"Hold on!" Mu Xue prayed silently in her heart. She knew that this was the crucial moment to decide the outcome, and she absolutely could not let her guard down.

The giant python's struggles grew weaker, and the black energy flow became increasingly faint. The scales of victory seemed to be tipping in Ning Yu's favor. However, just as the mysterious power was about to completely suppress the python's energy flow, Ning Yu suddenly saw a strange light flash in the python's eyes, a light filled with cunning and...mockery?

Before Ning Yu could think about it, he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet shake violently, as if an earthquake had occurred.

"This is bad!" Ning Yu's heart sank. "This monster wants to..."

He whirled around to look at Mu Xue, roaring, "Get out of the way! It's going to..."

"Get out of the way! It's going to..." Ning Yu's voice was drowned out by the huge tremors coming from the ground. He anxiously tried to warn Mu Xue, but found that he could no longer make a sound.

The light in the giant python's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if mocking Ning Yu's powerlessness, or perhaps brewing some grand conspiracy. Its massive body writhed violently, and its once-hard scales began to fall off piece by piece, revealing the bright red muscle tissue beneath.

"boom!"

The ground suddenly cracked open, and a huge black shadow emerged from the earth, kicking up clouds of dust and debris. Ning Yu was thrown back by this sudden turn of events, crashing heavily several meters away.

"Ning Yu!"

Mu Xue exclaimed in surprise and ran towards Ning Yu without thinking.

As the dust settled, a monster several times larger than the previous python appeared before them. It had a body as soft as an octopus, covered with countless suckers, each emitting a nauseating green slime.

"What kind of monster is this?!" Mu Xue stared wide-eyed in horror. She had never seen such a terrifying creature before, not even in the post-nuclear wasteland.

Ning Yu struggled to his feet, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth, his face deathly pale. Looking at the enormous creature before him, a powerful unease welled up within him.

“It…it is the true form…” Ning Yu’s voice was hoarse, tinged with disbelief. “That giant python before was just one of its tentacles…”

The giant octopus let out a deafening roar, and countless tentacles rained down on Ning Yu and Mu Xue. Ning Yu endured the excruciating pain, grabbed Mu Xue, and narrowly avoided the tentacle attacks.

"Go! I'll hold it off!" Ning Yu pushed Mu Xue away, then turned to face the giant octopus, his eyes burning with a resolute flame.

He knew he had no way out.

Just then, Ning Yu suddenly felt that mysterious power surge again, even stronger and more violent than before. In his mind, an ancient and majestic voice seemed to echo:

"Child, accept my power..."

Ning Yu's pupils suddenly contracted. He felt his consciousness gradually fading, and a powerful force was trying to take over his body...