Why the bug I wrote became a core gameplay mechanic?!
Chapter 678 - 661: The Benefits of Tao Companions

Chapter 678: Chapter 661: The Benefits of Tao Companions

In the following week, the entire server, no, actually the game "Reverse Heaven," suddenly entered a "happily ever after" mode.

Almost every day, there would be at least one grand Tao Companions ceremony, and sometimes even two held on the same day.

After all, as time passed, more and more players were breaking through to Nascent Soul Cultivation.

Even those players who hadn’t reached Nascent Soul Cultivation yet were delighted because each Tao Companion ceremony came with events, Spirit Stone gifts, and various rewards.

If real-life weddings didn’t require guests to give money and handed out random red packets on-site, people would also be happy to attend.

And these players were very willing to become Tao Companions primarily for the numerous perks.

Instructor Ding had already noticed before that after becoming Tao Companions, players would receive a super-large capacity storage ring, which couldn’t be obtained through any other means.

Moreover, Tao Companions are automatically considered to be in a party, and the gains from partying are evenly distributed by default.

After becoming Tao Companions, any new cultivation gains by the Tao Companions are also evenly distributed.

These two points seemed unbeneficial for players with high cultivation, but soon everyone found out that there was also a hidden setting:

The toxicity caused by taking Nine Dragon Elixir Pills was also evenly distributed!

This setting was very advantageous for many Whale players.

Because toxicity, much like real poisoning, is not linear: if taken in small doses, it generally doesn’t have much impact; but once toxicity reaches halfway, it grows exponentially thereafter.

Moreover, the lower the toxicity, the faster the metabolism; conversely, the slower it becomes.

In other words, if a player would explode after consuming 100 Elixir Pills, the toxicity from the first 50 pills would be far less than the toxicity from the latter 50 pills.

Some players conducted rough tests: if a Natural Body Refining Tao Companion helped in sharing the organ toxicity, Whale players taking Nine Dragon Elixir Pills for cultivation would find it more worthwhile than before, equivalent to indirectly increasing their toxicity tolerance.

For Whale players, if they exploded from eating Nine Dragon Elixir Pills, they would lose a lot of cultivation; the later the stage, the less advantageous it would be.

But Tao Companions sharing the toxicity efficiently solved this issue.

No one knew if it was a bug or a design choice, but Natural Body Refining players didn’t change their body shape even after sharing the Nine Dragon Elixir Pills toxicity with their Tao Companion.

This was simply great news for players.

Not only was the Whale + Natural Body Refining combo beneficial, but the Whale + Whale combo also had its advantages.

After becoming Tao Companions, two Whale players taking Nine Dragon Elixir Pills wouldn’t significantly reduce their toxicity, but they could completely stagger the explosion time.

Thus, after one explodes and dies, they can quickly regain their previous state by sharing the cultivation growth with the other, making the process faster than normal cultivation.

As for two Natural Body Refining players becoming Tao Companions...

That indeed had no special benefit.

However, since players could naturally refine their bodies to Nascent Soul, they were probably already accustomed to this game rhythm and didn’t mind.

Furthermore, there were some social perks; for instance, if everyone else had Tao Companions and you didn’t, it would make you seem insignificant. And close relationships like Tao Companions enhanced game retention, making it easier to enjoy the game in this social-centric environment.

The demand for Tao Companions increased, attracting many new players, making the server bustling again, filled with requests for Tao Companions, party invitations, and service deals.

Of course, some players expressed concerns.

After all, with Tao Companions, the storage ring space is shared, and the cultivated gains are shared thereafter; if the relationship breaks down, the higher cultivation party could suffer losses.

But most players were unconcerned about this.

On the one hand, it was due to herd mentality; since everyone was seeking Tao Companions, if the wealthy Whales weren’t worried, why would others be?

Without a Tao Companion, players appeared to be failing at the game, with no one considering them worthwhile, which was distressing for those who valued their reputation.

On the other hand, the laws within "Reverse Heaven" also provided certain risk mitigation.

For example, although the storage ring was a shared tool, players didn’t have to put all their belongings in it, just daily necessities.

The particularly valuable items could be stored in their private storage box and used when needed.

Moreover, if a Tao Companion relationship was broken, both parties would only divide the cultivation gained after becoming Tao Companions.

If it was a Whale + Whale situation, both parties would have cultivation gains after becoming Tao Companions, so dividing them would not be a big issue.

In a Whale + Natural Body Refining situation, because the Natural Body Refining player also took on a certain amount of organ toxicity, it would benefit cultivation, so even if the Whale did lose some, they would find it somewhat acceptable.

Not every pair of Tao Companions would split, and if the relationship could be maintained, it would still be profitable.

Early on, there were few Natural Body Refining players, but also few top Whales; it was almost a one-on-one situation. A Natural Body Refining player daring to cheat a Whale would waste their account, given the unchangeable game mechanics.

Later on, while there were more Nascent Soul players, more new Natural Body Refining players would appear, gradually forming a dynamic balance between both sides.

Overall, players felt that although becoming Tao Companions had risks, the benefits outweighed them.

Finding a Tao Companion needed more caution; after all, isn’t real-life marriage the same? Who can guarantee no breakups?

Of course, many players had various reasons for deciding not to seek Tao Companions, and given the Nascent Soul threshold, only a minority could actually become Tao Companions.

...

"Wow, Instructor Ding, you’re amazing!

"This dragon is so huge, and you beat it so easily!

"By the way, I picked these Little Sunflower Leaves for you, remember to eat them."

Love Eating Cilantro said while trading the Little Sunflower Leaves to Instructor Ding.

Instructor Ding felt touched: "Alright, I will surely remember to eat them on time! Next time, just put them in our storage ring, I can take them directly."

Love Eating Cilantro replied: "No way, you’ll definitely forget them then."

Instructor Ding, helpless, said: "Alright, alright, I’ll eat them now."

In "Reverse Heaven," Elixir Pills like Little Longevity Liver Protection Pills and Lotus Lung Cleansing Powder could indeed somewhat reduce organ toxicity; although the reduction was minimal, every little bit helped.

And these Elixir Pills were made from relatively common herbs found in the Barbaric World.

Players consuming Elixir Pills could also take some original herbal materials orally to slightly reduce organ toxicity.

These herbs were found on the outskirts of Barbaric World; anyone could gather them, and many people sold them in the auction house at reasonable prices.

However, Love Eating Cilantro personally picking them for Instructor Ding showed a lot of sincerity.

Did Instructor Ding lack Elixir Pills? Of course, he lacked nothing.

But this emotional value was still very precious.

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