Page 67

Qin Shu was momentarily stunned. In the next instant, a sweet, intoxicating fragrance filled her senses, flooding her mind with a soft pink haze.

Even the black serpent before her seemed to take on a rosy hue.

Before she could fully process what was happening—she collapsed.

Her body went completely limp, boneless, as she tumbled straight toward the abyss below.

Xie Shiyuan instinctively lashed out with his tail, coiling around her leg and yanking her back up before she could plunge into the chasm.

As he took in her flushed, unnaturally red face, his brows furrowed deeply.

How was she this weak?

She couldn't even withstand the scent of a single flower?

His hand pressed against her dantian, guiding the energy of his inner core to cleanse the toxins from her system.

If he hadn't arrived in time, she would've been devoured by that damn lotus.

By nightfall, the moon shone bright and full, its cold radiance washing over them.

Xie Shiyuan looked up at the sky, recalling the unusual nature of her physique.

He withdrew his hand, instead dragging Qin Shu further into the moonlight with his tail.

The moment the lunar glow touched her skin, an invisible tricolor energy field wrapped around her body.

Even the residual toxic mist in the air instinctively withdrew, avoiding her presence.

Watching the way her body rapidly absorbed spiritual energy, Xie Shiyuan couldn't help but feel a rare flicker of jealousy.

If only he had been this gifted as a young serpent.

Perhaps, back then, he wouldn't have lost the tip of his tail to a stronger beast.

Of course, every single creature that had dared to harm him was long dead.

Had she been stronger, these pink mists wouldn't have affected her at all.

As her spiritual energy circulated, each completed cycle expelled a fraction of the toxin from her system.

Finally, her eyelashes fluttered—she had awakened.

Xie Shiyuan retracted his hand, watching as her dazed black eyes scanned her surroundings before fixating on him.

She blinked.

Then, she tilted her head, looking slightly puzzled.

"...Why aren't you pink anymore?"

Xie Shiyuan: "?"

When the hell was I ever pink?

Seeing that he wasn't responding, Qin Shu sat up, scratching her slightly disheveled hair and muttering under her breath, "I'm sure you were pink just now..."

At this, Xie Shiyuan finally lost his patience.

"You were poisoned," he said flatly.

Qin Shu's eyes widened in realization.

Right.

The last thing she remembered was a massive pink lotus right before she passed out.

Her expression darkened instantly.

She squinted at him, suspicion written all over her face.

"...Are you trying to poison me to death so you can use my body for evil deeds?"

Xie Shiyuan: "..."

For the first time in centuries, he was so baffled that he actually laughed.

"With those scrawny little arms and legs of yours?" His lips curled mockingly. "Heh."

The forest was silent, save for his low, contemptuous chuckle.

The next instant—he coiled his tail around her waist, lifting her up to eye level.

His dark gold pupils locked onto hers.

His voice carried an amused sneer.

"Tell me, little one... why would I need your body when I can use my own to commit crimes?"

Qin Shu: "..."

"Can you not say things that sound so wrong?!"

She squirmed slightly. "Big snake, back up a little—your tongue is about to flick onto my face."

Xie Shiyuan instinctively prepared to flick his tongue—then abruptly stopped himself.

With a slight flick of his tail, he dropped her unceremoniously onto the thick layer of fallen leaves below.

Qin Shu caught herself with her hands, still sitting awkwardly on the ground, staring at him.

Even though his expression remained cold and unreadable, she could sense his irritation.

Deciding to shift the subject, she pointed at the pink lotus beside her.

"What kind of flower is this?"

She didn't believe for a second that he had given it to her just to be nice.

Snakes didn't do charity work.

"Tianxin Rakshasa Binding Heart Lotus," he replied.

Qin Shu's entire body stiffened.

That name... she had read about it before.

A lethal toxin.

The Tianxin Rakshasa Binding Heart Lotus hunted prey by releasing a powerful hallucinogenic mist.

But the book never mentioned that it could control someone so completely.

Something didn't add up.

Her brows furrowed.

"That formation I saw earlier..." she muttered.

Xie Shiyuan's gaze flickered.

"Oh?" He raised a brow, finally acknowledging her intelligence.

"So you noticed."

Qin Shu crossed her arms, scowling.

She wasn't going to take his insults today.

Instead, she simply turned her head away with a huff.

Still, Xie Shiyuan continued his explanation.

"This flower was cultivated by someone," he said. "The formation is a hybrid of illusion and spirit-gathering arrays. It ensures that whether human or beast, anything that enters the mist will be drawn toward the lake, ultimately becoming this flower's nourishment."

With that, he produced the lotus once more.

This time, he plucked two petals off and handed them to her.

Qin Shu blinked.

She stared at the massive lotus, then at the two measly petals in her palm.

...That was it?

She racked her brain for everything she had learned about the flower—only to grow even more confused.

The Tianxin Rakshasa Binding Heart Lotus was primarily used for refining demonic artifacts and puppets.

But she was a righteous cultivator.

She didn't dabble in dark arts—so what the hell was she supposed to do with this?

"...Big snake, these petals are pretty and all, but as a righteous cultivator, I have no use for them. What do you expect me to do, bathe in them?"

Xie Shiyuan smirked coldly.

"Righteous cultivator?"

His dark gold eyes gleamed with amusement.

"The same righteous cultivator that's carrying my inner core in her dantian?"

Qin Shu's smile froze.

For the first time, she was at a complete loss for words.

Her fingers clenched around the petals.

Then, she stubbornly declared, "I am righteous! And one day, I'll completely absorb your inner core!"

Xie Shiyuan scoffed.

He did not bother responding to that nonsense.

Instead, he simply observed her reaction—the flicker of curiosity in her gaze.

"How did you even get in here?" she asked suddenly. "I thought this trial realm banned anyone above Foundation Establishment?"

His brows twitched.

"Not a question you need answers to."

Qin Shu studied him for a moment.

Then—a realization hit her.

Her eyes lit up.

"You're weaker now, aren't you?!"

Xie Shiyuan tensed.

Qin Shu smirked triumphantly.

"You lost your inner core, so your cultivation dropped, didn't it? You're just a little snake at Qi Refining stage now!"

Xie Shiyuan: "..."

A slow, dangerous smirk curled his lips.

Qin Shu gulped.

Wait.

"If he's that weak... then why is he still terrifying?"