Although the little girl was small, she ran surprisingly fast. When she spotted Yang Ye, she abruptly changed her escape direction, moving closer to the King Python. If Yang Ye had turned and fled right away, he would likely have had a good chance of escaping. Yang Ye hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath, made up his mind, and picked up a nearby boulder, charging towards the King Python. When he got within about ten meters, he clenched his fist around the stone and hurled it with all his strength at the giant snake.

"Bang!"

The boulder struck the King Python's head, shattering into pieces with a loud crash. Yang Ye's eyelid twitched at the sight—its defense was too formidable!

Struck by the rock, the King Python roared in fury and immediately abandoned its pursuit of the little girl, whipping its massive body towards Yang Ye. The snake's huge frame wreaked havoc wherever it passed, flattening everything in its path with terrifying force.

"Run quickly!"

Yang Ye yelled at the little girl, who was curiously watching him from the side. At the same time, he grabbed another stone from the ground and dashed toward the King Python again.

To be honest, Yang Ye had no confidence in his ability to defeat this colossal monster. But he couldn't bring himself to run away. If the little girl had led the King Python to him from the start, he would have fled without a second thought. However, the girl had chosen to let herself be chased rather than drag him into danger.

Such a kind-hearted girl, just like his little sister, Xiao Yao! Of course, it also mattered that he had a fighting chance now.

The little girl gasped for breath, her big, lively eyes watching Yang Ye charge at the King Python. She clearly didn't expect that this lowly servant disciple would come to her aid against such a formidable foe.

"Ah!"

With a loud shout, Yang Ye used all his strength to smash the rock in his hand against the King Python's head.

"Boom!"

The impact caused the stone to shatter, and Yang Ye was thrown backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Yang Ye finally understood the meaning of a strength gap! His earlier strike felt like hitting solid steel. Not only did the rock shatter, but his arm had gone numb from the shock.

"Hiss, hiss..."

Enraged by Yang Ye's attack, the King Python flicked its enormous tongue, swayed its body, and lunged at Yang Ye again.

Seeing the mountain-sized King Python coming at him, Yang Ye's eyelid twitched. He didn't dare think about anything else. He quickly stood up, spat out a mouthful of blood, and charged forward once more.

Running was out of the question; there was nothing behind them to provide cover. On flat ground, they definitely couldn’t outrun a snake!

Since escaping wasn't an option, they had to fight.

When he was two meters away from the King Python, Yang Ye roared fiercely, pushed off the ground with both feet, leaped into the air, and brought his fists down on the snake's massive, sapphire-blue eyes.

"Hiss!"

The King Python twisted its body, and its enormous tail, moving with a gust of wind, whipped toward Yang Ye.

The tail moved so fast that Yang Ye didn't have time to get close before he was struck.

"Bang!"

The tail sent Yang Ye flying, his waist feeling as though it had snapped. With a muffled groan, he spat out blood, his body hurtling through the air and crashing into a patch of grass, raising a cloud of dust.

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"I can't beat it!"

In fact, he had always known he wasn’t a match for it. The defense of a Mystical Beast could crush a human of the same level, sometimes even surpass them by a tier. And this beast was stronger than him!

"Are you okay?"

The little girl, Bao’er, ran to Yang Ye and helped him up, her voice gentle.

"Why didn’t you run away?"

Yang Ye struggled to stand, his face darkening when he saw that the girl hadn’t escaped. He had risked his life to buy her time to flee, but she hadn't left. Yang Ye was exasperated!

Bao’er shook her head, her little pigtails swinging as she spoke earnestly, "You’re so loyal; how could Bao’er leave you behind? Bao’er will stay with you, live or die together! Here, take this power charm and keep fighting it."

With that, she pulled a talisman from a pocket hidden in her skirt and slapped it onto Yang Ye’s shoulder.

The moment the talisman touched him, it transformed into a golden light that surged into his body. The energy flooded him, invigorating his spirit, and a surge of power coursed through his veins.

