The snake's entire body was covered in tiger-like stripes. It was a brilliant, shimmering gold—incredibly cool-looking. The aura it exuded was far more powerful than that of any venomous snake Tu Xiao'an had encountered on his journey.
'This snake is so majestic. What species is it?'
Tu Xiao'an was slightly dumbfounded, shocked by its appearance.
Both its aura and its species were extraordinary. Tu Xiao'an's eyes narrowed instantly. 'Give me Insight.'
"Ding... Tiger Snake, Level 5. A rare Snake Species in its adult stage. Extremely venomous. Devouring yields 300 Energy Value."
'Holy shit, it's a Tiger Snake! No wonder it looks so majestic.' Tu Xiao'an was both shocked and overjoyed to get the data.
A Tiger Snake was a huge deal. It was a top-grade Snake Species, practically a walking pile of cash. Based on the market value for snake species, a single Tiger Snake like this was worth at least a hundred thousand.
In his previous life, Tu Xiao'an had never once encountered a Tiger Snake on She Mountain.
Catch one of these, and you could take a whole year off from work.
'Devouring it gives 300 Energy Value? That's a ton.'
But Devouring it was out of the question. Not an option. For Tu Xiao'an, whether he was a man or a snake, RMB always came first.
'Haha, my luck is incredible!'
Tu Xiao'an was thrilled. The reason Tiger Snakes were considered rare was that they weren't native to this country; they came from as far away as Australia.
In the Bai Town Snake Market, the rarer a venomous snake was, the higher its price. And this particular snake's venom was also extremely valuable.
But his excitement soon gave way to a slight frown. This was a Level 5 venomous snake. It was a full two meters long and thick-bodied; the two of them weren't even in the same weight class.
Tu Xiao'an had an eye for a prize but lacked the means to claim it, which put him in an awkward position.
But now that he'd run into such a valuable specimen, there was no way Tu Xiao'an was letting it go. His family was desperate for money. His mom needed it for medical bills, and his older sister was at her breaking point.
Besides, even if Tu Xiao'an didn't make a move, the Tiger Snake was vicious and extremely territorial. It might like to hide in the shade to escape the heat, but if any foolish creature trespassed on its turf, it wouldn't show any mercy.
And now, Tu Xiao'an, this little snake, had barged right in. The Tiger Snake's vicious nature was on full display, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment.
HISS...!
The Tiger Snake flicked its forked tongue, hissing menacingly. Tu Xiao'an couldn't help but back away, his mind racing to find a way to deal with it.
He possessed a dominance ability over the Snake Race, but it only worked on snakes of a lower Level than him. Otherwise, the ability was completely useless.
The Tiger Snake drew closer, the serpentine aura it radiated growing more intense. It intended to use its presence alone to force the little silver-white snake before it to submit.
Tu Xiao'an continued to retreat, his mind racing. 'Do I have to fight it head-on? It's not that a direct confrontation means certain defeat. For snakes, size has never been the deciding factor in a fight.'
The real weapon was the fangs. Tu Xiao'an's fangs had been enhanced twice, enabling them to inflict a fatal wound on a creature up to two Levels higher than himself.
The problem was, the Tiger Snake was also highly venomous. If it bit him, Tu Xiao'an probably wouldn't survive.
He had a dominance ability over the Snake Race, but he wasn't immune to poison.
Regardless, Tu Xiao'an was determined to get this Tiger Snake. It was worth at least a hundred thousand. If he could just sell it, his family's financial situation would improve instantly.
'How to sell it is a problem for later. First, I have to subdue it.'
'If only I were human right now. As a Snake Catcher, dealing with a single snake wasn't that hard. All you had to do was grab its tail and give it a little flick in the air, and it would lose all its fight.'
'No matter how vicious a snake, grabbing it by the tail is as good as striking its vital point.'
HISS HISS...
The Tiger Snake dragged its long tail as it steadily advanced on Tu Xiao'an, clearly seeing him as its next meal.
Snake eats snake; big snake eats small snake.
'I'll just have to fight. As long as I can land a single bite and wait for the venom to take effect, I can use that chance to subdue it.'
Tu Xiao'an steeled himself, preparing to strike first and gain the advantage.
But just then, a piercing cry echoed from the sky.
SCREE...!
The sound was incredibly shrill, with a piercing quality that made one's head ache.
Abruptly, both the small, silver-white snake and the Tiger Snake froze. Tu Xiao'an felt an inexplicable wave of heart-pounding fear and instinctively looked up.
His Snake Pupils contracted. A large Eagle was spiraling down from above, its presence so immense it seemed to command the very air.
RUSTLE RUSTLE...
It moved with agility, its wings making a rustling sound as they brushed against the leaves. Its sharp eyes were locked onto them.
'Shit.'
Even Tu Xiao'an couldn't help but curse. He and the Tiger Snake were in a standoff, but before they could even begin their fight, they had unexpectedly attracted an Eagle's attention.
It was no wonder he'd felt a baseless fear upon hearing that shriek.
It turned out he had run into the Snake Race's greatest natural enemy: the Eagle.
In nature, the formless hand of the food chain serves as a constant reminder that predators are everywhere.
All things in the world exist in a balance of creation and destruction; no creature is truly invincible.
Snakes were apex predators in the deep forest. Despite having no limbs, they were among the most terrifying hunters. But there was always a bigger fish. And what was a snake's most feared predator? Without a doubt, it was the lofty Eagle Clan.
For any snake, no matter how venomous, to be exposed in broad daylight under an Eagle's gaze meant that its fate was sealed.
Tu Xiao'an, the little silver-white snake, and the Tiger Snake were now completely exposed. Under the dazzling sunlight, their Snake Skin glittered.
'Damn it! An unexpected interloper has shown up!'
Tu Xiao'an's thoughts were in turmoil. When he came to his senses, he noticed that the eyes of the vicious-looking Tiger Snake nearby also showed signs of unease—a fear that seemed to stem from the very depths of its soul.
SCREE...
The Eagle's descent was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it was upon them, its approach kicking up a fierce gust of wind that sent leaves scattering everywhere.
Tu Xiao'an watched as the Tiger Snake seemed to freeze in terror. A paralyzing sense of danger spread through its body. Its eyes were fixed on the descending Eagle, and for a moment, it seemed to forget to even try to escape.
It might be stunned, but Tu Xiao'an wasn't. He shot backward, completely exposing the two-meter-long Tiger Snake to the Eagle's sharp gaze.
'I'm small, not a big target. If the Eagle has to choose, it definitely won't go for me first.'
Tu Xiao'an made his decision in an instant.
'Would it ignore the big snake to catch the small one? Is it stupid?'
In truth, animals are highly intelligent. This intelligence refers to the ability of non-human creatures to understand, think, and imitate in ways similar to humans.
They just can't live like humans, with complex language and abstract thought. But they can imitate, analyze, and even understand human speech.
If you look at the animal kingdom, you can find many creatures possessing wisdom and talents that humans can only dream of.
Eagles are small but intelligent birds of prey. With their fierce temperament, they are the overlords of the sky, giving off an air of lofty superiority.
Clearly, this Eagle's intelligence was up to par. In an instant, its pitch-black talons, radiating Killing Intent, shot out toward the Tiger Snake.