CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 39 WHOEVER BLOCKS MY PATH SHALL DIE - PART 2 (PLEASE INVEST, PLEASE FOLLOW)

After searching through the Book Pavilion, Hong Yuan learned that the azure giant crocodile was known as the ron Armored Saw Crocodile.

The ron Armored Saw Crocodile, a second-order Demon Beast species, possesses astonishing defensive power and incredible strength. The scales covering its entire body are azure, with protruding rectangular armor plates, and its forelimbs are even more robust. Its jaw and underbelly bear ivory-colored bone armor, while its head, back, and tail are equipped with serrated red bone plates. Although the ron Armored Saw Crocodile usually moves sluggishly, it can attack its prey with such speed that it becomes hard to see. It will open its massive jaws to intimidate opponents, push off the ground with its sturdy hind legs, and charge forward with astonishing speed. It also uses its large and powerful jaws to clamp down on opponents, then violently shakes its head to tear them to shreds.

"TSK TSK. Such a fearsome opponent," Hong Yuan murmured with a light chuckle, continuing to collect information with his head bowed.

Besides being a Mysterious Water Snake, he, Hong Yuan, was also a cultivating disciple of the Phoenix Creek Sect.

To deal with the ron Armored Saw Crocodile, he could gather information about its fatal weaknesses before making his move.

So, its fatal weakness isn’t just its eyes but also its belly... A subtle smile touched Hong Yuan’s lips.

...

「Three days later.」

At the threshold of the deep-water zone, Hong Yuan watched intently with a cold gaze at the three-meter-long Swordfish in front of him. As soon as the Swordfish came within striking range, Hong Yuan opened his huge, gaping mouth.

*Water Gun*!

BOOM!

With a thunderous sound, a violent stream of water shot out from the mouth of Mysterious Water Snake Hong Yuan, transforming into a medium-sized water column aimed directly at the three-meter Swordfish.

The Swordfish trembled at the sound and was about to dive when the water column struck, hitting its fins forcefully and causing it to slide back a distance.

Its eyes rolled back, and the Swordfish lost consciousness instantly, drifting away with the current.

HUFF. HUFF.

Hong Yuan opened his mouth, trying to change the flow of the water to pull the three-meter Swordfish towards him.

The unconscious Swordfish drifted with the waves, moving toward Hong Yuan as he intended.

Although everything seemed to be going smoothly, Hong Yuan’s entire body was tense, as if a terrifying opponent was about to attack.

As expected, just as the three-meter Swordfish drifted over the threshold of the deep-water zone, a loud crashing sound of waves came from afar, and an azure shadow grew clearer.

The ron Armored Saw Crocodile!

In the past, upon seeing this ron Armored Saw Crocodile, Hong Yuan would have fled, flustered, begrudgingly relinquishing his hard-earned gains, utterly frustrated.

But now—

Hong Yuan, as usual, moved aside slightly and watched the ron Armored Saw Crocodile swallow the three-meter Swordfish.

Eat up, eat up. This is your last meal, Hong Yuan thought, his mouth curving up slightly.

GULP.

After swallowing the three-meter Swordfish, the ron Armored Saw Crocodile, following its usual practice, crossed the threshold and charged at Hong Yuan, moving slowly but fiercely, baring its fangs.

In the past, upon seeing this, Hong Yuan would inevitably have run away. Now, however, he altered his usual response; while still fleeing, he did so at a noticeably slower pace.

The ron Armored Saw Crocodile, overjoyed at this, thought it had succeeded in starving Hong Yuan into exhaustion, cornering him with no escape.

Twenty meters... fifteen meters... ten meters... eight... seven... Now! Hong Yuan thought, his heart racing.

His serpentine body arched like a bow before he shot forward like an arrow loosed from its string, roaring as he charged toward the ron Armored Saw Crocodile.

Waves shook and rolled in all directions.

The serpentine body unfurled to its full six-meter length—a truly terrifying spectacle.

ROAR!

The ron Armored Saw Crocodile instantly understood Hong Yuan was making a do-or-die counterattack and let out a furious roar.

It surged forward with formidable momentum toward Hong Yuan, opening its yawning crocodile mouth, its sharp fangs gleaming in the water.

But Hong Yuan had seized the initiative. He didn’t give the ron Armored Saw Crocodile enough time to complete its movements or unleash its full strength.

Hong Yuan spun around, avoiding the ron Armored Saw Crocodile’s bite and preventing his head from being clamped down on.

His body coiling, he executed the *Stranglehold Kill!* Hong Yuan used the great serpent’s signature move against large ferocious beasts, rapidly entwining the ron Armored Saw Crocodile.

Then Hong Yuan exerted fierce pressure, making its cyan armor plates strain until they appeared bright red.

