He Yiming hadn't looked at the forums since recruiting the first 88 players. Back then, the whole thing felt like an afterthought. The forum was barebones basically coded in dinosaur years.
Only the 88 beta testers had access through their player IDs. Everyone else? Guest mode. No accounts, no profiles, no friend requests, no DMs, and absolutely no way to post your favorite waifu pics.
It was like a relic from the early internet.
When He Yiming set it up, he lazily capped the max visitors at one hundred wàn a million users. At the time, that felt like a joke. Who would show up anyway?
So when he logged in again…
"???"
He stared, stunned.
The forum user count had exploded past one million and was still skyrocketing.
Thousands of new posts were going up by the minute.
Most of the early threads came from the 88 beta players, trading gameplay stories and inside jokes.
But after the Sea Race event, everything changed.
Curious netizens had swarmed the forum after seeing screenshots and combat clips posted by the testers.
Now it was chaos. Glorious, desperate chaos.
"Kneeling for an account. Anyone? Please?"
"When's the next test? I need this game in my life."
"Take my money. Just give me a helmet and a login ID!"
"My thoughts on Heaven-defying Demon Immortal."
"First test review: Is this the future of gaming?"
"Gastronomy in cultivation games. I, the Gourmet Sage, will be your tongue."
Everywhere he looked, people were begging pleading for access.
Even older guides like Indomitable Bear's combat breakdown on War Hunchback Beast had millions of views. First Ice Man's tutorial on the Frost Arrow spell had over one hundred thousand.
But those weren't even the top posts anymore.
The current top three?
Beef Noodles. First Ice Man. Wang Lufei.
Each post had over three million views,and the reply count was off the charts.
He Yiming clicked the number one post.
"Let's build a building with Beef Noodles! Comment if you want to play this game!"
That was it.
No guide. No insights. Just… vibes.
But the replies?
"Brother Noodle, I want to play!"
"X2!"
"X3!"
The numbers just kept climbing. The same post format, over and over, past thirty thousand replies.
And that was with a user cap choking the site. Most visitors could only read, not reply.
Second place was First Ice Man's post.
"Epic Mission: Defend the Yan Huang Sect!"
> Hello everyone. I'm one of the 88 beta testers, First Ice Man.
If you don't know about the game, check my earlier review: [link]
[But today's about the greatest mission in gaming guarding the Yan Huang Sect.
Enough talk. Watch the videos.
Video 1: Tsunami Strikes, Sea Race Invades
Video 2: Dam Battle Begins
Video 3: Deep Sea King Appears, Pressure Skyrockets
Video 4: Brother Noodle's Chrysanthemum Strike, Poisoned Shot of Destiny
Video 5: Brother Ming Summons Lightning, Instant Kill Finisher
This mission is the most immersive, most dynamic event I've ever played.
The AI was so advanced, the Deep Sea King actually recognized Noodle's fakeout strategy. But Brother Noodle's poison trick worked anyway. It created the perfect chance for Brother Ming to nuke him from the sky.
I'm saying it now. This isn't just a virtual game. This is a journey.
Nothing ,nothing in the next fifty years will even come close.
If you get to play this game, you can die without regrets.]
Below the post? Chaos again.
"Wait, this is actual gameplay? Not CG?"
"What engine renders like that? NASA?"
"Deep Sea King is a cinematic boss. What is this game?"
"My mom asked why I was crying at a forum post. I said, 'I want to cultivate with Brother Ming.'"
He Yiming read in silence.
All this… just from one mission.
He had originally just wanted some fools to build a sect for him. Nothing serious.
Now the forums were exploding. And it had only been one day.
Curious, he opened the third top post.
Wang Lufei.
Of course.
It was… dramatic.
"Chapter One: Rise of the Yan Huang Sect — The Sea Race Descends!"
> I am Wang Lufei, future King of Cultivation.
[With my Colored Arm and loyal Seven Warlords at my side, I shall rise to the summit.
But the Sea Race, jealous of my divine talent, attacked!
Thunder cracked. Waves crashed.
They came to destroy the Yan Huang Sect.
But I, Wang Lufei, laughed in their faces!
For I am not afraid. I am a cultivator.
In the deepest night, even the Sea Race cannot shake my will!
[Video 1]
[Video 2]
[Video 3]
In the end, they were defeated by my might.
But… where did they come from?
Why did Brother Ming found this sect alone?
What secrets lie within the Yan Huang name?
What is my destiny demon or god?
All shall be revealed… in Chapter Two!]
He Yiming blinked.
"This guy turned his game replay into a serialized novel?"
And the comments below? A total memefest.
"I am Whitebeard. I pledge my blade to Brother Lufei!"
"I am Uchiha Sasuke. I will fight for Brother Lufei!"
"I am Hades Rayleigh. I will serve under Brother Lufei!"
"I am Peppa Pig. And I would die for Brother Lufei!"
He Yiming scrolled. There were thousands of them. Luffy cultists had arrived in full force.
He scrolled more.
"Colored Arm Tutorial"
"Live Test: Colored Arm vs Boulder"
"My Breakthrough: Mastering Colored Arm"
Of course, Wang Lufei had posted even more content. One clip showed him activating Colored Arm and punching a giant stone into dust.
The comments were pure madness.
"Rayleigh: My disciple… you've made me proud!"
"Shanks: Lufei, I await you at the Grand Line!"
"Aizen: This is One Piece. I've got an 82-year-old Zanpakuto, free shipping for 99 yuan!"
He Yiming couldn't hold it anymore.
Pfft!
He laughed, coughed, and slapped the table.
By the time he looked at the clock, he realized he had wasted an hour just reading memes.
"System. Can we upgrade the forum?"
System: Confirmed.
"Upgrade to the max."
Ding! Forum capacity upgraded to ten million concurrent users.
He nodded.
Now that the forums were safe from collapse…
Time to get back to work.
He still had a hundred thousand mountains to conquer.