Upon hearing the name 'Golden-Crested Python,' He Quanming and his son immediately understood why Elder He had summoned them back in such haste, and why even He Laibao was present in the hall.

In this world, humanity stands at the apex of the food chain, considered the most intelligent of all beings.

Yet, certain creatures possess power vastly superior to humans and exhibit a degree of intellect. Should an ordinary person encounter such a being, survival would be next to impossible.

These creatures are collectively known as Spirit Beasts.

The Golden-Crested Python is one such Spirit Beast. While not among the most formidable, even a master of the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength facing one alone would likely have no choice but to flee in disarray.

He Quanming gasped, drawing a sharp breath. "Third Brother, your luck is remarkable, to have escaped an adult Golden-Crested Python alive."

He Quanyi forced a bitter smile. "Second Brother, stop joking. If I had truly encountered an adult Golden-Crested Python, making it back safely would have been harder than scaling the heavens."

He Wude nodded slightly. "Quanming, this time, the Third Brother merely discovered signs of the Golden-Crested Python slithering through the deep mountains before immediately returning. Your Uncle Bao and I went up to confirm; there is absolutely no mistake."

A subtle gleam appeared in He Quanming's eyes. Spirit Beasts, though immensely powerful and capable of taking lives in an instant, conversely offered unimaginable benefits to cultivators who managed to slay them.

The sheer value of a Golden-Crested Python was said to far exceed that of the thousand-year Blood Ginseng that had gone missing from the Cheng Estate.

"Father, what are your plans?" He Quanming asked, his voice heavy.

He Wude maintained a calm expression, but his voice held a tremor of excitement. "Quanming, fortune favors the bold. Since we have located that Golden-Crested Python, it must not be allowed to escape our grasp."

He Quanming glanced around at the others in the hall, hesitating slightly. "Father, it matters little if the few of us go, but the young ones like Yitian are still small. What do you think..."

He Wude waved a hand dismissively. "They are not small anymore. It is time they formally engage with family affairs. Moreover, the opportunity to fight a Spirit Beast is rare. Their Inner Strength cultivation is at least the Sixth Layer; I don't expect them to fight, only to broaden their horizons."

He Quanming dared not argue further and simply bowed in assent.

He Wude stood up. "Although the Golden-Crested Python is not a high-tier Spirit Beast, it is still a Spirit Beast, possessing strength that cannot be taken lightly. We cannot confront it head-on. We must set traps in secret. If we can severely injure it, we can capture and kill it." His gaze lingered on the face of everyone in the hall. "Only the few of us must know of this matter. It must never be leaked, or it will surely bring disaster upon the family."

Everyone’s hearts tightened, and they quickly bowed in agreement.

If the Cheng Estate was nearly massacred over a mere thousand-year Blood Ginseng, spreading the news that the He Family possessed a Spirit Beast might lead to their entire clan being wiped out.

The Golden-Crested Python prefers to roam during the day and rest at night. To arrange the traps properly, the He family members deliberated extensively. They spent the day conserving energy and resting their minds. Once night fell, under the personal guidance of He Wude, the group of nine departed, heading deep into the mountains.

They managed to keep this operation hidden from everyone; as they secretly left the manor, not a single person knew their destination.

He Wude and the others had already scouted the Python's location beforehand, so this trip into the wilderness was familiar ground.

Upon entering the forest, He Wude produced a vial of liquid, and everyone liberally sprinkled it onto their clothing. This potion would not only ward off the biting insects of the jungle but also mask their human scent from the Spirit Beast's nose.

Even the cultivator with the lowest skill level among them had reached the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength. Though the jungle paths were rugged, they posed no obstacle. Following the Elder, they soon arrived at a ravine nestled among oddly shaped terrain.

He Yiming observed closely and indeed spotted a distinct serpent trail here.

For He Yiming, who lived at the foot of the mountain, serpent trails were not unfamiliar—they were the unique byproduct of pythons passing through. Generally, any animal in the jungle would detour upon seeing such a path.

However, this serpent trail was different from the ordinary. Besides the deep, undulating marks of its passage, there were tiny droppings interspersed with a faint golden sheen.

Seeing these droppings, He Yiming finally understood how Third Uncle and Grandfather had confirmed their suspicions.

