Chapter 514: Live Streaming Mode Activated

The Gourmet World appears to exist within a physical body, yet it actually occupies an alternate dimension. It's a spatial cultivation system where its coordinates are anchored to the host's flesh and blood. When it expands, it essentially transforms the host's body into a habitable territory.

Unlike Dao Changsheng's expansion of the Immortal World into external flesh-and-blood continents, such a feat is impossible here. This is because Xu Zhi's body doesn't host pure-hearted native immortals, but rather those players. Wouldn't that be sheer madness? Heaven knows what chaotic schemes they'd devise; the thought alone sends shivers down my spine.

"This online game, the Gourmet World, restricts them to just three Beast Paths with the slowest time flow; that's their common area of activity!" Xu Zhi murmured to himself. "They live in a low dimension, enjoying the other two paths and the thrill of high-dimensional attacks." It's not cruelty; it's simply too unsettling. These individuals are genuine catastrophes, true "super cockroaches." Xu Zhi strongly suspected that even with continuous suppression, they would still manage to stir up trouble everywhere with all sorts of bizarre and ingenious antics.

At that moment, Shangguan Man was still constructing the Underworld. Xu Zhi was in no hurry; having emerged, he decided to let events unfold. He leisurely enjoyed the winter day in his courtyard, sipping tea and napping in his chair, effectively getting a few hours of sleep in advance. The Fifth Fighting Competition was scheduled for today.

Half a day later, Xu Zhi slowly awoke and stretched. Beside him, the mechanical voice of the Zerg sub-brain could already be heard:

"The Fifth PVP Tournament has officially commenced."

Xu Zhi then stood, glanced at the wooden chair by the doorway, and proceeded to the Wizard Community. "After such extensive development, the world-building is finally complete," he mused. "It's time to allow players to enter on a massive scale."

The Wizard Community buzzed with activity. The streets and alleys had transformed into a vibrant world. Elegant, ornate streets were adorned with advertisements, and alchemical balloons, each bearing an ad, floated in the sky. Nearby, stalls offered gourmet barbecued delights such as takoyaki, small meatballs, and lamb skewers, filling the air with their rich aromas. Diverse characters and pedestrians bustled to and fro.

This marked a significant reform within the Wizard Community. Several updates prior, Xu Zhi had enabled them to be self-sufficient, allowing them to spend "meditation coins" to acquire species and alchemical materials from any sandbox. Naturally, they began exchanging for seeds and various livestock, engaging in cultivation and animal husbandry, effectively creating a comprehensive sandbox farming game. With a time flow rate where one day in their world equaled one year, although each of the thousand players could only control their body for a brief period daily, they could still farm, harvest, and provide food for a population of 3,000.

He scanned the area. "Indeed, one shouldn't underestimate these individuals. They've truly thrown themselves into it... Even with winter arriving, they've started building alchemical greenhouses, living prosperously and without any concern for hunger."

*Boom!*

Under the gaze of all players in the Wizard Community, a colossal, indistinct figure, cloaked in brilliant white light and carrying an enormous chair, slowly descended.

"Ladies and gentlemen!!!"

The host dramatically announced, waving an alchemical microphone. His voice, amplified by a special alchemical device, boomed across the entire Bird's Nest Arena. "I declare! The competition has officially begun!!"

Xu Zhi settled into his chair, watching the tiny figures in the large arena below begin to appear, with many new characters making their entrance. It was time for the top eight contestants to take the stage.

A being shrouded in ethereal divine light slowly approached, stating coolly, "Greetings everyone! I am the Ancient God..."

"Daughter of the Prosperous Forest, you wish to control fate? Then I shall close the world-line and let you master your own life!" He extended a hand gently. "Fate lies within your own grasp."

A roar of cheers erupted from below, full of boisterous excitement. This character was incredibly charismatic and overwhelmingly powerful, clearly the strongest entity to appear so far—the peak of combat power in a Ninth-Tier world.

Another figure walked onto the stage: a waddling, adorable Q-version penguin. "Hello everyone, I am Emperor Qi," it announced. The plump penguin stood with its flippers clasped behind its back, its imposing figure shrouded in mist.

"I have existed eternally since the creation of heaven and earth, hidden in the shadows. You, heroic Heavenly Emperors, have roared, bled, and fought for the world, only to fall or yield to the passage of time, ultimately submitting before me. This is the brutal truth of history!"

*That* appearance? Are you telling me... that's Emperor Qi?

The audience below fell silent. That's completely wrong! The thousand players from this server were utterly shameless! They had clearly accepted money from sponsors, donned the sponsored outfits to enter the finals, and seized the opportunity to leverage the surge in viewership for advertising. Unsurprisingly, they even went on to promote their latest mobile game. Meanwhile, the host on stage feigned ignorance.

"This person definitely got paid too!" Everyone was astonished.

"Well, what's wrong with earning a living?" they thought, and immediately fell silent.

Subsequently, each of the top eight contestants took the stage to make their declaration. Following this brief interlude, the new PVP Fighting Competition commenced!

After the last version update, a staggering 3,000 servers were now participating in the competition. Combined with the recent revelation of the Gourmet World's transcendent civilization, the enthusiasm for the entire event had reached an unprecedented peak. Each character server consisted of a thousand players. Some were responsible for crafting equipment for their character, others for cultivating their character's meditation, and still others for practicing combat techniques and entering the arena to fight. Concurrently, spectator mode was activated, removing login restrictions for the Wizard Community. Any external netizen could now log in and watch this grand spectacle from the perspective of any of the 3,000 characters.

"It's started!"

"The Fifth PVP Fighting Grand Finals!"

"Beat them!"

Many students and office workers eagerly carved out time to watch this intense gaming combat event. It had now become comparable to numerous large-scale global leagues, attracting tens of millions of spectators! The crowd below roared.

The host above provided commentary on the event, exclaiming:

"Oh, my Creator God, this season is incredibly intense!"

"The top eight contestants are almost perfectly matched in strength. While there appear to be six qualification spots, anyone could end up being one of the two eliminated!"

"Furthermore, according to current official announcements, while all top six servers will gain access to the Gourmet World, their specific ranking will determine the initial benefits they receive! The competition is incredibly fierce!"

The audience below was in an uproar. Waving glow sticks, they yelled and cheered.

Xu Zhi yawned. Although the battles were thrilling, he felt quite relaxed this time. It must be noted that every player who made it this far was a combat prodigy. After all, just as in the native world, the vast population never lacks genius and talent, yet only a handful truly reach the pinnacle, with most falling by the wayside. Perhaps, as the Daughter of the Prosperous Forest once stated in the ancient Lava Domain: talent, wisdom, and brilliance are not the strongest forces in the world; fate is!

After approximately an hour, the matches concluded with winners and losers determined. A group of beautiful young women danced at the front, signaling the start of the closing ceremony. Countless people cheered and shouted. Xu Zhi, stifling another yawn, stood up and turned to leave, as he was merely a background figure in the grand scheme of things.

Simultaneously, an announcement echoed throughout the Wizard Community:

"The Gourmet World has activated Live Stream Mode! If time flow rates are equal between both sides, viewing is available within the Wizard Community. External live streaming costs 1 meditation coin per second, and players can send tips!"

"Live Streaming!!"

Tears streamed down everyone's faces. Had this feature finally been rolled out? Live Stream Mode!