“Hurry up! Shengji Kuangmo is about to go live!”

“What’s happening?”

“Rumor has it he’s accepted the server’s very first dungeon quest! If he clears it, he’ll become the first player to join the inner sect of a major xianxia faction!”

“No way—so OP!”

Within just ten minutes, the streamer known as “Shengji Kuangmo” (Leveling Maniac) drew in a massive audience.

The livestream feature was built directly into the game. Players could simply open the in-game menu, navigate to the “Live” tab, and instantly view channels from top streamers—entering or exiting was seamless and convenient.

The reason “Shengji Kuangmo” attracted so many viewers was simple: Path of Tao was terrifyingly realistic.

Regardless of which faction or sect players chose, everyone began in scattered towns across various continents. These towns were merely closer to a player’s preferred starting location—but that was all. Becoming a sect disciple required genuine opportunity and effort.

Some righteous xianxia sects were straightforward: they held open auditions once a month. Pass the trial, and you became a junior outer sect disciple. Fail, and you had to wait another month.  

But even those who failed weren’t idle. Like in the real world, you needed money to survive—to eat, to buy clothes, to train. So players took on odd jobs that paid wages.

“But I play games to have fun!” some complained. “I’m already stressed in real life—why should I slave away in a game too?”

Yet Path of Tao handled this brilliantly. Beyond cultivation—whether of immortality or demonic arts—players could master over a thousand life skills. If you could imagine it, the game had it.

Take cooking, for example. Learning to be a chef in Path of Tao felt nearly identical to real life, complete with a personal master guiding you step-by-step. It was arguably more valuable than spending thousands in the real world on a cooking class. Many players became deeply immersed in these life-skill paths, treating cultivation as optional.

Though their playstyle was laid-back, they never missed a chance to spectate drama.

After all, “Shengji Kuangmo” currently represented the pinnacle of player achievement.

Since launch, professional players like him had raced against the clock to climb the Heavenly Rankings and become the brightest stars in the player community. Only then could their streams attract more viewers—and stable income.

Universe Entertainment had made it clear at launch: every in-game event was unique, just like in reality. Miss it, and it was gone forever. No respawns. No second chances.

Thankfully, the game included a built-in livestream function. Event participants could broadcast to those who couldn’t join, and players could relax by watching others’ adventures—a perfect solution for everyone.

This time, Tang Tong—the streamer behind “Shengji Kuangmo”—had joined Qian Niao City, a renowned immortal sect. Thanks to his sharp instincts and relentless grinding, he became the first player to receive the trial quest for inner sect promotion.

Quest Name: Eradicate the monsters in the Spider Cave on Wuyun Mountain, outside Qian Niao City.

Until now, the Spider Cave had remained hidden in perpetual fog. Though rumors of its existence circulated, no one had ever located it.

But Qian Niao City possessed a special artifact: the Wind Stone.

It could summon a powerful gust that cleared all visual obstructions from the air—no cooldown, lasting about thirty minutes. For exploration teams, it was an absolute godsend.

Perhaps because Tang Tong was the first to receive a server-wide advancement quest, the mission didn’t require solo completion—effectively lowering its difficulty.

So he rallied nearly all the outer sect player disciples from Qian Niao City. Since they’d likely face the same trial later, scouting ahead was smart strategy.

His call was met with overwhelming support.

The system immediately pushed his live stream to the homepage—after all, at that moment, no other event rivaled the significance of his inner sect trial.

Their assault didn’t go smoothly, however.

Inside the Spider Cave, alongside countless spiders of various sizes, they encountered Spider Cultists—figures clad in strange hoods, chanting incantations as they launched thick, sticky webs from their hands.

A dozen vanguard outer disciples were caught off guard, losing half their EXP and dying in streaks of light, respawning at their birthpoints. The rest proceeded with extreme caution, unleashing Fire-Sealing Incantations.

To counter the spiders, they’d practically bought out every Flame Talisman in Qian Niao City. Even disciples who couldn’t cast fire spells could throw basic talismans—and that was enough.

Soon, the cave blazed with fire, instantly engulfing the dozen cultists who’d put up desperate resistance.

Quest completion: 99%.

“Wow! The boss is so prepared!” viewers cheered in the stream chat.

“Duh! His ‘Leveling Maniac’ title isn’t for show—in Overlord, he was the first to hit max level!”

“That’s how you win—never fight unprepared. Did you watch his earlier stream? He spent several Small Crystals to access the sect’s library, researched monster types and weaknesses, and confirmed they’re weak to fire.”

