Wilderness Survival with Druid System

After discussing three major difficulties, Xu Qiang said, ”These are just the most common challenges. In fact, on the plateau, there are also strong winds, extreme weather, wild animal attacks, and so on.”

”When I participated in the challenge at the time, it was purely a stroke of luck. While crossing Qiangtang, I met two hikers who were also crossing Qiangtang together, and by exploiting a loophole in the rules, I teamed up with them and eventually completed the challenge. But now you’re not allowed to team up with outsiders, and if I were doing it now, I doubt I could get through that phase.”

Currently, the Mountain Challenge is a solo challenge that forbids participants from cooperating with outsiders for survival.

However, collaboration between participants is not prohibited.

The condition is that participants can find each other.

Qiangtang, its full name is Qiangtang Plateau.

It is an important part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, situated in the heart of the plateau, and is the world’s highest inland lake district, the second largest lake district in Hua Country, and the largest internal drainage area on the plateau.

In Tibetan, the full name of Qiangtang is ”Qiangdongmen Melongdong,” which means ”Northern High Plain.”

This is a very broad concept.

The range of Qiangtang is roughly north of the Gangdise-Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain ranges and south of the Kunlun Mountains.

It extends eastwards to the watershed of the inner and outer drainage areas at about 91°E longitude and ends west at the national border.

It is approximately 760 kilometers at its widest point from north to south and about 1200 kilometers long from east to west.

The area covers 597,000 square kilometers, accounting for one-fourth of the total area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Such a vast area.

However, the scope of the Mountain Challenge is not the entire Qiangtang, but rather the Qiangtang Nature Reserve.

Even though it’s smaller, the area is still huge, with a total area of 298,000 square kilometers.

A large part of the reserve is inhabited, but generally speaking, participants won’t encounter them.

In the past few years, to make more space for wildlife activities, the local forestry department organized high-altitude resettlement work for the residents.

Ensuring a better life for the herders while also reducing the population in the Qiangtang reserve once again.

Now, Qiangtang is completely the home of wildlife on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

And the rules of the Mountain Challenge follow those of Qiangtang.

Participants carry five basic supplies—a water bottle, food (three portable rations), a rope, a fire starter, and a dagger—and can choose three additional items.

Eight items in total, which is two more than the Desert Extreme Challenge.

Apart from the supplies, the rules for Qiangtang are also very simple.

Participants are randomly air-dropped into the outskirts of Qiangtang.

They must then use the supplies they carry to survive in Qiangtang for nearly fifty days, accumulating resources.

Afterward, participants need to cross Qiangtang to reach the uninhabited core area of Qiangtang.

A brutal elimination competition takes place in the uninhabited area, and after one hundred days, the remaining participants are the victors.

According to the rules, each participant must eliminate at least one other participant to successfully complete the challenge.

Xu Qiang said, ”When I took the challenge, I got really lucky and came across a participant who’d been attacked by others, so I was able to eliminate him easily and complete the challenge.”

Chen Wen nodded, ”You were indeed quite lucky.”

Xu Qiang continued to speak about some other minor rules: ”Each person’s hunting is limited, especially for large prey.”

”Our country’s current animal protection policies are effective. During our challenge, hunting was permitted in Qiangtang, but some animals were strictly prohibited from being hunted, and large animals have restricted hunting numbers.”

”Let me give a few simple examples. The Tibetan wild ass is off-limits, snow leopards and wolves, among other medium and small carnivores, are strictly off-limits, with the exception of wild Tibetan mastiffs and wild dogs. A blue bear, also known as the Tibetan brown bear, can be hunted at most once, Tibetan antelopes once, and wild yaks only one.”

”As for the marmots and pika, these animals have proliferated severely, so there are no restrictions on them.”

Chen Wen nodded.

He had also read this information earlier.

”But in reality, even without restrictions, it’s tough to hunt large animals.”

Xu Qiang said with a wry smile, ”Qiangtang has no cover; you could say it’s an open plain, so before we discover large animals, they’ve already spotted us and decided to avoid us. My last hunting mainly involved pika and marmots, oh, and crows.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Wen nodded seriously.

He had realized this aspect while reviewing the information earlier.

The challenge of hunting medium to large prey in Qiangtang is quite high.

After discussing the difficulties of hunting, Xu Qiang continued, ”In the last fifty days, or more accurately, the last ten days are the toughest part of this survival challenge.”

”The initial scattered starting points made it exceedingly difficult for participants to meet in the first eighty days, and since the challenge requires eliminating someone, the last twenty days, especially the final ten days, if you find any sign of humans, you must be extremely cautious. Many times, if someone is not a trustworthy teammate, you need to be careful even with someone from your own country!”

Chen Wen nodded again; he also realized that the last twenty days, particularly the final ten days, were the most brutal part.

After Xu Qiang finished discussing the difficulties.

Liu Yu, who was standing by, asked, ”Do you still want to challenge Qiangtang now?”

Chen Wen nodded, ”I’ll give it a shot. I have a resurrection armor, after all, and even if I fail, it’s experience gained, and I don’t think the chances of failure are high. For me, Qiangtang is not that hard.”

Unbeknownst to Liu Yu at the time,

Chen Wen had already adapted to the plateau environment in his own plateau animal shelter.

Lighting, altitude sickness, and cold issues can all be resolved with entries.

The hunting problem can also be tackled.

Overall, Chen Wen felt that his chances of passing this challenge were not small.

Moreover, this time the challenge was a solo one, so surviving alone would also be more convenient.

Thinking about it, Chen Wen added, ”Mr. Liu, don’t rush to counter my decision. I truly feel quite confident; I’m very serious.”

Seeing Chen Wen’s expression, Liu Yu finally nodded, ”If you really want to try, then go ahead and try!”

”However, if you fail this time, you’ll have to heed my advice for future challenges. Although I’ve at least passed six challenges, the plans I give you might not be the most suitable for you, but they will certainly allow you to pass more steadily.”

Listening to Liu Yu’s words, Chen Wen nodded with a smile, then said, ”But if I complete the Mountain Challenge, then don’t interfere with my subsequent challenge plans. I’ll make those decisions myself.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Yu rolled his eyes, ”Alright, kid, your wings have toughened, and you want to take charge now, huh?”

Chen Wen chuckled, then looked over at Hua Yun, ”Are you coming?”

”No.”

Hua Yun calmly said, ”My next survival plan is to go to Lin Ji, and right now my body can’t handle survival in Qiangtang.”

Both Xu Qiang and Liu Yu nodded.

Hua Yun’s arrangement was just as they had hoped.

Liu Yu said, ”Hua Yun’s decision is very rational. Right now, it’s time to well adjust your body state and accumulate strength for future challenges. Never impulsively jump into high-difficulty challenges.”

Chen Wen rolled his eyes, realizing this was directed at him.

Xu Qiang chimed in, ”That’s right, while the Eight Extremes Challenges each have their own difficulties, according to the association’s evaluation, the most difficult is Sea Pole, followed by Cold Pole, third Desolate Extreme, fourth Mountain Extreme, fifth Swamp Extreme, sixth Heat Extreme, seventh Beast Extreme, and eighth Lin Ji. Our first trip to Desolate Extreme was a bit impulsive.”

Hearing this, Hua Yun nodded slightly.

Originally, according to her idea, she would start from Lin Ji.

However, she was also tempted when Chen Wen proposed the Desert Extreme Challenge, so she chose Desolate Extreme.

Thinking back now, it was indeed a bit risky.

At this moment, Hua Yun looked at Chen Wen again, ”By the way, there’s another rumor about the Mountain Challenge.”