"In the virtual world, our bodies don't get tired. Take archery, for example. In reality, even professional archers only shoot a few hundred arrows a day. But in the virtual world, we can shoot tens of thousands of arrows without feeling any fatigue. We can also simulate bandits, wild beasts, and other kinds of moving targets, even simulate ‘assassins’ attacking us, forcing us to counterattack with close-range archery. With a massive number of repetitions, archery skills naturally improve rapidly."

"Similarly, gunmanship, swordsmanship… any kind of move, practiced tens of thousands of times a day without fatigue. The virtual world also has various perfect training environments, so the speed of improvement is very fast. One day in the virtual world, our growth rate will be dozens of times faster than in reality! One month is enough to rival several years of progress in the real world, and if you're a genius… enough to climb to the world's top level!"

"The virtual world is an opportunity to change our destiny!"

"In the virtual world, there are no injuries, no fatigue! If you don't fight now, when will you?"

"Want to increase your income? Change your destiny? Seize this rare opportunity of the virtual world! You must be ruthless to yourself! Train as hard as you can, you can't die anyway!"

"It's the usual time, 10 PM. Come and practice swords with Old Li, we'll start with thrusting sword techniques, ten thousand thrusts!"

On the viewing platforms, many motivational speakers were shouting, and some were live-streaming their training.

Many people were in their training grounds, watching the live streams in a small window while practicing their swordsmanship.

"Director, we are guiding the public to practice martial arts in all aspects, and geniuses are beginning to emerge among the people." Director Zhou watched the situation in many live broadcast rooms, while a secretary reported the situation.

"With a population of over a billion, it's normal for some geniuses to appear." Director Zhou said, "Your work must be even more diligent. This is a crucial process for human civilization, and our Xia country must seize the opportunity. The White Eagle Federation, the Roman States, the Sakura country, and other countries will also be guiding their people at full speed."

"Yes." The secretary responded respectfully, "Director, major corporations have also entered the virtual world, forming teams to participate in the Huozhong Cup National Competition."

"That's a good thing." Director Zhou said, "We need to make the competition more intense."

The secretary nodded and then withdrew.

Director Zhou looked out the window. It was pitch black outside, late at night, and he couldn't see any light. He could only faintly hear the sound of sea waves.

"Where will the fate of humanity lead?" Director Zhou looked at the black night outside the window. "The future is unclear, the only thing we can grasp is the present!"

******

Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, the virtual world had been open for a month.

August 25th, evening.

Xu Jingming sat on the sofa in the living room, watching the ‘Wang Xiangu’ live stream on the light screen.

"Dear family members, as of 9 PM tonight, the virtual world has officially been open for a month." Wang Xiangu wore a cute rabbit mask, and her voice was also very cute. In reality, she was a professional host, and later became a popular streamer. In the virtual world, she was still a very popular streamer.

"Xiangu has finalized the latest version of the *Xia* Country Master Ranking List, which includes a hundred god-level masters." Wang Xiangu said, "These hundred god-level masters are divided into four echelons."

"The first echelon consists of Liu Hai, Lei Yunfang, and Zhou Yi. The members of the first echelon have a clear lead in strength! Any other master in *Xia* country… would only face death in front of these three. You are all very familiar with the information about these three, and the ranking list also includes a lot of information."

"The second echelon consists of Zhang Qing, Xiong Tianshan, Tie Lanyun, Feng Baiyu, Zhuang Ziyu, Wang Qiao, Yang Yu, Yu Cheng, Wang Yi, Zheng Bailong, Huo Qingshan, and Chang Qingpeng. That's twelve people."

"The members of the second echelon have all developed their own set of perfect moves, and can easily defeat the masters in the third and fourth echelons."

"The third echelon consists of Zhao Fan, Zhang Feng… Gao Chong, Xu Jingming… Dong Xu, Teng Ya… Liu Jianfeng, Gu Chong… Heng Fang, Sun Yuting… a total of twenty-one people! Although these masters in the third echelon also have some unique skills, they are still not perfect and have many flaws."

