I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

Yu Su didn't know when it started, but she began to get used to the presence of these little ones at her feet.

That feeling was wonderful.

A tree has grown accustomed to the bustling sounds of people under its shade, to the wisps of smoke rising from chimneys near its roots, and to being awakened every morning by the laughter of children…

I've grown accustomed to being their "tree god," offering them a little protection.

Yu Su never interfered with Xia's choices.

But since these tenacious little guys are willing to persevere, he doesn't mind indulging them a little and clearing away some of the crises for them.

Yu Su has this confidence.

Nourished by Xia's devout faith, his spirit grew day by day, and his application of the earth's spiritual energy became increasingly skillful and adept.

His body rose from the ground, reaching a height of tens of feet, with branches twisting like dragons and a canopy that covered the sky and the ground, casting a shadow that covered most of the tribe.

He has far surpassed those towering and majestic "kin" of his time, almost reaching the pinnacle of mortal life.

Therefore, when that eerie aura reappeared from the northern forest, Yu Su detected it immediately.

Two-headed venomous python.

Its aura was indeed powerful, more terrifying than any beast the Xia family had ever encountered.

More accurately, it is no longer an ordinary ferocious scale, but a special monster born from the wild mountains and seas.

For the Xia clan, who were made of mortal flesh, this was indeed a threat and disaster that could be described as annihilation.

But for Yu Su—

He was absolutely certain.

The two-headed venomous python was chasing after Hong's hunting party, getting closer and closer.

Two pairs of vertical pupils locked onto the frantically running figures ahead, greed and savagery intertwined within them.

As night falls, it's time for a hearty meal.

It was hungry.

However, just as the giant python's massive body rushed into the outskirts of the tribe, only a dozen feet away from Yu Su's roots—

With a loud bang!

The ground suddenly collapsed.

The giant python's unusually thick body suddenly sank, half of its body plunging into the huge pit that had been dug beforehand.

The bottom of the pit was densely covered with sharp, cold-looking stones, which gleamed eerily in the darkness.

Although the python's scales were hard, the scales on its belly were not as thick as those on its back. Several sharp stones pierced through the gaps in its scales and embedded themselves deep into its flesh.

The two heads twisted wildly, and deep purple poisonous mist spewed out from the giant mouth, instantly filling the entire pit.

Yu Su clearly saw the sudden and shocking change unfolding before her eyes.

He instantly understood that the tribe that had grown up under his protection was not begging for his mercy.

Humans have no claws or sharp teeth, no supernatural or mysterious abilities.

But today, they insist on using their mortal strength to declare war on the mountains and seas!

The python's body was too large and the pit too narrow, so it was unable to break free for a time.

"pull!"

Hong's loud shout shattered the noise.

The Xia clan members, who had been lying in ambush on both sides, exerted their strength simultaneously, and the resilient vines that had been dancing in the night sky instantly tightened—

Those vines were collected, soaked, and woven by the elderly, weak, women, and children of the Xia family over many years.

Each one was as thick as a child's arm, soaked in animal blood, and baked by the scorching sun. They were so tough that even a stone axe had to strike them several times to cut them.

Now is the time to make a difference!

One end of the vine was tied to the giant python's body, while the other end was held in the hands of the Xia clan members who stayed behind. Their feet were planted firmly on the ground, and their bodies were leaning back, pressing down with their entire weight.

"Don't let go!"

An elderly woman with white hair gritted her teeth, her withered hands gripping the vines tightly. Her palms were worn raw, and blood flowed down the vines, but she refused to loosen her grip even slightly.

Her son died in the jungle, and she could die here too.

But this beast must die.

at the same time.

One by one, the Xia children carried carefully tied torches out of the cellar and handed them to their fathers and brothers.

The torches were soaked in pine resin and animal fat, so they ignited instantly and burned so fiercely that it seemed to set the air ablaze.

Hong took a torch and raised it high.

Behind him, more than a hundred torches were lit at the same time, the flames shooting into the sky and illuminating the two ferocious heads of the giant python in every detail.

"Throw!"

Hundreds of burning torches streaked across the night sky like meteors, raining down on the giant python's writhing and struggling body.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The bone-chilling, scorching poisonous fog was suddenly detonated by the raging flames, which actually blew open the giant python's hard scales.

Flames seeped into the wound, scorching the flesh beneath, filling the air with a burnt, nauseating stench.

The giant python struggled frantically, its two heads tearing wildly in the air, growing increasingly frenzied.

Even a cornered beast will fight.

Not to mention the monstrous, ferocious scales born from mutation.

The giant python was severely injured. Both heads simultaneously let out a shrill hiss, and suddenly opened their huge mouths, spitting out a large mouthful of thick venom.

The venom splashed onto the vines, and with a few hissing sounds, those incredibly tough vines snapped instantly, like paper burned by fire.

Freed from its restraints, the giant python burst out of the pit, its body scorched and bruised by the flames, and charged towards the Xia clan with boundless fury.

Hong felt no fear as he watched the ferocious beast charging towards him.

He glanced back; the totem, hidden in the night, remained sublime and majestic.

A spark flashed in his eyes, a fire ignited from the depths of his heart—the pride and passion of being a member of the Xia family.

"By the Tree God!"

"Follow me"

"kill!"

Hong roared and, instead of retreating, advanced, raising his stone axe to meet the head with its gaping maw.

That single word "kill" seemed to ignite the entire valley.

More than a hundred hunting team members roared in unison, gripping wooden spears, stone axes, and bone knives, and pounced on the giant python from all directions.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

From the moment the entire tribe's will converged, the balance of power shifted dramatically.

From the darkness of night to the first light of dawn, from the blazing sun to the approaching dusk.

The battle lasted all day.

The entire valley was filled with the clamor of battle.

The hiss of the giant python, the shouts of the tribesmen... and the occasional heartbreaking screams.

Even with prior preparations, the Xia family still paid a heavy price.

Some were choked by the poisonous fog and never got up again; some were struck by the giant python's tail, breaking their bones and tendons; some rushed forward too far and were bitten by the giant python, disappearing into its gaping maw.

Hong also lost an arm.

He gritted his teeth, used his stone axe to chop off the venom-soaked remains of flesh, tore off a strip of animal hide to wrap it up, and then continued fighting.

As the last rays of sunlight were about to disappear into the horizon.

The two-headed python finally let out a low, weak wail, and its two heads slammed heavily to the ground at the same time, raising a cloud of dust.

It's dead.

The jet-black scales lost their luster in the twilight, the bluish-green vertical pupils became completely dim, and the two heads lay tilted in the soil.

The valley fell silent.

The Xia clan members stood beside the giant python's corpse, covered in blood and exhausted, but not one of them retreated.

They won.

They did not succumb to the protection of the tree god, but won honorably in the name of "Summer".

When they dragged the mangled body of the giant python and knelt before Yu Su, like a group of proud children showing their spoils to their father.

Yu Su knew—

This human tribe, named Xia, is beginning to mature.