Ch 23: The Sign-in Rewards
Feng Chen sat in his cave, content with the vast treasures and rewards that surrounded him. His body thrummed with energy, and the cave seemed to hum in tune with his newfound power. He grinned as he called out to the system, ready to claim the next bounty from his ever-valuable sign-in streak.
"Hey, System!" Feng Chen called out with a mischievous smile, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"What did I get this time? Let's see those sign-in rewards!"
But the system, which had been oddly quiet up to this point, suddenly popped up with a response that was less than cooperative.
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System Notification:-
Rewards? What rewards? What are you talking about? I don't even know you, sir.
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Feng Chen's eyebrow twitched.
"Oh, so that's how we're going to play it, huh?" he muttered under his breath, a slight smirk creeping onto his face. He could already feel the system trying to weasel its way out of giving him what he knew was bound to be something valuable.
"Don't act like I wasn't just tearing through realms left and right."
His patience wearing thin, Feng Chen stood up slowly, cracking his knuckles with a deliberate motion.
"Alright, System. You want to play dumb? That's fine." He grinned, summoning his two weapons... the Abyssal Devourer Blade and the Demon's Vile... into his hands. Both weapons hummed with dark energy, eager for some action.
Taking a battle stance, Feng Chen leveled one of the blades at the system's translucent window.
"You know what I'm after, System. Hand over my rewards, or I swear I'll slice you apart, data byte by data byte!"
But the system wasn't about to give in that easily.
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System Notification:-
Kill me, you tweaky little fuck! I'm not giving it to you! Do your worst!
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Feng Chen's eyes narrowed, and a dark aura began to form around him. His grip tightened on the blades as his Qi surged, swirling around him like a violent storm. The air in the cave grew tense, and the system's defiance only added fuel to the fire.
"Oh, I see. We're doing this the hard way, huh?" Feng Chen growled, his voice dripping with menace.
"Fine by me. Let's see how you like getting chopped into virtual pieces!"
He prepared to launch an attack, the energy from his weapons crackling with anticipation. The atmosphere in the cave became thick with power, and for a moment, it seemed like Feng Chen was about to rip apart the very fabric of the system itself.
But just before he unleashed his fury, something caught his eye... a tiny, glowing button on the system's interface. It blinked innocently, almost as if it were mocking him.
Feng Chen paused mid-swing, lowering his weapons slightly as realization dawned on him. His brow furrowed, and he stared at the button for a long moment before speaking aloud.
"Wait a second," he muttered,
"I can just… click this?"
A beat passed as Feng Chen's mind raced. Slowly, he turned back to face the system's window, a wry grin spreading across his face.
"Really, System?" he said, voice filled with amusement.
"All this trouble, and all I had to do was click the claim button?"
Without missing a beat, Feng Chen dismissed his weapons and tapped the glowing button. Instantly, the reward was claimed.
He glanced back at the system with a smirk.
"Manual always does the trick."
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System Notification:-
FUCK YOU! No homo!
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Feng Chen couldn't hold back his laughter. He leaned against the cave wall, clutching his sides as he laughed so hard tears began to form in his eyes.
"Oh, System, you're too much!" he gasped, wiping a tear from his cheek.
"I don't know how you do it, but you always manage to make my day."
Once he finally composed himself, Feng Chen focused on the screen, his excitement renewed as the system begrudgingly displayed the details of his newly claimed rewards.
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System Notification:-
Congratulations! You have received the following rewards:-
- Barrier: A soul-bound item that only the host can use. Once activated, the barrier creates an illusion of the highest grade, preventing anyone from sensing anything inside. The barrier grows stronger alongside the host and can block attacks from one major realm above the host's current realm. The host has full control over the barrier's functionality.
- Qi Gathering Array: Another soul-bound item. This array, when placed within the barrier, will gather and produce Qi at an accelerated rate. The Qi Gathering Array grows alongside the host and will produce enough Qi to allow breakthroughs without external concerns.
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Feng Chen's eyes widened in disbelief as he read through the rewards, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared at the screen for what felt like an eternity, trying to fully comprehend the magnitude of what he had just received.
"This… this is…!" His voice was barely a whisper, filled with awe. His mind raced as he processed the information. A barrier that could create a flawless illusion, protecting him from enemies, and a Qi Gathering Array that would allow him to cultivate indefinitely without fear of depletion. It was the perfect combination for seclusion and rapid advancement.
Feng Chen's lips slowly curled into a grin as a giddy laugh escaped him.
"This… this is the best thing I've ever gotten!" He threw his hands up in the air.
"I can cultivate without interruption! I can break through realms like a hot knife through butter!"
His grin stretched from ear to ear as he felt a wave of euphoria wash over him. He had felt powerful before, but now he was practically invincible.
"The heavens themselves must be looking down on me!" he said, still marveling at his rewards.
For a moment, he stood there, basking in the sheer joy of it all, feeling like the universe had finally acknowledged his greatness. He turned back toward the system's window with a smug smile.
"Hey, System! Look at me now! I'm basically untouchable!"
The system remained deathly silent, clearly sulking.
Still riding the high of his new power, Feng Chen's curiosity got the better of him.
"System," he said, his voice now carrying an edge of amusement,
"can I only use the barrier and the Qi Gathering Array once? Or can I move them around as I please?"
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System Notification:-
The barrier and array can be relocated, but there will be a time limit between uses. Once the time limit expires, the host may change the location. Be advised that the time limit will increase with each use.
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Feng Chen nodded thoughtfully, his mind already whirring with ideas.
"Not bad at all," he muttered, rubbing his chin.
"The Qi here is strong enough for me to break through to the Core Formation Realm without any trouble. But… this cave is way too small." He glanced around at the cramped space.
"If I'm going to be the strongest, I need a bigger place to cultivate. Maybe build myself a real home."
With that in mind, he stretched and took a deep breath. The fresh air of the forest filled his lungs, and for a moment, he was content. But then, the nagging realization hit him again... he had no idea where he was. Sure, he had been in seclusion for fifteen years, but even before that, he had never truly explored the forest around him. Was this place dangerous? Was it inhabited? Did it even have a name?
"Hey, System," Feng Chen called out, a bit more cautiously now,
"do you know anything about this forest I've been hiding out in? It would be helpful to know if I'm sitting in the middle of a beast nest or some kind of forbidden territory."
The system's response was swift and ominous.
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System Notification:-
The place where you are currently located was once known as the Taixuan Valley in ancient times. However, in the present day, it is now referred to as… The Grave of Immortals.
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The moment those words appeared, Feng Chen felt his entire body go cold. His heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine.
"Grave… of Immortals?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
A strange, high-pitched noise escaped from his throat, and without warning, his legs gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto the floor of the cave with a loud thud, eyes wide in shock. His face turned pale as the reality of the situation sank in. He could practically feel his soul trying to escape his body, clawing its way out in terror.
"My soul… it's leaving me!" Feng Chen gasped, his hands clutching at his chest as he flailed around on the ground.
"I've been living in a graveyard for immortals! No wonder everything here feels so weird!"
He rolled over onto his back, his body twitching uncontrollably as he tried to calm his racing heart. His mind was a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and panic. He had thought this forest was just an isolated place for him to cultivate in peace, but instead, he had been living in a cursed land where even immortals had come to die.
"Oh gods, oh heavens, I'm going to die here!" Feng Chen wailed...