Cultivation Online

"Before I tell you about the truth about Cultivation Online, let me ask you this… Do you know how it works? How you can visit the Nine Heavens through Cultivation Online?" The Lord asked.

Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "It obviously has something to do with the console we put on our head, but I have inspected it multiple times, even taking it apart. Despite that, I couldn't find anything special about it."

"I'm not surprised, since you don't have the means to see the formation."

"Formation? There is a formation in the console?"

"Yes, and it's actually two different formations, both fairly powerful formations called the Soul Transference Array and the Spirit Avatar Array."

"The Soul Transference Array transfers a part of your soul to the Nine Heavens— just enough so that your actual body doesn't become soulless and die, and the Spirit Avatar Array transforms your separated soul into an avatar— your character."

"This is why Cultivation Online feels so real— because it's a real world, and you're there as a soul."

Yuan frowned upon hearing this, "Our soul? Isn't that really bad? If one's soul is damaged even in the slightest, it could really mess up a person's life and turn them braindead. If our character is our soul, doesn't that mean all damages inflicted on the character will also be inflicted on our soul?"

"Indeed, but you don't need to worry about that too much. While it's true that your character is made out of your soul, it's not entirely your soul. Unless you are hit by techniques specifically meant to damage one's soul, your soul won't get damaged."

"With that being said, if you die in Cultivation Online, there is a high chance that your actual soul will be damaged. This is why when players die, many of them lose their ability to cultivate— both in Cultivation Online and real life." The Lord explained.

"Of course, it's not guaranteed, hence why some people can still cultivate after they die. It is also the reason why even if you switch consoles, your character will remain the same."

"The heck?! How dare you tell me to not worry about it too much! That's super worrisome! Which genius decided to put our souls at risk while hiding the fact? And for what reason?" Yuan asked, feeling a little frustrated by the truth.

The Lord took a deep breath and spoke, "The Celestial Emperor."

"Hah? You mean the guy who rules over the Nine Heavens? Why on earth would he do such a thing?"

"Unfortunately, I do not know his intentions or goal. However, if I had to take a guess, I believe that he's trying to recruit talented people through Cultivation Online."

"How do I know that you're telling the truth?" Yuan suddenly said.

And he continued, "For all I know, you could be working for the Celestial Emperor. After all, how else would you know so much about Cultivation Online? I don't know what kind of person the Celestial Emperor is, nor do I know his purpose, but no matter his intentions, I do not agree with it. In fact, I would even say that I am against it."

"As much as I love Cultivation Online and am grateful to it, the Celestial Emperor is playing with our lives here, and he is doing so while keeping us in the dark about it. If you ask me, he's not a good guy."

"I can promise you that I am not working for the Celestial Emperor. However, I don't have any way to prove it to you, so you'll have to take my words for it."

"As someone who has lived in the Nine Heavens before it was split into nine different realms, it's only natural for me to know about the Nine Heavens and Earth. As for the truth about Cultivation Online, I knew it as soon as I saw the formations hidden within the consoles, and there is only one person in the Nine Heavens who is capable of achieving such a feat— the Celestial Emperor."

Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Putting aside my trust for now, I have some questions."

"The people living within the Nine Heavens— the ones we call an NPC, how come they don't find anything wrong with us? We come back to life after we're killed, and we can log in and off at will, yet they all act as though it's completely natural."

The Lord sighed, "What I am about to say is only a theory, so I am not 100 percent on it, but I believe that the Celestial Emperor had placed a curse on these people, making it so that they don't find anything wrong with it."

"Curses like this exist?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. There are plenty of curses out there that can alter a person's personality, so something like this isn't too shocking if the Celestial Emperor is behind it all." The Lord nodded.

"With that being said, I don't think the curse is affecting everybody in the Nine Heavens. There are powerful Cultivators out there that surpass even the Celestial Emperor in terms of strength, so it's unlikely for these individuals to be cursed by him."

Hearing this information, Yuan remembered something, "The Great One… He knew that I didn't belong to the Nine Heavens, and he even knew my real name."

"You know the Great One?" The Lord looked at him with wide eyes.

"Not personally, but I have spoken with him once before, and I'd even accepted his Legacy."

"I see… Anyways, I have no doubt that the Great One isn't affected by the Celestial Emperor's curse. He's one of the most powerful beings in all of the Nine Heavens, after all." The Lord spoke in an admiring tone.

"Is there anything we can do to remove this curse… if it's even a curse?" Yuan then asked.

"I'm not sure, but you can try finding someone who is not affected by the curse and see if they can remove the curse." The Lord said.

"I see… That makes sense." Yuan nodded.