An old acquaintance
Stepping into the rocky beach area in the middle layer of the Frost Forest, the view is filled with continuous stretches of exposed, pristine stone beds.
The once dry and whitish rock strata have now completely changed. Melted snow water seeps through the fine texture of the rocks, accumulating into a shallow layer of clear water in all the depressions and crevices. The water flows slowly, but it spreads and expands silently.
The entire stone bed clearly shows layers upon layers of old marks.
The rock strata are covered with erosion marks of varying depths, and the edges of the rocks have been polished smooth and rounded, all of which are the original appearance left by mountain torrents over the years. This valley is a necessary passage for mountain torrents, and there are too many small and thin stones that cannot withstand long-term pressure and cannot be used to reinforce the cave. It is necessary to find a large, solid, and well-grounded block of hard rock.
Lu Heng lowered his head and stepped onto the stone surface, his shoes grinding through the thin water, creating ripples.
It came at just the right time.
A few days later, the water in the rock bed will completely overflow, making the entire beach muddy and slippery, and the cracks in the rock strata will be filled with water, making it difficult to quarry large Stone. While the water is still shallow and the main rock strata are still dry and hard, we must hurry to find stable large rocks to quarry.
Without any unnecessary delay, Lu Heng walked upstream along the old riverbank, avoiding the small pebbles scattered on the ground, and looking for a whole piece of hard rock embedded in the bedrock.
He raised his hand, took out the Bronze Hunting Blade, and bent down to press it against the crevice of the large rock.
The metal blade wedged into the crevice of the rock, and with power from the waist and back, the arm steadily pried. The dull cracking sound of the rock echoed through the valley, and fine stone dust mixed with the shallow water fell off in a soft rustling sound. Thick, square pieces of hard rock were peeled off the bedrock and rolled into the shallow water.
One after another.
The monotonous, repetitive, and continuous sounds of chisels and prying echoed through the quiet forest. The valley was already vast, so even the slightest movement was amplified and carried by the wind into the surrounding dense forest.
Lu Heng remained vigilant throughout, his ears constantly perked up, mining large chunks of hard rock while simultaneously scanning for any unusual movements in his surroundings.
The faint sound of melting permafrost, the gentle murmur of water flowing over stones, the crisp sound of Withered Branch falling in the distance—all these sounds were within my perception.
After an unknown period of time, a very subtle yet profound tremor of the ground suddenly broke into the noise.
It wasn't falling rocks, nor was it flowing water.
It was the dull tremor of a heavy object stomping on the ground.
The next second, the sound of the wind in the dense forest behind him suddenly became quiet, and the originally subtle sounds in the forest completely disappeared, leaving only the sound of him chiseling the stone, which was particularly abrupt.
Lu Heng suddenly stopped moving.
His muscles tensed instantly, and without the slightest hesitation, he spun around abruptly, holding the Hunting Blade horizontally in front of him, instantly adopting a defensive stance.
In the shadows of the forest edge more than ten meters away, a huge Coldrock Bear was crouching low, its limbs firmly planted on the mud and rocks.
It hid half its body behind a tree, its head slightly lowered, its murky pupils fixed on Lu Heng in the center of the riverbank. Its muscles were taut, its limbs poised for a surprise attack. Its heavy bear body was covered in wet mud from the forest, its dark fur clinging to its flesh. The way it stood silently exuded an intense sense of oppression.
Lu Heng stared intently at the ferocious beast.
Their identities could not be determined.
It's unclear whether it's one of the two Coldrock Bear encountered in the middle valley that returned after following the commotion, or a newly established individual in this area. The activity ranges of ferocious beasts in the middle forest are intertwined, without fixed territorial boundaries, so both possibilities exist.
The only certainty is that this Coldrock Bear came with ill intentions.
Noticing the movement of living people and attracted by the sound of chiseling, they deliberately stalked over to ambush them.
His fingertips were fixed on the Giant-Feather Crossbow.
Simply raise your hand, cock the bowstring, and pull the trigger. With the Giant-Feather Crossbow's penetrating power and close-range attack range, it's enough to instantly cripple this Coldrock Bear. The battle will become easy and safe, with almost no risk involved.
But Lu Heng suppressed the thought.
He raised his hand and pressed the Giant-Feather Crossbow at his waist back into space, completely abandoning his ranged advantage.
