After gaining Great Witch Kuafu's formal recognition and the Houtu Token, a symbol of deep friendship, Lin Xuan entered a relatively peaceful and fulfilling period of life in the Houtu Tribe. He was no longer merely a guest, but had truly become part of this Pangu-descended people. By day, he either sparred with warriors such as Kuafu and Houyi, comparing modern combat principles with the Witch Tribe's practical experience to hone his fighting skills, or followed the tribal healer as he learned to identify herbs and studied the ancient Witch Tribe methods of using Earth Essence to heal injuries and strengthen the body, broadening his survival knowledge. At night, he unwaveringly practiced the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique, drawing on the abundant Pangu Legacy and Earth Qi near the tribe's Ancestral Land to stabilize his First Revolution and advance to a deeper level.
The stable environment, plentiful resources, and opportunities to learn from powerful warriors had clearly improved his strength. He could feel his body growing tougher by the moment, his blood and qi becoming more vigorous, and his control over his strength increasingly precise.
That night, Lin Xuan was concentrating on his cultivation in his quarters, guiding pure Earth Qi through his bones and sinews to temper them. Suddenly, the system notification that had been silent for days rang out in his mind with unprecedented clarity and energy.
[Beep! Host's living conditions have become significantly more stable, energy absorption efficiency meets requirements, system operating load reduced... Core Database repair process accelerated...] [Beep! Basic Function Module "Primordial Myriad Phenomena Atlas" repair complete! Loading... Load successful!] [Congratulations, Host. System upgraded to version V1.01! New feature "Primordial Great Map" officially unlocked!]
As the notifications sounded, Lin Xuan felt his consciousness waver slightly. Then a vast, boundless light screen, tinged with a sense of incompleteness, slowly unfolded in his mind.
The main body of the map was an endless expanse of Chaotic Darkness, representing unexplored territory. At its center, a small area had been illuminated. It showed Buzhou Mountain and a broad swath of the surrounding region. The mountain ranges, rivers, and even the approximate location of the Houtu Tribe were marked in an exceptionally concise yet vivid manner.
More astonishingly, many differently colored and shaped points of light blinked across the illuminated map, each accompanied by a brief note:
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Houtu Tribe (green light, fortress icon): [Safe Zone/Ally Stronghold. Daily Check-in available here to obtain basic resources.]
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Buzhou Mountain Main Vein (Deep Red Area, Skull Icon): [Extreme Danger Zone! Core of the Pangu Pressure. Suspected to contain an Innate Restriction and an Archaic Fierce Beast. Cultivators below the Golden Immortal realm are advised not to venture deep inside.]
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Nameless Valley (Scarlet Light Spot, Beast Claw Icon): [High danger! Lord: Fierce Beast Zhen (Peak of Refining Essence into Qi), condition: recovering from minor injuries. Three Unripe Vermilion Fruits nearby.]
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Black Water Pool (Dark Purple Light Spot, poison mist icon): [High danger! Filled with Soul-Corroding Poisonous Fog and home to numerous venomous insects and snakes.]
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Several scattered light-blue points (pickaxe icons): [Suspected Low-Grade Spirit Stone Veins/Mysterious Iron Ore.]
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Several scattered emerald-green points (herb icons): [Low-Grade Spirit Plants such as Dew Condensing Grass and Earth Root Flower grow here.]
The map wasn't static. When Lin Xuan focused his thoughts on a particular area, he could zoom in to a certain extent and see more detailed terrain. Even in the darkness along the map's edges, a few extremely blurry markers with question marks were faintly visible, such as [Possible gathering place of Other Witch Tribes?] and [Demon Tribe Outpost Camp?]. Clearly, the system had inferred them from information it had already detected.
[Well, Host? What do you think of my new feature?] The system sounded unmistakably pleased with itself. [This is one of the core modules I repaired at considerable energy cost. With this "Primordial Great Map," you won't have to stumble around the Primordial World like a headless fly anymore.]
Lin Xuan was overjoyed! This feature was incredibly useful—practically a custom-made exploration guide and survival radar! Not only could it help him avoid known dangers, it could also help him seek out resources. It would make a huge difference to his plans going forward!
"This is so useful! System, you're awesome!" Lin Xuan praised it without reservation.
[Hmph. Glad you know it.] The system replied smugly. [The map will update in real time and fill in details as you explore. Also, with this map feature, I can now issue more precise exploration and resource-gathering quests, with even better rewards.]
Sure enough, the quest panel on the system interface refreshed at once:
[Exploration Quest: Survey the area within ten li of Black Water Pool (avoid the core of the poisonous fog). Reward: Basic Detoxification Pill Recipe x1, Low-Grade Spirit Stones x50.] [Resource Quest: Gather 10 stalks of Dew Condensing Grass and 5 Earth Root Flowers. Reward: Body Tempering Spirit Liquid x2 bottles.]
Lin Xuan studied the map closely, his gaze finally settling on the Scarlet Light Spot that marked Nameless Valley. Zhen... The fierce beast that had nearly cost him his life. The map indicated that it was still recovering, and three Vermilion Fruits there were about to ripen!
A bold plan began to take shape in his mind. With the map's warnings and resource markers, and the Houtu Tribe as his backing, perhaps... he could plan a return trip to "repay" the favor?
This system upgrade was like giving him eyes and wings. The Primordial World was no longer a chaotic, perilous wilderness before him, but a vast stage full of dangers and opportunities, waiting to be explored.
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