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Gao Jing, at full health, leisurely sized up the snake corpse on the ground.

By visual estimate, the massive snake covered in scarlet scales was at least seven meters long. Its body was as thick as a large bowl and looked quite horrifying; on Blue Star, it would have rivaled a giant python.

But in the Great World, it was merely a little fellow.

The most distinctive thing about the Red Serpent was the pair of golden horns growing from its head, like those of the Flood Dragons of legend.

Gao Jing tried to wrench one of the horns, which looked like metal but was not metal, with all his strength, only to find it extraordinarily hard.

It was also rooted extremely firmly.

Trying to snap it off by force was clearly beyond Gao Jing's strength.

After thinking it over, Gao Jing pulled out the Mountain-Cleaving Saber he carried with him and brought it down in a savage slash.

Clang!

The snow-bright blade struck the snake's head heavily, instantly throwing up sparks.

The blade immediately rebounded!

Gao Jing gripped the hilt tightly and stared at the chipped notch in the blade, speechless for a moment.

Although this Ontario Machete was a replica, its craftsmanship and materials were quite good. It might not have matched the original, but it was not far off; chopping coins and iron wire had been like child's play.

Yet it could not break through even the slightest bit of the snake skin's defense.

There was not even a mark on the Red Serpent's head, let alone any chance of cutting off its horns.

In fact, this result was not all that surprising. Gao Jing's crossbow bolts had failed to pierce its scales twice before.

Its toughness was plain to see.

But Gao Jing did not feel frustrated or angry because of it. Instead, he was rather delighted.

If he could find a way to peel off the snake skin and turn it into armor, its defensive power would probably surpass even a bulletproof vest!

And there was the snake meat, snake gallbladder, snake bones, and more.

Such a formidable creature was treasure from head to toe; leaving it here would be a criminal waste.

And even if it could not ultimately be made into equipment, it could still be used to infuse liquor.

Gao Jing had already deeply experienced the enormous benefits snake blood had brought him!

Naturally, he could not let the rest go either.

In the past, Gao Jing would definitely have had no way to deal with a snake corpse weighing at least several hundred jin.

But things were different now.

Placing a hand on the snake's head, he easily stored the entire Red Serpent in his storage space.

Although his storage space already held a great many items, it could still accommodate this Red Serpent without a problem.

With the snake corpse dealt with, Gao Jing turned his gaze toward the cave ahead.

He had developed a hint of interest in this Wolf Cave.

This had once been the wolves' territory, but it had now become the Red Serpent's nest.

The wolf pack had been forced to migrate from its own home.

Could there be something good inside, drawing both sides into conflict, with the Red Serpent ultimately claiming victory?

Now Gao Jing had killed the Red Serpent.

If there really was treasure in the cave, then it would be his spoils of war!

Gao Jing sorted out his equipment, re-cocked his three hunting crossbows, and stored them in his storage space.

Holding a high-powered flashlight in his left hand and the Mountain-Cleaving Saber in his right, he carefully entered the cave.

This Wolf Cave was large, deep, and dark, but beneath the powerful flashlight's beam, everything inside was laid bare at a glance.

The air was somewhat murky and filled with a foul stench, while jagged rocks were everywhere.

Gao Jing kept walking forward, yet after going several hundred meters deeper, he still found no treasure.

This was just an ordinary cave!

Just as Gao Jing's patience ran out and he was preparing to give up exploring further,

the sight before him left him stunned!

The front was already the end of the cave, with no other passage or exit.

And on the ground lay the densely packed corpses of more than a dozen Wolf Beasts, stretching dozens of meters ahead!

The closer the wolf corpses were to Gao Jing, the more intact they were. The farther away they were, the more severely damaged they became. It was as though they had been scorched by violent flames, and quite a few had turned into charcoal.

Those Wolf Beasts whose bodies were relatively intact still retained their miserable expressions from before death.

Fear, pain, and despair were frozen in their unclosed eyes!

The sight made Gao Jing's hands and feet turn icy cold.

A scene involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

The Red Serpent had suddenly burrowed up from underground and appeared at the deepest part of the Wolf Cave.

Before the Wolf Beasts dwelling in the cave could react, it had opened its bloody maw and spewed scorching flames.

The nearest Wolf Beasts had instantly vanished into ashes, while dozens of Wolf Beasts had died on the spot.

The remaining Wolf Beasts had been scared out of their wits and fled for their lives in all directions.

The Red Serpent had then openly occupied this nest, until Gao Jing appeared...

