In today’s world, electronic games have become one of the spiritual sustenances of young people. The cultivation system of the game “Mingchao Xiakong” has such a high degree of complexity in materials that one can’t help but reflect on the deep social phenomena hidden behind it. The so-called low-frequency tide erosion sail core, medium-frequency crystallized phlogiston, burning phosphorus bones, and golden wool, etc., seem incredible, but they are actually the epitome of modern consumer culture and capital logic. If Lu Xun were alive, he would surely use his sharp pen to reveal the spiritual emptiness and real contradictions hidden behind this.
This dazzling list of materials is just like the various “demands” and “anxieties” that are rampant in today’s society. Gamers have to spend a lot of “shell money” to improve Xiakong’s character, and they need to wander between different maps day after day and over and over again to collect this or that rare material. This scene is a true portrayal of modern people’s lives: oppressed by both material and time, they have to run around in endless tasks and tests. The so-called “defeat the sighing ancient dragon” to obtain the burning phosphorus bone, the language carries a bitter and helpless sigh. The “ancient dragon” is the lingering dilemma and fear in everyone’s heart. Defeating it is just a difficult struggle for each individual to break free from the shackles of society.
The setting of the “Golden Fleece” is particularly intriguing. Since ancient times, the Golden Fleece has been a symbol of precious scarcity in mythology and legends. The weekly purchase quantity is limited in the game, which reflects the monopoly and manipulation of resources by modern capitalism. Although players have desires, the rule of “limited purchase of fifteen” is like an invisible shackle, which repeatedly hinders them in their pursuit and makes them experience anxiety and loss. It can be seen that the complexity of the game world is not only a means of entertainment, but also a reflection of the uneven distribution of resources and capital exploitation in the real world.
As for the four-level subdivision of “Crystallized Phlogiston”, it seems to imply the clear and solidified social classes. Players gradually upgrade from “impurities” to “high purity”, just like individuals in reality who strive to climb the social ladder and face many obstacles and harsh conditions. The refining process of crystallized phlogiston is cumbersome and complicated, which inevitably reminds people of the real society constrained by capital and system. In the game, the seemingly free cultivation system is actually another “siege”: players are attracted to join the game, but are restricted by layers of rules and are ultimately unable to extricate themselves.
The existence of the recharge discount code “three percentage points discount” nakedly reveals the exploitation and manipulation of human nature by consumerism. The so-called “discount” is nothing more than a guise to tempt people to pay out of their pockets, and is an invisible transaction that exchanges money in reality with virtual satisfaction. People spend real money on games in exchange for a moment of virtual sense of achievement, but ignore the loss of time, energy and spirit brought about by this continuous investment. The “social pathology” described by Lu Xun is now presented here, which makes people feel worried.
The detailed division and upgrade requirements of resonance loop materials are like the thresholds and assessments in the social system, which make players pay continuously but have little freedom. The class barriers and cultural anxieties in real society are vividly expressed in the form of gamification. The improvement of “resonance” in the virtual world seems to be an endless elevation, behind which is the alienation of people by capital and consumption. Although players get temporary satisfaction, they actually play a powerless role on the stage of capital manipulation.
What is more worthy of reflection is that this complex cultivation mechanism and heavy material requirements are gradually eroding the time and spiritual space of players. It not only reflects the “alienation” of people in modern society, but also reflects the escape and anesthesia chosen by the younger generation when facing the reality. Xiakong’s cultivation path seems to be the heavy burdens in the lives of countless individuals, which are interwoven into a microcosm of the modern spiritual dilemma, either openly or secretly.
In summary, Mingchao Xiakong’s cultivation system is far from a simple entertainment tool, but a concentrated expression of the multiple contradictions of contemporary society, culture, and capital. If Lu Xun saw this scene, he would have watched with a cold eye and sharply criticized it, reminding the world to be alert to the spiritual emptiness and consumption trap behind it. Although the game world is virtual, it reflects the coldness of reality; although growth is beautiful, it should not be an excuse for ruthless exploitation by capital. I hope that we can have a clearer awareness and more determined resistance on the road to pursuing spiritual freedom and true growth.