Chapter 35: Impact, Current Situation

Fu Chen, as a reincarnator, had been genuinely rattled by the fact that Yi Xiao Tu Cheng was leading him in levels. Taking this as a catalyst, he completely shed his inner reservations and the shackles of his past life; he no longer wished to level up at the slow, methodical pace of his previous existence. Armed with the experience of his past life and a repertoire of max-level skills, Fu Chen was essentially a high-level veteran returning to the starter village. In the secluded and desolate area of Can Shan, he went on a rampage, sweeping through and instantly killing any monster in his path. Thanks to his lead in levels, there were no other newcomers nearby to compete for kills or cause distractions. He could focus entirely on his grind, and the notifications for "Cultivation" and "Primordial Spirit" rewards never ceased.

Qin Yumo, still exhausted from the soul-straining pain she had endured, had not yet fully recovered. She obediently followed his lead, practicing and internalizing the "Swift Cloud Step" while taking care of looting the battlefield. As the strings of reward notifications drifted before his eyes, time flowed on silently. His level climbed from 11 to 12, and soon reached 13, while his Cultivation value continued to grow unabated. Two hours passed, and seeing Fu Chen fully immersed in combat with no sign of stopping, Qin Yumo couldn't help but hesitate: "Should I remind Hong Chen to take a break?" As she pondered this, she couldn't help but wonder to herself: "It's been so long, doesn't his girlfriend look for him?"

Meanwhile, in the southeastern suburbs of Sword Immortal City, Yang Siyao—also known as "Yao Si Qing Meng"—was leading her teammates in a fierce battle. Because of the experience-tome skill books Fu Chen had prepared for her in advance, Yang Siyao was the only person in the entire team who had learned a skill. After leaving the city to complete quests, she was able to use long-range magic skills to strike at monsters, inflicting heavy damage while drawing their aggro. When the monsters charged, she would direct her teammates to surround and finish them off cleanly. This method of cooperation was something Fu Chen had taught her on the road. It not only improved efficiency but also ensured their safety by preventing her and her teammates from suffering counterattacks. After a few skirmishes, Yang Siyao naturally became the team's primary attacker and tactical lead. Through their concerted efforts, the two quests they had accepted before leaving the city were quickly completed. At this point, Yang Siyao suggested: "Our levels are low; it's a waste of time to turn in quests. We should focus on grinding monsters and collecting skill books." Her teammates followed her advice and remained in the suburbs to continue leveling. While their teamwork ensured efficiency and safety, the average amount of Cultivation and Primordial Spirit gained was quite low.

At this rate of progression, rapid leveling was clearly impossible. Yang Siyao suggested again: "We have the advantage of numbers; we can take on higher-level monsters." Once the team agreed, she led them eastward to find a level 4 monster zone. From start to finish, Yang Siyao, as the core and commander, led her teammates in coordinated combat. Gradually, she became immersed in this novel experience, losing interest in anything outside of the grind. Yang Siyao did not realize that because of Fu Chen’s intervention and guidance, she had already deviated from the path of her previous life shortly after entering the Perfect World.

In the Featherlands, southwest of Plume City, at Nanke Village, Yi Xiao Tu Cheng returned to the city to learn new skills immediately after his exchange with Fu Chen. Afterward, he traveled as quickly as possible to Nanke Village to accept a new quest: "A False Alarm." This quest required killing 20 level 12 "Slender-Beaked Odd-Feet" monsters. Following the quest description, he headed straight toward the monsters' location. To be honest, the reason he threw himself into the new task so quickly was entirely due to being provoked by Fu Chen. Before they met, he hadn't expected "Ban Lian Hong Chen" to have reached level 11 already. He knew that his own rapid climb to level 12 was due to a very specific, unique experience.

The career and experiences he had once been proud of had become a form of mental torture in the face of his physical pain. He did not fear pain, nor even death, but he did not want to continue living like a cripple, gasping for breath in misery. Years of illness and psychological torment had brought him to the brink of collapse, and he had even contemplated suicide. Then, two nights ago, he had arrived in this strange world by some inexplicable means. He was astonished to discover that here, he had regained a healthy body; all his ailments had vanished. He didn't care how he had arrived; he only wanted to live with a sound body. Later, like everyone else, he explored the world until he was killed by a powerful, monstrous creature. It was only at that moment that he truly began to enter this magical, fantastical Perfect World. Thus, he named himself "Yi Xiao Tu Cheng" (A Smile Slaughters the City) to express his inner yearning. He began to grind quests frantically, learning various experience-tome skills, and learned that the world had different classes. Since he didn't need to go to work and couldn't go out, he spent all his time in the Perfect World after eating.

Finally, he reached level 9, unlocked his class awakening, and chose the class most similar to his past: Archer. He possessed a tenacity that ordinary people could not match, a stronger capacity for soul-bearing, and could fight for longer periods. Because of this, he had remained ahead of everyone else, reaching level 12 on the third day. Yet, who was this "Ban Lian Hong Chen"? To have reached level 11 so quickly, nipping at his heels! Yi Xiao Tu Cheng felt an inexplicable pressure from this person; he trusted his intuition—this man was extremely strong! He had to work even harder on his quests and leveling to bolster his strength as quickly as possible. Following the quest description, Yi Xiao Tu Cheng left Nanke Village, found his targets, and resumed the battle.

Coincidentally, just like Yi Xiao Tu Cheng, another person had been provoked by Fu Chen: "You Rong Nai Da." Ever since she added Fu Chen as a friend, she immediately noticed that his level was higher than her own. After completing the skill book trade and learning her new abilities, she immediately rounded up her teammates to begin a new quest. Meanwhile, in the suburbs of Broken Bridge Village, southwest of Myriad Beast City, a three-person squad was working in close coordination to take down nearby monsters. Whether it was a Stray Fire Witch, a Mountain-Piercing Sable, or a Highland Toothed Barbarian, they killed whatever they encountered. One of the men, named "Heart Belongs," glanced at his friend list and looked shocked. He exclaimed to "Double Pupil": "Ah Xuan, your sister is already level 14! How on earth is she leveling up so fast?" Double Pupil replied helplessly: "Who are you asking? Don't worry about it; focusing on leveling and awakening your class is what matters." "That’s your own sister; don't you care about her?" Heart Belongs said indignantly. Another teammate, "Purely For Fun," chuckled and said: "Asking Ah Xuan to worry about his sister is like asking a mouse to worry about a cat. You really have an imagination." Watching his friend’s conflicted expression, Purely For Fun couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly. After a moment, he suggested: "If you really want to know, you could go ask Xiao Yu or Su Yao."