The Survival of the Wild Tribe

94

Lu Zhan remained trapped inside the giant anaconda's belly, prompting Luo Zhen to take action. Observing the anaconda returning to the fire's location, where it had created a hole, Luo Zhen hurriedly approached, preparing to draw an arrow.

Suddenly, the previously disinterested anaconda twisted its body, emitting deep, ominous roars as its tail swung towards them. Chasing Wind swiftly evaded the attack, stepping back to safety just beyond the reach of the anaconda's tail.

The anaconda's tail struck a nearby pine tree with immense force, nearly requiring a person's embrace, before it began writhing in apparent agony. Luo Zhen speculated on the cause of its distress, noticing its raised abdomen and realizing the possibility of Lu Zhan's presence.

Unable to directly communicate with Lu Zhan inside the anaconda, Luo Zhen continued his strategy of harassing the creature with arrows aimed at its eyes whenever it slowed down, despite the limited damage inflicted.

As the anaconda's massive body crushed vegetation and churned up soil, a white beast claw emerged from its belly, stained with blood and revealing sharp, elongated nails. The anaconda, seemingly weakened, collapsed to the ground, its gaze fixated on the protruding claw.

The claw retracted, leaving behind a visible crack in the anaconda's abdomen, rapidly expanding to reveal its internal organs.

A wet, blood-covered head emerged, and the man wiped his face with his hand. Recognizing the familiar eyebrows, Luo Zhen felt a twinge in the corners of his eyes.

"A Zhan," he called out.

Seeing the giant anaconda motionless, Chasing Wind approached but hesitated due to Lu Zhan's bloodstained appearance, keeping its distance.

Lu Zhan, just out of the anaconda's belly, looked bewildered. He glanced at Luo Zhen, then at Chasing Wind, furrowing his brow. "Didn't I tell you to leave first?" He was a bit anxious, fearing the anaconda might attack Luo Zhen inside. If Luo Zhen had been swallowed, he might not have emerged unscathed like himself.

Luo Zhen dismounted from Chasing Wind in a rush, almost tripping over himself. Disregarding Lu Zhan's blood, he checked him up and down repeatedly, asking, "Are you hurt?"

Noticing Luo Zhen's unusual anxiety, Lu Zhan retracted his beastly claws, trying not to accidentally harm him. Seeing Luo Zhen's intent to inspect him thoroughly, he reassured, "I'm fine. The giant anaconda is too sluggish to hurt me. I knew what I was doing when I jumped in its stomach. I couldn't have been easily injured."

"Did you deliberately let it swallow you?" Luo Zhen's tone rose as his movements paused. He hadn't noticed before, but Lu Zhan still retained some of his beastly features, except for his legs, hidden by the animal skin skirt. The bloodstained ears and tail had escaped his attention while he checked for injuries.

Lu Zhan, unaware of Luo Zhen's shift in mood, nodded proudly, licking blood from his lips. "I feasted on the giant anaconda's heart inside. It must have suffered immensely. It threw me aside halfway through, which was annoying, so I crawled out."

Luo Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly. "Very well."

"This giant anaconda is incredibly tough. I couldn't even peel off its scales. If I could, I wouldn't have had to crawl into its stomach," remarked Lu Zhan, patting the massive body of the anaconda. "But the meat of this old beast is full of energy. It's big enough to feed our tribe for a long time. And the scales are so hard. We can tan them to make armor for you."

"Let's discuss it later," replied Luo Zhen wearily, casting a glance at the anaconda on the ground. It was massive, and he wondered if Chasing Wind could handle it.