The Villain is Soft and Clingy [Transmigration] - Chapter 22
“This is Little Red,” Jin Li said, chuckling as she extended a finger. The little red fish swam back, nudging Jin Li’s fingertip. “How strange, she really likes you.”
Zhang Lan nervously hid further back, eyeing the little red fish warily: “Oh.”
With the team members confirmed, all teams successively entered the Demon Beast Forest.
The Demon Beast Forest had seven layers; the deeper one went, the higher the rank of the demon beasts. For this trial, the peak masters had already set boundaries, limiting the disciples to the first layer to collect demon beast crystals for evaluation.
Spiritual birds would follow and record the situation, and everyone outside could watch through a spiritual mirror to ensure fairness and impartiality.
—
Inside the forest, weeds grew wildly, and tree roots crisscrossed. Xia Zhitiao used her Jiyan sword to clear a patch of blocking shrubs, cautiously observing her surroundings.
The eight individuals had been in the forest for a while, but they had only wandered aimlessly without encountering a single demon beast.
Wang Yan, holding her long sword, couldn’t help but mutter softly, “…It’s so quiet.”
Indeed, the forest was unusually silent. Besides the sounds of their walking and breathing, there seemed to be no other noise.
Thick layers of grass leaves densely covered the path. As they walked, they rustled ominously against their trouser legs, sending shivers down their spines.
Compared to the team’s tense atmosphere, Jin Li was leisurely, humming a tune as she cleared the path with Xia Zhitiao.
Wang Ze, chopped away a blocking branch and asked, “Senior Sister, is this the right direction?”
Xia Zhitiao stopped, looked at the pervasive mist ahead, and said with some difficulty, “This trial shouldn’t have a ‘correct’ direction… but it’s truly strange that we haven’t encountered a single demon beast in so long.”
Jin Li scratched her head and said, “Strange.”
Xia Zhitiao added, “It is strange. I’ve been to the Demon Beast Forest twice before, and you’d encounter a demon beast every few steps.”
“It’s too strange. When I used to participate in these capture missions,” Jin Li complained, “demon beasts would practically trip over each other to run into tree stumps.”
Everyone: “…”
*Can good luck really allow one to do whatever they want?*
They patiently walked for another stretch. Upon reaching a small clearing in the forest, one of the disciples accidentally sprained their ankle, so they stopped for a short rest.
Jin Li, seeing Xia Zhitiao’s preoccupied expression, walked over and patted her shoulder, saying, “Don’t worry, Junior Sister Xia, trust my intuition.”
With that, she turned around, grabbed Zhang Lan’s hand, and shook it vigorously: “Expert! It’s just us few now. Tell us, which way do we go?”
Zhang Lan had been silently following Xia Zhitiao since entering the forest, barely speaking. Suddenly grabbed by Jin Li, she was taken aback.
Zhang Lan said, “…No, I’m not. Don’t touch me.”
“Expert, you don’t need to be modest,” Jin Li said with impassioned rhythm. “Ever since I first saw you, a voice in my heart told me I had to join your team. We’re definitely going to win!”
Zhang Lan was stunned: “Huh?”
Jin Li’s expression was excited: “Expert, I believe you will lead us to victory!”
Zhang Lan was a little displeased, her voice chilling a bit: “Let go of me.”
Wang Yan, standing nearby, couldn’t watch anymore. She “tsk-ed” and said dismissively, “Senior Sister, this person is the last-place finisher of our batch; she can’t even use spiritual power.”
“How dare you speak to an expert like that!” Jin Li glared at Wang Yan. She didn’t let go of Zhang Lan’s hand. After a moment, she herself froze: “Way-seeking stage?”
Xia Zhitiao was also stunned upon hearing this. Zhang Lan was clearly at Foundation Establishment, Two Stage; how had she suddenly dropped to a stage with no spiritual power at all?
Zhang Lan pulled her hand back, remaining silent.
“Wait, expert, why do you have no spiritual power at all?” Jin Li was incredulous. “No way, something’s not right…”
Xia Zhitiao pulled the head-bowed Zhang Lan closer, shielding her behind her, and softly said, “Senior Sister Jin, let’s discuss our direction forward.”
