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

Upon hearing Ji Yuebai’s inquiry, the Rabbit Demon High Priest hurriedly replied in a pleasing manner, “Yes, we have summoned the shaman, who has been waiting for your arrival.”

While nodding and bowing, it sent other rabbit demons to bring forth the shaman.

In both the human and demon realms, the profession of a healer is highly revered.

Xu Nian curiously watched as several rabbit demons escorted the shaman. To her surprise, the shaman was a ninth-rank capybara, and more importantly, it had not undergone the frightful mutations like the rabbit demons. It was just somewhat larger than an average capybara, but apart from that, it looked normal.

The Rabbit Demon High Priest glanced at Ji Yuebai, then said to the Capybara Shaman, “This esteemed person wishes to consult you for a health check.”

Ji Yuebai looked at Xu Nian and clarified, “Not for me, it’s for her.”

The High Priest’s six eyes looked confusedly at Xu Nian. The idea of the Qingxuan King Snake seeking medical advice through a rabbit demon for a capybara was certainly unusual.

The Capybara Shaman, calm and composed, approached Xu Nian and placed its furry paw on her hand, mimicking the motion of checking her pulse, “May I know what discomforts you are experiencing?”

Taking comfort from the shaman’s composed demeanor, Xu Nian felt her panic subside. After thinking briefly, she started to share her experience, saying, “It seems like I’m having hallucinations. Specifically, it goes like this…”

After listening to Xu Nian’s symptoms, the Capybara Shaman nodded and emitted several gentle waves of spiritual energy around her, explaining, “This is a preliminary physical examination.”

This method of investigation resembled modern Western medical techniques, probably to see if there were any tumors or blood clots affecting her brain.

Before coming here, Xu Nian and Ji Yuebai had agreed not to disclose anything about the Seven Passages Exquisite Lock or the demonic cultivator’s legacy.

After all, based on the experience of human cultivators, many inheritances from ascended beings come with risks and dangers. Numerous cultivators have lost their lives over them, causing countless bloody conflicts in the cultivation world.

The inheritance of a powerful demonic cultivator would likely be similarly coveted among demons. If word got out, it could lead to envy and conflict, possibly endangering Xu Nian’s life.

Seeking the shaman’s counsel was also about being cautious. After all, Ji Yuebai’s theory about the demonic cultivator’s legacy and the source of the illusion were just that – theories. The Eastern Sea Secret Realm was rarely visited by human cultivators, and many things here could not be inferred using common cultivation world logic. For Xu Nian’s safety, it was prudent to seek a knowledgeable opinion.

Since Xu Nian was a demon beast, and the shaman specialized in treating demon beasts, it was a professional match.

Observing the Capybara Shaman’s fluffy paw and shimmering golden fur, Xu Nian felt an urge to pet it, but the lingering fear from her encounter third rabbit brother held her back. She worried that this seemingly gentle and adorable appearance might also be a product of her mind’s hallucinations, so she hesitated to reach out.

Turning to Ji Yuebai, she tugged at her sleeve and asked with uncertainty, “Is it… really a capybara?”

Ji Yuebai examined the capybara intently for a while before responding to Xu Nian, “Yes, it’s no different from a normal capybara in the cultivation world.”

Relieved, Xu Nian happily patted the oversized capybara’s paw and then its head, finding its fur soft and soothing.

The Capybara Shaman seemed more emotionally stable than an ordinary capybara. Unfazed by Xu Nian’s actions, it calmly continued with the examination.

After some time, the waves of spiritual energy emitted by the shaman gradually faded, and it finally opened its eyes to speak with a calmness that shocked everyone present, “This is not a simple hallucination. You are under the illusion of the venerable Water Moon Butterfly.”

The statement astonished all the demons present. The Water Moon Butterfly was a name renowned throughout the demon cultivation world, its fame rivaling that of the entire Qingxuan King Snake clan.

Originally, the Water Moon Butterfly was among the most humble and lowly of demon beasts, with a short lifespan and inherently weak demonic powers. It survived on leftovers from other demons, barely distinguishable from mayflies.

