The other snakes didn't dare to get close. Tu Xiao'an had no choice but to risk it himself, cautiously slithering over. If the Eagle moved even an inch, he would retreat in a flash.
But clearly, Tu Xiao'an was being overly cautious. The fallen Eagle hadn't moved at all.
After a long moment, Tu Xiao'an's Snake Pupils brightened. The Eagle really had been killed by his venom.
'Is my venom really that awesome?'
In truth, Tu Xiao'an didn't know that his fangs, having undergone two extra enhancements, were already comparable to those of a rare adult venomous snake. A rare venomous snake could easily poison an adult human to death with a single bite, let alone an Eagle.
It was just a matter of how long the venom took to take effect.
'Haha, if I devour this Eagle, how much Energy Value will I get?'
Tu Xiao'an was thrilled, feeling as if he had just won the lottery.
'This Eagle is so big. How am I supposed to swallow it?'
It was the same frustrating problem. A small snake, a mere 70 centimeters long, could only stare helplessly when faced with a slightly larger creature.
But Tu Xiao'an had been human, after all, and knew how to think outside the box. He proceeded to use his sharp fangs to tear the Eagle's body to pieces.
It was practically drawing and quartering. The scene was incredibly brutal, like something out of a butcher's shop.
Then, he began Devouring it, piece by piece.
Each piece that entered his stomach immediately transformed into a large amount of Energy Value.
「Ten minutes later.」
"Ding... Congratulations, Host, for Devouring a Level 13 Goshawk. You have obtained 1500 Energy Value."
'Holy crap, I've really struck it rich.'
The system's emotionless voice, appearing at that moment, was like a refreshing spring.
'No wonder I couldn't scan it. Turns out this Eagle was Level 13. A small bird of prey, but a fierce one indeed. So strong.'
'Right, the Tiger Snake!'
Although the Tiger Snake had survived the ordeal, it had been clawed by the Eagle. It was covered in blood, as if half its Life Force had been drained away, and lay limply on the ground like a Dead Snake.
'This half-dead Tiger Snake is the perfect opportunity for me.'
'That Eagle really did me a huge favor.'
'Not only did it seriously injure the Tiger Snake for me, it even offered itself up. What a great Eagle.'
Tu Xiao'an's Snake Pupils contracted. He stared intently at the Tiger Snake, his eyes narrowing as a Formless Spiritual Power enveloped its body.
'Submit to me!'
The projection of his Divine Sense made the half-dead Tiger Snake struggle as if in a last burst of life. Its eyes filled with terror, as if it had encountered something horrifying.
'It still has the strength to resist?'
Tu Xiao'an frowned. 'As expected of a snake two levels higher than me. Normally, I would never have been able to subdue this Tiger Snake.'
But things were different now. The Tiger Snake was heavily injured and its Life Force was weak, allowing him to take advantage of the situation.
However, it seemed that taking advantage of the situation wasn't going to be so easy.
'Submit!' he commanded again.
His Spiritual Power solidified, enveloping the Tiger Snake with its full force. The very air around the Tiger Snake began to ripple.
HISS...!
It was still struggling, but blood flowed wantonly from its wounds. Finally, with a mournful cry, the Tiger Snake suddenly vanished without a trace.
*Phew...!*
'Haha, success!'
"Ding... Congratulations, Host, for subduing a Level 5 rare Snake Species, Tiger Snake. You have obtained 300 Energy Value."
'This trip into the mountains was so worth it. With the Energy Value I've accumulated, leveling up twice shouldn't be a problem.'
Tu Xiao'an wasn't in a hurry to evolve. He glanced at the throng of snakes he had summoned earlier, picked out a few venomous ones of good quality, and stored them in the system.
'Time to go home. The harvest is more than enough.'
「An hour later」, Tu Xiao'an appeared in his own backyard. Xiaobai was lying listlessly in front of his doghouse. The moment he saw the small, silver-white snake slithering down from the woods on the back mountain, he immediately tensed up as if facing a great enemy.
