After the Second Playthrough, the CP-Less Female Lead Kneels and Begs Me for Forgiveness [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 15

“Is there a solution?” someone asked.

Shao Xibei shook her head. “That book only contained the first volume; the second is missing. I expect the solution lies within the lower volume.”

Despite having met her less than fifteen minutes ago, there was something about the calm expression on her face when she spoke that felt inexplicably convincing.

At that moment, Zhao Shuangbai spoke up: “If someone is parasitized, how long can they hold out at most?”

Shao Xibei replied, “Thirty days at most, ten days at shortest.”

Zhao Shuangbai fell into deep thought. The secret realm was not scheduled to open for another month; Li He simply couldn’t last that long.

Fang Nian inquired, “Can it be suppressed?”

Shao Xibei lowered her eyes in thought, and a flash of inspiration struck her. If she remembered correctly, this kind of evil entity feared nothing more than the purest essence. Both the first streak of purple Qi produced at sunrise and the tidal power generated when the moon hung high in the sky belonged to that category.

“Using the pure power generated by the moon and the sun, it can be suppressed temporarily.”

“And it just so happens that there is an exotic beast in this dense forest capable of absorbing lunar essence.”

“A Moon Cat,” Zhao Shuangbai finished her sentence.

Shao Xibei blinked in surprise; she hadn’t expected Zhao Shuangbai to know about this creature as well.

“We cannot stay in this secret realm for long. If possible, we must find a way to open the exit prematurely,” Fang Nian said.

But forcing the secret realm to open was easier said than none.

The others expressed their agreement; any cultivator could sense how ominous the black Qi swirling around them had become.

Zhao Shuangbai fixed her gaze on Shao Xibei. “Where is the Moon Cat?”

“In the Purple Leaf Forest,” Shao Xibei replied without hesitation.

Something about those words must have triggered Li He, for he suddenly bolted upright from the ground.

When he opened his eyes, they were a murky grey, like a swamp. He spoke in a hoarse voice, “Don’t go… inside… there are… monsters.”

Without giving the group any time to react, Li He collapsed back into unconsciousness.

What happened next, as someone emerged from the forest, only served to confirm Li He’s warning.

A man who had lost half a hand was trudging forward with great effort. His skin was ulcerated all over his body, with only half of his face remaining intact.

This allowed them to identify him: he was a retainer of one of the noble heirs who had entered earlier.

It appeared he was the only survivor. However, before he could even clear the Purple Leaf Forest, a dark shadow dragged him back in.

The group could only see the man’s outstretched hand; there was no time to save him.

Fang Nian’s face went dark. “Senior Sister, we must leave this place!”

Zhao Shuangbai didn’t answer. She closed her eyes and expanded her divine sense. “Too late.” The moment those words fell, black mist surged from the Purple Leaf Forest, and a massive figure appeared before them.

Its body was white, but its ears, tail, and four paws were wreathed in ghostly blue flames. At the center of its forehead was the mark of a crescent moon.

Without Shao Xibei needing to say a word, everyone recognized it instantly: it was a Moon Cat.

Shao Xibei stared blankly at the gargantuan creature. Matching its beastly pupils—now clouded with black Qi—she was struck with horror. This was a Moon Cat?

In her memory, a Moon Cat was a shimmering little creature no larger than a common house cat. The beast before her, which looked like it could crush her with a single paw, certainly didn’t match that description.

“Everyone, prepare! Protect yourselves!” Fang Nian shouted.

Before Shao Xibei could react, the terrifying beast had already launched its attack. The eight tails behind it fanned out, sharp as blades; when they struck a tree, they sliced it clean in half.

The assault was swift and violent. One disciple failed to dodge in time and was slammed into a tree, vomiting a large mouthful of blood.

The disciples present had at least a Golden Core cultivation. Anything that could cause such damage so easily was definitely beyond the Nascent Soul stage.

“Baibai, we can’t keep fighting. This thing is at least mid-stage Nascent Soul.”

“Let’s run!”

Shao Xibei lived by the philosophy that as long as the green mountains remain, one need not worry about firewood—survival came first.

Zhao Shuangbai also sensed something was wrong. She sent a telepathic message: “Find an opening and go!”

“Don’t bother leaving.” A voice drifted from the void. Black Qi churned around the Moon Cat, gradually coalescing into a human figure.

Shifting from ethereal to solid, Shen Yunyan’s figure appeared before everyone. Her gaze turned tenderly toward Shao Xibei. “Ah Xi, I’ve come to take you back.”

She no longer looked disheveled as she had before. Her eyes were clear, and she had changed into a brand-new set of red robes, remaining stunningly beautiful.

Standing amidst the black Qi with a gentle smile, she looked like a flower blooming out of a swamp.

Shao Xibei, however, looked at her with pure loathing. This was the first time she had let her disgust for someone show so clearly.

Zhao Shuangbai’s expression was grim. She could sense that Shen Yunyan’s aura was different once again.

It felt far stronger than a Nascent Soul aura.

Shao Xibei sensed it too. Having encountered much more than Zhao Shuangbai in her time, she spoke directly: “Shen Yunyan, you have already reached the Spirit Severing stage. Why hasn’t the secret realm forced you out?”

The Spirit Severing stage!!!

This news was like a thunderclap, shocking everyone to the core.

Spirit Severing? That was a level reserved for Sect Elders.

The gap between Golden Core and Nascent Soul was like a chasm, but the jump from Nascent Soul to Spirit Severing was no less daunting.

