King of the Wilderness

At night, under the bamboo forest’s shelter, everything seemed particularly peaceful.

For the first time since entering Ailao Mountain, Lin Yu’an enjoyed a period of high-quality deep sleep.

The warm shelter, ample food, and the campfire that burned all night along with the heat-reflecting wall together created a safe, civilized island, restoring both his physical and mental state.

As the sky was only just hinting at dawn, when the first strands of gray-white morning light struggled to penetrate the dense bamboo canopy and dyed the thin fog into a bewitching silvery gray, Lin Yu’an opened his eyes.

He didn’t get up immediately but lay quietly for a few seconds, allowing his senses to fully awaken from sleep.

He listened carefully to the pulse of the forest at dawn—the sound of the distant stream and the morning bird songs.

Everything was normal.

He crawled out of his shelter that resembled a giant green cocoon, shivered at once as the cold mountain wind hit him, driving sleepiness away.

Walking to the campfire, which was still emitting residual warmth, he added some dry wood, reigniting the flames, instilling the first trace of heat for the new day.

The fourth day of the challenge had begun.

"The early bird catches the worm, and the early man might catch a fish."

He said softly to the camera, with a hint of anticipation on his face, "Dawn is when fish are most active and least wary. Let’s try our luck."

Reaching the quietly flowing bamboo forest creek, where the surface was draped with a veil-like morning mist.

He turned to the camera, holding a small piece of dark red substance, "Last night, we used aquatic insects to fish, targeting the insect-eating Mountain Lightlip Fish. But today my target has changed."

Lin Yu’an’s gaze became sharp, filled with the calculations of a hunter.

"With such a dense population of Mountain Lightlip Fish in this stream, according to the law of the ecological chain, there must be a higher-level predator preying on them here."

"I hope to catch not the Mountain Lightlip Fish, but the master of this deep pool. They are the true underwater predators here."

"The best bait to catch a hunter is the prey itself. This fish liver can spread its scent extremely well in the water. Using it as bait is meant to attract the big ones lurking in the deep."

He then firmly attached the strong-smelling fish liver to the sturdy Snakebone Fish Hook.

Carefully placing the baited line by a crevice in a deep pool’s rock, which was a perfect ambush point.

The bamboo fishing rod was securely pressed by a large rock on the shore, silently lying in wait like a hunter who set a deadly trap.

"This is an unattended simple trotline; now let’s pack our gear and return in half an hour to check the results."

He didn’t wait at the spot but immediately returned to camp, efficiently preparing for the rapid advance scheduled for that day.

Drinking a bowl of warm fish soup, he carefully packed the grilled dried fish and dried bamboo shoots. He filled the snakeskin water bag and two bamboo tubes with heated creek water.

When he finished packing up all the gear, dismantled the shelter, and let the bent bamboo springs back to their original position, the sun had begun to rise, casting golden rays through the bamboo forest.

He returned to the creek, ready to retrieve his fishing gear.

Before he even got close, he saw from afar that the bamboo rod, which had been quietly placed, now bore a slight curve!

The entire rod body bobbed toward the water’s surface again and again! The rock pressing down on the rod’s tail was even being pulled slightly loose!

"Holy crap, got one! It’s a big one!" Lin Yu’an’s heartbeat instantly accelerated, and he rushed forward!

He grasped the violently shaking fishing rod. An overwhelming force was immediately transmitted from the rod to his palm!

Not daring to hastily lift, as that might cause the line to snap.

He quickly squatted down, holding the rod with both hands, using the bamboo rod’s incredible elasticity and his body weight to launch a tug-of-war with the giant underwater!

"Buzz—buzz—"

The tough nettle fishing line was pulled taut, echoing in the air like the sound of a bowstring.

The creature underwater struggled desperately, trying to squeeze into a crevice in the deep water, attempting to cut the line on the rocks.

"Dream on!"

Lin Yu’an leaned back, using his abdominal muscles to forcibly pull the rod sideways, altering the giant’s charge direction, stopping it from going into the crevice.

The clear pool was stirred into a muddy mess.

After nearly two minutes of thrilling stalemate, he finally felt the violent force underwater show signs of exhaustion.

"It’s now or never!"

He seized a chance, exerting all his strength to drag the giant towards the shallow bank.

"Splash!"

A huge black-blue figure was forcibly dragged out of the water by him, causing a great splash on the shoal!

Lin Yu’an threw down the fishing rod, dashed forward, and firmly pinned the struggling underwater tank with both hands!

It was a fish over forty centimeters long, with a body robust as a torpedo.

Its back was a deep blue-green, covered in densely packed scales that shimmered like metal under the morning light, while its belly was a silvery white.

He carefully controlled the large fish, his gaze swiftly scanning its key features.

"This mouth shape... the lower lip is a well-developed horny layer, almost forming a straight line... And here!" He lifted the fish’s belly slightly, pointing to the sides of the anus.

"This row of specialized large anal scales, like armor! This is the most typical feature of the Schizothorax genus!"