After the internet was disconnected, I connected to the magic world.

The faint cries of white-feathered eagles could be heard from outside the cave, carrying a hint of ferocity that sent chills down one's spine.

Zhang Lei rubbed his aching lower back, grimaced as he sat up, glanced at the dark cave entrance, and spoke first:

"We can't just hide here forever, can we? We don't even know if that hairy beast is gone yet."

"We'll find out once we go out and take a look," Zhao Hao said, dusting himself off and raising his chin.

"I will personally go and scout the way. Zhang Lei, you come with me so we can look out for each other."

Zhang Lei didn't want to go, but Zhao Hao pulled him by the arm and dragged him outside, so he had no choice but to follow reluctantly.

The two of them crouched down and followed the passage to the cave entrance, carefully peering up while clinging to the edge of the rocks.

Under the azure sky, a white-feathered eagle with a wingspan of several meters was circling above the cliff.

Its sharp eagle eyes were fixed on the ground below, and each flap of its wings created a gust of wind, showing no intention of leaving.

Their attitude made it clear that they wouldn't rest until they found these humans who had trespassed on their territory.

"Damn, it's still there!" Zhao Hao quickly turned around, pulled Zhang Lei back in a flash, and whispered when they got back to the cave.

"That hairy beast is guarding up there and won't leave. If we go out, it will swoop down and scratch our faces. We definitely can't force our way out."

Several people frowned upon hearing this.

Master Xuanqing stroked his beard, his expression calm: "Second-tier demonic beasts have developed intelligence and hold grudges. We injured its wings, so it will not let this go easily."

"What should we do then? We can't just stay here and die, can we?"

Song Xian frowned and asked, "Isn't there any other way out?"

Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses and calmly analyzed: "This cave is a natural cave with only one exit. The rest are dead ends. I just checked."

But don't panic. The Nine Provinces Dream has a time limit. In a little over four hours, we will automatically exit and wake up from reality.

"Come back in tomorrow; this monster won't still be guarding this place."

"So we have to squat in this hole for four hours?" Zhang Lei's lips twitched.

"It's like working overtime in the company's meeting room, just sitting here killing time."

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it." Shi Mingyuan put his hands together and sat down cross-legged. "It's not a waste to use this time to meditate and cultivate."

Everyone thought it made sense; since they couldn't get out anyway, cultivating was better than just sitting around doing nothing.

Just as the group was preparing to find places to meditate, Song Xian hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Xuan Qing and the others, and spoke with a touch of solemnity:

"Esteemed seniors, I have a favor to ask."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Song Xian said sincerely, "My cultivation level is low, and I have just reached the threshold of internal energy. I would like to exchange some pills to assist my cultivation with you seniors."

Also... I'd like to borrow that incomplete rune scroll to study it.

I'll pay the full price in spirit stones. If that's not enough, we can discuss cash in the real world.

After he finished speaking, the cave was silent for a few seconds.

Zhao Hao raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, turning to look at Xuan Qing.

Zhang Lei and Zhou Ming exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of amusement in each other's eyes.

This self-proclaimed official was quite direct, immediately discussing transactions and even mentioning real money, clearly demonstrating his confidence.

Master Xuanqing remained silent for a few seconds, then took out three small porcelain bottles from his system inventory and placed them on the stone in front of him.

"I have three low-grade first-level body tempering pills here, which are specially designed to temper the body and refine the qi and blood. They are most suitable for cultivators like you who have just entered the inner breath realm. Taking them will help you steadily step into the acquired realm."

Xuan Qing's voice was calm, "It corresponds to three spirit stones. If you can do it in reality, you can exchange them for spirit stones."

As for silver, there's no need to mention it; within the Nine Provinces, spirit stones are the only hard currency.

"Rest assured, Master, I will arrange the compensation in the real world."

Song Xian carefully put away the porcelain bottle, his tone solemn, "The country will not let you down."

"No need for such talk." Xuan Qing waved his hand and picked up the incomplete scroll of runes again.

