012 Save me! I will offer you my blood three times!

A piercing scream exploded like thunder by the creek, instantly snapping all the hunters’ attention back.

It was the Green-tier ferocious beast—the giant crocodile python—a fierce predator of the waters, rarely seen in such a small river. None had expected to encounter it here today.

Several of the male hunters were of low rank; the highest-ranking among them was Lan Xi, a Green-tier.

In other words, only Lan Xi had the strength to face the beast in combat; the others lacked either the level or the swimming skills.

The giant crocodile python had clearly targeted a female. Regardless of their levels or swimming abilities, they all had to fight desperately to save her.

Si Qi spun around sharply, amber eyes wide with shock, raising his hand to unleash his spiritual power.

Dark crimson eyes narrowed, and the silver-white giant serpent silhouette materialized instantly, lunging toward the riverbank.

Chi Yu shed his usual lethargy; his form shifted into a red fox beast, claws flashing.

But closest to Li Yue was Lan Xi.

He had been sensing the movements underwater and should have reacted the moment the giant crocodile python struck. Yet, upon seeing Li Yue’s naked form, he froze in stunned hesitation.

Li Yue’s eyes lacked their usual fierceness, only pure fear remained—like a frightened young beast—making his heart wrench.

That brief pause was all it took for the crocodile python’s fangs to graze Li Yue’s arm, leaving a bleeding slash.

Li Yue gasped in pain but dared not delay; struggling forward, she reached out a hand toward Lan Xi, her voice trembling with tears and urgency: “Lan Xi! Save me! I’ll give you three blood pledges!”

She knew Lan Xi valued blood pacts above all else; only by pledging blood could she swiftly rouse his fighting spirit.

Seeing the panic in her eyes, Lan Xi snapped back to reality.

He glanced at the bleeding wound on her arm, then at the giant crocodile python reopening its jaws for another attack. His violet eyes flared with anger.

His tail fin whipped fiercely, splashing water half a meter high as he dragged Li Yue aside just in time to dodge the beast’s second lunge.

“Hold on tight!” Lan Xi’s voice was sharper than ever, his tail fin thrashing in the water as he pulled her toward the shore.

The crocodile python, however, refused to relent. Its snake-like tail swept through the water, coiling around Li Yue’s ankle. How could it surrender such fresh prey?

“Watch its tail!” came a roar from Jin Ye as his lion form leapt to the riverbank, massive paws slamming down on the beast’s head, diverting its attention momentarily.

Dark, chilling serpent tails coiled around the giant crocodile python’s body, silver-white scales digging into the gaps of its armor.

Si Qi’s spiritual power transformed into sharp blades, stabbing toward the beast’s eyes; Chi Yu circled behind, claws raking at its vulnerable belly.

Despite being surrounded and attacked by several hunters, the beast moved with ease.

Its snake-like tail violently whipped off the binding shadows, throwing the silver-white serpent into the riverbank rocks, shedding several scales.

Jin Ye’s lion claws left only shallow scratches on its scales but were met with a brutal swipe from its tail, blood instantly staining his black mane.

Si Qi’s spiritual blade aimed for its eyes but was dodged by a fierce shake of the beast’s head; the overexertion drained his spiritual energy, leaving him pale and staggering.

Chi Yu’s claws had just grazed its belly when the beast snapped his front paw in a vicious bite, causing the red fox to emit a piercing howl.

The watery domain was the giant crocodile python’s territory; it moved several times faster in water than on land. The hunters, lower-ranked and injured, were gradually forced into retreat.

Li Yue watched from behind Lan Xi, her heart in her throat. If this continued, they all risked grievous wounds!

She saw the tension on Lan Xi’s face, knew he was protecting her, which held him back from fully engaging.

Taking a deep breath, Li Yue pushed Lan Xi’s hand away forcefully. “Lan Xi, go help them! I can swim ashore on my own!”

Lan Xi turned sharply, disbelief in his eyes. “You... can swim ashore?”

“I can!” she interrupted, already turning toward the shore.

Her stamina was indeed poor, but every second wasted meant greater danger for the hunters.

She depended on them to find her father quickly. If they were injured and weakened, she would be left to perish in the predator’s jaws.

She paddled vigorously. The icy river water lapped past her chest, but she dared not slow down. She had to reach the shore swiftly, not adding to their troubles.

Lan Xi watched her straining figure swim toward the bank, then glanced back at the hunters pinned down by the giant crocodile python, gritting his teeth.

His tail fin lashed hard, charging toward the beast.

Li Yue didn’t look back, only increased her pace toward the shore.

With Lan Xi’s entry into the fray, the battle shifted immediately.

As a Green-tier beastman, Lan Xi was at home in the water. More importantly, as a merman, though not a priest and lacking healing powers, he wielded combat spiritual power.

Suddenly, Lan Xi’s tail fin halted midstroke. His violet eyes shone with icy light; the water around him shimmered with faint violet ripples.

In the next instant, a condensed spiritual force shot forth from his brow, unlike Si Qi’s blade-like power, it carried the unique dampening effect of aquatic beastmen, wrapping tightly around the giant crocodile python’s head.

The beast was about to swipe at Jin Ye when the spiritual force ensnared it, forcing its movements to slow by half a beat.

This spiritual power precisely disrupted the predator’s nerves, robbing it of its usual agility even in familiar waters.

“Now!” Lan Xi bellowed, tail fin edged with sharp scales striking the beast’s neck fiercely. A deep gash tore through its armor, blood instantly staining the water’s surface.

The dark shadow coiled again around the beast’s neck, silver-white scales piercing deep into the wound; Jin Ye endured the searing pain in his shoulder, lunging forward with teeth clenched on the beast’s throat.

Si Qi mustered his last spiritual energy, following the dampening trail of Lan Xi’s power, piercing accurately into the giant crocodile python’s left eye.

Chi Yu, dragging his wounded front paw, struck at the softest spot on its belly.

The beast, repeatedly disrupted by Lan Xi’s spiritual assault, slowed further, wounds multiplying.

Finally, when another spiritual strike hit the nerves in its brain, it let out a piercing scream, its massive body crashing heavily into the water, utterly still.

Lan Xi withdrew his spiritual energy, exhaustion flickering in his eyes. Fighting a Green-tier ferocious beast drained immense spiritual power. His brow ached, but he immediately scanned the shore, releasing a sigh of relief only after confirming Li Yue’s safety.

Beasts of rank sometimes produced beast crystals. Enduring the pain of his wounded back, Lan Xi shifted into human form, gritting his teeth as he dragged the giant crocodile python’s corpse ashore.

Li Yue had just climbed onto the bank and hurried to put on her fur skirt. The wound on her arm still bled, bright red drops trailing from her fingertips.

Several hunters immediately surrounded her.

Lan Xi’s back was raw where scales had fallen; Jin Ye’s shoulder was soaked in blood; Chi Yu’s injured paw still bled after shifting back to human form.

Though her pain reddened the corners of her eyes, seeing their more severe injuries, Li Yue swallowed her tears and said, “There are hemostatic herbs in the fur pouch. You all stop your bleeding first.”

Her words stunned the hunters again.

She was injured and bleeding, yet she urged them to tend to their wounds before hers?

Li Yue didn’t mean to neglect herself; her wound still held a purpose and could not be sealed yet.

Si Qi frowned slightly and stepped forward. “Let me stop your bleeding first—”

Before he finished, Li Yue took a half-step back, shaking her head. “Not yet.”

She turned to Lan Xi and walked straight over, raising her still-bleeding arm. The wound had yet to clot, bright red droplets trickling down her forearm, just falling onto the beastmark on Lan Xi’s chest.