Chapter 163: Drinking the Shiquanhe, I Am Now a Top Hunter

Before the stone tablet, the red characters "Lameila Daban" were strikingly visible.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, distant brown-yellow mountain ranges rose and fell in waves; the vastness and desolation unique to the northern Tibetan plateau made one's heart feel suddenly open and clear.

Looking southeast, the winding Shiquanhe was now visible to the naked eye, and faintly one could make out low shrubs and scattered pastoral areas. Amid the wind's whispering, the cries of livestock occasionally drifted by.

"Brothers, you've all seen where I am now—the last high-altitude pass before entering Shiquanhe Town: Lameila Daban. Look, that's the Shiquanhe—my destination for this journey."

"It's not easy—finally seeing the Shiquanhe."

"Hahaha, these past few days, reliving adventures with Brother Qin was awesome."

"Damn, so this livestream's ending again?"

"Next time I'll probably have to wait until Brother Qin comes back from 'Wild Survival'—at least a month."

"Wahhh, Brother Qin, don't go to that damn 'Wild Survival' anymore—it's not even a livestream, no interaction, what's the point?"

"…"

Qin Yun tore his gaze from the Shiquanhe and looked at the monitor, smiling: "From Lameila Daban to Shiquanhe, I still have at least twenty kilometers to go—don't talk about 'goodbye' until I get there."

Saying this, he cast one final glance at the distant rolling mountains and their snow-capped peaks, then strode downward.

On the highway now, vehicles passed occasionally—this was, after all, the midpoint between Ritong County and Shiquanhe Town.

Actually, since entering Duoma Township, his phone signal had fully returned; walking through the wilderness, 5G coverage was complete—he had truly reentered human civilization.

"I'm heading to Shiquanhe. For close-up access, I have two choices: follow the G210 national highway, or cut straight across from Lameila Daban via the river valley shortcut. The former is safe, the latter saves time—you know which route I'll pick."

"Heh, obvious—take the river valley shortcut."

"Brother Qin knows us, and we know him."

"Forget the national highway—it's boring."

"Climb it now, right now—we're almost there, gotta take some risk."

Qin Yun glanced at the comment section, laughed, gripped the guardrail on the east side, and leapt lightly down, then descended the slope.

The slope's angle was around 30°, not steep at all—nearly zero difficulty for Qin Yun, no different from walking on flat ground.

But because the distance spanned five to six kilometers, only then would he exit this rocky slope and enter the river valley. After all, Lameila Daban's elevation was also five thousand meters.

As he spoke, he kept watch on the ground beneath his feet.

After walking a full hour and a half, the scene before him suddenly opened up: a natural stone path wound ahead along the riverbank, flanked by orderly rock piles; likely due to recent snowfall, the blackish rocks were dusted with a thin layer of snow.

Qin Yun stepped forward, and as he walked, the landscape gradually shifted from brown-yellow to scattered greenery.

These tiny branches, wrapped in ice and snow, revealed faint green hues that brought a sense of comfort.

"Brother Qin, there seem to be Tibetan antelope up ahead."

"Wow, so many—I see them too."

Qin Yun looked up and smiled: "Those aren't Tibetan antelope—they're Tibetan gazelles. Did you see the white heart-shaped patch on their rumps? Only Tibetan gazelles have that; antelope don't. And their bodies are smaller too—quite a difference. Most importantly, Tibetan antelope are Class I national endangered species; Tibetan gazelles are Class II, and they're everywhere."

Perhaps spotting Qin Yun, the group of Tibetan gazelles instantly raised their heads, flicked their tails, and vanished behind the rock piles in one motion.

"The ecology here is excellent—the air is crisp and pure. If you ever get the chance, come to Tibet."

After walking another ten kilometers or so, the river valley's outline grew clearer; Qin Yun could even feel the moisture in the air.

He quickened his pace.

"Everyone listen—can you hear the gentle sound of flowing water?" Qin Yun didn't launch his drone into the air; he kept it fixed in front of him, closely following.

"No way, how did Brother Qin get here so fast?"

"Brother Qin, slow down—why rush? There's no beauty waiting for you up ahead."

"Heh, no beauty up ahead? There's one at home—didn't you forget the gorgeous girl you saw during that longboard descent?"

"Damn, I'm just a solo guy—just thinking about it hurts."

Though he said he heard the water, it took him another hour-plus to reach it. Around him, the environment had turned lush with greenery.

Then, when he noticed the ground beneath his feet had become level, a magnificent sight burst into his vision.

It was a winding, living stream—even in winter, it refused to freeze. In its wide channel, clear water surged ceaselessly; its hue was beyond Qin Yun's ability to describe. One glance, and it felt alive, pulsing with spirit.

The water was indeed swift, yet crystal-clear—Qin Yun could see the pebbles and tiny aquatic plants at the bottom at a glance. Sunlight sparkled on the surface, dazzlingly beautiful.

He slowly crouched, removed his gloves, and plunged both hands into the water. As the bone-chilling cold surged up his skin, he smiled.

