Chapter 89

"What... What the hell is this thing?" Tong Dongjie's voice was a bit hoarse. At this moment, the monster's skull had already risen about a meter above the well opening.

Thinking about how he had sat at the well opening earlier in the day, a chill ran through Tong Dongjie's heart. If he had known then what he knew now, wouldn't he have been putting himself right in front of the monster's mouth?

"It's a snake!"

Seeming to realize his initial assessment was not quite accurate, Jing Shizhen quickly added, "It should be a python, a giant python. Damn, how big is this python?"

Just the part of the head that had emerged from the well was about as thick as a person's waist. The gray eyes on either side of the head, illuminated by the firelight, looked exceptionally cold and merciless.

"Is it looking at us?"

Seeing the terrifying creature, Tong Dongjie regretted coming on this trip. As a company president, wouldn't it have been better to wait for the results in his office? Why did he have to come here to risk his life?

"Pythons, like snakes, don't rely much on their vision. They sense heat."

Jing Shizhen shook his head and said, "This thing's sensory system is like infrared. We're fine for now; the heat from the fire is attracting its attention."

Pythons are cold-blooded and rely on heat to hunt. The large fire in the yard was affecting the giant python's judgment, making it unable to detect the people behind the fire.

The giant python's massive body was still slowly extending out of the well, and it had already risen about five to six meters above the well. No one knew how much more of its body was still in the well.

The scales on the python's head were twice as large as those on its body, reflecting a metallic sheen in the firelight.

"It's not venomous, we might be able to kill it." Su Xiaofan spoke up. Although the giant python was terrifying, Su Xiaofan was not particularly afraid.

Playing with snakes is something that kids from the countryside do. Since he was a child, Su Xiaofan had been catching water snakes, and he had seen many of these reptiles.

"Kill it?"

Su Xiaofan's words almost made Tong Dongjie collapse. "Brother, what are we going to use to kill it? Uncle Jing's golden sword?"

Tong Dongjie and Su Xiaofan were both empty-handed, and the only weapon was the golden sword in Uncle Jing's hand. But was that thing even a weapon? It would probably fall apart if it touched the python.

"Snakes aren't that scary."

Su Xiaofan was eager to try. Although the creature in the well was huge, he was not the same person he used to be.

Su Xiaofan had recently tested his bench press strength, and the barbell could no longer bear the weight, which was over 2,000 pounds.

He hadn't tested his punching strength, but he felt that one punch could kill a bull. This snake, though large, might not be invincible if he could hit its vital points.

The giant python seemed to be wary of the firelight and stopped moving when it had extended about five meters out of the well, staring coldly at the burning tent.

"Master, we should strike first!"

Su Xiaofan was eager to act. "Once its body is fully out, it will be hard to control. This thing has a powerful constricting force."

Su Xiaofan hadn't caught a python before, but he had seen anacondas on TV.

These creatures kill their prey by constricting, tightly wrapping around them until their bones break and they suffocate to death.

If they were caught by the giant python in front of them, their fate would be certain death.

"How did we end up with this thing?"

Jing Shizhen was also at a loss. Snakes are extremely resilient, and this one was likely an extraordinary creature. Killing it wouldn't be easy.

"If this thing lived in rivers and lakes, it might almost be a dragon."

"Xiaofan, can you use the palm lightning to strike it three inches from its body?" Jing Shizhen stared at the giant python and asked.

"Three inches? Master, isn't it supposed to be seven inches?" Su Xiaofan asked, confused.

"Striking it at seven inches won't kill it."

Jing Shizhen shook his head and explained, "Seven inches is the snake's heart. A single strike won't be fatal, and even if it hits, it won't do much. Three inches is where the snake's cervical vertebrae are located. Striking there will make it temporarily unconscious."

Jing Shizhen had more experience with pythons than Su Xiaofan. He had spent some time in the southeastern region and had seen anacondas before.

"I can, Master. Should we act now?"

Compared to the trembling Tong Dongjie, Su Xiaofan looked more like someone trained in ancient martial arts, showing no fear on his face.

"Wait a bit longer. Let its body come out a bit more. I'm afraid it might retreat." Jing Shizhen waved his hand, signaling Su Xiaofan to be patient.

However, he was satisfied with his disciple's performance. In contrast, Tong Dongjie, who was used to sitting in an office, was not faring well.

