Part 2
As for why everyone was certain they would meet given the vast number of participants in the Wind and Cloud Conference, it was naturally because currently, in the entire Xianyu server, only the two of them had reached 9999 points. At other point levels, one might be matched with someone of similar points, but 9999 could only fight 9999.
Both sides matched into the map. The audience took a look—oh ho, it was the simplest arena again. The time to test pure skill had arrived!
As the ceiling of operational difficulty in Xianyu, playing well meant crushing all other sects, while playing poorly meant being crushed by all other sects. In short, it was a very extreme sect. An internal fight between fellow disciples was the most exciting.
Once they truly engaged, Huo Xian didn’t let his guard down. Zhao Xiyou watched his stream recordings, and he watched Zhao Xiyou’s streams too. Zhao Xiyou possessed the awareness of a professional player, and when it came to skill, frankly speaking, it required practice. No matter how bad a player was, as long as they were willing to put in the thought and effort to study, there would come a day when they weren’t so clumsy.
Facts proved that Huo Xian’s caution was useful. Several times, he found that Zhao Xiyou had predicted his positioning. But Huo Xian’s brain was once that of China’s top researcher. Even if this world had limitations, as long as his consciousness remained, he could be foolproof.
Zhao Xiyou was relatively at ease initially, but when he knocked Huo Xian’s health down to 80%, he discovered that Huo Xian suddenly changed his style, catching him briefly off guard. He adjusted his state in the shortest possible time, but didn’t realize that from that moment on, he was being led by the nose by Huo Xian. The more he fought, the more passive he became, and the more powerless he felt.
By the time he finally adapted to Huo Xian’s rhythm, it was too late for Zhao Xiyou to turn the tables.
When the screen of Xianyu froze completely, exaggerated yet imposing golden characters leaped onto the screen, announcing the emergence of the First Person of the Wind and Cloud Conference. Players, whether playing the game or watching the livestream, were forced to witness the birth of the “Number One Immortal Lord.” The player [Mo Zun] would become the first milestone in the history of Xianyu.
[I give full marks for these special effects.] Huo Yuan praised, looking at Huo Xian’s character on the screen.
Huo Xian nodded in agreement: [It deserves full marks.]
Xianyu had a total of 69 servers, with over 110 million active player accounts. Sixty-two million players signed up for the Wind and Cloud Conference. Only one person reached 10,000 points in less than four months. That was enough for the design team to create a dedicated animation for the First Immortal Lord.
From then on, Huo Xian became famous across the entire server and casually trended on social media.
But in Huo Xian’s evaluation, the game’s progress was still a bit too fast. Although the pace had slowed down now, the Wind and Cloud Conference was ultimately missed by the masses (in terms of participation duration).
As the first player to break 10,000 points, there was a cash reward from the officials. This was one of the reasons why so many players flocked to the Wind and Cloud Conference after it opened. Although the competition was fierce, what if? What if luck exploded and the prize money ended up in their pocket?
Apart from the first place, the 2nd to 10th places also had varying amounts of monetary rewards.
Later, once the top ten were all determined, the officials also held an offline award ceremony. Since some players weren’t streamers and there was suspicion of account sharing, there would be some small challenge activities on-site to test operations.
Due to the popularity of Xianyu, the officials seized the opportunity to run a good marketing campaign. As the “Number One Immortal Lord” of Xianyu, Huo Xian, at the organizer’s request, put on the Wan Jian Sect uniform he had designed himself. His tall, perfectly proportioned figure and handsome, immortal-like appearance made him break out of the circle completely. Even Zhao Xiyou, whose looks weren’t bad, appeared dim and lackluster in comparison.
After the event, Huo Xian had the money to buy the apartment he currently lived in. Although there was a suspicion of selling his looks, he didn’t lose out.
“Huo Xian.” Walking out of the venue, Huo Xian heard someone calling him from behind. It was Zhao Xiyou.
Huo Xian stopped and looked at him, his tone calm. “Zhao Xiyou.”
His cold and distant attitude made Zhao Xiyou’s eyelid twitch. It seemed that ever since Huo Xian stopped living on campus in the second semester of senior year, they had become much more estranged. No, that wasn’t right either. Although the original owner of this body shared a dorm with Huo Xian, the two didn’t have many common topics. Even after three years, they were only slightly better than ordinary friends.
But he still felt something was wrong.
“Huo Xian, we were classmates and roommates for four years after all, why so distant?” He forced a smile onto his face and complained in a brisk, familiar tone.
Huo Xian didn’t respond to him; he felt they had nothing to talk about.
Zhao Xiyou couldn’t keep the look on his face; the hand hanging by his side tightened. He pressed his tongue against his back molars and finally asked, “Did I offend you somewhere?”
Hmm?
Huo Xian looked puzzled and asked with a faint smile, “Why would you think you offended me?”
Zhao Xiyou pursed his lips. After a long while, he said, “You once said in your live stream in front of millions of fans that ‘not mentioning other streamers in a streamer’s channel is basic respect.’ Because I didn’t restrain my fans well and they went to your stream to say unpleasant things, you’ve been angry with me, haven’t you?”
[…He seems to think a bit too highly of himself,] Huo Yuan whispered.
Huo Xian curled his lips slightly, his eyes somewhat lazy as he said, “You think too much.”
Zhao Xiyou stared at him unblinkingly, as if trying to see a clue in his eyes. But there was nothing. In Huo Xian’s eyes, he was like an ordinary passerby. He had no doubt that if he and Huo Xian walked towards each other, unless he called out first, Huo Xian would treat him as a stranger and walk right past him.
But he couldn’t figure out the reason for Huo Xian’s change. Could it be… was his attempt to use their classmate/roommate relationship for his own benefit when Huo Xian became famous discovered?
“Zhao Xiyou, I have a question for you. Are you willing to answer me?” Just as Zhao Xiyou was pondering, Huo Xian suddenly spoke.
Hearing this, Zhao Xiyou straightened up, looking a bit guarded. “What question?” He didn’t answer whether he was willing or not; intuition told him Huo Xian’s question probably wasn’t a good one.
Sure enough, Huo Xian asked in the next second, “When you made me wear women’s clothing to stream back then, was it really just because cross-dressing streamers gain fans faster and earn higher revenue?”
Zhao Xiyou’s heart thumped heavily, and his breathing stopped for a second. He twitched the corner of his mouth intending to answer, but when he opened his mouth, he found it difficult to make a sound due to sudden nervousness.
Huo Xian didn’t give him a chance to adjust. After asking one question, he continued with another: “If cross-dressing livestreams really have so many benefits, why don’t you wear women’s clothing and stream yourself?”
Zhao Xiyou’s face turned pale instantly. “Huo Xian, I…”
Huo Xian raised his hand to cut him off, his expression indifferent and his tone calm. “Do not do unto others what you would not have them do to you.” With that, he looked at him no longer, carrying the cat bag and turning to leave.
Zhao Xiyou stood in place, watching Huo Xian’s retreating figure. He wanted to call him back and explain, but thinking about it carefully, what was there to explain?
Back then, he tricked Huo Xian into cross-dressing for his stream out of malicious fun. If someone else asked him to cross-dress for a stream, would he be willing?
Do not do unto others what you would not have them do to you.
[Huo Xian, do you think Zhao Xiyou will regret it a little?] Huo Yuan asked.
Huo Xian took him through security and replied seriously: [I hope he does.]
A positive and upward-looking person is ultimately better for social stability than a person with a dark heart, even if the contribution is merely tiny.
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