chsdbacks Chapter 4 Becoming a Supreme Being by Swallowing Snakes
Chapter 4 Becoming a Supreme Being by Swallowing Snakes
Zhao Chen curled up deep in the crevice of the rock, as if a scorching fire was burning in his stomach.
The energy from these three snake eggs was far more ferocious than that of the beetles and lizards they had previously devoured. Wave after wave of heat surged from the depths of their stomachs, flowing through their meridians to their limbs and bones, permeating every bone and muscle, and even slowly spreading into the depths of their minds.
pain.
This is the sharp pain of bones stretching and flesh being reconstructed.
Yet, amidst this pain, there was also a sense of exhilarating pleasure.
Zhao Chen could clearly sense that his body was transforming at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The old feathers were falling off in a flurry, and new feathers were growing back in a very short time. The new feathers were jet black, harder and tougher, and their whole bodies shimmered with a faint metallic sheen. The claws were itchy and itch, and the bones and nails were growing wildly. The claw tips were becoming more and more curved and sharper, like hooks forged from refined iron.
The most noticeable change was in his mind. A cool sensation, more intense and pure than ever before, like a clear spring, gently washed and nourished his soul. His consciousness became clearer than ever before, and his spiritual perception expanded outward continuously—
Ten zhang, fifteen zhang, twenty zhang, twenty-five zhang, thirty zhang!
When his senses finally stabilized at thirty feet, Zhao Chen slowly opened his eyes.
Although the sky outside the crevice was still gray and black, everything in his eyes began to become crystal clear. Within thirty feet, under a rock, several small insects were slowly crawling, and Zhao Chen could clearly hear even the movement of their antennae.
"This is... what it feels like to become stronger."
He looked down at himself.
It was nearly half again as big as before, its wings were as black as ink, and its claws were as sharp as iron hooks. It tried to grab the rocks beside it with its claws, and with a "whoosh", the rocks tumbled down, leaving a deep, visible claw mark on the surface of the rocks.
"It's time to settle the score with that snake."
-
Zhao Chen flew out of the crevice and spread his wings.
By now, his wingspan was nearly four feet, more than twice as wide as when he first entered the mountains. He hovered slowly in the air, his spiritual senses sweeping across the surroundings, and he quickly locked onto his target.
The enormous, jet-black serpent was coiled on a giant rock beside its lair, emanating a violent and furious aura. Having lost its eggs, it was clearly in a state of extreme frenzy. Within a radius of several feet, not even a small insect could be seen, all frightened away by its malevolent energy.
Zhao Chen did not approach rashly.
Instead, it landed on a higher rock in the distance and began to observe calmly.
The giant snake was larger than I remembered, nearly three zhang long, its jet-black scales gleaming with a cold, eerie light. Its triangular head was held high, its scarlet tongue flicking in and out, its icy vertical pupils filled with vigilance and ferocity.
"A head-on confrontation is still somewhat dangerous."
Zhao Chen knew this in his heart.
Even though his strength has greatly increased, the giant serpent's overall combat power still surpasses his. He must use his advantages—his agile flight and his superior senses—to deal with it.
Zhao Chen began to slowly circle around the giant snake, occasionally letting out a few piercing shrieks to attract its attention.
The giant snake was indeed enraged, its body leaping out repeatedly, its gaping maw lunging at the dark shadow in the air, but Zhao Chen easily dodged each time. Taking advantage of the terrain, Zhao Chen lured it into a complex area full of jagged rocks.
And so, the crow and the snake began a long and patient chase along the edge of the mountain range.
-
An hour slowly passed, and the giant snake's strength began to decline noticeably.
Despite its power, it was not a creature adept at prolonged battles. The continuous attacks exhausted its stamina, its movements became increasingly sluggish, and its breathing began to become heavy.
This was the moment Zhao Chen had been waiting for. As the giant serpent missed its target once more, in that brief moment of respite, Zhao Chen abruptly folded his wings and, like a black lightning bolt, swooped down!
