Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 62.1

“Host, wake up! Don’t sleep!” The System nudged Hu Li, its voice strangely weary.

Hu Li stirred, her eyes fluttering open, her vision still blurry.

She found herself in a pitch-black cave. Stalactites hung overhead, water dripping rhythmically from their tips onto her and into the dark river nearby, the droplets echoing with a drip… drip… drip…

“Host,” the System’s voice echoed again.

Hu Li instinctively closed her eyes, trying to access the Sea of Consciousness to check on the System. But the moment her eyelids shut, a cold, unfamiliar animal paw pressed against the back of her hand.

Hu Li: …

Hu Li: !

Her eyes snapped open in terror. She frantically shook off the dark, fuzzy thing clinging to her hand and rubbed her eyes furiously, desperate to get a clear look at the creature.

Simultaneously, the System, having crashed heavily against the rough stone wall, coughed up a mouthful of blood and groaned, “Host, it’s me.”

With that, it tumbled from the wall and rolled to a stop at Hu Li’s feet.

Hearing the System’s pained cry, Hu Li barely restrained the urge to kick the blurry black animal away. She continued rubbing her eyes until her vision cleared, only then stopping her frantic movements.

At her feet lay a raven, its glossy black feathers glistening in the light. The dampness on its back suggested it had just brushed against the stone wall.

“Are you the System?” Hu Li asked cautiously, retracting her foot and edging away.

The System glanced at Hu Li with a look of utter despair. “Yes,” it replied.

Hu Li raised an eyebrow, suppressing the corners of her mouth that threatened to curl into a smirk. “How did you end up like this?”

The System saw through Hu Li’s barely concealed amusement. Its beak twitched as it explained, “The Main System found out I’d tampered with your identity settings. In a fit of rage, it transformed me into this. It also declared I’d never return to the Transmigration Bureau for the rest of my life.”

“I see,” Hu Li said thoughtfully. “But why a raven? Why not something else?”

More than the System being bound to her for eternity, Hu Li was genuinely curious about its avian transformation.

“Well…” The System hesitated, then, figuring Hu Li wasn’t exactly a stranger, it honestly relayed the Main System’s reasoning: “The Main System said ravens look particularly wretched and despicable, perfectly matching my temperament.”

Hu Li: ……

Hu Li fell silent for a moment, then a smile involuntarily peeked through her fingers.

Hearing Hu Li’s muffled laughter, the System crossed its arms and said gloomily, “Host, stop laughing at me. Your situation isn’t any better than mine.”

Hu Li: Huh?

Her laughter died down as she followed the System’s unwavering gaze and tilted her head in confusion.

Then she saw it: her entire body was covered in fluffy fur, her hands and feet had transformed into paws, and a large, fiery red tail now trailed behind her.

Hu Li’s breath caught in her throat. She scrambled on all fours to the edge of the dark river and peered into the water.

The clear river reflected the image of a small red fox.

Hu Li collapsed onto the ground. After failing to revert to human form, she frantically grabbed the System with both paws and demanded, “System, what’s going on? Why have I been turned back into my original form?”

“Well, uh—” The System didn’t get a chance to explain before Hu Li’s paw accidentally shifted upward, cutting off its air supply. Its eyes rolled back in its head.

Seeing this, Hu Li immediately released the System. Then, she raised her paw and gave the System’s back several firm pats.

“Feeling better now?” she asked.

The System coughed violently, gasping for breath. After a long moment, it finally regained its composure, flapped its wings frantically, and perched on the stone wall above, looking down at Hu Li. “Not good,” it muttered gloomily.

Hu Li paused, sitting on the ground, then sprang up and yanked the System off the wall. She pinned it beneath her paw again. “Whether it’s good or not can wait,” she said. “First, tell me what’s going on!”

How had she suddenly reverted to her original form?

And why was she no longer at the Tianyan Sect, where she remembered being before she lost consciousness? This place was clearly not it.

As Hu Li pondered, a sudden suspicion struck her.

“You said I wouldn’t die!” she exclaimed, tightening her grip on the System. “Then why am I in the Netherworld?”

Fox Clan legends claimed that upon death, their souls would revert to their original forms and enter the Netherworld.

