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

Xu Nian was not very familiar with this secret realm either, so she didn’t dare to support Ji Yuebai and walk too far. She feared venturing into a forest filled with terrifying plants, from which they might not be able to get out. While she could manage alone, the added responsibility of Ji Yuebai’s safety made her hesitant to take risks.

At the border of the rabbit demon’s territory, Xu Nian retrieved a long-unused courtyard artifact from her storage bag. She infused it with spirit stones, activating its camouflage feature to blend seamlessly with the environment, ensuring their presence remained concealed. Only then did she and Ji Yuebai enter the courtyard artifact, where Xu Nian gently helped Ji Yuebai onto a bed.

Once she was sure there was no danger, she finally had the chance to properly examine Ji Yuebai’s injuries.

She looked down to see Ji Yuebai’s pale forehead beaded with sweat. The terrible wounds on her body seemed to have worsened, deepening the crimson stain on her robe.

Such a severe injury, yet Ji Yuebai had endured it without a word until now.

Xu Nian’s heart ached. She gently held Ji Yuebai’s fingers and consoled her, trying to contain her own sadness, “Yuebai, it will stop hurting soon. I’ll heal you right now.”

Ji Yuebai, lying on the bed following her movements, watched her actions unblinkingly with her dark eyes.

She felt the soft hand wiping her forehead with a cloth, tenderly and attentively, while the other hand, warmed with spiritual energy, soothingly held her fingers, as if to comfort and reassure her.

Suddenly, Ji Yuebai’s mind was flooded with memories of the day she fell into the Eastern Sea Secret Realm using the Great Escape talisman.

Back then, severely injured from an Immortalization stage cultivator’s self-destruction, with her life force in disarray and her spiritual energy in chaos, she had encountered a vicious serpent in a swamp, leading to a bloody battle. Afterward, due to her serious injuries and energy depletion, she lost her combat abilities, finding herself in a hopeless situation.

Even a low-level demon beast passing by could have easily ended her life.

In that moment, her thoughts weren’t of ascending through the sword path or her sect’s honor…

But simply of seeing Xu Nian once more.

“Did I hurt you, Yuebai?” Xu Nian asked, her eyes filled with concern and worry, her gaze completely fixated on Ji Yuebai, blurring the lines between reality and the hallucinations Ji Yuebai had experienced at the brink of death.

If the Great escape talisman hadn’t caused a temporal distortion, could she have rightfully enjoyed Xu Nian’s unreserved tenderness?

For a fleeting moment, Ji Yuebai yearned selfishly to indulge in this illusion, even if it was mere fantasy for Xu Nian. She would grow stronger, fighting fiercely to protect her.

Her heart wavered, torn between choices.

Until Xu Nian leaned over, revealing a freshly scabbed wound peeking through her loosely draped collar. Ji Yuebai gently lifted Xu Nian’s sleeve, uncovering more bruises yet to fade.

Overwhelmed with guilt, Ji Yuebai sat up, Ji Yuebai sat up and took hold of Xu Nian’s wrist, trying to awaken her from the illusion, “Xu Nian, I am not injured. It’s you who are hallucinating.”

But the next moment, Ji Yuebai found herself gently pressed down onto the bed by Xu Nian, who seemed not to hear her at all, “No, Yuebai, you can’t think of cultivating in such a condition. If you keep doing this, I will…”

Ji Yuebai was at a loss for how to make Xu Nian hear her words. She clutched Xu Nian’s wrist, “It’s not me who’s injured; it’s you. I should be the one taking care of you.”

Xu Nian blinked, then suddenly planted a swift kiss on Ji Yuebai’s lips, her small, moist tongue even giving her a quick lick.

Ji Yuebai suddenly froze.

Xu Nian, however, let out a soft sigh. “See, I told you not to move around carelessly.”

She then murmured something under her breath,

“Being licked by a pet on the mouth really is a kind of magic attack with paralyzing effects.”

Although Ji Yuebai didn’t understand what she was saying, she vaguely guessed that Xu Nian seemed to consider kissing as a form of punishment.

Were the kisses that had made her so happy before…

Was it also a form of punishment to Xu Nian?

Xu Nian knew that Ji Yuebai, despite being a genius, was an undeniable cultivation fanatic. She understood that even geniuses needed to put in effort, but she couldn’t allow Ji Yuebai to resume cultivating right after she had just cleaned and treated her wounds with spiritual herbs. The medicine hadn’t even started working yet; how could her body handle it? She was aware of the dangers of overworking.

She couldn’t let Ji Yuebai continue to cultivate without regard for her health, but she lacked the strength to stop her. Previously, to allow her to cultivate in seclusion, she had even been sent to Mu Yanyu room to sleep. Xu Nian didn’t know what else she could do to stop her.

In a moment of inspiration, Xu Nian recalled the kiss that had previously stunned Ji Yuebai, albeit briefly.

But with a determined heart, Xu Nian decided that even brief control was still control, and she kissed her without a second thought.

As expected, Ji Yuebai stopped her motion towards cultivating. Xu Nian was pleased, thinking that if Yuebai brought it up again, she would just…

But before she could implement her plan, she found herself suddenly overpowered and pinned down on the bed by Ji Yuebai, unable to move.

Xu Nian’s arms were raised above her head, firmly held in place by just one of Ji Yuebai’s hands. Her dark eyes coldly gazed down at Xu Nian, exuding an intimidating sense of dominance.

Xu Nian was startled, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Oh no, she had angered Yuebai.

