The giant python’s charging speed was too fast. A Tier 3 ability user who reacted just a bit too slowly was swallowed whole in one bite.
“Ahhhhhh!!!”
A teammate at the rear was also bitten, half of his body clamped between the python’s fangs. Before he could even activate his ability, he was brutally bitten in half.
Fresh blood splattered onto the snow, the stark contrast of red and white creating a terrifying sight.
“We can’t keep dodging like this! We’re not faster than it!”
Si Zhe was the first to throw out dozens of Thunder Slashes behind him. The moment they made contact with the massive serpent’s body, they exploded with crackling energy.
Although the giant python had an enormous body, the hardness of its scales was only average.
When the lightning struck its body, dozens of scales were instantly blasted off, and small spurts of blood splattered outward.
“Hissss!!!”
The giant python let out a pained howl. Its cold, vertical pupils locked onto the culprit below. Lowering its head, it prepared to snap him up in its jaws.
Si Zhe didn’t dodge. Instead, he gathered a massive ball of lightning in both hands and roared, “Weiran, now!”
“On it!”
Lin Weiran simultaneously hurled out fireballs. Instead of repelling each other, the lightning and flames fused together, forming a “finishing move” that burned with fire while crackling with electricity.
Just before the giant python could bite down, Si Zhe and Lin Weiran attacked at the same time, pushing the “Thunderfire Ball” straight into its open maw!
A deafening roar echoed through the valley.
Since they were close by, Lin Weiran and the others were blasted dozens of meters away by the shockwave. Their eardrums nearly ruptured from the sheer force.
But the good news was—the giant python had stopped moving forward. Its fangs had been blown apart, and its forked tongue was now nothing more than a bloody mess. It lay sprawled on the ground, writhing in agony, its massive body rolling and crushing everything in its path.
Si Zhe staggered to his feet, and the first thing he did was look for Lin Weiran.
“Weiran, are you okay?”
She was lying in a pile of snow three to four meters away. A shallow wound had been slashed across her cheek, but her right leg—completely immobile—was already broken!
Si Zhe picked her up, but even now, Lin Weiran still had the clarity to push against his chest.
“Don’t worry about me! Go, kill that giant python!”
Si Zhe gazed at her deeply and said, “Alright.”
The handsome man turned and charged at the giant python, lightning once again condensing in his hands.
The python’s vertical pupils glanced at its assailant, and a hint of fear actually flashed in its eyes.
It was just an ordinary python that had been lurking beneath the mountains of G City. It had only grown so large because it had lived long enough.
Before the apocalypse, it had always burrowed into the remote mountain areas, carving tunnels deep beneath the volcanic rock layers. G City was mountainous and sparsely populated, so no one had discovered it for years.
After the apocalypse, it had accidentally swallowed some zombies, which made its body grow even larger… Until the blizzard came. As food supplies dwindled, the desperate python took a risk, emerging from its tunnels for a feast before retreating into hibernation.
Who would have thought that the moment it came out, it would end up like this?!
“Hisss!!!”
The giant python struggled, twisting its head around before swiftly retreating in the direction it had come. Spotting a pitch-black cave, it immediately burrowed inside.
The ground trembled violently once again, and in the blink of an eye, most of its black-scaled body had disappeared.
Si Zhe’s attack only managed to strike its tail, causing a few bursts of blood to splatter, but in the next instant, the tail vanished as well.
Hot Spring Village finally returned to peace… No, to deathly silence.
All around was nothing but ruins and debris. The once-beautiful scenery and unique architecture had been completely destroyed. The greenhouse that both teams had fought over was also reduced to rubble, with all the vines scattered into the mud. Even the ripe tomatoes had long since been crushed into juice, seeping into the dirt.
Si Zhe once again picked up Lin Weiran. “How are you feeling?”
Lin Weiran forced a bitter smile. “I think my right leg is broken. I can’t move it.”
The other two teammates, still shaken, stared in the direction where the giant python had disappeared. Thinking about the comrade they had just lost, they anxiously urged, “That giant python obviously lives in this mountain. We should leave as soon as possible!”
No one had expected to be this unlucky—running into the very day the giant python emerged from its cave.
And if this were to happen again… The two teammates couldn’t guarantee that the next one to die in its jaws wouldn’t be them.
Si Zhe cast a glance at the desolate Hot Spring Village, gritting his teeth. “Let’s go! Back to G City!”
G City had no hot springs, but at least there wouldn’t be a giant python.
The group came in a hurry and left just as quickly.
Only the now-empty Hot Spring Village remained. Perhaps there were still some survivors, but when they saw the devastation before them, they could only weep in regret.
…
“Sister Su Su! Let’s go soak in the hot spring!”
Pang Cancan, carrying a towel and toiletries, excitedly knocked on Su Su’s door.
Su Su opened the door. “Where’s Le Rui?”
“He’s helping Wei Yan and the others build the vegetable greenhouse,” Pang Cancan said. “He can’t soak with us anyway, so let’s just ignore him!”
The hot springs in the back mountain were divided into two areas—one for women and one for men—offering excellent privacy.
