Chapter 112: Sword Surpasses the Four Heavenly Kings
Time flew by swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed. During these three days, Ye Chen had hardly rested for a moment. Aside from running dungeons daily with Long Teng, Zhan Xing, and the others, he spent his time battling monsters, leveling up, and preparing for the Southern Wild Demon Domain. His level had risen to 29, and with one more level, he would be ready for the second job advancement.
Gaining five levels in three days was no small feat, though it wasn’t unprecedented. Still, it wasn’t enough to place him on the current rankings of Lushan City, where the lowest level among listed players was already 31. Sword Qingcheng had even reached a fearsome level 33. Of course, Ye Chen hadn’t devoted all his experience solely to leveling up; otherwise, wielding a golden weapon and with guidance at 2058 points, he would have surpassed level 30 by now.
Having sold over ten thousand gold coins, the money was due to arrive that day, and the gold from his work had been processed as well. On the fourth morning, the cross-city trading officially commenced. This sudden development triggered a massive upheaval in the gold coin market. Within just a few hours, the market price plummeted from a ratio of 1:20 to 1:13—and it kept falling. According to Data Girl’s analysis, this was purely due to player panic. In reality, once cross-city trading opened, the market price should stabilize around 1:15. Thus, a rebound from the bottom was inevitable. The team had already prepared funds and planned to buy heavily once the price dropped to near 1:10, then wait for appreciation.
Though tempting, this was a time-consuming deal, and Ye Chen did not intend to participate. The cash from the sale of over ten thousand gold coins had just arrived—two hundred and fifty thousand exactly, enough to cover one treatment. So that afternoon, accompanied by a group of beautiful women, Ye Chen withdrew the cash and went to the largest local hospital for amnesia treatment.
Lying within the massive medical apparatus, Ye Chen was quickly injected with a special drug said to help patients with memory loss to trigger recollections. Then, in a daze, the machine began to operate, faint electric sparks continuously stimulating his brain. Between sleep and wakefulness, fragmented scenes flooded his mind—faces and events, many and chaotic, with no clear thread. The doctor seemed to notice this state and cautiously increased the machine's power. Amid the buzzing hum, more electric currents surged into Ye Chen’s brain. The images spun rapidly, and finally, overwhelmed, Ye Chen let out a sharp scream and passed out. Yet, just before losing consciousness, a furious roar echoed in his ears: “I will come back. Even if I die, I will fight my way back to the main station area. Just wait.”
That seemed to be his own voice. The last thought flashing through his mind was that before he lost consciousness completely.
Hungry—so unbearably hungry. Thirsty—to the point of desperation. Half-conscious, Ye Chen reached out to feel beside him. He remembered there was always a glass of water by his bedside. Hmm, the cup wasn’t there, but what was this soft thing? It felt like a water-filled balloon—quite bouncy, and nice to the touch. Instinctively, he squeezed it a few times.
“Ah!” A soft exclamation sounded by his ear. Ye Chen instinctively opened his eyes and was immediately shocked. He had been grasping Ling Yue’s chest. Just as he was about to apologize, Ling Yue excitedly opened her eyes, grabbed his hand firmly resting on her chest, and shook it vigorously: “Wonderful, wonderful! Ye Chen, you’re finally awake! Finally awake! Big sister, second sister, Ye Chen is awake! Awake!”
Ye Chen was confused. Wasn’t he still in the hospital? How had he ended up back home? It seemed... he had forgotten something again. What exactly had he forgotten? As the thought arose, a sharp pain struck his head, causing him to groan in agony.
“Ye Chen, Ye Chen, how are you? Does your head still hurt? The doctor warned, if you can’t remember, don’t force it. Your brain can’t handle much stimulation in such a short time. If you faint again, you’ll have to stay in the hospital.” Ling Yue anxiously sat beside him, gently massaging his head.
Ye Chen immediately stopped trying to piece together the fragmented memories as his consciousness gradually returned. Hearing this, he asked, “I fainted? How long was I out?”
“Five days. Little Ye, you were unconscious for a full five days. You know, Ling Yue took care of you all that time. Honestly, I wanted to just leave you in the hospital with someone to look after you, but Ling Yue wouldn’t hear of it—she brought you home and stayed by your bedside all five days. You’re so lucky,” the second sister, Drunken Longing, said as she pushed open the door. Seeing Ye Chen awake brightened her face, though her words were teasing.
“Yes, yes! Ling Yue also helped you wash up every day,” Li Yuetong chimed in as she entered, followed by a stream of other girls, including the eldest sister, Sword Qingcheng.
The younger sisters teased Ling Yue about how carefully she had cared for Ye Chen, causing Ling Yue’s cheeks to flush deeply. She shyly twisted like a bashful bride, which moved Ye Chen immensely.
“By the way, the doctor said the treatment wasn’t perfect, but it should have helped somewhat. Ye Chen, have you remembered anything?” Sword Qingcheng asked with a hint of concern.
Ye Chen pondered briefly, gradually sorting out his thoughts. “My memories are very fragmented, a bit confusing, but it seems I’ve played Divine Descent before.”
