Chapter 109: Important Matters Must Be Addressed First [Third Update]

Page 1/3

Chief Elder Li Jing’ao continued to glare sharply. Guan Junyuan, enduring tremendous pressure with a scalp toughened by countless trials, conjured a small sun.

It was truly a conjuration.

For weapons below five stars, whether materialized or merged with thought, the original fire-based weapon had to be physically present to operate; at best, it could be miniaturized and concealed, but it was difficult to evade professional inspection.

Only the five-star weapons, if undamaged, were no longer bound to a physical form. They could shatter the void and be summoned directly to one’s hand, as conveniently as playing a video game.

Li Jing’ao shifted slightly, his expression changing as he raised a hand to shield his eyes. The words “Are you planning a rebellion, boy?” hovered on his lips, but he forced himself to hold back… because Guan Junyuan immediately retracted the small sun.

“Five stars and intact, I see. Congratulations,” Li Jing’ao said with a complex expression. “But… what is it you want to convey?”

Trying to leverage your five-star status for more influence? That might be too simplistic and blunt… Besides, it’s not enough.

Or perhaps, having reached five stars, you’ve become arrogant and want to challenge me? That would be even more naive. Though we are both five-star, are we really the same?

What’s the difference?

Of course there is—quite a big one!

Because Chief Elder Li Jing’ao was a four-star twenty years ago, and a five-star ten years ago.

It’s like comparing a technical secondary school from twenty years ago with a regular high school—where the entrance cutoff was higher; or a college from twenty years ago, with a quality almost on par with a 211 university; or a graduate student from that time, truly a top talent; or programmers from twenty years ago… back then, software colleges were rare domestically, and those programmers who persevered became top experts.

Since the disaster, the limits of ability have continuously risen. Thus, the depreciation of star ratings is similar to the depreciation of academic credentials.

Twenty years ago, a three-star was enough to be a senior city official; four-stars were only two or three in the entire Jiang City; now, five-stars wait in line for senior posts, and six-stars number only two or three.

So for the same five-star rating, Chief Elder Li Jing’ao’s weight is substantial. After all, every city needs a truly capable elder. Guan Junyuan, by comparison, is far more superficial…

However, Guan Junyuan wasn’t here to boast or provoke. Or if he was, it wasn’t with his own reputation.

Thinking of the mysterious expert behind him, his posture straightened somewhat, and his tone grew bolder: “I, Guan Junyuan, reached five stars five days ago.”

“Pfft!” The secretly watching Alpha Ji couldn’t hold back a laugh. Sensing several wary glances, she quickly covered her mouth to suppress it.

Guan Junyuan turned to Ximen Qiong.

“I, Ximen Qiong, also reached five stars five days ago,” Ximen Qiong said lazily, stepping forward without an ounce of military bearing. Then the next one followed, announcing their upgrades.

“I, Xia Sirou, was promoted to four stars four days ago.”

“I, Lu Nianzhi, was promoted to four stars four days ago.”

“I, Dou Youtang, was promoted to four stars three days ago.”

Page 2/3

…

With their leader stepping forward, the trembling juniors finally found courage, one after another announcing their ranks.

All had just upgraded in recent days—four to five stars, three to four, even two to three… causing Li Jing’ao to furrow his brows deeply: What exactly are you trying to express?

Yes, you have upgraded, congratulations! But what use is that?

Do you think numbers alone create prestige? Prestige depends on quality, not quantity—otherwise, wouldn’t the person with the largest face be the greatest…

While Chief Elder Li Jing’ao muttered to himself, Guan Junyuan finally revealed his trump card: “Our upgrades are no accident—they’re thanks to this holographic simulation helmet!” He raised the helmet cradled in his arms.

“Hmm!”

“That’s right!”

“Teacher Guan is correct!”

The group hurriedly echoed his words.

“Pffahaha…” Alpha Ji truly lost control this time, laughing uproariously until tears welled up. There was no helping it—the sight was just too much like a commercial on TV.

Suddenly, the atmosphere fell silent.

It was impossible to continue ignoring such obvious intrusion.

Li Jing’ao looked at Alpha Ji in confusion: What kind of thing is this?

The others looked plaintive: Elder Gu, we risked a lot to earn your favor, and with you being so unserious, it’s difficult for us.

“Sorry, sorry, please continue…” Realizing she’d broken the serious mood, Alpha Ji apologized and disappeared.

But before vanishing, she couldn’t resist throwing in a few commercial plugs—real advertisements—

“Since I started taking New Gai Zhong Gai, my back’s no longer sore, my legs don’t hurt, and I can climb five flights of stairs in one breath, hey, no effort at all!”

“Refresh your mind! Replenish your strength! Thirsty? Drink Red Bull. Tired? Drink Red Bull even more!”

“This holiday season, no gifts please, no gifts please, only Brain Platinum! Brain Platinum, youthfulness, health…”

The whole scene turned awkward, speechless.

It was like a stand-up comedian delivering a joke that no one laughed at; like a mega influencer posting a Weibo with no replies; like a major celebrity caught in a nasty dispute forgetting to switch accounts, revealing their true self…

Even without fully understanding those images, the satire was palpable across eras.

Yet unlike the others, Li Jing’ao gazed at those images with a mixture of astonishment, melancholy, and nostalgia.

Page 3/3

Li Jing’ao was born on August 8, 2008, and was sixteen when the disaster struck.

Only he could understand Alpha Ji’s joke on stage; no one else present could.

“Who was that just now…” he couldn’t help but ask.

At last, the stalemate was broken.

“Oh, that was Elder Gu Ji…” The carefully prepared imposing lines, the wave after wave of oppressive rhetoric, were all ruined by Alpha Ji’s antics.

Guan Junyuan had no choice but to grit his teeth and calmly recount how he came into contact with Alpha Ji, began trading helmets, and how the group collectively advanced in rank—like recounting a girlfriend’s makeup removal for the first time—completely composed and straightforward.

“A master of virtual space!” Li Jing’ao was surprised but not entirely shocked.

Alpha Ji’s miraculous methods were indeed beyond ordinary people.

The closer one approached the pinnacle of the pyramid, the more one understood the gulf of power at the top. It was like someone scoring sixty points never truly grasping the difference between ninety-nine and one hundred; only those scoring in the nineties could accurately judge.

Is the difference between five and seven stars just two stars?

Certainly not—ten or a hundred five-star players couldn’t fill that gap!

The abundance of five- and six-star players is due to the development of strategies and systems…

Currently, no system exists beyond six stars, so levels beyond six stars are almost impossible to assess!

Seven stars shining brightly, eight stars bringing good news, nine stars in a row—these are akin to estimating how much matter exists in the universe, or exploring the scale of strings; all just conjectures…

“So, this Elder Gu Ji can let people enter and exit training with minimal cost in virtual space? That’s remarkable! But how does this relate to Qian Jin?” Li Jing’ao still did not understand.

“Elder Gu said that she had accepted Ye Chao as her disciple…”

Before the words fell, Li Jing’ao’s expression changed dramatically. He slammed the table and stood up: “What did you say! The student who was kidnapped was her disciple? Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

Though masters of virtual space were rare—the Yunzhou Alliance had only two or three—offending one was a grave matter…

Even if others were unaware, how could he, as a giant, not know?

The world once had so many cities—why are there so few now? The destruction wrought by deranged virtual space experts must have accounted for twenty to thirty percent!

Only to avoid panic among humanity about these humanoid nuclear bombs were these truths concealed.

The shrewd and capable Chief Elder felt in that instant the despair he once felt watching the national football team as a child.