Online Game: Me, with Unparalleled Comprehension

My proficiency in Tai Chi has increased by several thousand points through part-time practice. It's still a long way from the 400,000 threshold for the Great Perfection, but at least I'm making progress.

He turned around and went back the way he came.

When I passed by the squad again through the fog, they were gone; they had probably finally completed their mission or couldn't hold on any longer and had to retreat.

Back in the village, it was already evening. Wisps of smoke rose from the bamboo houses, and the air was filled with the aroma of firewood and food.

Wu Feng went straight to the chieftain's bamboo house. Aguduo was still sitting on that bamboo stool, seemingly in the same position.

"Grandma, everything's ready." Wu Feng handed over the collected insect eggs—each wrapped in large leaves.

Aguduo took them, opened them one by one and examined them carefully, a genuine look of surprise appearing on her gaunt face.

"So fast?" She looked up at Wu Feng, her gaze lingering on his stained but undamaged clothes. She nodded. "Young man, not bad. You've been a great help to the village."

[Quest "Collect Insect Eggs" Completed! Gained 3500 experience points and +50 Miao Village Reputation.]

[System Notification: You have completed "The Trial of the Miao Village (Part 1)". The Miao village chief, Aguduo, has increased her favorability towards you. You can choose one of the following rewards to learn:]

Three options pop up in front of you:

1. [Insect Repellent Powder Recipe] (Life Skill)

2. [Five Poison Palm] (A third-rate palm technique, with minor poisoning effects)

3. [Five Poisons Inner Classic] (Third-rate internal skill; cultivation can increase poison resistance, and the true qi carries a weak toxicity)

Wu Feng's gaze swept across the list and landed directly on the third item.

Internal strength, poison resistance, and additional toxicity—this is exactly what he needs right now.

Without hesitation, I chose the "Five Poisons Internal Classic".

"This internal skill is a life-saving method that our ancestors devised after dealing with poisons for a long time."

Agudo said slowly, "If you master it, ordinary poisonous insects and miasma will not be able to get close to you, and your true energy will also contain some poison, which may be useful in combat. But remember, every medicine has some poison, so you must be careful when practicing this skill, lest the poison backfire on you."

[System notification: You have learned the "Five Poisons Internal Classic" (Third-rate).]

Under the Internal Skills category in the Skills panel, a new line of text with a faint pale green hue has appeared: 【Five Poisons Internal Scripture (Beginner 0/1000)】.

Having learned the internal energy cultivation technique, Wu Feng didn't leave immediately. Instead, he asked, "Grandma, is there anything else I can help you with?"

Now that I'm here and have already increased my favorability, I naturally hope to receive follow-up missions and perhaps learn more, such as poison techniques or more advanced poison skills.

Agudo shook her head, lowered her eyelids again, and slowly continued sorting her medicinal herbs.

"That's all for today. You just learned the Five Poisons Inner Classic, so go back and study it carefully. Once you've mastered it, come find me again tomorrow."

This is the setup for the quest chain; it's estimated that you need to reach a certain level in the prerequisite martial arts before you can trigger the next step.

Wu Feng understood and didn't press the matter further, nodding, "Okay, I'll come again tomorrow."

As we left the clan chief's bamboo house, it grew even darker.

Scattered pine torches lit up the village, their dim yellow light spreading through the damp, cold night fog.

When Wu Feng returned to the inn, the landlady had already prepared dinner: a bowl of thin porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it, a plate of dark, pickled vegetable dumplings, and a hard, burnt multigrain pancake.

Wu Feng wasn't picky. He sat down at a greasy little wooden table in the corner and finished his food in a few bites.

A feeling of fullness arises, and the hunger level returns to above the safe threshold.

After eating and drinking his fill, he went straight upstairs back to his small guest room.

He closed the creaking bamboo door, secured it with a simple wooden bolt, and walked to the window to look outside.

The night was deep, the mountain shadows were long and dark, and apart from the occasional cry of an unknown night bird, there was no other sound.

On a whim, I chose to exit the game.

The scene before my eyes changed instantly. The soft sound of the game pod lid sliding open was particularly clear in the quiet room.

Wu Feng sat up, rubbed his cheeks, and stretched his stiff neck.

Outside the window, the city's evening scenery comes into view.

Traffic was heavy, and the sounds of people could be faintly heard.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of the real world, the damp, quiet, and primitively pungent nights in the Miao village seem like an illusion from another distant time and space.

"This is the first time I've logged off so early," Wu Feng muttered to himself.

My life in Wudang Mountain was unusually regular.

After descending the mountain, he would travel and practice his skills, often until late at night.

This is the first time I've ever finished playing a game so early, just as it got dark.

But that's alright. It's still early, and I'm really hungry.

He quickly changed his clothes, grabbed his phone and keys, and went downstairs.

The streets are most bustling in the evening.

He turned into his usual snack street and found a stir-fry restaurant that looked relatively clean.

Business is good today; the air is filled with the aroma of hot oil being stir-fried.

He found a small two-person table against the wall, sat down, and glanced at the laminated menu.

"Twice-cooked pork, Kung Pao chicken, hot and sour shredded potatoes, water spinach with garlic, and a tomato and egg soup." They ordered quickly, "and a large bowl of rice."

"Okay, just a moment." The waiter noted it down and left.

While waiting for the food, he took out his phone, unlocked it, and habitually swiped his thumb to open the official forum app for "Jianghu Dream".

The homepage feed is still scrolling at a rapid pace.

He quickly scanned the headlines and found that discussions about Dali remained incredibly popular.

Posts about jumping off cliffs in Wuliang Mountain, exploring Wanjie Valley, and finding new traces of the Four Evils are popping up everywhere.

He casually clicked on a few to take a look. The whereabouts of the Four Evils seemed even more elusive. Some players said they had seen a figure resembling Yun Zhonghe near Diancang Mountain, while there were also rumors that Ye Erniang had appeared in a village further south.

The major guilds and top players are still pursuing it, but news of heavy losses is also frequently reported. The atmosphere on the forum has gradually changed from initial fervor and blind enthusiasm to caution and observation.

As for the plot in other regions, there doesn't seem to be much movement yet.

At least I didn't see any particularly explosive news on the forum's homepage.

"It seems that Dali is still the focus," Wu Feng thought to himself.

I closed the forum, just as the waiter started serving the food.

Steaming hot dishes filled the small table, glistening with color and emitting a delightful aroma.

He put away his phone, picked up his chopsticks, and focused on the food in front of him.

Twice-cooked pork is fatty but not greasy, Kung Pao chicken is sweet, sour and slightly spicy, shredded potatoes are crisp, water spinach is tender, and tomato and egg soup is sweet, sour and appetizing.

The substantial texture and rich flavor of real food quickly washed away the bland memories of the thin porridge and pickled vegetables in the game.

We finished our meal in a flash, paid the bill, and left.

Feeling full and comfortablely tired, he took a short walk, letting the evening breeze carry away the smell of food from his body, before returning to his lodgings.

Take a hot shower to wash away the day's fatigue, and change into clean, soft pajamas.

He didn't lie down to rest immediately, but sat in the chair for a while, reflecting on the "Five Poisons Inner Classic" he had learned that day.

Toxin resistance, with added toxicity... sounds good.

Although it's only a third-rate internal skill, its effects are unique, perfectly compensating for his current shortcomings.

Moreover, having one more internal skill at its peak grants an additional attribute bonus.