Natural Enemies? Non-existent.

Chapter 11: Natural Enemies? Not Really

Ye Qin wasn't reckless, nor was he relying on brute strength. Based on his calculations, even if he couldn't defeat the hawk, he could at least protect himself.

Besides, since they had met, even if he turned to flee, the hawk wouldn't let go of such an easy meal. It was better to strike first and gain the advantage.

If anyone were present, they would witness an incredibly strange scene.

A snake actively attacking a hawk several times its size was an astonishing feat.

From a biological standpoint, snakes do not provoke their natural predators; they usually try to avoid them, let alone when there's such a vast difference in size.

Yet, this very scene was unfolding before them.

The hawk was quite agile, dodging Ye Qin's attack. The bright red snake tongue brushed past its feathers, and it immediately turned to peck.

However, Ye Qin was faster, like a phantom, leaving only afterimages in the air.

Perhaps the black snake before it was the first snake in history to actively provoke and attack its predator. The hawk was momentarily surprised and stunned, quickly replaced by anger.

It flapped its wings, circling in the air, the gusts of wind stirring up fallen leaves on the ground.

The hawk's advantage lay in its wings, allowing it to fly, use its sharp talons to seize the snake's vital points and kill it, or carry the snake into the sky and release it from a great height, letting it fall to the hard ground.

Therefore, no matter what, it couldn't be caught by the beak or talons, or it would be difficult to escape.

Currently, his body had not yet reached the state of invulnerability through contemplation.

Ye Qin knew this well. His body contorted into countless shapes, making it impossible for the hawk to find a place to land its claws.

Each time, he narrowly slipped beneath the sharp talons.

He stared intently at the hawk, daring not to relax for a moment. With the slightest carelessness, he feared a piece of flesh would be torn off by those talons. Even if it didn't cause a fatal injury, it would be an extremely unpleasant experience.

The immediate priority was to find a way to cripple the hawk's ability to fly. This would greatly weaken its combat power.

For a snake of ordinary size, this would be an impossible task, as the hawk before him was far too large. But for Ye Qin, it was not a problem.

Unfortunately, the hawk's wings flapped continuously, giving him no opportunity.

But opportunities are created.

The hawk could only rely on brute force.

Ye Qin was different; he could cultivate, possessing strong comprehension and intelligence, not to mention a brain.

Looking at the stones nearby, Ye Qin had an idea. He twisted his body rapidly, moving towards the stones, and soon climbed onto one.

The hawk, having tangled with Ye Qin for so long, had long since lost its patience. It couldn't understand how this small snake could be so troublesome. It finally spotted a flaw in Ye Qin's movement.

Seizing the moment, it lunged with a powerful peck. However, Ye Qin had already seen through its intentions and had a countermeasure. He rolled to the side, tumbling off the rock.

Seeing the large stone within striking distance, the hawk couldn't retract its attack in time. Under the force of inertia, it slammed directly into it.

A miserable bird cry was heard. The hawk's beak was instantly covered in blood, dripping onto its feathers, looking utterly pathetic.

There were even fragments of the hawk's beak on the stone, indicating the immense force it had used. If Ye Qin hadn't dodged, he would have been crippled, if not killed.

Ye Qin seized the moment while the hawk was in pain, thrusting his tail towards the hawk's eyes.

Strike while the iron is hot!

This was the cruel natural world, not a place for chivalry.

Eyes were the most vulnerable part, whether for humans or animals.

The tip of his green tail was stained with bright red blood, looking strangely eerie. A considerable amount of blood even splattered onto Ye Qin's other scorched scales.

The hawk cried out even more piteously, flapping its wings frantically, trying to fly. However, its vision was impaired, and its entire body lost balance, making it impossible to take off smoothly.

It had only flown halfway when, due to its loss of balance, it crashed into a nearby tree and fell from mid-air.

Ye Qin watched the hawk's miserable state. His vertical pupils, at this moment, displayed the cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness of a snake, appearing as a natural hunter.

His actions were not unwarranted. If he had been inferior, he would have become prey for other animals.

This was the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest, natural selection.

He had suffered greatly at the hawk's talons before. If his luck had been any worse, he might be dead now. Now, he had settled the score, both principal and interest, a cycle of karma.

Ye Qin coiled around the hawk, tightening his grip little by little. All his muscles contracted, focusing on this one point, exerting immense pressure.

He didn't yet know his own strength, but seeing the hawk's miserable state gave him a glimpse.

Ye Qin could even hear the creaking of bones, clearly feeling the hawk's flesh and blood being squeezed like a balloon.

In its struggle, countless black feathers scattered around. The hawk's voice became hoarse, completely lacking its previous vigor.

Initially, the hawk thrashed violently, trying to peck Ye Qin with its beak. However, after hitting the stone, its sharp beak had been blunted, posing no threat.

With a final, weak cry, the hawk's pupils turned dim, and its head slowly drooped to its side.

Compared to the hawk's body, Ye Qin's snake body was still relatively slender, almost covered by feathers. In contrast, he looked like a thin rope, as if he could break with a single tug.

Yet, within this small body lay immense power, enough to strangle a natural predator several times his size.

The former ruler of the sky met its end in such a manner.

After an unknown amount of time, the hawk finally ceased all movement. Ye Qin slowly released his grip, collapsing onto the ground, his serpentine body stretched out straight like a pole.

Ye Qin gasped for air, his tongue flicking rapidly.

Hunting prey much larger than himself was incredibly draining, and he was now somewhat exhausted.

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

The battle just now had been nothing short of spectacular.

While he had tricked the hawk into crashing into a rock, which could be seen as a bit of a cheap shot, it was still justifiable. Intelligence was a part of strength, after all.

At the same time, Ye Qin also gained a deeper understanding of his own power. Through continuous practice of the Contemplation Method, his abilities had also grown significantly stronger.

Now, if he used all his might, he could constrict an adult hawk to death, but only if it had already lost some of its mobility.

If he were to wrap around it and the hawk flew high into the sky, the situation would then turn against him. He wouldn't know whether to hold on or let go.

If the hawk lost its ability to fly and fell, he would suffer the same fate.