Mountain villages, reclusive people

The Cangwu Mountain Range rolled on continuously, with ancient trees reaching for the sky and vines tangled everywhere. Unlike the lush, Spiritual Qi-rich celestial mountains and blessed lands in Nightmare's knowledge, the forests here exuded a primitive, barbaric sense of heaviness. The "Spiritual Qi" in the air was thin and inert, as if bound by invisible shackles within the mountains, rivers, and vegetation, making it impossible to absorb even a fraction.

Supported by Medicine Old Man, Nightmare walked through the forest. His body remained weak; his Chaos Dao Foundation, having just formed, was like a newly lit spark, providing only enough strength for him to barely walk, yet unable to support any strenuous activity. The cracks in the [rule fragment] had healed for the most part, but his deductive abilities had not yet recovered, allowing only for basic internal observation and management of his storage space.

As he walked, Nightmare instinctively operated the Primordial Theory, observing this Land of Absolute Spirit. He discovered that the structure of the vegetation and rocks here was exceptionally dense and stable, and the life forms seemed to have undergone some evolution to adapt to this low-energy environment, focusing more on physical resilience and survival skills.

"According to our ancestors, our lineage moved to the periphery of this Cangwu Mountain Range to escape the wars and upheavals at the end of the ancient era, and we have lived here for generations," Medicine Old Man said, leaning on his wooden staff as he led the way and introduced the place to Nightmare. "The village is not large, with about a hundred households, mostly living by hunting, gathering medicinal herbs, and simple farming. Everyone... is quite xenophobic, especially towards people from outside the mountains."

There was a hint of warning in Medicine Old Man's tone. Nightmare's [rule fragment] stirred slightly, and he noted this. Xenophobia meant he needed to be more cautious.

After crossing two mountain ridges, the view suddenly opened up. A relatively flat valley appeared before them. In the valley, scattered dwellings built of stone and wood, with roofs covered in thatch or animal skins, were distributed sparsely. A clear stream meandered past the edge of the village. As dusk approached, wisps of cooking smoke rose, bringing a touch of Mortal life.

This was the village Medicine Old Man had spoken of—Shiquan Village.

The perimeter of the village was enclosed by a simple fence made of thick wooden stakes, and at the entrance stood sturdy men guarding with crude iron spears. Seeing Medicine Old Man, they bowed respectfully: "Grandpa Medicine, you've returned!" Their gazes immediately fell upon Nightmare, filled with unconcealed vigilance and scrutiny.

"Mm, I've returned. This is young friend Ye, a distressed traveler I encountered in the mountains. He is severely injured, so I brought him back to recuperate for a few days," Medicine Old Man explained indifferently, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable air.

The guards exchanged glances. It was clear they held Medicine Old Man in high regard, so they did not ask further and cleared the way, though their gazes fixed on Nightmare remained full of suspicion.

Entering the village, low-slung houses lined the dirt road. Some villagers were busy working and greeted Medicine Old Man as they saw him, while simultaneously casting curious, guarded, and even implicitly hostile gazes at Nightmare, the strange outsider. The children's playful noises also ceased abruptly upon his arrival; they hid behind their elders, secretly sizing up the stranger in tattered black robes with a pale complexion.

Nightmare's [rule fragment] calmly perceived all of this. Most of the villagers were physically robust, with Qi and blood more vigorous than ordinary Mortals, but there was no systematic energy circulation within their bodies. Only a few men dressed as hunters nurtured a weak and pure "Qi" within them, similar to the path of a Body Cultivator, but at a very low level. The entire village was shrouded in an atmosphere of near-absolute "Land of Absolute Spirit."

"It seems the Human Race of this world, in order to survive in the Land of Absolute Spirit, has developed a path biased towards Body Refining, but it seems... the Legacy is incomplete, and the upper limit is not high," Nightmare's [rule fragment] analyzed silently.

Medicine Old Man's residence was in a corner of the village against the mountain, a stone house with a small courtyard where various medicinal herbs were drying, emitting a mixed, fresh fragrance.

