My Cold Senior Sister Keeps Flirting with Me - Chapter 20

Several more days passed. Thanks to the team’s effective leadership and powerful offensive capabilities, their progress remained steady and smooth. They navigated the first twenty days without any major incidents, leaving them with just ten days remaining.

A month felt neither long nor short. Within the trial, they didn’t need to eat, having all cultivated the Bigu Art. Nor did they need to bathe, having mastered the Purification Art.

The absence of food and bathing, however, greatly diminished An Ran’s enjoyment of life, having grown up steeped in Chinese culture.

In the quiet of each night, An Ran would sink into deep longing, yearning for the elder sister she had grown up with.

She wondered if her sister had successfully transformed from a cat back into human form, resuming her life as a human.

An Ran sighed softly. The path ahead was shrouded in uncertainty, the future filled with unknowns.

Her heart churned with complex emotions—anticipation, worry, and an overwhelming sense of bewilderment.

With only a few days left, the group discovered a deep, dark cave. Senior Brother Huo suggested exploring it, and everyone nodded in agreement.

As soon as they stepped into the shadowy cavern, a dense swarm of bats erupted from the depths, swooping out like nauseating shadows.

The bats seemed to despise humans. Screeching furiously, they swarmed toward An Ran and her companions, as if determined to drive them away.

An Ran was so startled that her hair stood on end. She screamed hysterically, “Ah! How disgusting! These bats are going to touch me!” She swung her sword wildly.

In that split second, Gu Ruohan lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around An Ran, shielding her from the swarm.

The Ruo Xue Sword in Gu Ruohan’s other hand flashed with a chilling light. With a swift swing, a freezing gust of air instantly killed a large group of bats.

Simultaneously, Lu Yunyan, positioned on An Ran’s other side, hurled Flame Burst Pills. The intense heat blurred the surrounding air as the explosions incinerated another wave of bats.

Senior Brother Ling and Senior Brother Huo, meanwhile, executed their sword techniques with practiced precision and seamless coordination. Each powerful strike of their swords cleaved through the bats, cutting them down one by one.

Gu Ruohan maintained her tight embrace on An Ran, her eyes vigilantly scanning the swarm. At the slightest sign of a bat approaching An Ran, she would immediately blast it away.

Only when the last bat had been eliminated did An Ran exhale a long, shaky breath. She clung to Gu Ruohan, sobbing, “Waaah, Eldest Senior Sister, you’re the best!”

Gu Ruohan finally released An Ran, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s over now,” she murmured softly.

After Gu Ruohan finished speaking, Lu Yunyan turned to An Ran with a smile. “Junior Sister, I never imagined you were such a scaredy-cat!”

“It’s not my fault! I have trypophobia! All those bats clustered together make my scalp tingle,” An Ran said, her face flushing crimson.

They decided to venture deeper into the cave, chatting casually as they walked. The further they went, the more sinister the surroundings became.

Suddenly, they spotted rows of gleaming red eyes. The Nine-Headed Hydra emerged from the depths of the cave—a colossal creature with nine terrifying heads, its body covered in scales that shimmered with an eerie light.

None of them had anticipated encountering such a formidable Nine-Headed Hydra. Its immense size and seemingly boundless strength made it clear they stood no chance against it.

Senior Brother Ling proposed a practical solution: “Let’s not fight it head-on. We’re no match for this hydra. We should retreat for now!”

The suggestion was met with immediate agreement, everyone nodding in approval.

They quickly turned back, preparing to evacuate the dangerous area as swiftly as possible.

But before An Ran and her companions could completely escape the dangerous area, a dark shadow suddenly swooped down—a massive bat.

Its wings flapped furiously, and its sharp teeth gleamed menacingly in the night.

Clearly, this bat had come seeking revenge!

The sudden attack caught An Ran and her group off guard.

The bat’s bloodthirsty demeanor and razor-sharp claws left no doubt of its deadly nature.

Just as Gu Ruohan prepared to retaliate, the Nine-Headed Hydra they had left behind slithered up from behind, its scarlet tongues flicking ominously, each of its nine heads bearing a sinister, cunning expression.

Gu Ruohan’s eyes narrowed. With a swift swing of her longsword, she struck the bat down to the ground.

Clutching An Ran’s hand tightly, she urged urgently, “Run!”

An Ran, assessing the tense situation, immediately declared to the group, “You all retreat first. I’ll distract the Nine-Headed Hydra.”

She pulled the Phantom Sky Talisman her master had given her from her pocket and hurled it forcefully at the Nine-Headed Hydra.

The talisman activated, disorienting the hydra and causing it to hallucinate. The creature began thrashing wildly in place.

However, An Ran had thrown the talisman while standing too close to the hydra. The hydra’s massive body accidentally struck her, sending her flying backward.

She collapsed to the ground in agony, coughing up a mouthful of bl00d.

At that moment, Gu Ruohan rushed over. Seeing An Ran’s condition, she didn’t hesitate to scoop her up and sprint out of the cave without looking back.

Once they were outside, the group leaned against the cave entrance, gasping for breath.

The Nine-Headed Hydra hadn’t pursued them out of the cave…

Their crisis seemed to have passed.

Lu Yunyan patted her chest and exclaimed, “That was terrifying! How could such a monstrous creature exist in the Trial Grounds?”

An Ran had been injured by the hydra’s strike, though her injuries weren’t particularly severe.

But as soon as Gu Ruohan set her down, before An Ran could even steady herself, she nearly collapsed to the ground again.

Gu Ruohan quickly steadied her, helping her stand upright once more.

An Ran rested her hand on Gu Ruohan’s shoulder, weakly saying, “It hurts so much… my legs feel like jelly.”

Lu Yunyan gazed at An Ran and declared, “Junior Sister, you’re a true hero! If it weren’t for you, we might all be dead right now.”

With that, Lu Yunyan gave An Ran a thumbs-up.

Since there were only two days left until the end of the trial, they found a relatively flat and safe spot to camp out for the remaining time.

Gu Ruohan stayed behind at the tent to care for An Ran, while Lu Yunyan led Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Huo to search the surrounding area for medicinal herbs and spiritual fruits, gathering some along the way.