Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

The third night.

This is the last night.

If we can just get through tonight, we can leave this awful place.

But the closer it gets to the end, the stronger the fear becomes. Everyone knows that the first two nights are just an appetizer; the real test often comes on the last night.

Li Xiaoyao remained seated against the wall, his expression indifferent.

In his consciousness, the "thing" in the well was violently agitated. Tonight, it wouldn't just be conducting a simple patrol.

Night falls.

The sizzling sound started almost instantly, ten times faster than the previous two nights. The white figure rushed out of the basement and frantically climbed the stairs at an astonishing speed.

First floor, second floor, third floor, fourth floor...

Without stopping, it rushed straight to the fifth floor and then into one of the rooms—the place where a survivor had secretly moved to hide the night before.

A scream rang out, lasting only a second.

Then, the thing continued down to the second floor.

It lay in the corridor and slowly crawled towards us.

Sizzle—sizzle—

This time, it didn't stop at the door, but went straight through the door blocked by tables and chairs!

The tables and chairs collapsed with a crash, and a white figure appeared in the doorway.

Screams erupted; some people collapsed to the ground in terror, others retreated frantically, and still others covered their eyes, unable to watch.

The thing, with disheveled hair and twisted limbs, slowly raised its head—

A deathly pale face, eye sockets without pupils, and a mouth smeared with blood.

It began to crawl towards the crowd.

"ah--!"

The young man at the very front was grabbed by it, and before he could even let out a scream, he collapsed limply to the ground. His soul was ripped out, and his body became an empty shell.

The thing dropped the corpse and continued crawling toward its next target.

Amid the chaos, Li Xiaoyao stood up.

Instead of retreating, he walked towards the thing.

"Are you crazy!" the bespectacled young man exclaimed.

Li Xiaoyao ignored him.

He walked up to the white figure, stopped, and looked down at it.

The thing also raised its head, its pale face facing him, its empty eye sockets seemingly "looking" at him.

The human and the ghost stared at each other for a full three seconds.

Then, the thing slowly lowered its head, bypassed him, and continued crawling toward the people behind it.

Li Xiaoyao stood still, motionless.

The people behind him were all stunned.

That thing... you didn't touch it?

"Run!"

Someone shouted, and the rest of the people rushed towards the door.

Li Xiaoyao didn't run; he just watched quietly as the thing chased after the crowd and devoured two more people.

Three minutes later, the thing finally stopped and slowly retreated into the darkness.

The third night has ended.

When the morning light shone in again, the survivors collapsed to the ground, trembling.

Li Xiaoyao stood by the window, watching the sky outside gradually brighten.

Eight people, three died.

Finally, five remained—including the young man with glasses, a middle-aged woman, a silent youth, a trembling girl, and Li Xiaoyao.

The three old men emerged from somewhere and glanced at the survivor.

"Five." Zhou Hu nodded. "Not bad, more than expected."

He looked at Li Xiaoyao, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

He saw what happened last night. Why didn't that thing touch him?

But he didn't ask, he just said calmly, "Mission complete, preparing to return."

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone's vision blurred.

The next moment, they found themselves in a pure white space.

A cold, mechanical voice rang out:

[Beginner World "Sadako" Completed, Number of Survivors: 5]

[Task settlement in progress...]

Congratulations on completing your first task! You have earned 200 points.

[Individual Performance Rating: A (Hidden)]

[Bonus Rewards: Attribute Points +2, Skill Points +1]

[Shortly transported to Paradise Plaza...]

Li Xiaoyao felt his body lighten, and the scene before him changed again.

This time, he appeared in a huge square.

The square is surrounded by countless towering buildings, shimmering with light and exuding a futuristic feel. People come and go, some hurrying along, some stopping to chat, and others setting up stalls to sell various things.

In the center of the square, a huge light screen floats, displaying various messages:

"Recruiting for a Tier 3 world zombie siege, need one DPS, DM me if interested!"

"Selling Tier 2 Enhancement Potions, Price Negotiable!"

"Level 5 expert team, guaranteed clear, newbies please do not disturb!"

……

Li Xiaoyao looked at everything before him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Paradise of the Gods.

he came.

"Hey, new here?"

A voice came from the side. Li Xiaoyao turned his head and saw a young man in loose sportswear waving at him.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties, with a kind smile on his face. His aura was probably at the early stage of Foundation Establishment—according to the Paradise's algorithm, he should be at the second or third level.

"Just finished the tutorial world?"

A young man walked over and said, "Judging from your blank look, is this your first time in the square?"

