System Mission: Ascend Buzhou Mountain

The night in the rock crevice passed peacefully, filled with cultivation and vigilance. As the first light of dawn once again filtered through the gaps in the rocks, Lin Xuan slowly finished his practice, exhaling a breath of turbid air carrying faint impurities.

After a night of continuous, arduous cultivation, the redness and swelling on his arms from the Demonic Vine's lashings had mostly subsided, leaving only a faint bruise. More importantly, he could clearly feel that his physical strength had increased slightly, and he seemed to have adapted a bit more to the pervasive Pangu pressure all around. If it felt like carrying a hundred-pound burden when he first arrived, perhaps now it was only ninety-nine pounds. The progress was minuscule, but undeniably present.

"Although cultivating the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique is excruciatingly painful, the results are genuinely tangible," Lin Xuan stretched his limbs, a faint crackling sound echoing within him, filled with a sense of power. He took out some stored water and drank a few gulps, then ate some roasted beast meat, and began to consider his actions for the day.

His primary objective, naturally, was the quest "[Climb Buzhou Mountain]" issued by the system. But how high exactly did he need to climb? The quest description was vague. And it was certain that the higher he went, the more dangerous it would become.

[Ding! Host detected in active state, daily quests have been updated.] The system's voice chimed in on time, still with its usual unenthusiastic tone.

[Daily Quest: Survival Practice.]

[Content 1: Successfully hunt a demonic beast in the current altitude zone (Evaluation: Stop catching those cute, attention-seeking little things).]

[Content 2: Collect a plant containing spiritual energy (Evaluation: Open your eyes wider, don't mistake weeds for treasures).]

[Reward: Based on completion quality, a small amount of spiritual energy or basic supplies will be issued.]

[Failure Penalty: None (But if the host can't even do this, this system suggests burying yourself in a hole might be less troublesome).]

Lin Xuan was already accustomed to the system's way of speaking and automatically filtered out the commentary. The daily quests weren't difficult; they were a good opportunity to familiarize himself with the surrounding environment and gather resources.

He carefully moved aside the rock blocking the entrance, squeezed out of the crevice, and once again activated the Breath Concealment Technique, minimizing his presence to the lowest possible level. The Buzhou Mountain area in the early morning was shrouded in mist, and the spiritual energy was even more active, but this also concealed more dangers.

His luck seemed to be good today. Not long after walking, he discovered a small patch of faintly glowing mushrooms behind a bush. These mushrooms were only the size of a fingernail, pure white, and although the spiritual energy was weak, it was very pure.

"This should be something good." Lin Xuan cautiously observed his surroundings, and after confirming there were no guardian beasts, he quickly stepped forward, carefully collected the most mature ones, and stored them in his Chaos Bead space. [Content 2] was easily completed.

Next was the hunt. He needed to find a true "demonic beast," not just a wild animal driven by instinct like before. This required patience and luck.

He followed the mountain's terrain upwards, climbing as he paid attention to the movements around him. The Pangu pressure slowly increased with altitude, like a constantly escalating weight, testing his stamina and willpower. He had to divert some of his attention to circulating the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique to resist this pressure, which slowed his progress considerably.

Along the way, he encountered several more strange plants, some fiery red, others ink black, but he remembered his lesson and dared not touch them. He also sensed several powerful auras from a distance and detoured around them, never approaching.

Just as he climbed onto a relatively open stone platform and prepared to rest for a moment, a low, menacing growl came from behind a pile of rocks to his front left.

Lin Xuan's heart tightened, and he immediately lowered his body, peering through the gaps in the rocks.

He saw a creature resembling a leopard, but larger, covered in dark golden scales, with a single eye on its forehead, slowly emerging from behind the rocks. It seemed to have just finished feeding, with bloodstains still on its mouth. Its single vertical pupil scanned the surroundings coldly, exuding a ferocity far stronger than that of the rock boar or the Demonic Vine.

"This is it!" Lin Xuan judged that this "One-eyed Golden Scale Leopard" was definitely a demonic beast of a certain rank! Its strength was likely approaching the threshold of Refining Essence into Qi.