Seeing the dark, eerie cave, Hu Li had instinctively assumed she was dead, her soul now in the Netherworld.

“System, why aren’t you answering? Are you feeling guilty?” Hu Li frowned and nudged the System, which remained silent under her control.

System: ……

It wasn’t that the System didn’t want to speak, but Hu Li’s questions were too relentless. After several failed attempts to explain, it had no choice but to mute itself.

“Host, this isn’t the Netherworld,” the System finally spoke up after Hu Li quieted down. “This is just an unnamed cave in the Cultivation World.”

“An unnamed cave?” Hu Li asked.

The System hummed in confirmation and explained, “Host, after completing the final plot point, your soul detached from your body and scattered. Although I used the System’s power to preserve you, the Immortal Slaying Nail’s influence caused your cultivation to dissipate, making it impossible for you to maintain human form.”

“Impossible to maintain human form…” Hu Li murmured, her lips pressed into a thin line. She released the System and fell into deep thought.

After a long silence, she sighed heavily and said, “Fine, if I can’t be human, I can’t be. I’ll find Gu Sheng first, then focus on cultivating later.”

With that, she rose from the ground and began walking toward the cave’s entrance, where light streamed in.

But she had barely taken a few steps when the System materialized before her, blocking her path.

“Host, you can’t go looking for Gu Sheng,” the System said. “Besides, you’re no longer a Spirit Fox. You can’t transform into human form anymore.”

Hu Li stopped in her tracks, her voice suddenly turning cold. “System, are you joking with me?”

Sensing Hu Li’s hostile tone, the System shrank its neck, swallowed hard, and forced itself to remain calm. “Host, if you go to Gu Sheng, the Heavenly Dao will kill you.”

Hu Li fell silent.

The System continued, “Actually, your last mission wasn’t issued by the Main System. I issued it myself.”

It took a deep breath and confessed, “Host, the Heavenly Dao discovered your anomaly and wanted to eliminate you. So, to save you, I came up with the idea of having you take Gu Sheng’s punishment and die before the Heavenly Dao.”

“I’m not afraid of death,” Hu Li stated bluntly.

The System replied, “Gu Sheng has already defied the Heavenly Dao. If you stay with her, the Heavenly Dao won’t spare her either.”

Hu Li was speechless for a moment, then asked absently, “So, being with Gu Sheng would harm her?”

The System nodded. “Exactly.”

Hu Li: ……

Leaving the cave, the surrounding scenery opened up before them.

Hu Li stood atop a small earthen mound, letting the wind whip through her hair, unsure where to go next.

The System perched on a branch of an ancient tree beside her, preening its raven feathers that Hu Li had ruffled earlier. “Host,” it said soothingly, “there are so many fascinating things in the Cultivation World. Let’s wander around and explore a bit. It’ll be fun!”

The System was about to recommend the Cultivation World travel itinerary it had devised back when it was still the Main System. But as it glanced down, it realized Hu Li, who had been standing beneath the tree, was gone.

The System froze for a moment, then frantically scanned the surroundings.

Then it spotted a burly cultivator nearby, carrying a burlap sack that was wriggling violently.

The System’s gaze locked onto the scene, its awareness of the gravity of the situation growing.

Perched on the branch, it watched the cultivator’s figure shrink into the distance. After a moment’s hesitation, it finally followed after him.

Hu Li was taken to Baoning Town at the foot of the mountain.

The town was bustling with activity. Merchants had set up stalls, hawking their wares loudly.

At one Spirit Pet Shop, the shopkeeper had just purchased a Small Red Fox from a hunter. The fox was in good condition but didn’t seem to have awakened its spiritual intelligence.

He locked the fox in a cage, tossed in some feed, and resumed his business.

A tree stood beside the shop, its dense foliage suddenly parting to reveal a crow’s head.

“Host, are you alright?” the System asked.

Hu Li glanced up at the System and continued clawing at the cage’s lock. “Does it look like I’m alright?” she retorted.

The System fell silent, silently withdrawing its head back into the tree.

The cage’s lock was incredibly sturdy. Hu Li tried every method she could think of, but couldn’t even scratch it.

By midday, exhausted from her futile efforts, Hu Li finally collapsed in the cage.

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