What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

In a place not far away, a vibrant green snake fixed its unblinking gaze upon itself, its pink tongue flicking in and out in a threatening display, baring its sharp, venomous fangs. After a long standoff, it seemed to abandon its aggressive intent, its green tail flicking like a fish as it swiftly vanished into the forest.

Ji Yuebai, already at the end of her strength, swayed, her fingers slipping from her sword. As her hanging breath dissipated, blood continued to seep from her wound, draining the color from her thin lips.

The pressure she had just exerted was meant to intimidate the demon beasts of the mountain, to prevent her healing from being disrupted. On this Xiao Cang Mountain, there were no high-level demon beasts, only those newly sentient, still beholden to their animal instincts, who would flee from the aura of a more powerful being. She hadn’t expected a fearless demon snake to intrude, unafraid of her aura, attempting to attack.

It was well known that the bodies of high-tier human cultivators were nourishment to lower-tier demon beasts. Consuming a cultivator rich in spiritual energy could even enable these beasts to break through their transformation barrier. This was why many creatures dared to attack human cultivators, despite their fear.

Normally, such a low-tier demon snake would be easily dispatched by Ji Yuebai without even needing her sword, simply using her intangible spiritual energy. However, now she could only rely on bluster to scare it away.

Ji Yuebai frowned slightly, thinking that once her injuries improved slightly, she would clear out the troublesome creatures on this mountain.

The black night was cleansed by the moonlight, the dense essence of the moon spilling like honey from an overflowing jar. The Imperial Essence began to flow.

Taking advantage of the spiritual energy of the spiritual spring, Ji Yuebai opened her meridians to absorb the imperial essence and heal her injuries. She submerged herself in the spiritual spring in a meditative posture.

Soon after, the vibrant green snake from earlier peeked out from the forest again, its pitch-black eyes gleaming cunningly in the moonlight as it locked eyes with Ji Yuebai in the spiritual spring from afar.

Realizing the Imperial Essence had begun to flow, Xu Nian hurriedly coiled its tail around some spiritual herbs and swam towards the human in the pool. To prevent the herbs from getting wet, it struggled to keep its tail raised throughout the journey.

Arriving in front of her, the snake raised its tail high, as if to say, “I mean to help you heal, not to harm you.”

Unsure if Ji Yuebai understood her intentions, there was no further movement. Those beautiful eyes were just staring unwaveringly at Xu Nian.

Xu Nian tilted its little head, guessing at her thoughts, and then had a sudden realization: “She must be injured and unable to move, and wants my help to apply the medicine.”

Ji Yuebai feared that the demon snake had already discovered the severity of her injuries.

Unable to use her spiritual energy, Ji Yuebai was already dividing her consciousness, one part absorbing spiritual energy, the other transforming the Imperial Essence to heal. Her own spiritual energy was depleted from the previous battle, and forcefully exerting it against the snake might lead to dire consequences.

In the darkness of the night, the herbs on Xu Nian’s tail blended with its vibrant green body, making its display hardly noticeable.

Without a response from Ji Yuebai, the snake assumed her silence as consent.

Pleased with itself, it thought, “Once I’ve helped this person, I’ll stay and absorb the imperial essence with her. She surely won’t drive me away then.”

So, it gently coiled around her waist, the soft belly of the snake feeling the warmth of her body through the thin clothing, clearly noticing her body’s slight shiver.

Xu Nian, the little green snake, couldn’t help but wonder, “Do even powerful humans fear snakes?”

Ji Yuebai, who had always loathed demon beasts, watched with wide eyes as the vibrant little green snake slid across the water towards her. The snake’s cool body touched her skin, little by little, slowly and irritatingly coiling around her waist.

Ji Yuebai’s robe, woven from high-grade Ice Blade Spider Silk, combining both thinness and defensive properties, a rare and valuable magical artifact. Yet, in this moment, the thin fabric failed to mask the tingling sensation emanating from her waist and abdomen. The cool, soft touch of the snake, rhythmically tightening as it climbed her body, was unnerving.

Ji Yuebai’s slender fingers curled up, her nails digging into her palms, her hands turning white from the force, yet she couldn’t suppress the trembling caused by exerting too much strength. A voice in her heart was frantically screaming:

— Kill it, kill it, kill it!

Ji Yuebai’s injury was on her shoulder, and Xu Nian exerted extra care while climbing, fearing an accidental touch might upset her. After a struggle, the snake reached her chest, but its tail, carrying the medicine, couldn’t reach the wound. Anxious, Xu Nian’s forked tongue flicked in and out uncontrollably.

If she delayed any longer, the once-in-sixty-years opportunity to absorb the Imperial Essence would pass.

Ji Yuebai calmed herself, waiting for an opportunity, a moment when the snake would attack. She planned to strike back without using her spiritual energy, using a disposable talisman from her storage bag to target its weak spot in a lethal blow.

However, the behavior of the green snake defied her expectations. It never showed any sign of aggression. Instead, its movements became bolder. The cool head of the snake quietly nestled against her shoulder, while its tail cleverly hooked around her arm, rendering her immobile.

In the next second, the pink tongue of the snake suddenly brushed against her earlobe, as smooth and delicate as pearls.

Ji Yuebai felt as if struck by lightning, experiencing a sensation she had never felt before, causing her entire body to stiffen.