Chapter 267: The Tree of Life (Third Update)

Qin Yun cracked four bird eggs: two from white pelicans and two from flamingos.

"The flamingo eggs taste better than the white pelican ones."

After eating, Qin Yun's hunger eased slightly. He prepared to continue his journey; it was 11 a. . local time, and he planned to walk two more hours, then rest around 1 p. . until the hottest part of the day passed.

"Damn, it's hot." He extinguished the fire and looked up at the scorching sun. "While I still have strength, I'll walk two more hours—then I'll need to figure out water."

He shook his canteen; the sloshing inside sounded barely there.

Under this blazing sun, even with full body coverage and no direct exposure, sweating was unavoidable—water and salt loss would weaken his body, so replenishing fluids was essential. Consuming one liter since starting was perfectly normal.

After checking his direction, Qin Yun scanned the surroundings—the sky held no birds. He immediately raised the auxiliary drone to about a hundred meters and swept the horizon ahead.

The terrain ahead showed no major change: endless grassland stretched endlessly. But through the drone, he witnessed a life-or-death chase across the savanna.

"That's a cheetah, right?"

"The one being chased is a gazelle—holy shit, that speed."

"Speed's one thing, but have you noticed how insane the turns are? How's the cheetah even tracking it?"

"Yeah, the gazelle turns so suddenly, yet the cheetah instantly detects it and changes direction too."

"Whoa, it feels like they're heading straight toward Brother Qin."

Qin Yun noticed too—he watched the scene on his main screen. The chase was only four to five hundred meters away: an adult cheetah pursuing a gazelle.

"That's a Thomson's gazelle—the cheetah's primary prey. As for why the cheetah can turn instantly and keep up, it's because cheetahs have the savanna's strongest dynamic vision and inner-ear balance systems—basically, they're built with a gyroscope."

"Also, their spine is spring-like—it can fold and whip instantly, allowing sharp turns without heavy braking. And look: cheetah claws can't fully retract; each step grips the ground like cleats."

As he spoke, the gazelle in the footage was about to be caught—then suddenly veered left, its body hugging the ground, pulling half a meter clear. But the cheetah reacted faster: its supple spine snapped like a bow, its entire body twisting sideways in an instant, with no braking lag—as if perfectly synced with the gazelle's motion.

The gazelle refused to die easily, desperately alternating left and right turns, switching its Z-shaped escape path rapidly, closing in fast on Qin Yun's position.

Two hundred meters passed in a flash. Every time the cheetah was about to bite, the gazelle burst with hidden strength, narrowly evading death by a hair's breadth.

Qin Yun squinted slightly, showing no fear.

"If this cheetah doesn't catch the gazelle within a minute, the hunt fails. Though cheetahs are the fastest hunters on the savanna, their stamina is poor. Their full-speed sprints put enormous strain on their bodies. Look—hasn't the cheetah's chest heaved more violently now?"

The drone zoomed in; viewers clearly saw the cheetah's chest rising and falling rapidly. Yet its gaze remained sharp, showing no sign of surrender.

As it closed in again, the cheetah twisted sharply, lifting its front paws to hook the gazelle's leg—but the gazelle halted and reversed again, barely avoiding capture.

For a full minute, every pounce by the cheetah proved futile.

"Tsk tsk—tried to steal a chicken and lost a whole rooster. Exhausted."

"This gazelle is insane—its turning speed? Man, it'd crush Iverson in the NBA a thousand times over."

"The rawest moment of life—stunning."

As viewers finished commenting, the running gazelle suddenly stumbled. The cheetah, having nearly given up, summoned its last ounce of strength, lunged forward, leapt into the air, and pinned its front paws onto the gazelle's back—its sharp teeth sinking precisely into the nape of its neck.

The gazelle let out a piercing scream, kicking wildly to break free—but the cheetah's teeth locked into its neck, refusing to release. Soon, the gazelle's struggles weakened, then stopped entirely.

