Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yang finally retreated to the side and hurriedly took out an Immortal Fruit Pill, stuffing it directly into his mouth.

Spiritual herbs were precious, but his life was more valuable than any herb. Being swept by the Golden-Crested Python's tail just now had injured him severely, leaving a suffocating sensation throughout his body.

Fortunately, he had circulated his internal energy throughout his body at the time, putting up a defense, which prevented his bones from being broken; otherwise, this encounter would have been far more troublesome.

After swallowing the spiritual herb, Zhang Yang immediately felt somewhat better.

He had lost track of his hunting rifle during the evasion, so he could only draw a short knife from his person—the same kind of short knife Long Cheng had retrieved from the town.

The blade wasn't poisoned; he had never truly intended to use this knife for combat, merely carrying it as a tool.

Long Feng was still struggling, desperately pulling the Snow Whip, but his strength was no match for the Golden-Crested Python. It was no longer Long Feng pulling the python; the python was pulling him.

Just as Zhang Yang was about to move forward, a small shadow suddenly appeared by his feet.

Wu Ying's fur had turned grayish-black at some unknown point, and it had merged completely with the earth; even Zhang Yang couldn't detect its presence without a close look.

Wu Ying swiftly scrambled up Zhang Yang’s clothes.

At the start of the fight, Wu Ying had vanished without a trace. Its greatest talent was treasure hunting, not combat; in a real fight, even a small squirrel could probably defeat it.

Luckily, it was fast and agile, so running away posed no danger, and Zhang Yang hadn't the luxury to worry about it then.

What puzzled Zhang Yang was why Wu Ying had suddenly returned now.

Wu Ying climbed onto Zhang Yang’s arm and paused on the bare skin where his clothes ended.

Its mouth suddenly dipped downward, and it bit deeply into Zhang Yang’s arm. Caught off guard, Zhang Yang’s skin was instantly broken.

Zhang Yang hadn't anticipated this action. According to the system’s explanation, pets with a certain degree of loyalty would never harm their master, let alone Wu Ying, whose loyalty level was nearly as high as seventy.

He couldn't understand why Wu Ying would bite him.

Even though he knew Wu Ying wasn't venomous and wasn't a rat, being bitten still left a sour taste in his mouth.

After biting him, Wu Ying leaped off Zhang Yang and quickly ran toward Lightning.

Just as Zhang Yang was pondering, a surge of heat erupted from the spot Wu Ying had bitten on his arm, immediately followed by an intensely comfortable sensation throughout his body. All previous pain vanished, and the effects of the spiritual herb were rapidly absorbing.

In that moment, he felt as though he had fully recovered to his peak state.

Zhang Yang stared at the small wound on his arm with astonishment, watching it heal at a visible rate. Before long, it returned completely to normal.

He never imagined that a bite from Wu Ying could yield such results.

After being bitten by Wu Ying, his body recovered faster than it would have with the spiritual herb alone, and the absorption of the herb was accelerated, boosting his overall strength.

This effect was practically instant resurrection, a full-health revival—it was heaven-defying.

Zhang Yang didn't actually know that besides its treasure-seeking function, the Treasure-Seeking Mouse also possessed the ability to heal injuries.

The greatest ability of the Treasure-Seeking Mouse was finding treasures, and they consumed the most heavenly materials and earthly treasures. These treasures didn't increase their strength but weren't wasted either; they were stored within their bodies.

One could say that a bite from a Treasure-Seeking Mouse was nearly as beneficial as consuming a spiritual herb.

Of course, this only worked if the Treasure-Seeking Mouse willingly bit you, choosing to pass on a portion of the accumulated medicinal efficacy stored within it; otherwise, any amount of biting would be useless.

This special function was the reason the Treasure-Seeking Mouse was known as an Auspicious Beast, even rarer and more elusive than Venomous Beasts.

Zhang Yang’s understanding of the Treasure-Seeking Mouse came solely from his ancestral secret manuals. None of his Zhang family ancestors had ever actually seen one; everything was hearsay.

In such circumstances, it was natural that the records were not entirely comprehensive, and some functions might be omitted.

However, this was hardly the time for contemplation. His delay had put Long Feng in even greater peril. Long Feng could no longer maintain his grip on the Snow Whip; the python had completely seized it.

The Golden-Crested Python, injured multiple times, was now completely enraged, alternating between biting and whipping its tail, sending Long Feng spinning around as he dodged desperately.

Long Feng looked utterly disheveled.

“Long Feng, watch out!”

Zhang Yang shouted, then leaped forward with his knife in hand. With his condition restored, his confidence soared; even facing the Five-Crest Golden-Crested Python, he felt no fear.

His speed was even greater than before, and within a few bounds, he was beside the giant serpent.

The python seemed to sense something amiss and whipped its tail directly toward him.

Without the tail attack to worry about, Long Feng’s pressure eased slightly. If this continued, he would eventually be struck by the python, and one solid hit from it would spell disaster.

Zhang Yang executed a light leap, clearing the python's tail sweep.

His body was genuinely more agile than before. This time, not only did he jump over the attack, but as he landed, he gripped the short knife and chopped down fiercely.

The knife was ordinary, but infused with internal energy, it was no less effective than a divine weapon. The scales of the Golden-Crested Python, capable of stopping bullets, could not withstand Zhang Yang’s short knife; the blow sank deeply into its flesh.

After embedding the blade, Zhang Yang pulled downward with both hands, tearing open a section of the python's hide.

“Hiss!”

The Golden-Crested Python let out a strange cry and thrashed its body wildly.

