Chapter 25: Yang Jian (Please follow for updates)

"Although virtual reality technology has achieved a breakthrough, allowing people to enter a virtual world,"

"The required level of technology is too high, and it cannot be miniaturized into portable devices for the time being."

"The cost of each virtual cabin is extremely expensive; a single unit costs at least ten million Xia currency!"

Guo Heng stated the price calmly.

"Ten million?" Jiang Tao gasped, exchanging a look with Lin Qi.

Lin Qi was secretly shocked. Ten million Xia currency—in all his life, past and present, he had never seen so much money.

"Average families simply cannot afford it; they can only come to the martial arts gymnasium to use them."

"The gymnasiums purchase these cabins and charge fees to recoup their costs."

"The stronger the gymnasium, the more virtual cabins it can possess; ordinary gymnasiums cannot even get their hands on them."

"As the premier organization in the Xia Kingdom, the Chiqiong Martial Arts Gymnasium has a full one hundred virtual cabins here in Tianhai City."

"And every year, we add new ones."

Jiang Tao touched the metal cube pillar, exclaiming in shock, "One hundred? That's at least one billion right there."

Hearing such massive figures, Lin Qi felt numb.

"Throughout all of Tianhai City, only the Heiyao Martial Arts Gymnasium and the Chongming Martial Arts Gymnasium can compare to us."

"The three top martial arts gymnasiums in the Xia Kingdom are quite evenly matched in strength." Guo Heng continued, touching the pillar, "By the way, you should try it out yourselves."

"Scan the QR code on the pedestal, download the app to register, then pay to activate."

"Beep!"

"The fee is 500 yuan per hour!"

Jiang Tao was the first to scan and register; his expression changed the moment he saw the price.

Looking at the rows of virtual cabins, Lin Qi felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he were back in the internet cafes of his past life. Everything was so similar, except that the cost of these cabins was truly exorbitant.

"That's just how the pricing is for now!"

"In the future, technology may improve, and these cabins might evolve into virtual helmets or glasses, at which point the price will drop."

"Go on, give it a try," Guo Heng prompted.

The silver-white egg-shaped shell opened, revealing a seat reclined at a 125-degree angle. A blue metal helmet was installed at the headrest, accompanied by metal sensors reflecting the light.

"Once you activate them, an AI will guide you through the basics. That's all for now; I’m off to start my matches for the day."

With that, Guo Heng skillfully opened a nearby cabin and sat inside.

"Brother Qi, I’m going in first."

Jiang Tao, unable to wait any longer, sat in his cabin, and the door slowly closed.

Scanning, registering, paying, and activating the cabin—it was all done in one fluid motion.

After finishing his setup, Lin Qi also sat in his cabin. He reclined, slid his head into the helmet, and felt the chill of the interior. As the door closed, he was plunged into darkness.

He instinctively closed his eyes.

"Boom!"

It felt as though time had passed; suddenly, his body shuddered. A tingling sensation spread across his scalp, goosebumps rose on his skin, and his consciousness began to sink.

He opened his eyes abruptly.

He looked around; everything had changed. He was suspended in a vast, illusory starry sky, with starlight twinkling all around him.

"Mr. Lin Qi, welcome to the Chi Realm!"

Before Lin Qi appeared a beautiful woman with a ponytail, wearing a tight-fitting red combat suit.

"I am the AI of the Chi Realm—Xiao Hong. I can help you understand all the functions of the Chi Realm."

"AI—Xiao Hong?"

Lin Qi watched the woman; her every expression felt incredibly lifelike.

He looked at his own body. His clothes had changed into a black, tight-fitting combat suit. He clenched his fist, and the surge of power felt exactly as it did in reality.

He stepped onto the ground, feeling the familiar reactive force that only comes from standing on solid earth.

"The Chi Realm is a virtual space developed by the Chiqiong Martial Arts Gymnasium in collaboration with the top scientists of the Xia Kingdom."

"It scans your physical body to achieve over 90% simulation of reality," the woman in red continued.

"In the Chi Realm, there are games, competitions, social features, and more!"

"If you are not satisfied with your current attire, you can change it."

"You are currently in your personal space. You can use the panel to check your information, add friends, or enter the combat module!"

"Can I view my personal information?" Lin Qi asked.

"Of course, no problem!"

The woman in red waved her hand, and a blue panel appeared before Lin Qi, looking quite similar to his own.

[Name: Lin Qi]
[Age: 17]
[Phone Number: ...]
[...]

This was the information he had entered during registration. Below that was the option to change his outfit, but he was satisfied with his current look, so he left it as is.

"Can I change my nickname?"

"Yes, you can!" Xiao Hong replied with a smile.

Lin Qi nodded. Out of habit, he never used his real name on software, preferring nicknames.

He immediately changed his real name, and he already had an idea for a nickname.

[Lin Qi] → [Yang Jian]
[Confirm nickname change?]

Lin Qi clicked "Yes." The system indicated the change was successful and there were no duplicates, so his online handle was officially set to "Yang Jian."

"Hello, could you please give me a detailed introduction to the arena function?"

"Certainly!" the woman in red explained with a smile.

"The arena is divided into Human-vs-AI and matchmaking modes."

"Every martial artist must pass the Human-vs-AI test before they can unlock the matchmaking mechanism to compete against other martial artists."

"Understood!"

Lin Qi nodded, feeling as though this were very similar to the games he had played in his past life.

"Very well, Mr. Yang Jian. You can summon me at any time if you have further questions."

"Got it!"

The woman in red dissolved into nothingness, leaving Lin Qi alone in his personal space.

He clicked on the arena function on the panel and selected [Human-vs-AI Test].

"Beep!"

In the next second, the space shifted, as if an invisible pair of hands had transported Lin Qi to another area.

Lin Qi's form shifted, and he appeared in a massive circular arena spanning over a thousand square meters, with a hard white floor.

The surroundings were filled with spectator stands, though they were currently empty.

"You have entered the Human-vs-AI test. Since this is your first time, you have ten minutes to warm up!"

"Please select your weapon!"

The panel switched, and various weapons appeared before him.

Lin Qi chose a black spear; the tip glinted with a cold light. It was a sharpened weapon capable of drawing blood.

"Hum~"

Lin Qi flicked the spear shaft with his finger; it vibrated slightly, emitting a humming sound.

It was a refined steel spear—hard, resilient, and definitely not cheap.

"Swish, swish!"

In an instant, Lin Qi began to wield the spear, executing the "Mountain-Crushing Spear Technique."

"Thrust, spin, leap, block~"

The spear pierced the air, creating a whistling wind; it felt exactly like reality.

"I'm not even tired!"

After practicing the technique several times, Lin Qi was surprised to find he felt no fatigue at all.

"Since it’s virtual, it doesn't consume physical stamina, I suppose."

[Time is up. The test begins!]

"Whoosh!"

An electronic female voice echoed in the air. A moment later, a tall man wearing a mask and a white combat suit appeared not far from Lin Qi.

He held a silver spear, ready to attack at any moment.

[Human-vs-AI Test: Defeat the tester!]
[3, 2, 1...]
[Begin!]

The electronic voice announced the start of the test.

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, the tester brandished his spear and charged forward with rapid, powerful steps.

"It's started!"

"My first real battle!"

Lin Qi also brandished his spear, pushed off the ground with his legs, and surged forward.

His first battle was about to begin.