If people could write down whatever came to mind, and what they wrote could still be understood by others, then the world would have long since been overrun with writers and programmers.
Li Qiuchen had originally thought that since these two county school students were so full of confidence about creating a “phantasm,” they must possess rather excellent minds and outstanding execution.
In the end, after waiting several days, the project had made no progress whatsoever.
Every day, the two of them squatted beside that great stone at Bluestone Terrace, burying their heads in a book as they studied it.
“No, that’s not right.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“How about we do this first…”
“Would that even be right?”
Li Qiuchen leaned over and secretly took a glance. On the book’s cover were written the words The Legend of the Cangshan Swordsman.
“What you two are reading is… a novel?”
“That’s right.”
The two nodded. “We’re planning to move the plot from this novel into our phantasm.”
“Then roughly how long will that take?”
“Any moment now!”
“Very soon.”
Since they had said as much, Li Qiuchen could only choose to believe them.
And so several more days passed, and he discovered that the two of them still showed no sign of getting started.
No, brothers, do you have any idea what delay damages are?
Is the construction schedule for this project of yours measured in years?
Li Qiuchen was getting a little anxious. He felt that he might have… overestimated these two gentlemen’s creative ability.
Sensing Li Qiuchen’s doubts, the two of them could not help feeling somewhat embarrassed.
“Actually, we’ve already finished the general framework. We’re just lacking some details, so it doesn’t feel realistic.”
“Then why don’t we rehearse it once and see what the problem is?”
Li Qiuchen could not really be blamed for being anxious. After all, the weather was getting colder and colder.
Back then, Jiang Tingyue had calculated for him, saying that within this half year, he would encounter an opportunity.
Now the opportunity was right in front of his face, yet Li Qiuchen still had yet to find a suitable entry point.
Even if a wild boar were placed right in front of you, without tools, you couldn’t very well gnaw it raw with your mouth, could you?
At Li Qiuchen’s suggestion, the two exchanged a glance, somewhat tempted.
“Then let’s rehearse it once?”
“Let’s give it a try!”
Li Qiuchen very quickly received his own script.
The entire process of the phantasm trial was roughly as follows—the trial-taker would enter Bluestone Terrace Town holding a token, activate the token, and pay the admission fee to enter the phantasm.
They would encounter the quest-guiding NPC, namely Li Qiuchen, and engage in dialogue.
After he finished reciting his lines, they would head straight for the center of town and do battle with Mohe Zhenren, played by Eighth Master Chang.
Whether they won or lost, the phantasm would end. Then, based on the trial-taker’s performance in the phantasm, they would receive a score.
This time, Wang Su would play the trial-taker, while Du Qian would provide explanations within the phantasm.
The game began… Ah, no. The phantasm trial officially began.
Li Qiuchen stood at the entrance of town, watching Wang Su’s figure slowly emerge on the road outside.
Aside from Wang Su himself, from Li Qiuchen’s perspective, he could also see even more information.
Place of origin: Heishui Garrison Office, Yunzhong County, Linyuan Prefecture
Name: Wang Su
Cultivation: Qi Refining Realm
Status: Good
Mental state: 100
…………
Had they already entered the information age?
Li Qiuchen was deeply shaken.
Fortunately, this time he was appearing as an NPC. If he had rashly barged into the phantasm without understanding anything, perhaps all his secrets would have been exposed in an instant.
So playing it safe was indeed the right call.
Li Qiuchen could understand everything else. The only thing he did not understand was Wang Su’s “status.”
Behind this “status” were three colored lights: red, yellow, and green.
Why wasn’t it displayed directly with data like the mental state below?
“That status doesn’t refer to his own condition, but to the upper limit of what the phantasm can endure.”
Du Qian explained to him, “A phantasm is ultimately a phantasm, not a real world. Look, right now it’s green, which means that his free movement won’t have any effect on the phantasm. But the moment Brother Wang unleashes his full strength, this simple phantasm we built won’t be able to withstand it.”
“That’s why phantasms have very strict requirements for a trial-taker’s cultivation. For example, this lowest-level phantasm of ours can only allow county school students who have just entered the Qi Refining Realm to experience it.”
“Normally speaking, a phantasm should be able to accommodate at least five trial-takers experiencing it at the same time. When they begin fighting the enemy, the yellow light will turn on. The yellow light means the phantasm is operating at full power, and we need to be on alert.”
“Occasionally, there will be unexpected situations. For example, a student might be hiding their cultivation, or they might be carrying some powerful magic treasure. Once they use it, it will cause severe damage to the phantasm.”
“It doesn’t really matter if the phantasm is damaged. That can be repaired. But if a powerful magic treasure or spell pierces through the phantasm and its power spreads into the real world, it may injure the townspeople.”
As a demonstration, Wang Su brought out a glittering golden talisman, and the red light on his body lit up instantly.
“Once the red light turns on, it means the trial-taker cannot pass through the phantasm using their current means. It’s equivalent to failing the trial, and they’ll be directly kicked out of the phantasm.”
With a whoosh, Wang Su’s figure vanished from before Li Qiuchen’s eyes.
A few seconds later, he once again walked in from the entrance.
“Then you go up and recite your lines.”
Li Qiuchen lowered his head and glanced at the slip of paper in his hand.
He only had three lines in total.
“An evildoer is causing trouble in town!”
“Hurry and report it to the authorities!”
“Otherwise it’ll be too late!”
Then he was to cry “Ah!” and collapse to the ground, unable to rise, pointing toward the center of town with his finger before dying.
Li Qiuchen only felt his scalp go numb.
It wasn’t that he only had these three lines. It was that the entire phantasm only had three lines in total.
Eighth Master Chang did not have a single line.
Wang Su, Du Qian—these two top students from the county school had squatted in a corner for eight days and squeezed out just three lines.
A normal person would shit more than three jin in eight days, wouldn’t they?
“I told you something wasn’t right!”
Watching Li Qiuchen expressionlessly finish reciting his lines and collapse to the ground, Wang Su looked helpless. “The atmosphere hasn’t been built up at all!”
Du Qian waved his hand. “Let’s put the details aside for now and continue onward.”
There was nothing to continue onward to. There was no plot whatsoever.
Following the direction Li Qiuchen had pointed in before his death, they walked all the way forward and saw the scene of Mohe Zhenren sitting on the great bluestone, expounding on scripture.
Over a hundred townspeople knelt on the ground around him, surrounding Mohe Zhenren—who looked like an enlightened high monk… an otherworldly expert… no, that wasn’t quite right either; in any case, something along those lines—on all sides.
Seeing Wang Su approach, Mohe Zhenren opened a pair of serpentine pupils and spat out a cloud of black mist.
In an instant, black winds rolled across the scene, sending sand and stones flying…
“That’s not right! I told you it wasn’t right!”
Wang Su hurriedly retreated a few steps and shouted loudly, “Eighth Master Chang, don’t use your own moves! Use the one we designed for you!”
Mohe Zhenren looked utterly bewildered.
Du Qian hurriedly ran over to explain the specific operating system to him.
Li Qiuchen watched from the side, black lines practically covering his forehead.