Giant Python in the Mist

The next morning, the school gate of Kyoto University of Science and Technology was still shrouded in morning mist.

Fang Yan, with a bulging backpack and holding his Ink Ice Spear, appeared at the school gate right on time. Chu Feng was already waiting for him, dressed in light combat gear, a long sword on his back, and several grenades and a first-aid spray at his waist.

"Ready?" Fang Yan asked.

"Absolutely!" Chu Feng patted his backpack. "I've got enough rations, water, insect repellent, and detoxifying medicine. The miasma and poisonous insects in the Misty Forest are notorious."

Fang Yan nodded. "I've also brought some specialized supplies. Plus, I exchanged a 'Mist Detection Talisman' from the system. It can disperse the mist within a certain range and detect nearby dangers."

Just then, a military off-road vehicle drove up, with Su Wan in the driver's seat. She leaned out and said, "Get in, I'll drive you to the entrance of the Misty Forest. I'll go over some precautions with you on the way."

The two got into the car, and the off-road vehicle headed out of the city.

"The Misty Forest is called that because it's perpetually filled with a special miasma that forms a dense fog. This fog not only obstructs vision but can also cause hallucinations, and inhaling too much can damage your meridians," Su Wan explained as she drove. "You must be careful not to inhale too much miasma. If you feel something is wrong, take a Detoxification Pill immediately."

"We understand," Fang Yan and Chu Feng said in unison.

"According to intelligence, the Misty Giant Python's scales are incredibly tough, and ordinary firearms can't harm it. It can also control the mist, appearing and disappearing at will, making it very difficult to deal with," Su Wan continued. "You two must cooperate well. Fang Yan, your Ink Ice Spear is good at armor penetration, and Chu Feng, your swordsmanship is agile and can be used to distract it. Remember, safety first. If you really can't win, retreat immediately, don't be reckless."

"Don't worry, Teacher Su, we know what we're doing," Fang Yan said.

The off-road vehicle traveled for about an hour before finally reaching the entrance of the Misty Forest. The fog here was very thick, with visibility less than five meters. A faint, fishy smell permeated the air.

"Alright, this is as far as I go," Su Wan stopped the car. "Here are communicators provided by the school. If you encounter danger, contact us immediately. Good luck."

"Thank you, Teacher Su."

The two got out of the car and walked towards the depths of the Misty Forest. As soon as they entered, a cold, damp air hit them. The surrounding trees were strangely shaped, and their branches were covered in thick moss.

"This place is really creepy," Chu Feng couldn't help but say. "The visibility is terrible."

Fang Yan took out the Mist Detection Talisman and infused it with a trace of inner energy. The talisman immediately emitted a faint white light, dispersing much of the mist within a ten-meter radius.

"That's much better," Fang Yan said. "Let's be careful and move forward slowly."

The two cautiously made their way through the forest, warily observing their surroundings. The forest was eerily quiet, with no sounds other than their footsteps and breathing. This silence made them even more tense.

After walking for about half an hour, Fang Yan suddenly stopped and lowered his voice. "Careful, there's movement ahead."

Chu Feng immediately gripped his long sword and looked in the direction Fang Yan indicated. In the mist ahead, a huge dark shadow vaguely appeared, moving slowly.

"Is that the Misty Giant Python?" Chu Feng whispered.

Fang Yan shook his head. "Not sure, but judging by its size, it should be a large Exotic Beast. Let's hide and see what's going on."

The two quickly hid behind a large tree, holding their breath, and observed the dark shadow.

The shadow drew closer, and gradually, they could see its true form. It was a massive wild boar, covered in black bristles, with tusks exposed, looking very ferocious. Its strength was roughly at the late stage of Martial Master.

"So it's just a wild boar," Chu Feng breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me."

Fang Yan, however, frowned. "No, this wild boar looks a bit off. Its eyes are very dull, as if it's being controlled by something."

Just as Fang Yan finished speaking, the wild boar suddenly charged towards them with great speed.

"Watch out!"

Fang Yan grunted and met it with his Ink Ice Spear. He thrust his spear out, accurately hitting the boar's eye.

"Squelch!"

Blood splattered, and the wild boar let out a pained howl, its body shaking before collapsing to the ground.

However, at that moment, something even stranger happened. A black mist suddenly emerged from the dead wild boar and quickly dissipated into the air.

"What is this..." Chu Feng exclaimed, watching the scene in astonishment.

Fang Yan's expression turned grim. "It seems the Exotic Beasts in the Misty Forest are all affected by the Misty Giant Python's miasma, becoming agitated and aggressive. We must find it as soon as possible, or more Exotic Beasts will be affected."

Chu Feng nodded. "Okay, let's speed up."

The two continued forward, encountering many Exotic Beasts affected by the miasma along the way, including wolves, bears, and some unknown poisonous insects. However, with their combined strength, they dealt with them one by one.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the mist grew thicker, and the miasma became more potent. Fang Yan and Chu Feng had to take a Detoxification Pill every so often to resist the miasma's effects.

"Something's wrong, we seem to be going in circles," Chu Feng suddenly said. "Look, we've seen that tree before."

Fang Yan looked up and indeed, on the large tree ahead, there was a mark he had made earlier.

