Chapter 45

After driving away the first venomous snake, Li Mang continued to delve deeper into the Aoji Mountain. The belly bugs on the trees and the snakes on the ground grew more numerous. He could only proceed intermittently, his pace gradually slowing down. Fortunately, he had plenty of time now.

The snakes on the ground could be driven away with realgar, but Li Mang had no way to deal with the belly bugs on the trees. He was considering whether he should bring an umbrella in the future. Although these belly bugs didn't bite and wouldn't attack him, the thought of them falling onto his body made his hair stand on end.

Moreover, some of the large caterpillars were poisonous. The fine hairs on their bodies could quickly cause skin allergies, making one feel itchy and uncomfortable.

The ones with spines were even more formidable, commonly known as 'nail bugs.' Their spines were more severe than bee stings, causing intense pain and high fever, and in severe cases, even death... These were still ordinary species in the real world. The caterpillars in Aoji Mountain were undoubtedly more terrifying. Li Mang looked around carefully with every step, as if walking on thin ice.

Especially the large caterpillars on the branches above, as he passed underneath, he felt his entire body become tense, always on edge.

"Hisss!"

The sound of a snake's tongue flickering came from ahead. Li Mang didn't pay much attention, as he had encountered a snake every few steps along the way and had become accustomed to the eerie sound.

However, the rustling sound that followed made him feel uneasy. Looking up, he saw a large snake, about five centimeters in diameter and two meters long, with a dark black body, rapidly slithering toward him. Its oval head was as big as a teacup, and if it opened its mouth, it could swallow a large fist.

What surprised Li Mang even more was its speed. As the withered leaves flew backward, the snake was already in front of him, its mouth full of sharp teeth wide open, lunging at him. Fortunately, Li Mang's reaction wasn't slow, and he swung the snake-catching stick.

"Slap!"

He hit the snake's neck, but due to the hasty action, the force of the blow wasn't strong. Under the influence of physics, the two-meter-long snake's body didn't fly away; instead, its tail whipped back toward Li Mang.

"Damn!" Li Mang was startled and instinctively reached out to grab the snake's body.

Experienced snake catchers knew that one should strike the snake at the seventh inch and grab its head. Especially with such a wild and fierce large snake, grabbing its body was ineffective and could result in a counterattack.

"Hisss!"

This was a ferocious species from the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. Although not entirely a spirit beast, it was still half a spirit beast, far superior to ordinary snakes in the real world. As soon as Li Mang grabbed it, its head quickly reversed, and it bit down on his arm with its mouth wide open.

"Ah!"

Li Mang let out a scream as the sharp and long snake teeth pierced his wrist, even touching the bone. Bright red blood instantly spurted out from the wound.

Li Mang put down the snake-catching stick and used his free hand to pry open the snake's mouth. However, the force of the snake's bite was immense, and its long teeth were firmly embedded in the flesh. Those who had been bitten by snakes knew that the snake's mouth seemed to stick to the hand, and it was impossible to pry it open by force.

After a few attempts, Li Mang realized this and gave up. He bent down, picked up a rock from the ground, and smashed it hard at the snake's seventh inch.

"Hisss!"

The black snake, in pain, finally released its bite. Li Mang, who was prepared, smashed the rock hard on its head, causing its mouth to rupture. Unfortunately, the ground was too damp, and the first strike at the seventh inch didn't break its gallbladder. The second strike on the head was also ineffective.

However, the blow made the black snake dizzy for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Li Mang finally grabbed the snake's head, and with his other hand, he grabbed its body. Ignoring the stench, he pulled hard on the snake's body, and the sound of its joints dislocating could be heard.

Despite its previous strength, the dislocated spine made the snake unable to exert much force for a short time, leaving it limp and at Li Mang's mercy.

Although his entire wrist was covered in blood, Li Mang felt a sense of victory and joy, a double joy from winning the battle and reaping the rewards. Despite being injured, he felt invigorated. If he could enjoy a bowl of snake soup, it would be even better.

"Fortunately, it wasn't a venomous snake; otherwise, today would have been tough. I should go back and treat my wound first!" Li Mang, still feeling the aftereffects, bent down and used his free hand to pick up the snake-catching stick and headed back.

Zhaoyao Mountain had become Li Mang's base. He had brought everything from the outside world and settled it there. For now, Zhaoyao Mountain was the safest place, with only a few wild chickens and no other creatures. He could live there in peace. He even thought that if he could build a residence and cultivate a few acres of land to grow vegetables and fruits, life would be better than that of a god!

Thinking about this, Li Mang felt motivated. Seeing that the snake soup needed a bit more time, he went to the real world to buy various seeds, fruit saplings, two prefabricated houses, a large bed, and the necessary items. He had the driver deliver them to a remote area and, taking advantage of the absence of people, brought them into the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* piece by piece.

Having been familiar with the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* for some time, Li Mang knew that as long as he could firmly grasp and lift something, he could bring it into the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. He couldn't bring a complete prefabricated house, but he could disassemble it, which wasn't difficult, just requiring a few more trips.

After transferring all the purchased items to Zhaoyao Mountain, Li Mang enjoyed the black snake stewed with chicken and the small black turtle soup. The black snake was several decades old, and its medicinal effects were even stronger than the honey from Tangting Mountain. After a few bowls, Li Mang's body turned red, and he felt an endless surge of energy. The medicinal effects needed to be refined, so he took the opportunity to build the prefabricated house, which he completed efficiently in just an hour, while also consuming the potent medicinal effects of the black snake.

Setting up the bed and laying out the bedding, a simple home was formed, and Li Mang felt a great sense of accomplishment. However, he wasn't satisfied yet. How could he have a home without a field? So, he drank two more bowls of delicious snake soup to replenish his energy, picked up a hoe, and started cultivating a vegetable garden and orchard by the Lijishui River, planting the fruit saplings and vegetable seeds he had just bought.

It took him a full day to complete everything, but he didn't feel tired. Besides the effects of the black snake, wild chicken, and small black turtle soup, it was more the sense of accomplishment that kept him from feeling any fatigue.

Lying on the new large bed in the prefabricated house, Li Mang smiled and fell into a peaceful sleep, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. Since entering the Yanhuang Academy, and more accurately, since graduating from university, he had been living a life forced upon him. He had lost his sense of contentment and freedom. It had been a long time since he had done something he truly wanted to do, and he felt extremely content.

However, after falling asleep, Li Mang's brows gradually furrowed. The scenes he had seen in front of the Destiny Sky Disk flashed through his dreams, one by one.

...

PS: This chapter is to make up for yesterday's delay. It's a bit late and a bit short, but please don't mind, considering the effort of staying up late to write. If you like it, please give a recommendation!