Chapter 132: Deadly Stalemate

Using so much force must be draining, because He Lingchuan could smell the stronger scent of blood. He wasn't sure if it was his own, the giant crocodile’s, or a mix of both.

He Lingchuan had never understood why the giant crocodile didn't simply drown Wu Shaoyi by submerging him. It turned out Wu's long spear was constantly propping its mouth open, which it couldn't stand.

This giant crocodile, having roamed far and wide and eaten everything, never expected to encounter such a prickly obstacle here.

Judging by its condition, it was clearly agitated.

“Can’t you let go and jump out?”

“No, it’s trying to crush me! I’ve tried twice,” Wu Shaoyi said. “This creature is intelligent!”

Most importantly, his injuries were too severe for him to move quickly.

Even with its mouth jammed, the crocodile demon’s train-like bulk could knock anyone unconscious — whether on land or in water.

Was staying inside the crocodile’s mouth actually the safest place? He Lingchuan couldn't help but grimace, picturing the array of fangs below.

“How can I help then?”

“Think of something, quickly!” With someone appearing out of nowhere above him, Wu Shaoyi wasn't about to miss this heaven-sent opportunity. “I’ll definitely repay you!”

How was he supposed to rescue him? He Lingchuan was stumped.

Stabbing the giant crocodile to death with his broken sword? Don’t be ridiculous. He’d probably be flung away before he even scratched its hide.

Find a stalactite to replace the spear? Impossible. The crocodile wouldn’t just let him do as he pleased.

Seventeen or eighteen ideas flashed through He Lingchuan’s mind, each rejected one by one.

Below, Wu Shaoyi was still frantically urging him on.

He Lingchuan, spurred on by the constant urging, abruptly called out, “Hey, you crocodile demon… god, can you understand human speech?”

Just now, he had clearly heard Wu Shaoyi call it the “Crocodile God.”

This absurdly large crocodile must have cultivated into a demon, but no one would call it a god without reason.

Wu Shaoyi must know its origin.

Besides, Uncle Hao’s harrier demon could understand and speak human language, so perhaps this crocodile demon, whose cultivation seemed even deeper, could too?

It was worth a try; there was no harm in trying.

So he added, “How about I help you remove that bothersome toothpick?”

Compared to the giant crocodile’s massive size, Wu Shaoyi, a stout man, was merely a small piece of flesh that couldn’t even fill its cavernous maw. Calling the spear a toothpick made perfect sense from the crocodile’s perspective.

No sooner had he asked this than the water suddenly stopped churning, with only a faint splash or two.

It was pitch black below, and He Lingchuan couldn’t see anything. He could only ask Wu Shaoyi, “What’s its reaction?”

“It nodded.” Wu Shaoyi’s voice sounded quite dejected. “It understands!”

Right, this was a Crocodile God that had once received incense offerings and worship. Why had he fought it so fiercely from the start, assuming it couldn’t understand human speech?

Why fight to a mutual defeat when the problem could have been resolved through negotiation? At this thought, Wu Shaoyi wanted to give himself a good slap.

Had his brain rusted at such a critical moment?

He Lingchuan let out a long sigh of relief. Once he could communicate with such a monster, wouldn't the difficulty of the rescue plummet?

He really was a little genius.

Next, he tried to negotiate: “Crocodile God, let’s make a deal. I’ll remove your toothpick, and you spare both of us and help us get to shore, how about that?”

The next second, a cold voice resonated in both their minds:

“Agreed.”

Most demons with cultivation communicate with humans through telepathy because their vocal cords aren't suitable.

Was this giant crocodile really so agreeable? He Lingchuan was momentarily stunned. “Do you promise?”

“The Armored Dragon Clan never lies!” the giant crocodile declared. “I swear on my ancestral bloodline!”

He Lingchuan had heard that demons generally didn’t lie, with only a few exceptions.

He thought for a moment, then took out a candle from his storage space, lit it, and tossed it to Wu Shaoyi.

Wu Shaoyi caught it with great difficulty.

Had the crocodile demon still been thrashing, even this simple action would have been impossible.

He Lingchuan instructed it, “First, get out of the water!”

The giant crocodile slowly swam forward, and soon its massive head emerged from the water.

By the light of the candle, they realized the cave was vast, with half submerged and half rising above the lake surface.

There seemed to be something else deeper within the cave, but that wasn’t the priority right now. He Lingchuan glanced at it briefly and didn’t pay it much mind.

Climbing onto the rocky bank at the water’s edge, the crocodile demon rested its enormous head on the stone surface and remained still.

“Get out.”

Wu Shaoyi struggled with all his might but couldn’t get up.

The intense struggle with the giant crocodile had completely exhausted him. Now that he relaxed, he couldn’t even lift his arms.

He tried twice more but couldn’t even stand.

The giant crocodile tilted its head, shook him out of its mouth, and onto the rocky bank.

“Pull the spear out!”

Wu Shaoyi couldn’t even stand, so how could he possibly have the strength to pull out the spear for it?

He could only appeal to He Lingchuan: “Kid, come down and help!”

He Lingchuan thought to himself, *It’s safe up here.*

He really didn’t want to go down, but both Wu Shaoyi and the giant crocodile were pressing him.

They had both had enough of each other.

Wu Shaoyi’s body had two distinct rows of large bleeding holes, constantly gushing blood—a sight that couldn’t be faked. Considering he had wrestled with the giant crocodile for several hours despite such severe injuries, He Lingchuan believed he was now completely spent.

If He Lingchuan hadn't appeared, Wu Shaoyi would have died, and the spear would still be stuck in the giant crocodile’s mouth.

So, Young Master He sighed deeply, held his nose, and jumped down.

Splash, he hit the water.

A quick freestyle swim brought him to the edge of the rocky bank.

He first moved Wu Shaoyi deeper into the cave and gave him a small pill, then walked back to the water’s edge.

The giant crocodile was waiting there, mouth agape, tears streaming from its eyes, likely from pain.

Each of its teeth was longer than the broken sword in his hand, and its gaping maw could easily fit three adults.

Standing next to it was, to say the least, an unpleasant experience.

He Lingchuan cautiously peered into its mouth, and found that Wu Shaoyi’s long spear was lodged in a remarkably precise position. The spearhead was deeply embedded in the beast’s upper jaw, while the handle was wedged deep into a cavity in its lower jaw.

Yes, this crocodile had a deep cavity that extended all the way to its root.

No wonder the spear was causing it such unbearable agony.

It was no surprise then that it had agreed to He Lingchuan’s terms without hesitation.

What was one less human to eat? A toothache was truly unbearable.

Nevertheless, stepping into such a gaping, blood-red maw to extract a tooth for a monster still required considerable courage. He Lingchuan rubbed his hands together, then carefully lifted his foot and placed it on its lower jaw.

The crocodile demon, perhaps sensing his apprehension, actually tried to reassure him: “You needn’t worry, I never eat my dentists.” The crocodile clan often associated with birds, which would peck away decaying flesh from between their teeth, helping them maintain oral hygiene.

He Lingchuan looked at the row of sharp teeth hanging directly above his head and felt anything but comforted. The creature’s breath was so foul that he feared he might faint if he stayed there much longer.

He had no idea how Wu Shaoyi had endured it.

“Open your mouth wider,” He Lingchuan told it honestly. “The upper jaw needs to go a bit deeper; just bear with it.”

Holding the long spear, he pushed it further up.