—
Jin Li was distracted. Xia Zhitiao discussed with Wang Ze. After the two decided on a direction, they resumed their movement.
The deeper they went into the forest, the darker it became. Tall grass and trees covered the sky, cutting the overhead light into scattered silhouettes.
Unseen purple mist accumulated on the ground, creeping towards them, yet it seemed wary of something, hovering restlessly nearby.
“Senior Sister,” Zhang Lan tugged at Xia Zhitiao’s sleeve, whispering, “I feel a little… uncomfortable.”
“Uncomfortable?” Xia Zhitiao slightly turned her head and softly asked, “Do you want to rest for a bit?”
Zhang Lan’s expression was grave. She shook her head: “I’m fine, but can we turn back?”
Xia Zhitiao hesitated. They had walked for nearly an hour with no results. Turning back now, the team probably wouldn’t agree.
Just then, the quiet undergrowth suddenly rustled. The team instantly tensed up.
Xia Zhitiao pointed her Jiyan sword forward, shielding Zhang Lan behind her.
The rustling in the bushes grew more intense. A black shadow broke through the leaves, crying like a wailing infant, moving extremely fast, rushing directly towards them!
Then, with a “thud,” it crashed into a tree stump and stopped moving.
Everyone: “…”
They all silently turned to look at Jin Li. Jin Li leisurely walked forward, picked up the creature by its fluffy ear, and examined it: “A first-tier demon beast, not bad.”
They had thought she was joking earlier, but they never expected a demon beast to actually run into a tree stump and die on its own… Truly worthy of being a *koi* (symbolizing good luck).
A small white crystal condensed. Jin Li took the crystal and casually handed it to Xia Zhitiao: “Here, I can’t hold things. I always lose them.”
Xia Zhitiao silently accepted the crystal. With the team finally “hunting” a demon beast, their morale also significantly boosted.
Wang Yan brightly waved her sword and said, “Let’s keep going!”
Everyone quickly moved forward, while Zhang Lan lagged at the very back of the team. She reached out to examine the dead demon beast, finding its fur disheveled and covered in various wounds, with a deep cut on its abdomen.
She stood up anxiously, stunned for three or four seconds. Seeing that the team had already gone far ahead and Xia Zhitiao was calling her, she turned and followed.
“Senior Sister,” Zhang Lan ran to the front of the team and told Xia Zhitiao, “That demon beast was being chased by something…”
Just as Xia Zhitiao was about to say something, a thunderous “rumble” suddenly came from not far away, making everyone’s eardrums buzz and their heads ache.
Wang Yan shouted, “What’s going on?”
Immediately after, trees toppled over, and the ground shook violently. Everyone lost their footing. Zhang Lan grabbed Xia Zhitiao, almost screaming, “Run!!”
A vast black shadow slowly rose from among the trees, revealing a coiled, massive body with a maw full of sharp, menacing fangs.
“Devouring Wheel Black Python?”
Jin Li stared blankly, murmuring, “Th-this is what tier… Something’s wrong…”
Devouring Wheel Black Pythons typically appeared on the fourth or fifth layers of the Demon Beast Forest. They fed on flesh and bl00d, were extremely brutal, and once they locked onto a target, they would tear it apart and devour it.
Zhang Lan pulled Xia Zhitiao, shouting at Jin Li, “Don’t worry about its tier! Run!”
Wang Yan held her sword somewhat unwillingly. Wang Ze grabbed his sister’s arm and said, “Its realm suppresses us by at least five or six layers; we can’t defeat it!”
The black python noticed them. It hissed, its body shifting, and shrieked as it chased after them!
Black scales scraped “clack-clack” against the grass and trees. Its massive body crushed piled branches and leaves, instantly grinding them into fragments.
Everyone’s speed was at its maximum, yet the giant python still quickly approached. They could even smell a choking, foul stench.
Zhang Lan had no spiritual power, making her the slowest in the team. Xia Zhitiao, looking after her, also fell behind.
Seeing the black python drawing closer, Zhang Lan suddenly turned around, flipped her palm, and threw her wooden sword!
The wooden sword whistled through the air, piercing directly into the black python’s fangs. The black python cried out in pain, snapping the wooden sword in two with a few bites, and angrily rushed forward.
