Amidst the dense vegetation stood a towering tree, its branches luxuriant and its height imposing, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the peach trees of his previous life! "Hoping the peaches are edible, just like the ones on Earth..." Chen Feng muttered, circling the warm pool toward the peach tree opposite.

The ground, churned up by the downpour, was a muddy mess, and the thick tangle of vegetation added considerable resistance to his advance. Chen Feng circulated the qi within his body, sending out a faint ripple of energy that kept the surrounding branches and leaves at bay as he strode forward.

The strange appearance of the fruits nearby truly opened Chen Feng's eyes, yet, due to a lack of knowledge, he dared not sample any. Most plants growing in the mountains were poisonous; one wrong bite could lead to serious trouble.

He sighed, forcefully suppressing his desire, refusing to be swayed by the wafting scents emanating from the surroundings. Though his left arm ached, the pain was no longer as severe as before.

While the qi vortex had a nourishing effect on the body, the rapid reduction in pain and signs of healing in a broken bone truly shocked him. This was as miraculous as the healing salve Félia had applied to Uncle Wen that other day.

However, there was no time to dwell on this now; the immediate priority was filling his stomach, with everything else deferred for later! Rounding a massive trunk, Chen Feng arrived before the giant peach tree.

With one glance, he saw several bright red peaches hanging askew from the lush green foliage. Astonishingly, they were countable—only these few peaches on such a large tree, making the sight feel strangely solitary and desolate.

Chen Feng climbed the tree, intending to pluck one to taste, when a sudden jolt surged through his heart—an innate warning against incoming danger. If he hadn't been cultivating in this spot for a long time, he might not have sensed it.

His body reacted instantly, arching backward ninety degrees, leaping two meters sideways mid-air onto another thick branch. Snap!

A crisp sound echoed from the branch where he had just been standing, followed by a low groan. A sickening odor erupted from the wood, which slowly dissolved into pus and then broke apart.

A highly corrosive poison! Chen Feng couldn't help but feel a wave of lingering fear.

Had he not reacted so quickly, he might have been entirely corroded away! He looked up toward the source of the liquid projectile.

His pupils contracted instantly! "Crimson-Tailed Grass Viper!" Although the Crimson-Tailed Grass Viper was only a low-level solitary demonic beast, it had few natural predators in the forest.

Firstly, it moved like the wind, its trajectory elusive and difficult to track. Secondly, it could release a highly corrosive venom; contact meant certain death, even for high-level phantom beasts like the Iron-Backed Silver Tiger.

The memories stored in Chen Feng's mind held a profound terror of this creature, which is why he recognized the demonic beast instantly. The Viper was entirely grass-green, with only the last thirty centimeters of its tail stained a blood-red hue.

Its head was slightly flattened, and a bright red tongue flickered in and out, emitting a foul, fishy stench. Chen Feng fixed his gaze on the beast coiled above him, his focus absolute.

This creature was a notorious killer of the woods! A single slip-up today could mean his end.

Carefully, he channeled the qi vortex power in his body to his right arm, waiting for the optimal moment. The Crimson-Tailed Grass Viper lacked his patience.

Its mouth opened, and a pale yellow streak of light shot out, its speed comparable to a bullet from his previous life’s sniper rifle. Even though Chen Feng was prepared and reacted the moment the creature's head twitched, he was a step too slow.

A wisp of white smoke curled up from his clothes as a glob of pale yellow, viscous fluid adhered to his shoulder. Chen Feng retreated two steps rapidly, and a faint wave of qi rose around him, acting like a layer of transparent armor, surprisingly blocking the potent corrosive fluid.

However, the qi on his skin was too thin. After only a moment's resistance, excruciating pain flared from his shoulder.

A jolt of panic made his footing unstable; with a crack, the branch beneath him snapped, and he plummeted from the air. He landed hard on his rear, using the momentum of the fall to roll twice on the ground, flinging off the corrosive fluid from his shoulder.

This sequence of actions transpired in a flash, less than a second in total, yet it was the most dangerous moment Chen Feng had faced since arriving in this world—more heart-stopping than even his fight with the Iron-Backed Silver Tiger. The Crimson-Tailed Grass Viper moved like the wind, navigating the dense foliage with effortless grace.

Chen Feng's only available move was the close-quarters Wild Bite, meaning his only option against it was retreat. The ground was slick with mud and strewn with deadwood, and the surrounding thorny vegetation hampered the movement of his Phantom Crane Steps.

Chen Feng was a mess, and the violent impact sent a tearing, agonizing pain through his healing left arm, suggesting it had re-fractured. The Viper slowly slithered along the branches, its pair of crimson eyes fixed on Chen Feng below like twin little light bulbs.

Suddenly, its body coiled slightly, its blood-red tail whipped against a branch, and it shot forward like an arrow aimed directly at Chen Feng’s face! Chen Feng's expression changed.

In his panic, forgetting any structured technique, he leaped into a nearby thicket. The surrounding thorns immediately shredded his body, drawing blood.

Yet, despite the sharp pain, he successfully evaded the Viper’s potentially fatal strike. A foul gust of wind scraped past his face, nauseating.

That was close! The Viper's two primary weapons were its venom and its fangs!

Had he failed to dodge the charge, a bite would surely have been fatal. The frustration Chen Feng felt was immense: driven from his family, his arm broken, chased by pursuers, then stumbling into a cave only to meet the Iron-Backed Silver Tiger, surviving a fall down a cliff by sheer luck, and now, trying to grab a peach, only to be hunted by a venomous snake...

But frustration aside, his mental focus could not waver. The Crimson-Tailed Grass Viper cared nothing for bad luck or whether he was a transmigrator; anything approaching the peaches was an enemy to be eliminated without mercy.

Having failed to inflict damage with either of its primary weapons, the Viper's morale seemed to falter. Its small, crimson eyes stared at Chen Feng, now tangled in thorns, no longer attacking blindly.

The corrosive venom carried by the Crimson-Tailed Grass Viper was, in fact, its life essence; it could only attack three times in its life. After exhausting these, it would soon die, similar to a bee whose sting proves fatal shortly after deployment.

Normally, the Viper wouldn't attack humans so readily, but for some unknown reason, it harbored intense hatred for Chen Feng, compelling it to fight to the death. However, it hadn't accounted for Chen Feng’s incredible speed and adaptability, even without ranged attacks.

After two venom sprays and one physical charge, it had achieved no damage, causing it to hesitate. Chen Feng knew none of this.

He climbed out of the thorns, cold sweat stinging his eyes, but his body remained rock-still, planted like a javelin. In combat, one must never lose their imposing presence first; otherwise, finding a path to survival in a crisis becomes impossible.

Just then, his pupils constricted. He saw the Viper's tail oscillating rapidly, emitting a low buzzing sound.

A rustling noise swept through the deadwood nearby, and suddenly, dozens of identical Crimson-Tailed Grass Vipers materialized before him!