Chapter 49: The Sexy Immortal Man

On May 1st, the first day of the pleasant Golden Week holiday, the globally anticipated first-ever ^[1]Xianxia (仙侠) is a Chinese genre of fiction that blends fantasy, martial arts, Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese mythology. The term can be roughly translated as “immortal heroes” or … Continue readingXianxia holographic online game, The Celestial Fairy, held its final large-scale trial livestream before the official public beta. The game had no data wipe for the closed beta, offering recharge bonuses and exclusive gift packs, prompting countless players to eagerly seek out invitation codes while clutching their wallets.

Over fifty large international media platforms simultaneously broadcasted the event.

The promotional campaign was grand and widespread, particularly in the Chinese-speaking community, where Xianxia culture has a deep influence. In addition to sending invitation letters to the potential celebrity spokespersons, Lu Sheng and Xiao Chi, Tianyu also invited dozens of well-known streamers and top-level players from the gaming and esports industries to boost the event’s presence.

Countless fans and players waited eagerly in front of their screens. Even before the livestream began, the customized game pods for The Celestial Fairy began to show that they were running out of stock, with emergency orders placed.

Xiao Chi’s new assistant, Qin Huai, was responsible for managing the fan club, organizing support events, and dealing with the endless chores while Liu Bing was occupied.

Qin Huai had a baby-faced look, wearing large round black-framed glasses, short and small in stature, with a soft voice. If it weren’t for his prominent Adam’s apple, one might mistakenly think he was a girl.

Qin Huai had already announced Xiao Chi’s participation in The Celestial Fairy trial livestream early on.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play the same game as your idol. Who knows, they might even team up and battle side by side in the game, chat through voice, and even though there was a vast distance between them, just imagining it felt thrilling.

However, there were limited trial spots, and when divided up, the number of spots for Xiao Chi’s fans was extremely scarce.

In contrast, Lu Sheng had a large fan base. Not only did he have many fans, but several fan leaders were also high-level players in the gaming world, making him right at home in this kind of event.

The official The Celestial Fairy event provided artists and streamers with a customized, exclusive account, available only for personal use. The account unlocked certain mall items based on the player’s experience level, allowing streamers to experience the game without spending money, making it easier for them to showcase the fun of the game.

On the other hand, since no recharge was required, the streamers couldn’t enjoy the high-reward in-game purchases and would have to wait until the official public beta to recharge and obtain them, just like other players.

At that moment, Xiao Chi lay in the game pod, drooling as he looked at the tempting list of recharge rewards.

Phoenix flying mounts, national treasure black-and-white bear pet eggs, cloud-riding magic cloud mounts, Azure Dragon battle pets, immortal zither…

Back when he was a virtual idol, he was just an embodiment of data, unable to understand why people were so obsessed with virtual items. Now that he had become human, he finally understood the satisfying feeling of obtaining something in the virtual world that was unattainable in reality.

At exactly noon, the trial livestream began!

Besides the individual livestream rooms for each streamer, the official team would occasionally select the most valuable game footage and broadcast it to global platforms in real-time.

For Xiao Chi, the full-brain holographic connection with the game pod felt no different from a normal person’s experience. Instead, it felt extremely comfortable, as if a traveler had finally returned to their home harbor.

Although he had never played a holographic online game before, the moment his body’s neural reactions connected with the virtual world, all the basic controls came to him naturally.

The exclusive account the game had created for him featured a character modeled after the immortal in If Immortals Had Feelings MV, a white-robed figure standing alone in a timeless world. As he walked through the world, it felt as though a true immortal had descended from myth into the mortal realm.

The deep blue sky, graceful clouds, and mist reflected in the mirror-like surface of the lake. The air was filled with the scent of grass after rain. A beam of sunlight filtered through the swaying shadows of the trees, with the patterns on the butterfly’s wings clearly visible.

Just as the game’s promotional material promised, it was a truly real parallel world.

Dressed in white, Xiao Chi walked down the cobblestone path leading to the beginner village. As soon as he appeared in front of other players, it caused a stir.

While most players were running around in the newbie outfits provided by the system, his appearance and aura were so striking that it was impossible for anyone not to notice him.

Whether they knew him or not, whether they were fans or rivals, at that moment, all eyes were on him, like strings held in his hand, following wherever he walked.

Xiao Chi’s livestream room immediately erupted in excitement:

“I’ve discovered Immortal Chen!! He’s right next to me! Oh my god, I think I’m about to ascend!”

“I’ll sell my kidney, begging for an invitation code! If that doesn’t work, I’ll even sell myself!”

“In my past life, I prayed in front of the Buddha for 500 years, and finally, I’m born in the same beginner village as Chenchen!”

Xiao Chi stood at the entrance of the beginner village, pondering for a moment, when he noticed something: the game’s immersion was incredibly strong. The NPCs looked exactly like players, and before communicating with them, it was impossible to tell whether they were players or NPCs. The task guidance was minimal, and players had to rely entirely on their own exploration.

Liu Bing had once asserted that the focus of this spokesperson competition was to attract attention.

