King of the Wilderness

"This is a very timid and cautious member of the deer family, and also an important food source for the jungle’s top predators."

The richness and completeness of this ecosystem made him both sigh in admiration and become increasingly vigilant.

Just as he was bypassing a tangled, twisting vine, it seemed he kicked something hard underfoot.

Looking down, his eyes immediately turned sharp.

That wasn’t a rock.

Clearing away the thick layer of decaying leaves, he revealed something partially buried by soil and moss, grayish-white and highly ossified, showing its full appearance.

It was a section of deer antler, about twenty centimeters long with a rough texture!

He carefully extracted it completely from the damp soil.

The antler was heavy, its surface covered with a thin layer of green moss, but its overall structure was very complete, with no obvious signs of breakage.

Judging by the size and shape of the antler, it was likely from an adult male muntjac.

He turned the antler over, carefully examining the part where it connected to the skull.

"Look here," he brought the base of the antler to the camera, pointing at the smooth, slightly concave circular cut.

"This cut of the pedicle is very regular, like a rough stone bowl, with no signs of being violently torn off."

He brushed away some dirt with his finger, his tone carrying a hint of joy and amazement: "This is a naturally shed antler."

"Just like most deer species, the antlers of the male muntjac fall off once a year, then grow anew in the spring."

"This pedicle is proof of its lifecycle ending last year, and then it was reclaimed by nature, lying quietly here."

He hefted the heavy piece of antler, showing no fear, but instead a treasure-discovering expression.

"For a survivor, the value of this far exceeds a piece of fresh deer meat."

He meticulously wiped away the dirt and moss on the antler, its hard, rough texture making it hard for him to let go.

He securely fastened the precious antler to the outside of his basket, the way to use it already forming in his mind.

"This... came at a perfect time." He felt the weight of the antler in the basket, speaking to the camera.

"While my Stone Spear is usable, it has a fatal flaw; the flint is too brittle. Every time it’s thrown or hits something hard, the spearhead risks shattering."

"But deer antler is something completely different. It’s not stone, but bone, full of resilience."

"If time permits tonight, my primary task will be to give my spear a thorough upgrade."

"I’ll grind the sharpest tip of this antler into a more lethal Deer Antler Spearhead, its hardness enough to pierce thick animal hides."

"Its toughness ensures it won’t easily shatter under severe impact, completely replacing the fragile flint spearhead."

"By then, what I’ll hold won’t be a primitive tool likely to fail at any moment, but a truly reliable weapon."

This unexpected discovery was like a stabilizing pill, boosting his confidence in facing this harsh jungle by a few degrees.

This is a paradise of life, following brutal laws.

But for a wise one who knows how to use the laws, whether it’s the vibrant life or the remains left by death on this land, they are all precious resources for survival.

Around noon, when Lin Yu’an crested a small ridge, preparing to continue climbing up, the sight before him suddenly halted his steps.

Previously, the typical subtropical montane forest mixing tall trees and low shrubs stopped abruptly here.

Replaced by a vast ocean of green that made his heart start to race with hope.

Bamboo forest!

An expansive bamboo forest, like a green waterfall, cascaded down from the mountainside, covering the entire valley.

Tall, upright bamboo, shooting up to the sky, sliced the heavens into patches of emerald geometric shapes.

Sunlight filtered through dense bamboo leaves, casting mottled, shifting shadows on the ground.

The air was filled with a crisp fragrance unique to the bamboo forest.

"Wow, a perfect supply point..." he muttered to himself, the gravity on his face wiped away, replaced by a hunter’s ecstatic joy at discovering treasure.

He stride into the bamboo forest, the texture beneath his feet changing instantly, no longer the hard rock and slippery decayed leaves.

But a thick, soft carpet formed from years of fallen bamboo leaves, barely making any sound as he stepped on it.

As he walked, he spoke to the camera in a highly professional tone, beginning to analyze and provide information.

"Many people might have the misconception that a primeval forest is just a dense array of towering trees."

"But in places like Ailao Mountain, this subtropical montane region, vast swathes of bamboo are an important and common component of the ecosystem."

"Especially in some forest gaps, where old trees have fallen, allowing direct sunlight, bamboo, which grows extremely fast, quickly occupies the ecological niche, forming a dominant community."

He carefully assessed the ecological environment here, "Look here, this is a sun-facing, gentle slope valley, receiving plenty of sunlight."

"Moreover, the terrain at the edge of the bamboo forest is significantly lower, indicating abundant groundwater, possibly even a nearby stream."

"Warm, moist, sunny, abundant water sources—this is practically a paradise tailored for bamboo growth."