Cultivation is an act of defying heaven; every level higher is exponentially more difficult.

And if they weren’t mistaken, the person before them was clearly Shen Yunyan—the inner disciple who had just fought a brilliant match against their Eldest Senior Sister in the sect competition a few days ago.

How could her cultivation have risen so incredibly fast?

Shen Yunyan’s eyes were fixed solely on Shao Xibei, ignoring the stares of everyone else. Her gaze was locked onto Shao Xibei with an unsettling intensity.

“Ah Xi, this entire secret realm belongs to me now. Whether I am at the Nascent Soul or Spirit Severing stage—even at the Tribulation Transcendence stage—this realm will never reject me.”

This statement carried massive implications. Shen Yunyan continued, “Ah Xi, I know you don’t like fighting and killing, so…” She raised a hand, pointed, and with a mere thought, the others vanished.

Only Zhao Shuangbai and Shao Xibei remained where they stood.

“See? I’ve thrown them out of the secret realm,” Shen Yunyan said with a faint smile. Inside Shao Xibei, the alarm bells were screaming at maximum volume.

Zhao Shuangbai held her sword in front of Shao Xibei, her expression indifferent and cold.

Shao Xibei tugged at her sleeve and wrote on her back: [Baibai, this time you really must leave.]

Shen Yunyan stepped forward, treading on the black mist as she slowly approached the pair. As she drew closer, she saw a scene that nearly drove her to madness.

Both of them bore identical marks on their bodies—marks that made it painfully easy to guess what they had been doing.

Shen Yunyan dug her nails into her palms. Using her spiritual power to manifest fine needles, she drove them ruthlessly into her own arm, forcing herself to stay conscious so she wouldn’t lose her mind and hurt Ah Xi.

However, she could no longer maintain her facial expression.

Her face grew frigid, appearing even colder than Zhao Shuangbai’s. “Ah Xi, I don’t blame you. Once I kill her, it will be as if none of this ever happened.”

Shao Xibei’s eyes widened. If what Shen Yunyan said was true, Zhao Shuangbai was facing certain death.

She stepped out from behind Zhao Shuangbai, her expression detached, her white hair swaying with her movements.

Upon seeing this, Shen Yunyan guessed the reason for the white hair almost instantly.

“Ah Xi, look at you. Your hair has turned white for this person. If it were me, how could I ever let you be the one to protect me to such an extent?” The implication was clear: Zhao Shuangbai was useless.

“Enough. Too much time has been wasted. I’ll finish her off right now and take you home.”

As if receiving an order, the exotic beast’s massive tail swept forward, accompanied by the whistling of the wind.

The attack was so fast that Shao Xibei couldn’t dodge; she was snatched up around the waist.

Zhao Shuangbai struck out with her sword, but the blade hit like steel, producing a sharp, metallic ring.

“Do you know, Senior Sister? Right now, you are like a tiny insect—weak and overestimating your own strength.”

Zhao Shuangbai was unable to stop Shao Xibei from being pulled away.

Because Shao Xibei’s remaining power was too weak, she couldn’t break free. She could only watch helplessly as she was drawn closer and closer to Shen Yunyan.

Shen Yunyan pulled her into a tight embrace and took a deep breath, a look of disgust flickering across her features. “You’re covered in that repulsive scent.”

With a wave of her hand—an attack so fast the movement was invisible—Zhao Shuangbai was sent flying.

She was too strong. Was this really how it was going to end?

Shao Xibei bit her lip, her eyes fixed on Zhao Shuangbai.

[No matter what, I have to keep you alive.]

Zhao Shuangbai gripped her sword tightly, never having hated her own impotence more than in this moment.

[Give your body to me. I can protect her.]

It was that voice again.

The System’s energy form was just a tiny ball of light, currently attached to Zhao Shuangbai’s sea of consciousness.

[No.]

Without giving the System an opening to exploit her vulnerability, Zhao Shuangbai remained terrifyingly steadfast. She would never surrender her body to someone else again.

[But you can’t protect her at all right now. Do you think you can defeat the current Shen Yunyan?]

The words were harsh, but they were true. Zhao Shuangbai tightened her grip on her natal sword until her knuckles turned white.

Shen Yunyan’s next attack came. Shao Xibei didn’t even sense a fluctuation in spiritual power before she saw Zhao Shuangbai violently pinned to the ground.

“Zhao Shuangbai!”

[See?]

However, Zhao Shuangbai’s mind could no longer think. Her entire body was being crushed by Shen Yunyan’s spiritual power. It wasn’t enough to make her explode and die, but it pushed her internal organs to the very brink of rupturing.

[Stubborn.]

After the System finished speaking, it transferred all of its power into Zhao Shuangbai’s body.

The most important thing now was to defeat Shen Yunyan and rescue Shao Xibei. It didn’t matter who was in control; as long as they could win, nothing else mattered.

Zhao Shuangbai felt her cultivation level skyrocket. The pressure on her body lessened, but her meridians began to snap inch by inch, and her Golden Core shattered completely.

The sky above the secret realm filled with purple lightning, churning with golden light. It was the Will of the Heavenly Dao, seeking to strike down an existence that should not be in this world.

A forced power jump like hers was indeed something that should not exist.

Shen Yunyan frowned and swung another strike at Zhao Shuangbai, but this time, the attack was blocked, vanishing into nothingness in mid-air.

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