Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness Chapter 481

Chapter 481: Chapter 478: The Tree Hole's Master, Zhoushan Cobra

In front of them was a small grove densely packed with trees, and under a large tree in the middle of the grove, a unique vortex-shaped tree hole had formed.

The whole tree looked like several incredibly thick vines had been sucked up by a tornado, and, failing to be uprooted entirely, they left behind distinctive features.

Bi Fang exclaimed, “What a huge tree.”

The audience couldn't help but nod, the tree was indeed huge. Just looking at the size of the tree hole, it was almost like a small tent, more than enough for a person to live in.

Therefore, finding tree holes didn't require a carpet-style search; just by following the rules Bi Fang had just described, one could easily find them. Master Fang did have some tricks up his sleeve and hadn't deceived anyone.

Bi Fang then continued, “It must cover six to seven hundred square meters, right?”

Yeah, it's got to be six to seven… hundred square meters?

[Did Old Fang say an extra word?]

[Hit the brakes in time, then slowly type out a question mark.]

“A forest of one tree, the banyan tree's classic trick. There's a large area over here that, in essence, is all one tree,” Bi Fang patted the thick trunk of the tree in front of him.

Are you kidding me? You're calling this huge swath of forest a single tree?

[Are my eyes deceiving me?]

[Calling the tree a forest]

[Refraining from commenting to avoid getting slapped in the face, a sly smile]

“This whole area is indeed one entire banyan tree,” Bi Fang patted the stout trunk.

The high temperatures and humidity of the tropical rainforest meant the soil was often saturated with water and low in oxygen content, unable to meet the respiratory requirements of the banyan trees' root systems in the rainforest.

Especially now, in the rainy season, it was too damp. With every step Bi Fang took, he could press out water.

Muddiness was Bi Fang's first impression after arriving in the rainforest.

In response, many trees learned to grow “tentacles” from their stems and branches– aerial roots, forming a vertical “curtain of roots” to absorb oxygen, moisture, and nutrients from the humid air.

These “tentacles” grew quickly, sometimes sprouting overnight.

As the tree grew taller and its branches thrived, countless aerial roots would dangle from the horizontal branches, getting longer and longer. Some aerial roots would penetrate the soil and establish themselves as trees.

These root-like aerial roots then make up the “forest of one tree” landscape.

These supports not only stabilize the tree, but also absorb nutrients. Thus, after the rainy season ended, some aerial roots would gradually fall off, but more often than not, the number and thickness of the pillar roots would keep increasing.

Gradually, the surroundings would appear as if many trees were growing and connecting together, forming a dense jungle.

“The banyan tree is a classic example of growth multiplication. The 'forest of one tree' is its specialty. Look here, there are some too, probably just grown after the rain the day before yesterday,” Bi Fang said.

Bi Fang came under a large tree and looked up to barely see something like curtain cloth, fine as thread.

A breeze blew by, fluttering and swishing as if it were a duster.

“These are the newly grown aerial roots. In fact, many people in the south might have seen them before. Like the willow trees by the river, if the water level rises, when it recedes again, there will be ball-like growths on the tree. Those are also aerial roots,” Bi Fang explained.

Bi Fang approached the central tree hole. From the outside, the interior space was large, but due to the darkness, one couldn't see clearly what was inside.

“When encountering a tree hollow, don't rush in. Although this is a natural campsite, we should be cautious and confirm it's safe before proceeding.”

The tropical rainforest imposes a tough survival environment and fierce competition; any similar space becomes a refuge and habitat for life.

Tree hollows are natural habitats, not just for humans; they are also resting places and sanctuaries for many forms of life, as well as hotbeds for biodiversity.

Bi Fang dug a fire pit in the ground, reignited the fire, and then took out a tree stick. He used the Stone Dagger to shave one end continuously, curling up layers of wood shavings, similar to fish scales.

“Many tree hollows have original inhabitants; this place might be home to monkeys, birds, or even fish. Now, I'm going to make a torch to explore the path ahead,” Bi Fang said.

[Wait, did I just hear that? Fish?]

[Is today April Fool's Day?]

“There's nothing strange about that, Nature is vast and contains all sorts of creatures. The fish I'm talking about is the Climbing Perch, which can climb trees. They climb up the riverside palm trees to suck the alcohol-enriched juice of fruits, and during rain, they strenuously trek to water sources, migrating on trees or overland.”

“It's also farmed domestically. I've heard of a farmer who woke up one morning to find that all the Climbing Perch in his pond had vanished, having all climbed up the mountain during the rainy night,” Bi Fang narrated.

[Wow, pigs haven't learned to climb trees yet, but fish have]

[Does this thing have hands or something? It can actually climb trees]

“That's because the Climbing Perch's gill covers are exceptionally hard, acting as 'forelimbs' during climbing.”

“Using the spikes on their opened gill covers, they can brace themselves against the walls of crevices, wiggle their tails back and forth, push forward with the spines on their anal fins, and then brace themselves once more with the gill covers to move upwards,” Bi Fang explained.

[Can we eat this thing?]

[Another day of gaining knowledge with Old Fang.]

“Cutting the stick into a fish-scale pattern increases the surface area contact with air, making it easier to ignite, producing a stronger flame. It's best to choose a tree stick rich in resin, such as birch, or else, we can use a vine as a substitute,” he added.

