Chapter 2: Phoenix Perch Valley

Chapter 2: Phoenix Perch Valley

All right, the golden finger had actually arrived when I first transmigrated, but since it hadn't officially activated, all I knew was that it was a sign-in and check-in system.

Once the system was formally enabled, I could sign in once per day in the main world. Discovering a new location would refresh the available sign-in count and grant an additional check-in. The system would then award different items based on the sign-in and check-in location.

"Chieftain, what should we do now? Everyone is waiting for your decision!"

A burly man emerged from the group of humans, gripping a wooden club in his hand, and approached Li Hongshen.

Li Hongshen quickly realized that this was a common scenario for subjects inside the Lord's Trial.

The trial would grant the lord an initial identity and the ability to speak the tribe's dialect—chieftain, village head, and so on—along with initial authority. This authority made it much easier for the lord to command the first batch of subjects. The dialect skill allowed for better communication.

Checking the information provided by the Lord's Trial in his mind, Li Hongshen knew their original tribe had been destroyed by a tsunami. The people were swept onto this island by the sea. Now, he led his tribe, searching for a suitable camp to rebuild their home.

He had already prepared himself for this. The arrangement of the Lord's Trial was usually like this: on islands, it was tsunamis and typhoons; on the mainland, often earthquakes or blizzards; in deserts, sandstorms. In short, there was always a well-crafted reason.

Li Hongshen had already chosen a location—to establish a camp in a valley to the east. He looked over his tribespeople again.

There were old and young, but most were in their prime. Among them were a dozen or so burly men armed with wooden clubs and stone-tipped spears—clearly the tribe's warriors. The rest were empty-handed and solitary.

"We head east. I’ve heard the calls of birds there. If we can tame them, they’ll be our food supply. Then, we can rebuild our home in that place."

With that, Li Hongshen led his people along the stream, heading toward the valley he remembered.

They set out just as the sun rose in the east and kept walking until noon. After crossing a rubber forest, Li Hongshen’s eyes suddenly brightened.

Ahead lay a small, open plain stretching toward a valley shaped like a squared-off "C".

"Five-star Natural Wonder: Phoenix Perch Valley," appeared in his vision. Finally, Li Hongshen breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face his tribe.

"My people, we have arrived. This will be our new home."

He then took the lead, running toward the valley. The tribespeople, filled with both nervousness and excitement, ran after him.

Standing at the mouth of the valley, Li Hongshen surveyed Phoenix Perch Valley. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, the valley as seen from above was gourd-shaped, with a single exit at the neck of the valley.

At the northern end, a spring cascaded down the mountain, forming a waterfall and a small lake. The overflow from the lake became a stream that followed the terrain, running southward through the valley’s entrance, across the woods, and onward to the sea.

As he entered, the entire landscape unfolded before him: lush groves of phoenix trees covering the slopes, birds flitting about, and on the ground, phoenix hens wandering among the roots. The scene left Li Hongshen deeply moved.

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"Name: Phoenix Perch Valley
Type: Valley, Natural Wonder
Grade: Five Stars
Effect: Accelerates the growth of plants and birds within the valley."

—

"Name: Phoenix Hen
Type: Bird
Effect: Dual-purpose breed for both eggs and meat, feeds on seeds and fruits of the phoenix tree, grows quickly, has a strong appetite, and high disease resistance.
Its meat is tender, delicious, nutritious, rich but not greasy."

Li Hongshen drew in a sharp breath. The gods had truly favored him. With this valley, his Lord’s Trial would become much easier.

Besides the valley, the island was covered in tall trees—excellent building materials.

Li Hongshen did not venture further inside but set up camp at the valley entrance, where there was a stream, woodland, and bird resources.

It was breezy and dry, with the valley mouth forming a natural barrier. For a tribe of just over a hundred, this was a rare and perfect place.

"We will build our camp here. This will be our new beginning. Warriors, form teams of four, scout the surrounding area, and hunt for game.

The other men should gather branches and stones to make fire, bake the ground, and craft stone and wooden tools.

Women, work in teams to collect fruits and mushrooms, digging up the mushrooms with their surrounding soil, but do not eat any yet.

Bring everything back for me to check. Keep each type of mushroom separate, and do not mix their roots together.

No one is to go deep into the woods—stay within the valley, be careful, and make sure to return before sunset."

With these instructions, the tribe scattered and began their tasks.

Li Hongshen had seen no large predators during his initial survey of the valley, but snakes and insects could not be ruled out.

One careless mistake could bring unnecessary losses to the tribe. In this trial, population was crucial.

Every year, some would fail the trial because they neglected their people’s safety, leading to rebellion and failure.

The trial only granted the lord authority and identity—these were not absolute. If a lord performed poorly, the people would naturally overthrow him for their own survival.

After all, none of the candidates could see any special information during the trial—loyalty, talents, and so forth remained invisible.

Only by passing the Lord’s Trial, obtaining the Lord’s Heart, and awakening their innate lordly talent could they access such information via the domain’s rules.

"System, sign in!"

"Ding! Congratulations, you have received the Tribal Survival Gift Pack: twenty machetes, twenty hunting bows, and one hundred arrows."

Stunned, Li Hongshen hurried to inspect the items.

"Name: Machete
Type: Weapon
Effect: Standard weapon. Ordinary toughness, ordinary sharpness."

"Name: Hunting Bow
Type: Weapon
Effect: Effective range of one hundred meters, ordinary toughness."

Li Hongshen felt incredibly lucky. Although these weapons were simple, and he could eventually craft better ones once he tapped the island’s resources, they were already a huge upgrade compared to the crude stone tools currently in use.

Sure, the machete was just a wooden handle with an iron sheet, but it was still iron.

The hunting bow was little more than a bent bamboo staff with a bowstring made from hemp rope mixed with rubber, but at least it was a ranged weapon.

With these, he felt confident about clearing the surrounding areas early on, making the tribe much safer.

(End of chapter)