Chapter 17: The Game’s Protagonist Arrives

Ye Feng gazed up at the distant mountain gate, unconsciously touching the ancient ring on his left index finger.
Old Emperor, watch me. I’ll enter Heavenly Origin Sword Sect as the top contender.
Then, with the first-place reward, I’ll grab soul-replenishing elixirs to revive you to full power, old man.
With this conviction, he climbed step by step. At first, others kept pace, but by the halfway mark, fewer could follow.
Only a few noble prodigies or those blessed with rare encounters remained, and even they slowed in the latter half, exhausted.

Only Ye Feng, fueled by countless encounters and a top-tier technique from his mysterious mentor, pressed on steadily.
His pace never faltered.
Truthfully, he could’ve gone faster.
But for some reason, several secret realms Old Emperor swore were exclusive to him—treasure-laden and fated—turned up empty after grueling efforts.
This slowed his cultivation significantly.
Each time, Old Emperor was baffled, muttering, “Strange. My aura-reading technique clearly showed treasures fated for you here. Why’s there nothing?”

Of course, Ye Feng disdained relying on treasures, preferring the solid progress of self-cultivation.
Still, his own pace was slow, and he’d narrowly escaped death multiple times, forcing Old Emperor to burn his dwindling soul essence to save him.
Before he knew it, Ye Feng reached the top of the Ascension Ladder, a feat grueling for others.
His snowy neck showed no sweat, his chest only slightly heaving, as if he’d merely hiked a hill.

The Golden Core deacons at the top were stunned.
What? He cleared the ladder this fast?
In past years, the quickest were only two-thirds up by now. Was another heaven-blessed prodigy born?
Nearby Foundation Establishment inner disciples were even more shocked, their eyes wide.
Even they, without disciple tokens, couldn’t climb so effortlessly.
All eyes—disciples and deacons alike—fixed on Ye Feng.

He squirmed under their stares, inwardly ranting.
What’s with these Heavenly Origin Sword Sect people? Are they all weirdos?
Why’re they staring like that? Perverts?
Don’t they know it’s rude to gawk?
Frowning, Ye Feng wanted to snap at them but felt the pressure of their auras.
Outmatched, he turned slightly, hiding his profile, and waited quietly for the next test.

Elder Gu Chengyu, overseeing the first two entrance exams, noticed the commotion. Seeing someone reach the top so soon, he frowned.
This won’t do.
He’d promised to favor his Gu family’s junior. Letting someone steal first place wouldn’t do.
With his lifespan nearing its end, he needed a successor to secure his position and legacy in the sect. Otherwise, his years of effort would be for nothing.
He needed a pretext to suppress this kid and ensure his junior took first. But what excuse?

After a moment, he had an idea.
Got it! Claim the kid climbed so fast because he used an artifact to reduce the ladder’s resistance.
The Ascension Ladder tested swordsmanship talent and cultivation—the stronger, the less resistance.
But after thousands of years, some must’ve crafted artifacts to cheat it.
This kid was suspicious! As the exam overseer, Gu Chengyu had to stop such misconduct.
Make him strip and empty his storage ring publicly.
If he complied, have him climb again naked to shake his confidence.
If he refused, perfect—accuse him of using forbidden methods, void his first test, or even brand him a demonic sect spy and expel him.
Just a prodigy, right?
Heavenly Origin Sword Sect, the top sect with a Tribulation Crossing powerhouse, didn’t need another.

With that, Gu Chengyu streaked to the scene like a meteor.

Meanwhile, a refined cultivator soared across Heavenly Origin Sword Sect’s peaks like a meteor.
Clad in a black-cloud sword robe, a jade dragon belt at his waist, his dark hair loosely tied with a purple lightning hairpin, he carried a snow-white, nine-tailed fox on his shoulder.
Even on Sword Knocks at Heaven’s Origin day, with elders patrolling, none dared stop him.
It was Chu Huaizhou, leaving Heavenly Sword Peak to subtly inquire about the Great Vehicle demon from a sect elder.

But his expression was glum.
No kidding—his mood was complex, like a starving man facing a feast he couldn’t eat.
Who could understand the rollercoaster of emotions?
All thanks to the Nine Luminaries Mysterious Abyss Ring.

Guided by Bai Li on his shoulder, he flew through the air.
The scenery passed like clouds, but he had no interest, only staring at the black-gold ring on his right index finger, sighing.
The Nine Luminaries Mysterious Abyss Ring, in the game Black Abyss—this world—was a storage ring earned through complex quests.
No, calling it a storage ring was an understatement. It was an all-purpose amplifying immortal artifact with spatial storage.
Per the game’s description, it was a treasure from an unknown immortal realm, accidentally fallen here.
Though incomplete and less intelligent than other spirit treasures, it retained top-tier quality.
It had a unique feature: soul-binding.
Once bound, it followed the player even into a new game cycle.
That alone made it the game’s rarest item.

Seeing it, Chu Huaizhou’s eyes had lit up, eager to toy with it.
But when he tried to access its storage, he hit an awkward snag.
The ring was soul-bound to him, usable only by him.
Problem was, his amnesia and massive cultivation loss made his soul “incomplete” by the ring’s judgment.
He could only use basic functions—storage was locked.
A vicious cycle: he needed the storage’s contents to recover strength and maybe memories, but without memories, he couldn’t access it.

Meow, what a mentality-crushing trap! Truly artificial stupidity!
After fiddling fruitlessly, Chu Huaizhou gave up, turning his attention to the bustling sect below.