"As for this fragment, I don't understand much of it either. I'll take a picture of it with the panel and send it to our private chat channel in a bit, so we can all study it together. Anyone who makes any discoveries can speak up; there's no need to keep anything to themselves."

Song Xian quickly expressed his gratitude: "Your Excellency's righteousness is deeply appreciated."

"It was nothing," Xuan Qing said casually.

After the transaction, Song Xian didn't rest. He took the opportunity to ask questions about cultivation.

He was truly clueless, asking about everything from how to open up the meridians with internal energy, to what to pay attention to during cultivation in reality, and what the thresholds are for the acquired realm—he asked in great detail about everything.

None of them hid anything.

Xuanqing explained some basic Taoist practices to him, and Shimingyuan added a few tips on meditation and calming the mind. Zhang Lei, speaking from experience, offered his critique:

"Cultivation in reality is incredibly slow, several times slower than in Kyushu. Don't rush, take your time. It took me almost a month to reach the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm. There's no use in you rushing."

Song Xian listened attentively, taking notes of everything, and occasionally asked a few more questions about the details, displaying a very humble attitude.

Zhao Hao squatted down and played with the spirit stones he had just picked up, occasionally chiming in with his cringeworthy cultivation theories. He only quieted down after Zhang Lei retorted a couple of times.

The atmosphere inside the cave gradually calmed down, and no one mentioned the monsters outside anymore.

They each found a clean spot, either meditating and cultivating or studying photos of incomplete rune scrolls.

Time passed by, some meditated, some studied, and the four hours quickly came to an end.

As dawn broke over Kyushu, the first batch of players began to wake up from their sleep.

Almost simultaneously, a post quietly appeared on major social media platforms in China and quickly went viral.

The poster was an ordinary college student who included a photo of a palm-sized token and wrote a rather cryptic caption:

"You might not believe it, but there really is a cultivation world created by immortals and gods, called the Nine Provinces. Chosen extraordinary people can enter it while they are asleep at night. There are real martial arts and immortal techniques inside. Practicing them can make you stronger. I am already a post-natal martial artist."

When the post was first published, the comments section was full of mockery.

"They're even using plots from third-rate novels now? They don't even bother to draft up their lies anymore?"

"An extraordinary person? Why don't you just say you're the Celestial Master descended to earth? Should I cast a Golden Light Mantra for you?"

"Hilarious! People these days will say anything to get attention. I suggest they go see a psychiatrist."

But soon, dissenting voices emerged in the comments section.

"Wait, my friend has one of these too!"

He's been acting strangely lately, even clutching his hand while sleeping, saying he wants to go to the Nine Provinces to cultivate. I thought he'd gone mad from his cultivation. Could it really be true?

"My brother has one too! He says you can fight monsters and collect spirit stones in it. I always thought he was playing some new VR game..."

More and more players with tokens have emerged, some echoing the sentiment in the comments section, saying that they too can enter Kyushu.

Some even went so far as to start a live stream, holding the token and demonstrating it to the camera, saying that as long as you fall asleep holding the token at night, you can enter the world of cultivation.

The number of viewers in the live stream skyrocketed, reaching over 100,000 in less than half an hour.

Those who believed were skeptical and kept asking for details.

Those who didn't believe it insisted it was a script or a new type of pyramid scheme, and the comments section was filled with heated arguments.

Before the matter could escalate for long, the account that posted the message was banned, the original post was deleted instantly, and all the accounts that were live streaming were shut down. The pop-up messages were all saying "Spreading feudal superstition, banned for violating regulations".

This caused an uproar among netizens.

"No, they were just sharing a story, how did that become feudal superstition?"

"An explanation is just a cover-up! If it were fake, why not just debunk it? Why delete posts and ban accounts? It's obvious it's true, and the authorities are panicking?"

"I knew something was off! I'd heard before that some people had cultivated internal energy; so there really is a world of cultivation!"

"Oh no, I wasn't chosen. Does that mean I'm not destined for immortality?"