“You played Divine Descent before? What was your name? Share it with us, let’s see if we know you,” Li Yuetong asked curiously.
“With billions of players in Divine Descent, where would you find anyone you know? Unless Little Ye was really extraordinary back then. But does he look like a pro to you?” Drunken Longing snorted at Li Yuetong; the two often bickered.
“Not necessarily. Maybe Brother Ye was a top expert in the past,” said Lin Ziyi, the youngest member of the studio, a sixteen-year-old girl.
Ye Chen scratched his head, uncertain. “I can’t remember my exact name, but two names stand out: One Sword Soaring Clouds? Or maybe One Sword Soaring Heaven.”
Crash!
The cup in Ling Yue’s hand shattered on the floor. The other girls looked at Ye Chen as if they had seen a ghost.
Ye Chen, however, stared fixedly at the puddle of water on the ground, bitterness etched across his face. Brother’s dying of thirst...
“Little Ye, you’re not teasing us, are you? One Sword Soaring Clouds, One Sword Soaring Heaven? You?” Drunken Longing’s eyes went wide.
One Sword Soaring Clouds and One Sword Soaring Heaven seemed to be significant names. Judging by everyone’s expressions, Ye Chen had some suspicions, though he couldn’t be sure if those two names were his old nicknames.
Sword Qingcheng chuckled softly. “If Ye Chen really is One Sword Soaring Clouds or One Sword Soaring Heaven, then we’ve found someone important. Among the Sword Soaring Four Kings, only One Sword Soaring Dust is still active in the game; the others have disappeared. It’s plausible Little Ye could be one of them. Or maybe you just remember them well from playing Divine Descent—the Sword Soaring Four Kings, like Ri Zhongtian, were legendary. Remembering the two most outstanding ones isn’t surprising.”
That latter explanation seemed more acceptable. The Sword Soaring Four Kings, though a bygone glory, were legendary figures. Looking at this guy gulping down water so eagerly, it was a bit of a dream shattered.
“Remember anything else? Like how you lost your memory? Or any family?” Sword Qingcheng asked, watching Ye Chen set down the water cup. She hoped he could find himself again, no matter who he had been.
Ye Chen shook his head. “No, just that I told myself I would fight back to the main station area.”
“Main station area? Then maybe you really were a top expert before. Do you remember who your enemy was? That could help us figure out your identity.” Sword Qingcheng’s eyes gleamed with eager curiosity, and the other girls shared her anticipation.
“The enemy... seems to be a guild called Radiant Cold Fourteen Continents. I want to wipe them all out!” Ye Chen growled through gritted teeth. For some reason, just hearing that name filled him with rage.
“Radiant Cold Fourteen Continents? Little Ye, you definitely aren’t One Sword Soaring Clouds or One Sword Soaring Heaven. That guild was founded by the Sword Soaring Four Kings themselves. Why would they hate their own founders?” Drunken Longing flashed Li Yuetong a victorious V-sign.
But Sword Qingcheng looked at Ye Chen thoughtfully and softly said, “That’s not necessarily true. Who can say for sure in this world? A year ago, I wouldn’t have believed our Qingyu Guild would be in its current state.”
Drunken Longing’s face darkened, teeth clenched. “It’s all because of those little vixens from the Spirit Fox. Big sister, are you saying… that’s possible? They’re the Sword Soaring Four Kings—gods among players.”
“Nothing’s impossible. Often, those closest to gods are the ones who disrespect them most, because they know them too well,” Sword Qingcheng said meaningfully.
“Little Ye, whether or not you’re one of the Sword Soaring Four Kings, your sister will definitely help you avenge your grievances.” Drunken Longing sat heavily on the edge of the bed, slapping Ye Chen’s belly hard.
“Revenge? I’ll take care of it myself!” Ye Chen said, a chilling aura radiating from him as he pushed Drunken Longing’s hand away coldly. “Men’s battles don’t need women!”
It was as if Ye Chen had transformed. His fierce presence stunned the women briefly. Drunken Longing even gaped in disbelief—was this really the logistics worker she had saved?
Gurgle. The heavy atmosphere lasted less than ten seconds before Ye Chen’s stomach rebelled. The intense hunger instantly broke the tension. Embarrassed, he smiled awkwardly and shouted, “Revenge can wait. First, fill my stomach, or I’ll starve to death, and that’d be a real shame.”
Ye Chen’s earlier intensity had put the women on edge. Now that he was his usual self, they all sighed in relief. Li Yuetong and Drunken Longing, still annoyed, tried to pinch him mischievously, but Ling Yue shooed them out of the room. The others soon dispersed as well.
Once Ling Yue went to prepare the meal, Ye Chen was left alone in the room. Quietly, he took out a pale gold medal from the drawer. This medal had been on him when Drunken Longing found him, but it had yielded no clues until now. Holding the medal, he twisted it gently, and with a snap, what seemed a single piece sprung open to reveal two characters engraved inside: Soaring Clouds.
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