The air outside the crater was different. It didn't taste of stone and damp earth; it tasted of blood and ancient, wild magic. Li Xin—now Daoist Wu-Ji—stepped over the charred remains of a giant fern. His senses were now a hundred times sharper. He could hear the heartbeat of a spiritual insect a mile away and feel the vibration of the earth's meridians beneath his feet.
"System," Wu-Ji called out as he walked. "I need to know my location. The Honghuang is vast; I can't wander aimlessly."
[Ding! Scanning surroundings... Location identified: The Southern Border of the Central Plains, near the 'Undying Volcano' influence zone.]
Wu-Ji stopped. The Undying Volcano? That was the headquarters of the Phoenix Clan. In this era, the Phoenixes ruled the skies, the Dragons ruled the seas, and the Qilins ruled the land. He was currently in one of the most dangerous conflict zones in history.
"I need a simulation. If I continue south, what happens?"
[Ding! Consuming 5 units of Spiritual Energy. Simulation Beginning!]
[Year 1 (Day 1): You head south. You encounter a patrol of Phoenix scouts. They find your 'Chaos Aura' suspicious and burn you to ashes to 'purify' the land. Death!]
"North then."
[Year 1 (Day 2): You head north. You run into a group of 'Witch' (Wu) warriors hunting for spiritual beasts. They see your refined human form and think you are an eccentric Daoist with rare treasures. They kill you and take your stone core. Death!]
Wu-Ji wiped an imaginary sweat from his forehead. "So, I'm a walking treasure chest. I need to disguise my cultivation further. System, activate 'Dao-Shadow Masking'."
As he moved, his radiant aura dimmed. To any observer, he now looked like a wandering, low-level cultivator—a "Loose Immortal" (Sanxian) with barely any talent.
Suddenly, a series of explosions rocked the forest ahead. Trees as tall as skyscrapers toppled like toothpicks. A piercing cry, sharp enough to shatter glass, echoed through the sky.
"A Phoenix?" Wu-Ji crouched behind a glowing boulder.
High above, a bird with feathers made of crimson flames was fighting something that looked like a mountain with wings. It was a Six-Winged Earth-Eater, a beast from the Chaos era that had survived Pangu's axe. The Phoenix was clearly losing; its golden blood was raining down, turning the forest floor into a sea of fire.
[Ding! Urgent Mission: 'The Fallen Feather.']
Objective: Obtain the 'Innate Phoenix Source' from the dying Phoenix.
Reward: 500 units of Spiritual Energy and the 'Phoenix Flame Transformation' technique.
Warning: Highly dangerous. The Phoenix Clan's reinforcements are 30 minutes away.
Wu-Ji's eyes narrowed. "500 units? That's enough for fifty simulations! But I'm only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Attacking a Phoenix is suicide."
"System, run a 'Combat Simulation' for the next 10 minutes."
[Simulation Beginning!]
[Minute 1: You rush in. The Earth-Eater beast steps on you. You die.]
[Minute 2: You wait for them to kill each other. The Phoenix self-detonates. You are caught in the blast. You die.]
[Minute 5: You use 'Innate Gravity' to bury yourself under the exact spot where the Phoenix will fall. As it dies, you use the 'Chaos Shadow' to siphon its energy through the earth without showing your face. You succeed! But the Earth-Eater beast senses you and eats the ground you are in. You die.]
"Wait... if I can redirect the Earth-Eater's attention..."
Wu-Ji looked at his surroundings. He found a nest of Azure-Scale Vipers nearby. These snakes were famous for their poisonous mist that even immortals feared.
"One more simulation!"
[Simulation Beginning!]
[Minute 10: You lure the Vipers toward the Earth-Eater using your 'Innate Dew' aura. The beast is distracted by the poison. You steal the Phoenix source and vanish into the 'River of Eternal Sorrow' using your obsidian weight to sink to the bottom. You survive!]
"Let's go."
Wu-Ji moved like a ghost. He didn't use his Qi; he used the raw physical strength of his Chaos body. He grabbed a handful of the Vipers—each one ten meters long—and threw them into the path of the Earth-Eater beast with the force of a catapult.
ROAR!
The Earth-Eater beast, a creature of low intelligence but immense power, felt the sting of the vipers' poison. It turned its massive head away from the falling Phoenix to crush the annoying snakes.
Now!
The Phoenix crashed into the earth with a sound like a falling star. Wu-Ji was already there, hidden by the thick smoke. He saw the beautiful, dying bird. Its eyes were filled with pride and sorrow.
"I am sorry, noble bird," Wu-Ji whispered. "But in this world, your death is my life."
He placed his hand on the Phoenix's chest. He didn't take its life—it was already gone—he took its Innate Source, a small, burning pearl of fire.
[Ding! Source Acquired! Reward: 500 Units!]
Wu-Ji didn't wait to celebrate. He felt the sky trembling. The Phoenix Clan was coming. Hundreds of fiery streaks were visible on the horizon.
He dove into the nearby river, his heavy obsidian heart pulling him down like an anchor. He activated his concealment technique and became a "rock" once more at the bottom of the silty water.
Minutes later, the area was flooded with power. Several Phoenixes, each the size of a city, hovered over the crater. Their heat was so intense the river began to boil.
"Who dared?!" a voice boomed, shaking the very foundations of the earth. "Who dared to steal the source of a Royal Phoenix?!"
Under the water, Wu-Ji felt the heat, but his Chaos body absorbed it, converting the pain into raw energy. He lay perfectly still. He was a stone. He was the silt. He was nothing.
After hours of searching, the Phoenixes, unable to find a trace of the thief (because the 'Heavenly Aura Concealment' was a Saint-level technique), took the body of their fallen kin and left.
Wu-Ji emerged from the water ten miles downstream. He was exhausted, but his eyes were burning with a new light.
"System," he said, his voice trembling with excitement. "Open the Exchange Shop. With 500 units, I want to buy the first 'Formation' for my Heaven-Veiling Pavilion."
[Ding! Opening Shop...]
Option A: 'Illusionary Fog of the Void' (100 units).
Option B: 'Nine-Dragon Fire Array' (400 units).
Option C: 'The Hidden Mountain Seed' (500 units).
"Option C," Wu-Ji said without hesitation. "I don't need a weapon yet. I need a home that no one can find."
[Ding! Purchase Successful. You have acquired 'The Hidden Mountain Seed'. An portable space that can be planted in any mountain to create a hidden Grotto-Heaven.]
Wu-Ji looked at the small, brown seed in his hand. This was his first step toward becoming a "Chess Player" in the Honghuang. He wasn't just a survivor anymore; he was a landlord in the most dangerous neighborhood in the universe.
"Next stop," he looked toward the misty peaks of the Kunlun Mountains. "I need to find a place to plant this seed and start my true cultivation."