Before Huo Long could even react, a tail as sharp as a sword rushed towards him with such speed that only a flicker of it could be seen.
Huo Long's face was filled with horror. Instinctively, he tried to use Lin Zhuang in his hand as a shield, but before he could stretch his hand out, a sharp pain struck him.
It was Lin Chen, Lin Zhuang's younger brother and a ruthless character. Seeing Huo Long distracted, he pulled out a hidden arrow from his waist and fiercely stabbed it into the other's forearm.
Huo Long, in pain, reflexively threw Lin Zhuang away.
"You bunch of ants, daring to ambush me." Huo Long's face was gruesome with anger. To the point of extreme, however, he didn't advance but instead retreated.
"Thwack..."
Right at the moment, he moved.
The immense tail fell directly, like a colossal iron whip, instantly cracking open the earth beneath.
Huo Long couldn't help but shudder at such terrifying force.
"You bunch of useless things, what are you standing there for, hurry up and take Lin Zhuang and his son away now!" Grinding his teeth, Huo Long roared at the members of the Fire Tribe surrounding him.
These useless people were so scared of the Giant Python that they ran far away.
Only then did the members of the Fire Tribe snap back to their senses, yelling and rushing towards Lin Meng and his son again.
Lin Meng felt utter despair.
With the Fire Tribe's men besieging them in front, and an unknown but terrifying Giant Python behind, it seemed like even the heavens weren't sparing them!
"Chen, take care of your older brother, I'll hold off this Giant Python for you." Lin Meng took a deep breath, determined about something, then patted Lin Chen's shoulder and stood up.
"Father…"
Lin Chen's eyes were bloodshot. He was no child and instantly guessed his father's intentions.
"No more words, your father has lived most of his life, and my decision is made, Chen, you must seize the right moment and escape from here with your older brother."
Lin Meng's back was upright, like a fir tree.
He had run and hidden all his life. This time, he was ready to die standing.
"Father!" Lin Chen looked at the unconscious Lin Zhuang, then at his father who had resolved to die, overwhelmed with feelings of powerlessness.
He hated his own weakness. If he could be like his older brother, his father wouldn't have to risk his life.
In the arena.
"Come on."
The man who had once been in his prime was now over fifty years old. He roared at the approaching Black Giant Python and the members of the Fire Tribe.
His muscles were taut, prepared for battle, the pines behind him quivering as if saluting his courage.
Even though he was no longer in his physical prime, under the determination to advance or die, he still exploded with an unprecedented spirit.
"Come on, all of you!" Lin Meng clenched his fists, ready to die.
But to his surprise, the terrifying Black Giant Python didn't glance at him even after rushing up to him. Instead, it turned and charged towards the members of the Fire Tribe.
Lin Meng was stupefied for a while, then made a wry face, suddenly feeling whether to move or not was a problem.
He had prepared so long, only to be ignored by the python entirely.
Lin Chen, too, was stunned. He couldn't bear to watch at first, but then saw his father unscathed.
And that giant python did not attack his father or him from beginning to end, but instead helped them fight off the Fire Tribe's attackers.
Both of them were left in shock.
The situation was too strange. Not only Lin Chen hadn't seen anything like it, even Lin Meng who had lived half his life had never seen or heard of such a thing before.
It was clear that they seemed unarmed, but the python chose to ignore them and instead went to attack the members of the Fire Tribe who were armed and appeared to be more trouble.
If they were hidden, the Giant Python might not have noticed them, but they were clearly standing in front of the Fire Tribe, being as noticeable as they could be.
What puzzled Lin Meng the most was...
If he hadn't seen wrong, the Black Python had shown a hint of disdain when it passed by him.
It seemed... as if it thought he blindsided it, blatantly blocking its path.
...
Behind them.
The colossal body of the Black Python wreaked havoc, plowing into the crowd of the Fire Tribe.
On the spot, screams of terror rang out incessantly.
Under the sunlight, the python's scale armor gleamed with cold indifference, resisting all the efforts of the Fire Tribe's people, leaving at most a white mark.
On the other hand, the massive python, with its rolling body, easily took several lives, like a reaper harvesting souls. In just a moment, no one remained standing except the Lin father and son and Huo Long.
"Monster, you deserve to die. Today, I, your chief, shall take your head to honor the spirits of our brave warriors of the Fire Tribe." Huo Long's eyes were bloodshot, his teeth grinding angrily, his eyes sparked with uncontrollable rage.
Although they were not the most potent warriors, they were the lifeblood of the tribe, each one in the prime of their lives, the main fighters in battles against other tribes, and the loss of each one represented a loss for the tribe.
The Black Python simply flicked its tongue, showing human-like disdain. It seemed to provoke, 'If you're not convinced, come fight me', causing Huo Long's lungs to burst with anger.
He had never seen such an insolent snake before.
"Go to hell!" Huo Long roared, directly springing into action.
His body enveloped in a flow of energy, he opened with full force, unmistakably demonstrating the power of the Cave Heaven Realm, even causing an explosion of the surrounding air, three times more potent than before.
Yet, the Giant Python did not yield; its colossal body emanated a daunting presence, its densely-packed scale armor alone could deter anyone.
"Boom..."
Without a signal, both the man and the snake charged out simultaneously, colliding fiercely.
The huge wave of energy released from their clash halved the trees around them.
"Mountain Breaking Fist."
After a single blow, Huo Long struck again, his giant palms flashed a red glow.
Only the chiefs and clan leaders of the tribes could practice these types of combat techniques.
This was Huo Long's true power, the formidable power of the Cave Heaven Realm, a fearsome vital energy force that could fight through the body alongside combat techniques, increasing one's battle power exponentially, and allowing one to kill from miles away.
He was swift, his glowing red hands ruthlessly aiming for the python's spine.
In snake fights, the seventh vertebra is targeted, and the python is no exception.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
Facing Huo Long's strongest strike, the Black Python retaliated, mercilessly whipping its tail as stout as an iron rod.
"Boom..."
A loud boom echoed, shaking the hill, frightening the animals and causing them to scatter in all directions, stones rolled down, dust flying...
The next moment.
Mid-air.
A figure flew backward, crashing heavily onto a pile of crushed rocks.
It was Huo Long, soaked in blood, literally half beaten to death, dying on the spot.
The Black Python's terror exceeded his expectations. Its body was as hard as ironstone, and even Huo Long's combat techniques couldn't compensate.
The Black Python, on the other hand, suffered some minor injuries. A few scales were knocked off, bleeding a bit, yet this only further enraged it. It whipped Huo Long's body over a dozen times until it was bloody and unrecognizable, then swallowed it whole.