Chapter 7 I Invite You to Eat

As Xu Qing observed the fighting arena, amidst the clamor from the spectators around him, a loud bang echoed from the large wooden door where he and his companions had just passed. The heavy door crashed down onto the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. This sound seemed to signal a horn, making the nearby scavengers even more excited. Xu Qing noticed that at the top of the platform directly in front of him, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe sat in the highest position, accompanied by a group of people. The figure was somewhat blurry due to the distance. However, it was evident that this person's status was extraordinary. Even from afar, Xu Qing could sense the intense fluctuations of spiritual energy surrounding him, surpassing anyone he had ever encountered. This made Xu Qing cautious, and he began to speculate that this man was most likely the camp leader. Because beside him, Xu Qing saw the three-mustached man from yesterday, hunched over as if reporting cautiously. As the camp leader took his seat, the three-mustached man on the platform gestured downward. Soon, another wooden door at the edge of the beast-fighting arena opened, and the roars of ferocious beasts erupted, now unimpeded by the door. Along with the sound, a group of scavengers emerged. They were divided into four small teams, each consisting of three people, each carrying a large iron cage, slowly walking out. Inside the cages, the beasts roared and leaped around, as if trying to tear apart their confinement. Xu Qing quickly glanced over the four iron cages. He saw two giant wolves within, one large and one small, both with sharp teeth, their entire bodies pitch black, their eyes glowing with a bloodthirsty hue. A large amount of saliva dripped from their mouths, and they displayed ferocity as they looked at Xu Qing and his companions. There was also a red bear with crimson fur, its muscular arms thicker than an adult's thigh, emanating an aura of rage as it continuously shook its cage. The three scavengers that brought it were clearly struggling. As for the last cage, the beast inside was evidently much weaker in terms of momentum. It was a long-armed gibbon, its body covered in pus-filled blisters, as if they might burst with the slightest touch. It appeared to be in great pain, constantly banging against the cage, causing the blisters to shatter, a shocking sight. Their appearance caused the surrounding audience to erupt in excitement once again. The two boys beside Xu Qing turned pale instantly, while the little girl was filled with heavy terror. Even the young scavenger, who was already toughened by his lifestyle, looked noticeably tense. "Why are there four?" Xu Qing was surprised, looking at the open wooden door passage. Just as he looked, the four struggling beasts suddenly quieted down, as if they had been intimidated. At the same time, a massive iron cage, nearly double the size of the ones before, was slowly carried out by six scavengers from that wooden door. Upon the appearance of this iron cage, gasps of astonishment erupted from the audience. "Giant Horned Python!!" "This time the camp leader actually brought in a Giant Horned Python, but then again, it probably doesn't hold much value in the camp leader's eyes." "For these little ones, whoever draws this will die; even if we encounter it in the wild, it takes two people to fight hard just to kill it." Inside the iron cage was indeed a gigantic python. Its girth was comparable to that of an adult's waist, its entire body gray-black with dark patterns that, upon closer inspection, resembled peaks shaped like horns. It lay motionless coiled within the cage, its enormous head slightly raised, yellow vertical pupils coldly gazing outward. Under its watch, both the giant wolves and the long-armed gibbon trembled. Only the red bear let out a low growl of agitation, seemingly resisting, but in reality, its body was slowly retreating until it reached the edge of its cage. "Whatever you do, don't draw it, don't draw it..." The two boys behind Xu Qing trembled, whispering prayers as Xu Qing's eyes suddenly glimmered with excitement. He recalled having seen this Giant Horned Python before in the slums, where he witnessed hunters bringing back its carcass. He had heard experienced individuals mention that this python possessed tremendous strength; once it wrapped around its prey, even thick trees could be snapped, and its skin was very tough. However, it was clumsy and relatively slow. Additionally, its gallbladder had excellent medicinal properties, capable of detoxifying certain bodily impurities, and its meat was quite nourishing. Thinking of this, Xu Qing remembered what Lei Dui had said about liking to eat snakes. As he had caught many snakes in his childhood, he licked his lips. Moreover, the mutation points on his body had become increasingly dark with his cultivation; even during his training yesterday, he had felt a slight pain emanating from them. Xu Qing pondered that if he could consume the gallbladder of this python, it would likely resolve many of his issues. As he focused on the