Chapter 113: Super Reward [Fourth Update]

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Fang Nian opened the system task interface.

Commoner difficulty: Compile an F-level hunting story script; content just needs to be smooth.

Mortal difficulty: Independently construct a hunting ground rated F+ or above, with the theme of extreme survival; no killing elements allowed.

Hell difficulty: Form a hunting team that must include a Warrior, Story Organizer, Mechanic, and Codebreaker, with an overall rating no less than F level. (Already accepted.)

Nightmare difficulty: Successfully locate its spiritual form within the hunting ground and successfully redeem it. (Completed; reward available for collection.)

The task panel did not change after Fang Nian accepted the Hell difficulty reward. He knew this was because he had not yet claimed the Nightmare difficulty reward.

Fang Nian took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly. It was important to remember that the Hell difficulty rewards he had previously received were connected to another world. Now, as he was about to claim the Nightmare difficulty reward, he was both excited and a little nervous—after all, this was his first time.

Just as his hand was about to click to claim the reward, Fang Nian suddenly stopped. He recalled what the burly man had said to him earlier, and his thoughts immediately returned to the hunting ground in "Apocalypse Train."

When he had entered the hunting ground, Fang Nian had not clearly seen the task details. Now that the task was revealed, it required him to find its spiritual form within the hunting ground.

"It"—Fang Nian had always been in contact with it but had never been able to touch it. Now, having completed the task, he knew that he had encountered it in the hunting ground; in other words, that burly man was its spiritual form.

The words the burly man spoke to Fang Nian before dying suddenly took on critical importance.

“The true darkness is about to come. It will envelop both reality and the virtual world. The power of the soul is beyond human imagination. Stop while you can. Excessive development may lead to humanity’s extinction. Take care.”

In truth, the burly man’s message was already very clear—a warning, in fact. Fang Nian understood the meaning: in that other world—the world inside the hunting ground—there was a powerful enemy, and it was already attempting to devour reality.

If one wanted to stop it, the development of the hunting ground must cease. If ignored, humanity might ultimately be destroyed by this formidable foe.

Looking at the sentence he had unknowingly written on paper, Fang Nian was lost in deep thought. He didn’t know how many others had discovered this problem or whether they too had encountered its presence in the hunting ground. But through his own experience, Fang Nian was certain the burly man had not lied.

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With this in mind, Fang Nian gravely asked the system,

“Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi, how much time before it manifests in the real world?”

The system was silent for a moment before answering,

“Unknown. It could appear tomorrow, or it might take a long time.”

Fang Nian smiled helplessly; he had already anticipated the result. With his current abilities, it seemed impossible to influence the hunting landscape of the world. His words would hardly convince anyone—not the entire Zone 16, nor the Xia family.

Therefore, since it was impossible to change things now, he could only continue living normally. But he needed to strengthen himself quickly—both in connections and personal value.

With that thought, Fang Nian felt at ease—like knowing the world might end tomorrow but still choosing to live bravely, taking one day at a time.

Once at peace, his trembling hands gradually calmed and he clicked to claim the Nightmare difficulty reward.

At the moment he clicked, nothing happened. It was nothing like the earth-shattering event he had imagined. The taxi in the real world continued its peaceful journey, and the system space was calm. Only moments later, a book appeared.

Fang Nian smiled wryly. He had valued this task reward so highly, but now it seemed he had taken it too seriously. Perhaps this reward was even less impressive than the Hell difficulty reward.

However, when Fang Nian saw the book’s title, he was stunned.

“‘Twenty-Four Chapters of Feng Shui and Esoteric Arts’—this is actually a book recording the art of Feng Shui?”

Snapping out of his daze, a radiant joy gradually filled his eyes.

Feng Shui is an ancient esoteric art from China, also known as Qing Wu Shu or Qing Nang Shu. Academically, it is called Kan Yu. Feng Shui represents the forces of nature and the cosmic magnetic field energy. Wind signifies vital energy and field power; water symbolizes flow and change. Feng Shui originally was the art of land assessment—a method of evaluating geography on-site—also known as land forms or the ancient Kan Yu technique. It is a philosophy studying the environment and cosmic laws. Since humans are part of nature, nature is part of humans, aiming to achieve the harmony of “Heaven and Man as One.”

The founder of Feng Shui is the Taoist goddess Jiutian Xuannu. The more developed teachings arose during the Warring States period. Feng Shui’s core idea is harmony between humans and nature, achieving “Heaven and Man as One.” Early Feng Shui mainly concerned selecting sites, orientations, and construction methods for palaces, residences, villages, and tombs—a form of esoteric knowledge for choosing auspicious locations.

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Feng Shui has two meanings: one refers to a type of edema, caused by wind pathogens invading, disrupting lung qi’s regulation, blocking water channels, and causing water retention; the other refers to natural landforms such as terrain, mountain and water directions—essentially a system of geographic features.

Fang Nian had learned all this in his previous world. But in this world, Feng Shui had long been a secret art passed down only within closed circles and had been lost to history for a very long time.

Esoteric arts, moreover, are a kind of magic that defies verbal explanation. Their earliest origins are said to trace back to Jiang Ziya.

“Ziya ascended to power, hair loose, sword in hand, facing East Kunlun, bowing down, setting arrays and constellations, practicing esoteric arts, chanting spiritual incantations, casting talismanic water.”

Such seemingly charlatan-like magic truly exists. Fang Nian had once fervently studied it in his past life but achieved no significant progress.

Now, receiving such a treasure made him feel that all the hardships endured in the hunting ground had been worthwhile.

Fang Nian quickly flipped through the “Twenty-Four Chapters of Feng Shui and Esoteric Arts” and discovered it contained a wealth of knowledge—even including the divination theories of the I Ching.

However, this esoteric knowledge was too profound to master in a short time. Fang Nian could only tuck the book under his arm, finish his business discussion with Tan Hong, then return home to study diligently. He was determined to become a master of esoteric arts in the future.

This skill would surely bring about a remarkable transformation for Fang Nian.