The moment Guo Xiong materialized on the floating cloud, hovering over the battlefield below, his earlier excitement wavered.

  The nd stretched endlessly beneath him—ancient pagodas, dense forests, abandoned vilges, and winding rivers, all bathed in a golden haze. It was breathtaking, but also… terrifyingly real.

  He swallowed hard. “Tian… what happens if I die?”

  Wu Ji Tian, standing beside him, adjusted his gear. “Then I’ll try to revive you at an altar. But if you mean really dying—rex. You’re still sitting safely in my shop.”

  Guo Xiong exhaled, still uneasy. “Alright… if you say so.”

  Just then, a glowing map expanded in front of them.

  [Choose Your Landing Spot!]

  Wu Ji Tian quickly marked an abandoned vilge near a river—a banced location with enough cover and resources.

  “Alright, listen up,” Wu Ji Tian said. “Once we drop, control your descent. Tilt forward to speed up, lean back to slow down. Follow my lead and don’t—”

  WHOOSH!

  Before he could finish, Guo Xiong accidentally unched himself forward.

  “WAIT! WAIT, I WASN’T READY—!”

  Wu Ji Tian sighed as he dived after him.

  Instead of nding smoothly like Wu Ji Tian, Guo Xiong miscalcuted his descent.

  He crashed into the side of a pagoda, bounced off a tree, tumbled down a rocky hill, and finally nded face-first into the dirt.

  “AHHHHH—” THUD!

  Wu Ji Tian gracefully touched down nearby, watching Guo Xiong groan in pain.

  “You good?”

  “I think my spine is in my stomach…”

  Wu Ji Tian snorted. “You’ll get used to it.”

  Guo Xiong groaned as he got up, dusting himself off. He spotted a rusty sword inside a half-broken shack and grabbed it.

  Wu Ji Tian, already armed with a mid-tier saber, tilted his head. “You ready for combat?”

  Guo Xiong tested a few swings—his grip was shaky. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Almost on cue, a low-level AI opponent stepped into the vilge, wielding a short spear.

  Wu Ji Tian casually engaged another enemy, leaving Guo Xiong to handle his own fight.

  The AI lunged—Guo Xiong panicked, swung wildly, and missed.

  The AI countered instantly, stabbing toward his chest.

  CLANG! He barely deflected it, stumbling backward. His heart pounded.

  He had expected something slow and predictable—like a training dummy in a sect sparring match. But this opponent moved with intent, adjusting its stance, reacting to his attacks, and even feinting.

  Gritting his teeth, he adjusted his stance. "Alright… time to get serious."

  After a rough exchange of blows, he barely won, panting.

  Wu Ji Tian cpped. “Hey, you’re not completely useless.”

  Guo Xiong wiped his forehead. “Damn, this game is intense…”

  Then—

  An arrow whizzed past his head.

  Guo Xiong froze. “…Tian?”

  Wu Ji Tian immediately ducked behind cover. “Sniper. Stay low.”

  Guo Xiong peeked out, and another arrow grazed his shoulder.

  He panicked. “WHY DOES IT HURT?!”

  Wu Ji Tian sighed. “It’s immersion. Also, you’re standing in the open, dumbass.”

  Guo Xiong scrambled for cover. His hands shook as he tried to activate a movement talisman, but he was too slow.

  THWACK!

  An arrow straight to the chest.

  Guo Xiong felt an instant of pain—then nothing.

  His vision shifted, and suddenly, he was floating.

  “…Huh?” He looked down—his body was still there, lifeless.

  His heart clenched. He had died.

  For the first few seconds, panic set in. His instincts screamed at him to check his body—but there was nothing. No hands, no weight, just a strange floating sensation.

  “What the hell?! What is this?!”

  He turned—no body, no weight, just a strange floating sensation.

  A moment ter, his perspective zoomed out, revealing the battlefield from a third-person view.

  That’s when he saw Wu Ji Tian… standing over his corpse.

  Looting his bag.

  Guo Xiong’s ghost-self gasped. “BRO? YOU’RE STEALING MY STUFF?!”

  Wu Ji Tian crouched, inspecting a spirit stone. “It’s not like you’re using it.”

  Guo Xiong screamed, but no sound came out.

  Then, to his horror, Wu Ji Tian grabbed his corpse—by the ankle—and started dragging it across the battlefield.

  Guo Xiong could only watch helplessly as Wu Ji Tian sprinted through the battlefield, carrying his body like a sack of rice.

  “Oi! Can you at least be gentle?!”

  Wu Ji Tian didn’t even look up. “Nah, this is faster.”

  After what felt like forever, they reached a glowing altar.

  Wu Ji Tian tossed his body onto the ptform like discarded luggage. The altar fred with golden light.

  Guo Xiong barely had time to react before he was yanked back into his body.

  Guo Xiong sat up, panting, wide-eyed. The revival altar’s golden glow faded around him.

  “I’M ALIVE?!” he gasped, frantically patting his chest.

  Wu Ji Tian stood nearby, arms crossed. “You sound surprised.”

  Guo Xiong exhaled sharply, relief flooding through him. He turned to Wu Ji Tian with newfound admiration. “Man, I was really dead…”

  Then—a horrifying realization.

  He remembered watching Wu Ji Tian drag his lifeless body…

  By the ankle.

  Guo Xiong’s expression twisted. “Wait. WAIT. YOU DRAGGED ME ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD LIKE A SACK OF RICE?!”

  Wu Ji Tian blinked. “...Would you have preferred I carried you like a princess?”

  Guo Xiong looked disgusted. “I—NO?!”

  Wu Ji Tian smirked. “Then you’re welcome.”

  Guo Xiong grumbled, but the previous tension was gone. He was alive, and now he had another shot.