'Stupid dog, can't even recognize your master.'
Tu Xiao'an cursed with a silent laugh. Without any ceremony, he zipped straight into the doghouse.
WHIMPER...
Xiaobai whimpered. 'What the hell is with this damn snake? It's taking over my doghouse again!'
He brought up his data.
Host: Tu Xiao'an!
Identity: House Snake (70cm!)
Evolutionary Energy Value: 3100/1000.
Talent 1: Devouring
Talent 2: dominance ability.
Pet Box: Level 1 Mosquito (398), Level 1 Young Black Mamba, Level 5 Tiger Snake, assorted snakes (a pile).
'System, I want to level up.'
'My Energy Value has shot up to over three thousand. If I don't level up now, when will I?'
Suddenly, the small, silver-white snake was enveloped in a brilliant light, so bright that Xiaobai couldn't even open his eyes.
Xiaobai stared dumbfounded at the snake occupying his doghouse. 'Why is it glowing again? It looks so... holy.'
Immediately after, Xiaobai discovered that the light actually made him feel incredibly comfortable and warm. He couldn't help but stick his head in, trying to get a little closer.
Bathed in light, the 70cm snake once again shot up in size, growing to 80cm. The stripes on its body shimmered with a translucent, crystalline luster.
"Additional enhancement option available."
"Speed."
This time, Tu Xiao'an surprisingly didn't choose to enhance his fangs. He felt that since his venom had been enough to take down an Eagle, it was sufficient for now. He decided to enhance his speed first.
A snake's speed is crucial. Only by combining speed with fangs could he be truly invincible.
After all, only if you were fast enough to catch your enemy off guard could you sink your fangs into them.
Tu Xiao'an was engrossed in his evolution, completely unaware that the dumb dog was benefiting from it. Bathed in the light, the scraggly fur on the dumb dog, Xiaobai, became glossy, as if draped in smooth silk. Its mottled colors faded, and its little tail wagged so excitedly it nearly pointed to the sky.
Its eyes began to shine like a pair of Luminous Pearls.
Evolutionary Energy Value: 2100/2000.
'I can evolve again! This is great! I can reach Level 5 all at once.'
Tu Xiao'an opened his eyes and said, 'System, I want to level up.'
The light around the silver-white snake had just faded, and Xiaobai was already missing it. He could clearly feel the changes in his own body. 'If only the light could have lasted longer,' he thought.
In an instant, the light flared up again, even brighter than before. Xiaobai pressed himself almost completely against Tu Xiao'an, basking in the light's warm embrace.
Tu Xiao'an had no time to deal with the dumb dog. He realized that this time, the light was incredibly powerful, and his body was undergoing a world-shaking transformation.
His body was expanding, his fangs grew sharper and more pointed. Then, there was a deafening BOOM in his mind, as if someone had struck him hard with a hammer.
Grow, grow, grow! The silver-white snake was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye, the stripes on its Snake Skin glittering.
Immersed in the light, Tu Xiao'an noted the obvious changes to his outer body. He also discovered that the power of his Divine Sense had skyrocketed.
This change made him ecstatic. He could clearly feel that this upgrade had transformed his once-fragile body into something tough and sharp. He even had a feeling that he could now withstand being hit with a rock.
His seemingly soft body now possessed astonishing defensive power.
His enhanced fangs could now shatter a solid rock, and his venom was even more potent.
Every time he leveled up, he became much stronger, but this jump to Level 5 was especially astonishing.
After the light faded, a one-meter-long, silver-white snake appeared. It didn't look ferocious or scary; instead, it was exceptionally beautiful.
"Ding... Congratulations, Host, for reaching Level 5. You have received one random lottery draw opportunity."
Note: The Host will receive one random lottery draw opportunity every five levels.
'Huh?'
'A lottery draw? What can I get from it?'