Seeking a Quiet Place Again, Stumbling Upon a Valley

I steadied myself against a half-buried rock, my legs still trembling. The ground beneath my feet no longer shook, but with every step, I could feel a faint tremor emanating from deep within the earth. The gray mist hung motionless in the air, as if frozen. The stone I had seen earlier, etched with markings, had toppled to the side, its surface patterns broken, as if something had forced its way up from below and cracked it.

I didn't look at it again.

My amulet was broken, and two spirit stones were depleted, leaving only one still pressed against my chest, its warmth lingering. I knew it wouldn't last much longer, and I needed to find a safe place to rest as soon as possible. The System remained silent, issuing no new tasks, but I could feel it was still active, like a well at the bottom of my consciousness, ready to stir at any moment.

I headed southwest.

The terrain there was slightly lower, with gentle slopes extending outwards, unlike the east, which was riddled with cracks and sinkholes. My right shoulder remained numb, and blood seeped from the wound on my left arm, dripping down my fingertips. I didn't stop to bandage it; now was not the time.

After walking less than a hundred paces, a low growl echoed from the distance.

The sound was deep and resonant, vibrating from underground. I immediately crouched down, placing my hand on the ground, and could feel the direction of the tremors coming from the northeast. Looking up, the gray mist in that direction churned slightly, as if something was approaching.

I held my breath and retreated behind a large rock nearby. Just as I hid, a bull-like monstrous beast burst out.

It was three times larger than an ordinary ox, entirely dark green, with a spiral horn on its head. White mist billowed from its nostrils, and its landing sent shattered stones flying. It stopped and turned halfway around, sniffing the air a few times, seemingly searching for something.

I knew it had caught my scent.

Without waiting for it to react, I moved along the rock face towards the rear. Its ears twitched suddenly, and it whipped its head towards me. I immediately flattened myself, squeezing into a crack. Its gaze swept over where I had just been, paused for a few breaths, and then charged forward.

I waited until it was completely gone before emerging.

I continued westward, slowing my pace. With each step, I first tested the ground for stability, my ears attentive to the sounds around me. After about half an hour, I encountered a pile of rubble, interspersed with withered vines and broken tree trunks. This place might have once been a forest, but now only charred roots remained.

Just as I passed the pile of stones, the wind above me intensified.

I looked up to see a lizard with a wingspan of nearly a zhang swooping down from the sky. Its wings shimmered with a dark green luster, and its mouth dripped with mucus. It didn't attack directly but circled once in the air, its tail flicking out a cloud of poisonous mist.

I immediately held my breath and rolled into a hollow. The poisonous mist landed on the ground with a sizzling sound, turning the soil black and smoking. The lizard's dive was unsuccessful, and it landed on a stone pillar not far away, its claws digging into the rock, its eyes fixed on my hiding spot.

The System suddenly chimed: "Don't move. Wait until it reaches its highest point before running."

I didn't hesitate, staying still on the ground. The lizard circled twice more, and on its third ascent, it gained altitude. The moment it reached its apex, I sprang up and dashed towards a gully diagonally ahead.

A fierce gust of wind roared behind me. It sensed something was wrong and plunged down rapidly. I leaped into the gully with all my might, rolling a few times as soon as I landed, stopping only when I hit the opposite rock face. A thud echoed from above; the lizard had hit the edge of the gully, tumbled, and couldn't get up immediately.

I used the opportunity to climb out of the gully and continued forward.

The sky remained dim, making it impossible to distinguish day from night. My stamina was failing, and my steps began to falter. Finally, mountain silhouettes appeared ahead, their outlines blurred, but I could tell it was a continuous mountain range. I quickened my pace, hoping to find some shelter.

Before I even reached the foothills, the ground suddenly trembled.

A flock of eagle-like raptors took flight from the mountainside, no less than ten of them. Each was about the length of a human arm, with claws as black as iron. They formed a fan shape in the air, pressing towards me.

They flew very fast, not in a straight line, but swooping and diving alternately, forming a pincer movement. I dodged the first wave, and the second wave immediately followed, forcing me to constantly evade and preventing me from escaping.

The System prompted again: "Hold your breath and stay low. Move quickly when they reach their highest circling point."

