Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 613 Teammate Development Plan
The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the living room floor.

Xiao Jie sat at the coffee table, slowly eating his breakfast, but his thoughts had already drifted far away. The conversation with the Celestial Venerable in his dream last night kept echoing in his mind. That choice concerning his future path was like a huge boulder hanging over his heart.

Should we go to the world or not?

"Brother Jie, what are you thinking about so intently?" Gu Feiyu burst out of the bedroom full of energy, his hair still messy from just waking up. He unceremoniously grabbed a meat bun from the table and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it with a carefree and unrestrained air unique to young people, which contrasted sharply with the seriousness between Xiao Jie's brows.

“It’s nothing,” Xiao Jie paused, feeling there was no point in hiding it, “Last night, I met the Celestial Venerable.”

"What—cough cough cough!" Upon hearing this, Gu Feiyu's eyes widened instantly. A mouthful of steamed bun choked in his throat, causing him to cough repeatedly. He quickly grabbed the soy milk on the table and gulped down several mouthfuls before he could swallow it down.

"You... how did you see him? The Celestial Venerable has come knocking on our door? Damn! Why didn't you call me? Is that guy powerful? Did you guys make a move?" He fired off a series of questions, his tone filled with tension and concern.

This left him no choice but to be nervous. Ever since he went to Beidu with Xiao Jie to attend that player gathering, the names "Celestial Venerable" and "Pantheon" had been legendary, giving people the feeling of an unfathomable "big villain" who controlled everything behind the scenes.

Moreover, among the known players, besides Xiao Jie, only Tian Zun has successfully ascended, and he did so much earlier than Xiao Jie. In Gu Feiyu's view, Tian Di Da Jie is the biggest in the world right now, and the only one who might be bigger than Xiao Jie is this guy. Tian Zun's sudden visit is definitely a very important matter.

Seeing Gu Feiyu's tense expression, Xiao Jie couldn't help but chuckle and waved his hand, saying, "Relax, don't be so nervous. That guy himself didn't come—and I doubt he can come now. He just used some kind of dream-capturing technique to meet me in a dream."

"The art of dream capture?" Gu Feiyu breathed a sigh of relief, but his curiosity was piqued again.

"Yes, it's a relatively advanced method of using divine sense," Xiao Jie explained. He remembered seeing similar Taoist scriptures and jade slips in the scripture library of Guyun Prefecture, but he didn't get his hands on them because of time constraints and the abundance of other things to learn. Now that he had experienced it firsthand, he felt that this technique was quite interesting in certain situations, and perhaps he could study it later and use it someday.

"So... what did he say to you in your dream? Is it convenient for you to tell me? If not, then forget it." Although Gu Feiyu was curious, he still asked tactfully.

Xiao Jie smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "There's nothing inconvenient about it. You can give me some advice too."

Xiao Jie thought to himself that Gu Feiyu was a bit witty and unconventional, and might be able to offer some analysis and suggestions.

So he recounted the entire process of his meeting with the Celestial Venerable in the Dream Restaurant the previous night, including the Celestial Venerable's description of the Great Thousand World, his own predicament, the existence of the Immortal Puppet, the setting of the world background, and the warning about the possible spread of the apocalyptic crisis, to Gu Feiyu in detail.

"...So, this is the problem I'm struggling with right now," Xiao Jie concluded, stirring the remaining rice porridge in his bowl with a spoon. "Should we go to the Great Thousand World? The Celestial Venerable said that the crisis in the Great Thousand World will spread to the Nine Provinces World, and may even eventually affect our reality. I can't be completely sure if he's exaggerating or trying to fool me."

After listening, Gu Feiyu also put away his usual playful expression and showed a thoughtful look. He stroked his chin, carefully considered for a moment, and then said, "Brother Jie, I think... what the Celestial Venerable said about the spread of crisis might be true."

"Oh? Why do you think that?"

“Look,” Gu Feiyu analyzed, “since the power in the game can be truly obtained and brought into reality; and death in the game can lead to death in reality… this itself shows that there is some kind of extremely profound connection between the game ‘Old Land’ and our real world that we have not yet fully understood. So, following this logic, some macro-level ‘phenomena’ or ‘disasters’ that occur in the game world may indeed affect the real world through this connection.”

He paused, then gave an example: "Just like how you, Brother Jie, can now directly enter the game using 'spiritual travel,' which in itself breaks the conventional boundaries between the virtual and the real. So, if a world-class disaster in the game, its 'impact' or 'concept,' spreads into reality through some unknown channel, although it sounds unbelievable, it's not entirely impossible considering the supernatural events we've already experienced."

