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

With her last ounce of strength, Xu Nian watched Ji Yuebai behead the treacherous Rabbit Demon High Priest. Finally, she could ease her mind.

She was no longer the weak green snake who only held others back. Now, she could actually be of help.

She had not yet mastered the illusion technique fully. A swarm of white butterflies chaotically fluttered in her almost splitting head, scattering her memories like leaves in the wind, gradually blurring them.

Xu Nian hadn’t anticipated the price of forcibly using the illusion technique. She felt her once familiar memories being devoured by those butterflies. The first time she learned to cultivate, the first time she snatched food from a snake catcher, the first time she fought other beasts in Xiao Cang Mountain to claim her territory…

As Xu Nian helplessly watched her memories being devoured, she frantically tried to swat the butterflies away, but her fingers passed through them as if they were mere illusions.

Yes, they were illusions.

Until—

The memory of her first encounter with Ji Yuebai shattered and dissipated from her mind.

Xu Nian’s lips trembled uncontrollably: No, you can’t take her away from me.

She used her remaining spiritual energy to drive away the butterflies, but it was futile; her energy passed through them without effect.

Memories of Ji Yuebai were rapidly fading from her mind.

The sadness in Xu Nian’s heart grew uncontrollable, her nose tingling with sadness.

She could forget anything, but not Ji Yuebai. She couldn’t bear to lose her.

At least,

In the end, she wanted to remember her.

Even if it was just a name.

Through her blurred vision, she saw a white figure rushing towards her.

Xu Nian was a bit puzzled.

But judging by the figure and outline, it must be a stunning beauty. How nice, she seemed to care a lot about her.

But her head hurt so much, she felt like she couldn’t hold on any longer.

With these muddled thoughts, Xu Nian closed her eyes, overwhelmed by exhaustion.

Ji Yuebai hurried towards the weakening Xu Nian on the flying sword.

Xu Nian, now on the flying sword, was barely breathing, her spiritual power insufficient to maintain her human form. She had transformed into a small green snake, her usually lively tail now limply hanging.

Ji Yuebai gently cradled the little green snake in her arms, noticing her once bright black eyes now out of focus, her tiny fangs trembling slightly. The miniature jaws opened and closed as if she was trying to say something.

Ji Yuebai bent down closer to her.

“It hurts…”

Cradling the snake in her arms, Ji Yuebai could feel its body trembling continuously, as if in pain. Xu Nian’s breath grew weaker, gradually losing consciousness and slipping into a deep sleep.

Seeing her in this state, Ji Yuebai felt an increasing sense of guilt. She silently applied healing ointments to Xu Nian’s injuries and repeatedly used her own, already limited, spiritual energy to clear Xu Nian’s meridians.

If possible, she would have willingly borne these pains in place of Xu Nian.

At this time, the Capybara Shaman, which had only suffered minor injuries under their protection, slowly crawled over. Its large body stood upright, and its fluffy golden paws gently rested on Xu Nian’s snake body, the same ripples appearing as when it first examined her.

After a long while, it looked at Ji Yuebai with its small black eyes: “She overused the power of the inheritance, a power that did not originally belong to her. Forcibly using the illusory power that she hadn’t yet mastered in the fantasy realm has caused a backlash from the inheritance.”

“As a demonic cultivator, you should know that inheriting a demonic cultivator’s legacy is extremely dangerous. This should be done gradually, carefully avoiding the traps set within, and only after a long period of practice and adaptation is there a chance of successful learning.”

“Her ability to use illusionary magic is not because of her exceptional talent, but because legacies tend to entice demonic cultivators to learn by offering some initial ‘sweeteners’, not knowing that this is a trap leading them to lose their minds.”

Ji Yuebai stiffened: “What’s Xu Nian’s current condition? Please, help her.”

The Capybara Shaman’s voice was as calm as ever: “The best-case scenario is that she successfully inherits this illusionary magic, but the likelihood is almost zero. The worst-case scenario is her remaining forever lost in an empty fantasy until her body’s spiritual energy can no longer sustain life.”

Pausing, it added, “Of course, there’s also a possibility in between. She might wake up, but due to the backlash from the great demon’s legacy, she could suffer from memory disorder… In human terms, she might become a confused, insane person.”

Ji Yuebai was completely taken aback.

She had guessed that Xu Nian had controlled the rabbit demon priests to save her, but she hadn’t expected such a severe price to be paid.

Those rabbit demon priests, having been enhanced to the fourteenth-rank, were too much for her to handle at once. Xu Nian, merely a ninth-rank beast, had used an almost sacrificial method to shield her from a life-draining curse that would have been almost certainly fatal.

Ji Yuebai’s voice was hoarse with desperation: “Is there any way to save her? I can give you anything you want, my flesh, my bones, my spiritual energy… As long as you can save her, take anything.”

The flesh and blood of a high-level cultivator are greatly nourishing for demon beasts. Ji Yuebai was willing to offer herself in exchange if it meant saving Xu Nian.

The Capybara Shaman, staring steadily at her, spread its golden paws helplessly: “I am just a little Capybara. The injury was caused by the illusion of the ascended great demon Water Moon Butterfly. Even if you give me your demon core, I can’t save her.”

The Capybara Shaman’s honesty was unexpected.

But at this moment, Ji Yuebai almost wished it had lied to her.

At least, that would have given her some hope.

Ji Yuebai felt all her strength drain away at this moment, and she looked down somewhat dazedly at Xu Nian, who had transformed into a little green snake in her arms.

Xu Nian, lost in her own consciousness, was oblivious to the events around her. She only felt an intense pain in her head, so she laboriously moved her body, lifting her tail to rub her head.

