Chapter 37: The Monster Toad (1/2)

Chapter 37: The Monster Toad

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

Lying just ahead of Junior Leopard was a White-scaled Python over 100 feet long. His greasy scales concealed a dim light which shone out ever so slightly. His hideous head had already been sliced open by Junior Leopard's sword, and looked even more terrifying with the blood pouring out from its wound.

”Hiss… !” The snake's head had been severely wounded by Junior Leopard's blade. This was clear that it was not the outcome the White-scale Python had been expecting. The force of the impact of Junior Leopard's sword on his upper body sent shockwaves reverberating all the way down to the tip of its tail. This was Junior Leopard's chance.

After quickly assessing the situation, he inhaled sharply and forced his Yanfu Inner Strength into a reverse flow. He succeeded in ceasing advancing. ”Argh… !”

Although Junior Leopard's tendons and vessels had been strengthened by practicing Taiji Fist, reversing his Internal Qi produced a reaction which made them flare up with incredible pain. It felt like millions of ants were all biting at his insides at the same time. Fortunately, this pain went as quickly as it came. After this sudden burst of agony, he opened his mouth, coughed out a thin cloud of blood, and flipped his body through the air. He landed on the ground and hopped back a few steps, stopping just a few feet away from the White-scale Python.

Noticing he landed unsteadily, the python arched its body back before pouncing forwards viciously like an arrow fired from a bow. Its body twisted, and the air was thick with the chilling scent of blood and murderous intent.

Junior Leopard's forehead and back had broken out in a cold sweat. He longed to turn and run, but he knew he could not run, or even turn around. In this deep forest, there would be no chance of outrunning the python. If he turned to run, it was a one-way ticket to the grave.

Trying to keep his surging blood levels under control, Junior Leopard struggled with the snake as it coiled around him. Though the white python was very agile, it was not able to stretch out completely within this dense forest. Junior Leopard took advantage of his own nimbler frame to hide in a small space, now and again jumping out to stab at the snake with his coal dagger.

The coal dagger was extremely sharp, and each time he slashed at the white python, another bloody gash would appear on its body. The white scales which densely covered it seemed not to make any difference.

After suffering several of these blows, the white python soon became totally terrified of the dagger in Junior Leopard's hands, and every time he lashed out with it, the python instinctively shrank back, buying Junior Leopard a bit of time.

After several rounds of this battle between man and snake in the dense forest, the victor had yet to be determined when suddenly, the white python looked at Junior Leopard with an expression of abject helplessness. Suddenly, the scar on the head of the white python, strained by all of this fierce motion, split asunder. Blood oozed horrifyingly out of the wound, and the snake felt an urge to retreat. Before disappearing without a trace into the shadows, it sneezed out a puff of white mist towards Junior Leopard and shrank back into the forest.

When seeing this strange white mist that the python had sneezed, Junior Leopard backed away, not daring to let any of it touch his body. Sure enough, everything that the mist touched, all the surrounding tendrils and trees, emitted a sizzling noise as though they had been doused with strong sulfuric acid. The vegetation shriveled and decayed, and when the white mist had cleared, the White-scale Python was nowhere to be seen.

Even so, Junior Leopard did not dare to let his guard down, and slowly activated his mysterious eyes. He scanned the area with the faint and flickering eyes and made sure that there were only him and the sleeping wild pig ahead in the surrounding area. After he had made sure it was safe, he finally relaxed.

”The wild beasts in these Misty Mountains really are strange… Cunning and wicked demons. Whenever things go wrong, they turn their heads and run, much more cowardly than the animals around our village!” Junior Leopard furrowed his brow and went around the area that had just been enshrouded in the white mist, walking towards the unconscious wild pig.

”You damned thing, I've finally caught you!”