Chapter 22: Battle between Man and Serpent

The giant python slowly emerged, its head rising like a sea bowl, its forked tongue, nearly a foot long, rapidly flicking in and out with a sharp hissing sound. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Di Ping with a chilling gaze, sending a shiver down his spine. The snake's scales were dark and densely packed, its body a staggering ten meters long, with its head towering over the hall while its immense tail trailed behind, still hidden.

A shallow wound, stained with blood, marred the python's head, likely caused by the sword strike Di Ping had landed earlier. Clearly, while Di Ping had been knocked back, the massive snake had not come out unscathed.

Seeing the injury, Di Ping felt a pang of disappointment. The Han sword, his prized weapon, had proven less effective against the mutated creatures he had encountered. Despite being a prime example of top-tier craftsmanship, it was still insufficient to seriously harm the mutated snake, let alone the massive mutant crocodile that had annihilated a thousand-man team.

"Hissss..."

The python seemed to be enraged now, its body coiling and springing toward Di Ping, its mouth opening wide like a massive maw about to crush him. Di Ping could clearly see the two enormous fangs within.

His senses heightened, Di Ping quickly retreated to dodge the strike, raising his sword in time for an overhead cut. The blade flashed, slicing through the air with a sharp ringing sound.

"Clang..."

There was a deafening sound as his sword missed the python and struck the ground. Sparks flew as the floor tiles cracked into pieces, and Di Ping's arms went numb from the shock, nearly losing his grip on the sword.

He had not anticipated the python's speed. Despite his own quick reflexes, he had never fought a snake before, let alone one so fast in its movements.

"Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

As Di Ping tried to reposition his sword, a dark shadow shot toward him with the force of a strong wind. He didn't even have time to react before being slammed in the chest, sending him flying.

"Spit..."

Di Ping coughed up blood, crashing into a wooden table that splintered upon impact. Lying amid the debris, he felt as though his chest might explode, the force of the strike nearly knocking him unconscious. The impact had been overwhelming, like a thousand-pound blow, and his vision darkened.

As he pressed his hand to his chest, Di Ping realized that the shadow was the python's tail. Distracted by attacking the head, he hadn't anticipated the tail's sneaky strike, leaving him no time to react.

"Spit!"

Di Ping spat out the blood in his mouth, wiping his face and slowly rising. To his surprise, the python remained stationary, not attacking, though its blood-red eyes seemed to mock him, as if it were laughing at his audacity.

"Dammit, I can't believe I've been looked down upon by a snake!"

"Others may look down on me, but a dead snake dares to do the same?"

"Come on! Let's fight again!"

The fury inside Di Ping exploded. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he radiated murderous intent. With a powerful kick, he sent splinters flying, shouting as he charged toward the giant snake.

This feeling was familiar to him—having been looked down on by the family of Su Xiao, who had always treated him as insignificant, as if he were nothing but a small insect. For the sake of love, he had endured it all. He had suffered humiliation, hardship, and insults over three long years, but he had gritted his teeth and persevered. He was determined to prove that he was not some mere insect but a man capable of giving his beloved happiness.

But in the end, everything he had endured had become a joke. The woman he had fought for so long had easily become someone else's bride, and he, the fool, had been reduced to a laughingstock. He had lost everything he had fought for and thought about ending his life. Yet, when he remembered his aging parents, he was able to stop his descent into despair. From that moment on, he vowed never again to let anyone trample his dignity—not even with a glance.

The giant python seemed to sense Di Ping's murderous intent. It hissed loudly, its body coiling and launching toward him like a lightning bolt, closing the five-meter distance in an instant.

"Slash!"

Di Ping stepped forward, his foot digging into the ground as he jumped high into the air, his sword raised above his head, channeling all his strength into the strike. The sword let out a thunderous roar, its power seeming capable of splitting mountains and stones.

"Whoosh!"

The sword sliced through the air with a high-pitched scream, cutting toward the python.

The python, however, was not caught off guard. It quickly swung its tail, narrowly dodging the sword, and whipped it toward Di Ping.

"Whoosh..."

The tail crackled through the air, creating a terrifying wind.

"Smack!"

The long tail struck Di Ping in the right side of his back with a loud impact. Di Ping cried out in pain as his clothes were shredded, and his body was flung across the room, crashing into tables and chairs once again.

"Spit!"

Di Ping spat out more blood, feeling his body go numb, but something in him seemed to snap. With a roar, he leaped to his feet, his eyes filled with a wild determination.

"Ah! Bring it on!"

The python hissed again, seemingly toying with him. Its tongue flicked rapidly, and its eyes were full of disdain. Seeing Di Ping rush toward it once more, the snake coiled and shot forward again.

"Sidestep slash!"

Just as the giant snake's massive mouth neared Di Ping, he suddenly twisted to the left, narrowly avoiding the strike. Mid-air, his sword followed his body's motion, cutting down with all his might.

The python missed his head but was unable to avoid the sword's edge. The blade cut deeply into the snake's neck, causing a large, blood-spurting wound.

The force of the strike was so great that the python's tail lashed out once again, landing a painful blow across Di Ping's back.

"Spit!"

The python shrieked in pain, its blood spilling onto the floor. Enraged, it launched itself at Di Ping with renewed fury, its body coiling and striking faster than ever before.

"Ha! That was a good hit! Come on, again!"

Despite the blood and the tattered remnants of his clothes, Di Ping grinned madly, his eyes wild. His body was bruised and battered, but his resolve remained as firm as ever. He knew that speed and strength alone couldn't match the snake's power. His only hope lay in exploiting the snake's arrogance, trying to provoke it into making a mistake.

The python, now furious and intent on ending the fight, prepared for another brutal strike.

Di Ping, despite his injuries, charged once more, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

The battle between man and snake raged on.