River Mud

What came out of the Bronze Gourd was nothing but a lump of perfectly ordinary river mud, still carrying the distinct, fishy stench of river silt.

The Scroll displayed text: River Mud Raw Earth ×1

Zhu Jiusi was instantly delighted.

This was a material for refining artifacts!

In the early stages, many Path Seekers had wasted similar materials. It was only later, once true cultivation began and they learned the art of artifact refining, that they realized what treasures they had squandered.

The Scroll provided no description, but Zhu Jiusi knew the purpose of this mud.

By molding the river mud and tempering it with True Fire, it could be forged directly into Ceramic Jade Armor, which possessed quite decent defensive capabilities.

Especially since this was a lump of raw river mud, its value was even higher—when mixed with ordinary soil, it could transform that ordinary soil into river mud!

In Journey Survival, materials were peculiar; for instance, wood could only be obtained from rewards or gourds, and chopping down the massive trees on either side of the road would not yield raw materials.

River mud was the same; you couldn't just dig up any random dirt.

The torrential rain hammered down on the river mud, yet there was not the slightest sign of it washing away or softening.

Zhu Jiusi, filled with joy, tossed his nest aside and rolled on the ground, coating his entire body in the river mud, then added a thick layer of the muck from the ground on top of that.

What kind of wild boar doesn't wear mud armor?

He didn't have the artifact refining skill yet, nor did he need it; the river mud itself was an excellent defensive material.

The rain was heavy, but once the river mud stuck to his body, it clung firmly, impervious to the washing of the rain.

Zhu Jiusi was overjoyed. He posted a video to the Scroll.

It showed the White-Haired Zombie launching an attack. Its sharp nails glinted with a dark, ominous light, and the chilling aura it exuded was piercing.

Master of Cloud Stack Cave: "Heavy rain, pitch-black night. There should be treasures in the gourds on the road, but it is also very dangerous."

The early stages of Journey Survival were the best time to widen the gap—not by making others weaker, but by making oneself stronger!

How many gourds could Zhu Jiusi possibly get by exerting himself to the limit? But there were so many people! As long as people were walking on the road, there would definitely be gains.

At a time like this, one could trade food for almost anything; this was true plunder.

What's good for everyone is truly good!

Rabbit Does Not Eat Lang: "...Everyone is still struggling to survive, and the Master of Cloud Stack Cave is still out there rushing to kill monsters?"

"What is that thing? It doesn't look like a proper creature."

Orchid Pavilion Scholar: "A zombie? This is great! I'm going to go find one!"

On the mountain road, a glint appeared in the eyes of the Orchid Pavilion Scholar. With a flick of his wrist and a slash of his blade, he cut the Gray Wolf that had jumped out of a gourd into two pieces, then immediately pressed forward.

What was the point of killing wild dogs and wolves every day? Zombies were where it was at!

Sparrow: "Thumbs up, a boss is a boss, you guys are awesome!"

Zhu Jiusi scrolled up and realized that the entire Journey Survival community was in chaos; the heavy rain had pushed most people to the brink of life and death.

"Hypothermia, need fire!"

"Does anyone have hot water or hot food? I'll trade 3 units of basic supplies for one!"

"There's a flood in the desert, I'm stuck on a cactus, and my vehicle was washed away..."

Many were comforting each other, yet they were helpless. Life and death were the eternal themes of Journey Survival.

Zhu Jiusi glanced at the number of people in the top right corner.

Remaining: 6700

The population was decreasing every day.

Of course, while some were dying, others were striking it rich, and some were posting information.

Goji: [Image: Large Bluestone]

Goji: "Got a Bronze Gourd, no monster, but it opened up a stone. What is this thing used for?"

Orchid Pavilion Scholar: "At a time like this, you should @Master of Cloud Stack Cave. This guy has already killed a big monster."

Master of Cloud Stack Cave: "I don't know, but the gourds shouldn't contain trash. I just got a pile of mud."

Journey Survival did not allow for abilities like divination or fortune-telling to exist, so how could Zhu Jiusi admit he knew what it was?

"If you don't want it, you can trade it to me. I'll save it; maybe it'll be useful someday. I'll trade 3 steamed buns for it."

Zhu Jiusi sent the message, and Goji replied immediately: "Deal! Deal! Deal!"

