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

Upon hearing these words, Qing Jin was instantly enraged to the point of almost lunging forward, “You unknown, lowly beast, merely at the thirteenth-rank, how dare you demand a soul-binding oath from our Qingxuan King Snake clan? You really have some nerve, thinking who you are.”

“Shut up, Qing Jin.”

Qing Cheng turned back and scolded angrily.

“But sister, you—” Qing Jin, who was previously brimming with arrogance, now seemed like a frostbitten eggplant, her proud head drooping. She muttered resentfully, “I did it for the sake of our Qingxuan King Snake clan.”

Qing Cheng turned to Ji Yuebai, speaking very kindly: “Since the disastrous war with the humans, our Qingxuan King Snake clan has been slaughtered, and for hundreds of years, no one in our clan has been able to completely transform into a human form.”

“Presumably, you also received the Great Spirit Snake’s grace to achieve your full transformation, right?”

In this situation, if Ji Yuebai denied it, it would undoubtedly cause trouble and reveal her secret as a human cultivator. So, she nodded in agreement.

Qing Cheng, seeing her nod, said, “It seems the Great Spirit Snake cares deeply for you.”

“Since the great war a hundred years ago, our Qingxuan King Snake clan has been searching everywhere for the lost Spirit Snakes. After a hundred years of searching, we finally found the only Qingxuan Spirit Snake with you. I will swear a soul-binding oath, promising not to harm you or the Great Spirit Snake.”

Ji Yuebai glanced at Qing Jin, who was glaring at her with hatred, as if she wanted to bite her to death: “And her too.”

Qing Cheng sighed, “Of course, rest assured.”

So, under Ji Yuebai’s watch, Qing Cheng, along with the reluctant Qing Jin and the untransformed Qingxuan King Snakes behind her, swore a soul-binding oath as per Ji Yuebai’s request, promising not to harm Xu Nian or herself in any way, with the penalty of complete destruction of their cultivation.

After swearing the oath, Qing Jin glared fiercely at her, “Are you satisfied now? Hand over the Great Spirit Snake.”

Ji Yuebai responded calmly, “As the servant of the Great Spirit Snake, naturally I will go wherever she goes.”

Qing Jin was infuriated and gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

Qing Cheng patted her, consoling, “Bringing back the Great Spirit Snake to our clan is a great achievement for both you and me. Haven’t you always wanted the position of Elder of the Affairs Hall? When we return, I will help you ask for a reward from the clan leader.”

Qing Jin’s anger subsided, and she coldly looked at Ji Yuebai, “You’re just lucky this time.”

Ji Yuebai, gently stroking Xu Nian’s soft body pressed against her, remained silent.

The territory of the Qingxuan King Snakes was located in the central southern part of the Eastern Sea Secret Realm, an area with the richest spiritual energy in the entire realm.

The Qingxuan King Snakes had firmly established control over the entire spiritual vein stretching from east to west, marking it as their territory. No other demon beasts in the realm dared to voice any complaints.

Following the swift rise and eventual ascension of the Water Moon Butterfly, the Qingxuan King Snake clan emerged as the dominant force throughout the Eastern Sea Secret Realm. In contrast, lesser demon beasts, such as the mutant rabbit demons with their inferior innate powers, sought the protection of the Qingxuan King Snakes to evade extinction, frequently providing tributes as a form of exchange.

Ji Yuebai had initially imagined that the Qingxuan King Snake’s lair would be a kind of rocky cave large enough to accommodate their massive bodies, or perhaps a gloomy cave, or even an underground stone chamber. But upon her actual arrival, she discovered that their dwelling was surprisingly similar to human habitation.

The first part of the journey was through mountain caves within steep peaks. These caves were carved into several stone chambers, where the untransformed Qingxuan King Snakes shrank their bodies and nestled in the outermost chambers.

It seemed that these were their living quarters.

Now, only the half-human, half-snake sisters Qing Cheng and Qing Jin remained in front of Ji Yuebai. They led her, carrying Xu Nian, through a long, dark tunnel. After what felt like a long journey, they finally saw a point of light ahead.

