Ma Xiong watched the great serpent, its blood-red eyes slowly beginning to close. Excessive blood loss was likely sending it into a deep slumber. He glanced at Fatty, who gave him an encouraging look, silently cursing the fatty for his sheer hypocrisy—not taking the opportunity himself, but urging others forward. Yet, there was no choice; he had taken on this burden himself.

He approached, brandishing his dagger, its cold gleam intended to intimidate the surrounding snakes, warning them against any movement, lest they suffer the same fate as the great serpent.

Whether it was because the great serpent had not given an order, or because the dagger truly held them in check, they all remained coiled, their backs arched, but launched no attack.

Ma Xiong slapped his chest and quickly moved toward the giant snake. He circled behind it, preparing for a sudden strike from the rear. The serpent’s eyes were now almost completely shut, its arched back beginning to slacken. It seemed its life was nearing its end.

By this moment, he was positioned directly behind the beast. The next move was to pounce, pin the head, and drive the dagger into its brain until the skull ruptured.

But just as he prepared to strike, the great serpent suddenly snapped awake, spinning around rapidly before launching itself airborne directly at Ma Xiong. A chill ran down Ma Xiong’s spine as he cursed under his breath: “Damn it, tricked! This snake is too cunning; it was faking death.”

He reacted instantly. With the serpent less than half a meter away, he ducked low. The snake shot over his head, and he distinctly felt the slick, oily texture of its skin graze his ear.

The great serpent should have landed swiftly after missing him, but unexpectedly, another snake, nearly as thick as the first, sprang from the ground. After the two bodies collided mid-air, the severed lower half of the first serpent leaped again, this time its gaping maw charging straight for Ma Xiong’s head. He saw only its sharp tongue flick out twice in the air before feeling the rush of bloody stench emanating from its mouth, nearly suffocating him. He reacted quickly, dropping the blade, bracing his hands against the colossal jaws of the serpent, staggering backward several paces from the impact before finally stabilizing himself.

His hands were now effectively wedged against the serpent’s skull, temporarily neutralizing the immediate danger. However, the sight of undigested remains inside the jaws made him gag, and the foul odor was suffocating. He quickly called out to Fatty and Lu Zong: “Fatty, Lu Zong, hurry over and help me! Damn, this snake is too sly; it was pretending to be dead and almost fooled me.”

Fatty, seeing the serpent trapped between Ma Xiong’s hands, advanced toward him with the righteousness of a swordsman stepping forward. But as soon as he took a single step, the snakes below collectively flicked their tongues forward, blocking Fatty’s path—it seemed they intended to prevent him from rescuing Ma Xiong.

Panting, Fatty chuckled: “Tough luck, Ma Xiong. It looks like you two will have to fight this out on your own merits. These snakes won’t help the headless body, nor will they help the intact you. They seem quite fair, actually.”

Ma Xiong looked from Fatty to the snakes at his feet and suddenly felt the presence of a primal force; perhaps a certain order of survival existed even in the animal kingdom.

He had no desire to disrupt that order. Murmuring, he said, “Fine. If you choose a solo match, I will see it through to the end.”

With that, he spread his hands outwards, intending to rip the serpent’s mouth apart. But the serpent’s jaw was incredibly strong, lined with rows of sharp, venomous teeth. A single misstep could mean being impaled, and death would follow sooner rather than later.

Fatty saw Ma Xiong’s intent to tear the snake’s mouth open and grew anxious. Lu Zong was equally worried but didn't know how to intervene, forced to watch Ma Xiong take such a risk.

The great serpent was not willing to yield easily. It exerted all its remaining strength, trying to snap its jaws shut. At this moment, Lu Zong could almost sense regret in the serpent’s posture—how agonizing it must be to have its mouth forcibly pried open like this. Now, copious amounts of saliva streamed from its mouth, dripping onto the ground and producing a faint corrosive sizzle.

Fatty seemed to notice the change and rushed to tell Ma Xiong: “Ma Xiong, you need to finish this quickly! This great serpent’s saliva is poisonous. If your hands soak in that venom for too long, there might be serious side effects.”

Ma Xiong cast one final, weak look at Fatty, shrugged helplessly, and began to exert his strength. Fatty and Lu Zong cheered him on: “One, two, three!”

Crack! A sound of breaking bone echoed in the air. The serpent’s skull had fractured. Ma Xiong felt a wave of relief; the serpent’s jaw was completely limp. He had literally wrenched it apart.

Ma Xiong let out a heavy sigh, tossing the dead serpent aside. Its body convulsed once on the ground, then lay still—clearly deceased.

He patted his numb hands, retrieved his dagger from the floor, wiped it clean on his body, and gave it a casual spin. The surrounding snakes actually began to show a degree of fear, scattering to clear a path for him.

Ma Xiong walked through the serpentine crowd like an emperor, reaching Fatty and Lu Zong.

Lu Zong touched his hand and said, “Truly a man’s hand; not a single scratch. By the way, you weren't poisoned, were you?”

Ma Xiong dismissed the concern casually: “This little bit of danger means nothing. Right now, I could face an even greater challenge without issue.”

Fatty seized the moment to exploit the situation: “Well done, Ma Xiong! Based on that statement, the explosives surrounded by the snake pack over there will be your responsibility to retrieve, and then you can save us all, save the entire world. Alright, this arduous yet glorious mission is now yours.”

Ma Xiong felt a dizzy spell coming on—all because he had been too quick to boast. Now, he was being cornered into it. He looked at the satchel of explosives, realizing the snakes had somehow formed a protective circle around it. They seemed to inherently understand the danger of explosives, guarding them fiercely.

Ma Xiong remarked, “It seems the snakes here are much smarter than the ones outside. They even know what explosives are. It’s unbelievable how these snakes could learn about explosives, considering they never leave this ancient tomb in their entire lives.”

Lu Zong suggested, “Maybe people came here before. Look at the skeletons hanging above us—they are proof.”

Ma Xiong looked up, and the dizziness intensified. He couldn't imagine how the owners of those skeletons met their end.

At that moment, Fatty urged him on: “Ma Xiong, hurry up! Look, these snakes seem like they can’t hold back any longer and are about to attack. Don’t worry, we’ll cover you from behind.”

Ma Xiong looked at Fatty’s façade of pure brotherly devotion, yet his own heart remained uneasy.