So, the question arose… What exactly should he do to win this “attention-grabbing” competition and defeat Lu Sheng, whose popularity far exceeded his own?

Meanwhile, Xiao Chi’s location was quickly discovered by Lu Sheng’s fans, who sent the information back to the fanbase. The instructions from Lu Sheng’s studio were clear—use any means necessary to sabotage Xiao Chi during this livestream!

Xiao Chi, lost in thought, had no idea that a large wave of rival fans was already gathering and heading toward his location at full speed!

The game’s UI menu displayed on a vintage rhombus mirror, allowing players to summon it at any time. Following the instructions, Xiao Chi methodically accepted the beginner task to go to the small forest at the village entrance and fight off a pack of attacking wolves.

Looking around, players were everywhere, but there were only a few wolves. They were all fighting over the monsters, having a blast.

Wherever Xiao Chi went, players automatically gave him space. Some were so mesmerized by his presence that they were bitten by the savage wolves multiple times, with their health bars dropping by half in an instant.

Players were frantically dealing with the waves of wolves. Some fans gathered their courage and offered to help Xiao Chi by killing monsters and feeding him experience.

Xiao Chi thought for half a second about what “feeding experience” meant, then raised his small wooden sword, swung it—slash! He instantly dismembered a wolf glowing with green light!

His flowing white robes didn’t even get a drop of blood on them.

Fans: “…Oh my god, is Immortal Chen this efficient at killing monsters?”

As beginner-level monsters, the wolves had very weak attack power. They barely posed a challenge, relying only on players’ unfamiliarity with controls and skills to maintain a standoff.

But the Wolf King was different. As the first elite monster in the beginner village, its stats far surpassed those of novice players. One swipe could either kill or seriously injure you!

The Wolf King lurked deep in the small forest, striking swiftly and ruthlessly. It was cunning and would quickly dart into the bushes if multiple players surrounded it, making it impossible to catch.

The beginner village was nestled between steep cliffs, a secluded paradise in the game’s opening story. The only path leading down to the world below was blocked by a broken cliff, and players couldn’t pass through on their own.

Following the game’s instructions, after completing a series of beginner tasks, players would all receive a public task—to build a plank bridge and leave the village. Through cooperation, they could enter a new map.

Xiao Chi didn’t understand these typical game strategies or the standard processes players followed. He walked along the cobblestone path to the edge of the cliff, pondering how to get across.

Fly? The skill bar was locked in grey, so it seemed he couldn’t fly yet.

Jump? The distance was too far.

More and more players gathered nearby, watching and discussing eagerly. Xiao Chi’s fans and rival fans were divided, with each group stationed on opposite sides of the path, glaring at each other with clear hostility:

“What’s Immortal Chen trying to do? Is he going to jump off?”

“Ah, even when Immortal Chen is trying to commit suicide, he’s so handsome!”

“I wonder if dying in this game makes you lose experience. Maybe we should push Xiao Chi off the cliff, we can’t let him get ahead of Brother Sheng!”

“I have a bold idea—let’s lure the Wolf King over and let them fight each other!”

“Hold him back! Don’t let him leave the beginner village!”

Lu Sheng’s fans wasted no time. They quickly dispatched several groups—one group to lure out the Wolf King, and another to drive Xiao Chi toward the cliff. They threw arrows and small stones at the Wolf King’s head, running away quickly after each strike, passing the task like a relay race.

The Wolf King, enraged by the suicidal attacks and constant harassment from Lu Sheng’s fans, howled fiercely. The wolf pack answered the call and began charging toward the cliff!

Passerby players were frightened by the aggressive Wolf King, causing a panic that spread throughout the area. Xiao Chi’s fans immediately noticed the malicious intentions of their rivals and rushed to protect him, forming a barricade in front of him and shouting loudly:

“Protect Immortal Chen!”

“Immortal Chen, you go ahead! I’ll stay behind!”

“To live and die with Immortal Chen!”

Xiao Chi stood at the cliff’s edge, dressed in white, his posture graceful and immortal-like. In front of him was the menacing wolf pack, as well as enemies lurking with ill intentions. A single step backward would send him tumbling into the abyss below, where even a falling stone would shatter on impact.

The viewers in the livestream room watched in suspense, their hearts racing as the wolf pack closed in, too nervous to even breathe.

Soon, the official broadcast studio noticed something unusual. While other streamers were still learning the game mechanics and showcasing gameplay, this bizarre beginner village had unexpectedly set the stage for an impromptu battle between man and wolf?

So exciting!

The director excitedly slapped his thigh. “Cut! Switch to this scene! Let the players see how intelligent and realistic our game world is! Full of unexpected surprises at every turn!”

The scene, which had been showing Lu Sheng and his fans happily teaming up to hunt monsters, was suddenly cut to Xiao Chi’s tense standoff with the wolf pack on the cliff.

What’s going on?!

In Lu Sheng’s livestream room, his confused and frustrated fans flooded the screen with question marks.

