Chapter 36 - Game update: Su Xiaoyue arrives

“Very well, it’s like killing three birds with one stone!”

Venerable Tianxuan saw that he didn’t understand, so he extended a finger and said, “First, you’ve gained the inheritance of sword cultivation, which strengthens the foundation of the Taoist Palace and prevents the extinction of the sword cultivation lineage. Is that a good thing?”

Gu Liuyun nodded in agreement; this was undoubtedly a positive development.

Venerable Tianxuan then extended a second finger, saying, “Secondly, by obtaining the sword cultivation inheritance, Daoxuan… your Supreme Elder won’t need to continue searching for an heir and can return to oversee the Taoist Palace. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Gu Liuyun nodded again, recognizing that the Supreme Elder, a sword cultivator, would be a formidable asset for the Taoist Palace.

Finally, Venerable Tianxuan extended a third finger and asked, “The Immortal Ascension Conference is coming up soon, and your senior sister Murong Qianxue has greatly improved her strength. Is that a good thing for the Taoist Palace?”

Just as Gu Liuyun was about to nod for the third time, he paused and asked, “The Immortal Ascension Conference?”

He recalled hearing this term when he first arrived at the main hall of the Taoist Palace. Murong Qianxue, who was nearby, was surprised because she didn’t know what the Immortal Ascension Conference was.

Venerable Tianxuan explained, “The Immortal Ascension Conference is jointly organized by the major orthodox sects every fifty years. Disciples from the Divine Mansion to the Embodied Spirit Realm are sent to participate. Their performance in this conference determines the sect’s ranking, influencing resource allocation for the next fifty years.”

Gu Liuyun realized that he had never encountered this concept in his previous life, and it was his first time learning about how resources were allocated among sects.

He asked if the suzerain intended to select Murong Qianxue to participate, and Venerable Tianxuan revealed that he hadn’t initially planned to. Still, her recent acquisition of the sword cultivation inheritance changed the situation. Gu Liuyun then fully understood the significance. Ultimately, Murong Qianxue was chosen as the Taoist Palace’s representative for the Immortal Ascension Conference, and she willingly accepted the responsibility.

The conversation continued as Tianluan, another important figure, proposed sending Murong Qianxue to the Eastern Desolation Secret Realm for a year of training. Gu Liuyun learned that this secret realm was a fiercely contested area between the devil dao and the righteous dao and that this experience would greatly benefit Murong Qianxue’s growth.

Gu Liuyun raised his hand and asked, “Master, what about me?” Tianluan approached him, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, making a decision not shared with the user.

“You… Of course, you went to practice diligently. Now, in the Divine Temple of the Taoist Palace, your cultivation level is the lowest.”

Gu Liuyun suddenly felt a pang in his heart. After talking about it for a long time, the third matter had nothing to do with him.

He glared at Tianluan with frustration and said, “You were the one who brought me here in the first place!”

“My dear disciple, practice diligently. The master will bring you a gift when you return.”

Tianluan giggled, covering her mouth, and playfully pinched his face. Then, she turned to Murong Qianxue and asked, “Is there anything you’d like to bring?”

Murong Qianxue nodded and then looked at Gu Liuyun, saying, “Junior Brother, focus on your training, and I’ll bring you a gift.”

Gu Liuyun was left speechless. It seemed like they treated him as a child and were now discussing gifts…

Later, Venerable Tianxuan left, and after giving some instructions to the disciples in charge, Tianluan prepared to take Murong Qianxue to the Eastern Wasteland. Before their departure, Tianluan took medicinal pills to give to Gu Liuyun, and Murong Qianxue also produced some talismans she wanted to leave with him.

Gu Liuyun’s heart warmed but declined, saying, “Since the Eastern Wilderness Secret Realm is extremely dangerous, it’s better if you both keep these. I don’t lack anything here, and please be careful during your training, senior sisters.”

Murong Qianxue smiled faintly and nodded.

Seeing this, Tianluan instructed, “During my absence, if you need anything, go to the old man. Don’t let anyone bully you, okay?”

Gu Liuyun agreed, reassuring Tianluan. After sending off Tianluan and Murong Qianxue, Gu Liuyun looked at the empty main hall and felt a sense of solitude. Just as he was feeling a bit aimless and considering whether to meditate, a game announcement suddenly appeared.

[Global Announcement: 100 million players worldwide have completed the novice stage in Nine Realms. “Ancestor” will perform a 24-hour maintenance and upgrade. After maintenance, the first chapter, “The Nine Realms Are Boundless, Heaven’s Chosen Fight,” will officially open!][For more game content, please visit the official forum. Players must log out and return to the safe zone within one hour to avoid unnecessary losses.]

The unexpected maintenance announcement left players worldwide in shock. Today was a rare Saturday to play the game, and now it was going under maintenance – how frustrating!

Gu Liuyun, too, felt helpless about the maintenance. Updates were inevitable, and the actual game content of “Nine Realms” would come after the novice stage, as the announcement stated.

Returning to the main hall, Gu Liuyun lay on Tianluan’s throne and chose to log out. With Tianluan’s Master not returning anytime soon and her likely not minding, he decided to make himself comfortable.

Exiting the game, Gu Liuyun came out of the game cabin. He logged into the Nine Realms forum on his computer but found that the update details hadn’t been released yet. They were waiting for all players to log out before sharing the information.

Feeling bored, he started browsing the forum, finding some of the players’ humorous posts entertaining. After about two hours of scrolling, the doorbell suddenly rang.

“Ding dong~”

Confused, Gu Liuyun scratched his head. He didn’t have many friends in Jiangdu, so who could it be?

Upon opening it, he walked to the door and said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t need any salespeople…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a graceful figure suddenly rushed into his arms. A pair of hands as smooth as ivory quickly wrapped around his neck, and a delightful fragrance filled the air.

“Ah, Little Yunyun, I’m here~”

Staring at Su Xiaoyue’s breathtaking beauty, Gu Liuyun was completely bewildered.

The girl is really here…