The first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the mist above Novice Village No. 999.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of yesterday, the village seemed much quieter at this moment. Most players were still out struggling in the wild, or had logged off to catch up on sleep after pulling an all-nighter.
Ye Yi, draped in a gray cloak that had dropped from a monster, covering his iconic equipment, returned silently to the abandoned Martial Arts Arena.
Under the old locust tree, Wang Saoting was still sweeping the floor.
The fallen leaves on the ground seemed endless, just like the endless slaughter in this world.
Hearing footsteps, the old man stopped his movements and looked up.
When he saw Ye Yi, a flash of imperceptible sharpness flickered in his cloudy old eyes. In just one night, the aura of the young man before him had undergone an earth-shattering change.
It was the baleful aura that had settled after experiencing life-and-death battles, restrained yet sharp.
"You have returned," Wang Saoting said calmly. "Faster than I imagined."
Ye Yi stepped forward. He did not speak, but instead took something out of his backpack and respectfully placed it on the stone table in front of the old man.
It was a jar of wine.
It was nothing rare or precious, just the lowest quality firewater he had bought at the grocery store at the village entrance, but he had added one thing to it—[Mine Troll Bile].
This was an extra drop from killing the Mine Troll; although bitter, in some ancient alchemical recipes, it was a highly nourishing substance.
"This junior is about to travel far, so I have come specifically to bid farewell to you, senior," Ye Yi said.
Wang Saoting looked at the jar of wine, twitched his nose, and a strange smile appeared on his face.
"Spiked wine? You kid, you really know my taste."
The old man did not stand on ceremony; he slapped off the mud seal and took a large gulp.
"Cough, cough... Strong! Strong enough!"
Wang Saoting wiped his mouth, his cloudy eyes becoming a bit clearer. He looked at Ye Yi as if he were looking at a piece of uncut jade that had been tempered a thousand times.
"It seems you are using that sword quite smoothly. You even slaughtered something as thick-skinned as a Mine Troll."
"Just luck."
"Luck is also a form of strength."
Wang Saoting pulled an envelope from his bosom. There was no text on the envelope, only a faint sword-shaped mark imprinted on it.
"You are going to Azure Dragon City, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"That place is not like this small village. There are true experts there, as well as evil ghosts who eat people without spitting out the bones. Your sword is too evil and easily attracts disaster. Take this letter."
Ye Yi took the envelope with both hands.
[Obtained Item: Wang Saoting's Recommendation Letter]
[Description: A seemingly ordinary letter, but in the eyes of some, it is worth a thousand gold. Holding this letter, the difficulty of the job advancement quest in Azure Dragon City is reduced by 20%, and there is a chance to trigger a hidden job branch.]
It really is this!
In his past life, because Ye Yi did not have this letter, he almost died in the trial when advancing to Magic Swordsman.
"Thank you, senior."
"Don't be in such a hurry to thank me," Wang Saoting waved his hand. "Besides this letter, I have one last thing to say to you."
The old man's expression suddenly became serious, and he pointed to Ye Yi's chest.
"A sword has two edges; one edge kills the enemy, the other injures oneself. When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Even if one day you master the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, do not forget..."
"You are the one who holds the sword, not the slave of the sword."
Ye Yi's heart trembled.
He only truly understood this sentence in his past life during the final battle. At that time, he had already been blinded by power and revenge, almost losing himself in the temptation of the origin law.
In this life, the old man had sounded the alarm for him in advance.
"This junior will remember it well." Ye Yi bowed deeply.
"Go. This world is too small; it cannot contain a dragon like you that has been lurking in the abyss."
Wang Saoting waved his hand, turned around, and continued sweeping, as if the imposing Sword Sect Master from just a moment ago had never existed.
Ye Yi did not say anything more, turned around, and left the Martial Arts Arena.
He knew this was his last meeting with this hidden grandmaster. When he returned here again, perhaps the world would have changed beyond recognition.
Novice Village Post Station.
At this time, there was already a long line here. Players who reached level 10 were eligible to go to the main city, and everyone was impatient to see that wider world.
"I heard the main city is ridiculously large, and there are even airships!"
"Finally, I can advance my job! I want to learn ultimate skills!"
"Let's form a party to go together; there might be bandits on the road!"
Ye Yi did not line up. He walked directly to the post station owner and displayed the VIP token that was the "First Kill Reward."
"Distinguished warrior, do you wish to use the teleportation array?" The post station owner's attitude immediately became fawning.
"To Azure Dragon City."
"Alright! The teleportation fee is 1 gold coin; I'll give you a 20% discount, making it 80 silver coins."
The players waiting in line nearby were so shocked their eyeballs were about to pop out.
"Who is that? Cutting in line just like that?"
"Shh! Didn't you see his ID? That's 'Yi'! The ruthless guy who killed the World BOSS!"
"Holy cow, it really is him! He's going to the main city already?"
Amidst the awe and envious gazes of the crowd, Ye Yi stepped onto the teleportation array.
The light shone.
That familiar feeling of weightlessness returned.
This time, the teleportation took much longer than when he first logged in.
Ye Yi closed his eyes, quickly going over his upcoming plans in his mind.
The first thing to do after arriving at the main city was not to level up, nor to advance his job, but to—buy land.
That location in Azure Dragon City, that corner which currently looked like a garbage dump, would become the transportation hub connecting the Eastern and Western continents in a future version update.
That was the cornerstone for him to build his commercial empire, and also the capital for the future rise of the "Scourge Legion."
"I wonder how the gold price is now."
The light suddenly dissipated.
Noisy voices, hawking, and that unique atmosphere of prosperity rushed towards him like a tidal wave.
"Welcome to the core of the Nine Provinces Continent—Azure Dragon City."
Ye Yi opened his eyes.
The scene before him, even though he had seen it countless times in his past life, still left him feeling awestruck.