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

Ji Yuebai, having previously faced these rabbit demons’ attacks, was familiar with their assault style. Now, surrounded, she seemed effortlessly in control. Her sword formation was much faster than the movements of these rabbit demons. In an instant, the sword formation was set, and she manipulated dozens of long swords with her spiritual energy to counter the surprise attacks of the rabbit demon priests, while simultaneously launching several sword energy attacks.

However, these rabbit priests were far more powerful than the lower-tier rabbit demons previously encountered. Both their defensive and offensive capabilities were significantly higher. The dispersed sword formation was suitable for group attacks but weaker in single-target attacks. Her sword energy and explosive spiritual energy attacks only caused minor superficial injuries to them.

Ji Yuebai’s intention wasn’t to kill these rabbit demons. She formed hand seals, and then the spiritual energy in the sword formation exploded, creating a sudden, chilling frost and snowfield that rapidly spread around the rabbit demons, freezing them and significantly slowing their swift movements.

All this happened so suddenly that Xu Nian only had just enough time to summon some snake servants to help.

As Xu Nian’s sea of snake servants arrived at the battlefield, under her spiritual power control, they swarmed and entangled the slowed and injured rabbit demons, but to little effect.

The highest level of Xu Nian’s summoned snakes was also at the ninth-rank, like her. Despite their vast number and natural suppression advantage, they stood no chance against the thirteenth-rank mutated rabbit demons. The defense of the Titan Python could only withstand a few claw swipes from the rabbits, and the blue snakes, despite their potent venom, couldn’t pierce the rabbits’ tough, steel-like grey skin.

Her summoned Sea of Snakes formation lasted only a brief dozen seconds before being completely annihilated by the rabbit demons with its spiritual energy fragments disappearing into the air. Only a few rabbit demon priests injured by the sword formation accidentally got splashed with the blue snake’s poisonous blood. They fell paralyzed, but this also alerted the other rabbit demon priests, who quickly erected a dull spiritual energy shield around themselves, completely isolating the blue snake’s venom.

“Brave warriors, may the Rabbit Demon God bless and heal you,” chanted the Rabbit Demon High Priest from the side, raising a skull-adorned staff and uttering incantations. The poisoned rabbit demons instantly recovered, and those injured by the sword formation visibly healed at an astonishing rate.

“Today, in the name of the God of the Rabbit Demons, I bestow blessings upon the warriors.”

The Rabbit Demon High Priest’s hoarse voice fell again, and the spiritual energy visibly drained from its body, rapidly infusing into the bodies of these rabbit demon priests.

The rabbit demon priests, infused with this energy, instantly appeared as if injected with a powerful stimulant. Their blood vessels bulged, and their six red eyes almost popped out of their sockets. The steel claws on their four front paws elongated, reflecting a cold and ominous light.

The enemy was too far away, and with layers of rabbit demon priests and lesser servants protecting them, there was no time to interrupt the spellcasting.

As Xu Nian’s mind was bombarded with a flurry of exasperated thoughts, she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

It was unbelievable, how could there be a group attack with an enraged power-up bonus? This was completely outrageous.

 With the assistance of the Rabbit Demon High Priest, their strength had skyrocketed from the thirteenth to a terrifying fourteenth-rank, equivalent to the late stage of a human cultivator’s Nascent Soul.

Despite not being skilled in casting spells or using magical artifacts, their immense physical strength and spiritual power were incredibly destructive.

Xu Nian, feeling somewhat helpless, tried a diplomatic approach. “Um, is it too late to ask for mercy now? Or at least send the Capybara Shaman away. It’s against the moral code to kill a doctor in the middle of a battle, right?”

The enhanced rabbit demon priests, initially lunging towards Xu Nian, hesitated at the sight of the Capybara Shaman being used as a human shield by Ji Yuebai. Their kind was naturally gentle and skilled in medicine, having healed many of their kind. If possible, they didn’t want to repay kindness with enmity.

