The Evolutionary Path of the Lion

Chapter 10 A Treasure Trove for Development

The scent of the bushes had not dissipated.

Chen Fei stood still, his nose twitching slightly, analyzing the scent layer by layer.

It's definitely a feline glandular secretion. But it's lighter and more ethereal than a lion's scent, with a quality that allows it to easily slip through the gaps in vegetation.

His sense of smell told him that the other animal was not large, smaller than him, smaller than an adult lioness, but definitely not a cub.

There was also a bloody smell.

It's subtle, but there's something there.

This indicates that the other person is injured, and the wound has already started to scab over; it is not fresh.

Chen Fei quickly searched his mind.

Leopard.

The third-ranked of the Seven Kings of the African savanna, it is solitary, skilled in ambush, and has a habit of dragging its prey up trees for storage. Its fighting ability is considered to be above average among felines.

But leopards have one ironclad rule—never to provoke an opponent stronger than themselves.

The injured leopard, hiding in the bushes of the isolated island, said it all. It wasn't there to cause trouble; it was there to avoid it.

Chen Fei slowly adjusted his stance, shifting his weight slightly forward while pushing the heat from his lower abdomen to his right front paw, causing the claw tip to open slightly.

He didn't move forward; he just stood there.

But that aura changed silently.

There was silence in the bushes for about ten seconds.

Then, a pair of eyes appeared.

Golden irises and vertical pupils exuded a calm and wary aura in the morning light. Along with those eyes appeared a face covered in black spots, with a scabbed scratch on the bridge of the nose that stretched from the corner of the left eye to near the corner of the mouth, making it look quite disheveled.

It is a young male leopard.

It's not very big, and its skeleton hasn't fully developed yet. I'd guess it's just over a year old, in the stage of having just left its mother to live on its own.

The most difficult stage.

Chen Fei stared at it for a while and roughly estimated its energy points.

It's worth at most 350, which is not even as good as his current 408.

The other person was also sizing up Chen Fei. Their golden eyes lingered on Chen Fei for a moment, then swept over Sair behind them, and finally landed on Big Head, who was lying slumped on the muddy beach.

Big Head was scratching his head with his hind legs, completely unaware that someone was watching him.

A subtle glint flashed in the leopard's eyes, a mixture of confusion and slight relaxation.

Chen Fei almost rolled his eyes.

Yes, you read that right. The one who's the best fighter on our side is the one scratching its itch over there.

He refocused his attention on the leopard and let out a low growl.

It wasn't an aggressive roar, but a low-frequency vibration carrying a clear message—"This is my territory. You can stay here, but don't cause trouble."

The leopard paused for a moment.

It clearly didn't expect that the other party wouldn't charge directly at it, but instead chose this method.

It shifted in the bushes, pulled itself back, and then gave a very low, wary response.

The gist is, "I understand, I won't bother you."

Chen Fei withdrew the heat and turned around.

They can coexist for the time being.

Leopards are solitary animals and usually don't cause trouble unless there's a conflict of interest. Besides, the other animal is injured and needs rest more than fighting.

As for what happens next, we'll just have to take it one step at a time.

"Meow."

He called out to Sel, signaling to begin surveying the island.

Sel was standing on a slightly higher place, looking up at the island. When he heard Chen Fei's voice, he came back to his senses, suppressed the last bit of his depression, and followed.

Big Head finally climbed out of the mud.

He shook his whole body, shaking off the remaining water droplets in one breath, most of which accurately hit Sel standing next to him.

Sel looked down at his freshly shucked fur, then at Big Head.

Big Head immediately turned his head away, looking at the distant river with an innocent expression that said, "I don't know anything."

Chen Fei didn't linger and took the lead into the island.

The island's terrain was more layered than he had anticipated.

The area near the riverbank is a low-lying mudflat and aquatic plant belt, while further in, the terrain begins to rise, revealing a relatively flat grassland.

Further in, there are a few acacia trees and a thicket of bushes, while in the center of the island is a slightly raised mound from which one can overlook most of the island's outline.

Chen Fei walked up the mound, stopped, and began to systematically scan his surroundings.

The island is only a little over two square kilometers in size, not large, but enough for the mother and her two children.

With high vegetation coverage and good concealment, it is not easy for predators on the opposite bank to spot it.

The bison herd on the island was distributed on the western grassland. Chen Fei counted about fifteen to twenty of them, mainly adult cows and half-grown calves, and did not see any particularly robust adult bulls.

This is good news.

Adult bulls are the most dangerous members of a bison herd, weighing up to 700-800 kilograms. When enraged, they can even deter lion prides.

Without adult bulls to lead the charge, the fighting power of this herd of bison is reduced by at least 60%.

Food sources are stable, sufficient, and risks are manageable.

Chen Fei quickly did some mental calculations.

Based on the evolution points he gains each day after eating, the bison herd on the island could sustain them for at least two months.

Within two months, as long as you maintain a normal eating and training rhythm, your evolution points should be able to increase from 408 to just over 500.

At just over five hundred, you've reached the threshold of having heat flowing through your limbs.

Chen Fei stared at the herd of bison grazing leisurely on the western grassland, a different look appearing in his eyes.

The isolated ecosystem of the African savanna has a unique characteristic—isolation from the land means minimal competition from apex predators. Herbivores often overproduce due to the lack of continuous selection by natural predators, leading to a decline in individual quality.

Simply put, this herd of bison is much easier to deal with than an equivalent number of bison herds on land.

This is a natural haven for growth.

Chen Fei turned around, took two steps to the east side of the island, found a high place with a wide view, and looked out at both sides of the island.

In the direction of the old territory, the tops of the grass could be seen swaying gently in the morning breeze, but there was no sign of any lions and no sound could be heard.

Downstream, the river is wide and the current is gentle, with dense grass on the opposite bank.

Upstream, the sound of rushing water echoes from the rocky area, and further on, there is a continuous stretch of low hills.

Chen Fei stored this terrain information into his mind one by one.

An isolated island is a temporary base, not the final destination.

We'll have to go back eventually.

He needs sufficient strength before he can go back.

And strength is being accumulated little by little on this two-square-kilometer island right before our eyes.

"Meow..."

Big Head's shout came from behind, filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Chen Fei turned around and saw Da Tou standing at the edge of the western grassland, his eyes fixed on the bison herd, drool practically dripping from his mouth.

Sel stood beside him, also observing the bison herd, but with a more cautious look in his eyes.

She is assessing the feasibility of hunting.

Chen Fei walked over and stood between the mother and son, watching the bison herd for a while.

The bison on the very edge was limping slightly on one of its hind legs, likely due to an old injury that hadn't healed.

Target locked.

but not now.

They have just crossed the river and come ashore. Their energy has not been replenished and their fur is not completely dry. It would be too risky to hunt them forcibly.

Chen Fei nudged Da Tou's cheek with his head, then walked to an acacia tree and chose a sunny, sheltered spot on the grass to lie down.

Big Head hesitated for two seconds, reluctantly turning his gaze away from the bison herd, stumbled over, plopped down next to Chen Fei, rested his head on Chen Fei's back, and soon began to snore.

Sel lay down not far from them, closed his eyes, and lazily draped his tail over the grass.

The morning light filtered through the branches and leaves of the acacia tree, dappling the grass.

Beyond the bushes, everything was as quiet as if nothing had happened.

Chen Fei squinted, his consciousness drifting between sleep and wakefulness.

The last thought that crossed my mind was about the herd of bison.

That lame one, let's start with that one.