At the same time—
"The first beta test players and second beta test players are gone… even the outstanding performers among the third beta test players have disappeared as well…"
He Yiming's gaze swept around, confirming that what several players had reported was indeed true.
A large number of players were missing.
Rather than having wandered off on their own, it felt more like…
They had been drawn away by something.
"Hm?"
He Yiming was originally planning to investigate when he suddenly felt something stir within him.
The Luck Golden Dragon that had long remained dormant inside him suddenly let out a roar, producing waves of strange resonance!
An indescribable sensation surged up.
"Maybe… they weren't lost, and they weren't captured either. Instead, the power of the Luck Golden Dragon guided them to seek out opportunities that belong to them?"
He Yiming couldn't help but think.
The more he considered it, the more plausible it became.
Luck itself was something vague and intangible!
For those with great luck, the opportunities they obtain are not necessarily treasures—
But rather existences capable of changing their destiny!
"If the Luck Golden Dragon is guiding them, then… if I sense its power myself, I should also be able to find my own opportunity!"
He Yiming closed his eyes and quietly focused.
Moments later…
He Yiming's eyes snapped open as he looked toward the sky.
"???"
He scanned the heavens carefully—but found nothing at all.
"My opportunity is in the sky? What the hell?"
He Yiming was completely baffled.
Since there were no clues for now, he decided it would be better to fully refine and master the opportunities he had already obtained.
He Yiming had always been a cautious person.
Rather than searching the sky for the unknown, it was better to first grasp the power already in his hands!
Azure Emperor Longevity Body — Earth Chapter!
Purgatory True Demon Physique — True Demon Chapter!
And the Artifact Scripture — Human Chapter!
Even with the system boosting comprehension speed by more than ten thousand times, these three were simply too heaven-defying.
It would still take a considerable amount of time to fully master them.
Thus, He Yiming quickly gathered all the players who had remained behind.
"Disciples, those who have disappeared should be seeking opportunities that belong to them."
"If any of you sense a vague guiding force, you may also go and seek your own opportunity."
"If you don't feel anything, there's no need to be discouraged. This is a good chance to focus on honing your skills and abilities."
...
He Yiming calmly explained the situation.
"Holy crap, so Brother Lufei and the others went to find opportunities?"
"This has to be the Luck Golden Dragon guiding them! Damn it, we third beta test players really got screwed!"
"Fuck that—if there's no guidance, we'll make our own guidance!"
...
The players immediately erupted into chatter.
After thinking it over, most players felt that He Yiming's words made sense.
Plus, during the Heavenly Dao Five Calamities, everyone had been grinding insanely hard!
Many players had stayed online for twenty to thirty hours straight.
Who the hell could handle that?
This was the perfect time to log out and rest.
However, a small group of hardcore grinders were completely unconvinced.
"Damn it! I can grind 25 hours a day, and you're telling me third beta test players don't get to participate in this storyline?!"
"Exactly! Why do we not get a share in finding opportunities?"
"Don't ask questions—just form teams and get moving! If opportunities won't come to us, we'll go find them ourselves!"
...
As a result, quite a few third beta test players began forming parties and making plans.
Most third beta test players, however, simply found a spot, slapped together a crude wooden hut, collapsed on the ground, and logged out at light speed.
He Yiming, meanwhile, skillfully set up several fifth-grade grand formations, enveloping both himself and the players to conceal their presence and aura, ensuring everyone's safety.
Only then did He Yiming find a secure location, preparing to properly absorb and refine the rewards previously issued by the system.
Since the Bridge of the Other Shore had brought him to the Ancient Era—the era of Immortal Emperors—there had to be a reason for it!
But the system had not issued any missions yet.
Perhaps… the time was not right.
In that case, this was the perfect opportunity to recuperate and grow stronger!
"Hm?"
Just as He Yiming was about to close his eyes, he saw Mu Xueying walking over.
"I came to say goodbye—for now," Mu Xueying said with a gentle smile.
"..."
For some reason, hearing that they were about to part made He Yiming feel a tiny—just a tiny—bit reluctant.
But reason quickly returned, and he nodded.
