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

Resolved to act immediately, Xu Nian quickly rose from her bed. Just as she was about to take her first step in her transformed human form, she stumbled due to her lingering snake-like habits, entangling her feet and tumbling backward, both her human form and snake skin collapsing in unison.

In her mind, she cursed her bad luck. At this crucial moment, she drew on her powers as a ninth-rank demon beast. As she started to fall backward, she used exceptional waist strength, far beyond what a human could achieve, to twist her body in mid-air. With a quick turn, she managed to rotate halfway, changing her fall into a controlled dive, preparing to cushion her landing with her elbows.

Unfortunately, the limited space and angle of the bed restricted her movement. Otherwise, she could have elegantly executed a full 360-degree aerial flip to land.

Ji Yuebai, following her movements, was quick to react as the event unfolded. She reached out to catch her falling waist, intending to prevent her from getting hurt. However, in such a cramped space, she hadn’t anticipated her attempt to flip over. Her grip was already retracting, and at such close proximity, there was no time to pull back.

Though she could have pushed her away, deep down, she didn’t really want to.

Xu Nian was feeling smug about her own cleverness, but when she came to her senses, she found herself facing those clear eyes up close. Her cold, fragrant scent hit her nose, and although she managed to turn her head away, she still ended up brushing against her lips. Maybe it was because her new body was overly sensitive; even this brief, electric-like contact made her shiver.

Awkwardly lying on her shoulder, she weakly explained, “Sorry, I’m still not quite used to walking in human form.”

In fact, she was capable of walking. The challenge was that she hadn’t used her legs for walking in over sixty years, having spent a longer duration slithering as a snake than living as a human. As a result, this skill had become somewhat rusty and underused

Ji Yuebai’s voice was as cold and composed as always: “It’s normal to feel unaccustomed to your new form. Don’t rush, take it slowly.”

Seeing that she didn’t seem to mind what had just happened, Xu Nian shamelessly asked, “Then Yuebai, can you help me practice? I learn quickly and won’t take up much of your time.”

She was completely oblivious to the fact that her ears, hidden beneath the cascade of black hair, had turned a deep red.

In a bid to save time, Xu Nian didn’t bother changing into new clothes. She casually pulled on Ji Yuebai’s robe that lay nearby. Her frame was larger than hers, and the robe, ethereal in its elegance on her, hung loosely on her. As she leaned forward to tie the waistband, an inadvertent flash of her figure was revealed for all to see.

Xu Nian, having spent her life as a snake, was accustomed to being naked and felt no discomfort. Ji Yuebai, standing beside her, gently traced her fingers along the neckline, subtly adjusting it to be more modest. Underneath the robe, Xu Nian’s body was entirely bare, and Ji Yuebai’s fingertips unavoidably grazed the skin on her chest. This light touch made Xu Nian a bit uneasy, yet Ji Yuebai, ever so proper, quickly withdrew her hand after the accidental contact. This was quite a contrast to her indifference when handling Xu Nian in her snake form.

This action stirred a mischievous curiosity in Xu Nian. She gazed intently at Ji Yuebai, even daring to slightly loosen the freshly adjusted neckline of her robe. Puffing out her chest and pointing with a finger, she playfully said, “Yuebai, it’s itchy here. You need to rub it to make it better.”

Ji Yuebai, who normally remained composed even in the face of great turmoil, showed a rare moment of agitation. Her pupils shook visibly, and even her usually frost-like voice had a hint of panic, “Stop it, that’s not appropriate.”

Feeling somewhat wronged, Xu Nian grabbed Ji Yuebai’s hand and pressed it against her chest, letting it linger down her waist and stomach. “You used to touch here, here, and here all the time. Why can’t you now? Is it not as comfortable as it used to be?” she asked with a hint of playfulness.

As she spoke, Xu Nian even tried to touch herself, her face a mixture of seductiveness and innocence, marked with a bit of confusion. “It feels even softer and smoother now,” she observed.

Ji Yuebai’s hand, caught in Xu Nian’s grip, was in a bind, unable to retract or stay put. Embarrassed, she awkwardly turned her head away, the blush on her earlobes spreading to her pale neck.

Perhaps noticing Ji Yuebai’s discomfort, Xu Nian finally released her hand. However, in the next moment, she quickly looped her soft arms around Ji Yuebai’s neck and drew her body closer. This gesture wasn’t meant to be flirtatious; it was more a lingering habit from her snake nature of clinging to things.

Xu Nian’s beautiful eyes moved closer to Ji Yuebai, as if trying to get a clear view of her reaction, her voice teasing with a hint of allure, “Could it be, Yuebai, that you’re shy?”

At this remark, not only Ji Yuebai’s neck and earlobes but also her face turned a noticeable shade of red, and her dark eyes unusually avoided Xu Nian’s gaze.

Only her cool voice attempted to maintain the last bit of dignity, “It’s just that you’re too close, it’s a bit too warm.”

