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

It’s often said that snakes are naturally lustful, and demon snakes even more so. Ji Yuebai could no longer endure this great humiliation. Even if it drove her mad, she attempted to channel her spiritual energy into her sword, which started to shimmer with a brilliant glow at her waist.

At that moment, Xu Nian finally managed to carefully place the spiritual medicine she had been guarding onto Ji Yuebai’s wound.

Ji Yuebai felt a cool sensation at the site of her injury, the pain rapidly dissipating. She then felt the itchiness of her skin and flesh regenerating. Incredulous, she looked towards the little green snake.

Its tail was indeed applying the spiritual herb to her wound.

It was actually trying to save her.

Ji Yuebai’s rising spiritual energy gradually calmed, and the light emanating from the sword at her waist dimmed, her murderous intent slowly receding.

Unaware of how close she had come to death, Xu Nian used vines and leaves from the mountain to bandage the spiritual medicine and Ji Yuebai together. After finishing, she instinctively wiped her forehead with her tail as if to remove non-existent sweat, then realized she was a cold-blooded creature without any sweat.

Thinking this, she flicked her tongue out in annoyance, accidentally touching something soft. In the dark, Xu Nian looked up and realized she had unknowingly curled up under Ji Yuebai’s arm, their eyes almost meeting. Ji Yuebai’s long eyelashes shadowed her gaze in the night, as she watched Xu Nian with clear, focused eyes.

Xu Nian noticed that Ji Yuebai’s complexion had changed from pale to a flush of pink.

Realizing something, perhaps she had coiled too tightly around her in her haste, restricting her breathing, Xu Nian immediately loosened her grip, allowing herself to fall into the water.

For a moment, Ji Yuebai’s felt a mix of emotions as she watched the green snake tilt its head upwards, its pink tongue flicking in and out in a clear gesture of longing, seemingly yearning for the Imperial Essence in the sky.

Then, the snake, unabashedly in her presence, moved a little further away and adopted a demon beast’s cultivation pose, beginning to cultivate in the spiritual spring, gulping down the Imperial Essence from the sky.

In all her years of cultivation, Ji Yuebai had never seen such a creature. It neither fled nor attacked, but instead actively helped her. Other demon beasts were either intimidated by her aura and fled, or, overcome by greed, attempted to challenge her.

Her master had once said that all demonic creatures were inherently evil and should be unconditionally eradicated.

But this green snake seemed not to be evil at all.

Ji Yuebai’s wound had scabbed over thanks to the spiritual medicine. Now, she just needed to absorb the Imperial Essence in the spiritual spring to replenish the spiritual energy depleted in the great battle.

Xu Nian, on the other hand, was completely immersed in her cultivation. It wasn’t that she was carefree, but she believed that since the human hadn’t attacked her at first, she must be a good person. . Xu Nian had also helped her heal, reasoning that any decent human would appreciate that.

Additionally, this human was so beautiful, she couldn’t possibly commit such a morally corrupt act.

The horizon was lighting up with the first pale light of dawn, and the morning dew dampened the snake’s body.

Xu Nian came out of her meditative state, having absorbed and transformed most of the previous night’s Imperial Essence. Her cultivation and strength had noticeably improved, and she felt that if she were to duel with the White Tiger and the others in a duel, she might now have an even chance.

Xu Nian happily swished her tail.

But her joy was short-lived. Suddenly, a frost-laden sword was pointed at her vital spot, its coldness penetrating deep into her bones. The sword hummed ominously, like a whisper of death.

Xu Nian looked sadly at the cold, icy woman in front of her, filled with regret. She lamented how she could have been so soft-hearted to save someone just because they hadn’t attacked her, a being of a completely different species. Her greed for the Imperial Essence had made her absorb it until dawn without any guard.

Now, this human had recovered and was ready to kill her with a flick of her wrist.

The pressure emanating from Ji Yuebai was even more intense than before, so overwhelming that Xu Nian couldn’t even lift her body, her snake’s courage nearly shattered. She cursed herself a hundred times over in her mind, blaming the woman for her heartless nature and herself for her foolish mercy. Tears would have fallen, if only she had them.

Unfortunately, being a cold-blooded creature, she had no tears to shed.

The woman’s voice was cold, like the clinking of jade, beautiful yet terrifying: “If I let you go, can you swear an oath on your life that you will not harm humans and refrain from causing trouble in the world?”

Xu Nian, feeling that this aligned with her values, was about to nod in agreement when she realized she couldn’t move even an inch.

— The woman’s oppressive aura hadn’t been lifted.

Seeing the green snake motionless, seemingly unwilling, Ji Yuebai’s eyebrows furrowed, her lips pursing slightly: “Would you rather die than swear the oath?”

Xu Nian felt like crying for real now, utterly helpless and unable to speak, like a fish on the chopping block, about to meet its end.

Fortunately, Ji Yuebai seemed to realize the issue and dissipated most of her oppressive aura. Then, the green snake hurriedly nodded as if pounding garlic, as if afraid Ji Yuebai might change her mind.

Ji Yuebai finally nodded in satisfaction and immediately established a soul-binding oath that embedded itself deep within Xu Nian’s soul.

Xu Nian consented to the oath, and immediately felt an invisible restriction wrap around her heart, which then vanished into nothingness.