Natural World

Nie Xiaoqian suppressed the strange feeling inside her, staying silent as she quietly observed this new world, listening to An Yang introduce everything around her, introduce this world, and gradually let her mind sink into it.

How could these girls wear so little, exposing their chests and legs out in the street, no different from brothel women!

Eating while walking, what kind of decency was that, how would they ever find a husband in the future!

Embracing and whispering in public, arms around shoulders, utterly devoid of propriety!

And... what were these characters!

Soon, she began to accept it.

"Our world is more open, with far fewer rules and restrictions. Many things you couldn't do before due to feudal etiquette, you can now boldly pursue."

"Open? Feudal?"

Nie Xiaoqian memorized these two words, interlacing her fingers with An Yang's.

At first, she felt embarrassed when An Yang held her hand while walking down the street—after all, what happened at home was one thing, but outside was different. Yet gradually, seeing so many couples holding hands, she grew accustomed to it, and her grip tightened more and more.

This world was undoubtedly foreign to her; the only familiar thing was probably An Yang. While she feared everything around her, she became even more dependent on him.

Before long, Nie Xiaoqian sensed something wrong, a hint of panic creeping in: "An Yang, why is everyone staring at me?"

An Yang stopped, turned to face her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and said with a smile, "Because you're too beautiful."

A flicker of emotion crossed Nie Xiaoqian's face. She rose on her tiptoes and planted a light, fleeting kiss on his cheek, asking, "An Yang, when you said do whatever I want, is this what you meant?"

An Yang was taken aback, feeling a rare flush of embarrassment creep up his face. He nodded stiffly and said, "Smart."

They continued walking, heads bent together in constant conversation, their affection deep.

"This is a car, like a carriage, but it can race down the road as fast as flying. This is a motorcycle, like a gallant steed."

"This is a neon light, beautiful, isn't it? But its technology is actually very simple; no need to dwell on it. Just know it can glow."

"These women dress very scantily, but it's actually normal. Later, I'll take you to buy some clothes too—you can't always wear this outfit."

"Our world has a kind of energy called electricity. Many things rely on it to function. It's amazing—it can make light bulbs shine brightly, make machines spin, cook rice, make speakers produce sound, and..."

Nie Xiaoqian was tall and slender, with a face of exquisite beauty, but what stood out most was her classical, gentle temperament, drawing many gazes.

In comparison, An Yang seemed ordinary. However, after the baptism of three worlds, his aura had already transcended that of an average person. Ordinary folks couldn't see it, but the confidence and composure on his face were unmistakable.

"There's a mall over there. Let's go take a look."

"Alright."

Nie Xiaoqian felt a bit nervous. It had been a long time since she'd gone shopping on the street, let alone in such a bustling night market.

Her personality wasn't weak by nature, but back then she was a female ghost used by the Thousand-Year Tree Demon to harm people. Now, having shed that identity, no longer harming others, and with An Yang as her support, arriving in a completely unfamiliar place, the inherent gentleness of a classical woman in her character fully emerged.

After an evening of browsing clothing stores, he bought several outfits for Nie Xiaoqian—some that exposed arms and legs, some that didn't, some youthful, some queenly, and of course, sleepwear and undergarments.

It was clear Nie Xiaoqian was overjoyed, even temporarily forgetting the pressure of the new world. She even learned from the couples on the street to take the initiative to loop her arm through An Yang's, her full, bouncy breasts rubbing against his arm with every step.

Passing by a supermarket, An Yang went in and bought many books, including early childhood education primers, simple Chinese characters, world history, and more. He also found a place to have a key made and handed it to Nie Xiaoqian.

"From now on, you're the mistress of my home!"

Nie Xiaoqian nodded shyly.

Back home, Nie Xiaoqian took the lead walking ahead, just to turn on the light herself. It was clear she had a deep fascination with the thing.

An Yang first taught her how to open the security door and use the elevator, along with some basic life skills. Then he spent half an hour teaching her to recognize Arabic numerals, followed by some simple, commonly used simplified Chinese characters.

Nie Xiaoqian was remarkably clever—perhaps it had to do with her background as the daughter of an official family, well-educated and sensible. Many characters she learned in one go and quickly drew analogies. Once she grasped the similarities and patterns between simplified and traditional characters, she could even guess some without being taught.

Night grew deep, and An Yang yawned.

Nie Xiaoqian looked at him with concern. "An Yang, let's rest first!"

An Yang smiled and said, "From now on, don't call me that."

Nie Xiaoqian blushed, raising her hand with a delicate gesture to cover her eyes, but she wasn't a timid girl. She asked, "Then what should I call you? Husband?"

An Yang paused, then shook his head. "Whatever you like. Just calling me An Yang is fine. Many couples use each other's full names. When you want to say husband, you can say 'laogong.'"

"Is... is that okay? An Yang... laogong."

"Of course it is! Xiaoqian, an hour of spring night is worth a thousand gold. Let's go rest!"

