What kind of sect should one join? This is a question worth discussing. There are simply too many sects in the world of wuxia, and each has its own unique characteristics. Charles Green chose Shaolin Temple without hesitation—this was something he had planned long ago. Shaolin is not only a powerful sect, but also a “bug-level” sect, because 99.9% of wuxia novels feature the Shaolin Temple.

For example, if a Ming Cult disciple from the world of “Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber” were to be teleported to the world of “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,” their stats would decrease, because the Ming Cult doesn’t exist in that world. But Shaolin is different—no matter which world you’re in, Shaolin always leads the martial arts community, and all kinds of heroes will show respect to Shaolin disciples. Shaolin disciples have a huge advantage in the early stages.

By contrast, players who join sects like the Ming Cult or the Sun and Moon Holy Cult may sound impressive, but in reality, their early days are extremely tough. Both of these sects are considered demonic, and many wuxia worlds do not welcome disciples of demonic sects—entering a city will get you hunted by NPCs.

There’s another very important reason why Charles Green chose Shaolin.

There are two types of Shaolin disciples: besides the tonsured monks, there are also secular disciples.

The punishment for betraying your sect in the game is extremely severe, but secular disciples of Shaolin are an exception—the penalty for them is relatively light. Many supreme martial arts require you to betray your sect to learn them. For example, after Xuzhu learned the martial arts of the Xiaoyao Sect, he could no longer be a Shaolin disciple. If there’s a chance to learn supreme martial arts in the future, someone wouldn’t mind betraying the sect.

To make a long story short, it actually took Brother Jack only a tiny bit of time to become an apprentice.

He became a proud secular disciple of Shaolin Temple, used up his only 2 skill points, and learned two martial arts skills.

Martial arts in the game are divided into four levels: the top tier is called [Supreme Martial Arts], the second tier is [Advanced Martial Arts], the third is [Profound Martial Arts], and the lowest is [Beginner Martial Arts].

Right now, what Jack has learned are beginner-level martial arts.

Luohan Heart Sutra—Beginner level, internal skill. It is said that this skill was created by Bodhidharma. Practicing it increases internal energy and accelerates the recovery of internal energy consumed in battle. Once mastered, it doubles the rate of internal energy growth.

What does it mean to double the rate of internal energy growth? It’s simple: for example, if Little Jack used to gain 1 point of internal energy for winning a match in the Arena, after learning the Luohan Heart Sutra, he gains 2 points for each win.

That’s the power of internal skills. If you learn a supreme martial art like the “Yi Jin Jing,” your internal energy growth can increase tenfold or more. This is probably why protagonists in wuxia novels have such deep internal strength at a young age.

Luohan Staff Technique—Beginner level, combat move. Current mastery: Minor Achievement, proficiency 0/10,000. Each attack increases damage by 10 points, consumes 1 point of internal energy, cooldown 5 seconds. If you hit the opponent’s head, there’s a chance to trigger the special effect [A Blow to the Head], stunning the opponent for 1 second. Once this staff technique reaches Great Achievement, its power will be greatly enhanced... Note: This staff technique is a prerequisite for the [Eighteen Arhats Formation].

Currently, secular disciples can learn three self-defense martial arts: Luohan Fist, Tiger Subduing Fist, and Luohan Staff Technique.

Charles Green chose the Luohan Staff Technique and received a free staff from the Luohan Hall with +1 damage.

These days, which girl doesn’t like a big, thick, and long staff?

As a badass, high-level man, you have to have a big staff to walk the martial world with confidence.

Without using ranged skills, the attack range for palm and fist techniques in the game is 1, for swords and sabers it’s 1.5, and for staves, spears, and lances it’s 2. Charles Green’s real goal was that +1 damage staff. With this staff, he could easily kite his opponents.

With a staff in hand, the world is mine.

When he found the Arena guide again, a new record was set.

“Server First: Secret Manual Acquired! Congratulations to player [Black Widow] for obtaining the secret manual ‘Five Poison Palm,’ becoming the first player in the martial arts world to acquire a martial arts manual. Special reward: 1 skill point, 100 reputation.”

This was a server-wide announcement—every player could hear it.

Hearing the name Black Widow, Charles Green paused for a moment and showed a playful expression.

Just a few seconds later, another server-wide announcement came:

“Server First: First Wild Boss Kill! Congratulations to player [James Bond] for landing the final blow on a wild boss, becoming the first player in the martial arts world to kill a wild boss. Special reward: 1 skill point, 100 reputation.”

This message seriously agitated a large number of players. Many guilds and studios who were attacking newbie village mini-bosses in the wild immediately felt like life had lost its sunshine when they heard the announcement, and started cursing.

1 skill point and 100 reputation—these rewards might not seem like much. But anyone who thinks that would be dead wrong. Skill points are incredibly precious in the martial arts world; without them, you can’t practice even if you get a supreme martial arts manual. And 100 reputation is extremely valuable for early-stage players—100 reputation lets you directly advance to Tier 3 [Rising Star]. With this title, not only do you get an extra skill point, but you can also recruit companions to help you in battle.