“We’re here,” Qing Cheng announced.

They swiftly flew towards the bright light, emerging outside the cave into brilliant daylight. Below the surrounding lush green mountains was a valley, with its narrow top and wide bottom forming a natural spirit-gathering array formation. Pavilions and buildings made from thousand-year Xili wood elegantly sat in the middle of the valley, with clear water rippling and a gentle breeze blowing. If not for the pervasive aura of fourteenth-tier demon snakes, the scenery would resemble a stunningly beautiful painting.

“Look, aren’t you amazed? This was built three hundred years ago by our ascended Qing Lian. Houses made from Xili wood can endure for tens of thousands of years without decaying. You, a lowly beast, must have never seen anything like it,” Qing Jin boasted with pride.

Thousand-year Xili was rare in the cultivation world, typically used for preserving precious medicinal pills or as a material for crafting magical artifacts. The use of it for constructing buildings was unprecedented, likely only possible for demon beasts naturally blessed with long lifespans and residing in harsh environments.

Ji Yuebai quietly admired the sight, “Yes, it is rare.”

“I knew it, you beasts have such limited knowledge… Huh?” Qing Jin, waiting to mock her, was taken aback by Ji Yuebai’s sincere response, choking on her words halfway through.

Qing Cheng patted her, “After all, she is a demon cherished by the Great Spirit Snake. Don’t make a fool of yourself. Do you still want to fully transform? If the Great Spirit Snake wakes up and learns that you’ve been troubling her demon, will she still grant you the transformation?”

Qing Jin, panicked, replied, “Sister, if you don’t tell, how would the Great Spirit Snake know? The only ones left are…” As she said this, her golden vertical pupils looked menacingly at Ji Yuebai, her voice sinister, “Or else, we silence her.”

Before she could finish, Qing Cheng smacked her on the head, “Silence her? Have you forgotten your soul-binding oath? Now, apologize properly.”

Qing Jin, who always listened to her sister and considering the matter of complete transformation, eventually bowed her head and quickly apologized to Ji Yuebai, “I’m sorry.”

Ji Yuebai glanced at her indifferently, “No harm done.”

Seeing Ji Yuebai’s dismissive attitude, Qing Jin was about to explode again.

The next second, she was pulled aside by Qing Cheng, “Wait here, I’ll take them.”

Qing Cheng led Ji Yuebai into a residence with corridors and pavilions, summoning two twelfth-rank Qingxuan King Snakes to attend to Ji Yuebai, “Please wait here, I will call the healer. If you need anything, just command these two.”

Ji Yuebai looked down at Xu Nian, still unconscious in her arms, her voice slightly lowered, “Alright.”

In the corridor, Qing Jin displayed her displeasure clearly, slamming her tail against the pillars. As a fourteenth-rank Qingxuan King Snake, her thick skin and flesh were so tough that even the thousand year-old Xili wood pillars vibrated under her angry movements.

Seeing Qing Cheng come out, she complained, “Sister, I can understand respecting that mere ninth-rank Spirit Snake, but the demon beside her is only twelfth-rank, and she doesn’t even have a hint of pure bloodline. Just because she can fully transform, we have to accommodate her and even swear a soul-binding oath to gain her trust. Why is that?”

Qing Cheng lightly tapped Qing Jin’s forehead with her finger, her tone much gentler than before, “My silly sister, can’t you see? Although that demon is only twelfth-rank, she is greatly trusted by the Spirit Snake.”

Qing Jin, puzzled, asked, “What does that have to do with me trying to please her?”

Qing Cheng countered, “How many King Snakes in our clan are higher in cultivation than us and waiting to fully transform?”

Counting on her fingers, Qing Jin listed, “Qing Shi, Qing Lin, Qing Yin, Qing Bing…” As she counted, she began to understand, “Sister, are you saying…?”

