Chapter 34

Yuan Ming's pupils suddenly constricted, and he quickly leaned back.

In the next moment, a wave of water erupted on the river surface, and a huge, ferocious snake head suddenly burst out of the water, opening its blood-red mouth and lunging at Yuan Ming.

Fortunately, Yuan Ming dodged in time and was not bitten. The snake head, followed by a ten-zhang-long python body, shot up into the air, its tail sweeping across the water and striking Yuan Ming's abdomen with a fierce blow.

With a "bang,"

Yuan Ming's abdomen was hit with intense pain, and he was thrown flying by the powerful force, only stopping after crashing through three old trees.

He struggled to stand up, and a bitter taste rose in his throat. He immediately realized that this water python, which had launched a surprise attack, was far more powerful than the anaconda he had encountered earlier.

He had some confidence in dealing with the anaconda, and considering the drawbacks of the fur-clad technique, he had not transformed, hoping to rely solely on his human strength to slay the beast. Now, that was no longer possible.

He formed a hand seal with one hand, channeling his inner magic to transform into a fierce white ape.

After stabilizing himself, he noticed that the water python that had burst out of the river was pitch black, covered in diamond-shaped scales. Its head, raised high, bore a spiral-shaped black horn, and its eyes glowed with a blood-red, bloodthirsty light.

"Is this... a Horned Viper Python?" Yuan Ming hesitated.

He had only seen the illustration of this creature in the *Compendium of Common Fierce Beasts* given to him by Zhao Tong. The appearance was only about 50% similar, but the textual descriptions and characteristics matched almost perfectly.

If it really was that creature, things would be troublesome, Yuan Ming sighed inwardly.

At that moment, the black viper python launched an attack, gliding over with its head held high. It opened its massive mouth and spewed out a purple mist, which rolled toward the ground, instantly enveloping a ten-zhang area. The plants within withered and turned dry.

"Poisonous gas in the belly, capable of withering a hundred plants and corrupting blood. The venom from the Fire Velvet Frog can counteract it," Yuan Ming recalled the description from the book, immediately recognizing it.

Even if this creature was not yet a mid-level first-tier fierce beast, it was close and far more troublesome than a regular anaconda.

Yuan Ming quickly retreated to avoid the spreading poison mist.

"Roar..."

Suddenly, a powerful roar echoed, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, which accelerated the spread of the purple poison mist, quickly enveloping a hundred-zhang area.

No matter how fast Yuan Ming tried to escape, he could not outrun the wind and was soon enveloped by the mist.

He instinctively held his breath and quickly fled outward, but the purple mist not only obscured his vision but also corroded the vines hanging from the trees.

Even the branches of the ancient trees became dry and brittle. Yuan Ming tried several times to climb, but each time he grabbed a branch, it would immediately rot and break, causing him to fall.

"This is troublesome," Yuan Ming frowned, gripping his long sword and closely watching his surroundings.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet trembled, and a black shadow darted over, creating a strong wind.

Sensing danger, Yuan Ming quickly raised his sword to block.

With a "clang,"

The tip of the Bluefish Treasure Sword struck the scales of the Horned Viper Python, sparking a series of sparks.

The immense force pushed Yuan Ming back again. Although he was not as disheveled as before, the breath he had been holding was forced out, and he involuntarily inhaled the purple poison mist.

The moment the poison mist entered his mouth, his oral cavity and throat were instantly scorched, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of charcoal, causing intense pain and dryness.

Yuan Ming quickly held his breath again and focused on his surroundings.

In the dense poison mist, a black shadow attacked again, with two red-lit lanterns visible. It was not the body of the viper python but its head, charging straight at Yuan Ming.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming immediately tensed his arm, his muscles bulging, and his dantian's magic power surged, pouring into the Bluefish Sword.

As the Horned Viper Python's head approached, he raised his arm high, and the green light of the sword intensified. He swung the sword at the center of the two red lanterns.

The massive head of the Horned Viper Python, though seemingly charging recklessly, was actually controlled with great precision.

The spiral horn on its head, like a spear, thrust forward, colliding with the tip of Yuan Ming's sword.

A metallic clanging sound echoed, followed by a series of vibrations.

Yuan Ming's sword was almost knocked out of his hand by the immense force, and the Horned Viper Python was momentarily stunned, shaking its head to dispel the impact.

However, Yuan Ming stabilized himself faster, taking a few steps forward, gripping the Bluefish Sword with both hands, and swung it in a large circle, slashing across the abdomen of the Horned Viper Python.

