to the North Club Reed Continent to find a chance, and ultimately lost in the endless void, and thus perished! 　　...... 　　"Heavenly Fox Realm - Hundred Savage Mountain Islands - Seven Sword Mountain Range - Elephant King City -Black Sand Town." 　　"My current location is Black Sand Town, similar to a novice village." 　　Lu Qingfeng wandered around in Black Sand Town twice and gained quite a bit of information. 　　Black Sand Town was under the Elephant King City, which in turn was one of the eight hundred mountains and twelve hundred cities in the Seven Sword Mountain Range under the jurisdiction of the Seven Great Sword Sects. 　　Such a huge Seven Sword Mountain Range was only a corner of an inconspicuous island in the Hundred Savage Mountain Archipelago! 　　"Such a huge map, is it really a game opened up by that human federation?" 　　Lu Qingfeng couldn't help but be a little skeptical! 　　This suspicion was obviously meaningless, the Elephant King City, the Seven Sword Mountain Range, and the Hundred Savage Mountain Archipelago likewise had little to do with the current Lu Qingfeng. He continued walking, familiarizing himself with Black Sand Town. 　　Black Sand Town had an overwhelming percentage of newbies, with large and small guilds. 　　Among them were dozens of veteran guilds that were even on the verge of reaching the level of starting a sect. Some of them were simply established with the support of Wanxiang City as well as the clans surrounding Black Sand Town, specializing in absorbing and screening talented disciples! 　　"The Tianchi Guild is recruiting new recruits, requiring level 10 or above and mastery of a combat art or martial art!" 　　"The Imperial City Guild invites masters to join, requiring level 21 or above, and any one combat art cultivated to the third layer!" 　　"The Sword Immortal Guild is looking for new recruits, requiring level 10 or above!" 　　...... 　　Passing through the Guild Plaza, Lu Qingfeng saw that people were gathering. 　　Numerous guilds were constantly screening and absorbing newcomers, and there were also countless newcomers who were here to pick the guild that suited them. 　　"In The Flood, the aborigines and players, as well as the offspring of players in the game, have long been mixed up and indistinguishable on the surface. The same is true for Black Sand Town." 　　"It's just that there's a huge population base in the Human Federation, and all the time there are teenagers who turn sixteen and are able to join The Flood and become novice players." 　　"These novice players can go to stores and government offices to receive quests, or they can join the major guilds to obtain starting resources." 　　Lu Qingfeng had strolled through Black Sand Town for most of the day before barely familiarizing himself with the small half of the Western District. To stroll through the entire Black Sand Town, it would take at least three to five days. 　　Black Sand Town, named as a town, was not small in scope. 　　In the urban area alone, there were forty to fifty miles across. The permanent population of the town was over 200,000, and with the villages surrounding Black Sand Town, the total population was at least 500,000 or more. 　　"For the opening of The Flood, if there are seniors to lead the way for now. If you start alone, going out of the city to fight monsters and upgrade is the second-most popular choice. Generally players, mostly choose to join guilds, or join as apprentices in the Alchemy Workshop, Alchemy Dan Workshop, and Alchemy Talisman Workshop." 　　"This way, one can obtain the initial basic feats, earn a certain amount of cultivation resources, and also master a secondary profession, multiple benefits, so naturally it is the first choice." 　　Lu Qingfeng arrived in front of an alchemy workshop called 'Forget Dust'. 　　The Forgotten Dust Alchemy Workshop was small in size, and there was a notice posted in front of the door- 　　"The Forget Dust Alchemy Workshop is recruiting apprentices, after signing the contract, the player will be given a free Basic Technique, a Basic Alchemy Technique, five Yellow Dragon Pills, and five Grain Resisting Pills. One month after signing the contract, the player must process a minimum of ten basic herbs for the Alchemy Workshop daily for one year." 　　The standards for recruiting apprentices for the major Alchemy Workshops and Alchemy Workshops in Black Sand Town were more or less the same, and were specially prepared for novice players like Lu Qingfeng. 　　