Ever since the snowfall began, Pang Cancan had been looking forward to soaking in the hot spring. Now that the house was finally cleaned and life had settled down, she wasted no time in rushing over.
“Sister Su Su, come with me! Please, please, please!”
Su Su was tempted but still turned to glance inside the room. “Xiao Hei…”
“It’s still sleeping?” Pang Cancan poked her head in and vaguely saw a pitch-black python coiled up on the bed, sleeping soundly without the slightest reaction.
“Mhm. After feeding it that Grade 4 crystal, it fell asleep again.”
Perhaps because the temperature had dropped again, or maybe because the energy in the Grade 4 crystal was too abundant and required time to absorb—either way, Xiao Hei’s sleep was lasting even longer this time.
Pang Cancan observed for a moment before coaxing, “It won’t wake up anytime soon anyway, so just come with me to the hot spring! By the time we’re done, it probably still won’t be awake!”
That was entirely possible, as Xiao Hei’s shortest sleep duration had been at least eight hours.
Su Su hesitated for a few seconds before finally giving in to Pang Cancan’s pleading gaze.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
The two of them set off with their toiletries. On the way, they passed by several patches of barren land and happened to see Wei Yan and the others building the vegetable greenhouse.
It was Le Rui who spotted them first. He waved excitedly. “Sister Su Su! Sister Cancan! Are you going to soak in the hot spring?”
“That’s right!” Pang Cancan encouraged him, “Work hard, okay? Only if you do a good job can Sister Su Su and I properly enjoy ourselves. Got it?”
“Got it!”
Le Rui answered with extra seriousness, making Guan Zixuan laugh.
“What’s this? You’re so young, and you already want to be a knight in shining armor?” He gave the little boy a vigorous rub on the head. “Dream on. That position is mine.”
Le Rui glanced at him. “No, it’s not.”
“Oh? Then whose is it?”
Le Rui answered with a straight face, “Xiao Hei’s.”
Xiao Hei—the python that had already gone into hibernation.
Guan Zixuan was speechless. He wanted to complain to Wei Yan, but when he turned his head, he saw that Wei Yan had already walked up onto the field ridge and was speaking to Su Su.
“Don’t stay in the hot spring for too long, or you might pass out inside.”
“Some of the pools are relatively small and suited for you to soak in, but some are too deep—avoid getting too close.”
“That area hasn’t been developed, and the surrounding rocks are uneven. Be careful.”
“We know, we know!” Pang Cancan clung to Su Su’s arm. “Brother Wei, don’t worry! I promise I’ll bring Sister Su Su back safe and sound!”
Wei Yan stiffened.
After a moment of silence, he reached into his pocket and took out a few tomatoes. “Here, take these. You can eat them like fruit.”
Su Su accepted them with a smile. “Thank you.”
After the two left, Guan Zixuan had somehow made his way next to Wei Yan.
“Brother Wei…”
Wei Yan: “What?”
Guan Zixuan hesitated for a moment before saying, “Never mind, it’s nothing.”
He had discovered a huge secret but could only hold it in and continue working on the greenhouse.
“What huge secret?” Zheng Wenxiu asked absentmindedly while working.
Guan Zixuan had to elaborate. “Don’t you think Brother Wei has been a little too… proactive these past few days? Even if Su Su saved his life, his gaze toward her is a bit… off.”
Zheng Wenxiu looked at him like he was an idiot.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m looking at an idiot who finally realized the obvious.”
Guan Zixuan: “…”
Unable to accept this revelation, he threw down the materials in his hands. “No way, Brother Wei really likes Su Su? What exactly does he like about her?!”
Zheng Wenxiu: “And what about you? What do you like about her?”
Obviously, he liked everything!
Guan Zixuan didn’t answer, but Zheng Wenxiu already had a good guess. “You like that she’s pretty—she fits your aesthetic perfectly. But Brother Wei values the fact that she’s beautiful inside and out. In that regard, he’s already at the next level.”
“I value inner beauty too!” Guan Zixuan insisted stubbornly.
Zheng Wenxiu responded with a cold sneer. “Heh.”
Guan Zixuan fell silent for a long time.
After about ten minutes, he quietly sidled up to Wei Yan and whispered, “Brother Wei, I won’t let you have her.”
Wei Yan: “…”
He shot Guan Zixuan a cold glance before turning and walking off to another part of the field.
Let him have her?
Wei Yan lifted his gaze in the direction Su Su had left, feeling somewhat self-deprecating.
Would she really be his, just because Guan Zixuan stepped aside?
…
“Wow! It’s so hot!”
“Wow! It feels amazing!”
“Wow! It’s snowing outside, but it’s really not cold here at all!”
The hot spring was an open-air pool, and the falling snowflakes melted before they could even touch the water, so there was hardly any snow accumulation around the area.
Pang Cancan slipped out of her clothes and sank into the pool. She didn’t feel cold at all and let out a series of excited exclamations.
When she didn’t get a response for a while, she turned her head—only to find that Su Su had entered a smaller hot spring pool next to hers.
