Inside the serpent's wet mouth, Wang Xuan found himself slipping and sliding. In his determination to survive, he reasoned that if he could not defeat these creatures, perhaps his best chance lay in willingly becoming their prey. Voluntarily placing himself inside the mouth of the younger serpent seemed a better fate than being torn apart by the larger one.  0

The stench inside the serpent's mouth, however, was nearly unbearable. For Wang Xuan, who was particularly fastidious about cleanliness, this experience was pure torment. He inhaled deeply several times, trying to fill his lungs with as much fresh air as possible before he was inevitably swallowed.0

The woman, witnessing Wang Xuan's choice, seemed torn between despair and incredulity. Was this truly how her journey would end? In an act of desperate mimicry, she too jumped into the gaping maw of the other young serpent. 0

The remaining man shouted in alarm, "Have you lost your mind? While Wang Xuan might have mastered some protective technique, what do you have?" In his panic, he gestured accusingly towards Wang Xuan, hoping to divert the creature's attention.1

His attempt was in vain. With a swift movement, one of the adult serpents snatched him up, ending his life in an instant. It was a stark reminder that even the most...0