"Clang, clang, clang"

A series of sparks flew, and a streak of blood appeared.

The scales of the Horned Viper Python were cut open by Yuan Ming's powerful strike.

"Being able to injure it means there's still a chance," Yuan Ming rejoiced.

However, before he could celebrate, the situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.

The ground beneath Yuan Ming's feet began to shake violently, and the earth and rocks split open, revealing a crack.

Before he could react, he fell into the crack.

The ground below the crack revealed the coiled body of the viper python, which immediately tightened around him as he fell.

Yuan Ming's heart sank; the viper python had set a trap for him.

His body was tightly squeezed from all sides, the bones in his chest creaking, and bile rising in his throat.

"Such immense strength," Yuan Ming thought, his entire body bursting with power, trying to break free from the viper python's grip.

However, as soon as he resisted, the viper python's strength increased several times, the creaking of his chest bones becoming more frequent, and the feeling of suffocation in his chest becoming more intense, making it difficult to breathe.

He forced his arm holding the sword to break free, using his strength to try to strike.

However, the poison he had inhaled began to take effect, his blood circulation becoming sluggish. Although he could still channel his magic power, his strength was rapidly waning.

As the Horned Viper Python tightened its grip again, Yuan Ming's arm weakened, and he lost his grip on the sword, which fell to the ground with a "clunk."

In the face of such overwhelming strength, Yuan Ming felt a sense of despair for the first time.

Seeing that Yuan Ming was disarmed and exhausted, the Horned Viper Python stopped tightening its body and raised its head, circling in front of him.

Its red eyes looked down at him, filled with a human-like emotion.

Yuan Ming read hatred, resentment, contempt, and cruelty in its eyes.

Clearly, this Horned Viper Python was different from the fierce beasts he had encountered before, possessing not only immense strength but also high intelligence.

Yuan Ming's blood circulation was sluggish, and his strength was rapidly waning. He struggled to control his arm, searching his body.

The Horned Viper Python, thinking he had some trick up his sleeve, immediately tightened its body again.

"Ugh..."

Yuan Ming involuntarily let out a painful groan, his body tensing.

The viper python, without hesitation, extended its massive head toward Yuan Ming, opening its mouth to swallow him.

Yuan Ming, unable to dodge, formed a hand seal with one hand and whispered, "Rise."

In the next moment, a yellow glow appeared in front of the Horned Viper Python, and large stone spires shot up from the ground, piercing upward.

After advancing to the third level of Qi cultivation, his Earth Spike technique had improved significantly. He could now activate it without touching the ground, and the speed of its execution had increased.

However, the stone spires, though powerful, could not penetrate the scales of the Horned Viper Python. They only lifted its body, failing to injure it.

The Horned Viper Python's body was suddenly lifted, losing its balance, and its head narrowly missed Yuan Ming.

However, Yuan Ming's hand had precisely stabbed into the wound on its abdomen.

The Horned Viper Python, in pain, immediately recoiled, and Yuan Ming's hand was pulled out.

Blood splattered, and the Horned Viper Python became enraged, opening its mouth again to bite down on Yuan Ming.

This time, Yuan Ming did not use the Earth Spike technique or try to dodge. Instead, he stared at the Horned Viper Python, counting silently, "Three, two, one."

As he finished counting, the snake head of the Horned Viper Python suddenly froze in mid-air.

Its red eyes flickered, first showing a brief moment of hesitation, then struggling, and finally, it released its grip on Yuan Ming and thrashed violently on the ground.

Yuan Ming fell to the ground, coughing, and quickly rolled forward to pick up the Bluefish Sword, turning to look at the Horned Viper Python.

The creature's body was twisting and thrashing wildly on the ground, its tail sweeping in all directions, breaking several old trees and raising a cloud of dust.

The flying sand and splintered wood dispersed much of the surrounding poison mist.

Yuan Ming, enduring the pain, forced a surge of magic power to stimulate his blood circulation and charged toward the struggling Horned Viper Python.

He dodged the snake's tail, leaped onto its body, and scanned the area.

He saw that the wound on the Horned Viper Python's belly had widened, and inside, black, vine-like structures were growing wildly, burrowing into the snake's flesh.

"Good thing I didn't throw it away," Yuan Ming thought with relief.

Earlier, as he passed by the Horned Viper Python, he had inserted the tumor from the black bear into the snake's wound.

The tumor, which looked like a stone, would absorb blood and revive, competing with the host for control of the body.

Now, the Horned Viper Python was in a critical battle with the Blood Soul Vine for control of its body.