Online Game: Me, with Unparalleled Comprehension

The group chat was flooded with messages, including various trade announcements, requests for resources, and gossip.

He swiped quickly, his eyes keenly scanning the repeatedly appearing acquisition information:

"135/100 coins, unlimited gold collection, instant payment, reputable and established!"

"Long-term, stable income, 135% commission, take as much as you want, supports all payment methods!"

"Buying copper coins and silver for 135, negotiable for large quantities. Scammers, stay away!"

The price of gold remains stable at 135 yuan per 100 coins, the same as yesterday and the day before.

Wu Feng stared at the numbers, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't envious. At that rate, the dozens of taels of silver in his backpack would be worth another 50,000 in real currency.

The server has only been open for a few days? This speed at which you can make money is something I never dared to dream of before.

Let's broaden our horizons and wait until he's emptied the Wudang Sect's martial arts inventory and stacked the attributes to a level that players can hardly imagine at this stage.

How many times more efficient would it be to farm gold, collect treasures, and take on high-end commissions back then? And how many times more profitable would it be?

For the sake of having the freedom to roam the world, I must suppress my current cravings.

He left the noisy group chat and casually clicked on the app icon for the official forum of "Jianghu Dream".

The forum homepage is always bustling with activity. Various clickbait posts vie for attention:

"On my first day as a menial disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, I was treated like a dog by a high-ranking NPC! The sect hierarchy in this game is so realistic (crying)."

"The Huashan Sect's entrance exam disqualifies me if my swordsmanship doesn't reach the 'proficient' level! How can I quickly improve my basic swordsmanship level?"

"Complaint: Joining the Kongtong Sect feels like joining the mafia. The senior brothers are always sparring, and if you lose, you have to pay protection money?"

"What's the atmosphere like at Wudang Mountain? I'm waiting for your reply; I'm thinking of defecting there..."

Wu Feng casually clicked on a few posts complaining about the sects and started reading.

Sure enough, as more and more players went through great hardships to reach the various sects, complaints about the comprehension threshold and the sect atmosphere began to erupt.

Many players excitedly rushed to their desired sect, only to fail even the basic assessment due to insufficient comprehension attribute.

They could only start as the lowest-ranking servant disciples or outer disciples, with endless chores to do every day and no access to decent martial arts instruction. Their progress was slow and incredibly frustrating.

The comments below resonated with this sentiment:

"+1, I've been carrying water and chopping wood at Shaolin Temple for almost three days, and I still haven't mastered a single set of Arhat Fist!"

"Who isn't? Outer disciples of the Qingcheng Sect spend their days standing in meditation and running errands. Their master only gives them a word or two of guidance when he's in a good mood. They lack comprehension and learn as slowly as a tortoise."

"I went to a private school and listened to the Three Character Classic all day. My head was spinning, and I only gained a little bit of understanding... How long will it take to learn that?"

"Martial arts school tuition is ridiculously expensive. A set of third-rate martial arts skills costs ten taels of silver. Even if you sell your pots and pans to learn it, the training is slow. Without advanced martial arts skills, your monster-killing efficiency still can't be improved. It's a vicious cycle."

"So the only way out for ordinary players in this game is to first grind for gold to earn money, and then either spend all their time in private schools honing their comprehension, or save up to go to a martial arts school to learn third-rate martial arts to boost their stats? This is way too grindy and too pay-to-win!"

"Otherwise what? Why do you think those nouveau riche are so obsessed with collecting gold? They're just throwing money around to take shortcuts! We poor people can only slowly endure it..."

Wu Feng's lips twitched as he looked at these posts.

It seems that going to a private school for further study and going to a martial arts school for advanced training are indeed the main ways for ordinary players to improve their comprehension and combat power at this stage, but both are bottomless pits that consume time and money.

Without sufficient patience and capital, it is difficult to quickly break through this bottleneck.

In comparison, my comprehension of 268 points and my starting point of becoming a third-generation disciple of Wudang are practically heaven mode from the start.

He was especially pleased when he saw some players who had joined sects such as Quanzhen, Kongtong, and Qingcheng complaining about how senior disciples bullied newcomers, the atmosphere was unhealthy, and the competition was fierce.

Although the total number of disciples at Wudang Mountain may not be as large as some major sects, the atmosphere here is truly excellent.

From top to bottom, from Song Yuanqiao to his senior uncles, and then to the three generations of disciples, the overall atmosphere was harmonious, emphasizing self-discipline and cultivation, encouraging mutual assistance, and there were no messy or troublesome things.

Even if there is a tendency to compare, it is mostly reflected in the level of hard work in training, rather than bullying or suppressing.

Even Song Qingshu, who took a wrong turn in the later part of the original work.

At present, he is just a somewhat arrogant, hardworking and ambitious third-generation chief disciple. Although he is distant in his dealings with people, he is not bad.

After descending the mountain, I was blinded by the allure of the martial world and its intrigues; that's a story for later.

Wu Feng pursed his lips and continued browsing.

