Shadows of the Serpent in the Gloomy Forest

The five-person team moved like five arrows loosed from a bow, speeding through the increasingly dense shadows in the heart of the Sunset Mountains. The air was so humid it felt like it could be wrung out, mixed with the earthy scent of rotting leaves and a strange, sweetish, fishy aroma emanating from deeper within. Their feet sank into gnarled roots and thick humus with dull "plop" sounds that were jarringly loud in the dead silence of the forest. Their eyes were fixed ahead, tracking the intermittent, dark-red pearl-like bloodstains on the ground—the lifeblood of the Head Leopard, and the signpost to fortune (or death).

The Head Leopard's blood spread across the broad leaves of giant ferns, congealed into dark scabs on exposed pale roots, and left broken trails on slippery moss. It was clearly badly wounded, its speed slowing, the bloodstains becoming denser and fresher. The strong, musky scent of the apex predator grew sharper, stinging their nostrils.

"Close! The blood is still fresh!" Zhao Si whispered, his voice tight with suppressed excitement. He licked his dry lips, gripping the oiled rope net in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force. Li San and Wang Wu moved to his left and right, like two silent ghosts, their sharp eyes scanning the unnaturally quiet forest. Their hands never strayed from the weapons at their waists. Ye Yun followed slightly behind Yan Xiao Liu, maintaining a subtle, watchful distance. His breathing was steady and deep, but his senses were heightened to the extreme, catching the faintest disturbance in the woods—it was too quiet, even the chirping of insects and birds had vanished, leaving only their heavy breaths and the crunch of decaying leaves underfoot.

Yan Xiao Liu led the way, his expression grim. The fire of immense profit that had ignited within him was now doused by a chill from this silent, all-consuming, dark forest. He subconsciously tightened his grip on his knife, the leather wrapping on the hilt already soaked with sweat.

Finally, they pushed aside a clump of thorny bushes nearly as tall as a person, their sharp barbs glinting. Before them, a small, relatively open clearing appeared.

In the center of the clearing stood an ancient tree of indescribable size. Its trunk was likely ten men wide, its bark a deep, inky black, covered in the scars of ages, like the scales of a giant python, with deep crevices and knob-like growths the size of bowls. Countless thick, board-like roots, like the claws of a dragon, dug deep into the earth and bulged high, forming natural barriers. The dense canopy, so thick it blocked out the sky, even during the day, now seemed like a gateway to the underworld in the fading twilight.

Beside the gnarled, bulging root system of the giant tree, they found their target.

The leading Shadowless Leopard was crouched on the ground. Its sleek black fur was now matted with dirt and dark red blood, making it look pathetic. The wound on its lower back, where Yan Xiao Liu had struck, was charred and gaping, revealing bone, its dark red muscle tissue exposed. Every breath made its massive body tremble. Its once agile left hind leg dragged uselessly behind it, clearly injured. Hearing their voices, it suddenly raised its head. Its emerald eyes, which had once gleamed with arrogance and ferocity, were now bloodshot, burning with deep-seated hatred and the despair of being cornered. It stared fixedly at the five people emerging from the thorny bushes, a low, hoarse, threatening growl rumbling in its throat, revealing its blood-flecked, bone-white fangs. The growl was more like the final lament of a trapped beast, weak yet defiant.

"Haha! Heaven helps us! It can't run anymore!" Zhao Si, seeing this, his eyes blazed with greed, almost overflowing. He eagerly stepped forward, his arm swinging, ready to cast the tough, oiled rope net. This net was specially made to deal with large beasts; once it ensnared them, even monstrous beasts would find it difficult to escape.

"Wait!" Yan Xiao Liu instinctively shouted, his intense unease surging to its peak. This place was too strange! This tree... this silence... and the Head Leopard's eyes held a deeper fear than just directed at them... Something was here! There was definitely something!

However, it was too late!

The instant Zhao Si's arm reached its highest point, something unexpected happened!

From the depths of the ancient tree's dense, ink-black canopy, a spine-chilling "rustling" sound came without warning! It wasn't the sound of wind rustling leaves, but the terrifying sound of something huge, heavy, and smooth rapidly rubbing, squeezing, and slithering through the dense branches!

Immediately after, a colossal, unimaginable shadow, like a nightmare cast from the abyss of hell, tore through the thick foliage!

It was a snake!

A giant snake beyond comprehension!

Its body was thicker than a barrel, estimated to be over a meter in diameter! The scales covering its entire body were not black as imagined, but a deep, heavy, ink-green that seemed to absorb all light. Each scale was as large as an adult man's palm, its edges sharp, gleaming with a cold, metallic luster in the dim light, as if clad in ancient armor. The enormous snake's body coiled and writhed around the tree trunk. Only the visible portion exceeded twenty meters in length! Its head was terrifyingly large, triangular, and ferocious. A pair of huge vertical pupils, like two lanterns from the underworld, flickered with a cold, cruel, emotionless dark gold light! Its forked tongue, over half a meter long, flicked out, each movement accompanied by a nauseating, fishy wind. The smell was so strong it was almost suffocating—a mixture of rotten flesh, potent venom, and an indescribable deathly aura belonging to an apex predator.

This behemoth did not descend silently. The "crackling" sound of its massive body breaking branches, the "rustling" of its scales against the bark, and the foul-smelling gust of wind it brought with its appearance all announced the arrival of absolute power!

"Oh my god--!!!"

Zhao Si's greed was instantly crushed by boundless terror! All his courage and strength seemed to drain away. His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground like a boneless puppet with a "thump," dropping the rope net. His face was ashen, his lips trembling, and he made incoherent "huk-huk" sounds in his throat. A large wet patch quickly appeared on his pants; he had soiled himself in fear!

"Hiss--ROAR--!"

The Shadowless Leopard, which had been snarling at the five people, let out a completely different, utterly terrified wail the moment the giant snake appeared! Its powerful muscles tensed instantly, and its black fur stood on end like steel needles! The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything. It didn't even care about the enemy inches away, struggling to stand up, its remaining three legs frantically clawing at the ground, trying to escape this existence more terrifying than death! The pressure from those huge vertical pupils was an innate, irresistible primal fear etched into its very bloodline!

However, it was all too late.