Giant Horned Python, the drawing of lots began. As the three-mustached man arranged for the scavengers to bring over five bamboo sticks, each labeled with the name of a beast to fight. The first youth stepped forward to draw, and upon seeing his pick, he visibly relaxed. Then it was the turn of the two boys and the little girl. The first two, after drawing their sticks amidst prayers, looked somewhat bitter, but the little girl revealed a look of despair as she gazed at her stick. She had drawn the Giant Horned Python, while the last remaining stick was that of the small wolf, which was evidently the weakest of the five beasts. Xu Qing held his stick, his brow slightly furrowed, deep in thought. Soon, as the scavengers withdrew, the trial participants were organized into a corner, simply blocked off, and amidst the cheers of the spectators, the first trial began. The contestant chosen was one of the two boys. He trembled as he stepped out, facing the red bear in battle. The fight concluded quickly; the boy was no match for the red bear, and after a few desperate exchanges, he was knocked down and, in despair, his body was torn apart. Blood splattered everywhere, eliciting a frenzy in the crowd, accompanied by regretful curses. This scene terrified the other boy, causing him to tremble uncontrollably, and he suddenly shouted that he wanted to give up the trial, earning him boos from the audience. Xu Qing watched the boy being led away by the scavengers, the outcome was obvious. The third contestant was the young scavenger himself. He drew the larger black wolf, and with his experience as a scavenger, he was more ruthless than the average person. After a thrilling life-and-death struggle, he managed to slay the wolf, becoming the first successful participant in this trial. As the door opened, he clutched his chest and left, free at last. The fourth was the little girl. When the iron cage containing the Giant Horned Python was opened, the little girl, trembling and gritting her teeth, was about to pass by Xu Qing to engage. But just then, Xu Qing suddenly spoke up. "Let's switch." The little girl was taken aback, and before she could react, Xu Qing had swapped his bamboo stick with hers. After taking the one marked with the Giant Horned Python, he paid no attention to the grateful look from the little girl and walked toward the python. As he entered, the surrounding scavengers clearly recognized the order of the trials and began to jeer. However, apart from those who had bet on him and the little girl, the others did not pay attention to this matter; they would not, nor would the camp leader, everything was left to chance. Within the beast-fighting arena, Xu Qing calmly approached the iron cage, the Giant Horned Python within coldly observing him as it slowly slithered out. As its robust body emerged from the cage, its scales scraped against the iron bars with a piercing sound. The instinct of the animal made it aware that this youth was somewhat different from its usual prey. Thus, after emerging, the Giant Horned Python did not immediately attack; instead, it coiled outside the cage, raising its head high with caution, fixating on Xu Qing as he approached. This scene piqued the interest of the audience, and the jeering subsided somewhat. Xu Qing maintained his composure, inching closer. Perhaps he had stepped into the python's attack range, or perhaps it was provoked by his aura; the chilling intent in the python's yellow pupils suddenly intensified, and with a powerful thump of its tail against the ground, a thunderous sound erupted. Its body then surged forward, mouth agape, revealing sharp teeth and emitting a foul odor, rushing toward Xu Qing, intending to swallow him whole. Xu Qing's eyes narrowed as he coldly watched the rapidly approaching python. At the moment it came near, he swiftly dodged, choosing not to strike but instead closely observing the python's abdomen like a hunter. As he watched, the Giant Horned Python missed its attack, a low growl emanating from its throat, its body twisted as it lashed its tail ferociously, creating a deafening whistle directed at Xu Qing. The hunting instinct compelled the python's head to sharply turn, its tail and head moving in sync, creating a circular motion aimed at Xu Qing, as if intending to ensnare him. Xu Qing remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the python's abdomen until the tail drew near. Suddenly, he clenched his right fist and, at the moment the tail struck, he punched out. Bang. Although he was only at the first layer of the Hai Shan Jue cultivation, the physical enhancement it provided Xu Qing was still significant. At this moment, the python's tail was struck back, unable to connect its head and tail, and the Giant Horned Python clearly felt pain; however, this non-lethal wound only intensified its ferocity, its eyes turning red as it lunged forward, aiming to bite Xu Qing. But Xu Qing's eyes glimmered, and he finally found the opportunity he was looking for. At that moment, he stepped forward, advancing rather than retreating, directly closing in on the upper middle area of the Giant Horned Python's