Somehow, he only felt his mind was full of energy, no longer drowsy, and his whole body was brimming with strength, as if he could move mountains and fill seas.

It was only at this moment that he finally saw everything clearly before him.

Ethan Woods was sitting on the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, staring blankly at him.

"……" Henry Sutton was slightly silent, already sensing that something was wrong.

Because at this very moment, he was looking down from above at Ethan Woods, and Ethan Woods... why had he become as small as a three-year-old child?

He glanced at the "rope" in his hand, and unsurprisingly found that it was the tail of that black python.

And this black python, in his eyes, was no longer as terrifying as a flood dragon, but just as before, only as thick as a wrist.

Then, he looked at his own wrist, which was now entirely formed of earth and stone, no longer flesh and blood.

"Did I cross over again?"

A thought flashed through Henry Sutton's mind, but looking at the scene before him, he felt a bit strange inside.

"What are you standing there for?" Ethan Woods snapped out of his daze and shouted at the giant made of earth and stone, "Hurry up and kill it!"

The shout, though weak, was as thunderous as a clap.

Henry Sutton was jolted awake as if struck on the head.

But the black python had already come to its senses a step earlier, opening its mouth and lunging at Henry Sutton with extreme ferocity.

Henry Sutton clenched his left fist and suddenly smashed it forward.

With this punch, his strength was boundless, whistling like thunder, resounding loudly.

Bang!

The snake's head was smashed down by his heavy fist, left dazed and dizzy.

Henry Sutton grabbed the black python's tail, lifted it up, and swung it into the air.

This black python, as mighty as a flood dragon, soared as if riding the clouds.

Henry Sutton swung it down hard!

A thunderous crash!

The black python was slammed fiercely to the ground, causing the earth to tremble, the shock felt in all directions, and even the temple seemed to shake.

Dust billowed and slowly dispersed.

But Henry Sutton did not stop, punching again and again at the black python's head in the pit.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each sound was like thunder!

Each blow made the ground tremble!

"That's for meddling!"

"That's for hurting people!"

"That's for seeking death!"

"Today, Little Sutton displays divine might, slaying the flood dragon and ridding the people of evil."

From the side, one could see the towering giant, wielding the black python, raining down massive fists.

The earth trembled, cracks spreading all around.

The temple seemed to shake endlessly, on the verge of collapse.

The scene was astonishing, as if a deity had descended to the world, slaughtering a flood dragon.

Ethan Woods's eyes were dazed, and he closed them slightly. After a moment, he spoke: "Stop hitting it, if you keep going, you'll bring this temple down."

Henry Sutton suddenly stopped, glanced over, and saw that the black python's head had been smashed to pulp, mixed into the earth.

Seeing this, Henry Sutton finally withdrew his hand in satisfaction.

And though he had always been sickly, after such a battle, he still felt his body brimming with strength, capable of anything.

"What is going on?"

Henry Sutton was puzzled, but at this moment, there was something even more important on his mind, so he looked around for the man in black robes.

Ethan Woods saw the giant of earth and stone looking around, understood, and waved his hand, saying, "Stop looking. The white egg that black-robed man swallowed was the inner core of this gu snake. Once it was unsealed inside him, the gu snake was reborn... After it regained its true form, it swallowed the black-robed man in one bite."

Only then did Henry Sutton realize—no wonder this gu snake had suddenly become so powerful; this was its true form, and before, it had merely been sealed.

In other words, when the black-robed man swallowed the white egg earlier, he was actually trying to perish together.

……

Outside the temple.

Such a commotion had already stirred up quite a scene.

Thunderous sounds echoed from the temple, one after another.

Many villagers hurriedly got up and gathered outside.

However, William Green had long since blocked the entrance, looking at the rather chaotic crowd and constantly reassuring them.

"No need to worry, it's just that the young lady today was tainted by evil energy. Tonight, Ethan Woods is holding a ritual, inviting the Celestial Venerable to descend and using the Five Thunders True Method to cleanse the evil spirits."

William Green clasped his hands and said, "Judging by the commotion now, it seems the evil has been purged. Everyone, please go back for now. Tomorrow morning, Ethan Woods will explain everything to you."

Although in today's world, it was rare to see divine arts manifest, causing many among the masses to doubt tales of ghosts and gods—especially Confucian scholars, who often denounced such things as mere fabrications by the ancients to deceive the people.

But the villagers living near the temple knew well that the temple was extraordinary, and that the temple keeper was no ordinary person—able to interpret lots, tell fortunes, exorcise evil, and cure illness, possessing mysterious abilities. Therefore, they did not question William Green's words too much.

Still, such a ritual causing such a commotion, echoing in all directions, inevitably made people uneasy.

Perhaps this would become a topic of conversation for days to come.

"Everyone, please go back for now."

William Green bowed and advised the crowd.

It was still late at night, and after William Green's repeated explanations, the crowd gradually dispersed.

The noise of the night slowly faded.

William Green sighed, glanced back, and worry showed in his eyes.