Farming Games are All About Grinding

When Han Qiwu opened the book this time, there was no QR code.

A bit of a pity.

Video tutorials would definitely be more effective, right?

On the aged, yellowed pages of the book, small figures were sequentially demonstrating a series of continuous movements, accompanied by tiny handwritten annotations in the margins.

Upon carefully examining, Han Qiwu noticed a prerequisite for practicing the "Eight-Step Cicada Technique."

The higher one's jumping ability, the easier it would be to succeed in the practice.

"You're the one! Thousand-Layer Soles."

Han Qiwu swapped into his Thousand-Layer Sole shoes, took a few test jumps, and then began practicing according to the methods shown on the book's pages. As he practiced, Han Qiwu discovered that when he concentrated, the movements of those tiny figures seemed to flow seamlessly on their own.

Interesting.

Two hours flew by in the blink of an eye.

When his training ended, a line of text accompanied by the sound of chirping cicadas floated in front of Han Qiwu:

[Eight-Step Cicada Technique Phase One Practice Progress: 12/100]

[Tip: When practice progress surpasses 50%, standing on Ice Cicada Wings can further enhance practice results.]

"Ice Cicada Wings? Eight-Step Cicada Technique?" Han Qiwu silently took note, carefully putting away the book before heading back to the house to rest.

The sun was blazing too hot in the early afternoon around two or three o'clock.

Time for a nice afternoon nap.

A long-overdue nap felt especially refreshing. When he woke up, Han Qiwu almost felt like he could soar into the skies.

"Can't head to the mining layer these days, so I might as well use this chance to stockpile wood, upgrade some of the animal facilities back home, and also make more jars of strawberry jam while I'm at it." Sitting up, Han Qiwu glanced around at the courtyard, which was already half filled, brimming with determination.

Stepping into the miniature Forest of Ten Thousand Trees, Han Qiwu quickly felled today's quota of fifty Yang Trees.

"Xiao Dian, Xiao Lai, let's head to Mist Forest." Han Qiwu reached down to pick up Xiao Lai from the ground and called for Xiao Dian.

As he hoisted Xiao Lai, Han Qiwu noticed that its color seemed a deeper shade of green, and the light around its body appeared slightly distorted.

"A black hole?" Han Qiwu was a bit startled. Opening Xiao Lai's attribute panel, he discovered that Xiao Lai had unlocked a new skill.

[Refraction: Misleads enemy attacks through light distortion, reducing incoming damage by 40%.]

Impressive, my Xiao Lai.

One snack, two breakthroughs.

"Xiao Lai, you're so clever. This skill is really practical. From now on, you can stick to poisoning from the backlines—don't charge forward anymore." Han Qiwu praised as he reached out to pat Xiao Lai's head.

But as his hand made contact, something felt off.

Why so bouncy and squishy?

Xiao Lai: "…That's my butt!"

Previously cheerful and happy, Xiao Lai silently suppressed its skill.

"Ahem, my bad. Wrong hand placement."

Han Qiwu casually dipped his hand into the Hospital River nearby to rinse it.

Xiao Lai: "…Now I'm even sadder."

Such a small gesture, but oh, the damage it caused!

Watching the entire scene unfold, Xiao Dian couldn't hold back and burst into roaring laughter.

"Did you finish clearing yesterday's 100 strawberry plots?" Han Qiwu asked with a sly grin.

Xiao Dian nodded, but before Han Qiwu could say more, it flapped its wings to cover its ears and flew toward the basket on the electric motorbike, burying its head in mock protest.

I can't hear you, I can't hear you.

Han Qiwu chuckled, hopping on the bike and making his way to Mist Forest.

Arriving at the forest entrance, Han Qiwu used his semi-functional compass to re-mark the entrance willow.

After marking it, he realized the mist at the entrance seemed unnaturally dense.

As expected, stepping closer revealed a floating text prompt at the gate:

[Mist is surging. Please enter after 20 minutes.]

"Mist surging?" Han Qiwu sighed and sat atop the bike seat.

Twenty minutes wasn't too long, but it wasn't short either.

Might as well wait around.

Informing Xiao Dian and Xiao Lai, Han Qiwu pulled out "The Circus Without Horses" and started reading. The book was down to its final chapter; he'd likely finish it soon.

Seeing its owner immersed in reading, Xiao Dian found it boring and flew to the entrance willow, pecking at it absentmindedly and spitting out bits of bark.

Meanwhile, Xiao Lai lazily rummaged through the bike basket, eventually pulling out a rock and leisurely chewing on it.

Han Qiwu's eyebrows furrowed and relaxed intermittently as he read.

"So that's how it is? The circus leader didn't actually own any horses. The so-called horses were just clowns and magicians disguised as them. No wonder the culprit could never be found," Han Qiwu muttered in exasperation.

Zack's mystery writing, for all its buildup, had kind of fizzled out at the end.

[Congratulations on successfully completing the book "The Circus Without Horses."]

[A new scene, Horse Taming Canyon, has been unlocked for you.]

[Please locate the entrance to Horse Taming Canyon on the map.]

Lines of text, accompanied by the sound of galloping horses, appeared in front of him, leaving Han Qiwu stunned.

"Another new scene unlocked? The reward for this book is that high?"

After reading the messages, Han Qiwu quickly opened his map.

To his surprise, the entrance to Horse Taming Canyon was right next to Mist Forest.

Following the map's coordinates, Han Qiwu stood at the canyon's entrance, reaching out to touch a vividly lifelike horse-head statue nearby.

Upon contact, the statue's eyes emitted a beam of light, pulling Han Qiwu into the canyon.

Looking up, Han Qiwu found himself at the mouth of a long canyon flanked by steep rock walls. Beneath him was a launch mechanism resembling a slingshot, while ahead, the canyon was bustling with running horses—Mongolian Horses, Quarter Horses, Hequ Horses, and more.

[Welcome to Horse Taming Canyon.]

[In Horse Taming Canyon, you can play the taming game. The farther the taming distance, the higher the score.]

[Warhorse rewards will be determined based on your longest taming distance.]

[Good luck!]

The game mechanics were straightforward enough.

After reviewing the game rules, a power gauge for launching appeared before Han Qiwu.

"No way, they're just gonna fling me out like this?" Han Qiwu muttered nervously, carefully selecting a relatively low power level.

Sure enough, once confirmed, the launch device behind him unleashed tremendous force, sending him flying forward.

"Whoosh!"

Han Qiwu shot straight into the air, soaring over thirty meters high.

This moment matched perfectly with the post-nap sensation he'd had earlier.

Lift-off.

"If this low power level already sends me over thirty meters, wouldn't max power shoot me right out of the atmosphere?" Han Qiwu threw on his Phoenix Cloak mid-air, ready to activate its invincibility skill at a moment's notice.

Whether it was needed or not, survival instincts were non-negotiable.

Thankfully, the game was relatively accommodating—beneath him, a cloud appeared, allowing him to control its density with his mind. Thinner clouds dropped faster, while thicker clouds slowed his descent.

Han Qiwu immediately grasped the cloud's critical function.

Pick a horse!

Looking down, an endless stream of horses was pouring out from his original launch position. Some galloped swiftly, others hopped along, and there were even a few sideways runners!

After much deliberation, Han Qiwu settled on a short, sturdy, and seemingly reliable Mongolian Horse, leaping down to make his landing.

Time to ride!