“Fists shatter the heavens, feet crush the earth? That sounds so familiar, classic lines from Saint Seiya!”

“This must be a live-action online game set up by some bored immortals, right?”

As soon as Mark Benson said this, an awkward expression immediately appeared on the chubby face of RR in his cheap paper black suit. Only then did he realize that he had unwittingly spoken the truth.

“Am I considered an NPC in there, or just a grassroots player? Those real immortals are like pay-to-win players, coming over to kill a few poor souls like me for fun, and then going back to cultivate. Damn, even immortals are playing at this level now?”

“That’s not it, Mr. Benson, you’ve misunderstood.”

RR, dressed in a cheap paper black suit, stammered a few words, then finally sighed and said, “To be honest with you, Mr. Benson, even if you don’t go to the Taixu Divine Martial Realm, you can’t reincarnate into the Heavenly Realm anymore. Your quota for reincarnation in the Heavenly Realm has already been taken by the White Lotus Boy under the seat of Lord Nanhua. The Taixu Divine Martial Realm is the best place I can arrange for your reincarnation. If you’re unwilling…”

A look of difficulty immediately appeared on the face of RR in the cheap paper black suit, as if he was reluctant to say more.

Mark Benson let out a dry laugh. Although he had uncovered the truth, he didn’t really care where he was going to be reincarnated.

Mark Benson smiled and said, “After all, I’ve already died once. Getting another chance isn’t easy, so being reincarnated in the Taixu Divine Martial Realm is fine…”

RR in the cheap paper black suit gave an awkward laugh, his eyes fixed on the document in Mark Benson’s hand. Mark Benson deliberately paused. He could tell that this RR didn’t have much official authority and was easy to talk to, unlike the officials he’d interviewed before who were full of airs and never spoke like real people. He couldn’t help but want to dig for more information.

“Just now you mentioned there are lots of benefits for me. Is there any chance of a VIP account, advanced manuals, divine weapons, or some other real perks? You’re at least an immortal, right? Even if you don’t have anything else, you must know a few cultivation techniques. Why not teach me some skills and throw in a few pieces of equipment while you’re at it?”

RR in the cheap paper black suit looked even more embarrassed. After a long pause, he finally said, “I can give you a little bit of those benefits. But… if this gets out, I’ll definitely be punished by the Taixu Immortal King.”

Mark Benson perked up, raised both hands, and swore, “If I, Xiao Ma, leak even half a word, may I be struck by lightning, die a miserable death, and be a reporter for ten lifetimes…”

Chapter 2: Aptitude Gift Pack

RR in the cheap paper black suit hurriedly interrupted, “Stop, stop! I used to be a reporter too. Being a reporter for ten lifetimes—that’s way too harsh. I believe you.”

When Mark Benson heard that the other party had also been a reporter in a previous life, he immediately felt a sense of shared suffering, and understood why this RR in the cheap paper black suit felt so familiar.

“In the Taixu Divine Martial Realm, martial arts are highly valued. If your aptitude is good, your life will go smoothly and your career will be successful. I’ll give you an aptitude gift pack as compensation.”

Although Mark Benson was already quite old when he died, at this moment he felt a bit of childlike excitement and eagerly asked, “What’s special about this gift pack?”

“You can choose one innate talent.”

“For example, the Martial God Overlord Body! Born with great strength, top-notch martial arts aptitude, able to master any martial art instantly and become proficient in no time. In battle, you’ll naturally have countless variations and respond like a god…”

“Sounds like Qiao Feng.”

“Or the Innate Dao Heart. Even with ordinary martial arts, you can train them to extraordinary power. Just watching two kids pee could help you comprehend martial arts mysteries. Especially, your lifespan gets a bonus—you’ll easily live past a hundred…”

“Sounds like Zhang Sanfeng!”

“Or the Exquisite Heavenly Heart, which is a universal aptitude. Although it’s not as strong in martial arts as the previous two, it gives bonuses in any skill—like reading, music, painting, medicine, astronomy, geography, formations, military tactics, strategy. It’s the most versatile aptitude.”

“Sounds like Huang Yaoshi!”

“Or… never mind, I’ll give you the info and you can pick for yourself! Just check the box for your choice, except for the fourth item—each can only be chosen once, and there are eight items in total.”

Mark Benson took the “Taixu Divine Martial Realm Reincarnation Aptitude Gift Pack: Self-Selection Form,” feeling both nervous and a little excited.

Just as RR in the cheap paper black suit had said, the form had eight items—in order: innate talent, life-bound martial art, life-bound divine weapon, the fourth item was the only one with multiple choices, called—Confidante!

The fifth item was family background, the sixth was master and sect, the seventh was friends and relatives, and the eighth was affiliated faction.

There were more than thirty innate talents. Besides the Martial God Overlord Body, Innate Dao Heart, and Exquisite Heavenly Heart that RR mentioned, there were also Yin-Yang Dharma Body, Crimson Sun True Body, Nine Yin Absolute Veins, Innate Sword Body, Blade Dao Saint Body…

Mark Benson hesitated between the Innate Dao Heart and Exquisite Heavenly Heart. As a reporter who had studied hard, he deeply understood that talent, without the right environment, was often wasted.

These two were both strong talents, with the least dependence on environment.