He finally understood just how lucky he had been!

The grand prize in a two-yuan lottery was not ten million, but one billion!!

Before entering the Wolf Cave, Gao Jing had been brimming with pride and satisfaction. Now, his somewhat overheated mind was thoroughly jolted awake.

The bloody, cruel reality before him told Gao Jing that although he had grown much stronger than before, in this Great World, he was still only a crawling insect.

A tiny, insignificant crawling insect.

He absolutely could not get carried away, or he would not even know how he died!

Luck could not accompany him forever.

Gao Jing slowly backed out of the Wolf Cave.

Back outside, breathing fresh, clean air and bathing in warm sunlight, Gao Jing had not lost his courage.

He was merely reminding himself not to become so pleased with himself that he forgot everything else!

His exploration of the Great World continued.

Originally, Gao Jing had planned to go around the mountain ahead.

But after looking at this stone mountain, only two or three hundred meters high, Gao Jing changed his mind and decided to climb over it.

Because that would save him a great deal of time.

This mountain was no longer much of an obstacle to him.

But for safety's sake, before climbing, Gao Jing used his drone to scout it out.

After confirming there were no monsters or savage beasts on the mountain, he leaped onto the towering Shan Yan.

Using both hands and feet, he quickly climbed upward.

The improvement in his physical condition had greatly enhanced Gao Jing's athletic ability.

Movements he had once been unable to perform could now be completed with effortless ease. Relying on his exceptional agility, he leaped and raced through the rugged, steep mountain terrain.

As if walking on level ground!

Without spending much time or effort, Gao Jing climbed to the mountaintop.

The view ahead suddenly opened up, and a brand-new expanse of open land unfolded before his eyes!

The slope below Gao Jing was very gentle, extending forward all the way to the plains. Vast stretches of shrubs and grassland had replaced the dense forest.

Only beside the river at the foot of the mountain did several large trees grow like scattered ornaments.

To the north, he could see majestic mountain ranges; to the east stretched a boundless grassland.

The wind blew from afar, carrying the fragrance of soil, flowers, and grass, making him feel refreshed and at ease without realizing it.

Magnificent mountains and rivers, boundless wilderness—heroic aspirations surged in Gao Jing's heart!

After enduring layer upon layer of danger to reach this place, he felt that his earlier adventure had been entirely worthwhile.

Only after standing atop the mountain and admiring the beautiful scenery did Gao Jing begin making his way down.

Going down the mountain was much easier.

Compared to him, a "little person," even the shrubs were towering, while the long grass on the ground reached his waist.

There were quite a few mosquitoes and insects dwelling among the grass and vegetation.

But when Gao Jing passed by, the mosquitoes and insects nearby immediately fled far away. From time to time, centipedes, spiders, and similar creatures suddenly emerged around him.

They scattered in all directions!

It was as though Gao Jing were their natural predator.

The sight was quite strange.

Because Gao Jing had not yet sprayed himself with mosquito repellent, and mosquito repellent could not possibly have such a powerful effect.

After seeing the same scene so many times, Gao Jing could not help forming an idea—or rather, a deduction.

He had consumed a large amount of fresh Red Serpent blood, so he had acquired the Red Serpent's scent.

It was precisely this scent that made mosquitoes, ants, and insects avoid him like the plague, not daring to come anywhere near him.

This was undoubtedly a good thing.

From now on, Gao Jing would not need to keep spraying mosquito repellent on himself or endure that irritating smell.

Nor would he need to remain constantly wary of attacks from ants and insects that were not afraid of mosquito repellent.

He quickened his pace and arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Ahead was a clear river more than ten meters wide, though the water looked very shallow.

Standing at the riverbank, he could see the riverbed at a glance.

The channel was filled with rocks and pebbles of every size. Many protruded above the water's surface, covered in moss.

Green ripples swayed, running water murmured, aquatic plants danced, and fish appeared and disappeared. It looked exceptionally beautiful.

Gao Jing figured that by Great World standards, this river should really be considered a stream.

It originated in the northern mountains and flowed south toward an unknown distant place.

Gao Jing took out a TDS pen and test strips from his backpack and tested the stream water.

The results showed that the water quality was very clean.

Of course, this was merely a simple amateur test. A comprehensive examination would require professional equipment.

But Gao Jing believed that drinking the water after boiling it should not be a problem.

Just as he put the tools back into his backpack, a rustling sound suddenly came from not far away.

Several gray-black figures appeared in Gao Jing's field of vision!

The second update is here. As usual, please send some votes.