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墨書 Inktalez
By the light of the rising flames, everyone could see clearly and couldn't help but gasp in shock.
Is this... a giant python?
Its body, thicker than a water barrel, was covered in crimson scales that emitted an eerie, enchanting glow in the firelight. Its massive head had two eyes the size of fists, resembling sapphires. The length was nearly impossible to estimate; at least half of its body visible through the flames was several meters long, while the length hidden in the darkness remained unseen.
At this moment, it leisurely raised its upper body, towering above them. Its blood-red forked tongue, over half a meter long, flicked through the air as it searched for the scent of prey. Clearly satisfied with what it found, it couldn't be underestimated. Suddenly, the area beneath its head opened up like an umbrella, instantly overshadowing the massive beast before them.
The creature that had seemed enormous to everyone now appeared like a child in front of the giant python.
Seeing the giant python appear, the earlier monster let out a low growl, baring its sharp fangs and feigning an attack by lunging forward.
Perhaps this was truly the king of the jungle; the giant python remained unfazed by the monster's aggression. It stood still and simply shook its neck slightly, producing a powerful sound like flapping wings.
The monster seemed to be terrified by such a sound and immediately retreated in fright. Its antennae shook even more vigorously and brightly, as if trying to scare off the giant python.
"This is a mutated bat snake," Mei Shuang recalled from pictures she had seen before, thinking it was an ancient creature. She never expected it to exist in reality. "This thing is incredibly strong and highly venomous. Everyone be careful; do not make any noise."
The situation before them was tense; no one dared to move for fear of startling the massive creature and drawing its attention toward them.
Seeing that the giant python remained still, the monster grew bolder. After all, its fangs weren't used to just munching on watermelons; it couldn't let itself be intimidated. Perhaps hunger clouded its judgment regarding its prey. Thus, driven by misguided thoughts, it made a reckless decision that it would regret for life.
Instead of turning and fleeing, it charged at the giant python, aiming its sharp fangs directly at its body.
The giant python seemed to have anticipated this; its seemingly cumbersome body moved with surprising agility. The rear half of its body, hidden in darkness, had already been prepared. Before the monster's fangs could reach it, it swept forward. As a result, the monster's massive form was sent flying several meters away like leaves caught in a whirlwind, crashing violently against a tree that Mei Shuang and her companions had just climbed over.
The impact was akin to an earthquake of magnitude eight, immediately shaking Mei Shuang—who had just warned everyone to be cautious—down from her perch in the tree. Everyone watched helplessly as she screamed and fell down. Fortunately, branches broke her fall somewhat; after several bumps, she landed beside the monster.
This fall left Mei Shuang dazed and disoriented. The sudden drop also startled the monster that had been rattled by the giant python's presence.
As it struggled to get up, it unexpectedly had a new idea.
At the moment Mei Shuang landed, she felt as if her internal organs had shifted. Looking up, she saw the monster's fangs almost touching her. Instinctively, she kicked out, turning the monster's head aside while rolling to the base of the ancient tree where the roots intertwined.
The roots at the base of the ancient tree were crisscrossed, providing enough space to hide. Mei Shuang crouched inside, trembling, and reminded those above, "Everyone, don't move!"
The few people who were about to jump down to rescue her could only grit their teeth and wait. After all, the greatest threat was the giant python; if its attention shifted, it would lead to disastrous consequences.
The monster, caught off guard by the sudden attack, became furious. Damn it, it planned to use this prey as a sacrifice for the giant python. However, this prey was exceptionally cunning and had managed to burrow under the tree roots.
Thus, its fangs stabbed fiercely into the gaps between the roots. The fragile roots couldn't withstand the blow and snapped instantly. Mei Shuang quickly crawled backward.
Unexpectedly, the monster changed direction and began attacking from another side.
Mei Shuang watched as the roots in front of her trembled violently, dirt flying everywhere as if it were raining mud. The people in the tree were also disturbed and had to cling tightly to avoid being shaken off.
Just when those sharp fangs were about to graze her thigh, there was a howl from the monster as it flew away like a falling leaf.
Undoubtedly, the giant python could no longer wait.
After that, the monster was completely defeated; it had no chance to escape.
As a few people quietly pulled Mei Shuang up into the tree using ropes, they saw that the giant python had surrounded the monster completely. Its massive body coiled tighter and tighter until they could no longer see the monster itself, only its black hooves visible outside.
In a world where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, no one dared to dominate the food chain; one never knew when a more powerful opponent might be waiting.
The group sighed and quickly left through the intertwined vines of the tree.
What they didn't expect was that within this tree's branches and twigs, it resembled ground terrain. They had no idea how long they had been weaving through when suddenly they heard a distant "splashing" sound of water.
