The seeds of the Xun Grass resembled wheat spikes, but much smaller in size, with a total of 32 grains per spike. Following the strategy set, on the second day, the lowest end of the spike no longer emitted a halo at night, signaling its maturity. Acting according to plan, Banbu didn't disturb the mature seed, ceasing to use the fragrance of the Osmanthus Ching defense circle.

Xiahan arrogantly settled in front of Banbu's den, making it a permanent residence, not rushing to attack the mature seeds. One day later, three more seeds matured successively, but Xiahan still refused to strike. Obviously, it was waiting, waiting for all the seeds to ripen before devouring them in one go.

Just as the inherited memories described, Xiahan was a voracious beast.

"The more you eat, the more miserable you die!" Banbu cursed vehemently.

Crouching quietly at the entrance of the den, Banbu waited anxiously.

Suddenly, in the darkness, a black-gray figure sprang out, pouncing on Xiahan without warning.

A cat?

The sudden eruption of the battle caught even the stealthy Banbu off guard.

The Marbled Cat.

Identifying the attacker from the inherited memories, Banbu recognized the sudden assailant.

The situation of the battle tilted completely to one side. The petite Marbled Cat, with arched back and raised tail, fierce in appearance, moved like lightning, leaving bloody scratches on Xiahan's body with relentless claws.

Compared to the massive Xiahan, the Marbled Cat was like a nimble dancer, while Xiahan curled up, enduring the blows like a sandbag, unable to retaliate, not because it didn't want to but because the opponent's movements were too fast to lock onto.

The one-sided beating came to a halt after a while.

The Marbled Cat finished its whole set of martial arts moves, probably feeling a bit tired, and retreated to a safe position, vigilantly watching the battered Xiahan.

Xiahan, with its head tucked in, remained motionless, seemingly lifeless.

The Marbled Cat didn't dare to relax in the slightest, taking a brief rest before starting to circle around Xiahan, as if searching for a fatal weak point.

Banbu witnessed the whole process, realizing that Xiahan's tough skin made the Marbled Cat's seemingly fierce attacks merely superficial wounds.

On the contrary, once Xiahan struck, a single blow would surely be fatal to the Marbled Cat.

The Marbled Cat, being an experienced hunter, understood the nuances, so it suddenly stopped, changed tactics, and began circling around Xiahan. After more than a dozen circles, finding that Xiahan still wouldn't expose itself, and unable to find any other weak points, it eventually lost patience and lunged forward, biting onto Xiahan's exposed tail.

The tail seemed like bait, or perhaps a locator.

The coiled Xiahan suddenly extended its head, shooting out like an arrow, jaws open, biting towards the Marbled Cat.

However, the Marbled Cat was not careless but had premeditated baiting. With a sudden spring of its tense body, it leaped high, evading the fatal attack, while simultaneously wielding its claws, attempting to grab Xiahan's neck, but slightly slower, missing the target.

This time, the Marbled Cat's attack was full force, leaving three deep bleeding scratches on the python's body.

Banbu marveled at the spectacle; the primal combat of natural creatures could be so thrilling.

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The agile yet frail Marbled Cat, the strong but clumsy Xiahan, one cat, one snake, each playing to its strengths, not just fighting bravely but also with cunning, trying to capitalize on strengths and weaknesses, attempting to give the opponent a fatal blow.

Xiahan quickly coiled its body into a defensive stance.

The Marbled Cat continued to circle Xiahan, not rushing to attack, wearing down its patience.

Coiled into a circle, Xiahan refused to expose itself.

Banbu noticed that the wounds on Xiahan's scales quickly dried up after bleeding, not wasting a drop of blood. Its robust healing ability seemed to be a necessary skill for all cold-blooded animals.

The outcome of this battle could now be preliminarily judged.

A test of endurance? Cold-blooded animals often excel at that.

Xiahan remained motionless for two full days before the Xun Grass seeds matured.

But the Marbled Cat couldn't bear it. After circling for more than ten rounds, it couldn't resist the urge to provoke, repeating its sudden pounce, trying to bite Xiahan's exposed tail.

