Chapter 131: Chapter 123: Sword Qi?

“This time meeting Lin Feng, the biggest gain wasn’t this Platinum Level Black Blade, but rather this piece of information hint.”

Looking at the text in front of him, Li Zheng carefully recalled the situation when this information appeared.

“Using spear art force application techniques to wield the longsword can also speed up obtaining swordsmanship specialization?”

Li Zheng pondered for a few seconds, then suddenly thrust the Black Blade in his hand forward.

…

“No reaction?”

With no information prompt, Li Zheng started to analyze: “Is it the wrong weapon, or the wrong technique?”

Looking at the Black Blade, it resembled a machete, with a very thick blade back, about two fingers wide.

The blade tip seemed to be cut off, very flat, without a point.

“A weapon without a sharp edge can’t thrust forward, so both are wrong.”

Li Zheng silently cursed himself for being foolish; even if the technique was correct, the system wouldn’t recognize it using a flat-headed chopping knife to stab forward, right?

“I remember… in a rush, I used the Daiyu Spear as a substitute for a melee weapon, using a basic move from the spear art–‘Lifting’.

Because the Daiyu Spear itself is slender, with two sharp ‘lips’ at the spearhead, it got mistaken for a sword tip?

So… there might be similar techniques in swordsmanship, perhaps some swordsmanship’s force applying method coincidentally aligns with ‘Lifting’ in spear art?”

Li Zheng didn’t understand what basis the system used for evaluating techniques.

“Has the system itself recorded these swordsmanship techniques, or has someone in the game learned such techniques, and the data got collected by the system?

And the Memory Release Device, where do the techniques within come from?

Other players?

If it is, was there ever a player in the game who truly practiced spear art diligently for more than ten years?”

Everything is unknown.

Li Zheng could wait until the small loudspeaker refreshes tomorrow to ask in the World Channel, but with such privacy linked to one’s strength, there’s a high chance no one would admit it.

Even if someone admits it, it might just be a player trying to fish in troubled waters; doing this… besides wasting a small loudspeaker, wouldn’t achieve any substantive effect.

As for asking those who admit to prove it?

Why should they?

Are you willing to offer a price for such a question?

No one works without profit, and others don’t even know you, so why listen to you?

“If there isn’t such a player in the game, does it mean The Matrix Survival Game has development directions other than the sci-fi style?”

Li Zheng thought about this question and soon dismissed it himself.

“It shouldn’t be possible, body techniques relying on self-training to reach levels others can’t make sense.

But if one sword strike produces forty meters of sword qi, there’s a bit of a problem, eliminating this direction outright.”

However, Li Zheng then thought of a question he had pondered while killing William: Are there any other players in this game besides humans from Earth?

If there are, why haven’t I encountered them these days?

Or, where are they?

Could it be possible that the Spear Mastery recorded in the Memory Release Device came from those people?

As he thought, Li Zheng felt a bit of a headache.

All the speculations had no clues, just blind guesses, unable to deduce any substantive points.

Simply tossing the Black Blade aside, Li Zheng then dug out the Tungsten Steel Longsword he had obtained when locating his Fusion Capsule Residence, preparing to head out and see if he could improve his swordsmanship proficiency.

Just as he reached the door, he heard some noise outside, judging from the direction, it should be from Yan Guang’s side.

“Done so quickly?” Li Zheng checked the time, “It’s only been five minutes, just warmed up?”

With a scornful curl of his lips, Li Zheng opened the door to have a look.

Indeed, Phoenix Mountain was thrown out by Yan Guang, cursing.

“Who the hell do you think I am? Get lost!”

Bang!

The door closed, leaving Phoenix Mountain outside with a bitter face, looking a bit at a loss.

Li Chun curiously looked that way but sensibly did not go over to disturb, still guarding Zhan Zhouzhou.

In her white clothes, as if with a celestial aura, Zhan Zhouzhou continued her previous posture, staring at the longsword in her hand as if unwilling to stop until she deciphers it.

“This girl isn’t about to have a Qi deviation, is she?”

Li Zheng muttered to himself, then walked towards Phoenix Mountain.

Phoenix Mountain originally lowered his head, intending to return to his residence, but was called by Li Zheng.

“What’s up with you two?”

Li Zheng glanced at Phoenix Mountain’s lower part, raising an eyebrow: “That aspect… not very harmonious?”

Phoenix Mountain smiled wryly: “What are you talking about? You’ve all misunderstood! It’s not like that between me and her…”

“Then what is it? Everyone could see your intimacy just now.”

“Ah… let me explain to you, there’s no harm.”

Phoenix Mountain, not intending to hide anything, organized his words: “Actually, before I got your invitation, I managed to contact my dad…”

“???”

Li Zheng subconsciously paused for a moment, asking: “How old is your dad this year? How did he get into the Matrix?”

“47.” Phoenix Mountain smiled wryly, at the beginning of the game, he was thinking about contacting his father.

Just not knowing which channel his father was in at the time, he couldn’t find a way to send private messages, and the messages to the World Channel disappeared without a trace.

(Private chats require knowing the channel number and specific name of the other party; otherwise, with just one “Zhang Wei” nationwide, there are tens of thousands, how to distinguish?

Or you have to click on the person’s avatar to enter a private chat when they send a message, the trade hall is the same.)

At that time, he figured, maybe… his father had perished.

In the ensuing days, he gave up on contacting his father, focusing solely on improving himself, and after developing genetic abilities, even knowing the large side effects, he didn’t care.