To put it in layman's terms, it was a 'poverty alleviation program'. 　　Lu Qingfeng stood in front of the notice and signed the contract with the Forgotten Dust Alchemy Workshop without even meeting any of the people in charge of the workshop. 　　After the contract was completed, the notice board flickered with light and two booklets, two jade bottles and a lapis lazuli token were thrown out, landing in Lu Qingfeng's hand. 　　Beside Lu Qingfeng, there were a few other novices like him, getting the same things. 　　[Technique: Yan Yang Scripture] 　　[Grade: Elementary, nine levels in total] 　　[Cultivation Requirements: None] 　　[Merit Technique Characteristics: None] [Merit Technique Characteristics: None] 　　...... 　　[Secret: Alchemy of Dan] [Grade: Elementary 　　[Grade: Elementary 　　【Note: A basic alchemy manual, recording the treatment of forty-six kinds of medicinal herbs】】[Note. 　　...... 　　[Pill: Yellow Dragon Pill] 　　[Grade: Low] [Notes: Basic alchemy manual recording the handling of forty-six herbs] 　　【Notes: Houtian Fetal Breath Realm Cultivation Elixir, capable of slightly enlarging the internal breath】[Notes. 　　...... 　　[Elixir: Pure Grain Pill] [Grade: Low] [Remarks: A cultivation elixir that slightly strengthens the internal energy. 　　[Grade: Low] [Remarks: An elixir for the cultivation of the Houtian Fetal Breath Realm. 　　[Remarks: Taking it at the state of fetal breath in the second day of life can dispel the grain for six days] [Grade: Low level 　　...... 　　[Equipment: Green Stone Charm] [Grade: Low level 　　[Grade: Low] [Note: Can be used by newbies. 　　Note：It can be used for novice players to live for one year, and contains a simple herb processing station; it is bound, owned by Forget Dust Alchemy Workshop, cannot be traded, and will be recovered automatically after one year]. 　　...... 　　"Was worried about not having a place to cultivate." 　　Lu Qingfeng surveyed the green stone talisman. With this lapis lazuli talisman, at least for the year that he had just entered the game, he didn't have to worry about not having a place to live and cultivate. 　　It was a pity that the Green Stone Talisman could not be used outside of Black Sand Town, and that it would be taken back by the Alchemy Workshop after a year, otherwise it would be a must-have for walking around at home. 　　Putting the green stone talisman away, Lu Qingfeng took out the Yan Yang Scripture and the First Explanation of Alchemy. 　　Both were elementary. 　　According to the introduction of gongfu levels, elementary gongfu could be cultivated up to the Foundation Establishment Stage. 　　The Yan Yang Sutra provided for free by the Forgotten Dust Alchemy Workshop was even more of a trashy item amongst the primary merit laws, and could only be cultivated to the top of the Fetal Breath Realm in the Houtian. 　　"The Houtian is divided into the Fetal Breath Realm and the True Qi Realm. Breaking through the True Qi Realm in order to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage is still far away for me. For now, the Yan Yang Sutra is suitable." 　　Lu Qingfeng grabbed the Yan Yang Sutra and clapped his two hands together, a large section of information surged into his mind and was permanently memorized like a brand. Then, Lu Qingfeng slapped the "Beginning Explanation of Alchemy" again, and dozens of handling techniques and essentials about medicinal herbs filled his mind. 　　Name: Lu Qingfeng 　　Race: Human 　　Formation: None 　　Title: None 　　Cultivation: None 　　Level: 0 (0/1) 　　Longevity: 16/68 　　Root Bone: 1 　　Merit: Unknown 　　Karma: Unknown 　　Technique: Huangting Jing, 1st level (uninitiated) [Characteristics: Diffraction (1st level); Unification of the Laws (1st level); Karma Elimination (1st level)]; Yan Yang Jing, 1st level (uninitiated) 　　Technique: None 　　Avatar: None 　　Equipment: None 　　Alchemy: "The First Explanation of Alchemy" (uninitiated) 　　...... 　　Black Sand Town. 　　In the Green Stone Talisman. 　　Lu Qingfeng was hungry in his stomach and took a grain-expelling elixir to start his first cultivation. 　　The Yan Yang Sutra was only the lowest grade goods of the Primary Feats and was divided into nine layers. By practicing the ninth layer, one would be able to reach the ninth level of Houtian Fetal Breath. 　　"I don't know what level this gong method belongs to when placed in the Returning Truth Sect, and whether it is comparable to the Returning Truth Gong." 　　Lu Qingfeng could not help but think. 　　