Soaking the stick in fish oil, Bi Fang used tinder to catch a spark from the fire pit, and like that, a makeshift torch was crafted.

The pine cone-like wood structure expanded the flames, illuminating the surroundings.

Approaching the tree hollow with caution, Bi Fang used the torch to light the area. There were no signs of danger. Pointing the torch towards the ground, many yellow-white droppings caught his attention.

“It could be bats, or perhaps birds; I'm hoping for birds. If it's bats, they carry too many germs, and this tree hollow might not suit us for living. But it looks like whatever was here left a long time ago; it's all dried up and petrified.”

Bi Fang examined the stains on the ground with some confusion. He picked up two rocks, holding one and tossing it into the hollow.

There was no chirping of birds, nor any bats flying out.

Another rock thrown, still no sound.

[No animals?]

[Empty?]

“No, wait, there seems to be a sound,” Bi Fang perked up his ears.

In the silent rainforest, the sound of scales rubbing against tree bark arose.

A long and thick black snake slowly crawled out of the tree hollow, flicking its tongue at the massive heat source in front of it, and suddenly flared the iconic “wings” at its neck!

A cobra!

It's a cobra!

Even those who knew the least about animals understood that only cobras could spread the ribs of their necks to form the signature fake eyes!

Bi Fang pursed his lips, “I said this bird droppings seemed very old, turns out the nest had already been taken over.”

[Is this a King Cobra?]

Someone boldly speculated.

“No, it's just a common Zhoushan Cobra.” Bi Fang moved the torch closer, waving it in front of the cobra to get a clearer view.

The threatened cobra reared up even higher, hissing, trying to drive off this “intruder.”

“King Cobras are actually not cobras and are much larger in size than this one here; they're also more temperamental. If it were a King Cobra, it wouldn't just threaten me, but attack straight away. However, Zhoushan Cobras are also quite aggressive,” he said.

Bi Fang used the torch to attract the Zhoushan cobra, one of Huaxia's top ten venomous snakes, and as soon as he finished speaking, the venomous snake lunged violently at him.

Luckily, Bi Fang was vigilant the whole time and was ready to retreat as the cobra reared back, avoiding the attack.

“Ha, it's really fierce,” Bi Fang stepped back twice but wasn't too scared.

As long as one was familiar with the movement traits of snakes and discovered them early, the danger of venomous snakes would drop significantly.

“Zhoushan Cobras are aggressive in nature, have a strong tendency to feed on other snakes, and can prey on any venomous snake smaller than themselves. They're not fearful of humans. Their bite causes severe damage, second only to that of the Five-Paced Snake in necrosis ability. The disability rate is extremely high, but the mortality rate is only 11.8% due to the low yield of venom.”

[There are too many snakes in the rainforest, Old Fang has encountered them twice already.]

[By the way, how does Old Fang distinguish them? To me, all cobras look identical.]

“First, look at the size; second, the pattern on its spread hood,” Bi Fang pressed the torch down from over the cobra's head, and the viewers could vaguely make out the transverse white stripe resembling eyes.Upd@te by novg0.co

“Zhoushan's are small with a double glasses-like pattern, the Bengal ones mostly have a single glasses pattern, while the King Cobra features an inverted V-shape.”

The great heat source descending from above made the cobra even more irritable, biting at the torch now and then but repelled by the high temperature.

[Dinner delivered to the door.]

[Keep biting, and its head will be cooked.]

“It's a pity, though, cobras aren't national-level protected species like Bamboo Vipers, but they are provincially protected… hold on, Yunnan might not be,” Bi Fang paused, feeling his memory a bit fuzzy.

He could not possibly remember everything clearly, only that Magic Capital and Hainan are protected; he truly forgot about Yunnan.

[Quick, where's the class representative? Go check!]

[This is crucial for Old Fang to have dinner or not, can you afford to delay it?]

[Here it comes, just checked, it's not! Limited capture for utilization is allowed!]

[Zhoushan Cobra: My fate is sealed! Who on earth air-dropped this guy into the rainforest?]

“Hahaha, forget it, I'm not short on food anyway,” Bi Fang chuckled, “but I'm moving into this tree hollow tonight, and no one can stop me.”

Bi Fang stepped back a few paces, and the cobra didn't follow; he took the chance to dump everything out from the bark frame, then advanced again.

As the heat source approached once more, the Zhoushan cobra thought the danger was returning, but little did it know, a massive dark shadow was gradually enveloping it.

Three minutes later.

“Hahaha, this tree hollow is mine now!”

After several confrontations and calculations, Bi Fang slammed down the bark frame and successfully trapped the nearly two-meter-long venomous snake. He pressed a boulder on top and surrounded it with soil, sealing it tightly, eliminating any possibility of escape.

Now, this tree hollow was his.

“I'll let you out tomorrow,” Bi Fang patted the bark cage, feeling somewhat proud.

Though the cobra was quite large and strong, his bark cage was not to be trifled with; it was not just a layer of thick bark, but also wrapped inside and out with vines, with several centimeters of thickness at the bottom, making it quite sturdy.

Not only the smallest Zhoushan, but even the King Cobra may not be able to escape.

After tidying up the inside of the tree hollow and preparing to have dinner, Bi Fang had just sat down when the surrounding leaves suddenly fluttered and fell in large numbers, and a great noise struck from above.

Hey, Director Zhou has finally arrived!

Chapter end

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