Chapter 1 Unrated

"I haven't been rated yet," Xu Jingming explained. "I've been training in the practice field."

"Hard training is important, but life-and-death combat is also important!" Liu Hai asked, "Is your base combat strength enough?"

"It's enough." Xu Jingming nodded, looking at his personal combat strength panel.

Player: Xu Jingming

Gene Evolution Method: *Tianmang* Evolution Method (Middle Stage 20%) (Practice time: 735 days, cannot be improved)

Body: 115

Skills: Spear Technique (Second Tier 75%), Footwork (Second Tier 16%), Shield Technique (Second Tier 62%)

Base Combat Strength: 1380

After all, he had practiced in the training ground for nearly eight hours. The *Tianmang* Evolution Method reached the initial stage after only one practice, and now it has reached the middle stage 20%. After raising the body to the limit, it naturally becomes stronger.

After the body evolved, strength, speed, and nerve reaction all underwent transformation, so Xu Jingming also chose sparring partners in the training ground to familiarize himself with his shield and spear techniques, ensuring that he could fully exert his strength.

"It's good that your combat strength is enough." Liu Hai nodded. He also knew that the threshold for god-level base combat strength was 1000, and if you want to directly enter the god-level through the 'rating match', the base combat strength needs to reach 1200, which is still very difficult.

"After you retired, you didn't slack off on your shield technique, did you?" Liu Hai asked.

"In the national team, there were many teammates to spar with. After retiring, the sparring partners are much worse." Xu Jingming said, "But I still insist on practicing a few times every week."

"Practicing shield technique is very helpful for mastering body strength." Liu Hai said, "This is a lifelong thing, and you can't slack off."

"Disciple understands." Xu Jingming said.

He had practiced spear technique since he was a child, and after entering the national team, his master Liu Hai taught him shield technique.

His master's shield technique originated from the Taiji lineage.

"Hurry up and get rated. There are already 31 people who have reached the god-level. The land of our Xia country is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers." Liu Hai said with emotion, and then hung up the communication.

"Already 31 people?" Xu Jingming didn't hesitate any longer. He clicked on the personal panel and went directly to the combat space.

...

The initial entry into the combat space is a void.

A man in a green shirt appeared in the void and said, "Xu Jingming, welcome to the combat space. Your base combat strength has reached 1380, exceeding the 'god-level' base combat strength threshold by more than 20%. You can directly conduct the 'god-level' rating match. Do you want to conduct the rating match?"

"Yes." Xu Jingming nodded.

"The combat space is divided into five environments: town, mountain forest, city, snowfield, and ancient battlefield. Please choose one of these environments as the venue for your rating match."

Xu Jingming thought for a while and said, "Mountain forest!"

"Please choose your equipment." The man in green shirt said, "You can carry up to two weapons, and there can be no protective equipment on your head."

"The head is the only part of the body that must be exposed?" Xu Jingming asked.

"Yes, even if you are wearing heavy armor, your head must be exposed." The man in green shirt nodded and said, "This is the rule set by the virtual world game, so the head will be the biggest weakness in combat. You must be careful to protect it."

Xu Jingming nodded.

With a light tap, he began to choose his equipment. He had already experimented many times in the training ground, so he was very skilled.

"A set of light body armor that fits snugly and doesn't affect movement." Xu Jingming selected body equipment. After selecting it, he wore a set of dark red body armor and a pair of light and sturdy boots.

"Double shields, both with a diameter of sixty centimeters, are relatively light shields." Xu Jingming put the double shields on his back, and with a wave of his hand, he selected a long spear.

"The long spear weighs 36 kilograms, which is quite handy." Xu Jingming held the long spear.

The whole set of equipment, a set of close-fitting light body armor including boots, weighs 55 kilograms. The double shields weigh 30 kilograms, and the long spear weighs 36 kilograms. For Xu Jingming, whose body index has reached 115, it is indeed relatively light equipment. Those heavy armors weigh hundreds of kilograms, but of course, the defensive effect is much stronger. Those who practice the *Xuan Gui* Evolution Method (Black Tortoise Evolution Method) and *Ju Xiong* Evolution Method (Giant Bear Evolution Method) are more suitable for choosing that type of heavy armor.

"Let the rating match begin." Xu Jingming clicked ready, and suddenly five maps appeared in the void in front of him, and then he fell directly towards the 'mountain forest' map.

******

The mountain forest after the rain, the mountain road is muddy.

Xu Jingming descended from the void, stepped on the muddy ground, and looked around.

Under a large tree in the distance, there was weeds, and a sloppy man sat cross-legged on the clean weeds, with a sword at his waist. When Xu Jingming appeared, the sloppy man looked up.

"Another one who isn't afraid of death." The sloppy man muttered to himself, smiled softly, and slowly stood up.

"Plain clothes, only a sword?" Xu Jingming observed his opponent. "He's wearing plain clothes, but I'm wearing body armor. Long spear against sword also has a big advantage. His external equipment is at a great disadvantage, so his own strength may be very strong."

If the strength is weak and the equipment is also weak, then it would be too unchallenging.

"Since you're here to die, I'll send you on your way." The sloppy man moved, and his body blurred as he moved, extremely fast, rushing towards Xu Jingming.

Xu Jingming stood in place, waiting calmly.

