Chapter 61: The Final Battle Against the King Cobra

Chapter 61: Decisive Battle with the King Cobra

Chu Ye had not really eaten anything yesterday, and could only watch helplessly as the adult male lion devoured that little springhare.

Right now, Chu Ye could feel his stomach rumbling. He desperately wanted to eat this venomous snake, yet he was afraid that its venom might knock him unconscious.

Actually, Chu Ye did not need to worry that the snake's venom could kill him. Although the venom of this species was potent enough to take down an Asian elephant, Chu Ye felt that he was no ordinary lion cub. He possessed an immunity to snake venom. Even if he were to eat this cobra and get poisoned by it, he would not die; at most, he would simply be knocked out.

However, even being knocked out carried significant risks. In this perilous savannah, if an animal were to lose consciousness on the ground, it was very likely to be seized upon and devoured by other predators.

Chu Ye was afraid that if the venom knocked him out, other predators would take the opportunity to kill him.

"Damn it, what should I do? Should I eat this venomous snake or not? This is a rather dangerous thing to do."

Chu Ye hesitated, uncertain whether he should consume the cobra.

Yet, just as Chu Ye was pondering this, the cobra showed no courtesy.

"Hmph, a mere lion cub like you actually wants to contend with me? Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger, and a newborn lion cub is not afraid of a king cobra!"

Watching Chu Ye, the king cobra raised its head. The feather-like skin on its neck flared outward fully, making it look every bit the ferocious venomous snake it was.

"There shouldn't be any problem. This place is so secluded, even if this king cobra does knock me out, no other predators will discover me."

Chu Ye decided that he still wanted to eat this cobra, feeling confident that he could defeat it.

Meanwhile, the cobra did not take Chu Ye seriously at all, assuming the cub would never dare to attack it.

In the world of cobras, whenever they encountered lions, it was always the lions that fled, never the cobras.

Let alone a mere lion cub standing before this snake; even if it were an adult lion, the cobra would not have regarded it with fear.

"Hey kid, why aren't you running away yet? What are you doing here? Do you really want to eat me? You better think carefully—if you eat me, you will be poisoned to death by my venom!"

Seeing the lion cub standing off to the side, staring blankly at him with drool dripping from its mouth in a ravenous display, the king cobra mentally warned Chu Ye not to approach.

Yet Chu Ye had made up his mind to eat this king cobra, and thus, he continued to close the distance.

Although "cobra" and "king cobra" differed by only a single word, giving the impression that they were the same creature, in reality, they were entirely different species.

A cobra was a cobra, and a king cobra was a king cobra. They were two distinct kinds of snakes.

The venom of a king cobra was many times stronger than that of an ordinary cobra. It was called the king cobra precisely because not only was it much larger in size than a regular cobra, but its venom was also far more lethal. Hence, it earned the title of king cobra.

Chu Ye was well aware of how formidable the king cobra before him was, which was why he had hesitated over whether or not to fight it.

If it were just an ordinary venomous snake, Chu Ye probably would have eaten it long ago. But faced with a king cobra, he had paused for a moment.

Still, feeling that his immunity protected him, Chu Ye saw no need to worry about the king cobra's toxicity. Even though its venom was quite strong, it was impossible for it to kill him.

Therefore, Chu Ye decided to challenge the king cobra.

The king cobra never expected that a lion cub would dare to challenge it.

When Chu Ye initiated his attack, the king cobra grew extremely angry.

"Hmph, since you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeiture, fine! Today, I'll let you experience what the venom of a king cobra tastes like."

Thinking this, the king cobra launched its assault against Chu Ye.

When a king cobra first attacks an enemy, it typically resorts to spitting venom.

True to its nature, the king cobra possessed a skill that other venomous snakes lacked: it could eject venom directly from its fangs.

If the king cobra's venom were to hit the eyes of another predator, that predator would likely be blinded.

Whether it was a lion or any other carnivore, if it chose to attack a king cobra rather than immediately retreating, it would encounter a powerful counter-offensive.

The king cobra was never polite to enemies daring to approach it. First, it would raise its head and flare the hood on its neck. Then, it would open its mouth and forcefully shoot venom out through its fangs.

The venom traveled at a very high speed, much like a high-pressure water gun. If an enemy was too close and took the venom straight to the eyes, that predator would be in grave danger.

In the wild, animals could not afford to be injured. Once injured, they were very likely to be preyed upon by others. Even if they escaped being eaten, an injured wild animal could no longer hunt, and failing to find food meant certain starvation.

Consequently, whenever other animals encountered a king cobra, they would steer far clear of it. Even honey badgers sometimes preferred not to provoke such highly venomous snakes.

Yet today, Chu Ye was determined to eat this king cobra; he intended to challenge it head-on.

Naturally, Chu Ye also knew that at the start of a fight, a king cobra would attempt to deter its enemy by spitting venom, hoping to drive the foe away without a physical struggle.

Therefore, seeing Chu Ye advance to attack, the king cobra naturally employed its venom-spitting tactic first.

Fortunately, Chu Ye had been on guard against this very move. As the king cobra prepared to spray its venom, Chu Ye leapt aside, dodging the toxic stream.

Chu Ye's current agility far surpassed that of ordinary lion cubs.

If any other lion cub had encountered a king cobra, it surely would have met its doom, having no inkling of the snake's terrifying capabilities. To dare provoke a king cobra under such ignorance was a death sentence.

Other lion cubs would never anticipate that a king cobra could spit venom. Even if they knew, they could never react quickly enough to dodge when the venom was released.

Only Chu Ye possessed the ability to evade the king cobra's venom spray. Having trained his body extensively, he could effortlessly sidestep the venom shot from the snake's fangs.

Thus, the king cobra's opening tactic failed. Thinking to itself, "Hmph, you little brat, daring to provoke me! I'll use my signature venom-spitting technique on you first. Once I hit your eyes, consider yourself dead!"

Yet to the king cobra's utter astonishment, this particular lion cub was quite extraordinary. It seemed to anticipate the venom attack; the moment the poison was expelled, the cub would agilely leap to the side, effortlessly dodging the strike.

After spitting venom several times in vain, the king cobra ran out of ammunition. Naturally, the venom stored within a king cobra's body was not inexhaustible.

The technique could only be used a few times before the supply was depleted, leaving the snake unable to spray any more venom.

Recognizing this, Chu Ye began his counterattack.

First, he extended his claws, continuously swiping at the king cobra's head. However, the snake was extremely nimble and refused to let Chu Ye easily strike its head.

And so, Chu Ye and the king cobra engaged in fierce combat.

The king cobra still looked down upon Chu Ye, believing the cub was no match for it.

This time, however, the king cobra severely underestimated Chu Ye's strength. How could it know that Chu Ye was no ordinary lion cub, but an extraordinarily formidable one?

As they fought, despite Chu Ye's prowess, it was inevitable that he would be bitten by the king cobra at least once.

Yet Chu Ye's skin was extraordinary—he possessed the hide of a honey badger. Even being bitten by the king cobra posed no major problem, for Chu Ye's skin was exceptionally thick and tough.

Although the king cobra's fangs were very long, when it bit into Chu Ye, they could only penetrate a tiny fraction of an inch, failing to pierce his hide entirely and merely scratching the surface layer.

Initially, the king cobra had rejoiced upon sinking its fangs into Chu Ye, confident that it had injected its lethal venom directly into the cub's system, which would soon cause him to collapse.

"Haha! You brat actually dared to challenge me, a king cobra. This time, I'll make sure you die without even knowing what hit you."

The king cobra was immensely proud, certain that its bite would inevitably poison Chu Ye and render him unconscious on the ground in no time.