Seeing that the rival fans had gone as far as using suicidal tactics to drag the wolf pack’s aggro to the cliff’s edge, Xiao Chi’s fans simultaneously raised their pathetic beginner weapons, ready to launch the “Immortal Chen Defense” at any moment!

Surrounded by wolves, Xiao Chi was about to perform his final act in front of millions of viewers—either being torn apart by wolves or falling to his doom off the cliff, splattering into a bloody mess!

“Oh my god, I can’t watch this anymore!”

“Don’t bite Immortal Chen, you bad wolves!”

“Woo, our Immortal Chen is such a tragic immortal man, so fragile, pitiful, and helpless!”

The fans in the livestream room were grinding their teeth in frustration, wishing they could charge through the screen and rescue their idol from this perilous situation.

Xiao Chi, completely bewildered, watched the chaotic scene before him. He had no awareness of the storm he was at the center of, instead, he looked like just another spectator, indifferent to the tension between the factions, calm and unbothered.

Among the fan group standing in front of Xiao Chi, one person slyly glanced around and suddenly launched a hidden arrow toward the Wolf King! Then, they swiftly turned and dashed toward Xiao Chi’s side!

The Wolf King swatted the hidden arrow aside, its cold, eerie green eyes piercing through the air like daggers. It threw its head back and let out a long, haunting howl, shaking the cliffs with a mighty roar. It slammed its claws into the ground, then lunged at the sneaky attacker!

The livestream audience was stunned by this sudden turn of events—did a ^[2]black fan (黑粉) refers to someone who pretends to be a fan of a celebrity, influencer, or figure but is actually a detractor or anti-fan. Instead of genuinely supporting the person, black fans … Continue readingblack fan infiltrate Xiao Chi’s camp and pretend to be loyal?

The wolf pack, as if given a signal, howled in unison, their cries echoing one after another as they charged into the crowd!

A brutal, bloody melee was about to break out!

Within the Wolf King’s aggro range, all players became enemies. Under its sharp fangs and claws, everyone was fair game. The black fan who had attempted to attack the Wolf King was hit with a savage blow, their character disintegrating into white light as they respawned at the camp.

The massive Wolf King, towering at nearly half a person’s height, immediately locked eyes with the nearest player—Xiao Chi. With a roar, it lunged toward him, its mouth wide open, two rows of razor-sharp fangs glinting coldly, its foul, bloody breath nearly spraying onto Xiao Chi’s face!

Xiao Chi, who had been watching the spectacle for a while, only reacted when the danger was nearly upon him. He extended a hand toward the Wolf King, clenched his fist, and as the wolf’s jaws snapped toward him with lightning speed, he struck first—delivering a punch to the wolf’s skull faster than its bite!

“Awwooo—”

A blood-curdling, agonizing howl reverberated through the air, echoing in the ears of all the players. The sound was so intense that it made everyone’s body tingle, instinctively shivering as if their bones had been crushed by that single punch.

Immediately, some players recognized the move: it was the basic martial skill every newbie learned, “Strike the Mountain, Shock the Tiger,” and it had dealt a critical hit with a double damage bonus to a vital point!

How precise must one’s reflexes be to land such a devastating blow?!

The viewers in the livestream room were left speechless, staring in shock:

“Click to watch, the sexy immortal man, online smashing wolf heads!”

“Oh my god! Who just called Immortal Chen weak, pitiful, and helpless? Come out here, I promise I won’t kill you!”

“I’m on-site, I’m the Wolf King! Immortal Chen’s punches are so cute!”

“…Are you still alive over there?”

The once noisy cliffside fell silent in an instant, as if struck by a great shock.

The Wolf King, severely injured by the blow, staggered to its feet. Its fur bristled with rage, its eyes bloodshot and filled with fury, as it entered a berserk state!

Xiao Chi paid no mind to the terrified gazes directed at him, completely ignoring the Wolf King’s furious behavior. He grabbed the wolf’s head and, astonishingly, mounted it, sitting on the Wolf King’s back!

Countless players and viewers collectively gasped—

The Wolf King, enraged by this audacity, violently swung its limbs and tail, trying to throw the bold intruder off its back!

Xiao Chi tightened his legs, remaining as still as a rock atop the wolf’s back. With a calm expression, he pursed his lips, said nothing, and delivered two powerful punches directly to the Wolf King’s head!

He kept striking until the once mighty Wolf King was nearly breathless, half-collapsing to the ground, whining in defeat.

Xiao Chi finally let out a satisfied smile. He urged the wolf forward with a swift jab to its side and, pointing toward the mist-covered cliff opposite, confidently commanded, “Big dog, jump over there!”

The Wolf King: “???”

The players: “???”

The audience: “…Did he just do that?!”

Meanwhile, at the far end of the map, a fiery phoenix silhouette streaked across the sky, leaving behind a faint scorch mark in the wind.

A dazzling figure, glowing with golden light and exuding an aura of wealth and arrogance, sat atop the phoenix.

Below, players still wearing their bare-bones newbie gear gazed up in awe, sighing deeply, shedding tears of poverty and humility.