He Mu distributed several packages to the three of them and reminded them again, “Everything you need is inside. Be careful with your belongings. We’ll be spending the next twenty-four hours here, and we can only return to modern society at this same time tomorrow.”
Lu Shiyan glanced at his phone: 10:41 a.m.
“As I mentioned earlier, primitive tribes aren’t exactly friendly, and surviving here poses certain challenges. But it’s not as terrifying as it sounds. As long as you don’t lose your Traveler’s Passes, the Yuanmou Man won’t actively attack us.”
“Let’s get off the bus.”
Although the three of them felt some apprehension about this primitive world—
Time travel!
They had truly traveled back in time—an event far rarer than winning the lottery jackpot.
What they felt more was excitement. Their Traveler’s Passes were numbered 1–3, meaning they were the first group to travel through time, the pioneers of ancient-modern travel!
First come, first served. While others were still calling He Mu a fraud, they were already experiencing it firsthand!
Each carrying their supplies, they stepped off the bus. In the next moment, the minibus that had been wedged between two towering trees vanished instantly.
Given that time travel was already a reality, the shock of a Vehicle Vanishing Technique seemed far less jarring. After a brief moment of surprise, Lu Shiyan quickly accepted it.
Su Miaomiao and her brother Su Mu, however, were momentarily stunned, looking at He Mu with disbelief.
He Mu had already learned from the system that the vehicle would be reclaimed, so she wasn’t surprised. Her expression remained calm as she explained, “Don’t worry. Since we don’t need the vehicle for now, it’s just being temporarily reclaimed.”
Her composure only deepened the Su siblings’ impression of her as mysterious and powerful.
Su Miaomiao had already begun imagining He Mu as an invincible being capable of conquering heaven and earth.
Su Mu asked, “When we go back, will we also take the bus?”
He Mu nodded. “The vehicle will come to pick us up on time. So, we mustn’t get separated. If anyone is left behind, they’ll be erased by the World’s Rule.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the system’s voice echoed in her ears.
[Ding! Sightseeing Mission triggered: Lead tourists to admire the beauty of primitive society and participate in the Yuanmou Man’s hunting activities.]
[Mission success reward: One Low-Grade Ginseng Fruit.]
He Mu asked in her mind, “Does the Ginseng Fruit have the same effects as the one in Journey to the West? Blooming once every three thousand years, bearing fruit once every three thousand years, and ripening once every three thousand years? Just smelling it adds three hundred and sixty years to one’s lifespan, and eating one grants forty-seven thousand years of life?”
[It’s not that exaggerated. Such treasures won’t fall into your hands.]
He Mu: “…”
So, such Immortal-grade items existed, but she wasn’t qualified for them?
[This item can extend lifespan, enhance physical constitution, and restore vitality.]
It could help Grandma!
This thought instantly flashed through He Mu’s mind, fueling her determination even more.
The four of them, carrying their backpacks, walked out of the forest. The smell of decay gradually faded, and as they emerged, they found themselves in a grassy field. An unprecedented, refreshing fragrance filled their nostrils, making them feel light and euphoric.
The others felt it too.
Lu Shiyan spread his arms, basking in the warm sunlight and gentle breeze. He closed his eyes slightly, intoxicated, and said, “This is 1.7 million years ago. Could this be Spiritual Qi?”
Spiritual Qi?
Su Mu laughed. “Have you been reading too many novels?”
He Mu and Su Miaomiao couldn’t help but chuckle.
Their minds all flashed back to Lu Shiyan dozing off during evening self-study, suddenly shouting, “This Daoist has succeeded!”
The homeroom teacher was so furious his face turned ashen. He dragged Lu Shiyan to the podium to stand as punishment for the entire evening study session.
But Lu Shiyan, that guy, treated the podium like a stage, striking poses there. Lu Shiyan was the school heartthrob, after all. Though this heartthrob wasn’t aloof and was a bit eccentric, who could resist when he unleashed his charm-demon skills?
