With virtue

Chen Wanchuan breathed a sigh of relief.

The Taoist priest is truly skilled!

He thought he was going to die in this desolate wilderness today. As hundreds of snakes surged towards him like a tide, countless thoughts flashed through his mind—his youth in the army, the goods he had sold all over the country, and the charming young women of Wu County, with their full breasts and pretty faces…

However, despite his fear of death, he gripped the woodcutter's knife tightly, his teeth clenched so hard they cracked, waiting to strike when the snakes pounced.

Unexpectedly, the situation took a dramatic turn, and the snakes were intimidated by the Taoist priest's single glance.

Hundreds of snakes lay prostrate on the ground, trembling like leaves, just like when he was in the army, when the common people didn't even dare to raise their heads when they saw the general with a sword.

Chen Wanchuan was both surprised and delighted. Although he did not know what method Zhao Yunshu had used, he knew that he could not miss this opportunity.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he grabbed two large handfuls of realgar powder from the cloth bag at his waist, flicked his hand, and sprinkled it on himself and Zhao Yunshu without caring how much, using the whole bag without any hesitation.

The peddler shouted, "Taoist priest, let's go! Charge through!"

Zhao Yunshu nodded.

He naturally knew the effects of realgar on snakes and insects. Although this viper was formed from resentment, it could not escape its snake form, so realgar should have a miraculous effect.

The two took a deep breath and charged toward the gap in the snake swarm.

Chen Wanchuan brandished his machete and led the way, while Zhao Yunshu took out his iron sword to help. Any snakes that blocked the way were instantly knocked away. The black snakes were already dizzy from the smell of realgar, and with the added power of the ghost general, they all dodged and made way for a narrow path.

However, just as the two were about to cross the section of the mountain path where the snakes were most densely packed, the first few snakes suddenly stiffened. Then, as if some force had drained their bodies from the inside, their scales collapsed, their flesh melted away, and in an instant, they turned into a puddle of viscous black water.

Zhao Yunshu's pupils contracted, and she suddenly grabbed Chen Wanchuan's arm and pulled him back. The two of them stopped just at the edge of the black water, their shoes only half an inch away from the churning black liquid.

If you stepped in, you'd probably get your skin torn and mangled right then and there!

But then I saw—

Hundreds of snakes stopped hissing at the same moment, and their bodies began to soften, deform, and melt.

It was like wax, turning into thick, black liquid. The liquid was as thick as asphalt, emitting a strong, putrid odor. It was as thick as boiling porridge, with bubbles rising to the surface. Each time a bubble burst, it exploded into a cloud of foul-smelling black smoke.

Hundreds of snakes melted at the same time, but the black water did not flow down the mountain path and stone steps according to the laws of physics. Instead, it floated into the air, converging into countless streams that merged and merged with each other, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, blocking Zhao Yunshu and Chen Wanchuan's way.

The black water accumulated more and more, becoming increasingly concentrated. What started as a shallow puddle quickly swelled into a pool of ink.

Along the entire mountain road, the remains of hundreds of vipers were all absorbed into the vortex, and then the vortex stopped spinning.

A snake's head rose from the black water; the snake's head even had a rooster's comb.

The snake was entirely black, with scales as large as pine cones, layer upon layer covering its entire body, the black interspersed with iridescent green, a green so vibrant it sent chills down one's spine.

The snake's body was as thick as a bucket. When it emerged from the whirlpool, it was less than ten feet long, yet it seemed endless. It pulled out segment by segment, rising segment by segment. Only when it was completely pulled out could its full form be seen—it was probably more than ten feet long from head to tail, coiled on the mountain path, blocking the way.

Chen Wanchuan dropped his wood-chopping knife to the ground with a clatter. He stared blankly at the enormous creature, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly before finally managing to squeeze out a distorted utterance: "This... is Jackie Chan?"

The giant serpent raised its head and flicked its tongue, its body shrouded in black mist. The rooster's comb trembled slightly in the wind, emitting a mournful, whimpering sound.

"It's utterly worthless, how dare it call itself a dragon?" Zhao Yunshu took a half step back, cursing under his breath, and said rapidly to Chen Wanchuan, "Brother Chen, hold it off for me! I'll find a way to take it down right away!"

Chen Wanchuan turned around in astonishment.

The expression on his face seemed to write, and a big question mark appeared above his head.

Me? Hit this snake?

He looked at his wood-chopping knife, then at the giant snake, and couldn't help but swallow hard.

But now he knew the situation was urgent—Zhao Yunshu said they had to find a way, so there must be a way!

He believed in this Taoist priest!

Since the Taoist priest said he would block it, then he would block it!

"Damn it, I'll risk it!" Chen Wanchuan gritted his teeth, bent down to pick up the woodcutter's knife, and gripped the handle so tightly it creaked.

He suddenly looked up and roared at the giant snake, his voice like thunder, echoing through the mountain valley, "Come on! What are you, you long worm! Come on, come to your grandpa!"

The giant snake seemed to be enraged by the sudden roar. Its blood-red eyes shrank sharply, its head paused slightly backward, and then it pounced on Chen Wanchuan like an arrow released from a bow.

The snake's mouth was wide open, and its barbed white teeth gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Chen Wanchuan was no ordinary villager. Over the years, he had encountered danger while traveling the world selling goods. Judging from his reactions in several life-or-death situations, and from how he withstood a kick from a kiln worker without moving when distributing porridge, it was clear that he was actually skilled in martial arts.

But against such an opponent, his martial arts skills paled in comparison.

However, a snake is, after all, an animal.

He reacted quickly, rolling to the side and narrowly avoiding the snake's mouth.

The giant snake missed its bite and crashed heavily to the ground, sending stones flying and creating a crater the size of a washbasin.

Before it could raise its head again, Chen Wanchuan had already gotten up from the ground and slashed at the side of the snake's neck with a backhand stroke. The blade struck the black scales, producing a crisp metallic clang, and sparks flew all over his face.

The slash didn't even break through a single scale; it only left a faint white mark.

"My goodness, it's harder than iron!" Chen Wanchuan exclaimed, not daring to linger, and ran off to the other side of the mountain path.

The giant snake turned its head and chased after Chen Wanchuan, trying to bite him. Relying on his nimble legs, Chen Wanchuan dodged left and right among the pine trees, narrowly avoiding the snake's mouth several times.

Since we're just stalling for time anyway, let's stall for as long as possible!

Taoist priest, you'd better hurry!

Meanwhile, Zhao Yunshu had quickly retreated behind an old pine tree, leaning against the trunk, and reached out to flip through the yellow book to the last page!

On that page, there was a giant snake with its head raised and tongue flicking out. Its body was as black as ink, and the edges of its scales shimmered with a faint dark green phosphorescence. It had a rooster's comb on its head, which was as red as blood, just like the enormous creature in front of him!

The ink beside the painting was not yet dry, and lines of small characters were slowly emerging.

The very first thing you see is the name of this giant serpent:

"Male viper".