"The fourth echelon consists of Wu Sai… Wang Cheng, Yang Qingshuo… Yu Fu, Dai Xiaoqing… Sun Li… a total of sixty-four people. The members of this fourth echelon are also quite powerful, but generally do not have unique skills, and are inferior to the third echelon. But among the current three thousand six hundred god-level masters, being ranked in the top one hundred, these god-level masters in the fourth echelon are already very powerful."

Wang Xiangu briefly explained the list, and then began to comment in detail.

Xu Jingming listened, learning about the current god-level masters.

*Ka!*

Suddenly, the courtyard door was pushed open, and Li Miaomiao walked into the living room carrying some vegetables, "Jingming, these are some vegetables grown by my parents, freshly picked." As she spoke, Li Miaomiao saw the live stream on the light screen.

*Xia* Country Master Ranking List?

"This Wang Xiangu, is constantly belittling Jingming on the ranking list, and Jingming has fallen to the third echelon." Li Miaomiao gently touched her watch and clicked.

*Pa!*

The light screen was turned off.

"Jingming, don't listen to this Wang Xiangu, she's a big fraud. Many people think her ranking list is getting more and more fake." Li Miaomiao sat down and said, "Now the ranking descriptions are also becoming more and more vague, creating a four-tiered system."

"She still puts a lot of effort into the ranking list." Xu Jingming said, "The four-tiered system is actually more appropriate."

"Appropriate?" Li Miaomiao was surprised.

"For example, those ranked in the second echelon, some of them are martial arts masters, some are legendary boxing champions, and some are great demons in the archery world. In the one month of the virtual world, they have all transformed and created their own combat systems, possessing their own set of unique moves." Xu Jingming said, "Compared to them, I'm still a bit lacking. Although my 'Shadowless Thrust' and 'Mountain Breaker' are becoming more and more perfect, two moves alone cannot form a complete combat system. I really admire them, how they figured out such powerful moves, and were able to make them into a system!"

"Actually, Gao Chong is also very powerful. He also created three major spear techniques, which are more ferocious than my moves, but he's too reckless and easily exposes flaws." Xu Jingming said, "That's why he's stuck in the third echelon like me."

Xu Jingming sighed with a smile, "Thinking about it, it's really embarrassing. When the virtual world first opened, when I defeated Gao Chong, Wang Qiao, and the others, I thought that in the days to come, I would improve even more and have even greater advantages. But the facts prove that I'm still too naive. Many people have deeper accumulations than me, and even higher talents, and have all created complete systems of unique skills."

"Being ranked in the third echelon is my true strength, and I'm still very convinced." Xu Jingming said.

In the one month of the virtual world, in one god-level battle after another, he was indeed inferior.

"At least I'm still in the top thirty in *Xia* Country. If I work hard, I still have a chance to catch up." Xu Jingming said.

Li Miaomiao hugged her boyfriend's arm and said, "Life is inherently full of ups and downs. Only by enduring the torment of the low points can you reap the joy of the peak!"

"Yeah." Xu Jingming nodded.

With his girlfriend's constant support, Xu Jingming was always full of fighting spirit.

Suddenly, there was a phone call.

Xu Jingming reached out and gently tapped, and a man appeared on the light screen, it was Sun Li.

"Old Xu." Sun Li greeted with a smile.

"What's up, calling me specifically?" Xu Jingming said with a smile.

"It's like this." Sun Li explained, "Recently, more than one large corporation wants to sign me. Jinpeng Corporation even came to my hometown and personally visited me. I really can't refuse. And I really need to make money. You know, I haven't made much money all these years, so Old Xu, I'm sorry, I have to leave the team."

"Oh." Xu Jingming was silent for a moment, "Have you told Heng Fang and the other three?"

"Please tell them for me, there's no way, I have to make money." Sun Li said, and then hung up the phone.

Xu Jingming sat there, silent.

————

Just one chapter today.

In fact, Tomato went on a business trip on the 11th, and has been in Bj for meetings recently. He can't go home until the 18th. Tomato has been staying up late to write during the meeting! When he returns to yz, Tomato's updates will return to normal.