An Yang laughed, scooped up Nie Xiaoqian from the sofa, carried her to the bedroom, tossed her onto the bed, and pounced.

"Ah... mmph!"

Soon, Nie Xiaoqian's startled cry turned into gasping breaths. In her fluster, she reached out a finger, and with a click, the room's light went out.

Halfway through the night, An Yang heard someone speaking and woke from his light sleep. His five senses and reaction speed were far beyond ordinary people now.

Nie Xiaoqian was not beside him, and the sound came from the living room. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, slipped on his slippers, and pulled open the bedroom door. Sure enough, there was Nie Xiaoqian sitting on the sofa, and the source of the sound was the television!

Nie Xiaoqian startled and said, "Did I wake you?"

An Yang shook his head. "No, I got up to use the bathroom. How did you turn this on?"

Nie Xiaoqian smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't sleep, so I got up to look around. Somehow it lit up, and then I couldn't turn it off."

An Yang walked over and sat down beside her, asking, "What's wrong? Can't sleep? Missing Lanruo Temple?"

"No, it's just that I slept all day inside the Demon Core. I really can't sleep anymore."

An Yang paused, then it suddenly clicked.

He finally understood why ghosts in movies never rested at night—they slept all day!

Nie Xiaoqian thought for a moment, then stood up and said, "An Yang... Husband, I'll go in with you to rest."

An Yang glanced at his watch. It was already five in the morning. He grabbed Nie Xiaoqian instead, pulling her down onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around her. "Since we're both awake, how about watching some TV with you?"

Nie Xiaoqian's eyes lit up. "So this is called TV? Is it also a form of technology?"

An Yang nodded. "Yeah, but it's very complicated. I don't really understand the principles either. You just need to know how to use it."

Nie Xiaoqian sighed in admiration. "Technology is truly amazing. In so many ways, it's even more miraculous than Daoist arts!"

An Yang smiled, relieved she didn't think the people inside the TV were real.

He stayed with Nie Xiaoqian until dawn before finally returning to bed, only to find he couldn't sleep. He wanted to cultivate, but the neighborhood was a concrete jungle of steel and cement, packed with people, leaving the spiritual energy extremely scarce. Bored, he pulled out his phone to take a look—and his eyes widened!

He saw that his attributes had changed!

He rubbed his eyes and looked again. They had indeed changed!

Chosen One: An Yang

Physical Attributes: Physique: 2.2 Strength: 2.1 Speed: 2 Intelligence: 2 Unallocated Attribute Points: 1

Mastered Skills: Mastery of Combat (Intermediate) Firearms Mastery (Intermediate) English Mastery (Beginner) Military Literacy Mastery (Beginner) Instrument Mastery (Beginner) Unallocated Skill Points: 2

Item Abilities: Portable Space (1 cubic meter) Skill Stealing (Unused) Gate of Space (Unused)

Other Abilities: Kunlun Art (Level 1) Heaven and Earth, Limitless; Cosmos Borrow Law (Level 3)

A new category, Other Abilities, had appeared, incorporating the Kunlun Art and "Heaven and Earth, Limitless; Cosmos Borrow Law" learned from the mission world, complete with level ratings.

"Kunlun Art, Heaven and Earth, Limitless; Cosmos Borrow Law. What do Level 1 and Level 3 mean? Did the system automatically assign skill levels, or have I reached a certain level in this ability?"

An Yang thought it over and decided the latter was more likely.

But just then, his phone screen lit up.

"The Chosen One has completed the Prelude, activating subsequent missions. The Chosen One has completed three Origin Worlds, activating the Natural World!"

"World selection in progress... Selection complete. Mission generation in progress... Generation complete!"

Just as An Yang was puzzled, a few lines of Chinese characters appeared on his phone screen, and a cold voice rang out.

Mission World: Apocalypse World No. 94567 (Natural World) Mission Time: 1463 hours and 54 minutes later Mission Objectives: 1. Survive one year. 2. Kill 5000 zombies. Initial Skills: Driving Mastery (Beginner), Melee Weapon Mastery (Beginner) Mission Success: Reward: Item Ability *1, Skill Point *1, Physical Attribute Points *2 Mission Failure: None

"Apocalypse World! Zombies!"

An Yang's eyes flew wide open. His next mission world was actually an apocalyptic world overrun with zombies. If they were anything like the zombies in movies and novels, one careless infection and he'd turn into one himself!

After calming down, he still noticed the differences in this mission. "System, what are Origin Worlds and Natural Worlds? What's the difference?"

"Origin Worlds are worlds created by the system using Origin Force based on existing fantasies, while Natural Worlds are worlds that have naturally evolved."

An Yang suddenly understood.

The difference between artificial and natural!

No wonder all the Origin Worlds were movie worlds. This Natural World was presumably real. Its logic would undoubtedly be tighter, but at the same time, it meant he would lose his grasp on the plot and his ability to foresee events!