"In the virtual world, our bodies don't tire. Take archery, for example. In reality, even professional archers can only shoot a few hundred arrows a day. But in the virtual world, we can shoot tens of thousands of arrows continuously without any fatigue. We can also simulate bandits, beasts, and other moving targets, even 'assassins' attacking us, and practice close-range archery counterattacks. With a massive number of repetitions, archery skills naturally improve rapidly."

"The same principle applies to gunmanship, swordsmanship... any kind of technique. You can tirelessly practice tens of thousands of times a day. The virtual world also has various perfect training environments, so the speed of improvement is very fast. One day in the virtual world is equivalent to dozens of times the growth rate in reality! One month is enough to rival several years of progress in reality. If you are a genius... it's enough to climb to the top level in the world!"

"The virtual world is an opportunity to change our destiny!"

...

"The virtual world has no injuries, no fatigue! If you don't fight now, when will you fight?"

...

"Want to increase your income? Change your destiny? Seize this rare opportunity in the virtual world! You must be ruthless to yourself! Practice to the death, anyway, you can't die!"

...

"It's the same old time, 10 pm. Come and practice swords with Lao Li and me. We'll start with thrusting swords, ten thousand thrusts!"

On the viewing platforms, many 'chicken soup' (motivational) livestreamers were shouting, and some livestreamers were broadcasting their training sessions in real-time.

Many people were in their own training grounds, watching the livestreams in a small window while practicing their swordsmanship.

"Director, we are comprehensively guiding the public to practice martial arts, and geniuses are beginning to emerge among the people," Director Zhou's secretary reported, as Director Zhou observed the various livestreaming rooms.

"With a population of over a billion, it's normal for some geniuses to appear," Director Zhou said. "Your work must be even more diligent. This is a critical process for human civilization, and our Xia country must seize the opportunity. The White Eagle Federation, the Roman Empire, the Sakura country, and other countries will also be guiding their people at full speed."

"Yes," the secretary respectfully replied. "Director, major corporations have also entered the virtual world to form teams and prepare to participate in the Huozhong (Ember Seed) Cup National Competition."

"That's a good thing," Director Zhou said. "We need to make the competition even more intense."

The secretary nodded and then retreated.

Director Zhou looked out the window. It was pitch black outside, already late at night. He couldn't see a single light, and could only faintly hear the sound of ocean waves.

"Where will humanity's destiny lead?" Director Zhou looked at the dark night outside the window. "The future is unclear. The only thing we can grasp is the present!"

******

Time passed day by day. In the blink of an eye, the virtual world had been open for a month.

August 25th, evening.

Xu Jingming sat on the sofa in the living room, watching the 'Wang Xiangu' (Wang the Fairy) livestream on the light screen.

"Dear family members, as of 9 p.m. tonight, the virtual world has been officially open for a month." Wang Xiangu wore a cute rabbit mask, and her voice was also very cute. In reality, she had been a professional host, and later became a very popular streamer. In the virtual world, she was still a very popular streamer.

"Xiangu has finalized the latest version of the *Xia* Country Master Ranking List. The latest version includes a hundred god-level masters," Wang Xiangu said. "These hundred god-level masters are divided into four echelons."

"The first echelon consists of Liu Hai, Lei Yunfang, and Zhou Yi. The members of the first echelon, their strength is absolutely leading! Any other masters in *Xia* Country, in front of them... will only face death. You are all very familiar with the information of these three. The ranking list also includes a lot of information."

"The second echelon consists of Zhang Qing, Xiong Tianshan, Tie Lianyuan, Feng Baiyu, Zhuang Ziyu, Wang Qiao, Yang Yu, Yu Cheng, Wang Yi, Zheng Bailong, Huo Qingshan, and Chang Qingpeng, twelve in total."

"The members of the second echelon have all developed a set of their own perfect moves, and can easily defeat the masters of the third and fourth echelons."

"The third echelon consists of Zhao Fan, Zhang Feng... Gao Chong, Xu Jingming... Dong Xu, Teng Ya... Liu Jianfeng, Gu Chong... Heng Fang, Sun Yuting... a total of twenty-one people! Although these masters of the third echelon also have some unique skills, they are still not perfect and have many flaws."

