Chapter 82

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

In the next instant, a wave of water erupted from the river's surface, and a massive, ferocious snake head suddenly burst out of the water, opening its blood-red mouth to bite down at Yuan Ming.

Fortunately, Yuan Ming dodged in time and was not bitten. The snake's 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 sent 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 ambushed him, was far more powerful than the anaconda he had encountered earlier.

He had some confidence in dealing with the anaconda, but due to the drawbacks of the Fur-Coating Technique, he had not transformed, hoping to rely solely on his human strength to slay the beast. Now, that was no longer an option.

With one hand, he formed a seal and channeled his magical power, transforming into a fierce white ape.

After stabilizing himself, he noticed that the water python that had burst from 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 Ferocious Beasts* given to him by Zhao Tong. The image was only about fifty percent similar, but the textual description and distinctive features 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 its attack, gliding over with its head held high. It opened its massive mouth and spat downward at Yuan Ming.

A thick purple smoke immediately spewed from its mouth, rolling toward the ground and 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 of 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 ferocious beast, it was not far off and was much more troublesome than a regular anaconda.

Yuan Ming quickly retreated, avoiding the spreading poison smoke.

"Roar..."

Suddenly, a powerful roar echoed, accompanied by a strong gale that accelerated the spread of the purple poison smoke, 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 smoke.

He instinctively held his breath and quickly fled toward the perimeter, but the purple smoke not only obscured his vision but also corroded the hanging vines and even the branches of the ancient trees. Each time he tried to climb, the branches would wither and break, causing him to fall.

"This is troublesome," Yuan Ming frowned, gripping his long sword and keeping a close watch on his surroundings.

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

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

With a "clang," the tip of the Green Fish Treasure Sword struck the scales of the Horned Viper Python, sending sparks flying.

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 smoke.

The moment the poison smoke entered his mouth, a burning and dry sensation spread through his oral cavity and throat, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of charcoal, causing both pain and dryness, making him extremely uncomfortable.

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

In the thick poison smoke, a black shadow approached, with two red, glowing eyes. 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 as the magical power in his dantian surged and poured into the Green Fish Sword.

As the Horned Viper Python's head neared, he raised his arm high, the green light of the sword shining brightly, and slashed directly at the two red eyes.

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 regained his balance faster and rushed forward, gripping the Green Fish Sword with both hands. He spun around and swung the sword horizontally, striking 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 felt a surge of hope.

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

The ground beneath Yuan Ming began to shake violently, and the earth and rocks cracked, revealing a fissure.

Before he could react, he fell into the crack.

Immediately, the part of the viper python's body that had been coiled beneath the ground emerged, and as soon as Yuan Ming fell, it tightened around him.

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

His body was tightly constricted, and the immense pressure from all sides made his chest bones creak, bile rising in his throat, and a bitter taste filling his mouth.

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

However, as soon as he resisted, the viper python's strength increased several times over. The creaking of his chest bones became more frequent, and the pressure on his chest intensified, making it difficult to breathe.

He managed to free his arm holding the sword, gathering strength to strike.

However, the poison he had inhaled began to take effect, and his blood circulation became sluggish. Although he could still channel his magical power, his strength rapidly diminished.

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

Faced with 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 coils and raised its head to face him.

Its red eyes, filled with hatred, contempt, and cruelty, gazed down at him.

Clearly, this Horned Viper Python was different from the ferocious 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 draining. He struggled to control his arm, searching his body.

Thinking he still had some tricks up his sleeve, the Horned Viper Python tightened its coils again.

"Ugh..."

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

Without hesitation, the massive head of the viper python lunged at Yuan Ming, opening its mouth to swallow him.

Bound by the python, Yuan Ming could not dodge. He formed a seal with one hand and shouted, "Rise!"

In the next instant, a yellow glow appeared in front of the Horned Viper Python, and massive stone spikes shot up from the ground, piercing upward.

After advancing to the third level of the Qi Condensation stage, 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 spikes were not powerful enough to penetrate the scales of the Horned Viper Python. They only lifted its body, failing to injure it.

The sudden lift caused the Horned Viper Python to lose balance, and its head passed by Yuan Ming without biting him.

But Yuan Ming's hand had accurately stabbed into the wound on its abdomen.

In pain, the Horned Viper Python reared back, 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 and silently counted, "Three, two, one."

As he finished counting, the snake's head suddenly froze in mid-air.

Its red eyes flickered, showing a brief moment of hesitation, followed by a struggle. It then 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 Green Fish Sword, turning to look at the Horned Viper Python.

The python's body twisted and thrashed wildly, its tail sweeping across, breaking several old trees and raising a cloud of dust.

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

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

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

He saw that the wound on the python's belly had widened, and black, vine-like structures were growing inside, burrowing into the python'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 python'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 struggle with the Blood Soul Vine for control of its body.