River Mud

What came out of the Bronze Gourd was nothing but a lump of ordinary river mud, complete with its distinctive fishy stench.

The Scroll read: River Mud, Raw ×1

Zhu Jiusi lit up at once.

This was a material for forging!

Early on, many Path Seekers wasted materials like this. Later, when true cultivation began and they learned to forge, they finally realized what a treasure it was.

The Scroll didn't explain it, but Zhu Jiusi knew what this mud was for.

Shape it with river mud, then refine it with true fire, and it could be made directly into Ceramic Jade Armor, which offered quite decent defense.

Especially since this was raw river mud, it was even more valuable. Mix it with ordinary soil, and it could turn the soil into river mud!

The materials in Journey Survival were strange. Wood, for example, could only be obtained as a reward or from gourds; chopping down the trees along the road wouldn't yield raw materials.

River mud worked the same way. You couldn't just dig up any old dirt.

The downpour hammered the river mud, but it showed no sign of softening.

Delighted, Zhu Jiusi took the nest off and tossed it aside. He rolled around, smearing all the river mud over himself, then coated himself in a thick layer of the ordinary mud on the ground.

What wild boar didn't wear armor made of mud?

He didn't have the forging skill yet, but he didn't need it. River mud itself made excellent defensive material.

The rain was heavy, but once the river mud stuck to him, it clung fast and wouldn't wash away.

Overjoyed, Zhu Jiusi posted a video to the Scroll.

It showed the White-Haired Zombie springing into attack. Its sharp nails gleamed with a dark sheen, sending chills down the spine.

Master of Cloud Stack Cave: "Heavy rain, pitch-black night. There should be treasures in the gourds along the road, but it's dangerous too."

The early stages of Journey Survival were the best time to pull ahead—not by making everyone else weaker, but by making yourself stronger!

Even if Zhu Jiusi gave it his all, how many gourds could he get? But there were so many people! As long as someone was on the road, there were bound to be gains.

At a time like this, you could trade food for almost anything. That was real plunder.

Everyone doing well was what really mattered!

Rabbit Does Not Eat Lang: "...We're all struggling just to stay alive, and the big shot Cave Master still has to travel around killing monsters?"

"What is that thing? It can't be a normal creature, can it?"

Orchid Pavilion Scholar: "A zombie? That's great! I'll go look for one!"

On the mountain road, Orchid Pavilion Scholar's eyes flashed. With a swift stroke of his blade, he cut the Gray Wolf that had leaped out of a gourd cleanly in two, then hurried onward.

What was the fun in killing wild dogs and wolves every day? There were zombies now!

Sparrow: "Thumbs up. A big shot is a big shot. You guys are awesome!"

Zhu Jiusi scrolled up and only then realized that all of Journey Survival had descended into chaos. One heavy rainstorm had pushed most people to the brink of life and death.

"I'm freezing to death! Someone help me get a fire going!"

"Anyone got hot water or a hot meal? I'll trade 30 basic supplies for a serving!"

"There's a flood in the desert! I'm on a cactus, and my car got swept away..."

Many people tried to comfort one another, but there was nothing they could do. Life and death were the eternal themes of Journey Survival.

Zhu Jiusi glanced at the number in the upper-right corner.

Remaining population: 6700

The population was shrinking every day.

Of course, while some people were on the verge of death, others were making a fortune, and still others were posting messages.

Goji: Image · Large Bluestone

Goji: "I got a Bronze Gourd. No monster, but it gave me a stone. What's this thing good for?"

Orchid Pavilion Scholar: "This is when you should @Master of Cloud Stack Cave. He's already killed a big monster."

Master of Cloud Stack Cave: "I don't know, but the gourds shouldn't produce junk. I just got a puddle of mud."

Journey Survival didn't allow divination or fortune-telling abilities to appear. How could Zhu Jiusi admit he knew what it was?

"If you don't want it, you can trade it to me. I'll hold on to it. It might come in handy one day. I'll give you three steamed buns."

