King of the Wilderness

Very soon, a sturdy bamboo wall over half a meter high, slightly inclined towards the shelter, was built.

But this wasn’t the final form. He gathered lots of fresh green branches with broad leaves nearby and wedged them layer by layer into the gaps of the bamboo wall, making the entire surface even more compact.

"This is a heat reflection wall," he patted the green wall with satisfaction and said, "Its principle is quite simple."

"This wall can effectively block the cold wind blowing towards the shelter. Then, the heat radiated by the campfire will be blocked and reflected back into my shelter."

"A simple structure can double our fuel efficiency, and this is a complete wilderness campsite system."

At dusk, Lin Yu’an could finally sit down and enjoy his new home.

A pile of campfire burned fiercely at the shelter’s entrance, and its scorching energy was continuously channeled into the sturdy and warm little green house behind him by a cleverly designed reflection wall.

A brand-new bamboo tube filled with water, a set of exquisite fishing gear placed at his side, his face showed slight fatigue, but more so a sense of mastery and satisfaction.

He glanced at the sky, and there was about one more golden hour left until darkness.

"Time must not be wasted." He stood up, picking up the newly made fishing gear. "I must give fishing a try."

"I still need a natural fishing rod that is strong, tough, and sensitive. The important thing is we haven’t forgotten the new rod aura that I validated during Alone in the Wilderness, right?"

"The new rod can absolutely refresh the newbie aura, ensuring we never go empty-handed!"

"I think other fishermen must have discovered this secret, otherwise why does everyone at the fishing spots set up like they’re selling fishing rods at a street stall—"

Lin Yu’an searched for a while and quickly found the target, a bamboo stick only as thick as a thumb.

It’s not as soft and weak as newly grown bamboo shoots, nor as rigid and brittle as old bamboo; instead, it’s full of elasticity and toughness.

He used flint flakes to cut away all the excess twigs, leaving only a tiny upward growing fork at the slender tip of the bamboo, forming a natural anti-slip knot.

Then he securely tied the neatly twisted nettle fishing line at the rod’s end, while the snakebone fish hook at the other end was carefully hooked onto the bamboo joint of the rod.

A set of primitive yet near-perfect fishing gear was officially assembled.

"Alright, we have the rod, the line, and the hook," he weighed the elastic bamboo rod in his hand, "Now, we’re missing the most crucial thing - bait."

He didn’t use the snake’s innards left from before; that kind of strong-smelling lure is better suited for attracting scent-sensitive carnivorous fish like catfish in murky waters.

In this crystal-clear stream where fish primarily hunt by sight, he needed something more authentic, the everyday foodfish consume.

"Mountain Lightlip Fish, our old friends from yesterday, besides the algae on the rocks, their staple food is aquatic insect larvae. So the best bait is hidden under these stones."

He squatted down and gently lifted a flat stone about the size of a washbasin, being careful not to stir up the silt at the streambed.

As the stone flipped over, a miniature alien world unfolded before the lens.

The underside of the stone was densely covered with a multitude of strangely shaped tiny creatures.

There were stone worms dragging nests made of gravel and dry branches; there were water centipedes swimming swiftly; and even some mayfly larvae resembling miniature prehistoric monsters.

Lin Yu’an whispered softly as if afraid of disturbing these little lives: "This is the granary of this stream. For the fish here, these little fellows are irresistible delicacies."

He pinched off a few wriggling water centipedes from the stone and placed them into a small box folded from palm leaves.

"These larvae are soft-bodied and juicy, making them perfect bait for piercing the hook."

He stood up, his gaze directed toward a deep pool downstream, formed by a change from rapid to slow flow of water that might be waist-deep.

There were several huge rocks there, providing fish with perfect hiding places.

"That’s the spot, may the new rod god bless us!"

Lin Yu’an moved to the pool’s edge and carefully threaded a live water centipede through its back onto the snakebone hook, maintaining its liveliness as much as possible.

Avoiding the modern fishing casting motion that would create a large splash and instantly scare off all wary fish, he used the dipping method instead.

He gently extended the bamboo rod forward, allowing the baited fishing line to drop straight into the water, exactly into the edge of the shadow of a big rock.

In the water, the nettle line was almost invisible, only the struggling larvae appeared exceptionally enticing in the clear water.

He half-crouched by the bank, his body motionless, as if blending with the rocks and environment.

His eyes fixed intensely on the barely visible fishing line under the water, all his senses focused on the hand gripping the fishing rod.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. The last glimmer of the setting sun passed through the bamboo leaves, casting golden spots on the pool.

Suddenly, Lin Yu’an’s hand holding the fishing rod jolted as if zapped! A distinct signal traveled along the highly flexible bamboo rod, clearly transmitted to the palm of his hand!