With this move, the voice of the Rabbit Demon High Priest aged considerably, its six red eyes flashing with determination: “Warriors, don’t listen to her nonsense. Kill them all. It’s because of them that the shaman was harmed. I believe the shaman will understand the plight of our rabbit demon clan.”

“The weak have no right to speak!”

Unexpectedly, the Rabbit Demon High Priest seemed quite philosophical in its speech.

The Capybara Witch Doctor sighed deeply, yet remained composed, “I’m glad I came; otherwise, it would have been one of my own kind in this situation.”

Xu Nian: “…”

The battle intensified dangerously as dozens of the enhanced fourteenth-rank rabbit demon priests unleashed a ferocious assault on Ji Yuebai and Xu Nian. They found themselves cornered, unable to find a moment to flee on their flying sword. Were it not for Ji Yuebai’s formation of hundreds of swords, forming a formidable shield, the pair would likely have fallen victim to the fearsome steel claws.

At this point, they had given up using the Capybara Shaman as a shield, instead using him as a support to face the encircling rabbit demon priest.

Xu Nian kept summoning snake servants to assist Ji Yuebai, trying to disrupt the attacking rabbit demon priests. But it was like trying to extinguish a fire with a cup of water. The moment the Titan Python landed, it was mercilessly torn apart by those sharp claws. The blue snake couldn’t even break through their defenses.

Xu Nian summoned her puppets, Liu Liu and Yi Yi, to assist in monitoring the battlefield and dodging the relentless attacks from all directions. After Ji Yuebai repelled another wave of rabbit priests, the next group seamlessly took their place, allowing no time for her to prepare a stronger counterattack.

Liu Liu and Yi Yi, being support puppets, had too little combat strength to be of much use.

Xu Nian realized the Rabbit Demon High Priest’s sinister intention to wear them down bit by bit. It too had been initially frightened by Ji Yuebai and now cautiously and methodically commanded the enhanced rabbit priests in a swift and relentless assault, quickly retreating after each attack, seamlessly launching wave after wave, leaving no openings and giving Ji Yuebai no chance to adjust her swordplay.

In the middle of this overwhelming disparity in strength and numbers, Xu Nian found it impossible to spare any focus. Moreover, the Rabbit Demon High Priest on the outskirts was watching them intently. While protecting Xu Nian and dealing with these fourteenth-rank rabbit priests, she also had to be constantly on guard against a sudden sneak attack by the Rabbit Demon High Priest. The absorption and conversion of spiritual energy couldn’t keep up with the massive consumption of spiritual energy.

Ji Yuebai’s eyes grew more serious. She must find a way to break the situation as soon as possible. If it comes to the last moment, she can only…

She gripped her sword even tighter in her hand.

Xu Nian was burning with anxiety. Although she had immense faith in Ji Yuebai’s strength, the current dire situation was not something that could be easily resolved. The massive energy consumption by the enemy and their flawlessly executed sword formations filled her with dread. Yet, she knew this was not a sustainable strategy.

The glory of triumphing over the strong as the weak comes with a huge, unseen cost and untold hardships.

No matter how small the cost, she didn’t want Ji Yuebai to bear it for her.

Xu Nian’s eyes hardened with resolve. Since these beasts were desperately fighting for the legacy of the Water Moon Butterfly, the inheritance she carried must be incredibly powerful. If she could successfully unleash the full power of the legacy, perhaps she could annihilate these fierce and terrifying rabbit demons.

Illusions, imaginary realms.

Around her, the sounds of swords clashing with steel claws, the howls of the rabbit demons, and the wind carrying snow and ice swirled.

She concentrated hard, picturing in her mind a landscape frozen for thousands of kilometers, recalling images of animals from the Ice Age frozen solid in ice she had once seen.

Now, in her mind, she replaced those frozen animals with the fearsome fourteenth-rank rabbit priests.

The image became clearer, almost real in a flash.

Xu Nian’s eyes sparkled as she opened them and shouted, “Freeze!”