“Cough, cough,” Xu Nian let go, realizing the effect of her actions and reflecting deeply on her behavior.

She had completely forgotten that she was a cold-blooded creature. Despite her transformation into human form, she retained certain characteristics of a snake, and her body temperature, no matter how high, was only lukewarm at best.

After Ji Yuebai assisted the delicate and boneless Xu Nian in walking back and forth in the cave several times, Xu Nian’s legs finally stopped getting tangled up. If it weren’t for Ji Yuebai’s subtle support, Xu Nian wondered how many more rounds she would have needed to fall before getting used to her new legs.

After a few rounds, Xu Nian let go of Ji Yuebai’s support and managed to walk steadily on her own, feeling extremely pleased with herself. She really was amazing.

Having conquered the challenge of walking, Xu Nian excitedly rummaged through her storage bag, pulling out one exquisite dress and piece of jewelry one after another. She had longed for these beautiful clothes, often using them as motivation during tough times in her cultivation. Now, in her human form, each outfit was a dream come true.

However, when it came to actually choosing one to wear, Xu Nian was overwhelmed with options. She liked this one, loved that one, and another even had two different ways to wear it. Which should she choose for her first outfit in her new form?

Indecisive, she turned to Ji Yuebai with hopeful eyes and asked, “Yuebai, which one do you think looks better on me?”

Ji Yuebai turned around, her dark eyes thoughtfully scanning the array of flashy dresses spread out on the bed. Finally, she chose a water-green dress with a gradient from light to dark, which seemed fresher than the others.

Xu Nian blinked in surprise, picked up the subtle water-green dress, and neatly packed away the other clothes. She then knelt on the bed, untied the loose robe she was wearing, and slid it off her shoulders.

As the robe fell, it revealed her delicate, porcelain-white shoulders, her flawless back hidden beneath her cascading hair, and her slender waist that was just barely visible. When she turned to ask Ji Yuebai for help, she found Ji Yuebai had already turned her back. Xu Nian parted her lips as if to speak, but then remained silent.

After a rustling of fabric, Xu Nian finally emerged in the intricately layered dress. As she stood up, the water-green fabric swayed lightly with her movements, reminiscent of a gentle ripple on a lake surface.

The upper part of the dress appeared simple yet was intricately designed, with a transparent overlay draped over her flawless skin. The translucent fabric subtly revealed her pale, translucent skin underneath, and the cinched waist accentuated her slender figure.

The dress looked effortlessly beautiful, its fresh, gradient water-green color perfectly balancing her inherent charm, making her look enchanting without being overly seductive.

Xu Nian was surprised at how beautifully this seemingly understated dress suited her. She looked at Ji Yuebai in amazement and asked, “Yuebai, how did you think to choose this one?”

Ji Yuebai’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before replying, “I just instinctively felt it suited you.”

Xu Nian then took out a mirror and admired herself for a while, thoroughly satisfied with her reflection. She rummaged through her jewelry box, finally choosing a pair of transparent, teardrop-shaped jade earrings that complemented the dress. Just as she was about to happily put them on, she realized she didn’t have pierced ears, which left her momentarily baffled.

She thought about it, but couldn’t bear the thought of piercing her new body.

Before she could come up with a solution, Ji Yuebai’s slender, beautiful fingers took the jade earrings from her hand. With a swift, unknown method, Ji Yuebai gracefully placed the earrings on Xu Nian’s delicate earlobes.

Xu Nian’s eyes opened wide in amazement, her hand lifting in disbelief to touch and confirm that it was indeed real. She turned around, swaying Ji Yuebai’s fingers, her sparkling eyes fixated on her: “That’s so incredible, how did you do that? Teach me, please. I want to learn too.”

Her fingers were softly grasped by Ji Yuebai’s gentle, boneless hands, causing a ticklish sensation in her palm. Ji Yuebai let out a light cough and suggested, “First, let go of my hand and look in the mirror.”

Realizing her eagerness, Xu Nian immediately released Ji Yuebai’s hand and turned her attention to the mirror, closely observing Ji Yuebai’s movements.

Ji Yuebai’s cool voice softly accompanied her hand movements as she explained, “Use spiritual energy to adhere the earring to the earlobe, then cast a mini-illusion…”

In a blink of an eye, her fingers executed a series of complex and elegant gestures, resembling a blossoming lotus. Before Xu Nian could fully comprehend, the second jade earring was magically affixed to her other earlobe in the same manner.

Xu Nian blinked once, then again, fully realizing her own inexperience. She decided not to ask Ji Yuebai to teach her anymore and instead resolved to learn diligently by herself. She then turned, embraced Ji Yuebai’s slender waist, and buried her head into the white robe, nuzzling it affectionately. Her voice was coy and clingy: “This is too difficult, I can’t learn it. Maybe you can continue to do it for me in the future, okay?”

After a brief silence.

The cool voice of Ji Yuebai responded softly, with a hint of reluctant indulgence, “Alright.”