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

A Bronze Gourd opened during a thunderstorm at night might really prove useful someday.

But Goji hadn't eaten in a day and a half. No matter how useful it might be later, it couldn't beat a steamed bun right now.

The trade went through. Zhu Jiusi casually tossed the stone into the nest.

The Large Bluestone was also called a ballast stone. Placing it in the nest could help it withstand strong winds and jolting.

A body covered in mud wasn't suited for fighting. Zhu Jiusi hung the other two Bronze Gourds around his neck and trotted onward.

The night had indeed brought a rich haul. Zhu Jiusi got another seven gourds, four of them Bronze.

The time came to seven in the morning.

It was supposed to be daylight.

A peal of thunder rolled across the sky, and the thunderstorm and hail stopped all at once.

The clouds parted and the mist cleared. A sliver of white appeared in the east, then the great sun rose high into the sky. In an instant, the whole world turned clear and bright beneath the shining sun. The ground still looked as though it had been battered by the rain and hail.

The weather changed so quickly, it felt like slamming on the brakes at two hundred miles an hour.

The seventh day of Journey Survival.

The final day of the newbie protection period.

Zhu Jiusi stopped traveling. He swallowed all the roots and tubers he'd gathered overnight, then opened the Bronze Gourds one by one.

Most of the gourds he'd found later contained basic supplies, and the monsters were all ordinary beasts.

But one of the first three gourds had produced another White-Haired Zombie.

This time, Zhu Jiusi fought with far more ease. He was already used to fighting in a pig's body.

Thunderbolt Fire ×3

Three square boxes fell onto the muddy ground.

Basic supplies from gourds came in groups, but the number of special items varied.

Thunderbolt Fire was commonly known as mythic-grade dynamite. Used well, it had unimaginable power; used poorly, it was just a giant firecracker.

He couldn't leave it loose in the nest. He might blow himself up by accident.

Zhu Jiusi took out the Path Seeking Card and tossed it into the nest, then stored the Thunderbolt Fire in his pack. He checked his current supplies.

Basic supplies: assorted, Metal ×227, Stone ×195, Wood ×235

Besides what he'd gotten from the gourds, a group of people led by Daoist Number 323 had paid tribute today. It was nearly enough for the Mountain Master to devour and gain two more points of life.

But today was already the last day of the newbie protection period. Tomorrow, the first Secret Realm of Journey Survival would open.

Once he came out of the instance, he would have to make the third nest upgrade immediately.

The Path Seekers who completed their upgrades first would receive extremely generous rewards.

He couldn't afford to miss out. Zhu Jiusi needed to start saving his materials.

The sky was already bright, and the sun hung high overhead, but the ground was still damp. It was impossible to sleep.

After resting briefly and loosening his four hooves, Zhu Jiusi set off along the Dao Path once more.

After several life upgrades, his hooves were no longer as tender as they'd been at first, and he could cover far more distance each day.

By the time noon came around, he'd finished today's distance, stopping and starting along the way.

The mud on Zhu Jiusi had dried into a solid mass, turning completely into a suit of armor. The ground had dried out quite a bit too.

He put the nest down and sprawled inside, enjoying a sound sleep. The mud covering his body left no place for mosquitoes to bite. It was rare for him to sleep so deeply.

He slept wonderfully, without even dreaming. When Zhu Jiusi woke, he saw the sun setting.

The sun plunged below the western horizon, and darkness fell in an instant.

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

It was the last night of the protection period, and the only night Journey Survival had left for traveling.

It would directly affect his newbie-period ranking. Zhu Jiusi didn't want to fall behind by even a little.

But as soon as he started moving, he saw the moon in the sky give a playful hop.

The Scroll floated up on its own, unfurling with a rustle as it caught the moonlight.

A crescent moon appeared on the Scroll, as if the moon itself were about to livestream. The moment it appeared, it let out a laugh like a madman.

"Well! You're all still alive, are you?"