In any case, he played with a self-destructive tendency.

As it turned out, he never expected that not only did his old man not encounter any mishaps, it seemed he was doing quite well in that channel.

Apparently, he ranks in the top three on the battle strength list!

According to Phoenix Dad, who contacted Phoenix Mountain, he’d wanted to reach out ever since Phoenix Mountain roasted William on the world channel.

It’s just that at the time, Phoenix Dad happened to get a significant boost, so he ignored his own son and went wild for a couple more days.

Coincidentally, today Phoenix Dad got in touch with an old friend’s daughter and was reminded that his son was still single, thinking he should matchmake a little. That’s why he contacted Phoenix Mountain in advance.

Phoenix Mountain was ranting madly about his dad: “I really don’t know how my dad’s brain is wired. Sometimes I suspect Lu Li is actually his son since their temperaments are so identical.

Here we are in the Matrix, not knowing if we’ll suddenly kick the bucket tomorrow morning, and yet my old man is still considering getting a daughter-in-law and grandchildren…

For Pete’s sake!

Sigh…

Unfortunately, my mom is 51 this year and hasn’t come in. Otherwise, someone could keep him in check.”

What Phoenix Mountain said left Li Zheng in a daze. Phoenix Mountain’s father was probably confident in his high battle strength, thinking that even if his son didn’t strive, he’d live well beside him, so he had no qualms pondering a daughter-in-law.

Li Zheng wondered: “Isn’t your father doing this for your own good? If you ask me, you might as well find a Space Jumping Device, teleport over, and settle down.”

“You don’t understand.”

Phoenix Mountain looked confused and a bit miserable: “The girl my dad mentioned, I went on a blind date with her the day before I entered the Matrix…”

He looked pitiful and helpless, with an air of despair: “That was a freaking tank!

A Tiger tank at that!

She weighed 430 pounds, that’s a fact!

Her thighs were two circles thicker than my waist!

I can’t handle that!”

Li Zheng: “…”

This… is a bit heart-wrenching, what heart-wrenching nonsense!

I’m about to die laughing, okay!

Damn,

you lucky dog still have times like these?!

Phoenix Mountain, the tank driver?

Just thinking about it is exciting!

Oh no, no, calling that girl a tank is too disrespectful, can’t let Phoenix Mountain’s antics corrupt me.

Li Zheng put away his mocking thoughts and asked: “So after comparing, you found Yan Guang better, and went along with her?”

Compared to the girl Phoenix Mountain mentioned, other than Yan Guang being a bit plain-looking, her vibe was great!

A wild little leopard, what man wouldn’t want that?

Only someone as dense as Phoenix Mountain would push her away when she’s throwing herself at him.

Moreover, speaking honestly while putting a hand over where Zhan Zhouzhou boasts a 36D, Yan Guang’s looks aren’t really bad.

By common standards, she’s at least a 70, pairing with that wild aura, Li Zheng even feels Phoenix Mountain is unworthy.

Unexpectedly, Phoenix Mountain looked puzzled: “Go along? When did I say I’d go along with her?”

“???” Li Zheng, even more confused, “Didn’t you go along with her, then during the barbecue you…”

“Oh, that.” Phoenix Mountain said as if it were obvious: “Wasn’t I asking her for a favor, so it wasn’t good to embarrass her.”

“And you went inside with her?” Li Zheng pursued.

“Geez! Wasn’t it a good chance to talk about dealing with my dad alone with her?” Phoenix Mountain blushed, “With so many people there, I couldn’t possibly say it publicly, right?”

Li Zheng wondered: “What did you ask her to do for you? Did you make some excessive request? Otherwise, why did she throw you out?”

“I didn’t make any excessive requests…” Phoenix Mountain was bewildered: “I just asked her to pretend to be my girlfriend, find a chance to meet my dad with me.”

“If it’s just that, Yan Guang isn’t that petty, wouldn’t she help if she could?”

“Right? She agreed at the time, and seemed quite happy about it?

Oh right, to avoid misunderstandings since I was asking her to pretend, I told her I wouldn’t touch her during that period and we’d sleep in our separate capsule residences at night.”

Li Zheng’s expression had become odd: “And then?”

“And then?”

Phoenix Mountain slapped his backside: “I got kicked twice and thrown out.

You said this woman is nuts?

Clearly agreed to it, then turned around and didn’t acknowledge me!”

“…”

Good gracious!

Li Zheng pursed his lips, realizing all this trouble was self-created in the end!

If you hadn’t said that last sentence, Yan Guang would definitely have helped you, and might have even been better than those fake girlfriends you rent online.

After all, once she impressed the future “father-in-law”, Phoenix Mountain wouldn’t escape her grasp, right?

Patting Phoenix Mountain on the shoulder, Li Zheng earnestly advised: “Xiao Feng… you’re single for a reason.”

It’s because you’re the king of single life!

A certain twenty-something perpetual bachelor feigned seriousness for a moment, shaking his head and walking away, leaving a baffled Phoenix Mountain standing there.

At this time, Zhan Zhouzhou, who had been daydreaming, suddenly moved!

She suddenly raised her sword, slashing in the air, a thin sword mark appearing out of nowhere two meters in front of her.

“…?”

Papapapa!

Li Zheng was dumbfounded, dazedly feeling like he got slapped three times, his face swollen.

Damn!

Where’s the sci-fi game world promised?

What the heck does this sword qi mean?