Yet, this seemingly insignificant Water Moon Butterfly developed spiritual intelligence, attained great power through its meager beginnings, and became a legendary demonic cultivator who ascended to higher realms.

Before ascending, the Water Moon Butterfly tried to guide its kind to cultivate, teaching them the supreme art of illusion it had mastered. No matter how hard it tried or what methods it used, it couldn’t awaken the spiritual intelligence in others of its species.

Its power attracted envy and challenges from many demons, who all underestimated it because of its original form and ultimately were defeated by its clever use of illusory techniques.

After the ascension of this demonic cultivator, its kind was wiped out by other demons, preventing another Water Moon Butterfly from achieving a similar fate.

The term “Water Moon Butterfly” once referred to the entire species, but now it signifies only that ascended demonic cultivator.

Now, hundreds of years after the ascension of the Water Moon Butterfly, its illusory techniques have reappeared.

What could this imply?

At this revelation, greed flickered in the eyes of all the demonic cultivators present, except for the Capybara Shaman.

Even the Rabbit Demon High Priest’s look towards Xu Nian changed, its three-lobed mouth, with two rows of sharp teeth, opened uncontrollably, and a foul-smelling saliva dripped continuously.

Before ascending, the Water Moon Butterfly had not found a worthy successor to inherit its lifetime of illusionary techniques. It was said that it left its legacy of illusions in the Eastern Sea Secret Realm, waiting for a fated demon to inherit it.

Many demonic cultivators rushed to the secret realm upon hearing this news, turning it upside down in their search, but to no avail. As a hundred years passed, the story faded from their memories, attributing it to a grand joke by the illusionist Water Moon Butterfly before its ascension.

But now, a hundred years later, the illusionary attack of the Water Moon Butterfly reappeared, surely linked to the rumored legacy.

In the few moments following the Capybara Shaman’s statement, Xu Nian felt the atmosphere among the surrounding rabbit demons shift from initial wariness to aggressive hostility.

All because of a single sentence from the Capybara Shaman.

Ji Yuebai’s sword was already unsheathed, pressed against the shaman’s neck, her voice icy with barely concealed murderous intent: “What exactly do you mean by that?”

The sharp sword effortlessly shaved off a large patch of the capybara’s golden fur at the neck. Unperturbed, it explained, “That was the illusionary technique of the Water Moon Butterfly a demonic cultivator who mastered illusions and ascended hundreds of years ago. I believe your friend, the Qingxuan King Snake, has unintentionally inherited its legacy before ascending, which has sparked the greed of the rabbit demons.

The situation unfolded almost exactly as Ji Yuebai had speculated.

The Rabbit Demon High Priest was barely able to suppress its murderous intent. It didn’t care whether Xu Nian was of the Qingxuan King Snake clan or not. Even if she were a dragon’s child or a phoenix’s daughter, it wouldn’t fear her now. If earlier it had some reservations, now, with the prospect of obtaining the Water Moon Butterfly’s inheritance, what was the Qingxuan King Snake clan in comparison? The Water Moon Butterfly had once effortlessly outmaneuvered the Qingxuan King Snake clan and ascended without any repercussions. The clan was unable to respond effectively and resorted to killing innocent demons merely to maintain their honor.

With the High Priest’s sudden command, the rabbit demons swarmed out, surrounding Ji Yuebai and Xu Nian.

There were far more rabbit demons than the day before, most of them reaching the terrifying thirteenth-rank, equivalent to the mid-stage of a human cultivator’s Nascent Soul. There were roughly twenty or so of them, a powerful force.

The Rabbit Demon High Priest’s six eyes glinted with malevolence.

One of the innate talents of their rabbit demon clan was rapid reproduction. To prevent local resources from being exhausted by their increasing population, their clans were scattered in various locations, with a hierarchical structure resembling a tree trunk. As the High Priest of the clan, it wielded supreme authority over the entire race. On this crucial day of human sacrifice offerings, most of his subordinate priests were away at the altar with offerings or tributes to the Qingxuan King Snake clan, leaving the main temple sparsely guarded with only about a dozen weaker, twelfth-rank rabbit demons. This had allowed the human sacrifice to seize an opportunity, forcing the High Priest to stoop low and beg for mercy.

