Having swallowed a gray wolf, the Golden-Crowned Python set its sights on another, and quickly took action.

Gazing at the terrifying maw stretched to its absolute limit, a strange feeling rose in He Yiming's heart.

Spiritual Beasts possess intelligence, but it was clear that this Golden-Crowned Python, being of a lower rank, also possessed limited intellect. Although extremely vigilant and cautious, in the face of food, it ultimately chose to discard its wariness and devour this strangely sourced meal.

Of course, this also owed much to the superior methods employed by Grandpa and the others. Without meticulous planning, such a perfect result would have been impossible.

The Golden-Crowned Python’s appetite was unexpectedly immense, far exceeding He Yiming’s projections.

The three gray wolves and one wild boar had all been swallowed whole. Its waist, previously as thick as a water bucket, had swelled even larger.

However, after consuming so much, the giant serpent’s movements had noticeably slowed. Its body, stretching over ten meters, had become a massive burden, making He Yiming worry that its belly might simply burst then and there.

Slowly, the Golden-Crowned Python turned, appearing intent on abandoning outdoor activity and retreating into its lair.

Once it entered its den, it would absolutely not emerge until everything in its stomach was fully digested.

But how could the He family members, who had been waiting here since last night, allow it to escape so easily?

Old Master He Wude suddenly let out a long, piercing roar, stepping boldly out from behind the giant tree.

The Golden-Crowned Python froze instantly upon hearing the Old Master's cry. Its small eyes, in particular, fixed in the direction of the Old Master, its tongue flicking in and out with increasing speed. It seemed to sense something, and its massive body began to slowly coil inward toward the center.

For an ordinary python, even one over ten meters long, coiling into a defensive formation after consuming so many fierce beasts would be impossible. But this Golden-Crowned Python truly lived up to its status as a naturally born Spiritual Beast; its colossal body bent forcefully, managing to reform itself into a huge serpentine array.

He Yiming secretly marveled. This giant serpent's physique was simply too formidable. Even the strength of its internal organs must be no less than that of a high-level cultivator; otherwise, achieving this feat would be impossible.

Old Master He possessed eyes like lightning, and in his hands, he held a massive cleaver.

The handle of this saber was over two meters long, and the blade itself extended more than a meter, making the entire weapon nearly four meters long—a terrifying length. The entire blade was forged from refined steel, weighing over 360 catties, far surpassing the walking stick held by the Old Master of the Cheng residence.

In his youth, the Old Master possessed innate divine strength, which allowed him to wield such a heavy Guan Dao. However, now that the second generation of the He family had grown up, the Old Master rarely engaged in direct combat. This behemoth of a blade had long been unseen in Taicang County, only occasionally brought out for a flourish when the Old Master was exceedingly excited.

He Yiming coveted this great saber intensely. Having practiced the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, he now possessed the skill to use a blade, but he had yet to find a weapon that truly suited him. Moreover, for some reason, ordinary weapons felt too light in his hands; only this great cleaver felt right.

Yet, obtaining the legacy associated with this saber was not an easy matter. Furthermore, with his current strength, he could not wield it without utilizing his internal energy.

Holding this great saber, an immensely powerful aura surged from Old Master He—an aura forged through countless bloody battles and tempered by savage storms.

Under this imposing presence, even the Golden-Crowned Python, a Spiritual Beast, dared not underestimate him in the slightest.

Old Master He positioned himself ten meters in front of the Golden-Crowned Python, man and serpent facing off.

The Old Master's expression was grave, his body unmoving as carved wood or molded clay.

Across from him, the giant serpent remained statue-still, save for the continuous flicking of its tongue. To compete in patience with a reptile, especially such an intelligent Spiritual Beast, was courting certain death.

But after one hour, it was the Golden-Crowned Python that finally cracked.

The four prey inside its body had begun to dissolve, and the administered medicine was starting to take effect.

This was a specialized concoction prepared by He Wude. To ensure the giant serpent swallowed it, it naturally wasn't a potent poison, but rather a highly efficient anesthetic with a strong soporific effect, against which even a Spiritual Beast could not remain immune.

Thus, as the effects gradually took hold, the Golden-Crowned Python immediately realized something was wrong.

A cold glint flashed in its small eyes; suddenly, it flung its mouth open, striking towards the Old Master like a bolt of lightning.

This maneuver, executed in the blink of an eye and without warning, instantly tightened the hearts of everyone present. But Old Master He did not falter in the slightest; when confronting a Spiritual Beast, any distraction meant inviting certain death.

The Old Master roared suddenly, holding the saber horizontally with the tip pointing upward, sweeping it out like an iron rod.

A powerful, unimaginable force scraped up the fallen leaves in the jungle, cutting through the air with a violent whoosh, slamming forcefully against the Golden-Crowned Python's gaping maw.