"The fourth echelon consists of Wu Sai... Wang Cheng, Yang Qingshuo... Yu Fu, Dai Xiaoqing... Sun Li... a total of sixty-four people. The members of the fourth echelon are also quite powerful, but generally do not have unique skills, and are inferior to the third echelon. But among the current three thousand six hundred god-level masters, being ranked in the top one hundred, these god-level masters of the fourth echelon are already very powerful."

Wang Xiangu briefly talked about the list, and then began to comment on it in detail.

Xu Jingming listened, learning about the current god-level masters.

*Ka!*

Suddenly the courtyard door was pushed open, and Li Miaomiao walked into the living room carrying some vegetables. "Jingming, these are some vegetables grown by my parents, freshly picked." As she said this, Li Miaomiao saw the livestream on the light screen.

*Xia* Country Master Ranking List?

"This Wang Xiangu is constantly belittling Jingming on the ranking list. Jingming has even fallen to the third echelon." Li Miaomiao gently touched her watch and clicked it.

*Pa!*

The light screen was turned off.

"Jingming, don't listen to this Wang Xiangu. She's a big swindler. Many people think her ranking list is getting more and more fake," Li Miaomiao said as she sat down. "Now the ranking descriptions are also getting more and more vague, and she's come up with a four-echelon system."

"She has put a lot of effort into the ranking list," Xu Jingming said. "The four-echelon system is actually more appropriate."

"Appropriate?" Li Miaomiao asked in surprise.

"For example, some of those ranked in the second echelon are martial arts masters, some are legendary boxing champions, and some are archery demon kings. In the one month of the virtual world, they have all transformed and created their own combat systems, possessing their own set of unique skills," Xu Jingming said. "Compared to them, I'm still a bit lacking. Although my 'Shadowless Thrust' and 'Mountain Breaker' are becoming more and more perfect, just two moves can't form a complete combat system. I really admire them, how did they comprehend such powerful moves, and even make them into a system!"

"Actually, Gao Chong is also very powerful. He has also created three major spear techniques, which are even more ferocious than my moves, but he's too reckless and easily exposes flaws," Xu Jingming said. "That's why he's stuck in the third echelon like me."

Xu Jingming sighed with a smile, "Thinking about it, I'm really ashamed. When the virtual world first opened, when I defeated Gao Chong, Wang Qiao, and the others, I thought that in the days to come, I would improve even more and have even greater advantages. But the truth proves that I was still too naive. Many people have deeper accumulations than me, and even greater talent. They have all created systematic unique skills."

"Being ranked in the third echelon is my true strength. I'm still very convinced," Xu Jingming said.

In the one month of the virtual world, in one god-level battle after another, he was indeed a bit inferior.

"At least I'm still in the top thirty in *Xia* Country. If I work hard, I still have hope of catching up," Xu Jingming said.

Li Miaomiao hugged her boyfriend's arm and said, "Life is full of ups and downs. Only by enduring the torment of the lows can you reap the joy of the peaks!"

"Yeah," Xu Jingming nodded.

With his girlfriend's constant support, Xu Jingming was always full of fighting spirit.

Suddenly a phone call came.

Xu Jingming reached out and gently tapped, and a light screen appeared in front of him showing a man, Sun Li.

"Lao Xu," Sun Li said with a smile.

"What's the matter that you're calling me specifically?" Xu Jingming asked with a smile.

"It's like this," Sun Li explained. "Recently, more than one large corporation wants to sign me. Even Golden Roc Group came to my hometown and personally visited me. I really can't refuse. And I really need to make money. You know, I haven't earned much money all these years. So, Lao Xu, I'm sorry, I have to quit the team."

"Oh," Xu Jingming was silent for a moment. "Did you tell Heng Fang and the other three?"

"Please tell them for me. There's no way, I have to make money," Sun Li said, and then hung up the phone.

Xu Jingming sat there in silence.

————

Just one chapter today.

In fact, Tomato went on a business trip on the 11th and has been in BJ for meetings recently. He can only go home on the 18th. Tomato has been staying up late to code during the meetings. I really can't hold on today! When I get back to yz, Tomato's updates will return to normal.