It had thought that it would never avenge this insult, but unexpectedly, the human sacrifice asked to summon the shaman the next day.

The Rabbit Demon High Priest was instantly filled with a vengeful fury, and it immediately gave orders, calling for the support of subordinate priests scattered across its territory. They ambushed and hid in nearby caves, lying in wait to ensure the human sacrifice would not return.

Now, to its delight, this snake demon from the Qingxuan King Snake clan apparently carried the illusionary legacy of the ascended great demon, the Water Moon Butterfly.

This was like the human saying, “Fortune comes in pairs”!

At this moment, Ji Yuebai held the Capybara Shaman by the scruff of its neck in front of herself and Xu Nian, as a shield against any sudden attacks. With over twenty thirteenth-rank rabbit demons potentially launching an assault, even she would struggle to defend against all simultaneously.

Xu Nian, outside the encircling ring of the menacing, six-eyed rabbits, spotted third rabbit brother. Unlike the others, its six eyes showed confusion and daze, seemingly unaware of how things had escalated.

Considering their current situation, with Ji Yuebai at the early stage of the Nascent Soul and herself at the late ninth-rank, a fight with this group of rabbit demons would likely be disadvantageous.

Realizing this, Xu Nian quickly said, “Third rabbit brother, can you please talk to your leader? We have no intention of fighting you. If you want the demonic cultivator’s inheritance, it’s not impossible. Remember, I saved you once. Let’s talk this out.”

Third rabbit brother still held some fondness for her, being the first demon to call it cute. Moved by her plea, it hopped over to the High Priest to plead on her behalf, “Grandfather, I don’t think they’re bad demons. Let them hand over that demonic cultivator’s legacy, and we can let them go. Besides, the Qingxuan King Snake once saved my life.”

With a look of exasperation in his six red eyes, the Rabbit Demon High Priest stared at third rabbit brother. Among his numerous rabbit descendants, he favored this somewhat dull but honest grandchild the most. Thus, knowing that Xu Nian had saved Rabbit Three’s life and considering her identity as part of the Qingxuan King Snake clan, he had initially agreed to Xu Nian’s request.

However, the situation was now different from the day before. The High Priest had harbored intentions to kill them and, upon learning that Xu Nian might possess the legacy left by the Water Moon Butterfly, there was no way it could let them go now. If they were released now, they would surely spread the news about the legacy to other demon beasts. Even if his clan acquired the legacy, they might not have enough time to comprehend it before being slaughtered by others. Despite the rabbit demon clan’s prolific breeding, they couldn’t outpace the greed of other demons. The fate of the Water Moon Butterfly’s clan would befall his rabbit demon clan if they didn’t act decisively.

It was imperative to nip the threat in the bud.

Confronted with third rabbit brother plea, the High Priest scoffed, “Foolish! Now that you know she is the inheritor of the great illusionist’s legacy, you still believe her words?”

“Have you forgotten what your brother said? Although the ghost vine attacked you, none of your siblings could see the vine except for you and her. Only that Qingxuan King Snake noticed and saved you. Surely, she deliberately trapped you in an illusion to save you, making you feel indebted to her. You are the only fool who is still deceived, defending the very demon who hurt you.”

Third rabbit brother reflected on the events, gradually realizing the truth. Turning towards Xu Nian, its six red eyes glared furiously, “I thought you were a good demon, even spoke up for you.”

“Good grandson, don’t waste your words on her anymore. I will kill her now to avenge you,” the Rabbit Demon High Priest declared fiercely.

Commanding the other rabbit demon priests, it ordered, “My children, attack and kill them. The legacy of the Water Moon Butterfly will belong to our rabbit demon clan!”

At its command, the terrifying rabbit demons sprang into action. Dozens of whooshing sounds cut through the forest, as sharp teeth and steel claws lunged towards Xu Nian and Ji Yuebai in a mere instant.