With no time to ponder the changes in his body, Yang Ye grabbed a wooden stick from the ground and charged at the King Python. He really wanted to rest, but the King Python wouldn't give him a chance. As soon as the girl applied the talisman, the snake came at them again.

This time, the King Python was serious, opening its enormous jaws to reveal a crimson tongue as thick as an arm.

Faced with that gaping mouth, bigger than three of his heads put together, Yang Ye felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't know where he found the courage to fight a creature two levels higher than him. But he knew one thing: on this open plain, running would be a death sentence. Fighting gave them at least a sliver of hope.

"Ha!"

Yang Ye let out a roar, banishing all hesitation. His feet picked up speed, and he charged the King Python with the wooden stick.

The snake flicked its tongue and coiled its massive tail, whipping it horizontally towards Yang Ye. The tail swept across the ground, sending leaves flying.

Yang Ye, eyes focused, dropped to his knees, sliding along the ground to dodge the tail by mere inches. Feeling the rush of wind against his face, he roared and, with a burst of energy, sprang upward. Using his left hand to push off the ground, he gripped the stick with both hands and aimed for the King Python’s massive right eye.

It was a basic sword technique. Although he only had a wooden stick, it would have to do.

"Thud!"

The King Python tilted its head to dodge, but the stick still pierced into the back of its head. The snake writhed in pain, and its tail shot up, wrapping around Yang Ye’s waist.

For a moment, Yang Ye was stunned to see the snake’s black scales crack. But before he could celebrate, he felt the tail squeeze him, sending searing pain through his body.

Fear gripped him as the snake's coils tightened. Yet at this moment of crisis, the mysterious vortex within him finally activated, sending golden energy surging into his dantian.

Feeling the power fill him, Yang Ye wasted no time. He abandoned the stick and focused his energy into his fists, which began to glow with a faint golden light. He punched the King Python’s tail repeatedly, hammering with all his might.

To his surprise, each blow dented the snake’s black scales. It had to be the effect of the talisman and the golden energy coursing through him. He knew his usual strength couldn’t hurt the snake.

Seeing the golden energy around Yang Ye's fists, Bao’er’s pale face lit up with excitement. "Gold-element energy! This little servant actually has one of the rare five elemental energies—gold!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Under Yang Ye's relentless attacks, the King Python started to feel pain. Its grip loosened, and its scales cracked, revealing red flesh. The snake finally released Yang Ye, retreating a few meters, its eyes gleaming with a mix of rage and fear.

Bao’er quickly ran to Yang Ye and supported him as he stumbled. "Servant boy, keep fighting! It chased me for an entire hour over a low-grade Mystical Herb! If it weren't for my speed charm, I’d be in its stomach by now!"

Yang Ye drew in a sharp breath. A Mystical Herb! Now he understood why the beast had chased her.

Mystical Herbs were incredibly valuable, ranked from Heaven, Earth, Mystic, to Yellow. Even the lowest Yellow-ranked herb could sell for over ten thousand gold coins, a fortune for someone like Yang Ye, whose monthly wage was just a few dozen coins. As for the higher-ranked Mystic Herbs, Yang Ye couldn’t even fathom their worth. Herbs were to beasts what high-level techniques were to humans, irresistible and vital.

Bao’er frowned as she saw Yang Ye’s exhaustion. She pulled a green and a white talisman from her pocket and pressed them onto Yang Ye’s body. "Servant boy, keep fighting. Bao’er will cheer you on."

Yang Ye's mouth twitched. Just then, he felt another surge of power, and his fatigue vanished. His strength returned, and energy from the world around him poured into his body, filling his meridians. Suddenly, the vortex within him began to spin rapidly, absorbing the energy before releasing streams of golden energy into his dantian.

Delighted by the surge of strength, Yang Ye glanced at the little girl's pouch, astonished. He knew that the energy must have come from her talismans, but he had no time to ask questions. A formidable Fifth Rank Mystical Beast still loomed before them.

Cracking his neck and feeling the energy coursing through him, Yang Ye grinned savagely at the King Python, and with renewed confidence, charged at the beast once more.