The old soldier was a well-known and respected figure in this small mountain village, with authority but always kind to others.

His sudden harsh words and stern demeanor made the people who had been considering something lower their heads in silence.

Qi Jin glanced at them with dissatisfaction, then anxiously looked at Nan Muran and the others, his mind racing with a mix of hope and despair.

In that moment, he couldn’t determine the final outcome of the situation.

Outside, the wild cassia and four-sided vines, which had been planted around the yard in advance, seemed to have gained a soul of their own, growing wildly, becoming stronger, and continuing to wind around the giant snake’s body.

At the same time, Si Ye’s ice blade pierced through the giant snake’s scales, directly striking its vital spot.

Everyone couldn’t help but exhale in relief, but when they looked up, they found that the giant snake’s movements were not affected in the slightest.

“Even after being struck at the vital spot, it’s still unaffected?”

Si Ye and Jia Wu hadn’t expected this outcome at all.

At the same time, on the other side, with Han Yingting’s assistance, the eagle had already dealt with the fourth-level mutated snake, the one about the size of a bowl’s circumference.

The giant snake looked at its fallen companion, lifeless and without a trace of vitality, its eyes growing fiercer, becoming even more agitated.

Guided by its eerie hissing sound, more and more smaller snakes slithered into the old soldier’s yard.

Han Yingting and Shi Wu began to deal with the small snakes that were continuously pouring into the yard, their numbers becoming overwhelming.

The eagle hurriedly shifted its direction to assist Si Ye, Jia Wu, and the others.

Nan Muran watched the giant snake’s actions, her eyes filled with a determined resolve to risk everything.

Her slender, tall frame radiated white-green light that grew even more intense, shining brightly with the morning sun, lighting up the entire small yard.

Apart from the wild cassia and four-sided vines she had been forcing to grow, the small willow and Xiaobai on her left wrist also shot out, wrapping around the giant snake’s body.

“Attack its head.”

The group reacted quickly. Si Ye, Jia Wu, and the eagle adjusted their attack direction, each strike aimed directly at the giant snake’s head.

At the same time, Nan Muran began to use her mental energy to try and suppress the giant snake completely.

Although she wanted the sixth-level crystal core, if destroying it directly would solve the problem, she would do it.

As the small willow and Xiaobai tightened their grip on the snake’s body, the wild cassia and four-sided vines relentlessly drew blood from the wounds, draining the giant snake’s life force.

The plants that had been planted around the yard, full of life energy, grew wildly, continuously pouring into the yard, wrapping around the giant snake’s body.

The entire yard became covered with a dense mass of branches and vines.

The four-sided vines from the wall wrapped around the giant snake’s head, blocking out the sun. The yard, which had been illuminated by the morning light, was now plunged into a new, gloomy darkness.

The tight, forceful attacks caused the giant snake to struggle.

Quickly assessing the situation, the giant snake chose to ignore all the attacks and directly launched a wind blade at the frontmost target, Nan Muran.

The wind blade, shining with a cold gleam, rushed toward the motionless Nan Muran.

Everyone was shocked by what they saw. Jia Wu even considered throwing himself in front of her to block the attack.

Suddenly, two water shields appeared in front of Nan Muran, absorbing all of the wind blades.

It was Si Ye and, in a moment of desperation, Xiang Xi, who had run out of the house.

At the same time, Cheng Cheng, who had been inside protecting the villagers, also came out.

Because the incoming small snakes had already been dealt with, the seven of them began working together to focus on the giant snake, which was in pain from Nan Muran’s mental suppression.

Wind blades, ice blades, sharp blades, lightning, daggers—every time any of them attacked, they targeted the giant snake’s head without holding back, regardless of whether their abilities were being exhausted.

Soon, the giant snake began to feel its body weakening.

No wonder its mate had been forced to self-destruct its crystal core earlier. The strength of these humans was indeed terrifying.

Nan Muran sensed the giant snake’s thoughts and understood that if they didn’t completely deal with it before it could self-destruct in desperation, everyone here would be finished.

She began to channel her mental energy toward the giant snake, while simultaneously giving more vitality to the plants.

Until her head began to throb with unbearable pain, she showed no intention of stopping.

The giant snake continued to struggle in pain. Then suddenly, it changed direction, swinging its tail and attempting to flee the yard.

“It’s trying to escape!” Han Yingting’s face turned pale.

Si Ye immediately looked at Nan Muran, whose face had turned ashen.

He knew that without Nan Muran’s cooperation, his time-related ability would be useless in this situation.

Whether they let the giant snake go or kill it on the spot depended entirely on Nan Muran’s condition.

Both vitality and mental energy were completely depleted, and Nan Muran felt her mind becoming chaotic.

As she watched the giant snake retreating to escape, she reached into her pocket and sensed the crystal cores piled up in the corner of her spatial storage, then began to channel endless vitality into them.

Suddenly, the large snake, which had been as thick as an adult’s arm, began to shed its skin, and its body visibly shrank at a noticeable speed.

Even so, the giant snake showed no intention of turning back, accelerating its escape and leaving the village.

Han Yingting and the others tried to chase it, but once the giant snake exited the village, it vanished instantly among the plants, leaving no trace.

Looking at the retreating giant snake, everyone in the yard couldn’t help but feel a sense of lingering fear.

Han Yingting, the others, and the old soldier all knew that if Nan Muran hadn’t been there today, everyone would have perished under the giant snake’s wind blades.

Looking at her exhausted form and the plants covering the yard, everyone’s emotions were mixed.

Because of the immense power she had shown, and also because of her strange appearance just now.

“Ranran.” Si Ye approached the soaked Nan Muran, his eyes full of concern.

“I’m just tired,” Nan Muran said weakly, giving him a faint smile before lowering her head and resting against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her, supporting her fully. “Do you want to rest in the house for a while?”

“Okay.”

“Ranran, how are you?” Jia Wu and the eagle approached immediately.

Along with Han Yingting and the others, and the family of Qi Jin, who had just come out of the house, all gathered around with worried expressions.

“I’m fine, just too tired. I’ll be okay after some rest,” Nan Muran sighed and said weakly.

Si Ye picked her up and carried her into the room that had been prepared for them by the old soldier the previous night.

“Lean on me for a while,” Nan Muran said, as she laid down next to him on the bed.

Si Ye held her, “Nan Muran, it’s not that you absolutely can’t use it.”

Nan Muran knew he was talking about the time ability. If Si Ye had frozen time for even a moment earlier, she might have been able to deal a fatal blow to the giant snake.

But that was just a possibility. If anything had gone wrong and someone had noticed, the danger would far outweigh the benefit.

More importantly, there was Qi Jin in the yard, who could see everything. Right now, Qi Jin wasn’t someone they could fully trust.

“Si Ye, we’ve always stood together, sharing the risks. Hiding isn’t just to protect you, it’s to protect all of us.”

Si Ye held her hand, falling silent. After a long time, he asked, “Is there any way I can get stronger faster?”

Nan Muran chuckled. “You’re already very strong.”

“Not enough, far from enough.” Si Ye tightened his arms around her, his tone low and determined.

Outside the yard.

“The giant snake has escaped, this village can’t stay here anymore. If it comes back seeking revenge, it will be troublesome,” Han Yingting looked at the villagers slowly emerging from the caves on both sides, his gaze full of concern.