Immediately, the rabbit demon priests, in the midst of their ferocious attack, slowed down as if their bodies had instantly frozen.

But the joy on Xu Nian’s face had no time to fully manifest before those seemingly frozen rabbits launched into a new, even more intense assault.

Fortunately, this brief moment was enough for Ji Yuebai. With her sword, she decapitated the five rabbit demons closest to them, slightly easing the pressure of the onslaught.

Seeing that the Water Moon Butterfly was actually effective, Xu Nian felt a surge of excitement. She prepared to visualize the sensation of freezing again, hoping to immobilize the other rabbit demons and assist Ji Yuebai once more.

But at this moment, her mind felt as if it were being stabbed by thousands of needles, causing unbearable pain, and her vision blurred, making it difficult to see the attacking rabbit priests.

Losing her vision threw Xu Nian into disarray, but she quickly regained her composure, activating her spiritual sense and thermal sensing ability, summoning a sea of snakes to join the fight.

Despite the urgency, Ji Yuebai noticed something was wrong with her, “Xu Nian, what technique did you just use?”

Gritting her teeth against the pain in her head, Xu Nian tried to sound casual, “I tried this demon cultivation inheritance, and it’s quite useful. It’s just that the consumption of spiritual energy is a bit large, so I’m a bit drained. Yuebai, hang in there for a while longer, I’ll gather my strength and use it again.”

The rabbit demons, enraged by the death of several of their kind, attacked even more fiercely and recklessly, aiming bloodthirsty bites and claws directly at the vitals of Ji Yuebai and Xu Nian.

Ji Yuebai, struggling to protect the temporarily weakened Xu Nian, found it increasingly difficult to fend off the attacks. The constant high level of concentration and the massive consumption of energy gradually thinned the protective aura around her body. Although she managed to decapitate several rabbit demons that exposed their weaknesses, her body bore numerous wounds from the relentless attacks of steel claws. The Capybara Shaman they were protecting was efficiently treating her injuries.

Xu Nian, smelling the blood on Ji Yuebai, anxiously tried to conjure the illusion of freezing again. She managed to visualize the scene in her mind, but the illusion shattered almost instantly, unable to sustain itself.

This time, the freezing lasted much shorter than before, and Xu Nian’s headache was almost splitting. She slumped against the furry body of the Capybara, barely able to maintain her form.

Despite the brief duration, Ji Yuebai seized this precious opportunity. Her sword flashed, and several more demon heads flew up and rolled away.

Even the enhanced fourteenth-rank rabbit demons were intimidated by her ferocity, fear creeping into their hearts at the thought of dying under her sword after centuries of cultivation.

The dense circle of enemies showed a momentary breach, and in that instant, Ji Yuebai grabbed Xu Nian’s waist and steered the flying sword to escape.

The Rabbit Demon High Priest, enraged by the loss of so many of its kind, was not ready to let them go easily. Seeing Ji Yuebai and Xu Nian about to escape on the flying sword, he was filled with fury, his eyes nearly bursting with anger. He slammed his staff onto the ground with a fierce thrust, employing some unknown demonic technique that seemed to shake the very space they were in.

Ji Yuebai’s flying sword also began to wobble and fall.

The flesh of the Rabbit Demon High Priest, which had been plump just moments ago, suddenly withered away, turning him into a skeletal figure of skin and bones. His red eyes bulged out grotesquely, his sharp teeth visible as his triple-parted mouth moved silently, uttering some incantation. Then, he pointed his staff again at Ji Yuebai, who was still in the air.

Xu Nian, despite her blurred vision, felt something was wrong. She was becoming increasingly sensitive to the fluctuations of spiritual energy. This must be the Rabbit Demon High Priest’s ultimate move, reserved as a last resort.

Rabbit demons symbolize strong reproductive abilities, and the High Priest’s sacrifice of his own and his clan’s life force was a harbinger of unavoidable death.