"Be careful out there."
"That's it? Just one sentence?"
Mu Xueying pouted slightly.
"That makes me a little sad, you know…"
"If you run into danger… crush this item!"
"I—I can rush over to help you once!"
"Only once?"
"Alright, alright—three times! That's the limit!"
...
He Yiming watched Mu Xueying happily fiddling with the wooden rune he had personally condensed for her, feeling a little speechless.
"Are you also going to search for an opportunity that belongs to you?" He Yiming asked curiously.
"No! I'm going to look for—"
"Hehe~ a secret!"
"I'm not telling you!"
...
With a playful smile, Mu Xueying turned around and left.
He Yiming was at a loss for words.
Although logic told him that Mu Xueying was definitely not an ordinary woman, everything she showed in front of him—every smile, every reaction—felt completely natural.
There was no sense of pretense or acting at all.
It felt… genuine.
That made her all the harder to understand.
"No point overthinking it. I should focus on strengthening myself first."
He Yiming quickly swept away the distracting thoughts, closed his eyes, and began comprehending the Earth Chapter of the Azure Emperor Longevity Body—cultivation methods spanning from the Nascent Soul Realm all the way to the Great Emperor Realm!
At the same time…
"Huh? How did I end up here?"
King Lufei stared around with wide eyes, utterly confused.
"Ah… who—who can help this old man… turn over…"
At that moment, King Lufei heard an extremely faint, ethereal voice.
It sounded like… an old grandpa.
Without hesitation, King Lufei followed the sound!
He climbed over towering mountains, crossed great rivers, passed through dense forests, and even crawled through underground caverns!
Finally, King Lufei arrived at a place beyond description.
Everything here felt illusory, yet radiated an extraordinary aura.
There were nine-colored butterflies fluttering through the air. Every flap of their wings seemed to scatter countless tiny stars.
There were also white hawks silently gliding past—no feathers, no eyes, completely resembling streaks of light! Wherever they passed, space itself seemed scrubbed clean, becoming dazzlingly bright!
"!"
King Lufei focused his gaze.
Not far away stood a massive old sea turtle—or rather…
A cyan-colored turtle-man.
"Little fellow… I can't flip myself over. Could you help me?"
The elderly turtle-man spoke hoarsely, hope flickering across his aged face.
"Sure!"
King Lufei didn't think twice. He walked over and, with a single effort, flipped the turtle elder upright.
Not even King Lufei himself noticed that at the moment he lifted the turtle elder, endless starlight erupted from his hands—and a pair of starry wings flashed into existence for an instant!
"Thank you, little fellow!"
Once upright, the turtle elder seemed to come back to life, his face filled with relief.
"This place is amazing!"
King Lufei waved it off casually, then couldn't help but exclaim in awe as he looked around.
"For ten million years…"
"You are the first living being to arrive here,"
the turtle elder said slowly.
King Lufei froze.
Ten million years?
Is that true?
But after thinking about it, this was just a game anyway.
NPCs exaggerating timelines was normal. Maybe the designer accidentally added an extra zero.
"Well, since you're fine now, old grandpa, I'll be heading off!"
King Lufei waved and prepared to leave.
"Child… are you troubled by something?"
"Perhaps this old man can help you," the turtle elder suddenly said.
"You can help me?"
King Lufei was surprised.
"Of course. After all…"
"I've lived for a very, very long time,"
the turtle elder said with a gentle smile.
"I do have a question…"
"I want my fists to be faster!"
"Before, I once threw one million punches in a single strike!"
"But now, no matter what I do, I can't reach that speed anymore. At most, I can only throw a few hundred punches!"
...
King Lufei spoke without much thought.
Some instinct deep within told him that this turtle elder was likely a hidden master—
perhaps even stronger than Brother Ming!
"To be fast…"
"You must first be slow."
The turtle elder suddenly smiled.
"Child, first put down the straw hat on your head."
"For your current self, that straw hat is nothing but a burden."
"When you are able to pick up that straw hat once more…"
"Your confusion will naturally be resolved."
...
The turtle elder spoke slowly, his voice echoing through the dream-like realm.