Faster than the Primal Panda, Qin Tian released the string of his bow, and the Iron Arrow shot out, striking the Primal Panda’s body. Its descending paw also suddenly halted.
Qin Tian took this chance to turn and flee, but the Primal Panda showed no intention of pursuing. It simply turned around and retreated into the cave. Seeing this, Qin Tian also stopped in his tracks.
“This… it’s not chasing me?” Qin Tian was stunned; he hadn’t expected the Primal Panda to just go back like that.
Qin Tian quickly understood. The Primal Panda was likely frightened by him and dared not give chase. In fact, perhaps because of him, the Primal Panda hadn’t left the cave all day, fearing an ambush.
But Qin Tian had no intention of bothering with the Primal Panda anymore. Its sudden attack earlier had nearly scared him to death, and even now his body was still trembling a little.
***
Thinking it was enough for today, Qin Tian grabbed the String in his hand. But before he could pull, a force suddenly came from the other end of the String—then, in the next moment, it disappeared.
Realizing something, Qin Tian quickly pulled the String back. As he suspected, it had snapped, and the Iron Arrow attached to it was nowhere to be found. He didn’t need to think to know—the Primal Panda must have bitten through the String.
Staring at the broken String, Qin Tian fell silent.
In his plan, he had intended to use the Iron Arrow to gradually wear down the Primal Panda’s mobility, but unexpectedly, this mishap had occurred.
Remembering the harrowing moment just now, Qin Tian suddenly felt he had underestimated the Primal Panda. If he had reacted a bit slower, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
The Iron Arrow was currently the weapon that inflicted the most damage on the Primal Panda—and there was only one. Now that it was lost, Qin Tian felt somewhat dejected. Almost as if to match his mood, the once clear sky suddenly grew dim.
***
“Is it going to rain?” Noticing the change in weather, Qin Tian immediately put away the String and left the area. He didn’t want to end up soaked to the bone.
But the rain started without warning, not giving Qin Tian enough time to get back to the Camp.
However, the rain wasn’t heavy, more like a light drizzle. After entering the forest, the thick branches and leaves kept Qin Tian mostly dry, with only the occasional drop landing on him.
On the way back, Qin Tian had already collected himself and was thinking about other ways to deal with the Primal Panda.
***
Just as he was thinking, something suddenly caught his eye. The object was a striking sapphire blue, drawing attention even in the dim weather.
Looking closer, Qin Tian couldn’t help but freeze.
It was a frog about the size of a leaf, but unlike ordinary frogs, its body was a brilliant sapphire blue—strikingly beautiful.
At that moment, information about the frog surged into Qin Tian’s mind.
Blue Poison Dart Frog: A species of frog with a sapphire-blue coloration. Its skin contains lethal toxins and it is a member of the poison dart frog family. It feeds on ants, crickets, and spiders, storing the toxins from its food in its skin.
This toxin can inhibit muscle movement, causing paralysis of muscles and breathing; in severe cases, it can lead to death. Unlike most frogs, the Blue Poison Dart Frog typically lays its eggs in Crabronid Plants growing on fallen logs.
“Lays eggs in Crabronid Plants?” Qin Tian suddenly recalled seeing tadpoles in those plants earlier. “If I’m not mistaken, those should be Poison Dart Frogs that haven’t completed metamorphosis yet.”
Speaking to himself, Qin Tian’s expression grew excited as he suddenly thought of something. He had been worrying about how to deal with the Primal Panda, and now the solution had presented itself.
***
Hastily drawing an arrow from the Arrow Tube, Qin Tian quietly approached the Blue Poison Dart Frog. Seizing the moment when the frog hadn’t noticed him, he swiftly stabbed at it with the arrow.
In the Wilderness Craft Encyclopedia, there was a method of crafting poison arrows from the Indians. Such poisoned arrows could kill large animals, and the poison was precisely obtained from poison dart frogs.
As long as he captured this Poison Dart Frog, Qin Tian could make poison arrows to paralyze the Primal Panda.
Although the Blue Poison Dart Frog was extremely venomous, its movements were not agile. Qin Tian’s strike pierced its body with the arrow.
Not daring to touch it directly, Qin Tian held the arrow aloft and glanced around, wondering if he could find more Blue Poison Dart Frogs.
But after searching, he found no other Poison Dart Frogs. The rain was also intensifying, so Qin Tian dared not linger and hurried back to the Camp.
***
When Qin Tian returned, Ye Lin was sitting under the wooden shelter avoiding the rain. Seeing Qin Tian, she immediately ran out from the Camp, her demeanor far more enthusiastic than usual. “Qin Tian, you’re back!”
Noticing Ye Lin’s unusual behavior, Qin Tian was briefly puzzled, but understood in the next second.
With a gentle gaze, Qin Tian said, “Sorry to have worried you.”
How could she admit it so easily? Ye Lin was stubborn: “Who said I was scared? I was just worried about you, that’s all.”