However, the ron Armored Saw Crocodile was no herbivore; it grasped Hong Yuan’s serpentine body with its forelimbs and pulled hard.

"HMPH..." Hong Yuan grunted in pain, gritting his fangs and persisting in dragging the ron Armored Saw Crocodile toward the riverbed.

Hong Yuan’s Mysterious Water Snake Avatar was indeed stronger than this ron Armored Saw Crocodile, but the creature’s iron armor rendered the snake’s prized venom almost ineffective.

Without its venom, the Mysterious Water Snake had undeniably lost its greatest advantage, which was why Hong Yuan had been previously dominated by the ron Armored Saw Crocodile.

But now, Hong Yuan had a new move: *Crazy Plants*.

If other moves couldn’t break through its defenses, *Crazy Plants* could!

SPLASH! THRASH! The river churned, countless fish and shrimp caught in the battle between the two terrifying behemoths, instantly turned to bloody water, leaving no bones behind.

Although the ron Armored Saw Crocodile did not understand why Hong Yuan was crazily trying to drag it to the riverbed today, it knew by the intuition unique to Demon Beasts that it absolutely could not let Hong Yuan pull it down there.

Blood from both beasts spilled everywhere, a stark, dazzling sight in the murky water.

The ron Armored Saw Crocodile’s cyan scales began to deform, and Hong Yuan’s tail was torn apart, the pain almost driving him mad.

This pain was twice as intense as having one’s fingernails violently ripped off—an excruciating, deep-seated agony!

But Hong Yuan still forcibly maintained his composure, continuously strangling the ron Armored Saw Crocodile.

As the riverbed’s mud drew closer and closer, Hong Yuan understood that victory was nearly at hand.

ROAR!!!

Smelling the scent of death, the ron Armored Saw Crocodile suddenly used all its strength to thrash and strike at Hong Yuan, forcibly unleashing various moves. The lower half of Hong Yuan’s serpentine body was brutally battered, his tail even snapped off directly.

Yet Hong Yuan still forcefully restrained himself.

He was distinctly aware that if he did not kill this ron Armored Saw Crocodile, his pursuit of Longevity Martial Arts would hardly proceed.

By the time *Myriad Silence Origin Skill* reached minor achievement, this damned ron Armored Saw Crocodile would have likely torn apart the Mysterious Water Snake already.

After a desperate struggle left Hong Yuan in extreme pain, he then dragged the depleted ron Armored Saw Crocodile to the riverbed’s mud.

Hong Yuan activated *Crazy Plants*.

A warm feeling surged from within Hong Yuan’s serpentine belly, and under his conscious command, it flowed rapidly towards the riverbed floor.

RUMBLE!

A thick tree root protruded from the ground, stabbing towards the ron Armored Saw Crocodile’s belly.

ROAR!!!

The ron Armored Saw Crocodile let out a pained howl but couldn’t stop its belly armor from being shattered.

Hong Yuan watched as tender flesh was exposed from the crocodile’s abdomen and immediately circled to its belly.

He struck with *Deadly Venom*.

Hong Yuan’s fangs sank into the ron Armored Saw Crocodile’s belly, injecting venom.

Once the venom was successfully injected, Hong Yuan knew the ron Armored Saw Crocodile was doomed!

Soon after, the ron Armored Saw Crocodile’s face turned purple, its body sapped of strength, no longer having the energy to resist Hong Yuan’s assault. Then, it died.

The ron Armored Saw Crocodile was dead!

Hong Yuan, with his half-crippled body, dragged the ron Armored Saw Crocodile back to his cave to digest it.

「The gloomy cave.」

Hong Yuan, having shrunk from six meters in length to just over four meters, eagerly stared at the ron Armored Saw Crocodile in front of him, overjoyed.

Without this ron Armored Saw Crocodile, he could gain sufficient room for development and continue on the path of Longevity Martial Arts.

"PTOOEY! With your pathetic self, you wanted to kill me? Use me as nourishment for your growth?"

"Had you not stood in the way of my Longevity Martial Arts, would you have met this fate?"

Hong Yuan raised his head, looking disdainfully at the dead ron Armored Saw Crocodile.

Then Hong Yuan opened his wide serpentine maw and greedily swallowed the ron Armored Saw Crocodile, which was even longer than his own body.

His belly instantly swelled like a balloon, a ghastly sight.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The stomach worked overtime digesting the ron Armored Saw Crocodile.

After digesting the ron Armored Saw Crocodile, Hong Yuan checked his proficiency panel and immediately cracked a wide smile.

HEHEHE!!!

[Talent: 23→25]

[Life Span: 16/207→16/217]

[Avatar: Mysterious Water Snake (Ice Armor Python 127/10,000) → (Ice Armor Python 221/10,000)]

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