"I'm not afraid of you! Giving me a dirty look doesn't bother me."
Xia Fan spat forward with a valiant air. But inside, he was panicking. Even though he had resolved to go all out, knowing he could die was unsettling.
'Don't retreat.' He couldn't—if he turned his back, he'd be killed even faster.
The best choice was to act just like before.
'That snake isn't invincible. I wounded it with a stake… Its cultivation isn't high. At best, it's only a bit stronger than me.'
Xia Fan reasoned, steadying the turmoil in his heart.
From a distance, the snake, still bleeding, rushed at him with a dangerous aura, slithering forward unrestrained this time.
In seconds, it closed the distance with Xia Fan and struck with its tail, whipping through the air like a lash.
Faced with the attack, Xia Fan didn't dare stay still. Glancing to the side, he noticed a tree and dove flat onto the ground. The snake's tail slammed into the trunk just above his head.
Boom!
The tree began to crack from the impact, a clean split running along its bark. Missing its first strike, the snake grew furious and immediately swung its tail downward.
From below, Xia Fan grabbed a stone and hurled it at the beast's abdomen, then rolled to the right.
The snake writhed for a few seconds as the rock hit, losing momentum.
That gave Xia Fan a chance to escape before the blow could reach him. Still, he suffered for being too close: small stones pelted his body, one even tearing open his ear.
"This hurts…" Not used to pain, he felt the sting in his ear and wanted to scream, but forced himself to hold back.
He kept rolling to the right, creating as much distance as possible from the opponent, which was now in a state of absolute fury.
At that moment, the snake abandoned the idea of crushing the human's bones with its tail—it wanted to swallow him whole.
Coiling its body into an arch beside the damaged tree, it opened its mouth as wide as it could, then lunged again.
'That damned thing wants to eat me alive!'
Xia Fan, having already scrambled to his feet, glanced back after moving three meters away. When he saw his situation, a chill ran down his spine—quickly replaced by madness.
"Hahaha! So you like eating, huh?"
He burst into crazed laughter. "Then I'll feed you."
Xia Fan's blue eyes gleamed with cruelty. Straightening himself, he grabbed two branches, losing two precious seconds as the snake closed to within a meter.
"Eat well."
He threw the first branch at the snake's throat. The beast reacted swiftly, snapping its jaws shut and crashing against the ground.
"Got smarter, did you?" Xia Fan sneered, then, without hesitation, gripped the second branch with both hands.
He charged forward and, once face-to-face with the snake, stabbed downward.
A blur sliced through the air. The creature, his target, let out a trace of fear and jerked its head to the left.
Expecting that, Xia Fan redirected the branch toward the snake's left lung. As soon as it pierced the black scales, blood sprayed over his clothes.
"Hssshhhraaahhh!" The snake shrieked and then turned, trying to swallow Xia Fan while he was off guard.
'Damn it! Is this thing immortal?'
He cursed inwardly. Then, driven by survival instinct, he yanked the branch free and thrust it vertically into the beast's mouth.
It worked for a moment, but the creature's fangs were too strong. With immense pressure, the branch snapped between its jaws.
"I was afraid of the venom, but this is my last option."
Taking advantage of its closed mouth, Xia Fan clenched his fists and, with the last of his hope, slammed a punch at the snake's head with all his strength.
The blow sliced through the air before smashing into the snake's skull. The instant his fist connected, Xia Fan felt like he was striking a jelly-like skin layered over and over. The sensation was bizarre.
The only good thing was that it didn't last long—the beast went flying. His physical strength was formidable.
Xia Fan finally understood his bodily transformation. It should have been something to rejoice over, but it was horrifying. His palm turned purple, and his vision blurred.
'The venom… Did I at least kill it?' His eyes widened as he tried to see, but everything was swallowed by darkness.
"I fought well." He praised himself, believing he had been incredible. Even if he died, at least he hadn't been a coward.
He could die with his head held high.
'But even so, to die now? Without cultivating? Fortune of the Great Dragon Emperor, why won't you save me? I survived the calamity! Isn't that enough for my destiny to awaken?'
He raged in thought, even beginning to suspect that being "destined" was nothing but a lie.
"Alas…" he murmured before fainting. The venom had already corrupted nearly his entire body.
***
In front of Xia Fan's body, the snake, flung away, lay with a grave head wound, another in its abdomen, and a hole further down that had already stopped bleeding. Its condition was critical, but it still breathed.
Dragging itself unsteadily and leaving purple liquid on the ground, it reached Xia Fan's poisoned body. It opened its mouth to finish what it had started.
But before it could swallow him, a buzzing sound tore through the air at tremendous speed. Before it could react, a sharp blade struck its scales, slicing it apart like cabbage.
The snake, cleaved in half, died instantly.
After its death, a figure descended from the sky, standing atop a sword. Landing gracefully at the scene, he looked at Xia Fan, whose body had turned purple, already completely contaminated.
"The lives of mortals are harsh… I tried to save him, but it seems useless. With this poison, survival is impossible. Still, since I've found you, I'll bury you."
The cultivator muttered to himself, then raised his sword and swung it downward. Power surged from its edge, tearing up the ground like an excavator. Minutes later, a pit nearly five meters deep lay open.
"Farewell."
Stopping, the cultivator walked over to Xia Fan. Kneeling, he coated his arms with spiritual energy to guard against the venom, then lifted the body and carried it toward the grave.
***
Unconscious, Xia Fan suddenly awoke to a voice echoing in his mind.
[Your body has been touched by a woman's hands for the first time! You have triggered the reward for unique gestures.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Marrow Cleansing Pill!]