In the following days, Bai Zhe expanded his territory according to his previous plan, increasing its range by three to four times.
This process wasn't easy. For example, while exploring a southern area, he encountered a mongoose. If he hadn't been cautious, the mongoose would have discovered him.
Since then, Bai Zhe marked that area as a restricted zone.
Besides that, during his expansion, he also came across a roughly 1.5-meter-long Black-Headed Snake and nearly clashed with it.
However, the snake seemed to have just eaten and had a distended belly, so it retreated first during their confrontation.
In fact, with his current strength, killing the Black-Headed Snake wouldn't be difficult. The snake's movement was greatly reduced at that time and couldn't evade his attack.
But since the Black-Headed Snake's body was too long and Bai Zhe's teeth couldn't sever its body, he could only watch this feast slip away.
Through these days of investigation, Bai Zhe memorized where prey was most abundant and where competitors existed in his territory, to prepare accordingly when hunting.
Thanks to his efforts, his Evolution Points rose to 123, nearly halfway through his task.
...
Under a camphor tree about the size of a basin, Bai Zhe flicked his tongue and suddenly fixed his gaze on an exposed root, where a tree hollow appeared.
He crawled over and sniffed the entrance, then slid inside. After about a minute, the sharp cries of "squeak, squeak" emerged from within.
Soon after, Bai Zhe emerged carrying a lizard.
After swallowing it, he raised his head.
The sun was already slanting westward; night was approaching.
His day's harvest was plentiful. Before the lizard, he had caught an adult field mouse, a roughly 20-centimeter lizard, and six adult-sized frogs.
Including the lizard, his prey provided a total of 47 Evolution Points today!
If not for needing around two hours to digest after each full meal, his gains could have been even greater.
"As expected, expanding territory greatly increased hunting efficiency."
Bai Zhe exhaled lightly. Only after growing larger did he dare to expand his domain. When he was only 20 to 30 centimeters, even a pheasant could kill him.
But now, when encountering pheasants, he could swagger past confidently, while the pheasants timidly gave way.
Thinking this, Bai Zhe crawled back toward his hollow.
Night was near; he didn't plan to continue hunting.
About an hour later, he returned beneath the large pine tree.
Shortly after he entered the hollow, the squirrel returned as well, pulling out nine hazelnuts from its cheek pouch to add to its food stash.
It seemed today had been fruitful not only for him but also for the squirrel.
Daily life was monotonous and repetitive: hunt, rest, then hunt again...
But Bai Zhe dared not slack off. Though his increased size made him much safer in the forest, safety wasn't absolute.
Mongoose, wild cats, and other predators still posed threats.
So he pushed himself to hunt relentlessly, sparing no effort, to truly grow.
Such a life felt somewhat oppressive to Bai Zhe.
Fortunately, the squirrel's presence added some spice to his dull routine.
Seeing it in the hollow every day, even without communication, relaxed Bai Zhe's mood.
A few days ago, he gave the squirrel a name.
Its fur was flaxen-colored, so he called it Little Ma.
Bai Zhe thought life would remain peaceful like this, but unexpectedly, some events soon unfolded.
"Little Meng, hurry up! I found that big pine tree you mentioned."
"Sister Yun, come take pictures!"
"Ranran, why are you lagging so far behind? I told you not to eat yourself so fat."
Looking at the lively, bouncing figure ahead, Zhang Yun and Meng Ning both smiled wryly.
They hadn't expected the seemingly fragile Chen Mengjie to be the best climber among them. They were outdoor enthusiasts, often hiking or grew up in rural areas climbing mountains.
Yet on this hike, Chen Mengjie outpaced them all.
"Mengjie, wait for us!"
"Don't run too fast, be careful of snakes."
"I'm exhausted, Mengjie, Sister Yun, and Little Meng. I won't hike with you anymore."
Song Ran, trailing behind, complained bitterly.
They had planned their holiday activities days ago, and despite Song Ran's objections, the others insisted on hiking.
The mountain wasn't a famous scenic spot but a large mountain near Meng Ning's hometown. Meng Ning had described the scenery as beautiful with easy trails and many small animals.
Song Ran was tempted at first but regretted it after starting the climb; many animals indeed, but the trails were tough.
Having boarded this sinking ship, Song Ran had no choice but to follow behind.
"Ranran, you really should exercise more; look at how you've let yourself go," said Chen Mengjie encouragingly, noticing Song Ran lagging.
"Come on, Ranran, it's cooler up here, and the moss is so soft!"
She bounced lightly on the ground.
Hearing this, Song Ran's spirit lifted, and she quickened her pace.
Soon, Zhang Yun, Meng Ning, and Song Ran reached Chen Mengjie and were amazed by the view.
A pine tree with a trunk two meters thick firmly rooted in the ground spread its canopy tens of meters wide, casting vast shade.
The thick moss on the ground was soft underfoot, making it especially comfortable.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。