The cheetah released its grip, gasping heavily, then lifted its head toward a two-legged creature dozens of meters ahead.

Its cold gaze brimmed with wariness—and a clear warning.

Qin Yun did not approach or interfere. This was the savanna's normal survival—he felt no pity.

"This speed duel ended in the cheetah's favor."

Qin Yun's voice echoed in the livestream.

"But normally, cheetahs have low hunting success rates—sometimes only one success per six chases. Their advantage is explosive speed, not endurance. Their strength is limited. Don't be fooled by how effortless each turn looks—it's a massive energy drain for them."

"Most importantly, cheetahs are cautious. If they haven't caught prey within three hundred meters, they'll abandon the chase. This one chased five hundred meters—it must be starving."

Qin Yun watched silently as the cheetah, seeing he made no move, lowered its head and bit into the gazelle's neck, tearing into its flesh.

He wouldn't linger. He circled around, passing from the perimeter.

After two hours, Qin Yun calculated—he'd covered less than five kilometers. He'd spotted a hyena pack ahead via drone and immediately veered far away. Unless absolutely necessary, he avoided direct conflict with wild animals, especially scavengers.

A single bite could kill him—he couldn't afford that risk.

So naturally, his pace couldn't be fast.

But the journey wasn't without gains—he now had a file snake coiled around his neck and three rock monitor lizards tucked in his arms.

"Dude, isn't Qin Brother uncomfortable? A snake on his neck and lizards in his arms?"

"Creepy as hell—I said he's at the top of the food chain and you didn't believe me."

"File snake: I'm dead already—how's he not scared?"

"Can you eat them?"

"Huh—!" Qin Yun exhaled, wiped sweat from his brow. "File snakes are nonvenomous, tender, low-fat, no parasites—roasted, they taste great. Rock monitors? Ugly, sure—but they're the most accessible edible lizards in the Serengeti. Anything edible I find along the way, I collect."

"Here, I'm no different from that cheetah."

As he spoke, Qin Yun suddenly stopped. He leaned close to the drone screen—the auxiliary drone had captured a massive tree.

His expression shifted from shock to wild joy in an instant.

"Holy shit—what did I just find?"

Hearing Qin Yun's exaggerated tone, everyone stared at the tree. Some fans recognized it immediately.

"Holy shit, Brother Qin, what luck—you found a baobab tree in the Serengeti?"

"666—it's a baobab tree."

"So thick—heard these things store water. True?"

"Some African tribes have their own baobab trees—marry a wife with ease."

"The world's full of wonders."

Qin Yun burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! I was just thinking about solving water first—turns out I found a baobab tree. Baobabs in the Serengeti mostly grow in the northern woodland belt or along the Malahe River, usually isolated. To find one here? Pure luck."

Though thrilled, he didn't rush over. Instead, he found a nearby acacia tree and rested there.

"I need to observe first. Baobabs are animal supply stations—they have regular residents. If I barge in, I won't be welcome."

He controlled the drone to approach closer—three hundred meters was its maximum range.

As the drone drew nearer, the baobab's details became clear.

The baobab stood about twenty meters tall, but its trunk measured twelve meters in diameter—likely requiring over ten people to encircle.

"Baobabs live extremely long—typically 1, 00 to 2, 00 years. They're living fossils of the savanna. Their water storage is immense: a mature tree can hold up to 10, 00 liters, enough to sustain eight months of drought."

Qin Yun observed the baobab, reciting facts like a seasoned expert.

As he spoke, he noticed movement inside several tree hollows. Zooming in, he saw lizards and snakes. On the opposite side of the trunk, several baboons hung from branches; below, a few antelopes munched fallen fruit.

"Now I know where my file snake came from."

He chuckled, preparing to move closer—when suddenly, a blurred figure appeared in the camera's view, a hundred meters behind the baobab.

"Holy shit—what's that?"

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