Chapter 87: The Blood Serpent Orchid

When Lu Chen appeared at the edge of the battlefield with three saltwater crocodiles, he immediately drew the attention of both sides locked in combat.

A reptile over four meters long and weighing more than three hundred kilograms, its limbs thick as pillars and clad in dark steel-like scales, crawled forward. Motionless, it resembled a statue. Yet the savage gleam in its eyes and the aura of ferocity emanating from its body instantly enveloped the entire battlefield. This murderous presence was invisible and intangible, but to the creatures of the jungle it was palpable. Ever since Lu Chen became a saltwater crocodile, he had slaughtered tens of thousands of prey, and the bloodthirsty, brutal scent had seeped deep into his bones. Every movement exuded the reek of carnage. Coupled with the suppressive force of his “ancestral bloodline awakening,” his ferocity was even more pronounced.

Thus, when he appeared, every creature present was seized by terror.

The wolf pack had its king, and the dhole pack had theirs as well. This leader measured over a meter in length and weighed about fifty pounds. Compared to Lu Chen, it was utterly insignificant—a mere speck. At that moment, it opened its jaws and let out several loud roars.

“Ow… Ow…”

Responding to the call, more than a dozen dholes quickly gathered around their chieftain. Surrounded by its followers, the dhole king stepped forward, baring its teeth and growling in a show of intimidation.

“Ow, ow…”

One dhole called, and the pack answered! The display of ferocity startled nearby birds into flight.

Lu Chen was somewhat amused. Where did they get the courage to roar at a saltwater crocodile? Did they take inspiration from some enthusiastic citizen named Liang?

He replied with a roar of his own.

His claws stomped the ground, his massive frame flickered, and he darted forward more than four meters. The dhole king was instantly gripped by a powerful sense of danger; the fur along its back bristled, and it tried desperately to dodge. But its body was frozen—unable to react—forced to watch helplessly as the crocodile’s gaping maw lunged for it.

Crunch…

A dull sound.

The dhole king’s neck was snapped, blood spurting forth.

Then—thud—Lu Chen swung his claws again, smashing the head of another nearby dhole.

Next came the third.

Throughout the entire process, the dholes were petrified—forgotten how to fight back. After slaughtering three dholes in succession, Lu Chen finally restrained his aura, picked up the remains of the dhole king, and retreated to the edge of the battlefield to enjoy his meal.

The rest of the battle was left to the crocodile elders.

With their leader dead, the remaining dholes were utterly demoralized. Seeing the three reptiles charge, they immediately turned tail and fled in panic. The crocodile elders each picked a target and gave chase; within two minutes, five more met their end. The rest scattered, vanishing into the depths of the jungle.

This was only because Lu Chen and his companions had shown mercy; had they attacked with full force, the dhole pack wouldn’t have stood a chance against the four saltwater crocodiles.

What surprised Lu Chen, however, was Blackspot’s performance. The little creature also flapped its wings and joined the pursuit, quickly intercepting a fleeing dhole.

“Ow…” The dhole growled low, leaping upward to attack.

Blackspot suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a flame the size of an egg. The dhole was caught off guard, struck in the face, and instinctively squeezed its eyes shut, howling in pain. Blackspot then swooped down, its sharp talons slashing at the prey’s head.

Squish… A bloodied eyeball was gouged out.

The wounded dhole shrieked and tried to escape. Blackspot pursued from the air, seizing the chance to destroy the other eye.

Now, its prey was completely blind and powerless to resist, crashing about aimlessly with each cry.

Blackspot landed steadily on the dhole’s neck, pecking relentlessly with its iron-hooked beak.

In just a few strikes, the dhole’s fur was torn open, then the flesh, until a neck artery ruptured—the creature collapsed in silence.

Witnessing Blackspot’s ruthless hunting, Lu Chen felt a chill run down his spine. This little beast’s combat prowess was almost on par with a golden eagle! If it continued to mutate and grow, who knew what monster it might become?

“Chirp, hiss…” Killing its prey, Blackspot flew back triumphantly, showing off its accomplishment to Lu Chen.

Seeing the excited creature, Lu Chen was suddenly struck by a thought: No matter how it might change, for now…it considered the saltwater crocodiles its family.

Besides, predation among animals was simply the norm—nothing particularly cruel about it.

In the blink of an eye, all that remained in the field, apart from the slaughtered dholes, was a trembling Bengal tigress. Her beastly eyes brimmed with terror and despair, yet she did not leave, steadfastly guarding a tree. Beneath it lay a den, from which faint cub-like growls emerged.

From the moment he arrived at the battlefield, Lu Chen had understood why this tigress never fled despite the dhole pack’s attack—the answer was simple: she was protecting her cubs hidden in the den.

She was surely a devoted mother.

Having spared her earlier, Lu Chen had no intention of harming her now. He picked up his meal and called out, signaling his three companions to follow him away.

The crocodile elders imitated him, dragging dhole carcasses by the hind legs, soon vanishing into the jungle.

Watching the reptiles depart, the tigress’s wary gaze gradually faded, replaced by confusion. She could not fathom why the crocodiles hadn’t attacked her. Moreover, they had left behind a prey carcass.

Since fighting a black bear and being wounded, her hunting ability had greatly diminished; she hadn’t filled her belly for some time. Seeing fresh prey before her, she immediately summoned her cubs.

Back in the riverside jungle, Lu Chen stopped, sharing the recently hunted prey with his fellow saltwater crocodiles and Blackspot.

Before they finished eating, they heard the sound of a propeller coming from the river nearby.

Humans had entered the jungle again? Lu Chen stood up alertly and peered into the distance. Sure enough, a fishing boat appeared several hundred meters downstream. At the bow stood two men with hunting rifles, scanning the water.

These hunters truly had no fear of death.

It had only been two months since the last attack, and they had already forgotten everything. Did they really think the other saltwater crocodiles wouldn’t kill people?

Lu Chen considered whether he should give them a demonstration of his power. He had no intention of harming them outright, but he could quietly dive underwater and put a hole in the boat’s hull. These wooden fishing boats weren’t much sturdier than fiberglass; they couldn’t withstand the force of five or six hundred kilograms’ worth of claws.

Before he could act, he overheard the conversation on the boat.

Soon, he understood the humans’ purpose in entering the jungle.

They were not tourists hunting crocodiles, but employees of a pharmaceutical company. They intended to travel upstream into the depths of the jungle in search of a plant called Blood Serpent Orchid.

According to their discussion, the Blood Serpent Orchid grew somewhere in the untouched wilderness upstream. This rare plant supposedly possessed mystical powers granting immortality, and was known among the local tribes as the “Flower of Eternity”…