Chapter 10: An Old Acquaintance, Taking the Initiative to Attack

Originally just wanting to close his eyes and rest a moment, Ye Qin inexplicably fell into a drowsy sleep.

In the dream, everything was bizarre, fantastical images—sometimes a person, sometimes a snake—then two shadows slowly overlapped.

When Ye Qin opened his eyes again, the ground was littered with dry twigs and leaves, looking messy, obviously blown in by the strong wind.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Ye Qin shook his head, his expression gradually clearing; he guessed the wind and rain outside should have stopped, even though he had just eaten a field mouse yesterday, he was now feeling hungry again.

Ye Qin crawled out of the cave; after the downpour's washing, the air was very moist, lacking the previous dry heat.

Water droplets clung to the grass tips, sliding down the leaves and dripping onto his body, giving an icy cool sensation.

Although it was daytime, the sky remained overcast, with large patches of dark clouds gathering above, weighing down this stretch of heaven.

Everywhere in sight were grasses blown askew by the wind; even some trees had been snapped at the trunk, leaving only half-stumps on the ground, looking bald.

One can imagine how fierce yesterday's wind and rain were.

Ye Qin came to the wild fruit tree; fortunately the tree still stood firm in its original spot, only a few branches blown off, but it was no problem.

The ground was covered with bright red fruits, their juice seeping into the grass, giving off a rotting sweet fragrance.

Few fruits remained on the tree; many birds were pecking at them on the ground.

Seeing Ye Qin arrive, it—very alert—flapped its wings, perched on the treetop, widened its eyes, and stared at the little black snake on the ground.

The air was filled with the fruit's scent; if Ye Qin wasn't mistaken, he would soon be able to feast again.

Just like yesterday, Ye Qin followed the same method, hiding behind the black stone again, continuing to wait by the stump for prey.

After the heavy rain, many small creatures would come out to forage, and their burrows might have been flooded, forcing them to find new places to dig.

Shortly after, a small squirrel appeared before Ye Qin.

Ye Qin lunged at it like a starving tiger, coiling around; the squirrel didn't even utter a cry, his snake body like a strong chain, directly suffocating it to death.

The killing took no more than the blink of an eye.

The texture was no different from that of a field mouse, except the feeling of that big fluffy tail was a bit like eating cotton candy.

It was soft and fluffy, but there wasn't much meat; however, it was quickly digested.

He also picked a few wild fruits as after-meal fruit, and Ye Qin prepared to head home.

As he passed a small puddle, the reflection inside immediately caught his attention.

Ye Qin took the opportunity to examine himself carefully, thinking, "It seems I've grown a bit larger than when I first started."

Inside the cave there were no reflective objects; although he felt he might have changed, he couldn't see his exact appearance, so he didn't know.

Now the water clearly reflected the silhouette of a little black snake.

If before it was only as thick as a chopstick, now it is three fingers wide, considerably longer, and the tip of the tail has fully grown green scales, neatly arranged.

That color is extremely beautiful, like a fine piece of jade, but elsewhere it remains a dull black.

At first glance it still looks quite distinctive, completely different from its original appearance.

Even if Ye Qin doesn't know the growth cycle of serpents, such a sudden change tells him it's anything but ordinary.

"Could it be because of the Contemplation Method cultivation?"

Ye Qin recalled everything, feeling it highly possible that the Contemplation Method cultivation could speed up the healing of his injuries and likewise strengthen his body and bones.

His speed and strength have both been significantly enhanced, which can be seen when he digs pits.

Take yesterday's accidental breaking of a dry twig, for example—it might not have been an accident.

Ye Qin swung his body, lashing his tail against the wild fruit tree.

Only a dull thud was heard; the wild fruit tree shook, and the few remaining fruits also fell to the ground.

Looking at the mark left on the trunk by his tail, Ye Qin seemed to feel no pain; although he hadn't smashed the trunk in half as dramatically, leaving a mark was already not bad.

If it were the Ye Qin of the beginning, he would absolutely not be able to do this.

Not to mention leaving a mark; if he swung his tail like that now, the fruit tree would likely show no change, and he might instead fracture his own bone.

The pits he dug these past days weren't for nothing; his tail muscles have been trained, full of strength, and with cultivation added, a single tail strike can still crush the skull of a small animal.

Ye Qin has only just begun cultivating; he doesn't expect himself to summon wind and rain like in TV dramas or novels, displaying divine abilities and being omnipotent.

His current size is far from that of a colossal beast, and he doesn't know how to cultivate magical divine abilities; however, the power stored in his body is many times that of an organism of the same volume.

This undoubtedly adds another layer of security to his future safety.

"I just don't know what species I am."

Ye Qin examined himself for a long time; aside from learning he is actually a little green snake, he still doesn't know his exact species.

He doesn't even have fangs; he's probably just a common little green snake.

Ye Qin didn't take it to heart, after all it's not a major problem.

His gaze sharpened; in the water's reflection, a small black dot suddenly appeared, and it kept moving rapidly.

Ye Qin suddenly looked up; he saw the small black dot drawing nearer, rushing toward his position, faintly able to see gleaming cold-light claws and a sharp beak.

Accompanied by a familiar sharp cry, a high-pitched voice seemed to want to tear the sky in two.

Lo and behold, it was a huge Eagle Falcon!

Terrible memories surged into Ye Qin's mind again, recalling that on the first day after he transmigrated into a snake, he had almost been buried in the Eagle Falcon's belly.

Now seeing it again, he is no longer the little snake that only knew how to flee for his life.

The Eagle Falcon also noticed Ye Qin's presence, landing not far away, eyes locked on him like a tiger watching its prey.

Ye Qin looked at the black plumage mixed with a few white feathers, exactly the same as the Eagle Falcon that had chased him before.

What a fellow—turns out it's an old acquaintance; Ye Qin's gaze instantly turned sharp.

He recognized the Eagle Falcon, but the Eagle Falcon didn't recognize this little snake before him—the same one that had slipped from its claws earlier—it tilted its head, even seeming doubtful.

Eagle Falcons and snakes are natural enemies; why, upon seeing it, did this black snake not flee?

But given the Eagle Falcon's intelligence, it obviously wouldn't think too much; it simply assumed the black snake in front of it had been frightened stupid.

Come on, let's see just how strong I am.

Ye Qin slightly bowed his body, his upper half contracted, and his snake tongue trembled more violently—this is the attacking posture of the Serpent Kind, enabling him to reach his prey as quickly as possible.

No sooner said than done!

He suddenly darted out and actually took the initiative to attack the Eagle Falcon.

(End of chapter)