Before entering the game, new players needed to customize their avatars.
But Zhang Yi had already played during the Early Access trial after New Year's Day, so his character was already created. He simply needed to load his previous Saves.
He got luckyâjust as he waited outside for about ten seconds, someone left the server. As the game screen plunged into darkness, he was in.
As the graphics appeared on his monitor, Zhang Yi was immediately startled by the sea of people before him.
There were so many playersâcountless block characters with wildly different appearances and chaotic IDs floating in midair.
It made Zhang Yi a little dizzy. He quickly went into the settings and disabled player IDs above their heads. Instantly, the view felt much better.
"Old Zhang, you're here!"
"This is awesome! Perfect timingâwe'll show you around from the start."
From the voice channel came the voices of Song Ren and Wang Han.
At the same time, in the game, Zhang Yi saw their characters appear beside him.
In this openĺč§ server, players had no physical collision volume. They could fly freely like in Creative Mode, and even adjust their flight speed using specific commands.
"I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes! This Firelink Shrine is absolutely identical!" Hearing Song Ren, Zhang Yi finally realized where he was.
At first, he hadn't recognized it.
But now, taking a closer lookâdamn it!âwasn't this the Firelink Shrine from Dark Souls?
Not the open-air version from the Age of First Fire, but the one from the end of the Age of Fire.
Almost everything had been perfectly recreated!
There was even a bonfire, and next to itâa block-character Fire Keeper!
The Crestfallen Warrior sitting on the steps, Legless Ludleth, the Shrine Handmaid, and the Blacksmithâall were here.
"Right? We were totally shocked when we first arrived!" Song Ren said, sighing with emotion.
"Who would've thought this pixel game could be so incredible!" Wang Yifan added, equally amazed.
Meanwhile, many players inside the Firelink Shrine were using the in-game public microphones, excitedly discussing the bonfire area.
"Hey, have you guys finished the tour already?" Zhang Yi asked.
"Not yet. We just started with Along the River During the Qingming Festival. You logged in just in timeâwe'll take you with us," Wang Han replied.
"Let's go!" Zhang Yi was eager to begin.
He already knew how the tour workedâthere was a line of floating instructions in the sky.
They approached the bonfire at the center, ignoring the crowd of players gathered around the Fire Keeper.
In Dark Souls, it was understandable that players wanted to peek at the Fire Keeper from every possible angle.
Heâd seen it himselfâshe was stunning.
But here, in Minecraft, staring at a pixelated block-character Fire Keeper from odd angles⌠were these people even human?!
Activating the bonfire to trigger teleportation, the screen went black for a moment.
Then, Zhang Yiâs screen lit up.
He finally saw the dreamlike scene.
He had spawned directly onto the streets of Bianliang.
Around him were NPCs dressed in ancient-style clothing. The other block characters were clearly regular players.
In the chat box at the bottom left, messages were flying by in rapid fire.
Zhang Yiâs eyes widened as he gazed upon this pixelated vision of a thousand-year-old bustling city.
Lively markets, taverns, painted pleasure boats, pavilions, merchants and tourists crowding every alley and street.
It felt as if heâd been transported to another world.
Memories flashedâof the dark room he and Wang Han had built.
Then he looked at the magnificent Kaifeng Prefecture before him.
Zhang Yi suddenly wonderedâwas he really playing the same game?
The difference was just too huge!
Soon, Wang Han and the others teleported in as well.
"This is absolutely awesome! What if we built a similar building complex ourselvesâwhat do you think?" Song Ren said, overwhelmed by the scenery.
The voice channel fell silent. Everyone quietly guided their characters forward.
Build something similar?
Zhang Yi glanced silently at the Along the River During the Qingming Festival before him.
Sunlight shimmered. Over the Bian River, he could even see white mist rising.
Lanterns hanging from eaves swayed gently in the breeze.
Centered on towering city gates, buildings stretched out in orderly rows.
Teahouses, taverns, inns, meat stalls, temples, government officesâŚ
Even in the market, there were silks, brocades, jewelry, and spicesâall represented using Minecraft items. Silks and brocades were replaced with wool, and jewels with emeralds.
There were also repair shops for carts, fortune tellers, barbers, and every kind of resident imaginable.
Pedestrians filled the streets, shoulder to shoulder, flowing endlesslyâmerchants doing business, gentry sightseeing, men and women of all ages, scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, representatives of all walks of life.
Transportation was equally diverse: sedan chairs, camels, ox-carts, human-pulled cartsâevery form imaginable, vividly portraying the bustling commercial city.
And you want to build something like this?
No thanks!
Though it was a game, none of them used flight mode. Instead, they walked together along the banks of the Bian River, enjoying the scenery like tourists.
Many other players did the same.
Through the public mic voice channel, strangers even started chatting.
"This is mind-blowing! Nebula Games is absolutely awesome! Did you notice? Despite the pixel style, itâs so incredibly faithful to the original!"
"Exactly! Itâs not just visually accurateâit captures the spirit too. It even highlights the hidden dangers beneath the prosperity!"
"Right! Did you notice the fire watchtower we passed earlier? Since most Northern Song Dynasty buildings were wooden and prone to fires, each district had a dedicated fire watchtower. But the one we saw was completely emptyâclearly a deliberate design."
"Yeah, and there werenât any guards on or below the city walls. No defensive structures on the earthen walls, not even battlements for archersâno fake defenses at all."
"Did you notice the boats on the Bian River? Because Emperor Huizong used grain transport ships for the Flower and Rock Tribute, grain shipments were disrupted. Private boats took advantage, gradually controlling the cityâs grain market and manipulating prices."
"Yes! And the NPC eventsâlook ahead!"
Ahead, in a corner, a tax official pointed at a sack and demanded a certain price. The surrounding merchants protested angrily. A cart driver shouted furiously, mouth wide open, so loud it startled the night watchman on the city gate, who peered down in alarm.
At the same time, two four-horse carriages raced wildly down the street, swerving dangerously. Passersby barely had time to dodge.
These events were clearly powered by AI technologyârandom feedback events triggered during the tour. To ensure variety in the streets of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, Chen Xu had invested tremendous effort, designing numerous random scenarios.
"Absolutely perfect! It vividly portrays folk customs and Daily Life, while revealing the hidden crises beneath commercial prosperity. This is a Perilous Attack on a prosperous eraâa masterpiece with a sense of foreboding!"
Listening to the discussions of other players, Zhang Yi, Wang Han, Song Ren, and the others fell into silence.
Insightful Onesâare you people?
Weâre all just visiting, all praising.
Why are you so impressively clever? Why can you say such profound things?
While all I can say is âDamn it, awesome!â or âDamn it, so beautiful!â
Hearing the othersâ exchange, Zhang Yi suddenly felt⌠a bit too ordinary.
So he made a decisionâmute the voice channel.
If he couldnât hear them, he wouldnât feel so ordinary.
The world instantly became quiet!
With voice off, immersed in the silence, Zhang Yi smiled.
Same place, same action.
Wang Han, Song Renâthey quietly turned off the public voice channel too.
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