He had come to understand how important Ji Yuebai was to Xu Nian. By eliminating Ji Yuebai, the despised sword cultivator, the ninth-rank Qingxuan King Snake would become irrelevant to him. Thus, he directed his strongest attack straight at Ji Yuebai.

Ji Yuebai was fully aware of the danger of this attack.

But with the flying sword controlled and immobilized in mid-air, she had no choice but to face this deadly strike.

If she failed to counter it, not only she but Xu Nian too would…

She focused all her spiritual energy into her long sword, causing it to burst forth with a powerful surge of sword energy.

Icy flowers formed in the air and fluttered down around her.

Her robe, stained with demonic blood, could not conceal her grace and elegance. Her sword technique was cold and precise, radiating an unstoppable power.

Xu Nian clutched the hem of her robe from behind, pleading, “No, don’t face it head-on, there’s something odd about this attack, we should dodge it first.”

But Ji Yuebai, as always, stood in front of Xu Nian with her sword drawn.

The space around them turned dark and ominous, filled with a sinister howling wind.

The breath of death arrived in an instant.

It was a gray, withered scent of decay, the ultimate nightmare that no life could escape.

In this final moment, Ji Yuebai felt an inexplicable sense of peace.

This time, she could finally fulfill her promise.

She would protect Xu Nian.

Even if it meant sacrificing her life.

…

At this moment, despair filled Xu Nian’s heart.

The legacy left by a great ascended demon, and yet it couldn’t even counter this simple death curse of the rabbit demon.

She fought against the intense pain in her mind, desperately trying to change the situation, attempting to stall the curse’s advance.

But even if she could create illusions, how could she alter the fixed reality?

As the life-draining curse intensified, a flurry of white butterflies appeared before Xu Nian’s eyes.

In that instant, she felt as if she had broken through some kind of restraint.

Excruciating pain engulfed Xu Nian’s brain, feeling as though it was an entity separate from her own body.

In the middle of this agony, she used her illusionary powers to implant instructions into the minds of the rabbit demon priests:

—  “The Rabbit Demon High Priest is your enemy. Kill him.”

—  “Protect Ji Yuebai at all cost.”

As Ji Yuebai was about to encounter the embrace of death, the rabbit demon priests, who were originally their enemies, unexpectedly leaped in front of her. It was unclear what their intentions were.

Was this a contingency plan of the High Priest? Sacrificing his own kin to prevent her from evading this attack?

Ji Yuebai steeled herself, preparing to unleash her sword formation in defense, but then she saw the rabbit demon priests were not charging at her. Instead, they formed a protective shield, one after another standing in front of her like a solid wall.

Then the breath of death quietly arrived.

Even the fourteenth-rank mutant rabbit demons had no chance against it. The rabbit demon priests at the forefront didn’t even have a chance to wail. Their bodies rapidly succumbed to decay, transforming into skeletal remains and finally disintegrating into dust that melded with the air.

The deadly aura, ethereal and swift, swept away most of the rabbit demon priests. The dust from their bodies spread out, forming a thin mist in the air.

Perhaps having absorbed enough life force, the aura gradually weakened and dissipated before reaching Ji Yuebai, harmlessly vanishing into the air.

“My warriors, my elite rabbit demon kin, aaaaah!”

The Rabbit Demon High Priest, not far away, let out a piercing shriek of agony.

The few remaining rabbit demon priests, as if driven mad, pounced on the already exhausted High Priest, their sharp teeth gnawing relentlessly at his withered body.

The Rabbit Demon High Priest screamed in agony, “Ahhh, stop, have you gone mad?”

In the next second, Ji Yuebai’s long sword was already at the High Priest’s neck.

The Rabbit Demon High Priest, having lost his combat ability due to unleashing his strongest curse, looked up at Ji Yuebai in terror. He didn’t even have a chance to beg for mercy before his grotesque, terrified rabbit head was sent flying into the air. His six red eyes were filled with despair and regret.

— “No, I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have provoked them.”