The Return to Truth Sect ruled over tens of thousands of people in Jiuzhai County, and the experts in the sect were even hailed as gods and goddesses. 　　But after all, it was only a jianghu sect. 　　And although Lu Qingfeng's gongfu was obtained from The Flood, it was a freebie and was definitely not called precious. 　　It was hard to say which one was more powerful, the Yan Yang Sutra or the Return to Truth Technique. 　　Lu Qingfeng was prepared to wait until after he got offline this time to research whether he could include the Return to Truth Technique recorded on the tree bark on the attribute panel. 　　Right now, cultivation was still more important. 　　In The Flood, there were two ways to raise one's cultivation and level. 　　The first way was cultivation. 　　Whether it was meditating and lucking out in a step-by-step manner or swallowing elixirs, it all came under the first type. 　　The second is the traditional monsters and upgrades. 　　In The Flood, there were ferocious beasts left over from the Second Reckoning. Slaying these beasts would enable them to gain experience, thus raising their cultivation and level. 　　The first was steady, but slow. The second was treacherous, but fast. 　　However, the vast majority of players, in the early stages, would choose the first type. The reason is that once you die in The Flood, there are only two options: reincarnation and resurrection. 　　Reincarnation is the equivalent of deleting the number and starting over. 　　In addition to practicing a variety of techniques, acquired a variety of skills are remembered in the mind can not be erased, the cultivation directly to the end of a jerk, a variety of need time to polish the arts, magical powers to start all over again. 　　This is not directly generating a sixteen year old body for you. 　　Rather, it is cultivated from infancy for a full sixteen years before you can step out of the transmutation pool and start cultivating again. 　　Even if a novice died, it would still take sixteen years of wasted time. 　　The cost was so great that it could be imagined. 　　There was also an end to the lifespan of Flood players in reality. If you can't break through to a certain level of cultivation before the end of your life, thus increasing your life expectancy and leading to death in reality, then you will have to be truly "reincarnated". 　　And if the real body into the body after death, if you choose to 'reincarnation', it is also with the original people of the flood plains in general, the memory of blindness reincarnation, and the real body death is no different. 　　In short, the real body death, if it is in reality, then directly dead. If you choose to enter the game with your real body, and then choose 'reincarnation', it is also no different from death. 　　If you don't enter the game in your real body and die in the game, choosing 'reincarnation' is equivalent to deleting your number and starting over. 　　As for the resurrection option. 　　After a player's death, whether they logged in with their true body or not, they could choose to be resurrected directly in the reincarnation pool or at the resurrection point they had set up. 　　In addition to the corresponding cost according to their own cultivation, the level will fall from five to fifty levels. These are still secondary, the key point is that every time you die, your own foundation will be damaged. 　　Unless one obtains a miraculous elixir to make up for one's foundation, one's future advancement will be even more difficult. 　　So the choice of reincarnation or direct resurrection is a matter of opinion. 　　Of course, if not necessary, the majority of players are still willing to practice hard or drugs to enhance the cultivation, will not choose to kill monsters and practicing dangerous to the extreme. 　　After all, whether it is reincarnation or resurrection, only looks similar to ordinary online games, the actual cost, far from ordinary players can afford. 　　There is no difference with a life. 　　It is to fight monsters to upgrade, for the very few. 　　Undesirable. 　　Lu Qingfeng at this moment, no magic aptitude, no weapon talisman, can only choose to honestly meditate and upgrade. 　　"The Yan Yang Scripture!" 　　Lu Qingfeng's axioms about the Yan Yang Sutra flowed in his mind. 　　The inexplicable qi sensation in his body loomed large, making it elusive to grasp. 　　In reality, according to what Lu Qingshan had learned from the Returning Truth Sect, the introduction to the first layer of the Returning Truth Technique was to perceive the fetal breath, give birth to the qi sense, and refine the internal breath. 　　