Of course, solving the problem of the giant python was part of the job, and as the one who paid, Tong Dongjie wouldn't be expected to take the lead.

"We need to create some noise."

Looking at the motionless body of the giant python, Jing Shizhen picked up a small stone from the ground and flicked it with his finger. With a "bang," the stone hit the python's head.

The force of Jing Shizhen's flick was comparable to a bullet, but when it hit the python's head, it was deflected by the scales, leaving no mark.

"Moo!"

Suddenly attacked, a low, almost cow-like roar came from the python's mouth. Its massive body suddenly rose another two meters, and its large head looked around.

"Move... wait!"

Just as Jing Shizhen was about to have Su Xiaofan act, he suddenly held back Su Xiaofan's hand.

At that moment, a black shadow darted down from a tree about ten meters away, directly striking the python's head three inches below.

The speed of the black shadow was so fast that Su Xiaofan and the others couldn't follow it with their eyes. By the time they could see clearly, several deep claw marks had appeared three inches below the python's head.

The body of the python, which bullets couldn't penetrate, now had several claw marks, each about 20 to 30 centimeters long, with the python's skin torn open, and fresh blood flowing down its massive body.

After the black shadow struck, it quickly jumped off the python. Almost simultaneously, the python's body crashed heavily to the ground.

Even from about 20 meters away, Su Xiaofan could feel the ground shake, showing the immense force of the python's fall.

"Moo... moo!"

The black shadow's attack was far more lethal than Jing Shizhen's stone. The python's body quickly extended and rolled around, trying to defend against another attack from the black shadow.

However, in terms of speed, the python was clearly no match for the black shadow. Before the python's body was fully out, the black shadow had left several more claw marks on it.

"Is... is this a leopard?"

This time, Su Xiaofan and the others could see clearly. The black shadow was about a meter in size, covered in short yellow fur, resembling a leopard but slightly smaller.

What was disproportionate to its size was the length of its claws, which extended to about 30 centimeters, like several sharp short blades, leaving deep wounds on the python's body.

"This is a battle of the dragon and the tiger!" Su Xiaofan and the others watched with wide eyes.

The power of the python was undeniable. Its sheer size alone was enough to make many creatures flee.

But the leopard-like creature was the python's nemesis. Its sharp claws could penetrate the python's defenses, and its lightning-fast speed left the python helpless.

At that moment, the python's massive body finally emerged from the well.

"Damn, it's so long?" Seeing the full length of the python, even Su Xiaofan couldn't help but curse.

The python's body, which was entirely black and gleamed with a metallic sheen, was over 20 meters long. The part that had emerged from the well was only a quarter of its body.

"Back, back!" Jing Shizhen suddenly shouted, quickly moving to the back of the house.

Su Xiaofan and Tong Dongjie also reacted. The yard was only about 40 to 50 square meters, and if the python swung its body, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Indeed, the python did just that. As Su Xiaofan and the others retreated, the python's tail, now free from the well, swept across the ground.

The burning tent was instantly torn apart, and the ground in the yard was scraped away, sending dust flying and obscuring Su Xiaofan's view.

Jing Shizhen threw the golden sword on the ground, as it was now a hindrance, and continued to retreat.

"This creature is smart, keep retreating!" It wasn't until they had retreated 40 to 50 meters to the steep slope above the house that Jing Shizhen stopped.

The python senses heat and infrared, and the flying dust had no effect on it. However, the leopard-like creature, whose vision was obscured, did not jump down to attack again.

The ground in front of the house looked as if it had been hit by a bomb. The python's body, in the midst of the flying dust, was barely visible.

"Boom!"

When the python's massive body swept over the house, the stone and earth structure collapsed like a pile of blocks.

"This is faster than a bulldozer." The few people on the slope were speechless.

Su Xiaofan looked at his palm, feeling that the palm lightning wasn't as impressive as he thought. A single strike from his palm on the python would probably be like scratching its back.

After a while, the commotion below slowly subsided. Su Xiaofan and the others didn't dare to move, fearing they might attract the python's attention.

Although the burning tent was torn apart, the fixed fuel didn't easily extinguish, and the firelight still allowed them to see the scene below.

The python's massive body lay motionless on the ground, as if it were dead.

The leopard-like creature, slightly smaller than a leopard, had also disappeared.

Time seemed to stand still, and the prey and the hunter seemed to be in a contest of endurance, with a few onlookers above.