The inside of the snake's mouth was wet and slimy as Wang Xuan plunged into it, his body slipping all over the place.

Everything he did was for survival!

There was no other way—if he couldn't win, he had to choose to join. It was better than being bitten to death by the supernatural serpent. Now, by choosing to voluntarily enter the young snake's mouth, he might still have a slim chance of survival.

But the stench inside the snake's mouth was unbearable, making Wang Xuan almost vomit. For someone with a cleanliness obsession, this felt like a torturous experience.

He held his breath, trying to take in a few more breaths of fresh air from outside.

The woman standing nearby was in utter despair. Was this really going to be how she met her end?

The other serpent hatchling slithered over with its blood-soaked mouth wide open. In a final moment of panic, the woman mimicked Wang Xuan, leaping into the snake's mouth.

"You're crazy! That native seems to have mastered some sort of indestructible body technique, but what about you?" the last remaining man shouted, filled with frustration. In his panic, he even gestured toward Wang Xuan as he pointed at the serpent.

"Snap!"

An adult serpent swiftly bit the man, killing him instantly, before swallowing him whole.

No matter how powerful a Grandmaster-level cultivator was, in front of supernatural beasts, they were insignificant.

Wang Xuan took one last glance at the outside world, his heart filled with indescribable emotions. He had never imagined a day would come when he'd need to feed himself to a snake.

The young serpent was relentless, swallowing him whole!

Wang Xuan didn't resist, lying still like a piece of wood as he was devoured. Inside the snake's belly, it was warm and filled with corrosive mucus strong enough to dissolve even bones.

Wang Xuan noticed the remains of the earlier long-haired bear, now a bloody mess, not yet fully dissolved. There was also a large feline, mostly digested.

He closed his eyes and extended his spiritual sense, unsure how long he could hold his breath in this suffocating and corrosive environment. His body emitted a faint golden light to protect himself from being digested.

Ancient lore told of Buddha Shakyamuni being swallowed by a golden-winged Garuda bird, only to later emerge and achieve enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

Wang Xuan recalled this story to comfort himself, thinking, "If Buddha could survive being swallowed, why can't I?"

If he could survive, he'd become as famous as Shakyamuni himself! This was like history repeating itself, a reflection of ancient events in the present day.

Wang Xuan's mind remained strong despite being swallowed, continuously reassuring himself.

"Back then, Buddha hadn't yet attained enlightenment, right? Was he really swallowed by a massive Garuda? I doubt it. Maybe it was just a big bird."

"And what's swallowing me? If Buddha was swallowed by a Garuda, then this must be an ancestor dragon swallowing me!"

As Wang Xuan bolstered his spirit, reinforcing his self-belief, he suddenly felt a mental attack.

An adult serpent was probing the belly of its offspring with its spiritual power, sweeping through the area. Wang Xuan immediately went completely still, allowing the snake's stomach to contract and try to digest him, but he dared not move.

At the same time, he retracted his spiritual field, not daring to resist in case it alerted the adult serpent. His helmet, with its intricate holes, had long since been lost somewhere.

Although the spiritual power of the supernatural beast was immense, it wasn't as overwhelming as he had feared. Wang Xuan's head pounded, but it wasn't enough to kill him.

Faintly, he could hear commotion from the other hatchling's stomach. It seemed the woman was struggling.

Alerted, Wang Xuan followed suit, rolling around and struggling before going still again.

A moment later, the serpent stopped its mental sweep. It seemed that it was wary of some living prey, dealing with it this way just to be sure.

Wang Xuan remained utterly motionless. A faint golden glow enveloped him, and his indestructible body technique was now his greatest hope. He silently prayed for the adult serpent to leave soon.

Before long, the nest trembled, and the male serpent left. However, the female stayed behind, lying outside the cave, basking in the sun. Its subtle killing intent permeated the entire area.

One quarter-hour passed, then another...

Wang Xuan endured for two whole hours, starting to feel discomfort. After all, he was merely a peak-level Grandmaster, and holding his breath for this long was no small feat.

"Why hasn't the mother snake left yet?" His anxiety grew. If this continued, he would meet a tragic end.

If he emerged in a less-than-human state, he would never rest in peace!

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By the third hour, Wang Xuan was ready for a last-ditch effort. He would kill the hatchling even if it meant dying together.

Just then, the two young serpents began to stir, moving around and calling out, as if expressing hunger to their mother.

Wang Xuan was on the verge of risking it all when the moment he had been waiting for finally arrived. He sensed the ground tremble as the mother serpent slithered away.

He extended his spiritual sense, ensuring the coast was clear.

Drawing his short sword, he didn't immediately cut open the snake's belly. Instead, he first launched a spiritual attack, targeting the consciousness of the young serpent. He needed to render it unconscious before making his move. Otherwise, if the hatchling cried out, the mother serpent would return in an instant.

He focused all his effort on the sudden mental assault. Although the young serpent was physically strong, its spiritual strength was weak. It collapsed in a flash, unconscious.

Wang Xuan slashed with his sword, slicing his way out of the snake's belly and finally inhaling fresh air. He had nearly suffocated inside.

Without delay, he used his spiritual power to suppress the other hatchling, rendering it unconscious as well.

Breathing heavily, Wang Xuan felt immense relief. It was good to be alive.

"Year one, month one, day one of the Mist Earth Calendar—Wang Xuan sliced his way out of the belly of the ancestor dragon and attained enlightenment among men, seeking to compete with Buddha!"

