(TL/N: I dont know what the author was smoking or cooking here but...)
"Wait, what do you mean? This again? Another recycled trope? Are you seriously stacking clichés here?! Can the system be a bit more serious and responsible?"
Ye Hao couldn't help but complain.
As soon as he finished speaking.
The next second.
[You arrived at a city on this continent. On the city gate, the words "Laugh City" were written!]
[You didn't think much of it. Being new here, you didn't barge in recklessly and instead lined up with the crowd.]
[Voices of discussion came from the people around you.]
["Who do you think will win this year's Joke Qi Continent Joke Technique Tournament?"]
["There are many strong contenders this time. The Cheap King of Ten Mile Slope has already reached the Joke King level. His joke techniques are endless, and his strength is extremely terrifying!"]
["I think Shen Teng's joke technique ability is outstanding. Back then, he could make people burst into laughter just by telling jokes. He's the most likely to take the championship!"]
["Zhao Benshan is a Joke Ancestor. His chances of winning are even greater!"](TL/N: Zhao Benshan is a Chinese comedian in real life. Same as Shen Teng. I think this chapter considered an April fools lol.)
Ye Hao: "Sword Saint of Ten Mile Slope? Shen Teng?"
These names felt strangely familiar.
Wait!
Telling jokes?!
Suddenly!
Ye Hao turned his gaze toward the words "Laugh City"!
His expression froze!
Damn it, could this actually be Joke Qi Continent, not that Dou Qi Continent?!
[Soon, the person in front of you stepped up to the guard and started talking nonsense for a while.]
[The city guard smiled, glanced at the jade stone beside him, and seeing it light up green, nodded and let the person enter.]
[You didn't see him pay anything, which confused you. Was entry based on strength?]
[You stepped forward: "How much?"]
[The guard looked up at you in confusion and pointed to a sign behind him.]
[It read: Anyone entering the city must tell a joke and contribute one hundred units of Joke Qi. Only when the jade stone lights up green may they enter.]
Ye Hao: "What? Entering the city requires telling a joke, not paying money, and not even based on strength?"
This was the first time Ye Hao had seen such a situation.
It was completely unheard of.
[This Joke Qi is transmitted through the jade stone into the city's protective formation.]
[It serves to ensure the safety of Laugh City.]
[You thought for a moment and said: "There was once a scholar who was freezing in winter. His friend asked why he didn't wear thicker clothes. He said, 'I am a poor scholar.' His friend replied, 'Even so, you shouldn't freeze yourself into a fool!'"][The guard burst out laughing, tears streaming down his face. He tried to hold it in as he turned to look at the jade stone, his eyes widening.]
[Beep beep beep…]
[The jade stone emitted urgent beeping sounds and flashed a bright green light.]
[Hahaha…]
[At the city gate, several people near Ye Hao heard it. They froze for a moment before erupting into thunderous laughter!]
["Such a joke is truly divine!"]
["This man looks ordinary, yet his Joke Qi is so terrifying! He must be a Joke King expert!"]
["Very possible. Someone this good at showing off is rare these days!"]
[…]
[You asked: "Can I go in now?"]
[The guard stood up laughing, tears still flowing, making no effort to hide it, because this was the greatest respect to Ye Hao!]
["Please enter, sir. If there is a chance in the future, please teach us more methods of cultivating joke techniques."]
[You nodded helplessly and slowly walked into the city under the admiring gazes of the crowd.]
[Inside the city!]
[It was completely different from the stalls and shops you had seen in Douluo Continent.]
[Here, everywhere you looked were methods for cultivating Joke Qi.]
[Such as "Five Thousand Years of Jokes Collection," "One Thousand and One Jokes," "Principles of Joke Qi Cultivation"…]
[Not only that, there were also various tools designed to make people laugh.]
[There was even a stage built specifically for people to compete in making others laugh. The winner gained Joke Qi, while the loser had their Joke Qi extracted.]
[On a bulletin board, a huge poster advertised the Joke Qi Continent Joke Technique Tournament.]
[Beside it was a table where a woman in a low-cut dress sat with crossed legs, holding a joke book and reading with great interest, occasionally laughing so hard her body trembled.]
[Along the way, everyone wore smiles on their faces. Dense energy surrounded their bodies and slowly flowed into them.]
[This scene opened your eyes.]
Ye Hao: "This really is eye-opening! I thought something like this only existed in absurd novels or movies. I didn't expect it to actually be real!"
But how did this Joke Qi fight?
By competing in telling jokes?
[You arrived at a Joke Qi Museum and checked the history of Joke Qi.]
[Only then did you learn that here, there were no spells, no soul power, and no internal energy.]
[There was only… Joke Qi cultivated to its absolute peak.]
[The combat method of joke techniques was also very interesting: telling jokes, making funny faces. As long as you could make people laugh, you could gather Joke Qi!]
[Just after leaving the museum, you encountered a duel.]
[On the arena, both sides used every trick they had to make their opponent or the audience laugh.]
[You saw energy emanating from those who laughed, gathering toward the one who made them laugh.]
[You found it rather boring and left Laugh City.]
[Next, you went to Music City, Joke City…]
[You also witnessed their combat methods, which were to use every means possible to make the opponent laugh uncontrollably.]
[Even to the point of laughing to death.]
Ye Hao: "Are we sure this isn't just for comedy, but actually… making people laugh as combat?"
Just imagining such a scene felt extremely amusing.
You tell a joke, I don't laugh.
I tell a joke, you laugh, laugh to death, and I win?
Why does this feel…
So strange.
[You went to Joke Qi City and personally witnessed a joke competition. The final winner ascended a heavenly ladder descending from the sky.]
[After inquiring, you learned that the heavenly ladder was the only way to leave this world.]
[Everyone racked their brains to cultivate various joke techniques and absorb Joke Qi just to be able to use energy after ascending.]
[You felt this was too absurd and prepared to leave for the next continent.]
[At that moment, you were shocked to discover that your soul power was suppressed by this Joke Qi. You couldn't use it, nor could you leave this world.]
[As a result, you could only participate in the once-every-ten-years Joke Competition. Only by winning first place and ascending the heavenly ladder could you leave.]
[In the blink of an eye, five years passed. During this time, you advanced to become a Joke Emperor!]
[You mastered various joke techniques, and the Joke Qi within your body became so dense it was almost tangible.]
[During these five years, you once fought ten Joke Kings alone without falling behind, even causing eight of them to laugh to death!]
[Thus, you became famous in a single battle!]
[You were hailed as the greatest genius of Joke Qi Continent in thousands of years!]
[The jokes you told were unprecedented and unmatched!]
[Countless young and beautiful women across Joke Qi Continent came to seek your guidance in cultivating joke techniques and improving their ability to make others laugh.]
[For this, they were willing to offer themselves.]
[Willing to be… entertained by you…]
[…]
Ye Hao: "…"
If this were within a domain, it would be fine, but this is about making people laugh.
[You traveled across Joke Qi Continent, continuously improving yourself.]
[You gained a group of loyal followers.]
[They built a temple for you, worshipping you and hoping to gain the same heaven-defying talent in cultivating Joke Qi as you.]
[One day, a young man came to challenge you, inviting you to a match three months later on the largest arena in Joke City.]
[He believed his Joke Qi was more powerful and that he had mastered more joke techniques than you.]
[He believed he was more qualified than you to have a temple and be worshipped with Joke Qi offerings.]