Devour: Can you also draw entries from clone projection worlds?

[The eighth year has passed. Entry extraction has begun... It has been detected that the host's cultivation of "Sword Heart Clarity" in the back mountains of Mount Hua has yielded significant results, and his swordsmanship has greatly improved...]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained the white entry: Perseverance • Beginning]

[Effects: During prolonged, repetitive practice, patience and concentration are significantly improved, making it less likely to become bored or lazy. Practice efficiency does not decline noticeably over extended periods.]

[Note: This entry is upgradable. With consistent practice, it can automatically evolve into a higher version.]

[Quality: White, Standard]

You looked at this entry and smiled.

"Perseverance at the Beginning" is a white entry that can be upgraded, making it another suitable entry for "long-term thinkers".

You're not afraid of white, nor are you afraid of slowness; what you're afraid of is not being able to persevere.

Cultivating in the world of Swordsman is a monotonous and tedious process, day after day, year after year, driving people crazy.

Sometimes you might ask yourself: What's the point of practicing all this? Will these martial arts still be usable after returning to the main world? If not, what was the point of practicing for seven years?

This kind of thinking is terrible; once you start to doubt, persisting becomes torture.

The phrase "perseverance" will not make you stronger, nor will it make you run faster, jump higher, or fight harder.

But it helps you persevere, stay patient during boring days, maintain faith when there is no hope, and keep going when everyone else gives up.

This is the most precious thing.

Put the entry away, stand up, it's getting dark, you should go back.

Tomorrow is another day. I'll practice swordsmanship, chop wood, eat, and sleep, just like yesterday, the day before yesterday, and every day of the past seven years.

But you don't feel bored because you know that everything you do is preparing you for returning to the main world.

The swordsmanship you hone in the world of Swordsman Online, the experience you accumulate, and the affixes you draw will all become your capital to survive in the main world.

This is enough.

You turned and walked down the mountain, your figure gradually disappearing into the twilight.

[System notification: The projection is still ongoing. The host has accumulated eight years of stay in the Swordsman world, setting a new record.]

The snow on the Cliff of Contemplation melted and fell again, fell and melted again. You counted the days, and before you knew it, you had been in the world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer for a full eight years.

Winter came earlier than usual in the eighth year. It started snowing at the end of October, and by November, the snow on the back mountain was already above ankle-deep.

As usual, you sit on the rock that your bottom has worn smooth, watching the distant mountains covered in snow.

You know this place so well that you could walk from the foot of the mountain to the top with your eyes closed. You know exactly which rock is loose, which tree is crooked, and which path is blocked by bushes.

You're waiting, waiting for the eighth year's annual keyword selection.

My experience from the past seven years tells me that the quality of entries is closely related to the context in which they are extracted.

The phrase drawn on the back of Mount Hua is "early to bed and early to rise," the phrase drawn in front of the inscription on the Cliff of Contemplation is "photographic memory and disability," and the phrase drawn at Liu Zhengfeng's house is "heart of stone."

In Fuzhou City, I drew "Danger Perception - Beginner"; at the Songshan Sect Alliance Conference, I drew "Insightful Insight - Beginner"; and on the Cliff of Contemplation, while accompanying Linghu Chong, I drew "Knowledge of People - Beginner".

The item drawn at the Lin family's old house is "Sword Heart Clarity - Beginning", while the item drawn at the back of Mount Hua is "Perseverance - Beginning".

Of the eight entries, seven were white and one was green. The green one, "Sword Heart Clarity • Beginning," was drawn at the Lin family's old residence.

This means your judgment is basically correct; the more important the scenario, the higher the quality of the entry is likely to be.

Where do I draw the entry for the eighth year?

You've thought about it for a long time. You've been to Fuzhou, Mount Song, the Cliff of Contemplation, and Liu Zhengfeng's house.

What could be more important than these?

Several options pop into your mind: Blackwood Cliff, the headquarters of the Sun Moon Cult, where Dongfang Bubai perished; Chaoyang Peak, where Ren Woxing died suddenly; the bottom of West Lake, the dungeon where Ren Woxing was imprisoned for twelve years; Hengshan, where Linghu Chong became the sect leader.

These places are all important, but they are also all very dangerous.

Although Dongfang Bubai is no longer on Blackwood Cliff, Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying are there, and the followers of the Sun Moon Cult are scattered all over the foot of the mountain. As an outer disciple of the Huashan Sect, you can't even get to the foot of the mountain.

Chaoyang Peak doesn't have many guards, but it's a place where I can die at will. Both the righteous and the evil are watching it. If you go there and are recognized, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Needless to say, the bottom of West Lake is also a concern. The dungeon is located beneath Plum Manor. Although the Four Friends of Plum Manor are dead, martial arts practitioners still come and go around West Lake. It would be too conspicuous for a complete stranger to appear there.

The Hengshan Sect is all nuns. If a grown man like you goes there, it's no wonder you'll be kicked out.

You shook your head, suppressing those thoughts. You couldn't go to those places; it was too risky.

Your primary task right now is to live, not to die. So find a place near Mount Hua that is both important and safe enough.

What places are both important and safe?

You thought of the Righteousness Hall of the Huashan Sect, which is where Yue Buqun usually handles sect affairs and is also the core of the Huashan Sect.

But there are people in the Righteousness Hall every day. As an outer disciple, you can't just swagger in and sit there to draw lots, can you?

Moreover, the importance of the Hall of Righteousness may not be greater than that of the Cliff of Contemplation.

Cliff of Repentance? I've been there.

The back mountain? I've been there too.

You're giving yourself a headache from thinking about it, so just stop thinking about it and let nature take its course.

Anyway, you can draw entries every year. If you don't get a good one this year, you'll have another chance next year.

You stood up, brushed the snow off your clothes, and walked down the mountain.

The entry for the eighth year was drawn on an ordinary morning on the back mountain of Mount Hua.

That day, you had just finished practicing your sword and were sitting on a rock to rest, covered in sweat, when you casually opened the entry extraction interface.

[The eighth year has passed. Entry extraction in progress... It has been detected that the host has been continuously cultivating "Sword Heart Clarity - Initial Stage" in the back mountains of Mount Hua, and his swordsmanship skills are steadily improving...]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained the white entry: Perseverance • Beginning]

[Effects: During prolonged, repetitive practice, patience and concentration are significantly improved, making it less likely to become bored or lazy. Practice efficiency does not decline noticeably over extended periods.]

[Note: This entry is upgradable. With consistent practice, it can automatically evolve into a higher version.]

Looking at this entry, you can't say you're disappointed, nor can you say you're happy.

White entry, white again. You already have eleven white entries, and this makes twelve.

"Persistence" is indeed useful. If you practice swordsmanship for several hours every day, patience and focus are definitely important.

To be honest, it's useless. This thing is just a psychological buff; it won't make you run faster, jump higher, or fight harder.

But then I thought, the reason you've been able to stay in this world for eight years is because of your perseverance, isn't it?

Without sufficient patience and focus, you would have given up long ago.

Every day, I practice swordsmanship, chop wood, eat, and sleep, day after day, year after year, a monotonous routine that drives me crazy.

Many people stop practicing after a year, but you've practiced for eight years, which in itself is a testament to perseverance.

So this entry can be considered a reward for your eight years of hard work.