Under the moonlight, a stream about ten feet wide flowed gently across the ground, its water clear and crisp as it passed over stones, producing a bright sound. The stones on either side of the stream were covered in moss, glowing with a cool light in the moonlight.
A few people were delighted; just moments ago, Shijieyu had dropped fresh water and food, and now they could replenish their supplies.
Kato felt nauseated by the smell of blood on himself and was about to jump in for a wash when Cong Fei stopped him. He first picked up a sturdy branch from the ground and then threw it into the stream.
The thick branch hit the water like an animal leaping in, creating a loud splash and sending up a spray of water.
After a moment, Kato grew impatient and bent down to climb down from the tree when he heard movement in the grass by the stream. He quickly pulled back.
A sharp little head poked out. At first glance, one wouldn't think much of its size, but as it leisurely wriggled its body out of the grass, everyone got a clearer view.
In the moonlight, they could see that this creature was covered in quills like a Porcupine, flat and dagger-like, glinting ominously. Its size was not to be underestimated; it was not much smaller than the monster they had encountered earlier.
The creature twisted its body near the stream, looking around as if searching for prey. After drinking some water from the source, it turned and disappeared back into the grass.
Seeing that there were dangers lurking by the water source, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Had they recklessly jumped in earlier, they would have faced a fierce battle, and escaping from such a dangerous animal would have been uncertain.
Kato wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and admired Cong Fei's foresight, giving him a thumbs up in appreciation. "How did you know there would be an ambush here?"
Cong Fei glanced at him and replied calmly, "It's nothing special. Although this place seems tranquil, if you look closely at the moss by the stream, you'll notice it's not even. There are visible claw marks that suggest large animals frequently come here to drink water, while there are hardly any marks from smaller animals. This indicates that jungle creatures know this place is dangerous and wouldn't come here for water."
With Cong Fei's explanation, everyone felt even more impressed.
Cong Yue looked at the direction of the stream and then told everyone to go upstream against the current to find its source.
Not daring to linger, they continued forward. Occasionally encountering neighboring ancient trees, they swung across using vines.
They didn't know how long they had been walking when everyone began to feel tired.
Sitting on the tree branch, everyone was parched. The fresh water from Shijieyu had long been lost, and only a little remained in the skin carried by Coach Brothers.
No one was willing to drink, pushing each other around.
After a while, Coach Brothers returned with several large green tubers in hand.
"What are these?" Mei Shuang asked curiously.
Coach Brothers didn’t say much; he took a knife and sliced one open, revealing a thick skin with white, fluffy pulp inside.
Cong Fei picked up a piece first and made several cuts into the soft pulp. The inner flesh shriveled up, exposing moisture underneath.
Seeing the water, everyone got excited. Each person took half and began to drink from it.
Mei Shuang also took a sip. Although it was a bit astringent at first and had a faint bitter melon taste, it was sweet going down, and she felt a refreshing sensation spreading through her body, making her feel much more energized.
"This is amazing! What treasure is this?"
After finishing the water inside, Mei Shuang imitated Coach Brothers and started eating the pulp. Although it initially felt like chewing cotton, the more she chewed, the more texture it had. After swallowing, she felt satisfied.
The pieces of tuber brought by Coach Brothers were just enough for everyone to have two each. After finishing, Mei Shuang exclaimed that it wasn't enough and asked if there was more.
Coach Brothers chuckled at Mei Shuang's straightforwardness. "I don’t even know what this is called. When I was young and thirsty in the mountains, I often cut this to eat. It usually grows between cliffs. I thought there wouldn’t be any in these deep mountains and forests, but I stumbled upon some just now and cut a few to quench our thirst and hunger. But don’t eat too much."
"Between cliffs?" Mei Shuang noticed this detail and asked, "Aren't we in a tree?"
The others clearly noticed this question as well and looked at Coach Brothers.
Cong Fei shook his head. "I understand what you mean, but I examined it closely just now; this thing indeed grows from the ground, not typically found between cliffs."
A few people fell silent, clearly feeling a bit disheartened without saying a word.
The journey had been one of hardship, with several near-death experiences. The most terrifying part was not just the danger they faced, but the fact that they were moving forward without any clear direction or endpoint.
The only clue they had was the tangled lines on the map deciphered by Mei Shuang, which undoubtedly pointed to Qishan. Now they were in Qishan, but what did those lines really indicate?
Mei Shuang once remarked that if they could match those simple lines to any specific location in the complex jungle before them, she would call it a miracle!
Moreover, even if the map indicated certain mountains, how could they possibly find them with nothing but their bare hands?
It's important to remember that in this era, there was no advanced technology, no surveying tools, and certainly no satellite navigation.
Thus, searching for the so-called treasure here was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack; it was like a blind person trying to light a lamp—utterly futile.
"Do you think that cave entrance and tunnel actually exist?"
After a long pause, Shijieyu suddenly asked softly.
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