"It's the mist playing tricks," Fang Yan's expression changed. "This mist not only obstructs vision but also disorients our sense of direction."

He immediately took out the Mist Detection Talisman and infused it with inner energy again. The talisman's light became brighter, dispersing the mist over a larger area.

"Stay close to me, don't get separated," Fang Yan said.

Just then, a strong sense of danger surged through him. Fang Yan didn't have time to think and pushed Chu Feng aside.

"Careful!"

"Rumble!"

A huge dark shadow shot out from the mist beside them and slammed heavily onto the ground, shaking it.

As the dust settled, a giant python appeared before them. Its body was as thick as a water barrel and at least twenty meters long. Its scales were dark gray, covered in fine patterns. A pair of cold, vertical pupils stared intently at Fang Yan and Chu Feng, its forked tongue flicking out, emitting a nauseating, fishy odor.

"The Misty Giant Python!" Chu Feng's face turned pale, and he gripped his long sword tightly.

The Misty Giant Python let out a low roar and whipped its body towards Fang Yan.

Fang Yan's eyes sharpened, and he held the Ink Ice Spear horizontally in front of him.

"Clang!"

The giant python's tail heavily slammed onto the Ink Ice Spear. The immense force sent Fang Yan staggering back several steps, his arms going numb.

"So much power!" Fang Yan marveled inwardly.

Seizing the opportunity, Chu Feng leaped forward, his longsword thrusting towards the python's vulnerable spot.

"Ding!"

The longsword struck the python's scales, emitting a crisp sound. It was deflected, leaving only a shallow scratch.

"Its scales are too hard!" Chu Feng exclaimed.

Enraged by Chu Feng's attack, the Misty Giant Python opened its massive maw and spewed a cloud of black miasma, engulfing Chu Feng.

"Watch out for the miasma!" Fang Yan shouted, immediately activating the Ice Soul Art. A blast of icy coldness emanated from his Ink Ice Spear, forming an ice wall in front of Chu Feng.

The black miasma hit the ice wall, making a "sizzling" sound. The ice wall instantly began to melt.

"Chu Feng, use your fire-attribute inner energy!" Fang Yan yelled. "Fire counters miasma!"

Chu Feng reacted instantly. He channeled his fire-attribute inner energy, and his longsword ignited with raging flames. He charged at the python again, thrusting his sword towards its eye.

This time, the flaming sword finally broke through the python's scaly defense and pierced its eye.

"Roar!"

The Misty Giant Python let out a piercing shriek and thrashed violently, its body rolling and smashing trees into pieces.

Fang Yan seized this chance, leaping into the air and channeling all his inner energy into the Ink Ice Spear.

"Ice Dragon Roar - Modified!"

A colossal phantom of an ice dragon roared out from the spear tip, carrying bone-chilling coldness. It slammed heavily into the python's vulnerable spot.

"Crack!"

With a sharp snap, the python's scales shattered. The ice dragon phantom burrowed into its body.

The Misty Giant Python's body stiffened abruptly, then it crashed heavily to the ground, motionless. Thick layers of ice rapidly encased its body.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for slaying the Martial Master mid-stage Exotic Beast, Misty Giant Python. Gained experience points, 1000 points, and a random drop item 'Python Gall' x1!]

The system's prompt chimed. Fang Yan and Chu Feng both breathed a sigh of relief, slumping to the ground.

"Finally done," Chu Feng wiped the sweat from his brow. "That python was incredibly powerful; we almost died here."

Fang Yan nodded, stood up, and walked to the python's corpse, retrieving the python gall. It was dark green and emitted a rich medicinal aroma.

"This python gall is a valuable item. It can not only boost inner energy but also enhance resistance to miasma," Fang Yan said.

Just then, the mist behind them began to dissipate, and sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves.

"The mist is gone," Chu Feng said in surprise.

Fang Yan looked around and replied, "It must be because the Misty Giant Python is dead. The mist it controlled has also dispersed. Let's rest here for a bit, recover our inner energy, and then contact Teacher Su."

"Okay."

The two sat on the ground, channeling their inner energy to recover. After the fierce battle, their inner energy had been significantly depleted.

After resting for about an hour, their inner energy had mostly recovered. Fang Yan took out his communicator and contacted Su Wan.

"Teacher Su, we have successfully slain the Misty Giant Python, and the mist has also dissipated."

"That's wonderful!" Su Wan's excited voice came through the communicator. "You both did an excellent job! I'll send a car to pick you up right away."

After hanging up, Fang Yan and Chu Feng exchanged smiles, their eyes filled with joy. This mission, though fraught with danger, had ultimately been completed successfully. Moreover, through this battle, their strength had greatly improved.

"We'll get a lot of rewards when we get back," Chu Feng said with a smile.

Fang Yan nodded. "Indeed. But this is just the beginning. We will encounter even stronger enemies in the future. We must continuously improve our strength to survive in this world."

Chu Feng wholeheartedly agreed. "You're right. When we get back, I'm going to practice new cultivation techniques and strive to break through to the Martial Master mid-stage as soon as possible."

The two sat there, waiting for the car Su Wan had sent. The sunlight fell upon them, warm and comforting. They knew that a new adventure awaited them.