[Chapter 26]
The long worm, as thick as the waist of a child around eight or nine years old, sported dark brown patterns on its body. It was coiled around a large curtain fig tree, its bright yellow eyes with vertical slit pupils staring coldly at Li Tongya and the group.
"What a massive creature!" Li Tongya exclaimed in shock, but his hands were already moving swiftly to complete a hand seal. By the time he finished speaking, a golden light had already materialized in his palms.
The worm hissed menacingly, spitting out a bright red tongue. It then opened its gigantic mouth, releasing a heavy black fog.
Li Tongya's golden light struck first, hitting the worm's chin and causing its head to jerk sideways, diverting the black fog away from the group and onto another large tree nearby.
In an instant, the tree's lush branches and leaves corroded, transforming into black droplets that sizzled as they hit the soil. Even the thick trunk was partially eaten away.
Witnessing this, Li Yesheng and the others gasped in shock, instinctively retreating as they prepared to flee for their lives.
"Keep your eyes on it and back away slowly," Li Tongya instructed gravely after saving Li Yesheng and the villagers from the worm's attack.
As they cautiously stepped back, the worm did not follow but remained coiled on the tree, watching them coldly.
Once the huge curtain fig tree was out of sight, Li Qiuyang timidly spoke up, "That's where I found the fruit! It's behind the tree!"
"There's no need to rush," Li Tongya responded calmly, then turned to Li Yesheng. "Gather the men in the village. Bring long poles, shovels, and if possible, bows and arrows. We'll all head up the mountain together."
"Got it," Li Yesheng quickly agreed and hastened down the mountain with the villagers to gather the necessary items.
Li Xiangping then turned to Li Qiuyang and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "You were lucky to discover the fruit while that worm was out feeding. Not only did you escape unscathed, but you also snagged a fantastic opportunity! Head back to the courtyard and focus on your cultivation. There's nothing left for you to do here."
Li Qiuyang, visibly sweating from the ordeal, nodded and made his way down the mountain.
Li Xiangping found a rock to sit on then said to Li Tongya, "That worm had incredibly tough scales. My golden light technique only managed to break a few on its chin."
"It appears to be a minor demon in the Embryonic Breathing Realm. What good is its tough scales when it lacks spiritual intelligence?" Li Tongya remarked as he surveyed the terrain.
Shortly afterward, the robust men of Lijing Village, having heard about the plan to slay the demon, arrived on the mountain.
A mix of apprehension and excitement was palpable among them as they cautiously followed behind Li Yesheng.
Li Tongya, evaluating the terrain, approached Liu Linfeng and asked, "Uncle, I heard the Liu Family used traps to hunt for wild boars last year. For a creature as large as this worm, how big should the trap be?"
Liu Linfeng hesitated, then cautiously suggested, "I've heard this worm is a demon. We don't know what it's capable of. What if it can fly...?"
Li Xiangping confidently assured, "It definitely can't fly. Just make the trap double the size based on your previous experience."
He thought to himself, If that thing can fly, we would've been dead by now.
"That should work." Upon hearing Li Xiangping's suggestion, Liu Linfeng quickly agreed and took charge of directing the villagers to dig a pit.
Liu Linfeng had been a respected figure for many years. In the past, despite the Li Family's prominence, they had at least acknowledged the Liu Family's standing, often seeking their counsel on village matters.
However, since the Li Family had consolidated control over the village, Liu Linfeng's influence had waned significantly. These recent days had left him feeling stifled. Now, presented with a task of importance, he felt a renewed sense of purpose.
As he directed the villagers, a thought crossed Liu Linfeng's mind.
We can't possibly go on like this. The Liu Family must find its place under the Li Family's protection, or we'll risk fading into obscurity!
Unaware of the thoughts running through Liu Linfeng's mind, Li Tongya was busy assisting Li Xiangping in enchanting arrows with the Golden Light spell. The spell should last six to seven hours if it was left unused, which was ample time for their confrontation with the worm.
Both men, capable of enchanting a dozen arrows each, took breaks to meditate and replenish their mana.
As the villagers finished covering the freshly dug pit with soil and fallen leaves, Li Tongya and Li Xiangping completed their meditation, ready for the task ahead.
The villagers took their positions strategically. Those armed with long poles were at the forefront, while those with bows and arrows, each arrow enchanted with the Golden Light spell, stood ready at the back. Together, they cautiously advanced toward the long worm.
As the front line approached the large curtain fig tree where the worm was coiled, they could not help but exclaim in awe and fear, "What a monstrous creature!"
The sight of the worm, with its bright yellow vertical slit pupils, sent shivers down their spines. As it opened its mouth, a thick black mist billowed out.
Since everyone had been warned beforehand, the front row quickly dropped their poles and retreated. As a result, the mist corroded only the fallen leaves and abandoned poles on the ground.
A flurry of golden light streaked through the air, heralding the arrival of the arrows, each one imbued with the Golden Light spell. These extremely sharp arrows found their mark, embedding themselves into the brown scales of the long worm.
After being hit three times, the worm ultimately flew into a rage. It hissed aggressively and stuck its tongue out, abandoning the curtain fig tree to slither toward the crowd.
The villagers scattered in panic, but Li Tongya and Li Xiangping, seizing the opportunity, released a barrage of Golden Light spells, striking the long worm and causing it to hiss in pain.
It fixed its golden pupils on the two men, then charged at them.
Instead of panicking, the two brothers seemed rather pleased to see the long worm slithering aggressively toward them.
"Get ready!" they called out loudly.
As the worm slithered toward them, it suddenly sensed the ground beneath it giving way, nearly plunging into the enormous pit concealed beneath the fallen leaves.
However, its long body managed to avoid an immediate fall into the trap. Its head quickly rose, trying to climb out of the pit.
At that moment, a group of villagers appeared on the cliff above, pushing a large boulder. Together they shouted, "Now!"
The stone plummeted down, striking the worm on its back with a crushing force. The impact caused a sickening crunch of bone.
The brown-striped worm writhed in agony, pinned under the stone at the bottom of the pit. Its head reared up, and its body contorted into a U-shape, but it was trapped and unable to move.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Liu Linfeng, standing behind the crowd, let out a hearty laugh, his eyes gleaming with pride at the successful execution of his plan.
"Go!" Li Yesheng commanded loudly, signaling the villagers to take action. Armed with sharpened bamboo, the crowd enthusiastically plunged their makeshift weapons into the pit, targeting the incapacitated worm.
Despite its tough scale armor, the creature could not withstand the relentless assault of more than a dozen men. The intense struggle lasted for an hour, ending only when their bamboo spears were stained red.
After confirming the worm's demise, the crowd cheered triumphantly, each person brimming with pride. They eagerly discussed how to transport the massive creature back to the village.
Li Tongya and Li Xiangping, leaving Liu Linfeng in charge of the scene, took Li Yesheng and a few others to quietly circle back to the huge curtain fig tree.
Amidst the dense weeds littered with white bones, Li Yesheng let out a sigh.
"A few years back, Li Yecheng ventured into these mountains and never returned. He must have encountered this worm while it was feeding and met a tragic end."
Li Xiangping nodded solemnly in agreement. However, Li Tongya's gaze was fixed on a small tree adorned with five shimmering red fruits.
His expression turned serious as he instructed Li Yesheng, "Ensure that this area is guarded. We can't have anyone getting too close."