” Sister Su Su, why aren’t you soaking in the same pool as me?” Pang Cancan leaned against the rock at the edge of the pool, curiously watching Su Su, who had her back turned. She reached out and poked her back.
Wow! So smooth! Let’s touch it again!
Su Su quickly dodged. “I—I’m not used to bathing with others.”
The main issue was that neither of them was wearing anything, sitting face-to-face in the water. That was just too weird.
Pang Cancan pouted. “You must have never lived in a dorm before. Otherwise, you’d have been seen plenty of times by now.”
Su Su pressed her lips together in a small smile.
Before the apocalypse, her family had been relatively well-off. She had been pampered growing up and had never actually experienced communal bathing.
Once Xiao Hei wakes up, she could bring it here… But could snakes even soak in such hot water?
Su Su fell into deep thought.
Amid the swirling steam, her fair skin was as flawless as freshly fallen snow, every inch exuding a breathtaking allure.
Pang Cancan’s gaze slowly drifted downward, lingering for a long time before she wiped the corner of her mouth and murmured, ” Sister u Su, when I reach your age, will I grow like this too?”
Su Su was puzzled. “Grow like what?”
Pang Cancan gestured in front of her chest, tracing a shape with her hands. “This size, this shape. Will I?”
Su Su: “!!!!”
She instantly sank her body into the water, leaving only her head floating on the surface, her ears burning red.
“Cancan, you’re not allowed to look anymore.”
“…Alright.”
Pang Cancan reluctantly averted her gaze, but within seconds, she couldn’t help sneaking another glance. “Sister Su Su, you still haven’t answered my question!”
How would Su Su know?!
She had no idea what to say, so she glanced at Pang Cancan… After a long silence, she finally forced out a response. “It… should… probably… be possible?”
“Sigh, don’t just try to comfort me.” Pang Cancan lowered her head and sighed regretfully. “I think this is a natural talent, and you, Sister Su Su, are extraordinarily gifted.”
Flustered and angry, Su Su scooped up a handful of water and splashed it at her.
“Enough! No more talking!”
“Alright, alright! I won’t say anything else!”
Forced into silence, Pang Cancan finally dropped the subject, and the atmosphere grew unusually peaceful.
Once they had soaked enough, Su Su was the first to step out of the hot spring. “Let’s go back.”
Even though only two or three hours had passed, she still felt a pang of guilt, as if she had left her “child” at home to go out and have fun.
The real issue was that Xiao Hei was too possessive. If it found out she wasn’t home, it would definitely throw another petty tantrum.
No one understood the black snake better than Su Su.
As she lifted her head, she happened to spot a familiar snake’s head peeking from behind a distant rock. Then, the rest of its body slithered into view as it slowly made its way toward them.
Behind her, Pang Cancan, still busy gathering her things, hadn’t noticed Xiao Hei yet. She continued chatting idly.
“Sister Su Su, have you noticed that Wei Yan likes you?”
“…Huh?”
Su Su turned her head in shock, momentarily forgetting about Xiao Hei’s presence.
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” Pang Cancan grinned. “You’re so beautiful, and you saved his life—any man would fall for you. Otherwise, why would he specifically give you a few tomatoes?”
Su Su shook her head. “You’re overthinking it.”
She felt that Wei Yan’s attitude toward her hadn’t changed from the beginning until now. He was just a responsible and principled man.
This topic made Su Su recall her past life.
With everything she had experienced in this timeline, she had already pieced together what had happened before—Wei Yan and Zheng Wenxiu had been killed by Zou Gaoming, Guan Zixuan avenged them before leaving Hot Spring Village alone, and in the end, he reached a new base and became its leader.
As for why the village had been completely abandoned when they arrived back then… perhaps that would remain an unsolvable mystery in this lifetime.
The only reason Su Su even remembered the name “Guan Zixuan” was because he had provided supplies to wandering survivors. She had been lucky enough to be among them.
Oblivious to Su Su’s wandering thoughts, Pang Cancan continued rambling.
“I think Wei Yan has a great personality, he looks good, and he’s really tall… Sister Su Su, if he pursues you, will you date him? You look like this—living in the apocalypse, you should have at least eighty to a hundred boyfriends! Line your exes up all the way from here to the southern base!”
She got more and more carried away, completely unaware that the black snake had already slithered right up to the edge of the hot spring.
Having swallowed a Grade 4 crystal, it could now fully understand Pang Cancan’s words.
The black snake was shocked. The black snake was furious. The black snake shot out like a bolt of lightning!
“Ah!”
“Xiao Hei!”
Su Su didn’t even have time to stop it before she saw Xiao Hei ruthlessly sink its fangs into Pang Cancan’s ankle—without the slightest hesitation.
In an instant, two distinct snake bite marks were clearly visible.
Pang Cancan collapsed with a thud.
“Cancan!” Su Su caught her just before she hit the ground, panic written all over her face. “How do you feel? What’s happening?”
Pang Cancan felt weak all over. Her vision swam, and even her lips trembled. “Sister Su Su… I—I feel so cold. Why is it so cold?”
As if suddenly realizing something, she burst into wailing sobs.
“Waaahhh! Am I dying?!”