"Hahahaha…" His laughter startled animals in the distance into flight and sent birds resting by the water's edge soaring away.

"Brother Qin really looks happy."

"Obviously—he's been through so much. If it were you or me, we'd be dead already in the snowdrifts near Qitai Daban."

"Brother Qin's truly incredible—December 8 to today, December 14—seven days, five hundred kilometers walked. I couldn't even walk that far in the city."

Qin Yun scooped another handful of river water and splashed it over his face.

The fatigue of days past vanished instantly under the water's chill; a deep sense of clarity and refreshment washed over him.

He slowly lowered his head, submerged his face in the river, opened his mouth, and swallowed two mouthfuls of the icy Shiquanhe water. Instantly, the long-absent voice of the system rang out, and the system interface quietly surfaced in his vision.

【Check-in task completed. Random reward obtained: Hunter Skill +1】

【Hunter Skill LV1: Wild True Man—The Animals' Natural Predator Has Arrived】

In an instant, memories of the Hunter Skill flooded into him: natural perception, basic hunting, track tracking, hunting tactics, trap crafting, mechanism control, camouflage and concealment, and more.

Among them were also elements of Wild Survival: zoology, botany, even archery—all overlapping significantly with skills he'd acquired before.

For a full three minutes, his head remained submerged, motionless.

"Holy shit, did Brother Qin drown?"

"Damn, can a drowned man stand so steady?"

"Brother Qin doesn't even look cold—his breath-holding time's insane."

"Awesome."

When all memories of the Hunter Skill had been fully implanted, Qin Yun lifted his head abruptly.

"Hahahaha... awesome..."

The moment he finished speaking, the system's voice sounded again.

【The abilities currently possessed by the host meet the conditions for skill fusion. Fusion is in progress. Please wait!】

Qin Yun was stunned. In over four months since activating the system, this was the first time he had seen any change in it.

He did not wait long; after a few minutes, the system interface changed.

【Skill fusion complete. Obtained skill—Wild Hunter LV2】

【Wild Hunter LV2: Has anyone ever told you that the top of the food chain is humanity, and the top of humanity is you?】

In an instant, the original skill memories in his mind underwent a radical transformation. It wasn't that the memories increased, but that they became fully interconnected. At the same time, his body generated intense heat, so much so that he felt it even in this weather.

Signs of past bodily modifications reappeared in various parts of his body.

Fundamental physical attributes—strength, speed, neural response, endurance, flexibility, balance, coordination—all began to surge dramatically.

And this transformation persisted for over ten minutes before finally stopping.

LV2, meaning Legendary—this was Qin Yun's first Legendary skill. As the one experiencing it, he felt it was over-the-top amazing.

As the system's comment said: the top of the food chain is humanity, and the top of humanity is him.

At this moment, he felt not a single word of that comment was exaggerated.

Calming his mind, Qin Yun stood by the Shiquanhe, watching its ceaseless flow, and adjusted the drone to slowly fly along the river.

"Hello everyone, I'm Qin Yun, a temporary hiking enthusiast."

"On this journey, I set off from Qitai Daban, traveling with snow and wind, crossing vast uninhabited regions. I've seen the boundless expanse of Tian Shuihai, the treacherous cliffs of Death Gully. I've witnessed wild wolves hunting on the steppe, and endured the heart-stopping confrontation with poachers. Every step has been perilous, and now, finally, I stand beside the Shiquanhe—time to say goodbye to this trek."

"I originally estimated that twelve days would be a good arrival time. Unexpectedly, skiing all the way from Qitai Daban allowed me to cover over a hundred kilometers of wilderness, saving me a great deal of time."

"The scenery along the way was beautiful, yet dangerous. The plateau is harsh, yet deeply moving. What I admire most are our beloved soldiers and police stationed on the plateau—they are great. I only crossed it briefly, while they guard it year after year."

"Sui Yang, Cheng Da, Xiao Guoquan, Shen Ge, Fang Xingtong, Jiang Ping, Meng Hai, Li Shang—many names—I haven't forgotten any of them. This has been an unforgettable journey; the scenery is beautiful, but they are even more beautiful."

"Brothers, goodbye."

As Qin Yun finished speaking, the drone suddenly rose into the air, the BGM began, and he quietly turned off the microphone.

"Wahhh, Qin Ye, don't go!"

"Qin Ye said it so well—I'm moved."

"I envy Qin Ye for experiencing all this—I really want to go too. Any brothers want to join?"

"I'm envious, sure, but joining? No thanks—I'll just watch from the screen."

Amid countless comments and gifts, as the drone flew farther and the BGM faded, the screen suddenly went black.

Seeing this, Su Huan immediately called him.

"Hey, when's your flight?"

Qin Yun chuckled: "What? Are you that eager to see me?"

It was meant as a joke, but Su Huan's reply left him speechless.

"Yeah... I miss you."

Those three words—"I miss you"—outweighed a thousand speeches. Qin Yun's mind went utterly blank.

He could only stammer, speaking incoherently: "Uh... I... I..."