In this game world where players are flocking in and the Fourth Calamity has arrived, it's hard to say whether the original storyline can unfold as planned.

After all, the players are the biggest variable.

They'll do anything for a quest, for equipment, for experience.

When a skilled player sees a high-level NPC, their first reaction is probably not one of awe, but rather wondering if they can defeat this boss and what good loot they will get.

Doesn't he often have similar thoughts himself?

Seeing that Zhao Tieshan was keeping secrets, I thought about killing him and exposing the secret manual;

Seeing that each of the Seven Heroes of Wudang possesses unique skills, it's hard not to have the thought of "if only I could..."

It was just that after weighing the pros and cons, they held back.

I shook my head and closed the forum.

Just then, the waiter brought over a tray with steaming hot dishes.

Bright red boiled pork slices with an irresistible aroma, spicy diced chicken with its charred chicken and dried chilies piled high, Mapo tofu trembling with red oil and minced meat, dry-fried green beans with a tempting, caramelized fragrance, and tomato and egg soup steaming hot.

Wu Feng immediately forgot about his thoughts in the game, picked up his chopsticks, and began to shovel rice and vegetables into his mouth, eating with gusto until sweat beaded on his forehead.

Real-world food is always the most comforting and direct solace.

I finished my meal in a flash, letting out a satisfied burp. I paid the bill, took a walk to digest, and returned to my lodgings.

Take a hot shower to wash away the fatigue and smell of food, then change into clean pajamas.

I lay back down in the gaming pod, the lid closed, and my consciousness sank in.

In the game world, the night is deep.

The oil lamp in the small house burned as low as a bean.

Wu Feng did not immediately begin meditating and practicing internal energy cultivation as usual.

He walked to the table, adjusted the lamp wick, and picked up the Tao Te Ching again.

"Comprehension is 268, just two points away from 270. If you read the Tao Te Ching to perfection or even great perfection, you will definitely surpass 270, or even higher."

His eyes were firm; the phrase "gifted talent" amplified the benefits of his comprehension greatly.

Investing more time in improving one's comprehension will, in the long run, make learning any martial art much faster, which is the most worthwhile investment.

He turned the pages and began reading from the beginning, more slowly and attentively.

This time, he did more than just understand the meaning of the text; he tried to immerse himself in the realm of Taoism, tranquility, non-action, and harmony with the world.

My breathing became long and deep without me even realizing it, subtly aligning with the concept of focusing the breath to achieve gentleness described in the book.

The Wudang Nine Yang Skill, which had reached its peak of mastery within his body, slowly circulated on its own. As the Yang energy flowed, it seemed to gain a sense of balance and peace, and lose some of its impetuousness.

He was completely absorbed in his reading. Sometimes he would furrow his brow in deep thought, sometimes he would nod in sudden realization, and sometimes his fingers would unconsciously trace patterns on his knees, as if simulating some mysterious trajectory.

The oil lamp flame burned quietly as the oil was gradually consumed.

The night outside the window was thick and quiet, save for the faint chirping of insects and the sound of the wind in the pines in the distance.

Time slipped away quietly as I focused on reading.

Unbeknownst to me, a faint hint of pale white appeared at the edge of the dark blue sky outside the window.

Wu Feng finally finished reading the last word and gently closed the scripture.

Almost simultaneously, a sense of enlightenment far greater and more profound than ever before surged into his consciousness like a sudden awakening!

It's not just that the understanding of the text of the Tao Te Ching has reached its peak.

More importantly, a vague perception of the Tao, a slight understanding of the laws governing the operation of heaven and earth and all things, and a sudden clarity of the subtle connection between one's own true energy, spirit and the outside world!

[System Notification: Congratulations! Your understanding of the *Tao Te Ching* has reached its highest level—Great Perfection! Comprehension +20. Your comprehension of Taoist classics has reached an extremely high level, your mind is more clear and transparent, and your speed in cultivating Taoist martial arts has been increased by an additional 15%.]

[System Prompt: During your study of the Tao Te Ching to its highest level, you have gained profound insights into the state of "harmonizing with the light and becoming one with the dust." In a state of quiet contemplation, your vital energy spontaneously arises, penetrating the mysterious gate and leading to the enlightenment of a special internal skill—"Harmonizing with the Light and Becoming One with the Dust" (First-Class).]

The comprehension attribute jumped from 268 points to 280 points!

In the skills panel, under the internal skills category, a new line of text, faintly glowing with a jade-like light, had appeared:

【Harmony with the World (Beginner Level 0/100000)】

Wu Feng was stunned when he saw the system notification. He blinked and wondered if he had misread it.

"Reading...reading books has given you a first-rate internal skill?" He was a little incredulous.

"Harmony with the World"? Just the name sounds mysterious. And the beginner level requires 100,000 proficiency?

This is more than double the 50,000 entry fee for Tai Chi Sword! It is definitely a top-tier item among first-class internal martial arts, and may even be at the level of a secret technique!

He quickly clicked to view the detailed skill description.