"My humble abode is simple; I hope young friend Ye does not mind." Medicine Old Man pushed open the wooden door and led Nightmare inside. The interior was simply furnished with one bed, one table, and a few wooden stumps acting as stools. Some dried herbs and animal bones hung on the walls, and while some miscellaneous items were piled in the corner, it was kept spotlessly clean.

"You are too kind, old sir. To have a place to stay, I am already deeply grateful," Nightmare thanked him sincerely. Although there were many supplies within his [rule fragment] space, most had their effectiveness greatly reduced under the rules of this world; a stable environment was crucial for him.

Medicine Old Man arranged for Nightmare to rest on the only bed, while he himself began to light a fire and cook. He took out some dried meat and wild vegetables, and fetched fresh water from the stream by the village, his movements skillful and natural.

Night fell quickly, and the light of the oil lamp danced within the stone house.

The two sat around the wooden table, eating a simple meal. Medicine Old Man looked at Nightmare and mused, "Young friend Ye, the villagers have lived in the mountains for a long time and rarely see outsiders; they are a bit straightforward in nature. If there is any offense, I hope you will be understanding."

"It is of no matter," Nightmare shook his head. "In extraordinary places, one does extraordinary things; it is understandable."

"Your injuries have not yet healed, so please rest here with peace of mind for the next few days. There is a hot spring behind the village that is beneficial for relaxing muscles and bones; I can take you to see it tomorrow," Medicine Old Man said, then his tone shifted slightly, carrying a hint of seriousness. "However, there are a few places in the village that you had best not approach."

"Oh? Please enlighten me, old sir."

"First is the ancestral hall in the center of the village, which is where the villagers worship their ancestors; outsiders are not permitted to enter. Second is the vicinity of the home of Hunter Han, who lives alone on the west end of the village; he... has a somewhat eccentric temperament and does not like to be disturbed. Third is the Back Mountain Forbidden Land, which is the resting place of generations of ancestors and is also a place strictly forbidden by village rules." Medicine Old Man spoke slowly.

Nightmare's [rule fragment] noted down each of these pieces of information. The ancestral hall, the eccentric hunter, the Back Mountain Forbidden Land... This seemingly peaceful little village seemed to hide some unknown secrets. As a newcomer, he naturally would not proactively touch these taboos.

"I have noted them down, and I will certainly abide by the village rules."

After the meal, Medicine Old Man checked Nightmare's injuries and applied some medicinal herbs again. Nightmare could feel that under the rules of this place, the nourishing effect of these herbs on his Chaos Dao Foundation was indeed better than the remaining medicinal power of those high-grade Medicinal Pills within his [rule fragment] space, seemingly more in tune with the "Dao" of this world.

Deep in the night, Medicine Old Man set up a simple floor mat in the next room and went to sleep.

Nightmare sat cross-legged on the bed, not falling asleep. His [rule fragment] performed internal observation, guiding the weak Chaos Qi vortex, slowly absorbing the vitality released by the world tree seedling and the spatial charm emanating from the void lotus seed, while simultaneously using the Primordial Theory to continuously analyze and adapt to the underlying rules of this world, consolidating his nascent Chaos Dao Foundation.

His Divine Sense extended outward cautiously, avoiding the few forbidden places Medicine Old Man had warned about, roughly perceiving the entire village.

Most of the villagers had already rested, their Qi and blood calm. But at the west end of the village, he faintly sensed an aura as condensed and ferocious as a lurking Vicious Beast; that must be Hunter Han. And in the direction of the Back Mountain Forbidden Land, his [rule fragment] actually sensed a trace of a ripple that was extremely obscure, yet of the same origin as the ancient fragment Medicine Old Man possessed, but even more ancient and vast!

"It really is not simple..." Nightmare's [rule fragment] stirred slightly, and he withdrew his Divine Sense.

He looked out the window; Shiquan Village under the moonlight was quiet and ordinary. But he knew that this Land of Absolute Spirit, this tiny village, was likely far from as ordinary as it appeared on the surface.

Here, perhaps, would be the first whetstone for his Chaos Dao Foundation.