Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

"The Hunting Hall. Not bad. It fits the situation well."

Yan Ziqian offered a calm smile. "In that case," he said, "I’ll take the liberty on behalf of the Jingcheng University team and name the first section ’Hunter’s Trail.’ After passing through that bottleneck, you reach what is now the Hunting Hall."

And just like that, the matter was settled.

Considering their foresight, and the symbolic significance this cave might hold as a place of human de-evolution, the decision was a momentous one.

After the slaughter, it was time to tally the spoils.

And this time, the haul was massive.

After confirming there were no more cavemen in the vicinity, the group began moving the bodies.

Su Chen returned to the corpse of the burly caveman. Even in death, the body still radiated the suffocating aura of a powerful being.

"My Wind Split Arrow couldn’t even pierce its skin just now." Yan Ruoruo’s voice was faint. Her face was ashen, and beads of sweat dotted her temples, lending her cool features a touch of tragic beauty.

"This monster was much stronger than a giant bear," Su Chen assessed objectively.

’The Bone-Dense Shell covering its body had a higher Defense Power than even a Terra-Bear. If I’d chosen to blast its skull from the outside with a Strong Thought Burst, it’s unlikely a single strike would have been enough to seriously injure it.’

And its offense was just as absurd as its defense.

The long, scarlet tongue now lay limp on the ground. When it whipped through the air, it was even faster than a Wind Split Arrow, an attack already renowned for its speed.

It was easy to imagine the Penetration Power behind it.

"Are you okay?"

Su Chen’s gaze fell on Yan Ruoruo. He noticed the tips of her right fingers were trembling uncontrollably. She had been loosing arrows at a speed far beyond human limits, and her fingertips were likely rubbed raw and bleeding.

"It’s just a bit of phantom pain. The tendon strain has healed, but my brain hasn’t caught up. It’ll be fine in a moment. Besides, I’m ambidextrous with a bow."

Yan Ruoruo’s tone was flat, as if she were mentioning something not worth bragging about.

This phenomenon was not an isolated case; in fact, it was quite common.

After certain injuries healed, the nerve endings would continue sending error signals, or the brain’s imprinted memory of the pain would linger, resulting in a brief period of phantom pain.

Overcoming it was a matter of personal willpower.

Perhaps an increase in one’s Spiritual Power could solve such issues.

"The sacrificial value of this monster must be insane. It had to be a lord or a mini-boss," Pang Peng said as he walked over. He had been too preoccupied to pay attention and had completely missed the stunning counter-kill.

But one thing was certain: the moment it died, all the other cavemen fled.

Su Chen remained noncommittal. As for exactly how high the value was, they would have to wait for the altar’s feedback.

He also pocketed the two Wind Element Runes that had dropped when the battle-axe shattered.

「A few minutes later.」

The group finished the tally.

Based on who dealt the most damage and the killing blows, and including Xiaoye’s contributions in hunting down the stragglers, Su Chen was credited with nine kills. Six of those were targets he had taken down entirely on his own.

The other three kills were cavemen whose knees had been shattered by Wind Split Arrows or who had fallen from the cliff walls after having their shoulder joints broken. Their mobility had been severely limited, which had helped him, so it was only right for him to cede two of the bodies.

He wasn’t about to haggle over such details.

Besides, the boss he had taken down was clearly far more valuable.

Thus, the final count was seven kills credited to him, five to the Jingcheng University team, and two to the Polytechnic University team.

In response,

Le Yuxuan, the Polytechnic University team’s leader, responded graciously, "If we weren’t riding your coattails, we never would’ve dared to explore a hellhole like this. The three of us would have struggled to even break through a caveman’s defense."

That was no exaggeration.

Despite their emaciated, seemingly malnourished frames, the tendons in their limbs were like coiled steel cables, and their bodies contained a frightening sense of Power.

Even Xiaoye, who was more than twice their size, struggled to physically dominate them. A burst of their strength could easily send it flying.

Their skin, though it appeared rough and cracked, was both flexible and tough, and the bones underneath were harder than refined steel.

And on top of their extraordinary physical attributes, they had also evolved various Living Weapon abilities.

Beyond their high defense, one also had to consider their ability to endure damage.

An ordinary squad that ran into even one caveman could easily face a full party wipe if they weren’t careful.

After dividing the spoils, the group decided to begin a thorough exploration of the Hunting Hall.

"Be careful. We found a poisonous scorpion in a pile of beast bones earlier."

Yan Ziqian reminded them. The cave contained other ambient life, likely including venomous insects and snakes. A single sting or bite could be extremely dangerous.

At the same time, they also had to keep an eye on the stalactites overhead and check the high ledges for any cavemen that might be hiding there.

"This great hall really is huge."

Just their voices echoed in the vast space, lingering for a long time before dissipating.

The ground wasn’t level; it collapsed downward in a series of terraces.

The total drop of these terraces was, by a rough estimate, at least a hundred meters.

Su Chen and Xiaoye headed deeper into the cave on their own. The stalactites overhead grew denser, resembling an inverted forest of swords. In the beam of a flashlight, they could spot several Vampire Bats huddled in the stone crevices.

As he fixed his gaze on them, an invisible Fire ignited from a distance. After a series of soft pops, several charred carcasses fell to the ground, dropping three Dark Element Essences.

"Probably just bats that wandered in by mistake."

’Caves like this should be teeming with bat colonies. The fact that they’re so scarce now most likely means the cavemen have been using them as a buffet.’