Chapter 1038: Chapter 73: Return to Ginkgo Village

Xiao Jie didn’t pay any attention to the newbie players, casually strolling into the village. Familiar scenes rushed at him, and his gaze immediately fell upon the blazing blacksmith shop.

He saw Wang Kai, still bare-chested, with sweat glistening on his bronzed muscles, focused on wielding the iron hammer, rhythmically striking the red-hot iron bar with a steady and powerful cadence.

“Wow, Brother Wang Kai,” Xiao Jie couldn’t help but speak, his tone tinged with a mix of mockery and admiration, “It’s been more than half a year, and you’re really still sticking it out in this Newbie Village without faltering?”

Hearing the voice, Wang Kai looked up. When he saw it was Xiao Jie, and especially felt the unfathomable, ethereal aura about him that was completely different from any “player” or “NPC” he’d known, he was struck as if by lightning, stuck in place, the iron hammer in his hand clanging onto the anvil with a loud sound.

“You… you… you…” He opened his mouth wide, pointing at Xiao Jie, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

“What’s wrong, Brother Wang Kai? It’s only been a while, and you don’t recognize an old friend?” Xiao Jie laughed.

“You… you actually… have become an Immortal?!” Wang Kai finally managed to stammer out the words, his voice filled with extreme shock, bewilderment, and a trace of… bitterness he himself hadn’t noticed.

At this moment, Wang Kai’s heart was in turmoil. Looking at the ethereal, extraordinary Xiao Jie before him, he recalled his own three or four years of forging and earning money in this small Newbie Village blacksmith shop, day in and day out.

But deep inside, had he never thought of going out to seek adventure and make a name for himself? For safety’s sake, he had never truly taken that step. Each time he saw newbies die tragically and players lose their lives, it only reinforced this mindset.

Yet now, seeing a player achieve immortality right before his eyes, the stark contrast drew him into deep self-doubt: What was the meaning of his persistence these past years? If he had bravely stepped out of the Newbie Village himself, with his status as a “first test player” and his knowledge of the game, could he also be living a different life now? Once this idea emerged, it grew uncontrollably in his mind like wild weeds. He shook his head vigorously, attempting to cast aside these troubling thoughts, not wanting to ponder this distressing question any longer.

At least I’m still alive, aren’t I? he thought, comforting himself, remembering those newbies who died in various ways; this seemed like a good result.

“Hey? Brother Sui Feng! You’re finally here!” Just then, Xia Yi the Unrivaled emerged carrying a basket of freshly burned charcoal from the back room. Seeing Xiao Jie, he exclaimed with delight, breaking the somewhat awkward atmosphere. Although he appeared as a young apprentice, his cheerful demeanor remained unchanged.

“Let’s go to the square.” Xiao Jie nodded at Xia Yi the Unrivaled and then addressed Wang Kai, “Brother Wang Kai, let’s chat again when we have a chance.” With that, he headed toward the small plaza in the village center with Xia Yi the Unrivaled.

As soon as they reached the vicinity of the square, they saw Jiu Jianxian carrying a wooden spear, patrolling with two other militias earnestly. Upon seeing Xiao Jie, he immediately ran over excitedly.

“Hahaha! Brother Feng! Finally, we’re alive again! Although it feels different from being a player, at least now I can feel real pain and hunger, able to run and jump—this is what it means to be alive!” he exclaimed, waving his fist passionately.

“Gather everyone together; I have something to say,” Xiao Jie instructed.

Soon, through the efforts of Jiu Jianxian and Xia Yi the Unrivaled spreading the word, all friends recently reincarnated in Ginkgo Village gathered at the square. Although they had become Level 1 village NPCs, dressed in simple clothes, everyone was filled with the joy and excitement of living again, exchanging glances at each other’s new identities and frequently breaking into laughter.

Only Wentian Wuji’s expression remained indifferent, his gaze at Xiao Jie filled with both admiration and a hint of scrutiny.

Xiao Jie understood the subtlety in that gaze and gave Wentian Wuji a barely noticeable nod.

He then turned his gaze toward the others.

After the initial joy, the reality of their concerns emerged. After all, the world was fraught with dangers, and a Level 1 strength was truly insignificant. Moreover, their initial decision to follow Xiao Jie in challenging the Red Dust Taoist was driven not only by friendship but also by a desire for the “Path to Immortality” and “Extraordinary Power.” Now that Xiao Jie had ascended, naturally, they hoped for a “one person attains, everyone ascends” scenario.

All eyes eagerly focused on Xiao Jie, waiting for his arrangements. Only Han Luo, I Want to Seal the Sky, and Ting Yu appeared somewhat confused due to impaired memories, standing quietly to the side.

“How do you all feel? Do your former skills still exist?” Xiao Jie first asked.

Wentian Wuji nodded, then shook his head: “Strictly speaking, the skill list is still there, but they’ve all turned gray and unusable. I guess some levels, attributes, or specific tasks need to be completed to gradually unlock them.”

The Level 1 state, although weak, also meant immense growth potential and plasticity. Reflecting on when they first entered the game, many fumbled through trial and error, randomly choosing professions, and taking many wrong turns. Most selected the Physical entry-level “flop” professions, and those who managed to switch to a Magic profession were considered very lucky. Even Bai Ze only managed to switch to a swordsman at Level 10 and became a Taoist at Level 20 by sheer chance.

But now it’s different! With Xiao Jie, the great Immortal, leading the way and past-life experience, they could efficiently route everyone toward becoming a Master of Magic or at least a stronger, more promising development path!

“Can you still access the attribute panel? See the experience bar and skill bar?” Xiao Jie confirmed.

“Yes!” Everyone nodded enthusiastically.

Xiao Jie then turned to Yuan Bai (in boy form): “Brother Yuan, what about you? Can you see them?”

“What attribute panel? Experience bar?” Yuan Bai looked bewildered, completely unaware of what Xiao Jie was talking about.

Xiao Jie understood: “As expected.” Being an original NPC in his past life, Yuan Bai had no concept of “system functions” in his cognition system. After reincarnation, he continued to exist with the original rules of this world. As for Jiu Jianxian and the others, since they retained the player’s cognition, they could still see the game system interface. Regarding himself, as an Immortal, he could perceive and even interfere with these underlying rules to a certain extent.

“Can you all gain experience and level up through monster hunting?”

“Should be doable!” Jiu Jianxian quickly replied, “The experience bar and attribute points are still there. I just killed a chicken and earned 5 experience points; it seems to be functional!”

“That’s good.” Xiao Jie felt assured, “I need to immediately set off for Gu Yun State to seek reinforcements for the Netherworld issue, and also to explore suitable advancement paths for you all. If luck favors, perhaps I can find a shortcut to the Immortal Path.”

As for the immediate safety concerns—

Xiao Jie smiled slightly, formed an Immortal Technique hand seal, and lowly exclaimed, “Immortal Law—Outer Body Incarnation!”

Poof!

A soft sound, a white mist exploded beside him, quickly condensing into shape, becoming another “Xiao Jie” identical to him in appearance, aura, even the faint Immortal glow around him, but with slightly duller eyes lacking the vibrancy of the original.

“You stay here,” Xiao Jie instructed his incarnation, “Take good care of everyone and don’t lead them out to level up recklessly before I return to avoid accidents.”

“Understood.” The incarnation answered succinctly, sounding exactly like the original.

With everything arranged, Xiao Jie no longer hesitated, nodded to everyone, and his figure transformed into a dazzling blue beam, shooting skyward, tearing through the clouds, and sped swiftly towards the overseas Gu Yun State, disappearing instantly at the horizon’s edge.