Chapter 23

With a calm gaze, Lin Xiao looked at the giant python a hundred meters away, barely suppressing the surging fighting spirit in his heart. He knew that in his current state, he had no chance of winning against the giant python, even with his right hand recovered. The consequences of the collision with the giant bear were beginning to show.

"Ah!"

Lin Xiao spat out another mouthful of blood. The damage to his internal organs was not easy to recover from, even for Lin Xiao, whose body was already very strong. It would take at least a few days to recover.

Taking out the mountain cleaver from his spatial ring, he cut off the bear's paws, which were his spoils of war, and put them back into the spatial ring. Then, he took heavy steps and left.

On the way, he picked up some relatively intact fierce beast corpses and put them into the spatial ring. If left out, they would surely be eaten by vultures, so it was better for him to take them.

Finding a tree hollow, he hid himself and entered the spatial ring. Enduring the pain from his body, he organized the fierce beast corpses he had just collected.

Sitting cross-legged, he emptied his mind, focused his mind on his breath, and circulated his energy through his body. Activating his cosmic energy, he channeled it through his hundred meridians. After nine small cycles, his breath was full, and the cosmic energy he had consumed in the battle had been fully restored.

He began the second step, using his energy to surround his five organs and six viscera, slowly nurturing the damaged internal organs and accelerating their recovery.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, Lin Xiao hardly left the spatial ring, except to relieve himself outside. The rest of the time, he spent healing inside the spatial ring.

After several days of continuous use of cosmic energy, he made further progress, solidifying the foundation that had been shaky due to his rapid advancement. He had firmly laid the most solid first step.

If he could only exert 70% to 80% of his power in the first two days, now he could fully exert 100% to 110% of his power. This was the greatest gain from his days of sitting and healing.

"Crack!"

After finishing his healing, Lin Xiao stood up and stretched his body, which had been sitting for too long.

Without lingering, he directly left the spatial ring and the tree hollow he had been in for several days. He looked up at the sky. It was another beautiful day, with clear skies and bright sunshine. He stretched lazily, enjoying the scent of the grass and trees, taking a deep breath, feeling very comfortable.

It wasn't time to slack off yet. He had to first deal with the final giant python and get the meteorite. Lin Xiao thought to himself.

Adjusting his mindset, he walked toward the direction of the meteorite.

The giant python was still the same, happily coiling around the meteorite with its body, its large snake head resting on the meteorite.

Sensing the approach of a warm-blooded creature, the giant python opened its amber-like eyes, the vertical pupils tightly focusing on Lin Xiao, who was advancing toward the meteorite.

"Hisss~"

The giant python's head lifted slightly, its forked tongue tasting the air around it.

Lin Xiao closed his eyes, enjoying the sunlight on his face, smiling as he strolled through the forest, not at all like someone about to fight a giant python. Instead, he looked like a leisurely gentleman, with a subtle aura from his cultivation.

As he got closer, Lin Xiao stopped about thirty meters from the meteorite, squinting at the giant python coiled around it.

The giant python also became alert, sensing a threat from Lin Xiao. The instincts of wild beasts were sharp. Although it didn't know why it felt threatened by such a small creature, as a beast, it trusted its instincts.

Lin Xiao observed the surroundings and saw no other living pythons except for the dead venomous snakes and pythons from a few days ago. This was good, as it saved him the effort of dealing with those minor threats, allowing him to focus entirely on the giant python.

Taking out a crossbow from his spatial ring, Lin Xiao held it in his hand, assuming a javelin-throwing stance, and threw it with all his might at the giant python.

"Whoosh!"

The crossbow bolt shot through the air, leaving a black and white trail.

"Clang!"

The crossbow bolt collided with the giant python's scales, sparks flying, but it failed to penetrate the scales and fell to the ground.

Lin Xiao's pupils constricted, silently acknowledging the high defense. If the giant bear from a few days ago had such defense, he would have been in serious trouble. He wondered about the python's speed and strength.

Enraged by Lin Xiao's provocation, the giant python released the meteorite and began to slither toward him.

Lin Xiao focused intently on the approaching giant python, his muscles tensed, ready for battle.

The twenty-meter distance was covered in less than three seconds by the giant python. It raised its body, its fierce snake head opening a huge mouth and charging at Lin Xiao, ready to swallow him whole.

Seeing the giant python charge, Lin Xiao calmly sidestepped, appearing five meters away, evading the python's attack.

Although the giant python was fast, Lin Xiao could still see its movements and avoid them. The python's series of fierce attacks failed to touch Lin Xiao, leaving it panting from exhaustion while Lin Xiao stood calmly nearby, continuing to provoke it.

The giant python's eyes glowed with fierce light, and it attacked Lin Xiao without regard for its own energy.

Familiar with the python's speed, Lin Xiao began his counterattack. He activated his Breaking Fist, a circle of cosmic energy gradually appearing around his fist, vibrating intensely and distorting the air into a cone shape.

Dodging the python's tail once again, Lin Xiao chased after it and punched the snake's body.

"Screech..."

The point of contact between the fist and the scales produced a piercing sound, like steel and iron rubbing against each other, stimulating the nerves.

"Hisss..."

Since Lin Xiao's Breaking Fist hit the giant python, the prolonged struggle came to an end.

The giant python's astonishingly defensive scales were shattered by Lin Xiao's Breaking Fist, leaving a fist-sized wound on its body, with broken scales deeply embedded in its flesh.

The giant python looked at the wound, showing a hint of fear, then turned to Lin Xiao, its wild nature taking over, and charged at him again.

Blood and scales flew as the giant python's wounds increased and it grew weaker. Seeing that just a little more effort would finish it, Lin Xiao felt a slight relief.

"Bang!"

Distracted, Lin Xiao was hit by the python's tail and flew through the air.

The giant python didn't miss this opportunity and opened its mouth to swallow Lin Xiao.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the danger caused by his distraction, Lin Xiao let out a cold snort.

Instead of retreating, he adjusted his posture in mid-air and charged directly into the python's mouth.

The python's body, without the protection of its scales, was more vulnerable. Lin Xiao fully activated his cosmic energy to protect himself, using his Breaking Fist with both hands, charging through the python's body.

The python's back began to bulge, and it regretted its decision, overestimating itself and underestimating Lin Xiao. Why did it swallow this human?