Though today's ordeal had been brutal and near-fatal, Wang Xuan remained optimistic, giving this episode a brilliant and glorious conclusion.

After making his grand declaration, he took a deep breath and sprinted away.

His body was still covered in sticky, slimy residue, leaving a trail behind as he ran.

Wang Xuan knew the serpent would be back soon, likely in a matter of minutes, to hunt again. To survive, he had to put as much distance as possible between himself and this area.

"What the heck, that bastard's still alive! Look at him! He's running out of the supernatural beast's nest full of energy, taking steps ten meters at a time!"

From a distant hill, the man who had been forced to jump into a river by Wang Xuan earlier cried out in shock, calling to his companions.

After escaping, the group had returned, hoping that someone might have survived the ordeal.

To their surprise, after half an hour of observation, they saw the native with extraordinary spiritual power running out.

"He's still alive?! This is unbelievable! I saw the serpent leave just now—how could it have let him live?"

They couldn't believe it, all of them astounded.

"Look, his body is covered in slime, and he's wearing one of our battle uniforms, but it's completely tattered and corroded."

The group was shaken, quickly piecing together how Wang Xuan had survived.

"This native is ruthless! He hid inside the young serpent's belly, using some indestructible body technique to survive. Once the adult serpent left, he escaped!"

They exchanged glances, made hand signals, and prepared to move, intent on launching a hunting operation.

"You may have escaped the serpent's jaws, but you won't escape us!" someone said coldly.

...

Wang Xuan ran for his life, feeling disgusted with himself. He stank, and even had chunks of undigested bear meat stuck to his shoulders. His body was sticky, making him want to throw up.

He knew this was dangerous; he had left behind too much residue and scent along the way. If the silkworm serpent was really tracking him, it would easily find him by following the smell.

"I need to wash off the scent."

Luckily, the Secret Realm forest had plenty of rivers and lakes. He quickly spotted a pond and jumped in with a splash, washing himself off.

"The native is cleaning off his tracks; he's worried about being hunted by the mother serpent. We shouldn't rush into the kill. If we run into the mother by accident, we'd just be taking the hit for him," said someone from a distance. A few people stood atop a mountain, observing the scene calmly, deciding to stay on the outskirts of the area.

Soon, Wang Xuan emerged from the pond, more or less cleaned up, though he still felt like there was some lingering smell.

"No way around it, unless I peel off a layer of skin." He slapped the strange fish clinging to him—there were at least a dozen. It was just a bath, but the pond was full of creatures attacking him. Even if they couldn't bite through his skin, they still clung stubbornly to him.

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the forest. The mother serpent's fury shook the land, toppling trees as it chased after him. Both of its offspring had fainted, and it was enraged.

At the same time, the father serpent heard its cry and was also infuriated. It was far more terrifying than the mother, practically flying through the forest, tracking him down.

Wang Xuan's heart raced, his hair standing on end. Could he escape this? He still felt like there was some lingering scent on him.

At the same time, he noticed something wrong with his body—he was feverish, his skin burning hot. Looking closely, he was shocked to see red marks appearing all over his skin, while his vision seemed to sharpen.

What's happening? In a flash, he thought of the blood grapes he had eaten. Was he really turning into a demon?

In the distance, the father serpent's terrifying power was on full display. It tore through the forest, leaping onto a hill and collapsing the mountainside with its impact. It was using its extraordinary senses to scour the nearby woods.

The mother serpent screeched, its fury spreading far and wide, sending birds and beasts fleeing in terror, causing chaos across the entire mountain range. It seemed to be telling the father serpent that something had happened to their offspring.

Wang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. He was certain that without a miracle, he was going to die. There was no way he could outrun these two extraordinary creatures. As long as they followed the scent, they would find him.

He felt like his life had hit rock bottom. He had just escaped one disaster, only to plunge into another. Faced with two deathly powerful creatures, his chances of survival seemed slim.

Sure enough, explosions shook the forest as trees were toppled one after another. The father serpent was sharp, leaping from the mountaintop and charging in his direction.

"Big Wu, I haven't even had the chance to find your remains," Wang Xuan muttered in despair. Was he really going to die here today?

"Qing Han, I hope you make it back to the New Star alive!" Wang Xuan pushed himself to the limit, running for his life.

"Old Zhong, I never got the chance to sneak into your study and take a look at that golden bamboo scroll or the five-colored jade book. What a shame!"

...

Gritting his teeth, Wang Xuan sprinted toward the special region in the mountains. He had no other options left; it was do or die, his last chance to survive. That misty area in the center of the region was surrounded by nests of eight extraordinary creatures!

"I made a promise—to return to the Old Earth within three years. There's no way I'm dying here!" Wang Xuan muttered under his breath.

The scenery flew by as he charged toward the deadliest part of the area. Behind him, the two monstrous creatures were closing in. He could see their massive forms in the distance, following his scent trail to the vicinity.

"Let's see what this death trap has in store for me. As long as I don't die, I'll find a way to settle the score with you two later!"

Wang Xuan took long strides, nearing the edge of the eerie silent zone. Even at the boundary of the area, there wasn't a single sound—no insects chirping, nothing.

He looked back, spotting the father serpent's enormous body. It flew close to the ground, its cold, ruthless gaze locking onto him.

Boom!

The serpent's colossal body hit the ground, cracking it open, shattering the silence of the area.

Then the mother serpent arrived, towering over Wang Xuan, looking down at him.

"I won't die. The human world is still waiting for my brilliance!" Wang Xuan declared, and without hesitation, he stepped into the mist!