The wooden sword bought them two or three seconds. Zhang Lan released Xia Zhitiao’s hand and said, “Senior Sister, don’t worry about me.”
“What are you saying?” Xia Zhitiao said anxiously, holding onto her arm without letting go. But Zhang Lan was determined, standing still. “If we go, we go together!”
“Really, really don’t worry about me,” Zhang Lan’s voice trembled slightly. “I’ll be fine. You go alone—”
The black python was now within reach. The choking, foul stench assaulted her. Xia Zhitiao was suddenly pushed by Zhang Lan, stumbling forward a few steps.
She quickly turned her head and saw the black python open its bl00d-red maw, biting Zhang Lan at the waist, lifting her up.
Zhang Lan desperately resisted the giant python’s fangs, her body swaying precariously in the air. Her previous panicked expression gone, she looked at the giant python’s eyes and sneered, “Quite bold. Just you wait, I’ll deal with you.”
With that, a sharp blade suddenly appeared in Zhang Lan’s hand. She gripped the hilt in a reverse grip and viciously stabbed downwards!
The blade pierced through scales and into flesh. The black python let out a pained shriek and released Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan, exhausted, plummeted through the air. The chilling wind rushed into her ears. She closed her eyes, letting herself fall downwards.
From afar, someone seemed to be shouting, but she could no longer hear.
“Thud—”
Zhang Lan crashed onto the ground, covered in wounds, her body unmoving, bl00d spreading freely.
—
Things happened too quickly. Xia Zhitiao watched it all, feeling cold all over, as if an overwhelming sea was pressing on her back, making it impossible to breathe.
The giant python, having just been stabbed, was utterly enraged. Its tail swung through the layered forest, sweeping down a swath of branches and leaves.
Xia Zhitiao rushed to her junior sister’s side and reached out to embrace her. Zhang Lan lay in her arms with her eyes closed, leaning on her shoulder, her brows tightly furrowed.
Xia Zhitiao reached out to check her breathing. Zhang Lan’s face was slightly pale, but thankfully, she was still breathing and had a heartbeat; she had merely fallen into a coma.
Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, the black python suddenly opened its bl00d-red maw and lunged towards the two below. Xia Zhitiao, with one arm around her junior sister’s neck and the other attempting to block with her sword, was already running out of time—
“CLANG!!”
The sound exploded in her ears. Jin Li and the Wang siblings had rushed back. The three of them, combining their strength, forcefully blocked the giant python’s attack.
Xia Zhitiao came to her senses. She set down her junior sister, unsheathed her Jiyan sword, and unleashed a burst of scorching spiritual power, striking the giant python’s head.
The giant python shrieked and retreated, lessening the pressure on the three.
“That’s more like it,” Jin Li chuckled. “I saw you spacing out earlier, like you were dumbfounded.”
Wang Yan stomped her foot and said, “Senior Sister! Let’s combine our strength and defeat it!”
The four of them worked together, giving their all, and fended off another wave of the giant python’s offense.
But the realm suppression was truly too lethal. The group had only fended off two attacks before completely exhausting all their spiritual power.
Seeing the black python attack again, everyone was unable to resist, already in despair.
Just then, “CRACK—”
The ground suddenly split open. Several luminous vines shot out, wrapping around the black python like ropes, binding it tightly!
The black python struggled desperately, but the luminous vines were incredibly tough, holding its massive body so it couldn’t move at all.
Seeing the giant python restrained, Wang Yan became excited and shouted loudly, “Brother, Senior Sister! Let’s combine our strength and defeat it!”
The surrounding tree leaves suddenly quieted. A warm breeze swept past their ears, and thick black mist permeated, covering the ground in layers.
“You can’t defeat it.”
Someone walked slowly forward, their dark hair like a waterfall, their features sculpted. In their hands, they held a sharp, cold long sword. The wind surged into their pitch-black long robe, making it billow like layered clouds and mist.
The voice was like jade beads suddenly falling to the ground, spreading a clear and cool tone through the silent, deep forest.
“…I’ll do it.”
Author’s Note:
Zhang Kuang: I smashed the mini-theater and burst out with my max-level account!!!!!!!!