184: Chapter 183 Making the Ram's Horn Bow

[Wilderness Survival Announcement]

[Huaguo Player Lu Fan triggers ten thousand times rebate]

[Century-old Elm Tree * 10000]

livestream room.

"Holy cow, this huge tree appeared in our village. My god, seeing it in person, it's just too massive."

"So jealous! Your village is rich now. You can develop tourism. Many people nowadays have never seen a tree; they'll definitely visit."

"Now there's water, the land is recovering, and there are more trees. I wonder if I'll see a forest before I kick the bucket."

"Don't worry, if you don't live to see it, we'll burn some for you."

Lu Fan shouldered the branches and was about to head back with the Monkey King when suddenly, a low roar came from not far away.

[Black Panther Discovered]

Lu Fan's heart tightened. Looking toward the sound, he saw a majestic Black Panther walking slowly in their direction.

This Black Panther was pitch black and shiny all over, with taut muscles. Every step it took exuded the dominance of a king.

Its eyes were like two green gems, shimmering with an eerie light in the sun, making one shiver.

Lu Fan's heart rate suddenly quickened. He unconsciously gripped his axe, his mind racing for a strategy.

But strangely, the Black Panther didn't attack as Lu Fan imagined. It just walked under the elm tree and looked up at Lu Fan and the Monkey King.

Then it slowly circled the tree once, kicked off with its hind legs, hooked its front claws onto the trunk, and nimbly climbed up.

It found a thick branch, lay down comfortably, rested its head on its front paws, closed its eyes, and actually prepared to sleep.

Lu Fan and the Monkey King looked at each other, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.

"What's with this Black Panther? Did it come here for a nap after eating its fill?"

Lu Fan muttered softly, the tension in his heart easing slightly.

He stood there, observing the Black Panther for a while. After confirming it really had no intention of attacking, he turned around cautiously, ready to leave.

"Phew, luckily it was just a false alarm. Seems like my luck is pretty good today." Lu Fan let out a long breath, shouldered the branches, and set off back to the Shelter with the Monkey King.

Along the way, the Monkey King was as lively as before, jumping between branches and occasionally stopping to wait for Lu Fan.

Lu Fan, while walking, recalled the thrilling scene just now and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Today is truly a fruitful day. Not only did I find good materials for a bow, but I also witnessed the strange behavior of a Black Panther," Lu Fan said to himself, his steps becoming lighter.

When they got back to the Shelter, An Lan would surely be very happy to see him return with such good branches.

Thinking of this, Lu Fan quickened his pace, wishing he could fly back immediately.

Meanwhile, the Monkey King bid farewell to Lu Fan and continued its great tree-felling mission.

Near the Shelter, Da Hei heard the commotion and ran out early to greet them.

It wagged its tail, circling Lu Fan and the Monkey King, making cheerful barks.

An Lan also walked out of the house. Seeing Lu Fan, a bright smile appeared on her face.

"You're finally back, I was worried about you." An Lan stepped forward, took the branches from Lu Fan's shoulder, and looked at them curiously.

"Look at these branches, they are definitely top-grade material for making a bow!"

Lu Fan said excitedly, then told An Lan everything that happened on the way, including meeting the Monkey King, finding the century-old elm, and the encounter with the Black Panther.

An Lan listened intently, letting out exclamations from time to time.

"Wow, your trip was really thrilling!"

She smiled and said, "But that Black Panther climbing the tree to sleep is truly bizarre."

"Tell me about it. Things in the wilderness are truly unpredictable."

After the meal, Lu Fan moved his wrists, rolled up his sleeves, and strode toward that significant century-old elm.

This elm, having weathered the years, carried all his expectations for a new weapon. In these days of Wilderness Survival, it would be crafted into a key aid for survival.

He picked up a small knife, the blade pressed against the elm's bark. His movements were crisp and neat, every cut full of power and focus.

The elm bark, marked by time, fell away in rustling flakes, revealing a pale yellow wood layer.

The fine texture was like imprints flowing in the river of time, thread by thread, clearly visible, telling the long past of this ancient tree.

After removing the bark, Lu Fan held the knife upright and began to scrape off the small burrs attached to the wood.

His gaze was focused and steady, stroke after stroke, extremely patient.

Before long, the surface of the elm became smooth and even, warm to the touch, as if responding to his meticulous polishing.

Next, Lu Fan skillfully set up a simple roasting rack in the clearing and quickly started a fire.

The roaring flames licked the elm wood wantonly, making a "sizzling" sound, and a faint toasted fragrance drifted away.

His eyes were locked onto the elm, never leaving for a moment, as he turned the long stick from time to time to ensure the elm was heated evenly.

As the temperature gradually rose, the internal fiber structure of the elm wood quietly changed, slowly becoming soft and malleable, like a tamed beast, gradually and obediently taking on the shape he expected.

When the timing was just right, Lu Fan acted quickly, removing the roasted elm from the fire and placing it steadily between two flat stones, then pressing a thick brick firmly on top.

To ensure the bow's curve was precise, he found two straight branches and carefully fixed them on both sides of the bow body.

It was like giving the bow a pair of solid "stabilizers," allowing it to maintain a perfect posture throughout the shaping process.

After processing the elm, Lu Fan turned to the storage area and found a pair of Mountain Goat Horns he had harvested from a previous hunt.

The shape of these horns was unique, and their curvature and size fit the bow arms perfectly, as if they were excellent accessories specially prepared by heaven for this bow.

He put the goat horns into a pot, filled it with water, and then placed it over the fire to boil.

The water in the pot gradually heated up, steam rising, while emitting a faint gamey smell.

After about half an hour, he gently poked the goat horns with a wooden stick. Feeling that the texture had softened, he quickly fished them out.

Immediately after, he picked up a small knife and began carving the goat horns.

His technique was skilled, precisely shaving off the excess parts of the goat horns bit by bit, every cut just right, until the goat horns fit the ends of the bow arms perfectly.

To fix the goat horns to the bow arms more firmly, he also carefully carved several grooves at the joints.

Then he found some tough plant fibers and skillfully twisted them into thin ropes, winding them tightly around the bow arms and goat horns, layer after layer.

Finally, he fixed the processed Horn Bow arms with bricks as well. It was done, and now he just had to wait for them to fully take shape.

An Lan watched Lu Fan's busy figure quietly from the side. His focused way of working exuded a different kind of charm, deeply attracting her gaze.

"Alright, it should be about ready by tomorrow. This elm material has the right dryness and thickness; it can be shaped successfully in 12 to 14 hours."

Lu Fan stood up, brushed the dust off his hands, and patiently explained to the curious An Lan.

"As for those goat horns, it'll be even faster—four or five hours will do."

Seeing Lu Fan talk with such confidence, An Lan was full of curiosity and couldn't help but ask, "How do you know all this so clearly?"

Lu Fan laughed heartily: "There are many ethnic minorities in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. I've seen them make Bow and Arrows before. Through constant exposure, I learned these tricks."