Cui Shenghe whispered in Zhao Zhi's ear, "Shh, don't move. Something's coming." Zhao Zhi nodded nervously, her eyes fixed on the ground below.
The two held their breath, afraid of making the slightest sound.
Just as Cui Shenghe and Zhao Zhi had steadied themselves among the branches of the towering ancient tree, an unprecedented sense of crisis suddenly swept over them, as if even the air itself had frozen. The surrounding silence was broken by a low and long hiss, the sound originating from the ground, vibrating through every inch of the forest, sending chills down their spines.
Cui Shenghe's pupils contracted sharply. Through the dense foliage, he saw a giant python, its body as thick as a hill, its scales gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Each writhing movement was accompanied by a slight tremor in the ground. Its pair of cold, vertical pupils slowly rose, locking onto the tree where they were hiding, their eyes flashing with bloodlust.
"Hold your breath and don't move!" Cui Shenghe whispered to Zhao Zhi, his longsword already poised to strike, ready to deal with the sudden threat. However, even a martial arts master like him couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness in the face of such a behemoth.
Just then, the giant python suddenly exerted its strength, its massive body twisting violently. The tree trunk groaned under its strain, and branches and leaves flew everywhere.
Seeing this, Cui Shenghe drew his longsword without hesitation, the sword energy like a rainbow, aiming straight for the giant python's vital spot. But the giant python reacted swiftly, turning its head to the side and easily avoiding this fatal blow, while its tail whipped fiercely towards the two of them.
"Watch out!" Cui Shenghe shouted, and with a leap, he pulled Zhao Zhi tightly into his arms. The two of them used this leap to avoid the fatal blow from the snake's tail, but the sound of tree branches breaking followed. They lost their balance and fell to the ground.
At this critical moment, Cui Shenghe quickly adjusted his posture, turning his longsword into a shield to protect the two people's vitals. At the same time, he used his feet to gain leverage on the tree trunk, trying to slow down his descent.
The giant python would not let it go so easily. It opened its blood-red maw, and a foul stench rushed out. Its sharp fangs gleamed coldly as it came straight at them.
"Ah—!" Zhao Zhi screamed in terror, but Cui Shenghe covered her mouth again. A resolute look flashed in Cui Shenghe's eyes. He knew that there was no way to escape now, and he could only fight to the death. He kicked off the tree trunk and used the reaction force to push Zhao Zhi aside, while he himself faced the giant python's gaping maw.
But at this critical moment of life and death, no miracle occurred.
The python's speed and strength far exceeded expectations. It easily coiled around Cui Shenghe and Zhao Zhi, their bodies making terrifying sounds of bones creaking as the snake coiled around them. They were then slowly dragged into a hidden cave and disappeared into the dark depths...
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