  His fists clenched. “Alright, no more dying. Let’s go again.”

  Their next few fights were different.

  At first, Guo Xiong still fumbled—his stance unsteady, his swings too wide. But after each fight, he adjusted.

  Instead of swinging wildly, he watched his opponents carefully. He learned to predict movements, counter attacks, and use talismans properly.

  With every enemy he defeated, he felt the thrill of improvement.

  “This is insane,” Guo Xiong said between heavy breaths, grinning. “I can actually feel myself getting better.”

  Wu Ji Tian chuckled. “That’s what training is.”

  Guo Xiong *looked at his loot—*his rusty sword was now a refined saber. He had armor, movement talismans, and even healing pills.

  For the first time—he felt like a real cultivator.

  Then—

  [Zone Shrinking!]

  Wu Ji Tian opened the map. “Safe zone’s moving. Time to go.”

  Guo Xiong nodded, gripping his sword tighter. “Let’s move.”

  They ran toward the safe zone, dodging crumbling ruins and crossing mist-covered valleys.

  Only five pyers remained.

  Guo Xiong was about to comment when—

  Arrows rained from above.

  “DAMN IT, CAMPERS AGAIN?!”

  Wu Ji Tian groaned. “It’s like they’re programmed to be annoying.”

  Two AI enemies, dressed in bck robes, perched atop a shrine, raining spiritual arrows down on them.

  “Any ideas, strategist?” Guo Xiong asked.

  Wu Ji Tian grinned. “Yeah. Split up. Whoever gets to them first wins.”

  Guo Xiong hesitated but then grinned back. “Alright, let’s do this.”

  They moved at the same time.

  Wu Ji Tian vanished with a talisman, reappearing behind one sniper.

  Guo Xiong charged forward, dodging arrows, then leapt onto the shrine.

  Bde cshed against bde.

  Guo Xiong, now fighting instinctively, parried the AI’s strikes. A feint—an opening—he sshed through.

  [Opponents Eliminated!]

  Guo Xiong panted, then grinned. “HELL YEAH!”

  Wu Ji Tian smirked. “Not bad.”

  Then—

  [Final Opponent Remaining.]

  A heavy pressure filled the air.

  Wu Ji Tian’s smirk faded.

  “…This is it.”

  Guo Xiong took a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s win this.”

  The st AI towered before them, a fming spear in its grip, its presence radiating overwhelming strength.

  Wu Ji Tian dodged to the left, forcing the AI’s attention on him. “I’ll draw its attacks! You finish it off!”

  Guo Xiong gritted his teeth. “Alright!”

  The AI lunged, its spear bzing as it struck at Wu Ji Tian.

  Wu Ji Tian sidestepped, barely avoiding the scorching heat, then countered with a well-pced ssh—not to kill, but to break the AI’s stance.

  “NOW!” he shouted.

  Guo Xiong sprinted forward, gripping his sword tight.

  The AI staggered, leaving a perfect opening.

  With a battle cry, Guo Xiong swung his sword down, striking deep into the AI’s chest.

  BOOM.

  The AI froze, flickering, its fming spear dimming before it disintegrated into motes of light.

  A mechanical chime echoed across the battlefield.

  [Final Opponent Eliminated!] [Victory!]

  Guo Xiong stood frozen, panting, staring at the glowing notification in disbelief.

  The battlefield slowly faded, the golden mist retreating, leaving behind nothing but silence.

  He… he had won.

  Guo Xiong slowly raised his hands. They were still shaking.

  “I… I DID IT?!”

  Wu Ji Tian leaned casually on his sword. “Yup.”

  Guo Xiong threw his arms in the air. “HA! I’M A BATTLE ROYALE GOD!”

  Wu Ji Tian smirked. “One win and you’re already decring divinity?”

  Guo Xiong pointed at him. “HEY! This was my first match! First win! You HAVE to admit that was impressive!”

  Wu Ji Tian shrugged. “Not bad.”

  Guo Xiong grinned, his chest puffed out. He had never experienced anything like this—the thrill of the fight, the rush of victory.

  He wanted MORE.

  “Again,” he said instantly.

  Wu Ji Tian chuckled. “Alright, let’s queue up.”

  And just like that, they jumped into another match.

  —--------------

  Over the course of several matches

  Guo Xiong’s movements had completely changed.

  His swings were sharper, his footwork more precise. His instincts improved with every fight.

  At first, he barely survived encounters. Now? He was hunting enemies himself.

  With each victory, loss, or near-death experience, he got better.

  By the time three hours had passed, Guo Xiong had gone from a clueless newbie to a competent pyer.

  Wu Ji Tian stretched. “Alright, I’m logging out.”

  Guo Xiong froze mid-menu. “Wait, what? Already?”

  Wu Ji Tian smirked. “It’s been three hours.”

  Guo Xiong frowned. “No way. There’s no—”

  A notification popped up.

  [Remaining Py Time: 2 Hours]

  Wu Ji Tian raised an eyebrow. “See?”

  Guo Xiong grumbled. “Tsk. I should’ve paid for longer…”

  Then, his eyes lit up. “Wait! Can I just—pay for another session now?”

  Wu Ji Tian crossed his arms. “No extensions. You get what you paid for.”

  Guo Xiong slumped in defeat. “Man… stingy shop rules.”

  Wu Ji Tian patted his shoulder. “That’s business.”

  Guo Xiong sighed but quickly perked up. “Alright, two more hours, I better make them count.”

  Wu Ji Tian chuckled before logging out.

  The game world vanished.

  Wu Ji Tian removed the VR helmet, stretching his arms.

  The cool air of the shop greeted him, a stark contrast to the intense battles in the game.

  His gaze shifted toward the full-immersion capsules.

  A grin slowly spread across his face.

  “…Alright. Time to build.”