Li Xiaoyao nodded, feigning a slight embarrassment: "Yes...yes."

"Don't be nervous, I was like that too," the young man laughed. "My name is Lin Zixuan, a Tier 3 player, and I've been here for two years. Want me to explain the rules to you? Don't worry, it's free."

Li Xiaoyao's mind raced, and a look of gratitude appeared on his face: "Thank you so much."

Lin Zixuan waved his hand and led him towards the edge of the square, introducing the area as they walked:

"This is Paradise Plaza, the rest area for all players after completing a world."

"See that big screen in the center of the square? That's the quest board; it shows all sorts of team information and trade details."

"You can pay to have it pinned to the top, or you can post it for free, but the free ones get quickly scrolled down."

He pointed to the towering buildings around him: "Those are the functional areas. The most conspicuous golden building is the mall, where you can buy anything with points—bloodlines, skills, equipment, attribute points, as long as you have enough points."

"That blue building next door is the personal room area. Each player has their own private space, which can be customized for free."

"That domed one over there is the training ground, where you can practice in various simulated scenarios. It costs points."

Li Xiaoyao nodded and noted them down one by one.

Lin Zixuan added, "Oh, right, there's one more crucial place—the Gate of the World."

"Do you see that pillar of light at the deepest part of the plaza? That's the entrance to the world."

"Normally you can come and go freely, but once you accept a mission, you will be forcibly teleported. Newcomers may not be used to it at first, but they will get used to it after a few times."

"How do I accept the mission?" Li Xiaoyao asked.

"Two approaches."

Lin Zixuan held up two fingers, "One is to go to the mission board and find it yourself. There are various worlds to choose from, and the difficulty, type, and rewards are all clearly marked."

"Secondly, you can be randomly matched by the system, which usually offers higher rewards, but also carries greater risks. Newcomers are advised to start with easier matches and avoid being greedy."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Also, never believe those who say they can guarantee a pass for newbies; nine out of ten are scammers. Real experts leading teams wouldn't be shouting about it in the square."

Li Xiaoyao nodded thoughtfully.

The two walked to the edge of the square, and Lin Zixuan pointed to rows of buildings of different styles: "That's the trading area, where you can set up stalls to sell things. You can exchange any unused items or equipment you find in the world for points or other items you need."

"The arena is right next door, where players can spar and gamble for points, but beginners should avoid it; it's too risky."

He patted Li Xiaoyao on the shoulder: "That's about it. Anything else you want to ask?"

Li Xiaoyao thought for a moment and said, "Um... I don't quite understand the personal attribute panel. Could you explain it to me again?"

Lin Zixuan laughed: "That's simple. You bring up the panel and look at those basic attributes—strength, agility, constitution, and spirit. These are universal across all worlds."

"Each level up grants one free attribute point, which can be allocated to any attribute. How you allocate it depends on your playstyle."

"If you like melee combat, focus on increasing Strength and Constitution; if you like guns or agility, increase Agility; if you're into the supernatural or magic-based classes, increase Spirit."

"Skills can be purchased from the shop or learned in the world. After learning a skill, you need to use skill points to upgrade it, which are given for leveling up, or you can exchange them for points. In short, points are omnipotent."

Li Xiaoyao nodded, then asked, "Then... what about levels? I think I'm still a newbie, how do I advance?"

"Complete world quests and gain experience."

Lin Zixuan said, "For each world you complete, the system will give you experience based on your performance. Once you have enough experience, you will advance to the next level."

"From a newbie to Tier 1, it usually takes one or two worlds. From Tier 1 to Tier 2, it might take three to five. It gets increasingly difficult after that."

He sighed, "I've been grinding for two years and only reached Tier 3. Those top players at Tier 5 and Tier 6 have probably cleared countless worlds."

Li Xiaoyao seemed to be deep in thought.

It took him two years to reach the third tier... This upgrade speed is slower than he imagined.

It seems that the park's rules do indeed restrict many things.

"By the way," Lin Zixuan suddenly asked, "which newbie world did you play?"

Li Xiaoyao said, "Sadako."

Lin Zixuan raised an eyebrow: "Sadako? That kind of supernatural being? The survival rate isn't high. It's good that you survived."

Li Xiaoyao humbly replied, "I was lucky."

Lin Zixuan smiled and didn't ask any further questions. He took out a small tag from his pocket and handed it to Li Xiaoyao: "This is my contact code. You can contact me if you need anything. But there's a fee for contacting me, ten points per call, no cheating."

Li Xiaoyao accepted the plaque and thanked him.

Lin Zixuan waved his hand, turned around and disappeared into the crowd.