Cool water caressed her chest, and a soft blue light reflected on the surface. Xiang Wan gently raised her arm, letting her fingertips glide through the water, wiping away the dust and the gloomy, miserable mood.

She never asked the system why her soul fragments were being pieced together and attached to other people in different worlds. She had a vague feeling that even if the system answered her question, it wouldn't be the answer she wanted, and it was better for her to discover it herself.

She ran her hands across her chest, through her hair, and thoroughly washed her face. Xiang Wan's mood improved. At that moment, she suddenly understood why girls loved taking baths so much—not only because bathing cleans the body, but also because it made her feel wonderful.

The water in the pool was cold and clear; washing in it for too long could inevitably harm the body, but Xiang Wan wasn't afraid at all. Cultivating internal energy required just the right temperature.

After thoroughly washing all her clothes, Xiang Wan found a large rock, hung her clothes on it to dry, and then returned to the water to silently practice her martial arts.

Xiang Wan held the bead in her hand. When she took the bead into the water, she discovered that her body could absorb the spiritual energy from the bead, accelerating the circulation of her internal energy.

Xiang Wan glanced at the snake again, and seeing that it still didn't move at all, she closed her eyes and focused all her energy on cultivating her inner strength.

Unbeknownst to her, while she was fully absorbed in her cultivation, the snake slowly opened its eyes, gazed at her for a long time, and then fell into a deep sleep again.

With the help of the beads, Xiang Wan's internal strength increased rapidly, and the impurities in her body were slowly expelled during cultivation, after which she floated back into the water.

If Xiang Wan could open her eyes, she would see that within a ten-foot radius, the fish would all avoid her, simply because the impurities on her body were so foul-smelling.

Every other day, Xiang Wan would wake up to check if the snake was moving, then catch a fish to eat before continuing his cultivation in the water.

About a week later, Xiang Wan's internal energy level had reached level 5, and the bead in her hand had lost all its spiritual energy and turned into an ordinary white bead.

Xiang Wan sighed and silently put it in her pocket. No matter what, it was something worth remembering, and she couldn't lose it.

After checking on the snake again and seeing that it showed no signs of waking up, Xiang Wan continued absorbing the cold energy in the water. This opportunity was too rare; once she left the cave, she estimated she wouldn't have another chance to cultivate her inner strength.

As she entered into meditation, the snake that had been sleeping soundly on the shore slowly stirred. It moved its body gently toward the huge rock, sliced ​​its head across the sharp edge of the rock, and then slowly slithered between the two rocks. The snake that emerged from behind the rock was pure white with soft, fine scales, while in front of the rock, a perfectly intact snakeskin was slowly left behind.

This snake is actually shedding its skin!

The snake shed its skin very carefully, without making a sound. Every now and then, the snake's head would glance at Xiang Wan, as if afraid of waking her.

After about half a day, the snake had completely shed its previous golden color and turned into a tender, white appearance, and quietly burrowed into the water.

A soft, white light flashed in the water, and Xiang Wan felt something touching her arm and waist. She suddenly opened her eyes, reached back quickly, and stood up from the water.

A figure quickly approached, clasped Xiang Wan's hands together, and pulled her into a tight embrace, his breath hitting her ear, long and heavy.

Xiang Wan was startled and tried to kick back, but was instead lifted up. Her feet left the ground, and she couldn't get any leverage. In a panic, Xiang Wan tried to slam her head back, but was dodged.

A deep laugh sounded in my ear, "Have you had enough fun?"

"Who wants to play with you?"

Xiang Wan struggled with all her might, kicked her legs back in the air, and even tried to use her head, but she still couldn't do anything to the person behind her.

The arm that held her was strong and powerful, and his legs were long and hard. He swayed his head near her ear, and no matter how hard Xiang Wan tried to hit him, he couldn't touch her at all.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the snake had vanished. Xiang Wan understood perfectly well that in this place, there was only one possibility.

"Snake, let go!"

"I have a name."

"I don't want to know right now!"

"oh?"

The drawn-out tone just sounds awkward no matter how you listen to it.

"Let go right now, or you'll regret it!"

"I thought we were already very close."

Hearing this, Xiang Wan was startled and immediately stopped moving. A feeling of embarrassment and annoyance quickly swept over her body, and a blush spread from her cheeks to her neck. Suddenly, she felt extremely hot all over. She had been so focused on breaking free from the restraints that she had initially felt slightly uncomfortable because being naked in the water would accelerate the absorption of cold air. However, as her body gradually adapted to the feeling, she had completely forgotten about putting on clothes.

What's even more embarrassing is that the person behind her has his waist and abdomen pressed tightly against her back and buttocks. The slightly cool touch and warm body temperature are all conveying a message to Xiang Wan: she is being held in a man's arms, and neither of them are wearing clothes!

The person behind her lowered his head and sniffed her scent. His erection swelled at an alarming rate, pressing against her legs. Xiang Wan felt like she was about to burst into flames. Having experienced so many worlds, never before had a situation made her so acutely aware of the size difference between her and the other person, and that astonishing size. It was a clear indication that if she moved again, she would be taken advantage of on the spot!

What sins has she committed? She was fortunate not to be eaten in her previous life, but is she destined to be eaten like this in this life?

Even knowing that Qiu Rui's soul fragments were inside the snake, Xiang Wan was still unwilling. What she wanted was a lover with a complete soul, not some compromise in any world, nor to have a relationship with her mission target, even if it wasn't her own body—she would still mind!

If no one could enter her heart, perhaps none of this would matter, but she has a certain kind of fastidiousness; if something is not complete, she would rather not have it!

She didn't ask the system if the soul fragment was on the snake, but she had already made up her mind. The system didn't say anything because it was afraid she wouldn't be able to accept it. Her silence, seemingly an act of avoidance, was actually a way of silently allowing her heart to adjust.

The size between her legs was still increasing, leaving her no time to think. Xiang Wan had to suppress the myriad thoughts in her mind and pretend to be calm. "Snake, you've transformed so quickly? Can I see what you look like? I'm very curious!"

The person behind her took another deep breath on Xiang Wan's neck, chuckled softly, and his breath brushed against her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. "You really want to see?"

"Yes, I want to see it!"

Xiang Wan's voice trembled slightly, and the burning sensation between her legs became more and more obvious. If she didn't let go, she suspected that she would be eaten while standing there.

"My heart is pounding! Lying—no, lying to snakes—comes at a price!"