Chapter 64

Contemplating the meaning of life and such, Feng Yi put it aside for now.

He held the bamboo pit viper, and Professor Zhou and the others measured various data about the viper, such as its physical characteristics.

Beside him, Steve stared at the bamboo pit viper with a fascinated gaze: "White lips, scorched tail, this color, this physique... Hey? Why does it seem a bit listless? Not as lively as the other two bamboo pit vipers we caught earlier."

"Maybe it hasn't woken up yet."

Feng Yi silently retracted the aura he had inadvertently released while pondering the meaning of life.

Now, he could hide his aura very well; otherwise, how could he catch snakes? Those snakes, various reptiles, and animals in the mountains would probably run away as soon as they smelled his aura.

Steve didn't quite believe Feng Yi's explanation, but soon the bamboo pit viper visibly became more lively. If Feng Yi hadn't been holding it, it might have immediately attacked the group.

Steve felt relieved, "Maybe it really was just waking up."

Looking at the bamboo pit viper, Steve couldn't resist sharing his "few stories with Little Bamboo."

"The white-lipped bamboo pit viper is very venomous. Although it's not deadly in one bite, being bitten is extremely painful. It hurts so much that you might want to cut off the bitten part!

"I have a friend who was bitten by a white-lipped bamboo pit viper while catching snakes in the wild. The tough guy cried in pain!"

Cheng Si moved a bit further away from the bamboo pit viper.

After measuring the data and taking samples, Feng Yi returned the bamboo pit viper to the tree.

The team continued to move forward.

"Our trip into the mountains has been very fruitful, much more so than last year's expedition team!" Professor Lei, holding the camera, said.

Last year, Professor Lei also accompanied the team into the mountains, so he was very familiar with the situation. This year, following Professor Zhou's team, they caught many more snakes, and it wasn't just because they took a different route.

Professor Lei looked at Feng Yi. This kid was extremely sensitive to the presence of snakes. Just like the bamboo pit viper that was so well hidden in the tree, no one in the team noticed it, but Feng Yi spotted it at a glance.

Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance!

The 1000 points were well worth it!

Professor Zhou and the others felt the same way. Captain Yuan of the Joint Protection Bureau had recommended the right person. Who would have thought there was such a talent if not for Captain Yuan's recommendation?

It was the fourth week of the expedition.

The other team members had tanned even darker, and Feng Yi finally tanned a bit, but only compared to his previous state. Compared to the others in the team, he was still glowing white!

Cheng Si no longer had the energy to feel envious, jealous, or resentful. He would only participate in such an expedition once and definitely wouldn't want to do it again, especially not one that lasted one or two months in the deep mountains.

As for Feng Yi, apart from being a bit thinner and tanner, he was still full of energy, as if he had endless strength.

Now, Professor Zhou felt comfortable letting Feng Yi wander and observe in the forest on his own. First, Feng Yi had proven his survival skills in the wild. Second, his sensitivity to the presence of snakes might help him discover snakes and other reptiles that the team had missed.

After four weeks in the mountains, the team's harvest was abundant, and they had caught many more snakes than last year. In the past ten years, no expedition team had caught as many snakes as they did. If the data were printed out, it would be twice as thick as that of other teams!

The team also managed to capture footage of a lazy sunbathing crocodile lizard.

The crocodile lizard, a living fossil, was first discovered by Feng Yi. Professor Zhou was so excited that he made five calls to the base.

The team had very little data on crocodile lizards. After the climate anomaly period, many expedition teams had failed to find any. This time, Feng Yi discovered it while the team was resting and he was wandering nearby.

The discovery of the crocodile lizard also earned Feng Yi more "freedom" time. During this period, he could find food in the mountains. If he hadn't found additional food, he would have been much thinner by now, probably emaciated!

Another foggy day.

The visibility was too poor, so the team didn't set out.

"I heard that during a foggy day, a drone sent into the mountains by the base almost didn't return," Professor Lei said.

"Fog in the mountains does have a significant impact," Professor Zhou decided to let everyone rest more during the foggy day.

"In about two hours, it should clear up," Feng Yi said.

"Yes, I hope so," Professor Zhou replied.

Over the past few weeks, Feng Yi not only proved his snake-catching abilities but also demonstrated his skill in predicting the weather.

Sure enough, two hours later, the fog cleared, and the sun shone through.