Xiao Jie nodded; Gu Feiyu's analysis coincided with his own concerns. "I think so too. The main issue now isn't whether to believe it or not, but... whether to get involved personally. Should we believe that the immortal players who went there first can handle things and save the world, or should I personally go and wade into these troubled waters?"

He sighed, his tone tinged with self-deprecation: "In the end, the idea of ​​'saving the world' just sounds a bit... too grand and unrealistic. It's not something someone like me, who just wants to live a carefree life, should be concerned with."

Gu Feiyu shrugged, saying helplessly, "I can't make this decision for you, Brother Jie. This kind of major choice, which concerns your personal path and the fate of the world, is definitely up to your own conscience and thoughts. However..." He changed the subject, his eyes lighting up, "I do have a little immature suggestion."

"Oh? What suggestion? Tell me."

"Since players in that vast world tend to band together and form small groups, making it difficult for solo players to survive, Brother Jie, if you've really decided to go to that world, why don't you spend some time 'training your teammates' first?"

Gu Feiyu became more and more excited as he spoke, "If we train a few more trustworthy and promising brothers to become immortals, we can team up and explore the vast world together. There's strength in numbers, and we can look out for each other. Wouldn't that be much easier than going it alone? We'll be a small group of our own, and we won't have to worry about being taken advantage of or cheated!"

Xiao Jie nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "That's true. Teamwork is indeed more advantageous than going it alone."

Gu Feiyu thought of something else and asked in confusion, "Actually, I'm quite curious why that Celestial Venerable didn't train a few more teammates to go with him? Why did he have to go to the Great Thousand World all by himself, and now he's in such a miserable state."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jie couldn't help but smile, his tone carrying a hint of worldly wisdom: "I can answer that question for you. The answer is simple—because of human nature."

"What do you mean?" Gu Feiyu asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Not everyone is willing to share their power and benefits with others,” Xiao Jie explained. “Most people, if they were to obtain some kind of extraordinary opportunity that makes them the only ones who are superior, would most likely not want to lose that transcendent status. If someone is the only one in the world who is an ‘immortal,’ then without a doubt they are the only one in the world, enjoying unparalleled power and freedom.”

However, if the number of immortals increases, the sense of transcendence and scarcity associated with their 'uniqueness' will naturally be greatly diminished.

He frankly said, "In fact, even I had hesitated deep down before about whether to help everyone, such as Haomie and Anran, become immortals. After all, teaching others and sharing opportunities also requires effort and involves risks."

"But then I thought about it," Xiao Jie's tone became firm, "Everyone has helped me so much along the way, both in the game and in real life, and I can't forget that kindness. So, I must give them the chance to become immortals. As for whether they can succeed in the end, that depends on their personal efforts, understanding, and opportunities."

“But the Celestial Venerable is different,” Xiao Jie analyzed. “His ascension to immortality largely relied on luck, having accidentally encountered a reclusive immortal. This almost free opportunity left him lacking the motivation and awareness to repay others.”

Of course, it's also possible that he didn't inherently have such thoughts; otherwise, those teammates who died alongside him in Zone 1 were, after all, companions who had shared hardships. After becoming an immortal, his first consideration would naturally be how to consolidate and enjoy his unique status, rather than cultivating potential 'competitors'. It wasn't until he went to the vast world and suffered setbacks that he realized he couldn't move an inch without reliable teammates, but by then it was too late for regrets.

Left with no other option, he could only push for game version iterations within the Nine Provinces world through the Pantheon, hoping to foster new ascendants—essentially a remedial measure.

"Speaking of which, this can be considered a case of being hoist by one's own petard..." Xiao Jie said, his speech gradually slowing down. The chaotic thoughts in his mind seemed to be illuminated by this sentence, instantly connecting and forming a clear answer.

A resolute look appeared on his face, all his previous hesitation and entanglement vanished. "Feiyu, you're right! If we really want to go to the Great Thousand World, we must cultivate a group of reliable teammates who know us well and help us achieve immortality together. We need to go as a team! Since that's the case, I don't need to rush to make a final decision on my own."

His thinking became clearer: "I can help others grow first. When others have also successfully ascended to immortality, then we can discuss and make decisions together."