This process, those with high natural talent, could be accomplished in a few days, those with average natural talent, a few months, a few years was also possible. There were also those with extremely low natural talent who could not capture the sense of qi for the rest of their lives. 　　They were also commonly known as 'wastrels'. 　　Lu Qingfeng, who was between the ages of twelve and fifteen, and had his cultivation qualifications checked every year by the people sent by the Returning Truth Sect, but could not even qualify as an odd-job disciple, was the last type. 　　The 'Root Bone: 1' on the attribute panel was proof of this. 　　As for Lu Qingshan, he was the second type, with average talent. In a few months or a few years, he was able to get started. 　　Entering the middle of The Flood, Lu Qingfeng's qualifications didn't seem to improve. 　　After sitting in the green stone talisman for half an hour, the sense of qi in Lu Qingfeng's body was always hidden and could not be grasped. 　　"It seems like we can only get high." 　　Lu Qingfeng had no choice but to get up and move his aching body, only to continue cultivating after a tea break. 　　This time, he took out one of the five Yellow Dragon Pills given by the Forgotten Dust Alchemy Workshop and took it. 　　Immediately, he silently operated the Yan Yang Sutra to refine the medicinal power. 　　The Yellow Dragon Pill's medicinal power was amazing, and once it was in his abdomen, it immediately turned into a warm stream that dispersed into all his limbs and bones, giving him a feeling of floating in the air. 　　Time passed. 　　After an unknown amount of time, the medicinal power subsided, Lu Qingfeng slowly opened his eyes, somewhat disappointed. 　　"One Yellow Dragon Dan is not enough!" 　　Lu Qingfeng's qualifications were really too poor, the 'Yellow Dragon Dan', which could be called the holy medicine for cultivation at the early stage of Fetal Breath, actually didn't allow him to comprehend the sense of qi. 　　Lu Qingfeng adjusted his mindset and got up to walk around for a moment before taking another pill. 　　The Yellow Dragon Pill entered his stomach for an unknown amount of time, the effects of the medicine passed once again, still failing to capture the hazy qi sense. 　　"Again!" 　　Lu Qingfeng was not discouraged. 　　If he couldn't comprehend the sense of qi even with the help of the Yellow Dragon Pill in the game, wouldn't it be hopeless back in reality? 　　The third grain! 　　The fourth grain! 　　The efficacy of the Yellow Dragon Pill was not false after all. 　　After taking four Yellow Dragon Pills in a row, Lu Qingfeng suddenly felt blessed, a hazy sense of qi was captured, the sense of qi was instantly born, the pure medicinal power melted away, giving birth to the first strand of internal breath. 　　The internal breath instantly turned a hundred times, devouring the medicinal power while stabilizing. 　　[Congratulations to the player for raising his cultivation to the first level of the Houtian Fetal Breath Realm, his level is raised to level 1, and the first layer of the Yan Yang Sutra is raised to introductory.] 　　Lu Qingfeng opened his eyes and a golden system prompt appeared before his eyes. 　　"Upgraded." 　　Lu Qingfeng froze, and in a flash about the various online games and mini games he had played in his previous life flooded his mind. 　　He had been reborn in a different world for sixteen years, meticulously living in the depressing Blackwood Cottage, his character had long since become silent and gloomy, and most of the various memories of his previous life were also buried deep in his heart. 　　This time, he was suddenly evoked, and for a moment, he had mixed feelings. 　　More importantly still, with this experience of comprehending the Qi Sense, in reality there was the possibility of cultivation and the hope of transcendence. 　　Putting aside the distracting thoughts, he called up the attribute panel- 　　Name: Lu Qingfeng 　　Race: Human 　　Formation: None 　　Title: None 　　Cultivation: Houtian Fetal Breath Realm 1st level 　　Level: 1 (0/5) 　　Internal Breath: 1/1 (Quality: Primary) 　　Longevity: 16/68 　　Root Bone: 1 　　Merit: Unknown 　　Karma: Unknown 　　Technique: Huangting Jing, 1st level (uninitiated) [Characteristics: Diffraction (1st level); Unification of the Laws (1st level); Karma Elimination (1st level)]; Yan Yang Jing, 1st level (introductory) [can be deduced]; 　　Technique: None 　　Avatar: None 　　Equipment: None 　　Alchemy: "The First Explanation of Alchemy" (uninitiated) [derivable]. 　　