Fearing the consequences, she licked her lower lip and said weakly, “Yuebai, your wound… it can’t withstand this…”

But before she could finish, Ji Yuebai silenced her with a kiss, swallowing her words back down.

Xu Nian didn’t quite understand Ji Yuebai’s reaction. She had seen pets bite their owners and the owners biting back, but pets licking their owners and the owners licking back was uncommon.

Ji Yuebai’s kissing had improved significantly, soon leaving Xu Nian unable to focus on anything else. She didn’t even notice when Yuebai let go of her wrists. By the time Xu Nian realized what was happening, she found herself tightly hugging Yuebai’s neck, with her legs instinctively wrapped around Yuebai’s lean but strong waist.

Feeling a bit embarrassed after being kissed into a daze, Xu Nian tried to pull away. However, as she started to loosen her grip around Ji Yuebai’s neck, she suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness. This unexpected feeling caused her to cling even more tightly to Ji Yuebai, including her legs.

As Ji Yuebai stood up with Xu Nian in her arms, Xu Nian clung to her like an octopus, straddling her with legs parted, while Ji Yuebai’s warm, strong hands pressed firmly against her lower back.

At this moment, Xu Nian felt a wave of confusion wash over her mind.

“Is this the kind of energy expected from someone who’s supposed to be seriously injured?”

Then, Xu Nian felt something unusual against her chest. Her face turned bright red, and she quickly let go of Ji Yuebai, looking down at her.

Ji Yuebai’s fair cheeks were unnaturally flushed due to her panic-stricken action of hugging her in front of her chest, seemingly due to a lack of oxygen. This unnatural blush extended to her neck and earlobes as well.

Her dark eyes held an indescribable meaning. She pursed her lips slightly, her voice tinged with a hint of complaint and roughness, as if she was both questioning and confused:

“Is this what you meant by punishment?”

Xu Nian, mortified, wished she could just disappear into the ground, but all she could do was nod awkwardly: “You’re right.”

Observing her reaction, Ji Yuebai pondered for a moment, then made a candid observation: “I think I prefer the first punishment.”

She paused, then added, “Of course, if you prefer this one, I wouldn’t object.”

Xu Nian was so embarrassed she wished to hide her face and flee.

She couldn’t comprehend how things had taken such an unexpected turn. She had initially just wanted Ji Yuebai to rest and recover properly.

Ji Yuebai then lightly supported Xu Nian’s lower back with her fingers, looking at her earnestly, “I still need to cultivate now, punish me one more time.”

Xu Nian’s charming eyes widened in disbelief.

Had she picked up the wrong person? Could the Ji Yuebai in front of her be some demon beast in disguise?

But the familiar scent and spiritual senses reassured her that the woman before her was indeed the real Ji Yuebai.

Xu Nian shifted uncomfortably and lightly placed her hand on Ji Yuebai’s shoulder, admitting her mistake decisively: “I misunderstood the situation. I thought your injuries were too severe for you to continue your cultivation. But I see now that you’re actually in good health and strong. Please go ahead and cultivate, Ji Yuebai. Go ahead and cultivate, Ji Yuebai. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

But having come this far, Ji Yuebai wasn’t about to let her go easily.

Her fingers gently brushed through Xu Nian’s hair, pulling her in for another kiss. After restraining herself to the extreme, she could no longer keep her desires caged. The deadly crises and pressures in the secret realm also made her cast aside the strict rules and disciplines of the cultivation world.

Holding Xu Nian close, Ji Yuebai felt her beloved’s body tremble with excitement, both of them lost in a haze of complex emotions.

Xu Nian’s charming eyes seemed to be filled with tears, slightly reddened at the corners, as if wronged. Yet, Ji Yuebai found it increasingly hard to control herself, hugging Xu Nian’s waist tightly as if wanting to merge her into her very bones and blood, to share the experience as one.

Xu Nian’s body softened and she responded with kisses that spoke of deep passion. Their embrace, filled with longing, seemed designed to envelop her completely. She found herself unable to resist, instead choosing to surrender to the sensation, sinking into the depths of their shared desire with Ji Yuebai.

After what seemed like an eternity, Xu Nian lay powerless in Ji Yuebai’s arms, her lips tingling, as if swollen from the kisses.

Suddenly, Ji Yuebai’s cool but enticing voice came from above: “Now, if I say I’m not injured, would you believe me?”

Xu Nian nodded repeatedly. How could she not believe it?

When had Ji Yuebai ever spoken such words to her? If she had, Xu Nian had no reason to doubt her.

A while later, Ji Yuebai seemed hesitant as she spoke:

“Do you… like this punishment?”

Xu Nian thought for a moment, her delicate brows furrowing, then her slightly swollen lips pouted as she denied, “This is clearly not a punishment.”

Ji Yuebai’s fingers around her waist tightened suddenly: “Why?”

Xu Nian struggled to explain: “This was supposed to be my punishment for you, but for someone who has always admired you like I do, it’s not a punishment. It’s a reward.”

“You wanted to punish me, but you actually rewarded me. That’s clearly not logical.”

Ji Yuebai, who had been prepared for rejection, was caught off guard by these words.

Following this, happiness spread and danced in her heart.

What was even more fortunate was that Xu Nian could now communicate with her in the same context.

Ji Yuebai had begun to understand that Xu Nian’s hallucinations were centered around her own world, yet somehow linked to reality. Anything Xu Nian believed couldn’t be directly shaken by words; all things passed through her mind, becoming rationalized. Anything contradicting her worldview was simply ignored.

The key was to find a common ground, a way to challenge her established facts, to gradually bring her back to reality.