The Lesser Venom Wyrm left behind the Snakes, allowing them to chomp down the Hawk's remains that she already cleared of venom.

  Though she could influence them, she was not like the Lesser Wyrm; the Lingshou Forest is not sufficient for her, and after she dealt with the remaining Spirit Beasts, she did not intend to remain.

  Sun Yuying knew there was a reason the Spirit Beasts remained here: in the broader world, there were far more dangers and competition for resources.

  The five Spirit Beasts preferred to be the big fish in a small pond, utilising their long lifespans to have steady growth in the confines of a Forest that barely sustained them.

  The Lesser Venom Wyrm did not desire that.

  However, she also knew that First Realm Spirit Beasts were usually the subordinates of stronger beasts and were hunted and viewed as resources by human cultivators.

  They were not strong enough to walk around the world unhindered. Even the Iron Willow Dynasty, despite being a relatively weak human kingdom, held comparably strong cultivators, and they would not tolerate Spirit Beasts running amok in their lands.

  The outside world was exceedingly treacherous to Spirit Beasts, yet Sun Yuying would not shrink away; after all, risks were necessary to advance.

  If she had taken no risks, she would not be a Lesser Venom Wyrm now. Instead, taking the first evolution opportunity would mean she would become a Mutated Common krait and, as a result, would be weaker than the five Spirit Beasts.

  The Lesser Wyrm might have devoured me instead if I evolved at the first opportunity. I never taken a step back before, why should I begin now?

  She was ready to move on from Lingshou Forest and explore the wider world, and the Lesser Venom Wyrm felt her instincts and blood stir.

  She felt a deep, found curiosity about the wonders of the wider world.

  If Lingshou Forest is viewed as ordinary, then what of the larger, more exceptional areas in the world?

  The Lesser Venom Wyrm held deep ambitions. She was born as a small Common krait and had grown so much in such a short time; she felt eager to see how far she could push the evolution of her species.

  I need to find that Hawk before it finds me.

  She was wary of the Razorwind Chlorohawk; it was remarkably fast and agile, able to strike with sharp, lethal talons in the blink of an eye. It also exerted an influence on the surrounding plants, able to pass through the dense Forest unheeded.

  It was a rather bizarre sight seeing such a large avian species get around a Rainforest like that. Razorwind Chlorohawk seemed to hold multiple abilities that allowed it to do so, yet she was curious if it was Qi-intensive, as such skills had to have a high cost, especially for a Spirit Beast in the First Realm.

  The Lesser Venom Wyrm already devised a plan to slay the Hawk; she knew it must be near here, and she began to see variants of its species, smaller green feathered hawks that dived annoyingly at her.

  She felt they must be affected by Razorwind Chlorohawk's hostility, as the birds were near-suicidal in their pursuit of her.

  The Lesser Venom Wyrm felt drawn to the areas where the Hawk presence increased.

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  Sun Yuying heard the birds' loud chirps.

  Large bird nests were in the trees, where she found herself slithering upwards to a higher point in the Forest, where the elevation was at its highest, until she found a large meadowy area filled with overgrown mosses, ferns, and pretty wild flowers.

  She had moved farther than ever before in the Forest in search of the Hawk, and felt she had found it when she heard the sharp cries high above; it seemed the Razorwind Chlorohawk was near.

  The air abruptly swooshed, and the Razorwind Chlorohawk dived its talons aimed to kill, yet she was prepared this time. The giant Hawk tried to pin her head, and it was exceedingly dangerous; its talons raked against her, positioning itself away from her head, preventing her from giving it a lethal dose of venom.

  Razorwind Chlorohawk projected its speech to her.

  You will die! We will feast!

  The Lesser Venom Wyrm snickered as she felt the Giant Hawk increase the strength of its talons as it tried to dig them into her vital points. She was physically stronger than the Hawk; she just needed it to overcommit and expose itself. The avian was swift and hard to pin down in the air; she needed to take it down quickly.

  To her shock, she realised the Razorwind Chlorohawk was far more aggressive than it was last time, yet it was at risk too.

  Though the initial strike from the Hawk was dangerous, it failed to do meaningful damage or lock her in place. Brutally, the Lesser Venom Wyrm utilised her large, serpentine body to push back the Hawk, exposing it for her to begin coiling around it.

  The Razorwind Chlorohawk flailed in panic, and the tables turned instantly. The Hawk had failed to immobilise her adequately and had grown greedy and overly ambitious, going for the kill instead of making a hasty retreat. This allowed her to trap and constrict it.

  Despite the precarious situation, the Hawk spoke condescendingly.

  You are trapped! You think we will come alone

  After the Hawk words, the Lesser Venom Wyrm looked around with caution; there was only one other beast left that the Hawk would have much confidence in.

  Yet, despite her best efforts, she failed to find it, and in a hurried motion, sank her fangs into the Hawk as she began to pour deep doses of venom.

  Her strength was higher than ever. The Steel Bones trait made her even stronger than before. The Crushing Steel-Bone Crocodile held many strong characteristics, yet it seemed the system enabled her to extract the strongest trait of a compatible species

  The Hawk seemed to despair as it felt itself weaken, its talons still raking and futilely gripping her. It spoke desperately.

  Betrayal! Made assurances! You hide!

  She felt the Hawk's sheer emotions and an abrupt, stinking sense of danger.

  In the blink of an eye, she felt her vision grow foggy, and the meadows grew silent. She felt a large claw buried deep in a vital area, trying to rip her head off.

  A deep guttural roar sounded, and a powerful, unknown voice filled her mind.

  You have done excellently! To play such a key role in my advancement! Despite being the strongest, I would never be able to do this for myself. I was sent to rule this place, keep it for the humans. They gave me that false title, The Beast King of Lingshou Forest. What a travesty! I wouldn’t have been able to get around the restrictions, so I must thank you. The Whispering Spirit Beast Pavilion will be near soon; they will send their promising disciples to control us five! To tame us, that is their way! That is the purpose of Lingshou Forest, yet why am I telling you this? I suppose it is boring, having nothing but foolish beasts who believe they remain in this constrained place by choice was a burden… anyways have a good death little serpent, I wish we could have met in more favourable circumstances.

  The Lesser Venom Wyrm felt deep desperation at that point. The claws of the Tiger dug into her vitals, ignoring her flesh and defences like nothing. She only remained alive due to its overly talkative nature, yet at this time, her fangs that pierced the Razorwind Chlorohawk gave her a lifeline.

  She felt the core of the beast and knew that a burst of Spiritual Energy was the only thing that could save her now.

  Her serpentine tongue reached towards it, she pushed her fang to pierce it and felt it drain into her body.

  You have consumed Peak First Realm, Refinement, Razorwind Chlorohawk Spirit Core, gaining +800 Spiritual Energy.

  And that time, she felt a wave of energy begin to fill her, and the crushed core melted into her mouth; her wounds healed, and her vision grew clear. The Void-Striped Emerald Tiger, the so-called Beast King of Lingshou Forest, will pay for its actions.