A direct confrontation was out of the question. Lin Xuan's mind raced, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding environment. One side of the stone platform was a steep cliff face, while the other was a slightly gentler slope covered in dense bushes.

A plan quickly formed in his mind.

He took a deep breath, quietly circled around to the top of the slope, and picked up a few handy stones. Then, he deactivated the Breath Concealment Technique, deliberately making some noise.

The One-eyed Golden Scale Leopard's sensitive single ear immediately turned towards the source of the sound, its vertical pupil locking onto Lin Xuan's position! Provoked by a weak creature, it let out a low growl, its limbs tensed, and it shot forward like a dark golden arrow! Its speed was incredibly fast!

Lin Xuan was prepared. The moment the leopard lunged, he used all his strength to hurl the stones he was holding at a loose boulder on the upper part of the slope!

Bang! The stones struck. The boulder was already precarious, and with the impact of the external force, it began to rumble and roll down the slope! At that moment, the One-eyed Golden Scale Leopard was charging right into that spot!

Demonic beasts were, after all, demonic beasts, and their reactions were extremely fast. Seeing this, it suddenly leaped to the side, attempting to dodge. However, the falling rocks covered a considerable area, and one rock the size of a washbasin grazed its hind leg!

"Roar!" The One-eyed Golden Scale Leopard cried out in pain and fury, its movements faltering.

Now was the time! Lin Xuan didn't hesitate. He turned and sprinted towards a narrow crevice in the cliff face he had already spotted – a hiding place he had noticed while resting earlier!

The enraged leopard, ignoring its injured hind leg, chased madly. But Lin Xuan had already gained the advantage, slipping into the narrow crevice, barely wide enough for one person, like a slippery loach!

The leopard's massive body slammed heavily against the cliff face, emitting a dull thud, and debris rained down, but it couldn't reach into the crevice. It roared and clawed frantically outside, but to no avail.

Lin Xuan leaned against the cold stone wall, his heart still pounding. Although the plan had succeeded, the process had been perilous. If he had been half a second slower, or if the leopard had been a little faster, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

[Ding! Daily Quest Complete.]

[Hunting Evaluation: C+ (Tactics were clever, emphasis on using one's brain).]

[Collection Evaluation: B (Glowing mushroom, decent quality).]

[Comprehensive Reward: A wisp of pure spiritual energy has been issued, which can be used to accelerate cultivation.]

A gentle yet pure stream of spiritual energy flowed into Lin Xuan's body from nowhere. He immediately guided this spiritual energy to merge with the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique that was currently circulating. Instantly, the stinging sensation of cultivation seemed to lessen slightly, and the efficiency increased significantly.

"Not bad, not bad, this reward is truly worthwhile," Lin Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Although the process was dangerous, the gains were worth it.

He waited patiently in the crevice until the leopard's roars outside gradually faded, and he confirmed it was safe before carefully emerging.

After this ordeal, he was some distance from the rock crevice where he had started, and his current altitude was significantly higher. He looked up; Buzhou Mountain's main peak was still unreachable, but his vision had broadened considerably, allowing him to see more distant, vast mountain ranges and seas of clouds.

[Phased Quest "[Climb Buzhou Mountain]" progress update: Host has reached the preliminary safe altitude limit. Continue climbing to the recommended check-in point?] The system prompt sounded again.

"Recommended check-in point?" Lin Xuan's heart stirred, "Where is it?"

[Three miles ahead, there is a natural stone platform, located at the relative high ground of the current area, with a specific balance of Pangu pressure and spiritual energy concentration, suitable for the first regional deep check-in. The expected reward quality will be superior to the foot-of-the-mountain check-in.]

Three miles in an environment like Buzhou Mountain was by no means easy. But the words "foot-of-the-mountain check-in" held immense appeal for Lin Xuan!

"Go!" Lin Xuan hesitated for barely a moment. Risk and opportunity coexist; he understood this principle.

He took a wild fruit to replenish his stamina, circulated his cultivation technique again to resist the pressure, cast the Breath Concealment Technique, and set off towards the direction indicated by the system with firm steps.

Higher peaks meant heavier pressure and more dangerous environments, but they also potentially meant more substantial rewards. To survive in this Primordial Era, he had to keep going up, constantly upwards!