As if sensing her need, her tail had barely touched her head when it was gently caressed by soft, warm fingertips. The gentle massage greatly alleviated her pain.

After bidding farewell to the Capybara Shaman, Ji Yuebai held Xu Nian and stood frozen in place for a while before deciding to cross the Eastern Sea Secret Realm and return to the world of cultivators.

Ji Yuebai was never one to admit defeat. Since embarking on the path of cultivation, she had fought against the heavens, humans, and demons… She always achieved her goals through continuous battles, and now she was just helping Xu Nian fight against the illusion.

Now, Xu Nian might fall into demonic insanity or lose herself. If Ji Yuebai could bring her back to the world of cultivators in time, with the resources there, maybe she could find a way to help Xu Nian regain her consciousness.

Ji Yuebai carefully placed Xu Nian inside her robe and then stepped onto her flying sword. The sword sped off like lightning, with the sound of fierce wind around her, as she accelerated with her spiritual energy towards the other side of the Eastern Sea Secret Realm.

However, she was soon blocked by numerous huge green snakes intertwined in the clouds, large enough to cover the sky and earth.

A group of fourteenth-rank demon snakes released their terrifying pressure all at once, attacking Ji Yuebai like a mountain collapsing.

The strength and rank of these demon snakes were incomparable to the rabbit demons she had encountered in the dense forest. Each snake radiated a pure demonic power far surpassing those rabbit demons, any one of which could obliterate the entire rabbit demon clan.

Their bodies were lush and green, but their terrifying size added a sinister and frightening aspect.

These demon snakes appeared to be of Xu Nian’s kind, the Qingxuan King Snakes, as mentioned by the annihilated rabbit demon clan. With such a terrifying physique and strength to crush other demons of the same rank, it was no wonder they were called King Snakes.

Just yesterday, Xu Nian had told Ji Yuebai about her life, how her siblings had killed each other since birth, and even her brother Qingyi, who came to kill her to absorb her cultivation. This was the first time Ji Yuebai heard of the Qingxuan King Snake clan. It’s possible they came to seize the illusionary legacy. Now that Xu Nian was already severely injured by the legacy, if they forcibly searched her soul and stole the inheritance, she might indeed lose her life.

Thus, Ji Yuebai was on high alert. Her right hand unsheathed her long sword, while her left hand drew blood symbols of the Great Escape Talisman, ready to defend against a sudden attack from the group of demon snakes.

To her surprise, the giant snakes lowered their enormous heads and spoke in unison, “We welcome the return of the Great Spirit Snake to our clan.”

The massive fluctuations of spiritual energy from their breaths changed the very color of the sky and earth.

Could the “Great Spirit Snake” they referred to be Xu Nian?

A beautiful female demon with a human body and a snake’s tail emerged from among the demon snakes. Her emotionless golden vertical pupils coldly looked at Ji Yuebai, who stood with her sword drawn.

She said condescendingly, “It’s rare to see such a loyal servant like you. In consideration of the Great Spirit Snake, I will forgive your offense.”

It seemed that she truly was of Xu Nian’s kind.

Ji Yuebai’s long sword remained unsheathed as she watched the half-human, half-snake demonic cultivator of the fourteenth-rank, her tone even colder: “And how can you prove that your words are not false?”

The female snake demon was infuriated by her attitude and scoffed, “Do you really think our Qingxuan King Snake clan would care about that clumsy moth’s illusionary techniques, and harm our respected Great Spirit Snake for such trivial legacy?”

Ji Yuebai coldly responded, “Exactly.”

Despite having the advantage in numbers, Qing Jin, standing opposite this unknown female demon, felt as if she was at a disadvantage. She felt ashamed and annoyed, “A mere lower beast dares to oppose our Qingxuan King Snake clan. It seems you need a lesson in understanding your place in the world.”

But Ji Yuebai was not intimidated. These self-proclaimed Qingxuan King Snakes, their origins unknown, clearly intended to seize the weak and dying Xu Nian. She would not let them succeed so easily, especially not this demon snake before her.

The atmosphere grew tense, a fight seeming imminent.

The giant Qingxuan King Snakes behind the female demon, Qing Jin, also prepared for battle, their black tongues flickering and golden vertical pupils filled with killing intent, focused on Ji Yuebai.

Just as the situation reached a critical point, an older female voice intervened, “Qing Jin, stop this foolishness. Our mission is to welcome back the Great Spirit Snake. Do not act rashly and risk harming her.”

Upon hearing this, Qing Jin reluctantly stepped back, but still showing her fangs at Ji Yuebai in defiance. Seeing Ji Yuebai pay her no attention, she angrily swished her tail.

The female demon who had intervened approached Ji Yuebai and explained kindly, “I am Qing Cheng, an Elder of the Qingxuan King Snake clan. My sister’s rudeness has alarmed you, and I apologize. I can see you are also deeply concerned for the Great Spirit Snake’s safety. But she is equally important to our clan. Rest assured, we will not harm her.”

“The Great Spirit Snake is currently suffering from the Water Moon Butterfly’s illusionary Legacy. If not treated in time, there is a risk to her life. Naturally, our Qingxuan King Snake clan knows best how to treat our own bodies. We have a large stockpile of spiritual medicines reserved for the Qingxuan King Snakes, and physicians specializing in treating our clan’s illnesses and injuries. If the Great Spirit Snake follows us back to our clan, we may be able to prevent her from descending into madness or even death.”

Hearing this, Ji Yuebai’s expression softened slightly.

Qing Cheng’s expression became even gentler, her vertical pupils sincerely gazing at her.

But then Ji Yuebai spoke, “If you are willing to swear an soul-binding oath that you will not harm Xu Nian, then I will entrust her to you.”