Relying solely on ranged weapons will only lead to a loss of feel for close-quarters combat. The Giant-Feather Crossbow is a life-saving trump card, but it cannot be the only one to rely on.
On the road to survival, there will always be times when long-range equipment runs out, jams, or cannot be reloaded. The only things you can truly rely on at all times are your own physical body, reflexes, and combat experience.
He needs real combat experience, he needs to face ferocious beasts time and time again to hone his close-quarters fighting skills and accumulate solid combat experience.
With the thought settled, Lu Heng gripped the Bronze Hunting Blade tightly with both hands, lowered his center of gravity, and firmly planted his feet on the wet, slippery stone ground.
No long-range sniping, no flanking maneuvers.
This battle was purely a close-quarters duel.
Seeing that their sneak attack had been exposed, the Coldrock Bear at the edge of the forest stopped lying in wait and gathering its strength.
A deep roar shattered the silence of the valley. The massive body slammed into the ground and charged forward with overwhelming force, carrying the dampness and stench of the forest.
The bear's paws move with the force of the wind, each strike seemingly capable of shattering rocks and cracking frozen ground.
Lu Heng remained calm, showing no sign of panic. He kept a close eye on the trajectory of the ferocious beast as it pounced, his feet nimbly sliding to the side to precisely avoid the direct impact.
The shallow water on the stone surface was smashed by the bear's paw, splashing water and flying stones everywhere.
Taking advantage of the moment when the ferocious beast missed its target, Lu Heng flicked his wrist, and the Bronze Hunting Blade flashed with cold light, precisely slicing through the bear's tough hide, tearing a shallow gash in the thick animal skin.
The pain fueled the Coldrock Bear's ferocity, causing it to thrash about, swing its paws, and bite—its attacks were savage and deadly, each aimed at a fatal blow.
On the rocky beach of the river valley, a man and a bear were completely engaged in a close-quarters fight to the death.
The slaps from the Coldrock Bear were painful, though not fatal, thanks to the protective leather armor. Lu Heng's blade, however, cut deep into the flesh, tearing through the thick bear hide and drawing blood.
The Coldrock Bear roared in pain, its body twisting violently as its heavy torso slammed into the rock wall beside it, sending rubble tumbling down.
Lu Heng took a half-step back to regain his balance and continued the close-quarters combat rhythm, neither creating distance nor taking direct hits. His Black Iron Tier physique supported his continued maneuvering, and each swing of his blade was aimed at the bear's vulnerable spots, such as the joints and the seams between its skin and flesh.
The bear's claws swept across repeatedly, its heavy breathing shaking the air, and a pungent, pungent stench filled the air. The leather armor constantly trembled, and dull pain shot through the shoulders and back, yet the bear managed to hold its vitals.
After several tugs of force, several deep wounds spread across the bear's body. Blood loss gradually slowed the Coldrock Bear's movements, and its brute strength was no longer as ferocious as it had been initially.
Lu Heng seized an opening in the attack, turned sideways and lowered his body, his Bronze Hunting Blade precisely piercing the soft spot under his ribs.
The blade pierced most of the way in, completely penetrating the beast's weakest point in its torso.
The excruciating pain shattered the Coldrock Bear's ferocity. Its massive body stiffened abruptly, followed by violent convulsions. Its deep roar was abruptly reduced to a hoarse groan of pain. Hot blood gushed from its wounds, flowing down its fur in large clumps, instantly soaking large patches of fur on its chest and abdomen.
This strike dealt a severe blow to a vital organ.
The Coldrock Bear's limbs began to tremble, and its previously ferocious attack abruptly stopped. It lowered its head, all the ferocity in its cloudy eyes faded, leaving only instinctive fear. Its body retreated slightly, clearly intending to flee.
Just now, relying on its overwhelming size and relentless momentum, it was completely wiped out.
Lu Heng stared intently at its retreating posture, his gaze unwavering.
In close combat and jungle survival, there is never any reason to let a tiger return to the mountains.
He gripped the knife hilt tightly with his five fingers, stood up straight, and gave a thumbs-up to the retreating Coldrock Bear.
His tone was cold and completely flat:
"You were so arrogant just now. Now you want to run away? Too late."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Heng advanced instead of retreating, quickly pressing forward on the slippery stone surface, giving the heavily injured beast no chance to escape or catch its breath.