Once the ape tribe had devoured the last scraps of venison—even gnawing the meat from the bones—Chen Xu knew it was time to resume the hunt.
His cultivation had increased his metabolism dramatically; what would have fed them for six or seven days was now completely consumed in a single day.
At this moment, the first priority wasn't to conquer another tribe, seize mysterious crystals, or prepare for the aliens' return—it was simply to fill his own stomach. Any other plans were meaningless without that basic necessity.
As the sun rose, the small tribe set out again. This time, under Chen Xu's leadership, the group of fifteen apes did not return to the old hunting grounds. Instead, they climbed the steep cliffs above their cave and paused on a lush mountainside.
Here, among a dense stand of bamboo, Chen Xu took his first step as chief. Immediately, he focused on the natural resources around him.
He gestured for Ape One to hand him a naturally formed stone axe. With the tribe watching in curious silence, Chen Xu lightly twirled the axe and tried channeling his inner qi into it—an attempt to mimic the martial arts technique of external energy enhancement.
But it didn't work. No matter how he tried, his qi stopped at his palms. He sighed. His cultivation—Second Realm, early stage—was simply not advanced enough to externalize his inner energy.
"Only top-tier masters can project inner qi outward," he muttered. "I can enhance myself internally, but not yet beyond my body."
Chen Xu recalibrated. By concentrating his qi within his arms, he felt the accumulation of force building. Now he could enhance his strikes, his movement speed, even his jumps—a primitive form of lightness technique.
He tested it. With his qi flowing, he leapt from a branch, soaring nearly four to five meters into the air. It felt as though gravity had lost its grip. Excited, he dubbed this maneuver the "Soaring Eagle Stance."
Though he realized the technique consumed too much energy to be used continuously, it was a powerful tool to survive in emergencies. In the future, as his cultivation increased, he could use it without hesitation.
Chen Xu's eyes gleamed as he turned to the bamboos below. The apes watched in awe as he bounded and twirled like a skilled martial artist, then grasped his stone axe, channeling both inner qi and sheer strength. He struck a bamboo stalk—thick, sturdy, seemingly as strong as steel.
Crack! The bamboo split, the axe rebounding slightly. Chen Xu merely flicked his arm, ignoring the sting in his muscles, and continued. One by one, the massive stalks fell under his blows, the cut surfaces smooth, as if shaved by a blade rather than broken by force.
After felling a dozen or so giant bamboos, Chen Xu gestured to the tribe. They approached, clearing branches and leaves as instructed, though their simple minds did not comprehend the greater purpose.
Chen Xu picked up a bamboo stalk, examining its weight and structure. Then, with precise strikes, he chopped it into segments. Using jagged stones from the mountainside, he sharpened the tips, smoothing the handles for grip. In no time, he had fashioned a dozen long, slender, sturdy spears—each around three meters long, dense from years of growth.
Testing one, he twisted and snapped it with great effort, confirming their durability. Satisfied, he bound several spears together with vines, slinging three bundles onto his back. He then climbed the cliff, using the vines as makeshift ropes, demonstrating to the tribe how to transport firewood and bamboo safely from the mountaintop to the cave.
Even the simple act of hauling materials required demonstration. Without Chen Xu's guidance, the apes would have no idea how to coordinate.
Once the spears were stored in the cave and the firewood stacked on the cliff, Chen Xu paused. The tribe had done surprisingly well—the wood was dry, appropriately sized, and neatly gathered.
For the first time, Chen Xu allowed himself a small smile. This was no ordinary Stone Age survival task. With bamboo spears, ropes, and simple lightness technique, he had transformed a primitive tribe into a rudimentary hunting force.
"Who would have thought I'd come to the Stone Age," he muttered to himself. "And yet… with inner qi and a few tricks, survival suddenly feels much easier."
The apes stared at him expectantly, waiting for his next command. Chen Xu's mind raced. He already knew the first step of his long-term plan: train the tribe, gather resources, and prepare for the crystals and the aliens yet to come.