The attribute panel changed very little. 　　Apart from the predictable changes in cultivation and level, there was an additional column for internal breath. And after the "Yan Yang Scripture" and the "Beginning Explanation of Alchemy of Dan", the words [Derivable] also appeared. 　　"Derivable?" 　　"Could it be the Derivation characteristic of the Yellow Court Sutra?" 　　Lu Qingfeng's first thought. 　　Without speculating too much, Lu Qingfeng directly clicked on the word [Derivable] behind the Yan Yang Scripture. 　　[Whether to consume 1 point of experience value to deduce the Yan Yang Scripture?] 　　[Tip: The player's current level's reserve experience value is 0. If he were to perform a deduction, his level would fall to 0.] 　　"Diffusion consumes experience value, and if the reserve experience value is insufficient, it will also cause the level to drop." 　　Lu Qingfeng summarized the information and went back to clicking on the word [Push Diffusion Available] behind the Alchemy Beginner's Explanation. 　　[Whether or not to consume 1 point of experience value to deduce the Alchemy Beginning Explanation?] 　　[Tip: The player's current level's reserve experience value is 0. If he were to carry out the derivation, his level would fall to 0.] 　　The information was the same. 　　Lu Qingfeng thought about it and did not choose to deduce it. 　　The Yellow Dragon Pill was very beneficial to the Fetal Breath Realm cultivation and was more precious in the early stages, Lu Qingfeng couldn't afford to waste it. 　　If he fell back because of the Diffusion, he would not be sure to cultivate himself in a short period of time. Secondly, there was no more Yellow Dragon Dan for him to consume. 　　Sitting down on his knees, Lu Qingfeng continued to cultivate the Yan Yang Sutra. 　　He had taken four Yellow Dragon Pills before he was born with a sense of qi and promoted to the first level of the Fetal Breath Realm. There was still most of the medicinal power in his body that hadn't been refined, if he didn't cultivate in time, a few of these medicinal powers would sink into his body in various ways, making it difficult to tap into. 　　The other part, on the other hand, would escape through the body, thus going to waste. 　　Meditating and practicing, the Yellow Dragon Dan's efficacy was indeed not weak. 　　It was unknown how long it took, Lu Qingfeng finally refined all of the medicinal power that he was able to tap into in his body. 　　The experience value of level 1 had also reached 4 points, and he would soon be able to upgrade again. 　　"Take out 2 experience points to try the deduction efficacy." 　　Lu Qingfeng opened his eyes and first began to deduce the Yan Yang Scripture. 　　[Whether or not to consume 1 point of experience value to deduce the Yan Yang Sutra?] 　　"Yes." 　　Lu Qingfeng silently chanted. 　　[The Yan Yang Scripture is in the process of being deduced -] 　　"......" 　　The experience value was consumed, and a golden system prompt box popped up in front of Lu Qingfeng's eyes, followed by nothing more. On the attribute panel, the words [Possible to Derivate] after the "Yan Yang Scripture" also changed to [Derivation in Progress]. 　　"Not enough experience value, or the speed of deduction is too slow?" 　　Lu Qingfeng was confused. 　　"Try switching to the First Explanation of Alchemy." 　　[Is it consuming 1 point of experience value to deduce the Alchemy Beginning Explanation?] 　　"Yes." 　　[The Alchemy Dan Beginning Explanation is in the process of being deduced-] 　　Like the Yan Yang Scripture, the "Alchemy of Dan Beginning Explanation" was stuck in the middle of deduction. 　　"This is-" 　　Lu Qingfeng thought for a moment and touched the words [In Derivation], and immediately a stream of information came through-- 　　[The Yan Yang Sutra is in the process of being deduced, required experience value 1/10] 　　[The First Explanation of Alchemy is in the process of being deduced, required experience value 1/10] 　　"So it's because the experience value invested is insufficient." 　　Lu Qingfeng suddenly realized. 　　In that case, he was curious as to what the Yan Yang Scripture and the Beginning Explanation of Alchemy of Dan could turn out to be after putting in enough experience value. However, Lu Qingfeng's entire body's experience value combined right now wasn't enough to finish deducing one of them. 　　He could only put it down for the time being and silently exit The Flood.