Nodding, Qing Cheng confirmed, “If the Spirit Snake wakes up, the clan leader will surely choose to grant the gift of full transformation based on cultivation levels. Given the Spirit Snake’s current condition, who knows how long it will be until it’s our turn. It’s better to establish a good relationship with them in private. That woman is just a servant and received the Spirit Snake’s grace. Why can’t we?”

Qing Jin’s golden eyes lit up, “You’re truly wise, sister.”

Patting her head, Qing Cheng advised, “Hold back for now. Don’t antagonize her. We can plan for the long term after fully transforming.”

When Qing Cheng and Qing Jin brought back the Great Spirit Snake, the healer from the Medicine Bureau arrived quickly.

Qing Cheng and Qing Jin waited on the side.

The healer, Qing Zhi, examined the unconscious Xu Nian in her snake form. Releasing spiritual energy from his fingertips, he checked her body. Being a Qingxuan King Snake himself, he was very familiar with Xu Nian’s meridians and quickly identified the problem.

Unlike human cultivators who refine pills, he took out dozens of medicinal herbs from his storage bag, using his spiritual energy to control the timing of their fusion. He gradually rolled them into a large, brownish pill, divided it into nine equal parts, and stored them in small porcelain bottles, handing them to Ji Yuebai.

“You are the Great Spirit Snake’s servant, aren’t you? Take this medicine three times a day for three days. If all goes well, the Great Spirit Snake should wake up.”

Quick-witted Qing Jin interjected, “What if something goes wrong?”

As soon as she spoke, both Ji Yuebai and Qing Cheng fixed their gazes on her.

Qing Jin immediately fell silent.

Qing Zhi, rubbing the back of his head, didn’t seem offended, “If she doesn’t wake up, come find me again.”

After a moment of thought, he added, “Of course, waking up is just the beginning. After all, injuries caused by illusionary attacks are the most difficult to heal.” He pointed to his own head to indicate, “Because the injury is here.”

“You must be prepared for the possibility that she may never fully recover.”

Ji Yuebai responded, “I understand.”

She opened the porcelain bottle and sniffed, then took out a silver needle and a special talisman for testing poisons to ensure there was nothing wrong with the medicine inside the bottle. Only then did she carefully pry open Xu Nian’s sharp fangs and feed her a small medicinal pellet.

If it hadn’t been for Qing Cheng’s previous words, Qing Jin would have scolded Ji Yuebai for not appreciating the best healer of the Qingxuan King Snake clan. Qing Jin turned to look at Qing Zhi, only to see him appearing unconcerned. Reluctantly, she flicked her tail and swallowed back what she wanted to say.

…

Several days passed in a blur.

A persistent voice seemed to whisper in Xu Nian’s ear, annoying her to no end.

At last, feeling annoyed, Xu Nian brushed the voice aside and struggled to open her eyes.

Beneath her arm was something soft, and her nose was enveloped in a familiar, refreshing fragrance, the wonderful scent that haunted her dreams.

Xu Nian, dazed, turned her head, and her lips accidentally brushed against something soft.

Her heart skipped a beat. The next second, she found herself lost in the other person’s clear, black eyes.

The voice of the other person was cool yet captivating, making her heart itch.

“You’re finally awake.”

Looking at the other’s incredibly beautiful and reserved face, which seemed perfectly aligned with her own preferences, Xu Nian thought to herself that if this were a dream, she might boldly lean in for a kiss.

The next second, the previously muddled chatter in her mind suddenly became crystal clear.

—  “Xu Nian, you have traversed through time and space.”

—  “You are now the snake woman antagonist in the novel ‘Alternative Path of Cultivation’. You must fulfill the villain’s duties in the story, sabotaging the protagonist Ji Yuebai’s cultivation. You need to seduce her, deceive her in every possible way, both physically and emotionally. In reality, you are pushing the protagonist Ji Yuebai to kill her wife as a test, overcoming the emotional tribulation and ascending to immortality.”

— “Only by doing this can you return to the real world.”

— “Otherwise, you will be erased from existence.”