The Giant Python (Seeking Follow-ups, Monthly Votes)

"Mmm! Not bad!"

He took a bite; it was all white meat, with few bones and plenty of flesh, tasting delicious.

Li Yunjing was very satisfied. In a few quick bites, he polished off the entire large fish.

At night, Li Yunjing did not sleep; instead, he sat cross-legged on a tree branch, quietly meditating and cultivating.

"Chirp... cluck..."

The surroundings were filled only with the clear chirping of insects in the grass.

But as the night deepened, everything around returned to silence.

Not a single sound of insects could be heard.

"Hmm?"

Li Yunjing's eyes narrowed slightly. While his body remained in a meditative posture, he was already coiled tight, ready to spring up at any moment and unleash a fierce strike!

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Suddenly, the sound of something moving came from within the grass and trees.

The sound traveled from afar, drawing closer toward the large tree where Li Yunjing was perched.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

When it reached within thirty feet, a foul, fishy wind swept in, blowing the grass and trees askew and causing countless leaves to fall.

Li Yunjing sealed his nose and mouth, ceasing his breathing.

The fishy wind carried a hint of putrid stench that was truly unbearable.

"Hiss..."

With a low roar, something began to climb up the tree trunk.

"Beast!"

Li Yunjing suddenly opened his eyes. In the darkness of the night, his gaze shone bright, like stars.

Driven by his mana, the Cold Star Sword slashed downward toward the creature below!

Only then did Li Yunjing see clearly.

The creature launching the sneak attack was actually a giant python.

The python's body was as thick as a small basin, its sleek frame winding upward, estimated to be over a dozen feet long. With its massive jaws agape, it could swallow a cow whole.

"Clang..."

Li Yunjing's sword struck the snake's head, yet it only sparked; the creature's head was incredibly hard.

Li Yunjing was slightly startled, the recoil making the webbing between his thumb and forefinger go numb.

How is this guy's head as hard as a lump of iron?

The snake's head continued to snap at him. With no other choice, Li Yunjing flickered his body, flipped off the tree, and jumped down.

"Roar..."

The giant python hissed, shooting down from the tree like a bolt of lightning.

"Crack, snap!"

Numerous branches and leaves were snapped by its immense force, and the entire tree began to sway.

Immediately after, a mound of earth erupted at the base of the tree.

Even the root system, which was as vast as the canopy, was ripped out by the giant python's force.

"What immense strength this beast has!"

Seeing this, Li Yunjing couldn't help but gasp, feeling incredibly fortunate that he hadn't tried to trade blows head-on with this monster!

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."

At this moment, the giant python opened its massive maw, revealing sharp fangs. Its tongue flickered incessantly, and its eyes glinted with a ghostly light, as if it were brewing a strike to launch a lethal attack on Li Yunjing!

Man and python stood ten feet apart, locked in a standoff. Li Yunjing sealed his sense of smell; the stench from the python's mouth was so overwhelming that he couldn't endure it.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."

The giant python began to move, constantly shifting its position in front of Li Yunjing, occasionally darting its head out to probe him, seemingly searching for the perfect moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Li Yunjing slowly retreated, scanning the python's entire body.

The giant python was covered in hard scales, and it seemed to have no obvious weaknesses.

This made it difficult for Li Yunjing to find an opening.

Since even a high-grade magical tool like the Cold Star Sword couldn't wound it, Li Yunjing naturally had to be more cautious.

The two sides remained in a standoff for a quarter of an hour. The giant python seemed to lose its patience; it moved, lunging straight at Li Yunjing, its massive jaws snapping down to swallow him.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

The giant python moved, whipping up a hurricane that toppled countless small trees in the forest; dozens of trees were uprooted and came crashing toward Li Yunjing.

"Good grief! This thing has become a spirit; it's actually showing signs of developing an innate supernatural ability!"

Li Yunjing was startled. To be safe, he took a Vajra Talisman from his Storage Bag and activated it, forming a large golden bell that inverted over his body.

Immediately after, he flicked his wrist, and three Blazing Flame Talismans flew out, transforming into three fire snakes that surged toward the trees and the giant python.

"Hiss..."

The giant python seemed to recognize the danger, twisting its body to dodge the scorching fire snakes, but the flames followed like shadows, as if they would not rest until their goal was achieved.

This enraged the giant python, and it let out another hiss.

"Pfft..."

Suddenly, the snake opened its maw, and a pale green liquid shot toward the flames!

Amidst the stench, a dizzying, poisonous vapor wafted out.

The flames were struck by the pale green liquid, emitting a "sizzling" sound as they transformed into a strange, emerald-green smoke.

"Poison!"

Li Yunjing was alarmed. He flipped his wrist, took a Detoxification Pill from his Storage Bag, and swallowed it.

At this moment, the giant python seemed completely provoked by Li Yunjing. It let out a terrifying shriek, reared its upper body, and began spitting green liquid at him incessantly.

"What a formidable beast!"

Li Yunjing's figure flickered repeatedly as he darted around the python. Suddenly, he locked his gaze onto the area beneath the snake's belly, where the body was devoid of scales.

He thrust the Cold Star Sword repeatedly, and the sharp Sword Qi shot out, leaving seven or eight bloody holes in the python's abdomen.

The giant python felt the pain and hissed again, lowering its body to cover its weak spot, but the crimson blood flowing out made it appear somewhat weakened.

"Heh! So you do have a weakness!"

Having wounded the python, Li Yunjing let out a long breath. No longer worried as he had been before, he continued to circle the beast, harassing it with constant Sword Qi so it could not tend to its wounds.

Before long, the ground was stained a deep red.

"Earth Spike Talisman!"

Seeing an opportunity, Li Yunjing finally unleashed his trump card. Three Earth Spike Talismans ignited in his hands all at once.

Immediately, three balls of light merged into the earth.

The giant python seemed to have a bad premonition upon seeing this, but its intelligence was insufficient to understand what kind of talisman Li Yunjing was using, let alone where the danger was coming from.

To prevent the python from escaping, Li Yunjing accelerated his attacks, continuously using the Cold Star Sword Art to strike at the python's eyes.

The giant python knew the danger and was forced to close its eyes, using the scales on its eyelids to defend itself!

"Roar..."

Suddenly, the massive python launched itself off the ground like a catapult, leaping a full ten feet into the air!

And beneath its belly, the flesh was already a bloody, mangled mess.