I did as instructed, lying on the ground and suppressing my breathing. The flock of eagles circled overhead, the sound waves causing my eardrums to ache. They flew higher and higher, and on their final circle, they were almost at the top of my vision.

Now.

I suddenly got up and ran madly towards the densest part of the mountain range. The eagles reacted, turning back, but the distance was already too great. I rushed into an area of rocky terrain, squeezed into a narrow crevice, and crouched down.

The sound of flapping wings continued outside for a moment, then gradually faded.

I leaned against the rock face, gasping for breath, my body drenched and my lips dry. The wound on my left arm had reopened, bleeding more profusely. I tore off a corner of my Daoist Robe and wrapped it crudely, not daring to linger.

Continuing forward, the terrain began to change. The ground became flatter, with more grass, and a hint of coolness in the air. Ahead, the mist was thicker than elsewhere, milky white and flowing slowly, like condensed vapor that refused to dissipate.

I stopped.

This mist didn't seem natural. It was too uniform, too quiet, not even stirred by the wind. I reached out and felt the temperature drop immediately, but it wasn't biting; instead, it felt comfortable.

The System spoke at this moment: "The spiritual energy here is stable, with no hostile fluctuations. You may approach and investigate."

I slowly moved closer to the edge of the mist and crouched at the entrance. On the ground lay a patch of crystal fragments, no larger than a fingernail. Picking one up, I saw it was transparent, with a faint light flowing within. This was no ordinary mineral, at least not any I had encountered in the Primordial Wilderness.

I walked another ten steps, entering the mist.

The outside world seemed to be cut off. The sound of the wind was gone, but my heartbeat became clear. The fatigue in my body hadn't disappeared, but the restlessness in my heart had subsided, and even my breathing became smoother. The numbness in my right shoulder had lessened, and the wound no longer hurt as much.

I stopped and looked around.

The mist wasn't very thick; I could see about ten paces ahead. The ground was covered in fine sand, making no sound underfoot. On either side were low slopes with unknown plants, their leaves gray-green, their stems straight. Looking ahead, the valley extended inwards, widening as I went, and I could vaguely see a flat clearing in the center.

This place was suitable for resting.

I knew it without thinking. Such a place wouldn't appear randomly in the desolate wilds of the Primordial Wilderness. It had been arranged by someone, or it had formed naturally but had been protected by some power to this day. Whatever the case, as long as there was no hostility, it was exactly what I needed right now.

I touched the last spirit stone in my embrace.

It was still warm, but less so than before. This meant the System's protective energy was still consuming resources and hadn't been replenished, and I couldn't afford another crisis like the Chaotic Flow. But this valley, at least, offered me an opportunity.

I continued further in.

The terrain gradually rose and then fell, finally reaching the clearing. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one entrance leading to the outside. The soil in the clearing was dark, soft underfoot, as if untouched for a long time, yet free of weeds.

I stood in the center and looked around.

There were no signs of traps, no smell of blood, and no residual magical energy fluctuations. The coolness in the air persisted, as if seeping from the ground. I tried sitting down, leaning my back against a flat stone, and closed my eyes to feel.

Although the spiritual power within me was weak, its circulation was smoother than before. The pain in my wounds was slowly subsiding, and my mind was gradually recovering.

This was the place I had been looking for.

I hesitated no longer. Even if a stronger mutated beast broke in tomorrow, even if the System issued a difficult task the next second, I had to establish myself here. Without a place to settle, all cultivation is in vain.

I opened my eyes and looked towards the valley entrance.

The milky white mist swirled gently, like a curtain separating me from the desolation outside. I stood up, walked to the entrance, and picked up a few stones, arranging them on the ground in a simple warning marker. It was a primitive method, but better than doing nothing.

Then I returned to the center of the clearing and sat down cross-legged.

I didn't know when it got dark, or perhaps it was always dark. I couldn't see any stars, nor the moon. But in this valley, for the first time, I felt like I wasn't running away.

I could stay.

I had to stay.

I took out the spirit stone from my embrace and placed it in my palm. It was still glowing, albeit dimmer, but enough to last for a while. As long as the System kept giving me challenges, I could survive.

I stared at it for a long time.

Until a very faint sound reached my ears.

It sounded like someone stepping on dry leaves.