With a tremendous crash, the Old Master could no longer stand firm. He stomped both feet forward and vaulted backward, but even in mid-air, his body was incredibly agile. By planting his feet momentarily on a large tree, he instantly dissipated that immense force.

In front of him, the Golden-Crowned Python paused only briefly before continuing its charge, completely unharmed.

He Yiming and the others gasped in unison. Although everyone knew beforehand that this creature would be difficult to deal with, none expected it to be this incredibly resilient.

With Old Master He's strength and a full-power strike wielding his weapon, he failed to injure it—this was truly astonishing.

Suspended in the air, Old Master He shouted, "Third-generation disciples, retreat! Do not engage! Quanxin and the other three, attack separately, do not engage it head-on! We will keep it occupied until the medicine takes full effect."

He had initially intended to let the third generation gain some combat experience, but after assessing the creature’s power, he abandoned that thought immediately.

He Quanxin, the three brothers, and He Laibao immediately jumped out. All four held long weapons, encircling the giant serpent, occasionally prodding it, but absolutely daring not to make direct contact with the behemoth.

Only Old Master He, wielding the great saber, occasionally clashed with full force, but after each collision, he immediately retreated several meters, absolutely refusing to engage in a second consecutive exchange.

After fighting like this for a long time, the Golden-Crowned Python's speed and reaction time showed a discernible slowdown. Everyone realized the medicine was indeed gradually taking hold.

A flicker of excitement appeared in everyone's eyes, even among the younger generation spectating nearby.

Although the Golden-Crowned Python was a Spiritual Beast, and one of immense power, if fighting head-on, even Old Master He, with his tenth-level internal energy cultivation, could not resist it. But its intelligence could not compare to a human’s; having been ambushed, its fate was effectively sealed beforehand.

Perhaps sensing something was amiss, the Golden-Crowned Python completely ignored the four people harassing it from the periphery. After this period of struggle, it understood that with the strength of He Quanxin and the others, it could not inflict any fatal damage. Only the old man wielding the great cleaver posed a significant threat.

Unlike common snakes, the most resilient part of the Golden-Crowned Python was its head, where the crown grew. Therefore, no matter where the Old Master shifted, its head remained locked onto him. While blows to its body caused pain, it couldn't afford to worry about that now.

However, as it began to feel overwhelmingly drowsy, it suddenly changed its tactic: it ignored the Old Master and tried to retreat along the path it had come.

Old Master He lunged forward suddenly and brought the saber down heavily, aiming for the middle section of the serpent's body.

A series of sparks flew from the edge of the great saber. This incredibly heavy strike failed to sever the snake’s body, nor did it cause even a slight scratch, revealing the incredible toughness of its hide.

Yet, this heavy blow was clearly agonizing. The serpent’s body, already slowed by the corrosive effects of the drug, suddenly convulsed. This deeply piercing pain seemed to temporarily shake off the effects of the anesthetic, making it swift as the wind once more.

Its head shot up off the ground, its small eyes blazing with utterly savage coldness, pouncing toward the Old Master like a projectile.

He Wude's hands were already tingling from the recoil of his previous heavy strike, despite having momentarily stunned the Golden-Crowned Python. But he never imagined this massive snake would retaliate so quickly.

Seeing the huge serpent mouth rushing toward him, he stamped his feet and retreated backward at maximum speed, holding his great saber horizontally, attempting to use the momentum to fly back further.

But this time, the Golden-Crowned Python was in extreme pain; even the golden crown on its head seemed to have enlarged slightly.

Its head slammed into the great saber. He Wude instantly lost his grip; blood streamed from the fissure between his thumb and forefinger, and the saber flew out of his grasp into the distance. His body lost control and crashed heavily against the giant tree behind him.

His chest and abdomen churned violently, and a thread of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

But the Golden-Crowned Python's maw did not slow; if anything, it lunged faster.

Bitterness flickered in He Wude’s eyes. He suddenly realized: he had been too greedy...

A Spiritual Beast, even the weakest one, was not something an ordinary tenth-level master of internal energy could hunt.

Greed! He couldn't believe that after living so long, he would ultimately perish because of this one word!

His heart churned. In this moment, he wasn't contemplating his own death, but rather what dire straits the He Family Village would fall into after he was gone.

He prayed that Quanxin and the others could restrain themselves and never again covet this Spiritual Beast. As long as they remained, the He Family Village could continue its legacy.

His vision began to blur. The massive serpent head drew closer, and he could clearly hear the horrified shouts of his descendants and the old servant Laibao...

However, at that instant, his vision darkened. The sunlight filtering through the gaps in the tall, dense leaves seemed to be blocked by something.

Faintly, he saw a silhouette—not a tall one, but one that felt as weighty as a mountain in this moment.

Faintly, he saw a radiance—not vast, but at this moment, so dazzlingly brilliant...