Chapter 11: Natural Enemy? It Doesn't Exist

Ye Qin was neither rash nor bragging about petty courage; according to his calculations, even if he couldn't defeat this Eagle Falcon, self-preservation would be no problem.

Moreover, having encountered each other, even if he turned tail to flee, the Eagle Falcon wouldn't let this easy prey go; it would be better to strike first and seize the initiative.

If anyone were present here, they would surely discover an extremely strange scene.

A snake actually took the initiative to attack an Eagle Falcon several times its size—this is utterly unbelievable.

Biologically speaking, snakes do not provoke their natural enemies; at most they avoid them, let alone when the size disparity is enormous.

Yet this scene unfolded right before his eyes.

The Eagle Falcon was also agile, dodging Ye Qin's attack; the bright red snake tongue almost grazed its feathers as it swept past, and it immediately turned and pecked back.

Yet Ye Qin's speed was even greater, like a ghost, merely leaving a faint afterimage in the air.

Probably this black snake before him was the first in history to actively provoke and attack its natural enemy; the Eagle Falcon was somewhat surprised and stunned, soon replaced by anger.

It flapped its wings, soaring in midair, the airflow it stirred up lifting some tiny fallen leaves from the ground.

The Eagle Falcon's advantage lies in its wings, enabling flight; it can seize a snake's vital spot with its talons to kill it, or snatch the snake and fly into the sky, then release it at high altitude to let it crash onto the hard ground.

Therefore, under no circumstances should one be caught by its beak or talons, otherwise escape would be difficult.

As of now, his body has not yet attained the Realm of being impervious to blades and spears through Contemplation.

Ye Qin also well knew this; his body could transform endlessly, twisting into countless shapes, yet he still found no spot where the Eagle Falcon could lay its claws.

Each time, he barely slipped past the Eagle Falcon's sharp talons.

He fixed his gaze on the Eagle Falcon, daring not to relax in the slightest; a moment's carelessness might see a talon hook a piece of flesh, and even if it wasn't a fatal wound, it would be extremely unpleasant.

The urgent priority was to find a way to deprive the Eagle Falcon of its flight ability, which would greatly weaken its combat power.

For an ordinary-sized snake, this would be utterly impossible, given how vastly larger the Eagle Falcon before him is; but for Ye Qin, it is not a problem.

However, the Eagle Falcon's wings kept fluttering and beating, giving him no opportunity.

But opportunities are created.

All the Eagle Falcon can rely on is brute strength.

Ye Qin is different; he can cultivate, possessing strong perception and wisdom, not to mention having a brain.

Seeing the stone beside him, Ye Qin quickly devised a plan, swiftly twisting his body toward the stone and soon climbing onto it.

The Eagle Falcon and Ye Qin had been entangled for so long that its patience was exhausted; it couldn't fathom how this small snake could be so tenacious, and only with difficulty did it discover Ye Qin's opening.

Seizing the moment, it struck hard with a peck, never expecting that Ye Qin had already seen through its move and prepared a counter; he rolled his body to the side, falling off the stone.

Seeing the large stone within easy reach, the Eagle Falcon tried to pull back but couldn't in time; due to inertia, it slammed into it.

All that was heard was a mournful bird cry; the Eagle Falcon's beak instantly gushed blood, which dripped onto its feathers, making it look utterly miserable.

Several fragments of its beak lay on the stone, enough to show how much force it had used; if Ye Qin hadn't dodged, he would likely not die but be crippled.

Taking advantage of the Eagle Falcon's pain, Ye Qin jabbed hard at its eyes with his tail.

Strike while it's sick, take its life!

This is the cruelty of nature, not a place for discussing morality.

The eyes can be said to be the softest spot, whether on a human or an animal.

The green tip of his tail was stained with bright red blood, looking somewhat eerily ominous; moreover, much of the blood spattered onto Ye Qin's other scorched-black scales.

The Eagle Falcon's mournful cries grew worse; it frantically flapped its wings trying to take off, but its vision was impaired, causing its whole body to lose balance, making a smooth takeoff impossible.

Having flown only halfway, due to loss of directional balance it struck a nearby tree and fell from midair.

Ye Qin stared at the Eagle Falcon's miserable appearance; his vertical pupil at that moment revealed the cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness of snakes, making him look like a born hunter.

What he did was entirely justified; if his skill were inferior, he would become other animals' prey.

This is the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest.

Back then, he suffered greatly at the talons of this Eagle Falcon; with a bit worse luck he might already be dead, but now he has reclaimed principal and interest alike, which can also be seen as karmic reciprocity.

Ye Qin coiled around the Eagle Falcon's body, tightening gradually; all his muscles contracted, converging here, as if weighing a thousand jin.

He still does not know his own strength, but seeing the Eagle Falcon's miserable state before him, he can glimpse a bit of it.

Ye Qin even heard the creaking of bones, clearly feeling the Eagle Falcon's flesh and blood being continually squeezed like a balloon.

In the struggle, countless black feathers scattered around; the Eagle Falcon's voice grew hoarse to the extreme, no longer the vigorous sound it once had.

Initially the Eagle Falcon flapped wildly, trying to peck Ye Qin with its beak, but after striking the stone earlier its sharp beak had become blunt, posing no threat.

Accompanied by a final feeble mournful cry, the Eagle Falcon's pupils grew somewhat dim, and its head slowly drooped to the side.

Compared to the Eagle Falcon's body, Ye Qin's snake form is still relatively slender, almost about to be covered by feathers; in contrast, it resembles a hemp rope that seems ready to snap with a tug.

Yet within this body lay immense power; he literally coiled to death an Eagle Falcon, his natural enemy several times his size.

Once the sky's overlord, it ultimately met this fate.

After an unknown amount of time, the Eagle Falcon finally ceased moving; Ye Qin then slowly released his grip, collapsing limp on the ground, his snake body straight as a long rod.

Ye Qin panted heavily, the frequency of his snake tongue's trembling very high.

Killing an animal disproportionate to his size also consumes tremendous stamina; he is probably somewhat weakened now.

After a good while, Ye Qin finally recovered his strength.

The battle just now can be described as splendid beyond compare.

Although he engineered the Eagle Falcon's collision with the stone, which might seem opportunistic, it is entirely justified; intellect is also part of strength.

At the same time, Ye Qin gained a deeper understanding of his own power; through continual practice of the Contemplation Method, his abilities have grown considerably.

Now, exerting all his strength, he can coil to death an adult Eagle Falcon, but this requires that he first lose a certain degree of mobility.

If he were to coil onto it and the Eagle Falcon flew up to high altitude, at that point the situation would turn against him—coming down is not an option, nor is staying up.

If the Eagle Falcon were to lose its flight capability and fall, he too would suffer the consequences.

(End of chapter)