Reaching the mouth of the ravine, the group exchanged nods. He Quanxin made a gesture, and everyone took down their backpacks.

Inside these packs were one wild boar and three grey wolves.

These four animals had been captured alive by He Quanxin and the Third Brother deep in the forest and brought here. Now, they were unloaded at a distance from the ravine.

These four animals were fiercely aggressive; even confined in the bags, they had refused to remain still for a moment. But the instant they were placed onto the serpent trail, they simultaneously slumped, trembling violently, all their earlier arrogance completely vanished.

He Quanxin and the others worked swiftly, prying open their jaws and forcing the pre-prepared drugs into their systems. Then, they untied the ropes and used the boar's tusks and the grey wolves’ claws to inflict fatal wounds upon themselves. Only after all four had bled out and naturally expired were they positioned near the serpent trail.

Having completed this, the group retreated far back and climbed into the high branches of large trees.

As per the Elder's instructions, everyone selected a suitable vantage point and prepared cautiously.

The darkness slowly gave way, and the sun of the second day finally began to peek over the horizon. Just as the morning mist lifted, a faint 'hissing' sound drifted up from the ravine.

Everyone instinctively held their breath and closed their eyes, leaving only a thin slit to watch the area ahead stealthily.

Spirit Beasts differed from ordinary fierce beasts; they possessed far more acute senses. Staring at them foolishly could easily lead to detection.

Thus, He Yiming and the others did their utmost to conceal the sharpness in their eyes.

A moment later, a massive python finally appeared before them.

It was a snake over ten meters long, as thick as a water barrel. Its exterior resembled that of a common black python—thick and imbued with raw power. However, on closer inspection, one could discern rings of fine, overlapping scales across its skin. These scales were unremarkable, making them impossible to distinguish without careful scrutiny.

The most striking feature, undeniably, was the golden corona atop its head.

This crest bore a resemblance to the vibrant comb of a rooster, but compared to a rooster’s, this structure was excessively large, and its growth on a python’s head lent it an indescribably eerie aura.

Yet, He Yiming and the others knew this golden crest was the essence of this giant serpent, rumored to be worth even more than a thousand-year Blood Ginseng.

The great serpent slid along slowly, passing through the woods where they were hidden.

However, once it reached a distance and spotted the carcasses of the boar and the wolves, it stopped instantly.

Its body rapidly surged forward, coiling slowly into a towering snake formation on the trail. From its terrifying maw, a flexible, flickering tongue darted in and out.

Most pythons lack significant vision, but Spirit Beasts were not all the same.

Beneath the Golden Crest of this python, two small eyes were visible. These eyes shimmered with fierce, cunning intelligence, especially when fixed upon the four carcasses. Its posture seemed almost humanly contemplative, cautiously peering at the dead prey as if debating whether these offerings had simply fallen from the sky.

However, its gaze remained utterly cold, devoid of any discernible emotion.

In the jungle, everyone held their breath completely.

Once Inner Strength reached the Sixth Layer, stopping breathing momentarily was certainly not difficult.

Furthermore, He Yiming had practiced the Breath-Holding Art, a supplementary Inner Strength technique; holding his breath for ten minutes, let alone several hours, would have little effect on him.

After nearly ten minutes passed, seeing that no strange activity occurred around it, the Golden-Crested Python finally let down its guard, and its coiled formation slowly relaxed.

It then began to approach the potential meal, inch by inch.

If these four prey items had been alive, its movements might have been lightning-fast, but toward dead things delivered right to its path, it appeared cautiously hesitant.

Indeed, such a creature possessed rudimentary intelligence, far surpassing the ordinary beasts of the jungle.

He Yiming even felt that the Fox Bear would be at a disadvantage compared to this creature.

However, while these beasts were intelligent, humanity, by contrast, was cleverer still. Since the Golden-Crested Python confirmed the immediate vicinity was safe, it slowly opened its massive mouth.

Its mouth seemed boneless, capable of expanding without limit.

Soon, a grey wolf was halfway down its gullet. Its strength was immense; although it possessed no teeth, the wolf’s entire skeleton was crushed into powder during the swallowing process, stretched thin by the powerful suction, ensuring the python’s belly would not bulge excessively after consuming one wolf.

After swallowing the first grey wolf, the Golden-Crested Python seemed unsatisfied, its small eyes shifting towards the second one.