Zhang Yuhe quickly browsed other posts, most of which shared players' experiences in Yufantian. Many who had logged off early posted on the forum, expressing regret. They felt they should have persisted a bit longer. Even if they couldn't reach the first level of Qi Refining, they thought they shouldn't waste time. If they kept wasting time, they would soon be left behind by other players. Many of them planned to make full preparations that night and try to stay for a full 100 days.
Some people shared wilderness survival tips for everyone's reference. Zhang Yuhe even saw someone recommending items brought out from the Yufantian world, though most were animal meat and wild fruits, with no elixirs in sight.
Suddenly, a video post caught Zhang Yuhe's attention. He clicked on it, watching as a young man sat cross-legged, constantly pinching the magic formula with his hands. After a while, a faint little fireball flew out from the man's fingertips. There were exclamations in the replies:
"Damn, the boss is awesome."
"Is this the fireball technique? How powerful is it?"
"Let me put it this way: the fireball technique of a cultivator is more powerful than a cannon from Blue Star."
"Zhao, this is fake. How can such a small fireball compare to a cannon?"
"You ignorant fool, you don't understand the means of immortal cultivation."
Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but shake his head. "These people know how to play."
"Should I also take a video and upload it to the forum?"
He stroked his chin thoughtfully. If he filmed himself flying on a sword and uploaded it, would it fascinate countless girls?
"Forget it, keep a low profile, keep a low profile," he muttered to himself.
Cultivating immortality quietly—there was no room for ego in this world.
Whether in Blue Star or Yufantian, Zhang Yuhe had decided to remain a hidden figure. He wanted others to ignore his presence, allowing him to practice peacefully without the distractions of the outside world.
After closing the forum, Zhang Yuhe went downstairs and ordered a bowl of noodles. After a hundred days of barbecue, he craved something lighter.
Niutai Mountain was an urban forest park stretching across several districts. Every weekend, a large number of citizens came to climb the mountain and enjoy the scenery.
As Zhang Yuhe walked along the mountain trail, he silently circulated the Hunyuan Tianjing, feeling the spiritual energy around him.
"The spiritual energy here seems richer than in my room," he thought, observing his surroundings. While still thin compared to Yufantian, the energy here was more abundant than in his home.
The reason he had come here was to feel firsthand the changes brought by the revival of spiritual energy. No matter how much he read on the forum, it couldn't compare to experiencing it himself.
As he pondered, a girl's scream pierced the air from up ahead. Zhang Yuhe quickly scanned with his spiritual sense and saw a group of people running down the mountain road. Behind them, a massive rat was squatting in the middle of the road, its teeth bared.
"Damn, that's one big rat," Zhang Yuhe muttered, taken aback.
This was Blue Star—how could a mouse grow this large? The rat's eyes were red, and it was as big as a rabbit. Was this still a mouse?
The rat squatted in the middle of the road, its eyes flashing wildly before it suddenly lunged at a chubby girl who was still running.
The others, seeing the rat's pounce, froze in fear. Their legs went weak, and they scrambled to the sides of the road. The girl, unaware that she had been spotted by the rat, continued to run.
Zhang Yuhe, unable to stand by, decided to act. He couldn't just watch a young girl fall prey to a giant rat.
With a flick of his finger, a faint sword light flashed by unnoticed. The sword light traveled hundreds of meters and struck the rat mid-air, sending it crashing to the ground.
Without waiting to see the aftermath, Zhang Yuhe quickly turned and left. He had no interest in being thanked, admired, or envied. He just wanted to practice in peace.
He didn't feel like shopping anymore, so he hurried to the parking lot and drove home.
Though his spiritual energy had revived, it was better not to do something as conspicuous as flying on a sword in Blue Star, at least for now. Driving was the more normal way to get around.
People who enjoyed showing off eventually faced consequences, and Zhang Yuhe wasn't one to indulge in such behavior.
News of the rat attack at Niutai Mountain quickly spread across the internet, prompting the Forest Park to announce its closure. An insider revealed that during the inspection, they discovered a tiny hole in the big rat's body. The news created an even greater stir.
"Is there a big shot involved here?" one person wondered.
"It's fake. There are surveillance cameras all over the park. If someone had intervened, they would have been caught on tape," another replied.
"It's not surprising that an immortal cultivator could kill a big rat, but doing it silently is another matter entirely."
"A monk at the first level of Qi Refining wouldn't be able to cast even basic spells properly. To kill the rat quietly, you'd need to be at a much higher level."
"So it couldn't have been an immortal player?"
"Of course not. It's only been one night. Even if someone trained at a rocket speed, they wouldn't be that fast."
"It must have been an air rifle. The bullets are small and don't make much noise."
"That's possible. I've heard that park staff are equipped with air guns for emergencies."
"By the way, is this rat a monster?"
"Definitely not. Monsters are much stronger than regular rats."
"Blue Star is really unsafe. We can't even go to the park anymore."
"I envy those who are qualified to practice."
"Yeah, it's so unfair. Why can't everyone practice?"
"Let's go to the 'Yufantian' website and complain. We want to cultivate too!"
"What a funny guy."
Zhang Yuhe paid no attention to the aftermath of the rat incident at Niutai Mountain. To him, it was nothing more than a trivial matter.
A rat that wasn't even a first-level monster was weaker than the first wild monster he had killed in Yufantian. There was no reason to be concerned.
However, the effects of the spiritual energy revival were growing stronger, and it had only been a day. Rats in city parks were already attacking humans—were the beasts in the mountains evolving even faster?
Zhang Yuhe felt a sense of urgency. He needed to speed up his cultivation. He didn't want to log off one day only to find himself surrounded by wild monsters.
People might be cultivating in Yufantian, but when they returned home, they could find everything changed.
The thought of such a scenario unsettled him. "I must not relax in my cultivation," he silently vowed.
As long as he practiced diligently and became strong enough, he could eliminate any potential threats before they became problems.
If he could deal with the evolving monsters with a wave of his hand, Blue Star would be safe. The world would still be beautiful, and none of it would affect him.
Back home, Zhang Yuhe sat on the sofa, closed his eyes, and began reflecting on his experiences.
It was impossible to cultivate now. Without enough spiritual energy, his efforts would be in vain.
Even a full day of practice in Blue Star wouldn't be as effective as a single breath at Dao Sheng Sect.
Although he couldn't practice, he could still recall the knowledge he'd acquired from the library and identify areas where he needed improvement.