“If everyone understands the situation and is unwilling to venture into the vast world, then it’s not worth the risk for me, being all alone. Staying in the Nine Provinces world as a carefree immortal is fine too.” Xiao Jie’s tone was much lighter. “If everyone is willing to venture into that higher and more dangerous world, then why not go with everyone! There is strength in numbers, and we can support each other. It’s always better than facing the unknown fear alone.”

Just like when we were exploring and conquering new areas together in the game back in the day.

Now that he had made a clear decision, Xiao Jie felt much more relaxed and was no longer troubled by that problem.

After breakfast, Xiao Jie didn't rush to log into the game as usual. He first turned on his computer and skillfully logged into the official website of "Old Land".

On the expansion's related page, in the most prominent position, there was indeed a huge promotional poster for the "Great Thousand Worlds" expansion, with a background of broken stars and the silhouette of a majestic and ancient Tower of Babel, full of mystery and epic feeling.

This page can only be accessed by players who have achieved immortality through a redemption code; ordinary people cannot open it.

Xiao Jie moved the mouse and clicked the "Download Now" button that was flashing with golden light.

A simple download interface pops up, showing the size of the upgrade package—125GB.

Xiao Jie was speechless; it was actually quite big.

The fact that he was supposed to be heading to an unknown and mysterious world, but was being installed through this kind of game installation method, made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

I have no idea what the person who created this game was thinking...

He selected the default installation path and clicked confirm. The hard drive indicator light began flashing frequently, and a progress bar with an ancient Chinese aesthetic appeared on the screen, decorated with dragon and phoenix patterns on both sides, while a summary of the new content in the expansion pack scrolled below. Thanks to the high-speed network, the download progress bar advanced rapidly, accompanied by faint, ethereal background music, making the whole process feel ceremonial.

In just a few minutes, with a crisp "ding" sound—

Download complete, installation will begin automatically. A line of ancient seal script text appears on the screen:

[System Notification: You have successfully downloaded and installed the "Old Land: The Vast World" expansion pack. You can go to any major city in the Nine Provinces world to accept the tutorial quest "The Road to Heaven." After completing the quest, you will unlock the passage to the new game map—"The Vast World."]

Immediately afterwards, a promotional page for the expansion pack automatically popped up on the screen:

[A new ultimate map has been added to the game: The Vast World.]

[A higher level cap (maximum level 100)!]

[More extraordinary professions and advancement paths!]

[Even more powerful monsters and world bosses!]

[More abundant and more dangerous secret realms and dungeons!]

All true adventures and legends await in the vast world!

At the very bottom of the promotional text, there was another line highlighted in bold dark red font:
[WARNING: The Great Thousand Worlds is the highest difficulty map in the current game version. The environment is extremely harsh, the monsters are extremely dangerous, and there is a possibility of encountering unknown rule risks and permanent character loss. Please make thorough preparations before setting off, and it is recommended to go in a team.]

Looking at the warning, Xiao Jie thought to himself, "The game's official team is quite 'humane'. Isn't this a clear warning about the risks? It seems that the Celestial Venerable either didn't take the warning seriously or was blinded by the 'first-mover advantage' and the allure of top-tier treasures, insisting on recklessly venturing into the fray. He can't blame anyone else."

After shutting down the computer, Xiao Jie turned and lay down in the gaming pod in the living room. The pod door slowly closed, and the familiar sensor patches touched his skin. He silently said, "Enter the game."

A flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and when his vision returned to normal, Xiao Jie had already woken up in his simple house in Ginkgo Village.

He pushed open the wooden door, took a breath of the fresh, grassy air that was unique to early mornings in the game, and strolled out of the village, once again arriving at the familiar bamboo grove clearing outside the village.

As expected, the three immortals, Lin Xuance, Wu Qingyue, and Su Zhiqing, remained seated around the Xuan Guang Ying Ying Pool, intently observing the battle situation reflected in the water. Since immortals can sustain life without sleep, food, or water, the three of them had remained almost constantly by the pool since the start of the "Cang Lin Decisive Battle," closely monitoring every change in the battle.

Seeing Xiao Jie walk over with a leisurely gait, the three of them immediately shifted their gaze from the pool and turned to him. Lin Xuance stroked his beard and teased, "Ah, it's Fellow Daoist Suifeng. Fellow Daoist certainly knows how to enjoy life, eating and sleeping as usual, with a very regular schedule. It's made us three old folks sit here in vain, watching the scenery and worrying about you."

(End of this chapter)