body. With his right hand clenched, he unleashed a powerful strike—one punch, two punches, three punches... Each blow landed with force. The impact from Xu Qing's strikes made the Giant Horned Python continuously retreat, its roars growing more intense as it attempted to wrap around Xu Qing, but the power contained in his fists made it impossible for its head and tail to connect. The area he struck, where the scales were relatively thin, began to crack after several punches, blood seeping out, the elasticity damaged. Seeing this, before the Giant Horned Python could change its form, Xu Qing's eyes flashed with a cold light. He immediately drew the dagger tied to his calf. As the blade gleamed with cold light, he swiftly thrust it into the flesh of the Giant Horned Python. In an instant, it pierced deeply, creating a horrifying wound in its abdomen that revealed the gallbladder within. The gallbladder was large, but evidently mutated, appearing much smaller, akin to an egg. Without hesitation, Xu Qing raised his right hand, plunged it deep into the cavity, seized the gallbladder, and with a forceful yank, extracted it amidst the Giant Horned Python's anguished howls. Blood sprayed out, splattering onto the sand. Ignoring the blood, Xu Qing held the gallbladder, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and before the various expressions of the surrounding scavengers, he directly put it in his mouth and swallowed it whole. In the calm act of swallowing, the Giant Horned Python, from which its gallbladder had been taken, writhed in pain, screeching wildly, its body forcefully slamming against the ground, raising dust as if trying to vent its agony. Its head violently charged at Xu Qing, its red eyes revealing madness, its mouth wide open as if intending to devour him entirely. Xu Qing watched coldly, and at the moment it approached, he suddenly leaped up, narrowly avoiding the incoming head. In mid-air, he swung his right hand, and instantly a black iron stick appeared. Lowering his head, he felt his killing intent surge, and as he descended heavily, he utilized his strength, speed, and weight to maximize the impact of the iron stick, thrusting it forcefully toward the python's heart area. The scales broke apart, and with a powerful thrust, it pierced through. With a loud bang, the Giant Horned Python trembled violently, as if it had lost all strength to support its body, its head and tail crashing down heavily, and its pained screech abruptly ceased, leaving only the sound of its tail weakly slapping the ground echoing around. After a moment... as the dust settled, the surrounding scavengers who had witnessed this battle were all astonished. Many stood up, gravely watching the youth who was now pulling the iron stick from the corpse of the python. If an adult had slain the Giant Horned Python in such a manner, it wouldn't have elicited such reactions from them. But a small, seemingly frail boy could so cleanly and decisively extract the gallbladder from a living snake, swallow it whole, and then deliver a death blow while maintaining a cold demeanor throughout—this was exceedingly rare in the camp. The small wolf and the red bear inside the adjacent cage were clearly frightened as they trembled there. This did not seem like a trial; it felt more like a hunt. Under the gaze of the onlookers, the youth placed the iron stick aside, one hand gripping the wound of the Giant Horned Python as he walked toward the exit of the arena. Behind him, a trail of blood from the python was dragged across the ground, a shocking sight. Next to the door, the massive gate remained unopened as Xu Qing turned to look at the platform. Soon, the three-mustached man at the top finally reacted, a hint of lingering fear evident on his face, and quickly signaled; soon… with a loud rumbling, the gate opened. Outside stood Lei Dui, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, waiting with a smile directed at Xu Qing. "Can I stay with you?" Xu Qing dragged the python's corpse and looked up at Lei Dui. "Of course," Lei Dui chuckled. Xu Qing nodded and tossed the snake's body over. "You like to eat snakes; this one is for you." Lei Dui hesitated for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter as he caught the corpse of the Giant Horned Python, gradually walking away with Xu Qing amidst the laughter. Only after they had walked far did the arena erupt in a frenzied clamor. Amidst this commotion, in a corner of the crowd, there sat an old man in a purple robe, accompanied by a middle-aged man who appeared expressionless like a servant. A five-pointed star motif adorned the middle-aged man's forehead. They sat there, clearly out of place in both attire and demeanor compared to the surrounding environment, yet no one seemed to notice their presence. Not even the camp leader had their figures in his eyes. The old man’s complexion was ruddy, and there was a glint of thunder in his gaze, as if he could annihilate everything with a mere glance. He was an extraordinary figure, and at this moment, he sat there, watching Xu Qing's departing figure, unable to hold back a laugh. "This boy is interesting."