Originally it was just a small crack, but now it had been violently expanded by the Python King, creating a passage more than a meter in diameter—utterly brutal.
Zhang Yang didn't dare stay put and wait for death. Whether he lived or died, he had to at least struggle a little. The underground space wasn't large; if he could find a corner and reduce the angles from which he could be attacked, he might still have a chance to put up a fight.
At the very least, he could drag a few of them down with him before he died.
Zhang Yang ran like crazy.
The pythons chased just as frantically and soon cornered him.
Zhang Yang was already mentally prepared for battle. He had exchanged for one bottle each of Rage Potion and Healing Potion.
This was the do-or-die mentality.
Just as Zhang Yang braced himself for combat, the pursuing pythons suddenly stopped advancing.
What are these guys up to?
Zhang Yang felt an urge to break into a cold sweat.
Faced with this situation, how should he break the deadlock?
The most violent option was, of course, to kill his way out and leave in style.
Unfortunately, Zhang Yang didn't have that kind of strength.
Then the Python King arrived.
The swarm of pythons parted to make way for it.
Was the king going to handle this personally?
"This thing is seriously huge."
Zhang Yang sighed inwardly.
A twenty-meter-long giant python—it looked terrifying just standing there.
But strangely, this behemoth was behaving exactly like the other pythons: it showed no intention of attacking him either.
At that moment, ten thousand horses stampeded through Zhang Yang's mind.
Who exactly are you looking down on?
Is my meat not tasty enough, or what?
Surround but don't kill—are you little snakes trying to toy with me?
Zhang Yang felt deeply aggrieved.
But soon he realized the situation wasn't quite what he had assumed.
The pythons weren't refraining from eating him because they didn't want to; they seemed hesitant, wanting to advance but not quite daring to.
Why were they hesitant?
Zhang Yang began to ponder. His nostrils were filled with a thick, musky stench—the distinctive smell of pythons, easy to recognize. This place had clearly been their long-term residence.
But that alone couldn't be the reason for their caution… could it?
Could there be snake eggs here?
Wait… do snakes even lay eggs?
The next moment, as he looked around, Zhang Yang suddenly understood.
A plant tucked away in the corner caught his eye.
The plant was really small—just a one-meter-tall sapling. Its branches and leaves were dark green, with only a sparse scattering of leaves. On the branches hung three small fruits, also dark green.
Very unremarkable.
Precisely because it was so inconspicuous, Zhang Yang had overlooked it at first.
Only when he looked carefully did he notice it.
He had no idea what this plant was called, but nine times out of ten, the reason the pythons didn't dare come closer was this very plant.
To test his theory, Zhang Yang deliberately took a small step toward the plant.
Sure enough, the moment he moved, the pythons became extremely tense.
Especially the Python King—its tongue flicked out incredibly long.
"This thing is very important to them."
In that instant, Zhang Yang relaxed.
With this plant here, his personal safety was no longer in immediate danger.
Meanwhile, the Python King was extremely irritated.
It never expected its own lair to be occupied by a human.
The spot where Zhang Yang was currently standing was precisely the Python King's resting place.
Before this, it had always been guarding this plant.
It was only after Zhang Yang killed its top subordinate (the fake snake king) that it finally came out to teach the human a lesson.
But instead of teaching him anything, its lair ended up being taken over by the intruder.
How could it not be upset?
Those three fruits were extremely important to it.
And precisely because they were so crucial, the Python King didn't dare act rashly.
And so the standoff began.
Zhang Yang didn't dare move any closer to the plant, afraid that if he provoked the king too much, it would disregard everything and kill him.
As long as Zhang Yang stayed still, the Python King also remained motionless, flicking its tongue and making hissing sounds—probably trying to "talk" to him.
Unfortunately, Zhang Yang didn't speak Snake, so he understood nothing.
Very awkward.
Likewise, the Python King had no idea what Zhang Yang's wolf howls meant.
And so, in this state of complete linguistic incompatibility, the standoff lasted an entire day.
"This can't go on."
Zhang Yang finally stopped howling—negotiations were pointless.
Waiting passively wasn't an option either. While his need for food wasn't urgent, he still needed to eat eventually.
There was nothing edible here. If he kept waiting, he'd starve to death before the snakes even made a move.
"Gotta find a way."
But what could he do?
Dig a tunnel and escape?
The pythons would never allow it.
Any extra movement from Zhang Yang right now would trigger an immediate attack.
Only by staying exactly as he was could the fragile peace continue.
Zhang Yang's mind raced. Soon, the outline of a plan took shape in his head.
"A bit risky, but worth a try."
He mentally went over the plan several times and felt the odds of success were fairly high—as long as he didn't make any mistakes. Otherwise, it would be extremely dangerous.
But at this point, he had no other options.
He had to try.
Still, actually carrying it out would require tremendous courage.
Just as Zhang Yang was mentally hyping himself up—
The Python King could no longer sit still either.
Those three fruits were far too important to it. It couldn't afford to gamble with the human.
If Zhang Yang destroyed the fruits, it would effectively cut off the Python King's path to further evolution.
That was something it absolutely could not tolerate.
It could no longer allow Zhang Yang to hold the initiative—it had to become the one in control.
And the way to do that was actually quite simple.
These pythons were venomous. They weren't ordinary pythons; they were mutated snakes. Originally a venomous species, they had evolved into their current form after consuming the fruits of that plant.
When the Python King hissed at Zhang Yang again, a faint green mist sprayed from its mouth.
The mist was very light—difficult to notice in the already dim underground space.
Zhang Yang had initially ignored the snake's weird noises.
But then the system chimed in.
"Ding! You have been poisoned. Please consume an antidote potion to detoxify."
"Huh?"
Zhang Yang was momentarily stunned. He hadn't felt anything unusual.
But the system never made mistakes.
When he focused and carefully sensed his body, he finally noticed the Python King's little trick.
"You bastard! You actually played dirty with me?"
Zhang Yang was genuinely angry.
A huge Python King like you, resorting to such underhanded tactics? Looks like that big snake brain isn't entirely filled with mush after all.
But after getting angry, Zhang Yang realized—his chance had come.
You want to play dirty schemes, Python King?
Fine.
Then I'll turn your scheme against you.