The target was not the snake's head, but the seven-inch mark on its body—the most vulnerable and fatal spot on a snake's body.
"Gah—!"
Its claws dug deep into the gaps in the giant snake's scales, and its beak, like an iron cone, frantically pecked at the same spot.
The hard scales began to crack, and blood gushed out. The giant snake hissed in pain, its body writhing and twisting wildly on the ground, trying to shake off its enemy. But Zhao Chen's claws were already deeply embedded in the flesh, unmoving.
The snake's tail swept across and struck Zhao Chen hard.
"Bang!"
A piercing pain shot through him, as if his bones had been shattered by the blow. But Zhao Chen gritted his teeth and continued his relentless attack, pecking wildly.
After an unknown number of attempts, the giant snake's struggles gradually slowed down, its massive body went limp on the ground, and its cold, vertical pupils gradually lost their last luster.
Zhao Chen fell from the snake's body and landed heavily on the ground, panting heavily, his body covered in blood—some of his own, and some of the giant snake's.
But he smiled.
He won.
-
The process of devouring the giant snake lasted a full day.
He slowly swallowed the three-zhang-long giant snake's body, bit by bit. With each piece of flesh he swallowed, a massive amount of warm energy surged into his body, the energy so vast it almost burst his flesh.
Zhao Chen had to stop time and time again to digest the energy, restore his physical body, and then continue to devour it.
By the time Zhao Chen swallowed the last piece of snake meat, his body had already undergone a tremendous transformation.
Its body length has increased to over two feet, and its wingspan is nearly five feet. Its feathers are as black as ink, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen in the light; its claws are like iron hooks, capable of leaving deep dents in rocks with a light grip; its beak is incredibly hard, with a faint dark golden luster at the edges.
But the changes go far beyond that.
In the process of devouring the giant serpent, he absorbed some of the serpent's innate traits.
He did not grow scales, but his feathers became stronger and his sense of danger became more acute.
Most importantly, the poison resistance has been greatly improved.
This giant snake itself is not venomous, but it has devoured many venomous creatures throughout its life, and its body contains countless antibodies against toxins. These antibodies have now become part of Zhao Chen's body.
Zhao Chen's soul perception range expanded to fifty zhang. Within fifty zhang, no rustling of the wind, the chirping of insects, or the roar of beasts could escape his perception.
Standing atop the giant rock where the serpent once coiled, Zhao Chen surveyed the entire mountain range.
"What other competitors might emerge in this region?"
Spreading his wings, Zhao Chen let out a long howl.
The howling sound pierced through valleys and mountains, shaking all directions and startling countless creatures hiding in the darkness.
-
In the days that followed, Zhao Chen made the edge of this mountain range his activity area.
He continued hunting, continued devouring, and continued growing stronger. The creatures that once frightened him had now become his sustenance.
A giant python? It swallowed.
Monitor lizard? Swallow.
A giant eagle? It swallowed.
Each time it devours something, its strength increases by one point; each time it devours something, its soul perception expands by one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters).
On this dead star, he had long since lost track of time, sensing only the saturation of energy within his body to indicate the stage of life.
By the time he had hunted down all the creatures in the area, Zhao Chen was already over three feet long and had a wingspan of over seven feet.
Its feathers are as black as iron, its claws are as sharp as blades, and its beak shimmers with dark gold.
The soul's perception covers an area of hundreds of feet.
He is the undisputed overlord of this area.
But Zhao Chen's eyes showed no satisfaction.
He stood atop the highest peak, gazing into the depths of the mountains, where there were even higher, more treacherous peaks, deeper canyons, more terrifying beasts, and more extreme power.
That is his ladder to greater heights.
Zhao Chen spread his jet-black wings, leaped into the air, and transformed into a black shadow, resolutely flying deeper into the mountains.