“And he didn’t even hoard the info! He posted his full Spider Cave strategy on the forums. First-timers might struggle, but now everyone else can follow his guide!”

“Kneeling in respect! Go, boss!”

“Our man’s just that cool!”

Many viewers, guided by Tang Tong’s commentary, now understood the enemies’ patterns. The spiders looked terrifying—but were absurdly vulnerable to fire. Even basic Flame Talismans dealt massive damage. This place was practically a beginner’s paradise for grinding!

No wonder the cave entrance had been shrouded in fog—it was clearly waiting for the quest to trigger.

After clearing all monsters, Tang Tong finally received the Quest Complete notification—yet strangely, the map exploration remained stuck at 99%.

“Huh? We’ve scoured the whole cave. Why isn’t exploration at 100%?”

“What’s with this 99%?!”

“Is the system trolling us? Leaving us hanging like this?”

Everyone in the stream noticed the stubborn 99% in the corner of Tang Tong’s map.

After some investigation, they realized: behind the Spider Cave, on the map, lay a steep mountainside still shrouded in black mist.

Gamers being gamers—especially those with completionist tendencies—couldn’t stand an incomplete map. And since Tang Tong was live-streaming, he couldn’t possibly leave with such an obvious gap.

Fueled by the thrill of near-victory, Tang Tong and his group marched forward confidently.

Yes—he had already set multiple “firsts” in Path of Tao. He wasn’t just Qian Niao City’s pioneer; he was the very first player in the entire cultivation world to complete an inner sect promotion quest.

He’d already planned a post-victory celebration—skewers and beers with his squad the moment he logged off.

All that remained was to clear the last patch of fog.

As expected, thick mist blanketed the area behind the cave—pitch black, visibility near zero.

Tang Tong activated the Wind Stone again. A crisp gale swept through, clearing the air entirely.

But what came next stunned everyone.

As the fog parted, a solitary woman stood silently atop the steep slope.

Her long hair was as dark as ink, whipping wildly in the wind.  
Her black gown seemed to merge with the shadows behind her—flickering in and out of view.  
A pitch-black sheathed sword hung diagonally across her back.

Strangely, every shade of black harmonized perfectly with her icy expression and faintly bluish lips.

The entire group froze.

In the livestream, viewers zoomed in using the focus feature—and after a brief silence, the chat exploded.

Veteran gamers instantly recognized the developers’ playful trick: hidden bosses.  
Some mischievous designers loved planting secret NPCs in obscure corners, waiting for curious players to uncover them.

If Tang Tong had simply returned to Qian Niao City after completing the quest—and hadn’t insisted on 100% exploration—they’d have never discovered this mysterious figure behind the Spider Cave.

“Holy crap! Look at her outfit, her aura—that girl’s 100% a villain boss!”

“Your luck’s insane! Of course the server’s first promotion quest isn’t simple—there’s a hidden boss behind the cave!”

“Seriously though, why push your luck? Just finish the quest and leave! Now you’ve triggered a boss!”

“Relax—it’s a hidden boss for a Level 10 quest. She can’t be that strong. Probably just slightly tougher than those cultists. Shengji Kuangmo’s got over a hundred people! Everyone takes one swing—she’s dead!”

“Right! The game wouldn’t spawn an overpowered boss this early. You’ve got this!”

Shengji Kuangmo’s stream was already packed—but the moment “hidden boss” rumors spread, millions more flooded in. Within moments, the viewer count soared into the tens of millions. Nearly every idle player rushed to watch the spectacle.

After all, it had only been a month since launch. Most players were still in the exploratory phase. Only the lucky few had joined cultivation sects. Daily life—training, odd jobs—was often tedious. Watching a top player’s stream offered inspiration… and this time, the boss was stunningly beautiful? Curiosity ran wild. The crowd surge was inevitable.

And then—the black-clad woman moved.

She descended the slope as if no one else existed. Her cold eyes swept over the hundred-plus players without a hint of concern.

Her presence alone dwarfed their entire group—clearly fearless, clearly powerful. She was no mere NPC; she radiated overwhelming strength far beyond what Level 10 “shrimp” players could hope to challenge.

Though the livestream chat erupted in chaos, Tang Tong remained frozen.

As she drew closer, the usually bold and decisive Tang Tong felt sweat bead on his forehead.

Fight… or flee?  
That was the question.