It was around five in the afternoon, but because of the rain, the sky was already dark. This reminded Ye Lin of the wild boar rampage on that rainy night. During the time Qin Tian was gone, she had been on edge.
Only when Qin Tian returned did she feel safe again, which was why she seemed so enthusiastic.
***
Not giving Qin Tian a chance to argue, Ye Lin glanced at the Poison Dart Frog in his hand. “This frog is so pretty… it isn’t poisonous, is it?”
The more dangerous an animal, the brighter and more vibrant its colors—Ye Lin knew about warning coloration.
“This is a Blue Poison Dart Frog, a type of Poison Dart Frog. Of course, it’s poisonous,” Qin Tian said with a smile.
“Then why did you bring it back?” Ye Lin took a few steps back. She had heard of the Poison Dart Frog’s reputation.
“It’s useful.” Qin Tian carefully set down the Poison Dart Frog, then ducked into the wooden shelter and explained his idea.
“Will this work?” Ye Lin was a bit worried, but also a little hopeful.
Fondness extending even to the panda’s home, Ye Lin would have loved for the Primal Panda to be tamed, but for safety, they might have to kill it.
“It’s worth a try.” Qin Tian wasn’t certain either.
Qin Tian and Ye Lin discussed the matter all the way until their watch shift began.
The rain, though light, lasted into the deep night. While on watch, Qin Tian did nothing else—he focused all his attention on being vigilant.
Like Ye Lin, he remembered what had happened that rainy night. Fortunately, nothing happened this time.
***
After the rain cleared, and breakfast was done, Qin Tian began applying poison to the arrows.
Skewering the Blue Poison Dart Frog with a wooden stick, he held it over the campfire. Before long, white bubbles formed on its skin.
Soon, the white bubbles disappeared, replaced by black liquid—this was the toxin from the frog’s skin.
Qin Tian then took a stone arrowhead and dipped it into the poison. He dared not smear it on thickly, fearing too much poison might kill the Primal Panda.
After the poison dried, the arrowhead turned black. Qin Tian carefully stowed it away, afraid of accidentally cutting himself.
“All done.” Just then, Ye Lin brought over a few grass balls.
These grass balls were made of dry grass inside, fresh moist grass outside, and tied up with String. Their purpose was unclear.
“Okay, thanks.” Qin Tian accepted them, packed them into a bamboo tube, and after preparations were complete, set out from the Camp.
***
After a night of rain, the forest was soaked. When Qin Tian neared the cave, his clothes were already damp from the brush, but he seemed not to notice, his eyes fixed on the grass before the cave.
Many people have had this experience: after rain, the grass looks dry, but a single step sinks into a puddle.
Now, there were no puddles in front of the cave, which meant the Primal Panda was still hiding inside.
Without testing, Qin Tian stepped onto the grass and walked slowly toward the cave, making noise as he went, hoping to draw the Primal Panda out.
Unfortunately, no matter how much noise he made, the cave remained utterly silent.
Fortunately, Qin Tian had prepared. He took out the grass balls and, from another bamboo tube, drew out a piece of burning Wood Conk.
He set the grass balls alight, sending up thick blue smoke, and threw them into the cave.
He threw three in a row, filling the cave with dense smoke. Soon after, Qin Tian saw the Primal Panda unable to bear it and charging out of the cave.
Enemies meeting, eyes blaze with fury.
These days, with Qin Tian constantly harassing it, the Primal Panda was already enraged, but since Qin Tian was always too fast for it to catch, it could only shrink back into the cave. Now, even the cave was unlivable.
This time, the Primal Panda was utterly furious—no matter what, it had to show this two-legged beast its power today.
With a roar, the Primal Panda charged at Qin Tian, but if that were effective, it wouldn’t have needed to hide in the cave all this time.
***
Unflinching, Qin Tian retreated swiftly, then raised his Recurve Bow and fired, disappearing into the forest in one smooth motion, not giving the Primal Panda any chance to react.
Stone arrows were far inferior to Iron Arrows. Although it struck the Primal Panda, the wound was shallow, and the arrow fell off with the animal’s movement. Whether the poison had entered the Primal Panda’s bloodstream was unknown.
After so many ambushes, the Primal Panda had learned to be cunning. As soon as Qin Tian disappeared, it turned and charged back.
This was unexpected for Qin Tian. He had just stopped when the Primal Panda charged at him, giving him no chance to draw his bow.
Helpless, Qin Tian could only retreat again. But at that moment, something unexpected happened—the Primal Panda suddenly went weak in all four limbs and collapsed to the ground.
It seemed even the beast itself didn’t know what was happening. It could only roar, eyes full of confusion and fury.
“It worked!” Seeing this, Qin Tian knew the poison had taken effect.
He put away his Recurve Bow and retreated deeper into the forest.
Of course, he hadn’t left—he was only hiding.