In a showdown between experts, repeating the same move is the most taboo.

This time, Xiahan was prepared. As the Marbled Cat bit its tail, Xiahan suddenly pulled back, like fishing, pulling the Marbled Cat towards it. Simultaneously, it raised its head high, opening its jaws wide, but didn't attack immediately.

The Marbled Cat, thrown off balance by the pull, panicked, bouncing high, trying to escape the fatal attack. But Xiahan's raised head locked onto it, then struck like lightning.

The Marbled Cat let out a cry of agony, sounding like a wailing baby.

Xiahan bit the Marbled Cat, quickly constricting its body, entwining and suffocating it.

Watching from the nest entrance, Banbu could even faintly hear the sound of bones being crushed by tremendous force.

The battle ended.

Xiahan, looking a bit weary, swallowed the Marbled Cat, its belly swelling.

A rare hearty meal.

But the victory of the perilous battle made it lose its vigilance.

It became careless, eating too much.

With its bloated belly, it could no longer coil and move as swiftly, lying flat instead, its movements sluggish.

Seeing this scene, Banbu couldn't contain his joy.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. No, it's the python hunting the cat, with the cockroach behind."

Xiahan never expected that the tiny cockroach hiding at the entrance of the den would dare to attack it.

Why is the seven-inch of the python its weak point? Because it's slender, with fewer muscles, and concentrated nerves, it's a "dead spot." Moreover, from an attacking angle, it's precisely the "blind spot" that both ends cannot cover.

Banbu circled the black giant stone for a long time, coming behind Xiahan, quietly approaching, then suddenly flapped its wings and landed on the seven-inch position.

Using all six limbs, four hind legs grabbed firmly, two front limbs with sharp toes cut horizontally.

With a single toe, it pierced through the snake scales, slid back with force, slicing through the muscles, then horizontally cut, all the muscles were split, touching the snake bones, injuring the nerves...

Xiahan felt pain, thrashing violently, but the bloated belly severely hindered its movements.

The wound was too narrow to be fatal. Banbu wasn't in a hurry, its front toes embedded in the muscles, stabilizing its posture, allowing it to struggle.

After struggling for a while, Xiahan grew weaker, stopping its frantic movements.

Banbu continued to cut, enlarging the wound length.

Xiahan sensed something was amiss and thrashed desperately. Banbu promptly ceased its actions, prioritizing ensuring it wasn't shaken off. A large amount of bright red blood flowed outward along the wound, the vigorous struggling accelerating its heartbeat, and causing the cold-blooded animal's natural wound healing ability to fail, worsening the injury.

Xiahan quickly weakened, this time not from the vigorous struggling but from the fatal weakness caused by excessive blood loss. Unwilling to die, it began to swim desperately towards the direction of the water pool where it sought refuge.

Banbu immediately wielded its forelimbs, continuing to cut and enlarge the wound. Soon, half of Xiahan's neck was cut open, muscles twisted, blood streaming. Xiahan's mind seemed to lose control of its body, abruptly ceasing its serpentine swimming, slowly curling up, its tail instinctively swaying from side to side. Its jaws opened 180 degrees, seemingly unwilling to let go of the despicable assailant.

As a novelist from the United States, I'd phrase it like this:

Xiahan's instincts screamed danger as it thrashed about in a desperate attempt to break free. Banbu, quick on its feet, halted its actions, prioritizing its own safety to prevent Xiahan from shaking it off. The wound gushed with crimson blood, the violent struggle not only quickening Xiahan's heartbeat but also thwarting its cold-blooded ability to heal, worsening its condition.

With each passing moment, Xiahan grew weaker, not from exertion this time but from the fatal loss of blood. Driven by sheer determination to survive, it made a frantic dash towards the nearby water pool, its sanctuary.

But Banbu wasn't about to let up. With a swift motion, it continued to widen the wound, slicing through flesh and sinew with precision. Soon, Xiahan's neck lay split open, a cascade of blood painting the scene in crimson. Xiahan's movements became erratic, its body losing control, as it curled up, its tail lashing from side to side, jaws gaping wide in a final act of defiance against its treacherous assailant.