The girls’ eyes sparkled, the guys cursed his shamelessness, and no one had any mind left for evening self-study.
The homeroom teacher was filled with regret.
But back to the matter at hand. At this moment, Lu Shiyan shot Su Mu a glance and retorted, “Don’t tell me you guys don’t feel that light, euphoric sensation?”
Su Mu didn’t argue further; clearly, he felt it too.
Su Miaomiao held onto He Mu’s arm. “It really is a bit. Altitude sickness, maybe? The air purity here is incredibly high.”
He Mu pulled a mask from her bag. “Wear a mask to ease it a bit?”
The others thought it was a good suggestion and all put on masks.
While others wear masks to guard against viruses or because the air feels stale, they were wearing them because the air was too good to handle.
The masks didn’t help much either. The lightheaded feeling didn’t disappear, but it was slightly alleviated—better than nothing.
He Mu was good at extrapolating. She was already considering that if this were poisonous gas, they’d all be done for.
She couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed. They’d been too hasty; their travel preparations weren’t thorough enough.
A bit anxiously, He Mu privately contacted the system. “Is this environment harmful to us? Like, the air here?”
The system coldly tossed back a sentence.
[You should be secretly rejoicing. This place is abundant with Spiritual Qi, greatly beneficial for mortals like you from later eras.]
Holy crap.
It really was Spiritual Qi!
If she brought her grandma here, wouldn’t they skip treatment altogether? Just absorb the Spiritual Qi and be cured?
He Mu quickly asked again, “If we stay here long enough, could we become Immortals?”
[Is cultivating to Immortality that easy? Besides, you can only stay for one day. At most, it’ll improve your physique a bit.]
He Mu immediately took off her mask and took deep, gulping breaths of the air.
Su Miaomiao was somewhat puzzled. “Mumu, what’s wrong?”
He Mu: “…”
Before He Mu could speak, she heard the system add languidly.
[Spiritual Qi is good, but vessels differ, capacities differ. Continuously absorbing it with nowhere to store it? Be careful of exploding and dying.]
Holy crap!
He Mu deftly put her mask back on and said weakly, “It’s nothing. Let’s keep going.”
Small animals occasionally appeared in the grassland, but they avoided them from afar. One Five-Colored Spotted Deer vanished from sight the moment it was glimpsed.
Lu Shiyan kept exclaiming, “Holy crap! That deer looks exactly like a Divine Deer I saw in a book before!”
He Mu chimed in, “A book? A proper book?”
Su Miaomiao also said, “It wouldn’t be a comic adapted from a novel, would it? How can you possibly compare it to a little deer from 1.7 million years ago? Don’t tell me you’ve gotten delusional from absorbing too much Spiritual Qi.”
Su Miaomiao emphasized the words “Spiritual Qi,” teasing Lu Shiyan about his earlier claim that the air contained Spiritual Qi.
Lu Shiyan’s mouth twitched. “You two have said enough.”
The Divine Deer was nowhere to be seen, but the vultures that lingered persistently overhead day after day were unnerving. It felt like they were watching from the sky, ready to strike their prey at any moment.
He Mu checked again to make sure the Electronic Beast Repeller was functioning normally. Seeing the green light still on, she felt a bit more at ease.
A short distance ahead lay a broad river, its waters so clear one could see the bottom. Fish of various sizes swam among the emerald-green aquatic plants, while several female Yuanmou Man on the bank were using large leaves to scoop up river water.
Their clothing consisted of roughly tied, uneven animal hides covering their chests, abdomens, and limbs—their sense of style limited to mere coverage and sun protection.
Several Yuanmou Man children hopped about on the grass, using both hands and feet as they tried to catch grasshoppers.
The women gazed at the children with tender affection, a motherly love no different from that of later generations.
Suddenly, a vulture in the sky swooped down with determined force, its target locked—the Yuanmou Man child.