Inside the belly of the Double-headed Python, there was a tall bulge, looking as if it were pregnant.

But within that bulge, one could faintly make out the shape of a human body.

Ye Lingyue's heart uncontrollably began to race, fearing that her mother and Nie Fengxing might still be inside the python.

It was this moment of hesitation that caused Ye Lingyue to miss the best opportunity to retreat.

On the river, the few canoes that hadn't been sunk were more or less damaged, taking on water, and Xia Houhong commanded the soldiers to row desperately towards the riverbank.

In the water, humans were no match for the Double-headed Python; only on land did they stand a sliver of a chance at life.

The Fourth Prince couldn't understand how the Double-headed Python, which had been sleeping peacefully in the water moments before, had suddenly become madly agitated.

"Fourth Prince, look." Zhao Feng, who had amazing hearing, noticed the breathing of someone nearby.

Xia Houhong and the others looked up and locked eyes with Ye Lingyue.

Upon seeing Ye Lingyue, Xia Houhong's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Ye Lingyue, it's you!"

Counting this time, Xia Houhong no longer knew how many times he had been outwitted by Ye Lingyue, and all his previous suspicions suddenly dissipated.

"Little wench, this time, this prince will not let you go," roared Xia Houhong, taking out a crossbow and aiming at Ye Lingyue.

It was a Divine Weapon Crossbow exclusive to the Daxia Military Camp, forged from superior Moon Iron, capable of shooting three arrows at once, each powerful enough to penetrate a hundred pounds of stone.

Three cold arrows shot out like dark meteor darts, breaking through the air.

Ye Lingyue sneered and performed an inverted golden hook, swinging down from the tree branch, and the arrows hit the branch squarely, which then cracked and fell towards the river surface.

In the instant the tree branch fell, Ye Lingyue let out a loud, piercing whistle.

Little Jiao, who had been on standby, soared into the sky instantly and caught Ye Lingyue in its mouth.

"Fourth Prince, since we are old acquaintances, I'll send you a parting gift." Ye Lingyue finished speaking, and with a thought, the Star Saliva hovering above the river transformed into nine rays of light and blasted towards the canoe where the Fourth Prince was.

The canoe, already leaking, was bombarded by nine daggers at once and burst into tatters.

Hearing the commotion, the Double-headed Python quickly swam towards the riverbank.

The river surface suddenly boiled like bubbling water, swallowing up several soldiers in an instant.

"Help, I can't swim!" Bi Emperor choked on a few mouthfuls of water, desperately trying to cling to Xia Houhong.

Seeing the Double-headed Python about to swim over, Xia Houhong was terrified, fearing for his life; he was not a good swimmer himself, and with another dead weight, he would either die or be disabled.

He kicked Bi Emperor, who sank downwards, and the Double-headed Python, with its venomous teeth, bit into Bi Emperor's thigh.

The hundred-plus-pound Bi Emperor was dragged down under the water by the Double-headed Python; blood stirred up on the river surface as Xia Houhong and Zhao Feng scrambled to swim towards the opposite bank.

After climbing ashore, the river became calm again, and the whereabouts of the Double-headed Python were unknown.

Even the troublemaker Ye Lingyue had disappeared.

"Little wench, you've made this prince suffer terribly," Xia Houhong lamented. Except for Zhao Feng, all his personal soldiers were gone; even the skilled tracker Bi Emperor had died, leaving only the two of them.

With such a vast jungle and wetland, Xia Houhong had already begun to think of retreating.

He wanted to impress Emperor Xia, but he did not wish to come here to die.

"Fourth Prince, the Puppet Alchemy Beast that woman had just now was quite formidable. Seeing her demeanor, she's also here for the Double-headed Python. Why don't we follow behind her and wait until she's locked in a life-or-death struggle with the Double-headed Python before we make our move?" Zhao Feng suggested.

Although they lost Bi Emperor, with his exceptional hearing, he could certainly track down the whereabouts of Ye Lingyue and the others.

"Good plan. That little *itch may not be very strong, but she's crafty. She has a good relationship with Vice General Ye of the Tiger Wolf Camp, and it seems she wants to kill the Double-headed Python to avenge them." The Fourth Prince, after hearing this, felt the plan was excellent.

He immediately ordered Zhao Feng to scout ahead, searching for Ye Lingyue and Little Jiao in the jungle.

"Not good, the lord has disappeared." The fierce battle that had just occurred had startled and awed onlookers hiding in the jungle, like Jin Wu Old Monster and Aguduo. When they regained their senses, they realized Ye Lingyue and Little Jiao were gone.

Evidently, they had pursued the Double-headed Python.

"Don't worry, Lingyue left secret signs along the way." Lan Cai'er gestured.

On the trunk of a nearby tree, they found a mark recognizable only to her and Ye Lingyue.

The group followed closely, also tracking down Ye Lingyue's whereabouts.

The sound of rustling leaves filled the air as a large expanse of underbrush rapidly collapsed, revealing a winding snake trail ahead.

In the river earlier, the Double-headed Python, in a burst of rage, had bitten several people to death, and suddenly felt a violent pain in its stomach.

Ever since swallowing two living people in the Pastoral Village the day before, the Double-headed Python had been feeling quite content. It quickly returned to its den to rest and recuperate for a few days.

The Double-headed Python moved swiftly. Ye Lingyue, lying on Little Jiao's back, pursued eagerly, yet still lost track.

Ahead lay a swampy land of mud, and the Double-headed Python had already vanished without a trace.

"Damn it, we've lost it." Ye Lingyue was inwardly frustrated.

Her mother had been swallowed by the Double-headed Python for a whole day and night; the longer the time passed, the slimmer her chances of survival became.

Earlier, the ferocity of the Double-headed Python surged but then it suddenly slinked away. Seeing its behavior, it was clearly in discomfort. This made Ye Lingyue even more convinced that her mother and General Nie might still have a chance to survive.

"Even if there's only a glimmer of hope, I must find the Double-headed Python." Ye Lingyue clenched her teeth and began to search the area methodically.

Deep in the jungle, within an extremely concealed cave, the Double-headed Python coiled itself deep within the winding tunnel, lazily closing its eyes.

Pythons are known to be particularly sluggish and greedy among snakes.

Apart from hunting, they hardly liked to move about.

One meal was enough to sustain them motionless for a month.

The cave had returned to tranquility, with only the occasional sound of dripping water.

One of the Double-headed Python's heads had already closed its eyes, ready to sleep, while the smaller head kept its eyes open.

Inside the belly of the coiled, Double-headed Python, Ye Huangyu struggled to shift her body with difficulty.

Her body was still in intense pain, as though being crushed.

She had been swallowed... by the Double-headed Python.

Ye Huangyu could still remember, she had been trying to save an old man trapped inside a house. As soon as she left the house, the old man went mad and attacked her.

She was slashed in the back.

When she took the firewood knife from the old man's hand, two pairs of eerie green eyes appeared in the darkness behind her—one pair larger than the other. What followed was a formidable Primordial Power, bearing down upon her.