A Bronze Gourd opened during a thunderstorm at night might actually have some use in the future.

But he hadn't eaten for a day and a half; no matter how useful it might be later, it couldn't compare to a steamed bun right now.

The trade was completed, and Zhu Jiusi tossed the stone into his nest as if it were nothing.

The Large Bluestone, also known as ballast stone, could increase the nest's resistance to strong winds and turbulence when placed inside.

Covered in muck, he wasn't in a state suitable for combat, so Zhu Jiusi hung the other two Bronze Gourds around his neck and trotted forward.

The harvest this night was indeed bountiful; Zhu Jiusi obtained seven more gourds, four of which were made of bronze.

Time reached seven o'clock in the morning.

The sky should have been brightening.

First, a peal of thunder rolled across the sky, and the thunderstorm and hail ceased simultaneously.

The clouds parted and the fog dispersed, and immediately, a streak of white appeared in the east as the great sun leaped into the center of the sky. The entire world instantly became clear and bright, with the sun shining high above. Beneath his feet, however, the land remained in the state of having been ravaged by the heavy rain and hail.

The weather changed so rapidly that it gave one the awkward sensation of slamming on the brakes at two hundred miles per hour.

The seventh day of Journey Survival.

The final day of the novice protection period.

Zhu Jiusi did not continue to rush forward; he swallowed the roots he had collected throughout the night and uncorked the Bronze Gourds one by one.

Most of the gourds found later contained only basic supplies, and the monsters were merely ordinary beasts.

However, from the first three gourds, another White-Haired Zombie emerged.

This time, Zhu Jiusi fought with greater ease, having become well-accustomed to fighting in his pig form.

Thunderbolt Fire ×3

Three square boxes landed in the mud.

Basic supplies in the gourds always appeared in sets, but the quantity of special items was never certain.

Thunderbolt Fire was commonly known as the mythical version of a detonator; used well, its power was immeasurable, but used poorly, it was nothing more than an oversized firecracker.

These could not be left scattered in his lair, lest they explode and kill him at any moment.

Zhu Jiusi took out the Path Seeking Card and tossed it into the lair, storing the Thunderbolt Fire in his inventory. He checked his current supplies.

Various basic supplies, Metal ×227, Stone ×195, Wood ×235.

In addition to what he had obtained from opening gourds, there were the tributes from Daoist Number 323 and his group today. It was almost enough for the Mountain Master to devour and increase his Life by another two points.

But today was already the final day of the novice protection period; tomorrow, the first secret realm of Journey Survival would open.

Immediately upon exiting the dungeon, he would have to undergo the third lair renovation.

The Path Seeker who completed the renovation first would receive extremely generous rewards.

These rewards were not to be missed, so Zhu Jiusi had to hoard his materials from this moment on.

The sky was already fully bright and the great sun hung high, but the ground remained damp, making it difficult to sleep.

Zhu Jiusi rested for a while, relaxed his four hooves, and stepped onto the path once more.

Having increased his Life several times, his hooves were no longer as delicate as they had been at the start, and the distance he could cover each day had increased significantly.

Stopping and starting until noon, he had already completed today's mileage.

The mud on Zhu Jiusi's body had hardened into a clump, completely transforming into a suit of armor. The ground had also dried out quite a bit.

He set down his lair and lay across it, enjoying a wonderful sleep. The layer of mud left no place for mosquitoes or insects to bite. It was a rare, deep slumber.

He slept exceptionally well, not even having a single dream. When Zhu Jiusi woke up, he saw the sunset.

In the west, the sun plunged beneath the horizon, and the sky turned black in an instant.

Zhu Jiusi shook his head, allowing his eyes to adjust to the night vision.

It was the final night of the protection period, and also the only night in Journey Survival where one could travel.

As it was directly related to the novice rankings, Zhu Jiusi did not want to fall behind in the slightest.

But just as he began to travel, he saw the moon playfully leap up into the sky.

The Scroll automatically floated up, unfurling with a rustle to bathe in the moonlight.

A crescent moon appeared on the Scroll, as if the moon itself were about to host a live broadcast. As soon as it emerged, it emitted a laugh like that of a mental patient.

"Yo! Everyone, still alive?"