6: fierce battle

Chen Linsheng held his breath, his sharp gaze sweeping across the area.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a slight movement in the shadows from the corner of his eye.

Immediately after, a triangular python head as thick as a bucket slowly emerged from the shadows behind a giant rock. Its cold vertical pupils scanned the surroundings, and its scarlet tongue flickered in and out, making a faint "hissing" sound.

The python's scales were dark brown, similar in color to the rocks. If not for Chen Linsheng's greatly enhanced vision and prior vigilance, it would have been almost impossible to detect.

It lay coiled there like a cold boulder, radiating a heart-palpitating aura.

'As expected, it's waiting...'

Chen Linsheng's heart tightened, and his palms sweated slightly.

The sense of pressure this python gave him was extremely strong, far exceeding any wild beast in the mountains.

'A direct confrontation is definitely not the best strategy.'

Chen Linsheng felt the leather pouch containing stones at his waist and took out a small bag of powder from inside.

This was his family's heirloom Snake Repellent Powder.

He held the bag of family-inherited Snake Repellent Powder in his left palm, his gaze locking onto the giant python's head with its flickering tongue, especially that pair of cold vertical pupils.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Linsheng's gaze grew sharp.

He exerted force from his waist and abdomen, his arm snapping out like a whip!

"Swoosh!"

A stone whistled through the air, accurately flying toward the giant python's left eye.

The giant python's reaction was incredibly fast; it jerked its head to the side, and the stone struck the hard scales above its eye socket with a "clack," sending off a few sparks.

Although it didn't hit the eye directly, it still caused pain, making the head instinctively recoil.

"Hiss!"

The giant python was instantly enraged.

Its vertical pupils locked onto Chen Linsheng's hiding place as its massive body began to writhe, preparing to strike.

Chen Linsheng didn't hesitate, firing a second and then a third stone in quick succession.

Rapid-Fire Flying Stones!

The two stones flew one after the other, blocking the giant python's evasion routes.

"Clack! Thud!"

The first was dodged, but the second caught the trajectory of its swaying head and slammed hard into its right eye!

"Hiss-roar!"

The intense pain caused the giant python to let out a shrill, agonizing hiss.

Its right eye was instantly a bloody mess, driving it into a complete frenzy.

The python's intact left eye instantly became bloodshot with malice. Its massive body suddenly lunged forward—not as a strike, but sweeping across like a giant whip.

The massive snake tail carried a terrifying whistle that tore through the air, covering a wide area!

Chen Linsheng had anticipated this. The agility granted by Climbing and Tracking allowed him to make an extreme reaction the moment the tail swept toward him.

He suddenly performed an Iron Bridge maneuver, his body leaning back until it was almost parallel to the cliff face!

"Whoosh!"

The cold snake tail, carrying a foul wind, swept past just above the tip of his nose.

The momentary pressure made his breath hitch!

A few strands of hair, severed by the fierce wind, drifted slowly downward.

A narrow escape!

Having dodged that lethal sweep, Chen Linsheng instantly sprang up and threw the Snake Repellent Powder he had prepared in his left hand forward.

A large cloud of grayish-white powder showered down over the giant python's head.

This Snake Repellent Powder was highly effective against ordinary snakes.

While it couldn't drive away a giant python of this size, the pungent odor rushing into its eyes and nostrils still caused the creature to feel instinctive disgust and confusion.

It violently shook its head, its movements showing a momentary stiffness and hesitation.

An opportunity!

Chen Linsheng lunged forward, his Cleaver drawing a full arc.

Grass Cutting Style!

The blade light flashed like a bolt of silk, slashing fiercely at the python's neck.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out again. The scales were exceptionally hard; this strike failed to break its defense, leaving only a clear white mark and making Chen Linsheng's arm go numb from the vibration.

But the massive impact also caused the python's head to tilt once more.

Having been injured repeatedly, the giant python's ferocity was fully ignited. Ignoring the irritation of the Snake Repellent Powder, its intact left eye locked onto Chen Linsheng. Its massive body coiled again, about to launch an even more violent attack.

Just then—

"Buzz..."

An exceptionally rich, exotic fragrance suddenly erupted. The crimson fruit at the tip of the Spiritual Plant glowed brightly, as if light were flowing within it!

The Spiritual Fruit had ripened!

This sudden change caused the frenzied python's movements to come to a sudden halt!

Its attention was instantly drawn to the Spiritual Fruit, which radiated endless temptation!

For a beast, the instinct to evolve by consuming a Spiritual Fruit overrode its hatred for its enemy!

It actually ignored Chen Linsheng nearby, twisting its body and opening its bloody maw—wide enough to swallow a bull's head—as it lunged eagerly and greedily toward the Spiritual Plant.

Now!

This was the opening Chen Linsheng had been waiting for.

At the moment the giant python opened its mouth to bite the Spiritual Fruit, its defense was at its weakest, and the inside of its mouth was completely unprotected. He moved!

The power within his body surged at an unprecedented speed, all of it pouring into his arms. He lunged forward like a cheetah. His Cleaver was no longer swinging; instead, it was like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, thrusting straight out with unstoppable determination!

Wood Breaking Strike!

He concentrated all his strength on the giant python's wide-open, bloody maw!

"Puchi—!"

The sharp tip of the Cleaver pierced through the soft upper palate of the python's mouth without resistance. With terrifying force, it continued unabated, directly penetrating its brain!

The python's biting motion stopped abruptly. Its massive body suddenly stiffened. The greed and madness in its single eye froze instantly, quickly replaced by a deathly gray.

But Chen Linsheng did not relax.

He knew such a fierce creature had a robust constitution and might not die immediately.

He violently withdrew the Cleaver, bringing out a spray of red and white matter. He turned and moved to the python's neck. Aiming for the "seven-inch" vital spot, he exerted all his strength once more and hacked down fiercely with the Cleaver!

"Crack!"

Bones shattered, and the heart was completely pierced.

Only then did the python's stiff body twitch violently before falling still forever.

Chen Linsheng was still uneasy. He delivered several more strikes, completely severing the python's head from its body and hacking the massive carcass into several sections. Only after ensuring it was as dead as could be did he lean on his Cleaver, panting heavily.

Sweat soaked his clothes, and his arms spasmed slightly from overexertion, but his tense mind finally began to relax.

"As expected of a creature about to become a Mutated Beast. Even with such thorough preparation, it was still so dangerous."

Looking at the dismembered python and then at the intact, fragrant Spiritual Plant, a huge sense of accomplishment, mixed with the relief of surviving a disaster, welled up in his heart.

"With this Spiritual Plant, the crisis of the Autumn Tax is resolved!"

He calmed his breathing, walked to the Spiritual Plant, and carefully dug out the entire plant, roots and all.

He then carefully wrapped it in the prepared oilcloth and wooden box, placed it at the very bottom of his basket, and covered it tightly with other herbs.

Having finished this, he pulled a bag from his waist and packed some of the snake meat into it.

Chen Linsheng stayed no longer. He quickly cleared his tracks and descended the cliff face rapidly, his figure vanishing into the morning mist-shrouded forest.