The distance is close!

Xu Jingming held the spear handle with his left hand and the spear waist with his right hand, ready to strike.

"Whoosh." The sloppy man twisted his body strangely at the moment he approached, and the long sword flashed.

Bang.

The long sword slashed on Xu Jingming's long spear, but this long spear was like a dragon emerging from the sea. With a slight tremor, the spear shaft had a terrifying force hitting the long sword, shaking the sloppy man to fly backwards. He tapped the tree trunk next to him again, somersaulted, landed in the distance, and the hand holding the sword trembled.

"So fast, such agile movement." Xu Jingming looked at the other party. "I'm not as good as him in footwork."

The sloppy man stared at Xu Jingming and slowly approached again.

He also wanted to kill with a single sword, but with a three-foot sword plus his arm, he had to get close enough to stab Xu Jingming. However, Xu Jingming's long spear was two meters six long. Before the sloppy man could close the distance to his attack range, he was already within Xu Jingming's attack range! This is the advantage of weapons! Just now, the sloppy man was also forced to attack Xu Jingming's long spear.

He must first split the long spear before he can get close.

Whoosh.

The sloppy man approached again.

"Clang clang clang."

He circled around Xu Jingming, moving at high speed, repeatedly stabbing as fast as lightning, colliding with Xu Jingming's long spear, looking for a good opportunity.

"His footwork is above mine, and his swordsmanship is not bad, but his equipment is too poor." Xu Jingming understood this. "The normal way to kill the enemy is to rely on the advantage of equipment to kill him. But... there's no need."

When the sloppy man patiently tested again, looking for a good opportunity.

Xu Jingming moved his long spear.

"Hiss!"

A strange whistling sound.

A blurred spear shadow tore through the air, even forming a wave of air. The tip of the spear was already in front of the sloppy man. In panic, the sloppy man waved his sword to block, but he blocked empty, and a hole had appeared in his throat. The tip of the spear had even been withdrawn.

The sloppy man covered his throat and fell down.

"This is my ultimate move, 'Shadowless Thrust'. Once you enter my attack range, you won't have time to block." Xu Jingming said silently, "Your footwork speed is faster than mine, but not as fast as my spear."

After killing the sloppy man, the world of the mountain forest after the rain began to dissipate, and Xu Jingming also returned to the void.

In the void, a slow-motion replay of the kill appeared in mid-air: Xu Jingming's long spear, so fast that it tore through the air, the air wave split to both sides, the tip of the spear pierced the sloppy man's neck, and the sloppy man's waving long sword had only been swung halfway, obviously much slower.

Combat rating: 98 points.

Level: God-level One Star.

And next to it, Xu Jingming's personal combat strength panel also appeared——

Player: Xu Jingming

Gene Evolution Method: *Tianmang* Evolution Method (Middle Stage 20%) (Practice time: 735 days, cannot be improved)

Body: 115

Skills: Spear Technique (Second Tier 75%), Footwork (Second Tier 16%), Shield Technique (Second Tier 62%)

Base Combat Strength: 1380

Actual Combat Bonus: 20%

Combat Strength: 1656

"There's an extra actual combat bonus? And more combat strength?" Xu Jingming understood. "No wonder it was previously called base combat strength. Adding the actual combat bonus is the complete combat strength."

"Also, the grasp of timing during combat, the use of various factors, these are also very important." Xu Jingming was very clear.

"Congratulations, you passed the rating match with a near-perfect score." The man in green shirt smiled and said, "I also have a message to tell you. As of this moment, the virtual world game has been open for 8 hours and 36 minutes, and there are a total of 32 god-level players in Xia country."

Xu Jingming nodded, there are quite a few who are faster than him. The land of Xia country is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

"Do you want to start a battle?" The man in green shirt asked, "Player battles in the combat space are all in teams of five, fighting to the death with another five people in one of the environments of mountain forest, snowfield, city, town, and ancient battlefield."

"During the battle, you can queue up alone and let the game arrange four teammates for you. You can also invite friends to form a team and then battle."

"Queue up alone?" Xu Jingming asked in confusion, "Queue up?"

"Yes, there are currently only 32 god-level players. Some are in the training ground, some are watching live broadcasts, and some have chosen to queue up and then canceled. It may take some time to gather a full team of ten." The man in green shirt explained, "Today is the first day of the game, and there are too few god-level players. The queue is very slow. After ten days and a half a month, the queue will be much faster."

"Then let's start queuing." Xu Jingming's eyes were full of anticipation. "Those who can become god-level now are not ordinary experts."

Xu Jingming clicked the battle button.

A prompt appeared——"Six people are ready..."

"There are currently six people in the queue." The man in green shirt said, "The battle will only begin when there are ten people."

"How long will it take?" Xu Jingming asked.

"It may take some time. The longest of these six people has been in the queue for two hours." The man in green shirt said, "There were also people who queued up early, but they canceled it. You can practice in the training ground while queuing, watch live broadcasts, and even log off! Once ten people are gathered, you will be notified immediately! Just log in within three minutes."

Xu Jingming nodded slightly. "Then let it queue."

"Once this battle begins, it will be the first god-level battle in Xia country." The man in green shirt said.

"The first god-level battle in Xia country?" Xu Jingming was thoughtful.