Zhang Yang quickly backed away. He wasn't delusional enough to think he could fight this Five-Crest Python one-on-one even in peak condition; the gap in strength remained significant.

The python rolled and writhed continuously. The gash Zhang Yang inflicted was considerable, spurting blood.

It was now more wounded, but its ferocity had intensified.

The Golden-Crested Python roared in fury, its massive eyes fixed on Zhang Yang—this small creature had injured it, and not just once.

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

Not far away, a white shadow suddenly sprang over. This shadow was also incredibly fast.

After biting Zhang Yang, Wu Ying had gone on to bite Lightning. Lightning, too, was completely restored after being bitten by Wu Ying (Shu Shu Wu).

It bit and then fled; in the blink of an eye, Lightning was back by Zhang Yang’s side, energetic and vigorous.

As for Wu Ying, it had already vanished back into hiding somewhere.

Seeing Lightning fully recovered, Zhang Yang finally let down his guard completely.

When they were losing earlier, he had considered saving Lightning and Long Feng and retreating from the area first. Now that everyone was recovered and the python wounded, he had the confidence to deal with this powerful Five-Crest Golden-Crested Python.

“Eat it quickly and recover!”

Long Feng also rushed back. Zhang Yang immediately tossed him a pill. As soon as Long Feng caught it, he smelled the rich fragrance of a spiritual herb.

Holding the pill, Long Feng was momentarily stunned.

He clearly knew how precious spiritual herbs were. He had agreed to serve as Zhang Yang’s bodyguard for three years in exchange for one such pill. Yet, before those three years were up, Zhang Yang had just given him one.

With the spiritual herb in hand, he hesitated slightly, wondering if he should actually consume it.

“What are you waiting for? Eat it quickly! If we take down this big fellow, we’ll strike it rich this time!”

Seeing Long Feng’s hesitation, Zhang Yang urged him again. The Golden-Crested Python had been bitten by the Fox-Tailed Marten several times in succession. Regardless of its massive size or its powerful resistance to poison, it was now showing clear signs of poisoning.

It wasn't just one type of poison; Zhang Yang's earlier poison needles were also taking effect.

“Yes!”

Long Feng’s heart snapped back to attention, and he immediately threw the spiritual herb into his mouth. This was no time for hesitation; danger loomed.

From the moment they discovered the python until the current struggle, nearly an hour had passed. Being on high alert and maintaining full concentration for an entire hour had rapidly depleted their internal energy.

Long Feng was starting to feel the strain, and the spiritual herb was perfectly timed to help him recover.

As he swallowed the pill, Long Feng felt a warming sensation spread through his body. This was his first time consuming a spiritual herb, so the effects would be maximized for him.

The Golden-Crested Python’s roars echoed far into the deep mountains.

Every animal within earshot, regardless of size, trembled and flattened itself against the ground. The python's furious cries carried a significant amount of oppressive might.

The Golden-Crested Python—legend stated it could grow up to twelve golden crests. A Twelve-Crest Golden-Crested Python was a master capable of forcing even those who could project their internal energy externally to flee in terror. Such a python would be among the apex of all spirit beasts, a true sovereign.

Though this python only possessed five crests, the aura radiating from its fury was something these common animals could not withstand; the timid were already losing control of their bowels.

Shaking its head, the python stopped roaring. Its massive head coiled in the air, looking down upon Zhang Yang and Long Feng standing together, along with Lightning perched on Zhang Yang’s shoulder.

It was these three small nuisances that had injured it repeatedly, completely enraging it. It was determined to swallow all three and make them its meal.

“This Five-Crest Golden-Crested Python is just too strong!”

Zhang Yang stared blankly at the terrifying giant serpent. Lightning had bitten it several times, injecting venom with each strike—venom potent enough to kill thousands—yet the giant python seemed utterly unharmed.

How could the beast ranked fourth be so much stronger than the one ranked seventh?

“Its body is too large, and it’s inherently a venomous beast, giving it an advantage!” Long Feng replied with a wry smile. It wasn't that the Fox-Tailed Marten's poison was ineffective; the python’s sheer bulk made the difference. After engaging it, they realized the python was at least twenty meters long.

Twenty meters, and such mass—even the Fox-Tailed Marten’s venom required a critical mass to pose a threat to something so huge. Furthermore, being a creature of potent poison itself, it possessed high resistance to toxic agents—that was its advantage.

“Hoo-hoo!”

The Golden-Crested Python suddenly cried out again. As it roared, it continuously expelled a black mist from its mouth. The mist spread instantly upon contact with the air, enveloping the surrounding area in no time.

The python had relied on brute force until now, not utilizing its other abilities, but it was finally forced to unleash them.

Ranking fourth among the Ten Great Venomous Beasts, the Golden-Crested Python’s strongest power was its poison, but the most lethal aspect wasn't its venomous bite, but this toxic fog. The spreading mist was far harder to defend against than ordinary liquid poison, which was why the Golden-Crested Python inspired such dread.

Few who encountered a Golden-Crested Python ever managed to leave alive... (First guaranteed update. I was very sleepy and wanted to rest, but I remembered today's update hadn't been written yet and didn't want to postpone it until tomorrow, so I’m typing it out now. Little Yu can still manage.)

I just saw a reader reward. Little Yu is very happy. Thank you to Da Wang Pai Wo Lai Kan Shu (Big King Sends Me to Read Books) for the 10,000 Origin Coin monthly pass reward. Da Wang Pai Wo Lai Kan Shu is also an old friend of Little Yu’s, the Alliance Leader from the previous book. Seeing an old friend makes me very happy. (To be continued) RQ