Chapter 76

In the split second before the head of the creature lunged at him, Lin Bei, with his exceptional sensory abilities, had already identified the creature before him. It was a water python, but it was clearly different from the ones Lin Bei had seen before.

In modern times, when Lin Bei conducted research in Shuangya Mountain, he sometimes chatted with the old farmers around him. These farmers told him that the most dangerous creatures in the mountains were not tigers or leopards, but snakes and insects. Few people were injured by tigers or leopards each year, but the most deaths were caused by snakes and insects, with pythons being the most terrifying of all.

Water pythons live in water and are usually found in swamps or streams in the mountains. They lie in wait quietly and, once they encounter an ideal prey, they suddenly attack. They first bite the prey with their mouths and then wrap their large bodies around it, strangling it to death. If the prey is very strong, this process can last for over half an hour.

It's easy to imagine how terrifying it would be for a human to encounter such a situation. Compared to being bitten directly by a venomous snake or a tiger, the continuous half-hour of terror is clearly more frightening. Fortunately, there weren't many pythons in Shuangya Mountain. Lin Bei knew they existed in the mountains but had never seen them, so he couldn't fully appreciate the terror of these creatures.

For water pythons, wherever there is water, that is their habitat. There is even a folk legend that water pythons are a branch of the Dragon King. Wherever they stay, the place is always moist to facilitate their movement.

This water python was quite large, with its head opening up to about the size of a one-meter diameter round table. Although pythons can open their mouths very wide, this indicated that the head of this water python was not smaller than Lin Bei's. However, strangely, the body of the python was not very large, only as thick as a human thigh. Compared to the typical large body and small head of pythons, this one was clearly very bizarre.

"This water python is at most seven to eight meters long," Lin Bei concluded with certainty. This length was already quite terrifying, but for Lin Bei, it was still not enough.

Besides the disproportionate body and head, the most frightening thing about this water python was the pitted and uneven surface of its body, including its head. The eye sockets were also pitted, suggesting that it was blind. When it emerged from the decaying leaves and mud, Lin Bei could see that the pitted areas were oozing yellow pus, which was even more foul-smelling than the decaying leaves. The rapid impact caused the pus to splash everywhere, making it look like a terrifying creature from hell.

"How can it still be alive with such a condition?" Lin Bei was truly amazed. He then looked at the miasma surrounding the area and realized that the water python was infected by the miasma.

Miasma is more likely to form in humid and hot environments, where plants and animal corpses decay. This place was a swamp, naturally humid, and the weather was hot, with steam forming but being blocked by the forest leaves, preventing it from evaporating quickly. This created a steamy environment, making it easy for miasma to form. Miasma can penetrate anywhere, and even if the water python hid below, it would still be affected. However, the resilience of snakes and pythons is quite strong, so although infected, it had not died yet.

As is well known, the more dangerous the environment, the faster the evolution of organisms to adapt to it. The deformed appearance of this water python clearly indicated that it was in the process of evolving. If this water python had good luck, it would eventually evolve into a terrifying monster. What it would become, Lin Bei could not guess, as the power of nature is beyond human comprehension.

These thoughts flashed through Lin Bei's mind, but his body did not stop moving. He rolled to the side, using the momentum to swing his tail, which struck the water python's head with a loud crack. The two forces collided, and the water python was flung away, its body emerging from the swamp. It was shorter than Lin Bei had expected, about six meters long, with its tail almost indistinguishable, making its body look like a uniform cylinder.

When the water python fell back into the swamp, it seemed to be completely unharmed. It twisted its body and quickly burrowed back under the decaying leaves, becoming silent and no longer attacking Lin Bei. It seemed to have sensed Lin Bei's strength and decided not to waste its efforts.

Lin Bei used his tail to tap the soft decaying leaves a few times, trying to force the water python out, but this was the water python's territory. Unless Lin Bei was willing to dive in, which he found repulsive, there was no way to make the water python appear.

Earlier, Lin Bei had a chance to kill the water python. If he had dodged a few times, the water python would have definitely pursued him. Since this place was almost like land, once the water python came ashore, it would be at Lin Bei's mercy. However, Lin Bei was curious and wanted to see what the water python would eventually become.

The evolution of any organism requires a long time, but a dangerous environment can accelerate this process. This water python was clearly in the midst of this evolution.

Walking around the swamp, Lin Bei was certain that this swamp did not exist a month ago. Looking at the already somewhat dry soil behind him and the swamp in front, Lin Bei believed that there was a 90% chance that the water python had created this swamp. Wherever the water python went, a new swamp would form, which caused a great stir in Lin Bei's mind.

"Does this water python really have special abilities? Wherever it goes, a new swamp forms? This ability is truly incredible."

Bian Fuzi and others thought Lin Bei had magical powers, but Lin Bei did not. Now, Lin Bei thought that the water python's ability was more like magic, similar to how the Dragon King brings rain wherever he goes.

However, as a modern person, Lin Bei was accustomed to looking at things more rationally. Perhaps the water python had evolved a way to find water sources, and wherever it stayed, there would definitely be a water source. It would then bring water to the decaying leaves and mud, forming a swamp. Thinking this way, Lin Bei did not find it too surprising.

"Sir, are you alright?" Cui Lan called from a distance.

When the water python emerged, the hunters were so terrified that their hearts almost stopped. They had never seen such a creature before, so they instinctively believed it was a demonic entity, and a very evil one at that. Fortunately, the "demonic dragon" Lin Bei had driven it away.

Hearing Cui Lan's call and seeing that the water python did not reappear, Lin Bei decided to return to the group of hunters, thinking he would have another chance later.

Shaking his head, Lin Bei indicated that he was fine, as the water python did not pose an immediate threat to him.

"Sir, was that a demonic entity?" one of the hunters asked cautiously.

Lin Bei laughed, wanting to say no but not knowing how to explain. Would they understand if he said it was an evolving water python? They couldn't even read, so he nodded.

"It's really a demonic entity!"

"Heaven!"

"Thank goodness Sir is here."

"I told you, it must be a demonic entity. That mouth is so big, I wonder how many people it has eaten."

The hunters were shocked, their faces turning red. This was the second time they had seen a demonic entity, and it was such a terrifying one. They would have something to boast about in the future.

PS: Thank you to the book friends Long Wuzi Taotie, Xinshui Wuchen, and Yu Mao's Snake for your generous rewards. Additionally, thank you to book friend 1403231 for your generosity. Thank you all.