The chirping of birds was replaced by the buzzing of cicadas, creating a constant noise.

Animals hid in the dense forest, heard but not seen. To understand the animals in the deep mountains, they relied more on technology, such as hidden cameras that could capture the traces of rare animals.

"The abundant rainfall and humid environment make the plants here grow lush. Look at the shapes of those rocks on the mountain walls; they are the marks left by rainwater hitting the rocks," Professor Zhou pointed to a section of the mountain wall.

If you can't see it in a year, then in ten, a hundred, or a thousand years.

As for millions of years... this place might have been an ocean millions of years ago.

Researcher Xie took a water sample: "The stream water here is so clean."

Professor Zhu, looking at the mountain forest after the fog cleared, was quite moved, "They say that the life of water lies in the mountains, the life of the mountains lies in the soil, and the life of the soil lies in the trees. Mountains, water, soil, and trees form a community of life. Indeed, it is so."

Researcher Xie: "Humans and nature also form a community of life."

Professor Zhou said, "Didn't the ancients already have the concept of 'a community of life between humans and nature'? 'When plants are in full bloom, no axes should enter the forest, to protect their growth and not cut off their life; when turtles, fish, and eels are breeding, no nets or poisons should enter the water, to protect their growth and not cut off their life.'"

Professor Zhu added, "And 'humans follow the earth, the earth follows the sky, the sky follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature.' I think it has the same meaning."

Feng Yi: "...I'll go for a walk nearby."

He didn't want to listen to Professor Zhou and Professor Zhu's philosophical discussions.

This wasn't the first time Feng Yi had "gone for a walk nearby," so Professor Zhou emphasized a few safety points and agreed.

Cheng Si no longer followed. He could tell that Feng Yi wanted to walk alone, and each time he did, he always found something, whether it was edible wild fruit or a reptile.

Moreover, Feng Yi had a natural sense of direction, even on foggy days without the sun, so there was no need to worry about him getting lost.

Walking in the forest, Feng Yi gradually couldn't hear Professor Zhou and the others' voices.

He could feel the harmony of the mountain forest, the vibrant life.

The mountains form the spine, the water the veins, supporting the entire ecosystem. Thousands of plant species grow here, thriving.

As the sun came out, the plants began their daily struggle for survival. Even a small, unremarkable grass on the ground participated in this competition.

If you looked closely at the details of the forest, competition was everywhere, even brutal and fierce.

The branches and leaves gradually turned into nutrients, providing energy for other plants.

New competitors emerged, joining the struggle for sunlight and soil.

Taking a deep breath.

The smell of mud, the fragrance of flowers, the scent of decaying leaves, and various hidden information that couldn't be seen.

As the fog cleared, the forest welcomed the hottest hours of the day.

The insect chirping weakened, and the entire forest gradually became quiet.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting beams of light.

In the distance, air currents swirled over the mountain ridges, possibly preparing for the next fog or rain.

The ever-changing climate was the rhythm of the mountains. Intruders or other foreign organisms might not adapt, but every life form here, even the tiny ants, had long adapted to this rhythm.

"The temperature is right, the humidity is right. It's especially refreshing to come out at this time! Don't you think?"

Feng Yi looked at a nearby shrub.

His pupils rapidly narrowed into slits.

In the world of thermal sensing and ultra-sensitive smell, the shrub below was clearly visible.

Feng Yi grinned, showing his fangs.

The narrow-pupiled eyes looked cold and merciless.

...

Steve, bored, was taking pictures of insects near the team's resting spot.

While taking pictures, he suddenly heard a shout:

"Ste—ve!"

Recognizing Feng Yi's voice, Steve immediately ran over.

But he didn't run far before his steps faltered, almost tripping himself.

Steve looked ahead, his heart rate accelerating, his blood pressure soaring.

Feng Yi was running toward him, holding a large python.

If the large python were a human, rounded to the nearest meter—

It would be like Feng Yi carrying a 1.8-meter-tall, struggling man, sprinting over!

On Feng Yi's side, he had been running with the snake for a while, realizing that this was a bit out of character. He shouldn't be able to run with a large python.

So, Feng Yi unwrapped the snake from his body, threw it to the ground, and continued running toward Steve, holding the snake with one hand and supporting it with the other.

"Steve! Look, there's a big cutie here!"

Steve, who had been worried that Feng Yi would be strangled, was speechless: "..."